Happy International Day of People with Disabilities 2025!!
This year’s theme is fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress!
This International Day of People with Disabilities, here are 12 days of my reflections on inclusion and how inclusion advances social progress for me. Continue Reading
Syracuse University has long been a leader in disability policy, rights and advocacy. For the past 20 years, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) and its chairman, University Professor Peter Blanck, have been at the forefront of this work. A nationally recognized expert in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws, Blanck joined BBI at its founding in 2005. He is principal investigator on a recent $4.6 million grant from the U.S.
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The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University celebrates the retirement of Gary Shaheen Ph.D. whose leadership and commitment have left a lasting impression at BBI and beyond. BBI carries on the legacy of Dr. Burton Blatt by championing human rights and economic and civic empowerment for people with diverse disabilities across the US and internationally. Continue Reading
In this episode, we discuss some of the most common questions the Southeast ADA Center received this year on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the legal rights of people with disabilities. We have received over 1,600 questions this year (2025). As a team, we focus on each request for information and send specific resources to help with those questions. Our guest for this episode is Jenny Sykes, Lead Technical Information Specialist for the Southeast ADA Center.
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Emerald Publishing Limited has announced the release of Disability and the Future of Work, a groundbreaking edited volume that examines how disability intersects with the rapidly changing world of work. Edited by DEP investigators—Fitore Hyseni, Lisa Schur, Douglas Kruse, and Peter Blanck—the book brings together leading scholars and practitioners to explore how technological, economic, and policy transformations are reshaping employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Continue Reading
The estimated number of people who have been ordered into guardianship and lost their legal right to make decisions has tripled since 1995. Supported decision-making is an alternative to overbroad and undue guardianships. People can get the advice they need to make their own decisions with supported decision-making. It allows people to choose advisers who will explain options and choices in a way they can understand. Continue Reading
Recognizing Syracuse University as a national leader in disability rights and policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) with a $4.6 million grant to support the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Employment Policy. The funding is administered by HHS’ National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, the U.S. government’s primary federal research organization for disability.
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In this episode we will talk about an Olmstead settlement agreement in Rhode Island that has had a profound impact on disability rights and community inclusion. This settlement has guided Rhode Island’s journey to transform its employment system for people with disabilities. We will talk about how a landmark Consent Decree and the work that followed is moving Rhode Island away from sheltered workshops and toward meaningful, competitive employment in the community.
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Since 1860, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America have unlocked the unlimited potential of youth in a safe, inclusive, and engaging setting. Each year these Clubs serve over four million youth from early childhood to age 24. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America programs provide important youth development at critical times outside of the classroom to promote school success, healthy choices, and leadership. Continue Reading
This report examines the racial wealth gap for people with disabilities in the United States. While the racial wealth gap is well-documented, with the median White household having a net worth 7-10 times higher than the median Black household, the wealth gap experienced by people with disabilities remains less explored. Recent data show that households without disabilities possess, on average, 6 times the net worth of households led by a working-age person with a disability. Wealth, defined as total household assets minus total liabilities, is a comprehensive measure of economic well-being and social stratification, and it has wide implications, including for personal security and long-term health and well-being. For people with disabilities, wealth has an added dimension, as additional costs associated with living with a disability reduce the amount individuals can save over their lifetime.
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