Rolling Rains Report:

Helen Henderson on Accessibility & Airline Security

Helen Henderson has done a good article exploring new airline security practices from the perspective of a traveler with a disability.

Long before the sunscreen and the mouthwash and the duty free were banned from the cabin, air travellers who use electric wheelchairs knew only too well what it's like to be buried in pre-flight restrictions.

Wheelchairs as air cargo have always meant a maze of red tape — the planning, the booking, the checking, the re-checking, the worry that no matter how careful everyone tries to be, one of your most precious possessions may come to grief at the hands of strangers in the belly of a jumbo jet.

See Wheelchair users struggle to get airborne

Apoie essa idéia..!

Surf Especial are making waves in Brazil!

You may need Google and a Portuguese dictionary to catch the finer points but the overall story is that Robson Careca, after paralysis from an automobile accident in 1998, has launched a disabled surfers association in Brazil.

Inclusive Tourism and Accessible Adventure Travel is establishing itself. Surf Especial is just one more example of the new wave!

Designed for all

Ronni Gordon writes about Universal Design, "although some consumers think it is another way of describing "handicapped accessible," it is a broader concept intended to make a home easier to navigate whether in a wheelchair or pushing a child in a stroller or moving furniture in and out."

Here's the catch, remember how we emphasized that a simple change to the template used to manufacture the post-Katrina modular homes purchased by FEMA would have potentially made 100% of them Visitable? Gordon goes on to note:

It's universal design, the construction or modification of homes so that they can be used by everyone. "People love the concept of universal design," said Andy Gianino, president of The Home Store in Whately, where modular homes constructed with universal design have become increasingly popular.

http://www.masslive.com/living/republican/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1156579199198740.xml&coll=1

Ever Been to Nerja?

Nerja is on the Mediterranean Coast of Spain about 55 km (about 35 miles) from Malaga, in the direction of Motril and Almeria. Not coincidentally, Nerja is where you will find Casa Charlotte.

http://www.casacharlotte.com/

Your hosts at Casa Charlotte are Frans & Nuttee

Contact Information:

C. San Pedro,16
E 29780 Nerja-Malaga
Phone. + 34. 606 96 68 96 & + 34.95 252 1121
Skype : casacharlotte

e mail: casacharlotte@hotmail.com

CASA CHARLOTTE : http://www.casacharlotte.com

Blowhole at Eagle Neck, Tasmania

Someday I am going to return to Tasmania. This time it will be for a more leisurely tour than my short stint as Visiting Journalist sponsored by Tourism Tasmania.

On my itinerary will be Devil's Playground, Cradle Mountain, and Blowhole at Eaglehawk Neck

I have a simple request for the State of Tasmania. May I please have a loo that I can use when we arrive at Blowhole at Eaglehawk Neck? That includes a wheelchair accessible path of travel from the car park.

I promise, if you build it according to Australian Accessibility Standards (and a pinch of style) I will personally submit it to the Loo of the Year Awards.

I know mates, wrong country and all for the awards but I have personally had to travel farther afield than the distance between Australia and the UK to find an accessible loo (if you take into account that there are no airplanes whatsoever that have accessible WCs!)

Let's make Tassie accessible. The private sector on the island has already made its investment in this market.

Trolling for Links

In several places where I have traveled I have heard a saying something like, "If you don't like the weather right now just stick around. It will change soon enough."

Trying to keep a list of links on Inclusive Travel updated is also an experience of constant change. Fortunately the changes seem to be a steady flow of new sites supported by ever higher levels of government and industry with ever greater evidence of truly understanding the needs and economic potential of this travel niche.

Some examples:

Website of the German National Tourist Office
http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/infocenter/germany_for_disabled_travellers.htm

Diasabled Travel Europe at Ability.org
http://www.ability.org.uk/disabled_travel_europe.html

Tips for Accessible Travel at TravelSense.org
http://www.travelsense.org/tips/accessible.asp

Paris on Wheels
http://www.parisonwheels.com/

Disabled Travel in Europe at Slow Travel
http://www.slowtrav.com/europe/disabled_travel.htm

Disabled Travel at the Open Directory Project
http://dmoz.org/Society/Disabled/Travel/

Access Maryland's Outdoors

The state of Maryland offers an online directory of accessible outdoor recreation at:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/accessforall/accesscamp.html

Eatability

When in Sydney do as the locals do. Check out Eatability!

Life IS Full

Here's a double introduction.

Life IS Full is a disability lifestyle magazine celebrating a year of publication. The first autobiographical piece you will find there is on Monica Bascio.

Agreement on Accessibility Issues with the Madonna Inn

From USNewsWire.com:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A settlement agreement reached with Madonna Inn Inc. under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will make the landmark roadside Inn more accessible to people with disabilities, the Justice Department announced today.

"People with disabilities too often face unreasonable barriers to enjoying many things most of us take for granted, such as traveling and staying in a hotel or motel," said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "Today's settlement is a positive step towards ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy fully the freedom to travel."

Each of the 108 rooms in this well-known lodging facility located just off the 101 freeway on California's Central Coast is uniquely decorated with a special theme and color scheme, including the five designated accessible rooms (Golfer, Vintage, Mt. Vernon, Rose, and Desert Sands). The Inn has agreed to remove barriers to access in each of the designated accessible rooms. In the future, should the Inn grow and expand, the settlement requires additional accessible rooms to be added in compliance with the agreement. The Inn will also provide different bed types in three of the rooms (or two rooms that adjoin from the inside for the price of one); equipment to make rooms accessible to individuals with hearing and vision disabilities; and it will provide additional amenities such as a patio or fireplace in at least two of these rooms.

