Rick Hansen’s Post

♿ Accessibility is a human right. Removing physical and social barriers benefits everyone, no matter their age or abilities. #EUAccessCity Awards reflect these values and celebrate cities that are taking steps to be more inclusive. And the winners for 2024 are: 🥇 🇪🇸 San Cristóbal de La Laguna ♿ for making urban spaces, transportation systems, and social activities accessible. ♿ installing acoustic traffic lights and tactile paving to guide visually impaired people. 🥈🇵🇱 Łódź for implementing comprehensive standards of accessibility to guide public investments. ♿ Accessibility is a human right. Removing physical and social barriers benefits everyone, no matter their age or abilities. #EUAccessCity Awards reflect these values and celebrate cities that are taking steps to be more inclusive. And the winners for 2024 are: 🥇 🇪🇸 San Cristóbal de La Laguna ♿ for making urban spaces, transportation systems, and social activities accessible. ♿ installing acoustic traffic lights and tactile paving to guide visually impaired people. 🥈🇵🇱 Łódź for implementing comprehensive standards of accessibility to guide public investments. 🇫🇷 Saint-Quentin for improving the accessibility of the city’s public transport network. 🇩🇪 Tübingen received a special mention for its city development aligned with the principles of accessibility. 🇮🇪 South Dublin County was also awarded a special mention for making their playground and playground areas accessible and inclusive. These cities are inspiring us for a barrier-free Europe! #UnionOfEquality #EveryoneIncluded

Key Bay Area transit accessibility initiatives are moving forward, such as a one-seat paratransit pilot program and the creation of “mobility manager” services in each county. https://lnkd.in/gTjyTW58

Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in adventure and expedition services is crucial for creating a welcoming and accessible environment for all individuals. Here's how Safe Adventures and Expeditions can support DEI: Accessible Programming: Offer adventure programs that cater to a diverse range of abilities and backgrounds. This may include providing adaptive equipment, offering sign language interpreters, or accommodating dietary restrictions to ensure that everyone can participate. Representation: Promote diversity and inclusion in marketing materials, featuring a variety of individuals from different ethnicities, genders, ages, and abilities enjoying outdoor activities. Representation matters and seeing others like themselves can encourage underrepresented groups to engage in adventure activities. Training and Education: Provide training for staff and guides on cultural competency, unconscious bias, and inclusive communication. This helps create a supportive and respectful environment for all participants. Community Engagement: Partner with community organizations and non-profits focused on diversity and inclusion to offer discounted or subsidized adventure experiences to marginalized communities. This helps break down financial barriers and provides access to outdoor activities for those who may not otherwise have the opportunity. Safe Spaces: Foster a culture of inclusivity and respect within the adventure community by establishing clear policies against discrimination, harassment, and microaggressions. Create safe spaces where individuals feel comfortable being themselves and expressing their identities. Feedback Mechanisms: Implement feedback mechanisms to collect input from participants on their experiences and suggestions for improvement regarding diversity and inclusion. Actively listen to their feedback and make necessary adjustments to ensure that all voices are heard and valued. Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and evaluate DEI initiatives to identify areas for improvement and measure progress over time. Stay informed about best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion and adapt policies and practices accordingly. #Explore #Adventure #Discover #Roam #Journey #Wanderlust #Excursion #Outdoors #Thrills #Expedition

Did you know that less than 60% of Boston’s MBTA Green Line subway line is handicap accessible?    If not, you’re far from alone.   With permission, I am sharing a friend’s story:   “My 5-year-old (a train enthusiast) and his grandfather (a disabled vet) share a special bond (see pic!), even though his grandfather’s mobility restrictions limit the activities they can enjoy together.    For New Year’s Eve, we planned a special family outing to Boston, which we excitedly thought would be fun and easy, both for our little train fan and his grandfather.    Trying to transit the Back Bay, we quickly discovered that none of the MBTA Green Line stops we arrived at were handicap accessible. In fact, only 40 out of 70 are fully accessible.    As the oldest subway in the U.S., accessibility retrofits on the MBTA Green Line surely are not easy. And Boston has made wonderful strides enhancing transit accessibility.    Yet we can – and must – do so much more!   As we continue to work towards a more accessible shared environment, I hope to raise awareness about a tool we never knew about – the MBTA Trip Planner (https://lnkd.in/ew-8KTcr). It's a great way to ensure your journey accommodates everyone's needs! #accessibilitymatters #MBTA #publictransit #accessibleBoston #accessibletransportation

