Puerto Rico’s Continued Struggles Almost Two Years After Hurricane Maria and Disability and Social Inclusion
On this weekend’s episode of Just Love, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan talks about the current status of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and the protests on the island; and he discusses Disability and Social Inclusion during the week we remember the 29th Anniversary of the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Dr. Edwin Melendez, Ph.D. is a Professor of Urban Affairs and the Director of The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York City. Nearly two years since Hurricane Maria made its devastating landfall on the island of Puerto Rico back on September 20, 2017, the island and its people continue to struggle to recover. Dr. Melendez shares with us some of the effects that Puerto Rico’s continued struggles have had on its populace and politics, and where he sees the need for action to help Puerto Rico and its people to fully recover from the storm.
Travis Davis, M.S. is a disability and inclusion advocate who in 2015 gave a TEDx talk on the importance of having young people – particularly in school settings – discuss and ask questions about people’s disabilities. During this week when we remember the 29th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by President George H.W. Bush on July 26th, 1990, Travis shares his journey in living with cerebral palsy, and particularly how he encourages the students he encounters as a coach and teacher to not be afraid to ask questions about disabilities and to discuss disabilities openly with others.
Listen now: