Advocacy Updates: May 24, 2022

 

May 24, 2022 | by Emma Olson

June 2, 2022: Town Hall on Disability Devices and Emergency Transportation

 

Ryan McGraw

Community Organizer – Healthcare

rmcgraw@accessliving.org

(312) 640-2125

Are you a person with a disability who has had to call an ambulance to go to the hospital in Chicago? A common problem for many Chicagoans with mobility devices is that if you have to go to the hospital in an ambulance, the emergency personnel won’t take your mobility device with you. However, we know that wheelchairs are freedom devices for people with disabilities, and it only makes a health emergency worse if you are wondering where your chair has gone.

So, let’s talk about it! Join Access Living for a virtual Town Hall meeting on emergency transportation. Not only may someone not be able to take their wheelchair with them, people also may not be able to take their communication devices or other medical devices with them either.  Not having these devices at the hospital may cause a serious issue for the person who relies on this devices in their everyday life.

The Town Hall will include a panel of Chicagoans with disabilities that have been directly impacted by not being able to bring their device(s) to the hospital, while being transported in the ambulance. Our panelists will share their stories, and we will invite the audience to share their stories as well. We can’t wait to hear from you!

When: Thursday June 2, 5:30-7 pm Central

How to sign up: Please register for the town hall meeting at this link. The event is free. ASL and Spanish interpreters as well as CART transcription will be provided during the Town Hall.

Share with your friends! You can share the Facebook event page for those who use social media.

If you need additional information or have questions about this event, please contact Ryan McGraw at rmcgraw@accessliving.org or 312-640-2125. Ryan is Access Living’s Healthcare and Home/Community Based Services Organizer.