Accessibility at the Holidays

'Tis the season for gatherings. Beginning with the upcoming holidays and ending with the Super Bowl in February, Indianapolis will be host to a series of unforgettable parties and events, many of which will show our community at its absolute best.

Mary Beth and I understand how much work goes into planning events. We probably attend hundreds of receptions, dinners, parties and luncheons each year. It's one of the many aspects of our work that we really enjoy. We also have thrown our fair share of gatherings over the years. In September, we hosted a number of colleagues, neighbors and friends for an informational evening about the new Eskenazi Health.

In our years attending and hosting events, we've learned that things don't always go as planned. It may rain at an outdoor event. Perhaps a caterer gets stuck in traffic and is late. That's why most event planners and hosts begin planning well in advance, compiling detailed lists of tasks and responsibilities. Considerable care is taken to ensure the needs of guests are met, so everyone can fully participate in the festivities.

Recently, I attended a luncheon where I, along with numerous colleagues, was honored for a professional accomplishment. At the appointed time, everyone proceeded to the stage for a photo. But, because the location wasn't accessible, I couldn't get to the stage to participate. I couldn't even leave my table because the tables had been placed close together, so much so that it was impossible to navigate my wheelchair in a crowded room. Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to share in this special occasion with my colleagues.

Why do I share this? Because I hope others learn from my experience. Just as a host would note a guest's dietary restrictions, accessibility also should be on the checklist. As our population ages and Baby Boomers turn 65 at a record pace, it's very likely that someone at some point in time will require accessible accommodations. At the same time, I strongly encourage people with disabilities to take the initiative and make their hosts aware of their accessibility needs. All too often, misunderstandings arise because of a lack of communication. With the holidays and Super Bowl fast approaching, this is a timely topic for all of us to consider.

In this "teachable moment," I hope - and encourage - all of us to open the lines of communication with each other so we can all focus on the joy of the holiday season. Just add it to the list.

IndyStar Op-Ed: Be Careful Describing People with Disabilities

Today, The Indianapolis Star ran a letter to the editor that I wrote about how important it is to choose our words carefully in referring to people of diverse backgrounds, particularly people with disabilities. Below is the letter. I look forward to your comments.

"Blind." "Crippled." "Crazy." Those are words that hurt. They hurt the students and parents who choose to attend Indianapolis Public Schools. They hurt the children who excel in school. They hurt the teachers who are on the front lines educating our children. They are words that hurt our entire community.

I have spent my life with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, the reason why I have always used a wheelchair. As a lawyer, husband, father and wheelchair user, I have been on the receiving end of thoughtless comments. However, I generally take those opportunities and turn them into teachable moments.

Last week, Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White used those hurtful words during an interview with a local radio station where he discussed the challenges facing the state's largest school district.

Millions of Americans live with some type of disability. Anyone, at any point in time, can be affected by a disability, whether it's physical or cognitive. Maybe it's an aging baby boomer in need of a joint replacement, a child with autism, or a life forever changed by an unforeseen accident. A disability is simply not a condition of a select few.

Diversity encompasses more than just race and gender; it includes disability, educational background and, of course, economic status. At the same time, this unfortunate episode highlights how important it is that we choose our words wisely, because words -- and the context in which we use them -- have a lasting and damaging effect.

I don't doubt that White and the IPS system face tremendous challenges. But I hope, in this teachable moment, we all remember that we are a stronger -- and better -- community because of our willingness to embrace the diversity of our neighbor. Our children -- and their futures -- deserve no less.

Gregory S. Fehribach

Distinguished Fellow, Bowen Center for Public Affairs, Ball State University

The Transformative Eskenazi Health

Last week, Greg and I hosted an event for colleagues, friends, and neighbors to brief them about a project that is very important to us: the new Wishard Hospital, which will be called Eskenazi Health. When we welcomed our guests at our home I told them that the Foundation had approached us about making a donation and we were happy to do so - but we wanted to do it our way.

Doing it our way found us on our front porch in our downtown neighborhood, sharing critically important details about a community health initiative that stands to transform health care in Central Indiana. Eskenazi Health, as outlined by Matt Gutwein, president and CEO of Marion County's Health & Hospital Corporation, presents a unique opportunity for our community in that we are building a brand new 21st Century hospital facility, which will serve everyone.

