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Showing posts with label disability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disability. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Enabling Acts: The Hidden Story of How the Americans with Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights




I had read about the demonstration on the subway stairs in Newyork prior to ADA in 'Million Years with you': A Memoir of Life Observed' by elizabeth Marshall (great author), in which her daughter contributed towards ADAPT (Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transport). At Tovrea Castle, one of the floors was closed because it couldnt be made accessible. Thats when I realised the ADA provisions. So its history hooked me right from the cover.
As a foreign national, this book is a great way to learn how things come about in law in America. For example, the relay service adding to the phone surcharge bill, number of employees of a small business being changed to 50, so really small businesses dont go out of business trying to retrofit to ADA requirements.
I have lots of notes from the reading to refer to various acts example Decoder Circuitry Act.
The book's main premise is that its not just the activists with the demonstration that got about the ADA to happen, but the politicians and the staffers too had a great role. The book goes into great detail about people, their characteristics, background, their views towards disability, change of mind of those who were not ready for ADA, organizations that melded together for the final act.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

To Dads



While reading about author's plane ride with his son, I was reminded of a time in the line at the airport security check. A quiet teenager had a comfort toy with her and a Dad. Reading all the stories and poems, I was reminded of all the books I read so far on disabilities - parents rejoicing when their disabled kids can do something thought impossible until then, parents finding them in their children's shoes and understanding their own disabilities, how some health conditions bar a normal life, parents inspired by their kids.
This collection too has stories from father's POV, appreciation of present fathers.
The Prosthetics Fitting Suite poem by Sam Smith poem captures a moment in life, when we come to realisations of huge consequence.
The most popular book about a disabled person is that of Hellen Keller. While there is a mystery element of how is a broken communication channel made up for, I have always read stories about how people overcome their disability and do wonderful feats like Erik Weihenmayer climbing Everest and later helping a team of blind children from Nepal do similar things. Parents and caregivers take upon systems to give their child the best care possible. Debunking the mom as primary caregiver of a disabled child, this book appreciated the Dads.