The Voiceless Minority

  The simple act of getting dressed in the morning can be a genuine struggle for someone who has a disability. For not only themselves but for those assisting them. Adaptive fashion has made this simple task that many may take for granted much easier. Many recognizable clothing companies have now made it part of their mission to include adaptive wear in their collections. Some notable mentions include Zappos, Steve Madden, Tommy Hilfiger, Kohl's, Target, Victoria’s Secret, and PINK. Adaptive clothing is clothing designed to be more comfortable and easier to use for people with disabilities, injuries, or age-related limitations. These clothes feature modifications like magnetic closures, wider openings, and adaptable fits to address challenges with traditional clothing. The goal is to enhance independence and dignity during dressing and undressing.  In the past, if someone needed clothing tailored to fit them specifically due to a disability or condition, they had to either cre...

One of the biggest misconceptions about disability is that just because one has a disability, one cannot learn. Pieces of legislation in recent history, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) and the Individualized Education Program (IEP), have mitigated this misconception to a degree but are they enough to break the glass ceiling that society has imposed on disabled individuals as a result of what they have been taught about disabilities in the first place? The term ‘glass ceiling’ is typically used in business settings, and it refers to the final position an individual reaches beyond which they are unable to advance despite having qualifications that make them eligible for higher-level positions. To be clear, this has to do with bias that exists in those environments, not necessarily the policies that are in place. However, for this piece, I will use it about those who have disabilities that have been, or are currently being, educationally stunted by those around ...

Some people with disabilities require the assistance of a caregiver. Below are some questions you can ask during an interview. Interviewing a caregiver beforehand allows both you and that potential caregiver to get to know one another and see if the care they can provide can meet your needs.  Note, these are not the only questions you should ask during an interview; the questions below are a good place to begin if you are unsure of what you should ask. These questions were transcribed from one of Samantha's YouTube videos entitled "Top 10 Questions To Ask A Caregiver in 2021", which can be found on her YouTube channel called Being Sammy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPytfu95odc How many clients do you have? Ask this question right away because it will let you know how much time they have to dedicate to your needs. Sometimes, when they have too many clients, it can lead to schedule conflicts, double bookings, and even emotional stress for the caregiver, especially if tha...

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...

  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 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...

Above is a black and white photo of the 504 sit-in from 1977.  Okay, so maybe I’m late to the party. Still, I was recently made aware of a disturbing lawsuit taking place that will effectively erase the strides we have made as disabled people in America over the last several decades. The lawsuit that is slowly gaining traction, Texas vs. Becerra, is an attempt by 17 states to overturn the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protections for people with disabilities, explicitly aiming to overturn the 504 provision. I will list the 17 states that I believe are harming not only the disability community in America but America as a whole. However, before I do so, I will highlight that my home state of Florida is one of the offenders. The lawsuit is an attempt to not make America great again by using a slogan from our newly elected President. Still, in my opinion, instead, it is an attempt to return to the dark ages of disability in America. Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana...