As a native of #NYC—not a transplant—whose family has lived in NYC for over a century, I have a thing to say about this.

The reason we treat our #sidewalks like highways is because we treat our streets like highways.

Get rid of the fucking cars. There would be plenty of room for strolling, if not for the fucking noisy #idiotboxes taking up too much space and #polluting the air.

#BanCars #WarOnCars #PedestriansFirst #Urbanism #DisabilityAccess #PublicTransit

https://gothamist.com/news/how-to-walk-like-a-new-yorker-a-holiday-guide-for-both-tourists-and-locals

About to go out to turn a discussion about my access needs to get into the library and housing services into a quick audit about accessibility for everyone.
And to push about the adjustments we need in the Town Hall, which the security, reception and evacuation staff want.

There’s a lot of news lately about the defunding of Music Therapy under the NDIS. Not much about how Art Therapy is also going to be cut. I love music. I studied flute, piano, choir, and musicianship/theory to a high level through the AMEB exams through my childhood/youth. I’m not denying the importance of Music Therapy - my music studies and playing got me through some incredibly tough times, even though none of it was labelled or taught as “music therapy,” because it was the dark ages. But the thing that has really healed and helped me in my recent distress, that has made the biggest difference to my mental heath and survival, has been going to Art Journaling with a very experienced, highly trained Art Therapist twice a week at my local mental health place.
Don’t let the importance of Art Therapy pass you by. It’s not colouring in, or finger painting. It’s vital therapy.
(NB: I’m not on NDIS)
#AusPol #NDIS #ArtTherapy #MusicTherapy #MentalHealth #DisabilityAccess #DisabiltyActivism

Walmart offers Aira Nationwide

Holiday shopping just got an accessibility upgrade! For the first time, Aira is available nationwide in Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com – one of our most requested Access Partners! You asked, and Walmart delivered. Here’s what our explorers are saying:

"For the first time ever, I was able to go to my local Walmart and pick up an order I had placed independently. Excellent service!"

"The Agent did an excellent job guiding me through Walmart to the prescription counter and back. Exceptional navigation skills!"

'"The Agent helped me navigate to the customer service counter – so efficient and professional."

Download the Aira App for free for IOS or Android and visit your local Walmart today!
Learn more: https://aira.io/aira-at-walmart/

This week, the Aira team is attending the Travel Ability Summit in San Francisco alongside accessible travel partner Flight for Sight! Each year, Flight for Sight awards three $10,000 travel grants, empowering blind and low vision individuals to design and lead transformative travel projects.

Past grant winners have brought white canes to Ghana, introduced blind sports in Italy, and shared accessible design insights from Japan with the U.S. The grant has also empowered a blind DJ's tour of Europe and supported a blind photographer in capturing stunning photography across America’s landscapes.

As a proud sponsor, Aira will continue to provide visual interpreting services to grant winners, ensuring accessibility, independence, and support on their journeys.

Check out the projects this incredible organization is bringing to life and apply today!

https://www.flightforsight.net/
https://lnkd.in/g7--EUpH

Aira is transforming shopping experiences at Walmart! One Explorer said, "I just used Aira at the Jacksonville Florida Walmart... and was able to navigate the entire store very well. I think that’s the first time in 20 years I have walked through a Walmart completely independently."

As the pilot program continues in California, Texas, and Florida, we’re looking forward to hearing more stories of independence and accessibility #OnYourTerms.

We’re excited to announce a new Access Partnership with Walmart! Learn more about it here: https://aira.io/aira-at-walmart/
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#AccessibleRetail #InclusiveShopping #DisabilityAccess #OnMyTerms #AccessForAll

One thing I'm trying to remember with hashtags is to capitalize the words in multi word tags. In my understanding, screen readers/text to voice can't always render it properly otherwise.

Disabled people don't all have the same needs but we're treated like we do
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/mindandbody/disabled-people-don-t-all-have-the-same-needs-but-we-re-treated-like-we-do/ar-BB1kCcin?pc=ASTS&ei=43

#Ableism
#Disabilities
#Disabled
#Discrimination
#HierarchyOfDisability
#DisabilityAccess
#DisabledAccess
#EqualityAct2010
#HiddenDisabilities
#TopTrumps
#DisabilityTopTrumps

Tweet: Powerd@powerd_media
There are significant benefits to embracing accessibility - It turns out that people with disability contribute a significant amount to tourism revenues around the globe writes @Martin_Heng #DisabilityAccess #Tourism #PurplePound
https://t.co/Be2Uz6nJH9

My questions for this months Council meeting. Be sure to watch the meeting on YouTube tonight - link below.

