Accessibility

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is fast-approaching here in the U.S. This day also marks a National Day of Service, during which we answer Dr. King’s call to serve our Beloved Community.

Community service, especially as it’s most often depicted, is not always accessible, however. Just like our Mighty community has to do with a whole host of things, we also have to find creative ways to perform community service.

Here’s how some Mighty staffers give back to their communities in ways that work for them:

🌳 “I love planting trees, but I make it more accessible for myself by sitting while I do it and using ergonomic tools.”

👖“My son and I volunteer at our town's ‘Freestore’ to help staff the store on shopping and donation days, which helps support the giving and sharing economy (as well as helps the planet by keeping items out of landfills). Since he has a physical disability, we make sure he has access to a chair to sit when needed, and we ride our cargo bike to the store since walking there would be painful for him. Pre-pandemic we helped on a hunger task force by making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for unhoused people in the community.”

What are your favorite accessible ways to serve your community?

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

For some ideas, check out these Mighty stories:

themighty.com/topic/propionic-acidemia/mlk-day-of-service-me...

themighty.com/topic/mental-health/health-care-climate-change...

#CheckInWithMe #Accessibility #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #Disability #RareDisease #Parenting

What was your first experience like? On my way into work, I'd stopped at a secondhand store and bought a wooden cane. (I was so awkward, I used to kick it out from underneath me while I walked!) I would lie that it was an old football injury. Inside I felt isolated and cold: I didn't want to look at anyone.

This is prompted by Senate candidate John Fetterman interviewing on NBC News using a captioning device, but it is NOT political. However you feel politically, this was something that took courage to do. Tell us about your courage, your fear, your accommodation moment. Thanks for sharing, Mighty family.

#Stroke #Fetterman #AAC #Accommodations #Accessibility #MultipleSclerosis #Depression #newlydiagnosed #MightyTogether #ChronicIllness #Disabilities #Caregiving #Disability #Support

Our editorial team is proud to present this exclusive list of the 50 best wheelchair accessible restaurants in the United States (from Hawaii to North Carolina), produced in partnership with Yelp: themighty.com/topic/disability/yelp-mighty-top-50-wheelchair...

🍕Here’s how Yelp’s data scientists came up with the list:

“We identified businesses in the restaurant and food categories, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords. Businesses must have the wheelchair accessible attribute selected to be considered. To ensure geographic diversity, we limited the list to 3 businesses per metro area. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of July 8, 2022.”

To our knowledge, none of these small businesses claim to be perfect locations for patrons using wheelchairs by any means. All they did was make every effort to meet the requirements for accessibility, informed Yelp that they were prepared for diners using a wheelchair, and proceeded to provide food, ambiance, and customer service that made Yelp users go wild for their offerings.

It is our hope that each restaurant on this list, same as all establishments that are not, will join all who care about disability rights in continually striving for better.

Cheers!

#Disability #Accessibility #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #DistractMe #CerebralPalsy #MultipleSclerosis #EDS

I live with bilateral vestibular loss and oscillopsia which means my disability manifests in unstable walking/mobility as well as near-constant bouncing vision.

To be honest, eating in most restaurants is really taxing for me. Whether it’s because of the flooring patterns (a nightmare with bouncing vision) or due to how tightly spaced the tables are together. (Have I fallen in a restaurant and even on top of another eatery patron before because the tables were too close together? YOU BETCHA.)

So I’m curious, what small things could restaurants do to make dining out a better, more accessible experience for people with disabilities?

#Disability #Wheelchair #Spoonie #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Migraine #MobilityAids #Accessibility #ChronicPain

Not many people probably think that tampons have anything to do with accessibility but they do. I have been using the same brand fr 30yrs U by Kotex Security. This brand is the only kind that fits my body my hands can grip it with one hand, not 2, and insert almost flawless. Unfortunately they discontinued them. I bleed monthly and go through a box or 2 depending on if I’m having a heavy flow, I never know when this will be. I have to always wear heavy absorbing just in case. But now I’m supposed to rely on other brands that I’ve tried that I can’t even use one handed. Did this company not take into account that they run the market for heavy flow hygiene products? Those with endometriosis or pcos or have hormone fluctuations will now have to rely on inferior products, that aren’t as accessible. I started a petition if you can please sign and share chng.it/L9NvTVjgqr #Endometriosis #PolycysticOvarySyndrome #hormoneimbalance #Lipedema #Accessibility #ThyroidDisease