JFActivist

ABC to Air "A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities"

From a Diva Communications Press Release (11/16/09):

Diva Communications' Interfaith Documentary Explores Pressing Issue of Faith and Persons with Disabilities

Diva Communications, Inc., a three-time Emmy award-winning programming and production company, has complete 'A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities,' a unique interfaith documentary due to begin airing on ABC stations in December.  The documentary, produced in conjunction with the New York Board of Rabbis, had the support of an extraordinary lineup of faith groups including the National Council of Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ and the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops.  The faiths' relationship with persons with persons with disabilities is a critical issue since it is estimated that 1 out of 5 Americans has a disability.

'A Place for All' explores the courageous stories of persons with disabilities as the succeed in making their faith communities truly inclusive.  It features people such as Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh, a spiritual leader at Congregation Bnai Keshet in New Jersey and one of the handful of deaf rabbis in the world; members of ELCA's DAYLE program where Definitely Abled Youth unite at the 40,00 strong triennial Evangelical Lutheran youth gathering; Rev. Beth Lockard, the pastor of Christ the King Deaf Church; and Brandon Kaplan, a severely disabled boy with limited sigh and speech who recently had the privilege of becoming a Bar Mitzvah...

... ABC  stations nationwide will begin airing the program December 6, 2009 as a part of ABC's Vision and Values series, a presentation of the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission. Check your local station for times. 

>>>For More Information or To watch the trailer

>>>For A Listing of Stations and Times

Survivor, the Disabled Version, Comes to U.K. TV

From Time (11/17/09):

Survivor, the Disabled Version, Comes to U.K. TV
By Catherine Mayer / London

To television executives depressed over the dwindling audiences for reality TV shows and looking for ways to reinvigorate the once hugely profitable genre, the following pitch might be compelling. "We've got this great show for you. We're going to take six strangers and strand them somewhere really remote; we'll film them as they struggle to survive. You say it's already been done — there's  I'm a Celebrity — Get Me Out of Here! and Survivor and, here in Britain, Castaway. But here's the twist: our participants will be ... disabled! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Cast Offs, a uniquely challenging reality TV show."...

...The show, scheduled to begin airing on Britain's Channel 4 on Nov. 24, is a mockumentary-style drama that apes the reality format it satirizes and seethes with sex, profanity and gloriously politically incorrect dialogue. But it stars actors who in real life share the same disabilities of the characters they portray...

...It's the twisted brainchild of producer Joel Wilson, ...[who]originally envisaged Cast Offs "as something broadly satirical that would poke fun at the way disability is generally viewed ... We wanted to show the disabled were no more and no less f___ed up than anyone else."

>>> For the Full Article

Not Everyone Is Happy about 'Glee'

From the AP (11/10/09):

`Glee' wheelchair episode hits bump with disabled
By LYNN ELBER

LOS ANGELES – The glee club members twirl their wheelchairs to the tune of "Proud Mary" and in joyful solidarity with Artie, the fellow performer who must use his chair even when the music stops.

The scene in Wednesday's episode of the hit Fox series "Glee," which regularly celebrates diversity and the underdog, is yet another uplifting moment — except to those in the entertainment industry with disabilities and their advocates.

For them, the casting of a non-disabled actor to play the paraplegic high school student is another blown chance to hire a performer who truly fits the role.

"I think there's a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable," said Robert David Hall, longtime cast member of CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

All of that is nonsense, said Hall: "I've made my living as an actor for 30 years and I walk on two artificial legs."...

>>> For the Full Article

AAPD Featured in Times Square

AAPD will be featured in Times Square throughout the month of November!

AAPD’s brand new 15-second public service announcement will be featured on the CBS jumbo screen on 42^nd Street in Times Square in New York City the entire month of November, and we want you to see it before its debut in the Big Apple!

We’ve launched a sneak peak of the PSA on our YouTube channel starting Monday, October 26. Check it out, and tell your friends and family to check it out, too!

