This month we are focusing on advocacy because it is the anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law. This law was the first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities, and what so much of our advocacy is based on. It took a lot of hard work to get this bill passed and people with disabilities had to work together, no matter their disability, to get this law passed.

Throughout our newsletter this month, you will find articles, quotes, and videos about advocacy and what it means to different people.

The picture above is me with the therapy horse, Magic. I met Magic in Boca Raton, in June at the Florida Bar Annual Convention. 

Feature Article

Self Advocacy: Recognizing Your Own Power

By: Olivia Babis Keller

I am frequently asked how and when I got involved in advocacy. It’s always been a challenging question to answer because having been born with a physical disability I have had to advocate for myself for as long as I can remember. I remember using the phrase, “that’s not fair” a lot as a child. Most kids do, but my “that’s not fair” had a different connotation than the unfairness my peers experienced. My “that’s not fair” wasn’t in response to not getting my way, although I know I had those moments too. A kid with a disability is still a kid after all! But my “that’s not fair” was usually in response to being treated differently than my peers for arbitrary reasons. I just didn’t have the vocabulary as a young child to adequately express that how I experienced unfairness was different than the unfairness usually perceived by my peers.

After having been asked how and when I got involved in advocacy so many times over the years, I started doing some self-reflection, wondering if there was any one particular “that’s not fair” moment that stood out. As I really started to ponder this question, one memory was clearer than the others. One of my first memories is of being at a school board meeting with my grandparents listening to angry parents yelling at school board members because they didn’t want “those kids” attending school with their kids. I remember my grandmother holding me on her left hip. I remember the clothes I was wearing. I remember my grandmother’s shirt that I kept burying my face in whenever the voices in the room got too loud for me. I remember my grandfather standing right behind us in his white striped, short sleeve shirt with his olive-green pants, black belt, and black shiny shoes that he seemed to wear every day. I think I was 3 at the time, but I still understood that when the parents in the room were yelling about “those kids” they meant me.

I can’t say this is my most painful childhood memory. I didn’t have an easy childhood and there are a lot of painful memories looking back on it. However, I think this one carries a particular sting because it was my first realization that I was different, and my life wasn’t going to be “normal.” It was also in this moment that I began to recognize my own power. As I peeked over my grandmother’s shoulder and scanned the faces in the room around us, I began to notice something. Whenever I would make eye contact with someone, they would give me a smile and a little wave, like people often do with toddlers. They would then notice that I didn’t have my arms wrapped around my grandmother’s neck because I didn’t have any arms. Then they would see the plastic brace on my right foot and suddenly they would break eye contact and look down at their feet like they were embarrassed or ashamed. I noticed that the more people I engaged in this little exercise the quieter it got in the area of the room where we were standing. As it got quieter, I began to lift my head higher and as I did so the people around us began to see that I wasn’t the monster they thought would be sitting in the classroom with their kid; I was just another kid.

As I got older, I began to use my voice to silence rooms the same way I had done with just a look at the school board meeting years ago. When I entered high school, I joined the school paper and wrote editorials about the school’s inaccessibility and about how having a one-on-one paraprofessional I didn’t need follow me around all day was more isolating than integrating. In college, I worked with a friend who was a reporter on the University paper to do a front-page expose about the accessibility issues on campus, much to the consternation of the University President.

I now do advocacy work professionally as the Senior Public Policy Analyst at Disability Rights Florida. I can now quote statutes, rules, facts, and figures on a number of various policy issues, but my most powerful tools in my advocacy toolbox have always been my personal, lived experiences.

You don’t need to be a professional advocate to do advocacy. Advocacy can be writing a letter to the editor of your local paper about an issue affecting your community, attending a city council meeting, serving on a citizen’s advisory board, voting, making phone calls or sending postcards encouraging others to vote, or emailing your elected officials about an issue that you care about. Advocacy can be as simple as locking eyes with a stranger and recognizing each other’s humanity. 

“Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” ― Oliver Goldsmith

What is the Americans with Disability Act or ADA?

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.

The law is broken down into 5 parts or sections:

Title I – Employment

Title II – Public Services: State and Local Government

Title III – Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities

Title IV – Telecommunications

Title V – Miscellaneous Provisions

What is the purpose of the law?

The law gives people with disabilities the same rights as other “classes” of people like race, sex, color, national origin, age, and religion.

Why is this law so important?

The law makes sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. They could no longer be denied access to jobs, schools, or transportation. It also made sure that private businesses that are open to the public, like restaurants and movie theaters also had to be accessible.

History of the Law

It was signed on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush.

The bill was first introduced in Congress in 1988, and then went through several drafts, revisions, negotiations, and amendments before it was finalized in 1990.

