ADALive!

Archive, Bios, Description, and Transcripts for Episode 152: New Opportunities for Job Success for Workers who are Blind: The Monarch Rise Project https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-152/

The employment rate of adults with low vision or blindness (52%) is significantly less than the general population of working-age adults (76%). This data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision reveals an overall 24 percent gap in employment. (Data Source: bit.ly/4rFq2cB)

One group trying to close this employment gap is the American Printing House for the Blind, or APH, located in Louisville, Kentucky. In this episode we talk with Erin Sigmund, the Director of an APH project called Monarch RISE. We will discuss the ways Monarch RISE empowers project participants to achieve and sustain competitive integrated employment (CIE). Later in this episode, we will hear from two of the project’s participants, Tim Emmons and Bill Adams, about their experiences.

Jonathan Martinis, Director of Knowledge Translation for the DEP RRTC, and Barry Whaley, Director of the Southeast ADA Center, join the DEP RRTC’s Let’s Get to Work podcast to discuss how knowledge translation can connect research, policy, and real-world impact.

Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and Principal Investigator of the DEP RRTC, hosts a conversation focused on the importance of “conveying information to people that is useful, robust, accessible, and in plain language to both improve disability employment policy and disability employment.”

To that end, Jonathan explains that knowledge translation is more than just providing information; it’s about connecting information to action. “Knowledge translation is a bridge,” he says. “It is a bridge between what we know or what we're going to find out and what we're doing.”

Barry emphasizes that knowledge translation must engage stakeholders and be responsive to their needs, saying, “unless there is communication with the people receiving that information and that it is useful to them, then we've not succeeded in our mission.”

Together, Jonathan and Barry discuss how the DEP RRTC and Southeast ADA Center are using multiple tools to translate complex research and resources into practical guidance, with a clear focus: “Knowledge translation is what makes good information into good policy and practice.”

More information, bios, and transcript available at: https://bbi-dep-rrtc.org/resources/podcast-series/lgtw-beth-23/

Beth Sirull, President and CEO of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), joins the DEP RRTC’s Let’s Get to Work podcast to discuss the future of disability employment policy and why employing people with disabilities “is good for business.”

Beth explains that NOD has long focused on employment as a pathway to independence and economic opportunity for people with disabilities because, “if you don't have a way to support yourself, there's just no way that you can manifest the American Dream.”

Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and Principal Investigator of the DEP RRTC, joins Beth in a conversation about how NOD works with employers to unlock the vast, often overlooked talent pool of people with disabilities.

Beth emphasizes that employing people with disabilities results in real benefits to businesses, including lower turnover and stronger employee engagement. “[I]f you hire someone with a disability and you provide them with the accommodation that they need,” she says, “they will not leave. You will have a very loyal, longstanding, productive employee.”

Ultimately, Beth emphasizes, disability employment policy is about “putting everyone in a situation where they can be maximally effective in their job, which obviously is what companies want.”

In this episode, we welcome Naureen Hunani, a registered dietitian, educator, and the founder of Registered Dieticians or RDs for Neurodiversity, a group dedicated to changing how healthcare and mental health providers can support neurodivergent people with feeding and eating challenges. Her work focuses on the lived experiences of autistic and neurodivergent people and the intersection of feeding differences, feeding challenges, eating disorders, and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or ARFID. By supporting disability and neurodiversity, Naureen challenges harmful, compliance-based feeding models and advocates for healthcare rooted in personal choice, access, and dignity. She is widely known for connecting clinical nutrition, disability rights, and social justice to help families, clinicians, and systems rethink what truly supportive, ethical feeding care looks like.

https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-151/-Archive, Bios, Description, and Transcripts for Episode 151: When Eating Is a Disability Rights Issue

Get answers to questions about Supported Decision-Making (SDM) in this conversation between Leo True Frost, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy who uses a communication device to speak, and Jonathan Martinis, Senior Director for Law and Policy at the Burton Blatt Institute. Martinis explains that SDM involves individuals seeking advice and support to make decisions, similar to how non-disabled individuals do. He highlights the Jenny Hatch case, which brought SDM into public consciousness and led to many states recognizing SDM. Martinis emphasizes the importance of planning ahead, identifying supporters, and formalizing agreements. He also discusses the balance between SDM and guardianship, advocacy for legal recognition, and the role of self-advocates in promoting their rights.

Lex Frieden, a pioneering disability rights activist, shares his journey from the car accident that left him paralyzed to his pivotal role in shaping disability employment policy. He recounts his struggles with accessibility and education, leading to his advocacy for the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In his interview with Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, Frieden highlights the importance of public and private sector collaboration and emphasizes the need for continued education and advocacy to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Nancy Horton, Associate Director of the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, discusses the top five hospitality holidays for guests with disabilities. She emphasizes the importance of year-round accessibility, employee training, and clear communication about facilities and events. For New Year's Eve, she highlights the need to keep accessible routes clear and provide information about loud activities and long lines. For Valentine's Day, she advises on accessible dining tables and limited menus. During summer travel, she stresses the importance of training staff and ensuring accessible outdoor spaces. For Thanksgiving, she suggests redesigning buffets for accessibility and providing options for guests with disabilities. Finally, for December holidays, she recommends managing sensory elements and offering a variety of inclusive activities.

Archive, Bios, Description, and Transcripts for Episode 148: Housing, Disability Rights, and Planning Accessible Communities available at https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-148/

Professor Robin Malloy and Dr. Peter Blanck discussed the complexities of housing rights for people with disabilities, emphasizing the intersection of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and zoning laws. Robin highlighted the challenges of obtaining reasonable accommodations, such as ramps and therapeutic pools, and the importance of creating a legal record. He shared examples of zoning board decisions and the impact of neighbor objections. Robin also discussed the broader implications of accessibility, including the need for government to address homelessness without infringing on disability rights. The conversation underscored the need for better education and collaboration between disability rights advocates and land use professionals.

In this episode, we talk about some of the most common questions that the Southeast ADA Center received this year related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the legal rights of people with disabilities. We have received over 1,600 questions this year. As a team, we focus on each request for information and send specific resources to help with those questions. Our guest is Jenny Sykes, Lead Technical Information Specialist for the Southeast ADA Center.

Vidya Sundar and Debra Brucker, co-principal investigators of the University of New Hampshire’s new Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP) on Living and Working with Long COVID and Disabilities, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDLRR), discuss their proposed research activities to be implemented over the next five years. A critical piece of their research is to build on their prior study on the use and impact of “job crafting,” or how individuals can redesign their jobs to better align with their strengths without having to self-identify with a disability and rely on the formal disability accommodation process. To learn more about job crafting, and the other research projects to be implemented relating to people with pre-existing disabilities who have Long COVID, listen to this podcast.