PRIORITIZE HUMAN BEINGS OVER VEHICLES
Amazing that a car can break down on a sleepy side street — and it’s towed away in a half hour to keep auto traffic flowing.
But shoddy
utility vault work that destroys pedestrian safety in a dense, walkable area
festers for months
We obsess on
clearing the way for speeding traffic.
We block
wheelchair/all safe pedestrian mobility for months.
This is in
the heart of Miami Beach.
WITH A WORLD LEADER ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Rabbi Marvin Hier founded the Simon
Wiesenthal Center, the Museum of Tolerance + Moriah Films.
I was gratified to talk to him this
week about increasing disability awareness at the Museum of Tolerance.
We met after the World Premiere of The
Hollywood Rabbi.
The Hollywood Rabbi, "the story
of Marvin Hier who won 2 Academy Awards, worked with 8 Presidents + a Who's Who
of Hollywood royalty while dedicating his life to healing the world through
tolerance."
I was happy to attend World Premiere,
at the Miami Film Festival, on 4-14-26.
I am well aware that Rabbi Marvin Hier
is controversial.
He gave an invocation at 2017
inauguration of Donald Trump, despite #47 spouting intolerance.
The greater good was the opportunity
to preach my gospel of disability inclusion.
YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED AND MUST QUIT YOUR JOB
City
official: "It denies access to people with disabilities, but it
technically meets code. So there's nothing we can do."
Me: Fix your
broken code.
Laws
prevented women from voting & deemed Black people 3/5ths of a human being.
Just because
it's the law doesn't mean it's right.
Perpetuating
discrimination is NEVER following the rule of law.
DON’T BE AN ABLEISM ENABLER OR APOLOGIST
Every time I point out the evil of a brand new
shop accessed only by steps, I get an avalanche of apologist replies “maybe the
architect doesn’t know” about the ADA.
If an
architect is not aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act, (the law of the
land for a third of a century) then they are better suited for shoveling pig
poop than designing places and spaces for human beings.
Why are everyday people so aggressive about making lack of access the fault of people with disabilities?
Forgiving a business for not knowing it must serve all is as
ludicrous as forgiving a chef for not knowing to wash his hands after wiping
his heinie.
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.
PASSIONATE PRESENTATIONS ON INCLUSIVE DESIGN
Steve Wright engaged a full audience of diverse people with his cut-to-the-bone examples of what is right and wrong in the built environment at Disability Advocates Fifth Annual Absolutely Accessible Kent technical workshop.
He provided many firsthand examples of the good, the bad, and the ugly of accessibility in the built environment, while engaging participants in lively conversation.
Steve's
expertise, as well as lived experience as a care provider, provides an
unparalleled perspective on the need for considering the dignity and inclusion
of people with disabilities from the onset of design work.
He empowered designers and planners to create places that are inclusive for people with disabilities.
Wright drove home the essential point that design for people with disabilities isn't about building codes and technical terms- it's about dignity and inclusion.
He is an ideal keynote speaker for any organization that wants to ensure that Accessibility is a core part of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion so that we make the world a better, more inclusive place for all.
–David Bulkowski, J.D., Executive Director, Disability Advocates of Kent County.
I have covered planning and urban design as a journalist for 35 years. I have worked directly in the field of planning, design, urbanism and policy for more than a quarter of a century. I will drive civic engagement of diverse audiences. My rates/expenses are reasonable. Contact me: stevewright64@yahoo.com
PLEASE TAKE THIS SURVEY TO GIVE INPUT ON WHEELCHAIR USER EXPERIENCE WITH UBER AND LYFT
My brilliant
colleague needs input on Uber and Lyft.
Wheelchair
users, family members, caregivers, etc. can give valuable input.
The
app-based gig economy MUST not be allowed to exclude the disability community.
Please click
on the link below and take the survey.
Please share
this with those who can give valuable input.
From my
friend and colleague Mahtot Gebresselassie, at Virginia Tech:
I'm researching #accessibility of Uber/Lyft & looking for participants anywhere in the US. R u/do u know former/current #wheelchair user? Experience w Uber/Lyft not a must to participate. I want to know impressions too. #a11y #Transportation #Disability
https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6rsUle54qKYYWqx?SC=TW
