Local/National

If you’ve lived in Charlotte for any amount of time, chances are you have stepped foot in one of our many malls. Southpark, Concord Mills, and Carolina Place are all frequented by swarms of bored teens, gift shoppers, and food court dwellers, and it is nearly impossible to walk through one of them during the holidays without seeing someone you know. Those previously mentioned malls are now some of the biggest names in the Charlotte area, but in the 70’s there was only one mall worth going to.

The grand opening of Eastland Mall took place on July 30, 1975. Located on Central Avenue, between Sharon Amity and Albemarle Road, this three-story building contained 1,100,000 square feet of retail space consisting of 3 anchors (JCPenney, Ivey, and Belk) and 50+ other stores. Introducing the first mall food court to the city and operating a skating rink in the middle of the space, this mall combined entertainment, dining, and shopping like never before. Axios Charlotte says “…Eastland was a trend-setter. It wasn’t like every mall that came later — every mall that came later was like Eastland.”

For a while the mall was thriving and so was its neighborhood. Eastland was shaping up to be a perfect suburban area. By the late ‘90s and early 2000s however, this narrative had shifted. An article from 1997 by the Charlotte Business Journal describes a lawsuit between a tenant and Eastland Mall’s management where the owner of The Coffee Beanery claimed the rising crime caused them to lose 40% of their sales. Incidents like shootings, police chases, and robberies led to the mall’s reputation changing from a fun social hub, to a dangerous, crime-ridden complex. 

Further decline in the mall’s reputation was thanks to its original anchor stores pulling out of the operation. The first to go was JCPenny. According to an anonymous user on a December 2005 post for deadmalls.com, “Its JCPenney anchor became an outlet and then closed but was replaced with a classic dead mall anchor, Burlington Coat Factory, and [a] Fred’s, a regional discount chain similar to Family Dollar or Big Lots.” The author then explains how name brands like GAP were being replaced by smaller lesser-known stores, even extending to the food court with chains being replaced by local family-owned fast food joints. Things only got worse as the other two anchors left.

Between JCPenny leaving in 2002 and its foreclosure in 2010, the mall saw many changes. Owners shifted, the ice rink was turned into a soccer field, a Harris Teeter moved in and out, a movie theater reopened and reclosed, and a church ran their operations, all whilst the exterior continued to show its age and lack of uptake. After foreclosing the building sat vacant until finally facing demolition in 2013. By 2015, the Eastland community had built “Eastland DIY Skatepark” where many young Charlottiens got their first glimpse of the neighborhood. In 2020, amid exciting plans for the remaining 69 acres of land to be dedicated to a new Major League Soccer headquarters, the skatepark was demolished despite its Eastland community’s woes. Soon after demolition, the MLS plans fell through completely and the city had to come up with a new plan.

Many options were presented during the mall’s early decline, ranging from movie studio to ski slope but none of them ever stuck. According to WBTV, currently there are 3 big proposals being considered: “Eastland Aquatic Center” which projects to host 30+ events a year, a “Racquet Sports entertainment district” expecting to serve 16,000 people annually, and a massive Target anticipating to bring 300+ jobs to the city. All three options are proposed as catalysts for engagement with the local community of East Charlotte and aim to re-revitalize the area as the preceding mall once had.

North Carolina is filled with a variety of landscapes including mountains, rivers and forests making it a great place for hiking. Even within Charlotte you can find twenty different nature preserves run by our Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation. If you’re looking for nearby hikes to conquer as the weather starts to warm up, here are some local favorites. 

The Rocky Face Mountain Recreation Area is situated on the Brushy Mountains in Alexander County, about an hour’s drive from Charlotte. This park has 5 miles of trails scaling Rocky Face Mountain, offering sweeping views of the charming North Carolina countryside from a height of 600 feet. The location has a paved walking track, short rocky cliffs suitable for rock climbing, and a playground. Their trails range in difficulty so visitors of all ability levels can decide the level of challenge they’d like on their hike. 

Another great destination is the Buffalo Creek Preserve on Mount Pleasant in Cabarrus County. The trail features lush greenery, bridges, dirt trails, a restored piedmont oak savannah forest, farmland, and of course, creeks. Visitors can hike right through local farmland, where you can witness the growth of hay and grain. Plus, the piedmont oak savannah forest is a vital habitat for nesting birds and wildlife, therefore  Catawba Land Conservancy is overseeing their restoration continuously. The hike is roughly 2 miles one way. It is very mountain biker-friendly and only 45 minutes from Charlotte by car!

