The Voiceless Minority

What does it mean to experience intimacy? Are disabled people even capable of it? These are good questions, and hopefully this post will provide some answers.  There are several types of intimacy one can engage in during a relationship. However, intimacy is generally defined as “a feeling of close connection and deep understanding between two people” (Dictionary.com). For the purposes of this post, we will discuss the following areas of intimacy. Emotional, Physical, Sexual, Intellectual, Spiritual, Social. Seeing that I’m no expert in psychology, having taken only enough psychology classes to earn a minor in College, I will rely heavily on other resources for this piece.  The idea for this piece came about after reading an article in Rolling Inspiration magazine. It talked about how to maintain boundaries and intimacy after someone becomes disabled due to a spinal cord injury. The article, which I will link at the bottom of this piece, prompted me to think about my family’s ...

One aspect of traveling that has not always been disability-friendly is flying. In an article I wrote for this blog earlier this year, I highlighted a prototype of a wheelchair accessible seat on a plane. That post discussed what the future may hold for travel. Today's post will discuss how I envision us reaching our goal and the steps we can take to accelerate our progress. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to travel, but planes are not usually accessible to me. People with disabilities often struggle to navigate the aisle, as I noted in my previous article. We have been permanently grounded up until this point in history. However, one airline may be forced to help us spread our proverbial wings. Late last year, an article written by Michelle Diament for Disability Scoop shed light on the U.S. Department of Transportation finally stepping up and holding airlines accountable for their treatment of people with disabilities. The article, which I will link to at the bottom of this...

  Happy, wonderful Wednesday, everyone. We hope you have enjoyed our recent articles. We would like to thank Samantha Lebron for her honest and raw piece from yesterday about her struggle with Hyperacusis. Your willingness to be so vulnerable is refreshing. We look forward to pieces from you in the near future. Today, we return to the frequent topic of politics. Late last week, the Trump administration removed a rule put in place by the Biden administration that would have ended the practice of paying some people with disabilities subminimum wages. Specifically, the rule would have put an end to sheltered workshops and C-14 certificates. What is a C-14 certificate? Essentially, it allows businesses that obtain one to pay people with disabilities significantly less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Indeed, sometimes workers in these establishments are paid between One to two dollars per hour. For several years now, there have been those in the disability community who...

It is the Fourth of July, the weather is nice with no rain in sight, and the sun has set a few hours prior. You are with friends and family at a local outdoor location to enjoy some fireworks. Before you know it, the sky is lit up with beautiful colors. Then you glance to the side and notice a young child sitting on the ground with their hands covering their ears. You do not think much of it. You figure the fireworks are too loud for them to handle, but what if this were a full-grown adult? Would you think differently? In the above scenario, I would be the full-grown adult covering my ears because I have a hearing disorder called hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is a rare hearing disorder that makes everyday sounds seem unbearably loud, painful, or frightening. The brain perceives sounds as loud regardless of their frequency, whether low or high. For as long as I can remember, sounds have always dictated how I go about my day. I was not diagnosed with hyperacusis until I was 25.  Before my...

Another week is beginning here at The Voiceless Minority. We hope you had a restful, enjoyable weekend. Now it’s back to the advocacy grindstone. Near the end of last week, we focused on several topics, including AI chatbots and their potential to assist people with autism. We also focused on an initiative put together by Wells Fargo Bank to change the way corporate America thinks about disability. Today, our focus is on something a little different. Last October, Disability Scoop shared an article that was first published in the Portland Press Herald. The article explored the notion that individuals under guardianship frequently lack access to legal counsel. The article defined guardianship for a person with a disability as the legal process that gives someone authority to make decisions for another person, often someone who has an intellectual or developmental disability. In most cases, it’s a parent seeking guardianship of a child once they reach adulthood, but there are many instan...

    Last October, Disability Scoop published an article in observance of Disability Employment Awareness Month, which takes place every October. The article focused on a new partnership between Wells Fargo Bank and the University of Connecticut. The program aims to increase training in corporate America and help employers better accommodate their neurodivergent employees. According to the article, there is a large portion of neurodivergent people in America who are either unemployed or underemployed. Indeed, Judy Reilly, the executive director of UConn's center for neurodiversity, said the partnership with Wells Fargo shows promise and is the first of its kind to focus specifically on neurodiversity. The article is brief, but I have attached it at the bottom of this post for those who are interested in reading the full version. However, it got me thinking. If a partnership like the one between Wells Fargo and UConn is possible for corporate America, isn't it time that si...

