* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM [00:00:01] IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. WELCOME TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES, A PROGRAM ABOUT ISSUES AFFECTING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. I'M LEX FRIED. I'LL BE YOUR HOST FOR TODAY'S PROGRAM. I'M PROFESSOR OF INFORMATICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON, AND I DIRECT THE ILRU PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. TODAY WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING GUEST. UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES, BUT ONE QUESTION THAT WE WILL ANSWER BEFORE THE END OF TODAY'S PROGRAM, AND THAT IS, DOES THE A DA IMPACT UNIVERSITIES THE SAME WAY AS IT IMPACTS THE REST OF US IN SOCIETY? AND WE'LL GET TO THAT ANSWER IN THE COURSE OF OUR INTERVIEW. BUT RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES. HI, THIS IS FOCUS ON ABILITIES ON HTV. I'M LEX FRIEDEN. UH, WE HAVE A GUEST ON THE SHOW TODAY WHO WILL ENLIGHTEN US ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES PERTAINING TO DISABILITY AND THE LAW. AND THAT IS, UH, SARAH DOUGLAS. UH, SARAH, WELCOME TO FOCUS. THANK YOU L IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE TODAY. SO SARAH, YOU ARE CURRENTLY A, UH, WHAT, A, A STUDENT AT U OF H? YES. I'M A THREE L AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER. AND SOON YOU'LL GRADUATE, RIGHT? I'LL BE GRADUATING IN MAY OF 2025. THAT'S FEELS PRETTY SOON, DOESN'T IT? VERY, IT'S A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT. I'VE BEEN WAITING AT LEAST 10 YEARS TO SEE THIS STATE COMING UP. SO 10 YEARS. HOW LONG HAVE YOU ACTUALLY BEEN IN LAW SCHOOL? I'VE BEEN IN LAW SCHOOL FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW. IT'S A TOTAL OF THREE YEARS. UM, BUT IN TOTAL WITH THE UNIVERSITY, IT'LL BE THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF SCHOOLING OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL. BUT BEFORE LAW SCHOOL, YOU, YOU HAVE AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE? YES. I ATTENDED TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY AND I RECEIVED AN ENGLISH MAJOR HONORS COLLEGE POLITICAL SCIENCE MINOR, AND I DIRECTED THE, UM, TEXAS, WHAT IS IT? THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, CHAPTER FOR THE COLLEGE DIABETES NETWORK. SO, UM, T TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY? YES. NOT TSU, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY? NO, UH, TEXAS STATE. WHERE IS TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY? IT'S IN SAN MARCOS. DID YOU ENJOY IT THERE? IT WAS MY FAVORITE PLACE TO BE. BE. WOW. THE AREA IS JUST ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. IT'S PART OF THE UT NETWORK? I BELIEVE SO. OH, NO, ACTUALLY NO, IT'S NOT UT IT'S ITS OWN ENTITY. IT'S, UH, IT'S INDEPENDENT. YES. IT'S A STATE UNIVERSITY. AND, AND YOU WERE THERE FOR HOW MANY YEARS? THREE AND A HALF LIVED ON CAMPUS. I DID FOR A YEAR AND A HALF OF UNIVERSITY. AND I WAS A RESIDENT ASSISTANT AT THE TIME. AND THEN AS I ENTERED MY JUNIOR SENIOR YEAR, IT WAS COVID AND I MOVED HOME TO MASSACHUSETTS. AND THEN I SPENT TIME BACK ON AN APARTMENT AT THE LAST SEMESTER OF MY UNIVERSITY. SO YOUR HOME IS IN MASSACHUSETTS? YES. