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.

Transcript and resources are available at https://www.adalive.org/episode94

Indigenous people - Native Americans or Alaska Natives - make up nearly two percent of the U. S. population, and many have more than one ethnic identity. Indigenous people experience greater health problems with lower life expectancy, higher rates of substance abuse, and a suicide rate 2.5 times greater than the rest of the United States. Economic barriers and poor access to medical care, and cultural differences result in a higher prevalence of mental health conditions for Indigenous people.

In this episode of ADA Live!, we welcome Dr. Hilary Weaver, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Professor, University at Buffalo. Dr. Weaver is Lakota Sioux by birth. She will be interviewed by Olivia Gawehnidi Porter, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation, student, and advocate for better mental health care in Indigenous nations. Their discussion will feature Dr. Weaver’s work understanding Indigenous teachings, how she is destigmatizing or removing the negative view that is often a part of Western ideas about disabilities, using traditional teachings of compassion and acceptance, and the importance of accepting people who are different.

For resources, transcripts, and more information visit: https://www.adalive.org/episode93

The “graying” of America is continuing at an accelerated pace. In the past 10 years, there has been a staggering 35% increase in the total number of people in the United States aged 65 and over, now at 52.4 million people. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the over-65 population will be 77 million by the year 2035 – when, for the first time, the number of older people will be larger than the number of children under age 18.

For many of us, aging means daily living can become more difficult. Aging also increases the likelihood of acquiring a disability and the likely result that more people will be eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Plan to join us for this thought-provoking episode of ADA Live! in recognition of May as Older Americans Month. Our guest, Nick Nyberg, Programs & Planning Division Chief with the Alabama Department of Senior Services, will discuss the Older Americans Act of 1965 and its impact on the services and supports for older people, what these supports can be, and much more.

For more information, resources, and transcript visit http://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/gil-v-winn-dixie-11th-circuit-decision-on-web-access-and-the-ada/

On April 7, 2021, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Gil v. Winn-Dixie that websites operated by businesses are not “places of public accommodation” under Title III of the ADA. Gil’s inability to access the Winn-Dixie website, due to his blindness, therefore, was not in violation of the ADA. In the court’s opinion, the company’s website, without a point of sale, did not present an “intangible barrier” to Gil’s shopping for goods and services at Winn-Dixie’s physical stores.

Please join us for this special edition of ADA Live! when Mark Riccobono, President, National Federation of the Blind, Howard Rosenblum CEO of National Association of the Deaf, Bruce Sexton, JD, plaintiff in National Federation of the Blind v. Target, and Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University discuss the impact of this decision.

Disclaimer Note: The personal opinions expressed by guest speakers in this episode should not be understood as an endorsement by the ADA National Network, the Southeast ADA Center, or Syracuse University.

The roots of agriculture run deep in our country, from large farms to community gardens, and it’s vital to the quality of our lives. We do not often think about how the ADA applies to large farms, community gardens, or neighborhood farmer’s markets. With spring around the corner, many of us are ready to be outside and get into the dirt by clearing, tilling, and planting.

In this episode of ADA Live! we’ll be digging into the topic of the ADA, accessible farming and gardening with our guest, Paul Jones, Manager of the Breaking New Ground (BNG) Resource Center and the National AgrAbility Project located at Purdue University. Please join us as we learn about the important work of AgrAbility, accessible agriculture, and any ADA requirements.