AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE WRIGHT BY HAWA ALLARAKHIA, M.ED.
At the University of Miami, students studying architecture now have the opportunity to learn about incorporating accessibility by taking a first-of-its-kind class about universal design.
Steve Wright, the instructor of
the course, discusses how he integrated the experiences and needs of a wide
variety of individuals with disabilities into the course.
GRATIFIED TO BE PART OF THE EQUITABLE CITIES TEAM
WORKING WITH THE VIRGINIA WALKABILITY ACTION INSTITUTE
I was
thrilled to combine my passion for access and inclusion with my expertise in
creating a better environment for people with disabilities.
I was the featured
speaker for Universal Design Day with Virginia Walkability Action Institute
(VWAI).
It was hosted by Virginia's Department of Health through its PATHS partnership
with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
It’s a joy to work with Equitable Cities.
I’ve worked
with its founder Charles Brown on his Arrested Mobility podcast and with some
writing projects about equity in the public realm.
It was great
to work with Virginia point person Valeria Menendez on Equitable Cities, in historic
and artistic Richmond.
I led a 3.5
mile walk through Richmond to highlight Universal Design assets and challenges.
Assets included Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with ramped boarding platforms with outstanding wheelchair access directly into buses that do not require lifts/ramps for smooth, inclusive transit.
Challenges included the pedestrian portion of a bridge over 195 -- a major highway.
There are no
curb ramps at the end of this viaduct – on two of the most major streets in the
entire region: Broad Street and Monument Avenue.
Cities, counties and regional authorities benefit from my “design for all” expertise.
Please contact
me to schedule my combination of walking/rolling pedestrian 3+ mile accessibility
tour plus workshop/keynote speech.
One in four
people experience some level of disability.
Hundreds of
thousands of your constituents and clients need my services.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
→Where To
Go
Motown Museum: Admission is
$20, with guided tours only, so book in advance.
Detroit Institute of Arts:
Admission is $18.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Detroit: Suggested admission is $10.
→ Where To
Eat
Baobab Fare
Buddy’s Pizza: Buddy’s
originated Detroit-style square pizza.
American Coney Island:
Motown coneys — spicy chili, mustard and onion-topped dogs with snap — have
been around for over a century.
→ Where To
Stay
Hilton Garden Inn: Centrally located — and close to Ford
Field, Greektown, Opera House, and Music Hall — the Hilton’s rooms with roll-in
showers are often found for $175 per night.
→ How To
Get Around
QLINE: The streetcar is
free and accessible.
Detroit People Mover:
Fare is 75 cents.
Detroit buses: Fare is $2.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
“They have some of the biggest elevators around — some likely used for moving exhibitions — and there are lots of elevators throughout the building,” Emily Obert says.
“The main
bathrooms are accessible, but the doors are a little hard to push open. DIA has
a single accessible restroom near their classroom.
It’s not
obvious where it is, so they could improve signage, but it’s excellent for use
with a personal care assistant.”
Obert
offers an insider’s tip for visitors to Detroit looking for an added experience
in the expansive, high-ceilinged court that displays the world-famous Rivera
murals.
“Everybody
loves the Rivera murals and I’d have to say it’s my favorite too,” she says.
“Check the calendar.
They do
some Friday night events there. I saw a concert in that room.”
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
Spanning over 650,000 square feet and featuring 100 galleries, DIA is one of the largest and most significant art museums in the country.
The museum is most famous for Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry Murals,” a series of frescoes consisting of 27 panels depicting industry at Ford and Detroit. Controversial when completed in 1933, the murals have since been designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014 and were considered by Rivera to have been his most successful work.
Other highlights include William Randolph Hearst’s armor collection and a massive selection of American art. Both Jaime Junior and Emily Obert praised DIA’s accessibility.
“They have a grand staircase, because that’s what buildings had back then, but the main entrance has been reoriented to a level entrance from the south side of the building,” Obert says of the Neoclassical DIA, opened in 1927.