Crowders State Mountain Park, located in Gaston County, is home to two mountain peaks with amazing views of the surrounding forested area. The park is actually connected to two other parks, Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park, by the Ridgeline Trail. Both of these parks are located in South Carolina! Crowders is known for its variety of birds, making it popular among birdwatchers. The site offers camping, paddling, fishing, and rock climbing. It also has amenities such as a visitors center and amphitheater. The park is around 35 minutes away from Charlotte by car. 

South Mountains State Park is another popular hiking destination covering 18,000 acres of the Appalachian Mountains. Its High Shoals Falls are especially popular among visitors, partially due to their convenient proximity to the parking deck, but also because of the picturesque wooden bridges that span the trail loop around the series of waterfalls, one having an 80 foot drop! This loop is around 2.7 miles long. In total, the park has around 50 miles worth of trails, suited for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. This destination is roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Charlotte by car. 

Boone’s cave park is great for hikers who love history! Located in Davidson County, about an hour from Charlotte, and containing 6 miles worth of trails, this destination provides a glance into European colonialism in the Americas. A cabin built in 1792 is recreated on the park grounds. Of course, the large cave itself is also a notable feature of the park that attracts visitors, and it is around 140 feet deep. There are multiple smaller caves as well, but they are unfortunately too small for visitors to explore. The location includes a wide variety of trails, ranging from the more challenging and steep to the more wide roads suited for beginners or casual hikers. There is also a river at the location and a great range of biodiversity, particularly flora. However, hikers warn about the abundance of bugs, so be sure to bring insect repellent!

North Carolina is a great state for hiking, with an abundance of trails within an hour radius of Charlotte. These trails are perfect for those wanting to explore Carolina’s natural beauty and biodiversity, and only provide a small glimpse into the large variety of hiking options available!

The current environmental news has been circling a single venture: The Willow Project. The area where this project is planned is estimated to hold up to 600 million barrels of oil, a project approved by Alaska’s congressional delegation and Alaskan natives who believe the drilling can create needed revenue and jobs for remote communities in Alaska. Oil is one of the most prized resources, with a high heat of combustion, with fracking and drilling being simple and profitable, and easily convertible to energy. Oil has been the source of several conflicts and environmental destruction all across the planet, and many problems have already been associated with the project. An estimated 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution a year will be released by this project, causing disapproval and dissent against Biden after his decision to approve the project. Oil fracking and drilling also present many other environmental problems, separate from the resources needed to extract the oil out of the ground and ocean and from the amounts of greenhouse gasses that will be emitted from the use of these fossil fuels on a regular basis. Oil fracking and drilling lead to oil spills throughout the oceans and land,  harming many species that are already endangered in the Alaskan tundras, especially considering climate change has already degraded many vital ecosystems in these areas, with this project only inflaming the problem. Along with that, oil fracking and drilling can disrupt migratory pathways and destroy natural habitats. More than one million letters have been written to the White House in protest, along with a petition that has gained millions of signatures, with the full force of environmental law groups, such as Earthjustice, rallying against the government in preparing cases against the project. 

Many have questioned Biden’s actions in approving this project, especially considering his promise during candidacy  that there would be “No more drilling on federal lands, period. Period, period, period,” while the Willow Project will be tapping into and exploiting the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. So, why did Biden approve The Willow Project? The Biden administration decided against fighting the company behind the Willow Project, ConocoPhillips. If the Biden administration refused the permit ConocoPhillips needed in order to drill, the lawsuit against the government would include compensation for investments and the profits of drilling: reaching numbers up to $5 billion. Along with that, with the restriction on Russian oil supplies after the Ukrainian invasion, gasoline prices have spiked worldwide. Therefore, pumping more oil is a solution to many of the problems plaguing Americans nationwide that are being forced to buy oil at higher prices. 

However, there are some wins for the environmental community following this decision. The original five drilling pads approved have been decreased to three drilling pads which will cause significantly less environmental harm than the previously planned numbers. This will cause the final project to cover 68,000 fewer acres than originally planned. Additionally, Biden intends to designate about 2.8 million acres in the Arctic Ocean as off-limits for future oil and gas leasing, and plans to block leases on about 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. 

