Editor ’ s Note
Fred J . Maahs , Jr .
Greetings !
Welcome to our April issue of Melange , Accessibility for All magazine .
We are very excited about this issue . The following pages contain great articles about people , organizations , and technology from the United States , India , Dubai , the UK , Israel , Portugal , and more ! We continue to bring our readers stories from all around the world that are relevant , interesting , and hopefully make a difference in their lives .
The past several months have given us a lot to think about and a lot to look forward to . I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the unprovoked attack on Ukraine . Sadly , thousands of innocent Ukrainians have been killed and a disproportionate number of people with disabilities living in Ukraine were either left behind or had no way to flee to safety . Thankfully , organizations such as Access Israel , and Friends of Access Israel traveled to the war zone to help in the evacuation of Ukrainians with and without disabilities . The organization , Joni and Friends , is also helping Ukrainians with disabilities flee to safety . But , they cannot do it alone . If you would like to help support these ongoing efforts , please visit www . faisr . org ( Friends of Access Israel ) or www . joniandfriends . org
On a much more positive note , in the shadows of Covid-19 , the world is beginning to open up as more people have been vaccinated and many have received their booster shots . With many countries relaxing their travel restrictions , people around the world are traveling by plane , train , cruise ships and by car nearly in numbers not seen since 2019 ! The travel industry expects to see a considerable jump during the Third Quarter this year . Mask regulations will continue to be enforced as necessary and may become the new “ norm ” to some degree .
And , don ’ t forget . We ’ re excited about our newest magazine , Melange Accessible Journeys , which was introduced in March ! In this latest digital magazine , we share stories from all around the world about accessible travel destinations written and experienced by people with disabilities . In each issue of Melange Accessible Journeys , you will find personal , firsthand accounts of what each traveler experienced during their journey . It will be a resource for anyone of any ability who wants to take an accessible journey ! We hope you enjoy it !
We will continue to make it all real , all relevant , and we certainly appreciate your thoughts . Let us know if you have a product you want us to try and write about or if you want to invite us to visit your city , country , resort , or place of interest so that we can write about it and share it with our audience . You can reach me
fmaahs @ readmelange . com .
Warm regards ,
@ FredMaahs - Twitter
Fred J . Maahs , Jr . is an internationally-renown disability and civil rights champion who believes in and advocates for the rights and access for all ! A recognized leader and former corporate executive , he ’ s also an International Keynote speaker , collaborator , and an international accessibility travel expert .
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