Ted Kennedy Jr. Marks NDEAM; Criticizes Connecticut Budget Cuts

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. – State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. visited Cigna headquarters Thursday to celebrate the company's commitment to hiring people with disabilities.The Democrat from Branford also denounced the recent round of emergency cuts to the state budget ordered by Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy — including services that help people with disabilities stay in the workforce."These are the very programs that people with disabilities rely on to get training so they can seek active employment," Kennedy said. "To me, this is a misguided type of way to balance the state budget.''

Desperation Grows Amid Maryland Cuts

Community service providers to the developmentally disabled are “honestly at a desperate point” in continuing to operate, Laura Howell of the Maryland Association of Community Services told the Senate Budget Committee Thursday.

Self-advocates spoke to O’Malley
 Chief of Staff John Griffin. 

The state’s reimbursement for direct support staff “is the lowest that it has ever been,” Howell said. Gov. Martin O’Malley cut their reimbursement in this year’s budget in January, and that level was continued in Gov. Larry Hogan’s budget.

The Most Powerful Advocacy Tool

There are several tools that, as advocates and activists, we use to be effective in our work. Most of us tend to use what I refer to as the “nice” tools –- letter writing, meetings, action alerts and –- quite often –- policymaking, which is crafting public policy or legislation to address or resolve an issue.In fact, in the disability advocacy world, policymaking is a favorite tool, as it is considered “safe." It is used almost exclusively by the large “mainstream” disability organizations. Some even offer training on policymaking for their employees and other disability rights advocates.Advocacy and policy training are great and necessary but there is a tool in the toolbox glaring all in the face, yet the advocacy and policy types don’t want to discuss or utilize it -- it’s called direct action.

Advocates Hope Senate Reconsider Treaty

WASHINGTON -- Advocates for Louisiana's disabled residents are trying to figure out why the Senate failed to ratify what they view as a non-controversial treaty designed to bring U.S. protections to other countries. The vote fell five short of the two-thirds margin needed to ratify a treaty.
The advocates contend the treaty, known as the United Nations Convention on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities, would insure that disabled Americans, including military, are provided with protections when they travel abroad.

Lady Gaga Drops the 'R' Word

Lady Gaga has long been heralded for her civil rights work, but she has outraged a whole new group of fans by using the word "retarded."
During a recent interview, a journalist asked the singer whether she thought her last single Born This Way was a knock-off of Madonna's hit Express Yourself.
Outraged, Lady Gaga replied: "I'm a songwriter. I've written loads of music. Why would I try to put out a song and think I'm getting one over on everybody? That's retarded."