July, 2011 - INDEX

Month: July 2011

27
Jul
2011

Online Resources for Accessible Destinations

Thinking of going on vacation and want to know what accessible accommodations are available? If so here are nine online links to explore:

Cape Cod
Cape Cod Disability Access Directory has information on wheelchair accessible features at ATMs, beaches, gas stations, health care facilities, restaurants, theaters and transportation for four locations: Upper Cape, Mid Cape, Lower Cape and Outer Cape. Click on region on left menu, then click on accessible feature you want to view.

Chicago
EasyAccessChicago is a visually impressive website which provides a wealth of information for visitors, seniors and residents with a wide range of disabilities. Here you will find detailed access reports for over 100 attractions, lodgings, restaurants, adapted sports & recreation, transportation and tours. To see full access information for any property on the list, just click its “Access Details” link.

Easy Access Chicago Print Guide is also available to download

New York
Accessible NYC lists accessible information on transportation, hotels, restaurants, destinations, (tourist attractions), and shopping.

Los Angeles
Los Angeles Tourist Accessibility Guide provides information on tourist attractions, outdoor activities and transportation.

California (Northern)
Access Northern California provides information about accessible lodging and recreation in Northern California. .

Wheelchair Rider’s Guide to Los Angeles and North County Coast
This free guide describes more than a hundred beautiful and interesting sites along the California coast and on San Francisco Bay between Point Reyes and Santa Cruz, that are accessible to wheelchair users and others with limited mobility

Rhode Island
Accessible Rhode Island lists accessibility features for restaurants, museums, cinemas and cultural sites in the Greater Providence and Newbury vicinity.

San Diego
Accessible San Diego distributes nine pages of “Access San Diego 2011”, an accessible guide, for preview. If interested, you can purchase the guide online for a small fee.

Vancouver
Accessible Vancouver lists hotels and restaurants rated accessible for visitors with mobility, visual or hearing impairments. There is also accessibility information on Vancouver International Airport, transportation and recreation.

Britain
Open Britain. net
This is the United Kingdom’s largest directory of accessible accommodation & travel. It includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Click on map for accessible accommodation by region or do an advanced search with scroll down menus.

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Feel free to respond to this blog with other useful websites, your favorite accessible destination & experiences to share with others.

20
Jul
2011

Accessing the Freedom Trail

categories: Accessibility, Arts & Fun

Boston has many opportunities for visitors of all abilities. One of the most famous attractions in Boston is known as the Freedom Trail.

The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail consists of sixteen sites related to Boston’s colonial history. The sites are connected by a red brick or red painted line, which is an excellent visual aide.

The Freedom Trail is not one cohesive entity, though. These individual sites are operated by the US Navy, the National Park Service, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston and several private entities. Each site has its own website with individual access policies and features. None of the sites control the public streets and sidewalks connecting the sites. This can make it VERY difficult to track down access information in order to plan a trip to more than one site.

The Freedom Trail Foundation, https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/ is an organization of philanthropists and businesses that help market and preserve the trail. They raise money by providing walking tours with guides in historical costumes. The foundation does not control accessibility for any of the sites.

Is the Freedom Trail accessible?

Due to the diverse age of the sites, there is a wide range of accessibility. Some are not accessible at all while others have limited or partial access.

Some sites have little known alternate access. For example, people who cannot climb Tremont Street to the Old Granary Burying Ground may not know they can access it through an alley off Beacon Street. Many of the sites have made an effort to improve access, but have been limited by lack of funding and the historic nature of the buildings. Access for people with sensory disabilities also varies widely from site to site.

How can I plan a Freedom Trail visit?

Start with https://www.exploreboston.org/! I developed this website during my 2010 Gopen Fellowship through the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Network.

This site includes information on access for each of the Freedom Trail sites and contact information for each site. You will also find an alternative Freedom Trail route map which eliminates steep inclines, like Copp’s Hill, for those using wheeled mobility devices or who have limited stamina. To the extent possible, I have included information for people with different types of disabilities, as well as families with young children.

