disabilityawareness

Are E-Bikes and E-Scooters Making Our Cities Less Accessible?

A series of E-bikes and E-scooters strewn about on the ground obstructing walkways.

Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round, for I have a tale to tell. It's a tale of two-wheelers, those silent, sneaky, sidewalk-hogging e-bikes and e-scooters. They're the new-(ish) kids on the block, zipping around our cities, promising a greener future, and making pedestrians jump out of their skins. But, oh boy, they're not just giving pedestrians a good scare, they're turning our sidewalks into obstacle courses for the disabled community.

Now, let's take a trip to Seattle University, where e-bikes and scooters have exploded onto the campus scenery like a bad rash. The Spectator at Seattle University’s Natalie Kenoyer reported last fall that these contraptions from companies like Lime and Bird are strewn across campus like some kind of modern art installation, blocking ramps and walkways. It's like a bad game of Tetris where the blocks are e-bikes and e-scooters, and the players are disabled individuals just trying to get from point A to point B.

The problem isn’t limited to college campuses, either. Canine Companions® Pico and I encounter them almost daily in Washington, D.C. and when we travel across the country.

And it's not just a problem here in the U.S. Across the pond in the UK, a new report by think tank Policy Exchange tells a similar tale. Disabled parliamentarians are calling out the councils and the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom for their "passivity." It's like they're saying, "Hey, we didn't sign up for this level of Extreme Sidewalk Survivor!"

So, what's the solution? Well, Policy Exchange suggests fining users who leave their e-bikes or e-scooters obstructing the pavement. I mean, if you can't park it, don't ride it, right? In Seattle ride-sharing companies work in collaboration with the city to establish e-bike and scooter use regulation zones as a condition of their operation. However, as with all regulation, it's only as good as its enforcement.

Let's reclaim our sidewalks from these two-wheeled terrors. Let's make our cities accessible for all, because everyone deserves the right to navigate their city without feeling like they're on an episode of Wipeout.

Remember, sidewalks are for walking, not for your discarded e-bike. Let's make our cities accessible again and ensure that no one feels like a second-class citizen in their own city. And for the love of all that is good, learn to park your e-bike.

Dumped e-bikes ‘dangerous’ for the disabled, think tank report finds

Disability and Disclosure in the. Workplace

Ryan Honick wearing a sky blue dress shirt, red tie, glasses, and headphones presents via Zoom to members of MGMI about reasonable accommodations and disability disclosure in the workplace on 10.22.22

Ryan Honick wearing a sky blue dress shirt, red tie, glasses, and headphones presents via Zoom to members of MGMI about reasonable accommodations and disability disclosure in the workplace on 10.22.22

A huge thank you to Susan Woolner, Lisa Gigliotti, and everyone at the Michigan Chapter of Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Inc. for the opportunity to present this morning on navigating disability and reasonable accommodations in the workplace. An incredibly important conversation during #NDEAM and beyond.

Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability and Ableism in the Workplace

Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability and Ableism in the Workplace

Thank you to Tiffany A. Yu, MSc, Whitney Bailey, katherine lewis, Arielle Dance, PhD and the team at Diversability® for inviting me to speak on Disability and Ableism in the workplace for #ndeam. An evening of thought-provoking discussion and insights with powerhouse panelists Jacob Levy, Lusik Gasparyan, JD, RBT and Angela Fowler.

If you missed it, the recap and recording are now live!

Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability and Ableism in the Workplace

#workplace #hiring #disabilityAwareness #Disability #Ableism #disabilityInclusion #DEIA #DEI #ReasonableAccommodations

How To Spot The Best Disability Friendly Workplaces

Last summer I applied for a job with a federal agency. After a panel interview and a reference check, I received a tentative offer letter with pertinent details related to the role; salary, duty station, start date etc. I was told prior to my official onboarding I needed to undergo an additional background check after accepting the position as outlined in my offer letter.

Reading over it, I noticed no mention of telework or remote work options despite being told during my interview that the agency remained in a maximum telework posture.

I followed up with the agency and spoke with my future boss relaying my enthusiasm for joining the team, and disclosed my need for telework as a reasonable accommodation.

