ADALive!

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

In this episode, thought leaders Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D. and Jonathan Martinis, Esq., J.D. of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, will discuss recent court cases where rights were restored and Supported Decision-Making teams were established.

Under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), people with disabilities enjoy legal capacity — the capacity for rights and capacity to act — on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life. Supported Decision-Making (SDM) is a framework that supports this right and helps individuals with disabilities make choices about their own lives with support from a team of people. Supported Decision-Making is an alternative to guardianship.

Speakers: Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman, Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University

Jonathan Martinis, Senior Director for Law and Policy, Burton Blatt Institute

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode60

Voting is one of our nation’s most fundamental rights and a hallmark of our democracy. Yet for too long, many people with disabilities have been excluded from this core aspect of citizenship. The November mid-term elections will soon be upon us! Knowing our voting rights, including the right to accessible polling places, is critical to having our voices heard and participating fully in our communities.

In this episode, Ms. Bobbie Holsclaw, Jefferson County (Kentucky) Court Clerk and Chairwoman of the Louisville-Jefferson County Board of Elections, shares with us her experiences to ensure voting is accessible for all.

Speaker: Bobbie Holsclaw, Jefferson County (Kentucky) Court Clerk and Chairwoman of the Louisville-Jefferson County Board of Elections

More information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode59

Back by popular demand just in time for summer, the Southeast ADA Center is rebroadcasting the "ADA Live!" Show: Beach Access. In this episode, we will discuss how to make a beach accessible to people with disabilities. This episode will examine challenges such as beach and wildlife protections alterations to an existing beach (including upgrades to parking, circulation path, and restroom facilities) and what defines an accessible route.

Speakers:

Jack Humburg, Boley Centers, Inc.

Cheri Hofmann, Southeast ADA Center

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode58

The lack of participation in physical activity is a serious public health concern in the United States. It is of even greater concern for the almost 56 million people with disabilities who may face additional barriers to being physically active and are, therefore, at increased risk for developing serious health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity can provide individuals with disabilities the strength and stamina required to participate in all aspects of life actively and successfully.

Efforts to create inclusive, healthy communities will directly affect generations to come and will improve the quality of life for all community members. A truly facilitating community is one in which health promotion activities are as accessible to people with disabilities as they are to people without disabilities. All individuals have the right to conditions and resources that ensure optimal health. However, socioeconomic, structural, programmatic and attitudinal barriers within the community are now widely recognized as major contributors to health disparities experienced by people with disabilities.

The promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to ensure equal opportunity and access for people with disabilities at work and in our communities. In this episode, we will discuss promising practices and strategies for developing inclusive healthy communities, which include transportation policies and environmental changes to ensure streets are safe, accessible and convenient for all users.

Speaker: Amy Rauworth, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Lakeshore Foundation & Associate Director of the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode57

Each day over 10,000 individuals become eligible for Medicare due to age or disability. Learning about what Medicare covers and navigating the Medicare enrollment process can be challenging. During this episode, we’ll provide an overview of the parts of Medicare, when and how someone can enroll, and then discuss what services are and are not covered under Medicare. Then we’ll delve a little deeper and look at ways your clients can apply for assistance covering their Medicare costs, and how Medicare coordinates with other coverage, like Medicaid. Finally, you’ll learn where to go in your community to help your residents with complex Medicare questions.

This episode is the second of a two-part conversation with the National Council on Aging. In this episode, Leslie Fried, Senior Director of the Center for Benefits Access, will:

Discuss what Medicare costs, what it covers and what are its different Parts A, B, C and D.

Understand common procedure for signing up for Medicare, including key enrollment periods.

Learn how clients with Marketplace insurance make the transition to Medicare, and how Medicare coordinates with other key programs (e.g., Medicaid).

Find out how to help low-income residents apply for core benefits programs that pay for a portion of their Medicare costs.

Speakers: Joe Caldwell, Director Long-Term Services - National Council on Aging (NCOA)

Leslie Fried, Senior Director - Center for Benefits Access - National Council on Aging (NCOA)

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode56

In this episode of ADA Live!, Stephen Kuusisto will discuss his new memoir Have Dog, Will Travel: A Poet’s Journey. Kuusisto, a professor at Syracuse University, is a noted disability rights advocate and in his new book he describes the joys and intricacies of working with a professionally trained guide dog. He will also discuss many other topics including: What is a service animal? Who invented the guide dog? What can we learn from animal-human interactions? What can dogs do for people with disabilities?

Speaker: Stephen Kuusisto, poet and author of 'Have Dog, Will Travel' Professor in the Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies at Syracuse University