A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
Rodney Harrell, Vice President, Family, Home and Community at
AARP, said in the more than dozen years he has been with AARP, he has seen a
trend toward creating housing and urban design options that serve people of all
populations and all abilities.
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
“When home
shopping in our 30s, 40s, 50s -- we end
up in neighborhoods that are remote,” he said.
Places for worship,
places to meet, places for all essential services can only be reached by car.
Children leave, a spouse
passes on, income reduces, they are no longer able to drive and they are in
isolation.
It didn’t seem to be
important to be within walking distance of that grocery store or pharmacy when
they bought, but now it is very important.”
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
The reason for the gap is one of two things – a home
too isolated from daily needs, or inadequate to serve their needs.
About one-third surveyed expect their homes to need
major modifications to accommodate aging needs.
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
“Elderly people will not walk if there are no benches.
They might not even use it, but they want to know it is there if they need it,” he said.
“You put in benches, shade and soon you have sidewalk cafes, people selling flowers, coffee shops, places to meet.”
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
“The engineers say `the elected officials won’t let us build an island because the drivers will be angry.’
I say ‘the children of those drivers are getting killed in the streets.’”
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
“I say `You wouldn’t think of putting a post in the middle of the car lane, why would you think it is good to do that in the middle of the sidewalk,”
noting the obvious message is speeding cars are more important than the safety of children, people with disabilities and seniors on the sidewalk.
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
“I have walked on streets where the sidewalk kept sloping for driveways and I thought `this is terrible for wheelchair users, this could cause a person to fall down and get injured.’
I told this to the city official, who said it meets the standards.
I said ‘maybe the standards are dumb.”
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
He pointed to the huge amount of retired doctors and nurses who responded by volunteering to help overtaxed hospital staff responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are studies that show that when (senior citizens) lose their driving privileges, it is as traumatic as a cancer diagnosis.
Because in so many cities, the car is the only way to be mobile and make a doctor’s appointment or grocery run,” he said.
“In walkable cities with transit, losing a car doesn’t mean losing your friends, your stores, your places you’ve gone all your life.”
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
“Everyone is looking for the magic pill to address obesity, diabetes, heart trouble and more.
The answer is
getting around by walking, crutches, wheelchair – I don’t care how you move,
but you need to move about in ways other than using a car – it’s also very
crucial to mental health,’’ he said.
“The only places where large amounts
of people walk at least five days a week are those with the infrastructure to support walking, biking, transit and
mobility for people with disabilities.”
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
The trend toward more livable cities with more amenities within walking distance is a huge improvement in quality of life for people with disabilities.
Premium public transit, wide
sidewalks, safe crosswalks and the ability to meet all daily needs without
requiring an $80,000 lift-equipped wheelchair van is a huge asset to people who
use assistive mobility devices.
US census and respected data sources
indicate between one in four or one in five Americans who will experience some
level of disability that impacts their daily lives.
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
Many are staying within their same city, but selling the big house (in a low density area that requires a car for everything) and moving to more compact, walkable neighborhoods with diverse dwellings.
A TREND THAT ALSO SERVES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES
In 1950, fewer than 8 percent of Americans were age 65 and older.
By 2030, AARP data analysis predicts
one in five Americans will be 65 or older.
For those older Americans, including
throngs of Baby Boomers retiring each day, the golden years dream is no longer
an isolated villa in a golf cart-using, age-restricted community.
More than three out of four people age
65 and older want to age in a community that is walkable, compact, diverse,
well-served by transit and filled with a mix of uses including healthcare,
shopping, parks, conveniences, libraries and education, job and volunteering
opportunities.
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.
I HAVE DONATED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF PRO BONO UNIVERSAL DESIGN, PLANNING AND MOBILTY EXPERTISE
I have, for the past decade, set a goal of 500 hours per year of pro bono planning work. All of it is focused on Universal Design, as it increases mobility for people with disabilities, supports aging in place and creates diverse, inclusive communities.
I have exceeded my volunteering goal each year. I think it is incredibly rewarding to share my experience and expertise.
Sadly, the design and planning community often push back against the Americans with Disabilities Act and design for all.
Putting my passion into educating people about the huge upside -- well, it is a way of showing that planning is a calling, not just a profession, for me.
THE CITY OF MIAMI NEEDS A NEW OFFICIAL FOR PEDESTRIAN, TRANSIT, MOBILITY
 |
| My opinion piece was originally published in the Miami Today Newspaper. I have created a groundbreaking Universal Design college course and lectured on mobility around the world. |
In
less than a year, three of its six elected positions have been filled with
leaders focused on delivering a high quality of life for Miami’s diverse
population.
Mayor
Eileen Higgins and Commissioners Rolando Escalona and Ralph Rosado campaigned
on a promise of making the city more consumer friendly and responsive to the
needs of the everyday people.
With
a new city manager and department heads under a new mayor, it’s an ideal time
to create the essential mobility officer position.
The
city of Miami has sidewalks, crosswalks, parks, paths and bike lanes – plus a
portion of the wonderful Underline. It is served by Miami-Dade County buses,
circulators, Metrorail and Metromover. Tri-Rail and the Brightline also figure
into the transit mix.
