ADALive!

For more information transcripts and resources visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-105/

Air travel is often essential for employment, integral for recreation pursuits and vital for social and family connections. But, air travel can be challenging and full of anxiety for the 27 million travelers with disabilities and the 3.3 million passengers who use a wheelchair or other medical device for mobility.

In this episode of ADA Live! discover what airports and airlines are doing to make air travel experiences better for people with disabilities. Our guest is Steve Mayers, Director of Customer Experience and ADA Coordinator, at the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

For more information, resources, transcripts visit http://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/episode-7/

Thirty-two (32) years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA is still treated as an afterthought, rather than a powerful civil rights law. Please join us for this important discussion about how ADA compliance has progressed over the years and where gaps remain in realizing the ideals and intent of the ADA.

On this episode of Disability Rights Today, our first guest is nationally known advocate and expert on disability rights law, Eve Hill, a partner at the law firm of Brown Goldstein & Levy. Our second guest is Jason Turkish, President and Managing Partner of Nyman Turkish PC, a nationwide litigation and disability law firm. Our host is Dr. Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute and University Professor at Syracuse University.

For more information, resources, and transcript visit adalive.org/episodes/episode-104/

As we enter the third year of the pandemic, COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on the economy and the workforce. Some employees have developed post-COVID health conditions, or long COVID. And these post-COVID health conditions could impact one or more major life areas that may trigger protections for employees under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In this episode of ADA Live!, we will discuss the impact of post-COVID health on the workplace, employees, and employers – and its effect on our economic recovery. Our guest is Sharon Rennert, Senior Attorney Advisor, in the Division of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (ADA/GINA), Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

For more information, resources, and transcript visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-103b/

In this episode of ADA Live!, discover the important work of NIDILRR with our guest, Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) since May 2021. Dr. Forber-Pratt will also share her thoughts on the challenges moving forward for disability research, access, and inclusion.

For more information, resources, and transcripts visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-104

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not specifically address housing, the four foundational goals of the ADA: full participation, independent living, equal opportunity, and economic self-sufficiency, would not be possible without fair and accessible housing.

Listen to ADA Live! Episode 103 to discover the meaning of fair and accessible housing. Learn about the Fair Housing Act and how this law protects people with disabilities from housing discrimination.

Our guest for this episode of ADA Live! is Mr. Jack Humburg, Chief Operating Officer for the Boley Centers, a private not-for-profit corporation that provides housing and employment services for people with disabilities, individuals and families who are homeless, veterans and youth in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

More information, resources, and transcript visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-102b/

On average, the Southeast ADA Center responds to 2500 calls for ADA technical assistance each year. These calls come from many individuals, people with disabilities, business owners, state, and local government employees, employers, and other entities. The Southeast ADA Center is a trusted source for accurate technical guidance on the law for each situation. Our guests for the next episode of ADA Live! are Rebecca Williams - Lead Technical Assistance Specialist and Cheri Hofmann, ADA Distance Learning and Training Director, at the Southeast ADA Center. Join us for this episode where we will be “talking shop” about the technical assistance calls they receive, whether the ADA applies to a given situation, and how they advise callers.

For addition information, transcripts, resources, and bios visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-102/

Historically, the labor force participation and unemployment rates for people with disabilities are lower than the rates for the total workforce. In the United States, the total workforce participation rate stays between 18-22%. Additionally, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is historically twice the unemployment rate for workers who do not have disabilities.

To discuss employment for people with disabilities, we welcome Christine Griffin, Senior Executive Search Consultant with Bender Consulting Services, Inc. Our host today is Dr. Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute. We will focus on the topics of what can be done to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities, how far we have come, and how far we must go. We will also discuss the next generation of leaders in disability and employment.

For more information, bios, resources, and transcript visit http://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/episode-6/

The case of Karantsalis v. City of Miami Springs raises many questions about statutes of limitations, progressive disability, and advocacy. In 2008, Theodore Karantsalis, sued the city of Miami Springs, Florida, alleging the city was in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 because its facilities and infrastructure were inaccessible to him due to his multiple sclerosis. Later, he withdrew his lawsuit, believing he lacked constitutional standing because his symptoms at the time did not substantially limit his mobility. By 2019, Mr. Karantsalis’ multiple sclerosis had progressed and he required a wheelchair for mobility. He refiled his suit alleging the city and the city’s facilities, programs, and services were now inaccessible to him. The district court dismissed his suit, finding that Karantsalis was “barred by the four-year statute of limitations,” which was triggered before or during the 2008 suit when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The district court decision was reversed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, noting that Karantsalis did not have to sue until his disability resulted in a loss of mobility.

Join us for this episode of Disability Rights Today, as we welcome the Plaintiff-Appellate in this case, Theodore D. Karantsalis, and his attorney, Matthew Dietz. Our host is Dr. Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. Our guests will discuss the arguments of the case, the case findings, and what this case means for people with disabilities and the ADA.

For more information, transcripts, resources, and bios visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-101/

Like the United States, the employment gap in the United Kingdom between people with disabilities and non-disabled people is large with little progress made to narrow the gap. Although the Equality Act of 2010 offers similar protections to the Americans with Disabilities Act, interested groups believe more should be done to address employment disparities. On the next episode of ADA Live! we will look at a new effort in the United Kingdom to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities and end employment discrimination. The Disability Employment Charter, drawn up by charities, academics, and trade unions, lays out nine actionable steps the British government should take to address employment inequities experienced by people with disabilities. These steps are bold and ambitious.

Please join us as we welcome Lord Kevin Shinkwin, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, and Professor Kim Hoque, Professor of Human Resource Management and Director of the Industrial Relations Research Unit at the University of Warwick Business School. Our guests will discuss how the Disability Employment Charter came about, and the vision, mission, and impact for people with disabilities. Our host will be Dr. Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute and University Professor at Syracuse University.

More information, resources, and transcripts available at; https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-100/

Join us for episode 100 of ADALive! when our guests will be Clarise Shelby-Coleman and her son Chase Coleman who have championed the importance of self-advocacy through a non-profit they have begun, called ‘Show Them How Smart You Are”.

Of all the skills we can learn, being able to advocate for ourselves could very well be the most important. Knowing who we are, what we need, and how to share that information with others is important for all of us, but especially for people with disabilities who are often denied choice in their lives or opportunities to make personal decisions. It is vital that people with disabilities have the opportunity to learn self-advocacy skills and become aware of how to ask for an accommodation in the workplace, or the post-secondary classroom, or to make decisions about lifestyles, living arrangements, or everyday choices.