Archive for August 2022
Day 21: Resources
Thank you for participating in the 21-Day Disability Equity Challenge. We hope that the information presented over the past month has helped you to see disability through a lens of equity and pride. We know that this has been a lot of information, and perhaps much of it has introduced a new way of thinking…
Read MoreDay 20: Allyship
In every social justice movement, there are three groups of people: Those who are impacted by the injustice, those who perpetuate the injustice, and allies. An ally is a member of a dominant group, not impacted by injustice, who believes that eliminating oppression benefits everyone. An ally uses their privilege and spheres of influence to…
Read MoreDay 19: Disability Pride
Disability Pride is a philosophy which raises awareness that people with disabilities are/can be proud of their disability identity. Disability Pride focuses on the social model of disability; celebrating disability as a natural part of life rather than something negative or remorseful as society commonly depicts it. July is designated as Disability Pride Month because…
Read MoreDay 18: Healthcare Inequality
People with disabilities face disadvantages to accessing the healthcare system compared with people without disabilities due to social and environmental inequalities such as lower educational levels, lower incomes, and higher unemployment. An inability to navigate the medical labyrinth of services, whether physically or programmatically, creates significant barriers. This may result from any number of situations,…
Read MoreDay 17: Housing Inequality
Housing insecurity is an issue that disproportionately impacts people from various marginalized groups, of which disability is one. One cannot discuss housing insecurity without bringing disability into the conversation. The terms “unhoused” and “houselessness” were recently adopted and preferred by individuals who are coping with housing insecurity. Proponents of the updated term say that houselessness…
Read MoreDay 16: Law Enforcement & the Justice System
In the 1970s, the Independent Living Movement worked to get people with disabilities out of institutions and living in their communities. In the 1980s and 1990s, criminal reform laws were passed that ultimately forced many people with disabilities back into institutions, this time jails and prisons, through the criminal justice system. Despite being no more…
Read MoreDay 15: Education Inequality
People with disabilities deal with varying levels of stigma, marginalization and low expectations in all parts of their lives; education is no different. Nationally, only 65 percent of students with disabilities graduate from high school compared to 86 percent of students without disabilities. Only seven percent of students with disabilities graduate from college. There are…
Read MoreDay 14: Alternatives to Guardianship
Guardianship is the legal process by which an individual assumes the role of decision maker for an adult with a disability. Guardianship is a powerful tool that has the potential to significantly restrict a person’s rights; for that reason, alternatives should be explored and implemented before jumping into guardianship. Families who have a child with…
Read MoreDay 13: Marriage Inequality
Many people may think that marriage inequality no longer exists in the United States since the Supreme Court ruled bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional in 2015; however, another form of marriage inequality remains in this country. People with disabilities often depend on federal benefits, such as Social Security income, Medicare, or Medicaid, to survive. These…
Read MoreUW/Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants Bring $300K to 60 Businesses
A third round of grants totaling $300,000 is lifting 60 Kalamazoo microbusinesses and bringing economic benefits directly to 17 neighborhoods. United Way of South Central Michigan (UWSCMI), the City of Kalamazoo and the Foundation for Excellence (FFE) announced the third round of Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the unique…
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