Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
What's Health Got to Do with It?

Best Buddies International; Americans with Disabilities Act; Muscular Dystrophy Association

Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., waits to speak on Capitol Hill in Washington Monday, July 26, 2010, during an event celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
/
AP
Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island, waits to speak on Capitol Hill in Washington on Monday, July 26, 2010, during an event celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

One in four adults in the U.S. has a disability that affects major life activities, which is one of the reasons the United Nations founded the International Day of Disabled Persons. The annual observance aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society. This year’s theme is “leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”

Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, seeks to improve the quality of life for intellectually and developmentally disabled people through a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for friendships, employment, leadership development and inclusive living.

Guest: Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder, chairman and CEO of Best Buddies International.

Americans with Disabilities Act

One of the most complicated issues for disabled people is navigating spaces inundated with ableism and lack of access.

The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990 to provide civil rights protections to disabled people, similar to those provided on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion. The ADA guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

Since the ADA was enacted, many social barriers have been removed or reduced for people with disabilities, but more work needs to be done to make the world more accessible for disabled people.

Guests:

Muscular Dystrophy Association

When it comes to disabilities, there is arguably no other nonprofit organization that is as well known as the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Since its inception in 1950, the MDA has dedicated itself to advocating for policies and programs that help save and improve the lives of kids and adults living with neuromuscular disease.

  • Guest: Mindy Henderson, editor-in-chief of the MDA’s adaptive lifestyle magazine Quest, host of "Quest Podcast" and "The Truth About Things that Suck" and motivational speaker.
Stay Connected
Katherine Hobbs was Associate Producer of talk shows at WJCT until 2022.