We invited the Hon. Steve Bartlett and Bobby Silverstein to share thoughts on the significance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to faith communities in 2022. Both played key roles in this bipartisan legislation. Hon. Steve Bartlett is Chair Emeritus and a current member of the RespectAbility Board of Directors. As a member of [click to continue...]
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8. The Talmud [Berachot 34b] teaches that one must pray in a house with windows so they can see the heavens and focus their heart. Rabbi Lynne Landsberg, of blessed memory, was [click to continue...]
July is Disability Pride Month. It commemorates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The ADA is a milestone civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to [click to continue...]
The original disability pride flag, created by Ann Magill in 2019, underwent a makeover by Magill for accessibility purposes in 2021. They altered the original zigzagged design because it worsened symptoms for individuals with visually triggered disabilities, including seizure and migraine disorders. Magill’s updated design features muted colors and a straight diagonal band from the [click to continue...]
The stories we tell of our unique lived experiences with disabilities and mental health conditions matter. It is a generous act when someone pulls back the curtain to tell their story. Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a popular TED Talk called, “The Danger of a Single Story.” A single story is a generalization about a [click to continue...]
I’m told there’s a power to “healing out loud,” speaking to one’s experience of working through, or living with a mental health condition, physical disability, chronic illness, etc. As I tell the story of my recovery from anorexia or living life with my chronic illnesses, I’ve seen this power myself in myriad ways. Still, when [click to continue...]
The month of May is Ehlers Danlos Syndromes (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) Awareness Month. Ehlers Danlos Syndromes are genetic connective disorders generally characterized by joint hypermobility, joint instability, skin hyperextensibility, abnormal scarring, structural weakness, etc. EDSs are currently classified into thirteen types. People with hypermobility spectrum disorders have similar joint symptoms but do [click to continue...]
As I count the Omer, it is impossible not to think of the seven-week journey. For those of us that have studied Jewish tradition, it is a truism that the Israelites did not leave Egypt primarily to escape slavery but rather to be free to serve God. They took a risk for a reward. The [click to continue...]
I’ve been counting the days since I embarked on my new journey at RespectAbility. Today is Day 20. Four whole weeks; time has flown. I’m happy to report that I feel more confident and am settling into my new routine. It has been wonderful getting to know our Staff and Apprentices and bringing my background, [click to continue...]
Interfaith conversations and programs are a staple of the Religion and Spirituality Network of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). Every year, the Network produces a webinar series on timely and important concerns with an interfaith approach. The Network’s 2022 webinar series, “When Hospitality & Belonging Become Hard: Faith Community Strategies for Responding to Adults [click to continue...]
