The perimeter for motor vehicles for the inauguration activities is quite a ways from the activities. Unless you can walk or use a mobility device, you may not be able to get to where you want to go. (Boo, Hiss)

An alternate activity is being planned for the disability community. (YEAH!!!!!!)


Disability Power & Pride Inaugural Ball Details:
When: Sunday, January 18, 2009, 7pm to 12am
Where: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC
Tickets: RSVP required
Attire: Black tie optional
RSVP: www.disabilitypowerandpride.org

Information: Sign language interpreters, CART, audio description and assistive listening devices will be available. Internet access for media available.
www.disabilitypowerandpride.org

If you live in the DC area you may want to check this out. It sounds like a lot of fun and it would be a great way to network within the disability community.

If you can go, I'd love to hear what it was like.

Kathy S

Hi Kathy,
That is very interesting information! Thanks for sharing with us. If anyone who is disabled or the caretaker of someone disabled gets to go please come back to the forum and share your experience with all of us! I'm interested to know how well the disabled are provided for, what a wonderful opportunity! Wish I could be there myself! I also wonder if anyone knows if this has been done during previous Inaugurations and if so how well was it done. It is my sincere hope that this President will make a real difference for the disabled of this country!

Hi All,

The following article from the Baltimore Examiner explains some of the issues for People With Disabilities who are attending the inauguration events.

[url= link ] link [/url] http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/politics/010209disabled.html

To stay informed on issues for People With Disabilities (PWD) in our country, I would encourage you to check out Justice for All (JFA). Justice for All is a disability network group that was started by an incredible man -- Justin Dart adn soemof his friends. Justin worked diligently to get the Americans With Disabilities Act passed and has been called the "godfather of the ADA." Once the ADA was enacted, he networked with anyone who would listen and PWD to get a grassroots movement in our country. I was fortunate to meet him during the Clinton re-election efforts. He with the support of others in JFA helped groups all over the country to inform PWD on how to become involved in the political process. We worked to get PWD registered to vote, to get PWD to attend their Precinct Caucuses, to get involved and work to become part of whatever political party they supported to build awareness about our issues from the grassroots right up to the President of the US.

You can find JFA at http://www.jfactivist.org/. They have a great newsletter that addresses issues for almost any disability group you could imagine at some point or another and they also have a blog.

Check it out!
Kathy

This is such an amazing day!

I was happy to find that the Obama webpage had a Disability Advocacy plan early in the campaign. Many advocates have been active at the changedotorg transition website, too.

It was good that the transition team and inauguration planners considered that people using different mobility aids planned to participate in inauguration activities. I understand that Vice President Dick Cheney will attend in a wheelchair.

Early in the campaign I heard that Obama campaign workers used TTY machines to contact people who rely on them for communication, and there were pictures passed through the internet during the campaign of Barack Obama using simple sign language to people in crowds.

I feel we do have friends in the White House for the next four years.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

Barack Obama's Disability Advocacy Plan

P.S. I had a message from the staff of the Arc of Baltimore with disability accommodations from the Executive Director of the Balitmore Mayor's Commission on Disabilities for President-elect Obama's stop in Baltimore Saturday January 17th:

There are other news stories and Op-Ed pieces on the inauguration and accessibility at the PatriciaEBauer website ~

At pre-inaugural celebration, Obama includes 'disabled'
http://www.patriciaebauer.com/2009/01/19/obama-remarks-disabled

Much work remains to assure disability rights
http://www.patriciaebauer.com/2009/01/19/disability-rights-2

Pam W
SE of Seattle

Kathy and Pam,
Wow, what a fantastic day it was! I watched the Inauguration with my granddaughter, she is too small to remember this day. However, I look forward to someday being able to tell her that although we could not be there, we shared a moment in history. I want to thank both of you for your input regarding this very special historical occasion. I sincerely hope to see a brighter future for all who are disabled and for those who love them and care for them. Hopefully, each of us will have the opportunity to hear a first hand account from someone in the disabled community that was fortunate enough to have attended.

Thanks ladies, and keep posting!