Latest Disability-related News
This section lists information and links to disability-related news articles, press releases, and reports that have been published within the past two months. This information is provided as a public service by the Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS). OLRS attempts to verify that the information provided is helpful for people with disabilities. However, OLRS does not guarantee that the information provided is accurate or right for the particular needs of the person.
- Veterans can attend Ohio Wesleyan University tuition free, posted June 30, 2009
- More people with disabilities than ever voted in 2008 presidential election, posted June 30, 2009
- Department of Health and Human Services rescinds several Medicaid regulations, posted June 29, 2009
- Transportation department will improve transit options for people with disabilities, posted June 29, 2009
- Kmart firing leads to EEOC disability discrimination lawsuit, posted June 26, 2009
- Lawsuit alleges electronic reading device discriminates against students who are blind, posted June 26, 2009
- Veterans will begin receiving stimulus payments, posted June 26, 2009
- Lawsuit seeks to block Medicaid from forcing people to change their health care providers, posted June 26, 2009
- Report released on the status of learning disabilities in America, posted June 26, 2009
- Project SALUTE for veterans to be in Cleveland in August, posted June 24, 2009
- HUD will offer housing assistance to 4,000 Americans with disabilities, posted June 24, 2009
- Take a survey about video remote interpreting services, posted June 24, 2009
- Consumer checklist for purchasing a hearing aid, posted June 24, 2009
- Comment on APA proposed guidelines for assessment of and intervention with individuals who have disabilities, posted June 23, 2009
- Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are encouraged to sign-up for Direct Express, posted June 23, 2009
- Supreme Court decision sides with parents in special education case, posted June 22, 2009
- Spring 2009 DD Quarterly newsletter now available, posted June 15, 2009
- Summer Crisis Program offers assistance to low-income families, posted June 15, 2009
- Coupons still available to purchase digital TV converter box, posted June 12, 2009
- National Federation of the Blind files complaint against the Utah State Office of Education, posted June 10, 2009
- Summer Food Service Program offers free meals to eligible children and young adults with disabilities, posted June 4, 2009
- Fairness hearing scheduled for Disney Segway case, posted June 2, 2009
- Act passed to protect tenants living in foreclosed buildings, posted June 2, 2009
- Centers for Children and Families Director appointed to direct Medicaid and CHIP, posted June 2, 2009
- Employment Network Services for Ticket to Work holders to expand, posted June 2, 2009
- SSDI and SSI beneficiaries should have received one-time Economic Recovery Payment in May, posted June 2, 2009
- Access to Washington D.C.'s Capitol building improving, posted May 22, 2009
- New Air Carrier Access Act regulations go into effect, posted May 22, 2009
- Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities issues its principles for health care reform, posted May 22, 2009
- Northeast Ohio fair-housing complaints at an all-time high, posted May 15, 2009
- Target will install point-of-sale equipment for shoppers who are blind or have low vision, posted May 15, 2009
- Ohioans with disabilities asked to complete an employment survey, posted May 6, 2009
- VA accepting applications for post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, posted May 5, 2009
- Resource for parents on talking with their children about the Swine Flu virus, posted May 1, 2009
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Veterans who served after the 9/11 attacks may be eligible to receive free tuition this fall to work toward a degree at Ohio Wesleyan University. Veterans who served at least 36 months of active duty after September 10, 2001, are entitled to full benefits. Also eligible are those who were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and who served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001. Dependents of veterans who qualify for a transfer of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill are also eligible. Veterans attending college full-time may also be entitled to a monthly housing allowance and a yearly stipend to help cover the costs of books and other supplies. The program is offered in conjunction with the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program.
Read the press release: Ohio Wesleyan Joins Yellow Ribbon Program to Help Eligible Veterans Secure College Educations
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June 30, 2009: Record numbers of people with disabilities voted in the last presidential election, according to study results released by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Professors at the School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University conducted numerous studies and compiled the results, noting that 3.8 million more people with disabilities voted in the 2008 presidential election than the 2000 presidential election. AAPD credits the 2002 passage of the Help America Vote Act for the increase.
