A co-worker and I had decided to go out after work for drinks. She had picked out a restaurant close to the job. Some of my co-workers had been to this restaurant in the past. When we got there we told them that I had a guide dog. We were told that there were no dogs allowed in the restaurant. I tried to explain to the person that this is a guide dog and not a pet and that I was blind (Just in case that was not obvious!). We were still told no.
We started to walk out and I decided to ask for a manager. They were taking too long it was pouring outside and we were already pretty wet. We decided to leave because truly after being refused, I would not have felt comfortable eating there anyway.
My co-worker and I decided to go to another place where my dog would not be an issue and the environment was much friendlier.
I did contact the NYC Commission on Human Rights. They assured me that they would be jumping right on the case. They had had issues with service dogs not being allowed in restaurants in the past but not a guide dog.
Unfortunately in this day and time there is still some ignorance to the law as well as some prejudices when it come to guide/service dogs being allowed in public places. We still have a ways to go.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Giving City Gym An Accessible Workout
I use to work out at a City Gym on the east side. I was training for the Paralympic World games. Even though I was working out with a trainer, there were times when I had to work out on my own. I tried to go in the gym with my guide dog whose name was Kira. I was told that I could not take the dog in the workout rooms with me and that she would have to be tied to the bench outside the door .
A few years ago, I started to use the City Gym on the west side. This gym did not mind the dog in the gym. And even though that City Gym was accessible for wheelchair users, it was not for blind and visually impaired people. Their equipment was not marked. So I could not use the equipment independently.
After asking if I could mark the equipment. I was told to contact the Parks Accessibility Coordinator for the NYC Parks Dept. I got the ok from him and begin marking the equipment for use. But what I was able to do was a temporary fix for a long term issue. They did not want to have permanent glue left on the equipment so I had to use Dymo tape. But because of the surface on the equipment it would not stick for long. I could only mark one piece of equipment of each set which would cause another problem if someone else was using that particular equipment that day. So to say the least our Parks department has a way to go with making our city gyms accessible.
I was able to get them to put up the Braille signage in the correct place, which was a plus.
A few years ago, I started to use the City Gym on the west side. This gym did not mind the dog in the gym. And even though that City Gym was accessible for wheelchair users, it was not for blind and visually impaired people. Their equipment was not marked. So I could not use the equipment independently.
After asking if I could mark the equipment. I was told to contact the Parks Accessibility Coordinator for the NYC Parks Dept. I got the ok from him and begin marking the equipment for use. But what I was able to do was a temporary fix for a long term issue. They did not want to have permanent glue left on the equipment so I had to use Dymo tape. But because of the surface on the equipment it would not stick for long. I could only mark one piece of equipment of each set which would cause another problem if someone else was using that particular equipment that day. So to say the least our Parks department has a way to go with making our city gyms accessible.
I was able to get them to put up the Braille signage in the correct place, which was a plus.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Marilyn Saviola, Independent Woman | StoryCorps Facilitator Weblog
Marilyn Saviola, Independent Woman | StoryCorps Facilitator Weblog
Recently, Marilyn Saviola came to the StoryBooth in Foley Square to share her story of courage with long time friend and co-worker, Jean Minkel.
During the summer of 1955, one of the last years of the Polio epidemic, Marilyn Saviola was 10 years old and on vacation with her family in Connecticut. She was playing with cousins, fell down, banged her head and the next morning she woke up with a headache and a stiff neck. Upon her return home to the Bronx she was examined by a doctor who told her parents that she needed to go to the hospital because he suspected Marilyn had “P-o-l-i-o”. Even at 10, she understood what that meant.
While her parents were looking for a cure, Marilyn focused on what to do with the rest of her life. One of the most difficult decisions she’d have to make was to live at Goldwater Memorial Hospital instead of living with her family. At Goldwater she could live with other disabled youth, go to school and begin to forge her independence. Once there, Marilyn met another resident, Bruce, and together they dreamed of going to college. “I wanted to get out. I wanted to do something. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life at Goldwater.” While Bruce received funding and was admitted to Long Island University, Marilyn faced resistance from state funders. They declined her application, telling her that she was “too disabled” and “never going to be employed” and that “it was a waste of money.” So Marilyn sent a letter to then-Senator Jacob Javits to plea her case and was eventually granted one year of funding on a trial basis. Saviola turned that trial year of undergrad into a graduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from New York University.
Despite her progress, obstacles remained. Although she had become more mobile with the use of a motorized wheel chair, wheel chair access was non-existent on the campus at the time. She did her interview in a van. “We had to threaten to sue,” she remembers. The Americans with Disabilities Act was not yet established and Saviola had to fight for every inch of her independence. The school made a temporary ramp that had to be assembled and disassembled every time she used it and she had to employ the help of classmates to get in and out of class. Accessibility wasn’t ideal, but it was enough to get her through grad school. Marilyn’s impact would reverberate for years to come–after her graduation, a permanent wheelchair ramp was built.
Saviola returned to work at Goldwater as a rehabilitation counselor f0r 11 years. She eventually got her own apartment, and in 1983 became the Executive Director for The Center for the Independence of the Disabled which provides advocacy and services to empower people with disabilities. Marilyn’s work and activism has helped provide services and accesibility throughout New York City. She’s a true hero.
Recently, Marilyn Saviola came to the StoryBooth in Foley Square to share her story of courage with long time friend and co-worker, Jean Minkel.
During the summer of 1955, one of the last years of the Polio epidemic, Marilyn Saviola was 10 years old and on vacation with her family in Connecticut. She was playing with cousins, fell down, banged her head and the next morning she woke up with a headache and a stiff neck. Upon her return home to the Bronx she was examined by a doctor who told her parents that she needed to go to the hospital because he suspected Marilyn had “P-o-l-i-o”. Even at 10, she understood what that meant.
