A mother talks about having a child with a a disability and how “we appear to have come a long way from the days of referring to people with a disability as the ‘village idiot’, ‘slow’ or ‘retarded’ (Crowford, 2018). This mother talks about how her “son embraced life with all the challenges and obstacles life flung at him. She became less aware of his special needs and more aware of the impact that society has on a person with a disability” (Crowford, 2018).

This article points out  about the  United Nations committee addressing the rights of disabled people has rebuked the U.K. for how people with disabilities are portrayed by the government and seen in the media, with one expert expressing concern for attitudes which may lead to euthanasia. 

“Disabled people being portrayed as parasites, living on social benefits, and welfare and the taxes of other people” is dangerous, Theresia Degener told BBC in an unpublished interview, according to Disability News Service. 

This attitude “will later on lead to violence against disabled people … if not to killings and euthanasia,” said Degener, who chairs the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). As part of an economic plan to recover from the 2008 recession, the UK began a social security reform in 2010, intended to achieve financial sustainability and curb abuse of the welfare system.

This article reflects about the role perceptions of people with disability. The way they are looked down as "burden of charity", etc. 
I hope that soon the government would focus to the needs of people with disabilities more, and educate the community about their perceptions to the individuals with disabilities.
 I think and hope that humanity should be implemented and  prioritized

This article talks about a student with disability was locked in a school bus for six hours long. "Mother of student, 19, says the incident last week left her daughter 'traumatized'.  
"A Toronto school bus driver has been fired after a young disabled woman was locked inside a bus for six hours, something the school board calls "completely unacceptable" and that has angered the mother of the 19-year-old student".

The bus driver was first suspended after Laura Mastache complained about how her daughter, Wendy Mastache, was left inside it last week.

This incident shows how some people are not aware of their surrounding. I really believe that people should be more sensitive when working or supporting students with disabilities.

"The system was gamed against me. If I showed intelligence, my mucked up motor system took over."-  Ido Kedar
Ido Kedar uses an iPad to communicate.
"Ido Kedar was told as a child that he would never be able to communicate independently." Now as an adult, through the help of technology, he has found his voice through his iPad and keyboard.
" He did not have the motor skills to hold a pencil on his own, and she was resting her hand over his." "I was kind of talking out loud and I said 'Oh shoot, I forgot this word' and under my hand I feel his hand spelling it out. And I hadn't said any of the letters," Tracy says.

This is an amazing story of Ido Kedar, through technology, every thing is possible. A great story to share especially to families and individual  who has communication disability. 

January 29, 2018
Hong Kong Free Press

This article points out how Hong Kong, one of the busiest progressed city in the world has no wheelchair accessible in most places even at best hotels. Hong Kong is known as one of the most expensive city in the world.  “People on the street discriminate against us, hate to see us, or hate to find us around,” said Ko.
Part of the problem lies in the city’s uneven terrain and steep slopes. Some streets and roads are so steep that the pavement has to turn into stairs.
But another part of the problem is caused by lack of proper legislation. Not all public buildings and businesses are required by law to provide access to people with disabilities. Most of the restaurants and shops in Hong Kong are on a raised platform with no barrier-free access.

The government tend to forget and ignore the needs of the society because they are not focused or looking the over-all needs of the society. The people with disabilities are always forgotten. Again, equality should be emphasize in this whole world so that no one would feel so different and left out.

January 23,  2018
The Guardiam

"People with disabilities are being charged almost £4,000 by Cornwall council for a designated parking bay outside their homes."

Although this is not a Canadian news, it is interesting to see how people with disabilities in other countries are also fighting for the respect of their rights.

March 29, 2017

This article highlights the fact that in the Power Rangers movie, the Blue Ranger is depicted by a teen who is on the autism spectrum. The director notes that this was important to showcase diversity among the characters. Billy who is the blue ranger is an integral part of the team and "without Billy and without the qualities he has, this team would never be victorious" (Bergado, 2017).  It is extremely important for movies to show visibility in terms of disabilities, so that young people can relate and see themselves within the characters. There is starting to be a general push towards including more people with autism on screen, because a lot of people don't see themselves represented in pop culture. 

I believe that it is so important for younger people with disabilities to see themselves represented in films, because it helps them build their self-esteem.  

March 14, 2018

This article highlights the way in which society still views disability as a limitation. When Stephen Hawking died, a lot of the discourse surrounding his passing was related to him finally being free from his physical disability. the article notes that despite the many accomplishments that Hawking's achieved, he is still held back by society's ableist attitudes towards disability. Some of the images that were circulating around social media was "of him standing, out of his chair, and gazing at the stars" (Brown, 2017). 

I thought it was shocking to see the amount of tweets that referenced Stephen Hawking finally being free. Most of them did not mean it in a negative way however, it really shows just how society views people with disabilities, as a limitation.

February 7, 2018

The article sheds light on Lucas who is the winner of the 2018 Gerber Baby contest. Lucas's mother never imaged that her baby would win, because she submitted his photo just on a whim after she was notified of the contest by her friend. The author noted that Lucas was the first baby with Down Syndrome to win the contest. This contest has been going on for 8 years and it's great to see companies trying to show more diversity. The CEO Bill Partyka, wants the world to understand Gerber's "longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby" (as cited in Shugerman, 2018). Lucas's mother hopes that through his win, it will help to raise more awareness about Down Syndrome.

I think that Gerber is taking a step in the right direction. All babies should be celebrated and represented in the media.