“I’d follow up with H.R. about that,” she said.

After several e-mails back and forth, the H.R. Specialist continually refused to acknowledge my request that telework be included in my offer letter prior to signing. As I was not an employee yet, I was told a potential telework schedule could be discussed with my supervisor only after onboarding.

My request for telework became a game of finger pointing and an impossible Catch-22.

This lack of imagination led to my decision to ultimately decline a role that I was otherwise excited to begin.

From this encounter I learned my most valuable lesson as a disabled job candidate. It’s something that I lean into deeply during interviews.

When you make a personal disclosure about a disability to an employer, you’re telling them one thing about you.

How they respond tells you everything you need to know about them.

It’s an amazing sorting hat. Use it.

#jobhunting #ndeam #disabilityawareness #disability #deia #DEI

Action over Optics During NDEAM

Dawn Gibson, Christina Miller, and April Thompson

Dawn Gibson, Christina Miller, and April Thompson

We’re less than a week into National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The stories of companies talking about the value of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are everywhere. The truth that far too many of us in the disability community know however, is that for many of them, the goal is optics over action. Looking past the check-the-box mentality employed by so many and digging deeper we recognize awareness of disability employment (or the lack of it) is not really the issue. Apathy and indifference, however, are rampant.

-A woman went viral on TikTok after exposing her employer for not accommodating her for her dyslexia and ADHD, The Daily Dot reports.

-A worker with a back condition was fired from Virginia-based Resource Metrix after she requested an ergonomic chair, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, in a story published by The News & Observer Publishing Company.

-Walt Disney World, is under fire after a Cast Member took them to task in a public Facebook/Meta post for refusing to accommodate her Cerebral Palsy.

These are not isolated instances. Rather, they represent a small fraction of the injustices faced by disabled people in the workplace every day. Further, they underscore what can often feel like a Sisyphean task for the disabled community. Not only do we struggle to find employment, but due to a lack of employer empathy and understanding around reasonable accommodations, we struggle to keep it.

To combat the stigma, many of us don’t disclose, opting instead to work without accommodations and subsequently struggle to perform. Paradoxically, this often leads to being fired, perpetuating the myth that disabled people aren’t cut out for gainful employment. All of this while we watch leadership in our organization tout disability awareness and inclusion from the rooftops.

Meanwhile, the effects of long COVID continue impacting the workforce.

Up to 4 million people are estimated to be out of work because of long COVID symptoms, according to The Brookings Institution's August report.

Between Sept. 14 and Sept. 26, more than one in four adults with long COVID reported significant limitations on day-to-day activities, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The number jumps closer to 40% for respondents who are Black, Latino or disabled — three groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Employers must do better providing accommodations for employees. 1). It’s the law. 2) As the disability population increases, the demand for them will skyrocket. There’s no turning back and employers need to brace for that eventuality.

Our unique perspectives solve organizational challenges, they don’t create them.

H/t Fiona Lowenstein of Business Insider for this resource.

How to ask for ADA health accommodations at your job, according to 5 workers who have

#leadership #work #disabilityawareness #ndeam #resonableaccommodations #deia #disability

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

As we kickoff National Disability Employment Awareness Month, (#NDEAM), my inner advocate cringes at the notion that this is something we need in 2022. Employers are still largely uncomfortable with disability hiring, and conversely, applicants are equally afraid to disclose.

Awareness is the first step, but action must follow.

Representation is the foundation of inclusiveness. If we can’t be seen or acknowledged, if our perspectives are devalued or ignored, we are powerless to affect change. For this reason, representation in the C-Suite is particularly pivotal.

Yet, despite accounting for 20 percent of the global population, only four percent are openly out as disabled in the workplace according to the latest Disability Equity Index from Disability:IN. Not surprising given the added fears and anxieties that accompany workplace disclosure; concerns around equitable treatment, reasonable accommodations, changes in perceived abilities, and lower wages.

I’ve heard from multiple people charged with #diversity, #equity, #inclusion, and #access efforts that lack of familiarity with #disability makes them uncomfortable when recruiting. It stops them cold in their tracks unsure of how to engage.