To see the video, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/AAPDvideo and check out AAPD's Times Square New York City PSA.

Glenn Close and Family Tackle Stigma of Mental Illness

From ABC News (10/21/09):

Glenn Close and Family Tackle Stigma of Mental Illness
Actress Inspired by Sister Jessie Close, Nephew, to Raise Awareness
By KATIE ESCHERICH

For more than 25 years, actress Glenn Close has wowed audiences with memorable performances. But her latest role in a public service announcement addressing the stigma of mental illness hits particularly close to home.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in four adults in the United States have a diagnosable mental disorder. Close is speaking out for the first time on television about the legacy of mental illness in her own family. Her sister, Jessie Close, has bipolar disorder, and Jessie's son Calen Pick, 28, has schizo-affective disorder.

"Mental illness is just part of the human condition," the actress said today on "Good Morning America," adding that her family hopes that the sisters' campaign will help foster a dialogue about a condition that we should "talk about as openly as cancer or diabetes."

Glenn Close, an Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony award winner and Oscar nominee currently starring in the series "Damages," is also the creator of a nonprofit organization called BringChange2Mind, which she founded to raise awareness about mental illness and to provide support and information to the mentally ill and their families...

>>> For the Full Article 

>>> For the Bring Change 2 Mind Website

Self-Advocate Speaks on Technology Access and Barriers

By AAPD's Jenifer Simpson (10/20/09)

SABE’s Elizabeth Weintraub Speaks on Technology before FCC

At a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Workshop on October 20 that focused on broadband access for people with disabilities, Elizabeth Weintraub, former Vice President of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), spoke on employment and outreach issues. Her panel, entitled “Accessibility and Affordability Barriers to Broadband and Internet use Faced by People with Disabilities,” also included representatives from the American Council of the Blind, National Association of the Deaf, American Association of Deaf-Blind, Spinal Cord Advocates, Speech Communications Assistance by Telephone Inc, and Inclusive Technologies. The purpose of the FCC workshop was to gather more information for development of the National Broadband Plan, due to the U.S. Congress in February 2009.  Ms. Weintraub’s statement follows:

“Thank you for inviting me to speak. My name is Elizabeth Weintraub and I’m from Maryland. I work at the Council on Quality & Leadership part time and also I consult for the National Children’s Center in Washington, DC. At both of these organizations, I work to help people with disabilities get good quality of life.  I work from home.

I have been using a computer since the mid nineties, and yes sometimes I hit the wrong key by mistake, however if I was told by people I needed to stop using a computer, just because of my disabilities, that would not be fair at all! How would I keep up with the world?   The Internet is essential to knowing what is going on. If technology wasn't accessible to people with disabilities, then it might be impossible for people to lead a life that they would like.

At the Council on Quality & Leadership, all of my colleagues live everywhere in the country, and if I couldn't email, or fax them, or cut & paste in documents & communicate with then, then I would probably get fired.  I wouldn't get fired because of discrimination, but because the technology is inaccessible.  The way my work is set up is such that if I couldn't use technology, I wouldn't be useful. That's why it's important that everyone, including people with disabilities should be trained in using technology. Not being trained in technology and how to use it is a big barrier for people with disabilities.

Also, not having technical supports from the companies that provide Internet and computers and technology is a problem. We need technical supports so we don’t get stuck. Another barrier is the cost of Internet access.  Not everyone can afford it and if you are in a rural area, the cost is often more. We don’t earn as much as people without disabilities so this is a barrier.

The FCC should do more outreach to people and not just through electronic means since not everyone has computers and internet access. We need more public meetings in lots of cities and towns that are advertised a lot longer ahead of time. Like a month in advance. It takes time for us to find out about FCC meetings. We learn about things like this from disability groups at the national and state and local level. And it takes time for us to arrange car or bus rides. We also often have to arrange childcare. Some of us need to arrange for personal assistants if we need them.

