What's Up WID Blog Archives - World Institute on Disability

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From Lived Experience to Systemic Change: Disability-Inclusive Emergency Planning

From Lived Experience to Systemic Change: Disability-Inclusive Emergency Planning By Jacqueline Kelley, Vermont Department of Health I’m a 27-year-old woman, a wheelchair user, and a service dog handler. I’ve been disabled since birth. I grew up in a world that…

a stressed young woman looks down with her hand on her face

People With Mental Illnesses Are Not Inherently Dangerous

By Kate Anderson People with mental illnesses have often been painted with a broad stroke as being “dangerous” by the media and societies around the world. This ableist depiction, which has increased in recent years with the frequent mass shootings…

A Black man and a white man with Down’s syndrome high-five one another.

How to Be a Good Ally to Disabled People

By Drew Dakessian The Oxford American Dictionary defines ‘ally’ as “a person or organization that actively supports the rights of a marginalized group without being a member of it.” The operative word here is ‘actively.’ Being a good ally to…

From left to right: Harriet Tubman, Brad Lomax and Fannie Lou Hamer.

Why Black Disabled History Matters

By Dikko Yusuf Black disabled history is an aspect of Black history, which informs world history. Black History Month is officially celebrated every year in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and the UK. During this month, we celebrate the achievements of…

The Effects of Long COVID

by Kate Anderson Some people have decided to “move on” from the pandemic, returning to offices and social events without masks. Many people believe that case numbers and hospitalizations have slowed down since COVID-19’s first two years, but case numbers,…

A selfie photo of Kat Zigmont in front of a large "CES" billboard.

Kat’s Top Five Innovations at CES 2023

by Kat Zigmont During the first week of January, I traveled to Las Vegas, NV to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as part of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation’s accessibility leaders cohort. We have the privilege of attending…

WID’s Executive Director & CEO Reflects on WID’s Accomplishments in 2022

by Marcie Roth As 2022 comes to close, I find myself reflecting on a challenging year balanced by measurable progress, growth, and collaboration. With each success, each milestone achieved, I am motivated by disability leaders coming together in a growing…

In Loving Memory of Hale Zukas

WID joins disabled people and our allies around the globe in mourning the loss of Hale Zukas, an incredibly impactful disability rights advocate and former staff member at the World Institute on Disability for over 30 years. Hale was a…

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