The Voiceless Minority

The picture above shows a disabled man in a grey suit shaking hands with a gentleman in a blue suit in an office.  Last September, a publication called Living with Disabilities out of the United Kingdom published an article about a charity that funded work opportunities for people with learning disabilities. I will link the article at the bottom of this post. After rereading the article this week, I decided to write this blog about employment and disability in the United States. Recently, my now fiancé had to give in her two weeks' notice to end her employment because if she had continued with the job, she would have been in danger of losing her aide care services. Her last day is the 22 nd of April. She has enjoyed the job, but it has created many challenges for her.  The current system within the United States is not designed well. It creates many barriers for people with disabilities in terms of employment. We are steered towards programs through Vocational Rehab, whi...

D Above is a picture of a brown pen poised over a blank piece of paper, held by a hand.  Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, and other executives at Meta Platforms, Inc. My name is Jason Hahr. I am a 38-year-old disabled male who lives in Ocala, Florida. I have been active on Facebook since the early 2000s, yes, I am old. I’m writing to you today because, while I enjoy Facebook, there is one aspect of the platform that I think needs to be updated—and I’m not talking about the technology. Your platform is very intuitive and easy to use, even for someone as physically limited as me.  I have Cerebral Palsy, and I use a power wheelchair along with other assistive devices to function daily. Because of the nature of my disability, I use personal care services to perform everyday tasks that others can do for themselves, such as toileting, showering, eating, and running errands, to name a few. Because I require personal care assistance, I am not legally allowed to get married to my girlfriend, who a...

  Above is a woman with medium-length brown hair, glasses, pale skin, and a green shirt. The background of the photo is black. Today, I am writing to you from my living room with some exciting news to share. On April 6, 2025, I am scheduled to present at the inaugural US Autism Show in Oahu, Hawaii. The conference is hosted by Spire Autism & Da Vinci NCR Services LLC . The event aims to celebrate and support the Autism community in the USA, with its primary audience being the Autism community and clinicians. Neurodivergent Board Certified Behavior Analysts, like myself, will speak.   What inspired me to get involved in the event was recording an episode of Safe Space, the ABA Podcast with Daniel Zimmerman of Da Vinci NCR Services, LLC, about assent-based programming (to listen to the episode, click here ). Before recording, he told me about how they would host the US Autism Show in 2024; however, it was moved to April 2025 because they wanted to coincide the event with Au...

            Black and white image of a sign that reads sign 504 now. The "O" is made up of a wheelchair.  In “America in Danger of Going Backwards: If We Forget Our History, We Are Doomed to Repeat It” by Jason Hahr and Samantha Lebron, the authors discuss the lawsuit involving 17 states that attempt to overturn Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In today’s article, we will discuss what Section 504 is and why it’s crucial to maintain this legislation.   For those unaware, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. The core provision of Section 504 states: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely because of their disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to di...

   I hope you are having a satisfying Saturday. Although we have made great strides, significant work remains to be done. Yesterday, I posted a blog about Patrice: The Movie . If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, be sure to click the link at the bottom of this post. On the surface, one may think the movie is just about one disabled couple’s journey to get married, but it is about much more than that. While telling the story of Patrice and Gary, it also highlights the transportation crisis that disabled people face. For most people who have a disability, the inability to access affordable and reliable transportation is a barrier they have to overcome daily. I am lucky to have a support system that can provide me with my vehicle. While I do have to keep up with regular maintenance, I am very lucky because I didn’t have to buy it myself. I am eternally grateful to my parents for their generosity, but I also know what it is like to rely on the paratransit system becau...

Above is an image of a logo from a movie titled Patrice: The Movie. It is yellow and in large print.  Happy, fabulous Friday. Before I get into today’s post, I want to thank everyone for their support and amplification of my articles and the entire Voiceless Minority community recently. Your support and encouragement inspires me and all the other writers who have helped amplify the voice of the voiceless. Several years ago, I wrote a blog, which I will link at the end of this article. It is entitled I Can Write, But It Is Time for You to React. I am happy to report you have taken up that call to action in more ways than I could have imagined, and I am eternally grateful for your support. Okay, enough with inflating your head as you are reading this. Now, down to the fun stuff. Last September, Patrice: The Movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Shortly after, in October, it premiered on HULU. I will link an article written by Amy Kuperinsky for Disability Scoop that outlin...

