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My topic begins with a show I watched recently on the Dr. Oz show. The topic was Autism. It was interesting—the audience represented parents who had children who were diagnosed on the Autism spectrum (ASD). The panel of professionals included Autism specialists, advocates and pediatricians.

There was a big controversy on the show, as we all have probably heard about in the news, with the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine. There is a question as to whether or not the vaccine is directly related to the onset of autism. Some parents were clear on their stance–that it was related, and that the vaccine caused autism. Read the rest of this entry →

People first language. We all know about it and use it regularly, right? It’s respectful and saying “person with a disability” is much better than using handicapped, right? After all, the word handicapped comes from the having a cap in hand to beg for change or a handout or charity, and nobody wants to be associated with that image. This word, “handicapped”, has the power to inspire anger and insult because of where it originated, or at least how we were told it originated.  Read the rest of this entry →

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is a piece of legislation that has not been reauthorized since 1998.  WIA establishes the U.S. Vocational Rehabilitation Program as well as coordinating funds for job training.  Currently, the senate committee, Health Education Labor and Pension (HELP) has introduced legislation to reauthorize WIA.  This is seen as an opportunity to improve employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities.  Read the rest of this entry →

The Olmstead Decision is one of the most important Supreme Court decisions regarding people with disabilities.  This decision orders States to comply with the American with Disabilities Act to provide services for people with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Read the rest of this entry →

Since the Great Depression, there are more people unemployed and as a result, uninsured. According to the Census Bureau, more than 50 million Americans are uninsured. Yet the costs of healthcare and medications continue to rise. People are cutting back on everything, and unfortunately, that includes good health practices, including cost of healthy foods, preventative care, and prescription medications.

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The news is full of our “leaders” who want to cut benefits, institutionalize us or ignore our basic human rights altogether.  These stories can really get you down, if you let them. We always hear about the legislation and the negative stories, but you rarely see any of the positive news. Read the rest of this entry →

“We’ve tried cripples before and it didn’t work.” This was the response from the University of California at Berkeley to Ed Roberts when he applied for admission in 1962. This was not the first rejection that Ed received. In 1961, he was considered so severely disabled, that he was labeled “unemployable.” Roberts was significantly disabled, but he knew he could be an Read the rest of this entry →

Disability.gov is one of the best resources available for people who are living with a disability or who are looking for more information on services for the disabled. The site is designed to provide information on many different aspects of being disabled. Available, is the option to search resources by state, since the rights, benefits and resources available for the disabled often vary between states. Read the rest of this entry →

Justin Dart (August 29, 1930-June 22, 2002) is known for being the “Father of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” the “Godfather of the disability rights movement,” and the “spiritual leader of the IL [independent living] movement.” Read the rest of this entry →

I’m back…

More excuses…Please don’t get fed up with me.  This past week was very stressful, with the school year winding down and the rowing season coming to a close there is a lot going on.  Then, on top if that, I was given the opportunity to interview for the full-time math instructor opening at the school that I am working at.  For the interview, I was asked to teach a stand-alone lesson, which is a lesson that does not need any previous knowledge and does not need anything going forward. Read the rest of this entry →