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO TEXAS IN THE FIRST PLACE TO GO TO COLLEGE AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY. SO WHEN I TOURED TEXAS STATE, IT ACTUALLY WAS MY FAVORITE OUT OF ALL THE COLLEGES THAT I HAD TOURED. WOW. AND MY PARENTS WERE PLANNING ON MOVING TO TEXAS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY STILL IN MASSACHUSETTS CURRENTLY. UM, I WAS THE ONLY CHILD THAT DIDN'T WANNA MOVE TO TEXAS, AND NOW I DON'T WANNA LEAVE TEXAS. SO GOING ON CAMPUS, WE HAD FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THE AREA, AND WE WERE ABLE TO FLOAT THE RIVER DURING, UM, MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT TOWN. AND I THOUGHT HILLS IN THE RIVER OR SNOW IN HILLS. WELL, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. THAT WORKS FOR ME. MM-HMM . UM, SARAH, YOU THEN CHOSE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL AT U OF H. YES. WHAT EFFECT DID THAT DECISION, SO YOU, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER IS RANKED TOP IN THE COUNTRY WITHIN LIKE, I BELIEVE THE TOP FIVE NOW. 'CAUSE OUR RANKINGS HAVE, RANKINGS HAVE IMPROVED. AND THIS IS WITH HEALTH LAW, WHICH IS MY PRIMARY FOCUS THAT I'D LIKE TO PURSUE WITH MY COLLEGE, MY LAW SCHOOL DEGREE. WHY, WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE HEALTH LAW WHEN THERE'S PETROLEUM LAW AND, AND I, I MEAN, THERE MUST BE A HALF A DOZEN LAWS THAT YOU, DIFFERENT KIND OF LAWYERS THAT YOU COULD BE MAYBE MORE. ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU CHOSE HEALTH LAW. WHY IS THAT? SO I WAS [00:05:01] GROWN UP, UM, MOSTLY WITHIN THE MEDICAL FIELD. I WAS DIAGNOSED AT TWO AND A HALF WITH TYPE ONE DIABETES. SO IT'S BEEN 22 YEARS SINCE I WAS DIAGNOSED. AND WITH THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT CAME WITH MY DISABILITY, I STARTED TO NOTICE A LOT OF PREJUDICE AND STIGMAS THAT CAME OUT OF A LACK OF EDUCATION. AND WITH THAT, I DECIDED THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANNA PURSUE, THAT I WANNA HELP OTHERS. I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO SELF-ADVOCATE. AND I STARTED PICKING UP ON OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES AND SEEING THEIR DISABILITIES AND THE STIGMAS, PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION THAT CAME ALONG WITH IT. SO I DECIDED MY VOICE, I FEEL LIKE, IS VERY STRONG. AND I HAD GREAT ROLE MODELS THAT INSPIRED ME IN THIS PROCESS. UM, SO I, I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE THE CAREER PATH THAT IS MEANT FOR ME. SO YOU WERE DIAGNOSED AS AN INFANT? YES. AND WHILE YOU WERE IN SCHOOL, DID YOUR DIABETES AFFECT YOUR BEHAVIOR OR? ABSOLUTELY. UM, GROWING UP, THERE'S, THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF EXPERIENCES THAT I WENT THROUGH WITH MY DIABETES ESPECIALLY, UH, TYPE ONE IS JUVENILE DIABETES, AND IT'S OFTENTIMES CONFUSED WITH TYPE TWO. TYPE ONE IS WHERE YOUR PANCREAS DOESN'T WORK OR FUNCTION AT ALL. IT'S AN AUTOIMMUNE WHERE THE WHITE BLOOD CELLS KILLED OFF THE INSULIN PRODUCING CELLS. AND SO WITH THIS, IT'S CONSIDERED AN INVISIBLE DISABILITY. AND IN MY SMALL TOWN THAT I CAME FROM, I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AND ONLY DIABETICS IN THE TOWN. SO THROUGH THIS, MY PARENTS AND I, WE HAD TO REALLY EXPLORE WHAT AVENUES OF ADVOCACY WE HAD. AND SO DID YOU HAVE DAILY TREATMENT? DAILY, UH, HOURLY. JUST ABOUT, UM, I'VE SEEN THE PROGRESSION OF THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE COME OUT. SO I STARTED OFF WITH INJECTIONS AND IT WAS 12 TO 16 A DAY UNTIL I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, AND I MOVED ONTO AN INSULIN PUMP. DID WERE YOU