25% of Americans are disabled. So why aren’t the Democratic candidates talking about it? | Quartz
July 26th marked the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While normally folks would ignore this year and focus on the act’s more momentous upcoming 30th anniversary, given that we are in the midst of a presidential campaign, this anniversary deserves our attention now.
The secret to slowing down aging? Tickling, a new study suggests | USA Today
A new study from the University of Leeds suggests that tickling could be the secret to slowing down aging. This tickling is not the kind of tickling that results in spastic body movements and laughter. It’s a different kind: Ear tickling. Researchers ‘tickled’ participants’ ears with a tiny electric current to influence the nervous system and slow down some of the effects of aging, the university said in a release published Tuesday.
Binge drinking among older Americans is on the rise, new study finds | CBS News
A new study estimates more than one in 10 older Americans binge drink. That’s an increase from the previous decade. The study, out this morning from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, determined binge drinkers 65 and older were more likely to be men; they’re also more likely to use tobacco or cannabis.
No, Racism Is Not A Disability | Forbes
fter every racist tweetstorm, mass shooting or viral video, those with mental illnesses within the disabled community wait nervously for the inevitable correlation between racism, violence, and disability. News outlets speculate over the mental health of the perpetrator and book so-called “reliable” mental healthcare professionals to carry out armchair diagnoses. Keith Olberman published a book entitled “Trump is F*cking Crazy.” NBC published an opinion piece explaining that Trump cannot “outrun his diagnosis.” George Conway, attorney, and spouse of Trump advisor, Kellyanne Conway, stated that Trump’s mental health would get him “fired from all other jobs.”
How Marianne Williamson’s Toxic Positivity Hurts The Disability Community |Bustle
In this op-ed, Liz Moore, a chronically ill and neurodivergent disability rights activist and writer, explains why the attention on Marianne Williamson’s Democratic debate performance should instead be focused on how her election would harm disabled people.
Accessible Fitness: Tips for Assessing College Recreation Facilities for Students with Disabilities | Montgomery Near Say
Today, I am proud to bring you a guest article from Annie Tulkin, Founder and Director of Accessible College, where she provides college transition support for students with physical disabilities and health conditions nationally. Annie was the Associate Director of the Academic Resource Center at Georgetown University for nearly 6 years. In that position, she supported undergraduate, graduate and medical students with physical disabilities and health conditions and oversaw academic support services for the entire student body. Annie has worked in the field of disability for more than 10 years.
‘No More Excuses!’ Not To Exercise, Says The National Institute On Aging | Forbes
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has an answer for everything. And they want older people to exercise. They say it makes you feel better. They also say it extends your life. So they’ve come up with a list of excuses that keep people from exercising and their corresponding answers that resolve them.
Suicide Triggered By Loneliness Is Killing More Elderly Americans | Medical Daily
Loneliness kills. It’s one of the main reasons more and more American senior citizens are turning to suicide to escape alienation and friendlessness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the awful truth suicide rates across the United States are rising. It reported that of the 47,000 suicides that took place in 2017, over 18 percent or more than 8,500 were committed by persons aged 65 and over. Men 65 and older face the highest risk of suicide. Adults 85 and older (regardless of gender) are the second most likely age group to kill themselves. There were 47.8 million people over the age of 65 in the U.S. in 2015, said the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2060, this total should reach 98.2 million that means the number of senior suicides should almost double.
EEOC Sues Medtronic for Disability Discrimination | National Law Review
Medtronic, Inc., a Minneapolis-based company that develops and manufactures medical devices, violated federal law when it terminated April Jackson, a temporary employee, from its Greenwood, S.C., facility because of her disability-related absences, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today. The EEOC further charged that the company failed to provide a reasonable accommodation to Jackson and refused to directly hire Jackson because of her disability.
Arizona disability advocates celebrate ADA’s 29th anniversary | KTAR News
Friday marks the 29th anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act and local advocates are celebrating. Phoenix based disability advocacy group Ability360 normally celebrates with the ADA with a small party each year. However, this year, they tossed aside the cake and candles and upgraded to a digital celebration.
