WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.152 I'm Art Blaser in Orange, California 00:00:06.449 --> 00:00:08.872 South of Los Angeles. 00:00:08.872 --> 00:00:12.403 And the first question had to do with 00:00:12.510 --> 00:00:16.227 my background and how I became aware 00:00:16.227 --> 00:00:21.127 of the ADA, a disability association. 00:00:21.880 --> 00:00:26.820 In my case, although I had some knowledge before, 00:00:27.195 --> 00:00:30.941 not a lot less than most people, 00:00:30.941 --> 00:00:33.488 til I became disabled, NOTE Paragraph 00:00:33.718 --> 00:00:39.058 which was in 1983, I had a brain stem stroke 00:00:39.058 --> 00:00:42.171 and became disabled and a full time 00:00:42.171 --> 00:00:45.906 wheelchair user today. 00:00:45.909 --> 00:00:48.229 And I would say that 00:00:48.229 --> 00:00:53.049 the issues of disability accommodations 00:00:53.049 --> 00:00:56.699 I confronted. 00:00:56.699 --> 00:01:00.889 A big one was access to my home 00:01:00.889 --> 00:01:03.853 and a simple one was access to my job. 00:01:03.853 --> 00:01:08.812 That although curb cuts were in theory 00:01:08.812 --> 00:01:11.124 supposed to be in place 00:01:11.124 --> 00:01:15.393 by 1995, in practice, they weren't. 00:01:15.393 --> 00:01:18.299 They are today, which I think is 00:01:18.299 --> 00:01:21.967 emblematic of the impact of the ADA. 00:01:21.967 --> 00:01:25.077 As of now we've got things 00:01:25.077 --> 00:01:27.328 to the time, but, 00:01:27.999 --> 00:01:31.359 the spirit of the ADA 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:34.628 was the confrontation of 00:01:34.628 --> 00:01:37.977 people being public about their needs. 00:01:37.977 --> 00:01:41.529 And eventually, Orange, where I live, 00:01:41.529 --> 00:01:45.978 had curb cuts at the corners, which meant 00:01:45.978 --> 00:01:50.518 it was possible for me to live 00:01:50.518 --> 00:01:53.790 about five blocks from campus. 00:01:53.790 --> 00:01:59.873 I had improvements also and accommodations 00:01:59.873 --> 00:02:05.078 which included a computerized voice 00:02:05.078 --> 00:02:08.341 that makes it possible to teach. 00:02:08.341 --> 00:02:10.110 The kinds of things that 00:02:10.110 --> 00:02:13.641 wouldn't have existed decades ago. 00:02:13.641 --> 00:02:18.895 Fortunately, in California as a professor, 00:02:18.895 --> 00:02:21.684 I was able to take advantage of 00:02:21.684 --> 00:02:23.626 good state laws. 00:02:23.626 --> 00:02:26.876 But I think they're being forced by 00:02:26.876 --> 00:02:30.166 the spirit of the ADA. 00:02:31.509 --> 00:02:37.304 We see the ADA's effect for good 00:02:37.304 --> 00:02:38.304 point of the spirit 00:02:38.304 --> 00:02:40.708 and some things that don't work 00:02:40.708 --> 00:02:44.861 just about every day that they 00:02:44.861 --> 00:02:49.571 try to get access to different buildings. 00:02:49.574 --> 00:02:53.315 And quite often, the experience 00:02:53.315 --> 00:02:55.267 of other people say 00:02:55.267 --> 00:02:58.101 this shouldn't be happening, 00:02:58.101 --> 00:03:00.228 but in fact it is. 00:03:00.228 --> 00:03:02.940 But the big difference is 00:03:02.940 --> 00:03:06.790 is that were people motivated, 00:03:06.790 --> 00:03:10.836 eventually things change and adapt. 00:03:10.836 --> 00:03:12.919 I've noticed it most 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:14.993 in education 00:03:14.993 --> 00:03:16.596 that I teach 00:03:16.596 --> 00:03:22.084 at Chapman University, since 1981, 00:03:22.084 --> 00:03:24.744 so before the ADA. 00:03:24.745 --> 00:03:30.115 And, when I was not disabled, 00:03:30.115 --> 00:03:31.115 I teach today 00:03:31.115 --> 00:03:34.550 I noticed a lot of the effects through 00:03:34.550 --> 00:03:38.139 teaching disabilities at least. 