Could Chicago Olympics Set New Standard for Accessibility?

According to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, if Chicago is selected next week as the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, Chicago Stadium could become the most "handicapped-friendly" venues ever built.

Specifically, city officials are working on a plan to convert up to 50,000 of the 80,000 seats in the temporary stadium into wheelchairs. After the Olympics, when the stadium is torn down, the wheelchairs could be donated to people who need them. Patrick Ryan, the CEO of the Chicago 2016 bid team, said, "It addresses a social issue where we can make wheelchairs -- privately funded -- available to people around the world with disabilities. There are still people around the world who still have to drag themselves because they don't have wheelchairs."

Credit for the idea is being given to Darren Brehm, who works for a firm consulting for Chicago 2016 and has used a wheelchair since 1990, when a car crash left him paralyzed. "It could change a lot of people's lives," Breman said.

The cost for the special seats? About $100 to $200 each. The entire cost of the stadium could be nearly $400 million, and the cost of the seats may require support from private sponsors.

Sounds like a win-win situation, don't you think? Now, let's see if Chicago gets that bid...

Duncan: "A Lot about NCLB and U.S. Education Needs to Change"

Here are Education Secretary Arne Duncan's prepared remarks for a Thursday speech on No Child Left Behind, the 2002 incarnation of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is up for reauthorization.

From Duncan's remarks: "The biggest problem with NCLB is that it doesn’t encourage high learning standards. In fact, it inadvertently encourages states to lower them. The net effect is that we are lying to children and parents by telling kids they are succeeding when they are not."

I have to give credit for mentioning disabilities in a speech -- as far as I've seen, the first time he has as education secretary. Specifically, his remarks say: "Today I am calling on all of you to join with us to build a transformative education law that offers every child the education they want and need – a law that recognizes and reinforces the proper role of the federal government to support and drive reform at the state and local level....Let us build a law that brings equity and opportunity to those who are economically disadvantaged, or challenged by disabilities or background."

Duncan is also going to ask for input from stakeholders, which I hope will include special ed advocates and parents of children with special needs. "Over the coming months the administration will be developing its proposal for reauthorization," his remarks say. "Before we do, however, we want to hear from you. We want your input."

Stay tuned for an update after he gives the speech tomorrow.

Don't Forget the Paralympics

With Chicago bidding to host the 2016 Olympics, there's a lot of talk about what President Obama's role should be. One aspect of the story you don't hear as much about is the Paralympics, which will be held in the same city that hosts the Olympic Games.

Paralympian Linda Mastandrea is the director of Paralympic Sport & Accessibility for Chicago 2016. Mastandrea, who won gold and silver medals in Atlanta in 1996 and set a record in the 200-meter race, has also played wheelchair basketball in the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona.

Mastrandrea says:
"What surprises people who have never seen Paralympic sport before is how strong and capable athletes are, how it doesn't matter whether you are missing a limb, your eyesight, or your ability to walk, you can be an amazing athlete. Sport is sport, whether it is played from a wheelchair, with a prosthetic or some other assistive device. Paralympic athletes have the same drive, the same will to succeed and to win, that athletes without disabilities have."

Read about the U.S. Paralympic team and the 2010 games in Vancouver, which will be held March 12-21, 2010.

Read more about the Paralympics and the Chicago bid at the Huffington Post.

Rationing or Better Care for Kids with Disabilites?

Easter Seals and Autism Society: "Health care will improve coverage for people with disabilities!"

Republican-sponsored parents: "Health care will kill people with disabilities!"

Having been active in special needs issues for five years now, I've seen that parents and other advocates can have honest disagreements about the appropriate approaches for treatment, education, and medical care. But the vocal minority who seem to oppose any form of health care reform come across as partisan, intentionally uninformed, and counter-productive to improvements that can benefit the people they most care about.

Read the Associated Press article "Rationing or better care for disabled kids?"

Officials at Easter Seals and the Autism Society say the proposed legislation would improve services for disabled children. And 40 groups that advocate for people with disabilities are on record as supporting the House Democratic bill. Jeff Sell, vice president for advocacy at the Autism Society, who has twin 14-year-old sons with autism, said, "I have seen nothing in the legislation that would lead to rationing of care for children with disabilities." Sell said the bill would actually improve care by eliminating annual and lifetime limits on coverage, as well as coverage exclusions for pre-existing health problems.

Reacting to some parents who claim that a "government takeover" will lead to their children being denied services, Sell added, "I am having a hard time following their logic of jumping to the negative instead of seeing possibilities."

Agree or disagree? I invite your comments.

A Guide to Employment for People with Disabilities

The job market is tough right now -- especially for people with disabilities. So for Labor Day, I won't waste your time with summaries or links to ceremonial speeches about the holiday and the importance of work in our society. Instead, here are resources that may be helpful to people with disabilities who are seeking employment. If you have other tips, please post them in a comment.

FOR JOB SEEKERS

Teleseminar: Using the Internet to Find a Job
On Sept. 16 there's a free teleseminar on "10 Secrets That Every Job Seeker with a Disability Needs to Know: How to Make the Internet Work for You When Looking for a Job." The seminar, led by Seth Acosta of the Sierra Group will share tips when posting a resume to an electronic job board. 1:00-2:00 EST. More information. The seminar is sponsored by One More Way, which is an interesting initiative to support employment for people with disabilites. Visit their website.

Resources from Disability.gov
Disability.gov is a great resource for people seeking employment, and for employers who want to know the laws related to disabilities. You can find information on:
- Career counseling
- Job training
- Job banks -- real jobs available right now
- Mentoring and internships
- Federal employment

Employment Locator
Career One Stop, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor, offers an employment locator that allows you to search for jobs by state and industry. I haven't used it -- if you have, share your thoughts.

