E186: David New- A Steadfast Advocate for people with disability

Twenty years ago, a rare disease rendered David New deaf, blind,
and paralyzed from the waist down. Rejecting his doctors’
terminal diagnosis, defying all odds, David learned to walk again
and gradually regained his hearing, though he did not regain his
sight.


Multi-talented, he has since become a steadfast advocate for
people with disabilities, creates glass sculptures, founded
several companies and non-profits, and has embarked on an
exciting venture, the South Beach Jazz Festival,
www.sobejazzfestival.com.


David was born and raised in Philadelphia and began his
university studies at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at
Rutgers University. He continued his education at the Tyler
School of Art, Temple University, the University of the Arts in
Philadelphia, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York
City and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. An artist at
heart, David worked in his family’s furniture business while
creating his own interior design firm, R. David New Interior
Design. He relocated to South Florida in 2000 and continued
pursuing his passion for art and design.


“As a visual artist my whole life, I was missing a component. I
had to rethink everything. I got more involved in the community.
I started new organizations and non-profits,” adds David.


David works tirelessly to break down barriers and to educate
people about living and working with people with
disabilities.  In addition to serving as president of Power
Access Inc. and Ability Explosion, he was chairman of the Miami
Beach Disability Access Committee for six years until January
2016, where he is still instilled as a member. David was the
founder of the Miami Beach Council of the Blind, an affiliate of
the Florida Council and the American Council of the Blind. 
In 2012, he took over Access Now Inc., which is an advocacy
organization for enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities
Act. With Access Now, David is working to build the first fully
accessible art museum in the world located in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania.


Through Power Access and Access Now, his two non-profit
organizations, David provides programs and produces experiential
events centered around building awareness of the challenges faced
by people with disabilities, including Dining in the Dark,
Disability Awareness Day and the South Beach Jazz Festival.


David recently reignited his lifelong passion for creating art
when he learned about a new 3-D laser technology for creating
laser-etched glass sculptures, a perfect medium for his visionary
mind and imagination. He was introduced to the machinery,
serendipitously located in Miami - the only one of its kind in
the country. He designs the concept, the imagery, dimensions, and
presentations, as well as the polished stainless-steel bases and
glass specifications. David’s work has been exhibited in art
galleries, at Art Basel Miami and he has plans to open a gallery
on Miami Beach.


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