“There also is
free accessible parking close to that entrance off of Farnsworth Street.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
Emily Obert, who works on accessibility and equity at Ford Motor Company, also gives high marks to the Motown Museum and has a must-stop spot for foodies looking for a fun, accessible meal near both places.
Baobab Fare
opened in early 2021 and its East African cuisine and goods have already earned
it a James Beard Award and recognition in The New York Times.
“Baobab gets
that perfect balance between sweet, sour, salty, tangy,” says Obert. She
recommends the samaki: lightly fried fish with sauteed onions served with fresh
corn salad, fried plantains, stewed yellow beans and coconut rice or spiced
rice pilau.
“Everything
on the menu is delicious.”
Aside from a
tiny slope at the front door, Emily Obert gives Baobab high marks for overall
inclusion based on accessible restrooms and an open floor plan that has lots of
accessible seating.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
Housed in a
22,000-square-foot, low-rise industrial building designed by Architect Albert
Kahn to be an auto dealership, the museum offers a rotating selection of modern
art and hosts a diverse array of events and guests.
As a
wheelchair user with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emily Obert is supremely qualified to
comment on the building’s accessibility.
“I’m
biased, because I got married there, but they really did a great job on the
one-level entrance — not a segregated accessible entrance — and the open space
is great for access,” says Obert, a T6-7 paraplegic.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
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On the way
back to the core of Detroit, pause to gasp at the Fisher Building, nicknamed
Detroit’s largest art object.
Architect Albert
Kahn’s 1928 art deco masterpiece soars 441 feet, clad in marble, mosaics,
painted ceilings and much brass and bronze. You’ll find shops and an accessible
theater in the large lobby.
Virtually
across the street is another of Architect Albert Kahn’s triumphs, the
Neoclassical, 15-story Cadillac Place.
It opened
in 1922 as the headquarters of General Motors and, at the time, was the
second-largest office building in the world.
In the
1970s, GM moved to the monolithic Renaissance Center on the Detroit River, so
now the complex houses 2,000-plus employees of the state of Michigan.
IS NOT GOOD POLICY
These ineffective & ableist wheelchair stair climbers should come with a sign that says “permanently out of order” in dozens of languages. 99% never function.
Disability
access by checkmark NEVER works.
Involve
people with disabilities in planning + architecture.
The solution
is to build a turn ramp or elevator. Putting in something that never works =
treating people with disabilities like second class citizens.
Many subways
have only broken stair climbers — rendering essential transit off limits to
wheelchair users.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
For
athletic wheelers, there’s a QLINE stop just north of Grand, and decent
sidewalks all the way to the Motown Museum.
For
transit, roll a couple blocks west to the Fisher Building — more on it, next —
and for a $2 dollar fare you can take the 16 Dexter Bus two stops to Poe
Avenue, and roll on to Motown.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
Once the
fourth-largest city in the U.S. and home to an almost-unmatched industrial
center, Detroit still has fabulous, ornate skyscrapers from the 1920s and
1930s.
Albert
Kahn, the great architect of towers and industry, left a legacy of buildings
worthy of the finest seen in New York or Chicago.
Less than a
mile west of Woodward, on Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard, aka West Grand Boulevard,
you’ll find the Motown Museum.
One of the
greatest small museums in the nation, the Motown Museum offers hundreds of gold
records, colorful stage costumes of famous male and female acts, and tons of
other fascinating memorabilia.
Lifetime Detroiter and an ADA coordinator for Disability Network Wayne County Detroit, Jaime Junior
praises the museum for adding accessibility to a pair of old houses that Berry
Gordy Jr., founder of the Motown record label, bought and expanded into when
Motown was more a dream than the star factory that it became.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
A great place to start exploring Woodward and downtown Detroit is Campus Martius Park.
Just a few
blocks north of the Detroit River, Campus Martius Park was named the No. 1
public square in the nation by USA Today and is one of the highlights of
downtown Detroit’s abundant, accessible public spaces.
