September is Emergency Preparedness Month. This year, as every year, the Minnesota Council on Disability reminds you that disasters and emergencies disproportionally impact people with disabilities. To minimize the effects of any emergency, planning is essential. Communication with your support network is critical for people with disabilities when planning for an emergency. The people physically closest to you—family you live with, roommates, your neighbors, and coworkers—are likely to be the ones around you when an emergency happens. Identify the supports you need to take shelter or evacuate in an emergency, and then create an emergency plan with them.
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A Poem on the State Fair by Adina Burke
Each year at the State Fair, the Minnesota Council on Disability brings members of the disability community and fairgoers together for questions, conversations, and fun. Among the many special guests who appear at our booth, we are proud to feature artists with disabilities. Poet Adina Burke is one of this year’s artists. We are happy to bring you a poem on the State Fair by Adina.
Outside My Comfort Zone, Yet Included at the Fair
Artist Bart S. Bartholomew reflects on how the State Fair can both push them outside their comfort zone and be a place of inclusion and connection: “[T]he 150-year-old ‘Great Minnesota Get-Together’ is a fantastic showcase of the best butter sculptures, fare on-a-stick, seed art, DNR pond, 104-year-old blue-ribbon winning baker, and talent. Other states can’t compare. As much as my mind screamed, ‘NO!,’ deep down in my heart I wanted to enter the melee and soak up the experience. Why? Even though I knew my circuits would overload and the breaker would blow, I wanted to be a part of something bigger; moreover, like anyone else – most of all – I wanted to be included.
The Great Get Together Includes All of Us
Poet Adina Burke reflects on the universal need for community and inclusion and how these things are exemplified at the fair: “The fair is a greater illustration of this due to the meshing of so many people and mixture of perspectives. I have the opportunity to learn about accessibility through watching others like me and unlike me navigate the fair and how it is they accomplish what they wish to during the delightful and sometimes disorienting event that is the state fair.”
Stepping into that Space: The Capitol Crawl, March 12, 1990
July is Disability Pride Month, a month dedicated to promoting awareness, acceptance, and empowerment of people with disabilities. We also take this opportunity to recognize the societal attitudes and barriers that continue to limit their full participation. This month, MCD highlights the unique experiences and perspectives of people within our community. A guest blog post by MCD Council member Tammy Berberi.
Celebrating 33 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), civil rights legislation that changed how society approaches disability and views accessibility and inclusion. Passed into law on July 26, 1990, the ADA extended the promise of civil rights in this country and gave legal protections to millions of people with disabilities. As celebrations have expanded from a day of recognition to an entire month of Disability Pride, let us note how the ADA has helped shift societal attitudes about disability. By advocating for inclusion, the ADA has challenged stereotypes and biases, leading to a more diverse society.