Bikers, artists seek to aid disabled

Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members from various universities on a cross-country bike ride visited Latitude Artist Community in Lexington and were greeted with art created in honor of their visit.

The cyclists are taking part in PUSH America, Journey of Hope, a roughly 4,000-mile trip to raise awareness of people with disabilities. The group left Seattle June 11 and expects to arrive in Washington, D.C., Aug. 16.

The cyclists ride about 75 miles a day. Each one has raised thousands of dollars for disability causes. The group that came through Lexington was riding a central route across the United States. Two other groups are riding northern and southern routes.

While visiting Latitude Artist Community, which uses art as therapy for those with disabilities, the travelers shared stories of strange sights along the road and the long climbs needed to get over the Rocky Mountains. They also talked about the varying degrees of accessibility for the disabled at places they visited along the way.

The staff and members of Latitude discussed how they use art in their therapy and gave an ”inaccessibility tour“ of a few blocks downtown. They pointed out streets that would be hard to cross and businesses with doors that would be hard to use for the disabled.

Pablo AlcalÁ