Read the press release: Record Number of People with Disabilities Voted in 2008 Election
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June 29, 2009: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that all or part of three Medicaid regulations were rescinded and a fourth will be delayed. According to an HHS press release, the three rescinded regulations would have had potentially adverse consequences for Medicaid beneficiaries. The rules, if not rescinded, would have eliminated reimbursement for school-based administrative costs and costs of transportation to and from schools, restricted beneficiary access to case management services and limited the outpatient hospital and clinic service benefit for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Read the press release: HHS rescinds Medicaid regulations
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June 29, 2009: Soon transportation services will be provided in areas where transportation options are unavailable or insufficient for people with disabilities and the elderly. $3.2 million in new transit vehicles and equipment will be provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation through Specialized Transportation Program grants given to non-profit agencies in 37 Ohio counties. The goal of the program is to increase mobility options for the elderly and people with disabilities by providing access to medical appointments, employment, grocery shopping, banking, and other services.
For more information: ODOT Invests $3.2 million in Transit for Elderly, People with Disabilities
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June 26, 2009: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Kmart Corporation for discrimination, alleging the retailer violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by terminating an employee who has a disability. The lawsuit claims that a Kmart in Virginia fired an employee, who was a greeter, because of his disability and also refused to allow the employee to use an assistive device to help him stand and walk. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages including reinstatement to the job or pay in lieu of employment, and punitive damages for pain and suffering.
For more information: US EEOC Sues Kmart For Alleged Disability Discrimination
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June 26, 2009: The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) filed suit against the Arizona State University (ASU) to prevent the university from deploying Amazon's Kindle DX electronic reading device. Kindle allows the distribution of electronic textbooks to students, however, the reading device is not accessible to people who are blind. In addition to ASU, five other universities/colleges are deploying the Kindle DX as part of a pilot project. The NFB and ACB have also filed complaints with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit and complaints allege violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Read the press release: National Federation of the Blind and American Council of the Blind File Discrimination Suit Against Arizona State University
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June 26, 2009: From June 22 - June 30, stimulus payments for veterans will be mailed. These one-time payments of $250 are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and are paid to eligible veterans and survivors. To be eligible for the payment, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries must have received VA's compensation, pension, dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), or spina bifida benefits at any time between November 2008 and January 2009. Also, beneficiaries must reside within the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa or the U.S. Virgin Islands. The VA used its records to determine who is eligible, so no application is necessary.
For more information: Overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
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June 26, 2009: On June 25, a lawsuit was by five Medicaid recipients who have disabilities against the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services seeking to block Medicaid from forcing them to change their health care providers. The Medicaid recipients are members of Buckeye Community Health Plan and can no longer see Health Alliance providers, a network consisting of five hospitals and 900 doctors. According to a press release from the Legal Aid Society, "the lawsuit alleges that Ohio ignored Buckeye members' requests for a transfer, did not provide notices with appeal rights when members were denied, did not automatically transfer members after their request pended for a certain number of days, as mandated by law, and did not inform members of alternative providers to meet their needs." The lawsuit was filed by the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati and the law firm of Beckman Weil Shepardson LLC on behalf of the plaintiffs.
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June 26, 2009: The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has released a new report on the status of children and adults with learning disabilities (LD) in America. The report provides benchmark data to compare and contrast how people with LD are doing in school and work. NCLD plans to use the information from the report as the basis for recommendations to strengthen research, policy and practice.
Read the report: The State of Learning Disabilities - 2009 (PDF file)
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June 24, 2009: Project SALUTE, of the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) School of Law, is a mobile law office that is currently traveling across the United States to conduct free Veterans Law Clinics. Faculty and students of UDM will be in Cleveland on August 14 and 15 to provide free individual consultations and screening for veterans with Federal Veterans Disability and Pension Benefits matters only. The specific times and locations are to be determined.
For more information: Project SALUTE
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June 24, 2009: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it will offer rental assistance to 4,000 non-elderly families with disabilities, including 1,000 vouchers specifically targeted to those transitioning out of nursing homes and other care facilities. Through its funding notice, HUD is seeking comment from public housing authorities and others to ensure this assistance is distributed and administered in the most effective way.
For more information: HUD to offer housing assistance to 4,000 Americans with disabilities
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June 24, 2009: The National Association of the Deaf and the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers (NIEC) is asking people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or deaf-blind to take a survey about video remote interpreting (VRI) services. VRI is a paid interpreting service that is used when a person who is deaf and a person who can hear are in the same room and the interpreter is at a different location. NIEC wants to identify common needs, issues and practices of the VRI industry. The survey is available online until June 30, 2009. Information about the survey is also available in ASL.
