ADALive!

For more information, resources, and transcript visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-99/

Each year, 175,000 young Americans enlist in the military. At the heart of this recruitment effort is a sacred promise to take care of those who serve.

In recognition of Veteran’s Day on November 11, ADA Live! welcomes Misty Stutsman Fox, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Small Business portfolio at the Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). Ms. Stutsman Fox will discuss the history, programs and supports offered by the IVMF for military veterans with disabilities. Listen and explore this informative discussion and celebration of military veterans.

For more information, resources, and transcript visit https://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/episode-5/

On this episode of Disability Rights Today, we welcome Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California.  She also served as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Stanford Law School.  Judge Cordell practiced law in East Palo Alto, CA, a low-income, African American, and Mexican American community south of San Francisco. Judge Cordell is the author of a new book, Her Honor: My Life of the Bench…What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change it.  Of Her Honor, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich says, “With candor and insight, Judge LaDoris Cordell puts a human face of the judges who make life-changing decisions on a daily basis. She takes readers inside the courtroom, presenting stories of the people whose lives have been altered, for better or worse, by our laws and the professionals who enact them.”

Join us for this episode, as Judge Cordell shares with Dr. Peter Blanck, JD, PhD, University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, her unique perspective on how our legal system works and the prejudice that pervades it.

For more information, transcript, and resources visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-98-2/

Each October we celebrate the diverse contributions that people with disabilities make to America’s workplaces and economy during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). On the third Wednesday of October, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) coordinates a national effort to promote career development for students and jobseekers with disabilities through career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships

In recognition of Disability Mentoring Day (DMD), discover what makes an inclusive apprenticeship, why inclusive apprenticeship is important, and how employers can make apprenticeship programs more inclusive for employees with disabilities. Our guest on ADA Live! will be Josh Christianson, Project Director at the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA), an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

Transcripts and Resources available at: https://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/episode-4/

Case Summaries

(1) CVS v. Doe concerning whether Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973—and by extension Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—provides a disparate-impact cause of action for plaintiffs alleging disability discrimination.

(2) Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller addresses whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the statutes that incorporate its remedies for victims of discrimination, such as the Rehabilitation Act and the Affordable Care Act, include compensation for emotional distress.

(3) United States v. Vaello-Madero. The question before the court is whether Congress violated the Fifth Amendment by establishing the Supplemental Security Income program in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands, but not in Puerto Rico.

Our distinguished guests for this episode are Arlene Mayerson J.D. (Directing Attorney Emerita and Of Counsel, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)), Victoria Rodriguez Roldan, J.D. (Senior Policy Manager, AIDS United), and Claudia Center, J.D. (Legal Director DREDF). Our host is Dr. Peter Blanck, J.D., Ph.D., University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.

Key Words: Fifth Amendment, Supplemental Security Income, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Affordable Care Act, Disability Discrimination, Civil Rights Act of 1964

For More information Resources and transcripts visit https://www.adalive.org/episode98

Each October we celebrate the diverse contributions that people with disabilities make to America’s workplaces and economy during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).

This year’s theme is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.” This theme reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this episode of ADA Live! our guest panel of self-advocates with disabilities will discuss their personal experiences in finding work, job accommodations, and the importance of employment and career to community inclusion.

Our guest panel will be: Will Fried, Fort Hays State University; Trisha Baldwin, Visionworks, Inc.; Eren Denburg Niederhoffer; Michael Kipniss of the Piedmont Group of Atlanta; Jason Jones, University of Kentucky Human Development Institute

More information, transcript, and resources available at https://www.adalive.org/episode97

As the school year begins, children and parents are anxious for what the new year holds. The Delta variant of COVID has brought safety concerns and uncertainty in our lives. Schools may have new face mask mandates, hybrid and virtual learning options, and fewer special education services. Social activities, sports, and graduations may continue to be impacted. In addition, children may face the stress of parents working from home, or worse, coping with job loss.

On this episode of ADA Live! we’ll discuss tips to help manage children’s worries, navigating education in a COVID-19 world, and resources to guide and support a successful school year. Our guest is Dr. Rachel Busman, a licensed clinical psychologist and Senior Director of the Child & Adolescent Anxiety and Related Disorders Program at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants (CBC).

For more information, transcript, and Resources visit http://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/episode-2-c-l-v-del-amo-hospital/

In this episode of Disability Rights Today, we focus on the court case of C.L. v. Del Amo Hospital, Inc. In this case, the plaintiff C.L., had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. She obtained a dog, with the intent to train the dog, Aspen, to be a service animal. While seeking inpatient treatment at Del Almo Hospital, the plaintiff’s dog was denied admission because her dog was not deemed a service animal. Please join us as we welcome three of the counsel for the plaintiff in this case: Christopher Knauf, JD, Disability Rights Legal Center, Founder Knauf Associates; Jennifer Mathis, JD, Deputy Legal Director and Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; and Celia McGuiness, Derby, McGuinness & Goldsmith, LLP. They are joined by Dr. Peter Blanck, JD, Director of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University for a discussion of the facts of the case, issues of the case, arguments of the case, and discussion of implications for policy and practice moving forward will be our focus.

Download Resources and transcripts at https://www.adalive.org/episode96

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our work and daily lives. From remote classrooms and telehealth care, to online events with friends and coworkers around the world, virtual meetings have become a regular part of our daily routine.. However, the computer technology and Internet platforms we use for virtual meetings may be a barrier to full participation for people with disabilities. ADA Title I requires employers to make reasonable accommodation for qualified employees with disabilities. ADA Title II (State and local governments) and ADA Title III (businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public) require the provision of effective communication for people with disabilities.

In this episode of ADA Live!, discover the pros and cons of virtual meetings and best practices to host inclusive accessible virtual or online meetings. Our guests will be Alexa Huth, Strategic Communications Lead for The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) and Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer for the State of Minnesota.

In 2017, wheelchair user Dr. Scott Crawford, a retired clinical neuropsychologist, sued Hinds County, Mississippi under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as he was unable to perform jury duty in 2012 and 2015 because of the inaccessibility of the Hinds County courthouse. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee of the Southern District of Mississippi found that Crawford had proven the Hinds County courthouse was not accessible to people with disabilities. The judge also reversed his earlier ruling that Crawford had standing, finding that the possibility of being excluded from future jury duty was too speculative. On appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court, Dr. Crawford argued he has standing both as a juror and as an engaged citizen. On June 16, 2021, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court found that Dr. Crawford did, indeed, have standing.

More information, resources and transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode95 Warmer weather is here! After a year of social distancing due to the pandemic, we are cautiously getting out again and looking forward to outdoor recreation.

According to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, in 2017, more than 49 million people in the United States took to the nation’s waterways and enjoyed fishing from shorelines, boats and riverbanks. And, Statista reported there were about 12 million recreational boats registered in the United States in 2019.

To discuss how these popular activities can be enjoyed by all, tune-in to our next episode of ADA Live! when our guest David Jones, Founder and Director of the SportsAbility Alliance, will discuss accessibility in hunting, boating, and fishing.