NYRR Expands Disability Initiatives
July is Disability Pride Month and here at New York Road Runners, we are expanding our efforts toward disability inclusion to further comply with city, state, and federal mandates by adding reasonable accommodation language to our race pages and installing an Assistive Listening System (ALS) at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, among other initiatives.
We have a long history of inclusion of athletes with disabilities (AWDs) detailed here and a decades-long partnership with Achilles International, an organization that provides a community of support for AWDs. Learn about our recent efforts below.
Hiring First-Ever Director of Disability Inclusion and Accessibility
Marc Guillaume, Director of Disability Inclusion and Accessibility, has served as a key liaison across the organization, assisting with strategic planning for programs, services, facilities, policies, and procedures relating to opportunities for persons with disabilities that go beyond compliance with federal and state law.
“My mandate is to evaluate the current state of disability inclusion and co-create a roadmap to close gaps to improve customer, community, and colleague experience,” Marc said.
Reasonable Accommodation Language
NYRR has added the following language to race pages to bring awareness to participants that we offer reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.
NYRR strives to host inclusive, sustainable, and accessible events that enable all individuals to engage. To request reasonable accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility for attending this event, please email accessibility@nyrr.org.
Assistive Listening System (ALS) at the NYRR RUNCENTER
ALS technology was recently installed at the NYRR RUNCENTER designed to help individuals with hearing loss or hearing disability enhance their ability to hear and understand audio announcements, particularly in challenging listening environments.
Meetings and Events Checklist for NYRR Staff
Provides guidance for accessibility features for events such as panels with live audiences and other NYRR public-facing meetings. Some examples include choosing venues with accessible restrooms, having American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters available upon request, distributing materials available in alternate formats upon request (e.g., electronic, large print, braille).
For the Achilles Hope & Possibility 4M Presented by TD Bank, NYRR added braille to the race bib that spells out the race name.
Last month, Marc led a discussion for NYRR staff to learn about the different types of disabilities, the legal rights for people with disabilities at the city, state, and federal level as well as the barriers people with disabilities face and common misconceptions.
“Companies can raise awareness, train towards sensitivity, encourage community engagement, create a pipeline for feedback, and be committed to continuous improvement of policies, practices, and procedures.”
Read about how NYRR is celebrating Disability Pride Month.