The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed on July 26, 1990. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ADA, the NCDJ is sharing 30 story ideas for journalists, to help them report on a variety of topics involving disability. Check out our full collection of story suggestions below — and be sure to follow #NCDJ30for30 on social media to keep up with the conversation and share ideas with other reporters. We’ll be sharing our story ideas on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
| STORY IDEA |
SUPPLEMENTAL LINK(S) |
1) Did the ADA accomplish what its sponsors and the disability community hoped for 30 years ago? While significant progress has been made, the record is mixed.
|
See:
– The Americans with Disabilities Act is turning 30. Here’s what you should know, The Hill
– A fresh look at an old new law: The Americans With Disabilities Act, Forbes
|
2) An analysis by the Center for Public Integrity reveals that policies in at least 25 U.S. states have provisions that could de-prioritize health care for people with disabilities who are struck by the coronavirus. These policies take into account patients’ expected lifespan, need for resources,such as home oxygen,and specific diagnoses, such as dementia.
|
See:
– State policies may send people with disabilities to the back of the line for ventilators, Center for Public Integrity
– People with intellectual disabilities may be denied lifesaving care under these plans as coronavirus spreads, ProPublica/AZ Daily Star (Amy Silverman)
|
3) Many parents are concerned that their children will fall behind in their education while schools are closed. But at least some parents of children who live with disabilities fear their children will actually regress. Parents say virtual telehealth sessions aren’t enough for some children with conditions like autism and hyperactivity, who need physical redirection and in-person experiences and don’t respond to laptops in the same way as other children.
|
See:
– ‘It feels a little hopeless’: Parents of kids with disabilities worry coronavirus quarantine will mean regression, Hechinger Report
– Online therapy won’t be enough for children with special needs, parents say, The Globe and Mail
|
4) Job losses from the COVID-19 crisis have disproportionately impacted people with disabilities. However, some people with disabilities have gained a certain advantage in the workplace as more jobs go remote. What does the future of the job market look like for workers with disabilities?
|
See:
– nTIDE May 2020 special report: Workers with disabilities in the COVID economy, Business Insider
|
5) Many people are feeling the effects of stay-at-home orders, which can lead to higher levels of depression and feelings of isolation. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 43.8 million Americans experience mental health issues each year. These Americans may be most at risk.
|
See:
– The struggle to cope with depression amid coronavirus, Wall Street Journal
– Social distancing could have devastating effect on people with depression, NBC
|
6) Schools are required to provide special education services to children with disabilities, including assistive technology. But the law does not specify how special education must be handled in situations where schools are closed for extended lengths of time. Parents of children with disabilities are concerned about delivery of special education services during the current pandemic, and they worry that lowering the bar now will mean a weakening of services in the long term.
|
See:
– Disability rights groups, school administrators spar over possible changes to special education law, EdSource
|
7) Some people living with disabilities have long relied on grocery delivery services, but with COVID-19 restrictions in place, it’s becoming harder for them to get timely deliveries.
|
See:
– D.C. residents with disabilities depend on grocery delivery services. Now everyone wants a slot, Washington City Paper
|
8) For years, people with disabilities were denied their chance to be included remotely in many areas of life — from work, to school and beyond. Now, in the time of COVID-19, remote participation has been normalized, opening doors of opportunity for many living with disabilities.
|
See:
– Covid lockdown opening up world for people with disabilities, The Guardian
– accessiBe looks to advance digital inclusion through AI-powered web accessibility, International Business Times
|
9) COVID-19 has disrupted caregiving arrangements for some people with disabilities, leaving them no or limited options for help.
|
See:
– Disabled, elderly going without home care amid shortage of protective gear and tests, Politico
– Home health-care workers in US at tipping point amid coronavirus outbreak, CNBC
|
10) Getting around is already a major challenge for many people with physical disabilities who rely on often-inaccessible modes of public transportation or special transport services provided by local governments. Now they face the added worries of being in close confinement with others and what will happen to them if such services are suspended.
|
See:
– “”Stress-A-Ride”: NYC unreliable paratransit services cost $614 million, Gothamist.com
– ‘We need to include the disability community’: On the sidelines of the coronavirus conversation, WUFT-TV
|
11) Nursing homes have some of the highest rates of COVID-19, and they also house a large number of people with disabilities. While the best nursing homes are struggling to contain the disease, federal health authorities have designated nursing homes and long-term care facilities as lower priority for testing than hospitals.
|
See:
– ‘They’re death pits’: Virus claims at least 7,000 lives in U.S. nursing homes, New York Times
– ‘We’re literally killing elders now’, The Atlantic
|
12) Some states have been slow to screen staff and others entering state-owned facilities for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, leading to concerns that residents will be exposed to COVID-19.
|
See:
– State tight-lipped about testing for disabilities workers, Pensacola News Journal
|
13) Getting medications filled in a timely manner can be a challenge for people living with chronic health conditions — even when there isn’t a public health crisis. COVID-19 has escalated those worries for people who are on private health insurance as well as those on Medicaid.
|
See:
– Medicare applications raise anxiety for seniors in pandemic, Associated Press
– Medication shortages are the next crisis, The Atlantic
|
14) The advent of COVID-19 may be changing the way people view health insurance, including coverage of disability.
|
See:
– How are states supporting Medicaid home and community-based services during the COVID-19 crisis?, Kaiser Health
|
15) The vast majority of Americans support the changes brought about by the ADA. But they don’t always agree about what should qualify as a disability and how far protections should go — or who should pay for them.
|
See:
– Overwhelming public support for the Americans with Disabilities Act, but disagreements exist on what should qualify as a disability, The Harris Poll
|
16) Since the passage of the ADA, technology has changed dramatically, with the introduction of everything from virtual reality to eye-tracking devices, transforming the lives of many people living with disabilities.
