Disability Digest
The monthly Disability Rights e-publication of Disability Network Southwest Michigan.
May 2021
Early Win for Disability Rights Advocates at Paralympics
There is plenty of political controversy about the Olympics being held in Tokyo later this year. A lesser-known controversy exists around the Paralympic Games. Disability rights activists were outraged when the city of Sagamihara, Japan announced that a Paralympic torch-lighting ceremony would be held at the residential facility where, just five years ago, 19 people with disabilities were brutally murdered and another 26 injured. The protests from activists, including the families of those killed, was so strong the city has rescinded their plans. 

Follow this link to read about the change in plans for the Paralympic flame
Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 logo
The Pros & Cons of Virtual Learning for Students with Disabilities
As COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out and more and more people are talking about returning to "normal," many students with disabilities are wondering if the virtual learning environment will remain an option. Platforms like Zoom and Google Meet along with the option for asynchronous learning provided a quick fix during the pandemic, but for many students with disabilities, it provided the accommodations they had been requesting for a long time; others contend that there is no replacement for in-person learning and that students with disabilities have lost valuable classroom time that can’t be replace.
 
Follow this link to read or listen to this article about the pros and cons of virtual learning.
woman using laptop in classroom
Stimulus Funds Earmarked For Disability Services Remain In Limbo
Nearly two months after federal lawmakers approved billions in extra spending on disability services, advocates say the money is going unspent because states don’t know how it can be used. The law included $12.67 billion for Medicaid home and community-based services, yet states remain reluctant to start using the money without guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Follow this link to read more about the hold up on stimulus funds for disability services.
young man in wheelchair on porch wearing face mask
Ableism Training Series Offered in June
In June, we are offering both Ableism 101 and Ableism 102 as online, interactive webinars. In its simplest form, ableism is the belief system that tells us it is better to be non-disabled than it is to be disabled. Ableism also examines disability discrimination on a systemic level by looking at the ways our society designs physically and socially segregated systems. Follow this link to sign up for one or both sessions.
Disability Network Southwest Michigan
Kalamazoo Office
517 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269) 345-1516

St. Joseph Office
2900 Lakeview Avenue, St. Joseph, MI 49085
(269) 985-0111

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