News

Blanck to keynote in Hong Kong and Beijing on inclusion of persons with disabilities and accessible international development

October 5, 2018

BBI Chairman Peter Blanck to give keynote addresses in Hong Kong and Beijing China on inclusion of persons with disabilities and accessible international development

BBI Chairman Peter Blanck will give the keynote address at the Conference on “Challenges to Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Asia and the World,” on October 9, 2018 in Hong Kong, China. The Human Rights Law and Policy Forum of the School of Law, City University of Hong Kong is hosting the event for academics, local officials and public bodies.

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Jason Harris to Speak at Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival

September 19, 2018

BBI Researcher Jason Harris to Speak at Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival

On Saturday, September 29, BBI Research Associate Jason Harris, will speak at the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival in LeCube at the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. He will be speaking on a panel with other speakers including Nancy Silberkleit, Co-CEO of Archie Comics.

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Arc of Missouri to host summit for disability rights advocates

September 5, 2018

Jonathan Martinis Senior Director for Law and Policy
Jonathan Martinis

The Arc of Missouri will be hosting their Annual Educational Summit on Sept. 11, at the Courtyard Marriott, 3301 Lemone Industrial Blvd. in Columbia from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Topics to be covered include guardianship and supported decision making. The keynote speaker for the 2018 conference will be Jonathan Martinis. Martinis is the Senior Director of Law & Policy at Burton Blatt Institute, and Project Director for the National Resource Center for Supported Decision Making in Syracuse, NY.

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BBI Welcomes Jason Harris as new Research Associate

August 27, 2018

Jason HarrisJason P. Harris is joining the staff at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, as a Research Associate, working to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities around the globe.

In 2018, Jason earned an M.S. in Cultural Foundations of Education and a Certificate of Advanced Disability Studies from Syracuse University. Jason was also one of the founders of the student organization On The Spectrum at Syracuse University. Continue Reading

BBI Chairman Blanck Quoted In Bloomberg News On “Blind Workers” And “Online Hiring Systems”

August 22, 2018

BBI Chairman and University Professor Peter Blanck said today in Bloomberg news in regard to “blind workers” and “online hiring systems: “Attitudes about inclusion is the real problem,” Blanck said. Jobs-page “accessibility is just a symptom.” Blanck is chairman of Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute and the author of several books on disabilities laws, including e-quality: The struggle for web accessibility by people with cognitive disabilities. 
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A Groundbreaking Study on Increasing Opportunity and Reducing Bias in the Legal Profession

August 13, 2018

Source: Syracuse Law Yearbook 2018

Burton Blatt Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Ynesse Abdul-Malak

During 2017-2018, the College of Law’s Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) continued its important collaboration with the American Bar Association (ABA). BBI is directing a first-ofits-kind nationwide study with the ABA to examine challenges encountered by legal professionals, with an initial focus on lawyers with disabilities and lawyers who identify as LGBTQ+, to develop evidence-based strategies to reduce bias prejudice and increase opportunities in the profession.  Continue Reading

Blanck & Abdul-Malak Speak at Lavender Law Conference on Breaking Down LGBTQ Bias in Legal Profession

August 7, 2018

BBI Chairman Peter Blanck & BBI Researcher Ynesse Abdul-Malak to Speak at National LGBT Bar Association Lavender Law Conference on Breaking Down LGBTQ Bias in Legal Profession: Lessons from National ABA/BBI Project

The National LGBT Bar Association Presents: 30th Annual Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair

Too often, the LGBTQ community and those with disabilities are not included in efforts to expand career and professional diversity, especially in the legal profession. To address this issue, the American Bar Association (“ABA”) recently launched a first-of-its-kind nationwide study, conducted by the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University (“BBI”). Continue Reading