Outreach takes many forms:

• We work to educate businesses about the common issues people face in accessing their specific space   
• We work with business to create ways to improve the customer service they provide for people with mobility challenges
• We try to get the opinions of people with a wide range of disabilities so we serve as many people as possible 
• We work with museums, libraries, and public facilities to educate them about the needs and issues of people with disabilities

We are a staff of concerned and dedicated people working to raise awareness of the barriers physically handicapped people face. We have:

• Worked with people who have a wide range of disabilities to find out what challenges they are face in terms of access.
  
• Assessed businesses to find out what the challenges are with their physical spaces
  
• Trained customer service representatives on how to assist disabled patrons

Recent Projects:  Providing training for the staff and management at Caffe Umbria in Seattle on how to provide better customer service for people in wheelchairs and with mobility issues.

                           Consultation with the owner of La Medusa restaurant in Seattle around customer service issues with the restaurant and planning future staff training.

                           We are also gathering opinions from a wide range of groups on what the key issues are with access and customer service when they are in businesses.  We are currently seeking feedback from people who use motorized wheelchair, people with visual impairments, parents with children in strollers, people who use crutches or canes, and manual wheelchair users.  This information will be used in future training and in our advocacy work in the community.  

We work with business to create ways to improve the customer service they provide people with mobility challenges.

NEW  Handicapped Placard Abuse Campaign

A Handicapped parking permit, is given to a person who has a certified medical condition that limits personal mobility resulting in the persons inability to travel 200 feet without the aid of a wheelchair, crutches, cane, prosthetic device.

Severe visual or physical impairment, severe respiratory problems, certain severe cardiac problems, loss of the use of one or more limbs are other conditions that qualify the person for a placard.

Park for free! One of the benefits of the placard is you don't have to pay for parking and you can park as long as you need to!       People who are not handicapped use the placard to park for free.  This reduces the number of parking spaces for everyone, especially handicapped people. 

The handicapped person is the only one who can legally use the placard.  That means when they are in the car they can park in a spot.  What happens is people leave the placard on the rear view mirror and when their son, daughter, friend, husband goes out he/she uses the placard as well. Over and over I see able bodied people using the placards to get free parking.  

You cannot get a placard with out the signature of a physician.

We are currently setting up a program to educate Physicians about the rampant abuse which is taking place involving Handicapped Parking Placards so they understand the rules and goals of the permits. We have yet to talk with a doctor who had any awareness that any abuse was taking place with the placards.

Physicians need to know that their signature on the application form means. They need to know that handicapped people who use wheelchairs, crutches, and other assistive devices are unable to find places to park in Seattle and Washington State because able bodied people are abusing the placards.