In addition, the agreement will provide greater access to other spaces and elements throughout the Inn and restaurant. The agreement also provides that the Inn will modify its guest reservation policies to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities to stay at the Inn.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the ADA or the agreement can call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY), or access its ADA Web site at http://www.ada.gov.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Source:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=70962

Medical Tourism on the Rise

I predict an uncomfortable intersection of industry trends here -- airine cost-cutting and ADA rollback policies colliding with aging Boomers and the institutionalization of "Medical Tourism."

But, with profits to be made by those in the Medical Travel niche, a new constituency will align itself as allies of Universal Design in the travel & hospitality industry (Inclusive Travel). The downside to monitor will be the reassertion of handicapping attitudes, policies, and procedures under the rubric of the medical model. Perhaps a public health approach to that pernicious, and highly contagious model may be the best strategy.

For a glimpse into the niche:

More travel agencies are jumping on the medical tourism trend as about half a million Americans will go abroad for medical treatment this year alone. Global Choice Healthcare is a leading provider of cost-saving medical procedure packages throughout the world and has now announced a partnership with two large travel agencies, Rio Grande Travel in Albuquerque and Solimar Travel Experience based in Washington, DC. GlobalChoice works with a network of world-class hospitals in Singapore, Costa Rica and India with access to more than 100 medical procedures. Costs can be more than 50% to 70% less overseas than in the US so a medical package can make economic sense. For more information visit globalchoicehealthcare.com.

Source:
ARTA E-News for August 23, 2006

There is need for an open and ongoing patient/consumer, medical service provider & travel industry dialogue on an international level.

See also:

Getting the Design Right

Lex Frieden and the National Council on Disability

A strong voice for the social & policy impact of Universal Design has been "reassigned." Lex Frieden will not be reappointed to lead the National Council on Disability.

As reported in Independence Today:

Frieden said he is proud of the work NCD has done promoting the concept of livable communities. "It's equivalent to the concept of universal design," he said. "The idea is, when we start to build communities, we do so with the assumption that the communities include people with disabilities. So everything from the ground up is going to be designed for all people. The whole issue of disability accommodation becomes superfluous."

Source:
http://www.itodaynews.com/ITNews--FRIEDENOUT072007.htm

Sometimes the simplest truths are the hardest to see.

Around the World & Home Again

Tom Chun, "International Man of Leisure," has just sent in his final round-the-world-tour report. Read his impressions of Korea and Japan below. Once he settles in maybe we can convince him to post his photos at Travel With a Disability

Dear Friends,

I can't believe it! I finally made it home and around the world with my brother Paul, the mule. At times, he was a stubborn donkey and at times a diligent horse. I'm surprised we didn't throw each other off the plane, train, or other mode of transportation when we both had a chance. LOL! Nevertheless, I'm glad I had the chance to share this journey with him.

In Seoul, South Korea, I skip the bar hopping (and paying for it the next day) of my youthful previous visit, but rather I stick to the safer touristy excursions. It is one of the cleaner, more organized, and advanced cities of Asia that I have been to. I was very impressed how much it changed and in a positive direction. The underground subway is fairly accessible. And lucky it is, because this city is vast and hilly in terms of area. We visit the well-preserved Geongbokgung Palace in the north, tour the traditional Folk Village outside of town, peruse art at the Seoul National Museum, and wander around the shopping districts looking for good food. If you like spicy food and Korean BBQ, you won't be disappointed.

From Korea, we fly to Tokyo, Japan where I had to take a second look at this magnificent metropolis. It seems like everything is organized for efficiency. I even noticed that the "Close the door" button worked in most elevators. The rail/subway system is complex, yet manageable. It is accessible with a little help from the attendants. They even found 4 station attendants to lift me up 20 or so steps. One night, we make it to a baseball game. The noise is deafening as the crowd yells out scripted cheers. Bring your earplugs! The city is super clean as the Japanese have a lot of respect for their environment. There's so many great districts to visit. I'll name a few with the first word that comes off the top of my head: Akihabara (electronics), Shibuya (shopping), Harajuku (hip), Asakusa (touristy), Shinjuku (busy), Ginza (posh), Roppongi Hills (trendy), etc., etc. The food is diverse, creative, and delicious! Tokyo is one of the few places in the world where I think I would enjoy living for a while.

I want to thank you all for sharing my journey. May all your dreams come true and all your travels be spectacular!!!!

Photos posted at: http://photos.yahoo.com/tompchun under "ATWorld 6"

Ciao,
Tom
"International Man of Leisure"

Persistence at DiscoverIreland.com

If you want to find the information on Inclusive Travel at Ireland's official toursist website you need
to drill down a bit.

But travel beyond the good start at this web site and CIE Won't let Me on the Train tells the story of much more work still to be done.

Let's "Erin go accessible!"

In a week when the government announced a €400 million plan to extend Kildare’s rail network, an Athy woman claims she and her wheelchair-user colleagues are being refused permission to travel by train because they are confined to oversized wheelchairs.

Patricia Quinn (47), who was born with cerebral palsy, says she has been told by officials that she and her over-sized wheelchair user colleagues can no longer travel by train following the distribution of an e-mail sent by Iarnród …ireann to station masters across the country.

