Ableism

In previous columns, I’ve shared that I’m a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, but what exactly does that entail? Almost every time I tell someone I’m pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology, I’m met with the question, “What do you do?” Let’s unpack the answer.

Have you ever heard of an ABLE savings account? I hadn’t until a couple weeks ago. The acronym stands for the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2014. It created special savings accounts that allow disabled Americans, including people with…

Life is composed of little awakenings. These epiphanies broaden our horizons. Each invites us to become better versions of ourselves. And while not always welcome, most are necessary for growth. I recently flew across the country to the corporate office of Bionews, the company I work for that…

Even in my able-bodied days, I was hardly Channing Tatum — who is? Model, actor, dancer, singer, and he even has the audacity to be funny. There might not be any real comic book heroes in the world, but he is possibly the closest to an X-Man we’ve got.

Dozens of films have focused on those with diseases or disabilities — and there’s no shortage of Hollywood productions about love and sex. But only a handful have ever really tried to combine these two themes. “Take a Look at This Heart” does the job with tenderness and finesse.

The casual remark, “You seem perfectly fine to me!” bothers me (and others) because eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits requires proving we are not fine. In fact, we must prove that we are disabled, which is no small burden when we “seem perfectly fine.” ‘Looking’ disabled An acquaintance of mine…

The ABLE Act improvement bills were reintroduced into Congress this week and referred to committee on April 4. The bills died in committee in 2016 before an active campaign could garner enough attention in that election year. I urge all readers in the U.S. to call your representatives and senators to encourage them to…

When the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, there seemingly were as many opponents as there were proponents. All these years later, the standards and expectations of that landmark legislation have become second-nature in mainstream America. Concerns about costs and consequences were…

There are very few days left this year. But in order for the amendments to the ABLE Act not to die in committee, they need to be brought to the floor for a vote. (If you need a refresher on the ABLE Act and pending amendments, I wrote about them in…

The National Disability Institute manages the website www.ablenrc.org that has good information. I watched all the “webinars” and found them informative. A new one is going to be broadcast Nov. 15, 1:00-2:30 CST  (event number 660 742 928),  and likely will be archived with the rest of the webinars…