I LOVE THE 100 YEARS OF ART DECO IN MIAMI BEACH EXHIBIT

I’D LOVE IT MORE IF A REDESIGN PROVIDED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE OUTDOOR GALLERY

100 Years of Art Deco in Miami Beach features 100+ images from around the world create a visual journey through the evolution of Art Deco.

In the spirit of inclusion, I wish the journey through Lummus Park was more wheelchair accessible.

I adore the Miami Design Preservation League & will forever be grateful for its exhibit of my photography.

But I do challenge it to use temporary interlocking plastic pavers to make the entire Art Deco 100 exhibit accessible to people with disabilities.

The exhibit runs through January, so there is plenty of time to fine tune its accessibility and Universal Design.

The Miami Beach Pride Festival and Parade uses heavy plastic interlocking mat material to provide wheelchair access and inclusion on the beach sand.

That same product could enhance access along the mushy grass and varying topography of Lummus Park.

I AM HONORED TO BE QUOTED AS A UNIVERSAL DESIGN EXPERT IN MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE CHARLES T. BROWN’S ISLAND PRESS BOOK:

ARRESTED MOBILITY – 

OVERCOMING THE THREAT TO BLACK MOVEMENT

Steve Wright, disability rights advocate and professor of Universal Design at the University of Miami School of Architecture, believe that there can be a middle-ground solution (to the issue of conflicts of sidewalk use and safety between those who uses wheelchairs for mobility and cyclists/scooter riders.)

“It’s an interim and if we…make a strong case for infrastructure that’s humane…we can have a very wide sidewalk and we can have a bike land and we can have some sort of marked lane for scooters,” he says.

“The idea that this is weaponized…the idea that a Brown or Black person has maybe had a 50/50 chance of getting a ticket or being called over and read the riot act…that’s not a world that I want to live in.”

I have spent my life as a writer, planner, educator and advocate – working the create a better built environment for marginalized people.

I was proud to be on one of Brown’s first Arrested Mobility podcasts, sharing my expertise in hurdles to mobility experienced by people with disabilities, especially wheelchair users.

I have been gratified to work as a Universal Design subconsultant to Brown’s Equitable Cities -- an urban planning, public policy, and research firm
working at the intersection of transportation, health, and equity.

                                                    Charles Brown

UNIVERSAL DESIGN MYTH BUSTING

HOSTED BY STARKLOFF DISABILITY INSTITUTE'S

NEWLY EXPANDED UNIVESAL DESIGN PROGRAM

Honored to cover two of five myths discussed during the April 10 Universal Design Myths Busted virtual panel presentation hosted by Starkloff Disability Institute's newly expanded UD program.

I was gratified to be part of an expert panel also featuring Tiffany Dill, Meaghan Walls and Gretchen Kingma.Speaking to a large online audience, we broke down common misconceptions about Universal Design and its impact on everyone.

Thanks to the incomparable Rachel Goldmeier and the entire Starkloff team for facilitating a dynamite, 75-slide program.

https://starkloff.org/services/universal-design/

WIDE, ACCESSIBLE, BARRIER-FREE SIDEWALKS BENEFIT EVERYONE

VISITORS ARE APPALLED AT THE MISSING, BROKEN AND BLOCKED SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT GREATER MIAMI

OUR LEADERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED

Miami’s endless assault on pedestrian mobility—especially brutal for people with disabilities—is vomitrocious.

Developer builds a wider, welcoming sidewalk—then fire hydrant/posts subtract 40% of its space.

Clearly the hydrant could have gone in space outside sidewalk.

SIDEWALK WITH DRIVEWAY

HEAVEN AND HELL

The first example has a level, PROWAG-compliant surface — then an angled drive. 

It is heaven.

The one on the bottom is an endless driveway — beveled for an entire lot on a busy corridor.

The hellish one can tumble a wheelchair user into deadly traffic.

The city of Miami has dozens of not hundreds of miles of severely angled sidewalks — even in major pedestrian corridors  

Because we all know its worth having a few people with disabilities killed by tumbling into traffic — than it is for SUVs to have a slightly bumpy ride entering a driveway. 

ALL DRIVERLESS VEHICLE TRANSIT PROTOTYPES MUST ACCOMMODATE WHEELCHAIR USERS

AN OPEN LETTER TO USDOT SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG.

Dear Secretary Buttigieg:

Why doesn't USDOT (and all other relevant agencies) require all robotaxis/driverless rideshare vehicles to accommodate power wheelchair users? Every prototype I've seen is a sedan.

This is as bad as granting highway dollars to an agency the will not allow people of color to drive on its roads.

It is discriminatory to allow autonomous fleet vehicle firms to roll out "innovative" transportation that excludes people with disabilities.

Imagine an airline that says it will ban women for a decade -- until it figures out how to accommodate them on their new planes.