Other spots
worth visiting include historic Cadillac Square in the center, Grand Circus
Park on the northern edge of the urban core, and the pedestrian-only Woodward
Esplanade that leads to the Detroit River, featuring an ever-expanding
wheelchair-accessible river walk.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
Owing to
existing challenges, she gives the core of Detroit her B-/C+ grade for overall
accessibility.
“As a
resident and somebody who visits a lot of museums, stores, services, etc., I
think downtown Detroit can always do better,” says Junior.
“Downtown
needs to prioritize keeping the sidewalks open and smooth, which is good for
people with disabilities, older people, families with strollers — even package
deliveries.”
To avoid
crossing too many wide streets, depending on the route, wheelers can take
advantage of the elevated Detroit People Mover.
The accessible mover serves 13 downtown stations along a 3-mile loop. Junior says the system is pretty good about maintaining the elevators up to the boarding platforms that allow flush-level entry.
The fare is 75 cents.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
It has
accessible seating near its doors, and each boarding station has a gently
ramped boarding platform so the streetcar can be rolled onto directly with no
worries about broken lifts or driver-activated ramps.
As a lifetime Detroiter and an ADA coordinator for Disability Network Wayne
County Detroit, Jaime Junior is no stranger to the QLINE and the dos and don’ts
of accessing the urban core.
Junior, who
has cerebral palsy, notes that while the QLINE is a great amenity, sometimes
its tracks can interfere with crosswalks when they are not well maintained.
She also
urges caution traversing crosswalks, as a surprising number of them are riddled
with manhole covers.
MOTOR CITY WHEELCHAIR MOBILITY
Much has
changed, especially for those who love urban vacations highlighted by historic
architecture, world-class museums, countless entertainment and sports venues,
eclectic eats and reliable public transportation.
All this
and other amenities give Detroit an enduring sense of place and significance
befitting a great American city.
The core of
Detroit is thriving and surprisingly accessible.
And yes,
for those who ask — the streets are safe, even far into the night
Woodward
Avenue is an excellent place for any wheelchair user to start exploring
downtown Detroit.
Often
referred to as “Detroit’s Main Street,” Woodward runs 27 miles from the
Riverfront to Pontiac, Michigan.
Over a
century after making history with the first mile of concrete-paved road in
America in 1909, Woodward now is ideal for wheelchair users, with wide
sidewalks and densely packed attractions.
NEVER THOUGHT I’D BE ON INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE
Thanks to
Ron Small, Paul Bookman and the wonderful team making the documentary
“Mark – A Call to Action” – I’m on IMDB.
I appear in
the 90-minute film portraying a life well-lived by Ivy League-educated global disability
leader/influencer Mark Bookman. Mark achieved 100 years of brilliance in a life
the ended at age 31.
To continue his
legacy of inclusive design and much more, I’m on camera talking about the positives
– from safer pedestrian mobility to aging in place – that come with Universal
Design and town planning that includes people with disabilities.
As a cast
member, I have a brief listing on IMDB – one of the 50 most-visited sites on
the internet.
The film
debuts in Tokyo in February. I hope to be there – with the team that has made
me a part of the family.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26931769/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49tk8fKAJxo
OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM RALLIED AROUND A PERSON
AT WIT’S END – LITERALLY SAVING HER LIFE
She lives in a temperate
rural area – which is good for managing her MS.
With her resiliency restored and United Spinal in
her corner, Sarah is ready to begin sharing her story.
She wants the government to address disability not
with assisted suicide but with meaningful access to housing, transportation,
employment, education, plus health and attendant care.
She has picked up the advocacy megaphone again and
is grateful to United Spinal for saving her life.
OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM RALLIED AROUND A PERSON
AT WIT’S END – LITERALLY SAVING HER LIFE
“It was a very tearful
conversation, where we basically assured her, ‘You are safe in our hands —
you do not need to take that drastic step of going up to Vermont to surrender
to death.’”
