Category News

Assistance Dogs in the Workplace

Assistance (service) dogs have greatly expanded their “jobs” beyond assisting those with seeing and hearing impairments to include medical response (such as alerting someone to low blood sugar), mobility and task assistance for a person using a wheelchair, psychiatric support…

Autism Symptoms Improved by Work Environment

Independent work experience may improve autistic symptoms.  That’s the finding of a recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 153 adults aged 19 to 53 participated in the study, which followed them for 5½ years.  Representing the…

Models with Disabilities

When you think of possible careers for people with disabilities, modelling might not be the first thing to pop into your mind, yet it is a viable option.  Nordstrom’s, the upscale department store chain, recently received a fair bit of press…

To Disclose or Not to Disclose?

Only 55% of job seekers with disabilities disclose their disability before they’ve been offered the job, and sometimes not even then.  It’s understandable that they would try to avoid discrimination. But what about employers, such as federal contractors and sub-contractors, who actively seek to…

New York to Change Handicapped Signage

That familiar blue and white symbol of a sedentary person in a wheelchair is about to change throughout the state of New York.  The new symbol will be one of a very active person in a wheelchair.  Along with the signs,…

Make Your Story Part of History

If you listen to National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition”, you’ve probably heard their broadcast of StoryCorps–average, everyday people interviewing a friend or loved one about their lives.   It’s always heart-felt and moving, and the listener comes away enriched with a broader…

New Regulations Look to Increase Employment

Looking for a job?  Try a federal contractor.  The federal government recently issued new regulations that apply to all contractors and subcontractors who have federal contracts of $10,000 or more. These regulations, issued under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, are an…

In-Home Care Workers’ Background Checks

How can this be?  Home health agencies aren’t required to do background checks on people who provide in-home care services for people with disabilities? According to a report recently released by the U.S. Office of the Inspector General, that is the reality in…

The Lady’s a Jewel

Meet Jewel Kats, the real life woman who inspired the new Archie comic book character, Harper.  Jewel is responsible for instigating as well as inspiring the character.   A long-time Archie fan herself, when she saw Dan Parent, the Archie writer/artist, at a comic  book expo, she…

Comic Book Embraces Disabilities

  The venerable comic book classic Archie, first published in the 1940s, has always tried to stay current with our ever-changing culture, and in their newest effort to better reflect modern life,  the comic book creators are introducing a character with a disability.…