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When you give birth to your child, the possibility of them being taken away is not something that is typically considered, but parents with disabilities have a higher risk of that chance. About 20% of the children in the American foster care system have parents who have some type of disability. In 1975, a mother’s worst nightmare came true; Celestine Tate Harrington, who was diagnosed with Arthrogryposis Congenita, had her beautiful baby girl taken from her because the Philadelphia Department of Public Welfare deemed her unfit to be a parent after an anonymous call from a concerned neighbor. Her condition left her unable to use her limbs. However, Tate Harrington never let her disability prevent her from providing proper love and care for her children. She used the media to prove to the courts, and the world, that she was more than capable and worthy of motherhood.

Tate Harrington’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.

Tate Harrington used her lips, teeth, and tongue instead of her hands and feet to perform tasks such as dressing and changing her child, giving her a bottle, and even playing the electric keyboard and writing her own book. [continue reading…]

If the rules aren’t fair for everyone, then we must change them for the better.

“Dancing Rules,” the twenty-fourth episode of PBS Kids’ City Island, calls for the audience to consider how barriers to accessibility violate one of the most sacred values held by children – fairness.

City Island is a series of educational short-form animated videos, set in a city where every object is alive. The series follows Watt (Kimia Bephoornia), a living light-bulb, as he explores his home and helps everyone he meets. [continue reading…]

The theme of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “Access to Good Jobs For All.” A central part of creating this access lies in implementing effective workplace accommodations. For people with disabilities, accommodations represent more than just adjustments; they are essential measures needed to ensure equal employment opportunities.

The reality is that many workplaces – physical office space, virtual environments, established practices, and/or cultures – were not designed with the needs of disabled individuals in mind. This fundamental oversight often makes these spaces inaccessible, either partially or entirely, to those with disabilities. As a result, the changes made to workplaces to accommodate disabilities should not be seen as extra or unnecessary additions. Instead, they should be recognized as immediate actions that address historical exclusion.

Workplace accommodations are not luxuries; they are necessities that create environments where everyone has the same chance to thrive. They are an investment that employers should value when considering employee retention and a positive workplace culture. When employers fail to make these adjustments, it can be considered an act of discrimination, whether intentional or not. This is why the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations for qualified employees, provided it doesn’t impose an undue burden on the organization. [continue reading…]

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.

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