Edith Prentiss (February 1, 1952 – March 16, 2021) was an American disability rights activist.[1]
Edith Prentiss | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1, 1952 Central Islip, New York, US |
| Died | March 16, 2021 (aged 69) New York City, US |
| Education | Stony Brook University & Miami University |
| Known for | advocate for accessibility in New York |
Prentiss fought for accessibility in New York City's bus and subway systems, as well as police stations, restaurants, and public parks.[2]
Early life and education
editPrentiss was born in Central Islip, New York. She was one of six children of Robert Prentiss, an electrician, and Patricia Greenwood Prentiss, a social worker.[1]
She graduated with a degree in sociology from Stony Brook University. She attended the College of Arts and Science at Miami University in Ohio.[1]
Career
editOne of her early jobs was as an outreach caseworker for ARC XVI, a senior services center in Fort Washington.[1]
She appears in the documentary film The Biggest Obstacle, which follows disability rights activist Jessica Murray.[3]
Activism
editPrentiss was a member of the community board for Washington Heights, Manhattan.[4] She was also a founding member of the Advisory Committee for Transit Accessibility (ACTA), a volunteer group of community members set up to work with the New York City Transit Authority on a range of accessibility issues.[5]
In 2004, Prentiss drew attention to the paucity of wheelchair-accessible taxis in New York. (At the time, there were currently three in use, and she described her chances of catching one as "like a unicorn".)[6] The number subsequently increased to 231, and after a class action in which Prentiss was a plaintiff, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission undertook to make the city's fleet 50% accessible by 2020. This deadline was missed with the COVID-19 pandemic said to be the reason.[1]
Disability
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Prentiss had asthma, and in later life became diabetic. She started using a wheelchair in her late 40s as her asthma became severe.[1]
Awards and honors
editIn May 2021, she was inducted into the New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame.[1]
On July 22, 2021, the MTA honored Prentiss with a plaque on the 175th Street station elevator - her home station.[2]
The filmmaker Arlene Schulman studied Prentiss for the last three years of her life. Schulman planned to create a documentary with the title Edith Prentiss: Hell on Wheels which Prentiss objected to as she thought it was too mild.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Green, Penelope (March 28, 2021). "Edith Prentiss, Fierce Voice for Disabled New Yorkers, Dies at 69". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Nessen, Stephen (July 28, 2021). "MTA Honors Disability Rights Fighter Edith Prentiss with a Plaque". Gothamist.
- ^ "The Biggest Obstacle". NYC Film Fest. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ "A fighter for fairness". Daily News. New York. March 20, 2021. p. 18. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ "Honoring Edith". Manhattan Times News. July 29, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ Aradillas, Elaine (October 16, 2004). "Auction Expands Cab Fleet for Disabled from 3 to 30". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2021.