City of Knoxville CODI

Congrats to Megan Quigley of PrepSolo, winner of the 2026 What's the Big Idea Pitch Competition hosted by Knoxville Entrepreneur Center! Her winning idea PrepSolo, is a modular kitchen system designed for wheelchair users and aging adults who wish to cook independently without the need for expensive, permanent renovations.

Learn more at Teknovation.biz: https://www.teknovation.biz/prepsolo-wins-this-years-whats-the-big-idea-pitch-competition/

Watch her pitch presentation here: https://vimeo.com/1162670577

Thank you, Stephanie and Misha, for the work you do to connect residents with disabilities to resources and support!

Spark- Independence Through Technology is seeking support. Can you help?

Great news! The outdoors are for everyone. Thanks, Ijams Nature Center!

Ijams Nature Center is grateful to Legacy Parks Foundation for applying a $20,000 multi-year grant from the REI Cooperative Action Fund (REI) to make Ijams Nature Center even more accessible to all users!
The REI grant will fund the purchase of two adaptive wheelchairs and improvements to several of Ijams’ trails to ensure that they can accommodate these wheelchairs. Ijams will manage a lending program at its Visitor Center so that guests in need of mobility assistance can check out adaptive wheelchairs. Legacy Parks owns two additional chairs that will be added to the program at Ijams. Two adult wheelchairs and one child wheelchair initially will be available for use free of charge, with an additional adult chair to be added in 2026.
Nature is for everyone, and we are excited to make even more of Ijams accessible to all!

Make your voice heard!

Click the link below to complete the survey for the State Plan and share your voice!

https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/survey_lifelong_tennessee_a_multisector_plan_for_aging_well_consume

Thanks to Tennessee Municipal League for showcasing the work of the City of Knoxville's Office of Disability Services!

Advancing Access, Strengthening Community

For International Day for Persons with Disabilities, we are proud to highlight City of Knoxville - Government, recently named the nation’s most accessible and affordable community for people with disabilities. Knoxville’s long-standing commitment to accessibility reflects a city where engagement, thoughtful planning, and the spirit of “nothing about us without us” guide meaningful progress for every resident.

Read more:https://ttc.tml1.org/sites/default/files/uploads/ttc-issues/november-2025.pdf

Celebrate inclusion at the All Abilities Fair! Join us on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Complex for over 60 exhibitors and vendors with disability resources, guest speakers, art, music, games, and more! This event is free to the public, so be sure to check out our website to learn more.

Looking forward to this event celebrating 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act with Knoxville Area Employment Consortium

From Promise to Progress, 35 years of the ADA Come celebrate 35 years of the ADA with us as we reflect on the promises made and the progress achieved in disability rights!

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and this year marks the 80th anniversary of this recognition!

Look who made the "front page" of the Great Plains ADA Center's ADA report -- our very own City of Knoxville ADA Coordinator Stephanie Cook and Knox County Government ADA Coordinator Carly Pearson!

Hot off the presses! The August 2025 issue of our free e-newsletter, The ADA Report, is available now! Get the latest national and regional information about the ADA and other disability-related news! This month's issue features information about upcoming training events, recent ADA enforcement, new resources, and so much more!

To read the issue, visit https://conta.cc/4ltD8pv

Check it out! City of Knoxville ADA Coordinator Stephanie Brewer Cook talks to WBIR Channel 10 about the significance of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And Jaylynn Stringer talks about her daughter's independent spirit and the hopes she has for ongoing improvements for accessibility.

Knoxville leader, mother reflect on living with disability as 35th anniversary of the ADA nears Jaylynn Stringer, a Maynardville mother, said she is able to navigate many, but not all, spaces with her three-year-old Amaya, who requires a wheelchair.

December 3rd is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities! This day celebrates all people with disabilities of all kinds and encourages learning more about disabilities, the disability community, and how you can support those in your life who have a disability! To learn more about how to celebrate, see https://www.who.int/campaigns/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities #:~:text=International%20Day%20of%20Persons%20with%20Disabilities%20(IDPD)%20is%20a%20UN,every%20year%20on%203%20December.

International day of persons with disabilities The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life. WHO joins the UN in observing this day e...