Category: Able Americans

Universal Access Flag Lap Blanket

Melissa Ortiz: One Flag Can Celebrate Two Things, Can’t It?

Able Americans, Commentary /
This photo of the Universal Access Flag Lap Blanket is owned by the National Museum of American History. July is Disability Pride Month, a 31-day observance culminating with the National Council on Independent Living’s week-long annual conference that concludes with ...
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C. Boyden Gray

C. Boyden Gray: A Conservative Champion for Those With Disabilities

Commentary /
C. Boyden Gray, who recently passed away at the age of 80, was known for many things. After witnessing the disastrous Carter administration, the lifelong Democrat converted to conservatism and became White House counsel to President George H.W. Bush and ...
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C. Boyden Gray

Melissa Ortiz: C. Boyden Gray: Statesman and Champion of the Underdog

Commentary /
History is a funny thing. We tend to choose what we want to remember and how we want to remember it, leaving out things and people that are inconvenient to our narrative.  Such is the story of C. Boyden Gray — ...
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electric wheelchair snow

Electric Wheelchairs: A Cautionary Tale to Those Hyping Electric Vehicles

Commentary /
People who depend on electric wheelchairs have a unique perspective as to the challenges that will face a nation that becomes increasingly tied to electric vehicles (EVs). Recently the EPA announced new emissions rules designed to aggressively push the country ...
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Melissa Ortiz: How Electric Car Propaganda Preys on People With Disabilities

Melissa Ortiz: How Electric Car Propaganda Preys on People With Disabilities

Commentary /
Chicken Little, a beloved character from children's literature, was famous for his frantic warning that the sky was falling because an acorn fell and hit him on the head. He convinced a small group of friends to believe him, and ...
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Medicaid Rules Dash Dreams of Those With Disabilities and Medical Conditions

Medicaid Rules Dash Dreams of Those With Disabilities and Medical Conditions

Able Americans, Commentary /
Americans pride themselves on living in a nation that values life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But as Able Americans Senior Advisor Melissa Ortiz points out, these opportunities are often held back from those with disabilities and medical conditions, as ...
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Melissa Ortiz: Land of Opportunity... but Not for All

Melissa Ortiz: Land of Opportunity… but Not for All

Able Americans, Commentary /
Moving is a hassle for everyone. But the usual headaches and heartaches of relocating to a new place -- finding a new home, packing and unpacking and getting settled into a new community -- are usually offset by the opportunities ...
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Conservative Group Confronts Candace Owens Over Disabilities Comments

Conservative Group Confronts Candace Owens Over Disabilities Comments

Press Release /
Washington, DC - In an opinion piece published this weekend in USA Today, Melissa Ortiz - senior advisor for the National Center for Public Policy Research's Able Americans program - took the Daily Wire's Candace Owens to task for her recent ...
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Candace Owens Is Wrong. Women Like Me Who Use Wheelchairs Can – And Should – Model Underwear.

Candace Owens Is Wrong. Women Like Me Who Use Wheelchairs Can – And Should – Model Underwear.

Able Americans, Commentary /
by Melissa Ortiz, published in USA Today The Daily Wire's Candace Owens recently made comments that led me to believe that she either doesn't understand why disability representation is important or that she would like America to reinstate "ugly laws," the ...
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Melissa Ortiz

Melissa Ortiz: Government/Corporate Callousness Plagues Travelers with Disabilities

Melissa Ortiz describes herself as a happy warrior, but her natural optimism wasn't enough to overcome the inhumane treatment she experienced during a recent trip. Melissa, who serves as senior advisor for the National Center's Able Americans project, travelled for ...
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The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today’s public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.