Above is an image of President Trump signing a bill into law. He is wearing a black suit with a red necktie and is surrounded by people on either side. His pen is poised over legislation, which is on a wooden desk.  What a worrisome Wednesday it is for the disability community. Steps are being taken to erase the work of great disability champions such as Judy Heumann and Ed Roberts, to name a few. As a relative of mine put it a couple of days ago, laws are made, then they are repealed, so advocates must never stop fighting. Although my relative and I sometimes disagree politically, I could not agree more with her words. Indeed, it looks like it is happening yet again. This past January, Donald Trump became the 47 th President of the United States after a four-year hiatus between his first and second term. While I am registered as a Republican, and I agree with most of his platform, I question what he's doing regarding the voiceless minority. Before his election, he stated that h...

  Image of Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement, By: Ashley Shew Standing Up On Bookshelf. The Voiceless Minority has gained tremendous traction over the last several months, and it will always be my primary outlet for my advocacy work. We have grown tremendously and had the opportunity to incorporate guest writers, including a permanent contributor, Michelle Zeman. We have also been given an excellent opportunity to present at the largest Disability Expo in the nation this upcoming June. The Expo is known as The Family Café, and we are honored to have the chance to be among some great self-advocates and allies over the three-day event. While all that is something to be celebrated, this blog will discuss my next advocacy adventure and a book that I have recently read. I finished my fellowship with Florida Sands late last year and was unsure what to do next. Luckily, the universe presented my next opportunity rather quickly. I was selected as a 2025 IEEE Spectru...

  In March 2024, the University of Illinois-Chicago opened an inclusive dental clinic designed specifically for people with disabilities. This facility features a desensitization room for patients experiencing anxiety, specialized equipment that allows individuals with physical disabilities to receive care without leaving their wheelchairs, and wider hallways to ensure safe and accessible movement throughout the clinic. Currently, the clinic serves up to 28 patients per day, with future plans to introduce virtual visits for those unable to travel in person. It’s encouraging to see a dental practice committed to creating a safe and accommodating space for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, such inclusive clinics remain rare. Personally, I’ve always disliked going to the dentist—the loud noises, bright lights, needles, and overall invasiveness of the experience make it something I avoid whenever possible. While I can tolerate a visit when necessary, I can’t help but wonder ...

  My name is Gizelle Koontz, and I am a woman in my fifties currently residing in Belleview, Florida, a small town outside of Ocala. I was born in Canada and moved to Florida as a child. I graduated high school in Florida and eventually became an American citizen. I have worked in healthcare for a few decades, mainly as a Phlebotomist and Laboratory Technician. However, I have also worked as a Medical Assistant and have had employment outside of the medical field, such as working for the post office as a mail carrier. I am currently studying medical billing and coding and working in home healthcare, which is how I met my current client (and friend) Jason, for whom I am honored to write this article. Many of Jason’s blogs discuss the physical side of disability; however, this piece will discuss a hidden disability. I am an individual who has struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. When I first started experiencing depression, I was a teenager. Needless t...

                                              Above is a photo of Marissa Bode from Getty Images Anyone who follows this blog or knows me knows I love theater and film. I even went so far as to get a degree in drama at college. While I love “straight plays,” which are plays without musical numbers, I am obsessed with musicals. I love all the standard ones such as “Rent,” “Avenue Q,” and “Les Mis.” However, I only knew part of the story because I listened to the soundtrack.  That changed this past November when Wicked, the motion picture, hit theaters. I went to see the movie with my girlfriend, Samantha LeBron, who is not as big a musical fan as I am. Because I didn’t know the story well, I was unaware that a character was in a wheelchair. Universe, please forgive me for being late to the party. The movie was great, and the character in a wheelchair was portrayed extr...

