The Front Page Blog: Blogs on Disability

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.This year's NDEAM theme "Inclusion Drives Innovation" reflects the important role that different perspectives play in workforce success. 

Individuals find meaning, identity, and community through their work. Work also brings freedom and independence through financial security. Nationally, people with disabilities have higher unemployment (the percentage…

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March is designated as National Reading Month. The primary audience for Dr. Seuss’ books is young children, but his writings have insight for adults, too.  As he said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

Reading is a key component of education and professional development. It is also a popular recreational activity that has immediate and long-lasting health benefits. Scientific studies have associated reading with increased cognitive function, memory, vocabulary, empathy…

November is National Family Caregivers Month. While caregiving can be a very rewarding experience, caregivers are at risk of fatigue, increased stress, and other negative health consequences. One way to help reduce the stressors faced by caregivers is to learn about and employ helpful tools and resources.

At this year’s annual Home and Community Based Services national conference, a number of sessions addressed the need to support family and informal caregivers of people with chronic conditions and disabilities.  While there have been many studies tracking hours…

October 8th marks the 30th anniversary of Public Law 99-457 that expanded the special education law to cover infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities. The law recognizes families as pivotal to the success of babies and young children with developmental disabilities. Early intervention and special education services definitely made a difference for my son, Pete – who is now 28 years old. Pete was born with the rare, genetic Costello syndrome, which is associated with ongoing global delays in development.

While the focus of early intervention and special education…

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities holds an annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference. The conference is for staff of Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as partners, providers and advocates providing services to people with long term services and supports (LTSS) needs in the community. 

At this year’s HCBS Conference, I had the opportunity to represent the Maryland Medicaid agency (my previous employer) on a panel presentation on how to obtain Federal funds for Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs…

Another anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is here and I find myself once again taking stock of the progress we are making to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.  We are moving forward – even if slower than many of us would like.  I recently read an article that patently rejected the value and need for the ADA, highlighting exactly how far behind some people are in their thinking.  While the article angered me, it also reminded me that there is still much work to be done.

I am proud to work at New Editions Consulting,…

March 22nd marks the annual American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert day, an event that serves as “a wake-up call asking Americans to take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.” The importance of early diagnosis and proper management is crucial to positive outcomes among the diabetic population, as the progression of the disease can lead to serious disability if not treated properly.

It is estimated that one in every four people with diabetes is unaware that they have the disease. When left untreated, complications can…

Community integration for seniors and individuals with disabilities hasn’t always been the standard, but it is on the rise – thanks in part to programs like the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program. As a nation we are now at a tipping point with Medicaid dollars for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) approximating the dollars being spent on institutionally based services.

This shift has been influenced by the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision that requires states to provide services for people with…

Since my days as a rehabilitation counselor three decades ago, I have worked toward a goal of including people with disabilities into our society—no matter the job that I held.  When I became an employer twelve years ago, I sought and hired people with disabilities. New Editions seeks contracts that focus on historically marginalized populations, trying to create a better society where everyone benefits, regardless of race, religion, age, culture or disability. About five years ago, we won a contract with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Center of Excellence on…

Most of us who work in the disability field or have a friend or family member with a disability who is seeking employment, are aware of the difficulties that people with disabilities have in getting a job. Let’s take a look at the stats.

The unemployment rate of people with disabilities in the U.S. has decreased slightly since the Great Recession – moving from a little under 12% in May 2009 to 11.2% in May 2015. That may sound like good news, and it is. But, it’s not great news. That May 2015 rate is still over twice as high as the average unemployment rate of those without…

As a student at Loyola University, I was l lucky enough to call New Orleans home from 2001 to 2005. During that time, I became well acquainted with the vibrancy of the city, the kindness of its residents, and the cultural, political, socioeconomic and geographic traits that make it unlike any other place in the world. Two months after I moved to Northern Virginia, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, changing the landscape of one of America’s most beloved cities and altering the country’s understanding of natural disaster preparedness.

Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of over…

I was optimistic about the direction the field of disability was taking when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed. I had spent a year arguing with my brother-in-law who belonged to an organization that was actively lobbying against the ADA. He was convinced that the ADA would be the death of the small business that employed him. Our arguments were heated and often led to me saying things such as, “We’re all only temporarily able-bodied. You should be helping to create an environment you’d want to live in if you became disabled.” I felt I had won that argument when the ADA…

July 2015 is bookended by two celebrations of independence in America – the Fourth of July holiday and the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At New Editions we consult on disability research and policy, we actively recruit and hire individuals with disabilities, and we promote diversity, so issues of civil rights, equal opportunity and freedom of choice are always on our minds. To observe the ADA anniversary, a group of New Editions employees reflected on the impact of the ADA in their lives. 

