Great Plains ADA Center

11/14/2025

Love seeing profiles of prominent Iowans in New Mobility - check out this article about politician and former Paralympian, Josh Turek!

Born with spina bifida, Josh Turek credits growing up poor and disabled for helping instill the mental strength and character that eventually helped him become a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, then get elected to Iowa’s House of Representatives as a first-time candidate in 2022.

The 20th District seat he won had been held by Republicans for the previous three elections, but Turek “climbed, crawled and dragged” his wheelchair to 14,000 doors in the district and eked out a win by six votes. The victory burnished his credentials as the rare candidate who can communicate across party lines in these highly partisan times.

Now, Turek is facing his biggest challenge yet on the campaign trail. He has eight months before Iowa’s primary election to convince Democratic voters to give him a chance to become the first permanently disabled U.S. Senator from Iowa.

New Mobility spoke with him about how he is crafting his message to voters as a proudly disabled candidate, how he believes getting out the disabled vote will be “one of his superpowers” in the race and much more.

Read more: https://newmobility.com/could-paralympian-and-prairie-populist-josh-turek-be-iowas-next-senator/

11/14/2025

Upcoming FREE virtual learning opportunity happening November 19 to celebrate

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is a family caregiver — and when caregivers share their voices, they can shape policy.

🗣️ Join Jason Resendez, CEO and President of the National Alliance for Caregiving, and Marvell Adams Jr. this on Nov. 19 at 1 pm EST for a free webinar with Caregiver Action Network on turning your experience into action. Your voice matters!

Join the Caregiver Action Network on their "Care Connections: The Plug-In to Care Webinar Series "this . Register now to : https://bit.ly/49acRdg

11/14/2025

Nebraska friends! Check out this great event happening THIS Sunday, November 16 at The Joslyn!

🖼️ Join us at The Joslyn Art Museum for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Awareness Day!

🗓️ Sunday, Nov. 16 | 🕐 1–4 PM
📍 The Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St, Omaha

Experience a day celebrating art, access, and community. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Awareness Day showcases how communication access opens the world of art to everyone. Enjoy:

🖐️ FREE ASL-interpreted guided tours
🎨 DE’VIA activity for all ages
☕ Refreshments & community resources

For questions or more event details, contact Vali Hitz at vali.hitz@nebraska.gov

11/12/2025

Interesting emerging ADA-related lawsuit from Florida raises the question - should pregnant women be allowed to park in accessible spots designated for people with disabilities?

A new FL state law that went into effect in June allows pregnant women to obtain permits to park in disabled parking spaces for up to one year. A disabled FL woman says that law makes parking less accessible to her and other people with disabilities.

Read more - https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article312804883.html


What are your thoughts?

Criticizing the law allowing pregnant women to park in disabled parking spaces, a lawyer said the law’s passage shows “a total lack of awareness.”

11/12/2025

Interested in learning more about accessible healthcare? The Fisa Foundation hosted a series of webinars called “Breaking Barriers: Dialogues on Healthcare Access for People with Disabilities.” The sessions featured conversations with disability experts sharing strategies and practices implemented to improve healthcare access and quality of care for people with disabilities. You can view the recordings for the series at https://fisafoundation.org/access-to-health-care-initiative/ -barriers-webinars

Decades after federal law required healthcare to be accessible, people with disabilities continue to report widespread barriers and pervasive discrimination. In 2024, FISA Foundation launched an initiative to shed light on the barriers and issues that people with disabilities encounter in healthcare...

11/11/2025

"New research from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP finds that 63 million Americans, nearly one in four adults, now serve as family caregivers. An increase of 20 million from 2015 to 2025. The caregiving landscape has shifted from occasional help to high-intensity, complex care that rivals the work of clinically trained professionals."

https://www.nextavenue.org/americas-caregiving-crisis-is-getting-worse/

U.S. family caregivers are doing more than ever before — with less

11/11/2025

If you're a and looking for a new job or a career change, here's a helpful list of resources from our friends at Choose Work!

https://choosework.ssa.gov/blog/2023-11-14-attention-veterans-online-job-search-resources.html

Are you a veteran looking for a job? Did you know that there are online job boards featuring companies that are specifically looking for the skills veterans bring to the workforce? In this blog, we highlight veteran-focused sites that offer job listings and other employment help.

11/11/2025

The latest issue of our FREE monthly e-newsletter, The ADA Report (TADAR) is available now! Get the latest national and regional news about the Americans with Disabilities Act and relevant disability information. This month, read about , , , upcoming ADA training and more!

To read the issue, visit https://conta.cc/43oKYdT

11/11/2025

New resource alert! UNICEF recently released a resource page packed with information about supporting neurodivergent applicants and employees.

"The Nurturing Neurodivergent Talent in an Inclusive Workplace suite of resources aims to provide clear and practical understanding of neurodivergence - what is means, how it presents, and why it matters in today's diverse and inclusive workforce."

Check it out now - https://www.unicef.org/careers/unicef-nurturing-neurodivergent-talent-inclusive-workplace

Disability inclusion starts with you, with me, with all of us!

11/11/2025

Happy Veterans Day! We’re proud to support veterans and their families across the Great Plains region. Thank you for your service!

To learn more about your ADA employment rights as a veteran, visit https://adata.org/employment-resource-hub/veterans-and-ada
For information about general ADA rights for Veterans, visit https://archive.ada.gov/servicemembers_adainfo.html

11/11/2025

Get geared up for tonight's Monday Night Football game with this article from the Sports Business Journal about upcoming NFL Mental Health Awareness Games.

"That kind of teamwork between league clinicians and outside experts is exactly what’s needed to make meaningful change and move the needle. While professional sporting leagues have made good progress in providing resources and addressing mental health, real change often faces a barrier of infrastructure, trust and accessibility."

Read more: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/11/03/mental-health-awareness-maturing-in-the-nfl/

Teams can align fan engagement, philanthropy, and health advocacy in ways that make a lasting impact. Change is coming to professional football’s mental health conversation and it’s being built, piece by piece, through teamwork.

11/10/2025

Missouri friends! If you've been in Warrensburg lately, you may have noticed lots of changes happening in the public rights-of-way. Learn about the updates to sidewalks and curb ramps to increase ADA accessibility around the city.