Category: Uncategorized
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A Moment of Decision: What the Room Teaches
In every classroom, moments arise that reveal who belongs and who is left out. This essay reflects on the quiet choices that teach us what inclusion truly means. There is a moment in every classroom that rarely appears in lesson plans, a…
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Sophia’s Seat: Lessons on Belonging, Bullying, and Change
Sophia watches as groups form. Chairs scrape, voices rise. She lingers, waiting for an opening that never comes. Chairs pull close. Voices drop and heads lean in. Plans form in whispers. She is not invited to join. When the teacher asks the…
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Rethinking Access: Understanding Federal Policy Shift
Abstract As of September 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy no longer requires buildings receiving its funding to meet long-standing accessibility standards under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The department’s decision, issued through a direct final rule, has sparked significant…
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NDEAM: Where Awareness Meets Action
Excerpt:Awareness is the starting point, not the finish line. NDEAM reminds us that inclusion is not a statement but a structure, shaped through accessible design, informed leadership, attentive culture, and partnerships that open doors. Progress shows what is possible when participation becomes…
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The Door May Narrow
It begins quietly, almost imperceptibly. Desire stirs — a move toward a job, a dream, a love, a chance — and for a time, the way seems open. The horizon widens, clear and promising, as if life itself has said yes. The…
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The Hidden Costs of Belonging
Last week, the “Disability Squeeze Symposium” took place in New York City. This event brought together advocates, scholars, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience to examine the complex challenges underpinning the Disability Squeeze. The term “Disability Squeeze” describes describes the increasing economic…
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Guardrails in Question: Disability Protections Under Strain
I recently read an article in The New Yorker that has stayed with me. It told the story of Sara Fernandez, a lawyer and federal employee with dwarfism who built her career in the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights…
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Protecting Programs that Support Inclusion and Participation
As Congress works to finalize a budget to keep the federal government open, the future of programs that support people with disabilities and their families is once again under discussion. Earlier this year, proposals surfaced to eliminate or reshape funding for several…
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Where the Sound Doesn’t Settle
Distance begins with omissions:a question unanswered,a word withheld,a silence recorded but unacknowledged. Alone, they appear intact.Together, they fracture. Where the Sound Doesn’t Settle(a poem) By: Kerry Ann Wiley An opening without promise—forever ajar, forever closed. Inside, warmth ripples;voices flare and scatter,shards of…
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A Single Shot Should Never Speak
There are times when the world feels unsteady, when one act of violence reminds us how fragile both freedom and dialogue truly are. Speech is never perfect. It can be messy, uncomfortable, and even painful. Yet, it is the exchange that allows…