The Next Stop: METRO's Podcast Episode 68: Universal Accessibility Ñ What It Means, Why it Matters and What You Can Do 01-30-2024 Jamie Weiner: Thank you for all the work that METRO has done for being inclusive and thinking about the people who live in Houston who have the need to get around and have this accessibility. Doug Delony: IÕm Doug Delony. On this edition of the Next Stop: Inclusion and accessibility. They are among the top priorities here at METRO. [Introduction music plays] Doug Delony: Today, on the Next Stop, we welcome Jamie Weiner, Director of The Alexander Institute for Inclusion. Welcome, Jamie. Jamie Weiner: Hey, Doug. Thanks for having me. Doug Delony: No, thank you for taking the time. This is such an important topic for us here at METRO, inclusion, accessibility. We are always looking for ways to spread the message and looking for ways to improve services and accessibility for those in the Houston region. So very quickly tell us, what is The Alexander Institute for Inclusion? Can you tell me a little bit about your background? Jamie Weiner: Sure. Yeah. I am a social worker by training. I have been working in the disability field for, oh gosh, about 20 plus years if I have to admit that, just because of my age not because I donÕt love working in the disability field. Doug Delony: [laughs] Right. Jamie Weiner: And IÕve been working for Alexander Jewish Family Service for coming up on 11 ? years. So, I really love my job and working for the Institute for Inclusion, The Alexander Institute for Inclusion. We are really trying to work disability inclusion on two levels. Working with the person with a disability, helping them to find employment and advocacy, and social groups to be a part of. So providing programming on the individual level and helping them to be the best version of themselves if they can be. And then on the larger scale, we are doing things to try to help fix the societal issues that are bringing down people with disabilities and keeping them from living their best lives. So, we try to do some advocacy locally, citywide, statewide, and nationally, as well as education out in the community. As far of a reach as theyÕll let me go to talk about inclusion and etiquette and advocacy in all different levels to try to make the world just a better place for all of us, including people with disability. Doug Delony: And I know that must be a very rewarding line of work for you, if you even call it work because itÕs such a blessing to have people like you in these organizations around that really look out for other people and include other people that unfortunately are sometimes overlooked. And part of that is this organization or event that we have annually here in Houston called ReelAbilities. And I know you are involved with ReelAbilities. Can you speak briefly about that event? We'll circle back later on the details as far as date and time and where to find information, but where is, or what is ReelAbilities? Jamie Weiner: Sure. So, ReelAbilities is a film festival that is actually, itÕs a national festival that is hosted by many organizations and states around the country. But here in Houston, The Alexander JFS is the host city, sorry, we are the host of the festival here for the city, and weÕve been hosting it for over ten years. And it is our gift to the city, and we do that in collaboration with the MayorÕs Office for People with Disabilities and TIRR Memorial Hermann, and itÕs a freeÑyes, I said freeÑcitywide event that promotes inclusion and celebrates the lives, stories, and talents of people with disabilities making an impact that lasts far beyond the festival and throughout the greater Houston area. Doug Delony: So, overall today, weÕre talking about improving accessibility and inclusion for people who have disabilities and certainly part of that is the ReelAbilities film festival or festival. Is that a good, short way to put it? Jamie Weiner: Absolutely. Doug Delony: And thatÕs easier said than done, right? IÕm gonna have to just preface this whole conversationÑI recognize that our conversation today, you and I, this is very, very surface level. And itÕs really something that deserves hours and hours of conversation. Not just the 15 minutes that we spend here on this podcast. But I know people like you, people at METRO, we work year-round, every single day on accessibility and inclusion practices. And I know that there are some big challenges, though, both in the private sector and the public sector that people with disabilities face every single day of their lives. Can you talk briefly about some of those challenges that they face that maybe some things that are obvious and then maybe some things that are not so obvious to people who havenÕt thought about it before? Jamie Weiner: Yeah. I think for the most part, it really boils down to awareness and education. I think that if more people were aware and educated on all the different types of disabilities and barriers that are put in the way of people with disabilities then it would be easier to eliminate them. So, when people a lot of times have a vision of a person with a disability, they think automatically of