Elections conference, and 11-year-old accessibility guru

On Friday, June 17, Alisa Alonge, Dave Reynolds and Deborah (Jenkins) Wolfer, did a presentation on the importance of accessible voting and polling places for about 120 people attending the Washington Association of County Auditors’ annual State Elections Conference.

We also explained about the state’s Accessible Communities Act, and how county auditors can take the lead on developing Accessible Communities Advisory Committees. These ACACs are made up of people with various disabilities that advise county and city governments, planners, and educate the community on how to make the world more accessible and welcoming.

We also met inventor and CEO Alexander Knoll from Post Falls, Idaho (who just happens to sport the coolest hair — ever!) Alex is developing the Ability App. It’s a mobile tool for people to locate accessibility features. We were delighted to see that he has come up with some of the same ideas we have . . .  and he’s just 11 years old!!!

We talked briefly about finding ways we can partner with this amazingly talented entrepreneur.

More exciting news to come!

Endorse accessible and disability friendly places

Access 4 All Spokane needs your help.

We’re building a website directory to help you find places with accessibility features across Spokane County that people with all sorts of disabilities have told us are important to them.

These features include such things as wheelchair ramps, automatic doors, Braille menus, accessible parking, closed captioning, and adequate lighting levels, just to name a few.

We also want to spread the word about places where the employees make sure everyone feels respected and welcome.

Please answer four quick questions to recommend a place in our area that you feel is accessible and friendly to people with disabilities.

Click here to start: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWJNNRW

Thanks for your help!

Visit to Inland Northwest Lighthouse

Deb (Jenkins) Wolfer, Alisa Alonge and Dave Reynolds had a wonderful meeting this morning with about 20 employees at Inland Northwest Lighthouse for the Blind.

We explained the mission of Access 4 All Spokane and the mandate of the Spokane County Accessible Communities Advisory Committee, both of which are about increasing accessibility and disability-friendliness across our county.

They helped add new businesses to our list of places that have been endorsed for being both accessible and welcoming to customers with disabilities.

They told us they mostly appreciate restaurants that have Braille and large print menus, stores that provide shopping assistance when requested, and places that understand about service dogs.

We look forward to seeing our new friends, again, before too long.

Thanks Lighthouse!

Spokane Public Library visit

Last Friday, Access 4 All Spokane members Alisa Alonge, Amber Joplin, Jude Cormier and Dave Reynolds spent the morning at the Downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library.
At the invitation of the new branch manager, Jason Johnson, we looked at space that will soon be transformed into small meeting areas, technology work centers, gathering and presentation rooms, etc.
Jason gave us a tour and welcomed our input on how to design the area to best meet the needs of patrons with disabilities. They are currently at the planning stage of the project, so this was perfect timing!
It is so exciting to be invited in at the beginning stages of a project.
Thanks Jason Johnson and Andrew Chanse of the Spokane Public Library.