Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7 percent in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced today. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January. Continue Reading
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New ADA Live podcast! Episode 110: Ensuring Equity in Employment: A Celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
Each October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The 2022 NDEAM theme of “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation” recognizes the important role that people with disabilities play in a diverse inclusive workforce. Continue Reading
New ADA Live podcast! Episode 109: Workplace Accommodations and the ADA
Under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process. Job accommodations are changes to the ways workplace tasks are typically done that help people with disabilities be successful and have the same opportunities as people without disabilities.
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New ADA Live podcast! Episode 108: The Confess Project: A Network for Mental Health Care in African-American Communities
Barbershops are an important place in black communities. Barbershops are a refuge from discrimination where black men can talk freely about their life and personal experiences. The Confess Project encourages dialogue between African American males about emotional health by training barbers and stylists to become mental health advocates. Continue Reading
From Compliance to Commitment to Culture: Reflecting on the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Over the last 32 years, since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, progress has been measured by how quickly universities and institutions have moved from compliance with the law to the creation of a truly inclusive culture. Continue Reading
New ADA Live podcast! Episode 107: Breaking Barriers for Disability Rights: Historical Reflections with Judy Heumann
In celebration of the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Judy Heumann and Peter Blanck share the barrier-breaking history of the disability rights movement in the United States.
Judy Heumann is an author, disability rights leader, founder of the World Institute on Disability, former Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSSERS), former Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the U.S. State Department, and subject of the documentary Crip Camp. Judy will be our honored guest for this ADA Live! podcast, and the host will be Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D. and University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. Continue Reading
BBI Chairman Peter Blanck on NPR’s Marketplace discussing whether the government should allow some employers to pay less than minimum wage to people with disabilities
BBI Chairman and University Professor
Peter Blanck, BBI chairman, interviewed by Meghan McCarty Carino on NPR’s Marketplace “Should the government still allow some employers to pay less than minimum wage?” Continue Reading
BBI at Syracuse College of Law Named Exemplar Disability Rights Program by US News
“Advice for Law School Applicants with Disabilities” US News contributor Gabriel Kuris provides some tips to successfully navigate the admissions process and the law school experience. While applying to and attending law school are difficult for anyone, people with disabilities often face extra hurdles on the path to practicing law. According to Peter Blanck, university professor of Syracuse University in New York and chairman of the school’s Burton Blatt Institute – a global advocacy organization for people with disabilities, “Applying to law school requires strong self-advocacy and patience that puts a unique burden on students with disabilities.” Some law schools have specific centers or programs focused on disability rights or advocacy. According to the article, two of the most prominent are the Burton Blatt Institute and the Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation at Loyola Law School in California.
New ADA Live podcast! Episode 106: COVID and Mental Health
As we begin the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading health and research organizations are reviewing data on what we have been through and how we have been impacted. An area of concern is how the pandemic has affected our mental health. According to a scientific brief released in March 2022 by the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%. And a Mental Health America (MHA) 2021 report titled “COVID 19 and Mental Health: A Growing Crisis” reports the number of people looking for help with anxiety and depression has skyrocketed.
To help us understand these findings and to offer a clinical perspective on how COVID has impacted our mental health, we welcome Dr. Lin Hogan, a clinical therapist at Weems Community Mental Health Center, Forest Institute of Professional Psychiatry, in Meridian, Mississippi. Our host is Dr. Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chair of the Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University.
New ADA Live podcast! Episode 105: Let’s Fly Away – Air Travel for Passengers with Disabilities
Air travel is often essential for employment, integral for recreation pursuits and vital for social and family connections. But, air travel can be challenging and full of anxiety for the 27 million travelers with disabilities and the 3.3 million passengers who use a wheelchair or other medical device for mobility.
In this episode of ADA Live! discover what airports and airlines are doing to make air travel experiences better for people with disabilities. Our guest is Steve Mayers, Director of Customer Experience and ADA Coordinator, at the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.