ABLE, YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT FOR YOURSELF, WERE YOU? NO, I HAD TO GO TO THE SCHOOL NURSE. AND SO IT REQUIRED A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES, MEETINGS WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND VICE PRINCIPAL SUPERINTENDENTS, A LOT OF EDUCATION. AND MY MOM DID A PHENOMENAL JOB. SHE WOULD JOURNAL EVERYTHING AND HAVE BOOKLETS, UM, THAT DETAILED WHAT MY SYMPTOMS LOOKED LIKE AND HOW TO TREAT ME IN THAT. YOU KNOW, THE MORE PEOPLE I TALKED TO WHO HAD DISABILITIES AS A CHILD, THE MORE I RESPECT MOMS. MM-HMM . I MEAN, IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE MOMS, UH, KIDS WOULD BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. ABSOLUTELY. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S AMAZING. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND, AND YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU. UM, SO YOU MADE IT THROUGH, UH, SCHOOL AND THEN BY THE TIME YOU WENT TO COLLEGE, YOU COULD SELF-MANAGE YOUR TREATMENT? I COULD SELF-MANAGE. BY THE TIME I GOT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, AT THAT POINT, WE STILL HAD A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING BETWEEN THE SCHOOL NURSE AND MYSELF. AND STILL A LOT OF EDUCATION NEEDED FOR MYSELF AND THE TEACHERS. BUT BY THE TIME I WAS OFF AT COLLEGE, IT WAS THE FURTHEST I'D BEEN FROM MY FAMILY, AND I WAS CAPABLE OF SELF ADVOCATING, BUT I ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF BARRIERS WITHIN COLLEGE WITH WHICH MOTIVATED EVEN IN THE COLLEGE. ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO EXCUSE YOURSELF FROM THE CLASSROOM. RIGHT. IT WOULD BE EXCUSING MYSELF GETTING PROPER ACCOMMODATIONS FOR MEDICATIONS, FOR FOOD IF I NEEDED IN THE CLASSROOM, TESTING OPTIONS AS WELL AS DORM ADJUSTMENTS. I HAD TO REQUEST FOR A SECOND FRIDGE, UH, CHANGE IN ROOMMATES AND GOING THROUGH THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES. AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE COLLEGE EVER HAD ANYBODY? NO. WHO HAD THOSE NEEDS? ? NO, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT, UH, WITH THE COLLEGE INITIALLY. SO I WAS INSPIRED TO START THE COLLEGE DIABETES NETWORK ON CAMPUS. COOL. MM-HMM . SO THE, YOU AFFILIATED WITH OTHERS MM-HMM . AND TOGETHER YOU ALL MADE PROGRESS? WE DID. WE WENT FROM FOUR MEMBERS IN 2018 TO 30 MEMBERS BY 2021, AND WE BECAME THE NATIONAL POSTER CHILD OF THE CHA, THAT CHAPTER WAS THE NATIONAL POSTER CHILD FOR COLLEGE DIABETES AT WORK. AND THAT WAS 30 MEMBERS AT ONE COLLEGE. 30 MEMBERS 28 WERE TYPE ONE, TWO WERE NON-DIABETIC. AND THEN WE HAD SOME AFFILIATES THAT WERE INTERESTED IN JUST LEARNING. WOW. THAT, I MEAN, AND THAT HOW LARGE IS THAT UNIVERSITY? IT WAS THE FOURTH LARGEST ONE I ATTENDED. IT WAS THE FOURTH LARGEST IN TEXAS. SO MY CLASS WAS 6,000 STUDENTS INITIALLY. WOW. MM-HMM . WELL, THIS IS INTERESTING. I WANT TO TAKE A BREAK HERE IN A MINUTE. BUT FIRST, UH, LET ME JUST SAY I, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU FOR MANAGING THAT AND FOR, UH, STARTING THE ORGANIZATION OF SELF-ADVOCATES. AND I'M SURE THAT HAD A REAL IMPACT ON THE UNIVERSITY. BUT WHEN WE COME BACK, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER YOU GRADUATED AND YOU GOT TO U OF H. DID YOU HAVE A, JUST THINK ABOUT THE QUESTION FOR A MINUTE. WE'LL BE RIGHT [00:10:01] BACK. YOU ALL. PLEASE STAY TUNED. THIS IS FOCUS ON ABILITIES. WE GET TO EXPERIENCE A LOT OF CULTURES IN OUR CITY. THEY CHALLENGE US TO REALLY RETHINK THE