Sparta law firm Askin & Hooker, LLC has partnered with the Sparta Diversity Council to give a facelift to the universally used disability symbol that everyone is familiar with, a blue square with a white image of a person sitting in a wheelchair.
Since 2010, the Accessibility Icon Project has advocated for an update to this universally used symbol, first introduced in 1968, with a new symbol that expresses empowerment.
Sparta Public Schools is once again leading the way by updating the existing “handicap” signs with a more active and engaging symbol championed by the Accessibility Icon Project. The plan is for Askin & Hooker, LLC to provide the necessary funding to implement this project for the Sparta School District.
The Sparta Diversity Council, created in 2020, coordinates the Sparta School District’s curricular and co-curricular initiatives that promote diversity and acceptance.
“We hope that this small gesture will promote a more significant change in our community, says Scott Kercher, the District’s coordinator for the Sparta Diversity Council, who also serves as Supervisor of Social Studies, World Language, and ESL at Sparta High School. He continues, “We are hoping to promote a movement to improve accessibility and equality for those in our Sparta community.”
“We wanted to give back in an inclusive way to the community we love,” states Attorneys Todd Hooker & Bill Askin. “We are honored to partner with the Sparta Diversity Council, and we align with their mission of inclusive change. We are currently working with the Diversity Council to identify additional opportunities to partner on future projects.”