00:03:38.139 --> 00:03:40.829 And, I've had students 00:03:40.829 --> 00:03:43.059 who actually grew up knowing 00:03:43.059 --> 00:03:46.019 that the ADA existed 00:03:46.019 --> 00:03:51.013 and they're the so-called "ADA generation" 00:03:51.013 --> 00:03:54.243 which makes a big difference. 00:03:54.243 --> 00:03:59.452 People are claiming disability and trying 00:03:59.452 --> 00:04:03.098 to make the world a better place. 00:04:03.098 --> 00:04:07.478 And, in many cases, they're successful, 00:04:07.478 --> 00:04:09.818 and in some cases, not. 00:04:09.818 --> 00:04:12.248 But there are reasons for it 00:04:12.248 --> 00:04:15.327 and I think there's a desire 00:04:15.327 --> 00:04:19.007 to understand the reasons. 00:04:19.007 --> 00:04:21.137 I think they want us to 00:04:21.137 --> 00:04:28.473 prioritize and recognize separated people, 00:04:28.473 --> 00:04:31.489 the association of where 00:04:31.489 --> 00:04:32.969 and how people live, 00:04:32.969 --> 00:04:36.835 and the contrast between nursing homes 00:04:36.835 --> 00:04:39.736 and lacks of the community 00:04:39.736 --> 00:04:42.222 or congregate settings. 00:04:42.222 --> 00:04:47.642 And we're experiencing through COVID-19, 00:04:47.642 --> 00:04:48.642 the current crisis, 00:04:48.642 --> 00:04:53.870 a lot of death in nursing homes worldwide. 00:04:53.870 --> 00:04:59.229 And, we also have the coordinance of the 00:04:59.229 --> 00:05:05.058 Unites States fills decades, which Friday 00:05:05.058 --> 00:05:07.638 the interpretations of it, but 00:05:07.638 --> 00:05:11.756 it will threat of the right of people 00:05:11.756 --> 00:05:14.088 to live in the community 00:05:14.088 --> 00:05:16.052 guaranteed by the 00:05:16.052 --> 00:05:19.052 Americans with Disabilities Act. 00:05:19.052 --> 00:05:21.599 I think one of the 00:05:21.599 --> 00:05:25.343 unfortunate things we are seeing 00:05:25.343 --> 00:05:29.415 is the lack of forward movement 00:05:29.415 --> 00:05:32.294 toward nursing home reforms 00:05:32.294 --> 00:05:34.753 or eStatements. 00:05:34.753 --> 00:05:38.767 We can't continue to live in congregate 00:05:38.767 --> 00:05:43.300 settings and a number of people are 00:05:43.300 --> 00:05:47.508 active big of what that thing is, 00:05:47.508 --> 00:05:50.208 the independent living centers 00:05:50.208 --> 00:05:52.677 and independent living movement, 00:05:52.677 --> 00:05:57.687 some things that I feel privileged 00:05:57.687 --> 00:06:01.106 in a lot of ways to be involved in 00:06:01.106 --> 00:06:04.717 with a center for independent living 00:06:04.717 --> 00:06:07.035 for Orange county and LA. 00:06:07.035 --> 00:06:09.962 And a major issue has been 00:06:09.962 --> 00:06:14.463 transitions from nursing homes. 00:06:15.353 --> 00:06:20.337 And, that will continue to be a major 00:06:20.337 --> 00:06:25.476 issue including interpretations of cores, NOTE Paragraph 00:06:25.476 --> 00:06:28.379 which I think is very important 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:31.501 not only in the United States, 00:06:31.501 --> 00:06:33.402 but also elsewhere as well. 00:06:33.402 --> 00:06:38.049 England has noticed roughly 00:06:38.049 --> 00:06:40.066 the same thing happening 00:06:40.066 --> 00:06:42.749 that about half of the deaths 00:06:42.749 --> 00:06:45.424 are people in nursing homes. 