Policy
Mixed Reviews on ADA-Day Speech
Published July 29, 2009 @ 04:00PM PT
A full written transcript of Obama's ADA B-Day and CRPD-signing speech is now available for those of us (this includes me) who start to hear "blah blah blah" after about the first 5 minutes (or less).
While some coverage of the event was upbeat, New Mobility's blog headlines Obama's ADA Speech Bombs. That post points out a number of the disability stereotypes I've railed on repeatedly here in the president's speech, and relates the audience's (duh) lack of enthusiasm over an attempt frame medical treatment in a disability rights context. Wrong crowd to try that with.
The review ends with a sarcastic reference to the current situation with the CCA (apparently I was not the only one who felt the idiom lip service was appropriate).
Too, let's give lip service to the rights of Americans to live freely in the community. Maybe then they'll stop handcuffing themselves to my house.
In the comments to the post, some agreed with the negative assessment, but others did not.
What do you make of the president's ADA-Day speech? Good? Bad? Like ADA-Day itself perhaps a mixed bag?
Monday Autism News Potpourri
Published July 27, 2009 @ 10:38AM PT
Thumbs Up: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was signed on Friday as planned. Here's print coverage from USA Today and (ironically non-captioned) video coverage from CSPAN. The CSPAN video is of the actual signing ceremony, and it starts off with a nice little speech by Hilary Clinton.
Thumbs ? : The motivation for the ADA-AA came from issues with the way the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had decided to implement the ADA. The original intent for the ADA is as a civil rights law, and the ADA-AA was to restore that original intent. Now debates about EEOC implementation seem to be intent on leeching the power from the amendment. Will the fate of the ADA-AA be to restore the ADA as powerful civil rights legislation, or will we end up back at square one?
Thumbs Down: As the CCA remains off the legislative agenda, CCA rallies continue with confronted the Democratic National Convention. Adapt has set up a sweet action campaign page, complete with (also transcribed) video.
Not all news on the CCA front is bad; some legislators have signed onto it. Check the list for your legislators--if you see their name on it, send them a thank you; if you don't see their name on it, ask them to please sign on!
Thumbs Up!: On a non-policy note of special interests and the path to college successes, here's a lovely article about Cole Kingsbury, geologist and going to college in Alaska. (Side note: volcanoes--YAY!!! Definitely, IMO as well, a perk of living in Oregon!)
USA Finally on Board with UN CRPD
Published July 24, 2009 @ 04:00PM PT
After three years, the USA has finally signed onto the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Convention was created in full participation with the international disabilities community on the principle of Nothing About Us Without Us, and reflects the critical shift in paradigm toward social, affirmative, and equitable perspectives on the essential human rights of people with disabilities.
Obama announced earlier in the week that he would be signing the convention today, Friday 24 July, 2009.
This signing is coming on the week of the 19th anniversary of the ADA.
Here's linkage back to a long-ago post of mine on the CRPD, which includes, perhaps more importantly, some links to self-advocacy manuals based on the treaty from Harvard Project on Disability.
ADA B-Day, an Ambiguous Affair
Published July 24, 2009 @ 10:40AM PT
This week is the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I've blogged about the ADA a fair amount, some positive, some critical, and plenty just in passing or reference.
I'm not the only person who has mixed feelings about this legislation which has been both a powerful tool for equality and a nasty disappointment for people seeking justice. Lower Hudson Journal News contributor Robert Cole asks whether a get well card would be more appropriate for the ADA than a birthday card. Cole sites little change in employment rates, continued lack of access, and continued lack of community inclusion as deep issues.
Obviously there are issues with the ADA itself that need to be rectified, but do those issues account solely for Cole's observations? What role might other factors such as lack of program coordination, conflicting policies, and program disincentives (National Disability Policy: A Progress Report document for more ideas) play in the bigger picture? What about situations where the government is refusing to work on the infrastructure necessary for the ADA to be fully realized? What other complex factors, like the intricacies of transportation, that often aren't thought about? What about the sort of discrimination few see because it is culturally sanctioned?
As Cole states, we have to do better.
But where is the leverage for doing better? Is it in the ADA itself, or elsewhere?
