We need RIGHTS!We can't always rely on the kindness of others. So, we gotta think smarter. What are these men leading the charge to take away rights r
We need RIGHTS!
We can’t always rely on the kindness of others. So, we gotta think smarter. What are these men leading the charge to take away rights replacing them with? What are they giving us? What are they sharing with YOU?
A “promise” for a better tomorrow”?
Your rights are there today for a reason. Hold onto them and fight for MORE.
For example, DEI is the foundation for protecting the rights of women and people with disabilities. If you are serious about understanding the connection between DEI and ADA here is more information:
1. What is DEI?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) refers to initiatives, policies, and practices designed to create equitable opportunities, remove systemic barriers, and foster inclusive environments in workplaces, schools, and communities.
- Diversity focuses on representation of different identities (race, gender, disability, LGBTQ+, etc.).
- Equity ensures fair access, opportunities, and resources by addressing systemic disadvantages.
- Inclusion fosters environments where diverse individuals feel valued and empowered.
DEI initiatives often focus on racial and gender equity but also include disability rights, making ADA compliance an integral part of DEI efforts.
Someone said: “DEI is about your background“✘
Having worked as an Independent Living Coordinator for people with disabilities I can tell you that is a lie. I directly advocated for inclusion, equity, and diversity on behalf of people with disabilities from various backgrounds.
Sometimes it was about structural changes like ramps, other times it was about changes in employer/landlord/org/govt:
- communication,
- schedule adjustments,
- transportation, etc
- housing
- training
- employment
- assistive technology devices
- humane and compassionate personal care services
It is simply acknowledging differences and making accommodations for human beings without compromising the safety of others.
2. What is the ADA?
America needed to be more human-centered and humanely connected. Like no other movement, the Black American Civil Rights movement had made that clear. Most people who worked on the ADA in the early years will tell you that their tactics and strategies come out of the Black American Civil Rights era.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990, is a landmark U.S. civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in:
- Employment (Title I)
- Public services and transportation (Title II)
- Public accommodations and commercial facilities (Title III)
- Telecommunications (Title IV)
- Miscellaneous provisions (Title V)
The ADA ensures accessibility in workplaces, public spaces, and digital environments, aligning with DEI goals of full participation and inclusion.
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3. How Are DEI and ADA Linked in Legislation?
The historical connection between DEI and ADA is rooted in civil rights movements and anti-discrimination laws:
1964 Civil Rights Act: This foundational law banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It set the precedent for later protections, including disability rights.
1973 Rehabilitation Act (Section 504): This was the first U.S. federal law prohibiting disability discrimination in federally funded programs, laying the groundwork for the ADA.
1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Modeled after the Civil Rights Act, the ADA expanded protections to private employment, public spaces, and digital accessibility.
2008 ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA): Strengthened ADA protections by broadening the definition of disability, addressing systemic barriers.
Executive Orders & DEI Policies (2000s-Present): The rise of workplace DEI programs in the 2010s and 2020s has increasingly incorporated disability inclusion, reinforcing ADA principles.
4. Why Does This Connection Matter?
- DEI expands ADA goals by promoting not just compliance but full inclusion of people with disabilities in workplaces and society.
- ADA provides legal backing to DEI efforts by ensuring enforceable rights for disabled individuals in employment, housing, and public life.
- Both combat systemic barriers in hiring, education, healthcare, and technology access.
In short, DEI and ADA work together:
ADA is the legal framework for disability rights, while DEI ensures a broader cultural and systemic shift toward inclusion.
After the broken promises of 40 acres and a mule, Black people knew to get everything else in writing.
Who benefits from the erosion of rights?
The understanding of DEI policies has long been propagandized for political purposes. That’s not new. And, because some people have come to hate all things DEI they are choosing to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Caution.
As women, we must stop letting people trick us out of rights that have been hard fought, bled, and died for. We do not need head pats and applause from any of these men. Men on the left, men on the right, and all the men in between.
If I come off as a bit more passionate than usual, it is because I am fueled by the women I met along the way who had an acquired disability via male violence.
- The beautiful woman thrown from a moving vehicle on the highway who survived but never had use of her extremities from the neck down again…
- The other beautiful woman who suffered from years of beatings about the head. I lost her. At least, I feel like I did. ……
- The exhausted woman who came to us because she was sleeping in her car with all her belongings in the department store parking lot after a recent divorce. I was able to secure an affordable home for her in a retirement community with all the accessible amenities that her chronic condition required (step-in shower, lowered cabinets, a van that came to the community a few times a week to take the residents shopping)…
- The beautiful young woman in her 20s that I helped secure affordable housing for. It was her daughter who had a disability. I got the opportunity to sit on their living room floor and play with the toddler. She was adorable. Precious.
- The countless beautiful people of all ages and backgrounds suffering from and overcoming mental illness, chronic pain, chronic migraines, and female-related health issues after child abuse……
I strongly urge you to do your own research.
To deepen your understanding of the intersection between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), especially from Black academic perspectives, consider the following resources:
1. Scholarly Articles and Journals:
“Race, Ethnicity, and Disability: Veterans and Benefits in Post–Civil War America” by Larry M. Logue and Peter Blanck. This book examines the intersection of race, disability, and veterans’ benefits, providing historical context relevant to DEI and ADA discussions.
“Blackness and Disability: Critical Examinations and Cultural Interventions” edited by Christopher M. Bell. This collection challenges the marginalization of Black experiences in disability studies and emphasizes the importance of intersectionality.
2. Academic Institutions and Resource Centers:
Howard University Research and Training Center (HURTC): Under the leadership of Sylvia Walker, HURTC has been pivotal in researching the unique challenges faced by disabled minorities, particularly Black Americans. Their work has significantly influenced disability legislation and DEI initiatives.
3. Books and Anthologies:
“All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism” edited by Lydia X. Z. Brown, E. Ashkenazy, and Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. This anthology provides insights into the experiences of autistic people of color, highlighting the intersections of race and disability.
“Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction” by Sami Schalk. This work explores how Black women writers address themes of disability, race, and gender in speculative fiction.
4. Online Resource Guides:
University of North Texas Health Science Center’s DEI Guide: This guide offers a curated list of books, databases, journals, and web resources related to African American and Black experiences within the context of DEI.
Atlantic Cape Community College’s DEI Toolkit: This toolkit provides a variety of resources, including books and internet links, focusing on Black and African American perspectives in DEI.
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