JFActivist

AAPD Featured in Times Square

AAPD will be featured in Times Square throughout the month of November!

AAPD’s brand new 15-second public service announcement will be featured on the CBS jumbo screen on 42^nd Street in Times Square in New York City the entire month of November, and we want you to see it before its debut in the Big Apple!

We’ve launched a sneak peak of the PSA on our YouTube channel starting Monday, October 26. Check it out, and tell your friends and family to check it out, too!

To see the video, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/AAPDvideo and check out AAPD's Times Square New York City PSA.

Join the Conversation on Transportation Problems and Solutions

From United We Ride (10/26/09):

Spread the Word: United We Ride National Dialogue

NOVEMBER 2-13, 2009

www.UWRdialogue.org

Do you know anyone who might have a suggestion or an idea about how to increase access to affordable and reliable transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes?

Please ask them to sign up now at www.uwrdialogue.org to participate in an upcoming online National Dialogue with representatives of the federal government, as well as state and community leaders!

Stakeholders can provide critical input to the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) and help the best ideas 'rise to the top' during the dialogue. Just click the link at the bottom to sign up to participate in this free on-line dialogue! It is important that this dialogue be as inclusive as possible, so please spread the word.

For more information about this exciting new collaborative opportunity, please visit:
www.UWRdialogue.org

PBS to Air Film on Disability Advocates

Disabilities Awareness Highlighted this Fall on PBS with Premiere of Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy

The film BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY chronicles the life of two of the country’s most remarkable advocates for people with disabilities. Diana Braun, who has Down syndrome, and Kathy Conour, who has cerebral palsy, met three decades ago and vowed to fight to live independent lives. Fearful of being shut away in a nursing home or forced into a state-run institution, Diana and Kathy broke the rules, escaped the system, and modeled a grand experiment in independent living.

>>> For Air Dates

As a result of their efforts today Diana and Kathy are well-known as a tireless and dynamic pair of lobbyists and activists in the disability movement.  Although Kathy is non-verbal, through the help of a mouth stick and the Pathfinder assistive communication device, she writes articles for national magazines and has a lively email correspondence with leaders in the disability rights movement.  Kathy also serves on boards, and continues to lobby effectively for disability rights--Kathy was once even arrested, power chair and all. Diana drives, cooks, shops, takes care of scheduling doctor’s appointments and has been Kathy’s personal assistant and friend for more than 35 years. 

The film chronicles a journey from their home in Springfield, IL to Washington, D.C. The trip is physically dangerous and technically illegal—Medicare rules require them to be homebound. History has shown, however the benefits of breaking rules can sometimes outweigh the risks. Although they comprise the largest minority in the United States, people with disabilities are routinely denied equal access and rights. BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY exemplifies the abilities of people with disabilities and helps us understand an important and complex social issue.

The film almost didn’t happen, however. When Diana Braun and Kathy Conour approached Alice Elliott, and asked her to make a film about them, Alice was reluctant. She had just spent five years making her previous film, the Academy Award®  nominated short documentary The Collector of Bedford Street, and wasn’t ready to plunge into another project.

It had been Kathy’s life long dream to have a documentary made about her, so she wouldn’t give up. After visiting Diana and Kathy in Springfield, Illinois, Alice realized what unique subjects they would be and was won over by Kathy’s persistence. For five years, Diana and Kathy gave Alice complete access to their lives. During that time, they filmed in Washington, D.C., as well as Chicago and Springfield. Told in an intimate, vérité style, BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY brings audiences into a private world and sweeps us into a way of life rarely seen on screen and seldom understood.

The film has received a number of awards and recognitions, including a nomination from the International Documentary Association for the Distinguished Short Documentary Award and the TASH Positive Images in Media Award (shared with Including Samuel). The film was produced, directed, and filmed by Alice Elliott (The Collector of Bedford Street) and edited by Rose Rosenblatt (The Education of Shelby Knox, Live Free or Die), original music by Rick Baitz. BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY is a co-production of Alice Elliott and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY, will have its television premiere this fall on PBS in as part of the network’s National Disabilities Awareness programming (check local listings).