someone who has a physical disability. They might think of a wheelchair user. They might think of someone who is blind. Something that they can physically see, but there are a lot of invisible disabilities out there that you donÕt see. And that people donÕt have to always share that with everybody. And so I think that just, you know, having that knowledge and being aware of it would help to break down those barriers and make it easier for people to feel included and to find jobs, to be able to live independently, to have social groups to be a part of, and I think that why this festival is so important, and the mission of that festival is to help to bring that awareness out there and to really help to educate people about all various types of disabilities out there and what those barriers may be and how they can become aware of them and maybe make some adjustments in their own lives so that they can help be an advocate themselves. Doug Delony: I really wish that we could make it mandatory that people have to attend at least a couple of these ReelAbilities events Ôcause it really can be an eye-opening experience. Very much at just the surface level, this conversation. You mentioned, you know, itÕs not always a disability that peopleÑyou know, most people and myself included growing up, you think disability is something youÕre going to see. Someone in a wheelchair like you said. ThatÕs why now that I believe that I am more open-minded, and I realize, ÒLook, if I see someone at the grocery store using the spot that has the blue, you know, handicap logo with the person in the wheelchair, but they get out, and they look like theyÕre okay, IÕm not gonna make any assumptions about that scenario. IÕm just gonna go about my day because I realize thereÕs so much more to it than that.Ó One of the best ways to address these issues and educate others is, is celebrate, right? Changing perceptions, right? Can you speak a little bit to that ideaÑhow you and how ReelAbilities help to celebrate and change perceptions? Jamie Weiner: Sure. I mean, letÕs just stop on the celebrating part. So, the festival isÑyes, we show films, and I think having representationÑI think many of us people who are women, people of color, people who are of the marginalized people of society understand about representation. Being able to go to the big screen, the silver screen as they say, and see some representation of themselves staring back at them, itÕs so important to realizing that you matter in this world, and that there is somebody else out there like you. And theyÕre up on the big screen. So just having films that show people with disabilities of all different types of disabilitiesÑweÕre talking, you know, people who might have Down Syndrome. People who might have cerebral palsy. People who have some mental health issue. People who have albinism. You know, those are all being represented in these films that we are showing. And so being able to have that being shown back onto you from the big screen, I think, thatÕs celebrating, having that representation. So, the film part of it. But we also have an art show, where our program celebration company works on art and photography all year round and then they get to show off their art at the Sabine Street Studios. They have this huge art opening, where their art is on the wall, and itÕs up for an entire month, and we have programming around it. I mean, that is celebratory. Getting to see all of their hard work, how they view the world and communicate their view of the world to the rest of society is celebratory and enough. And that would be enough, right? But no, we go on. We donÕt just have films. We donÕt just have art. We also have speakers. We have speakers that come in and talk to us in this TED Talk-style and talk to us about their lives and their stories and really get intimate and share with us and give us an opportunity to ask questions, and thatÕs reallyÑand thatÕs our UP Speaker. And thatÕs just really a moving, intimate experience, and then we end the whole festival with a music festivalÑReelMusicÑwhere we have musicians who have disabilities who are coming up and performing. And these musicians are amazing. So, I think thatÕs how we are celebrating people with disabilities by giving them an opportunity and stage and showing themÑthe people in the audience who have a disabilityÑgiving them that representation and saying, like, ÒHey, that person looks like me. And theyÕre able to get up on the stage and do that. ThatÕs really, really cool.Ó And then for the people who donÕt have the disability to see the people on the big screen, the people on the stage, the artists with their art on the wall, and saying, ÒOh, my goodness. These people do all of that, and they have a disability? That is amazing.