I would like to see the Internet available just about anywhere in the country. So all of us have a chance to find the information, resources, and materials. There is a lot of information available that helps us get jobs and do our jobs. Also for when we take care of our families. I would like to see the Internet easy to use. Cheaper to us, such as in every home. Dial up might be cheaper(?) than DSL, but it means that you can't be on the phone at the same time, and also when I had dial up, I would get frustrated because there were times that it wouldn't connect, and I would be concerned whether it was me or the technology that was the problem

Thank you. ”

After her statement, FCC staff inquired of Ms. Weintraub about the number of Americans with intellectual disabilities and she stated “8-10 million, according to the President’s Committee on Intellectual Disabilities.”

 

Item provided by Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director, Government Affairs, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) For more information on the FCC boadband national plan development and people with disabiliteis, send Email to jsimpson@aapd.com

ADAPT Takes a Stand in GA

From ADAPT (10/15/09):

ADAPT SETS CNN STRAIGHT ON CCA; Moves Civil Rights Enforcement Forward in Southeast

By Amber Smock

All week, our action was covered by various media outlets around Atlanta and the nation, but the elephant in the room remained our building neighbor: CNN. Although our action has been taking place right in CNN’s backyard, we had not gotten one inch of coverage on our issues.

In fact, back on August 19, CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta ran a report on health care reform and disability. He referred to the Community Choice Act (CCA) as a bill that would improve access to hospitals. As any disability activist knows, that’s dead wrong. CCA is about improving access to living in the community for people who receive Medicaid. ADAPTers wrote to Dr. Gupta to make an on-air correction, but he failed to respond.

Read the full Report about ADAPT's protest at CNN yesterday!
http://www.adapt.org/freeourpeople/atlanta09/report05.php

Find out all about the Atlanta Action at

http://www.adapt.org/freeourpeople/atlanta09

Press Release
From ADAPT (10/14/09)

ADAPT Confronts CNN at CNN HQ on Freedom for People with Disabilities

Who: ADAPT, National grassroots disability rights organization

What: Occupying CNN offices at CNN Headquarters in Atlanta

When: NOW (9:30 a.m. Eastern time, and continuing)

Where: CNN HQ in CNN Center, Atlanta

Why: Get the Facts Straight on the Community Choice Act!

For nearly 20 years, ADAPT has been fighting to eliminate the institutional bias that forces seniors and people with disabilities into nursing facilities and other institutions. With very rare exceptions, this issue has been ignored by the major national media.

Even now, when the country is discussing the need to reform health care, the national media has overwhelmingly failed to recognize this critical issue.

Even worse, CNN got it wrong! In August of this year, Dr. Sanjay Gupta from CNN mentioned the Community Choice Act (S683/HR1670) during a segment on health care reform, but he stated that the legislation addressed the need for accessibility in medical settings. ADAPT contacted Dr. Gupta and CNN asking them to correct their inaccuracy and follow our efforts while we are here in Atlanta. They did not.

It is clear that the media plays a significant role in shaping American politics and public policy. We understand that if we want to change public policy, we need the media to understand this issue and call for change. ADAPT members have tried everything we can think of to raise awareness of the institutional bias and alternatives to institutionalization. Literally hundreds of us have been arrested. We have shut down streets, taken over buildings, and even marched 144 miles from Philadelphia to Washington, DC!

Because we are a grass-roots organization, ADAPT doesn't have the expensive public relations firms that can "place" our story in the national media. So ADAPT members have come directly to CNN's national headquarters to educate the network on our issues. We are here to ask CNN that:

* Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his colleagues at CNN meet with ADAPT to learn about the institutional bias, the Community Choice Act (S683/HR1670), and consumer-directed/community-based alternatives to institutionalization;

* Dr. Gupta correct his inaccurate report about the Community Choice Act;

* Dr. Gupta and his colleagues at CNN acknowledge in their reporting that there are disability rights and civil rights issues embedded within healthcare issues;

* Dr. Gupta and his colleagues at CNN report about the efforts of the disability community to eliminate the institutional bias and give people a REAL CHOICE in how and where they receive long term services and supports; and

* Dr. Gupta and his colleagues at CNN report about community-based and consumer-directed models of assistance that are more cost-effective and give seniors and people with disabilities real control over their lives.