For more information: Contact Beverly Hollrah at beverly.hollrah@gallaudet.edu or Mary Lightfoot at mary.lightfoot@gallaudet.edu
Take the survey: Deaf Consumer Video Remote Interpreting Survey
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June 24, 2009: The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has created a checklist to help people when purchasing a hearing aid. The checklist helps people to know the right questions about testing, dispensing and trial of hearing aids. HLAA also asks that people send the completed checklists to them so they can aggregate the information and report what they find.
For more information: Purchasing Hearing Aids
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June 23, 2009: The American Psychological Association (APA) is asking for comments to proposed guidelines for assessment of and intervention with individuals who have disabilities. According to the APA, the goal of the guidelines is to provide psychologists with general principles and approaches in (1) working with people with disabilities, including accessibility, communication, and relationship skills; (2) the assessment of persons with disabilities, including selection of appropriate measures and adaptation of measures; and (3) treatment and provision of clinical services, including frameworks for disability sensitive and disability affirmative therapy. Comments must be submitted by July 31, 2009.
For more information and to submit your comments: Seeking Comment to proposed Guidelines for Assessment of and Intervention with Individuals Who Have Disabilities
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June 23, 2009: Direct Express is a debit card offered by the U.S. Treasury as an alternative to receiving a monthly paper check or using direct deposit for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Instead, your money is automatically deposited to your Direct Express card account on your payment date. You can use your card to withdraw cash from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), make purchases at stores that accept Debit MasterCard, and get cash back when you make those purchases. There may be a fee for certain uses of the card.
For more information and to sign up: Direct Express
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June 22, 2009: The Supreme Court of the United States, on June 22, 2009, sided with the parents of a child with a disability and ruled that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes tuition payments to a placement even if the child never received special education services from the school district.
Read the Court's opinion: Forest Grove School District v. T. A. (PDF file)
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June 15, 2009: The Spring 2009 issue of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council's DD Quarterly newsletter is now available. DD Quarterly is produced by the Ohio Legal Rights Service through a grant funded by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.
Read the newsletter: DD Quarterly - Spring 2009
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June 15, 2009: Assistance is available during the summer months for Ohio residents who are at risk of having their electric or gas service disconnected. The Ohio Department of Development's Summer Crisis Program helps households that have an annual income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guideline. In addition, the household must have a member who is at least 60 years of age or older, or a member under the age of 60 with health issues that are verified by physician documentation. Eligible consumers will receive a one-time payment of up to $175 toward their bill. Assistance with purchasing cooling equipment, such as an air conditioner or fan, is also available to residents in certain areas of the state. The program runs from July 1 through August 31, 2009.
To apply for the Summer Crisis Program, contact your local community action agency. To locate the nearest community action agency, contact the Ohio Department of Development consumer hotline at 1-800-282-0880 or TDD 1-800-686-1557.
For more information: Summer Crisis Program Offers Assistance to Low-Income Families
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June 12, 2009: On June 12, the transition from analog to digital television occurred. Do you still have an analog television set? If you do, you will need to purchase a converter box so that you can continue watching television shows on your analog TV. Coupons for $40 are still available to purchase a converter box, but only until July 31, 2009 or until supplies run out. It generally takes nine business days to receive a coupon. Consumers are encouraged to order their coupons as soon as possible. You can redeem your coupon at most national and online retail stores. A list of stores, including a search tool to find a retailer where you live, is on the TV Converter Box Coupon Program Web site.
For more information, visit the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's coupon converter box Web site or call 1-800-DTV-2009.
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June 10, 2009: The National Federation of the Blind, its Utah affiliate, and its subsidiary organization, the Utah Parents of Blind Children, filed a complaint on June 9, 2009 against the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) alleging violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and comparable state law. The organizations represent parents who have children who are blind or have low vision in Utah's public and charter schools who receive services primarily through the Blind Outreach program of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB). The complaint alleges systemic problems at the USOE and within the USDB Blind Outreach program, in particular:
- Resulted in failure to provide appropriate individualized evaluations crucial for determining needed educational support/services;
- Prevented blind and visually impaired students from receiving timely access to textbooks and course materials in alternative formats like Braille and large print;
- Caused students to receive state test materials in Braille with multiple errors and omissions, making test results invalid;
- Denied students appropriate Braille instruction; and
- Resulted in a lack of access to appropriate assistive technology and related training necessary to support literacy and curriculum access.
