Posted on: , Nic Lindh
Langevin takes House podium Monday to mark disability act
Not long ago, Gina Barrett was going through the effects of her late parents when she came upon a letter that her cousin had written long ago.
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
Living with a disability in America
Twenty years ago President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, ensuring equal employment opportunities and access to public transportation. But how far have we really come? Two advocates discuss the challenges disabled Americans still face.
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
Courtroom plight aids others with disabilities
One morning in 1997, George Lane found himself at the base of a staircase in the Polk County courthouse wondering how he was going to get to the courtroom on the second floor.
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
It’s been 20 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law. Is it working? CNN’s Kyra Phillips reports
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
by Jake Geller
In reaction to a new poll released today, a disability advocate calls for more representation of people with disabilities in the media to close the gap between those with disabilities and those without. “One out of five people in America has a disability of some sort so we should see one out of five people portrayed with his disability,” said Carol Glazer, president of the National Organization on Disability.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Kessler Foundation and National Organization on Disability released the results of the 2010 Survey of Americans with Disabilities. The poll was conducted by Harris Interactive and measured the gaps between those with and without disabilities. These differences were in the areas of employment, income, education, health care, transportation, Internet access and socializing.
Although there were significant gaps in employment, health care access and transportation; the survey found the gap narrowed or eliminated in education and political participation respectively. “Where political participation goes, so does legislation change follow,” Glazer said.
Detailed results of the survey and presentations are available at www.2010disabilitysurvey.org.
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
Thanks to the recession and higher unemployment rates, more people with disabilities are trying to go out on their own, and a few good programs are providing them with much-needed support.
Today, the Wall Street Journal published the article, For Disabled, a Job Hunt Alternative, leading with the story of New Mexico’s David Shunkey, an autistic man who runs a dog-treat business with an $850 state grant. The story does a great job talking about the opportunities as well as the hurdles that face disabled entrepreneurs. While loans are available, they’re harder to get. And in Mr. Shunkey’s case, his difficulty with communicating and running a business has potentially hurt his sales.
A key program that WSJ mentioned is one I’ve written about in the past on my website, abledbody.com, is the Entrepreneur Boot Camp for Veterans. This excellent, week-long workshop is designed to give veterans with disabilities an MBA-style crash course in being an business owner. Six schools are participating, including founder Syracuse University: Here’s how to apply.
Another program that didn’t receive mention — perhaps it was too new to be considered — is the U.S. Business Leadership Network’s Disability Supplier Diversity Program. The program offers businesses that are 51% owned by an individual with a disability, including service disabled veterans, an opportunity to obtain certified disability-owned business status and get access to supplier networks in major corporations and federal agencies. It’s the disability version of being a women- or minority-owned business. My company, abledbody, successfully obtained certified disability-owned status on April 30, and I’m on of 16 other small businesses that hope use this certification to do business with private-sector companies including Ernst & Young, IBM and Walgreen’s.
In fact, many people with disabilities who start businesses go to great lengths to ensure that they’re using their strengths, not their disability, to make an imprint. (Abledbody offers writing and communications services.) Other companies in the program sell products and services that cater to the disability market — such as Braille signage or ADA consulting — and for these enterprises, business can be a windfall. Let’s hope another article shows up in mainstream media that highlights these success stories, too.
– Suzanne Robitaille
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
Blockbuster settles disabilities case
The Justice Department has reached a settlement with Blockbuster Inc. designed to ensure equal access at more than 3,000 Blockbuster retail stores for disabled customers who use service animals.
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
With the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we just posted two tip sheets by Jennifer LaFleur, NCDJ advisory board member and Director of Computer-Assisted Reporting for ProPublica.
The first tip sheet gives a good overview of the ADA and other federal disability laws. It includes a survey she created for her investigative story on disability access in the St. Louis area while at the Post-Dispatch.
The second tip sheet is a good primer on U.S. Census Bureau disability statistics. It includes information on the 2000 Census, work disabilities and other Census Bureau data. The tip sheet also has other statistical resources from the federal government and private organizations.
The tip sheets can be found at: https://ncdj.org/tip-sheets-for-reporters/
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
Dr. Besser’s Notebook: Special Olympics’ Legacy for Us All
When I was in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania more than 20 years ago, our class volunteered to work at the Special Olympics Games in Philadelphia.
Posted on: , Nic Lindh
UN Calls Shock Treatment at Mass. School ‘Torture’
It may look like any leafy New England campus, but inside one Massachusetts school for special needs children, the method of teaching at work is anything but ordinary.
