The Story of Our Logo

#frb_text_715159543, #frb_text_715159543 *{}
#frb_text_715159543 a{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_715159543 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_715159543.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_715159543.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

The Story Behind the Disabled Rights Action Committee “Access NOW!” Logo

#frb_text_267934067, #frb_text_267934067 *{}
#frb_text_267934067 a{color: #000000;}
#frb_text_267934067 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_267934067.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_267934067.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

In order to fully enjoy life in the community, people with disabilities need accessible public transportation.

In 1981, the problem we had to get around was the lack of a bus.

Before the Civil Rights era, African Americans had to ride in the back of the bus… but in 1981, if you were in a wheelchair you couldn’t even get on the bus!

#frb_image_1422286028.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 2100ms; animation-duration: 2100ms;}#frb_image_1422286028.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 4200ms; animation-duration: 4200ms;}#frb_image_1422286028 .frb_image_hover {background:#000000;}


DRAC Access Now!

#frb_text_1411115849, #frb_text_1411115849 *{}
#frb_text_1411115849 a{color: #000000;}
#frb_text_1411115849 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_1411115849.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_1411115849.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

We tried to work with Utah Transit Authority, but they would not yield.

They did humor us with committees, meetings, breakfasts, lunches, and snacks (I guess they figured feeding us would make us more compliant!).

As time went on, it finally dawned on us that we were never going to be able to ride the system.

We did try to get a meeting with UTA, but their answer was to ignore us. So we decided to do things a little different.

#frb_text_1471765873, #frb_text_1471765873 *{}
#frb_text_1471765873 a{color: #000000;}
#frb_text_1471765873 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_1471765873.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_1471765873.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

We went down to Main street, and at the time, almost every UTA route went down Main…

Some of us waited at the bus stop, and then when the bus came, we got out of our chairs and crawled up the stairs and boarded the bus. We would then ride the bus down to the next stop, and then proceeded to crawl back off of the bus.

Another bus would show up, and another group of “riders” in wheelchairs would crawl on to that bus…

By riding down to the next stop to get out, it made it so another rider with a wheelchair would be waiting at the next stop to board the bus, and ride to the next stop, and so on, and so on.

We did this on and off for about 3 weeks.

This became known as a “crawl-on” and it was the first one that the Utah Transit Authority had ever seen… and as far as we knew, it was the first time anyone had ever tried something like this to initiate a response.

As amazing as it sounds: we still could not get a meeting with UTA, and they still continued to ignore us…

In desperation, our group invited folks from Denver and Idaho to join us in a non-violent protest.

One day, at around 5 in the afternoon, about thirty-five of us went to Main Street and 1st South and stopped every bus in the system. We parked our wheelchairs out in the street in front of the busses, and we would not let them leave.

#frb_image_946718581.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 3000ms; animation-duration: 3000ms;}#frb_image_946718581.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 6000ms; animation-duration: 6000ms;}#frb_image_946718581 .frb_image_hover {background:#edc247;}

#frb_text_529379415, #frb_text_529379415 *{}
#frb_text_529379415 a{color: #000000;}
#frb_text_529379415 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_529379415.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_529379415.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

Within thirty minutes of this exercise we had our meeting, their board listened, and accessible busses were ordered!

Finally, we had found a way to get their attention!

The flyer we were giving out that day introduced the skeleton. He was thumbing a ride near a “bus stop” sign and was saying “I’ve waited nine years for the bus. How ‘bout a lift?”

The members of the Disabled Rights Action Committee love our skeleton and the access it stands for.

#frb_text_333990654, #frb_text_333990654 *{}
#frb_text_333990654 a{color: #64009a;}
#frb_text_333990654 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_333990654.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_333990654.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

Click on Image to Enlarge

#frb_text_1392359693, #frb_text_1392359693 *{}
#frb_text_1392359693 a{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_1392359693 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_1392359693.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_1392359693.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

#frb_text_395170228, #frb_text_395170228 *{}
#frb_text_395170228 a{color: #000000;}
#frb_text_395170228 a:hover{color: #444444;}
#frb_text_395170228.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_text_395170228.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

We won the battle for wheelchair lifts on busses, and the skeleton logo now represents our current challenge for access to services, and waiting for our folks to get out of nursing homes and into the community.
#frb_button_397674789.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_button_397674789.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}

#frb_button_1208249868.frb_onScreen.frb_animated {-webkit-animation-duration: 1000ms; animation-duration: 1000ms;}#frb_button_1208249868.frb_onScreen.frb_hinge {-webkit-animation-duration: 2000ms; animation-duration: 2000ms;}