April 28, 2022
April marks the anniversary of the Section 504 sit-ins. When Section 504 passed into law as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it was one of the first US federal civil rights laws offering protection to us with disabilities. It set the groundwork for everything that came after, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). [...]
Category: Disability Rights
Boring Pregnancy
February 28, 2022
by Kenya Martinez
"You're having a boring pregnancy." These are the words my OB/GYN said to me the week before I was hospitalized for Eclampsia. I was 29, a transplant from NYC living in Atlanta. My husband and I had been married for several years. We were so excited to be new parents and were really looking forward to adding to our family. [...]
Britney is Free, Now What?
December 1, 2021
I first saw Britney Spears on a jumbotron video screen, taking Tokyo by storm with her bouncy pop music and sexy school uniforms. Britney was like a tsunami wave, coming out of seeming nowhere, and peaking to submerge us all in her catchy tunes. [...]
What Happens When Advocacy Never Ends?
April 12, 2020
I am weary.
Of calling and emailing. Of educating and advocating. Of meeting and presenting. Of filing complaints. Of not being heard.
It’s not living with a disability that exhausts me. I have learned to live well with spina bifida—even to thrive. I am adept at balancing a career, chronic health issues, community advocacy, and having a life. My support system includes a wonderful husband, family, friends, and colleagues. I have honed my advocacy skills; I know when to take on a battle and when to focus on the war. I have worked to make my community accessible for all, and to be the kind of place I want to grow old in. Life is good. [...]
How Automated Benefits Determinations Violate Disabled People’s Constitutional Due Process Rights and Increase Risk of Institutionalization
February 23, 2021
If you blinked, you might have missed it.
At the end of 2020, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals published an important decision in Waskul, et al. v. Washtenaw County Community Mental Health. In the case, five people with developmental disabilities sued the state of Michigan and Washtenaw County after the county was allowed to implement a new budget methodology for their services and health care. The state tried to stop the case from moving to trial, but the Sixth Circuit decided that the plaintiffs’ facts were compelling enough for their arguments to be heard. Their decision offers some important language and potential tips for other advocates. [...]