Written by Ed Carter from AbleFutures
Managing a business requires vigilance and attention to details, which can be difficult for new entrepreneurs. If you’re struggling with day-to-day business management, you’re not alone: new business owners face a steep learning curve that requires an open mind and willingness to try new things. To be successful as an entrepreneur, use this as a guide for learning how to manage finances and grow your company.
There’s nothing easy about running for public office. Among many other things, it requires significant personal sacrifice, the know-how and skills to connect with voters, and an unwavering commitment to public service. Not only does it take a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally, but it can for those closest to you as well.
And when you have a disability, chances are you will face additional challenges during your campaign. Nonetheless, that shouldn’t stop you from following your dream, and you can actually use your knack for overcoming obstacles and achieving your goals to your advantage.
So, if you’ve decided to make a run for the school board, city council, congress, or any other public office, here are a few pieces of advice to consider:
Written by Jenny Wise from Special Home Educator
Disabled individuals have a wealth of knowledge, experience, ideas and skills to impart to employers, though sometimes it can be difficult for those with disabilities to connect with the right employer or take advantage of optimal opportunities when they arise. Fortunately, there are agencies, both government and community-based, that can help position autistic and other disabled workers for fulfilling jobs that offer opportunities for success and career advancement.
For any job hunter, opening avenues to success is often a matter of talking to the right person at the right time. The more professional connections you can make in that regard, the better your chances of securing the right opportunity.
Written by Ethan B. Ellis.
Intersectionality is a fancy word for groups that are discriminated against for more than one reason, like African-American women or Muslim immigrants with disabilities. Not only are their experiences qualitatively different than the experiences of members of the dominant culture who are excluded on the basis of one ‘unacceptable’ characteristic, they are often ignored or excluded in that group’s quest for social justice.
In this essay, I argue that the great majority of people with disabilities are the victims of intersectionality, that is, two or more social injustices and will not be fully included and equal until all of those injustices are eliminated from this society.
This leads logically to the conclusion that we must be a part of every battle for social equality and justice.
Written by Ethan B. Ellis.
I just completed an online survey asking my priorities for the newly elected majority in the House of Representatives. It was pretty long.
I could have checked off women’s rights and I did.
I could have checked off LGBQ rights and I did.
I could have checked off voting rights and I did.
I could have been for health care for all, campaign finance reform, a living wage, gun control, rebuilding our infrastructure, reducing income inequality, ending war and a whole lot more and I was - and am.
But there was no place check off disability rights on that agenda.
I also got hundreds of fundraising emails before the election. They all wanted my money and many used surveys to get it. I could be for everything good and against everything bad, but I COULDN’T BE FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS, MY OWN RIGHTS!
Written by Ethan B. Ellis.
Everybody’s made up their mind by now. The only question left is how many of us will vote.
I’m 84 but I will. I just got out of the hospital this week but I will. I have cerebral palsy but I will. I use an electric wheelchair but I will. My hands no longer can mark my ballot so my 12 year-old son will mark it for me and I will.
Why?
Because I want to keep my health insurance despite my pre-existing condition, because I want to avoid a having a limit put on how much health care my insurance will pay for during my lifetime.
Because I want my wife and son to be able to pay for Social Security and get it like I have.
Because I want them to have Medicare when they retire like I do.
Because I want them to have Medicaid if they need it.
Because I want my friends with disabilities to enjoy the rights I didn’t grow up with but helped win.
Because I want my son to to live in country where everyone is equal.
Because I want him to live in a country where rich people no longer pay politicians to make them richer and make poor people poorer.
Because I want him to live in a country where everyone gets the services they need regardless of what they cost.
Because I want him to live in a world where nobody goes hungry or thirsty and everyone breaths pure air and drinks clean water and no one is displaced or dies because of climate change.
Because I want our democracy back so his vote will count at least as much as mine .
I wasn’t born. yesterday. I know I won’t get these things just by voting this year but that’s the best tool available to me - and you - right now. After the election, we’ll have time to decide what we have to do next to win back our democracy and gain full equality but right now the vote is our best weapon. Let’s use it for ourselves and all who and what we hold dear.
See you at the polls.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by this author, are the views of the author only. The views expressed in this article do not represent the views of the Alliance Center for Independence/REV UP New Jersey, its staff or board. ACI and REV UP NJ are non-partisan, not for profit 501 (c) (3) organizations, and do not endorse any candidate for political office or political view point.
Written By Patrick Young, Volunteer Blog Writer for ACI
Being a homeowner with a disability presents unique challenges. You want a living environment that supports your needs functionally, but you don’t want a home that feels institutional. Thanks to changes in the market, you can find homes that suit your mobility needs or modify an existing property for better accessibility.
