Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Weekly Reading List

Illustration of a stack of books
I am a little late in getting this weekly list up. Most of it is a continuation of last week’s ADA 25th Anniversary observances:

Ashleigh Livingston, Press-Republican - August 2, 2015

The local Center for Independent Living, where I used to work, is essentially asking the City of Plattsburgh, New York to do a new ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. The local newspaper did a pretty good article about the effort, and about accessibility here 25 years after the ADA passed.

Joseph Shapiro, National Public Radio - July 31, 2015

I am so glad to see a more in-depth story of Haben Girma, who introduced President Obama at the White House’s ADA Anniversary event. I have no trouble saying that she is and inspiration, in all the best ways and none of the gross ways the word is sometimes used.

Philip Raphael, Richmond News - July 31, 2015

It seems like a good idea to pass a Canadians with Disabilities Act modeled after the ADA. I don’t know if it is it would address the most urgent issues for disabled Canadians, but I suspect it would get a decent amount of support from all of the federal parties. What caught my eye is that Rick Hansen in my mind is more of a traditional “inspirational” disabled celebrity … inspirational in the super-crip, syrupy way that makes me gag. Yet, he’s using his notoriety to promote real, practical changes in policies and laws. It would be great if more disabled people who become famous for superficial or personal reasons would redirect the public attention to they have earned towards practical disability issues.

Ellen Seidman, Love That Max - July 27, 2015

I am adding this to the long list of think pieces on the ADA for two reasons. One, it’s by a parent of a disabled child, and I’ve been curious about how “special needs parents” view the ADA. Two, Ellen makes a strong point about the fact that it takes massive time and resources to pursue an ADA violation claim with any sort of credibility. It takes money, but also long-term commitment and laser-like focus. Most disabled people and their families just don’t have these resources.


Speaking of parents … Carly Findlay did all us disability bloggers a huge favor by helping map out the tricky philosophical and ethical territory around parents blogging about their kids with disabilities. I really appreciated her strong advocacy and warnings about privacy and dignity, but also her understanding about why parents might be tempted to cross the line.

Alice Wong, TalkPoverty.org - July 30, 2015

The Disability Visibility Project is an absolutely essential stop on any tour of disability on the Internet. It should be a daily stop for anyone interested in disability issues. Here, curator Alice Wong links her project with the current most pressing disability issues … the work left to be done, and maybe the next big steps for the Disability Rights Movement.

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