Posts Tagged ‘disability rights’

Celebrating the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Journey of Progress

People with disabilities represent a significant portion of the U.S. population and constitute the largest minority group in the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 26 percent of adults in the United States live with a disability. American Indians, Alaska...

When Internalized Ableism and Stigma Intersect

In February of 2020, I received a letter from the government that I had been approved for disability payments. According to their records, I had been disabled with incapacitating, treatment-resistant depression since November of 2017. The Social Security Administration’s definition of disability...

What Do Age and Disability Mean in Our Culture

People with disabilities come in all ages, and almost all of us encounter some change in physical or mental capacity as we grow old. Yet, we act as though old people never become disabled and disabled people never grow old. Academics and policymakers approach disability and aging as separate...

The NYSPA Report: Recovery and the Federal Fair Housing Act

This issue of Behavioral Health News focuses on “the vital role of housing in the recovery process.” We know that stable housing is important to individuals seeking treatment and that recovery is possible when a person’s basic need for safety and housing are met. Having somewhere safe and...

Policy and Practice: A Discouraging Disconnect

As soon as I learned the summer edition of Behavioral Health News would address our efforts to meet the needs of vulnerable populations, I experienced a rather sudden and dispiriting thought. In so many ways we have failed to satisfactorily address the needs of our most vulnerable citizens despite...