Disqus - Latest Comments for srains

Re: ‘Not a niche market': Accessibility for disabled business travellers takes centre stage

srains — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:54:16 -0000

Correct Christina. In spite of Bonnie Lewkowicz's lawsuit of Hotels.com on behalf of the 1 billion of us with disabilities globally )2014 UN statistics) booking a hotel online will not guarantee a specific room. When we do occassionally get the ADA-compliant or accessible room we ordered it is chance based on its availability not a guarantee based on our request and need.

Re: ‘Not a niche market': Accessibility for disabled business travellers takes centre stage

srains — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:48:31 -0000

The proper solution at the Ottawa Westin would have been simply to adjust the torque of the automatic door closer to 7 pounds or less. It's as simple as turning a the screw at the top of the apparatus. (More pressure is only necessary on external doors where there is a high air pressure differential between indoors and outdoors.) Training those whose job it is to know these things, at every hotel we pay to stay at, is just a small part of the set of survival skills we must develop as travelers with disabilities.

Re: Travel Writing for People Like Me

srains — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:29:12 -0000

My Story Corps/Disability Visibility Project interview with Martin Heng of Lonely Planet went very well. He came back to your commentary a couple times remarking on his experience as half-Asian traveling in China and beyond as well as remarking on the gender, lingusitic and racial profile of LP authors. Right before that I interviewed Benedict Jones of Trekkable who is also a wheelchair-user. All of us agreed that your insights are valuable and your approach highlights the situation of our own community. You will find both interviews posted next month on Alice Wong's Disability Visibility Project web site.

Re: Travel Writing for People Like Me

srains — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:23:23 -0000

I'll be speaking in Kulala Lumpur the first week of december at our 5th Asian International Conference on Accessible Tourism. If you track me down on FB I can send you the proceedings afterward.

Re: Travel Writing for People Like Me

srains — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 14:21:13 -0000

Interesting that my first post thanking you for your commentary and mentioning that I'm interviewing one of Lonely Planet's section managers this afternoon did not get posted. I have forwarded a copy of your commentary to him to prep for the interview.

Re: Travel Writing for People Like Me

srains — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:11:59 -0000

Brazilian Mila Guedes writes Milala fromm the perspective as mobility-impaired using a power scooter. Michele Simoes writes Guia de Viajante Cadeirante from her manual wheelchair. All three of us were just up at Kerouls and the European Network for Accessible Tourism's World summit on Destinations for All last week in Montreal.

Re: Mind-controlled exoskeleton kicks off World Cup

srains — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 20:22:45 -0000

No mention whatsoever about the complete Feak Show that this actually played out as in live media coverage when after months of hype FIFA would no even let the young man onto to game grass.

Here the comments of Jose Antonio Isola are relevant:

Thanks Scott. Have you seen the propaganda that they used to promote this "freak show"? They were supposed to push the kid to the center of the field in a wheelchair , he was supposed to stand up on his own, walk a few steps and kick the ball. What we saw was the kid standing against a red wall, leaning on it, therefore I assume he wasn't able to stand on his own, and move the ball a couple of inches with his foot. He never actually kicked it.

They now say FIFA didn't allow them to push the boy into the field. What really makes me very angry is all the positive propaganda they are getting from people that don't know about paralysis. As a paraplegic because of polio and having a relatively recent severe spinal cord injury, which I'm still battling, I can do much more than that without an exoskeleton.

Re: Ironside, You Need Better Clothes

srains — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:44:54 -0000

What a wonderfu angle to take on this! So timely and it demonstrates so clearly to the entertainment media just how discerning their PwD audience is. Bravo!
Scott

Re: Disrupting Place as a Proxy for Opportunity

srains — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 15:59:02 -0000

The title really jumped out at me as a great thought-starter for framing what I do outside the US implanting Universal Design. Thanks for the post.

Re: UW disability communities celebrate new home

srains — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:03:06 -0000

Congratulations on your success from the co-founder (with Jack Martin) of UW's first Disabled Students Commission way back in the 1970's!
~ Scott Rains, UW 1977, Linguistics

Re: *Accessible routes for disabled people in São Paulo made clear through app

srains — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:23:15 -0000

This is just one of an explosion of accessibility projects - digital, social, and physical - sweeping Brazil in anticipation of the 2016 Paralimpics. Watch for many more in everything from fashion to digital books to travel and extreme sports.

Parabens Eduardo! Vc esta em contao ja com o pessoal da Efforless City aqui em Silicon Valley ja?

Re: Ride-Away Kicks Off Mobility Awareness Month Van Giveaway

srains — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:30:38 -0000

What a great project to raise awareness of our mobility needs!

Re: Ecuador’s Paraplegic Vice President Lenin Moreno a Major Force for Disability Rights

srains — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:45:52 -0000

This is so very encouraging to see Lenin getting his due in the English language press. It was an honor to address his America Solidaria Conference last year and help them get their tourism & disability project launched. I look forward to my next trip to this amazingly diverse and hospitable country this coming April.

Re: SFJAZZ Center Opens

srains — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:32:54 -0000

I am listening to the interview live. The excitement I here about having so carefully created such an unique sonic and community space leaves me with a question: Was the same amount of care given to imagining this community as including those with disabilities? For example, the stage is raised only two feet but is access to it ramped? Will we be able to highlight the SFJass Center as a benchmark in the application of the principles of Universal Design in prormance space?

Re: Through The Lens Of Disability

srains — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:42:57 -0000

I am not a follower of this column but was drawn in by a FB recommendation by someone whose opinion I trust and wh knows my reality as a professional with a disability. Thank you for giving voice to what so many of us know but that never finds an opportunity to be expressed outside the community of those of us with disabilities. What an oasis to read through intelligent public discussion on disability here in the comments as well.

Re: O desafio de projetar ambientes acessíveis

srains — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:07:19 -0000

Parabéns Marcelo. Você esta sempre avançando a compreensão publica da arquitetura, deficiência, e Desenho Universal. Estamos prestando atenção com grande interesse o que vai deixar como legado da Copa 2014 e Rio 2016!

Re: Unlimiting access

srains — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:19:56 -0000

A timely topic!

Re: Obama: 'Make US world's top tourism destination'

srains — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:47:20 -0000

Yet, from the very first conversations inside the tourism industry about this destination marketing campaign I have emphasized inclusion of ALL travelers under the rubric of Inclusive Tourism. Zero response from the industry. Zero uptake from within the administration. A lost opportunity to highlight one area where the US really has invested and been a "City on a Hill" -- implementation of accessibility, inclusion, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

http://www.slideshare.net/s...

Re: Discapacitados Xtreme

srains — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:34:46 -0000

Um video con su foto: http://studio.stupeflix.com...

Re: Accessible France: Travel Tips For Wheelchair Users

srains — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:00:21 -0000

Congratulations Emma! Glad to see you getting your work out for more people to see. Keep it coming.
Scott

Re: Dr. Joshua Miele

srains — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:22:05 -0000

Josh, Thanks for the excellent panel at the Society for Disability Studies Conference in San Jose last week. We will be following up on both crowdsourced participatory image descriptions and subject matter expert description for STEM textbooks.

Re: Women's Media Nation | The first online blog network for women

srains — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:42:39 -0000

I don't think I have come across an online article on garage accessibility for accommodating vans before. Brava, Rosemarie!