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Disability News Articles

The 10 Best Cities for Accessible Living
Angie Bersin
With Global Accessibility Awareness Day this month, we took a look at the most accessible cities throughout the country. The Social Security Administration estimates that one in five Americans is living with a disability, which can pose a specific set of challenges during everyday life. Although legislation exists that requires accessibility in public housing like hotels and university dorm rooms, the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t require all community features to be accessible.

These handicapped New Yorkers are behind hundreds of lawsuits
By Melkorka Licea September 16, 2017 | 9:41pm
Five New Yorkers in wheelchairs are behind nearly 400 lawsuits brought against small businesses for lacking handicap access.
Such legal claims have been criticized as part of a “cottage industry” of “serial plaintiffs” who target mom-and-pop establishments for quick cash settlements. But others see the suits as helping enforce the American with Disabilities Act.

USA Archery Names World Archery Para Championships Team
Add Date here
U.S. Team Trials concluded today after round robin matches for the top eight competitors in the compound open and recurve open men’s divisions. USA Archery then presented the team headed to Beijing, China on September 12-17th following yesterday’s qualification rounds.

Wheelchair Users Prioritized in the Parking Lot?
Rolling without limits
In Arizona, it is law that anyone with a disability plate or placard receives a right to park in any free spot legally. The new bill, which is awaiting a legislative process would, however, widen the rights of the disabled people and created a new category of spots which would be permanently restricted to the people in wheelchairs.

"DON'T TREAD ON MY ADA" - Oppose ADA Education & Reform Act of 2017 - H.R. 620
Petition-Dara Baldwin
H.R. 620 would create significant obstacles for people with disabilities to enforce their rights under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to access public accommodations, and would impede their ability to engage in daily activities and participate in the mainstream of society.

People Reveal What Sex With A Disabled Partner Was Like
Unilad- FRANCESCA DONOVAN
Sex is one of those biological, universal experiences that throws out a whole range of emotions.
For some people, sex will follow a set of prescriptive rules dictated by what mainstream society’s narrow frame of reference deems normal – if there is such a thing – and if that makes them happy, so be it.

From AVSC’s ‘most improved’ to World Championship adaptive racer
by Madeleine Osberger, Aspen Daily News
Two years ago, Kevin Mather received the “most improved” award from Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club’s adaptive program, a nod to the monoskier’s willingness to get better, no matter what the cost.
Next week, the affable and outspoken Mather, 34, who coaches nicknamed “The Ginger” due to his coloring and temperament, heads to the IPC World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, Jan. 22-31, for a maiden voyage into international competition.

The Party Is on the Second Floor, So Where Is the Elevator?
by Cody Unser- US News and World Report
My lifeless legs were the first to tell me "I can't walk." My in-hospital catheterization lessons were the first to tell me "I can't pee." The skin checks I learned I must do regularly to monitor for signs of breakdown were the first to tell me that having a paralyzed body takes careful maintenance. But it is the flight of stairs with no ramp in sight, the building with no elevator and the doctor's office with no accessible exam table that remind me constantly, "Yes, Cody, you are disabled and living in a wheelchair."

Brain Implant Allows Paralyzed Monkey to Walk Again
George Dvorsky-Gizmodo
For the first time ever, a neural device has been used to restore locomotion in paralyzed primates. It may be years before clinical trials can begin for humans, but this latest breakthrough marks an important step in that direction.

Woman Parks In Restaurant’s Handicap Spot, Then A Disability Van Driver Teaches Her A Lesson
Little Things
In the following clip from National Geographic, a simple experiment is conducted to make a statement to those who illegally park in handicap spaces.
First, a man posing as a disability van driver rides around town, looking for cars parked illegally in spaces that are reserved for people who actually need them.

Accessible? My Ass!
dulcimerdude.com Blog
Sometimes, I do a slow burn when something really makes me angry. Like the time this spring, when I got trapped in a public washroom. While I did “share the moment” on Facebook, it took me the whole summer, AND a post from another blogger to get off my behind to craft an appropriately snarky article that you also could contribute to.

What happens when the airlines break your wheelchair?
Tom McParland
Airlines lose and damage luggage all the time. But what if that luggage was your only way to get around? What if instead of misplacing a bag, the airline removed your ability to move about independently? That’s exactly what one airline did to my wife on a trip to Mexico two years ago.

This is what disability erasure looks like
Forbes-Emily Willingham
It was a day when the U.S. disability community should have been celebrating the progress made since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed on July 26, 1990, and looking forward at work yet left to do. Instead, the world awoke to news of one of the worst and deadliest targeted attacks on disabled people since the Nazis decided to erase them from the earth. This time, it was in Japan.

This is what sitting too long does to the body
The life is amazion
Today, we live in a world where modern machines do much of our work for us, which greatly eliminates the need for manual labor. Not to mention, over 34 million Americans have office or sales jobs, forcing them to remain sedentary for eight or more hours a day.

When I'm 'Stalled' by Someone Without a Disability in the Accessible Bathroom
The Mighty- Kat Macfarlane
We need to talk about the bathroom and what it’s like to go the bathroom when you’re disabled. I’ll start: my name is Katherine, and I’m a mobility-impaired woman who has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thanks to RA, it’s been about six years since I could comfortably use a bathroom stall that doesn’t have metal handrails attached to its inside walls. A stall without handrails scares me. I have no problem swinging a bathroom stall open. But an accessible bathroom isn’t just one I can get into — it’s also one I can get out of. And I can’t get off a toilet and out of a bathroom unless there are handrails within my reach.
http://themighty.com/2016/06/why-people-without-disabilities-shouldnt-use-the-accessible-bathroom/

Township condemns wheelchair ramp built for 4-year-old hit-and-run victim
Nathan Clark-MLive
A wheelchair ramp built for a child who was injured in a hit and run in front of his home was condemned Saturday, June 4 by Parma Township for not meeting building code.
A township building inspector along with township Supervisor Wendy Chamberlain visited 4-year-old Mason Llyod's home Saturday morning to inspect a wheelchair ramp built for the boy and condemned it for not meeting code for both the American with Disabilities Act and state building code.

Basic Myths about Disability I Can’t Believe We Still Have to Debunk
Sarah Blahovec-Huffington Post
To be honest, I was really hoping that what I’m about to write was common knowledge by now. I really wish that society in general understood disability better, but in light of a number of concerning articles recently, from a USA Today article about people “faking” disability during travel, to a New York Times Magazine articleabout parents stunting the growth of disabled children through estrogen treatments, it seems necessary to counter the basic inaccurate beliefs people have about disability and those who live with it. Below are a few of the most popular myths, along with suggested reading on each topic.

Why Some Disability Rights Activists Are Protesting ‘Me Before You’ They believe the film offers a harmful portrayal of life with a disability.
Haley Goldberg-Self
When Emily Ladau, 24, picked up a copy of the bestselling book Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, she knew it would be an emotional read. The book—which was adapted into a movie that hits theaters on June 3—advertises itself as a “heartbreakingly romantic novel.” Here’s the plot of the movie (spoilers ahead): Will Traynor, a 35-year-old former thrill-seeker with a spinal cord injury (SCI), falls in love with his quirky twenty-something caregiver Louisa Clark, only to break her heart by committing assisted suicide, believing his new life as a quadriplegic isn’t worth living. It’s sold over six million copies since its 2012 release.

Suitable for those with disabilities? Maybe not
50 shades of sun
Restrooms or toilets provided for people with disabilities often fail to live up to the promises they appear to make. Probably, this is more to do with lack of planning and foresight but also may be influenced by available space. Too often, though, it might be due to finances.

Bathrooms Make Air Travel Difficult for Many with Disabilities
Aviation Pros- Erin Tracy
Modesto resident Barbara Ball and her husband have traveled extensively: Greece, France, Italy, the Bahamas and all over the United States, to name a few.
She feels fortunate to have visited so many places before a blood clot in her right leg led to its amputation five years ago.
Ball now has a prosthetic but spent a few months in a wheelchair during rehab. So it struck a chord when she heard about her friend's brother, a double amputee in a wheelchair living in South Carolina, who can't fly to Modesto to visit because he can't access the onboard restrooms.

HOW TO PREVENT DAMAGES TO YOUR WHEELCHAIR WHEN FLYING
Curb Free with Cory Lee
If you’re like me, you don’t like something like a wheelchair slowing you down. Whether you’re a world-class traveler or just starting to explore the big blue globe, you can hop on a jet plane and take your chair with you so you don’t miss a beat. There are some things you have to see to first, though. If you don’t take precautions, your wheels can get pretty mangled during the flight – and nothing puts a damper on a trip quite like not being able to get around. Whether you’re in economy class, business class or on a private jet charter, all of these tips are imperative. Check out these tips to help ensure your chair arrives at your destination as safely as you do.

