In celebration of the 32^nd 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

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

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.

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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.

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As we enter the third year of the pandemic, COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on the economy and the workforce. Some employees have developed post-COVID health conditions, or long COVID. And these post-COVID health conditions could impact one or more major life areas that may trigger protections for employees under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In this episode of ADA Live!, we will discuss the impact of post-COVID health on the workplace, employees, and employers – and its effect on our economic recovery. Our guest is Sharon Rennert, Senior Attorney Advisor, in the Division of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (ADA/GINA), Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Continue Reading