This year’s legislative session was very successful thanks to Senator Walker and other committee members. We had a meeting with Senator Walker (below) to inform him on the various needs of individuals throughout the state. More detailed information will be coming soon.

Before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, there were few protections for people with disabilities. But since the Act’s passing in 1990, people with disabilities have received protections providing greater access to the communities around them. In SILCGA’s new documentary “Inclusion: the Story of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” filmmaker Ty Hunt shows the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the lives of people with disabilities everywhere — and the amount of work left to create a truly accessible world.

We have lost a pioneer in the disability rights struggle.  Judith (Judy) Heumann transitioned from this earth on the afternoon of March 4, 2023.  Judy was known as many things, but to us in the disability community she was and always will be “the mother of the independent living movement.”  We have so much to be grateful for to Judy and her hard work.  Her work will live on until every person with a disability knows true freedom from oppression.  The SILCGA sends its condolences to Judy’s husband, Jorge Pineda.   Judy is featured in our original documentary Inclusion: The Story of the Americans with Disability Act  now available for purchase on our website.

Congress held an Aviation Subcommittee regarding airline accessibility and SILCGA’s Mobility Coordinator Jordan Hall.  Jordan was asked by Congressman Hank Johnson’s team if there are some issues that SILCGA can speak on directly, or questions SILCGA would like to see the Congressman ask the witnesses during the hearing.

Jordan Hall provided the following feedback: “Being able to utilize personal wheelchairs for flights would be life-changing for wheelchair users.

“Often airline staff is not able to provide adequate support for transferring persons with disabilities on the plane. This has happened in my own experience, and I have witnessed it happen to others. From a personal standpoint, it was fear-inducing and humiliating.

“As an advocate for the community and individuals with disabilities, the policy and procedures need to change. Airline workers need improved sensitivity training as well as guidance in handling persons with disabilities, and how to store mobility aides on the plane to avoid damage to the equipment. Damage to equipment often has been known to occur when being loaded by airline staff.

“The solution that would create the most accessibility for wheelchair users is the ability to use their wheelchair on the plane. When evaluating the necessity of this bill, I pose this question to legislators: If injured, would you be able to travel without a mobility aide? I often use the analogy that my wheelchair serves as my legs, because without it I would not be able to safely get anywhere I need to go. So, how can you ask an individual with a disability fly when it forces them to feel as if they are losing a limb?”

The Congressman’s staff stated they plan to use the comments in the meeting.

ITS4US Deployment Program (https://its.dot.gov/its4us/) is a $40 million multimodal effort, led by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO) and supported by the Office of the Secretary, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration, to identify ways to provide more efficient, affordable, and accessible transportation options for underserved communities that often face greater challenges in accessing essential services.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) launched Phase 1 of the program in January 2021 and supported the concept development efforts of select sites, including Gwinnett County’s Safe Trips in a Connected Transportation Network (ST-CTN). In June 2022, ST-CTN was selected to continue Phases 2 and 3 of the program, which includes the design, testing, operation, and evaluation of the deployment.

ST-CTN seeks to enhance the travel experience for underserved communities, including people with disabilities, older adults, and travelers with limited English proficiency (LEP). It will leverage innovative solutions and existing systems such as connected vehicle (CV) deployments, an advanced trip routing engine, and a regional trip planner—all to be developed within an open-sourced application called the Georgia Mobility and Accessibility Planner (G-MAP). The application will allow travelers to create a personalized trip plan to navigate physical infrastructure, resolve unexpected obstacles, and ensure visibility, and accessibility throughout their travel. Trips are also able to be shared with appointed individuals if desired. The application will be available via website (Georgia-map.com) and a mobile app. The figure below provides an example of a traveler’s complete trip experience using G-MAP.

Kim Gibson, disABILITY LINK’s executive director, joins us on Accessibility Now to discuss the steps that their organization takes to prepare people in the Atlanta area for a career. For her, it boils down to three things that pave the way to real careers: career training, apprenticeships, and internships