TSA admits mistake after Amy Van Dyken-Rouen said she was 'humiliated' by agent at Denver airport
The Denver Channel
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) admits agents "did not follow correct screening protocols" with Colorado's six-time Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen.
Van Dyken-Rouen says TSA agents at Denver International Airport humiliated her.

Handicapped Bathrooms: Use as a Last Resort, unless you Actually Need One!
Gina Schuh-Pushliving.com
I went with my boyfriend to Costco yesterday, but before we started shopping I needed to stop by the bathroom. Besides having to use my wheelchair, another condition of my SCI is when I gotta go, I gotta go. I need to pee fairly quickly so I don’t have any issues, and by issues I mean piss myself. Yup, I said it. It is what it is.

10 Things The World Can Learn From People With Disabilities.
Tiffiny Carlson
No matter the type of person, there are lessons to be learned from them. People with disabilities are especially influential, as our hardships in life aren’t easily forgotten. We go through every day with determination and strength, which many people are bowled over by, with many secretly wondering if they could do the same thing.

15 Common Phrases That Are Way More Ableist Than You May Realize
by Caley Farinas and Creigh Farinas
When I was in middle school, my family started going to an autism support group. Well, I say “family,” but in reality, my sister Creigh was going for her high school volunteer hours and kept dragging my mother and me along.
Creigh seemed to think that, because she was my sibling and I’m Autistic, it was her responsibility to show support for me and other autistic people by going to these meetings and guilting my mother and me into going, too.

Travel liars, pants on fire
Christopher Elliott, USA Today
Let's talk about travelers who feign injury, illness and even death in order to get preferential treatment.
Let's talk about the fakers.
When travel companies, and particularly airlines, announce restrictive new policies almost daily, it's no wonder the frequent liars are everywhere. As the busy spring break travel season begins to heat up, maybe it's time to start asking hard questions about these charlatans

Fake "Service Animals" are about to become a hefty crime in Colorado
Dallon Adams-The Rooster
On the bus. At the bar. At the dentist’s office. Adorably shitting on your shoe on the plane. It doesn’t matter where in Colorado you are, we’ve all been in this situation: some entitled individual wants to bring their pet along with them and justifies the move by simply pulling the “service animal” card. That teacup poodle or iguana-on-a-leash is no service animal, and that owner ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Becoming disabled by choice, not chance: ‘Transabled’ people feel like impostors in their fully working bodies
Sarah Boesveld
When he cut off his right arm with a “very sharp power tool,” a man who now calls himself One Hand Jason let everyone believe it was an accident.
But he had for months tried different means of cutting and crushing the limb that never quite felt like his own, training himself on first aid so he wouldn’t bleed to death, even practicing on animal parts sourced from a butcher.

Woman With One Leg Asks Neighbor To Not Park In Handicap Space. Neighbor’s Response? Unexpected
Shareably
Woman in Ohio asked her neighbor not to park in her handicap parking space. The neighbor proceeded to respond with the most shocking letter ever.
“Hey handicap,” the letter begins. “First, never place your hands on my car again! Second, honey you ain’t the only one with ‘struggles.’ You want pity go to a one leg support group!”

It Is Time To Eliminate Offensive Terms about People With Disabilities
Janice Lintz
In December, Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, sent a letter to the York City Department of Education stating, "the City is still not fully compliant, and children with disabilities and their families are being denied the right to equal access to a public school education."(1) This is not news to people with disabilities. Schools and companies often treat the ADA as a mere suggestion despite its enactment 25 years ago.

Gatorland: Disability-friendly zip line offers thrill over alligators
Dwayne Bevil-Orlando Sentinal
For two decades, Wheeler Clemons has spent days in a wheelchair. On Friday morning, he was lifted from the chair to fly — wide-eyed and yelling "Woo-hoo" — over a marsh populated with more than 100 watchful alligators.
Clemons was the first official participant on the Gator Gauntlet, a specially designed, disability-enabled zip line at Gatorland, longtime animal attraction in south Orlando.

