Accessibility for those with disabilities is something that most people don’t spend much time thinking about. With the upcoming flood of visitors expected to hit Milwaukee this summer for the Democratic National Convention, IndependenceFirst is partnering with UW-Milwaukee and Access Ratings for Buildings to produce a mobile app to track accessibility to restaurants and other businesses around the city.
On Saturday, February 29, the group is calling for volunteers to assist in surveying buildings near Fiserv Forum, Walker’s Point, the Third Ward and Downtown Milwaukee. At 9 a.m. those interested are asked to meet at IndependenceFirst (540 S. 1st Street) for information and a demonstration on how to collect data and what to look for. The assembled survey teams will hit the streets at noon. The data they collect will populate the mobile phone app and make it possible for those with disabilities to track accessibility wherever they want to go during the DNC. The app will be listed as a resource for the 50,000+ people expected to attend the convention in July.
The app will be a useful resource after it’s created, not just for those visiting for the convention, but for people with disabilities in surrounding communities that want to experience what the growing city of Milwaukee has to offer.
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IndependenceFirst is metro Milwaukee’s first nonprofit resource when people have questions regarding access and disability. They offer more than 20 programs and services for people with disabilities of all kinds. Over 50% of their internal staff, management and board members are individuals with disabilities.
