From Where I Sit

A letterboard sign with the words Diversity, Inclusion, Equality
Ask Kathy: Nothing About Us
Could tell me what the phrase “Nothing about us, without us” means, and how it pertains to schools and school policies? Learn More
Kathy Bates (left) is a woman with a short blond bob and Amy Frechette (right) is a woman with short brown hair posing with her fluffy service dog Judah.
Autism on Screen
April was autism awareness month. My friend and colleague Amy Frechette who works at the Institute on Disability has Asperger’s Syndrome. We decided t... Learn More
Tommy, an artist with Cerebral Palsy uses a paintbrush clipped to his baseball cap to paint a water color landscape
Ask Kathy: Making Art Accessible
Could you tell me one way art teachers (in any medium) could continue to make sure their classrooms are inclusive, accessible environments for student... Learn More
Black glasses with rainbows in the lenses surrounded by a rainy day
Ask Kathy: Trauma diagnosis and education
Hi Kathy, Do you think a complex trauma diagnosis should be an eligibility factor for the education of students with disabilities? Why or why not? Learn More
The word "Language" is highlighted in pink in a book
She's Nobody Special
I started the second grade at eight years old in 1969—my first opportunity to attend public school. My parents were strong advocates for me, and in th... Learn More
A pink box with a red heart. Sound or light waves are coming from the heart.
Ask Kathy: Should my daughter go to the Valentine's Day dance?
I am the parent of a 14-year-old daughter, Ginny, who has a mild intellectual disability and wants to attend the local middle school’s Valentine’s Day... Learn More
Clipart of a person in a wheelchair sitting at a laptop with various people doing additional tasks.
COVID-19 and Accommodations Make Employment a Reality
Almost three years ago, in March 2020, I wrote about the pandemic in my blog post “United from a Distance.” Our lives had changed overnight, includin... Learn More
a caricature of Kathy Bates, a woman with blond hair in a wheel chair answering emails with a light bulb above her head
Ask Kathy: Why is the physical disability community largely silent on the role of trauma?
Kathy Bates responds to a reader's question about why the physical disability community is largely silent on the role of trauma. Learn More
White and blue one handed spinners on a red base.
Playtime is Serious Business
When I was young, my favorite activity during this time of year was to carefully go through each page of the toy section in the Sears Wish Book catalo... Learn More
Airline workers on the tarmac loading a power wheelchair onto a conveyer belt leading to the plane's cargo hold.
Healing Broken Wings: The Airline Industry Commits to Making Travel Accessible
In a speech celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) —the law protecting the disabled from discrimination—Secreta... Learn More