00:06:45.424 --> 00:06:50.959 They can tell that a bit of the issue 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.359 is that now we're seeing a lot 00:06:53.359 --> 00:06:57.261 of people who've had COVID-19 00:06:57.261 --> 00:07:01.298 tested positive and recovered, 00:07:01.868 --> 00:07:05.438 but a lot of indications that they 00:07:05.438 --> 00:07:08.340 haven't recovered perfectly. 00:07:08.340 --> 00:07:11.999 That many of them like me have stroke, 00:07:11.999 --> 00:07:14.864 some things that are similar to 00:07:14.864 --> 00:07:17.245 multiple sclerosis, 00:07:17.245 --> 00:07:20.417 and a lot of people haven't thought 00:07:20.417 --> 00:07:25.225 of themselves as disabled, but in fact 00:07:25.225 --> 00:07:29.441 have many of the conditions of disability. 00:07:29.441 --> 00:07:33.007 And an important factor 00:07:33.007 --> 00:07:35.087 in the coming years 00:07:35.087 --> 00:07:37.777 I think will be that people 00:07:37.777 --> 00:07:39.790 claim disability 00:07:39.790 --> 00:07:43.692 and discover that it's actually a part 00:07:43.692 --> 00:07:47.139 of the way a lot of us live. 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:49.285 And that's something that's 00:07:49.285 --> 00:07:52.427 going to go away because 00:07:52.427 --> 00:07:54.493 to people like me 00:07:54.493 --> 00:07:58.437 is we can make the world a lot better 00:07:58.437 --> 00:08:01.458 by acknowledging the rights 00:08:01.458 --> 00:08:07.598 that should come along with disability. 00:08:07.598 --> 00:08:10.335 The most important step that 00:08:10.335 --> 00:08:14.087 we as community members can take 00:08:14.087 --> 00:08:18.912 is education while they can see that 00:08:18.912 --> 00:08:20.534 all of us are involved 00:08:20.534 --> 00:08:23.861 in through their lifespan 00:08:23.861 --> 00:08:27.988 because they can see inside there. 00:08:27.988 --> 00:08:32.669 And considering people to both 00:08:32.669 --> 00:08:35.695 dimensions of disability 00:08:35.695 --> 00:08:41.967 some with pride and positive atitudes 00:08:41.967 --> 00:08:45.127 towards human differences continue 00:08:45.127 --> 00:08:48.144 through their lifespans and 00:08:48.144 --> 00:08:52.219 know religious organizations 00:08:52.219 --> 00:08:55.955 at first, might find it difficult to 00:08:55.955 --> 00:08:59.825 deal with disabilities through politics 00:08:59.825 --> 00:09:03.855 like the Americans with Disability Act 00:09:03.855 --> 00:09:07.337 and Vocabularies Right, 00:09:07.337 --> 00:09:10.594 but that's very necessary. 00:09:10.594 --> 00:09:15.071 And at the colleges and universities 00:09:15.071 --> 00:09:19.137 I know we have to graduate disabilities 00:09:19.137 --> 00:09:21.415 to this program. 00:09:21.415 --> 00:09:24.283 But as a community, 00:09:24.283 --> 00:09:29.292 I think everything affects the media. 00:09:29.292 --> 00:09:33.750 Sometimes we see things differently, 00:09:33.750 --> 00:09:37.750 but an increase in disability 00:09:37.750 --> 00:09:41.560 of disability is important. 00:09:41.560 --> 00:09:45.189 Fortunately, we have projects like 00:09:45.189 --> 00:09:50.016 the disability and visibility project, 00:09:50.016 --> 00:09:53.214 a number of instances 00:09:53.214 --> 00:09:56.956 of involvement of the media, 00:09:56.956 --> 00:10:00.580 foundations like the Rotherham Foundation. 00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:03.877 But a number of indications that 00:10:03.877 --> 00:10:09.478 in the future disability will be something 00:10:09.478 --> 00:10:13.410 that people are likely to talk about 00:10:13.510 --> 00:10:16.905 and deal with in a positive way.