New York, NY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: To gather data on the health impacts of noise pollution, New York University's Grossman School of Medicine installed sound sensors in Manhattan's Chinatown. Project organizers also created a bilingual website, which visualized the sensor data and featured a sound map and resources for self-guided sound walks. To inform the map, organizers made audio recordings of Chinatown residents talking about their experiences with noise. The Grossman School of Medicine then featured the information at the community's first Noise Forum, attended by policymakers and city agencies. Overexposure to noise is associated with health impacts such as anxiety, sleep disturbances and high blood pressure. Older adults face additional risks due to sensory changes that come with aging.

New York, NY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Older adults navigating dense city neighborhoods often face hidden accessibility barriers, from uneven sidewalks to businesses that are difficult to enter. Without clear, shared information, these obstacles can limit independence and everyday movement. AXS Lab addressed this gap by hosting three community mapping events that invited residents to document real-world accessibility conditions using walk audits and digital mapping tools. Participants reviewed streets, parks and businesses and contributed hundreds of observations based on lived experience. The effort supported conversations with local officials and community partners and helped businesses better understand accessibility needs. By turning on-the-ground knowledge into shared data, the project strengthened community awareness and created a foundation for ongoing advocacy focused on improving access for older adults.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.