The internal e-mail, which has been seen by the Kildare Nationalist, was issued following a number of reported incidents where wheelchair users were being placed in the vestibules of carriages and left there for the duration of their journey.

Source:

http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=23599

Haben wir heir eine Liste...

...auf Deutsch von Zugänglichkeit für Reisende.

But the same list includes resources for travelers speaking French, Italian, English. I can see at least one important URL missing... but this is one useful resource published by Mobility International Switzerland!

I can also see that they need financial sponsorship (and perhaps volunteer translators?). Head over . Maybe you can help them out at Reisefachstelle für Menschen mit Behinderung und für die Tourismusbranche

See their Bulletin Board here.

Candy's Contribution

For those who always enjoy the wit & substantial wisdom of Candy Harrington on travel for those with limited mobility be sure to see her collection of articles at Boots n All

Update from Patagonia

Ernesto Alejandro José (AKA "PolloPatagónico") has offered permissiion to reproduce his photos. Here are three but head over to the Flickr shoto-sharing group Travel with a Disability for his own choices.

El Pollo Patagónico: Photography for Social Change

Flickr.com is alive with photographic expression - everything from point & shoot images of a 2 year old's birthday party to this carefully staged parody of wheelchair X-treme sports from an artist named "PolloPatagónico" (the Patagonian Chicken).

Without his permission yet to publish his work the best I can do is offer these links:

X-Treme [parody]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollopatagonico/206286557/

And his moving testimonial:

http://www.flickr.com/people/pollopatagonico/?relcreate=1

Here's a link to PolloPatagónico's profile:
http://www.flickr.com/people/pollopatagonico/

You can see all of PolloPatagónico's contacts here:
http://www.flickr.com/people/pollopatagonico/contacts/

And photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollopatagonico/

Diseño Universal

A handbook on Universal Design in Spanish
http://www.rumbos.org.ar/

Wealth & Disability: A New Study

The results of the study below are not surprising but the validation through research is an encouraging sign:

More Money Equals Less Disability: Study
08.16.06, 12:00 AM ET

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little extra income can make a big difference in helping middle-class people ward off disability, a new study finds.

"The surprise was at the upper end," said Meredith Minkler, an author of a report on the study in the Aug. 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "We always knew there was a major gap between the very poor and the very rich. To find that the middle class was at a substantial disadvantage to slightly wealthier folks was a surprise."

Source:
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/08/16/hscout534415.html

More:

The study was sponsored by the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), which requires the information to help it prepare for the health needs of aging baby boomers -- 8,000 of them per day -- who are now reaching the age of 60.

The study used data on 335,000 people 55 and older collected as part of the Census 2000 American Community Survey. In that survey, pollsters asked older Americans about disabilities that affected basic activities such as walking, reaching and lifting.

Respondents were classified into nine household income levels, starting with poverty ($8,259 for someone 65 or older living alone in 2000, $17,761 for a family of four) and going up to 700 percent of that figure -- $124,327 or over.

As expected, disability increased with age. While 16.2 percent of men aged 55 to 64 reported disability, the incidence for men 85 and older was 47.5 percent. Among women aged 55 to 64, the incidence of disability was 17.2 percent, compared to 57.9 percent for those aged 85 and older.

The difference between making a good income and making a very good income turned out to be important, the researchers said. For example, men aged 65 to 74 in the "600-699 percent" income group ($49,544 single-person income) had a 44 percent higher odds of disability than those in the "700 percent" group, where single-person income topped $57,813 per year. For women aged 55 to 64, that income difference translated to a 16 percent greater incidence of disability.

There are several possible explanations for the income-linked differences, said Dr. Jack Guralnik, chief of the NIA laboratory of epidemiology, demography and biometry, and a member of the research team.

"Health behaviors explain some of this," Guralnik said. "Also, people with lower incomes tend to have less access to medical care."

But, Guralnik said, "There's something going on here that is not easy to understand, something related to what is going on in life at lower income levels."

The NIA will continue to look at differences in disability, he said. "Better understanding of why income status has an impact on health can lead to better interventions," Guralnik noted.

"One of the things we can conjecture is that people who are upper class have slightly better medical care, a better environment in which to live and fewer hassles," said Minkler, a professor of health and social behavior at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health.

Money can also help reduce disability though improvements in the home, she said. "You can widen doorways and put in ramps," Minkler said. "Ultimately, that can make the difference between living at home and being in an institution."

While the United States has "the best-educated, best cared-for population in the history of the world," she said, an increase in disability is inevitable as the number of older people increases. "It's important to find out whether slight increments in income make a difference," Minkler said.

More information

A resource guide for people with disabilities is available from the University of Buffalo.

Y' anous! Access to France

Your French does not need to be perfect to take advantage of Y' anous! portal -- but it helps. The site covers the disability scene in the country with contributions on travel and leisure.

Yanous.com is the first French-speaking electronic magazine and portal dedicated to disabled people and disabilities. It reports the current events about the topic "handicap" in France, features an international press release, columns about every day's life, sport and leisure activities, specialized materials and information about various physical and mental deficiencies, a wide panorama opened on the life and the necessities of the handicapped people in France and worldwide. Yanous! is made by a professional team of handicapped and valid journalists. All its members work remotely and communicate through the Internet. Yanous! has about ten headquarters distributed through France: those of its journalists and co- workers.

Yanous! is dedicated to each handicapped person, her family and friends as well as the professionals working upon the topic. It was created by the founders of the netmag "Le Petit Handinaute" (www.handinaute.org) which acquired a great reputation among disabled websurfers and organizations thanks to its various, critical, constructive and sometimes impertinent actions for a full integration of disabled people in Society. Our entrance into the third millennium will happen with this assertion of existence: "Y'a nous! - There we are! - We do exist!"

Reviving the Katrina & Disabilities Conversation

The New Standard has published a good overview of what we all watched happen in realtime after Katrina -- but the major news sources systematically overlooked. If basic accommodation of people with disabilities are so poor when the entire government of the United States turns its attention to a problem can there be any doubt that accessible tourism has a bit of improving to do?

Disabled People 'Left Behind' in Emergency
© 2006 The NewStandard

Aug. 15 – During Hurricane Katrina, Benilda Caixeta, a New Orleans resident with quadriplegia, tried for two days to seek refuge at the Superdome. Despite repeated phone calls to authorities, help never arrived for Caixeta. Days later, she was found dead in her apartment, floating next to her wheelchair.

"Benilda need not have drowned," testified Marcie Roth before the US House of Representatives Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus in November 2005. Roth, executive director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, had personally placed calls to prompt Caixeta’s evacuation.

"People with disabilities are not in good hands," Roth said.

While there are no concrete estimates of how many people with disabilities died as a result of Hurricane Katrina, 71 percent of the 1,330 victims were older than 60, according to a 2006 report by the White House, suggesting people with special needs suffered disproportionately.

Disabled-rights activists have been calling for inclusive disaster-preparedness plans for years – from wheelchair-accessible transportation to closed-caption emergency messages on television. But despite some progress on both the federal and state levels, and even a 2004 Executive Order to strengthen preparedness plans to serve people with disabilities, critics say recent disasters illustrate how disabled people are still being left out of evacuation plans.
Disabled-rights advocates say traditional evacuation plans, which often rely on at least some walking, driving, seeing and hearing, are not appropriate for many people with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that emergency preparedness and response programs be accessible to people with disabilities. But critics say there is currently no standardized federal preparedness plan for disabled people, and many state and local emergency management offices do not have appropriate plans in place to account for special needs.

"There isn’t ownership clearly defined by the federal government as to who is responsible for disability planning," Hilary Styron, director of the Emergency Preparedness Initiative for the National Organization on Disability, told The NewStandard.

While President Bush’s executive order created the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities, the council is only instructed to "encourage" state and local jurisdictions to consider special needs in its planning.

The ADA defines a disability as a "physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual." There are an estimated 50 million people living with disabilities in the United States.

Disabled-rights advocates say traditional evacuation plans, which often rely on at least some walking, driving, seeing and hearing, are not appropriate for many people with disabilities. Activists have been pushing for more responsive plans, and for governments to include people with disabilities and their advocates in the planning process. Although some states have adopted measures that have begun to account for the needs of people with disabilities, such as a reverse 9-1-1 system and more accurate records on the locations of people with disabilities, gaps still exist.
“What happens if you lose your wheelchair and then you’re placed in a shelter? You can no longer get up to go to the bathroom by yourself. People lose their independence.”

Styron said emergency managers have difficulty planning for people with disabilities because there is no "one-size-fits-all approach."

She also said many states have seen emergency management funding cut in recent years. According to the National Emergency Management Association, a national nonprofit that produces the only report to examine state-level emergency management funding, there is currently a $246 million shortfall in the government’s Emergency Management Performance Grant Program. The program is the primary federal funding source for states and local jurisdictions’ emergency management programs.

A three-year study completed in 2006 by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas investigated 30 randomly selected counties, cities or boroughs in the US that had recently experienced a natural or man-made disaster. Researchers found that only 20 percent of the emergency managers had specific guidelines to assist people with mobility impairments during emergencies.

Additionally, the study discovered that 57 percent of emergency managers did not know how many people with mobility impairments lived in their jurisdiction, and only 27 percent of managers reported completing a course offered by FEMA to help emergency responders understand the needs of people with disabilities.

"People [with disabilities] are being left behind," said Cat Rooney, project coordinator for the study.
“If you have a disability, you could be dependent on medical equipment. You could have a special diet. You could have medication that you have to take. You don’t just need a house; you need an accessible house.”

FEMA and emergency management offices in Louisiana, Arizona, Florida, California and Delaware that were part of the University study, did not return TNS interview requests.
Disability un-preparedness

Jeanne Abide, complaints specialist for the Advocacy Center, a disabled-rights organization in New Orleans, said there simply was not appropriate assistance for people with disabilities after the hurricane. According to the National Council on Disability, 155,000 residents living in the three cities hardest hit by Katrina – Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and New Orleans – were disabled and over the age of five.

Abide told TNS that the preparedness problems specific to people with disabilities in New Orleans included a lack of appropriate transportation and emergency housing. In February, the Center filed a lawsuit against FEMA, alleging that five months after the hurricane, the agency was still not supplying accessible trailers to people with disabilities.

Disabled-rights advocates say that people with disabilities have a host of concerns that non-disabled people may not consider during emergencies. Groups say many people with disabilities in New Orleans were evacuated without their medicine, medical equipment, wheelchairs and even guide animals.

"What happens if you lose your wheelchair and then you’re placed in a shelter?" said Rooney. "You can no longer get up to go to the bathroom by yourself. People lose their independence."

