Journalism students from Pierce College in Los Angeles asked 200 peers about their experiences with depression, compiling their responses on the #FeelBetter project. The storytelling project aims to break the silence surrounding depression. See the project here
After a man and his service dog were refused entry through an emergency gate in a D.C. metro station, the agency has reversed its policy, and will now allow service dogs through. Read more
Mares Wright displays one of the radios Sun Sounds of Arizona gives out, in addition to its online live stream of radio programming. (Lily Altavena)
by Lily Altavena
In 2015, non-profit Sun Sounds of Arizona is still giving out functional, 80s- looking radios to listeners after more than 30 years on the airwaves. Geared to help people with disabilities, volunteers from the organization read everything from the Wall Street Journal to Playboy aloud.
But the tide is changing at Sun Sounds, where an online stream is gaining in popularity.
“I’m signing up more and more people who want to do it digitally,” spokesman Mares Wright said.
Assistive technology is going digital and making new strides. Those with disabilities don’t have to look further than their smart phones to find a range of apps and accessories to improve quality of life. Some of this new technology was on display recently at “White Cane Day: A Resource Fair” in Tempe, Ariz., hosted by the city’s diversity office. The event was aimed at connecting those in the community who are blind or have visual impairments to a variety of resources, according to Michele Stokes, the city of Tempe’s Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Specialist.
The Prodigi, an electronic magnifier displayed by Mike Perry of Low Vision Plus in Arizona. (Lily Altavena)
Mike Perry owns Low Vision Plus, which offers assistive devices for those with visual impairments. One of the vendors at the fair, he said he’s seen a lot of improvements in the past few years.
“The technology has just become so much better,” Perry said. “Now people can afford to get it, even if they don’t have a lot of money.”
He displayed an electronic magnifier called the Prodigi at his table, which connects to a tablet to magnify and read words aloud. Perry estimates the Prodigi costs around $2,700 – thousands of dollars less than what its lower tech, 1990s counterpart would have cost.
Virginia Thompson, the assistive technology coordinator with the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, said she sees more technology useful for people with more than one disability. A home alert system might include flashing lights, vibrations and braille, for example.
Smart phones, too, are ripe for development in assistive technology. In Lyrics Guru, a video game app showcased at the fair, users have to guess the correct lyrics for a song. The company, Al Jones Corporation, is currently developing a voice-controlled version of the game for those who are blind or have low vision.
“From our understanding, there are not many video games out there for those with visual challenges,” Al Jones, the company’s CEO, said.
Events like “White Cane Day” are critical to the communities they reach, Stokes said. Especially if someone is in the process of losing their sight, finding a new tool might make a huge impact in their life, he said.
For Thompson, updates in assistive technology signals more inclusion for those with disabilities.
“We still have a long ways to go, but at least now deaf-blind people can be active in the community,” she said.
A new campaign spearheaded by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation is encouraging people to approach those with disabilities by just saying ‘hi.'”The ‘Just Say Hi” project celebrates the foundation’s 60th anniversary. Read more
The mother of an 18-year-old man with a learning disability is lobbying New York education officials to make changes to its policies, so her son can receive his high school diploma. Her fight is just one of many, illustrating how parents of those with disabilities often have to advocate their children “get the services they require.” Read more
Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lucy Ferriss outlines the debate over whether the word “deaf” should be capitalized. The article references the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s style guide (referred to as the National Council on Disability and Journalism), which advises that the word “deaf” to be lowercased when referring to a hearing loss condition but capitalized when referring to the Deaf community. Read more
At a Wisconsin prison, inmates are training dogs to serve people with disabilities. Prison officials tell the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that interaction with the animals has helped inmates who haven’t seen dogs in decades. Read more
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which celebrates American workers with disabilities. The National Center on Disability and Journalism gathered a range of articles about the issue, which delve into everything from disability employment statistics to continuing discrimination against workers with disabilities.
St-Louis Post Dispatch: “25 years after the ADA became law, the disabled continue to be absent from workforce”
Doug Moore examines what he believes are the shortcomings of the Americans with Disabilities Act as its 25th anniversary rolls around. Read more
University Herald: “Wheelchair Sports Linked to Higher Employment, Economic Impact”
A study from the University of Houston finds an interesting link between adaptive sports and employment. Read more
The Daily Beast: “Slave Wages for the Disabled”
In Michigan, a debate is brewing over wages paid to certain people with disabilities. Read more
Disability Scoop: “Job Market Sluggish For Those With Disabilities”
An update on how people with disabilities are faring in the job market. Read more
The New York Times: “Op-Ed: Disability Laws Are Not Enough to Combat Discrimination”
Why one writer thinks the ADA hasn’t done enough in securing employment for the nation’s disabled. Read more
Medical Daily: “People With Disability Struggle To Find Employment, Especially If They’re Single, Male, Or Less Educated”
A look at data in disability employment — and what factors might influence whether or not a disabled person secures a job. Read more
Bloomberg BNA: “Model Firm Says Disability Inclusion Helps Business”
Top companies share their success in including those with disabilities. Read more
Society For Human Resource Management: “Southwest Cities Rank High for People with Disabilities; Nev. and Fla. Cities Score Low”
Some cities rank better than others when it comes to living with a disability – the SHRM breaks down the data. Read more
PR Week: “How to navigate the challenges of accommodating staff with mental disabilities”
PR Week provides a guide for employers on helping employees with mental disabilities. Read more
The Huffington Post: “4 Reasons You Should Hire People with Disabilities”
One writer outlines how important it is to challenge the public perception of the word “disability.” Read more
