Irvine Wins $25,000 Accessible America Award
The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) announced has announced that Irvine, Calif. has won the second annual Accessible America Contest.
Irvine is being heralded as a model city for its focus on disability issues and its programs, services and facilities that are accessible for citizens and visitors who have disabilities.
Located in Southern California, 40 miles south of Los Angeles, Irvine has a population of 143,072. According to the U.S. Census, more than 10 percent of the city’s residents have one or another type of disability.
The Accessible America Contest, administered by N.O.D.’s Community Partnership Program, is sponsored by a grant from UPS. The winning city receives a cash award of $25,000.
The money, to be presented to Mayor Larry Agran in a forthcoming ceremony, encourages further progress and may be used to fund local disability-related efforts.
Dozens of towns, cities, and counties nationwide submitted applications endorsed by the mayor or chief elected official with a detailed description of community-wide efforts to be welcoming and accessible. Applications came from places with populations from 500 people to several million. Irvine’s welcoming attitude impressed the judges, eight leading national disability advocates and experts. One of the nation’s largest planned urban communities, Irvine uses its master plan to promote full access to schools, parks, religious institutions, recreational facilities and events for all residents, workers and visitors.
The City’s Community Partners Emergency Response Team invites disability community involvement in brainstorming concerns and in preparing for emergencies.
The Irvine Residents with Disabilities Advisory Board responds to disability issues related to transportation, community awareness, employment, housing, accessibility and social/recreational facilities.
Irvine’s Access Reporting Policy forwards citizen complaints regarding community accessibility to the appropriate City department for swift investigation and resolution.
“This is a particular series of programs that are near and dear to my heart,” said Mayor Agran. “Our city has worked very, very hard and the benefits have accrued to tens of thousands of citizens with and without disabilities in our community.”
Joining Irvine as finalists were: Austin, Texas; Bloomington, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Iowa City, Iowa; Nashville, Tennessee; and Traverse City, Michigan. N.O.D. President Alan A. Reich stated, “We congratulate Irvine for its outstanding initiative and for leading a field of top-notch applicants. By winning this award, Irvine is setting the pace for communities nationwide Bloomington, Charlotte, and Irvine were also finalists in last year’s inaugural Accessible America contest, won by Venice, Florida. Applicants were asked to demonstrate an exceptional commitment to offering their citizens with disabilities full and equal opportunities to participate in the life of their community, including access to jobs, education, religious worship, voting, transportation, housing, and social, recreational, cultural, and sports activities.
For information about entering next year’s Accessible America competition, contact Ms. Starnes at 202-293-5960. The deadline is Oct. 31, 2003.
The National Organization on Disability, founded in 1982, promotes the full and equal participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.
For more information, including how communities can join the Community Partnership Program, visit http://www.nod.org.