January 13, 2018

This article looks into the experience of Jessica Kellgreen-Fozard who is a  Youtuber with quite a few subscribers. Jessica highlights the daily struggle that she endures with people who often disregard her disability because it is not visible. She explains that people are more accepting of her being a lesbian then of her having a disability.  They often confront her for using the accessible toilets in public or yell at her for bumping into them if they happen to be on her blind side. Jessica talks about society's misconceptions about disability and dating. Too often she explains that people would often say to her wife that "she is a saint for marrying me or that she must be such a good person" (McFadden, 2018). As if Jessica is a constant burden on the relationship. This article really brings to light society's lack of acceptance towards people with disabilities.

I thought it's really unfortunate that people are less accepting of individuals with hidden disabilities. Just because it is not visible does not mean that the person should be treated differently.

This article talked about voluntary euthanasia (VE), also known as physician-assisted suicide. The article talked about “someone who was severely disabled by an accident. This person wanted to end their own life using VE, but the legalities prevented him to get it done” (Dwyer, 2018).

It was difficult to read this article. I know people are allowed to make their own choices when they are face with difficult circumstances.

March 21, 2018

“People with Down Syndrome, their advocate and supporters gathered at UN Headquarters in New York to rally employers and make sure they saw the benefits of enabling people with Down syndrome and disabilities to make meaningful contributions in the workplace” (UN News, 2018) One speaker spoke about “refusing to listen when experts said her daughter Sara, born with Down syndrome  would be lucky to be able to push  shopping carts at the local grocery store” (UN News, 2018).

I think individuals with disabilities can contribute to society, all they need is the opportunity to do so without being looked at as someone who are not able to contribute.

May 29,  2017

After “eight months of consultations the people who participated in this consultation wanted to see laws that would lower high unemployment rates for those with disabilities. The minister, Carla Qualtrough, her task will be to craft laws to make Canada more accessible to people with disabilities, says employment will be a key focus” (McQuigge, 2017b). 

When the barriers are removed individuals with disabilities can have the access they need to move around and contribute to society. 

A “Toronto couple Martin and Marie both use mobility scooters. Via Rail has changed its policy on wheelchairs and other mobility aids to comply with a federal order demanding it makes its trains more accessible to those who use the devices” (McQuigge, 2017a)
This change allows the couple to “travel together, but in the bigger picture, it shows that the rail travel guidelines need to be looked at and expanded to meet capacity” (McQuigge, 2017a).

I didn't realize  that Via Rail didn't have the accommodations for more than one scooters. The new changes will make it much easier for individuals that uses these scooters. 

The article talked about many people with a disability spoke about the problems with the accessibility at the Paralympic Games in South Korea. They mention that “organizers described a “perfectly” organized event that provided the “highest level of access” (Tong-Hyung, 2018).

I was a bit sad when I read this article. People in authority need to make sure that buildings and roads etc. are accessible for people with disability. This 2018 these things should not be happening.

February 20, 2018

In this article it talks about how the fashion world is truly lacking in its representation of women with disabilities. Kelly Knox describes that in today's society we see more and more diversity through race, age, and body shapes, however disability seems to still be a subject that is not being addressed. A fashion journalist by the name of Caroline Baxter was interviewed and asked why it was so difficult for women with disabilities to be used in magazines. Her reply described how the reader would feel compelled to question the model with a disability and it would end up taking away from the fashion. Baxter states "the reader would need an explanation. Who is this person? It would stop being a fashion story." (as cited in Knox, 2018). 

I think the fashion journalist's comments were not completely true. Having a model with a disability will not take away from the fashion itself. The viewer will look at the clothes regardless of who is wearing them.

December 17, 2017

This article talks about a Woman named Amy Wright who opened up a coffee business which employs about 40 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was inspired by her own children Beau and Bitty who have Down Syndrome. Wright states that the coffee shops has created an opportunity for the community to interact and get to know the staff working at the shop. Wright believes that the coffee shop has given its staff a chance to feel respected and valued members of society. 

I really enjoyed reading this article because the mother was trying to provide an opportunity for people with disabilities to thrive in society. She not only was helping them feel valued and respected but the community also benefits from learning more about how to be accommodating and accepting.

October 25, 2017

This article talks about how social media has created more awareness surrounding people living with hidden disabilities. A lot of the time people with disabilities that cannot be seen are often judged. The author highlights that many of them have to deal with the frustration and false perceptions that arise from people's attitudes towards their condition. A hashtag titled #InvisibleDisabilitiesWeek was started by Annie Segarra to raise awareness of hidden conditions. The hashtag was used by thousands of people around the world in order to share their own photos and experiences.

I think social media is proving to be a powerful tool to raise more awareness to people who lack the knowledge and understanding of hidden disabilities

January 19, 2018
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

The article mentions that the new regulations for increasing the minimum wage have damaged the functioning of homes for people with disabilities. Apparently, the budget of these households is difficult to pay for operating expenses, which means that they have to lay off staff in order to increase the salaries of the remaining personnel.

I consider that the previous minimum wage was very low and that it was not enough to cover the basic needs of the families. I also understand that for small employers it is difficult to maintain the same number of employees that they had previously

May O5, 2017
CBC News

This article talks about a young man," the 21-year-old Surrey man was diagnosed with cerebral palsy quadriplegia shortly after he was born, confining him to a wheelchair and limiting the movement of his limbs. He says If he wanted to move away from his mother, it's unlikely he could survive on the province's current $1,033 per month disability allowance."

21-year-old Nathan Shipley takes to social media at election time to vent his frustration."I've done what I can to get a paying job — however, it's difficult for me to find something that I can do," he pleaded on a video he sent to B.C.'s provincial election candidates."

"Shipley knows he can contribute: he graduated high school with honours, he volunteers and has even worked as a community ambassador." (Hernandez, 2017). 

I really believe that the government should focus and implement more aid, programs and services to people with disabilities. They need help more than anyone else and they should be well take care of.