July is Disability Pride Month

2024-07-12T00:41:29+00:00

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed in to law which prohibits any discrimination based on disability. Since then, July has been celebrated as Disability Pride Month. In 1990, the first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston and the first Disability Pride Parade was held in Chicago in 2004.

July is Disability Pride Month2024-07-12T00:41:29+00:00

ADA Thoughts: Outlooks By Scott Preston

2021-04-29T21:24:31+00:00

By Scott Preston When I ran the UW CERT team, I would actively seek out members from the hard of hearing/deaf community and the blind community. Dana Platt, the State 9-1-1 TTY manager at that time was someone who volunteered on several occasions. The UW would pay for an interpreter to assist her and me, since I don’t speak sign language (although I am half-deaf). The value was recognized on several fronts: 1- The community in question had an active role in the UW’s emergency training for the CERT team. This is the very definition of inclusion.   2- The [...]

ADA Thoughts: Outlooks By Scott Preston2021-04-29T21:24:31+00:00

ADA Thoughts: Outlooks By Curry Mayer

2021-04-28T22:58:10+00:00

By Curry Mayer It is interesting that we, in emergency management, talk at length about helping as many people as possible in all of our programs and in all of the phases of emergency management, however, I don’t believe we have spent enough time thinking about how we reach those who are differently abled. The term that is most inclusive of those with additional needs, is people with “Access and Functional Needs”, which goes beyond what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires. Access is about mobility, which includes the elderly and small children, and those who use mobility devices; [...]

ADA Thoughts: Outlooks By Curry Mayer2021-04-28T22:58:10+00:00

ADA Thoughts: Outlooks By Jim Mullen

2021-04-28T22:50:59+00:00

By Jim Mullen It is frustrating when the obvious is missed. The challenges a disabled citizen encounters merely trying to access entry into an office, navigating stairs and hallways are always in plain sight. Those few individuals over the course of my career with whom I worked that experienced those difficulties always seemed cheerful, resilient, and capable of overcoming obstacles in their path. They seemed to be coping, rarely seeking assistance or support. So, no problem? As an emergency management director in Seattle and the State of Washington, ADA issues were seldom raised. Government facilities were regulated by agencies that [...]

ADA Thoughts: Outlooks By Jim Mullen2021-04-28T22:50:59+00:00
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