Accessible Washington D.C. area
The online DisabilityGuide.org is a comprehensive, growing resource
DisabilityGuide.org is a privately run, comprehensive, searchable website full of information about accessibility in the Washington, D.C. area, and Maryland and Virginia.
DisabilityGuide.org describes itself as "the Washington, DC metro area's premiere online disability information resource".
The most visible part of the resource is the website. The DisabilityGuide.org website provides accessibility information for the Washington, DC area, Maryland, and Virginia. The accessibility information is sorted into categories, including:
- Metropolitan (Washington DC) area Most Accessible Restaurants
- Personal Assistants
- Wheelchair Rent and Repairs
- CIty Scooter Tours
- Airport Information
- Disabled Dating
- Arenas and Venues
- Employment Services
- Hotel Accessibility
- Movie Theaters
- Accessible Attractions
- Parks, Sports and Recreation
- Shopping Accessibility
- Transportation Assistance and Rental
- Vehicle Modifications
- Referral Services
- Accessible Travel U.S. and Abroad
- Vendors and Suppliers
There is a link saying, "Looking for an idea for an accessible night out?" Today, clicking on that link led to a list of seven accessible ideas, with a form to submit new ones.
The history of DisabilityGuide.org is explained on the website, under the heading "Who We Are", on the left hand side of the home page.
Not only do the principals of this excellent service provide information, it turns out they also have been active in advocacy and awareness-raising.
The project started in 2000 with the first guide, which has grown and now includes printed guidebooks as well as the website. The guidebook may be purchased through a link on the website. At the time of this writing, the 2006-07 Washington DC Access Guide was available at a cost of $5.00 US.
In 2001, one of the founders, Mr. Russ Holt, was going to see a Salvador Dali painting at the National Gallery of Art. He found the painting was on an upper floor with no wheelchair access. Since Mr. Holt is a quadriplegic who uses a wheelchair, this meant he could not go to see the painting where the gallery had placed it.
Mr. Holt, as president of the company Access Information, Inc. (AII), which was formed to operate DisabilityGuide.org, wrote to the Gallery and the result was that the gallery moved the painting to an accessible location, with an apology. Apparently this was the first time the gallery had moved a work of art out of concerns for access.
Among the many links on the DisabilityGuide.org is one on the right hand side of the home page. Its caption says, "It's hot...it's cool...it's fun...and it's (almost always) free". That link leads to an off-site page with a calendar of activites. This comes from MRDDA, The Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration, which is part of the government of the District of Columbia. The calendar has a heading, "Washington's Wonderful Little Walks and Rolls" and the activities listed appeal to a wide general audience. Some of the activities currently listed are films, concerts, poetry readings, and family activities at the White House Visitor Centre.
