Tag

Disability Rights

All articles tagged with #disability rights

policy5 days ago•11 min saved

Disability advocates fear rollback of community care as DOJ rethinks integration

Two blind siblings in New Jersey illustrate how the ADA’s integration mandate shaped their lives, while a Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit and a June DOJ memo question the federal obligation to fund and enforce community-based disability services. With Medicaid cuts looming, advocates warn the shift could push more people back into institutions, even as millions rely on home- and community-based supports; Kaleigh Brendle is pursuing law school and advocates like Judy's League aim to defend protections for future families.

via NPR|

#ada #community-based-services #disability-rights

health6 days ago•4 min saved

Deaf patient receives wrong jab after sign-language gap, ombudsman finds

A deaf patient was given a Covid vaccine instead of a flu jab because no British Sign Language interpreter was provided; staff misinterpreted the patient’s request and obtained consent via her grandmother, despite the patient’s early-stage dementia. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman urged apologies and awarded £450 in compensation, noting accessibility gaps in NHS and social care communications and calling for better reasonable adjustments. The report also highlighted improvements at some trusts, and stressed the need for accessible formats and interpreters across services.

via BBC|

#disability-rights #health #nhs

local13 days ago•4 min saved

Omaha woman denied boarding over safety-assistant rule

An Omaha woman with Down syndrome was denied a boarding pass at Eppley Airfield because staff determined she needed a safety assistant to fly; American Airlines says the policy was followed and the option was offered at no cost, while the family spent about $1,800 on a travel‑assistant workaround and disability advocates question how the rule is applied; USDOT notes that airlines may require a safety assistant only in limited safety circumstances and cannot charge the accompanying traveler.

via wowt.com|

#air-travel #american-airlines #disability-rights

world1 month ago•19 min saved

Seven decades inside an iron lung: a polio survivor's remarkable life

Paul Alexander contracted polio at six and spent more than 70 years in an iron lung, becoming the world’s longest-known survivor to rely on the device. He learned glossopharyngeal breathing to spend more time out of the machine, earned a UT Austin education and a law degree, and ran a Dallas practice with a devoted network of family and caregivers. After a 2015 replacement iron lung was found, Guinness World Records recognized him in 2023 as the longest-living iron-lung user; he died in 2024 at 78. His life illustrates polio’s history, the vaccine era, and the resilience of independence-seeking individuals with disabilities.

via The Times of India|

#disability-rights #guinness-world-records #iron-lung

politics1 month ago•14 min saved

Darline Graham: From SC disability advocate to potential national policy shaper

Darline Graham Nordone, Lindsey Graham’s sister and longtime South Carolina disability advocate, was appointed to serve the remainder of his Senate term. Known for leading SC’s Commission for the Blind and work in vocational rehabilitation, colleagues say she’s deeply knowledgeable about disability issues and unlikely to seek the spotlight. While her exact national priorities aren’t clear, advocates hope her background will influence debates on Medicaid, education, and disability services, positioning her as a potential policy champion once her interim term ends.

via The 19th News|

#darline-graham #disability-rights #politics

politics2 months ago•31 min saved

Trump’s Push for Institutionalization Sparks Disability-Rights Backlash

Catherine Rampell argues that a Justice Department memo under the Trump era would allow states to institutionalize more people with disabilities, reversing Olmstead’s standard for the most integrated setting and potentially moving individuals from home- and community-based care to facilities, a shift critics say could be costlier and reduce independence. The piece also flags broader policy changes—reassigning special education duties to Health and Human Services, cutting disability-related data collection, and rhetoric around disabled people—with reports tying the memo to Stephen Miller and ongoing concerns about enforcement and impact on education and civil rights.

via The Bulwark|

#disability-rights #doj #institutionalization

politics2 months ago•4 min saved

Miller Shaped DOJ Memo Favoring Institutionalization Over Community Disability Care

Unnamed sources say White House adviser Stephen Miller pushed a June DOJ memo that would let states prioritize institutionalization over community-based disability care, arguing it could reduce homelessness; the memo followed friction with the Civil Rights Division over settlements moving people with mental illness out of institutions. White House and DOJ deny Miller’s involvement, maintaining the memo was independently developed by the Office of Legal Counsel, while critics warn it threatens longstanding disability-rights protections despite mixed evidence on homelessness.

