ADA Live! A Look at the Mental Health Needs of Indigenous People in America

On this episode of ADA Live!

Indigenous people—Native Americans or Alaska Natives—make up nearly 2% of the U. S. population, and many have more than one ethnic identity.

Indigenous people experience greater health problems with lower life expectancy, higher rates of substance abuse, and a suicide rate 2.5 times greater than the rest of the United States. Economic barriers and poor access to medical care, and cultural differences result in a higher prevalence of mental health conditions for Indigenous people.

To ADA Live!, we welcome Dr. Hilary Weaver, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Professor, University at Buffalo. Dr. Weaver is Lakota Sioux by birth, and she was adopted by the Haudenosaunee (Seneca) nation.

Weaver will be interviewed by Olivia Gawehnidi Porter, a Haudenosaunee woman, student, and advocate for better mental health care in Indigenous nations. Their discussion will feature Dr. Weaver’s work understanding Indigenous teachings, how she is destigmatizing or removing the negative view that is often a part of Western ideas about disabilities, using traditional teachings of compassion and acceptance, and the importance of accepting people who are different.

About ADA Live! 
The ADA Live! podcast and resources focuses on rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A new episode airs for 30-45 minutes on the first Wednesday of each month. ADA Live! is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) of Syracuse University and one of ten regional ADA Centers in the ADA National Network.

No registration is required. You can submit your questions, explore resources and the program schedule, and connect to archived episodes on www.adalive.org or download podcasts from soundcloud.com/adalive.

Transcripts and recordings in Spanish for archived ADA Live! episodes are also available on adalive.org/espanol

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