  In September 2024, GemmoAI and the University of Limmerick launched the MoveMuse chatbot—a tool designed to help adults with Autism become more physically active. Through the application, it utilizes a method called “WOOP” - Wish (what you want to do), Outcome (how you’ll feel), Obstacle (what might stop you), and Plan (how to overcome the problem).   When I read this article, I found it interesting because I’ve seen applications that use different methods for weight loss. However, I hadn’t quite seen an application like this - one that provides this level of encouragement or planning. Many applications I see offer general exercises and diets that may help with weight loss, but they don’t necessarily have something that works for me.   If you know me, you know that I hate exercise. When I was in college, I lost roughly 70 pounds; however, I was too caught up in the number on the scale. I had anxious thoughts about what I was eating, how much I ate, and how often I exer...

  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday, that you slept well, and are ready to tackle the day. Advocacy never stops, nor does a good writer. When I was thinking about today’s post, I originally wanted to cover another topic; however, something came into my inbox, and it was as if God and the universe were telling me to pay attention, because here was something special. On July 21 st , which happens to be the day after my 39 th birthday, PBS will premiere a documentary entitled “The Ride Ahead” about a young boy named Samuel Habib, who has a rare genetic disorder that challenges him daily. He uses a communication device as well as a wheelchair and other assistive technology. I first read about this documentary in an article written by Shaun Heasley. I do not know much about Samuel yet, but I am eagerly awaiting the documentary. The reason I’m writing about it today is twofold. I am not only interested in it from a journalistic perspective, but also from a personal one. As...

    I have been giving a voice to the “Voiceless Minority” for over 12 years. I have been blessed by both my loyal readers and by my amazing colleagues and friends. I have been able to use this platform not only to document my advocacy journey, but I have also been able to highlight fellow disability champions. Today, I would like to highlight 1 of those fellow champions. Gordon Hartman of Texas is a former home builder in San Antonio, Texas, who has a daughter with multiple disabilities. In 2010, he founded Morgan’s Wonderland, the first fully inclusive amusement park in the United States. I hope to visit the park sometime next year, not just as a journalist, but as a fellow member of the Voiceless Minority. The park is only one part of Morgan Enterprises. Since it opened in 2010, the organization has added a camp and other offerings. You may be asking yourself, Why is this news in 2025? The answer is quite simple. The next chapter in Morgan Enterprises is here. Morgan’s Hote...

  It is time to put virtual pen to paper once again. The Voiceless Minority has been silent for the last two months, and we apologize for that. As anyone who is an activist for any cause knows, advocacy never stops. We recognize that our silence over the last two months not only affects us personally, but also significantly impacts The Voiceless Minority as a whole. That being said, let’s transition into today’s post. On June 14th, Michelle Zeman, Samantha Lebron, and I gave a presentation at the 27th Annual Family Café, which told the story of the Voiceless Minority, at least, up until now. For those who are not aware, The Family Café is a Florida-based organization that has held the largest disability resource expo in the United States for the last 27 years. According to their website, The Family Café began in 1998 when a group of parents of children with disabilities recognized their shared challenge in finding the information, resources, and knowledge they required to facilitat...

The picture above is of Michelle Zeman. She is wearing glasses and a green blouse.  As you may or may not have heard by now, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently shared some statements about people with autism in an April 14 press conference. The rhetoric that he is spreading is causing an uproar within the autism community.   If you're new here, RFK has made some… bold (for lack of a nicer word)... statements about autism. : They will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted." Do his comments represent me? Not. However,…is this a reality for some people with autism? Absolutely. That being said, it does not mean that they should be treated like they are less than a neurotypical person.   Another statement that he made was that autism is a preventable disease." It doesn't take...

  Above is a picture of an empty plane cabin with gray seats.  I have written a lot about travel for this blog. I have written about cruises and concerts, but I have never written about travel. That is because, until recently, air travel has not been accessible to someone like me. I’m not saying that someone can’t transfer from a wheelchair into a seat on the plane; it would be complicated for me to do so in my current state. When I was younger, people could lift me and transfer me to a seat; however, as I've gotten older, this is no longer possible without the help of multiple people and a lift. Unfortunately, on a plane, the aisle seats are not wide enough for a lift, and even if they were, the lift would not be able to be stored underneath the plane with the rest of the baggage since most lifts are complex to disassemble. However, a new possibility has emerged that may make air travel fully accessible to all after all. A company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, C...

On April 6, 2025, the U.S. Autism Show occurred in Honolulu, Hawaii. Speakers Michelle Zeman (L) and Martin Slyngstad (R) are standing with Daniel Zimmerman (M) to show off the Proclamation that Slyngstad and Zimmerman received in honor of April being Autism Acceptance Month in Honolulu A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I would travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, to speak at the first U.S. Autism Show. Now that the event has wrapped, I wanted to reflect on the experience and share what that was like.   I was honored to be one of only eight presenters at this event. Standing at the podium and sharing my story was profoundly personal and empowering. It was a chance to speak openly about my journey – through diagnosis, therapy, professional growth, and advocacy – and connect with others through shared experiences.   If you couldn't attend the talk, I shared my journey through several key areas of my life. I started by talking about my experiences before receiving a diagnosis—what life...