Governor John Carney of Delaware with representatives from and at the Food Bank of Delaware in Newark
Proposed USDA rule for SNAP benefits would impact food assistance for some Delawareans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing new rules that would force the 40 states that participate in the SNAP (food stamps) program to restrict its eligibility requirements and stop automatically enlisting certain recipients. Critics say the proposed rule would penalize people with disabilities, low-income families and seniors.

disabled woman types on laptop computer at dining room table
Disability Equality Index shows steady growth of inclusion

The annual Disability Equality Index (DEI), released this week, found a 68 percent increase from 2018’s DEI in the number of corporations that met at least four-fifths of its inclusive hiring and employment criteria. The survey, conducted by Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities, rated 180 companies that together employ 8.7 million people.

Christina School Board President Meredith Griffin addresses Christiana High School graduates in June 2019
Christina school board approves tax hike

The Christina School Board approved a modest tuition tax hike for fiscal year 2020 that will see the average homeowner pay about $22 more in property taxes. The tuition tax, which amounted to $31.6 million in Fiscal Year 2019, is used exclusively to support students with unique, intensive or complex educational needs, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, students who are Deaf and English Language Learners.

A Burger King employee serves a customer through the restaurant’s drive-through window
Minimum wage bill: House passes Raise the Wage Act for $15 minimum wage

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would double the federal minimum wage and eliminate subminimum wage for people with disabilities and other classes of employees. The changes would phase in over several years. The bill now goes from the Democrat-controlled House to the Republican-controlled Senate.

DNA Double helix
Autism mostly caused by genetics, study finds

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry, researchers said that nearly 81 percent of autism risk is hereditary. The study looked at data on more than 2 million people in five countries.