Tag Archives: ada

A Landlord Cannot Force you to Declaw your Emotional Support Cat or Charge you a Cleaning Deposit for your Emotional Support Dog!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

            For a person with depression and anxiety, an emotional support animal provides the impetus to wake up in the morning and go to school or work.  For Austin Cline, a student at Hillsborough Community College, Luna, his dog, gives him the ability to leave his parents house, go to college and then go… Read More »

No Wheelchair Users Allowed in a Miami Beach Condo!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Turns out that the least of Abbot House Condominium’s worries should have been whether Rachel Siler would not be able to get around in her wheelchair and would injure herself. Maybe instead of assuming she was an invalid who sleeps with her personal assistant, the Condominium Board should have started with the premise that she had a job, a life, and a passion for helping others. The real liability was the failure to acknowledge Rachel Siler as the die-hard disability advocate who works to help others destroy attitudinal barriers and harmful stereotypes.

Work Incentives Protecting Health Coverage for PWD

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lesly Lopez Extended Medicare Coverage For Working People with Disabilities As long as your disabling condition still meets our rules, you can keep your Medicare coverage for at least 8 ½ years after you return to work. The 8 ½ years includes your nine month trial work Period. Your Medicare hospital insurance (Part… Read More »

Stereotypes & Misconceptions about Disability

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lorinda Gonzalez “Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” ― Isaac Asimov Deaf people can’t dance.  Blind people don’t like art.  People in wheelchairs can’t have sex.  These are just a few of the stereotypes and misconceptions that… Read More »

Litigation: Is Your Child A Runner?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Some children with autism, developmental or intellectual disabilities may wander off without any comprehension of possible danger.  This might include running off from adults at school or in the community, leaving the classroom without permission, or leaving the house when the family is not looking. While most children are drawn to water, many autistic… Read More »

He’s Got the Moves

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lisa Goodman He’s got the moves! Nyle DiMarco is without doubt a “triple threat.” His website even describes him as such,“Nyle DiMarco is an actor, model and spokesman.” No offense to whoever wrote his website, but they dropped the ball when they failed to include dancer, which makes him a quadruple threat. Currently,… Read More »

Summer Fun and Discrimination against Kids (with or without disabilities)!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Happy Summertime! The Summer should be a time where all kids, kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities, should be able to have fun. Discrimination about kids in the Summer is not fun, and here are some tips on how kids can avoid discrimination in the Summer.

Employment Support for People with Disabilities

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

If you are disabled and you are pursuing employment, you are not alone. You can find many agencies providing employment support that will help you reach your vocational goal. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Centers for Independent Living Employment Networks Disability Program Navigator Initiative Disability Rights Florida The Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

larry mcdowell

IS HEALTH CARE ONLY FOR THE “ABLE BODIED”?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

People with disabilities tend to be in poorer health and to use health care at a significantly higher rate than people who do not have disabilities. Larry McDowell is not a statistic, but instead a blatant example of an issue which needs to be addressed. Equality in health care is not a benefit, but a basic right.

Are Doctors Required to Provide Interpreters for Deaf Patients?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Matthew Dietz I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug. Modern Hippocratic Oath At least once per week, I receive a call from a Deaf person complaining that their doctor will not provide… Read More »

Disability: The Market You’re Missing Part III

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Rachel Goldstein For the last part of my series I am going to address how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to service animals and the responsibilities of businesses to allow service animals into their facilities. The ADA defines “service animal” as limited to a dog that is individually trained to do… Read More »

“High functing” people (or the insane) cannot drink hooch in Texas!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Matthew Dietz “We are more than happy to have you all with us to experance a bit of TEXAS. Unfortunately the Law in Texas does not allow us to serve alcohol drinks to high functing individuals.” Kelly @ Stampede Houston Becky Dowling runs a program in the Metro Atlanta area called “Just” People,… Read More »

A Note from Matt

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Back to School – This graphic is the symbol of accessibility at Florida State University. It reflects the importance of a free and equal education for all persons with disabilities, which is essential to ensure that there are persons with disabilities who are leaders in society, including, lawyers, doctors, teachers, politicians, and every single… Read More »

The 25th Anniversary of the ADA – Accessible Living

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Zachary Trautenberg On July 26th the Americans with Disabilities Act will be turning 25 years old. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law designed to make the United States accessible for persons with disabilities. Originally enacted in 1990 it has been updated over the 25 year period. The Americans with Disabilities Act… Read More »

Casey Martin – Disability Accommodations in Sports!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

The ADA has had an overarching impact on all aspects of life, including competitive sports. Casey Martin, a professional golfer, highlighted the true impact of the ADA in the sports world in 2001 when he won his lawsuit against the PGA tour under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The PGA Tour, the main organizer… Read More »

IT’S THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lester Langer OVER THE LAST SEVERAL editions of our newsletter we have discussed mediation. But did you know mediation is available under the ADA Mediation Program? This is an informal process but you have to request it after you file your complaint. Since its inception the program has mediated more than 4000 complaints… Read More »

A Note From Matt

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

So on a sunny day 25 years ago … President George H.W. Bush stood on the South Lawn and declared a new American Independence Day. “With today’s signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act,” he said, “every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright… Read More »

Kids Crusaders

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Julie Fioravanti Welcome to this month’s edition of Kids Crusaders as we celebrate the ADA, a law that went into effect 25 years ago on July 26, 1990. My son was born in April of 1991. While we knew from the day he was born we were going to be faced with challenges,… Read More »

Litigation: Cruise Ship Accessibility After 25 Years!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Matthew Dietz Twenty years ago, accessible cruising was an impossibility. Notwithstanding that a cruise ship – a resort at sea – was the ideal vacation with everything at one’s fingertips — for a person with a disability it was just impossible. There were no accessible rooms, no accessible bathrooms, public rooms on different… Read More »

Rotary Club of Harris County– Meeting their community’s needs

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Sharon Langer  The Rotary Club of Harris County Georgia has a 17 year history of service to their community. I was privileged to join them this month at a summer breakfast meeting and hear about a unique project they started for persons with disabilities. I am hoping that by writing about this project… Read More »