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Popular Montreal BreakDancer With Disability Calls Out Trudeau Airport for Accessibility Fail

Luca ‘Lazylegz’ Patuelli says elevator, escalator were out of order – and no staff knew what to do CBC News
Posted: Aug 29, 2023

Luca Patuelli, a dancer known as Lazylegz, says he’s used to navigating a world that isn’t always designed with accessibility in mind.

Born with arthrogryposis, a muscle disorder that affects his legs and requires him to use crutches and a wheelchair, the world-renowned b-boy and motivational entertainer is known for his perseverance and his philosophy of “No Excuses. No Limits.”

But he says an especially frustrating experience Sunday evening at Montreal’s Trudeau Airport has prompted him to speak out.

Popular Montreal BreakDancer With Disability Calls Out Trudeau Airport for Accessibility Fail full article

One Year Before Paralympics, Paris Trying to Make City More Accessible to Those With Disabilities

Author of the article:The Associated Press
Youcef Bounab
Published Aug 28, 2023

PARIS (AP) – With one year to go before Paris hosts the Paralympic Games for the first time, the French capital is faced with a significant challenge: the accessibility of its public transit.

With only one subway line totally accessible out of 16, the city is under pressure to find solutions before the Paralympics start on Aug. 28, 2024.

And both the Games’ organizers and wheelchair users such as tennis gold medalist Michael Jeremiasz see the Paris Paralympics as an opportunity to bring about durable change.

One Year Before Paralympics, Paris Trying to Make City More Accessible to Those With Disabilities full article

Characters With Disabilities ‘Consistently Missing’ From Movies

by Shaun Heasley | August 24, 2023

Despite years of advocacy, a scathing new report finds that fewer of the most popular new movies are featuring people with disabilities.

In an analysis of the 100 top-grossing films last year, researchers found that 54 did not include a single speaking character with a disability. That’s more than in previous studies looking at movies released in 2021 and 2015.

The report out this month from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism looks at representation within the cast and behind the camera for the top 100 films each year between 2007 and 2022. Researchers reviewed 69,858 speaking characters to assess inclusion across gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability status.

Characters With Disabilities ‘Consistently Missing’ From Movies full article

Disabled Fans Decry No-Show Accessible Festival Toilets

Published August 26, 2023
Faith Martin

What’s on your UK summer festival season checklist? Probably a mix of top bands, warm hazy days with friends and answered prayers for at least a little sun (as well as a sturdy tent).

But for many disabled festival-goers, simply knowing whether they’ll be able to access the toilet can often top the bill before any headline act.

Festivals have long included accessible portaloos by disabled viewing platforms as part of “reasonable adjustment” provisions under equality law.

However, disabled people say the cubicles provided are often too small to fit a wheelchair inside – let alone a personal assistant if needed.

Disabled Fans Decry No-Show Accessible Festival Toilets full article

Nearly 99% Of Adults With Autism Have No Employment Services

by Michelle Diament | August 22, 2023

Hardly any adults with autism are receiving supports to help them find or keep a job, new research shows, and even among the few who do, the services are often far too short-term.

Some 1.98 million working-age individuals on the spectrum – or almost 99% – accessed no employment supports through Medicaid or vocational rehabilitation between 2008 and 2016, according to findings published this month in the journal The Milbank Quarterly.

Nearly 99% Of Adults With Autism Have No Employment Services full article

Montreal’s REM Train Network Not as Accessible as Promised,Advocates Say

By Elizabeth Zogalis Global News
Posted August 21, 2023

Some public transit users with reduced mobility are disappointed with the lack of access at the newly-built REM train stations.

CDPQ Infra, which owns and operates the Réseau express métropolitain, claims their stations are fully accessible, but those who lobby for universal accessibility say that’s only partially true.

It’s a simple elevator ride up to the tracks at the newly-built REM stations, but if the elevator isn’t working, those with mobility issues are out of luck.

“The REM launched on July 31 and starting on Aug. 6, the Gare Central elevator just broke down – it was never fixed,” said Julien Gascon-Samson, who uses an electric wheelchair to get around.

Montreal’s REM Train Network Not as Accessible as Promised,Advocates Say full article

The Wheelie Peeps: Disability Advocates Protest Illegal Use of Accessible Parking

By Destiny Meilleur Global News
Posted August 22, 2023

The Wheelie Peeps, disability advocates who were featured in the docuseries PUSH, hosted a peaceful protest in Edmonton on Tuesday to bring awareness and call for municipal authorities to do more when it comes to enforcing who is allowed to park in accessible parking spots.

“We believe that imposing fines of $500 on these perpetrators is a necessary step towards establishing respect for the law and ensuring that accessible stalls are available for those who genuinely require them,” said Bean Gill, a prominent disability advocate supporting the protest and a member of Wheels of Change.

The Wheelie Peeps: Disability Advocates Protest Illegal Use of Accessible Parking full article

Amid Delays on Federal Disability Benefit, Advocates Call for Interim Emergency Aid

By MOLLY HAYES
Staff

With the rollout of the Canada Disability Benefit believed to still be a year and a half away, social assistance recipients and advocates are calling for emergency interim support from the federal government.

Jeffrey Salisbury, 39, has received assistance through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for more than a decade.

But in the midst of a housing and affordability crisis, he is finding it more and more difficult to get through each month.

Amid Delays on Federal Disability Benefit, Advocates Call for Interim Emergency Aid full article

Paralympian Sophie Christiansen Hits Out at Retailers Over Access

Published August 16, 2023

A gold-medal winning Paralympian has criticised retail businesses after experiencing difficulties accessing shops in her wheelchair.

Sophie Christiansen, who has cerebral palsy, said “nothing has changed” since she recorded a video of her trying enter shops in Farnborough, Hampshire, in 2021.

She has called for proper enforcement of the Equality Act.

The government is currently consulting on its new Disability Action Plan.

Ms Christiansen posted a video on Instagram, recorded two years ago, showing her trying to enter a convenience store but stopped by a small step.

Paralympian Sophie Christiansen Hits Out at Retailers Over Access full article

People With Disabilities Face Barriers Trying to Book Accessible Hotel Rooms in Halifax

Some told they could be bumped from an accessible room if it’s booked for a longer stay CBC News
Posted: Aug 18, 2023

People with disabilities are raising concerns over the lack of accessibility in Halifax hotels, and an apparent policy that can bump them out of an accessible room if someone books a longer stay.

These problems became clear to Elaine Murray and her husband Gordon, who live in the Clayton Park neighbourhood, after they tried to book an accessible room in the city while their roof was being repaired this spring.

Gordon has a rare neurological disorder that affects his mobility and uses a walker.

People With Disabilities Face Barriers Trying to Book Accessible Hotel Rooms in Halifax full article