How to Design a Better City for Deaf People

“AGATEBE” was developed to help make it easier for the elderly and people with disabilities to access toilets. It is a portable, durable, low-cost toilet chair that is easier to use than traditional latrine pits. So far, more than 5,000 have been sold.

Several churches in North Central Ohio are successfully removing barriers for families with disabilities through specialized ministry programs. Champions Club at Storyside Church serves children with trained volunteers in sensory-friendly spaces adapted to each child's needs. Pure Joy at Ashland Grace Church uses a buddy system to serve 17+ participants with varying needs. And Wonderful Works Ministry extends this impact globally by providing free online coaching to churches worldwide, having reached 200 pastors.

Soar Experiences, a New York-based nonprofit, provides free guided outdoor tours for people with limited mobility using Trackchairs, rugged, battery-powered all-terrain wheelchairs that can traverse hiking trails. The program has recently expanded to 15 public hikes across New York and Connecticut, helping people living with disabilities connect with both nature and each other.

The Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) started working with people who have disabilities to create better disaster preparedness measures that consider disabilities, ensuring support and shelter are accessible to anyone and everyone. ACI held an overnight shelter simulation exercise that allowed them to practice each step of an emergency shelter response with people who have disabilities to identify any areas that could be improved. These simulations have become a model for other counties across the state, inspiring more shelters to make improvements to their accessibility.

A new program in San Francisco that launched last year aims to help small business owners comply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act by granting businesses up to $10,000 to make accessible renovations or hire inspectors to avoid hefty lawsuits.

The Track Chair Program at Staunton State Park in Colorado allows people with disabilities to travel the hiking trails for free. The chairs have triangular treads, stabilizing hydraulics and suspension so they can traverse hills, rocks, and bumps easily.

To improve access to live theater for the Deaf community, the Omaha Community Playhouse stages an annual shadow-interpreted performance of "The Christmas Carol," in which ASL interpreters in costume "shadow" the actors on-stage.

The Center for Ability, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment (CARE) helps people with disabilities navigate the boarding and departing process at airports by setting up a disability desk with resources including people trained in navigating the challenges people with disabilities often face at airports.

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in many businesses moving their operations to remote-based work, which has consequently expanded access and eliminated barriers for those with disabilities. Although working from home isn't a silver bullet to solving workplace barriers for people with accessibility needs, it has created an "unprecedented level of accessibility in their employment."

Disability activists have used nonviolent direct action for decades, including lying in the street to protest inaccessible public transit and crawling up the steps of the U.S. Capital to support the Americans with Disabilities Act. “We have never gone out a door that we do not have a solution for,” says ADAPT member Dawn Russell. “That’s ADAPT 101.”