… champutee breakdancing. On Youtube. Thanks to Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Emory University, for posting it to the Disability Studies in the Humanities Listserv.

 Nick Bishop at the bottom of steps outside a restaurant in London

Writing in the [UK] Guardian, guest columnist Nick Bishop explains how he deals with the obstacles he comes across in everyday life — such as the steps that keep him from being able to go to a pub with his friends.

Things have improved vastly during my lifetime. And yet it is still impossible for a wheelchair user to enjoy even simple pleasures, such as going out to eat. I can accept that my disability means that I won’t be able to run a marathon, but I can’t accept these unnecessary obstacles that so limit my everyday life. The law, which simply demands that people make “reasonable adjustments” for people with disabilities, is far too vague and needs to be strengthened.

Bishop assesses the accessibility in London’s 10 top restaurants, and doesn’t come away happy.

From MSNBC.com, a feature that says cruise ships are becoming more and more accessible these days, although smaller and older ships still have problems.

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, the act was not extended to foreign-flagged cruise ships until 2005, following a class-action lawsuit filed against Norwegian Cruise Line that went before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that cruise lines whose ships carry passengers to and from U.S. ports must provide features like grab bars, handrails and wheelchair-accessible water fountains; however, the court also held that cruise lines were not required to make major structural changes to their in-service vessels, such as widening doorways and adding new elevators.

Fortunately, many cruise lines are upgrading their older vessels simply because there is demand for fully accessible cruising. In fact, cruising has become the preferred style of vacation for many travelers with limited mobility because ships have become so user-friendly and offer a convenient platform from which to explore the world’s exotic destinations.

From Exceptional Parent:

Barbara Roy offers tips and encouragement designed to help people with disabilities participate in community theater. An excerpt:

As the curtain closed on the finale of the popular musical, Annie, the stage was filled with 40 middle school and high school actors. Among them were Adrian, who has Asperger syndrome; Terry, who is a dwarf; Caitlinn, who has brain damage and is in a wheelchair; and Sharon, who has Down syndrome. The audience stood and applauded loudly. It was obvious they loved the show! As a director with 36 years experience in K-12 and community theater, I am pretty sure the entire cast enjoyed the experience; I am entirely sure that they all learned something.

From the Detroit Free Press, a review of “101 Accessible Vacations: Travel Ideas for Wheelers and Slow Walkers,” by Candy B. Harrington.

Among Harrington’s observations:

– The most wheelchair-friendly cities are Las Vegas and San Diego.

– Increasing family travel is putting pressure on the travel industry to make things accessible for everyone.

Three favorite accessible destinations:

– The Rocky Mountaineer Railtour from Vancouver to Calgary;

– Tide pools at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area near Newport, Oregon;

– Fantastic Caverns near Springfield, Mo.

Don’t miss this. A front-page story in the Washington Post by Donna St. George introduces Destiny, a cheerleading squad composed entirely of girls who have disabilities.

The Gaithersburg, MD, team is part of a “quiet but growing grass-roots effort to create more activities outside of school for children with disabilities,” she writes. “Its successes have come one at a time, often driven by parents …” The need for such programs is great at a time when 5.5 million schoolchildren have disabilities and there are relatively few options for before- or after-school sports and recreation.

The experience has been transformative for the girls, aged 7 to 15, who have become more confident, more socially comfortable, more engaged, and more physically adept, their parents say. They have performed their routines at regional competitions under bright lights, before audiences of thousands.

(more…)

Nation will host games for intellectually disabled; Pivotal time for Beijing

From the Wall Street Journal:

This year’s games mark a big step for China, where people with disabilities have long coped with isolation and social stigma. More than 7,500 athletes from 165 delegations will compete in 25 sports in Shanghai, beginning October 2. China is eager to demonstrate that its attitudes about people with disabilities are modernizing.