Placer County People First

02/03/2023

01/28/2023

Listen to the individual. They know their limits.

Pro tip: Try to understand your autistic friends’ sensory and accommodations issues, but please don’t frame that as a “Gotcha.”

01/28/2023

Marlee Matlin’s directorial debut “Ava’s Story,” the second episode of crime drama Accused, revolves around the cochlear implant debate.

01/25/2023

Sometimes the message of kindness can get a bit complicated when it comes to disability and chronic illness because our ideas of what is kind conflict.

Here are some reminders of what might seem kind to say or do to disabled people, but might not actually be that kind:
- Helping a wheelchair user to get up a hill without asking if they need help first
- Wishing a chronically ill person to "get well soon" after they explain that their condition is chronic
- Telling a disabled person they can do anything they put their mind to after they tell you they can't do something
- Offering to carry a wheelchair user up the stairs into a restaurant or shop and calling that "accessible"
- Filming yourself asking a disabled student to prom because you pity them or think they won't get a date otherwise

Intentions are important but they don't minimise impact. Regardless of the "good intentions", what is said or done still may not be kind. It's a hard balance, but if there is one bit of advice I could give to non-disabled people who want to help disabled people, it's this:
Help should be consensual.

If you want to assist a wheelchair user getting up a ramp, or a blind person crossing the road, just ask them. And then listen to the answer. They might be really grateful and accept your offer but they might also just say "no thank you". If they refuse help, do not force it upon them. This can be scary and dangerous. Dr Amy Kavanagh talks about "Just Ask, Don't Grab" and the risks of forcing "help" upon someone in public.

What advice would you give to non-disabled people who want to help disabled friends, family, colleagues or even strangers? Let me know in the comments below

Image Description: green background with cream text reading "Help Should Be Consensual" red text reading "Good Intentions Don't Always Lead to Good Impact" and an image of a doctor pushing a person in their wheelchair in muted cream, red and yellow colours.

01/25/2023

01/24/2023

01/23/2023

When state and local building codes overlap, which one takes priority? The code or standard that results in greater accessibility takes precedence! Learn more here:
https://adata.org/faq/what-building-code-should-be-applied-given-situation-when-both-local-state-code-and-2010-ada

01/23/2023

Jan. 23 is Ed Roberts Day. He is considered to be the father of the independent living movement for people with disabilities.

Image Description: Graphic with black and white photo of Ed Roberts and the quote "There are very few people, even with the most severe disabilities, who can't take control of their life. The problem is that people around us don't expect us to." -Ed Roberts

01/23/2023

Fall in LOVE and make a difference! 😍 We are looking for to become raisers for us! As a puppy raiser, you have an amazing opportunity to spend up to 18 months training and preparing a precious for their career. 🐶
➡Click here to learn more: canine.org/raise

01/23/2023

Do you have a question about how employment provisions under the Americans with Disabilities Act are enforced? You can access information about where to file a complaint about discrimination in the workplace here: https://adata.org/faq/how-are-employment-provisions-enforced

Image credit: Affect the Verb, Disabled and Here

01/23/2023

Many people with disabilities have negative, often dangerous experiences with police. Disability Rights California fights to end police contact with people with disabilities and expand community-based services that keep people safe.

In this resource, you’ll learn how to assert your legal rights when interacting with police like asking for reasonable accommodations, your rights if you encounter police at school, and your rights if someone calls the police on you.

While knowing your rights may help, you have the best judgement about what will keep you safe.

Find this resource here: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/publications/your-rights-people-with-disabilities-and-law-enforcement

This resource is available in multiple languages! Simply select your preferred language at the bottom of your screen (if you are on a mobile device) or on the right side of your screen (if you are on a desktop computer).

01/23/2023

Cyberbullying Prevention 101 Quick Guides - a new resource from PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC)!

These "quick guides" are a 3-part series with audience-relevant content for elementary, middle and high school students, and adults. The guides outline how cyberbullying is defined and provide information on how to prevent and address the behavior. Free to share and download! Visit http://ow.ly/cvSg50MwfKq

01/22/2023

In October 2022, the journal Health Affairs published a themed issue on disability and health. In one article, authors Friebel and Maynou discuss a study addressing dangers of hospitalization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In the study, records were examined of ho...

01/22/2023

There are many therapies for autism, along with a significant amount of funding for research, development, and implementation of these therapies. However, it often remains unclear whether these therapies actually help autistic people. Autistic people rarely have a voice in creating and shaping these...

01/22/2023

01/21/2023

One of the biggest names in video gaming is working to make its offering more accessible to people with disabilities.