Disability-Forward Policy Recommendations To Advance Accessible and Affordable Housing for All | Center for American Progress
More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. housing crisis has emerged as a critical public health concern. An estimated 30 million to 40 million people have been at risk for eviction since the start of the pandemic, and more than a third of the approximately 550,000 people who have died of COVID-19 in the United States lived in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. As the country begins to recover from the pandemic, the federal government must commit to solving the shortage of accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing for all.
Disability in children and adolescents must be integrated into the global health agenda | World Health Organization
Childhood disability is not a priority in health systems. A recently published article in the BMJ by Cieza and colleagues argues why this needs to change. Firstly, the number of children with disability is increasing. More children are surviving, but not all of them are thriving. The article explores trends in prevalence of a number of health conditions associated with high levels of disability comparing data from 1990 and 2019. Results show that numbers of children and adolescents living with disability rose substantially owing to population increases with some conditions such as migraine, asthma, hearing impairment or injuries exceeding 100 million cases among those aged <20 years. This means more children need health services to optimise their functioning. However, most health systems cannot deal with the current needs of children with disability, let alone meet the rising demand.
Disabled Asian Americans Deal With Racism and Ableism | AsAm News
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, disabled Korean and transracial adoptee Mia Ives-Rublee would leave the house in North Carolina wearing a mask to protect others as well as herself due to her reduced lung capacity. Her ensemble was completed with a hood and sunglasses, which she wore to try to mask the fact that she’s Asian as a way of avoiding racist comments.
1 in 5 Americans are fully vaccinated and a third of the country has received at least one shot, CDC data shows | CNBC
One in five Americans are fully vaccinated, according to the latest data published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website Thursday afternoon. A third of the population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine
They Tested Negative for Covid. Still, They Have Long Covid Symptoms. | Kaiser Health News
Kristin Novotny once led an active life, with regular CrossFit workouts and football in the front yard with her children — plus a job managing the kitchen at a middle school. Now, the 33-year-old mother of two from De Pere, Wisconsin, has to rest after any activity, even showering. Conversations leave her short of breath.
How listening to employees helped Anthem survive and thrive in 2020 | Fortune
In cases of emergency, flight attendants routinely instruct passengers to put their own oxygen masks on before attempting to help others. When it comes to providing great health care, one of the nation’s largest health benefits companies takes the same approach, focusing on employee well-being first.
Uber, Lyft use rides to vaccines to get drivers, customers back on the platform | Reuters
Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) are spending millions of dollars to provide drivers with access to COVID-19 vaccines and offering tens of millions of free or discounted rides to vaccination sites for people in communities that lack access to transportation and healthcare services.
Post-Vaccine: Reopening Your Workplace in a Changed World | Anthem
To help flatten the curve, one in four Americans in the workforce has shifted to working from home over the past year due to COVID-19. But with vaccines becoming more widely available, many companies may be considering how to transition their teams back to the workplace.
In interviews, the disabled reveal not only their struggles but also their passions and senses of humor | Washington Post
One in four adults in the United States has some kind of disability. How does it affect their lives? The answers are unendingly varied. “Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience,” documents some of them. A project of the New York Public Library’s Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, it collects interviews with people living with a variety of disabilities, including cerebral palsy and learning disabilities and everything in between.
At Burton, “we ride together” | Microsoft
Burton Snowboards lives by its mission, harnessing inclusive design and creativity to explore adaptive technology in a way that helps riders—and the sport at large—achieve their full potential.
Interview with Noor Pervez | The MightyMic
Mike sits down with Noor from ASAN to talk ASAN’s history, charity work and movement for self advocacy among Autistic people. Don’t forget to help with our fundraising all month over on Twitch!