From ADAPT (10/13/09)

Disabled advocates move to Sam Nunn building; protest HHS

By Christian Boone and Kristi E. Swartz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A group of disabled advocates who forced their way into the State Capitol on Monday spent Tuesday morning in the courtyard of the Sam Nunn Federal Center, again calling for better long-term care options.

It was their second stop of the day, having started at 9:30 a.m. at Centennial Park. At 1 p.m. they will meet with Gov. Sonny Perdue's chief of staff.

For full story and more links go to:
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/disabled-advocates-move-to-160840.html 

From ADAPT (10/12/09):

ADAPT Visits GA Governor at Home; Demands "Home" for People in Institutions

WHO: 500 members of ADAPT, nation's largest grassroots disability rights organization

WHAT: Went to Georgia Governor's Office

WHERE: 206 Washington Street on Capitol Square

WHEN: 9 a.m. Monday, October 12, 2009

WHY: To demand that Gov. Sonny Perdue stop denying civil rights to older and disabled Georgians and start following the law (ADA) and finally comply with the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.

In May of 1999 the Supreme Court found the state of Georgia guilty of segregation and discrimination against Georgians with disabilities because it forced people with disabilities (and older Georgians) into nursing homes, state hospitals and institutions, rather than serving them in the community.

In Governor Perdue's first term, he acknowledged the state had made little effort to provide community- based services for people with disabilities, and promised to "make alternatives to institutional care a priority by making Georgia's waiting lists for home and community based services a state funding priority." He further promised to cut the waiting lists for services and the bureaucratic red tape involved in receiving state services, and to give families and communities a voice in the monitoring of services.

From 2002 to 2007, the percent of nursing facility residents under age 65 grew from 11.6% (7,211 people) to 14.2% (9,273 people). Of the approximately 230,000 non-institutionalized Georgians with disabilities age 5+ who require daily assistance, only about 17% of them get any assistance through the state's Home and Community-Based Services system. And recently, the state's Division of Aging has announced that due to budget cuts it is discontinuing its participation in the federal Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, a program created in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that allows people to move from more expensive institutional settings back into more cost effective community settings.

"It's a shame that ten years after Olmstead, more people are going into nursing homes than ever before," said Bernard Baker, an organizer with Atlanta ADAPT. "Living in the community isn't a privilege, it's a civil right, and we are being denied our civil rights."

ADAPT Demands that Governor Perdue:

1. Meet with ADAPT;

2. Appoint an Olmstead "Czar" to divert from nursing homes people who wish to remain in the community, and transition others already in nursing facilities back into the community;

3. Adequately fund community-based services so Georgia complies with Olmstead and the ADA;

4. Freeze institutional funding at current levels and work with advocates to rebalance long-term services and supports funding so the majority is spent on home and community services;

5. Modernize Georgia's Nurse Practice Act to allow trained attendants to perform health maintenance tasks;

6. Fund community organizations to identify & assist people in institutions to return to community;

7. Issue an Executive Order requiring the Division of Aging to keep implementing MFP, and remove the "cost share" from Community Care Services Program services; and

8. Demonstrate leadership by publicly urging other southern state governors to develop and implement Olmstead plans and policies in accordance with the ADA and the Olmstead decision.

From ADAPT (10/11/09):

ADAPT Rally at King Center in Atlanta Sets Tone for Week of Olmstead Direct Action

Atlanta, GA--- Today, for the first time in 43 years, Delores Bates celebrated her birthday outside institutional walls. She turned 60 years old by speaking at the King Center surrounded by 500 ADAPT activists from Georgia and across the country who all sang Happy Birthday and celebrated her freedom with her. The fact that Georgia kept Delores institutionalized most of her life, in violation of her civil rights, is one of the reasons ADAPT is in Atlanta this week.

