The Washington Post hires its first accessibility engineer in an effort to improve the accessibility of digital products. Read more
workplace
Mistreatment of physicians with disabilities is widespread, study finds
Journalist Jeffrey Bendix reports on a study that finds disabled physicians are often mistreated more than their fellow colleagues. Read more
Why Technology Accessibility is Key for Disability Inclusion at Work
Promoting inclusion through accessibility increases productivity and aids in employee retention and recruitment. Read more here.
Academy Awards Make Push For Increased Disability Representation
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new requirements aimed at increasing the amount of diversity in Best Picture nominees. Starting in 2024, movies will have to meet two of four requirements that account for disability and diversity representation to be considered for Best Picture.
Willie Levi, 73, Dies; He Escaped a Life of Servitude
By Dan Barry, The New York Times
Willie Levi died at the age of 73 on April 23 after contracting the novel coronavirus.
Levi, who lived with an intellectual disability, was part of a successful Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit that fought for proper pay and working conditions for people with disabilities.
Levi was sent from his hometown of Orange, Texas to Iowa, where he worked alongside other men at a turkey-processing plant for decades. According to The New York Times, the men worked “in virtual servitude” for Henry’s Turkey Service.
Although Levi never made it back to Orange while he was alive, after his passing he was set to be buried in the same historic African-American cemetery that holds the remains of his mother, according to The New York Times.
Read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/us/willie-levi-73-dies-he-escaped-a-life-of-servitude.html?referringSource=articleShare
NCDJ Board Member Becky Curran Kekula Discusses Facing the Fear of Inclusivity
By “The Morning Blend” show on TMJ-4 Milwaukee
NCDJ board member Becky Curran Kekula appeared on this morning talk show to discuss tips for treating people with disabilities fairly and respectfully. Part of the discussion focused on the fact that since 70% of disabilities are invisible, many people are nervous to either admit they have a disability, or to speak about someone who may have a disability that isn’t immediately apparent.
Also featured are some of Becky’s favorite tips for working remotely — a particularly relevant topic in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Watch the full segment here: https://www.tmj4.com/shows/the-morning-blend/facing-the-fear-of-inclusivity
Science suffers when STEM students with disabilities leave the field
Read Marks and Bayer’s piece in Scientific American online by clicking here.
NCDJ Director Kristin Gilger quoted in HuffPost article on disability discrimination in the workplace
Job listings that discourage people with disabilities from applying are prevalent across professional industries, from journalism and news media to finance and higher education. Not only do these job descriptions discourage candidates with disabilities from applying to jobs for which they are qualified, but they also exacerbate the larger problem of people with disabilities being underemployed in full-time work.
Kristin Gilger, a senior associate dean at the Cronkite School and our director here at the NCDJ, is quoted in a recent HuffPost article discussing why these job descriptions are problematic and how they can be changed to attract a more diverse pool of candidates. The article was written by Wendy Lu, a journalist and disability rights advocate.
Click here to read Lu’s article on disability discrimination in the workplace.
Arizona legislator Jennifer Longdon has to roll home following late-night budget talks
After a recent legislative session ended at 2 a.m., Rep. Jennifer Longdon, D-Phoenix, a wheelchair user and NCDJ board member, had no choice but to roll 1.5 miles home from the Capitol. Longdon’s difficulty getting home illustrates the lack of accessible public transit options in Phoenix. How can people who rely on public transportation be productive or work late, if needed, in a city that doesn’t have a 24-hour bus system?
Several colleagues and a police officer accompanied Longdon on her roll home, but, as Longdon pointed out, many people with disabilities wouldn’t be able to access the kind of help that she [as an elected state representative] could.
Click here to read more about this news story in the Arizona Republic.
Above: Rep. Jennifer Longdon thanks Phoenix police and tells her colleagues about her travails getting home on May 24, 2019. (Video: Robbie Sherwood / azcentral.com)
Ford Foundation produces video on disability inclusion
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.