WAYS WE DO THINGS. WE EMBRACE THE FUTURE, WE LEARN, WE GROW. AND WORK IS ONE TO GET THE JOB DONE AND BUILD A BETTER FUTURE HERE IN HOUSTON. THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON. WELCOME BACK. WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH SARAH DOUGLAS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW SCHOOL. UH, SARAH, YOU, UH, GRADUATED FROM TEXAS STATE AND THEN CAME TO HOUSTON. YOU PICKED U OF H BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSE BY. IT WAS IN TEXAS. UH, THEY HAD A GREAT PROGRAM. DID YOU VISIT THE CAMPUS? I ACTUALLY, NO, NEVER DID. MM-HMM. SO YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF THE NEW FACILITIES UNTIL YOU ARRIVED, RIGHT? CORRECT. IT WAS, THEY OPENED IT FIRST DAY OF CLASSES, SO WE GOT A PRELIMINARY TOUR, AND THEN AFTERWARDS IT WAS FULLY FUNCTIONING, NO USE OF THE OLD LAW SCHOOL. SO YOU NEVER SAW THE OLD CLASSROOM BUILDING? I'VE GONE IN A FEW TIMES, YEAH. BUT NOT FOR CLASSES. NOT FOR ANY EVENTS. IT'S MORE EXPLORATORY WITH, WELL, IT'S A GREAT IMPROVEMENT. MM-HMM . HOWEVER, YOU AND SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES FOUND ISSUES WITH IT AS FAR AS ACCESSIBILITY WAS CONCERNED. YES. WHAT ABOUT THAT? I THINK COMING INTO LAW SCHOOL AND DOING HEALTH LAW, I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO FIND THAT ONE OF THE TOP UNIVERSITIES IN THE NATION FOR HEALTH LAW WAS INACCESSIBLE. AND SO I BUT YOU SAY INACCESSIBLE, THAT MEANS YOU COULDN'T GET INTO IT. IS THAT TRUE? NOT IN, NO, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN ELEMENTS, LIKE THERE'S NO RAMPS, THERE'S NO, THERE ARE ELEVATORS. THERE'S NO FIRE EVACUATION PLAN. THE DOORS ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE. BUT THE RAMPS DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED RAMPS BECAUSE IT'S A LEVEL ENTRANCE. RIGHT? YES, IT IS A LEVEL ENTRANCE. ENTRANCE, BUT THE DOORS WOULDN'T WORK. MM-HMM. AND THE ELEVATOR INSIDE LIMITED TO ONE EXIT THERE. YES. SO IF YOU'RE UP ON A FLOOR AND THERE'S A FIRE AND THE ELEVATOR STOPS, HOW DO YOU GET OUT OF THAT BUILDING? AT THE MOMENT, THERE'S NO EVACUATION PLAN, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE. THEY ARE WORKING ON IT. THERE'S A, THERE'S A GROUP ON CAMPUS, THE DISABILITY LAW SOCIETY, THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE THE LAW SCHOOL TO MAKE THE UNIVERSITY MORE IN COMPLIANCE. WELL, I HOPE BY THE TIME THIS SHOW AIRS , YOU'RE ABLE TO GET OUT IN CASE OF A FIRE. I'M SURE FOR THE TIME BEING, SOME OTHER STUDENTS WOULD HELP THOSE WHO ARE MOBILITY IMPAIRED OR OTHERWISE NEED HELP, UH, OUT OF THE BUILDING. AND THAT'S A NATURAL KIND OF A THING. BUT IT CLEARLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PLAN THAT WILL ENSURE PEOPLE ARE SAFELY EVACUATED. OTHER ISSUES THAT YOU FOUND? I WOULD SAY YES, BUT A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. SO FOR A DIABETIC STANDPOINT, THERE WAS NO SHARPS CONTAINERS IN THE BATHROOMS. UM, THERE WAS ISSUES WITH ENTERING INTO CLASSROOMS WHERE I DO HAVE, I DID HAVE ONE CLASSMATE WHO WAS WHEELCHAIR BOUND, AND HE WASN'T ABLE TO GET INTO HIS CLASSROOM UNTIL SOMEBODY OPENED THE DOOR FOR HIM. YEAH. I, I ACTUALLY REMEMBER BEING THERE, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET INTO THE BATHROOM AND, UH, THE BATHROOM'S COMPLETELY ACCESSIBLE. MM-HMM . ON THE INSIDE, YOU JUST COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE DOOR. AND THE DOOR, EVEN FOR SOMEBODY WHO COULD PUSH IT, WAS SO STIFF MM-HMM [00:15:01] . UH, AND YET THE A DA HAS STANDARDS MM-HMM . FOR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. I'M SURE THE UNIVERSITY DIDN'T INTEND FOR IT TO BE THAT WAY. AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT ILLUSTRATES THE PROBLEM WHEN YOU HAVE A PLAN MM-HMM . UH, AND YET CONTRACTORS WHO ARE WORKING ON THE PLAN ARE NOT IN SYNC OR THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT OR WHATEVER. DO YOU FIND THAT, I MEAN, HAVE YOU FOUND THAT IN OTHER FACILITIES? I HAVEN'T EXPLORED THE UNIVERSITY SO MUCH, HOWEVER, I DO KNOW WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER, IT WAS, THEY HAD AN A DA COORDINATOR COME OUT AND EVALUATE THE PLANS AND PARKING LOT SITUATIONS. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE WITH KIND OF EVERY NEW BUILDING, THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS THAT GET FORGOTTEN IN THE PROCESS. TRUE. SO THEY, I'VE ACTUALLY SINCE GONE BACK TO THE BUILDING LAST WEEK, AND THE DOORS ARE NOW AUTOMATIC IN THE LIBRARIES. THEY'RE, THEY'VE LIGHTENED THE DOORS AND IT'S MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE. WELL, YOU'LL BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IN 1975, OR I THINK 75 MM-HMM . MAYBE 74. WOW. SOMETIME LONG TIME AGO. I GRADUATED FROM U OF H. AND ONE OF THE REASONS I WENT TO U OF H IS BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY, AT THE TIME, ACCESSIBLE UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. MM-HMM . THEY HAD RAMPS ON BUILDINGS, UM, THEY HAD BATHROOMS WITH WERE THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, FIXED SO PEOPLE WITH WHEELCHAIRS COULD USE THEM. AND THAT WAS VERY PROGRESSIVE. SO I, I'M GLAD THEY'RE COMING BACK TO LEADING EDGE ACCESSIBILITY. NOW. A LOT OF THE STANDARDS HAVE CHANGED. I MEAN, THAT WAS BEFORE THE A DA MM-HMM . SO YOU'RE STUDYING HEALTH LAW PARTLY IN ORDER TO HELP, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REACH THEIR OBJECTIVES AND, AND BE TREATED ACCORDING TO THE LAW. THE A DA, RIGHT? YES. UH, I ACTUALLY WROTE MY COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY ABOUT DISABILITY RIGHTS AND HOW IT WAS MY MAIN MOTIVATION IN BECOMING AN ATTORNEY. AND SO THROUGH WORKING WITH YOU THIS SUMMER, I WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ONLY WITH A LAW DEGREE AM I EMPOWERED TO DO MORE, BUT JUST MY VOICE ALONE CAN BE EMPOWERING ENOUGH. UM, RIGHT. SO FOR THE LAW SCHOOL ITSELF, IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY WITH THE OFFERINGS OF HEALTH LAW COURSES. AND OF COURSE, THAT'S HOW WE MET WAS AT THE DISABILITY RIGHTS COURSE WITH JESSICA ROBERTS. WELL, THERE'S SOME GREAT PROFESSORS. MM-HMM . THE FACULTY THERE IS OUTSTANDING. MM-HMM . PROBABLY PART OF THE REASON WHY THE SCHOOL HAS SUCH A HIGH, HIGH RATING THAT AND THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENTS LIKE YOU. UM, SARAH, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT PEOPLE WITH SO-CALLED HIDDEN DISABILITIES. MM-HMM . YOUR DISABILITY IS NOT EVIDENT. MINE IS. UM, DO YOU FEEL LIKE PEOPLE WITH HIDDEN DISABILITIES FACE THE SAME KIND OF DISCRIMINATION? ARE THEY DISCRIMINATED AS MUCH? WHAT, WHAT, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? MUCH? SO, THROUGH OUR INTERNSHIP, I DID END UP WRITING THE EDITORIAL ABOUT LIVING WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES AND SOME OF THE SIMILARITIES WITH VISIBLE. AND SO I WOULD SAY WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. HOWEVER, WE STILL EXPERIENCE