Tag Archives: accessibility
Kids Crusaders
By: Julie Fioravanti Welcome to this month’s edition of Kids Crusaders as we celebrate the ADA, a law that went into effect 25 years ago on July 26, 1990. My son was born in April of 1991. While we knew from the day he was born we were going to be faced with challenges,… Read More »
Litigation: Cruise Ship Accessibility After 25 Years!
By: Matthew Dietz Twenty years ago, accessible cruising was an impossibility. Notwithstanding that a cruise ship – a resort at sea – was the ideal vacation with everything at one’s fingertips — for a person with a disability it was just impossible. There were no accessible rooms, no accessible bathrooms, public rooms on different… Read More »
Rotary Club of Harris County– Meeting their community’s needs
By Sharon Langer The Rotary Club of Harris County Georgia has a 17 year history of service to their community. I was privileged to join them this month at a summer breakfast meeting and hear about a unique project they started for persons with disabilities. I am hoping that by writing about this project… Read More »
Ride de Vuelta – Sports without limitations, we all can do it!!!
By Mick Jackson Mick Jackson, founder and former professional snowboarder from California, knows very well the Chilean terrain due to many competitions and visits to the country and created Ride de Vuelta in early 2014 in Santiago, Chile. Mick’s motivation was to provide opportunities for people with disabilities but from an ecological and inclusive approach,… Read More »
ADA 25th Anniversary – The State of the Florida Bar and Courts
Persons with disabilities should not be “inspiring” or be required to “overcome” their disability to be a member of the Florida Bar. No other population needs to proffer its superstars to become eligible to be a lawyer. The ADA’s intent was to open the door and create a level playing field so anyone who has the intellectual ability and required ethical standards to be able to practice law should be able to do so. As a profession, we need to examine our practice, our rules, and our profession to remove attitudinal barriers and accept each other as equals.
Disability: The Market You’re Missing Part II
By: Rachel Goldstein Welcome back for part two of my series addressing some of the most commonly asked questions by businesses. In part two I am going to focus on the most frequently asked question, “What can I do so I do not get sued?” With such a complex question in mind, this article… Read More »
Litigation – Fair Housing Reasonable Accommodations – Hey Mr. Landlord, please can you make one little change so I can live in my home?
Many landlords believe that the terms and conditions of the apartments they rent are not subject to modification – it’s “take it or leave it.” But the Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make modifications to rules, policies or procedures so that tenants with disabilities can have the same opportunities to live in a home and in an integrated community.
Disability: The Market You’re Missing: Incentives for Business
By: Rachel Goldstein Recently the Small Business Committee of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce presented a seminar ‘Disability: The Market You’re Missing’. I was one of several panelists at the seminar who explained to small businesses how to best serve customers, clients and employees with disabilities. As an attorney, most of the questions… Read More »
DIG Litigation Update – $625,000 settlement to ensure accessibility in Section 8 project based housing developments.
On April 17, 2015, Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc. (HOPE) and six residents of two developments in Miami Gardens and Opa-Locka, Florida settled a lawsuit with Charter Management and Miami Property Group, and obtained significant changes in the policies and procedures of their housing development to ensure that all residents are able to… Read More »
Owning an Accessible Home
Owning your home can give you a sense of security and the ability to create a sanctuary. It allows you to have control and freedom. If done right a person with a disability should feel the least disabled in their own home.
Kids Crusaders Corner – Nick’s Adventure in Disney World – Part 3
Welcome back to the March edition of Kids Crusaders Corner. This month I will wrap up the last of my 3 part story that began in January regarding a solo trip that I took my son Nick on for his 16th birthday. (If you haven’t read the first two parts, please do, as it… Read More »
Flying with your Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal
All Air Carriers are legally required to allow both emotional support animals and service animals on flights without charge. However, it is always good to review the requirements for service animals for your particular airline, and whether there are any conditions that need to be met. In addition, some international destinations and Hawaii provide… Read More »
Air Travel with a Disability
By: Aaron Carter Bates, Esq. Speaking from personal experience, one of the most difficult situations I regularly encounter, as both an attorney and an individual with a disability, is air travel. Unbeknownst to most, air travel is one of the least accessible day-to-day accommodations encountered by individuals with disabilities. As such, one of the… Read More »
Traveling with a Disability
By: Anastasia Gaertner Traveling with a disability or with a person who is disabled can be a hassle and can create stress for what should be a fun experience. There are many different ways to minimize the hassle that can arise from planning a trip and accounting for a disability. The Transportation Security Administration… Read More »
AbleRoad
By: Kevin McGuire AbleRoad, a company that connects people with accessible places, is a website and app that allows people with disabilities and medical conditions – including those who use a wheelchair or have other mobility, vision, hearing or cognitive disabilities – and their families and caregivers to review any public space or business…. Read More »
VISITABILITY
By: Sharon Langer I LOVE THIS WORD, “VISITABILITY,” and I am hoping that it will become the next buzz word for the idea that universal design of buildings is not just good, but great. There is a growing (slowly growing but still growing) trend in this country to change construction practices so that virtually… Read More »
Kids Crusaders Corner
By Julie Fioravanti One of the greatest joys I have learned on my journey of raising a child with special needs is the magic of “paying things forward.” The act of doing something for someone who least expects it, without expecting anything in return. Often on this journey there is great joy in knowing… Read More »
Accessibility Features of the iPhone 6 and iOS 8
By: Rachel Goldstein Apple just put its two new iPhone models, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, on the market and introduced the Apple Watch, which is set to be released in early 2015. Built-in accessibility features and the ability to download thousands of specialized apps have made the iPhone a popular smartphone… Read More »
Autism CARES Act Renewed
By: Deborah Dietz President Obama signed the Autism CARES Act last month. The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2014, or Autism CARES Act, will reauthorize the Combating Autism Act for the next five years. The law will allow for $260 million annually for autism research, prevalence tracking, screening, professional training… Read More »
Deaf Mom-to-be gives Birth in the Wrong Hospital?
“Hello this is Byron, Cheylla needs your help…” As a lawyer practicing civil law, you rarely receive a cry for help at 8:45 in the evening from a client. I knew that it was happening again – another client who is Deaf that could not get an interpreter for medical care. I represent Cheylla… Read More »
