Disability Research and Design Foundation (DRDF) is an organization which ensures accessible environments by providing accessibility solutions, research, advocacy and awareness and thereby empowering people with disabilities with their rights and dignity as equitable members of our society. It amalgamates creative, technical and legal expertise of architects, engineers, lawyers, activists and people with disabilities to formulate unique solutions for an inclusive society for people with disabilities.
Aaron flips out - again - twice!
From YouTube:
Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham landed the world's first double backflip on a wheelchair on August 26, 2010.
Filmed: Dave Metty Brandon Schmidt
Edited: Joshua Zucker
aaronfotheringham.com
campwoodward.com
Help prepare for the 2012 Olympics. An appeal to readers:
More from the UK:Dear all,I am undertaking a study which investigates the information needs of UK travellers with disabilities, long-term health problems or with reduced mobility.If you live in the UK, and have a disability, your participation in this study is highly valued whether you travel frequently or not. It would be greatly appreciated if you could spare a few moments to complete the following questions. Please go to the following link:All completed questionnaires will be treated as strictly anonymous and confidential.Many thanksSheela Agarwal
Companies should think of improving disability access ahead of the London 2012 Paralympics as a way of boosting business, a new Government report has claimedUp to a million disabled visitors are expected in London in 2012 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, bringing with them millions of pounds in business.Disabled consumers are an often-overlooked market worth £40-£80 billion ($62-$123 billion) annually, according to the report - 2012 Legacy for Disabled People: Inclusive and Accessible Business - jointly commissioned by the Business Department and the Office for Disability Issues.
This helpful piece on the mainstreaming of Universal Design by Emily Leibin appeared in Metropolis:
Read more at:A new trend is emerging as the baby boom grows older. Some homes and communities are designed to allow residents to age-in-place, or for young people to begin their lives in a house that can, eventually, be adapted as their mobility and accessibility needs change over time. These forward-thinking models provide an excellent vision for the future of housing. They can also serve as inspiration for improvements in consumer goods and the design of spaces, beginning today.
These new homes are ahead of the curve. They consider accessible space from the perspective of Universal Design, taking a more holistic approach to accessibility than most regulated public places. Over the past 20 years the Americans with Disabilities Act has had little to do with residential design. Suddenly, this summer, changes to ADA were passed to ensure that, in the future, a minimum of 5% of all housing built for sale to individual owners in the US will be accessible. This is a great amendment. Now for the first time some new housing developments will be required to accommodate the needs of the aging and the disabled. There is, of course, room for improvement; many older residences that fall outside of ADA still need to be adapted for safety and accessibility.
In a survey she conducted for Change Observer, my fellow Metropolis blogger, Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson told the story of a small number of radical visionaries in New Visions of Home.
Universal Access in Airports 2010 Presented by Open Doors Organization & International Air Transport Association Tues., October 19th - Thurs., October 21st Open Doors Organization has hosted this 2-day conference, held biennially since 2006. It offers an open exchange of ideas and best practice solutions on customer service and accessibility for travelers with disabilities and the mature in the aviation industry. Who Should Attend: Airport executives, airport facilities managers, airline executives, ground transportation operators, disability service coordinators, airport planners, airport safety and standards managers, airport traffic and operations engineers, architects, concessionaires, environmental graphics designers, and transportation-related government agencies. 2010 Topics Include: ■ Laws and Regulations ■ Technology-Now and Future ■ Accessible Websites & Outreach ■ Emergency Preparedness ■ Service Gaps & Ground Transportation ■ Service Animal Relief Areas ■ Training For more information, contact Open Doors Organization:
Crowne
Of course, you hardly travel for either leisure or business when you are unemployed and the numbers look tough as AbledBody reports:
But read on to the silver lining:Two years ago the government began collecting data on disabilities and employment as part of the U.S. Census. The information collected helped the Labor Department to create the first-ever report on the employment landscape for the 27 million working-age Americans with disabilities. Not surprisingly, the outlook is bleak, as reported in today'sWall Street Journal.
Most of us are pretty familiar with the numbers. In 2009, the average unemployment rate for disabled workers was 14.5%, vs. 9 % for those without disabilities. The study shows that people with disabilities are much more likely to be older, or work only part-time, than people without disabilities. (Read the full release here).

Durante los últimos meses son varias las actuaciones realizadas en este espacio, cercano a la localidad de Berberana y del puerto de Orduña, con el fin de que las actividades en la naturaleza lleguen cada vez a mayor público y con mejores servicios. Entre las obras de acondicionamiento destaca la mejora de los accesos a la Casa del Parque, así como la creación de una senda accesible para personas que necesiten una silla de ruedas. De esta forma, se permite el acceso con mayor comodidad hasta uno de los elementos de interés del parque natural como es la reconstrucción de una lobera.
The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 requires airlines to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities in boarding and deplaning aircraft, including the use of wheelchairs, ramps, mechanical lifts or service personnel where needed. U.S. Department of Transportation rules also require carriers to respond within 30 days to written complaints about their treatment of disabled passengers, and to specifically address the issues raised in the complaint. In addition, airlines must submit annual reports to the Department on disability-related complaints from passengers, noting the type of disability and nature of the complaint.