STIGMAS, WE STILL EXPERIENCE PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION, AND IT'S A LOT OF LACK OF EDUCATION, IS MY OPINION. SO I, I WOULD SAY THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS PROBABLY IF I'M ADVOCATING FOR MYSELF, SOMEBODY CAN SEE ME AND SAY, WELL, THERE'S A LOGIC HERE. MM-HMM . IF YOU ARE REQUESTING AN ACCOMMODATION, WHAT FOR? I HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT. YEAH. SO, UM, YOUR NEXT STEP AFTER GRADUATING IS TO GET A JOB AS A LAWYER. WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO WORK? IT'S ANYWHERE. AT THE MOMENT, I'M LOOKING AT HOSPITALS POTENTIALLY FOR IN-HOUSE TO DO COMPLIANCE WORK. I WANNA WORK ALONGSIDE DOCTORS AND HELP WITH COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW LIKE THE A DA OR HIPAA, AND MAKE SURE THAT PATIENTS ARE PROPERLY AND ETHICALLY TREATED. AND IF NOT, IN A HOSPITAL SETTING, I'M LOOKING INTO ALSO ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES WITH END OF LIFE TREATMENTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT GUARDIANSHIP. OH, THAT'S INTERESTING TOO. MM-HMM . UM, ALRIGHT. WE, WE WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR SUMMER EXPERIENCE MM-HMM . BUT WE CAN DO THAT WHEN WE COME BACK FROM THIS BREAK. YOU ALL. I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING TODAY'S SHOW. I AM. AND I HOPE YOU COME BACK AFTER THIS SHORT BREAK FROM FOCUS. WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE [00:20:01] A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE. TOGETHER, WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE. COME ON. A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE. COME ON. WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER IN HOUSTON, WE MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER. BUT FIRST WE MAKE DINNER TOGETHER. WE MIX INGREDIENTS AND CULTURES. WE CREATE EXCITEMENT YOU CAN TASTE AND EXPERIENCES TO SAVOR. JOIN US IN HOUSTON. LET'S MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER. THIS IS FOCUS ON ABILITIES. I'M LEX FRIEDEN. WE'RE HERE WITH SARAH DOUGLAS. UH, SARAH'S A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW SCHOOL. AND, UH, SARAH THIS SUMMER YOU WERE ONE OF FIVE INTERNS THAT WE HAD AT THE ILRU PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. IL U'S INDEPENDENT LIVING RESEARCH UTILIZATION. UM, YOUR SUMMER EXPERIENCE INCLUDED A LOT OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ACTIVITIES. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IN SUMMARY DID YOU GAIN FROM THE PROGRAM? I'D SAY IN WRITING SOME LAW, NON-LEGAL WRITING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS WAS VERY REFRESHING. AND SO YOU HAD ASSIGNED ME THE EDITORIAL TO WRITE ABOUT LIVING WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES, AND THAT REALLY INSPIRED ME TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH POSSIBLE LOBBYING. AND IT INSPIRED ME TO CONTINUE RESEARCHING DIFFERENT TOPICS IN WHICH I CAN HELP ADVOCATE OUTSIDE OF JUST MY LEGAL CAREER. SO IT'S INTERESTING, YOU, A LAWYER WOULD SAY LOBBYING. I WOULD SAY ADVOCACY. YES. UM, THEY'RE THE SAME THING IN MANY RESPECTS, BUT PEOPLE LOOK AT THEM A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. MM-HMM . UM, THE, UH, PAPER THAT YOU WROTE, OUTSTANDING OPINION PAPER, UH, THAT HELPS, I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND BETTER. UH, THE, THE INTERESTING DILEMMA OF PEOPLE WITH HIDDEN DISABILITIES MM-HMM . AND THE, AND THE