Dr. Glen White, the principal investigator for the University of Kansas study also stressed the needs of people with mental impairments. "If someone has schizophrenia and they’re put in a great big shelter with all these other people around them, and they don’t have medication, that can cause a lot of problems," White told TNS.

Other recent disasters have also put the shortfalls of emergency preparedness and response for those with disabilities in the public eye.

A 2004 report by the California State Independent Living Council (CALSIC) found that the emergency response plan for people with disabilities floundered during the 2003 wildfires, in which 730,000 acres of the state burned. The report said that many people with impairments were unable to see approaching danger, or hear announcements to evacuate, which police sometimes made over loudspeakers. There was a lack of transportation for people who were unable to drive themselves, and power outages meant that emergency responders could not access computerized lists of disabled people. Finally, emergency telephones set up at evacuation sites were not equipped for people who were deaf, and were not within reach of people in wheelchairs.

"There’s just so many tiny things that people don’t think about," White said. "Are these all going to go away? No. But the more planning we can do, the better we can make it for people."

Filling the gaps

As local, state and federal planning fails, people with disabilities and their advocates are doing their best to compensate.

Susan Fitzmaurice, who uses a mobility scooter and has a child who is disabled, was concerned about the temporary housing being offered to Katrina victims, with no mention of the special needs of people with disabilities. Although she lives in Michigan, Fitzmaurice was determined to help. Within days of the hurricane, she set up a website, KatrinaDisability.info, to provide much-needed resources.

"With a typical able-bodied person, you could snatch them up out of their house, take them to a motel room and say, ‘Here’s $50 to get you through the next couple of days,’" Fitzmaurice told TNS. "But if you have a disability, you could be dependent on medical equipment. You could have a special diet. You could have medication that you have to take. You don’t just need a house; you need an accessible house."

Fitzmaurice’s site has now become a clearinghouse for disability-preparedness information, and includes links to local and national emergency response information for Louisiana. She has made similar sites for 30 other states.

"It’s wonderful, but then on the other hand," she said, "I’m like: ‘I shouldn’t be doing this. The federal government should be doing this.’".

Members of the Central Virginia Post-Polio support group are also taking matters into their own hands by inviting speakers to discuss disaster planning at their meetings. Dr. Henry Holland, a polio survivor who uses a wheelchair, and a member of the support group, told TNS that people with disabilities have to become self-reliant.

Holland said the threat of a disaster for someone with a disability is "scary." He said a good support network and generator at his home made him well-equipped if a disaster hit.

"But what about people who can’t afford that or don’t have access to help?" he said.
Addressing the needs

As some people with disabilities and their advocates take matters into their own hands, Styron and others are still pushing federal and local governments to adopt adequate emergency preparedness measures.

Styron said she would like to see a disability coordinator at the federal level, a coordinator assigned to every FEMA region in the country, and a designated official within each state responsible for disability planning.

She is also advocating for state and local jurisdictions to integrate people with disabilities and their advocates into the emergency planning process.

"If you don’t even know the population that you’re dealing with, you’re never going to get there," she said.

Source;
The News Standard. Reprinted with permission.
http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3537a

Let Katja's Research Help You Travel to Germany

Katja Stokely has compiled some useful resources on accessible travel to Germany at her site, Broken Clay Journal. Look here.

Notice that she has also been translating Chistiane Link's Behindertenparkplatz travelogue to India.

Coffee & Crip Chronicles

Teri Adams has something engaging to say about being disabled. Its well-written, on point and served up fresh at Crip Chronicles.

One of my recent favorites is Coffee for Crips. It is one of the best pieces I have seen in a long time weaving crip consciousness, social analysis, and good storytelling. Here's a snippet:

About four years ago, I stayed a couple of nights in a Best Western in Agate Beach, Oregon. Their in-hotel sundries store, which contained an espresso counter, was run by a man in a wheelchair. He had arranged everything in sort of a U shape around him so that everything was the perfect height and well within reach. He split the shifts with his wife, who rolled in an office chair on her shifts.

More here.

Monica Interviews Josh Blue at Disability News Radio

You can hear Monica Moshenko, Host of DisAbility News & Views Radio Network, interview Josh Blue winner of NBC’s “the Last Comic Standing 4” on Wednesday, August 16 at 7PM ET

Tune in at:
www.disabilitynewsradio.com http://www.disabilitynewsradio.com/

Josh Blue and Travel wih CP

"The other day I got stopped by a cop for being drunk," he said. "I said, 'I'm not drunk; I've got cerebral palsy.' The cop says, 'That's an awfully big word for a drunk guy.' "

Source: StarTribune.com

Traveling with a disability nearly always has its edge of unpredicatbility and adventure. Comedian Josh Blue tweaks that truth to get a laugh -- and maybe tells a truer story than most. It seems he's had the gift of blarney ever since he was a wee one:

At age 7, he came home from school one day while his mother was sipping tea with a friend.

"How was school?" the friend asked.

"Didn't go," the little boy said.

"What?" his mother said. "I put you on the bus."

Josh told a story of going to the park with friends, more disabled than he.

"Meet any chicks?" his mother's friend asked.

"No, but we saw some ducks," he said.

The two women doubled over with laughter at this fantasy trip to the park.

Source: StarTribune.com

Josh Blue's Site:

http://www.joshblue.com/index_lo.html

Caughtya.org -- Because "I'll Just be Here a Minute" is 60 Seconds Too Long!