This issue not only brings into question the future of our planet but also the reliability and effects of fossil fuels. Though Biden could not stop the Willow Project from going into motion, some efforts were made to protect the environment and  lower the amount of oil fracked. On the subject of dwindling fossil fuels, a higher reliance on renewable resources and non-exploitive energy is needed. If fracking and drilling for oil continue, there are about 50 years left until oil resources are drained. Therefore, though the Willow Project does cause job and economic increases for the people of Alaska now, the planet’s well-being and economy will eventually be compromised, and a switch to renewable energy is imperative to save our planet. 

While the social media sensation TikTok was originally for dancing videos, sketches, food reviews, and vlogs, it has recently been a political education tool. Politicians have been popping up all over the For You Pages (FYP) of one billion active TikTok users. However, it is unclear whether or not Tik Tok is an effective and safe way for politicians to communicate and interact with voters.  

Different politicians actively running for government choose to use the social media platform differently. Some choose to post simple campaign videos, while others decide to make opposition videos against their opponent. The most popular videos are of candidates encouraging the sole age demographic of the app, Generation Z, to go out and vote if they are eligible. 

Many Myers Park students may have seen the user @jeffjacksonnc appear on their FYP. With around 330,900 followers, North Carolina congressman Jeff Jackson has taken on Tik Tok. Jackson is a Democratic politician, lawyer, and Major in the NC Army National Guard. From 2014-2022, he represented the 37th NC district in the state senate. As of 2023, Jackson serves as the US representative for North Carolina’s 14th Congressional district.    

Politicians have struggled to get younger generations to vote for decades. However, Congressmen Jackson has not only taken an approach to encourage young voters to head out to the polls but has also provided informative videos on how campaigns and elections work. As Jackson was campaigning for the November 2022 midterm elections, his videos aimed to show complete transparency on  his policies and the process of being elected to Congress. He has posted videos on policies and issues that are essential issues in the eyes of younger generations, including LGBTQ and reproductive rights, gun reform, affordable health care, the legalization of marijuana, gerrymandering, and the raising of minimum wage. If North Carolinians want to learn about their 14th congressional district congressman, TikTok is a legitimate educational resource. 

Even though Jeff Jackson won the midterm election, he continued to post videos informing viewers on what goes behind being sworn into Congress and a member of Congress. Jackson has used TikTok to educate users on the procedures a congressman has to undergo between the time they are elected and the time they are sworn in. He has committed to documenting his time in Congress on the app.

In a video posted on December 12, 2022, Jackson said, “Going forward, I want to give you something we don’t see too often, which is a real-time, first-person account of being a freshman member of Congress. I think sharing that perspective is important because transparency is important, but I also just think you’ll find it interesting, so that’s what you can find here”. 

According to the Alliance for Securing Democracy at GMC, as of 2022, 227 accounts have been made and used by major party candidates in the Senate, House, governor, and secretary of state races. However, researchers Lindsay Gorman and Nash Miller bring up   national security. Technology can be dangerous as it can spread deep fakes and false information. A deep fake is a video of a person whose face or body has been altered to appear as a different person, such as political candidates. Global Witness and New York University performed an experiment that found that TikTok overlooked 90 percent of political ads submitted to the platform that featured false or misleading election claims. TikTok has promised to prevent political misinformation from spreading, although that appears to be a near-impossible task. 

The question still stands: Is TikTok an effective way for political candidates to get younger generations to vote for them at the polls? Is it enough for TikTok to post disclaimers warning users to be weary of political information posted on the app? Is it sufficient for TikTok to verify politicians who create accounts? In the age of technology, information online has to be taken with a grain of salt. Social media can be both a handy tool and a dangerous weapon.  

It has been over a decade since Charlotte welcomed a new museum, but this changed when the Museum of Illusions opened its doors on December 9, 2022. As the name suggests, the museum offers more than 60 interactive exhibits all centered around optical illusions. These immersive exhibits include concepts ranging from holograms to an entire room dedicated to a vortex tunnel. According to The Charlotte Observer, while the museum is unique in Charlotte, the concept is not. Instead, the Museum of Illusions is a private chain of museums that originated in Croatia in 2015 and has gained immense popularity in recent years. The opening of the museum in Charlotte marks its 39th location in the world and only seventh in the United States.

In addition to other optical illusion attractions, one of the most coveted rooms and experiences in the new museum is its vortex room, which, according to CEO Jonathan Benjamin, includes the company’s longest, biggest, quietest model, with “extra-high rails” for increased safety. The mechanics behind the vortex utilizes laser lights to generate an illusion that effectively tricks your inner ear into believing the room is actually spinning when, in fact, it is not. Benjamin also comments on his own experience in the vortex tunnel, stating, “I’ve been through hundreds of times and I still have to catch my balance.” Furthermore, to gain access to the vortex room, he advises visitors to take the set of stairs closer to the museum entrance in order to trip the motion sensor and activate the spin cycle.

