Author: Grace W. Dow

Disagreements over the best method to support individuals with disabilities in North Carolina have splintered the community and spilled into the state legislature, where lawmakers are seeking authority over a critical watchdog. Disability Rights NC’s lawsuits might eventually force the state to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to help persons with disabilities live at… Continue reading The Lack of HCBS Services Impacts North Carolinians

Federal Medicaid officials are proposing reforms to improve access to home and community-based services for disabled people. In addition, officials are hoping to strengthen the workforce of direct support professionals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued two proposed rules in the Federal Register this week that the agency said would “establish historic national… Continue reading For Disabled People, Home and Community-Based Services Are a Lifeline

CW: Dental Care: For the first time in Nevada, Medicaid is expanding dental treatment to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The expansion was made possible thanks to $2.5 million in ARPA funds and a Federal Title 19 grant. According to a new website, Every Smile Matters, launched by Nevada Medicaid, dental clinics are not… Continue reading Barriers to Oral Healthcare for Disabled People

CW: Death Susie Angel and Sandy White were an energetic team in Austin, Texas. Angel was a successful disability advocate, editor, organizer, and dancer; White was her friend and personal care assistant who assisted Angel and her partner, Juan Munoz, both of whom were wheelchair users with cerebral palsy, in remaining in their own home.… Continue reading A Nationwide Crisis Is Impacting Millions of Americans

Advocates and service providers for people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities urged the Pennsylvania General Assembly Wednesday to enhance state aid by $430 million to avoid the system from collapsing entirely. At a gathering in the Capitol rotunda, prominent health, and human services organizations expressed disappointment with continuing inadequate funding. Staffing shortages are forcing… Continue reading Pennsylvania’s HCBS Crisis

CW: Ableism According to a 2016 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, students with disabilities are the fastest-growing population on college campuses. Nonetheless, only 16% of these young adults will graduate with a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 39% of their non-disabled peers. According to the Annual Report on People with Disabilities… Continue reading Barriers to Employment for Disabled College Students

Once again, it’s that time of year. In preparation for prom, millions of teenagers plan after-parties, buy dresses, and rent tuxedos and limos. Every year, stories go viral on social media about disabled students going to prom. Does society have such low expectations for disabled people that disabled teenagers going to prom need to make… Continue reading Disabled People Aren’t an Inspiration

CW: Assisted Suicide Four disability groups have launched a lawsuit aimed at overturning California’s assisted suicide law, claiming that it devalues their lives and encourages discrimination against them. The original California law permitting terminally ill persons to receive prescriptions for life-ending medications was passed in 2016. According to advocates, the amended version, which went into… Continue reading Assisted Suicide Laws Concern Disability Advocates

The House passed a bill last Wednesday that would lift the debt ceiling and cut trillions of dollars in government spending, delivering House Speaker Kevin McCarthy a victory in his efforts to persuade the White House to start talks before a fast-approaching deadline to prevent a default. The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 was… Continue reading What Is the Impact of Work Requirements?

Advocates for the industry and labor unions that support caregivers for people with developmental disabilities are urging lawmakers to more than double a budget boost suggested by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February. The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities is asking a $4 hourly salary increase for direct care professionals in community-based settings who serve people… Continue reading Disabled In The Prairie State