May 2023 Advocacy Update
Quarterly Tea with M.O.D.: Service Animals in Public Settings
A lot of misinformation about service animals is swirling nowadays, such as where they are allowed to go, what questions can be asked about them, and what to do if they are not behaving well. This Quarterly Tea with Massachusetts Office on Disability staff will describe the rights and obligations of service animal users in public places, such as restaurants, stores, and libraries. The intended audience of this session includes owners and staff of public places, so refer your Town or City department of economic development or code enforcement, or your local Chamber of Commerce, if you think they could use this info! Register here.
Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 1:00 pm
U.S. Access Board Webinar: Accessible Exterior Routes and Surfaces
The next webinar in the U.S. Access Board's free monthly series will address the ADA and ABA Accessibility Standards for exterior routes and surfaces, including the differences between accessible routes for building sites, outdoor recreation areas, trails, and beaches. The webinar will also share information on the concepts of stable, firm, and slip resistant surfaces in the outdoor environment, as well as review playground surfaces. Learn how to advocate for access to the places you want to go! Visit Great Lakes ADA Center’s Accessible Exterior Routes and Surfaces webinar webpage for more information or to register.
Date: Thursday, May 4 from 2:30 – 4:00 pm
An Overview of Disability Resources from Benefits.gov
Benefits.gov now offers a concise summary article, An Overview of Disability Resources, highlighting healthcare benefits, disability insurance, and where to find other resources on Benefits.gov. The article discusses Parts A, B, and D of Medicare and how Medicare differs from Medicaid. It also provides information on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and discusses how use the Benefit Finder questionnaire to find other programs.
Support Safe Air Travel for Wheelchair Users
Every five years, Congress must renew the authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This gives federal lawmakers an opportunity to examine the airline industry and see if any reforms or updates need to be made. That authorization expires at the end of September 2023, so Congress is preparing to write a new five-year authorization bill and vote on it in the coming months.
This is our moment to push for legislation that will make meaningful policy changes to bring greater accountability and improve the air travel experience for wheelchair users. United Spinal Association supports the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act (H.R. 1267/S. 545), which includes the provision to create new standards for safe and effective boarding and deplaning, seating accommodations, accessible lavatories, and stowage for wheelchairs and assistive devices.
Use the United Spinal webform to let your member of Congress know you care about this!
MBTA News You Can Use
The Riders’ Transportation Access Group has a new coordinator, Kat Radisic, who brings energy and experience to the role! At the April 27 R-TAG general membership meeting, topics included progress in improving accessibility on street approaches to stations and stops, plans for new dispatch software and passenger communication options for The RIDE, and one-stop shopping for MBTA services now available at the new Mobility Center!
From The Disability Policy Consortium
Ask Your Legislators to Co-Sponsor the Wheelchair Warranty Bill (H.378/S.152)
We need your help to build support for the wheelchair warranty bill (H.378/S.152)! Please use the "Take Action" form below to reach out to your state legislators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill. If they are already co-sponsoring, you'll be able to thank them instead. We encourage you to add a personal story and make the email your own, because legislators want to hear why the bill is important to you!
H.378/S.152, "An Act expanding wheelchair warranty protections for consumers with disabilities", will build on the existing wheelchair warranty law to cover more people and hold wheelchair companies accountable to consumers. Click "Learn More" below for more details.
If you would like to do more you can testify on this bill, please contact the Disability Policy Consortium, and they'll be happy to work with you to help prepare testimony and keep you updated on when the hearing is/other actions!
For more info contact Harry Weissman at hweissman@dpcma.org or 617-977-4084.
From Massachusetts Office on Disability
Reasonable Accommodation & Modification Requests in Housing
Wednesday, May 3
12 - 2 PM
If you can't equally enjoy your housing because of a disability-related obstacle, what do you do? Join us for an interactive virtual workshop on the reasonable accommodation (RA) and modification (RM) request process in housing.
This workshop provides information and examples to help you understand the process from start to finish and tips to avoid common pitfalls.
This workshop is designed for residents with disabilities (or their advocates), whether they live in rented accommodation or are owners in a housing/condo association.
From United Spinal National
Advocacy Live
Registered United Spinal advocates, you're invited to our next Advocacy Live session May 16, at 5 PM ET (10 AM PT). You can do so by clicking on the button below. You'll receive an email in your inbox with a link to join us at that time. Annie Streit and I co-host these sessions on Zoom on the third Tuesday of every month, alternating between 1 PM and 5 PM ET.
If you’re not a registered advocate, you can learn more and register here.
Joint Model Systems Virtual Advocacy Day
United Spinal would like to thank everyone who joined us March 21-22, 2023, for our first Joint Model Systems Virtual Advocacy Day. We highlighted the need to Congress for increased funding for the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems and Burn Model Systems. Visit the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) for more information.
This event included a Virtual Advocacy Day Prep Session, where advocates who participated had the opportunity to learn about the three Model Systems, gain tips on how to do a Hill visit, and review issue papers that laid out the requests to our policymakers. The day was a success with approximately 60 attendees from across the country holding 30 meetings with their Members of Congress!
You can make a difference now by sending a note to your Members of Congress urging them to increase funding for the Model Systems, click on the button below:
Share Your Wheelchair Story with Us
United Spinal Association is calling for our members and all wheelchair users to share your stories of coverage denial for essential equipment with us.
Our wheelchair denial stories are powerful and getting them in front of the right people is the best way to get policies and laws that support our independence and right to move about our community.
Advocacy Program Working Groups
Also, we are still looking for participants for our working groups. Information on each of the four working groups can be found on the webpage, along with the form to sign-up to participate. Please contact Steve Lieberman at slieberman@unitedspinal.org or Annie Streit at astreit@unitedspinal.org if you have any questions. We are extremely proud of the growth of this dedicated network of advocates!