ADALive!

Older adults and individuals with disabilities share desires to live independently in the community and age with dignity and respect. However, our current system of long-term services and supports (LTSS) forces individuals to impoverish themselves, places enormous burdens on unpaid family caregivers, and is based towards nursing homes and institutional services.

This episode of ADA Live! is the first of a two-part conversation with the National Council on Aging (NCOA). In this episode, Joe Caldwell, Director of Long-Term Services and Supports, will discuss:

Important community living policy issues for older adults, including: LTSS financing, access to Medicaid home and community-based services, and healthy aging and falls prevention.

Collaboration among national aging and disability organizations to advance community-living policy.

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/episode54

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to make reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with disabilities under Title I of the ADA. Title I only applies to businesses that have more than 15 employees. Title III of the ADA requires businesses, regardless of the number of employees, to make the goods and services they offer to the general public also available to customers and clients with disabilities.

In this episode of ADA Live!, Beth Milito, Senior Executive Counsel of the National Federation of Small Business, will discuss small business concerns, challenges, and best practices in accommodating both employees and customers. Topics include: Concerns small businesses have in accommodating their employees. How advocates can support small businesses in making their facilities accessible. Addressing the threat of "fly by" lawsuits. And future challenges small business may meet, including website accessibility and the aging workforce.

Speaker: Beth Milito, Senior Executive Counsel of the National Federation of Independent Business

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode53

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has often been called a turning point in the history of people with disabilities. In honor of the ADA Anniversary (July 26), this episode will explore significant turning points in the history of disability in America, including an examination of veterans of wars. Veterans are supposed to be outside the usual understanding of disability, but nonetheless, they have experienced distinctive psychological disorders and considerable racial/ethnic discrimination. What can the treatment and perceptions of veterans teach us about disability today?

Join Larry Logue, senior fellow at the Burton Blatt Institute​ - Syracuse University and former professor of history at Mississippi College; and William Myhill, Director of Legal Research and Writing at the Burton Blatt Institute, as they discuss how the treatment of veterans has changed since wounded Civil War veterans camped in front of Lincoln's White House.

Speaker: Larry Logue, Ph.D., senior fellow at BBI and former professor of history at Mississippi College

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode52

Adults with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who do not have a disability. ABLE accounts are a way for individuals with disabilities and their families to build wealth without jeopardizing means or resource tested benefits. Created by the passage of the Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, ABLE accounts allow individuals with disabilities and their families to save money and continue eligibility for SSI and Medicaid. This episode of WADA ADA Live! features Michael Morris, Director of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and founder and Executive Director of the National Disability Institute, discussing the opportunities ABLE accounts provide in breaking the cycle of poverty.

Speaker: Michael Morris - Executive Director of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, founder and Executive Director of the National Disability Institute (NDI)

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode51

Questions about service animals and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? There are numerous types of assistance/ service animals available to assist people with disabilities. Guide animals help individuals who are blind navigate their surroundings. Some service animals provide physical and/or psychological support to individuals with various disabilities. Federal laws governing the right to be accompanied by these animals in various settings can be confusing.

This episode of ADA Live! will review the definitions and differences between a service animal and an emotional support animal. We will overview the ADA regulations and policies for service animals and discuss access for individuals with disabilities using service animals in places of business and housing. We will also address common questions from businesses, such as “what am I allowed to ask a person with a service animal?” and "can a restaurant or hotel refuse to allow a service animal?​​“

Speakers: Rebecca Williams, Information Specialist / Technical Assistance, Southeast ADA Center

Cheri Hofmann, Distance Learning Coordinator / Information Specialist, Southeast ADA Center

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode50

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This month’s episode of ADA Live! will talk about Customized Employment, a flexible process that personalizes the employment relationship by hiring a job seeker with a disability to meet the specific needs of an employer in a way that benefits both the employer and job seeker, regardless of pre-existing job descriptions. This episode will discuss the process of Customized Employment, including the job search, negotiations, and how this benefits businesses. We will also highlight resources that are available to help employers best implement Customized Employment.

Speaker: Katie Wolf Whaley, Director Supported Employment Training Project, University of Kentucky – Human Development Institute

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode49

A food allergy may be considered a disability under Federal laws, such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Some individuals with food allergies have a disability, particularly those with more significant or severe responses to certain foods.

In this episode, Dr. Daniel Newman - Executive Director of Academic Support Services, and ADA/504 Coordinator at Lesley University, discusses how the settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Lesley University in Massachusetts helped to increase awareness among higher education professionals that food allergies and celiac disease may qualify as a disability under the ADA. Dr. Newman will also discuss the challenges and solutions for universities in accommodating and supporting students with specific allergens.

Speaker: Dr. Daniel Newman, Executive Director of Academic Support Services, and ADA/504 Coordinator - Lesley University

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode48

Emergencies can happen without warning, so most of us are unprepared for them. Everyone – whether or not you have a disability – should be prepared for sudden emergencies. An emergency can mean a flood, fire, earthquake, hurricane or other natural disaster. However, an emergency can also be a natural gas leak, a sudden sinkhole in your neighborhood, or a tree falling on your house.

This episode of ADA Live! will discuss what anyone should do in an emergency, and specifically what people with disabilities should do before, during, and after an emergency. Our guest speakers will be: Mary Morder - Materials Development Specialist at the Southeast ADA Center, Christine Woodell - ADA Trainer for LIFE of Mississippi, and Christy Dunaway - Disability Integration Coordinator for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Speaker: Christy Gilliland Dunaway, Disability Integration Coordinator, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency

Christine Woodell, ADA Trainer, LIFE of Mississippi

Moderator: Mary Morder, Materials Development Specialist, Southeast ADA Center

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has often been called a turning point in the history of people with disabilities. In honor of the ADA Anniversary (July 26), this episode will explore significant turning points in the history of disability in America, including an examination of veterans of wars. Veterans are supposed to be outside the usual understanding of disability, but nonetheless, they have experienced distinctive psychological disorders and considerable racial/ethnic discrimination. What can the treatment and perceptions of veterans teach us about disability today?

Join Larry Logue, senior fellow at the Burton Blatt Institute​ - Syracuse University and former professor of history at Mississippi College; and William Myhill, Director of Legal Research and Writing at the Burton Blatt Institute, as they discuss how the treatment of veterans has changed since wounded Civil War veterans camped in front of Lincoln's White House.

Speakers: Larry Logue, Ph.D., senior fellow at BBI and former professor of history at Mississippi College

William Myhill, Director of Legal Research and Writing, Burton Blatt Institute

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode46

Allison will talk about major changes at the state and federal level that impact people with disabilities and the people who serve them. We will discuss the importance of grassroots advocacy in this environment and why it is more important than ever.

Speaker: Allison Wohl, Executive Director of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)

More Information and Transcript available at: https://www.adalive.org/episode44