Resist “liking” certain photos

We’ve all seen it on Facebook. A picture of a child, with some sort of disability/medical condition/genetic anomaly, and the message “Like if you think this child is beautiful” or “Share if this child deserves friends” or something like that. Most of the time the picture is being posted from a website, not the child’s family. All of this unnerves me. I think social media has the power to draw attention to many issues and conditions that people may not

The exceptional athletes of Mary Campbell Center

This month while observing athletes participating in a Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) at the Mary Campbell Center in Delaware I was reminded that each one of us has the ability to contribute and accomplish great things.

According to Special Olympics of Delaware, MATP is a noncompetitive program designed for athletes who are unable to participate in competitive sporting events because of their skills and functional abilities. MATP is able to prepare the individuals for activities designed for their ability level by

If the shoe fits: Two UD students learn on the job

Janell Booker connected with a shoe retailer and Zach Martin with a U.S. senator’s district office as part of Disability Mentoring Day in Delaware. Here’s what the students, who are enrolled in UD’s Career and Life Studies Certificate (CLSC) program for people with intellectual disabilities, had to say about their experiences.

Janell Booker

For this year’s Disability Mentoring Day, I went to New Balance, a sneaker store. I really enjoy sports and exercising and last year I spent Disability Mentoring

Wanted: more job opportunities for people with disabilities

On Oct. 21, the University of Delaware will continue its annual tradition of facilitating Disability Mentoring Day, a national event that encourages people with disabilities to envision their careers and connect with members of the business community. For the second year in a row, UD has collaborated with state leaders, educators and self-advocates to expand the day’s activities. Students and employers from New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties will be participating this year.

While Disability Mentoring Day is certainly meaningful,

Used and abused: the ADA today

Now that the ballyhoo behind the silver anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act has died down, please allow me (with considerable regret – believe me) to voice this uncomfortable truth: The ADA, landmark legislation though it is, capable at any turn of protecting the rights of people with disabilities, continues to spawn negative consequences.

As Dr. Ronald Meinert and Francis K. O. Yuen noted in their book, “Controversies and Disputes in Disability and Rehabilitation,” the ADA trivializes real