via Bloomberg Law News|

#community-based-care #department-of-justice #disability-rights

politics2 months ago•102 min saved

RFK Jr. Takes the Helm as Disability Services Shift from Education to HHS

The Education Department plans to move the core functions of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to Health and Human Services, elevating RFK Jr. to lead the health agency. The move has disability advocates warning that Kennedy’s past comments and perceived views on disability and autism could undermine services for students with disabilities and reshape how special education is overseen.

via MS NOW|

#disability-rights #education-department #health-and-human-services

education2 months ago•3 min saved

Education Department expands interagency partnerships to boost disability support and civil rights protections

The Department of Education announced four new interagency agreements with HHS and DOJ to cut bureaucratic barriers and improve the delivery of federally funded programs for individuals with disabilities. The deals expand collaboration on special education and rehabilitative services, civil rights enforcement, student privacy protections, and training and advisory services, building on more than a year of partnerships to better align resources, support states and schools, and enhance outcomes for students and families—especially in early childhood education and employment opportunities—while ED preserves its statutory authorities.

via U.S. Department of Education (.gov)|

#civil-rights-enforcement #disability-rights #education

entertainment4 months ago•17 min saved

Wicked Star Alleges Disability Bias After Boarding Denial

Wicked actress Marissa Bode says she was denied boarding a Southern Airways flight because she uses a wheelchair, despite her manager confirming accommodations; the airline’s contract states planes with stairs aren’t required to have mechanical lifts, but after her viral TikTok the mobility director apologized and said an internal review is underway to improve accessibility.

via The Hollywood Reporter|

#disability-rights #entertainment #marissa-bode

entertainment4 months ago•33 min saved

Wicked Star Alleges Disability-Based Boarding Denial, Calls It Segregation

Wicked star Marissa Bode says she was barred from boarding a Southern Airways flight due to her wheelchair, telling TikTok followers she couldn’t board because the airline’s planes require stairs and lack lifts. She criticized the action as blatant segregation, noting that a manager had arranged accommodations, but the carrier’s contract allows boarding only for those who can ascend stairs on small planes.

via Yahoo News Canada|

#air-travel #disability-rights #entertainment

entertainment4 months ago•15 min saved

Wicked Star Alleges Disability-Related Flight Denial Sparks Accessibility Debate

Marissa Bode, star of Wicked, says she was denied boarding on a Southern Airways flight because of her wheelchair after gate staff asked if she could stand. She alleges planes with stairs and no lifts are exempt from certain accessibility requirements, calling the policy and experience blatant segregation. Her team had been assured she’d be accommodated, highlighting broader questions about accessibility for disabled travelers in the airline industry even as Bode continues her acting career with upcoming projects.

via Variety|

#air-travel #boarding-denial #disability-rights

world5 months ago•6 min saved

Barcelona euthanasia case ends as 25-year-old Noelia Castillo dies by request

Noelia Castillo, 25, died by euthanasia in Barcelona after a years-long legal fight to exercise Spain’s 2021 euthanasia law. The case went through Catalonia’s review body, the courts (including the Supreme Court, which upheld her rights in January), and drew national debate over eligibility and the rights of people with disabilities. Since the law took effect, Spain has administered life-ending medicine to about 1,123 people through 2024, underscoring ongoing criticism and calls for reform from disability advocates and opponents of the procedure.

via ABC7 Chicago|

#disability-rights #euthanasia #noelia-castillo

entertainment5 months ago•18 min saved

SNL Tourette’s Sketch Roils Fans and Critics Alike

SNL’s BAFTA-timed Tourette’s sketch drew swift backlash from Tourette’s Action, which called mocking a disability “unacceptable,” and urged kindness and education after online trolling and misrepresentation of tics. The charity criticized the ongoing harm to people with Tourette’s, while BAFTA and the BBC faced criticism for not censoring a slur during the ceremony. The YouTube clip, which features sketches of figures linked to controversy, clocked nearly a million views in a day, fueling a broader debate about the portrayal of disabilities in comedy.

via Variety|

#bafta #disability-rights #entertainment

opinion5 months ago•7 min saved

Tourette on the red carpet: a call for real inclusion at Baftas 2026

A Guardian journalist writes about living with Tourette syndrome, the Baftas controversy sparked by John Davidson, and the push for genuine inclusion of people with neurological differences, emphasizing visibility over hiding and the need for a kinder, more understanding public sphere.

via The Guardian|

#baftas #coprolalia #disability-rights