Showing posts with label accessibility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accessibility. Show all posts

Friday, May 19, 2023

"Love Letter" is coming to Franklin Public Library - May 13 through June 24

Love Letter is coming to Franklin. Accessibility is key! 
These will be shared with our Community at the Franklin Public Library beginning Saturday May 13 - June 24th
This textured art collection is dedicated to our low vision and blind community and can be enjoyed by many. It invites you to feel your way around the canvas.

 

Love Letter is coming to Franklin - Amy Adams creates a collection dedicated to love vision/blind
Love Letter is coming to Franklin - Amy Adams creates a collection dedicated to love vision/blind

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Crowd sourced info for navigating with disabilities: "Boston entrepreneur looks to build a ‘Waze for accessibility’"

"Great ideas sometimes come to people in the shower or while stuck in traffic. For Jake Haendel, lightning struck when he was accidentally locked in a bathroom stall at a nightclub near North Station.

Haendel, 34, suffers from a rare neurological disorder, has trouble with fine motor control, and needs an electric scooter to get around. After being unable to grasp and unlock the stall door, he had to text his friends at their table in the restaurant next door, Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina, to come help.

“It’s definitely not funny, but I do laugh about the absurdity of it,” he told a Globe reporter in recounting the incident, which happened in September 2021. “Places are called ‘accessible,’ but in this meaningless, broad term.”
Continue reading the article at the Boston Globe (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/29/business/after-harrowing-life-journey-boston-entrepreneur-looks-build-waze-accessibility/

Crowd sourced info for navigating with disabilities: "Boston entrepreneur looks to build a ‘Waze for accessibility’"
Crowd sourced info for navigating with disabilities: "Boston entrepreneur looks to build a ‘Waze for accessibility’"

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Space 2 Thrive, a conversation with Helena Liedtke - 03/29/22 (audio)

FM #763 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 763 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Helena Liedtke, founder of Space 2 Thrive. We had our conversation in person in the radio studio at wfpr.fm.


We talk about how Space 2 Thrive came about, how her daughters created a video series during the pandemic, and her fund raising event scheduled for May 28, 2022


The recording runs about 35 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Helena. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-763-space-2-thrive-with-helena-leidtke-03-28-22


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Donation of inclusive team building & play equipment to BFCCPS ->  https://www.space2thrive.org/blog/2021/11/20/space2thrive-donates-inclusive-play-equipment-to-bfccps 


Sisters reach out - video series with Helena’s daughters Vivienne & Lara ->  https://sistersreachout.weebly.com/the-show.html 


Fund raising 5K in May _> https://www.space2thrive.org/5k-come-out-and-revive 


PDF flyer for May 28 5K -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a1cUKOVBJLOc03FnWnu6ejppkQwWCjaM/view?usp=sharing


Space 2 Thrive website -> https://www.space2thrive.org/ 


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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.


How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

  • If you don't like something here, please let me know


Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.


For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/


If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com


The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.


I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

Fund raising 5K in May
Fund raising 5K in May

Thursday, November 4, 2021

“People with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting"

Picked up on a Twitter thread about voting issues disabled folks on Tuesday. Yes, since it was election day, and voting was in progress, the thread was timely.

  • Hi, I’m a disabled voter in Massachusetts - my disability is multifaceted, but one physical presentation is loss of fine motor skill, or the ability to write. I get by in the world thanks to technology. Here are obstacles I and other disabled voters face in Massachusetts
  • I’m a busy parent, and I didn’t fill out the application for an absentee ballot by October 13th this year Obstacle 1 - disabled people must be vigilant about dates that are sometimes hard to find in fine print on websites
  • Obstacle 2 - disabled people must fill out a form (which can be done electronically, with one exception - more on that in a sec), And get it back to the their local election office on time JUST to receive a ballot.
  • Obstacle 3 - that signature. Even though most cities and towns allow for electronic submission and typed answers into the form, MA requires that everyone must provide a  “wet” signature (lol ew ). For me, this is the real obstacle.
  • Alt text for above image: Picture of a text heavy form with the following highlighted: sign your application with a “wet” signature. Application signed with a mouse, stylus, or finger are also acceptable; typed signatures are not.
  • My signature today is legible, however it is wildly different than it looked 18 months ago. The loss of my writing is something I’ve had to grieve, and the state of MA tells me: “Typed Signatures are not acceptable,” right there on the website! Not. Acceptable.
  • Obstacle 4 - We, the disabled voters of MA, must then fill out our paper ballots, sign them, get them into envelopes (no easy task), and send back in time for them to be counted. We are expressly prohibited from returning a ballot to our polling place on Election Day.
  • Text for this image: another text heavy document with the following highlighted: Once you receive your ballot, please return as soon as possible to ensure that it arrives in time to be counted. Ballots CANNOT be returned to the polling location on Election Day.
  • OK so there are the big four obstacles outlined by the state - for me, it’s something I can overcome; I will go to the polls, and I’ll cast a ballot.  I am extremely lucky, and one more MS relapse could take these options away from me.
  • But I did some more research, and it looks like The city of Boston has amazing accessibility tools!  https://www.boston.gov/news/accessible-voting-announced-ahead-november-2-municipal-election 
  • Everything can be completed online, even down to the vote itself, including that pesky signature! In Boston the language is changed to, voters may sign electronically. I was so thrilled to see this happening in Boston!
  • But something was confusing on the website. Why are these accessibility tools only Valid through 2025? And then it hit me. The city of Boston provides excellent accessibility for voting because it was sued by several disability rights groups for violating article 2 of the ADA.
  • None of these wonderful tools were given to disabled voters; disabled voters fought, and won, the right to vote without the significant obstacles I outlined above.
  • So, we have a lot of work to do Massachusetts. When you head to the polls today, try to notice how many obstacles you encounter along the way. And when you get home, check out the amazing work of @BostonCIL and @ACBofMA and @DLCMA, Who fought and won.   
  • Sorry adding the place where you can find all the legal info about voting in Boston. Photo is of text heavy legal document that is also available on the link attached. thank you for reading!  https://www.dlc-ma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BAV-Settlement-Agreement-9.8.2021-fully-executed.pdf 


Coincidentally, I found in my inbox on Tuesday that NIST is looking for input and comment to address this disability issue nationally: "NIST Draft Publication Addresses Removing Barriers for Voters With Disabilities" https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/10/nist-draft-publication-addresses-removing-barriers-voters-disabilities


Direct link to draft out for comment -> https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1273-draft.pdf 


The chapter headings for the draft are shown as follows:

2. SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VOTING ACCESSIBILITY

3. VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION FORM

4. VOTING BY MAIL

5. VOTER TECHNOLOGY

6. POLLING LOCATIONS

7. POLL WORKER TRAINING


I heartily encourage reading and submitting comments as appropriate. Together the process needs to work for all of us.


Full twitter thread can be found here (I copied the text and links but not the emoticons...)  https://twitter.com/Moms4Markey/status/1455612963327459329

“People with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting"
“People with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting"