UNITED SPINAL’S ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES HELPS

MUSEUMS TO BECOME DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE

“Most kids don’t get to hop in a wheelchair and experience how to navigate in it. It breaks down the stigmas,” said Matt Castelluccio -- Vice President of Community Support for United Spinal -- about Human Plus’s wheelchair exhibit.

“I was also impressed that it wasn’t just a tiny, temporary exhibit like some places do to observe a disability awareness month.

This full-scale, immersive exhibit presents disability and adaptations as part of the bigger picture of science.”

Matt sent photos of the disability-inclusive exhibit to fellow advocates at United Spinal, which is how he discovered that his coworker Kleo King helped make it happen.

 

UNITED SPINAL’S ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES HELPS

MUSEUMS TO BECOME DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE

Matthew Castelluccio was interested in an outing with his wife Elaine and twin 12-year-old sons Dominic and RJ for Veterans Day when he settled on the New York Hall of Science.

While there, the family came upon Human Plus, an exhibit on disability and adaptive technology.

“My kids grew up knowing me as a wheelchair user,” says Matt, Vice President of Community Support for United Spinal.

“They are familiar with adaptations and my mobility.

But it was mind-blowing to come across a technology- and disability-related exhibit.”

The exhibit features a white cane navigation pathway demonstrating low-vision mobility.

It also offers an auditory experience featuring the pulse of music to demonstrate how people experience music without fully hearing it.

There are also prosthetic exhibits, and visitors can design their own wheelchairs.

DANGEROUS BY DESIGN

PROTECTING UTILIITES FROM CARS TAKES PRIORITY

OVER PROTECTING HUMANS FROM BEING RUN OVER

This is the “I know I’m doing a bad thing” approach to sidewalk design.

Government plants streetlights on sidewalk.

So vulnerable pedestrians are shoved closer to dangerous Miami traffic.

Location is Coral Way, a designated scenic (but apparently unsafe for pedestrians) corridor. 

APA HOTEL AKIHABARA EKIKITA

SUPER QUIET AND EFFICIENT MICRO ROOM

AT FABULOUS PRICE POINT FOR A GLOBAL CITY

AKA Hotel Akihabara Ekikita said it is a rule in Japan to change over the room every third day.

I had requested an extra flat sheet on arrival.

And I emailed to remind them. 

But each night, I would come home late and find zero flat sheets.

The every third day service robbed me of my ability to have the sheets customized the way I liked them...and it had me begging for extra sheets then waiting for them in the wee hours.

APA HOTEL AKIHABARA EKIKITA

SUPER QUIET AND EFFICIENT MICRO ROOM

AT FABULOUS PRICE POINT FOR A GLOBAL CITY

The rooms at AKA Hotel Akihabara Ekikita have no individual temperature control.

Even on freezing nights, I would crack the window a few hours to cool things down.

They also can lend you a space heater if the one-size-fits-all temp is cold and you need to warm up.

I found it super odd that the hallways are open to the elements. 

I'm from Miami where its 80F and I arrived to far below 40F.  

Having rain and cold open air was odd for the hallways.

APA HOTEL AKIHABARA EKIKITA

SUPER QUIET AND EFFICIENT MICRO ROOM

AT FABULOUS PRICE POINT FOR A GLOBAL CITY

The staff at AKA Hotel Akihabara Ekikita uses google translate to speak English.

I found it best to type requests in advance on Booking.com messaging -- so they could feed it into translate app and provide me with answers and service.

They recommended some nice locals and chain restaurants.

I paid well under $100 USD for a modern, efficient room in one of the biggest cities on earth. I wish I could do that in NYC.

I would book at another AKA hotel (there are dozens in Tokyo alone) in a heartbeat.

APA HOTEL AKIHABARA EKIKITA

SUPER QUIET AND EFFICIENT MICRO ROOM

AT FABULOUS PRICE POINT FOR A GLOBAL CITY 

A mini fridge in the room at AKA Hotel Akihabara Ekikita was a great bonus. 

I brought home milk, berries and snacks from a 24-hour full-sized grocery about 5 minutes’ walk from the property.

It was about a 12 minute walk to the train station and an equal distance to the joys of Electric Town's gadgets, photo shops, anime, manga, etc.

The immediate area is very low key, so no noise at night.

 

APA HOTEL AKIHABARA EKIKITA

SUPER QUIET AND EFFICIENT MICRO ROOM

AT FABULOUS PRICE POINT FOR A GLOBAL CITY

My room at AKA Hotel Akihabara Ekikita was super quiet and my bed was perfectly firm and comfortable.

There's a great flat screen TV with tons of free VOD.

The tub-shower was clean and worked for a soak after a long day of work.

There seemed to be endless hot water, which I really love.

APA HOTEL AKIHABARA EKIKITA

SUPER QUIET AND EFFICIENT MICRO ROOM

AT FABULOUS PRICE POINT FOR A GLOBAL CITY

I'm used to micro rooms, so I did not feel cramped in the AKA Hotel Akihabara Ekikita.