  Today, we welcome a new guest writer to The Voiceless Minority community. Thank you for joining the fight, Sally. Sally  Ouimet  Waters , MA CCC-SLP, received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Florida. She completed her Clinical Fellowship at the Malcom Randall VA Hospital in Gainesville and has over ten years of clinical experience in the Ocala area, specializing in adult dysphagia and neurogenic cognitive-communication disorders.  Sally  utilizes current evidenced-based practice to inform her treatment programs for individuals who have experienced CVA, Traumatic Brain Injury, Voice Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, and ALS to improve communication and swallow function according to the patient’s objectives.  She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of individuals who have experienced Head and Neck Cancer, including those with tracheostomy, laryngectomy, and post-radiation dysphagia. She advocates for the oncology team t...

  We are one week away from Donald Trump retaking the presidency once again after an overwhelming victory last November. Disability advocates and allies have some concerns regarding a Donald Trump presidency. This article will build on an article published by Disability Scoop late last year. By the end of it, you, the reader, will be more aware of crucial programs like Medicaid and how they affect persons with disabilities. Along with a Trump presidency, the Republicans will maintain a slim majority in both chambers of Congress. This will enable them to reshape public policy and, indeed, policies that affect people with disabilities for years to come. Nothing is known for sure, but it is rumored that the Trump administration aims to cut funding to vital programs such as Medicaid and others. I can understand wanting to provide tax cuts and tax reforms that were promised during his campaign; however, even though I am a supporter of President Trump, in this case, I think he is treat...

  The emphasis on science and technology is more critical than ever before. The earlier children are exposed to science and technology, the more likely they are to develop a love for it later in life. However, in my experience, if you are a student with a disability, there is a lot less emphasis placed on these subjects. Late last year, the state of Pennsylvania joined an ongoing effort to bring students with and without disabilities together in a new way. Thanks to Andrew Fee, the vice president of strategic partnerships for Pennsylvania Special Olympics, students in Western PA not only got the chance to build cool robots but also worked together to create a robot with a student with a disability. According to an article published last September by Disability Scoop, which I will link at the bottom of this post, several counties in western Pennsylvania participated in a robotics program developed by Unified Robotics. The program partnered students in science and technology clas...

America is supposedly the land of opportunity. We toute ourselves as being the greatest country in the modern world, and for the most part, I am a proud American, and I tend to agree with this statement; however, did you know that even though we are just beginning 2025, it is still legal to pay people with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Let me say that again: it is still legal in the greatest country in the world to pay a group of our citizens less than $7.25 an hour. How is this possible? The rest of this article attempts to answer that question and shed light on the problem of "sub-minimum wage." People with disabilities have been a part of American society from the beginning. However, in this author's opinion, we only began to be seen as human in the late twentieth century. In 1938, there was a provision written into the Fair Labor Standards Act that allowed employers who employed people with disabilities to pay them, and I'm not ...

 Did you know that for the 4th year, law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp announced that entries are being accepted for the Design the Change competition?   It’s true! The firm invites UK students to design a product that helps make the lives of people with spinal cord injuries easier. The winner will receive £5,000, and the runner-up will receive £2,500. Last year’s Design the Change competition winners included Tom Baker, who created a state-of-the-art wheelchair buggy to help parents with spinal cord injuries safely and efficiently transport their children.   I love that this is a competition. I genuinely appreciate the work that Bolt Burdon Kemp is doing to promote innovation and inclusivity. By encouraging young minds to think creatively about solutions for those with spinal cord injuries, they’re making a real difference in people’s lives and showing how important accessibility is in design. This type of initiative raises awareness and inspires a future generation of e...

The National Autistic Society has released a guide to help raise awareness about menopause for people with autism. The guide explains menopause, how it affects people, the latest research, and tips on managing symptoms. One part of menopause is called perimenopause, which happens before menopause begins. During perimenopause, hormone levels change, leading to symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. It’s important to know that both perimenopause and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can cause irregular periods, but they are different. Perimenopause is a natural part of aging and comes with symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. PCOS, on the other hand, is a hormonal condition that can cause extra body hair, acne, and problems with weight or fertility, which you don’t usually see with perimenopause. Understanding these differences is important because it affects how each condition is treated. As a woman with autism, I found the guide v...