The monthly DISABILITY RIGHTS e-publication of Disability Network Southwest Michigan
January 2020
"Disability is a Strength. Our number one issue is still old attitudes toward us, and those old attitudes see us as helpless and unable and disability can make you very strong and very able." -- Ed Roberts
Ed Roberts Day is January 23
Roberts is often referred to as "the father of the Independent Living Movement" because of his persistent and successful advocacy work for disability rights beginning in the 1960s. Follow this link to read more about
Ed Roberts.
Celebrating with "Defiant Lives"
Disability Network Southwest Michigan is celebrating Ed Roberts Day in both our
Kalamazoo (1/22) and
St. Joseph (1/23) offices by kicking off our winter movie series with the film
Defiant Lives. Defiant Lives traces the origins of the world-wide disability rights movement. This film tells the stories of the individuals who bravely put their lives on the line to create a better world where everyone is valued and can participate in society. Join us for the celebration! Follow this link for details about our
winter movie series.
Kalamazoo Valley Museum to Host a Disability Rights Presentation to Kick Off A New Exhibit
On February 9 the Kalamazoo Valley Museum will be opening a new exhibit focused on the history of the disability rights movement in the United States. To kick off the exhibit, they have scheduled an educational event titled Civil Rights for People with Disabilities as part of their "Sunday Series." Disability Network Southwest Michigan will provide an insightful look at the history of activism by people with disabilities and allies to secure the civil rights guaranteed to all Americans.
2020: The Time Has Come for the Disability Community
2020 is the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The disability community may be feeling like we should have made more progress by now. In
this article, Imani outlines some basic concepts they feel everyone should be aware of at this point which will help disability rights move forward.
2020 Census Is Coming!
Every ten years a census is taken throughout the United States to count how many people there are and where they are living. It's important that EVERYONE is counted because the more people who are counted, the more funding Michigan and our communities receive for the services we use.
Disability Network is helping the Census Bureau to get the word out. Follow this link to learn more about the 2020 Census and stay tuned for more information over the next few months.
Do's & Don'ts: Assistance Animals
There is a lot of confusion about what qualifies as a service animal and how they differ from emotional support animals. There are specific laws regarding what type of assistance animals are allowed in different places and whether an establishment can deny access to an assistance animal. Join us to learn more!
This is one of our most popular workshops and is being offered in Kalamazoo (1/29) and St. Joseph (1/30). Follow this link for all the details of our Assistance Animals workshop to register.
You can help support the Disability Rights Movement in Southwest Michigan with a tax-deductible donation to Disability Network.
Visit our website to donate on-line.