The first moblog expose on violators of reserved parking for people with disabilities was Gimp Eye for the Clueless Guy.

Over at Flickr.com a few brave souls wage an ongoing campaign to expose scofflaws. Now Caughtya.org promises to bring the artfom a new level of international visibility.

Before you try this at home, read their wise advice:

Keep in mind:

* Keep yourself safe. If you think there’s any chance someone might become aggressive or violent at you taking pictures of their vehicle, don’t do it !!! Your personal safety comes first.
* We’re not on a witch hunt. We aim to capture these parking offenses as we go about our day-to-day activities.

We will expose disability parking offenders. But we will be nice about it.

Source: Caughtya.org

Read Kerry Laird's piece in Life IS Full, Write’em Up and Move’em Out: Parking enforcement volunteers stick it to illegal parkers

Craig Grime's Accessible Consulting on Inclusive Travel

Craig Grimes is giving a shot at promoting inclusive Travel over at his blog Accessible Consulting

The visual orienation of his posts -- large graphics that clearly illustrate wheelchair accessibility features -- is an innovation in tourism-for-all blogs and worth imitation by others growing the disabled travel niche. We look forward to have such an experienced voice in the global network on accessible travel reporting in English from Barcelona, Spain!

Craig, be sure to build out the collection of European accessibility photos at the photo sharing annex Rolling Rains- Travel With a Disability

Craig's other site is Accessible Barcelona

What does all this mean for the hospitality industry?

Stanley Turkel has accomplished something that I have seen few people succeed at. Read his excellent article, Nobody Asked Me But… No. 13 Turning Gray Into Gold

The article combines a checklist of design features, an overview of niche traveler needs & preferences, and an argument that makes business sense. Without mentioning the seven principles of Unversal Design he sums up its benefits introducing his list of design guidelines:

Older Travelers' Physical Requirements

Interior design for senior citizens must take into account the elements of hearing loss, diminished vision, lessened color perception, poorer short-term memory and weakened upper body strength.

While experts agree that hotel facilities for seniors should be designed to offset these difficulties, I believe that, in fact, all hotel guests would benefit from the following improvements

Source:
Nobody Asked Me But… No. 13 Turning Gray Into Gold

Deaf Cruise 2007

As editor I will be the first to admit that the Rolling Rains Report can improve as a resource for the deaf community. In that spirit I would like to announce Deaf Cruise 2007 and invite emails on other items of note.

The cruise selction looks great - South America, Hawai'i, and Alaska coming up. See Deaf Cruise

Thinking about going on a Cruise Vacation?

Below are the plans we have for our Deaf Cruise 2007!

1. South America Feb 25th through March 11th 2007. (HOT and EXOTIC VACATION!!!)

2. Hawaii 2007 August 19th through August 26th 2007. (POPULAR CHOICE!!!)

3. Alaska 2007 September 2007 (more specific date wil be announced soon).

Order online at www.DeafCruise.com and secure your room in 15 minutes with small money deposit! That's easy and fast. No more waiting!

Take action:

1. Go to www.DeafCruise.com

2. Look at right column for 3 offers: South America 2007, Hawaii 2007, and Alaska 2007 (coming out soon).

3. Start order and get your room before someone takes your room!

4. Start packing vacation for 2007!

5. Start emaiing to your friends!

If you have any question about this above, please contact us at sales@deafcruise.com

Source: AllDeaf.com

Wheelabout: One Wheelchair, One Continent...

... and one Bloody Long Walk!

Listen to comedian Spike Breakwell take you across the entire continent of Australia -- maybe!

"Alligators can run 15 miles an hour. My wheelchair can go 6...One of us might die!"

I wonder if Emily Hesaltine's website has a contingency for alligator preparedness? Vasi, aren't you glad you chose to navigate a more sedate continent?

Video Source: RollingRains at YouTube

The Wheelabout Site
http://www.wheelabout.org.uk/

I had to look it up too: "Spack"

Bill Hinchberger and BrazilMax

This weekend the RollingRains Travel With a Disability photo & discussion group was launched at Flickr.com. This week I want to profile just a few of the more than 35 people who joined in the first three days.

Bill Hinchberger, Editor of BrazilMax has an impressive CV - and an impressive web site. For sheer visual impact - whether or not you plan a trip to the country - BrazilMax is well worth the visit. Like many Rolling Rains readers Bill is also generous with his impressive specialized knowledge. He is truly the "Go to Guy" for reliable information on all aspects of Brazil if you are an English speaker.

So it was a particular honor to have Bill be the first to introduce himself in the Discussion section at the Flckr group Rolling Rains - Travel with a Disability. He writes:

I'll paste in my thumbnail bio below. Before that, I'll just note that BrazilMax - www.BrazilMax.com - is interested in accessible travel in Brazil. It would be nice to produce a little guide on the subject sometime. If anyone has ideas on how to make that happen, we're interested in hearing them. We also invite posts on our travel forum: brazilmax.com/forum/forum.cfm?FID=4

Here comes the thumbnail bio:

Bill Hinchberger is the founding editor of BrazilMax, www.BrazilMax.com, “the hip guide to Brazil” and host of Secret Brazil, a television project co-produced by BrazilMax and TV PUC in São Paulo. A former correspondent in Brazil for The Financial Times, Business Week and Institutional Investor, he contributes to publications like The Lancet, ARTnews, Metropolis and Nickelodeon and does contract writing for the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, the World Wildlife Fund and others. He is an accomplished public speaker and teacher and gives “understanding Brazil” sessions to visiting executives of a European bank. He holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies and a B.A. in Political Science, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the former president of the São Paulo Foreign Press Club (1995-99) and a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and the Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA).

