Concrete Change

Advocate gets Visitability guest column in city paper

alex venegas — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:42:56 +0000

Right now, there are hundreds of people in Montana who cannot go home. They cannot go home because there are no available homes in Montana that they can use. [...]

Click here to read more by Justyn Field in a guest column published on Missoulian.com on February 6, 2012.

“Groups push for more accessible housing”

alex venegas — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:51:42 +0000

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (11-30-2011) published a piece on the fight for accessibility and Visitability, quoting home builder Christine Fortenberry and activist Eleanor Smith of Concrete Change. Please click here to read more on the AJC website. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Public Broadcasting Service radio station ran a brief story as well. Click here to listen to the PBS piece.

9 Vis Myths and Facts – Our Newest Version

alex venegas — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:12:24 +0000

Sample myth and fact:

4. MYTH: A zero-step entrance requires a conventional ramp, with 90-degree drop-offs at the edges and hand rails.

Fact: On new construction, the lot can be graded so that a sidewalk ties directly to a porch.

Click here to see the other eight!

Memphis Downtowner Vis Article – 11/2011

alex venegas — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:02:09 +0000

Memphis CIL scores visitability article in city magazine (11/2011). Click here to read the full article on the Memphis Downtowner website (available until November 2014).

Public Health Award for Concrete Change

alex venegas — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:43:51 +0000

Concrete Change activist Eleanor Smith was awarded a 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award from Emory University, the Rollins School of Public Health and the Goizueta Business School. HSmith of the Congress for the New Urbanism reports on the award:

Concrete Change, a pioneering advocacy organization for those with disabilities, has been awarded with the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award from Emory University, the Rollins School of Public Health and the Goizueta Business School for its work promoting affordable, accessible integrated housing. Additionally, Eleanor Smith has been awarded with the first Advocacy Award from the disability section of the American Public Health Association. The award will be presented at the APHA conference, October 29th-November 2nd.

Eleanor gained traction within CNU after leading discussions and bringing awareness of the three key tenets of visitability to CNU’s leadership. Visitability is defined as: 36” wide doors, reinforced bathroom walls, and one zero-step entrance. For more on this, please visit the definitions authored by Concrete Change.

Eleanor has had spirited debate on how to provide accessible dwelling units as part of New Urbanism. She has also presented at the 2009 Atlanta Regional Commission’s Lifelong Communities Charrette, where she was able to work on specific designs with Andres Duany and other CNU members. She has also been a frequent presenter at CNU, most recently at CNU 18 in Atlanta.

Congratulations to Eleanor and Concrete Change!