Advocates: Remove "handicapped accessible" from signs

State legislators and advocates for the disabled on Monday pushed legislation that would change the traditional "handicapped accessible" sign picture and also remove the word "handicapped" from the signs.

Advocates said the word "handicapped" is outdated and offensive to the disabled. The new sign portrays a person in a wheelchair in motion. The bills propose replacing the olds signs with signs that have the new symbol when the old sign become damaged and need to be replaced anyways.

Bills were introduced into the state Senate and state Assembly and are sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Galef, D-Ossining, Westchester County, and Sen. David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, Rockland County.

They said the new signs would not need any extra funding from the state, and the new symbol has already begun being implemented in New York City and in other countries around the world, Gannett's Ashley Hupfl reports.

"The goal of this legislation is to eliminate the picture and the perception that people with disabilities are immobile and that they don't live full and productive lives as New Yorkers," Galef said at a press conference.

Galef and Carlucci in Albany pushed the legislation on the state Assembly Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day.

"We've got to move in a new direction and make sure we're updating our laws," Carlucci said. "Today we have a new idea of what it means to be living with a disability and we want to get rid of [the word 'handicapped'] and say that we have 'accessibility' and that's what these new signs will be."

Westchester advocates for the disabled touted the bill.

"There really isn't any doubt that the word has negative connotations," said Mevlin Tanzman, executive director of Westchester Disabled on the Move. "I do appreciate this bill. Words have power and images have power and I think these new words and images are really a great step forward."

It's unclear whether the legislation will be adopted before the legislative session ends in late June. If approved, it would need to be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo into law.