NOTE: This program has been canceled. We are hoping to reschedule for a later date.

In April, ACI invited Ethan Ellis to talk to us about the history of people with disabilities - he had lived most of it and made some of it. We ended by discussing the future of people with disabilities and their right to be included as equals.

Time ran out so we didn't finish that discussion. Many people wanted to continue it. Others who weren't there or had to leave early heard about it wanted to be a part of it. Ethan has agreed to join all of us to continue the discussion.

As a reminder, here’s where we left off:

• Over half (61%) of people with disabilities believe the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made no difference in their lives, according to a 2010 Harris Poll.
• The Justice Department has only 100 people to handle all the complaints that 60 million Americans might file.
• Filing a complaint is so complicated that only people with lawyers ever win so a lot of employers, doctors, restaurants and other businesses just ignore it.
• People with disabilities are worse off than when the ADA was signed 23 years ago.
• We are poorer: 80% of us live on $18,000 or less; that’s poverty.
• 82% of us are unemployed; many of the rest of us only work part-time.
• We get lousy health care; many of us die from diseases others don’t even get.
• So is everyone else that society refuses to include: women, people of color, anyone who is poor for any reason, including children. In the last 30 years, they have become poorer, sicker, worse educated, live in worse housing and have less jobs, just like us.
• We have the best government money can buy and we can’t even rent it for a half hour.
• Rich people have enough money to buy tax breaks and loopholes; Romney paid16% his income in taxes, Obama paid 18%; we pay 35%.
• We pay for their tax breaks and the wars they start for oil and other things that make them even richer, while they cut the services our lives depend on.

THIS MAY SOUND GRIM BUT WE ARE NOT ABOUT READY TO GIVE UP AND WE DON’T THINK YOU ARE, EITHER!

Join us to discuss what needs to change and how we can change it. Help us come up with plan of action by answering these and other questions:

• What can people with disabilities in Middlesex, Somerset and Union Counties do?
• How can the Alliance help?
• How do we get our allies and friends to join us?

Seating for this discussion is limited.  

Please RSVP to Argenys Caba by calling 732-738-4388 ext. 113 or emailing acaba@adacil.org.