As we publish this message, Americans are celebrating the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act’s passage. It’s widely considered to be ground-breaking civil rights legislation, and has inspired similar legislation in numerous countries. But few would argue that we still don’t have a long way to go until we reach equality of opportunity.
On this week’s edition of A Cuppa at the Mosens, we’re asking for your thoughts on what, if any, role the Government should play in equalising opportunity for disabled people. Even when we’re working, and many of us know that getting a job can be very tough, we incur costs as a result of our disability that lessen our discretionary income. For example, we may need to find accommodation that’s closer to public transport, or larger than it might otherwise be because of additional space we need for Braille or other technology.
Do you believe that a decent government, in a decent society, ought to make a non-income-tested payment to disabled people to compensate for the financial and opportunity costs of a disability, or is this a pandering, over-reaching approach?
As we’ve discussed in other shows, technology that may be nice to have for a sighted person can make a huge difference to a blind person’s quality of life, independence and dignity. Should this be recognised by way of subsidies for smartphones and other mainstream technology, or would this convey the message that we can’t make it on our own like everyone else?
And 27 years after the ADA’s inception, how much progress has been made, and what must be done to keep the momentum?
There’s so much to talk about, and as always, we welcome a diversity of perspectives and experiences.
A Cuppa at the Mosens can be heard live on Thursdays at 9 PM Eastern time. To find out when that is if you’re outside the US, check the Mushroom FM schedule.
And don’t just tune in, call in, since the show relies on the views and experiences of people just like you. A Cuppa at the Mosens, hosted by Bonnie and Jonathan Mosen, exclusively on Mushroom FM.
If you haven’t learned yet about our new, high-fidelity ways to participate in Mushroom FM’s live call-in show, check out the show’s web page, http://MushroomFM.com/cuppa