
July 26, 2019
The Iowa Caucus is a rite of passage for young people across the state, a beloved institution that holds its own with Snookie’s, Tasty Tacos, and our world famous Butter Cow. Coming together with our neighbors to shape the future of our country is a privilege, and a responsibilit...
June 3, 2019
Nearly 30 years after the initial passing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), navigating public spaces is still a challenge for those living with a disability. DRI has worked with the Access Earth app in order to draw attention to local businesses that are and aren’t acce...
May 15, 2019
I’m an Iowa boy. At 29, I’ve spent 24 years calling Iowa home. I grew up here, went to college here, and now I’ve settled down and chose to call this place home. But, for all that I love about Iowa, I can never shake the feeling that this state doesn’t know I exist.
Like anyone wh...
May 14, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2019
Anne Matte, Communications and Voting Outreach Coordinator
Disability Rights Iowa
Address: 400 E. Court Avenue, Suite 300, Des Moines, IA, 50309
Tel: (515)278-2502 x34
Toll Free: 1-(800)-779-2502
Fax: (515)-278-0539
Relay: 711
Email: amatte@driowa.org
Web...
April 26, 2019
Introduction
If you don’t know any high school athletes who had a concussion recently, you might not know that Iowa has new laws in effect to protect kids from getting re-injured. Getting another concussion before the first one has healed can make a concussion worse, or even le...
February 19, 2019
When is the last time you saw a romantic movie where a person with a disability was a leading character? Me Before You doesn’t count, since it framed loving someone with a disability as a burden. I’m talking joyful, sexy, they lived happily ever after love.
Just like all humans ev...
January 25, 2019
Through my work at Disability Rights Iowa, I’ve had the opportunity to meet hundreds of my disabled peers. I have meet inspiring, courageous young people with disabilities and I’ve met outright jerks. I’ve heard people with disabilities speak passionately and lovingly about their...
August 30, 2018
Heather Reimers is at ease with her sense of style. Her look is a striking contrast of classic, sweeping dresses and youthful tattoos. But her love for fashion goes beyond the aesthetic. She cares about not just what she is wearing, but who made it, how and why.
From a young age,...
July 26, 2018
As a young boy, my mother brought me to Iowa’s capitol to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ADA. It was a typical Iowa summer day, hot and humid, but the grounds were abuzz with excitement. For the first time, I saw people with disabilities of all kinds, together, reflections...
July 5, 2018
This Fourth of July, Americans will come together to celebrate our independence and the incredible patriots who made it possible. But those patriots were not just wealthy landowners in powdered wigs. Patriots come in all shapes and sizes. They are found on our battlefields, in t...
June 28, 2018
Clowns are the worst. In a world with hairy spiders, pineapple on pizza, and the Cleveland Browns, it takes a particularly evil genius to think up something as creepy as a clown. I recognize some people love clowns. I also recognize that some people are wrong. With pale faces, re...
June 21, 2018
Since the mid-thirties, the Fair Labor Standards Act has created exceptions for people with disabilities that allowed them to be paid sub-minimum wage, often amounting to pennies on the dollar. Arising from this system grew a network of segregated warehouses, where people with d...
June 14, 2018
Representation is important. That fact is apparent to nearly all members of marginalized communities. To see yourself reflected in the culture in which you live is a validating thing, especially for young people, and I’m glad to see our heroes beginning to reflect the diversity o...
April 24, 2018
I love the platypus. I have ever since I was a kid. When stuffed platypi were first brought back to England from Australia, they were rejected as fakes. Bad fakes even, obvious attempts by desperate amateur zoologists seeking a bit of fame. How else to explain a ducked billed ott...
April 19, 2018
I work at a law firm for people with disabilities, a law firm that does trainings in every corner of the state. We are continually presented with questions essential to those living with disabilities, and we do our best to address those ques...