The View From Here

By: Justine Chichester

“Be an advocate for the people and the causes important to you, using the most powerful tool only you have – your personal stories.” – John Capecci, author of Living Proof, Telling Your Story to Make a Difference

When Debbie and Matt Dietz asked me to write an article for the DIG newsletter, years ago, I thought it would be a great way to just share my story with others. Newly injured, new to being a wheelchair user and especially new to the spinal cord injury and hydrocephalus survivors’ community, I felt, at the time, a huge sense of responsibility when writing that first article for the newsletter. How I told my story and how I represented our community became very important to me and I wanted to get it right. For myself and for others. I ultimately titled my article, “The View from Here” as a sort of play on words. My "view" as a wheelchair user had changed physically because I was now seated all of the time and no longer standing, but my "view" on life in general had also significantly changed more than ever as a person now living with a disability.

While I wrote that first article to share my story and help myself become more open about my disability, I began to write more and more articles and my “View From Here” became a reoccurring feature in the newsletter. I started to realize that telling my story, sharing my journey, was more than just helping me. Writing about these day-to-day experiences I faced as a person new to living with a disability was making an impact on those living with AND without a disability. Simply telling my story of how I was living my new life in a wheelchair, and now with a walker and a cane, brought to light many of the difficulties we in the disability community face every day. I began to receive comments and feedback from our readers on how my articles were impacting their lives. I realized I was making a difference. Just by telling my story.

The responsibility I now feel, as I continue to share my journey as a person living with a disability, is greater than ever.

I shared my feelings on this with Debbie one day during a meeting, and she said something very profound. She told me, “That is the difference between self-advocating and advocating for others.” And now I get it. Advocacy can take many shapes and forms. Many get involved in groups, many protest, many strive to make changes in policy. For me, I’ve been able to become an advocate for those living with disabilities by telling my story.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist 

The Florida Bar

Path to Unity Project

The Florida Bar’s standing committee on Diversity and Inclusion Section designed a traveling history project to tell the story of the Florida Bar’s journey toward inclusion for all.

One of the legal legends selected for this project is:

Jim is a longtime friend of DIG. We are so excited to see him representing the disabled community of lawyers.

The other four legal legends are: 

The five portraits will be displayed in the Florida Bar Building in Tallahassee, Florida. Each portrait was painted by an art student.

DIG President, Matthew Dietz, spoke about Jim Kracht at the Florida Bar Annual Convention in June of this year. Matt gave a wonderful speech about Jim and how important disability inclusion is.

This month our newsletter is dedicated to advocacy. The Miami Inclusion Alliance recognizes the importance of advocates, and has a strong cohort of five advocates who are working at the intersection of abuse and disability to bring persons with disabilities to the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault leadership tables and bridge the gap between victim/survivors with disabilities and the system of care. Their participation over the last two years has been transformative and significant change has taken place.

I asked each of our liaisons, “What does Advocacy mean to You?” I would like to share their wise words.

Carmen Peralta

Advocacy to me is speaking your truth—speaking up for yourself, your needs, needs of others, and raising awareness. Being a Job Coach for individuals with special abilities and part of the Miami Inclusion Alliance has taught me the importance of advocating for a cause to bring awareness to others. Sharing my knowledge in areas that others might not be familiar with is giving the spotlight to a wider community and acting as a catalyst for change. Supporting others in helping them know their rights is very beneficial in the field I work in, and sharing this a month ago with my staff at Best Buddies Jobs was everything to me. Sometimes we are in situations where we are not versed in domestic violence, especially in the special abilities’ community. Having that knowledge not only helps you, but supports those in need. Being an advocate for my clients is very important to me and teaching them how to advocate for themselves in the workplace has no price. We all have a voice; we must speak up!

Rachel Siler

Before the age of eighteen when I moved to Chicago, I never knew what “disability friendly” meant. I was unaware of the acronyms “PWD” and “PCA.” I didn’t know about the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movements. And I sure as hell didn’t know what “advocacy” was. Not because I was sheltered and oblivious to my disability, but because my parents, family and friends have always found a way for me to do and experience everything I’ve wanted to do in my life, whether something was disability friendly or not. It may have been a little different than the “normal” way, but I experienced it.

At the time, I was unaware that the reason I was able to experience these things was because my parents fought and advocated for me. It all began when my parents tried to register me for kindergarten at the same school my able-bodied brother began attending a year before.

The ADA went into effect later that year, but my parents weren’t waiting for legislation. They also weren’t going to enroll me into a “special” school where PWDs were segregated in the district, like many teachers protested for. However, these teachers were unaware when I was diagnosed with SMA at the age of two, my parents decided that I would be raised the same exact “normal” way as my brother. The teachers didn’t know that my parents were ready to fight and advocate for my rights. In the end, my parents won, and I embarked on my eventful and wild, but successful and fulfilling life. Since then, I’ve realized that even if I had no idea it was happening, advocacy was instilled in me at the age of five by my parents.