While her parents were looking for a cure, Marilyn focused on what to do with the rest of her life. One of the most difficult decisions she’d have to make was to live at Goldwater Memorial Hospital instead of living with her family. At Goldwater she could live with other disabled youth, go to school and begin to forge her independence. Once there, Marilyn met another resident, Bruce, and together they dreamed of going to college. “I wanted to get out. I wanted to do something. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life at Goldwater.” While Bruce received funding and was admitted to Long Island University, Marilyn faced resistance from state funders. They declined her application, telling her that she was “too disabled” and “never going to be employed” and that “it was a waste of money.” So Marilyn sent a letter to then-Senator Jacob Javits to plea her case and was eventually granted one year of funding on a trial basis. Saviola turned that trial year of undergrad into a graduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from New York University.
Despite her progress, obstacles remained. Although she had become more mobile with the use of a motorized wheel chair, wheel chair access was non-existent on the campus at the time. She did her interview in a van. “We had to threaten to sue,” she remembers. The Americans with Disabilities Act was not yet established and Saviola had to fight for every inch of her independence. The school made a temporary ramp that had to be assembled and disassembled every time she used it and she had to employ the help of classmates to get in and out of class. Accessibility wasn’t ideal, but it was enough to get her through grad school. Marilyn’s impact would reverberate for years to come–after her graduation, a permanent wheelchair ramp was built.
Saviola returned to work at Goldwater as a rehabilitation counselor f0r 11 years. She eventually got her own apartment, and in 1983 became the Executive Director for The Center for the Independence of the Disabled which provides advocacy and services to empower people with disabilities. Marilyn’s work and activism has helped provide services and accesibility throughout New York City. She’s a true hero.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
No Signs, No Access
I am visually impaired. When I attended Hunter College in the graduate program I experienced difficulty finding the class room because there was no Braille on the doors. I attended the evening program so it was really hard to find someone who could be asked to locate my class room. With this difficulty, I contacted my rehabilitation counseling program coordinator. He advised me to contact the Director of Access Center for Students with Disabilities and the Committee of Section 504 at Hunter College as well.
I contacted the Director of Access Center for Students with Disabilities. During the meeting, I said that there was no Braille on the doors and it was really hard for me to find the class room especially in a large campus like Hunter College. She replied that a small number of blind students were studying at Hunter College, so it didn’t make sense to spend a large amount of money to put Braille on the doors. During the meeting, I tried to describe the difficulty for a blind or visually disabled person. I also mentioned that I had gotten a graduate degree at Brooklyn College. Brooklyn College campus is very accessible for people who are blind and visually disabled along with other disabled groups. There are Braille and large print signs on the every single door at Brooklyn College. I also drew her attention to the fact that Brooklyn College and Hunter College both are under CUNY system and Hunter should be accessible for all people with disabilities. She said, “I will talk to the authorities when I get a chance, but I don’t think it will happen.” She also mentioned that she would put Braille signs on the Access Center door. I checked a few days later I saw that she had done that.
Since I immigrated to the United States, I have a good knowledge and experience with the CUNY system. I attended an English as a Second Language (ESL) Program at Queens College in Flushing and Baruch College in Manhattan. Not only this, I have two graduate degrees from Brooklyn College and Hunter College. I was so confused to hear the director’s response. However, I shared this issue with my friends and I had been advised it would be better not to pursue it while I was a student at Hunter College. I used to use Hunter College’s Access Center for Students with Disabilities during my study period and I believe Hunter College Access Center is a wonderful place for students with disabilities. I graduated in the Rehabilitation Counseling Program and throughout the course I studied the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and National Rehabilitation Act, along with other relevant courses. Hunter’s lack of accessible signage is clearly a violation of Section 504 and the ADA, which prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities.
I contacted the Director of Access Center for Students with Disabilities. During the meeting, I said that there was no Braille on the doors and it was really hard for me to find the class room especially in a large campus like Hunter College. She replied that a small number of blind students were studying at Hunter College, so it didn’t make sense to spend a large amount of money to put Braille on the doors. During the meeting, I tried to describe the difficulty for a blind or visually disabled person. I also mentioned that I had gotten a graduate degree at Brooklyn College. Brooklyn College campus is very accessible for people who are blind and visually disabled along with other disabled groups. There are Braille and large print signs on the every single door at Brooklyn College. I also drew her attention to the fact that Brooklyn College and Hunter College both are under CUNY system and Hunter should be accessible for all people with disabilities. She said, “I will talk to the authorities when I get a chance, but I don’t think it will happen.” She also mentioned that she would put Braille signs on the Access Center door. I checked a few days later I saw that she had done that.
Since I immigrated to the United States, I have a good knowledge and experience with the CUNY system. I attended an English as a Second Language (ESL) Program at Queens College in Flushing and Baruch College in Manhattan. Not only this, I have two graduate degrees from Brooklyn College and Hunter College. I was so confused to hear the director’s response. However, I shared this issue with my friends and I had been advised it would be better not to pursue it while I was a student at Hunter College. I used to use Hunter College’s Access Center for Students with Disabilities during my study period and I believe Hunter College Access Center is a wonderful place for students with disabilities. I graduated in the Rehabilitation Counseling Program and throughout the course I studied the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and National Rehabilitation Act, along with other relevant courses. Hunter’s lack of accessible signage is clearly a violation of Section 504 and the ADA, which prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities.
Monday, May 3, 2010
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