Stop complaining…organize! The American with Disabilities Act is 35 years old! We need to celebrate it and be prepare to defend it. As opinions about equal access shift, as programs and services for people with disabilities continue to erode, is the ADA relevant today? What do access, equity, inclusion, and diversity mean in the context of the ADA? These words should not be controversial. Ask yourself, can a person who is blind get a job if they need JAWS to read text? Can a person using a wheelchair get onto a bus? Can a person who is Deaf order a pizza using the video relay service? What about accessible bathrooms when I go shopping? And getting a quieter place to deal with my anxiety disorder should be a given accommodation. These are all examples of what the ADA covers. It boils down to providing access and equity to people with disabilities so that they can be included, and become participants in diverse communities.
It details the appalling conditions at several immigration detention centers in the United States, including disturbing overcrowding, unsanitary practices, and extremely cruel treatment. Even more critically, the report exposes an almost complete absence of medical care for those imprisoned. It mentions several people with ongoing health concerns who were denied their medications, and many others who developed severe conditions and remained untreated. Some of the incarcerated died due to inhumane treatment.
Reading the news can be stressful, and these days it’s coming faster and hitting harder. We often want to share stories about things we care about, but it’s important to be careful when reading the news. There are a lot of “bad actors,” on the internet (and in print), who are trying to manipulate you to share their story, or adopt their views. The best way to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed and/or sharing false news, is to be vigilant and act defensively. Here’s a guide to reading critically, and understanding peoples’ motives in creating online news.
The official title of the Reconciliation Bill at the top of today’s news is “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” However, there are few to no beautiful things in this bill. It contains historic cuts to social safety nets, all to benefit the rich. The bill is long, complex, and difficult to read and understand. I’ll cover some of the major concerns I have with this bill, but they’re far from my only concerns.
When this document crossed my desk, I immediately thought it would be wise to bring a copy to our receptionists, who requested I go through it with them. I was more than happy to do so, and amazingly this quickly snowballed into doing several trainings for staff at multiple locations.
The Department of Energy has released a new rule, “Rescinding New Construction Requirements Related to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities.” This new rule is open to public comment until June 16th, at https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOE-HQ-2025-0015-0001 This new rule states that § 1040.73 New construction is unnecessary due to the presence of § 1040.71 Discrimination prohibited. The new rule considers § 1040.73 to be “unnecessary and unduly burdensome.” Let’s take a look at both sections.
