Katherine Schneider, a retired clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin — Eau Claire, author, blogger (kathiecomments.wordpress.com) and advocate on disability issues, reflects on how the Americans with Disabilities Act changed her life and that of other blind people. Learn more.
The Schneider Award is the first national journalism contest devoted exclusively to disability coverage. It is administered by the National Center on Disability and Journalism, headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, under a grant from Katherine Schneider, a retired clinical psychologist who also supports the Schneider Family Book Award. That award is administered by the American Library Association and honors the best children’s book each year that captures the disability experience for children and adolescents. Learn more.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people with disabilities represent 19 percent of the U.S. population. The bureau shares 25 interesting statistics about the Americans with Disabilities Act as part of its 25th anniversary. Read More.
A Washington Post columnist writes about a professor who traveled to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act who was told tour buses don’t accommodate people with wheelchairs. Learn more.
The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrates its 25th anniversary on July 26.
The act is widely viewed as the most significant piece of legislation advancing the rights of the hundreds of thousands of Americans with disabilities. The landmark civil rights law seeks to end discrimination on the basis of disability and requires equal access to opportunities for the disabled. In many ways, it has changed life in America.
News organizations are covering the anniversary in a variety of ways. Here are some of the stories that have been produced so far:
Harvard historian Akira Iriye named the signing of the ADA as one of the turning points of the 20th century in Time’s list of 25 moments that changed America.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio named July Disability Pride Month, The New York Daily News reports.
For more news and events, search Twitter using #ADA25.
Also, the ADA National Network has a tip sheet of resources (http://www.adaanniversary.org/), including a list of events across the country (https://adata.org/ada-anniversary/events).
A 3-minute film about a hang glider, magician and painter, carries a powerful message about disability. The film was produced in conjunction with The Mighty, an online publication focusing on dispelling the stigma around disability, and Wire Walker Studios, a Los Angeles-based production company making media for social change.
In this Wired blog, Paul Kotler points out that technology improvements aren’t always improvements for those with disabilities. That may be changing as more companies take an interest in designing for people living with disabilities. Read more.
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates the number of adults with any diagnosable mental disorder is nearly 1 in 5, or roughly 43 million Americans. Learn more.
In the latest installment of beauty brand Dove’s “Choose Beautiful” campaign, the company released a short film that shows three visually-impaired women talking about their own body image in relation to losing their sight. Read more.
Last week, one user on reddit posted a thread asking for comments from people with disabilities. Nearly 10,000 people responded to the thread, “Disabled people of reddit, what is something we do that we think helps, but it really doesn’t?” The Washington Post has compiled a round-up of the 14 most common suggestions. Read more on Wonkblog.