Many of the attractions center around illusions that are best enjoyed in person during your visit to the museum. However, others offer unique photo opportunities where you can strike a few poses and rotate the images to capture the illusion. Such photo opportunities arise amongst the museum’s room-sized installations, which include staff members, or “Illusion Experts” to explain the illusions and assist visitors in posing for and taking photos. One of these popular exhibits displays a room that appears to be right-side up when the photo is initially taken, but upon rotating the image on a phone, it appears as if participants in the picture are defying gravity and walking on the ceiling. Another sought-after room for pictures is the Ames Room, which creates the illusion that a person standing in one corner of the room is significantly larger than the other person in the opposite corner. This mind trick is achieved through the use of angled floors and ceilings, forced perspective, and distortion.

Caleb Morgan, the museum’s chief illusionist and UNC Charlotte graduate, was asked in a recent interview what being the museum’s chief illusionist entailed. The answers appeared to be mixed. Morgan replied saying, “I’m a full time performer, so I travel all over the country performing, but we’re kind of talking about how we can work together (more)…so we’ll definitely see.”

The efforts that went into the launching and opening of the museum chain’s Charlotte location, which is the largest of all the American locations according to Jonathan Benjamin, did not go unnoticed. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the museum, Jason Harper, a morning anchor for Queen City News, opened by applauding the hard work behind the museum and noting how “the Museum of Illusions staff in Charlotte was probably not sleeping in the last two weeks preparing.” Additionally, he commented on how “all the construction crews…have been working to get everything painted and hung on the wall just right.” The Museum of Illusions is located in Downtown Charlotte on South Tryon Street. With its variety of immersive experiences and exhibits, the possibility of boredom is unlikely, and its attractions are definitely worth a visit.

With a collection of 11 novels, children’s books, and essays, Toni Morrison is a well- known name within the field of African American literature. Along with her many renowned novels, she is the first African American writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Through her writing, she has inspired many and has built a way for African Americans to explore their experiences and background through literature.  

Morrison was born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio. Although she lived in a semi-integrated area, racial discrimination was a constant presence in her life. She later became a dedicated reader and turned her attention toward her studies. She attended Howard University, majored in English, and went on to get her Masters of Arts from Cornell University. She later came back to Howard University and taught as a professor. 

Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970), features a Black girl who is victimized by white standards of beauty and longs to have blue eyes in the 1940s. This novel highlights the most important aspects of society during that time period, including social inequalities such as racism, discrimination, and sexism. The Bluest Eye was inspired by a conversation that Morrison had in elementary school with a little girl who longed for blue eyes. It was the first of many novels that would expose the civil rights issues present within society. Three years later, Morrison published her second novel called Sula, which was nominated for the National Book Award. By her third novel in 1977, Morrison became a luminary name within the field of literature. With the success of her novels, she quit teaching and became a full-time writer. In the year 1987, she published her most famous novel, Beloved which is based on the true story of an African-American enslaved woman who kills her young daughter to spare her from the life of slavery. This book was one of Morrison’s best sellers and won many awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. 

To honor her memory, Princeton University is hosting an exhibition called Toni Morrison: Sites of Memory in February, 2023. In addition to a rich collection of works, Morrison left behind over 400 boxes of unpublished material that will be presented at the exhibition. Including manuscript drafts, speeches, writing plans, and correspondence, the exhibition promises to offer a new understanding of Morrison’s perspective when it comes to literature. 

Morrison, who once said, “The function of freedom is to free someone else,” has freed the minds of many young writers through her own writing which breaks the boundaries of societal standards. Morrison has never failed to amaze her audience by bringing awareness to issues such as racial injustice and unjust beauty standards. Her writing explores the importance of embodying one’s race and culture. She truly illustrates that one’s ethnicity and status within society do not serve as a limitation but as a way for people to be unique and offer their perspectives. Unfortunately, Morrison passed away in August 2019, however, she left some literary gems that are an endless source of inspiration and continue to offer insight into the racial hierarchies that were once too common in this country. 

Through her writing, Morrison became a voice for the unheard. She shed light on the many injustices and hardships that were faced by the American American community and diversified the field of literature. She demonstrated that one’s background does not inhibit their success but serves as a driving force; that one’s identity is not defined by the labels forced upon them by society. She will always be remembered for using her voice to inspire others to break societal norms and follow their dreams. 

