DESIGNING TO AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE IS THE FLOOR

NOT THE CEILING. INCLUSIVE DESIGN IS BEAUTIFUL AND DURABLE

Wheelchair access and design that accommodates all disabilities is doomed when a city leader in charge of facilities "boasts" that something has minimum ADA compliance.

How come everything else is made state of the art, but people with disabilities get the bare minimum?

Ask your mayor, commissioner, director of essential departments -- transit, parks, public works, planning, building -- why July 26 is significant.

Not 5% will know it's the ADA's anniversary.

This is why the built environment is NOT accessible. 

It is why Universal Design is not part of the though process of planning, design and building.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

 RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS SINCE 1992

My wish for this day is for people with disabilities to take their rightful place on corporate boards, executive leadership teams, research & development divisions and other aspects of commerce in America.

A great many firms made a push to add people of color to these and other key ranks, following the summer of protests over racial injustice. 

I applaud that and say “why did it take you so long.”

But the diversity door MUST be open to all people who deserve equity and inclusion.

It’s not charity, it’s good business. Diverse voices have been proven time and time again to create efficiencies while broadening market share. 

So even if you’re only about the dollar, you need to elevate qualified people with mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive and other disabilities into meaningful decision-making roles.

I have published a record-breaking number of articles exploring aspects of disability and environmental justice, visibility and true equality.

https://www.newmobility.com/2020/02/guide-to-local-advocacy/

https://www.newmobility.com/2020/07/the-ada-enforcers/

https://www.mainstreet.org/blogs/national-main-street-center/2020/07/23/main-spotlight-the-ada-at-30-the-power-of-inclusio

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/the-ada-is-turning-30-but-the-built-environment-is-still-far-from-inclusiv/581563/

https://medium.com/@stevewright_57150/the-americans-with-disabilities-act-at-30-its-a-major-news-story-6ab3efe5a332

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/6/1/when-inclusive-isnt

https://www.oncommonground-digital.org/oncommonground/fall_2020__recovering__rebuilding__rebalancing/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=10#pg10

https://www.oncommonground-digital.org/oncommonground/fall_2020__recovering__rebuilding__rebalancing/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=32#pg32

https://www.oncommonground-digital.org/oncommonground/winter_2020__community_design_for_resiliency/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1556224#articleId1556224

http://www.newmobility.com/wheels-on-campus

TODAY IS NATIONAL PLAN FOR VACATION DAY

It's 2020, people with disabilities, so you have every right to demand access from your:

Hotel

Plane

Train

Boat

Park

Museum

Main Street

Beach

Any place you visit.

Authorities responsible for these transportation modes and vacation activities must  accommodate disabilities that impact: 

Mobility

Vision

Hearing

Cognitive/Emotional