More about BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY can be found at www.dianaandkathy.com You can also follow them on Twitter at DianaandKathy or become a fan on Facebook from our web site.

AAPR Demands Wheelchair Access on Planes

Press Release from the Association for Airline Passenger Rights:

AAPR Endorses Petition for Wheelchair Accessibility on Airplanes

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 21, 2009) - The Association for Airline  Passenger Rights (AAPR) today endorsed a petition being circulated by  Sally O'Neill, a 17-year old girl with cerebral palsy, calling on the  airline industry to comply with the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.  The petition calls on the airline industry to modify the first seat in the first row to allow passengers with disabilities using wheelchairs to remain in their wheelchairs during flight.

"After consulting with numerous professionals with disabilities having expertise in accessibility and safety standards, we determined that the 'O'Neill petition' was an important initiative to support," said Brandon M. Macsata, Executive Director of the Association for Airline Passenger Rights.  "Forcing people with disabilities to travel using non-disabled standards when safe alternatives are available is not consistent with the principles laid out in the ADA."

Macsata further stated, "This petition asks that the first seat in the first row of the airplane be removable with the capability to have tie-downs inserted when needed to accommodate a wheelchair, or that the airlines develop a solution to this urgent need.  Modifying 1-2 seats per airplane represents an investment to further improve air travel for passengers with disabilities -- especially people with cerebral palsy."

To learn more about the O'Neill petition, please contact UCP Family  Support, 11731 NE Glenn Widing Drive, Portland, Oregon  97220, or call 503-777-4166 x232.

The Association for Airline Passenger Rights is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote fairer customer  service and accessibility standards in the airline industry and to  improve passenger satisfaction.  AAPR was formed in response to growing dissatisfaction among American consumers toward the airline industry.  According to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a polling organization that rates over forty-three businesses in ten sectors based on in-depth interviewing and computer-based extrapolation of its results, the Big Six legacy airlines (full-service providers with national or international flight routes) rate the lowest of all sixteen industries surveyed in the first quarter of 2008.

For more information about the Association for Airline Passenger Rights, please visit www.flyfriendlyskies.com or contact AAPR directly at info@flyfriendlyskies.com.

ADAPT Fall Action in Atlanta

Join ADAPT in Atlanta October 10-15

COMMUNITY ADVISORY

Who: 400 ADAPT activists from across the country
What: ADAPT Fall National Action 2009
When: October 10-15
Where: ATLANTA, GEORGIA!

The collective power of disability rights is about to strike in the hometown of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.  As the nation continues to struggle with the vital issue of health reform, ADAPT continues to advocate for the end to the institutional bias in Medicaid and a revolution in community choice!  Will you be with us?

The last time ADAPT was in Atlanta were in 1990 and 1996.  The Olmstead Supreme Court case, fought by Georgians, was decided in 1999.  Now, ten years past Olmstead, Georgia is still out of compliance with Olmstead and thousands of Georgians with disabilities lack adequate access to community supports.  The percentage of Georgians with disabilities under age 65 who live in nursing home is on the rise.  The Olmstead decision said that based on the ADA, we all have the right to live in the community if we choose, not institutions.  As MLK himself would say, "A right delayed is a right denied."  As ADAPTer Johnny Crescendo would say, "Tear down the walls!"

Atlanta is also home to many regional agencies providing disability services.  Neither of Georgia’s Senators officially support the Community Choice Act or Community First Option.  Adequate funding for Georgia disability programs is currently in danger.  Georgians with disabilities are some of our strongest fighters, and we look forward to joining them on their turf.   The Federal institutional bias affects every single state, so from Montana to Texas, California to DC, let's make our voices heard! 

To sponsor activists or to donate to the ADAPT legal defense fund, visit http://www.adapt.org.  Your dollars empower ADAPT to make a difference through direct action.

If you can't make it to Atlanta, stay up to the minute with Twitter updates and action alerts.  Follow Nationaladapt on Twitter or go to http://www.adapt.org and hit the ADAPT Twitter button to check out our tweets (messages).

For more information on the Community Choice Act and to contact us, see http://www.adapt.org .  More to come as we approach October 10!

