Contents
You don’t outgrow autism. But a wave of autistic children is growing into adulthood. What’s going to happen then? >> read more
The Obama administration is proposing new regulations that would sharply limit people with disabilities from entering employment situations where they earn less than minimum wage. >> read more
A series in the run-up to the General Election – 100 days, 100 contributors, but no politicians – continues with Mencap’s Parliamentary Affairs Assistant >> read more
Bundled up in a puffy green coat, Moore, 35 and sandy-haired, doesn’t stand out in the crowd seeking refuge from the winter cold in a drafty Starbucks. His handshake is firm and his blue eyes meet mine as we talk. He comes across as intelligent and thoughtful, if perhaps a bit reserved. His disability — a form of autism — is invisible. >> read more
These stories just keep being told and retold by parents and caregivers all over the country. We need more options for individuals with #autism. We can’t put this off any longer. The need is urgent. >> read more
Don Bustos and his 20-year-old son, Emilio, rise early and their days are long. The father dashes off to tend to his fields, and his son, a high school senior, catches the bus to Española Valley High School. >> read more
Some disabilities are more obvious than others. Many are immediately apparent, especially if someone relies on a wheelchair or cane. But others — known as “invisible” disabilities — are not. People who live with them face particular challenges in the workplace and in their communities. >> read more
We need more #autism training for first responders and medical technicians. Difficult situations (like the one you will hear about in this video below) will just keep happening over and over again if we, as a society, don’t step up to the plate.
Eden Autism Services Public Comment
The following link is a PDF to Eden Autism Services’ public comment that voices concerns regarding New Jersey’s proposed State Transition Plan. >> read PDF
“My name is Mary and my son, Michael, is 30 years old. He is deaf, cannot speak and has signs for only a few words. Since he graduated from high school he has stayed at home. Michael helps me around the house. But, mostly he plays with his blocks and stays in his room.” >> read more
Researchers turn attention to a growing population of adults with autism spectrum disorders >> read more
While we commend Barack Obama’s proposal to make two years of community #college free for students who maintain a 2.5 GPA and attend classes at least half-time, we must also ensure that education is more accessible to those with I/DD. >> read more
Important stuff right here. >> read more
Are we ready? >> read more
ABLE Easily Passed the Senate 76-16 / Bill Previously Passed the House with 404-17 Margin / ABLE Has Been Called “…the broadest legislation to help [people with disabilities] in nearly a quarter-century.” >> read more
Lawmakers voted 76 to 16 to approve the bill as part of a package of tax measures Tuesday evening. The legislation will now go to President Barack Obama to sign. >> read more
At an Autism Society autism conference I attended a few years back in Orlando, Florida, a father, probably in his sixties, approached me. He had a nonverbal son. We discussed his son’s need for an aide and several supports. Then he asked me one of the most difficult questions I’ve ever been asked as an autism advocate: “What do you think will happen to my son when I’m no longer here?” >> read more
The U.S. House of Representatives today approved the ABLE Act 404-17 allowing tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and sent the bill to the Senate for final Congressional action. >> read more
“This is historic for the disability community,” said Sara Weir, interim president of the National Down Syndrome Society, which has pushed for the ABLE Act since 2006. “I can’t think of another piece of legislation that puts a stake in the ground that says that people with disabilities can work and save money.” >> read more
People with #disabilities shouldn’t be given a limited set of housing options. The regulations are in place to make sure individuals are in a setting they want to be in, that allows them to thrive with the supports they need individually. >> read more
Programs like Cutting Edge provide a way for colleges to respond to what many disability advocates call “falling off the cliff.” >> read more
The state has settled the class-action lawsuit filed last year on behalf of people with autism and intellectual disabilities who were waiting for services. >> read more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in March published new rules related to Medicaid-funded home and community-based services, including residential programs for disabled adults. States have been given a year to submit plans showing how they will comply with the new rules, which emphasize access to community and integrated settings. >> read more
The rule states that waiver money cannot be given for programs in settings that aren’t considered ‘home and community based’ or are institutional or isolating. It has the potential to affect the nearly 6,000 facilities in Ohio that offer waiver services. These institutional settings include nursing facilities, hospitals, and intermediate care facilities. Settings in the same building or ‘adjacent to’ institutional-like settings are also not eligible for HCBS waivers. Well-intentioned as it is, the rule has left care providers across Ohio wondering what it means for their programming. >> read more
The Justice Department has released information about its efforts to make sure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted. Voters who need assistance voting because of a disability or illiteracy can get help from a person of their choice. The law also requires that people with disabilities are able to enter their polling places and access their voting machines. >> read more
