In September, it was announced that an estimated three out of every ten veterans who have served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars since 9/11 have Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This comes after criticism was leveled at the agency for its delays in making decisions on disability claims filed by veterans.
The issue of what life is like for veterans after their tours of duty has been well-covered by news outlets over the past decade, and recently, NBC Rock Center with Brian Williams profiled one soldier’s post-war experience back home.
The article from The Daily Beast, written by Jaime Reno, quotes a source as saying the V.A. did not want to make the fact that nearly 250,000 veterans are living with PTSD public. Over 830,000 service members have fought in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined, according to the article.
The U.S. Department of State issued a press release late last week with details of a job fair for people with disabilities in Washington, D.C. The fair will be held on Monday, October 15, in the George C. Marshall Conference Center Auditorium at the State Department. At least 150 students are expected to attend, according to the release.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. To that end, this fair is designed to increase the number of people with disabilities in the workforce, and specifically in government positions relating to foreign affairs and international matters.
Contact information for the event organizers can be found through the link above.
Tuesday, October 9 was the final day to register to vote in multiple states, including Arizona. One voting block — people with disabilities — has historically held less political weight when it comes to national elections than those without disabilities, according to a recent article in the St. Louis Beacon. The votes cast by disabled voters are counted equally along with everyone else’s to be sure, but the problem quite simply is turnout.
Just as efforts are being made to decrease the unemployment rate for the disabled community this October, so groups in Missouri are attempting to <em>increase</em> the number of voters with disabilities who make their way to the polls next month. The Missouri Disability Vote Project held the St. Louis Disability Vote Summit on Thursday, Oct. 4.
The article states that in the 2008 Presidential election, disabled voter turnout was 57 percent, compared to 64 percent of the general population. Many, including attorney David Newburger, claim that one major reason for the disparity lies in the relative inaccessibility of polling places. The link above provides a nice sketch of the model for a fully accessible space for all to vote without physical barriers.
Three questions this brought to my mind for me:
1. If a polling place is inaccessible to people with disabilities, can this be seen as a form of voter suppression/discrimination on the same level as imposing stricter voter ID laws?
2. If the answer to 1 is yes, then what recourse (besides litigation) does the community have in order to correct the problem?
3. How would Universal Design aid in the campaign to get more people with disabilities to the polls?
As the calendar turns over to October, that means it is time for a renewed focus on the community of people with disabilities, and specifically targeting the high rate of unemployment among this group.
According to a recent article in Florida’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper, 43 percent of people with disabilities in three of the state’s biggest counties are unemployed. That percentage alone is staggering, but becomes even more shocking when considering that over there are over 530,000 people with some form of disabilities in those counties alone.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that while the national unemployment rate overall topped eight percent in August 2012, the rate for those with disabilities was nearly twice as high at 13.8 percent. More complete statistics can be found here.
So, what is being done over the course of the next month to (1) help decrease the rate of unemployment for people with disabilities, and (2) to help bring greater awareness generally to the topic of disability?
Here is a list of events happening in various parts of the country that address the above questions. Some are employment-oriented, and include career fairs and mentoring days. Others are designed as efforts to either recognize the achievements of the community or to provide helpful resources to make day-to-day tasks easier.
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October 1:Must See Mondays (speaker series), “UNITY 2012: The Power of the ‘D-Word’ in America’s Newsrooms”
You don’t often see journalists with disabilities either on television, radio or in print. This event, hosted by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University will not focus directly on disability-related issues in journalism, but will emphasize diversity in media more generally.
From the event page: “A panel of Cronkite faculty featuring Susan Green, assistant news director and broadcast director of Cronkite News Service; Aric Johnson, Arizona Republic editor-in-residence; and Anita Luera, director of high school journalism programs. Moderated by Mike Wong, director of career services.”
One of the deterrents to entering a field like journalism for many people is if they do not see themselves reflected in the demographic makeup of an industry. Perhaps this event will begin to illuminate how more individuals with disabilities can enter the competitive field of journalism, despite there being few current role-models for this group. The night begins at 7 p.m. at the Cronkite building on the Downtown Phoenix Campus.
For more information visit this link or contact Megan Calcote at (602) 496-7845.
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October 5-6:“I Am Active Expo”
The 2012 “I Am Active Expo” will be held over two days at the Disability Empowerment Center (DEC) in Phoenix. It is an event designed to help people with disabilities learn more about things like assistive technology, adaptive driving equipment and resources for rehabilitative therapy. This is also an opportunity for those around Phoenix to tour the newly-opened Virginia G. Piper Sports and Fitness Center for Persons with Disabilities (SpoFit).
The expo will take place on Friday October 5 from 12:00pm-5:00pm, and Saturday, October 6 from 10:00am-4:00pm.) From the Arizona Bridge to Independent Living website: “[The event will feature] presentations, demonstrations, technology ranging from restorative therapies for spinal cord injuries, to assistive technology for gamers, to those with limited speech. In addition, there will be a display of accessible vehicles.”