It
sounds like a wealth of services – but as anyone who has tried to get around in
Miami, there are horrendous gaps in the mobility network. Add in haphazard
construction (the city routinely allows developers to shut down essential
sidewalks for years of construction – even in its most dense urban
neighborhoods) and the system is not working for the well more than half a
million people who live and work in the Magic City.
 |
| Cars perpetually illegally parked on sidewalks -- destroying pedestrian and wheelchair user access at an historic City of Miami Park. Safe pathways to transit are frequently destroyed by illegal parking. |
Like many major cities, the people want mobility options – but we design, build and maintain a system that treats everyone who cannot drive a car as a second class citizen.
But
research has shown that upwards of one third of people cannot afford to drive
or cannot drive because of age (too young or too old) or disability.
Even
for those who can drive, the AAA estimates the total (purchase, maintenance,
fuel, insurance) cost of owning a car at $1,025 per month.
That
is a staggering figure in a city where one in five people live below the
poverty line.
It
is a brutal number when one considers that Miami is one of the most rent
challenged cities in America and studies have shown that more than half of its
households live virtually paycheck to paycheck.
Think
about the money that could go toward housing and other household needs– if a
family could swap more than $1,000 per month per vehicle – for a tiny fraction
of that spent on a transit pass and e-bike or scooter.
Of
all marginalized groups, people with disabilities are by far the most under-
and unemployed – but not because of their underlying disability.
The
CDC says one in for people will experience a disability that impacts their
daily living. Inclusive mobility is not an outlier for a special interest.
 |
| Sidewalks on both sides of the street closed for years of construction -- a violation of the ADA, a nightmare for wheelchair users and a living hell for all in the heart of Downtown Miam. |
Every
time: a sidewalk is blocked for six weeks when work could last a weekend, a
curbramp is flooded, an elevator to elevated transit is out of order for ages, a
safe pathway is blocked by a discarded e-scooter, a bus shelter is inaccessible
– a pathway to work is destroyed.
Sadly,
Miami often ranks as having some of the worst pedestrian death and series
injury statistics in the U.S.
Things
will only get worse. America is rapidly gaining. Soon, for the first time in
our nation’s history, there will be more people older than age 60 than younger
than 18. This means people with reduced mobility and reduced means will be
dependent on a seamless network of multimodal mobility.
There
are areas in Miami’s densely populated Central Business District where both
sides of the sidewalk are closed for years of construction. Simple scaffolding
would support both construction and safe sidewalks.
Miami’s
mobility is impacted by nearly a dozen divergent city, county and state
authorities, as well as redevelopment agencies, and private sector spanning
from for profit rail to taxies, rideshare and jitneys.
If
we are ever going to have humane, efficient, inclusive and equitable
transportation networks with world class walkability – we must have a chief
mobility officer.
Steve
Wright is an award-winning author, planner, educator, keynote speaker and
disability mobility advocate. He worked in public policy
for the city of Miami from 2002-2009.
https://www.miamitodayepaper.com/Miami-Today-02052026-e-Edition/6/
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.
WITHOUT DISABILITY
I support Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 100%
Sadly, 90% of the time I am bitterly disappointed because those framing it completely exclude disability.
I met with a
VP of DEI from a major university.
They point
blank said disability won't be part of its DEI for foreseeable future.
The blatant exclusion of disability from DEI -- MUST be
fixed.
People with disabilities
are by far the most under and unemployed of all marginalized groups.
Not because
of their disability, but because of structural ableism.
MARK – A CALL TO ACTION GLOBAL RELEASE OCTOBER 8, 2024
Thanks to award-winning producer-director Ron Small and the Bookman Family, I appear as America's Universal design expert in a 90-minute documentary.
"Mark -- A Call To Action" releases globally October 8th via streaming, digital, satellite and other outlets.
From Filmmaker Small:
I'm happy to share the DVD menu, with some bonus features not seen in the documentary.
Pre-order the DVD on Amazon.
Visit https://amzn.to/3L8UMyZ All proceeds benefit the #GLIDEFUND of The Mark Bookman Foundation.
I HAVE
GREATED A GO FUND ME ACCOUNT
I've spent more than three decades as an advocate for a better built environment for people with disabilities.
For several years, I have done more than $10,000 worth of pro bono work in the disability community.
I have an opportunity to join the family of the late Mark Bookman + Emmy-winning documentary maker Ron Small for a series of events previewing "Mark -- A Call to Action" in Tokyo.
The film portrays Mark's work as a global disability inclusion leader, based in Tokyo.
Bound for PBS, it also is a call to action for all architects, planners, engineers and more -- to create cities and places where all people with disabilities can access all housing, workplaces, schools, parks, arts, shopping, transit and more.
I am budgeting $4,000 for roundtrip airfare (economy, smallest seat), hotel (pod style, lowest cost), transportation (public transit where possible) and meals (low cost street food).
My amount of pro bono work means that for the first time in my life, I am seeking support to help cover the expense of my travel for research.
In addition to the premieres, I will be meeting with key leaders in the disability community in Japan.
Many feel Japan's commitment to Universal Design is creating inclusion for people with disabilities that rivals that opened by the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act.
My photography of innovative design and lifelong contacts made during my 10-day visit will inform dozens of articles and hundreds of social media posts.
I have written stories about best urban design practices to accommodate wheelchair users.
I have
worked as a town planner to create better sidewalks, parks, transit and housing
for people with disabilities.
I created a
groundbreaking course on Universal Design at the highly rated University of
Miami School of Architecture.
I make
dozens of social media posts each day of the year -- sharing ideas for
inclusion and equity in civic spaces.
Your support
will allow me to continue to be a leader in planning and design of communities
that are accessible to all.