What do you think, should the ADA get the birthday card, the get well card, or both?
Different Country, Same Issues (Sort Of)
Published July 21, 2009 @ 09:42AM PT
This quote (source),
"For too long people with autism have been misunderstood and discriminated against by a counter-productive system that often lets people reach crisis point before they get the help that they need."
May have come from someone in the UK (Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society, to be exact), but it could have been said by someone in the US without any loss of relevance. Here too, in the US too, "For too long people with autism have been misunderstood and discriminated against by a counter-productive system that often lets people reach crisis point before they get the help that they need."
The big difference however is that the quote is being made in the context of a government audit that found that providing non-crisis services for individuals on the spectrum could save the country millions. The quote continues,
"There is a huge shortfall in social care funding which urgently needs to be addressed and it's absolutely crucial that reform is not at the expense of those who may need a lifetime of support. People with lifelong conditions, such as autism, may be less able to save and pay for their social care.
"If the Government are serious about giving people with autism the same rights and opportunities as everyone else we must have a system that is both fair and affordable for all."
As autism policy in the US continues to fixate primarily around a narrow range of interventions for small children, separate itself from larger disability issues (including lessons already learned), and ignore the concept of long term supports and services in the national agenda, the future for most of us in the states is not seeming so shiny. What is needed to shift priorities into the bigger picture?
CLASS vs. CCA
Published July 20, 2009 @ 04:00PM PT
While the Community Choice Act (CCA) remains ignored, the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act has been marked up for inclusion in health care reform. The CLASS Act being marked up isn't in and of itself isn't bad, but the contrast--and perhaps interconnectedness--with the CCA being ignored is problematic.
This blog post contains a press release from ADAPT criticizing the support of the CLASS with no mention to the CCA.
Originally the two acts were supposed to be related. CLASS essentially enables individuals who currently have good employment (middle class and above) to save money out of their pay checks for long term supports later on. CCA essentially ends the institutional bias of medicaid so that when those individuals need the supports--as well as (more importantly to the topic of this blog here) low income or non-working individuals who currently need the supports--will be able to get those supports from the community instead of being forced into a nursing home or institution. This doesn't just make financial and ethical sense, it's literally the law. The comments are at least as interesting as the original post. Especially worth reading is the one about benefits bias from Mark Romoser (who also always has an interesting comment worth reading here).
This blog post contains a brief summary of current events with the CLASS act. What's interesting about this post isn't the post itself as much as the second comment about the costs of long term care--and the concept that what people would pay out for the CLASS Act might not actually cover their true long term care costs.
Yet more pieces of the bigger picture.
Monday Autism News Potpourri
Published July 20, 2009 @ 09:50AM PT
Big News -- Last week the senate passed the Matthew Shepard act anti-hate crimes legislation. Many thanks to all of you who contacted your congress critters about that! The bill still has a way to go however, as the article notes. It's not a done deal, as, among other things, it is being amended to a defense bill that may not pass (U.S. policy making--not always making much semantic sense).
Little Followup -- There's a New York Magazine interview with Hugh Dancy who plays Adam in the film Adam. To the reporter, yes, it is crass to insinuate that someone is less lovable if they are less physically attractive since it doesn't "make up for" being autistic. Otherwise, this is just a little followup blurb.
Little News -- The new Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez has been confirmed. She comes from a strong disability background, including being disabled herself. Nothing about us without us.
Big Followup -- I did a main post on Specialisterne earlier this year. Specialisterne ("the specialists") is a Danish company that believes in the value of autistic interest and skills in the workplace, and promotes strengths-based, supported employment. One of the (many) cool things about Specialisterne is that it doesn't automatically assume that a person on the spectrum is only suited for cleaning toilets or other sterotyped menial labor. Instead the company finds skilled technical work for people with a love for detail, and yes, specialization.
Felt that bore some repeating because it's a thriving, successful business model that is now expanding into other countries. According to the BBC, Specialisterne is setting up a new branch in Scotland. Most excellent. Here is some video coverage as well. Perhaps someday there will be a branch in my own town? Perhaps they'd enjoy employing me? Heh.