Exciting News from Transport for London! 🚌 Transport for London (TfL) has announced a comprehensive plan to enhance accessibility across the capital's Tube and bus network. With over 80 upgrades planned, these measures aim to create a more inclusive and seamless transport experience for all Londoners. Key initiatives include the installation of mini ramps at select London Underground stations to bridge the gap between platforms and trains, ensuring easier access for all passengers. Additionally, TfL is committed to increasing the proportion of step-free Tube stations from a third to half, making significant strides towards a more accessible network.   Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasized the importance of these accessibility enhancements, stating, "London is for everyone, and I am committed to making our transport network as fair and accessible as possible." TfL's commitment to removing barriers and enabling spontaneous, seamless travel underscores their dedication to building a better, fairer London for all.   Alex Williams and Strategy Officer at TfL, expressed TfL's vision for a city where everyone can move around safely, inclusively, and sustainably. He highlighted the importance of ongoing efforts to drive forward change and make London a truly fair city. As accessibility continues to be a priority, these initiatives mark significant progress towards creating a more inclusive and equitable transport network for all Londoners.   Read more about these exciting developments here: https://lnkd.in/eeifTPFf   #Accessibility #InclusiveTransport #LondonTransport #TfL #Inclusion

"The St. John’s International Airport Authority is developing its #Accessibility Plan to assist in meeting its requirements under the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations. "This Plan will serve as its roadmap to help the airport continue to become more accessible and inclusive. "From May 3 to May 21, the public has an opportunity to review and provide comments on the plan. "The survey can be found on the St. John’s International Airport Authority website. It is also available via email and telephone. Alternate format of the #AccessibilityPlan is available upon request." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eiUUYavn #AccessibilityNews #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityForAll #AccessibleAirports #AccessibleAirlines #AccessibleTravel #BreakingBarriers #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Following on from the recent post I shared from BTN Europe including my own thoughts on breaking down barriers and accessible travel, it's disheartening to hear that a passenger's wheelchair didn't make their flight, leaving them stranded at their destination. Accidents and baggage mishaps occur, but when it concerns mobility and accessibility, we must do better. Let's strive for a world where accessible travel is not just a goal but the standard. #AccessibleTravel #TravelInclusivity #btn #btngroup #btneurope #gbta #itm #institueoftravelmanagement #AccessibleTravel #BusinessTravel #airlines #hotels #accomodation #trains #taxi #DiversityandInclusion #TravelAccessibility #CorporateTravel #EqualityinTravel #TravelAssistance #TravelIndustry #DEIinBusinessTravel #SupportingDisabledTravelers #TravelInclusion #AccessibilityMatters #EmpowerTravelers #GlobalTravel #TravelSupport #TravelEquity #corporatetravel

Love the simple three words by TfL - Equity in Motion. Railway station and train design must think hard on Diversity and Inclusion. One should take every opportunity in new infrastructure development, operation maintenance and asset renewal process to think about circularity, inclusion, diversity and resilience enhancement.

Air Canada apologizes (sort of) for trashing, destroying, and losing people’s wheelchairs, which has dehumanized those who rely on this important tool to live life. Air Canada is now “acclerating” their accessibility plan since they’ve had so much bad press over this recently, including losing the government of Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer’s wheelchair. Biggest change which will be interesting to see when/how it rolls out: “Mobility aids will be stored in the aircraft cabin when possible. When mobility aids are stored in the cargo hold, new systems are being put in place to track them in transit, including a process to confirm mobility aids are properly loaded before departure. Customers travelling within Canada will be able to track the journey of their mobility aid using the Air Canada app. In addition, the airline is adopting new processes to load mobility aids in the aircraft holds to ensure our customers' mobility aids arrive safely.” https://lnkd.in/gyuaUrha

Language is a critical factor in shaping perceptions, particularly when discussing disability and accessibility. I wrote about my pet peeves that can hinder progress in creating inclusive environments. #accessibility #language #transport #aviation