How this hospital is being built is one of the many reasons why Indianapolis is a truly remarkable community. Ernie Vargo, president and CEO of the Eskenazi Health Foundation, shared how Sid and Lois Eskenazi's unprecedented gift of $40 million allowed the Foundation to set its fundraising goal even higher. The Indianapolis Business Journal reported last week that Fifth Third Bank's $5 million gift was inspired by Kevin Hipskind's experience with Wishard. Hipskind, an executive vice president with the bank, was treated at the hospital's renowned burn unit when he was burned on 37 percent of his body after a backyard brush fire.

And, more poignantly, Wishard Health Services employees have stepped up and have donated approximately $2.2 million to the Eskenazi Health Foundation. Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO and medical director of Eskenazi Health, shared with us how these employees, at every level, have come forward to join this effort. Their support speaks volumes about their commitment and dedication to the hospital's mission.

If you were to scan the faces of those at our gathering, nearly everyone present does not rely on Wishard as a safety net for their health care. Yet, everyone at some point in their lives could find themselves at Eskenazi Health for treatment, whether it's Midtown Community Mental Health, the trauma center, or preventative care.

Like Kevin Hipskind, they recognize that more than the county's underserved and uninsured are treated at the hospital. It's where Indiana's finest medical minds are trained through IU Medical School. It's where administrators from Eskenazi Health, the medical school, Regenstrief Institute and Purdue College of Pharmacy will be located together for the first time in a building named in honor of Fifth Third. And, it's where members of our community - from all walks of life - will join together in a profound and meaningful way to make life better for the people of our city.

-Mary Beth Fehribach

Pictured from left to right are: Dr. Jim Miner, chairman of the H&H Board of Trustees; Dr. David Crabb, H&H Board of Trustees member ; Dr. Lisa Harris; Ernie Vargo; Peggy Miner.

The Power of Self-Reliance

When I was a student at Ball State University many years ago, there were few people with disabilities that I could turn to for advice, particularly when it came to securing a job once I graduated. In fact, I graduated from college and earned masters and legal degrees – all before the ADA became law. I’ve written before how the ADA allowed me as a young lawyer to meet with nearly all of my clients without concerns about accessible accommodations.

More than 20 years later, people with disabilities are able to physically access the proverbial meetings with clients, thanks in large part to the ADA. However, people with disabilities are unemployed – and underemployed – at a rate that is disproportionately higher than people without disabilities. Looking for and maintaining a job has proven more challenging and complex for all Americans, and people with disabilities are particularly feeling that pain.

That’s one of the many reasons why the team at the Bowen Center is helping the students we serve as part of The Disability Project step up their game. This semester, we will be offering a series of forums that will assist students with disabilities learn how to make themselves marketable to future employers. We will teach them how to compete for and secure internships. We will connect them with the University’s Career Center. We will spend time helping them prepare a compelling resume. We’ll also explore and share strategies for succeeding in interviews.

Simply put, we’re going to help them learn how to help themselves find a job.

The students we work with, by the very nature of their circumstances, already are self-reliant and have proven their mettle in overcoming the obstacles of daily living. I have no doubt that they will continue to not just meet, but exceed, expectations. I’m looking forward to sharing more about their progress as they continue to make their way on the road to graduation, and ultimately, self sufficiency.

The Meaning of Labor Day for People with Disabilities

Earlier this week, the National Organization on Disability recognized nine U.S. companies for their work in hiring and engaging people with disabilities. You can read more about why the NOD selected these companies as the “Fine Nine” on their website.

Two things really stood out about the NOD’s announcement of the Fine Nine, which was wisely timed to coincide with Labor Day, a holiday dedicated to the American worker. First, the NOD cited some alarming statistics from a 2010 Harris survey that they sponsored with the Kessler Foundation. The survey found that employment remains the biggest gap between people with and without disabilities. Among working-age people with disabilities, only 21 percent reported that they are employed full or part time, compared to 59 percent of people without disabilities. That’s a gap of 38 points.

The second was the headline in the article the United Press International published about the study. “Disabled workers always in recession,” accurately sums up the situation that people with disabilities – many of whom are educated and eager to work – face throughout their lives. Unfortunately, when people with disabilities are denied access to employment opportunities, they are forced to rely on government assistance. In today’s economic climate of austerity and frugality, particularly on the state and local levels, people with disabilities may lose these critical safety nets they have come to rely on.

So, where do we go from here? We must continue to encourage people with disabilities to get an education, and challenge them to use that education in non-traditional ways. We must continue to educate businesses about the potential for people with disabilities to help boost their bottom line. We must continue an open and candid dialogue, especially as Baby Boomers reach retirement age – everyday.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Earns Top Local Honor for Commitment to Access & Inclusion

Indianapolis recently commemorated the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act with the Mayor's Advisory Council on Disability's Access and Inclusion Awards. For the last several years, this annual awards ceremony honors individuals, businesses and organizations that promote enhanced access and quality of life for people with disabilities.

