The U.S. Departments of Justice and Education have canceled an Obama-era recommendation that educators be mindful that students of color and students receiving special education services are disciplined at disproportionately high rates. Disability advocacy groups charged that the decision could cause a rise in discriminatory discipline practices, including restraint and seclusion.
The Kinetic Light collective, a dance company comprising three individuals – two dancers and a production designer – who use wheelchairs, is taking its most recent production on a national tour. The company, well-known in the arts world, is a prominent example of a movement that seeks to emphasize, rather than downplay, the unique possibilities presented by various disabilities.
Today the Supreme Court considered whether to hear a case involving an Indiana law prohibiting abortion on the basis of Down syndrome, sex or race of the fetus. The court is expected to announce whether they will hear the case next week. The case pits arguments that aborting fetuses with Down syndrome is disability discrimination tantamount to eugenics against arguments that American jurisprudence stemming from Roe vs. Wade empowers women and their doctors, not the state, to make such decisions.
Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), the first person with quadriplegia to serve in Congress, yesterday led the House of Representatives as Speaker pro tempore. He said his selection as the first speaker of the 2019–2020 congressional session signaled a commitment to more inclusive government. He added that he hoped it inspired people with disabilities “to reach for and achieve their dreams.”
President Trump today signed a law awarding Steve Gleason, an ALS advocate and former football star, the highest honor Congress can give a civilian, the Congressional Gold Medal. The medal, presented to those who make a lasting contribution to the nation, honors Gleason’s advocacy for federal assistive technology laws and the Gleason Initiative Foundation, which provides support to individuals with neuromuscular diseases.