Disability is a natural occurrence if one lives long enough. Nothing about it should be scary or intimidating to employers. Disabled employees are arguably more adaptive than our non-disabled colleagues simply out of necessity. We’ve been navigating a world that wasn’t built with us in mind for a while. With that experience comes a wealth of knowledge about seeing the world differently and finding unique alternatives to getting things done in all facets of daily life, including the workplace. DEIA efforts aren’t charitable. Done right, they have the potential to be some of the most life-changing hires for your organization.

Still, recruiting efforts are so underwhelming we have our own month in October focused on reminding people, namely employers, that we want, deserve, and can bring a lot to any organization if they're willing to give us a seat at the table. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) dates back to 1945 when it was originally named “National Employ The Physically Handicapped Week.” While we’ve thankfully moved away from outdated terminology and expanded the definition to be more inclusive toward all types of disabilities, the stigma remains.

Disability recruitment should be a top priority for every organization. For true equality we must go beyond hiring and metrics. It’s essential we be represented throughout all levels of an organization with equal opportunities for advancement. That starts with getting our foot, our wheel, our cane, or our Canine Companions® paw in the proverbial door.

Embracing disability as a key component of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access is the only way to challenge misconceptions and ultimately shift the narrative.

#hiring #disabilityinclusion #deia #ndeam #employment #recruitment

Jim Langevin barred from flying because of lithium-ion battery

"When airline staff learned that [Representative Langevin's] wheelchair used lithium-ion batteries - a lighter-weight, more durable type of battery - they refused to let him bring it on the flight. Although federal and international aviation officials have ruled that the batteries can be transported safely, Lufthansa employees at Boston Logan International Airport - BOS wrongly cited safety concerns that the battery could overheat and catch on fire."
- Amanda Morris, The Washington Post

For the first time since the pandemic, I traveled by airplane to visit Boston. As a wheelchair user traveling with Canine Companions® Pico, I did a ton of legwork communicating with JetBlue's executive office ahead of my flight. I provided them with paperwork about my chair frame and my wheels which utilize the same lithium-ion battery as Congressman Langevin. I also provided the airline with the newly required U.S. Department of Transportation forms and Service Animal Transportation Solutions ID that went into effect in December 2020 with the updates to the Air Carrier Access Act. (H/T to Eric Lipp of Open Doors Organization for streamlining that process).

Getting through security was aided by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pre-check as it meant they treated my chair and Pico with much less scrutiny than prior travel.

Once at the gate, I handed the agent roughly 20 pages of printouts including all the documentation I had shared with the airline's executive team over e-mail in the days and weeks leading up to my departure. Much to their credit, the gate agents at Logan and the in-flight crew on both legs were incredibly helpful and I had zero challenges boarding my flights.

Sadly that's still not the norm for disabled travelers and Congressman Langevin's experience is far too common despite what the Federal Aviation Administration allows. Complicating matters, most wheelchair users wouldn't have the resources or clout to utilize the same solutions that allowed the Congressman to board a later flight with a different chair.

Flying with a disability shouldn't take a Ph.D. in planning, the resources of a Congressman, or the luck of the draw of awesome gate agents and in-flight crew.

Representation matters in all areas of an organization, including Congress, without which these issues would take much longer to get the attention they deserve. I am fortunate to have had the chance to meet Representative Langevin when I worked on the Hill in 2008. He was one of the first people I met with a disability who ascended to such a highly visible position and served as a major influence in my decision to pursue advocacy work. He will be sorely missed in Congress, and his departure leaves big shoes to fill.


#Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Travel #RepresentationMatters #FlyingWhileDisabled #Planning #Transportation

STEPtember 2022 Kickoff

Can you believe it’s been a year since last #STEPtember? That’s right! I’m back at it with my team “Shoes Your Own Adventure” stepping up and raising money for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation USA.

Watch the kickoff video and learn how you can make an impact for the 18 million people like me living with CP.

Or if you like Canine Companions® Pico better, do it for him.

Get your donation matched today by clicking here.

Thanks for sharing, reposting, and helping make a difference.

Let’s step it up!

Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation 2022 Kickoff Video.