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July Policy Newsletter Recap

Events, News, Resources

What is Disability Pride Month?

  • Disability Pride Month occurs in July, in part, to celebrate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July of 1990. This month is all about recognizing the progress we have made in the United States toward equity and understanding of disability and motivating us to continue the work started by the disability advocates who pushed for the passage of the ADA.
  • This is a month for all members of the disability community to stand together as a united front. Those living with a developmental disability, those living with mental health conditions, and those impacted by chronic health; together we are powerful. We encourage you and your family to show your #DisabilityPride all year long, but in July we are reminded of just how far we have come and what we are capable of achieving as a united community.

Learning About the Disability Rights Movement

  • Learn about the history and impact of the ADA by exploring the ADA National Network’s website, take a few hours to watch the highly acclaimed film Crip Camp, or look into programs that teach about the disability rights movement like the Partners in Policymaking program.
  • If reading is your preferred way to learn, check out Manifestos for the Future of Critical Disability Studies available here or read a first-hand account of the fight for disability justice from the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement”, Judy Heumann, in her book Being Heumann available here.

How to get involved?

Each month the Disability Policy Newsletter will provide siblings with tips and ideas as a call to action for your involvement locally and nationally.

  1. A majority of housing in the United States is inaccessible and our allies in the House and Senate are trying to change that with the introduction of the VITAL Act. This bill seeks to incentivize accessible housing construction by expanding available tax credits, see a plain language, one pager from Senator Casey’s team here. This bill (S. 1377) was introduced in April and is currently with the Committee of Finance. Contact your representatives to express your support and urge them to fund accessible housing today!
  2. Make sure that if you or your loved one uses Medicaid that you stay covered! Enrollment and eligibility rules were changed during the pandemic so that people would not lose coverage. Those changes are ending and folks on Medicaid need to make sure they know what they need to do to stay covered. Learn more about how you can protect your Medicaid benefits and help us spread the word by reading this blog post from ACL. Make sure that you or your loved one are updating your contact information with your state Medicaid agency AND respond to the Medicaid renewal form when it comes in the mail. 

 

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