Greetings and happy summer!
Welcome to our July issue of Mélange Accessibility for All magazine.
The past few months have been amazing and enlightening for the disability community. We’ve seen the International Children with Disabilities Act and the Health Equity for People with Disabilities Act introduced into Congress. We’ve seen progress made with airlines allowing people with disabilities to remain in their wheelchairs. As predicted, people with disabilities are traveling more in a post-Covid world and sharing their experiences more frequently about what’s accessible and what’s not. We’ve also seen more and more people with disabilities attending conferences and summits in person versus virtually. I am encouraged by all of this. We’re moving in a positive direction!
As you might expect, there are many events planned throughout the U.S., especially in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26. Some events fall on the days and weeks surrounding July 26. Here is a snapshot of what’s happening in Washington:
NCIL Conference information: The NCIL Annual Conference will be held this year from July 24-27. The opening session starts at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 24. The conference ends on Thursday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m.
Details about the march, rally, reception and AAPD’s events on Wednesday, July 26:
- Everyone is invited to be part of the NCIL march and rally, which starts at the Grand Hyatt Washington at 9:30 a.m. More details.
- AAPD’s hybrid ADA Celebration will be at the Salamander Hotelfrom 5:30-7:30 p.m. Face masks will be required unless participants are actively eating or drinking. Register to join virtually for free or in-person for $25. If you have any questions, please contact Jason Mida at jason@midaassociates.com.
- The NCIL Reception will follow, when the ADA Celebration is complete, at 8 p.m. Travel time is about 15 minutes via transit or a 25 minute walk (1.2 miles).
The rest of this year will be just as busy for the disability community so keep reading Mélange Accessibility for All as well as the Tidbits Newsletter for more information as it becomes available.
As always, we will continue to bring you stories from around the world about people, places, innovative technology and companies that each make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities around the world.
And, don’t forget our sister magazine, Mélange Accessible Journeys. In this digital magazine, we share stories from all around the world about accessible travel destinations, written and experienced by people with disabilities. In each issue, you will find personal, firsthand accounts of what each traveler experienced during their journey. It’s a resource for anyone of any ability who wants to take an accessible journey! We hope you enjoy it!
Keep using your voice and sharing your stories with us. We will continue to make it all real, all relevant and we certainly appreciate your thoughts. Let us know if you have a assistive technology product you want us to write about, or if you want to invite us to visit your city, country, resort or place of interest so that we can write about its accessibility and share it with our audience. You can reach me at fmaahs@readmelange.com.
Thank you for reading!
Warm regards,
Fred
Fred J. Maahs, Jr. is an internationally-renown disability and civil rights champion who believes in and advocates for the rights and access for all! A recognized leader and former corporate executive, he’s also an International Keynote speaker, collaborator, and an international accessibility travel expert.