One of the bright spots that helped restaurants and businesses make it through the pandemic was the ability to extend out onto sidewalks and streets. It helped them continue to do business while indoor activities were restricted and in many areas these changes are being made permanent, but for disabled citizens, these changes can make sidewalks feel like obstacle courses. Calls are now being made for "mini equality impact assessments" which notify business owners of reasonable adjustments that can be made to provide better accessibility. John Surico, contributor to Bloomberg CityLab, joins us for how "open streets" impacted disabled users.

Next, the demand for mental healthcare has overwhelmed supply for most of the pandemic, and in some places like Massachusetts, the need for those services is critical. If traditional hospitals and treatment centers don't have available space for mental health services, some may need to go to the ER in what is known as emergency room boarding for psychiatric patients. These types of stays have risen between 200% and 400% in Massachusetts during the pandemic and ERs are not equipped for this type of treatment. Martha Bebinger, healthcare reporter at WBUR, joins us for what to know and one girl's 17-day stay in an ER.

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