The list of local award recipients who have contributed to greater access and inclusion is both long and diverse. Previous honorees include the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana's Sports Program, CICOA's Lifelong Living Community Initiative, and the Indiana School for the Deaf's "Vibrations" program.

This year, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis received the Accessibility Award. I have been privileged to work with the Museum's president, Jeff Patchen, and the director of exhibit development, Jennifer Pace-Robinson, over the years. Under their leadership, The Children's Museum has made a concerted effort to develop an inclusive and seamless museum that everyone can participate in, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.

I have written before about how The Children's Museum is accommodating to all guests, including the personal recollections of staff members who have observed parents, children and grandparents with disabilities enjoying the many unique and customized exhibits. From a personal standpoint, the Museum is committed to ensuring a fully inclusive experience, and even has included accessibility checklists into their exhibit design and development process. They are most deserving of this recognition.

While the annual Access and Inclusion Awards have evolved into the leading event for the Indianapolis disability community, it's important to note the Indianapolis has made accessibility and inclusion an important part of city policy for decades. Before the ADA even was enacted, local disability activists led by James K. Pauley, founded the Mayor's Advisory Council on Disability in the '70s. The Council, which works directly with the Mayor's Office of Disability Affairs, is a key stakeholder in ensuring our city, its assets, and amenities are accessible for everyone. This work was recognized by a much wider audience in 2009, when the National Organization on Disability awarded Indianapolis with its Accessible America Award, touting the City as the nation's leader in accessible environments.

The awards remind us that we have much to celebrate. However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We may have made significant headway into ensuring physical accessibility, yet we now face an even greater challenge. Working together, we must find new and creative solutions to solving the employment gap for people with disabilities, particularly those individuals with college educations and other advanced degrees. I hope you'll join me in getting to work.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: Connecting our Community

As downtown dwellers, my wife Mary Beth and I spend a great deal of our time during the warmer months traveling to work, meals with friends, and Mass Ave. businesses along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick.

While I was fortunate to provide consultation about the trail's physical elements, like many projects, the Cultural Trail is about more than curb cuts and eye-catching public art. In Indianapolis, the Cultural Trail is all about connections.

Consider this: Mary Beth regularly rides her bike from our home to our downtown office. She is able to safely navigate city streets - in the thick of rush hour traffic - because of the Cultural Trail. Riding her bike along the trail has added benefits. It's one less car on the streets, and it has a positive impact on her health.

We often leave our accessible van parked in our driveway, and use the trail to meet up with friends for dinner along Mass Ave. Or, I might roll along the trail on my way to one of Mass Ave.'s many accessible businesses. On a recent summer night, Mary Beth and I ran into friends and neighbors on our way to Yogulatte for some frozen yogurt. Mass Ave. is a thriving cultural district that embraces diversity, and the trail is a key amenity in linking everyone together.

The connections the Cultural Trail fosters - whether it's physical infrastructure of human relationships - are what make up a community. It's neighbors gathering at a coffee shop. It's suburban residents parking their cars and shopping at locally owned businesses. And it's employers, making investments in our neighborhoods. These types of connections happen every day along the Cultural Trail.

I encourage people with and without disabilities in Indianapolis to take some time to explore the Cultural Trail. It's a great way to connect with our community - and each other.

A view of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail looking

east on Massachusetts Avenue.

The Palladium: Sensitive to Guests with Disabilities

This morning, the Indianapolis Business Journal featured an article about a local woman who faced a challenge in purchasing a ticket for a wheelchair user at The Palladium. In the story, I discuss the many amenities of The Palladium, and how the staff will be participating in even more training to ensure people with disabilities are able to fully enjoy their experience.

People with disabilities present great opportunities to businesses and other organizations. When an individual purchases a ticket for an event, regardless of the price, they are exercising their purchasing power. That's why the work we do is so critical. We help ensure people with disabilities - and the aging population - can do more than purchase the ticket. We help ensure they can fully participate in the event or programming that is offered to them.

To everyone at The Palladium who is committed to accommodating people with disabilities and their guests, thank you for your work.

The 2011 Fehribach Awards

The Ball State University Disabled Student Development Awards Ceremony was held on April 12, 2011 in the Student Center's Cardinal Hall. As we have shared before, The Fehribach Group is pleased to sponsor The Fehribach Awards as part of this recognition ceremony.

