Here’s a round-up of the newest information on the earth of accessible journey and incapacity, together with the story of a globetrotting sofa surfer with a incapacity, a report of wheelchair entry at Disney World throughout the pandemic, new ADA accessible avenue automobiles in New Orleans and a handbike-powered tour group in South America.

ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB

• Iranian Man Sofa-Surfs Across the World with a Wheelchair — Mohammad Moghadamshad, a 44-year-old Iranian man with Muscular Dystrophy, has been touring the world and couch-surfing alongside the way in which. His travels have taken him to Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Kenya, Mexico, Peru and different international locations. As his situation progresses, he says that he’s involved with the standard of life, not the amount. “Wherever I’m going,” he says, “I attempt to be variety to folks, to speak properly with them.”

• Metropolis to Incorporate ADA Entry in New Skate Park — “It’s straightforward for wheelchairs to get into the pits and bowls of the skate park, however not really easy to get out.” A brand new skate park being designed in Southern California will embrace entry ramps, making it doable for wheelchair customers to independently entry all areas of the park.

• Wheelchair Accessibility at Walt Disney World Throughout the Pandemic — Wheelchair consumer Kelly Mack not too long ago wrote about her expertise visiting Walt Disney World in Florida throughout the pandemic. She says that “Disney World has completed a terrific job of adapting to the pandemic and protecting folks protected,” however ought to “give additional consideration to how these modifications are impacting friends with disabilities.” When you’re planning a visit to Disney, you’ll wish to learn her report!

• New Electrical Wheelchair Excursions in Colombia — Transfer over, Segway excursions – Electrical wheelchair excursions have arrived. Martín Londoño, a wheelchair consumer in Medellin, Colombia, began a enterprise that helps vacationers discover town in wheelchairs outfitted with electrical handbikes. He’s employed different wheelchair customers to steer weekly excursions, that are priced on the equal of about $25 USD.

• Amputee Sues American Airways Over Onboard Wheelchair — A girl touring from Salt Lake Metropolis to Charlotte was compelled to crawl to the lavatory when the airline didn’t have an onboard aisle chair accessible on the plane, and he or she is now suing the provider for at the very least $75,000 in damages. On narrow-body plane with out an accessible bathroom, passengers are required to request that an onboard aisle chair be supplied prematurely of the flight. Though American has beforehand said that each one of its mainline plane do have an onboard aisle chair, I don’t consider the provider truly violated any of the passenger’s authorized rights.

• Greater than 95% of NYC Sidewalks Violate ADA — Following a lawsuit introduced by the the American Council of the Blind in 2018, a federal choose has dominated that New York Metropolis’s failure to put in accessible pedestrian alerts is a violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. In his order, the choose wrote that “some, however not all, of the Metropolis’s tasks with respect to site visitors alerts gave rise to an obligation beneath these statutes so as to add APS [Accessible Pedestrian Signals]—an obligation that the Metropolis has largely breached.”

• New ADA Accessible Avenue Automobiles in New Orleans — New Orleans has launched three ADA accessible avenue automobiles on its St. Charles streetcar line following a authorized settlement reached with native riders who use wheelchairs. The automobiles are outfitted with heavy-duty wheelchair lifts and could be tracked utilizing the RTA’s GoMobile smartphone software.

• India: Goa’s Metropolis Buses to Grow to be Wheelchair Accessible — India’s Ministry of Highway Transport has enacted tips requiring metropolis buses to be wheelchair accessible, however states have been gradual to conform. Goa, India’s smallest state, has not too long ago dedicated to implementing accessibility. The motion was spurred by the advocacy of the Incapacity Rights Affiliation of Goa, whose president says that “Incapacity rights teams throughout India should take the cue and push for the implementation of the Ministry tips.”