Now, as an adult, I am an advocate for people with disabilities and other marginalized groups. I recognize my privilege and always try to use it to my advantage when serving my consumers. In the end, I always hope that when they move on, I have instilled advocacy in them, as my parents did for me.

In the most endearing way possible, this is advocacy to me.

Kat Magnoli

I was recently asked what does advocacy mean to me? At first, I thought I knew, but I came to realize that it required additional thinking. This is what I came up with:

Advocacy is looking within to one’s biases and seeing whether or not learning about inclusion is important to them. 

Once you have come to that understanding you can begin to educate yourself on the struggles and triumphs those of us living with a disability face on a daily basis. After you’ve done this, you can help us fight the struggles and celebrate the triumphs. 

This to me is what will bring about inclusion. This is why organizations like the Miami Inclusion Alliance are so important, because it helps people come to terms with their own biases and lack of knowledge towards the epidemic of people with disabilities experiencing all forms of abuse. We not only bring this topic to light, but we educate those experiencing it and those who can offer help on the best practices to no longer be a victim, but a survivor! 

Genesis Espaillat

Advocacy means to have my voice heard and speaking up on things that are important to me. Growing up and having learning challenges has challenged me to learn to speak up for myself and what I need to become successful in different areas in my life. I am grateful for the resources out there that have helped me and guided me to get to where I am today like Best Buddies. Also, I am thankful for the opportunity Disability Independence group has given me to be a part of the liaison project.  

Camilo Mejia

Advocacy means having a seat at the table when decisions concerning my life and the lives of people in my community are made. It is using our voices to humanize a policy, or statistics, or an amendment to an existing law, so that its impact in the lives of real people can be taken into account and a better choice can be made.

There are many definitions of advocates. They can be individuals who defend a cause, or who promote the interests of a cause or those who support the cause for another.



The MIA liaisons are a combination of all three, they defend, promote, and support others. The impact they are making on the DV/SA system of care has been extraordinary.  

Important Videos on Advocacy

The Capital Crawl 1990

https://youtu.be/AyEgIIrA7ko

This happened in 1990, on the steps of the capitol building in Washington, D.C. People with disabilities wanted to give a physical description of what it is like when architectural structures are inaccessible. After marching/rolling from the White House, people actually got out of their wheelchairs and started to crawl up the stairs.

Click here to learn more.

Deaf President Now!

https://youtu.be/El_qTr3L0G0

Summary: In March of 1988, the students at Gallaudet University protested the hiring of the new president of the University because the candidate was hearing and did not know sign language. The students/alumni shut down the campus for an entire week because they wanted a Deaf president to lead the university. The protest worked and the demands of the students were met.

Click here to learn more.

Justin Dart, Jr. The Father of the ADA

https://youtu.be/54sxGGArMIk

Documentary about Justin Dart and how he worked to get the ADA passed.

Click here to learn more.

Disability Rights and Representation

https://youtu.be/fxFkCEXvrT4

Advocate Imani Barbarin has a conversation with actor Christopher Gorham about race and ableism.

Click here to learn more.

Crip Camp – Movie

Netflix

A movie about Camp Jened and the teenagers that went there and how this experience shaped their evolution into disabled advocates, and how they helped start the disability rights movement.



Click here to learn more.

Helping People with Disabilities Communicate with First Responders.

This project has several components:

• We make customized wallet cards for people living with intellectual/developmental disabilities and Autism.

• We make customized caregiver wallet cards for caregivers of people living with disabilities.

• We have an online training program for law enforcement.

• We have a program for schools, parks programs, or community organizations.

Please click the link below to learn more about this project and to order your own customized wallet card or caregiver card.

If you have any questions, please email Debbie at debbie@justidigit.org.

Subscribe to the Florida Access Coalition Mailing List to get the Most Updated Information!

How a PASS plan can help you?

A PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Support) allows you to set aside other income besides your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or resources for a specified period of time so that you may pursue a work goal that will reduce or eliminate the SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits you currently receive.

Who can have a PASS?

If you receive SSI or could qualify for SSI after setting aside income or resources so that you may pursue a work goal, you could benefit from a PASS.

Requirements for a PASS:

• Be designed especially for you
• Be in writing. Using the form, the SSA-545-BK. You can get copies of the PASS form from https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-545.html
• Have a specific work goal that you are capable of performing
• Have a specific timeframe for reaching your goal
• Show what income you receive (other than your SSI payments) and/or resources you have that you will use to reach your goal
• Show how you will use your income and resources to reach your work goal
• Show how the money you set aside will be kept separate from other funds
• Be approved by SSA; and
• Be reviewed periodically by SSA to assure your plan is actually helping you make progress towards your work goal.