Don’t miss out!

Don’t let the age of the Freedom Trail sites lead you to assume that there is no access. Check out https://www.exploreboston.org/. If you still have access questions, call the individual site or the Freedom Trail Foundation for the information that you need. Don’t be shy about asking. Remember, it’s a free country!

13
Jul
2011

What Does Accessible Mean to You?

categories: Accessibility

As I began my Gopen Fellowship, I thought that describing what was accessible and what wasn’t would be simple. Just look at the architectural access code, right? Was I ever wrong.

The summer before my fellowship, I went on a family visit to an “unnamed to protect the innocent” cultural venue in Boston. Our family group included two children in strollers, one still in diapers, and an elderly relative with hearing loss, diabetic neuropathy and osteoarthritis.

We benefited from, and made use of, ramps, wide doorways, and accessible restroom stalls. But sometimes the needs of our group fell outside of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines, but still impacted our ability to enjoy the venue. We needed places to sit and rest, family restrooms and good lighting.

One size does not fit all

I realized that meaningful access is a lot more than compliance with access code and following regulations. I also realized that lack of access didn’t just affect people who identify themselves as a person with a disability.

Most elements in our environment are designed for an adult of average size without physical limitations. Those elements then need to be “adapted” for everyone else: children, people of differing heights, weights and abilities.

Universal Design

As I looked into this further, I began reading about “universal design.” It is defined as: “the design of products, environments, programs and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”

What a simple, elegant and revolutionary idea!

Access benefits everyone

When ramps and curb cuts were mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, many people perceived it to be a waste: a large expenditure to benefit a small number of people. Twenty years later, every parent with a stroller and every delivery person with a dolly takes them for granted. Closed captioning on television is used in noisy environments like bars and gyms all of the time.

Since one size does not fit all, it is important to “know before you go.” Finding out about accessibility is an interactive process: call, ask questions and send emails! A cultural venue is more likely to respond to an accessibility issue or need once they are made aware of it, so don’t be shy!

06
Jul
2011

Know Before You Go: Finding Accessible Cultural Attractions in Boston

categories: Accessibility

Sightseeing and leisure travel present unique challenges to individuals with disabilities, their families, friends, and companions. No one wants to make a special effort to go somewhere only to find out that you can’t get in; or there are no restrooms that meet your needs; or you can’t find out if the food is safe for you to eat; or that you can’t hear the performance or guided tour.

This demand for accessible cultural attractions is increasing and many places are responding in very positive and creative ways. But how do you find out what accessibility features are available at the place you are visiting?

The internet as an accessibility resource

The internet is a good place to start, yet while some destinations provide a lot of information, others do not. Some places put access information on the front page of their website; others bury it four layers down. There is no “best practice” as to what, how or where access information is provided.

In planning family outings myself, I noticed and was troubled by this lack of consistent information. That is why I started www.exploreboston.org.

Website presents accessible attractions in the Boston area

In 2010, I was awarded the Barbara Wilensky Gopen Memorial Fellowship by the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Network in order to create a website that provides comprehensive and comprehensible access information for many of the most popular attractions in Boston.

My goal was to provide information that made it useful to, and usable by, as many people as possible.

By only targeting accessibility information to people with disabilities, this important information was not getting to everyone who could benefit from it; yet the fact remains that varying levels of ability are a normal part of human life. It also perpetuates an “us” and “them” mentality where people with disabilities are treated as different from all other visitors.

Accessibility at cultural attractions benefits everyone

Access is for everyone. Ramps and elevators are vital for people who use wheelchairs, but they are also vital for parents with strollers. Captioning on videos is important to people who are deaf and hard of hearing, but it also benefits children learning to read and people learning English as a second language.

During my fellowship project, I learned about a number of wonderful resources on accessible cultural attractions and I am looking forward to sharing these resources with you over

the next month!