ADA workshops from a Community Building Leader

 The workshop everyone needs but no one offers. Clear, myth-busting, and empowering.

Topics:

• What the ADA actually covers
   
• Disability vs. “perceived disability”
   
• Invisible disability protections
   
• How verbal accommodation requests work
   
• Why denial = discrimination (even if accidental)
   
• How to document violations safely
   

Outcome:
Participants leave knowing what protections they already have — no lawyer required.

 This is where SkyStone Vale shines.

Topics:

• Why autistic & ADHD masking is not deception
   
• Why accusing someone of being “inauthentic” is an ADA violation
   
• Executive dysfunction as a disability
   
• Freeze response as a protected disability pattern
   
• What accommodations neurodivergent adults can request (with scripts)
   
• When “communication conflict” becomes discrimination
   

Outcome:
Neurodivergent adults finally get legal language that protects them.

 No one teaches this — except us.

Topics:

• ADA obligations for nonprofits, cooperatives, land trusts, and community boards
   
• Why ADA still applies even off-grid or rural
   
• What ADA means for community agreements
   
• How to design accessible community environments
   
• Common violations and how to prevent them
   

Outcome:
Attendees become the go-to ADA resource in their community.

Topics:

• Retaliation 101
   
• Harassment because of disability
   
• Weaponized diagnosis claims
   
• Emotional manipulation as discrimination
   
• Board behaviors that violate ADA
   
• What to do when someone ignores accommodations repeatedly
   
• Documentation templates
   

Outcome:
Clear steps for stopping abuse in community spaces.

Topics:

• Verbal vs written requests
   
• Exact legal phrasing
   
• Ongoing and repeat accommodations
   
• What to do if someone says “I don’t accept that”
   
• The ADA “interactive process”
   
• What to do when they ignore you
   

Outcome:
Participants leave with real scripts, templates, and confidence.

 Topics:

• cPTSD and ADA
   
• Trauma responses (freeze, fawn, flop, overwhelm)
   
• Trigger-related accommodations
   
• When blaming trauma is discrimination
   
• Structuring safe interactions
   

Outcome:
Bridges psychological safety with legal rights.

 Topics:

• Legal obligations for leaders (yes, even tiny groups count)
   
• Designing ADA-safe meetings and communication pathways
   
• ADA-compliant conflict processes
   
• What masking means legally
   
• What leaders must not say
   
• What consequences are still legal to enforce
   
• How to build ND-, disabled-, queer-, and BIPOC-safe communities
   

Outcome:
Teaches leaders exactly how to avoid accidental discrimination or retaliation.

 This one hits a massively underserved need.

Topics:

• ADA protections in housing transitions
   
• Emergency accommodation rights
   
• When “behavior problems” actually = disability
   
• How DV shelters often break ADA
   
• How to demand safe accommodations orally
   
• How to advocate for yourself in unstable living situations
   

Outcome:
Direct, actionable self-protection for vulnerable people.

 Topics:

• Who counts as a member, staff, or volunteer
   
• ADA in unpaid roles
   
• Distinguishing accountability from discrimination
   
• Protecting ND and disabled people in power-imbalanced spaces
   
• When a leader’s actions become retaliation
   

Outcome:
Clear guidance for groups, nonprofits, and collectives.

 What it teaches:
How to protect autistic, ADHD, PDA, cPTSD, and other neurodivergent individuals.
Includes:

• Masking vs unmasking
   
• Communication agreements
   
• Sensory design practices
   
• What neurotypical members need to learn

 What it teaches:
How to attract safe, compatible people.
Includes:

• Red flags vs green flags
   
• Using social media safely
   
• Avoiding cult comparisons
   
• Diversity-focused messaging