What can I purchase with a PASS?

The money you save in a PASS can be for education, vocational training, starting a business, or buying support services that enable you to work. This includes assistive technology to help you with your employment goal. With a PASS plan you can save to purchase assistive technology such as:

• Equipment and supplies you need to establish and carry on a trade or business
• Equipment or tools you need because of your condition or for your job
• Modifications to buildings and vehicles to accommodate your disability

Can I get help to complete the PASS application?

You should write your PASS with the help of a rehabilitation specialist, such as a Department of Vocational Rehabilitation or your local WIPA project. SSA has contracted with local organizations to provide benefits planning. Some of these organizations may be able to assist with completing a PASS application. For more information about the Work Incentives Planning Assistance, go to: https://choosework.ssa.gov/

Also, the PASS Cadre is required to keep a list of agencies that can help with completing the PASS application.

Tips for Success:

• Connect with your local Work Incentive Planning and Assistance project to better understand this work incentive as well as other work incentives available to assist you in your return to work:
• Contact a PASS Cadre: 800-254-9489

Other things to know about PASS plans:

You can use any money for a PASS plan other than SSI.

If setting aside your SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) would allow you to meet SSI's income requirements, then you could qualify for both SSI and PASS. (You will need to show that you can live on the SSI payment and that you will be able to use your other income to pay for the items and services you need to achieve your goal.)

To build assets for your PASS plan, you will open a PASS account with your local bank. A PASS account is a checking account that will be used for all your PASS plan banking transactions.

More information on Plans for Achieving Self Support:

Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/pass.htm

Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute http://www.passonline.org/

Need help or have additional questions? Call South Florida WIPA project: 305 453 3491 ask for your local county benefit planner.

Lesly Quintanilla Lopez

Access The Vote Florida (ATVFL) is a state chapter of AAPD’s REVUP Campaign. REV UP stands for: Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!

The chapter is a statewide coalition of organizations and self-advocates that are working to raise awareness about issues that impact persons with disabilities, encourage people with disabilities to participate in the voting process, and educate elected officials on issues important to persons with disabilities.

Email Olivia at oliviab@drflorida.org to get on our mailing list.

Vote-by-Mail and How to get an Accessible Vote-by-Mail Ballot

By: Deborah Dietz

At the end of 2022, all requests for vote-by-mail ballots expired. This was because of a new state law passed in 2021.

What this means is that if you want to continue to vote-by-mail you need to submit a new request to the elections department.

In Florida, if you are a voter with a qualified disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) you have the option to receive an accessible vote by mail ballot by email. This option allows voters to cast their ballot independently without the assistance of another person.

Click here to request a vote-by-mail ballot in Miami-Dade County.

Click here to request an accessible vote-by-mail ballot in Miami-Dade County.

*NOTE: Requesting the accessible ballot will prompt the paper and electronic portions to be sent to the voter.

If you have any questions, please contact the Miami-Dade County Election’s Department at soedade@miamidade.gov or 305.499.8509 with any questions you might have regarding this program.

Voters who have questions should email votebymail@miamidade.gov or call 305.499.8444.

City of Coral Gables Events

If you have any questions, please email the City at PlayForAll@coralgables.com.

Unmasked - Social Networking Event for Autistic Professionals

Wine Glass Painting

Friday, September 1st 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Cost: $15

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Clubhouse Inside the Ruth Bryan Owen Waterway Park

3940 Granada Boulevard, Coral Gables, FL 33134

Celebrate your Autistic identity while painting wine glasses with a small group of professionals on the spectrum.

DEI Clubhouse Hours (adults)

Mondays, 3 – 7 p.m. at the DEI Clubhouse, No registration. No Fees.

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Unprogrammed social time to hangout.

My Squad (adults)

Last Wednesday of each month, 6 – 9 p.m.

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Ticketed Monthly $5 each

Teen Scene (ages 13-17)

Last Thursday of Each Month, 5 – 8 p.m. (companions are welcome to eat and join all activities).

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Registered seasonally $50 per season

988 is now active across the United States.

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) and is now active across the United States.

When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

This new, shorter phone number will make it easier for people to remember and access mental health crisis services.

(Please note, the previous 1-800-273-TALK (8255) number will continue to function indefinitely.)

LEARN MORE

Litigation Update:

Disability Independence Group’s Litigation Department closed in

2022.

If you have a disability legal question, you can contact Professor Matthew Dietz at the Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Law (DIAL) Clinic at Nova Southeastern University Law School. His email is: mdietz@nova.edu.

If you have a disability education issue, such as an IEP or Exceptional Student Education, you can contact Stephanie Langer at Langer Law, PA. Her email is: helpline@langerlawpa.com.

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