Everything is super-efficient with plenty of regular electrical and USB outlets -- some right at the bed and others at the desk.

They give you the coolest fold our hair comb, a great toothbrush and razor plus a comfy bath robe.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS ESSENTIAL IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

BUT A POOR CHOICE OF MATERIALS HURTS

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

A safe haven for pedestrians in the middle of busy, 4-lane Washington Avenue at Lincoln Road in Miami Beach is a great idea.

But using dozens of tiny pavers IS NOT.

It creates a tripping hazard.

We have no idea what an uneven, treacherous surface brings to the table.

Especially in a high density, high foot traffic (96 Walk Score) area that needs easy mobility.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES

REALTORS® understand the importance of Universal Design.

In Illinois, the Heartland REALTOR® Organization used a $15,000 housing opportunity grant from the NAR and partnered with the city of Woodstock, Ill., the Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 and Illinois REALTORS® to build a prototype model home.

It will incorporate Universal Design elements that will be used as a national model to educate communities about building with “Universal Design from the ground up.”

Upon completion, tours of the home’s features will be promoted to the public.

The prototype is being used to ignite interest in new inventory for homes that are designed to allow aging in place.

The project has drawn interest from AARP and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.

 

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES

More aggressive policing of blocked sidewalks and bike lanes is a simple policy change.

Calming traffic can be achieved with restriping and simple redesign. Visitability simply requires a change in code.

Paying for retrofitting housing for accessibility can be folded into standard economic development incentives that virtually all cities offer.

Transit training can be refocused to ensure drivers are serving disabled passengers safely.

Adding elevators to century-old transit systems is expensive, but there are billions in federal dollars available for this.

 

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES

In less dense cities, the problem often is a lack of accessible/protected-from-the-elements bus stops.

And if a bus driver is not well trained in deploying lifts or in safely using tie downs for those in assistive mobility devices, the benefits of rapid transit are destroyed for the 80 million people with a disability in the United States.

Without transit, multiple generations cannot connect to exchange ideas, gather healthy food, keep fit or break the boundaries of isolation.

Simply taking away benches along streets, in an ill-intended attempt to reduce use by homeless people, can prevent an elderly person from staying healthy by walking a half dozen blocks to the library, grocery store or neighborhood shop.

People cannot age in place if their housing, sidewalks, transit, parks and civic buildings exclude them.

Children cannot safely move about the community independently if sidewalks are blocked by parked cars, bike lanes are blocked by delivery trucks and streets are too dangerous to cross because of speeding traffic.

 

 

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES

Transit must be frequent and accessible.

Author Anna Zivarts’ research has proven that up to one-third of people do not drive.

When Driving Is Not an Option -- Steering Away from Car Dependency is the Island Press book by Zivarts.

Transit can provide mobility for people too young to drive, too old to drive, unable to drive or unable to afford a car.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of older subway stations in New York and elevated trains in Chicago do not have elevators for access.

This makes essential transit off limits not only to wheelchair users, but those who cannot walk tons of steps because of respiratory or pulmonary issues, bad joints or even young children who can’t negotiate stairs.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES

When it comes to housing, less than one percent of it is move-in ready for a wheelchair user—and most of that is in multifamily buildings.

Eleanor Smith created Visitability, a concept for accessible housing and for creating a community where people with disabilities can visit their neighbors, a huge factor in creating a cohesive multigenerational neighborhood.

It simply requires a level entrance, accessible bathroom on the first floor and space to maneuver around a kitchen.
It still allows all kinds of unique details and multistory, single-family homes.

Cities that have enacted Visitability have NOT seen a decrease in housing development despite pushback from builders.

Creating accessibility in multifamily buildings can begin with an entrance not obstructed by bikes or scooters, a large elevator and a roll-in/walk-in shower instead of a tub.

Most hip hotel chains aimed at savvy young business travelers have walk-in showers instead of tubs.

This means Universal Design can equal high design, NOT dreary old hospital architecture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES

The late architect, planner and leader Ron Mace created Universal Design as an approach to places and products that make life easier and more inclusive to everybody.

While Mace used a wheelchair for mobility, he very intentionally did NOT call his creation disability design or wheelchair access design.

That’s because a barrier-free built environment works for everybody.

Wide sidewalks with no speed limit signs or utility poles plopped down in the center of them serve everybody of every age.

A street with curb ramps and level entrances to buildings makes life inclusive for people with mobility disabilities but it also makes life easy for those pushing strollers.

A crossing time longer than the standard 30 seconds—to make it safely past four or six lanes of traffic—saves the life of a child who hesitates or bolts away from mom as much as it provides more protection for a wheelchair user rolling to work.

Some cities are raising crosswalks, so they are level with the sidewalk on both sides of the street.

This not only makes it easier for the one in four people that have some level of disability, but it also forces speeding cars to slow down and obey a stop sign or red light.