When we think of the holidays, we think of over-the-top light displays, carefully wrapped gifts, and escapes to snowy “winter wonderlands.” However, there is a dark side to these cheerful holiday traditions as our global climate continues to change. The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve see a 25% increase in waste products due to our favorite traditions. Between increased food waste, over 2 million pounds in wrapping paper, and thousands of feet in ribbons, the season’s generosity comes at a cost. Not only is waste a concern, but the changing weather patterns of our global climate make winter weather around the country unpredictable, disappointing, and sometimes even dangerous. While you shouldn’t let these changes undermine the joy of your holidays, it is becoming increasingly important to adopt more sustainable traditions that will allow us to continue seeing snow on the ground and presents under the tree.

The unfortunate reality lying behind the shiny wrapping papers is an unsustainable and non-recyclable accumulation of trash during the holidays. Don’t worry just yet, though; if you’ve picked out the perfect present for mom and don’t want to end up throwing away all the wrapping paper, there are many alternatives. Recyclable and reusable options include newspapers, cloth, and fabric wrap like those used traditionally in Japan are a fantastic way to make your gift a little more special and a little more sustainable. On top of this, don’t be afraid to reuse gift bags, ribbons, wrappers, and other crafty materials when the holidays roll around. If everyone consciously decided to be a little more thoughtful about their gift wrapping, the world could see a lot less wrapping paper end up in the landfill.

While one associates the season with a snowy winter wonderland, that experience may look different in the coming decades as our climate shifts and unpredictable weather patterns change what we can expect. Not only can this mean a decrease in snowy winters, but it can also mean an increase. This might seem counterintuitive to the idea of global warming, however, it is essential to make the distinction between long-term climate change and short-term weather patterns when recognizing changes. In the last decade, for example, the US has seen polar vortexes, “snowmaggedons,” and winter freezes. These events are not limited to the typically cold areas and have occurred in places as far south as Texas. There are two factors that scientists at NOAA and other weather organizations around the country believe may contribute to these massive snowstorms. The first is climate change’s effect on the jet stream, a large air current that moves storms and weather throughout the country that has recently dipped much farther south (think Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas), thus bringing more snow and freezing temperatures to these states. The other factor would be the opposite: a lack of weather pattern movement, were areas still cold enough for snow receive extremely severe and dangerous blizzards because the snowstorms remain stationary for too long. 

In the end, there are a multitude of environmentally unfriendly aspects to the holidays. As our Earth continues to change, we will continue to see differences in the seasons we are accustomed to. Regardless of this, there is a glimmer of hope as NOAA’s recent 2020 data set has shown that North Carolina is more likely to have a white Christmas than in past decades. No matter what happens, we must become conscious of these changes not only during the holidays but all the time. As we look forward to the new year, consider making a resolution to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable but most importantly, enjoy the holidays and whatever weather gets thrown our way!

Charlotte is breaking barriers when it comes to sustainability with the Innovation Barn! Located at 932 Seigle Ave, the Innovation Barn is a former horse barn transformed into a functional building adorned with art made from repurposed trash. Inside, there are shelves filled with plants alongside a giant fish tank, a closed room filled with black soldier flies, and vertical herb gardens. The Innovation Barn is a Charlotte government initiative for a circular economy. This model utilizes reuse, local consumption/production, and recycling to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible, thereby minimizing excessive manufacturing and the waste associated with it. The ultimate goal of a circular economy is to not use new materials; instead, preexisting materials are constantly recycled, terminating the need for the production of new items and creating a zero-waste city. 

So what is the Innovation Barn, and how does it strive to implement this model in Charlotte? Envision Charlotte, which is the non-profit organization that established the Innovation Barn, says on its website that the Innovation Barn is “a combination of entrepreneurial businesses, zero-waste initiatives, and a space to convene groups in order to learn more about and implement circular projects.” They currently have many of these projects running. 

For one, they have an aquaponics lab. Aquaponics is a great example of circular production; it involves raising fish in a closed environment—using flies as food and producing nutrient-rich water—and the growing of plants. The nutrient-rich water is used to water the plants, causing faster germination. Further, the food grown from this aquaponics lab is then used in their kitchen—where they hold lessons on meal planning and how to cook sustainably—and their cafe—which is zero waste and uses locally sourced ingredients. 

