A Voice For Accessibility

I first met Heather Sturgill in Cincinnati City Hall last year at a historic event. Cincinnati City Council’s Education and Entrepreneurship Committee heard testimonies on the importance of disability inclusion in hiring practices and accessibility of new and renovated buildings. One-by-one individuals moved forward, sharing personal stories, giving statistics, talking of basic human rights and shared humanity, being an advocate for themselves and for others, and collectively telling the world that ALL people deserve equal rights to participate, to contribute, to live and work and play.

The message was loud and clear – inclusion is not only about one person. It is about US. It is about strengthening communities, workplaces, schools and places of faith, and the economy.

Since graduating the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and a master’s degree in community planning, Heather has been a voice heard often around town when it comes to making our region more livable for everyone. She is owner/consultant of JOVIS, a company that addresses barriers to community living.

Her list of engagement and accomplishments is lengthy. Though recently concluding her term on the Board of Apple Street Market, she is still extremely active in the efforts towards creating a viable model for grocery stores in neighborhoods that will increase access to fresh foods, provide family sustaining jobs, and serve as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization.  Prior to that she encouraged citizens to become active in their neighborhood organizations when she served on the Executive Board of Citizens for Civic Renewal.  She has also served on the Northside Community Council and was chair of the Northside Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update, a project intended to establish the direction of Northside development (economic, housing, recreational and educational) for at least the next 10 years.  Always an advocate for the disadvantaged, early in her adult life she was a founding Board member of the Independent Cosmetologists and Barbers’ Association, an organization that protected the professional interests of independent business owners in an industry politically dominated by corporate interests.

Heather was recently elected president of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) where she hopes to further fair housing and encourage the creation of more economically integrated, affordable and accessible housing in the region.  As a member of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education (UCEDD) Community Advisory Committee she helps them create and direct their resources in the areas of education, research and service to meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities.  Heather also is the newly elected chair of Cincinnati Accessibility Board of Advisors where she works with city administration on efforts to improve accessibility to goods, services, and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities.  And, as if that wasn’t enough, Heather also serves on the Core Committee of Home Think Tank where she enjoys the opportunity to find, explore and share creative housing solutions for people with disabilities.

She shares her passion right up front in her LinkedIn profile. “My personal background has fostered a higher level of awareness of the benefits of diversity to everyone in a community. I fully recognize that in order to build the bridges of communication and true dialogue it is important to identify and have an appreciation for other people’s views. In these economically challenged times it is necessary to think outside the box and encourage an environment of innovation, recognizing that everyone is important and that some amazing ideas can come from the most unexpected places.”

So, where does this drive come from? Why has Heather devoted her professional career and personal life toward removing barriers for people and neighborhoods?

For the answer to that, we must go back to April 15, 2000. That was a fateful date that would forever change the course of her life.  An accident that nearly took her life, left her without use of her legs, her trunk, her arms, hands and fingers. While in the hospital, her lungs kept filling with fluid and she was not even able to call a nurse. Her husband, who spent every night of that three-month stay with her, saved her life.

Released three month later, Heather returned to their home – an old, shotgun-style house that was three rooms deep and three stories high.  Her husband rigged up a ramp but, “It was incredibly difficult for people to help me in and out. It was just ssssoooooo incredibly scary,” she told UC’s Mary Reilly.

Lisa: With all that you have been involved with, please talk about an accomplishment, its impact and why it is important to you?
Heather: Though I’ve helped a couple cities make their zoning codes friendlier to developers that want to make projects more accessible, it doesn’t matter unless the developers want to take advantage of the new opportunities.  If you don’t have the conversations with developers in a way that gets them excited, then the tool, or opportunity languishes unused.  Because of this, I take every opportunity to communicate ideas and information with as many people as possible; with differing backgrounds, economic status, beliefs, ethnicities, industries, etc.

So, when Doug Hinger of D-Haus or TJ Ackerman of Hearth Home tell me they are changing their product lines/designs and will, at the minimum, be building to visitable standards, and tell me that the decision was because of conversations with me…I get supper excited!

But, I don’t want to discount how fabulous it feels to see someone’s face light up because you helped them navigate frustrating bureaucracy and get a permit, or successfully fight a fine, or get access to transportation.

Lisa: What can people do on a personal level to be more inclusive?
Heather: Be patient, receptive and open to others unlike yourself. You might be surprised at how much you have in common.

When someone asks you “Can this ______________ be done?” or “Can I ____________?” Always try to think of “yes” first, followed by brainstorming alone, or with others, on the ways to reach the goal.  And, try to be goal oriented when determining requirements.  For example, think about how some job requirements are written.  Which is more open to creative solutions: “Must have a valid drivers license”, or “Must be able to attend meetings away from the office and possibly during non-traditional work hours.”  The second one allows for creative solutions like the applicant using public transportation, taxis, walking, biking, friends, or ride share like Uber and Lyft.