I have great respect for what USDOT, under your leadership, is being done for air travel for people with disabilities.

I think you are an excellent people-first, inclusionary leader.

But I think the ball is being dropped on ableist transit alternatives.

https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2023/12/02/robotaxis-wont-get-us-there-so-lets-stop-being-used-to-sell-a-future-that-doesnt-serve-us/

“MARK - A CALL TO ACTION” RELEASES GLOBALLY ON OCTOBER 8

I AM HONORED TO APPEAR IN THE DOCUMENTARY AS A GLOBAL DISABILITY ADVOCATE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN EXPERT CONSULTANT

The documentary, by an award-wining team, premiered in Japan in February.

I was gratified to attend in Tokyo.

On October 8, it releases via Digital, Streaming, Satellite – even DVD.

“Mark – A Call to Action” is the story of Dr. Mark Bookman, a severely disabled Pennsylvania-born American who later resided in Tokyo full-time, becoming one of Japan’s leading experts on accessibility, and a policy consultant to governments and major corporations around the world.

His tireless efforts helped raise awareness and positively impacted the lives of not only disabled persons, but also children, seniors and vulnerable populations in the United States, Japan and many other nations.

For more information, visit:

https://www.soundviewmediapartners.com/mark-a-call-to-action/

For a review, see this image:

AGING IN PLACE

UNIVERSAL ACCESS DESIGNS

I was gratified to join David Haight and Laura Streed this week to open the 2024 Florida Planning Conference in Tampa.

More than 1,000 professional planners attended the American Planning Association’s statewide event.

Our Aging in Place: Universal Access Designs presentation drew a standing room only crowd and much applause.

Florida’s population is aging.

By 2050, Florida is forecasted to grow by 5.4 million persons.

Federal studies show that one in four people will experience disability in their lifetime.

When neighborhoods are welcoming and comfortable for a wheelchair user, they function for people of all ages.

Ninety percent of retirees want to age in place, however less than one percent of all housing contains any universal design elements.

Over a million disabled people over 65 live in inaccessible homes.

We presented examples of neighborhood and housing designs that ensure people of all ages and abilities can thrive in their community.

HISTORIC IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR INACCESSIBLE

IT IS ABLEIST TO DENY FRONT DOOR ACCESS 

TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

 

I love the 19th century cast iron buildings of New York’s SoHo.

I also reject the absurd argument that replacing their stairs with access ramps would diminish their history.

Their interiors have been 100% gutted for retail and apartments. Ramps do not alter facades.

It is ableist to claim denying front door access to people with disabilities preserves history.

Many Soho buildings have no access 34 years after the ADA.

Others have demeaning back alley access or faulty lifts.

Access for all is a basic civil right.

Those that cling to inaccessible buildings as “a part of history” are as out of bounds as those that would cling to race based deed restrictions or denying women the right to vote.

Let’s celebrate Disability Pride Month and the 34th anniversary of the ADA with inclusive design.

PROUD TO BE A LEADER IN EDUCATING PLANNERS

ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND AGING IN PLACE

I am gratified to be speaking on: Aging in Place: Universal Access Designs, at the 2024 Florida Planning Conference.

I spoke on a similar topic at the national conference of the American Planning Association two years ago.

I will be joined by acclaimed colleagues Laura Street, Associate State Director - Advocacy and Livable Communities at AARP, and David Haight, FAICP, LEED AP ND, Transportation Planner/Urban Designer, AtkinsRéalis. I am the nation’s leading Subject Matter Expert on creating a better built environment for people with disabilities. I give passionate keynote speeches and lead inclusive workshops and walking tours that focus on efficient, low-cost improvements that remove barriers to those who use wheelchairs for mobility.

IF YOUR COUNTY DOESN’T WORK FOR EVERYONE, IT WORKS FOR NO ONE

SHAMEFUL THAT BROKEN ELEVATORS DESTORY RAIL TRANSIT ACCESS 

FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS FOR MONTHS TO YEARS

It is incredibly embarrassing when your county is hosting a nationwide conference of transportation officials -- but your rail lines have had elevators out for years and some will not be repaired till 2025.

While co-leading a tour and meeting with friends, dozens of top tier planners complained about the broken elevators and the devastating impact on people with disabilities.

They were attending the nationwide National Association of City Transportation Officials hosted by Miami-Dade County.

Lack of planning ahead for maintenance and glacial pace of repairs - -is a black eye for a city that could have shined while hosting NACTO.

Please, County mayor and commissioners, stop treating people with disabilities like second class.

KICKED OFF THE NEW YEAR TALKING UNIVERSAL DESIGN

ON THE PLANNING COMMISISON PODCAST 

We discussed planning a world of equality and excellence by creating a better built environment for people with disabilities.

Great to chat with planners Chris Danley and Don Kostelec.

The Episode Description:

Equal access to the places we seek to enjoy is often misunderstood.

