42 Senate Democrats have pledged alongside Sen. Duckworth (D-IL) to block a vote on the ADA Education and Reform Act that weakens regulations around accessibility of public accommodations. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the senators make it clear that they have enough votes to filibuster the legislation.
A number of disability rights advocates are pleased with a government spending package signed by President Trump that will increase special education funding, allocate federal funding to combat the risk of wandering among children with autism and other developmental disabilities, and assess efforts to reduce restraint and seclusion in schools.
At the start of the year, Delaware announced it would pay for Medicaid based on health outcomes rather than the amount of services provided. State health officials, such as Steve Groff, director of Delaware’s Division of Medicaid and a member of CDS’s community advisory council, shared that the state’s two managed care organizations, Highmark and AmeriHealth Caritas, are developing tactics to emphasize value over volume.
Apple has proposed the creation of 13 emojis to represent individuals with disabilities. They consulted with disability-related organizations such as the American Council for the Blind and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and chose designs in categories of blind/low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, physical motor disabilities and hidden disabilities.
Among Newark residents honored with Jefferson awards for their community service efforts was founder of Preston’s March for Energy, which has donated more than 250 adaptive bikes to children with disabilities, Deb Buenaga, and Steve Sinko, co-founder/president of Fusion Inclusion which provides adaptive running chairs to people with disabilities to use during local races.
