American Association of People with Disabilities

Are you an emerging leader with a disability who is passionate about improving the lives of people with disabilities? If so, we invite you to apply for AAPD's 2025 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award! The application is open now and closes on October 15! This award recognizes exceptional individuals and groups who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader cross-disability community. We're looking people who are making a positive impact for all people with disabilities. As an award recipient, you'll receive: - $2,500 in recognition of your contributions to your field - $7,500 to support a project increasing opportunities for people with disabilities Ready to make a difference? Apply by October 15, 2024: https://lnkd.in/escrYfui #AAPD #DisabilityRights #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityAdvocate #DisabilityInclusion #Spoonie #AAPD #YoungProfessional #FutureLeader #Leadership #LeadershipOpportunity #DisabledLeader 

Today in #DisabilityHistory: On this day in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicaid and Medicare into law. Within the first 3 years, more than 20 million Americans became insured through these life-saving programs. President Johnson signed these programs into law with President Harry Truman at his side, and during his remarks shared a quote said by President Truman in 1945: "Millions of our citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and to enjoy good health. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. And the time has now arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and to help them get that protection." While Medicaid and Medicare have undeniably saved and improved the lives of countless people with disabilities and chronic conditions, sadly, Truman's quote is still true for far too many disabled people today in 2024. Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty, and the top cause of bankruptcy in the United States is medical expenses. Our nation's leaders must ensure every American has the economic protection and dignity provided by access to affordable healthcare. Expansion of these programs, as well as funding Home-and Community-Based Services are critical actions. It's time to #DemolishDisabledPoverty once and for all. #DisabilityPrideMonth #PrideInAction #DisabilityRights #Medicaid #Medicare

34 years ago today, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) was signed into law. The ADA recognizes that excluding and segregating people with disabilities is discrimination, and that we deserve access to every part of public life and our communities. Disability rights activists were instrumental in drafting and advocating for the ADA’s passage. In 1995, five of those leaders — advocates Justin Dart (pictured in the second image at the signing of the ADA), Dr. Sylvia Walker, Paul G. Hearne, John D. Kemp and I. King Jordan — also came together as AAPD co-founders to build an organization that could help implement the ADA and ensure community involvement in that implementation. The ADA is the floor, not the ceiling — 34 years later, being compliant with the ADA is the minimum, and meaningful inclusion and accommodation goes well beyond what is in the ADA. At the same time, the ADA provides a solid foundation to expand upon with new laws and regulations, and the ADA's impact has been transformative for Americans with disabilities. (Not to mention that our community worked extremely hard to pass the ADA!) Today, AAPD continues to work to advance the goals of the ADA, and to expand upon it to build the accessible, inclusive future our community deserves. We’re proud of what we have accomplished since 1995 — and honored to work alongside our community. #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #PrideInAction #AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct

On March 12, 1990, over 1,000 people marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol to demand that Congress pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. When they got there, about 60 of them cast aside their wheelchairs and other mobility aids and crawled up the Capitol steps. The “Capitol Crawl,” as it’s known, was a physical demonstration of how inaccessible architecture impacts people with disabilities. It also highlighted the urgency behind the need to pass the ADA. 34 years later, we continue to call for #DisabilityRights — nothing about us without us. Tonight from 5:30pm - 7:30pm, AAPD is hosting an ADA Celebration in Washington, DC, where will have a panel to learn from activists of color who participated in the Capitol Crawl. It's not too late to sign up to watch this event virtually, and we hope you'll join us! Get your free ticket to tune in virtually here: https://lnkd.in/ee77fb8E Image Description in Alt Text and in comments #DisabilityPride #DisabilityHistory #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs 

Disability Pride means demanding better for ourselves and our community. That's why all month long, we're inviting the community to join AAPD to show our #PrideInAction. Today, we're asking you to join us in telling the U.S. Senate to ensure fair wages for disabled workers. The #DisabilityCommunity and our allies need to contact Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP Committee) to tell them you want them to include the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA) in the big labor legislative package they're negotiating right now. Passing TCIEA is necessary to #EndSubminimumWage! And until we end subminimum wage together, it will remain legal to pay disabled employees pennies on the dollar for the same work as non-disabled workers. This campaign will have you send letters to the committee members in one easy click, then make a phone call using our script. We especially need advocates who are from the states of the Senators on the committee: Kansas, Alaska, Kentucky, Maine, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Alabama, Washington, Indiana, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Utah, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Virginia. Get started and take action now: https://lnkd.in/gYGzKbtR