“Peter Maxmean, 35, and Lori Sousa, 48, met five years ago at a sheltered workshop in North Providence, where people with intellectual #disabilitiesperformed repetitive jobs for little pay, in isolation. But when a federal investigation turned that workshop upside down last year, among those tumbling into the daylight were two people who had fallen in love within its cinder block walls.” >> read full article
“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy today announced a total of $8,422,574 in continued funding for organizations that develop models, provide technical assistance and share best practices to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.” >> read full article
“Jane, a 60-year-old single mother of five who has #autism as well as a neuromuscular disability and runs a small business, told the report’s authors that the time she spends advocating for herself and her children detracts from the time she has available to work. ‘The assumption is that disabled people are incompetent, and we don’t have family obligations, [and] that we are stealing from the system,’ she said. ‘But being poor is a full-time job.'” >> read full article
According to the advocacy group Autism Unites, people with #autismspectrum disorders are seven times more likely to interact with police over their lifetimes, compared with people without a cognitive disorder. >> read more
President Barack Obama signed a reauthorization of the nation’s primary autism legislation that includes more than a billion dollars in federal funding for the developmental disorder. >> read more
“People with autism are valuable members of our communities … Like all people, they have dreams, roles to play, contributions to make. … We need to know what experiences, beyond clinical interventions, promote positive outcomes and prevent negative ones — both for people on the autism spectrum and the families and communities they are part of.” >> read more
“[The ABLE Act] is eight years in the making and reflects the tireless work of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates. As the lead sponsors of this legislation, we have focused on a common goal of providing individuals with often life-long disabilities a better way to save and plan for the future…” >> read full article
“Tagrin and others say that as family members with #autism age, it becomes even more important to refuse to take no for an answer when seeking services for day programs or housing … ‘You kind of have to fight for things. If one person says no, you have to keep calling,’ she says…” >> read full article
” …as part of the Autism Society of Los Angeles, Iland is trying to make sure young people like her son who are pushing for independence, don’t wind up as law enforcement statistics. >> read more
“At a time when election officials are struggling to convince more Americans to vote, advocates for the disabled say thousands of people with #autismspectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and other intellectual or developmental#disabilities have been systematically denied that basic right in the nation’s largest county…” >> read more
A long-stagnant bill that would establish a new way for people with disabilities to save money without jeopardizing their government benefits is starting to make its way through Congress. >> read article
At a time when election officials are struggling to convince more Americans to vote, advocates for the disabled say thousands of people with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and other intellectual or developmental disabilities have been systematically denied that basic right in the nation’s largest county. >> read article
A new bill introduced in Washington would allocate $1.3 billion in funding for autism research and initiatives, as well as addressing the needs of individuals who are “aging out” of current programs. >> read article
Emily Iland spent decades advocating for her 30-year-old son, who has autism, his own apartment, a college degree and an accounting career. Now, as part of the Autism Society of Los Angeles, Iland is trying to make sure young people like him, pushing for independence, don’t wind up as law enforcement statistics. >> read more
Federal lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to require most students with disabilities to try competitive employment before they could be employed by sheltered workshops. >> read article
Congress is one step closer to renewing the nation’s primary autism legislation. >> read article
A major health insurer has agreed to stop using the term “mental retardation” after a family complained when the phrase was used to describe their daughter’s condition. >> read article
Once the child has a label for her differences, there’s another important thing to talk to her about: When and how to share that information with others, and how to express her own needs. >> read article
Parents who provide home care for disabled adult children are eligible for retroactive tax refunds dating back to 2010 — but time is running out to claim some of that money. >> read article
On behalf of the over 5,000 Kansans with Developmental Disabilities (DD) currently waiting for life sustaining DD Waiver services. Join the cause and pledge support to the End the Wait Campaign. >> watch video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pJfsnqwo5I
President Obama’s executive order to raise the minimum wage for workers under future federal contracts includes a key provision to address concerns raised by advocates for disabled workers, according to the White House. >> read article
This article discusses a Virginia bill that would require an optional bar code on driver’s licenses and identification cards that can be scanned to reveal if a person has autism. >> read more
It’s all very nice to hear that children with autism are “entitled” to certain rights, services, and funding. But where do you find reliable information about what your REAL entitlements are, or how to tap into the services you need? >> read more
Mom writes about her autistic daughter’s struggles with discrimination. >> read more
Kira discusses her struggles with living on the limited money she receives from social security. >> watch video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vglkPCV7h5w