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Listen to My Commentary Online at NPR.org!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4933303
Imagine a life where you can't visit your friends in their homes. For people with disabilities, that barrier is a fact of life. But now that entire communities need to be rebuilt, we have an opportunity for change.
Yesterday on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," my commentary about rebuilding Gulf Coast neighborhoods that are inclusive and as "visit-able" as possible raised the issue at a critical time. A major meeting featuring Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, the Mayors of all the affected municipalities, and New Urbanist consultants will be a fundamental step in the planning of the rebuild. Now is the time to launch a promotional blitz the likes of which the disability rights movement has never seen. We have the potential to squash one of the greatest barriers to social integration our community has endured since the beginning of time.
Thanks to Eleanor Smith of "Concrete Change," we have the catch phrase "Visitability" that can become a household word in America. It is an angle perfect for national and local media coverage. Familiarize yourself with the issue by visiting http://www.concretechange.org. Contact your local media and give them anecdotes about how lack of access to people's homes has impacted your life. The media likes stories. Even if you don't live in the affected areas, it is a hook for Visitability to be promoted everywhere.
Get involved, get informed and stay tuned!
Love,
Greg Smith
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