Days to Know: July 2021
The Touchstone Diversity Initiative is proud to present 3 key dates of observance as we enter the latter half of July.
Sunday, July 18th – International Nelson Mandela Day
The theme of this year’s Nelson Mandela Day is “Take Action Against Poverty.” Recent estimates for global poverty are that 9.2% of the world, or 689 million people, live in extreme poverty on $1.90 or less a day. For more information on what you can do to help fight poverty both on a local and global scale, please visit https://www.mandeladay.
Monday, July 19th through Friday, July 23rd – Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is a festival, in Islam, which celebrates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim, known as Abraham in Christianity and Judaism, to sacrifice his son Ismail. It is one of Islam’s most important holidays, beginning on the 10th day of the Muslim calendar lunar month Dhul-Hijja, and ending with the celebration of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. It is common for Muslims to give money to charity during this time, to support the poor during the celebration. A beginner’s guide to the holiday may be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/
Monday, July 26th – National Disability Independence Day
Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with stories to share regarding how the ADA has benefited themselves or loved ones are encouraged to use the hashtag #ADA31 or #ThanksToTheADA on social media to promote awareness of the benefits available under the ADA.
Specifically in relation to securing Applied Behavior Analysis service access for citizens of Louisiana, the Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association ( https://www.labaa.net/ ) and the Louisiana Coalition for Access to Autism Services ( https://lcaas.net/ ) and their members have worked tirelessly for the last several years, continuing to this day and beyond. It is strongly recommended that all those in the field of Behavior Analysis in Louisiana join LABAA, as well as support the work of LCAAS, as they continue working to expand healthcare services coverage for the clients we serve everyday! The work of organizations such as LABAA and LCAAS has resulted in our state ABA licensing board being established in 2013, access to ABA healthcare coverage through insurance and Medicaid being established and expanded, and more.
Additionally: If anyone has any future Diversity, Equality, and/or Inclusion events that they would like to see featured, please contact me at atuminello@tc-aba.com