They Made a Revolutionary System to Protect People With Developmental Disabilities. Now It's Falling Apart.

The Beautiful Gates Handicapped People Center builds mobility aids like wheelchairs and crutches and distributes them to people with disabilities, particularly those paralyzed by polio. Since forming in 1998, Beautiful Gate has distributed 32,000 wheelchairs and mobility tools.

Congress' passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 30 years ago made life-changing advances for millions of people with all manner of disabilities. Beyond removing physical barriers and opening education, employment, and public accommodations, it also opened minds to see people with disabilities as fully human – a barrier that had existed historically. The protests and lobbying to put a civil rights lens on these barriers as discrimination got the law enacted, but social change is still a work in progress.

Part 3 of the Caregivers Crisis series: In light of a shortage of state group living facilities in Illinois, one family is partnering with a non-profit to retrofit their home into a safe, independent living space for their autistic son, creating a future for him when his aging parents can no longer take care of his daily needs.

It is very difficult for people with disabilities to find work. Specialisterne is a Danish company that trains high-functioning autistic employees for IT jobs and partners with IT companies to get them hired by altering the interview process.

The North-East Youth Initiative for Development provides hand tricycles to people with disabilities who require wheelchairs to help improve their access to education and other social activities that they wouldn’t be able to access otherwise. Access to the hand tricycles not only increases individuals’ access to activities and school but also increases their independence, self-esteem, and feelings of inclusion. So far 50 people have benefited from this program.

Angel Rider Wheelchairs provides free wheelchairs to children across Rwanda. The group constructs and distributes the wheelchairs themselves and coordinates with the National Council of Persons with Disabilities, who provides a list of children nominated to receive one. Access to the wheelchairs have changed the quality of life for many of the children, allowing them to attend school and other social activities for the first time in their lives. The non-profit has donated over 2,000 wheelchairs in the last five years.

A team of sign language interpreters across Nigeria translated into indigenous Nigerian sign language, the internationally acclaimed book “My Hero is You” which helps children, their parents and caregivers understand and answer questions about the coronavirus. With the signing of this book into an indigenous Nigerian sign language, deaf signers can now reach out to their communities. They teach them in the sign language they understand, using local words to explain how the virus came to be and how to prevent its spread and protect their communities.

Colorado legislation now bans wages that are even lower than the minimum wage for employees with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). The antiquated law was initially enacted as an incentive for business owners but has been abolished by several states. The new law also provides access to job coaching, which disability advocates are thrilled about.

The Mongolian Association of Sign Language Interpreters launched a free social media service that provides interpreters for people with hearing impairments. Using Facebook Messenger, the service allows clients to use video calls to talk with a sign language interpreter, who then reaches out to an institution or an individual on the client’s behalf. The initiative has six sign language interpreters and has fielded 3,543 calls. Interpreters help people get information and resolve problems, with most clients seeking assistance communicating with medical professionals and government welfare offices.

The Network for Inclusion of People with Special Needs (NIPSN) provides empowerment-based counseling, needs-specific rehabilitation, assistive equipment, and vocational training to people with disabilities. Residents live in a dormitory for up to 18 months while they receive services, including training to use assistive technologies. NIPSN also provides vocational training, like making vases, beads, and soap, which can provide a sustainable livelihood. NIPSN helps children finish school and provides free raw materials, equipment, and a small stipend to help residents start producing goods independently.