Read the press release: National Federation of the Blind
Files Complaint Against the Utah State Office of Education
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June 4, 2009: Free meals will be made available to eligible children 18 years of age and under or persons over 18 who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled. Children who are members of food stamp households or Ohio Works First (OWF) assistance units are automatically eligible for free meals. Also eligible are children from households with income less than or equal to the Secretary of Agriculture's standards. This is a USDA program offered through the Ohio Department of Education.
For more information: Summer Food Service Program
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June 2, 2009: A Fairness Hearing is scheduled for June 3, 2009 in the Orlando Federal Court in regard to objections of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to the proposed Disney Class Action Settlement Agreement. The case, Ault v. Walt Disney World Company, was provisionally approved in January and involves the use of Segway mobility devices by persons with disabilities who visit Disney theme parks. The plaintiffs filed their original complaint alleging that Walt Disney World Company violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to modify its policy banning Segways (and other two-wheeled devices) from the four Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida. Many people with disabilities rely on these devices for their mobility. However, the DOJ, which statutorily promulgates regulations implementing Title III's public accommodation provisions and is the federal agency with primary responsibility for enforcing Title III of the ADA and its implementing regulations, filed objections to the proposed settlement agreement in April, citing procedural flaws during the settlement process that raise serious due process concerns. Attorneys General of 23 states filed an amicus brief joining the attorneys for the plaintiff class and the DOJ in objecting to the settlement.
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June 2, 2009: On May 20, provisions went into effect which protect tenants living in foreclosed buildings. The Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure Act, which is Title VII of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, protects tenants from immediate eviction by persons or entities that became owners of residential property through the foreclosure process. All tenants must get a 90 day notice before being evicted as a result of foreclosure. With limited exceptions, tenants with leases must be permitted to occupy the property until the end of their lease terms. The rights of Section 8 tenants are also protected because the new owner at foreclosure must accept both the tenant's lease and the housing assistance payment contract. These new provisions are "self-executing," so no federal agency, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is responsible for enforcement. Instead, advocates are encouraged to make sure that tenants, landlords, public housing authorities, courts, the legal community and others involved in the foreclosure process are aware of these new rights for tenants.
For more information: National Low Income Housing Coalition - Renters in Foreclosure Toolkit
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June 2, 2009: Georgetown University Center for Children and Families Director Cindy Mann was recently appointed Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CMSO). CMSO oversees Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at the federal level. According to a press release issued by U. S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, "Cindy Mann has decades of experience in health care financing at the federal and state level, and vast knowledge of health care policy," said Secretary Sebelius. "She has devoted her career to working on behalf of children and families, the elderly and people with disabilities. She will be an outstanding leader at CMSO, particularly as the nation moves forward with health care reform." Mann will assume her new position on June 8.
Read the press release: Secretary Sebelius Announces Appointment of Cindy Mann as Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations
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June 2, 2009: In May, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued for those agencies and organizations interested in becoming an Employment Network (EN) through the Ticket to Work program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). An EN is a state, local, public or private organization that enters into a contract with SSA to coordinate and deliver employment services, vocational rehabilitation services and other support services under the Ticket to Work Program. An increase in ENs will help to increase the number and quality of services available to those individuals with disabilities who receive a Ticket to Work. In addition, the regulations regarding the assignment of a person's ticket to an EN have changed and those changes make it more likely that an EN will accept an individual's ticket for assignment and support Ticket participants who have part-time employment goals.
Visit the SSA Web site for more information: SSA - State VR Agencies, ENs and Employers
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June 2, 2009: Throughout the month of May, the Social Security Administration (SSA) mailed one-time Economic Recovery Payments to SSDI and SSI beneficiaries. If you are an SSDI or SSI beneficiary and have not received your payment by June 4, 2009, contact the SSA.
