Disability advocates gathered Sunday to discuss accessibility challenges in Lansing and engage with local political candidates about making the city more inclusive.
- Disability advocates from Lansing Undersea and Your Mom Directory hosted a panel to address accessibility issues in the city.
- Event organizer Erin Riley emphasized that many disabled residents have unmet needs and face unchallenged stereotypes.
- The City of Lansing maintains it is supportive of disabled residents, citing ADA ramp installations and upgrades.
WATCH: Lansing disability advocates push for more accessible city
I attended a disability advocacy panel at The Fledge on Sunday, where neighbors gathered to speak about making Lansing more accessible.
The panel was hosted by disability advocates from Lansing Undersea and Your Mom Directory, bringing together community members concerned about accessibility issues throughout the city.
"There's a lot of needs being unmet and a lot of stereotypes being unchallenged because so many disabled folks are being forced to the shadows and their words are not being amplified," Erin Riley, the event organizer, said.
The gathering provided a platform for disabled residents to voice their concerns directly to political candidates who could potentially address these issues through policy changes.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor's office responded to questions about the city's accessibility efforts with a statement from communications director Scott Bean.
"The City of Lansing is proud to be supportive of those who are disabled and in our city. We have worked with the Disability Network in the past and have made city services disability-friendly. From installing and upgrading ADA ramps on city sidewalks and in road projects," Bean said in part.
Despite these efforts, advocates at the panel emphasized that more comprehensive changes are needed to make Lansing truly accessible for all residents.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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