Source: Travel With a Disability

Marcelo de Arrechea and Decthird Travel of Argentina

This weekend the RollingRains Travel With a Disability photo & discussion group was launched at Flickr.com. This week I want to profile just a few of the more than 35 people who joined in the first three days.

Marcelo de Arrechea has a panoramic vision of inclusion. Perhaps it comes from from living in a country with everything from the wide green pampas to the endless blue Atlantic to the white walls of mist at Iguazu Falls and the mountain heights of Bariloche and beyond. Or maybe it's a quality of heart independent of place and reflective of character and one man's spirit of service. That spirt permeates his travel service Decthird (for "December Third").

The mission of Decthird is to allow all people, regardless of their physical condition, to have access without any barriers to tourist attractions throughout the country.

La misión de Decthird es desarrollar el turismo accesible en la Argentina tal que todas las personas, más allá de las características de sus condiciones físicas, tengan un acceso sin barreras a los centros turísticos del país.

Recently you have seen reports from around the world by Tom Chun. Tom traveled with Decthird prior to his current around-the-world trek. Here is his on of his diary entries while in Argentina

While you explore Marcelo's site at Decthird check out the cabin in the Bosque de Arrayanes.

NPR on Your Vacation: The Importance of Being There

National Public Radio airs an interview with Jared Sandberg on the long term consequences of differing vacation styles. Making the Most of Your Vacation.

Visual Delights From Norman Montifar

This weekend the RollingRains Travel With a Disability photo & discussion group was launched at Flickr.com. This week I want to profile just a few of the more than 35 people who joined in the first three days.

Norman Montifar is a professional photograper from the Philipines residing in New York City. He enjoys travel. He also happens to have had polio as a child.

You can see Norman's spectacular work at Norman Montifar.

You can also see some of it at Rolling Rains - Travel with a Disability the new Flickr group on travel & disability.

Australia's e-Bility.com with Some Hot News on Travel & Disability!

Well, you know that you have arrived when somebody else beats you to getting your own publicity out the door!

Thank you Sandra Vassallo for launching the Rolling Rains - Travel with a Disability Flickr group from your excellent site downunder, e-bility.com

Here's the scoop:

http://www.e-bility.com/disability-news/travel-photos.php

From Dominick in Switzerland

There is a Rolling Rains group on Travel & Disability under construction at Flickr. (It's not ready for public beta yet.)

You know Flickr - the site that combines free photo galleries with social networking like group photo albums, mutual commentary on photos and straight bulletin board posts by topic.

Here is an appeal from Dominck in Switzerland who is ready to go public with a good idea.

Hello fellow flickr-fans around the world! I need your help!

I am working for MyHandicap.com, a non-profit Organization based in Switzerland that runs a Website with information for disabled people (soon in English as well, a financial institute declared to sponsor the translation). We are running a blog as well, and that's why I am writing here. I want that blog to be written by disabeld people, being a place where their view of the world can be seen. I am looking for:

- people that would like to send some texts (in German), not too long, subjective and open minded,
- people that would like to send some pictures as moblog (and - WOW - pictures do have an universal language!).

If you are interested to join in for one of these things, just contact me, here (as comment or with flickrMail) or on the blog.

Pics: I'll give you an Mailadress to publish the pics directly to the blog.
Texts: You'll get access to the admin-part of the blog, to write the texts.

Thank you, for your help.

Dominik

The White House website does not comply with Section 508

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
(http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/report2/index.htm)
"require[s] federal agencies to ensure that EIT [electronic
information technology] they procure is accessible to people
with disabilities
(http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/report2/summary.htm)."
That includes websites.

The White House website does not comply with Section 508.

A review (located:
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/
Watchfire%20WebXACT%20disabilities.pdf

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/
Watchfire%20WebXACT%20government.pdf

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/
Watchfire%20WebXACT%20kids.pdf)

of three pages on http://www.whitehouse.gov found 49
instances of Section 508 violations
www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12#Web

Most notably, these White House pages don't provide alternative
text for all images. A blind person surfing the Internet uses a
program that searches for text that identifies images. Many
images on the White House site have no associated text in the
web code and leave a person with disabilities unable to tell
what the image is.

Contact Linda Sites (linda.sites@oa.eop.gov) and Linda
Tolkan (ltolkan@oa.eop.gov) in the Executive Office of
the President and ask why the White House website isn't in
compliance and what steps, if any, are being taken to fix the
problem. (Check out American Progress's letter to the EOP
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/
section%20508%20protest.pdf.)

Source: Justice for All Network

How's Your Czech?

For those who read Czech (Sorry, my people come from across the river in God's country -- Slovakia -- and they only taught me words unfit to print!) here is the site for the Czech Paraplegics Association.

Notes from a World Traveler

Tom Chun, self-proclaimed "International Man of Leisure" sends another report from the field.

Dear Friends,

In Abu Dhabi, we marvel at the lights and marbel-constructed Emirates Palace, a "7-Star" hotel that will set you back a few thousand dollars a night. It is truly a palace! This and the Burj Al-Arab in Dubai (the other "7-star" sail-shaped hotel) in Dubai makes me wonder what you get for the extra two-star rating?

