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Disability Digest 
The monthly DISABILITY RIGHTS e-publication
of Disability Network Southwest Michigan
June 2019
SAVE THE DATE   
ADA Anniversary Celebration
Friday, July 26, 2019
  
Join us on Friday, July 26 at our Kalamazoo office for our annual celebration of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This year marks the 29th anniversary! The event will include a free lunch catered by EMA Catering, ice cream from Treat Street and a presentation & awards ceremony.

NEW this year : RSVP in advance to be entered in a drawing for a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Follow this link to RSVP online   or contact Kristen Potts at 269-345-1516 x119. (Must be present to win.) 
Talking to Kids with Disabilities About Consent 
   
 
Growing up with a disability often includes more physical interaction with others -- relatives, caregivers, medical professionals, etc. Having a lot of people interact with their bodies from a young age can make it hard for kids to understand they have the right to set boundaries with these people. Kids with disabilities are three times more likely to face sexual violence than their peers without disabilities. Understanding consent is important for all kids, and especially kids with disabilities .
Kodi Lee is Talented. His Disability is Not.
 
Kodi Lee performing with headline_ _Kodi Lee defeats autism and blindness with music_
When Kodi Lee took the stage on a recent episode of America's Got Talent to sing and play piano, he was met with applause. When his mother announced in his introduction that he was blind and autistic, there was an audible "awwww" from the audience. The ableism surrounding his performance and success seemed unending. Being talented and being a person with a disability should not, in itself, be newsworthy.  
 
Follow this link to read more about why people are celebrating Kodi Lee for the wrong reasons.   
At the Intersection of Disability and Queer   
 
sign at a PRIDE march reads_ _Love is love is love_
Being a person with a disability or being a member of the LGBTQ community can produce isolation -- when you put the two together, the pool of people you share identities with becomes quite small. In this article about the intersectionality of being disabled and queer, Umber Ghauri says that in general, LGBTQ communities have been built around nightlife and activism, however protests, marches, and night clubs are seldom accessible. "People with disabilities are considered an inconvenience -- an afterthought, and if we aren't thought of from the very beginning, you can bet the result will be one which excludes us," says Ghauri. 
Disability Network Southwest Michigan
Kalamazoo Office
St. Joseph Office
517 E. Crosstown Parkway
2900 Lakeview Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
 St. Joseph, MI 49085
(269) 345-1516
 (269) 985-0111

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