Overall, there was a strong sense that the ADA has been…

Our lives have become dependent on instant communication. We spend every waking hour talking and texting, so it is hard to imagine a scenario in which you suddenly lose the ability to speak, write, and comprehend what you hear and read. This is called “aphasia” – the loss of language – and most often it is a result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or other neurological condition. Aphasia is not a well-known condition, possibly because our fast-paced, communication-driven culture does not recognize individuals who cannot speak up. Personally, I only learned about aphasia when my…

New Editions has been recognized with three awards for our diversity and inclusion. As a government contractor specializing in health, disability and historically marginalized populations, we work side-by-side with our government partners to create a more inclusive environment – through information technology and systems that are accessible, programs that are inclusive, training managers and supporting programs that promote independence, community integration and inclusivity. In April, the Federal Employees with Disabilities (FEDs) President asked me to speak at the 2015 New Perspectives…

In a recent industry show-and-tell, Paul Schroeder of the American Foundation of the Blind gave us all a good chuckle when he said “I didn’t realize 508 referred to the number of weeks it would take to get the standards updated!”

February 2015 saw the publication of the (third) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by the Access Board. The document updates Section 508 standards that cover the accessibility of electronic and information technology within the federal government and updates Section 255 guidelines that cover access to telecommunications and apply to providers and…

As we celebrate National Minority Health and Health Disparities month, it is important to reflect on the events that shaped the movement and the potential for new initiatives to influence serious change. While significant progress has been made in some areas; in others, it has remained stagnant.

Efforts to address health disparities can be traced to the early 1900s, stemming from research by African-American scientist, W. E. B. Du Bois. His research indicated that higher mortality in African-Americans was due to their poor social and…

Because my son has a disability and works, he also must file a tax return. Last year I helped him file his returns for the first time. We began by using the IRS Free File option for people earning less than $60,000. By selecting the “Help me find Free File software” I was able to find a “name-brand” software that we used to auto-file his Federal return and his state return. Although we did not use them, I discovered that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also provides accessible tax forms and offers free tax preparation assistance for those individuals with…

Get Ready, Set, Snow! Winter sports enthusiasts embrace all that Mother Nature has to offer, whether a snow capped mountain, a frozen ice rink, or the backyard. Snow skiing, ice skating and sledding are winter activities enjoyed by many, including people with disabilities. Good equipment and smart preparation help ensure safe winter fun.

There are many adaptive equipment options available for skiers with disabilities. Skiers with lower body limitations (e.g., double leg amputation, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis) may use a mono-ski or bi-ski. Individuals sit in a…

When I think about American cities that can best illustrate the complex relationship between health and environment there is no more interesting picture than the one painted by New Orleans, the venue for the November 2014 American Public Health Association (APHA) 142nd annual meeting. The theme of the meeting was “Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-being,” a concept gaining a lot of momentum in public health and across various private and federal, state and local initiatives. This approach to health and well-being considers both the built…

December 3, 2014 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The goal of this observance is to foster understanding of disability issues and encourage support for disability rights as well as dignity and inclusion for people with disabilities in all aspects of life. Worldwide, there are 1 billion people with disabilities. The disadvantages they face—limited access to health care, education and employment opportunities; exclusion in everyday life activities; poverty and mistreatment—are well-documented. Family and friends are also affected, effectively increasing…

October 29, 2014 is World Stroke Day and the launch of I am woman: Stroke affects me, a two-year, world-wide campaign sponsored by the World Stroke Organization (WSO) and supported by national organizations like the American Stroke Association (ASA). According to the WSO, women have a higher risk of stroke than men, a higher mortality rate from stroke than men, have worse outcomes from stroke than men, and often receive less care than men, despite responding equally well to care.

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death, and a leading cause of disability…

As population demographics continue to shift, long term services and supports are increasingly important to improve health and quality of life for individuals of all ages and abilities. A key component of long term services and supports are home and community-based services (HCBS), which provide opportunities for individuals, including people with disabilities and chronic conditions, to receive services in their own homes or communities.

As a member of the New Editions Money Follows the Person (MFP) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, I work to support states as they focus on…

September is College Savings Month—a month to remind and encourage people to start a 529 Plan.  Section 529 plans make it easy and affordable for the average family to plan ahead for the cost of college attendance and are available in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Across the nation, many activities are held during September to recognize the importance of saving for college.

Today, a college education is a costly, but often a necessary qualification to get a job. For those whose families didn’t save, it’s still possible…

September is National Guide Dog Month and celebrates the work of guide dogs in the United States, raising awareness, appreciation, support and money for guide dog schools and organizations.

In 1929, The Seeing Eye (www.seeingeye.org) became the first organization in the U.S. to breed, raise and train guide dogs. Today blind citizens and their guide dogs form teams that are protected by the American with Disabilities Act. In July, 2007, I entered the program at Guide Dogs for the Blind in Portland, Oregon. After four weeks of training, I…