BOSTON – The Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), home to the New England Region Center for the American Disabilities Act, is launching two new initiatives, focusing attention on accessibility for an aging population and those with behavioral health and substance use issues.

Celebrating the 26th Anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act, the Institute for Human Centered Design and affiliate New England ADA Center will hold an ice cream event for the public and media with a presentation from a leading thinker on mental health from the National Empowerment Center: “New Perceptions on Mental Health.”

by Katherine Blakeslee
Sandy Ho is a person of color, has a disability and a member of the LGBTQ community. In light of the recent tragedy in Orlando on June 12, her collective identities felt even closer to her. As Sandy read the headlines on June 13, she asked herself, “How can anyone separate one part of themselves from the next? Where does my Asian-American identity end, and my disability, and queer identities begin?”

May is Mental Health Month and what a better way to kick it off than with a grass roots global release of Healing Voices Documentary!

The producers of “Healing Voices” – a new social action documentary about mental health released the film via community screening partners in a coordinated global event. The movie will screened in more than 130 locations across the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, and Australia on and around April 29^th as part of the movie’s “ONE NIGHT, ONE VOICE” grass roots release.

by Katherine Blakeslee
I had the pleasure of meeting Rex Pace while he was attending the ArchitectureBoston Expo (ABX) on November 19. He was presenting in two sessions one entitled, “ADA Updates 2015” and the other, “ADA and Mass Architectural Access Board Regulations Untangling the Confusion,” alongside Kathy Gips, who is our Director of Training at the New England ADA Center. Mr. Pace is the senior accessibility specialist at the U.S. Access Board, and also serves as the technical assistance coordinator.