In “Colorado Phantasmagorias,” author Joan Jacobson imagines the state’s historical difference makers transported to the present day.
disability
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Women in construction — where gender pay equity is 94.3%
Here’s a shocker: Only 11% of construction workers are women. OK, maybe that’s not really much of a shocker. It’s been a male-dominated industry for … ever. Maybe the shocker is that the share of women in construction has grown since 2018, when the rate was at 9.9% though it’s hovered between 9% to 10% […]
Posted inColoradans, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado will finally get hundreds off the waitlist for disabilities services. But not everyone.
Joni Krickbaum found out recently that her son, who is 34 and has severe disabilities, will soon get a spot in a state program for people who need round-the-clock help with personal care and supervision. It only took 20 years. Krickbaum immediately cried when she got word two weeks ago that her son would soon […]
Posted inElection 2020, News, Politics and Government
State lawmaker in wheelchair puts Colorado Capitol access in spotlight
By Bente Birkeland, Colorado Public Radio Soon Colorado will get its first state lawmaker known to use a wheelchair. Democrat David Ortiz was elected by voters in south Metro Denver and will be sworn into office in January. But the Capitol building, where he’ll work and where he’s supposed to interact with his colleagues and […]
Posted inSun Investigation
Jared Polis is taking big money from private donors to fund key positions in Colorado governor’s office
To deliver on his campaign promises and policy priorities, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is relying on wealthy donors and major advocacy organizations to pay the bill. The Democratic governor is accepting more than $1 million from donors, nonprofits and foundations to pay salaries and costs associated with six top policy positions, according to a review […]
Posted inBusiness, Culture, News, Outdoors
Dragon boat racing, with its unlikely rise and massive Denver festival, is adapting to include everyone
Despite recent back surgery and a left leg lost in a military accident, Jataya Taylor can’t stop smiling. She’s one of the regulars on a recent evening at Sloan’s Lake as her team trains for the upcoming dragon-boat race. Taylor sits in a newly retrofitted blue stadium seat with a special leg strap to keep […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: We pay taxes to help people with disabilities. Why not help them better access that money?
No person should have to live on the streets, go hungry, or end up in jail because they have a disability that prevents then from earning an income that supports their basic needs. Conditioning access to basic needs on earning an income is one way our society deprives people with disabilities of the opportunity to […]
Posted inColoradans, Growth, News, Politics and Government
As development plans flood Denver’s poorest neighborhood, fear of gentrification lingers
Carolyn Chavez has called Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood home for 66 years. It’s where she raised six children, and eventually, five of her 10 grandchildren. For decades, she watched friends and family move elsewhere; neighborhood children go off to college or fall into the grips of addiction. She was there when the new Mile High […]
Posted inColoradans, News
How a Colorado family launched a Christmas toy hack-a-thon for children with disabilities that has gone global
Five years ago, a silly toy inspired an enduring tradition of Christmas magic. Fart Blaster, a whimsical gadget spun off the popular “Despicable Me” movie franchise, emits the sound you’d expect, along with flashing lights, when a child pulls the trigger. For Steve and Deana Watson’s then-9-year-old son, Max, who has severe disabilities, it held […]