Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine February 2023 | Page 14

The ABILITY Event goes purple

Submitted by St . Cloud State University Center for International Disability Advocacy and Diplomacy www . stcloudstate . edu

St . Cloud State University Rehabilitative Studies Programs and the Center for International Disability Advocacy hosted the first Purple Tuesday event in the U . S . on November 1 , 2022 in partnership with SHL in Minneapolis . Purple Tuesday was launched in the U . K . in 2018 . It is a global social movement and the # 1 brand for improving the customer experience for people with disabilities and their families 365 days a year .

The ABILITY Event Goes Purple was held on the SCSU Campus . Charlene Overend from Purple in the U . K . kicked off the day with the announcement of Purple Tuesday in the U . S . In her welcome remarks , President Robbyn Wacker said , “ Despite the ADA and other advances in human rights and social justice legislation , grave challenges remain for many individuals in our communities , our institutions and our world . Like other Civil Rights legislation , the reality of the lived experiences of persons with disabilities has not always lived up to its guarantee . Far too many disability-related complaints are still being filed with the federal agencies that enforce fair housing and employment laws . And we know many businesses and institutions remain inaccessible to those who should be freely accessing their services .”
Purple Tuesday Ambassador , Fred Maahs , Jr ., served as the keynote speaker . Maahs also moderated a panel with Sherri Rademacher , Xiaorong Zhou and Darlene Zangara that focused on the unique aspects of customers who are deaf .
The celebration of Purple Tuesday transitioned to Paisley Park in Minnesota , the home of the late internationally renowned entertainer , Prince .
14 Accessibilty for All To Table of Contents