Deny/ABLE
It has been 30 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 became law in the United States. Although the legislation identified standards for employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunication and physical spaces to be accessible, it did not go far enough. For example, wheelchair users can run into a wide variety of obstacles including stairs, uneven thresholds, steep inclines, narrow passageways, objects on the floor, hard to reach switches, and non-automatic doors. And this is only one of the many ways those with disabilities can struggle to navigate the world.
Technically this house is ADA compliant, despite approximately three-fourths of this building being inaccessible to those who cannot navigate stairs. This means that someone who wants a closer inspection of the rest of Charles Carroll of Carrollton’s home cannot navigate the stairs to do so. Until an elevator or other assistive device is installed, those with physical mobility disabilities are denied the full Carroll Mansion experience.
The Interconnectedness of Covid-19 to Discrimination Against The Disabled
By Dr. Audra Buck-Coleman and Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch
Emergencies tend to make vulnerable populations more so. Those with scarce resources are less able to afford protections, precautions and safeguards. The current pandemic is no exception. Covid-19 has amplified and compounded inequity and oppression for many including those with disabilities. The mission of Redefine/ABLE becomes more urgent given the magnitude of the pandemic as well as that approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population has a disability.
“Ableism” is a term used to describe the discrimination against those with disabilities. As with the other “isms” such as racism, sexism, and ageism, ableism is a long-standing form of discrimination that stems from pejorative ideas about others’ identities. Universal design is an approach to creating systems, spaces and objects that meet the needs of all people. People with disabilities have been negatively impacted by Covid-19 due to discriminatory responses and lack of universal design—both before and during the pandemic.
In particular, those who are blind or deaf can struggle to find work. See graphic to the right of this board. When our society denies access to those with disabilities, we make it harder for those with disabilities to find a job, which in turn makes it more challenging for them to afford healthcare and an accessible place to live and thrive.
Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch touching “White Ash Burl Bowl with Bark On” carved by George Wurtzel in 2019. Photo by Christine Qabar
Please do touch the art!
By Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch
The Redefine/ABLE exhibition, designed to create an accessible, inclusive experience, allows visitors to confront their biases about disability, ability and ableism. Although it is now only accessible in digital format due to Covid-19, its original design for two different physical spaces offered visitors an opportunity to explore receiving input through different senses. In this spirit, I am writing to encourage sighted people to confront prohibitions against touch and to consider how such stigmas affect those to whom tactile exploration is essential for information gathering (i.e., people who are blind). This is timely given the development of new cultural norms discouraging touching in the post-Covid-19 era.
Inaccessible space around you!
Do you have a story to tell about an experience or witnessing a space or something that was inaccessible? How did this make you feel?
You can share your story one of three ways:
– Download the free Be Here Stories app for iPhone, open the app, click SPEAK, and then select Stories About Other Places and Experiences
– Call 1-833-TEL-STRY (1-833-835-7879) to record your story.
– Record directly on our website.