10 Crucial Ways We Can Make Society More Inclusive for People With Disabilities
Dristin Duquette & Dr. Mary Hums- The Blog
The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 25th year of coming into law last month, and while it has changed countless lives, it has become apparent that inclusion loopholes still exist.
The ADA was designed to have people with disabilities become viable and authentic citizens within the United States, but access to resources are still denied and the disability community continues to fight for basic civil rights.

Marriott Opens ‘Hotel School’ To Teach Persons With Disabilities Valuable Job Skills
Christina Tenhundfeld- Simplemost
In December of 2015, the Courtyard Muncie at Horizon Convention Center (in Indiana) is the first of it’s kind: a hotel with a training institute designed specifically for persons with disabilities.

New regulation updates VA policy on service dogs at VA facilities
www.blogs.va.gov
The Department of Veterans Affairs is revising its regulation regarding the presence of animals on VA property.
Previous VA regulation authorized the presence of seeing-eye dogs on VA property and other animals at the discretion of a VA facility head. The updated regulation will ensure VA practices remain consistent with applicable federal law. It will also assist those entering and working at VA facilities in developing a clear and consistent understanding of the criteria governing facility access for service animals.

How Beauty Vlogging Helped Jordan Bone Fight Her Disability, Beat Depression, and Inspire Everyone
Sara Bliss
When British vlogger Jordan Bone was battling depression, she found help in an unexpected place — YouTube. At age 15, Jordan was the victim of a terrible car accident. She got into a car of a friend, he started speeding, and five minutes later, the car flipped, breaking Jordan’s neck. She was left tetraplegic — she lost the ability to move her hands and legs.

Adaptive Cyclocross Is a Thing, and It’s Amazing
Bicycling- Molly Hurford
Cyclocross is a hugely fun sport for racers and spectators alike. And during the Mile High Urban CX Chaos (MUCCY) race, everyone can participate: MUCCY is open to all kinds of adaptive bikes and focuses on racers with special needs.

I Won't Pretend That Disability Simulation Works
Emily Ladau - Huffington Post
Activities meant to simulate the experience of disability are so often lauded as moving, powerful, eye-opening experiences. With just a few hours in a wheelchair, wearing earplugs, or wearing a blindfold, people supposedly gain a deeper understanding of what life with a disability truly entails. I, for one, don't buy it.

15 Things Wheelchair Users Hate Hearing
Roland Reznik- Smartchair
Wheelchair users hear plenty of comments throughout their daily lives in public. While some comments are made innocently enough, it shows the lack of knowledge in society regarding wheelchair users. People hear about myths or just don’t know much about life in a wheelchair. Below is a list of specific things wheelchair users hate hearing.

Paralympic Archer Matt Stutzman Breaks (His Own) World Record For Farthest Accurate Shot
TeamUSA
Paralympic Archer Matt Stutzman Breaks (His Own) World Record For Farthest Accurate Shot
It is hard not to be impressed by Olympic archery – shooting a target 70 meters (about 77 yards) away, and hitting the gold, which is about the size of a CD. But then there’s Matt Stutzman, known around the world as the ever-inspirational “Armless Archer” who shoots using his feet.

Why We Need to Talk About Kylie Jenner
Claiming Crip
We need to talk about Kylie Jenner posing on the cover of Interview Magazine in a wheelchair. We need to realize that this is not a simple conversation. I cannot talk about Kylie Jenner posing in a wheelchair in a simple way, because this conversation is anything but simple. This is not just about whether it is okay for able-bodied people to use mobility aids and disability as edgy props to shock people. No, this is about so much more.

Service Animal or Pet? How to Ferret Out The Truth
Barrier-Free Travels
Although I generally direct my tips to consumers, I’m going to change things up a bit and reach out to folks in customer service today. Lately there has been a lot of buzz about “fake” service animals, otherwise known as pets. And to be honest, the fakers really do a huge disservice to people who have legitimate service animals.

It’s time to accept that some athletes use wheelchairs
Adrienne Barlow
FREQUENTLY I’m asked why I’m an advocate for inclusion to sports. Mostly it is because I may use a wheelchair. But I do not see myself as disabled. I may see myself as having physical challenges, but don’t ever “dis” my abilities.
In an effort to gain and maintain access to the only accessible tennis courts in my community, I encountered opposition at our local parks and recreation board. Often alone as the voice of inclusion in my small but affluent community of Gig Harbor, I have encountered adversity and public displays of opposition.