By divers hands | TLS
The benefits of disability-led innovation in technology. Alice Wong, who describes herself as a “San Francisco night owl”, is a disabled activist, media maker, consultant and the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project – an online community (in partnership with StoryCorps) dedicated to creating, sharing and amplifying disability media and culture, founded in 2014. One offshoot of this project was Disability Visibility: First-person stories from the twenty-first century, edited by Wong and released last year; another is the Disability Visibility podcast, on which Wong hosts conversations on politics, culture and media with disabled people. The 100th and final episode aired this month and the team behind the project have created a free resource guide that includes full transcripts of each episode as well as relevant links for further learning. This is no surprise – a commitment to intersectional accessibility is a recurring topic on the podcast.
The Oscars
Impact Producer Andraea LaVant with service dog Goji, Disability activist and star Judtih Heumann, Crip Camp Co-Directors Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht
and Producers Sara Bolder and Howard Gertler
Oscars 2021: A watershed moment for disability? | BBC
The Oscars are upon us once again – but change surrounds this year’s ceremony that goes far beyond the red carpet adjustments enforced by the pandemic. As the most diverse Oscars ever in terms of nominees, the increased representation also extends to the films themselves – with disability explored in new depth.
This Oscar nominee plans to shatter the film world’s crippling ableism | MSNBC
Oscar nominated ‘Crip Camp’ chronicles disability rights. The film world could use some tips. For the very first time in its 93-year history, the Academy Awards nominated a director with a visible disability. If that statement conjures both satisfaction and indignation, you’re not alone.
Earth Day
Making Earth Day Accessible | Where It’s At – The Ability Tools Blog
Accessible Earth means “meeting the needs of today without depleting the resources of tomorrow.” April 22nd is Earth Day, a unifying gathering that brings together all walks of life to celebrate our planet, activate change, and work together to build an abundant future. Let’s work together to make the future more inclusive for people with disabilities.
For Earth Day, Make It an Earth Year | King County Area Agency on Aging
Let’s use Earth Day—April 22—as a motivation for climate action this entire year. he federal government is trying to set an example. On Earth Day, President Biden will host the Global Leaders Climate Summit in Washington, DC. He is expected to announce aggressive, specific new targets for cutting the United States’ share of global emissions.
The Accessible Earth Day Toolkit | California Assistive Technology Reuse Coalition
The Accessible Earth Toolkit serves as a starting point for disability advocates (whether part of an Independent Living Center or not) to create or join existing Earth Day events in your area.
4/20
Biden’s blunt opposition to marijuana legalization | Vox
As his own party moves ahead on the issue, the president remains opposed to legalization.
Marijuana-Themed License Plates To Benefit Disability Community | Disability Scoop
Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana User May Proceed With Disability Discrimination And Retaliation Claims
How Federal Marijuana Policy Is Pushing Veterans into the Black Market | Politico
A California group is fighting to end a federal prohibition that makes it impossible for veterans to get cannabis through the VA.
Can Therapeutic Cannabis Benefit People with Disabilities? | Abilities.com
In August of 2013, CNN aired Sanjay Gupta’s revolutionary documentary “Weed.” Suddenly, the world was made aware of lives being saved by the therapeutic and potentially curative properties of the cannabis plant. The documentary chronicled the journey of the Figi family and Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism their young daughter, Charlotte. Charlotte had been suffering up to 300 seizures a week. Her seizures were so debilitating, a coma was induced to relieve them. A non-psychoactive component of the plant Cannabidiol (CBD) was credited as the documentary revealed how cannabis was used to reduce Charlotte’s seizure activity and offer the young child and her family a normal life. Charlotte’s story created a tidal wave of interest and energy as special needs families around the world began investigating her story and searching for answers for their own children.
Older Americans Are Turning to Pot for Help With Ailments. Here’s What to Know. | Barrons
Can you get Social Security disability benefits if you have a substance abuse problem? | AARP
In some circumstances, yes. Social Security does not consider someone to be disabled solely on the basis of a substance abuse problem. It used to, but a 1996 federal law eliminated alcoholism and addiction as grounds for benefit claims. At the same time, you cannot legally be denied Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because of drinking or drug use if your medical condition otherwise meets the benefit criteria.
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