A proposal is before the U.S. Senate to reauthorize Money Follows the Person indefinitely and fund it for the next 10 years. The Medicaid program gives states funding to pay for employment supports, housing and other services so that people with disabilities can transition from nursing homes and other institutional facilities to homes in the community.
TIME Magazine named 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is on the autism spectrum, its person of the year for her work encouraging everyone from young people to world leaders to address climate change. Thunberg, who credits autism with helping her to see the world in a unique way and focus for long stretches of time, started her career as an activist in 2018 calling for young people to go on strike from school to raise awareness of climate change.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a system called iGym that uses virtual reality technology to enable people with and without disabilities to play sports and exercise together. iGYM exists only as a research prototype; its creators are looking for partners to help bring their project to the market.
The UD Innovation, Health and Design Lab is conducting a study to generate the country’s first size guide for people with Down syndrome. Faculty and students have interviewed caregivers and children with Down syndrome to find the most appropriate fit and which fasteners and fabric to use. The project will result in a size guide available for clothing design companies to purchase.
Sen. Chris Coons led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the federal student loan discharge process for Americans with total and permanent disabilities. This comes after NPR reported hundreds of thousands of Americans with qualifying disabilities have not received the student loan relief they are entitled to by law.