Just In: AAPD Joins Facebook Causes

From the JFA Moderator:

AAPD recently joined Facebook Causes as a way to get the word out about the disability rights movement and to make it easier for YOU, our dedicated activists, to contribute your support.

Take Action TODAY: Join or Donate to AAPD's Cause on Facebook and share these links with your friends.

>>> To Join the Movement

>>> To Support our Work

Action Alert: Share your Transportation Stories with Congress

From Donna McNamee (9/2/09):

Transportation for America Needs Your Stories for Congress

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling it - cutbacks in how much funding local transit authorities receive have meant longer commutes, fewer routes, increased fares, and a lot of frustration. And I know it's not just me - 75% of transit agencies have had to either trim down service or raise prices over the last few years, and the effects trickle down to everyone.

But for persons with disabilities and seniors, the impact is devastating. Those us us who literally have no other way to travel are now imprisioned in our homes when transit system service hours are cut. Those on fixed incomes are unable to afford the higher fares and the end result is the same: Staying at home and living in isolation. But it's not just the isolation, it's the job loss, the inability to go to school, seek medical care and remain independent in our home communities. The problems with transit which Congress and our state legislatures are ignoring is destroying the lives we've struggled to build.

The folks at Transportation for America have been collecting stories about how transit cuts are affecting real people, and the things people have written in are stunning. We need to make sure our members of Congress hear these stories so they can know what it’s like and pass laws to fix it. Will you pass the stories on to your representatives?

Just follow this link to take action: http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/3224/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1996

Thanks - I really appreciate your help!

AAPD and American Airlines Promote Positive Imaging

           

FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, August 5, 2009

AMERICAN AIRLINES AND AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LAUNCH INAUGURAL ‘ALTITUDE AWARD’ CALL FOR ENTRIES

New Award Recognizes Authentic Depictions of People with
Disabilities in Television Advertising

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) are pleased to announce the creation of the “Altitude Award” honoring the best U.S. television commercials featuring authentic depictions of people with disabilities.

“Every TV commercial tells a story, and we believe the Altitude Award competition will provide the American public unique insight into the country’s most socially responsible companies,” said Roger Frizzell, American Airlines Vice President – Corporate Communications and Advertising. “At American Airlines, one of our highest priorities is the continuous quest to promote workplace diversity and inclusion, as well as equal employment opportunities for all individuals. We are pleased to be associated with this competition, are looking forward to reviewing all of the entries, and are confident that our judging panel – and the public – will have many worthy commercials to consider.”

“Many people get their information about disability from the media, including television advertising. AAPD is delighted to be partnering with American Airlines to lift up the commercials that tell our story in a way that helps to change attitudes and increase societal recognition of disability as a natural part of the human experience,” said Andrew Imparato, President and CEO of the AAPD.

American Airlines and the AAPD are calling on all companies and advertisers to join a powerful voice of political, economic and social change for people with disabilities by submitting innovative, original television commercials that portray people with disabilities in a positive and progressive light. Entries must be submitted online at www.aa.com/altitude by the producing agency or company and will be evaluated in Dallas by a panel of judges. Five finalists will be selected for public voting.

The finalist with the most votes will receive the Altitude Award, along with highly- coveted free advertising onboard American Airlines planes. The winning ad will be announced in November 2009.

The judging criteria for the inaugural Altitude Award will include:
•    Overall appeal
•    Authentic depiction of an individual with a disability
•    Clarity of message

Only spots that have aired between Oct. 1, 2007, and March 31, 2009, are eligible for submission.

The American Association of People with Disabilities is the country’s largest cross-disability membership organization with more than 100,000 members throughout the United States.  American Airlines Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey originally announced this competition at AAPD’s Annual Leadership Gala in Washington, D.C., on March 4.

About The American Association of People with Disabilities
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially.  AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To learn more about the AAPD, visit www.aapd.com.

About American Airlines
American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® airlines serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc.

