Airlines Encouraged to Better Serve Passengers with Disabilities

A new guide from the U.S. Department of Transportation is spelling out the rules air carriers must follow when dealing with travelers who have autism and other developmental disabilities.

The federal agency sent guidance to airlines this summer detailing their responsibilities under the Air Carrier Access Act. Developed in coordination with The Arc and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the documentation does not lay out any new requirements, but clarifies existing rules for airlines and travelers, the agency said.

Lawmakers Urged to Fund Developmental Disability Services in Florida

TALLAHASSEE-- .Advocates for people with developmental disabilities Tuesday called on lawmakers to take advantage of Florida's improved economic outlook, slash a waiting list for services and raise hourly wages for caregivers.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council and The Arc of Florida said their legislative agenda includes supporting Gov. Rick Scott's budget recommendation of $20 million to reduce a waiting list for home- and community-based services under what is known as a Medicaid "waiver."

The thousands of people on the waiting list have different levels of need, but the Agency for Persons with Disabilities has identified people to serve as quickly as possible because of critical needs.

DSM Panel Takes Heat Over Diagnosis Name

As experts behind a forthcoming update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders look to revise psychiatry’s definition of “mental retardation” their efforts are becoming unexpectedly contentious.
Under a draft that’s currently open for public comment, experts working with the American Psychiatric Association are proposing that the name of the diagnosis be changed to “intellectual developmental disorder.”
What’s more, they’re looking to give more discretion to clinicians by putting less emphasis on IQ. While people qualifying for the diagnosis would still be required to score at least two standard deviations below average on such assessments, there would no longer be a bright-line IQ requirement of 70 or under.

Minn. Budget to Hurt People with Disabilities

A perspective on the Minnesota budget cuts and the impact on health and human services from Pat Mellenthin, CEO of The Arc Minnesota.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- State Rep. Jim Abeler writes in his July 21 commentary ("A job well done on health, human Services") that the bill "minimized reductions to disability services." This is an overstatement, to say the least.

We understood going into the 2011 legislative session that funding for human services would likely take its share of cuts, but this bill is far more disappointing than we imagined, in a number of ways.

Under the final health and human services (HHS) budget, hundreds of millions of state and federal dollars that would have paid for services for persons with disabilities in the community will be lost.

Some of these cuts are cruel and unwise and could force Minnesotans with disabilities into nursing homes or other institutions, which will only add to the state's future budget woes.

Illinois Legislators Question Institutions

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Three state representatives Wednesday night assured advocates for people with disabilities their voices will be heard if they speak in unison about the need to close more of the state’s eight institutional housing facilities for people with disabilities.
And advocates say they’re ready to band together and contact legislators about the benefits they say the state could realize if more institutions are closed.

Families to White House: Save 'Our Lifeline'

WASHINGTON -- On Saturday, families from West Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia joined The Arc at a meeting with Phil Schiliro, Assistant to the President and Special Advisor, John Carson, Deputy Assistant to the President, Jeff Crowley, Senior Advisor on Disability Policy, and Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President to discuss the impact on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) if deep Medicaid cuts are included in a budget deal. As President Obama continues to engage in deficit reduction talks, The Arc, the nation’s largest and oldest human rights organization for people with I/DD, and its members are calling on Congress and the White House to keep Medicaid and programs that support those with I/DD intact.

Medicaid: More Than Just Numbers

Came across this on The White House Blog by Jon Carson, Deputy Assistant to President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

It's no secret that our country is in the middle of a tough dialogue about the budget and spending. President Obama knows that the American people and ordinary families should be at the heart of these discussions.
In recent days, White House officials have been meeting with organizations like The Arc, MomsRising, and Family Voices to discuss the important role Medicaid plays in the lives of millions of Americans. They heard from parents of children with developmental, intellectual and physical disabilities who told us about Medicaid providing the services and supports so their children could thrive in the community when no one had given them a chance. They heard from mothers who would go without health care but for Medicaid and families where Medicaid has helped change and save lives.

Still in Shadows with an Uncertain Future

Guest column from the Twin Cities Daily Planet by Tom Judd of Excelsior, who serves on the national board of The Arc, Tim Nelson, president of the board of The Arc Minnesota, and Steve Hayes, chair of the board of The Arc Greater Twin Cities. The Arc is the nation’s largest and oldest human rights organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Five decades ago, Minnesota and the nation began to develop an awareness of members in our society who had been long out of public view. President Kennedy talked openly about his sister with intellectual disabilities and called on the nation to bring all citizens with intellectual disabilities “out of the shadows.”
In Minnesota, advocates opened the doors of our state institutions, made us aware of the horrendous living conditions there, and then worked to create a world where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities could live in and contribute to their communities.
Since then, we’ve seen progress in some areas. Legal protections have been passed. In Minnesota, we‘ve worked hard to create services that keep people with disabilities in the community and keep families who have children with disabilities together.
Despite these gains, we are concerned that progress is grinding to a halt, if not reversing.

Tracy Morgan Drops the 'R' Word

Tracy Morgan may want to invest in a bus, because his apology tour may not be over just yet.
The Arc, a nonprofit advocacy group serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is the latest organization demanding an apology from the comedian for remarks he made during his stand-up routine Saturday—his first performance since his infamous antigay rant.
This time Tracy ranted about "retarded kids" and "cripples." Oh boy.

ARC Study Paints Bleak Picture

BALTIMORE -- Many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are being left behind or underserved by state and national governments - including thousands in Maryland, according to a new study released on Tuesday.
The study, released by The Arc, a national advocacy group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, surveyed thousands of people with disabilities and their families about care, employment and assistance options. The results painted a bleak picture.

Opinion: Illinois Cuts Will Prove Costly

Guest column by Tony Paulauski, executive director of The Arc of Illinois, in the Rockford Register Star.

Illinois is planning devastating cuts in services for individuals with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities. These cuts target our most vulnerable citizens and are being sold as a way to balance Illinois' estimated $13 billion deficit. The truth is, these cuts are shortsighted and will send us on a path of destruction.
Illinois ranks last in the nation for supporting citizens with disabilities in their home communities. Disability services that are the lifeline to more than 220,000 people with disabilities, and their families have already experienced deep cuts and are hanging by a thread. In addition to funding reductions several critical programs are being eliminated, and it’s estimated that 3,052 direct care staff will be laid off as a result. At the same time the budget calls for the hiring of 950 state employees and grants union employees an 8.25 percent wage increase.