How technology could be a solution to caregiver shortage for seniors | MedicalXpress
Young people may roll their eyes at older people who can’t use technology as fast as they do, but it’s wrong to say that older Americans can’t use technology. Remember, a baby boomer, Tim Berners-Lee, invented the World Wide Web, so why should we be surprised that they continue to create, adopt and use new technology?
Older Americans face a housing crisis. Here’s what Congress should do about it. | Washington Post
Retirement savings reform isn’t a hot topic for journalists, but it’s one of the few areas where Democrats and Republicans in Congress and President Trump could pull off some bipartisan reform when legislators reassemble in September. The list of necessary fixes to current law is long and well known: As people live longer, the rules regarding “required minimum distributions” from savings plans need to have their age triggers increased. Overall maximum contribution levels should rise. Defined-contribution plans ought to be available for groups of employers so the costs of establishing and maintaining the accounts are not so high.
A case for learning disability doctors | The Guardian UK
Dr. Ken Courtenay supports developing a role for doctors who are skilled in treating and supporting people with intellectual disabilities and complex health needs
Why 37 million people in the U.S. don’t have dental coverage — and the painful price they pay | MarketWatch
U.S. adults are less likely to visit the dentist around age 80, according to new research. And that trend that could have far-reaching health and economic consequences. The study, published in the journal Research on Aging, analyzed the use of dental services among adults aged 50 and older using five waves of the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study. It found, in part, that “as people became older, the use of dental services declined.”
A Yearlong Plan for Disability Inclusion | Indianapolis Recorder
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark law ensuring the equal rights of individuals with disabilities, celebrates its 29th anniversary this July 26. Focusing on the ADA is a great starting point for businesses who want to build more disability inclusion into their company culture. What better time to start than in the year leading up to the 30th anniversary of the ADA?
What A New Report Says About Disability Representation In Children’s TV Shows | Forbes
Although kid-favorite TV shows like Peppa Pig and Puppy Dog Pals have recently introduced children around the world to disabled characters, a new report out of the UK confirms what many members of the disabled community already know: Disability is often misrepresented in popular children’s media, or simply left out altogether.
Candy Land Was Invented for Polio Wards | The Atlantic
If you were a child at some point in the past 70 years, odds are you played the board game Candy Land. According to the toy historian Tim Walsh, a staggering 94 percent of mothers are aware of Candy Land, and more than 60 percent of households with a 5-year-old child own a set. The game continues to sell about 1 million copies every year.
A Wisconsin lawmaker who’s paralyzed isn’t allowed to call into meetings; he says that keeps him from doing his job | Journal Sentinel
A state lawmaker who is paralyzed isn’t allowed to participate in committee meetings by phone under a legislative rule that he says keeps him from performing his job as well as he should. Democratic Rep. Jimmy Anderson of Fitchburg said the Assembly rule discriminates against him because he has difficulty getting to some meetings for health reasons. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and other Republicans who control the Legislature have declined to accommodate his request to call into meetings.
Building And Designing Homes For People With Disabilities | Forbes
When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became a law 1990, it ensured legal rights across a variety of areas from employment to education, transportation and public accommodations in commercial buildings. While it addressed many major issues, one area where people with disabilities and their families continue to struggle is being able to live comfortably in their own homes.
Harris’s health plan would keep private insurance | The Hill
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) on Monday unveiled details of a health plan on Monday that would seek to expand coverage while preserving a role for private insurance companies, which would be ended through the “Medicare for All” proposal backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The new threat against the Americans with Disabilities Act | Boston Globe
This week, we honor the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have been engaged in a long fight to secure federal civil rights protections against discrimination. The cornerstone of this effort is the ADA, a law designed to create a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against people with disabilities. But there is a new threat against the way the US Department of Justice enforces the law to protect thousands of people with disabilities in Massachusetts.
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