For Additional information and Transcript visit www.adalive.org/episode70

The Honorable Tom Harkin - former Senator and Congressman, veteran, author, attorney, and chief sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), will be the featured guest on the July 3, 2019 broadcast of the ADA Live!, a podcast produced by the Syracuse University Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) | Southeast ADA Center. University Professor Peter Blanck, Chairman of BBI, will interview Sen. Harkin in celebration of the 29th anniversary of this historic civil rights legislation.

Considered the "Emancipation Proclamation for people with disabilities," the ADA changed the landscape of America by prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in all aspects of public life, including employment, schools, transportation, local government programs, and places of public accommodation. To preserve the intent of the ADA after court rulings weakened its standards, Harkin and former Senator Orrin Hatch introduced the ADA Amendments Act to ensure continuing protections from discrimination for all Americans with disabilities. It was signed into law in 2008.

In the podcast, Harkin will discuss how the ADA legislation came about, its impact over the last 29 years, and the future of civil rights protections for the more than 60 million people with disabilities living in the United States.

For additional information and transcript visit www.adalive.org/episode69

Submit your questions at www.adalive.org/submit_question

There is a heightened national awareness of the barriers and inequities to health care in the United States. Recent studies indicate that people with disabilities experience both health disparities and specific barriers in access to health care programs and services, including health promotion and prevention.

In this episode of ADA Live!, Michael Richardson, Project Director of the Northwest ADA Center will talk about health care access and the ADA, the role of effective communication in health care decisions, and how health care providers and facilities can be more inclusive of patients with disabilities.

For additional information and transcript visit www.adalive.org/episode68

Submit your questions at https://www.adalive.org/submit_question

Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement. (Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis)

In the second episode of this series, Stephanie Berger and Savannah Weston, Attorney Advisors in the Disability Rights Section (DRS) of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, will discuss the Department of Justice’s Disability Rights Section and their role in the current opioid crisis in the US.

For additional information and transcript visit www.adalive.org/episode67

Submit your questions at https://www.adalive.org/submit_question

Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids, including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.

In the next two episodes of ADA Live!, we will explore the opioid crisis from a number of different angles -- from treatment to the protections offered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and from the justice system to legal and responsible use of opioids to treat chronic pain.

In the first episode of this series, will focus on the treatment for opioid addiction and the protections under the ADA. Rebecca Williams, technical specialist of the Southeast ADA Center, will discuss the protections that people in treatment have under the ADA. Mike Yow & clinical staff of Fellowship Hall, will discuss the treatment approach Fellowship Hall uses, applying the Narcotics Anonymous principles and steps. This approach is often considered by professionals in the field of addiction as “the grandfather of treatment.” Fellowship Hall is a private, not-for-profit facility in North Carolina treating adult men and women with substance use disorder. Fellowship Hall has also earned the reputation of being a center of teaching excellence.

For Additional information and Transcript visit https://www.adalive.org/episode66

This episode of ADA Live! features Judy Toth, the Safety Manager of Dollywood Parks and Resorts sharing how Dollywood ensures a memorable experience for all. Attendance at the top 20 theme parks in North America grew by 2.3 percent, setting a record of over 150 million visitors, according to the 2017 Theme Index, a study published by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures equality for people with disabilities at places of public accommodation. This includes theme parks that must ensure that they are accessible, which is more than wheelchair access. Accessibility includes "but is not limited to" providing inclusive experiences in planning for and during a theme park visit, such as: ticketing, online reservations, web applications, alternate formats, listening devices for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, audio descriptions for people who are blind or have low vision, and more.

More Information and Transcript visit https://www.adalive.org/episode65

Use of the Internet is increasingly enmeshed and vital in education, business, and daily life. However, various barriers prevent equal access and limit equal opportunity to the Web for people with disabilities. This episode of ADA Live! will highlight the basics of web accessibility including: why it is important, the ADA and other laws, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and common barriers to web access. Discover some tips and best practices to help you get started in providing more accessible and usable web applications and digital materials to a diverse audience.

For Additional information and Transcript visit www.adalive.org/episode64

This episode of ADA Live! features hip-hop artists and disability rights advocates, Namel “Tapwaterz” Norris and Ricardo “Rickfire” Velasquez of 4 Wheel City: The Movement 4 Improvement, an entertainment and musical group. Their mission is to use hip-hop music and culture to create more opportunities for people with disabilities and inspire people not to give up on life. 4 Wheel City performs original music as well as motivational speaking at hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, fundraisers, and events, all over the world. Additionally, Mr. Norris and Mr. Velasquez, wheelchair riders as the result of gun violence, strive to demonstrate to the world that people with disabilities have talents, dreams, and deserve equality.

Speakers: Steve Kuusisto - University Professor, Director & Diane Wiener - Research Professor, Associate Director

Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach, Burton Blatt Institute at SU

More information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode63

On this episode of ADA Live!, we are joined by scholar-activists, authors, and Syracuse University faculty: University Professor, Steve Kuusisto, and recently appointed Research Professor, Diane Wiener. We will be talking together about what's ahead for this new endeavor, and how disability justice and the experiences and expertise of people with disabilities will be at the center of the work that's underway and to come, locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.

More information and transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode62

This episode of ADA Live! features Steve Mayers, ADA and Title VI Coordinator at the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Mr. Mayers talks about the role of the ADA and Title VI Coordinator, challenges to airport accessibility, and steps to make air travel comfortable and convenient for people who have disabilities.

As we enter the holiday season, roughly 6.4 million people will rely on the nation’s airlines to go “home for the holidays”. These travelers include people with disabilities. Making airport services and facilities accessible is a crucial component of an airports’ infrastructure for the 26 million adults with temporary and permanent disabilities who travel each year for pleasure or business.

What is Employment First and why does it matter to people with disabilities? Employment First is a value that every person with a disability has a FIRST employment option in an integrated workplace earning competitive wages. Employment First is a mindset, an outcome, and a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are working in real jobs for real pay.

In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), learn about Employment First and how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) work together for people with disabilities in the workforce.

Speaker: Jenny Stonemeier, Executive Director - APSE National

More Information and Transcripts available at https://www.adalive.org/episode61