For more information: Social Security's One-Time Economic Recovery Payments Information Page
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May 22, 2009: "The Hill" reported on May 20 that accessibility improvements are being made for people with disabilities who access the Capitol building in Washington D.C. These changes come at a time when Rep. Jim Langevin (D-Rhode Island), who has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair, will preside over the House for the first time in September. Improvements include better access for people using wheelchairs, accessible emergency evacuation routes, less pressure necessary to open automatic doors and better location of parking spaces for people with disabilities. Capitol officials were prompted to make the improvements in response to a report by the Capitol's Chief Administrative Officer.
Read the article from "The Hill": Officials improving access to Capitol for the disabled
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May 22, 2009: On May 13, new Air Carrier Access Act regulations went into effect. The regulations were updated to incorporate new requirements, clarify how the regulations are interpreted and address accessibility issues. The DBTAC National Network of ADA Centers states that new key changes include:
- Applies to both U.S. and foreign carriers.
- New requirements for airport and aircraft accessibility and changes in airport services including reservations, facilities, in-flight and aircraft acquisitions.
- Requires 48-four notification and changes requirements for passengers who use respiratory assistive devices
- Clarifies how airlines must provide effective communication for passengers who are deaf or hard-of hearing.
- Requires 48-hour notification that a customer is bringing an emotional support animal or psychiatric service animal on board the aircraft.
Read more about the new regulations: An Overview of the Air Carrier Access Act
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May 22, 2009: The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) issued a letter detailing for Congress and the Obama Administration six principles to guide the assessment of healthcare reform proposals from a disability perspective. The six principles are: non-discrimination, comprehensiveness, continuity, appropriateness, equity and efficiency. CCD explained in its letter that each one of these broad concepts has specific application for people with disabilities and chronic conditions and emphasized that the disability community is integral to the national health care reform effort. Numerous organizations signed on to support the letter.
Read the letter: CCD's Principles for Health Care Reform from a Disability Perspective (PDF file)
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May 15, 2009: Complaints of disability-related discrimination have doubled over the past five years and now account for one-third of all fair-housing complaints, according to an analysis from the Housing Research & Advocacy Center of Cleveland. The Center, in its fourth annual survey, looked at complaints filed with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. They found that in 2008, 254 fair-housing complaints were filed which was more than twice the total of 2007 and the most recorded in 19 years. Much of the increase was attributed to complaints filed by people with disabilities.
Read the article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer: Fair-housing complaints from disabled people are on the rise
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May 15, 2009: Target has agreed to install tactile keypads to point-of-sale devices at its stores nationwide. Tactile keypads allow shoppers who are blind or with low vision to privately and independently enter their personal identification number (PIN). All Target stores in California will have the new devices by December 2009 and all other Target stores across the nation will have the devices by the end of 2010. The legal agreement was signed by Target with the American Council of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and the California Council of the Blind. Attorneys Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian negotiated the agreement.
For more information: Target Point of Sale Press Release
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May 6, 2009: The Disability Process Improvement Workgroup of the Governor's office is asking Ohioans with disabilities to complete a disability employment survey. The survey is intended to be completed by individuals with disabilities to help assess the employment services and supports for individuals with disabilities across Ohio. Data collected from the surveys will help gain a better understanding of the gaps in existing employment supports and services for individuals with disabilities and help to enhance the system to better serve customers. The deadline to complete the survey is June 1, 2009.
Take the survey: Employment Service Customer Satisfaction Survey
A paper version is also available to download (PDF file). Once completed, mail or fax to: Erika Robbins, BCSP, Office of Ohio Health Plans, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, PO Box 182709, Fifth Floor, Columbus OH 43218, Fax: 614-644-9358.
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May 5, 2009: Veterans can begin submitting applications online for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, according to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill provides eligible applicants with college tuition payments and may also provide a housing allowance and a stipend for books and supplies. Veterans, service members, reservists and National Guard members with active duty since September 10, 2001, may be eligible for this benefit. Veterans will remain eligible for benefits for 15 years from the date of last discharge or release from a period of active duty of at least 90 continuous days.
For more information, including how to apply online: GI Bill or call 1-888-GIBILL1 (1-888-442-4551).
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May 1, 2009: The National Association of School Nurses, the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Parent Teacher Association partnered to develop a resource sheet of suggestions and tips for parents to use when talking about the Swine Flu (H1N1) virus to their children.
Read the resource sheet: Talking to Children About Swine Flu (H1N1): A Parent Resource (PDF file)
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