Brooklyn in “Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.” Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.

DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment’s “Jurassic World: Chaos Theory” picks up season two right where it left off, continuing its core themes of looking out for one another – whether it be a friend or a dinosaur – at any cost, and fighting for a version of the world you believe in. Airing on Netflix beginning October 17, the season is full of action, suspense and tender moments, as well as some laughs.

Strikingly, the last episode of season one had revealed that Brooklyn – the sixth member of “The Nublar Six,” a group of friends who survived Camp Cretaceous’ dinosaur-filled island together – was not dead like her friends and family had presumed. Brooklynn had been trying to investigate an underground dinosaur selling operation when things went awry. A dinosaur trained to attack came at her, biting off part of her arm. But luckily, a former DPW officer named Ronnie came to her rescue before anything further could happen.

Brooklynn’s journey as a new amputee following the attack, then, is central to the plot of the new season. And the Jurassic World: Chaos Theory team took care when weaving disability into the storyline.

Peter Lee, an amputee who first worked as a consultant and then transitioned to a permanent seat in the writers’ room, played a crucial role in getting it right. [continue reading…]

According to Forbes, more than 50% of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants would like to work again, but they fear losing their important financial and healthcare benefits, such as Medicare. This is a very valid fear, as it can often take a long time to navigate the SSDI system. According to USAFacts, the national average wait time for the first decision is 7 months, 15 days. The national approval rate for the initial application is around 38% which means most people get denied on their first try and need to appeal the decision. And the entire process can take three years or more.

Fortunately, there is a program available that acts as a safety net to help people on SSDI ease their way into the workforce without a fear of losing their benefits: the Ticket to Work program. The Ticket to Work program is a U.S. Social Security Administration initiative that helps people with disabilities find and keep employment while maintaining their Social Security benefits. The free, voluntary program is available in all 50 states.

Eligible individuals can use a “ticket” to access various employment services from approved providers. The program offers support such as job training and career counseling, along with work incentives that allow participants to test their ability to work without immediately losing their benefits. The goal is to promote financial independence and self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. [continue reading…]

Many know book titles such as the “Bicentennial Man” or George Lucas’ “Star Wars,” but may not have heard about Judy Lynn del Rey. Del Rey was an editor and publisher that was instrumental in these two books as well as 65 other best sellers. Del Rey, who was born with dwarfism, started working at Galaxy Fiction and worked her way up to managing editor and then moved along to Ballantine Books and became vice president. In 1977, Del Rey received her own publishing company named Del Rey books and continued her triumph in the science fiction world through her critical feedback on the plot, language, and characters.

Del Rey’s life is the latest subject of “American Masters: Renegades,” a documentary series showcasing the lives and cultural contributions of little-known historical figures with disabilities. Each short is 12-minutes long and shines the spotlight on one individual. [continue reading…]

The short film POSSUM by Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, directed and co-written by Daisy Rosato, is a satirical horror about five young adults at an artist retreat. Going into this film, I had no idea what to expect, but I found it to be a creative and unique visualization of how people figure out their true beliefs and the impact this process can have on the people around them.

The five characters—Hadley, Blaze, Annabella, Pinecone, and Tilly—play a game at the beginning of the movie called “Werewolf.” In this game, one person is the werewolf, one is the seer, one is the victim, and the rest are the townsfolk. What I found interesting about this scene is how it foreshadows the larger themes of the movie, suggesting that anyone could be the killer just as easily as they could be the victim. [continue reading…]

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), it is important to understand the benefits of remote work for disabled job seekers and employees to create “Access to Good Jobs for All.”

As a recent graduate of Davidson College and a physically disabled person with a passion for disability advocacy, my goal is to pursue a career focused on improving disability inclusion and accessibility within the workplace. My disorder, Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), paralyzed me from the neck down in 2010. Although I regained the ability to walk, I still have paralysis in my arms and hands. Therefore, my disability impacts my ability to do everyday tasks such as getting dressed, washing and styling my hair, doing laundry, preparing meals, and getting from place to place. In 2019, I got my driver’s license after practicing for weeks at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA using their vehicle with accessibility modifications. However, I still do not have a car because the accessibility modifications will cost between $50,000-$60,000 — not including the vehicle itself!

Many individuals like me rely on public transportation or a family member, friend, or aide to drive them to work, especially since most places in the United States do not have adequate public transportation. Remote work can remove this access barrier to employment by greatly increasing access to jobs for disabled people who may struggle to get to a physical place of work. A common misconception exists that employers only need to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled employees that are specific to their work. According to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), employers may be required to provide accommodations related to commuting “such as changing an employee’s schedule so [they] can access available transportation, reassigning an employee to a location closer to [their] home when the length of the commute is the problem, or allowing an employee to telecommute.” [continue reading…]

Assets are defined as the resources you own, including cash, money in checking or savings, cash surrender value, stocks and bonds, cars, and real estate. Under Supplemental Security Income (SSI), individuals cannot exceed an asset cap of $2,000, while married couples have a cap of $3,000.

Overview and Current Status

• Established in 1972: The SSI program was signed into law by Richard Nixon to support older Americans and people with disabilities.
• Unchanged Limits: The caps have not been adjusted since 1984, despite inflation and rising living costs
• Outdated and Harmful: Originally established for eligibility purposes, these caps cause economic hardship for people with disabilities.

[continue reading…]

When you sign up for our Faith Inclusion and Belonging newsletter, you’ll be able to download the new Jewish High Holidays Guide to Accessibility, Inclusion, and Belonging. You’ll also receive a link to download our larger Spiritual and Faith Community Guide to Accessibility, Inclusion, and Belonging when it is released.

Nora Onanian

This past spring, like a game of telephone, my exciting news that I would be able to attend the 2024 Paris Paralympics spread, and was, well… misconstrued. On more than one occasion, I got a text from a friend of my grandma’s, or a peer at school, where the person wished me well in my “big swimming competition.” Either my 90-pound, scrawny physique gives off that of an Olympic athlete, or, many people are unfamiliar with how big of a deal it is to qualify for the Paralympics. The athletic competition is on a global stage, with—not some of, but—the most talented athletes of our time.  

While my once a week swim practice through Adaptive Sports New England is something I enjoy, and take moderately seriously, it is certainly not enough training for an athletic career of Paralympic heights. What those Sunday mornings spent in the pool did do for me, however, was provide an interesting perspective on how the public engages with para-athletes and disability more broadly.

The first swimming competition I entered as an amputee was last March. Organized through Move United—an affiliate of the Paralympic Games—, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I don’t think I’ve been in the same room with as many fellow disability community folk, let alone been treated so “normally” (in my opinion, there is no such thing as “normal”) despite my body moving differently than people are used to. Seriously, not a single person batted an eye at my scars, limb difference or anything else I would normally mentally prepare myself for when getting on the diving board at my high school swim meets, or entering any room full of able-bodied people. [continue reading…]

Read the Report

A new report shows that films continue to lack disabled characters. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative report, “Inequality in 1,700 Popular Films,” found that just 2.2% of all speaking characters in the top 100 films of 2023 were shown with a disability, which is virtually identical to both 2022 (1.9%) and 2015 (2.4%). According to the report, “each year, the numbers prove stubbornly resistant to change.”

Furthermore, of the top 100 films of 2023, 42 films did not feature even one character with a disability. This is lower than 2022 (54) but similar to 2015 (45). Only one out of the 100 films examined portrayed disabled characters at proportional representation within the U.S. population (27.2%). The only other year to include a film with proportional representation since 2015 was in 2021. [continue reading…]