Accessible Black Hills

21/05/2025

Disability focused film festival in Sioux Falls! 👏

Follow our friends at Rare by Design's The Film Festival and submit your film in June!

Have a film waiting to be seen by an audience? We’re happy to take a look.

Submissions for The Film Festival open in 10 DAYS!

We accept film submissions of all genres: action, comedy, romance, horror, etc., as long as someone with a rare disease or disability is part of the production.

Share this post and tell your friends and filmmakers! 🎦

16/05/2025

We're thrilled to be working with Visit Rapid City to highlight accessible locations and promote inclusive tourism in the Black Hills. Together, we're creating content that celebrates places where everyone can feel welcome.

Follow Visit Rapid City to see the features as they roll out, and if you want to be part of it...

📸 We’re looking for models to join us for an afternoon of exploring and taking photos focused on disability representation.

Shoot us an email at [email protected] if you’re in!

23/04/2025

✨ Inclusive Business Tip ✨

If your accessible entrance isn’t your main one, make sure people know where to go!

A simple, visible sign at the front door can make a big difference for someone using a wheelchair, cane, or stroller. It shows you’ve thought about everyone — and that matters.

Inclusivity starts with clarity. Let's make access obvious, not an obstacle.

16/04/2025

Meet the core team behind Vela Creative Co. and Accessible Black Hills — the crew bringing the creativity and the accessibility! ✨♿️

We’re a small but mighty team of designers, strategists, and advocates who believe in thoughtful design, inclusive storytelling, and making things that matter (and look really good while we’re at it). Oh — and yes, we turned ourselves into Barbies. Because why not?!

This is the team behind the brands — the people pushing for equity, elevating voices, and having a little fun along the way.

07/04/2025

“Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century” Edited by the brilliant Alice Wong.

This anthology is a must-read for everyone. It’s a collection of essays by disabled writers, activists, artists, and thinkers—sharing their truths, their challenges, their joys, and their brilliance in their own words.

These aren’t stories about overcoming.
They’re stories about being.
Existing, resisting, thriving, and reshaping the world.

“There is no single way to be disabled. There is no single disability experience.”

If you want to expand your understanding of disability justice, representation, and humanity—this book is your next read.

Read it if you:
- Want real, unfiltered voices from the disability community
- Are ready to challenge assumptions and broaden your perspective
- Believe representation matters—and want to back that up with action

04/04/2025

We love places with lots of gluten-free options! 😍

10.8% of U.S. adults have at least one food allergy and many need options like gluten-free.

Shout out to Alternative Fuel Coffee House for having MANY delicious available options.

13/02/2025

Universal Design for Cities: Next Cohort Open for Signups! 🌍✨

Are you ready to make your city more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for ALL? The next Universal Design for Cities cohort is now open for signups! This course will give you the tools to create environments that work for everyone—people with disabilities, parents with strollers, older adults, and more.

✅ Learn the principles of universal design
✅ Gain practical strategies for implementation
✅ Connect with like-minded changemakers

Don't miss this opportunity to build better cities for all! Sign up now: https://www.accessible.courses/

21/10/2024

Let’s talk a little about outdated language when it comes to referring to people with disabilities.

First of all, the word disability is not a bad word! However, there are some outdated ways to talk about our friends with disabilities.

One phrase that is often demeaning and elicits a pity response (Which is honestly so uncomfortable for ANYONE, am I right?) is the phrase, “Wheelchair bound.”

Individuals utilizing wheelchairs are not bound, they are free! Their chairs allow them to go into the world and enjoy the freedom of mobility.

So what are some better options? 👩‍🦽

- “They use a wheelchair”

- “They are a wheelchair user”

- “Their wheelchair helps them be more independent”

You might have noticed each of those options places the person first in the sentence before the wheelchair. Person-first language is the easiest way to speak kindly, and respectfully, even in those moments you find yourself not sure exactly what to say. Just remember, whoever you are talking to, they are a person first!

A world with more equity begins with how we speak about those around us. Let’s work on our accessibility language together!

19/10/2024

Are you looking to add a local brewery to your Black Hills itinerary?

There are many great breweries in the Black Hills, including Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company in Custer! We checked it out and were happy to find:

- Nearby accessible parking (Note: it is on gravel)
- Low tables available
- Accessible restrooms
- Ramp access to the building

Stop by and grab a brew and some delicious food the next time you’re in the Hills! Located at 140 Mt Rushmore Rd, Custer, SD.

15/10/2024

Calling all sweet tooths! 🍭 🎃

Located just outside of Rapid City on Highway 16, is the Rushmore Candy Company. And let us just say…YUM! Along with so many unique and delicious candy options, we also loved:

- Open and easy-to-navigate floorplan

- Access to all floors

- Accessible parking

The staff is also inviting and ready to assist you with anything out of reach. Add this sweet accessible spot to your itinerary for your next visit to the Black Hills!

Located at 9815 US-16, just outside of Rapid City.

10/10/2024

Ice cream season may end with summer, but ice cream while wearing a sweater season begins with Fall! 🍦🍁

We recently stopped by Horatio’s Homemade Ice Cream in Custer, South Dakota, and at first glance, it does not look accessible, with stairs leading up to the front entrance…

But we were happy to find out they have an accessible ramp at the back of the building! Horatio’s also features accessible restrooms large enough for power scooters to enter.

A great find in an old historic building! Stop by the next time you are in the southern hills. Located at 548 Mt Rushmore Rd, in Custer.

07/10/2024

At Accessible Black Hills, we implement Universal Design Principles when assessing locations for accessibility.

Universal design is a philosophy that aims to make products and environments usable by as many people as possible without requiring specialized design or adaptation.

We want to share a little about one of our favorite accessibility features–door push buttons! Door push buttons truly help everyone.

From Wheelchair users to people pushing a stroller or carrying a heavy item, door push buttons offer safe and accessible entry into a building for all.

We look forward to a day when all public spaces have push buttons at their entrances!