Ó And that is helping to break down the stigmas and increase the awareness of all the capabilities that people with disabilities are able to do. Doug Delony: ThatÕs fantastic. So, this makes me even happier that weÕre promoting this on our podcast. You know, we always promote ReelAbilities on our social channels here at METRO leading up to the event, so IÕm so glad we can have this conversation today. This being a METRO podcast, letÕs dig a little deeper into actual physical accessibility as far as transportation. ItÕs an important mission here Ôcause weÕre the Transit Authority. We very recently celebrated the completion of 5,000 universally accessible stops. A lot of people donÕt realize that we have almost 10,000 stops of various kinds and facilities throughout the region. ItÕs a lot. And weÕre still working on this, so many more universally accessible stops are on the way in the coming years. All of our vehicles here at METRO are accessible. And of course, we have a vital paratransit service offered across the Houston region called METROLift. One of our board members is Lex Frieden, who has also been involved with ReelAbilities. Mr. Frieden was also one of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That is to say here at METRO, we are always looking for ways to improve and serve everyone. When you think of the term, Jamie, when you think of the term Ògood accessibilityÓÑand this is very broadly speakingÑwhat do you think of? And this could be from a transit standpoint or not. Jamie Weiner: Well, Doug, first of all, thank you again for giving me this opportunity and for all the work that METRO has done for being inclusive and thinking about the people who live in Houston who have the need to get around and have this accessibility and for really putting in the time and the effort and the money to make this happen. And to be such an inclusive city. This is such an amazing city to live in, and METROLift and all those things and of course Lex is such a friend of the festival. We really appreciate the work that has been done, and itÕs just exciting to hear the stops that you guys have added. That is quite a feat, and I really appreciate and applaud the work that has been done. So, thank you. When I, I think about universal design and thatÕs where I come from. ÒUniversal designÓ is a term that is an architectural term that we kind of borrowed in the disability world, but basically, it talks about making things accessible for everyone. If you make it accessible for everyone, then youÕre not excluding anyone. So, when youÕre designing something, when youÕre designing a bus stop, when youÕre designing a vehicle, when youÕre designing a building, if you think about making it so that anyone whether theyÕre a wheelchair user, whether theyÕre someone who is deaf or someone who is blind, are able to access every and all parts of it, then you are making it accessible to everyone, whether they use a wheelchair or donÕt use a wheelchair. Everyone can use a ramp. Not everybody can use stairs. So, why not build it with the ramp? Why have two separate ways? ThatÕs just making more work for you. So, thatÕs where I come from, is if we can look at the world through that way as we are making public transportation more and more accessible. If we can continue to look through that universal design lens, I think that we will continue to be more successful and more inclusive. Doug Delony: And what are some of the ways that all cities and communitiesÑand itÕs okay to repeat yourself Ôcause you kind of already touched on this a little bit. What are some of the ways that communities or, you know, government leaders or business owners should look to improve accessibility? How can we all strive to go beyond what is even required by the Americans with Disabilities Act? Jamie Weiner: First of all, I think that youÑthereÕs an old saying within the disability community, ÒNothing about me without me.Ó I think you should look to your community leaders with disabilities, and you should invite them to be a part of the discussion as you are moving forward on these projects. You should have leaders who have disabilities at the table, and they are their own experts. And they can tell you and guide you on the best way to move forward. And that is the best piece of advice I can give you and thatÕs why I applaud the City of Houston for having the MayorÕs Office for People with Disabilities because they have that office right there at the right hand of the mayor to be able to makeÑhelp whoeverÕs the mayorÑthose decisions and guide and give advice moving forward on big projects like that. But I think anytime you have a board or anytime you are convening a roundtable or trying to put a project together, and you want an advocate for disability at the table, and that person should have a disability, whether itÕs a visible disability or a hidden disability that they have disclosed. It should be an advocate there because who else better to advocate, but than somebody whoÕs living it? Doug Delony: That is must-have experience and must-have input, right? If someone is a community leader, a business owner, educator, theyÕve never thought about having this in-depth conversation about accessibility, what would you say to them? Jamie Weiner: Well, look, the lowest hanging fruit is come to a ReelAbilities event. ItÕs easy. ItÕs free. Come check it out for yourself. See what itÕs all about. But if youÕre looking for some help or for some resources there are some really great resources out there. At The Alexander Institute for Inclusion, we