Super-size it! Dubai is a city in the desert on steroids! Everything has to be bigger and better than anything else in the world. They are planning to build the tallest building, the Burj Dubai. There are two man-made palm-shaped Islands with multi-million dollar beachfront property, all sold out. The city is like Las Vegas, except this city is built on tax-free commerce rather than gambling. You can even ski inside the Emirates Mall. All this in the middle of the desert! The heat is unbearable with high humidity, it feels like a sauna outside.

From Dubai we fly into Tehran. Don't believe everything you see or read in the media about Iran! The city is more modern than I had imagined. It is a big city wth big city problems: pollution, lack of good mass transit, etc. Traffic is almost non-stop with many cars from the 70s and beyond. No McDonald's, KFC, or Starbuck's here! It's actually refreshing! From Tehran we fly south to visit Persepolis from the ancient Persian Empire. My stubborn human mule refused pull me up 102 steps, what an useless ass! Just kidding! Fortunately, there was a back entrance to Persepolis for wheelchair users. I find the people in Iran very friendly, especially the beautiful and hospitable people of Shiraz (about ten hours south by car). I even got a pinch onfiltered=) From Shiraz we head north towards Isfahan, the main square of Isfahan has a beautiful "7-colored" mosque in what was originally a polo field. From Isfahan back to Tehran, we drive pass along the heavily guarded underground nuclear plant in Narantz. Unfortunately, I didn't get my hands on any uranium or plutonium, otherwise I would be a rich man!!!

We are now in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This Central Asian country along the old Silk Road was formerly part of the old Soviet Union. Too bad I can't understand anything, it's all in Russian!

Sorry, again, no pics! It will have to wait.

Cheers,
Tom
"International Man of Leisure"

Homespun Podcast & Video at ZuHause

Gabriel Balirac publishes ZuHause blog and podcast from Galicia in Spain. For those who read - and particularly those who would like to contribute - in Spanish I call your attention to the post on a travel podcast network Cominidad de Pocast de Viajes. The service is in alpha release and promises to be entertaining. Blog de Viajes' Jorge Gobbi is behind it so it also promises to be quality.

Pleach and Plash - Green Homes Built by Nature?

Excuse me, but did MIT just invent the Visitable Treehouse? Looks like a zero-step entrance to me! It even has handrails on the ramp to the front door.

Three from MIT envision grow-your-own home from PhysOrg.com
In the future, homeowners may grow their houses instead of building them. That's the vision of MIT architect Mitchell Joachim of the Media Lab's Smart Cities group.

[...]

Are We Really, Really, Ready Yet?

Today the Federation of American Scientists launched ReallyReady.org, a comprehensive emergency preparedness website developed in nine weeks by FAS intern Emily Hesaltine. Modeled after the Department of Homeland Security's Ready.gov, ReallyReady.org addresses the inaccuracies and incomplete information on the DHS site.

Federation of American Scientists, August 1, 2006

The first thing you may notice is that one of the three top level sections at ReallyReady.org deals with disability -- Really Ready Disability. Not so at the governement's multimillion dollar site. Makes me wonder? Is Emily Hesaltine a Rolling Rains reader?

It seems that one of the hidden heroes behind this site is Hilary Styron Director of the National Organization on Disability’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative.

For the full Federation of American Scientists press release: http://www.physorg.com/news73661502.html

sample Rolling Rains entries on Katrina:

Katrina Recovery Watch: People With Disabilities on Point Positions

"New" Mississippi Gulf Coast is going to be a "Disability Free" Zone?

Katrina, Trailers, and Universal Design

Mobility-Advisor.com: Live More Independently

There are lots of different ways of getting from point A to point B. Mobility-Advisor.com knows that:

Mobility-Advisor.com serves as an educational resource on wheelchair options, scooters, wheelchair sports, disabled travel and recreation, daily living aids, and support organizations to enhance the lives of individuals of all ages who need mobility assistance.

Here's a bit of the backstory on...

How the Site Came to Be…

I created this site to honor my mother who was left paralyzed after a stroke. Though her life was changed forever in that moment, my mom never lost her determination and believed that anything is possible with the right outlook, motivation, knowledge, and tools.

When she passed away, I reflected back to the time of her stroke and thought about how helpful it would have been to have had a single place/site to go to educate myself on the multitude of mobility options (and opportunities) available.

That’s why I decided to introduce Mobility-Advisor.com. I know there are some similar sites – but I haven’t found one that offers such a broad spectrum of mobility-related topics (which I am continually expanding and developing). There are now around 100 articles and resource pages on the site and growing.

It is important to share that I am not a healthcare professional – just someone who is passionate about communicating mobility options and information to enhance the daily lives of those who can benefit from the content offered. My site is for reference purposes only – and to help people have more informed discussions with healthcare providers and equipment specialists.

For more see http://www.mobility-advisor.com/

The Sydney Morning Herald

Rob Woodburn pays tribute to travelers with disabilities in "No armchair travel for these guys ...." Drawing some great material from Sandra Vassallo's e-bility site on inclusive travel he mentions some of the key resources for Australian travel such as Bruce Cameron's Easy Access Australia. What is also noteworthy are the experts in accessible travel who have posted commentary Simon Darcy, Matt Laffin, and Suzanne at NICAN

Thanks to Simon Darcy for this news tip.

Passports Required: A Reminder to US Citizens

Travel regulations for US citizens have become more stringent in recent years. This article gives an update on upcoming changes. (Registration at Chcago Tribune site required.)