For disability and accessibility expert, Steve Wright, it is his passion and lifelong profession.

Steve sat down with us to discuss the subject at length, clarify misconceptions, and really explore the ins and outs of what accessibility means.

As we continue to seek a world of equality and excellence, ADA laws and addressing our built environment for those experiencing a disability cannot be left behind.

Here’s the link to the podcast with video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv8zxPVc8Ks

 

UTILITY POLE SMACK DAB IN MIDDLE OF MIAMI SIDEWALK

CREATES ACCESS ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

I’m proud to work every day, fighting the good fight for Universal Design, safe streets and equitable mobility.

Cities MUST design for all people.

Streets cannot be just for cars.

They must have wide sidewalks, safe crosswalks and free of barriers that rob people with disabilities of the basic human right of independence, mobility and dignity.

Check out this Local 10 Miami/ABC News profile of my activism and expertise:

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/12/18/utility-pole-smack-dab-in-middle-of-miami-sidewalk-creates-access-issues/

EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM INCLUSION

THE ADA MAKES US STRONGER

AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION

An accessibility program would create jobs for certified contractors who remove barriers and make commercial spaces accessible to all. 

It would increase revenue for businesses that get new customers that can now access their products and services.

Federal HUD money could possibly be introduced to supply some matching funds for qualifying small businesses.

For more than half a century, Miami has proudly been a beacon for people leaving dictatorships and disasters — to make a better life for their families. 

With this program, it could be a model of inclusion for people with disabilities.

 

 

 

EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM INCLUSION

THE ADA MAKES US STRONGER

AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION

Accessibility often costs far less than the horror stories that falsely portray it as cost prohibitive. 

The tiniest corner store, over time, spends tens of thousands to keep its plumbing, HVAC, roof and floor space safe and up to code. 

If it can afford that cost of doing business, it can afford ADA compliant access.

To make access even easier, I challenge our local county and city mayors to create an accessibility program similar to Ygrene PACE Clean & Green Energy Home Improvements. 

That program allows the expense of upgrades to be amortized over 20 years and paid with one’s property tax bill.

EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM INCLUSION

THE ADA MAKES US STRONGER

AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION

Ableism is devaluing a person with a disability because they are disabled. It is exactly like racism, which devalues on skin color and culture.

Both are indefensible and sometimes lethal.

Resisting making a shop, restaurant, or corner store accessible to all is not only ableism, but also a horrible business decision.

The CDC has documented that one in four adults has some form of disability.

Larger corporations spend millions of dollars to increase market share by one percent.

What business, even a small one, wouldn’t want to get more customers?

EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM INCLUSION

THE ADA MAKES US STRONGER

AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION

Why even hint at eroding the fragile rights that people with disabilities enjoy via the ADA?

It would be a colossal throw the baby out with the bathwater bad move.

In reading the sidebar, I am aghast that a city would use taxpayer dollars to fight ADA compliance.

This smacks of the southern states that used every resource thinkable to deny African Americans access to integrated schools.

Exclusion and segregation is NEVER a good move.

But when people with disabilities cannot travel barrier-free sidewalks, when they cannot cross the street safely, when they cannot enter a pool accessibly — they are being segregated.

EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM INCLUSION

THE ADA MAKES US STRONGER

AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION

As a writer/planner/educator/activist involved in the disability community since before the ADA was enacted in 1990, the headline of the main story concerned me.

I wonder if a story about people suing to uphold their basic civil rights — were it based on gender or race — would have the word extortion in the headline.

I think not.

Certainly, there may be some very aggressive lawyers and like anything on earth, the ADA and its enforcement is imperfect.

Government in these parts often is poorly executed and a good many public officials come up on corruption charges. 

But I don’t see anyone calling for disbanding government.

EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM INCLUSION

THE ADA MAKES US STRONGER

AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION

I read with great interest the Miami Herald’s local coverage of perceived abuses of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ADA is the only civil rights legislation on the books for people with disabilities.

People with disabilities had to wait a quarter century after the great civil rights legislation of the 1960s to get their rights protected by federal law.

For better or worse, those who framed and adopted the ADA forced people with disabilities to litigate to uphold their rights. 

There is no ADA police, no ADA code compliance unit.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN REQUIRES EXPERTISE

ALL ARCHITCTURE PROJECTS SHOULD HAVE 

ACCESSIBLITY CONSULTANTS

Architect:

"The ADA has been on the books for 3 decades.

It is illegal to build inaccessibly, so I see no need for accessibility consultants."

Me:

"Murder has been outlawed since the beginning of civilization but we have police because people violate the law every few minutes."

The pushback, from architects, against Universal Design and creating spaces that are welcoming to people with disabilities is foolhardy and a detriment to the profession.

For allies of people with disabilities, it is exhausting and depressing.