This year, we recognized six Ball State students with disabilities who excelled in and out of the classroom and who furthered the cause of access and opportunity either through direct action and/or through their example.

Working with Director Larry Markle and the Disabled Student Development Department, the following outstanding students received our award:

• Scott Beesley, a senior health education major, who is a member of the BSU Club Lacrosse team.
• Brooke Bonnell, a graduate student in the sociology program, who is working on a research project about the parent-child bond.
• Dietrich Eherenman, a graduate student in the information and communication sciences program, who is a two-time winner of the Disabled Student Development's Bush Scholarship.
• Donelle Henderlong, a junior English major, who is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
• Kaleb Kelham, a junior accounting major, who is a pledge for Beta Alpha Psi, a national scholastic and professional fraternity for financial information professionals.
• Grace Kreitl, a senior history major, who has completed five half marathons and plans to do a triathlon this summer.
  

Congratulations to the 2011 Fehribach Award recipients. We applaud all of their achievements and look forward to their continued successes.

The 2011 Fehribach Award Winners. Pictured from left to right are: Dietrich Eherenman; Scott Beesley; Donelle Henderlong; Grace Kreitl; Greg Fehribach; Mary Beth Fehribach; Kaleb Kelham; Brooke Bonnell.

Enhancing the Arts Experience

For people with disabilities, the arts serve as a creative outlet and endless source of opportunity. Studies have shown that immersion in the arts directly enhances an individual's potential for personal and social success. Art is a great equalizer, and now more than ever, people with disabilities can wander through a museum, shop at an arts and crafts show at a community center, and sing along with their favorite musician at a concert hall, all without the barriers to access and enjoyment.

Supporting the arts is an important part of what we do at The Fehribach Group. I'm honored to serve on the board of directors for the Arts Council of Indianapolis. I've also provided ADA consulting to several arts venues across Central Indiana, including The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and most recently, The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.

The Center for the Performing Arts encompasses three local theaters: The Studio Theater, The Tarkington and The Palladium. The Palladium, Central Indiana's newest premier concert hall, opened to the public on January 22 of this year.

The new concert hall will undoubtedly attract a diverse mix of visitors. We kept that in mind as we assisted with all facets of design to ensure accessible restrooms, paths of travel, and gathering areas. All three venues offer maximum accessibility to guests with disabilities.

Additionally, guests can choose from a variety of price points, depending on whether they would like to sit in the orchestra pit or in a box. Visitors also can choose from an eclectic mix of acts, such as the prestigious Vienna Boys Choir and funk/jazz tap-dancing favorite, Savion Glover.

The ability to provide everyone, regardless of whether or not they have a disability, with options of how, when and whom they would like to see at The Center for the Performing Arts is exactly what makes these venues inclusive to all of its guests. So I encourage you to sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

The JW Marriott: Luxury & Accessibility in Downtown Indianapolis

One of the most exciting developments since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act 20 years ago has been the opportunity for travelers with disabilities to secure and enjoy a variety of lodging opportunities and experiences.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Americans with disabilities have $175 billion in discretionary spending power. When it comes to travel, people with disabilities and their families return to their favorite vacation spots, hotels and restaurants because of the quality of service and ease of accessibility. The ADA has been a catalyst in encouraging the hospitality industry to recognize the economic potential of creating accessible lodging that accommodates the needs of people with disabilities.

To that end, I am pleased to compliment the new JW Marriott Indianapolis on its grand opening and its commitment to the creation of the most accessible and largest JW Marriott in the world. I was privileged to serve on the Marriott Place Indianapolis design team, consulting on the accessible features of the JW Marriott Indianapolis, the Fairfield Inn & Suites and the JW Marriott Convention Center.

All of these facilities were designed to host visitors with a variety of accommodation needs. The Fehribach Group provided consultation on the fully accessible hotel bar and restaurant areas, along with the guest rooms and showers, convention and gathering spaces, and parking services. The JW Marriott provides guests with deluxe accommodations, and for those who seek a more affordable price point without sacrificing the luxury, the adjoining Fairfield Inn & Suites is also an accessible option.

The JW Marriott Indianapolis is also connected to the newly renovated Indiana Convention Center via skybridge and gives visitors and guests access to some of our city's greatest tourist attractions. Guests are just blocks from Victory Field, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Indiana State Museum, Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse, to name a few.

Providing people with disabilities a variety of options is what makes an experience inclusive. I often remind my clients that when a facility design works for people with disabilities, it works for all. The recent opening of these new venues give our guests with disabilities the freedom to make a choice and participate alongside every visitor. It's what makes our community both unique - and inclusive.