Clicking is for Bats

From Penny for Your Thoughts (7/13/09):

Clicking Is for Bats
By Penny Reeder

I am usually the first person to support training for people who are blind. I worked as a rehabilitation teacher for several years, and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching people who were new to blindness how to cook, read and write braille, and make use of assistive technologies. I encouraged all of my students to enroll in orientation and mobility training so they could become proficient and safe cane travelers, and several of my students, who saw how comfortably I traveled through the built environment with my guide dog, went on to get guide dogs of their own. I have a master's degree in special education, and I believe in life-long learning and in learning to do virtually anything that one can do safely. I cheer for mountain climbers like Erik Weihenmayer, I am blown away when I read articles about people who are blind who have medical degrees, sky dive, or engage in other unconventional (for people who are blind) activities for employment or recreation. I truly can't think of any kinds of training for people who are blind that I have reacted to negatively, until now, when I read in "Science Daily," about an effort to teach people who are blind to travel using echolocation http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075445.htm .

Yes, that echolocation, the kind that bats and dolphins use to find their way through the dark and under the sea. Apparently, researchers at the University of Alcal de Henares are excited about blind people clicking their tongues and making use of the echoing clicks to find their way, even telling the difference between a looming tree and a looming mail box by interpreting the echoes of their tongue clicks as they travel from Point A to Point B and beyond. 

>>> READ MORE HERE

Comment Below: Innovative and liberating? or Demeaning and impractical?  Teaching people who are blind to navigate by clicking their tongues and listening to the echos of the noise, you be the judge.

American Airlines President and CEO Talks about People with Disabilities, Mobility and Air Travel

From American Airlines inflight magazine, American Way Magazine (6/1/08):

American Airlines President and CEO, Gerard Arpey, focused on the issue of mobility and people with disabilities, especially in the area of air travel, in his June 1 column in the company's inflight magazine, American Way Magazine. Arpey also talked about the television commercial contest American Airlines, in partnership with AAPD, is kicking off in July.

Mobility
by Gerard J. Arpey

In this month’s column, I would like to discuss a cause that is near and dear to our hearts at American Airlines: mobility. The ability to go wherever your mind and heart take you is what air travel is all about. Simply by doing our jobs, we give wings to the dreams and aspirations of millions of people around the world. That’s a blessing we’ll never take for granted. Unfortunately, many of us do take for granted how precious a gift it is to simply move from one place to another -- to be able to embrace a loved one, shake hands with a business partner, enjoy a much-needed vacation, or do any of a number of other things.

At American Airlines, our mission is to connect the world for everyone, including people with disabilities. We’re proud of the role we play in bringing enhanced mobility and a higher quality of life to people with challenges. Together with American Eagle, we serve more than a million travelers with disabilities each year, and the care we provide is inspired and informed by an employee resource group devoted to the needs of our customers and employees with disabilities.

Our efforts to bring greater mobility to people with physical challenges are not confined to AA customers. We have helped secure iBOTs (robotic wheelchairs) for more than a dozen disabled veterans. And we’re a proud sponsor of this year’s No Barriers Festival in Miami, an event focused on helping people with challenges live more active and adventurous lives.

Of course, we are not the only company doing good things. For example, you may have noticed that more and more businesses these days are featuring people with disabilities in their advertising. At AA, we want to support and help shine a light on these efforts. So we have partnered with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), an organization we have sponsored for many years, to create an award honoring the best U.S. television commercials that feature positive portrayals of people with disabilities. The contest will begin next month and run for several weeks. Companies and agencies will be able to submit their commercials, which will then be judged by a panel of experts to determine the best of the group. The final winner will receive a month of free advertising airtime on the AA in-flight entertainment system, which means the winning commercial will be seen by the tens of thousands of travelers we serve each day. We are excited about the contest and proud to be working with the AAPD ; we are, of course, very grateful for all the work they do on behalf of our loved ones, friends, and neighbors with disabilities.

The spirit of discovery and exploration that compels people to fl y resides in each of us. But it’s no secret that there was a time when most airlines viewed the transportation of people with disabilities as a burden. I am proud to say that at American Airlines, those days are long past. It is a big world out there, and we want to make sure that its wonders are accessible to all.

On behalf of everyone at American Airlines, thank you for letting us help you move about the world today. Wherever you are headed, I hope you have a great trip!

Gerard J. Arpey
Chairman & CEO
American Airlines

To see the full article on American Airlines' Web site, visit http://www.americanwaymag.com/vantage-point-06-01-2009.