WORLD WHERE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE PROTECTED BY A DA MM-HMM . UM, THE, UH, OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT YOU TOOK PART IN DURING THE SUMMER MM-HMM . TELL US. I WENT TO THE ABILITIES EXPO AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. SO EVEN WITH MY HEALTH LAW ORGANIZATION AT U OF H, I'M ABLE TO CONNECT MORE AND PLAN EVENTS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. WHAT, WHAT ORGANIZATIONS WERE THERE THAT YOU FOUND MOST INTERESTING? CHRISTOPHER REEVES FOUNDATION WAS ONE, AND I ALSO WAS REALLY DRAWN TO, UM, A WHEELCHAIR BOUND TENNIS GROUP WHERE I CAN HELP TEACH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES HOW TO PLAY TENNIS, BUT ALSO EXPERIENCE PLAYING TENNIS AS HOW I AM NOW. AND THEN ALSO GO WHEELCHAIR BOUND AND HELP THEM. VERY COOL. LEARN. SO I'M LEFT-HANDED ALSO, SO IT HELPS . DID, DID YOU SEE THE, UH, EXHIBIT BY THE ORGANIZATION OF AMPUTEES WITH DISABILITIES? I BELIEVE SO. THEY, I MEAN, THEY WERE DOING SOME CRAZY THINGS. MM-HMM . UH, PLAYING TENNIS AND OTHER SPORTS. IT'S INCREDIBLE. IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY AN ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE FOR ME TO SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW THEY CAN COME TOGETHER TO HELP ONE ANOTHER. AND SO, AS SOMEBODY THAT HAS AN INVISIBLE DISABILITY, I REALLY HADN'T GONE TO AN EXPO LIKE THIS. AND SO THE, THE, UH, THE OTHER STUDENTS WHO WERE IN OUR PROGRAM THIS SUMMER WERE INTERESTED IN DOING RESEARCH ON CANCER. MM-HMM . DID, DID YOU FIND THAT, UH, CANCER SURVIVORS MAY FACE THE SAME KIND OF, UH, DISCRIMINATION THAT YOU DO, GIVEN THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT THEM AND SEE THEY HAVE A DISABILITY? I WOULD SAY, SO. I HAVE FAMILY THAT ARE CANCER SURVIVORS, AND I CONTACTED THEM WHEN WE STARTED RESEARCHING TO GET AN IDEA AS A FAMILY MEMBER, WHAT THEY WOULD EXPERIENCE WITH AN INVISIBLE DISABILITY AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'D IDENTIFY AS HAVING A DISABILITY. AND OFTENTIMES I'VE FOUND THAT PEOPLE WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES TEND TO NOT WANT TO IDENTIFY WITH A DISABILITY. YOU HAVE A THEORY ABOUT THAT. I'VE EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF. I WOULD SAY THERE'S THIS LEVEL [00:25:01] OF THE GRIEVING PROCESS THAT I WROTE ABOUT IN MY PAPER, AND I LEARNED THIS IN UNDERGRAD WITH, UM, THE AMERICAN DEAF CULTURE IS A INTRODUCTORY TO THE AMERICAN DEAF DEAF CULTURE IS A BOOK THAT WE HAD TO READ. AND IT TALKED ABOUT SELF-ACTUALIZATION. AND SO AS SOMEBODY THAT WAS DIAGNOSED AT AN EARLY AGE WITH DISABILITY, AND THERE'S NO CURE FOR YOU GO THROUGH THESE CYCLES OF GRIEF THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE AND IT RESURFACES OVER AND OVER. NOW AT 22 YEARS OF HAVING TYPE ONE DIABETES, I DO FEEL LIKE I'VE EXPERIENCED IT ONCE OR TWICE IN MY LIFE WHERE YOU'RE ANGRY OR RESENTFUL. YOU WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO CURE IT. YOU SUDDENLY BECOME VERY DESPERATE TO FIND A CURE, AND THEN EVENTUALLY IT BECOMES A PART OF YOU IN YOUR STORY. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO ME PERSONALLY. SO YOU, I SUPPOSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU FEEL IT'S NOT IMPORTANT TO REVEAL THAT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY AND RATHER THAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION, YOU JUST SKIP IT. YES. AND OTHER TIMES WHERE YOU FIGURE OUT, LOOK, THESE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M COPING WITH HERE. AND THEN YOU SHARE, I'LL SHARE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M IN NEED OF AN ACCOMMODATION, BECAUSE IT IS ESSENTIAL. BUT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES, THEY STRUGGLE TO DISCLOSE THAT INFORMATION AND THEY'RE DISCOURAGED FROM SEEKING ACCOMMODATIONS. