♿ Disabled riders need comprehensive public transportation planningWhen Tanisha Sepulveda, a disability justice advocate and wheelchair user from Seattle, noticed the lack of accessibility features on her way to a community center just 15 minutes away by car, it dawned on her that true accessibility is about more than just physical structures. Even though the building met ADA standards, she tells Prism that ADA compliance represents the "bare minimum" for the actual needs of people with disabilities.
Sepulveda is one of 13.4 million Americans ages 18-64 with self-reported travel-limiting disabilities, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. People with physical disabilities have faced increased challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, making fewer daily trips and finding it even more difficult to commute to work. They also tend to have lower incomes, with more than half of all people with disabilities ages 18-64 living in households with incomes under $25,000. Prism reports Washington’s statewide plans for green infrastructure, especially the transition to electric vehicles,can introduce challenges for those with mobility issues.
Read more to understand why this shift must account for accessibility and see recommendations for an accessible transit system that meets the needs of disabled non-drivers →
💬 Gaza is taking a toll on diaspora communities’ mental healthDr. Lama Khouri, a Palestinian psychoanalyst based in New York City, is helping patients cope with the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “I find a lot of the young people are questioning where they are in life,” she tells Epicenter-NYC. While she says many of her patients aren't eating or sleeping right now, she's also noticed how diasporic identity and views on social justice are showing up in therapy sessions. And these dynamics are coming up in sessions from both Palestinians and Jewish New Yorkers. Trauma-based psychotherapist Rousz DeLuca, who is Jewish and also based in NYC, adds that many of their patients feel a sense of "...helplessness around watching Jewish intergenerational trauma be weaponized to justify genocide.” Epicenter-NYC offers this mini guide to support individuals, with and without insurance, navigate the intricacies of mental health and social justice in therapy.
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📈 The sharp rise in STD cases for Latinas signals much change is neededLatinas, especially Latina immigrants, face higher risks of contracting STDs. Studies reveal that this demographic makes up a considerable portion of HIV cases and is 1.7 times more likely to get HPV infections compared to other ethnic and racial groups. Luz Media shines a light on an issue often overlooked within the Latino community due to a lack of access to healthcare and sex education, as well as the cultural curtains of stigma and shame surrounding conversations about sexual health among Latinos.
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Dr. Lama Khouri is a Palestinian psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor at the Arab-American Family Support Center in New York City. She specializes in helping patients navigate mental health challenges related to trauma, identity and political conflicts