“She was like, ‘OK, I see you’re in my corner,
you’re going to fight with and for me and help me,’” said Steve, noting the
team then started researching every potential solution and making calls.
“In the end, she did a lot of work on her own.
Our role in this particular case was to be human, passionate
and empathetic.”
OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM RALLIED AROUND A PERSON
AT WIT’S END – LITERALLY SAVING HER LIFE
“Our team works hard to break down barriers.
But we also have an empathetic ear.
I gave Sarah my cell number.
She called at 9 p.m. sometimes.
I don’t want someone to feel that isolation and disconnection that I
felt post-injury,” says Matt, a C6 quadriplegic.
Steve, who has been instrumental in expanding United Spinal’s grassroots network of member-advocates in virtually every Congressional district, knew Sarah from her days as a fierce advocate.
They had
lost contact for a couple of years, and then he found his brilliant and
resourceful friend contemplating a path toward exiting from life.
OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM RALLIED AROUND A PERSON
AT WIT’S END – LITERALLY SAVING HER LIFE
After the webinar, she reached out and soon had a whole team behind
her: Matt Castelluccio, Vice President of Community Support; Lindsey
Elliott, Senior Director of Community and Peer Support; Stephen Lieberman,
Director, Advocacy & Policy; and Jane Wierbicky, Nurse Information
Specialist.
“Some organizations meant to help people are short-staffed, so the person seeking assistance gets passed from one resource to another.
Or they reach voicemail, not a person,” says Jane.
“What sets us apart is that we are a small team, but we try to get people on the phone to hear them out.
We are not miracle workers but doing it with passion and human
feeling is what people get from United Spinal.”
OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM RALLIED AROUND A PERSON
AT WIT’S END – LITERALLY SAVING HER LIFE
They make personal connections, taking calls long past standard
business hours, blending expertise with the human factor.
Sarah and our Community Support team met each other at an unlikely but ultimately timely place:
A recent United Spinal webinar on
Assisted Suicide. United Spinal Association, along with other disability
organizations and individuals with disabilities, filed a complaint against the State of California in
the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on April 26,
2023.
Deeply moved by the presentations, Sarah spoke
against assisted suicide while praising United Spinal’s team for saving lives,
one at a time. Many lives.
It was not hyperbole.
OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM RALLIED AROUND A PERSON
AT WIT’S END – LITERALLY SAVING HER LIFE
“I researched accompanied dying, and I was aware Vermont had passed a law to include even out-of-state residents, the first in the nation,” said Sarah.
“I had rationalized I could take my time, drive to
Vermont, still have enough to get a little apartment and start identifying
doctors open to the idea (of facilitating her own assisted suicide).”
Enter United Spinal’s Community Support and Advocacy programs.
This tight-knit crew is renowned for helping wheelchair users with a host of issues, including housing, medical care, rehabilitation, attendant care, applications for benefits and transportation.
They also help people cope
with the onset of brain and spinal cord injury or disease and numerous other
disability-related requests.
WORLD PREMIERE OF DOCUMENTARY GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO REVIEW UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND BARRIER FREE ACCESS IN TOKYO
I documented
accessible trains, inclusive restrooms and other advances toward a better built
environment for people with disabilities.
The report will be published this year.
 |
I am in the
film, quoted as a Universal Design expert, that debuted at two campuses of the
prestigious University of Tokyo, as well as the esteemed Sophia University.
I met so
many wonderful disability advocates, including Mark's dad -- Paul Bookman and
stepmom Wasna Dabbagh, both board members of the GLIDE Fund.
It also was
an honor to meet two other acclaimed experts in the documentary film
-- Nagase Osamu, a professor at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, and
longtime disability rights advocate in Japan, and Carolyn Stevens, a
professor at Monash University in Melbourne, and longtime disability rights
advocate.
