According to the most recent study, by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, 733,356 Michiganders — about 7.4% of the state population — identify as deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing. In West Michigan, 8% of residents identify as members of that community.
Every day, people with disabilities find the support and help they need — quickly, conveniently, and free of charge — because of information and referral services.
Hailey Cone, who is blind, is using her perspective as a member of the writing staff for “Inside the Score,” a YouTube channel that seeks to deepen the appreciation of classical, film, and art music.
From Sensory Showtimes to closed captioning, Celebration Cinema is finding new ways to make movies and entertainment accessible to everyone.
A new statewide program, Paving the Way to Self Determination, has been developed to raise the expectations families have for their children with developmental disabilities.
The unemployment rate for working-age persons with disabilities is at least twice that of those without disabilities. Let’s fix that.
Jon Cauchi, who became blind at age 12, performs a comedy routine called “The Real and Funny Side of Having a Disability” that brought down the house during Laughfest in March 2020.
Responding to clients who were frustrated about missing out on critical COVID-19 information, staff at Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Grand Rapids made changes to better serve them.
Despite a labor shortage, people with disabilities are dramatically underemployed. But there are employers leading the way in providing accessible accommodations so they can tap into this often-overlooked talent pool.
Persons First Language is replacing ableist language that devalues people with disabilities by erroneously implying they are abnormal.
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