The flies used to feed the fish are part of another project at the barn— an experiment that uses black soldier flies to compost. This experiment intends to repurpose local food waste and uses any remaining food scraps from their kitchen in the process. The Innovation Barn raises the fly larvae, which break down the compost. These flies are also used to feed the fish, providing them with nutrients and continuing the process of a circular economy. The carbon dioxide generated by the flies is also used by the plants to stimulate growth. 

The Innovation Barn also recycles many types of plastic that are not accepted by Charlotte recycling. They accept plastic donations in bins outside of their building. The plastics are grinded down and upcycled, contributing to local recycling efforts and efficiency. 

Beyond these exciting projects, the Innovation Barn is home to several local sustainability businesses. One such business is called Urban Lumber, which uses trees from the Charlotte biodiversity to create furniture. Their slogan is “reducing waste by repurposing local Carolina trees to their upcycled prime,” and they have diverted 7,785,000 pounds of wood from landfills according to their website. They have a showroom at the Innovation Barn, where they can promote their products to local environmentalists and consumers. 

Another goal of the Innovation Barn is to serve as an educational center. Tours are easily accessible and are offered twice a week (Tuesdays at 1:30 P.M. and Fridays at 10:30 A.M.). They also offer group tours to schools and corporate groups. Every Saturday from 1-4 P.M., they host a special event: the Market at the Innovation Barn, which partners with the Uptown Farmers Market to bring fresh, local produce to Charlotte environmentalists. The goal is to “allow vendors at Uptown Market more time to sell their products should they have excess”, according to their website, the ultimate aim being to reduce food wastage. 

Between the projects and businesses available, the Innovation Barn is a must-see for all sustainability lovers in Charlotte, and a commendable first step towards a zero-waste city!

As people shift their shopping and other habits online, AccessiBe was a technology company created to make websites more accessible, specifically for the visually impaired. However, according to NBC News, people with blindness have said the product is actually making it harder for them to navigate the web. Recently, people with blindness and disability advocates have voiced their opinions on social media and sued companies that use AccessiBe. They explain that the application that is supposed to make websites more compatible with screen readers has prevented them from undergoing many online activities such as paying rent, buying clothes, etc. According to Lucy Greco, a blind individual and the head of Web Accessibility at the University of California Berkeley, AccessiBe is the largest automated accessibility company on the market. The problem has grown in severity. In the past two months, 400 signatures from people, visually impaired, were on an open letter calling out companies that use automated services, like AccessiBe, and urging other companies with similar products to stop,” says NBC News.

AccessiBe markets itself on its website as an application that prices $49 a month to help companies protect themselves from not complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, government services, etc., by adding a single line of code to the backends of websites. They pride themselves on the fact that over 132,000 websites use its product, some of the more well-known ones being Pillsbury, Benadryl, Playmobil, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the company celebrates its growth and funding, many individuals with blindness and disability advocates have voiced that they are experiencing problems when utilizing websites that have installed AccessiBe, saying that when they visit, it can prevent screen readers from reading the pages correctly and has rendered some unnavigable. After Steve Clower’s, a blind software developer specializing in accessibility, apartment’s rent payment website adopted AccessiBe, he said the compatibility with his screen reader was so thrown off that he had to get his friend to help him with the rent for that month. The experience was so frustrating that he published a guide to block AccessiBe that he named “AccessiBe Gone.”

Rebutting, Shir Ekerling, the CEO of the company, in an email, wrote, “Almost no one gives any specifics to actual websites that really don’t work for them. This is because they don’t really test us, nor have really used us. At most, they went on a website out of anger and didn’t even try to understand.”

AccessiBe isn’t the only application that claims to provide a quick, automated solution to make websites compliant with accessibility standards. Greco has said other companies with similar products have had many of the same issues that AccessiBe has encountered. However, NBC News says it is AccessiBe that has stood out the most because of its rapid growth, heavy marketing, and defensive style of engaging with blind people who arise with claims of problems.

Recently, AccessiBe has been cited in at least two lawsuits by people who claim the websites don’t comply with the ADA. The company’s framework that it provides web accessibility to help avoid lawsuits does not help its relationship with those visually impaired. The problems between the company and its user only seem to be growing more controversial, as blind users say they can’t escape its presence in the visually impaired community. Haben Girma, a civil rights lawyer and an author who is deaf and blind said, “They have spent an alarming amount of money on advertising. Encountering these ads online feels like a personal attack on my humanity.” The significant fear that the visually impaired community share is that members of the blind public new to screen readers will be kept from accessing parts of the internet.