AAPD could not be more excited to share the highlight of this year’s ADA anniversary celebration: a panel centering the stories of disabled advocates of color who participated in the Capitol Crawl and who have continued to fight to advance disability rights and justice since the passage of the ADA. The Capitol Crawl was a transformative action by disabled people to demand the ADA in March of 1990, and created public pressure for the ADA's passage. We hope you'll join us to learn from Anita Cameron, Maria R. Palacios, and Kate Gainer in a conversation moderated by Rahnee Patrick. This event does sell out, so make sure to RSVP and get your ticket today: https://lnkd.in/ee77fb8E Join us in-person or virtually: In-person: Join us at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, DC (1330 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024). ASL & CART will be provided, and a fragrance-free environment is ensured. Masks are required except for when eating or drinking and photogtsphic proof of a negative COVID test is required for entry. We will have masks and tests available at registration Virtual: Stream the event live from anywhere in the world! Enjoy ASL, CART, and an audio-described event link. Image Description in Alt Text and in comments. #ADA #ADA34 #ThanksToTheADA #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #PrideInAction #AAPD

In April we gathered virtually with the disability community and our allies at AAPD's National Community Event. If you missed it, or just want to revisit the amazing panel of grassroots REV UP voting access activists, the conversation between our President & CEO Maria Town and the Department of Labor's Acting Secretary Julie Su, or the performances by the cast of Broadway musical How To Dance In Ohio, you can now watch the entire National Community Event on Youtube here: https://lnkd.in/eqUzt6wn A huge thank you to our sponsors Wells Fargo for making April's National Community Event possible, and especially to Chief Accessibility Officer Andrew Holbrook for joining us at the event! Wells Fargo is also the presenting sponsor for our upcoming ADA Celebration, which will be a meaningful time to connect with community, celebrate disability advocacy and culture, and create disabled joy. The National Community event does sell out, so if you haven't yet, make sure you get your ticket to join us in-person or virtually at: https://lnkd.in/ee77fb8E ASL, CART, and audio-description will be provided. Our COVID safety protocol and other access information can be found on the ticket page. We hope to see you there! 

In 1988, thousands of Gallaudet University students made it clear that there is #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs. Their advocacy and organizing (known as Deaf President Now) led to the appointment of AAPD Co-founder I. King Jordan as the university’s first Deaf President. When a new university president was selected by Gallaudet’d Board of Trustees Gallaudet, the Deaf student body felt rightfully angry that a hearing candidate had once again been selected over Deaf candidates. The student body mobilized demonstrations and gave interviews to the press, putting pressure on the Board to meet the students’ demands, including the appointment of a Deaf university president. Deaf President Now has become synonymous with self-direction, transformative disability activism, and the power of community-led decisions. In Jordan’s words: “Inclusion is not about token gestures; it's about creating a culture of acceptance and respect.” #DisabilityPride #DisabilityHistory #DisabilityPrideMonth #DeafPresidentNow #DisabilityPower #DisabilityCommunity

Disabled workers deserve fair wages, and the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA) has the power to make that a reality. Under Section14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are allowed to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage and segregate disabled workers. TCIEA would phase out this practice over five years, giving employers time to develop supportive services for their disabled employees. It would also ensure that no employers can pay disabled workers less than minimum wage in the future. Right now, the TCIEA is under consideration by Congress, and we expect them to vote this month! You have the power to tell your reps in Congress that you want to see them #EndSubminimumWage, and that you support TCIEA. Visit EndSubminimumWage.com to take action and get involved.

International News Alert 🚨 The BBC reports that Australia has a policy of denying visas to those with disabilities or serious medical conditions deemed too costly for the healthcare system. The BBC reports a policy that clashes with Australia's welcoming image. While over a third of its population is foreign-born, Australia denies visas to immigrants with disabilities or high medical costs exceeding $57,000 AUD over 10 years. "We still treat people with disability in the same way as we did in 1901 and we think they're not people who are welcome in Australia.” - Jan Gothard, Immigration Lawyer We believe everyone deserves a chance to live, work, and thrive in a welcoming environment. Read the article in full: https://lnkd.in/g97dXe6T #DisabilityRights #Inclusion #HumanRights