“Bodie” is another reason ADAPT has returned to the city where it first launched the fight to give people a choice to live in the community instead of being forced into nursing facilities and institutions.  Bodie loves the outdoors and he has been waiting 52 years, since he was ten years old, to be able to go outdoors without having to ask permission.  He has been moved from one institution to another without anyone ever so much as consulting him. People keep promising him he will move to a house in the community, yet 52 years later, Bodie still lives in an institution.

More than 500 people marched today from the CNN Center, past historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, to the King Center for a civil rights rally. Invited speaker Attorney General Eric Holder didn’t show, but Delores and Bodie did, and so did Lois Curtis and Sue Jamieson.  Curtis is the surviving named plaintiff in the historic Olmstead lawsuit where she and Elaine Wilson sued the state of Georgia for the right to move from a state hospital to live in the community. Sue Jamieson is the attorney who represented Curtis and Wilson and won the landmark decision before the U.S. Supreme Court where the court found that Georgia’s practice of inappropriately institutionalizing people with disabilities who could live in the community represented illegal segregation and discrimination.

“Ten years after the Olmstead decision, and twenty years after ADAPT first launched the fight for older and disabled Americans to have a real choice in where they receive their long-term services and supports, the state of Georgia continues to thumb its nose at the law, “ Said Mark Johnson of Georgia ADAPT. “The state has never adequately funded community services, and is now cutting them, despite the promises made by Gov. Sonny Perdue when he first took office.  In fact, since the Governor first made those promises, nursing home admissions of people under 65 have grown, not decreased.”

Like other states across the country, Georgia’s failure to develop and implement an action oriented Olmstead plan with goals and timelines to reduce unnecessary segregation of older and disabled Georgians has left it seriously out of compliance with both the Olmstead Supreme Court decision, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. State differences in compliance have presented the best argument for national legislation like the Community Choice Act which would guarantee residents in every state the right to choose to receive long-term services and supports in their own homes and communities.

Startlingly, the King Center, an undeniable symbol of freedom, sits next door to a nursing facility, a concrete reminder of lost years and lost lives.  At the conclusion of the rally, Lois Curtis led the crowd in a chant as people gazed at the adjoining property, “Free our brothers, free our sisters, free our people, now!” ADAPT will spend the coming week in Atlanta working on exactly that.

PBS to Air Film on Disability Advocates

Disabilities Awareness Highlighted this Fall on PBS with Premiere of Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy

The film BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY chronicles the life of two of the country’s most remarkable advocates for people with disabilities. Diana Braun, who has Down syndrome, and Kathy Conour, who has cerebral palsy, met three decades ago and vowed to fight to live independent lives. Fearful of being shut away in a nursing home or forced into a state-run institution, Diana and Kathy broke the rules, escaped the system, and modeled a grand experiment in independent living.

>>> For Air Dates

As a result of their efforts today Diana and Kathy are well-known as a tireless and dynamic pair of lobbyists and activists in the disability movement.  Although Kathy is non-verbal, through the help of a mouth stick and the Pathfinder assistive communication device, she writes articles for national magazines and has a lively email correspondence with leaders in the disability rights movement.  Kathy also serves on boards, and continues to lobby effectively for disability rights--Kathy was once even arrested, power chair and all. Diana drives, cooks, shops, takes care of scheduling doctor’s appointments and has been Kathy’s personal assistant and friend for more than 35 years. 

The film chronicles a journey from their home in Springfield, IL to Washington, D.C. The trip is physically dangerous and technically illegal—Medicare rules require them to be homebound. History has shown, however the benefits of breaking rules can sometimes outweigh the risks. Although they comprise the largest minority in the United States, people with disabilities are routinely denied equal access and rights. BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY exemplifies the abilities of people with disabilities and helps us understand an important and complex social issue.