Improving Transportation for Those with Disabilities a Focus for Startups
Megan Totka, Chamberofcommerce.com
If historians give this period a label, they might call it the “Startup Era.” In earlier times, most startup news was relegated to the business pages of your local newspaper orThe Wall Street Journal, today a wide variety of startups make it into the front-page headlines.
And some of the most notable startups in recent years have been in the transportation industry: think Uber and Lyft, for two familiar examples.

Plan for Virginia Executive Mansion wheelchair ramp blasted
Lenny Cohen-WCYB.com
A plan to build a wheelchair ramp outside the Virginia Executive Mansion is turning into a tussle between Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former first lady Roxane Gilmore.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Gilmore, the wife of former governor and current Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore, has circulated a letter among historic preservationists in which she characterizes the planned ramp as unnecessarily intrusive on the nation's oldest continuously occupied governor's residence.

Stop Saying 'Wheelchair-Bound' And Other Outdated And Offensive Terms To People With Disabilities
Zachary Fenell, the Mobility Resource
Discussing disabilities may feel like trying to avoid metaphorical tripwires.
One innocent misstep and an able-bodied person may receive a tongue lashing just for saying “handicap vehicle” instead of “wheelchair accessible vehicle.”
To help you sidestep situations like the one above, note the following tips when discussing disabilities.

James Bond Parody Calls Out 007 for Killing People With Disabilities
The Mighty
Comedy site Funny or Die uploaded a video on Nov. 5 titled “James Bond Sensitivity Training with Jane Seymour,” which shows actor Daniel Craig, in character as James Bond, being “summoned to MI6 headquarters for an HR-mandated handicap and disability sensitivity training.”

Mother Was Forced to Abandon Her Daughter With No Legs, Now She’s A Gymnast
Lifenews-Sarah Zagorski
Jennifer Bricker wanted to be a gymnast; but there was one problem, she was born without legs. This tragic birth defect caused her biological parents to abandon her in Romania the day she was born. An American family, Gerald and Sharon Bricker, adopted Jennifer and raised her in a small town in Illinois.

This incredible amputee soldier proves disability doesn’t mean inability
Amy Willis for Metro.co.uk
This is Corporal Temur Dadiani, a soldier injured in Afghanistan four years ago.
The 23-year-old, from Georgia, lost both his legs after stepping on a landmine while serving on a mission in Helmand Province with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Drew Wills handcycles the 'super hard' events
Tim Bergsten- Colorado Springs Independent
Drew Wills found new life somewhere along a ribbon of highway skirting the rim of the Black Canyon in western Colorado.
It wasn't easy that day, pedaling a three-wheeled handcycle up and over tall mountains in the 2005 Tour of Colorado, a 400-mile supported cycling adventure. The muscles in his arms and shoulders protested every turn of the crank.

11 People With Disabilities Share Their Awkward Experiences With Others
The Mighty
Life is full of awkward moments. But did you know that, according to one of our Scope reports, two-thirds of British people feel uncomfortable talking to people with disabilities? And worse still, one-fifth of 18- to 34-year-olds admitted they’ve avoided talking to a person with a disability altogether for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. Scope wants to change that by raising awareness with their #EndTheAwkward campaign.

Hidden Camera Captures Gym-Goers’ Reactions to Paralympic Athletes
Melissa McGlensey- the Mighty
In anticipation of this historic event, the Rio Paralympic Games committee released a video captured using a hidden camera that shows three Paralympic athletes training at the gym. At first, fellow gym-goers stare because of the athletes’ various disabilities. But once the athletes get going, people are staring for another reason entirely.

What to do When Doubt Creeps In
Tricia Downing- Blog
By all accounts, Susan Williams wasn’t supposed to be on the 2004 Olympic triathlon team. There were four Americans in front of her in the world rankings, and there were only three potential spots on the U.S. squad that would make the Athens Games (only the second time in history that the swimming, biking and running event would appear on the Olympic schedule).

Woman fined for Facebook pic of police car in disabled spot
Chris Matyszczyk- CNet
In the US, citizens have begun to film the police with abandon.
In turn, the police have started to wear bodycams in order to capture what they see.
In Spain, however, a new gagging law has been enacted. It's titled the Citizens Security Law.