United Spinal Association to Receive Advocates Award from New York State Division of Human Rights
New York, NY––This Thursday, October 27, 2005, United Spinal Association, a national disability rights organization, will receive the New York State Division of Human Rights’ Advocates Award at ceremonies celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the enactment of New York’s Human Rights statute. United Spinal was chosen to receive the Advocates Award for excellence in promoting the Human Rights agenda throughout the State. The ceremonies will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the New York City Surrogate Court Building at 31 Chambers Street in Manhattan.
“We are humbled to receive this recognition from the State Division of Human Rights,” said Gerard M. Kelly, Executive Director of United Spinal Association. “Throughout our 59 years of service, we have followed the principle that each individual with a disability in our society should be able to lead a life of productivity, meaning and dignity. United Spinal Association is guided every day by this standard as we strive to expand accessibility and opportunity in such critical areas as housing, transportation and employment.”
Division of Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Cheney Donaldson said, “They [United Spinal Association] are being awarded for their outstanding record of improving accessibility for persons with disabilities, advocating for civil rights laws, and providing educational resources to the community.”
United Spinal Association has been a leader in advocating for accessible transportation, both here in New York City and nationwide, through its work on the transportation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 1985, the Association settled a lawsuit initiated under the State Human Rights Law against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), whereby the MTA agreed to make buses, subway stations, and commuter lines accessible and establish van services for people with disabilities. Today, the Association continues to lead the effort to make the New York City taxi and livery system more accessible through its participation in the “Taxis for All Campaign.” In 2002, the Association also won a landmark settlement in which the city agreed to commit approximately $218 million to make all of New York’s 158,738 street corners accessible to wheelchair users.
From its beginning in the New York area helping to correct Human Rights Law violations and improve local building code provisions to achieve better accessibility, United Spinal has grown to become a recognized national leader in building code development, training of design professionals and code enforcement. United Spinal Association’s Accessibility Services staff, for example, helped to expand the disability access provisions contained in the International Building Code (IBC), a design standard adopted by New York State in 2003. Over the past two years, the Association has provided similar assistance to the New York City Department of Buildings to adopt the IBC, an outcome that it anticipates will greatly improve future accessibility for persons with disabilities.