|
See:
– How Immersive Technology Can Expand CTE Options for Students with Disabilities, EdTech
– Comcast’s new remote control lets you channel surf with your eyes, CNet.com
– Tech from MIT may allow caregivers to monitor coronavirus patients from a distance, Boston Globe
|
17) Thirty years after the ADA’s passage, people with disabilities still face discrimination in many aspects of life. From medical discrimination to unfair educational practices, the U.S. continues to face a number of challenges when it comes to issues of accessibility.
|
See:
– Thirty years after ADA’s passage, the disabled still face medical discrimination, MinnPost
– Online learning was supposed to democratize education. Coronavirus shows it hasn’t, OneZero
– Why accessibility is the hotel industry’s most overlooked asset, Skift
|
18) People with disabilities often face barriers — even at the doctor’s office. While the ADA mandated changes in “fixed structures,” such as ramps, wide doorways and elevators, it does not address “furnishings,” such as patient scales, exam tables and diagnostic equipment, which can lead to a reduced level of monitoring and care for those with disabilities.
|
See:
– People with disability face barriers to basic health care, U.S. News & World Report
– For the disabled, a doctor’s visit can be literally an obstacle course — and the laws can’t help, The Washington Post
|
19) When politicians court various demographic groups, they have tended to overlook voters with disabilities, even though an estimated 20 percent of Americans live with a disability of some kind. There is evidence, however, that people who live with disabilities, represent a growing voting bloc. Are barriers to voting, such as steep ramps, poor path surfaces, and inaccessible voting machines inhibiting people with disabilities from contributing to the democratic process?
|
See:
– The turnout gap between voters with and without disabilities grew in 2018 — representing 2.35 million people, Philadelphia Inquirer
– How voters with disabilities are blocked from the ballot box, Pew Research Center
|
20) People with disabilities face what some call a housing crisis. The federal government has set aside money for disability housing, while the COVID-19 pandemic raises more questions about discriminatory housing practices.
|
See:
– Feds unleash $130 million for disability housing, Disability Scoop
– NYC logs 284 coronavirus-related harassment and discrimination complaints since February, NY Daily News
|
21) The ADA requires attorneys, courts, police and others associated with the criminal justice system to avoid discriminating against people with disabilities. Yet people with disabilities are more likely to be arrested, charged with a crime and serve long prison sentences than those without disabilities. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 32 percent of federal prisoners and 40 percent of people in jail have at least one disability.
|
See:
– Disabilities among prison and jail inmates, 2011-12, Bureau of Justice Statistics
– Mental illness cases swamp criminal justice system, USA Today
|
22) Student outcomes often depend heavily on the intersectionality of disability and race. A 2016 Respectability report found that white students with disabilities were suspended less frequently than students of color with disabilities at both the elementary and secondary school level. How could addressing this trend help reduce the school-to-prison pipeline for people with disabilities?
|
See:
– Disability and criminal justice reform: Keys to success, RespectAbility
|
23) The ADA requires that public spaces, such as parking lots and libraries, be accessible to those with physical disabilities. But the reality is sometimes different.
|
See:
– Blocked parking spots, broken sidewalks, and boulders: How common spaces fail people with disabilities, The Nation
– When an architectural gem is not accessible to all, New York Times
|
24) The ADA prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of disability. Yet in 2019, fewer than 20 percent of people living with disabilities were employed — and analysts have found that in the U.S., disability and poor health are the driving forces behind labor force non-participation among prime-age people.
|
See:
– Some concerning data on health, employment, and poverty, American Enterprise Institute
– High court’s default test for proving job bias remains murky, Bloomberg Law
|
25) At nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, people with disabilities represent one of the largest minority groups, but it has often been an overlooked one. That may be changing with a new wave of activism by those who want to change the way disability is viewed in the U.S.
|
See:
– ‘Our lives are at stake.’ How Donald Trump inadvertently sparked a new disability rights movement, Time
|
26) What used to be acceptable when referring to a disability is now often considered offensive. Changes in language reflect larger changes in how Americans view disability.
|
See:
– Watch your language: “Person-first” is changing disability conversations, Rehab Management, May 2018
– It’s time for a reimagining of disability etiquette, Forbes
– Disability language style guide, National Center on Disability and Journalism
|
27) The number of people who rely on emotional support animals has been growing, with people bringing not just dogs and cats but geese, pigs, peacocks and even iguanas and snakes onto planes and into restaurants and workplaces. The use of emotional support animals stirs up a lot of emotion among those who support their use and those who see it as an unnecessary indulgence.
|
See:
– If emotional support animals are banned from planes, some people say they’ll stop flying, The Washington Post
– Is an emotional support animal serving a person’s needs or their narcissism?, NBC News
|
28) People with disabilities, long nearly invisible on television and in movies, are beginning to gain a greater share of roles, although they are still portrayed at levels far below their presence in the population.
|
See:
– Disability representation in family films hits historic high, Disability Scoop
– Covid-19 advertising has had a glaring lack of disability inclusion, Adweek
|
29) Raising a child with a disability affects families in big and small ways — from finding the right play equipment to how family members relate to one another — and even the decision to have another child.
|
See:
– When you decide your special needs baby has to be your last baby, Pop Sugar
– Caring for the caregiver: Raising children with a disability or chronic disease, Global News Canada
|
30) As the U.S. population ages, the number of people who live with some kind of physical or intellectual ability will increase, affecting public policy on everything from health care to transportation.
|
See:
– What are the implications of an aging population on the mobility industry?, Forbes
– The aging population: The increasing effects on health care, Pharmacy Times
|
