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December 2020

 

 

CEO APPOINTEDUnited Spinal Assoc Names New Leader

The United Spinal Association recently announced Vincenzo (Enzo) Piscopo, an experienced professional in diversity, inclusion and social causes, has been appointed president and CEO by the organization’s board of directors. Piscopo began his tenure as United Spinal’s president and CEO on Nov. 16, replacing James Weisman, who is retiring after 40 years of service to the disability community as an advocate for disability rights and accessible transportation.


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Intersections Not Accessible to Deaf-Blind

In a decision that will remake the streetscape of New York City and improve safety and accessibility for all New Yorkers, a federal court has ruled that New York City’s failure to provide accessible pe- destrian signals (APS) at 96.6 percent of its signalized intersections violates the civil rights of people with disabilities. APS are push-button devices attached to crosswalks that convey visual crossing infor- mation in audible and vibro-tactile formats accessible to blind, low-vision and deaf-blind pedestrians.


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Grounded – Air Travel Prohibited

By Patricia Horwell

When John Morris decided to fly from his Gainesville, Fla. home through Dallas with his destination being Roswell, N.M. he had no idea the airline would dash his plans.The administrator of the travel website www.wheelchairtravel.org, Morris was stunned to learn that American Airlines could not accommodate his power wheelchair on its Canadair CRJ 700 and 900 jets. A new Canadian requirement had gone into effect last June that requires power wheelchairs checked onto the smaller Canadian jets to weigh less than 300 pounds.


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N.J. Action Committee Reports on Pandemic

A group of leaders and advocates representing the broad range of people who have disabilities in New Jersey recently released their report detailing how COVID-19 has impacted the disability community. The report describes how the state’s preparation for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic failed to meet the critical needs of people with disabilities and their families. It also acknowledges the rights of the community as guaranteed by various state and federal laws.


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Schools Celebrate Independent Travel

In 1970 New York City was rife with discontent – graffiti-covered subways, Vietnam war protests and racial unrest were everywhere. In the same sense of defiance of the status quo, the emergent disability rights movement began protesting, demanding that people with disabilities have equal rights and equal access to opportunities. Attention focused initially on making public transportation accessible. Parents of children with “mental retardation” (outdated term used at the time) and developmental disabilities were increasingly restive, insisting that their concerns and need for choices other


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See These Stories and More in This Edition of Able

Senate’s HEAT Bill

Court Rules

Grounded

BAC Instructs

Not A Witch

Student Independence