employment

#LetUsPlayUs: Blind Americans protest new CW television series “In the Dark”

Posted on April 11, 2019

Above: Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, is interviewed during the organization’s protest on April 2nd in midtown Manhattan. (Video: SCOOTERCASTER / YouTube)

Members of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) gathered in midtown Manhattan on April 2nd to protest “In The Dark,” a new television series on the CW network. The purpose of the protest #LetUsPlayUs was to highlight the lack of authentic representation of blind people in the entertainment industry; “In the Dark” features a lead actor who isn’t blind in real life, but who plays the role of a blind person on the show.

In the weeks leading up to the protest, the National Federation of the Blind issued a statement condemning the show and calling for its cancellation. The organization also wrote to the show’s producers and to CW/CBS executives requesting an urgent meeting. The NFB received a response from the show’s executives stating that they are interested in meeting with the NFB after the first season has aired.

You can also listen to NFB President Mark Riccobono recap the protest here.

#LetUsPlayUs on Twitter

Ford Foundation produces video on disability inclusion

Posted on January 3, 2019
The Heumann Perspective with Judith Heumann
VIDEO: The Heumann Perspective with Judith Heumann

The Ford Foundation has produced a short video that shows why disability rights are central to social justice work. You can read more about the Ford Foundation’s policy about including disabled people in their work here. To watch the video on the Foundation’s Facebook page, click here.

Doctors With Disabilities Push For Culture Change In Medicine

Posted on August 13, 2018

Lisa Iezzoni graduated from medical school but didn’t end up becoming a practicing doctor. This was before the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, and she says she just didn’t have the support. Read her story in Doctors With Disabilities Push For Culture Change In Medicine, produced in collaboration with WHYY’s The Pulse, NPR and Kaiser Health News.

Lisa Iezzoni is professor of medicine at Harvard. She has multiple sclerosis and researches disparities in health care for people with disabilities.
Lisa Iezzoni is professor of medicine at Harvard. She has multiple sclerosis and researches disparities in health care for people with disabilities. Elana Gordon/WHYY

#EqualPayDay highlights pay gap faced by women with disabilities

Posted on April 11, 2018

April 10 is “Equal Pay Day” and serves to promote discussion about causes of gender pay inequality. Robyn Powell penned an opinion essay for Bustle outlining recent statistics about pay gaps faced by women, women of color and women with disabilities. She writes, “Stereotypes about the capabilities of people with disabilities often lead to discrimination by employers. Employers must reduce these barriers and recognize the potential of people with disabilities.”

Rates of unemployment due to disability finally declining after years of upward trend

Posted on March 30, 2018

Former U.S. Treasury economist Ernie Tedeschi wrote a guest column for the New York Times analyzing recent labor force employment data. Tedeschi sourced his information from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and discovered promising signs that people with disabilities are returning to the labor force. Check out Tedeschi’s full report in NYT and readers’ comments about why the trend is occurring.

Medical schools heighten focus on undergraduate accessibility

Posted on March 13, 2018

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published a report today outlining common barriers to medical education faced by med school students with disabilities. The research on this topic was prompted by the AAMC‘s desire to promote diversity among its student, faculty and professional membership, and facilitate the standardization of accommodations. The report suggests that, although more medical school students are self-identifying as having disabilities, a culture of competition still promotes stigma around disability. Philadelphia public radio’s (WHYY) Elana Gordon wrote a short article summarizing the AAMC report and the responses it prompted from disability rights advocates.

AZ Commissioner for Deaf and Hard of Hearing gives advice to employers

Posted on October 31, 2017

Today, October 31st, is the last day of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The goal of NDEAM is to promote resources for employees with disabilities and their employers. Ted Simmons of Arizona PBS recently interviewed Pv Jantz about resources offered by the Arizona Commission of the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing. Jantz, who is deaf, says employers shouldn’t assume what type of accommodation a new co-worker needs. The best approach is to ask the employee what they prefer as an individual. Workers with disabilities tend to be experts on which accommodations best fit their individual needs. Jantz also recommends the website www.AskJAN.org (the Job Accommodation Network) as a resource for employers and employees with disabilities.

Deaf chef uses laser pointers, notepad and hand signals to communicate orders

Posted on August 31, 2017

David Uzzell is a deaf chef at Marcel’s, a high-end restaurant in Washington D.C. Uzzell and his colleagues use laser pointers, hand signals and a notepad to communicate meal orders and discuss kitchen operations. NPR reporter Kristin Hartke interviewed Uzzell and his boss Robert Wiedmaier about Uzzell’s work and creativity. “I couldn’t have hired David if he had no taste or sense of smell. Being deaf hasn’t stopped him from being a damn good chef,” Wiedmaier said.