Contact David Carey with questions at 602-443-0723. Registration is free and no RSVP is required to attend. The DEC is located at 5025 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, Ariz. More details: http://www.abil.org/expo2012
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October 11:ADA Recognition Ceremony
The City of Phoenix will be hosting an ADA Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, October 11 at City Hall downtown. Mayor Greg Stanton will be in attendance and KPHO’s Catherine Anaya will moderate the event. The city’s website outlines four goals of the ceremony, which, quoting the site, are:
1. Commemorate October as Disability Awareness Month
2. Honor community businesses and organizations for their ADA-related achievements
3. Recognize the Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues (MCDI) and its 2012 Grant recipients
4. Highlight the 2011-12 ADA-related innovations and accomplishments of City departments and staff
October 16:Think Beyond the Label Online Career Fair
The Think Beyond the Label Online Career Fair is a unique forum and experience for businesses to engage real time with qualified candidates with disabilities. Powered by Brazen Careerist, the career fair is free, accessible and give job seekers a chance to talk with companies across several industries. The career fair is held October 16 from 1-4 pm ET. Here’s a link to register: http://www.brazenconnect.com/event/thinkbeyondthelabel
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October 17:Disability Mentoring Day
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will hold Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) events on October 17. All across America thousands of employer mentors and mentees will take part in job shadow and mentoring activities during the month of October. Disability Mentoring Day events at work sites, workshops and job fairs provide valuable first-hand experience to students and job-seekers with disabilities. This experience has helped thousands of past participants develop lasting relationships and secure internships or jobs. Every year, AAPD chooses a local DMD program to host the DMD National Launch. This year it is New York City. See http://aapd.com
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All of October:Webinar Series
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) will be hosting four weekly webinars in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month on Thursdays in October from 2:00-2:30 p.m. EDT.
The topics are: Beyond Yellow Ribbons: Creating Disability Inclusive Workplaces for Recently Returned Veterans with Disabilities (Oct. 4) Research and Practice for Promoting Disability Disclosure (Oct. 11) Increased Options, Stronger Support: How States Can Assist Businesses in Employing People with Disabilities (Oct. 18) The Workforce Recruitment Program: Tapping the Talents of College Students and Graduates with Disabilities (Oct. 25)
Here’s a link to register: http://www.askearn.org/webinar_registration_2012_October.cfm
If you work for an organization or group that is running an event related to this year’s Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us know and we can add your information to this list. Send us a link to your event’s website, or provide the date and time it’s happening, with a brief description of relevant details. Send emails to christopher.h.carr@asu.edu
Mike Rioux waited 18 months to have his disability benefits claim processed after returning from the war in Afghanistan. As Randy Kaye of CNN reports, when the decision was finally reached, Rioux was told he qualified for a monthly payment of under $700 and was only 40 percent disabled. The Department of Veterans Affairs did not provide compensation for his traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder, both acquired during his military service. His PTSD diagnosis was even given by a VA doctor.
According to CNN, Rioux and his family are not alone in fighting with the VA to obtain monetary benefits, and the economic struggles are taking their toll.
Most of the difficulty with making decisions and evaluating claims appears to be the result of “severe and complex mental injuries” like traumatic brain injuries and PTSD.
The report compared these injuries to Agent Orange and Gulf War syndrome, meaning that the VA is trying to determine the right benefit amount for those affected by things like PTSD. Because terms used to describe these conditions are relatively new, it can be hard to compare these more “hidden disabilities” to those with obvious physical manifestations.
Officials with the VA are expecting to process approximately one million applications from veterans by the end of 2012, and they say the goal is to process incoming applications within 125 days, according to CNN.
Sami McGinnis remembers walking into a polling place and casting her vote for the first time.
“It was a wonderful feeling to have that freedom,” she said.
McGinnis, 67, whose vision is impaired, gave up that freedom eight years ago after her husband died. That’s when she first voted by absentee ballot. Having no family near her Mesa, Ariz., residence, she found it difficult arranging transportation — especially on Election Day.
She wishes it were possible for her to physically vote inside a polling place because she questions whether her absentee ballot is counted.
Bank of America has settled a lawsuit brought by customers with disabilities who were seeking loans on home mortgages between May 2007 and April 2012, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The customers who filed the lawsuit would not have been required to pay higher interest rates on mortgage loans or face any other increased financial burden beyond that of non-disabled applicants. Rather, the plaintiffs claimed that they were asked to provide documentation regarding Social Security income not required of other applicants, the story states. As the article details, Bank of America has faced similar allegations of discriminatory loan practices in the past. In this case, however, the bank says they were not breaking federal law and that the settlement decision was made only to mitigate litigation expenses, according to the article.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The fate of a Pakistani Christian girl at the center of a contentious blasphemy case hung in the balance on Tuesday, as lawyers applied for her release from jail and an influential Muslim cleric offered his support.
The Pakistani authorities have held the girl, Rimsha Masih, in a high-security jail since Aug. 16, when hundreds of Muslim protesters, angered over claims that she had burned pages from an Islamic holy book, surrounded a police station here in Islamabad to demand that she face prosecution.
A new national journalism awards program will recognize excellence in reporting on disability issues and people with disabilities.
The Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability is the first national journalism contest devoted exclusively to disability coverage. It is administered by the National Center on Disability & 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 awards program is administered by the American Library Association and honors the best children’s books each year that capture the disability experience for children and adolescents in three age categories.
Entries for the new journalism award are being accepted until Aug. 1, 2013. Entries must be published or aired between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013. Entries will be accepted from print publications, radio or television outlets and online-only publications. The first-place winner will receive an award of $5,000 and an invitation to speak at the Cronkite School. A second place award of $1,500 also will be given, and judges additionally may give $500 honorable mention awards.
For more information on how to submit stories for consideration, please visit the NCDJ Contest page.
