2020-21 Hart Fellow Sujal Manohar has published an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman regarding sidewalk access for the disabled in Austin, Texas. Manohar’s op-ed draws on her research during her Hart Fellowship in partnership with Imagine Art, a nonprofit art studio for people with disabilities in Austin. Manohar graduated from Duke in 2020 with majors in Neuroscience and Art and a minor in Chemistry. Her work at Duke emphasized the connection between art and science in aiding those with disabilities, including her time as a gallery guide with the Reflections Alzheimer’s Program at the Nasher Museum of Art.
In her op-ed, Manohar notes that the current state of Austin’s sidewalks leaves many disabled people, particularly wheelchair users, no other choice than to risk traveling on main roads among cars and other vehicles. Manohar advocates for serious infrastructure reform to create and maintain sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act by raising a levy for long-term funding, much like Seattle and other accessible cities have done. You can read Manohar’s op-ed here: https://www.statesman.com/story/opinion/columns/your-voice/2021/07/13/opinion-where-austin-sidewalks-end-problems-start/7941974002/