Disability Rights Center - NH

12/11/2025

The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester offers FREE admission to New Hampshire residents on the second Saturday of every month. The Currier is not only filled with inspiring art and exhibits, but it’s also highly accessible for visitors with disabilities. This Saturday, December 13th, is the perfect chance to explore this wonderful local museum.

Visit the Currier website for more info:
https://www.currier.org/free-admission-opportunities

12/11/2025

Did you know that if you have any permanent disability, you can get a free, lifetime America the Beautiful pass? The pass provides free entry to most national parks, forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges where fees are collected.

Your disability does not have to be physical! Any permanent disability that "significantly impacts one or more life activities" qualifies.

You can apply online or in person at any visitor center or park office where passes are sold. I highly recommend applying in person, if you can! You may need a letter from your doctor, but check with the office.

You can find more details, including requirements and application, on the National Park Service Access Pass page.

ID: America the beautiful access pass has a photo of an owl and the accessibility symbol. A hand holds it with flowers in the background.

12/11/2025

Ask Kathy is looking for submissions!

Some background from our friends Institute on Disability;
"Kathy Bates, our long time From Where I Sit blogger runs a Q&A series called Ask Kathy, where readers can submit questions about disability for her to respond to. She’d love to hear more from the community.

If you’re willing, would you share that we’re looking for new questions? Big topics, small topics, personal ones, tricky ones related to disability — all are welcome. If someone’s wondering about it, Kathy’s happy to dive in. This is one of Kathy’s favorite ways to engage with the community and we’re a little low on submissions right now."

If there’s anyone you know that might be interested in submitting a question they can do so by emailing iod.blog@unh.edu or by filling out the form below!
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=kxgk1i1R3EaNK75H4l9WZsKkVi6TzqFKlQjvlapB25NUNlU2NzE3SktHUDdHUUg5SjRHVkQ5TFZaRy4u

12/11/2025

William Skipworth’s three-part investigation in the New Hampshire Bulletin has laid bare the ongoing traumas experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The community’s response has been swift — shock, grief, and a collective demand for action to prevent future harm...

12/11/2025

This. 🩷💚🩷

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

10 things to know about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) number 8: Service animals are allowed under the ADA. Service animals are dogs that have been trained to do a task to help a person with a disability. “Bark, bark!” Max says check out our new fact sheet to learn more: https://ow.ly/svrb50XAmVy

12/11/2025

COAST is inviting the general public to discuss changes to our ADA Complementary Paratransit eligibility process.

Details on the event: January 6, 2026 at 3:30pm in the CAPSC conference room at 577 Central Ave. #10 in Dover, NH. If people need transportation assistance to attend the meeting, please contact TripLink at 603-834-6010. We are working on a remote option for this meeting as well.

This is not a NHCDD event. For information please contact:
Michael Williams
Director of Operations
603.516.0783
mwilliams@coastbus.org

Background on COAST;

As the regional public transit provider for the greater seacoast, COAST operates public bus routes serving designated stops according to a fixed schedule. We work to ensure this service is as accessible as possible. Every vehicle is wheelchair accessible, and audible announcements are made on the buses to assist customers in identifying their stops.

Many people living with disabilities successfully use this service every day. However, there are some customers whose disability prevents them from using the public bus routes. For these customers, COAST operates an origin-to-destination demand response service called ADA Complementary Paratransit. This service is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It mirrors the public bus routes in all aspects—the hours it operates, the days it operates, where it goes, and the amount of wait time customers can expect during their trip.

However, a little extra assistance is available from the driver and the vehicle can go to the curb in front of a customer’s pick-up or drop-off. This service is more expensive for the customer and for COAST, and the Federal Transit Administration requires COAST maintain a process to ensure only eligible trips are provided.

Eligibility is solely based on whether someone’s disability prevents them from safely using the public buses, including traveling to and from the bus stops.

COAST is updating our current eligibility screening process to include in-person interviews and functional evaluations as appropriate. The goal of this process is to ensure each customer has access to the best transportation option available for them, within the constraints of what COAST can provide. Applicants who need to attend an interview or evaluation in-person will be provided with free transportation by COAST.

12/09/2025

Have a question about disability, identity, access, language, representation… or something you’ve always wondered but weren’t sure how to ask? Now’s your chance.

Our longtime blogger, Kathy Bates, has a Q&A series called Ask Kathy as part of her blog From Where I Sit — a space where she shares honest, thoughtful, and deeply human reflections on disability and community.

Kathy has spent nearly a decade writing about disability rights, pride, identity, representation, and more. And now, she wants to hear from you.

Drop your questions below or send us a message at iod.blog@unh.edu. No topic is too big, too small, or too complex — if you’re curious, Kathy wants to talk about it!