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WANNA WORK ON. SO THE, THE, THE REALITY IS THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH HIDDEN DISABILITIES WHO COULD BE PROTECTED UNDER THE A DA, BUT CHOOSE NOT TO REVEAL THEY HAVE A DISABILITY AND JUST LIVE WITH THE BARRIERS THAT THEY HAVE TO FACE. THEY DO. IN THE CASE OF A STUDENT, IT MIGHT BE THEY'RE MAKING POORER GRADES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS, AND YET THEY'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT JUST IN ORDER NOT TO REVEAL IT. IN A CASE OF AN EMPLOYEE MIGHT MEAN THEY LOSE THEIR JOB. SO WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE LIKE THAT? I WOULD SAY THERE'S A, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF SO I CAN IDENTIFY WITH NOT PURSUING ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN I SHOULD HAVE. AND I HAD THAT HAPPEN IN LAW SCHOOL. BUT WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO IS SEEK THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS. YOU DESERVE THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LESSER DISABILITY, THAT'S NOT TRUE. IT'S, IT'S A LIE YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF AND YOU DESERVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED FOR SO YOU CAN EQUALLY SUCCEED IN YOUR CAREER AND IN LIFE. SO I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE, IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH ACCOMMODATIONS AND THE LAW, YOU MAY CALL 1-800-949-FOUR 2 3 2 1-800-949-FOUR 2 3 2 IS THE SOUTHWEST 88 CENTER. AND, UH, SARAH, YOU WERE WORKING THERE PART-TIME? YES. DURING THE SUMMER, A DA CENTER CAN GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION. UH, THEY WON'T REPRESENT THEM, BUT THEY CAN TELL THEM WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE. MM-HMM . AND, UH, IF THEY NEED TO FIND AN ATTORNEY, THAT'S ANOTHER STEP TO TAKE. MM-HMM. UM, SARAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ON THE SHOW TODAY. THANK YOU. L UH, IN CLOSING, WE WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION WE ASK AT THE BEGINNING. UH, LAW SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE A-D-A-A-D-A COVERS VIRTUALLY EVERY ACTIVITY IN OUR LIVES NOW. AND SOME PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THAT. MM-HMM . UH, BUT IT COVERS SCHOOLS, IT COVERS, UH, WORKPLACES, IT COVERS PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, IT COVERS A WHOLE LOT OF ISSUES THAT YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT. AND, UH, FOR THAT WE HAVE THE, THE, THE GOOD FORTUNE TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE SARAH DOUGLAS WHO ARE BEING EDUCATED, UH, TO HELP PROTECT PEOPLE GOING FORWARD. SO SARAH, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR WATCHING, UH, FOCUS ON ABILITIES AND WE DO THIS ROUTINELY. HAVE GREAT GUESTS, GOOD PROGRAMS, THANKS TO HTV. UH, I HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAVING A GREAT DAY, AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US FOR THE NEXT FOCUS ON ABILITIES WITH LEX FREEDOM. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.