Minnesotans with disabilities have the right to work with dignity, free from discrimination. 

 

Govenor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan proclaimed October as Disability Employment Awareness Month. 

 

At the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, we know that people with disabilities encounter bias and discrimination in all stages of employment. Disability discrimination in employment is one of the most common areas of discrimination we investigate. 

 

We also know that people with disabilities who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, and women encounter intersectional discrimination -- discrimination that targets multiple aspects of an individual’s identity. 

 

That's why as the state's civil rights enforcement agency -- this month and every month -- we are committed to breaking down systemic barriers so that people with disabilities can thrive and work with dignity and joy. 

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 30th Anniversary planning committee is pleased to announce a virtual event on Monday, October 26 at 1pm. This free, 90-minute, online event will feature informative presentations, artistic performances, and more.

 

Barry Taylor, Vice President for Civil Rights and Systemic Litigation and Rachel Weisberg, Staff Attorney, both from Equip for Equality present: 30 Years of Employment Rights & The ADA: Where We’ve Been; Where We Are and Where We’re Going. 

 

Over the past three decades, courts have decided many landmark ADA cases that have forever changed the landscape for people with disabilities. This webinar will review pivotal historical ADA decisions, analyze the current state of the law, and consider what we might see in the future, including as new issues arise, such as COVID-19. 

 

Don’t miss what is sure to be a thought-provoking celebration!

 

 

 

Special guest performers: 

• Disabled artist/dance/choreographer Alice Sheppard. Kinetic Light, founded in 2016 by Sheppard, is a project-based ensemble, working at the intersections of disability, dance, design, identity, and technology. 
• The event will feature a piece from DESCENT. Combining dance, architecture, design, and technology, the work challenges cultural assumptions of what disability, dance, and beauty can be. 
• Rapper, disability advocate, and community leader Dupree Edwards. A musician and Teaching Artist Program Support Assistant at Upstream Arts, Edwards brings a powerful, personal message to his music.  
• The event will feature emcee Vincent Peterson, a Metropolitan State University student pursuing a degree in computer science.