The film almost didn’t happen, however. When Diana Braun and Kathy Conour approached Alice Elliott, and asked her to make a film about them, Alice was reluctant. She had just spent five years making her previous film, the Academy Award®  nominated short documentary The Collector of Bedford Street, and wasn’t ready to plunge into another project.

It had been Kathy’s life long dream to have a documentary made about her, so she wouldn’t give up. After visiting Diana and Kathy in Springfield, Illinois, Alice realized what unique subjects they would be and was won over by Kathy’s persistence. For five years, Diana and Kathy gave Alice complete access to their lives. During that time, they filmed in Washington, D.C., as well as Chicago and Springfield. Told in an intimate, vérité style, BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY brings audiences into a private world and sweeps us into a way of life rarely seen on screen and seldom understood.

The film has received a number of awards and recognitions, including a nomination from the International Documentary Association for the Distinguished Short Documentary Award and the TASH Positive Images in Media Award (shared with Including Samuel). The film was produced, directed, and filmed by Alice Elliott (The Collector of Bedford Street) and edited by Rose Rosenblatt (The Education of Shelby Knox, Live Free or Die), original music by Rick Baitz. BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY is a co-production of Alice Elliott and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY, will have its television premiere this fall on PBS in as part of the network’s National Disabilities Awareness programming (check local listings).

More about BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY can be found at www.dianaandkathy.com You can also follow them on Twitter at DianaandKathy or become a fan on Facebook from our web site.

AFL-CIO Endorses Increasing Inclusion and Visibility of People with Disabilities

I AM PWD CAMPAIGN ENDORSED BY AFL-CIO CONVENTION 
AFL-CIO Convention Delegates Pass Resolution 18 Endorsing the 
I AM PWD Campaign of AEA, AFTRA and SAG

Pittsburgh (September 16, 2009) – I AM PWD — the Inclusion in the Arts and Media for People with Disabilities campaign of Actors’ Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild — was today endorsed by the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention delegates through Convention Resolution 18, entitled “Unions Should Give People with Disabilities a Voice and a Face.”

“It’s the dawn of a new day for workers with disabilities,” said I AM PWD national chair and SAG/AFTRA/AEA member Robert David Hall, who appeared before the more than 700 convention delegates to urge the passage of Resolution 18. “We are overjoyed that our I AM PWD campaign has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO Convention delegates, but even more meaningful is this loud show of support and solidarity from our brothers and sisters in the national labor movement.”

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker said, “The AFL-CIO is proud of our progress toward diversity in our leadership, especially when it comes to race, gender and sexual orientation, but the fact is that workers with disabilities are not yet fully included in the life, work and leadership of our labor movement.  We took action today to begin to change that, and to work toward full equality for people with disabilities in American life.” AFL-CIO Convention Resolution 18 pledges, “The AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions endorse and support the I AM PWD campaign and invite SAG, AFTRA and Equity to share its lessons.”

Beyond its endorsement of the I AM PWD campaign, Resolution 18 also declares the AFL-CIO’s intention to “make itself a model by including people with disabilities in all discussions addressing diversity and by encouraging the labor movement at all levels to do the same.”

About I AM PWD
I AM PWD is a global civil rights campaign seeking equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the entertainment and news media. I AM PWD was founded by members of Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association to bring media and public attention to the issues of media access, inclusion and accuracy for people with disabilities. You can visit I AM PWD online at IAMPWD.org <http://IAMPWD.org> .  

About SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation’s largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists’ rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents nearly 120,000 actors who work in film and digital television programs, motion pictures, commercials, video games, music videos, industrials and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists’ rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at SAG.org <http://SAG.org> .

About AFTRA
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, are the people who entertain and inform America. In 32 Locals across the country, AFTRA members work as actors, journalists, singers, dancers, announcers, hosts, comedians, disc jockeys, and other performers across the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audiobooks, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet and other digital media. The 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters, and recording artists of AFTRA are working together to protect and improve their jobs, lives, and communities in the 21st century. From new art forms to new technology, AFTRA members embrace change in their work and craft to enhance American culture and society. Visit AFTRA online at http://www.aftra.com.  

