Great Plains ADA Center

01/29/2026

Yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day. Learn about a new documentary by filmmaker Cameron Mitchell, Disposable Humanity, that spotlights the untold story of disabled victims of the Holocaust in this article from Disability Scoop

The N***s built the first gas chambers to systematically murder institutionalized people with disabilities resulting in nearly 300,000 deaths, yet these victims are often the last to be remembered.

01/29/2026

Be sure to get registered for this upcoming free webinar hosted by our friends at the Pacific ADA Center and featuring our friend and ADACC member, Laura Lee Putzback of Service Dog Alliance of Florida to learn more about service animal access in healthcare settings. It's happening February 19 at 1:30 CT!

To register, visit - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yNmGPpN2QpGcIQtF9c400g #/registration

The ADA sets clear rules for service animals, yet real-world application in healthcare is rarely one-size-fits-all. This session goes beyond the two allowable questions to examine policies, procedures, and practices across emergency, outpatient, inpatient, and long-term care settings. Through real-w...

01/28/2026

Today is International Lego Day! Check out this great story out of Massachusetts about the work of Matthew Shifrin and his nonprofit, Bricks for the Blind. They've partnered with Lego to develop accessible building kits for Blind users.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/01/28/bricks-for-the-blind-matthew-shifrin

Matthew Shifrin is on a mission to make Legos accessible for blind people through his nonprofit Bricks for the Blind.

01/28/2026

Looking for a podcast for your commute? Check out the latest episode of United in Accessibility series from International Association of Accessibility Professionals: IAAP featuring Chris Ruden. The conversation centers on disability inclusion, trust, and belonging.

https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/managed-content-podcast/61-chris-ruden-on-disability-inclusion-trust-and-belonging-MCWXH4QC55OJHJ3G2HJJYF272NCU

01/28/2026

Can I Play That? (CIPT) began in November 2018 as a small hobby website. It has since grown into a well-known resource for both players and game developers, offering detailed information about accessibility in video games. CIPT publishes reviews, news, and feature stories that focus entirely on accessibility and its growing role in the gaming industry.

Check it out now! https://caniplaythat.com/

Can I Play That provides accessibility focused game reviews and news. For Disabled Gamers, By Disabled Gamers.

01/28/2026

Insightful article from Governing highlighting the biggest issues for state and local governments for 2026. Includes several disability-relevant issues like Artificial Intelligence, Make America Healthy Again requirements, Medicaid, Emergency Management, Transportation Funding, and Election Administration.

https://www.governing.com/politics/the-biggest-issues-to-watch-in-2026

States will be scrambling to manage new priorities and demands from Washington, tighten their belts in a tough budget cycle and respond to federal frameworks on AI regulation.

01/28/2026

Looking for a podcast for your commute? Check out the latest episode of the Health Literacy Out Loud podcast - Communicating Clearly with People Who Have Disabilities. In this podcast episode, Joanne Nicholson, PhD, sits down with Tamara Huntley and Helen Osborne to discuss communication challenges faced by people with disabilities.

Listen to this episode here or scan the QR code below: https://zurl.co/sdpOS

In this podcast episode, Joanne Nicholson, PhD, sits down with Tamara Huntley and Helen Osborne to discuss communication challenges faced by people with disabilities.

Listen to this episode of Health Literacy Out Loud: https://zurl.co/sdpOS

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Image Description: Communicating Clearly for People Who Have Disabilities. Quote from Joanne Nicholson says that whether you identify as a person with a disability or others think of you as a person with a disability, to be able to speak your mind and feel that you’re being heard and that you are at the table having a two-way conversation. I think that’s about respect. That’s helping to build trust with your provider or your teacher or whomever you’re with or your family member. Includes an image of Joanne Nicholson, a white woman with white hair wearing glasses, and a QR code to scan to listen.

01/27/2026

Recent decision out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit offers an important reminder to employees with disabilities and employers.

"In its published decision which praises the employer for its accommodation efforts, the Court held that an employee who cannot attend work to perform her position’s essential functions – or at least timely notify her employer that she cannot attend – is not a “qualified individual” with a disability under ADA."

To learn more about the case (Haggins v. Wilson Air Center, LLC ), check out this article from Poyner Spruill, LLP.

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/fourth-circuit-continues-to-define-9109485/

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects “qualified individuals” with a disability from job discrimination, and imposes upon employers the...

01/27/2026

January is winding down...and with it Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month, but here's a helpful article from SAMHSA highlighting practical tips for supporting individuals with both eating and substance use disorders. The article also includes several resources for individuals living with these conditions.

https://www.samhsa.gov/blog/how-to-support-people-with-both-eating-and-substance-use-disorders

01/27/2026

Love this story! British amplifier maker, Victory, recently sent a Brailled amp to musician Anthony Ferraro.

"A special braille note addressed to Ferraro also came in the box, which reads: 'Dear, Anthony… We heard you wanted to try a Victory amp. So we set ourselves a challenge and came up with this unique design just for you."

Learn more in this quick story from guitar.com. Thanks for sharing, Blind New World!

“You actually changed my life. I don't even know how to say thank you enough,” Anthony Ferraro tells Victory.

01/27/2026

A recent flurry of opinion pieces in mainstream publications like The Atlantic, The National Review, and The Wall Street Journal question the number of accommodations granted to students with disabilities in the higher education setting. Many of the authors claim that colleges have "gotten too accommodating."

Check out this article from Inside Higher Education as it examines the data from colleges and universities - and debunks common myths about accommodations in the post-secondary setting.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2025/12/16/colleges-dont-over-accommodate-disabilities-opinion

A certain genre of articles skeptical of higher ed’s disability accommodation process fuels attacks on civil rights.

01/27/2026

Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler opens up to Parents about raising two sons while living with multiple sclerosis (MS), her podcast MeSsy with Christina Applegate, how she's reframed living with MS, the power of asking for help, the village she leans on for support and her upcoming memoir.

https://www.parents.com/jamie-lynn-sigler-gets-real-about-parenting-with-ms-11886704

Jamie-Lynn Sigler opens up to Parents about raising two sons while living with MS, her podcast MeSsy with Christina Applegate, how she's reframed living with MS her diagnosis, the power of asking for help, the village she leans on for support and her upcoming memoir.