An investigation by the Department of Transportation's Aviation Enforcement Office of disability complaints filed with AirTran and DOT revealed a number of violations of the requirement for boarding assistance. In addition, the carrier's complaint files showed that it frequently did not provide an adequate written response to complaints from passengers. AirTran also failed to properly categorize disability complaints in reports filed with the Department, the Aviation Enforcement Office found.
Of the $500,000 penalty, up to $60,000 may be used to establish a council to help the carrier comply with federal disability rules and hire a manager for disability accommodations. Up to $140,000 may be used to develop and employ an automated wheelchair tracking system at AirTran's major hub airports within one year that will generate real-time reports of the carrier's wheelchair assistance performance.
The consent order is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov , docket DOT-OST-2010-0005.
Bill Forrester of Travability usually passes through my part of the world once a year. Unable to meet up this year he has just shared a collection of photos he took highlighting the wheelchair accessibility of Ketchikan, Alaska. See his post on European barge cruise accessibility for a topic that is too infrequently discussed.
A Request from ENAT Member, Dr. Peter Neumann
Dear colleagues,
Thanks in advance!
Best regards
Peter Neumann
NeumannConsult, Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung / Design für Alle
Alter Steinweg 22-24, 48143 Münster, Germany
www.neumann-consult.com
neumann@neumann-consult.com
Tel: +49 (0)251 48286-33 Fax: +49 (0)251 48286-34
De cada 100 brasileiros, 14 são portadores de algum tipo de deficiência. Para a maioria deles, a inclusão social ainda é um sonho. Em uma feira no Rio de Janeiro, inventores provam que o mínimo de boa vontade pode garantir o direito à cidadania. Através de ideias simples e pequenas adaptações, a vida muitas pessoas que tem um cotidiano limitado pode ser mudada.
CBM Regional Advisory Committee Eastern Mediterranean
Region officially opened by
The CBM Regional Office Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) invited
regional key experts involved in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities
to form a CBM Regional Advisory Committee EMR. The Committee will be a means for the involvement of rights holders-
and partner representatives in all stages of programme development, as
recommended in Article 4.3 of
the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
CBM is an international disability and development
organisation committed to improving the quality of life of persons with
disabilities in the poorest countries in the world. CBM is recognised by the World Health Organisation and obtained
roster consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
The CBM Regional Advisory Committee EMR was officially
opened by
Members of the CBM Regional Advisory Committee EMR are
Disability Activists, as well as experts from different governmental and non-governmental
organisations in the region. The members will give CBM feedback and
recommendations on regional strategies and plans. In addition, the committee will give advice on regional
policies and concept development.
During the first meeting of the CBM Regional Advisory
Committee EMR, the former President of the World Blind Union, Ms Kicki
Nordström, elaborated on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities "Governments will not freely
ratify, implement or monitor the convention by themselves! We must urge them to
do so! I therefore urge you to cooperate with all DPO's in your country (...), I
think we could as an international movement, become extremely powerful!
Challenge your State so that people with disabilities may experience full human
rights, fundamental freedom and equal opportunities in your homeland and
elsewhere. Always recall the slogan: "Nothing about us, without us"!"
The CBM Regional Director EMR, Ms Tanja Kern, explained "We have a lot to learn on our way to become
a fully inclusive organisation. We are here to share, listen and learn from
you. Let us celebrate diversity and work together for our common cause!"
The next meeting of the CBM Regional Advisory Committee EMR
is planned to take place in November 2010.
Visit our website www.cbm.org
CBM Regional Office Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)
Nibelungenstr.124,
64625 Bensheim, Germany
Email:
emro@cbm.org
A United Nations meeting held in Bangkok August 20 has encouraged
businesses to embrace the rights and concerns of persons with disabilities,
highlighting the untapped consumer power represented by an estimated 400
million people in the Asia-Pacific region.
Over 60 participants at the two-day regional meeting on South-to-South
Cooperation on Disability, including Government officials and
representatives of businesses and disabled persons' organizations, explored
ways in which business development plans and employment practices could
become more inclusive.
The meeting, held at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific http://www.unescap.org/ (ESCAP) in the Thai capital, adopted a
statement urging leadership development of persons with disabilities and the
promotion of socially inclusive business development as priorities for the
next regional decade on disability.
The Second Asia-Pacific Decade for Disabled Persons will conclude in 2012,
and the Bangkok meeting recommended that governments in the region proclaim
a new regional decade on disability starting from 2013.
"Many of the 400 million or so persons with disabilities in the region live
in rural and isolated areas in conditions of abject poverty, encountering
deep and persistent barriers," noted Nanda Krairiksh, Director of the Social
Development Division of ESCAP.
"Viewing them as contributors to our region's economic dynamism, as
entrepreneurs, employees or an emerging market segment enhances everyone's
prospects for prosperity," she said.
The meeting, organized by ESCAP and the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on
Disability (APCD), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA), also reviewed the implementation of the Biwako Millennium
Framework for Action - a regional plan for a barrier-free and rights-based
society for persons with disabilities.
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
Contributed by Mitch St Pierre:


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