By Linton Weeks

On July 4, America will celebrate 239 years of independence.

Later in the month, our country will mark another historic moment: the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law passed on July 26, 1990, that guarantees certain rights — and increased independence — to our compatriots with physical and intellectual disabilities.

In this era of ramps and lifts and other hallmarks of accessible design, it's sometimes hard to remember that not too long ago inaccessibility was the norm. And barriers abounded.

"At the time of the late 1980s, too many people with disabilities were out of sight and out of the minds of the general public," says Katy Neas of Easter Seals, a century-old, Chicago-based nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities.

As an outspoken advocate for the ADA, Easter Seals created a series of powerful posters that illustrated the dilemmas — and desires — of disabled Americans and helped the country understand the reasons for, and responsibilities resulting from, the anti-discrimination legislation.

Via the visuals, Neas says, "Easter Seals was working to reposition what it meant to be a person with a disability — what was possible, what was necessary, what barriers existed."...

Get the full story at NPR.

http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/06/19/415436391/independence-day-for-americans-with-disabilities

'I love being here,' says staff member of restaurant where majority are handicapped

It was another busy night for the staff with Down syndrome at the Girasoli restaurant in Rome, which serves up traditional pizza and pasta dishes along with a new way of looking at disability in the workplace.

The neon-signed restaurant was set up in a suburb southeast of the Italian capital by the parents of children with disabilities, and it functions just like any other eatery -- except 13 of its 18 employees are handicapped.

"I love this room, monitoring it, making myself available, being in contact with people," said Simone, a 24-year-old who after a paid internship of 600 hours now has a permanent contract with Girasoli (Sunflowers).

Read the full article at i24 News

Disability Horizons contributor Nichola Daunton talks to James King, owner of Oliver James Garden Rooms and winner of the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs 2013, about building a business around his disability.

Please could you tell Disability Horizons’ readers a bit about yourself and your business?

I’m a 47 year old father of three, living in Milton Keynes and I’ve been registered as blind since 1998. After leaving school, I started working on a building site as a bricklayer while also studying for my City and Guilds Bricklaying qualifications.

I realised quite early on that my main strength lay in organising other people rather than the physical art of bricklaying itself. So I started managing a team of builders and built several businesses up from there.

My Eureka moment regarding my business came on a winter’s day, when I was working at home. I thought I’d sit in our conservatory and do the paperwork. I opened the doors, walked across the cold floor and turned on the portable heaters. I went back a while later and it was still cold, so I turned on another heater and turned up the radiator.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans with intellectual or developmental disabilities remain shut out of the workforce, despite changing attitudes and billions spent on government programs to help them. Even when they find work, it's often part time, in a dead-end job or for pay well below the minimum wage.

Employment is seen as crucial for improving the quality of life for people with these disabilities and considered a benchmark for measuring the success of special education programs. Yet the jobs picture is as bleak now it was more than a decade ago.

Only 44 percent of intellectually disabled adults are currently in the labor force, either employed or looking for work, while just 34 percent are actually working, according to a survey by Special Olympics and conducted by Gallup and the University of Massachusetts at Boston. That compares with 83 percent of nondisabled, working-age adults who are in the workforce.

"The needle has not changed in more than four decades," said Gary Siperstein, professor at the University of Massachusetts and one of the authors of the study. "We just can't move the barometer. And we've invested a lot of resources with lots of good programs around the country."

Read the full article at Big Story 

(http://bigstory.ap.org/article/intellectually-disabled-struggling-find-work)

Canada’s disabled citizens face ongoing challenges to their well-being, including barriers to language and communication, learning and training, and safety and security, says a new report.

Four years after the federal government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Canada released its first report on Tuesday into how disabled Canadians are faring under that convention.

The 61-page document, prepared by federal, provincial and territorial governments, notes that poverty rates among persons with disabilities in Canada remains a challenge, as does ensuring more disabled Canadians find work.

It provides few specifics, however, on other challenges, and instead offers up a laundry list of various federal and provincial programs and initiatives aimed at helping Canada’s disabled citizens participate in everything from organized sports to post-secondary education and the justice system.

Read the full article at the Globe And Mail 

(http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/disabled-canadians-still-face-staggering-barriers-to-success-report-warns/article16944376/)

Despite the difficult economic climate, it's good to know the Europe 2020 future growth strategy, developed by EU membersa, reflects this perspective.

EU2020 is focused on "smart, sustainable and inclusive growth", that is interlinked. Furthermore, the European Commission recently launched a new, three-year strategy for CSR which stresses that, to fully meet their objectives in this area, enterprises should integrate social, environmental, ethical, human rights and consumer concerns into their business operations.

Read more at the Guardian 

(http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/disabled-workers-european-disability-strategy)

By Stuart Burns, 8th October 2013

Shortly after being told I have Asperger's syndrome, I stood in front of 30-odd people, my work colleagues, telling them I have Asperger’s and what it means to them and to me. Some were like: "Meh, whatever!", some were busy looking their watches: "Is it lunchtime yet?" I could feel my job slowly ebbing away.

It was like crashing your car, in slow motion. You can see it coming but it takes its own sweet time. It wasn't my idea to make the disclosure, I hated doing it, and I really don't know what HR were thinking. (Does anyone, ever?)

My diagnosis had come about via a very non-standard route. During a course I attended I scored off the chart on a personality test in certain traits. At the end of the class and the teacher and I got talking. There were lots of questions along the lines of "Do I do this? Do I do that?"

Then she dropped the bomb. "I only do this as a stand-in for when the lecturer is not available. My day job is working with people who have ASD and I think you may have it."

On further questioning, as to her validity to make that call, it turned out she is one of the UK’s few specialists in the field of diagnosis. Fast-forward two months and I had more offers of help than I knew what to do with.

via the Register 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/08/managing_aspergers_techies/

As of August of this year, the unemployment rate of disabled people was twice that of nondisabled people (14% to 7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics). Senator Tom Harkin, a champion for his disabled constituents, wants to change that with an initiative to increase the representation of young disabled people in the workplace, mirroring a push on the part of the federal government to equalize hiring practices. Is he going to be successful, and what might stand in his way?

One of the first problems he’ll need to overcome is the idea that being disabled means you can’t work or don’t want to work, a common misconception. When most people think of “disability,” they imagine an impairment that prohibits someone from engaging in activities of daily life, barring that person from the workplace; in fact, people may file for disability benefits or “go on disability” when they’re injured at work, underscoring the idea that disability means you can’t work.

Brandon Arthur | July 10, 2013

What makes up a successful career as a sign language Interpreter? Logically, it depends on who is asked. Regardless of what is ultimately determined to be the magic ingredients, those interpreters who are the most successful and satisfied in their work are those who consistently seek out opportunities to grow as a professional.

While this growth may seem like it is only possible over time, and time being an important part, I believe there are steps one can take to establish a foundation for success.

Below you will find 5 simple steps that will add an important level of polish to your career.

Commit to accepting pro bono assignments. Notice I didn’t say volunteer? This commitment consciously moves us past the concerns for payment and terms and reconnects us with the fundamental reason we signed up to do this work—supporting people.

There is a tremendous satisfaction in knowing your work as a sign language interpreter has made a difference. Probono work will rewarm the goo inside, which will do wonders for your perspective on the work and your role in it.

Pro bono grants perspective.