Stephen Hawking (01/08/1942 – 03/14/2018) was a brilliant theoretical physicist who revolutionized our understanding of time and space. He also shifted societal perceptions of people with disabilities and used his fame to advocate for disability rights. Hawking and Our Understanding of Disability At the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease […]
Airline Crackdowns on Emotional Support Animals Incite Controversy
Airline regulations on service and emotional support animals have historically been pretty flexible. This helps the people who truly need these animals to avoid cumbersome paperwork and be able to travel more spontaneously. However, the lack of bureaucratic oversight has also allowed many people to claim that their untrained pets are in fact ESAs (or […]
NPR Uncovers “Hidden Epidemic” of Sexual Assaults on People with Intellectual Disabilities
For their new series “Abused and Betrayed,” which addresses sexual abuse and violence against people with intellectual disabilities, NPR obtained previously unpublished data from the Justice Department. They found that the rate of sexual assault on people with intellectual disabilities is at least seven times the rate for people without disabilities. Among women with intellectual […]
Finding Accessible Vacation Destinations and Activities
Many popular travel guidebooks and websites fail to provide details on whether certain destinations or activities are accessible to people with disabilities. To help you plan a vacation that your entire family will be able to enjoy regardless of their specific needs, check out these online resources: Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel This pdf is available […]
2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Five Online Stores That Support People With Disabilities
With the holiday season fast approaching, you may be thinking about purchasing gifts from stores that employ people with disabilities. Here are a few options of businesses and organizations that do so, and which sell unique products sure to delight your friends and family! Better yet, they all have online stores, so you can shop […]