Question 1
To mitigate the risk of COVID-19, the Victorian State Government advises that public gatherings for disabled people only be held in venues that have ventilation through fresh air and HEPA filtration installed, yet Brimbank Council continues to encourage vulnerable people to gather in venues that are not compliant with these these current COVID-19 safety measures. When concerns were raised at a Brimbank Disability Network Group meeting, Council staff not only seemed unaware of the current health advice, but responded saying they do not need to follow this advice as it is not legislated. What is Council doing to ensure its vulnerable community members know and understand the current risk and health advice regarding COVID-19 and when will Council be updating their public buildings to be complaint with the current State Government health advice?

Question 2
The Green Gully Dog Park is an excellent new addition to our community, however, the park lacks accessible car parking. The closest accessible car space to the dog park is approximately 160 meters away and requires you to walk across grass, through wooden posts, step down a concrete curb, and finally cross the road to get to the footpath leading to the dog park. The alternative is to literally walk on the road itself and through a large road about, competing with cars and other vehicles. The other accessible car spaces are approximately 300 meters away, which is far from close, and whilst they provide a flat surface to access the dog park, they also require you to walk on the road itself for 300 meters or face the same accessibility challenges that other car spaces do. Can Council advise why accessible car spaces have not been placed in close proximity to this new dog park, despite there being regular car spaces available for non-disabled people and when Council intends to rectify the issue.

Watch the meeying on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/live/AYhr2I9MMbs

#COVIDisnotover #covıdisntover #disabilityawareness #disabilityinclusion #disabilityaccess

Five service centers of the National Police received special cars for people with disabilities to take driving tests. The cars with manual controls were given to centers in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Kamianets-Podilskyi. The photo shows Antonina Tsurkan, a displaced person from Nova Kakhovka, who was the first to take the test in a new car in Lviv. #NationalPolice #DisabilityAccess

Another new park in Brimbank that is NOT accessible!!

Read the full story here
https://www.facebook.com/skmeilak/posts/pfbid02rgZ2eU37KuqVCRYgFoJ733YvyN7kEuxyBLK3WLgkeUgHymwMyLDWTBGdqtdBNVJkl

Today we are supporting provision of accessible tram stops on Sydney Road before Brunswick SkyRail construction starts.
These really nice people turned up to do a banner and placard workshop in the Square opposite Brunswick Town Hall. We decided to do a selfie in support.

Launch of Transport Equity week starts 1pm Sunday 17 September, meet Wilson Ave/Sydney Road, Brunswick.

#DogsOfMastodon
#ChihuahuasOnBikes
#SydneyRoad
#AccessibleTramStops
#PublicTransport
#TransportEquity
#DisabilityAccess
#PublicTransport

What I really want for Christmas:

The ability to talk about pivoting away from a car-centric world WHILE keeping in mind & planning for the access needs of disabled people.

Audiobooks are reading, just like using an ebook reader, a bound book, an app, or any other format is still reading.

Don’t be elitist, justlet people enjoy thingshowever works best for them.

Plus, if it’s a big book and there’s a cat on your lap, it’s tiring to hold the up all the time. Or sometimes the cat lays on the book.

#books #bookstodon #cats #gatekeeiping #DisabilityAccess #ebook #audiobooks #audiobookscountasreading

@bookstodon

This is cool! I applied to the dearMoon and Mission: AstroAccess programs but did not make the cut. ️ “The First Astronaut With a Disability Is a Paralympic Bronze Medalist” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-astronaut-with-a-disability-is-a-paralympic-bronze-medalist-180981197/ #DisabilityAccess #spaceexploration

I’ve had a SmartDrive since late September. Learning to use it has been an interesting experience. Due to some ill designed bus ramps, and my skill level, I have had to be really selective about how I use it. Even so, it has given me more options and a greater sense of agency. #Disabilityaccess