MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is enhancing access to its buildings for people with disabilities. The NCDHHS Division of Vocational Services local office in New Bern will update its parking lot with new accessible icons on parking spots on Friday. The office will be the first to replace the old “handicapped” parking symbol with the new accessible icon with the help of the Accessible Icon Project.
Accessible Icon Project leaders and DVRS staff will repaint and refresh the VR office’s existing handicap accessible parking places with the updated graphic icon. The event will include a formal presentation to celebrate the VR office’s adoption of the new icon and NCDHHS’ commitment to advancing access for all.
"The Accessible Icon Project is about social design that changes outlooks and emphasizes autonomy," said Brendon Hildreth, NCDHHS Vocational Rehabilitation Services Disability Peer Consultant, who also serves as the Accessible Icon Project’s co-director. "It’s about illustrating the personal freedoms of people with disabilities by replacing a passive image with an active icon that demonstrates individual self-determination. My hope is many government offices and other businesses will adopt the icon and its message."
The original International Symbol of Access was designed in the 1960s by Susanne Koefoed. The new icon displays an active, in-motion version of life with a physical disability — updated from the depiction of a static person in a wheelchair.
What: Accessible Icon Project Roll Out at local NCDHHS Vocational Rehabilitation Office
When: Friday, Nov. 3
10 a.m.-noon
Where: NCDHHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation — New Bern Office
2832 Neuse Blvd.
New Bern, NC 28562
Media: Members of the media are invited to attend the event. Brendon Hildreth and other NCDHHS staff will be available after the event.