do provide some assistance with disability etiquette classes. We can come and speak to you, members of your team, and talk to them about disability etiquette, how to be inclusive in your workforce. The dos and donÕts of, you know, having somebody with a disability in your employment. All those things. And I know the MayorÕs Office for People with Disabilities offers similar types of trainings as well. The resources are out there, and we are more than willing to share them and to provide them. But I think itÕs just as easy as if you are just slightly interested, come to the festival, reach out to The Alexander Institute for Inclusion, reach out to MOPD, or any of the other resources that are available, and pick up the phone, and call because if you have a question, we are more than eager to guide you to an answer. Doug Delony: ThatÕs great because even though ReelAbilities, you know, is a month out of the year, this is a conversationÑand even this episode of the podcastÑthis is a conversation that can happen, you know, 365 days out of the year, and itÕs great to hear the organizations that youÕre a part of that provide that conversation. Circling back to ReelAbilities, though, the dates this year 2024 are February 4th through the 28th. I always have a hard time pronouncing the Febr-February. [laughs] Jamie Weiner: February. Yeah. Doug Delony: What can people look forward to at this yearÕs festival? How can people get involved? How do they register or do they have to register? WhatÕs the website, etc.? Jamie Weiner: Yeah, so, itÕs really easy. The website is reelabilitieshoustonÑI believe itÕs reelabilitieshouston.org. February 4th is our kickoff with the ReelArt opening, a reception at the Sabine Street Studios. Again, all but one of our events is absolutely free. And we do ask if you can register Ôcause that just helps us with knowing the crowd and how many people that are coming, but itÕs not absolutely required. But if you go on the website, you can start registering for events. So, we have the art reception on February 4th. We have ourÑFebruary 15th, we have UP Abilities, which is our speakers. The speakers this year are Daniel Barvin, Eduardo Garcia, and Gabriel Cordell. And that evening, that is the one evening where we do charge a fee for the tickets, and I think itÕs a pretty reasonable fee. DonÕt quote me on that, how much it is, but you can buy those tickets online and that is being held at the United Way of Greater Houston. That event is from 7 to 9. And then the film part of the festival kicks off on February 18th. All the films are at Greenway. Even the parking that evening is free if you are driving yourself, and the first filmÑopening night film is called Upside Down, and that film starts at 7 oÕclock. Doug Delony: ThatÕs great. Jamie Weiner: And then the last one IÕll just do a shout-out for is February 22nd is our ReelMusic at White Oaks Music Hall with the performance starting at 7 and then our last, February 25th is the ReelArt Crawl, which closes out the festival back at Sabine Street Studios from 10:30 to 1:30 and that is a family-friendly event. Doug Delony: Great. And I know the website reelabilitieshouston.org has the full calendars, so everyone should really check it out because thereÕs so many different things to attend at different places. You know, you donÕt have to go to every single one for the entire month, obviously, but if you can just attend a few, IÕm sure that for many people this is a mind-opening kind of event. Lastly, I always ask on this podcast, is there anything that we did not touch on in this conversation or anything else that youÕd like to address or to say? Anything to add? Jamie Weiner: Obviously, IÕm very passionate about what I do, and IÕm passionate about the film festival. IÕm passionate about disability advocacy, and IÕm just excited about the partnership with METRO. I think itÕs amazing. I think we live in an amazing city that offers so much to so many people, and I am just so excited, Doug, that you invited me to be a part of this podcast. It just means so much, and I just look forward to see what the future holds and how else we can work together. Doug Delony: Absolutely. This, this was great. And remind us again, tell us real quick Alexander Institute for Inclusion, whatÕs that website? Jamie Weiner: You are gonna go to alexanderjfs.org. The Alexander Institute for Inclusion is a part of Alexander JFS, which is a United Way Agency thatÕs been around for over 100 years here in Houston. Doug Delony: Great. Thank you so much, Jamie Weiner, thank you. Jamie Weiner: Thank you, Doug. Doug Delony: That wraps it up for this edition. Thank you to you, the listener, and all of our METRO riders out there. IÕm Doug Delony. Once again, I want to remind everyone to check out reelabilitieshouston.org. ThatÕs R-E-E-L, reelabilitieshouston.org, and ridemetro.org/accessibility to learn more about the topics we discussed today. If youÕd like to check out more episodes of this podcast and subscribe, you can find all the links you need on ridemetro.org/podcast. As always, drive less and do more with Houston METRO. [Music plays to the end] RMETRO/pti:kh Page 1 of 1