About AEA
Actors' Equity Association (AEA or "Equity"), founded in 1913, represents more than 48,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society.  Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.  

Equity is governed by its own members through an elected Council, representing principal actors, chorus actors and stage managers living in three regions: Eastern, Central and Western. Members at large participate in Equity’s governance through a system of regional boards and committees. Equity has 24 designated area liaison cities with over 100 members each. Visit us at actorsequity.org <http://actorsequity.org> .

Comments by JFAAN Employment Workgroup Chair, Tari Hartman Squire (9/23/09):

Last week’s 2009 AFL-CIO convention delegates adopted Resolution 18: “Unions Should Give People with Disabilities a Voice and a Face.” 

This is a real policy breakthrough: Beyond its endorsement of the I AM PWD campaign, Resolution 18 also declares the AFL-CIO’s intention to “make itself a model by including people with disabilities in all discussions addressing diversity and by encouraging the labor movement at all levels to do the same.”
SAG was the first union in 1980 to add disability to the Affirmative Action and Non-Discrimination Clause of the 1980 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in an effort to "more accurately portray the American scene." 

That was 10 years BEFORE the ADA.  Yet, a 2005 survey by SAG/UCLA Targan Center, 15 years AFTER the ADA revealed a dismal 2% of television portrayals included people with disabilities and less than .05% (less than one half of one percent) had speaking (or signing) roles.

As we know, in our four screen world (handheld, computer, TV and movie theatre) media images of people with disabilities has power to shatter myths and reinforce stereotypes.  Entertainment is the one industry sector that exports images and attitudes - worldwide.  Deep thanks to Robert David Hall, Ray Bradford, Adam Moore and the tireless efforts of many who brought this Resolution and I AM PWD to fruition, and in awakening brothers and sisters in the Labor Movement - Bravo!

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ASAN Protests Autism Speaks "I am Autism" Campaign

From the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) 9/24/09:

 Help Us Protest Autism Speaks and Tell Bruce Springsteen to End His Support For Them!

Hello,

As many of you are aware, Autism Speaks sunk to a new low this week - even for them! Their new "I am Autism" campaign repeats the same tired old lies as the NYU Child Study Center's Ransom Notes ads, which our community successfully stopped in 2007, and goes even further, presenting Autistic people as useless burdens on society, on our families and on the world at large. "I am autism. I have no interest in right or wrong. I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams....And if you're happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails. Your money will fall into my hands, and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain," says the video campaign. Full text is available here. As we did in response to the "Ransom Notes" ads, we are preparing a joint letter from the disability community in response to these horrific statements, which we hope to have available early next week. If you are connected to an organization that might be interested in signing on to such a letter, please e-mail info@autisticadvocacy.org immediately.

In addition, we are encouraging people to act immediately by joining ASAN in writing singer Bruce Springsteen, scheduled to participate in an Autism Speaks fundraiser in November, to end his newfound association with this organization that devalues our lives and speaks about us without us. You can contact Springsteen's publicist at mlaverty@shorefire.com or by phone at 718-552-7171.

Finally, as we mentioned in our initial press release this morning, ASAN Activists and allies are preparing to confront Autism Speaks fundraising in their own communities. If you would be willing to organize a protest in your community, whether you are a self advocate, family member or other ally, please e-mail us at info@autisticadvocacy.org. There has never been a more important time for our community to assert our voice.

Thank you and, as always, Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Regards,
Ari Ne'eman
President
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/
info@autisticadvocacy.org

>>> For More Information

NOTE: ASAN's Portland chapter is preparing a protest of Autism Speaks' walk in Portland will be held this Saturday. To participate, please contact elesia.ashkenaz@gmail.com. ASAN's Columbus chapter has been granted a permit to protest Autism Speaks' October 11th walk. To participate, please contact myergeau@gmail.com. More protests are being planned. To plan a protest in your local community, please contact info@autisticadvocacy.org