New Episode ADA Live! Show Them How Smart You Are: Self-Advocacy, Parenting, and Autism

New Episode ADA Live! Show Them How Smart You Are: Self-Advocacy, Parenting, and Autism

Episode 100:Show Them How Smart You Are: Self-Advocacy, Parenting, and Autism

On this episode of ADA Live!

Join us for episode 100 of ADALive! when our guests will be Clarise Shelby-Coleman and her son Chase Coleman who have championed the importance of self-advocacy through a non-profit they have begun, called ‘Show Them How Smart You Are”.

Of all the skills we can learn, being able to advocate for ourselves could very well be the most important. Knowing who we are, what we need, and how to share that information with others is important for all of us, but especially for people with disabilities who are often denied choice in their lives or opportunities to make personal decisions. It is vital that people with disabilities have the opportunity to learn self-advocacy skills and become aware of how to ask for an accommodation in the workplace, or the post-secondary classroom, or to make decisions about lifestyles, living arrangements, or everyday choices.

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Disability Rights Today New Episode! Upcoming Supreme Court Term Critical Cases that Could Impact the Disability Community

Speakers

Peter Blanck
Host: Peter Blanck, JD, Ph.D. –  Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute and University Professor at Syracuse University
Claudia Center
Attorney: Claudia Center, JD, Legal Director of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Arlene Mayerson
Attorney: Arlene Mayerson, JD, Directing Attorney of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Victoria Rodríguez-Roldán
Attorney: Victoria Rodríguez-Roldán, JD, senior policy manager for AIDS United

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BBI Receives $6.2 Million Award for Southeast ADA Center to Advance Understanding of Disability Rights, Responsibilities

For the third time in 15 years, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) has been awarded a five-year, $6.2 million grant to advance and support understanding of rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through its Southeast ADA Center.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration on Community Living (ACL), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Continue Reading

Southeast ADA Center Announces Launch of Disability Rights Today Podcast Series in celebration of the ADA 31st Anniversary

Court House stepsThe Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, is pleased to announce the launch of a new podcast series, Disability Rights Today –your source for in depth discussion about important court cases that shape the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In celebration of the 31st ADA anniversary, please join us on July 26 for our next episode featuring the recently decided court case – Crawford v. Hinds County Board of Supervisors, (5th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2021). Topics include jury duty and courthouse access.  Our guests will be the plaintiff, Dr. Scott Crawford and his lead counsel, Andrew Bizer, with the law firm Bizer & Dereus, New Orleans, LA. Continue Reading

Fitore Hyseni

Dr. Fitore Hyseni is the Director of Research at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, where she leads projects focused on improving socio-economic outcomes for people with disabilities. In this role, she oversees the development and management of grant-funded research while mentoring and supporting research staff. Her work centers on advancing disability rights and socio-economic inclusion, ensuring that research makes a tangible difference in people’s lives and aligns with BBI’s mission.

Dr. Hyseni holds a PhD in Social Science and a Master’s in Public Administration from Syracuse University, along with a Bachelor’s in Public Policy and Economics from Rochester Institute of Technology. Her research explores how inequalities, such as in housing, employment, education, and healthcare, impact people with disabilities. She has led several federally funded projects, including grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), addressing issues like workplace accommodations, financial inclusion, and the relationship between mental health and employment. Her latest work involves a randomized control trial with Fortune 500 companies, aiming to reduce stigma and improve accommodation practices for employees with disabilities.

Dr. Hyseni’s research has appeared in publications such as the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation and the Journal of Cancer Survivorship. She has presented her work at national and international conferences, including the Academy of Management (AOM) and the American Sociological Association (ASA), and her work has been recognized by numerous awards and grants.

Barry Whaley, Director of Southeast ADA Center, Giving Keynote Presentation at National APSE Conference

On Thursday June 17th, Barry Whaley, M.S., Project Director of Southeast ADA Center a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University; Founding Board Member and Past President of Kentucky APSE; will be delivering the closing keynote speech at the National Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) 2020 Conference. The theme of the APSE conference is “Employment Fist Elevated”. To commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Whaley will reflect on significant events and leaders of the disability rights movement in their long yet rewarding journey towards equality. Continue Reading

The Southeast ADA Center Launches Disability and COVID-19 Portal

The Southeast ADA Center (SEADA), a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and a member of the ADA National Network, announces the launch of the Disability and COVID-19 Portal.

The Portal, in development since mid-March, began as a way for the Southeast ADA Center to provide timely and relevant information for people with disabilities about the COVID-19 pandemic and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You can explore the Portal through Alerts, Fast Facts, Virtual Events, and over 250 Resources from known national, federal, state, and organizational sources. Some information is available in Spanish, and American Sign Language. Continue Reading

Mary Morder

Mary has more than 18 years of experience in business communications and disability rights. She also coordinates all alternate format requests to the Southeast ADA Center for materials relative to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She works with a team to produce materials on the ADA and provides support to the web developer for the Southeast ADA Center. Mary is also a member of the Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults.

Cheri Hofmann

Cheri began her career in 1976 working with the Federal Government as a training coordinator. During her 16 years with the Federal Government, she worked with the Staff Judge Advocates Office as a paralegal and at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a paralegal assistant. Her areas of experience include: legal, technical writing, training, contracting, procurement, and architecture engineering /design. Throughout her career, Cheri has been involved in volunteering, fundraising or assisting with researching laws for people with disabilities.

In 2000, Cheri began actively working with the Independent Living Movement as the Advocacy/Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Independent Living (CIL) Disability Resource Center. Cheri began her career with the Southeast ADA Center in 2002 as a part-time ADA Technical Assistant and later became the full-time in 2003. She currently is their ADA Distance Learning and Training Coordinator.

Additionally, she is a recognized voice for ADA technical assistance and training for the Southeast ADA Center for eight states for businesses, state and local government and people with disabilities for her knowledge with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal laws. Cheri currently has her ADA Coordinator certification from the ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program through the University of Missouri- College of Human and Environmental Sciences, School of Architectural Studies and the Great Plains ADA Center as well as the University of Alabama Birmingham, ADA Coordinator Program.

Sally Z. Weiss Retires from BBI’s Southeast ADA Center

May 29, 2018

Sally Weiss smiling at the camera wearing a shirt the text disability rights are civil rights
Sally Weiss

Sally Z. Weiss Retires from Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) – Southeast ADA Center

Sally Weiss, a pioneer and tireless advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, retired in March 2018 from Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute (BBI).

In an amazing career spanning four decades, Sally’s work began in the classroom in Rockville, MD, continued as an editor with the American Enterprise Institute, and then on to the United Cerebral Palsy where she served in multiple roles including Information/Publications Coordinator, Project Director, and National Projects Coordinator. Continue Reading