Articles from Disaboom.com
Disaboom.com has partnered with JobsCentral to create a database of jobs available to people with disabilities -- visit DisaboomJobs.com. They also some excellent advice for people with disabilities in their employment section. For example:
- Finding employment with a disability during a recession
- Five crucial tips for acing an interview
- How to tell if a company is "disability-friendly"
- How to get hired from virtual volunteering

FOR EMPLOYERS

Disability.gov has an entire section on Employing People with Disabilities. It includes tips on recruiting and hiring, interviewing, workplace accommodations and supports, HR tools and resources, tax incentives, occupational health and safety, and more. Read success stories of solutions that have benefited companies and workers with disabilities.

How Will Supreme Court Decision on Special Ed Reimbursement Affect School Districts?

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, a recent Supreme Court ruling on special education is expected to put additional pressure on school districts. The ruling says parents of students with special needs have the right to seek reimbursement from their districts for private school tuition, even if they have not first tried special ed program in their public schools.

Matthew Cohen, a Chicago attorney who specializes in disability law, said the Court's June decision "makes it clear that school districts...may be held legally liable for placements that the parents make on their own." Will these mean a stampede toward private schools? Probably not, because parents would need to pay tens of thousands of dollars in private school tuition -- and only then seek reimbursement. There's no guarantee they will be reimbursed, and it's unclear how those decisions will be made.

According to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students are entitled to a "free and appropriate public education." Districts have to pay for private school only if they have tried but failed to meet a student's needs.

As you can imagine, not everyone is happy about the decision that puts even more pressure on school districts. Mark Friedman, who recently retired as a public school superintendent in the Chicago area asked, "Where do you draw the line when class size is getting bigger and you only have X number of dollars? When you can educate five kids for the cost of one special ed kid? The community is not happy when we have dwindling resources, when there are 28 students in a class and we're spending $100,000 for one kid. That feeling is out there. I have heard it, I have felt it ... and this kind of ruling can create an even bigger divide."

How would you answer Mr. Friedman's question? Where DO you think the line should be drawn? How much is too much to educate a child with special needs?

CDC: Swine Flu Poses Higher Risk to Children with Disabilities

A new report on the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, has a particular caution to parents of children with disabilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children with high-risk medical conditions or disabilities should be among the first to be vaccinated against H1N1 influenza.

CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said, "We also are recommending that all people with underlying conditions get vaccinated -- people who have asthma, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, neuromuscular conditions, neurological conditions that increase their risk factors, and women who are pregnant." And high-risk children under 18 years of age should be rushed to a doctor at the first sign of the virus, Frieden said.

The vaccine is expected to be available by mid-October, and it's adding flames to the existing debate over the possible link between vaccines and autism. While there is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism, the debate over this issue is only heating up. It doesn't help that the H1N1 vaccine will be new and untested over time, and that reports (see Washington Post article) say many of the vaccines will have thimerosal, which contains mercury (which has been removed from many vaccines). Read what the CDC says about the vaccine.

As of Aug. 22, there had been 556 deaths in the United States associated with the H1N1 virus as of Aug. 22 -- and 42 were children under 18. Seven of the children who died were younger than 5, and 24 had underlying disabilities such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or another medical condition.

Learn more and keep up with this special section of the CDC's website.

Unemployment Continues for People with Disabilities

We all know the economy is not showing any dramatic signs of recovery. But it's troubling that while job losses are slowing for the general population, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities reached a record high for the third month in a row in August. The rate is now 16.9 percent, compared with 9.3 for the general population. Read more from Disability Scoop.

Disability and Health Care Reform: A Firsthand Perspective

Writing in the Huffington Post, Ari Ne'eman, head of the Autism Self-Advocacy Network, outlines a number of issues that need to be addressed to ensure that health care reform does not leave behind adults and children with disabilities. I always appreciate Ari's passion and insights. Following is a summary of his key points.

Long Term Services and Supports
To get Medicaid support for basic services they need to survive, many people must live in nursing homes and institutions. "Both research and the experience of countless people with disabilities show that, with the right support, people can live in the community rather than be relegated to institutions. Community living settings, when properly implemented, improve quality of life, reduce the risk of abuse, make it more likely that a person with a disability will be able to work and are actually much less costly than institutional care....Medicaid's long-term care policy reimburses states for costly and segregated institutional care but makes it extraordinary difficult to use the same money to support adults in the community instead. A person who uses a wheelchair or an adult with a developmental disability such as autism or Down Syndrome can get the government to pay for a costly institutional placement with low quality of life, but often must spend years on a waiting list for far less expensive services, such as attendant care that could keep them in their home or their family's...."

"President Obama won kudos from the disability community by supporting the Community Choice Act during his campaign, but since then the White House has signaled that this issue will not be considered as part of health care reform. The Community Choice Act should be properly considered a civil rights issue, as it means the difference between segregation or integration for millions of disabled citizens as well as many senior citizens."

Health Care Disparities for People with Disabilities
"Too often, medical problems faced by people with disabilities are assumed to be normal and unavoidable as a result of being disabled. However, disability and ill health should not be considered synonymous. People with disabilities face significant barriers to access quality health care, due to both poverty and accessibility problems....Congress must recognize people with disabilities as an underserved population subject to health disparities by undertaking both data collection and serious policy reform to ensure that issues of access, expertise and coverage are address for the disability community."

Insurance Discrimination
While some states are addressing reform to mandate insurance coverage for autism and other disabilities, these efforts do nor represent comprehensive reform. Any health care reform must ensure insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, including developmental disabilities.

Stop Discrimination in the Provision of Care
"Too often, people with disabilities are denied necessary -- sometimes even life-saving -- medical care because of assumptions that non-disabled people make about our quality of life. For many people, disability is still considered a fate worse than death instead of a part of the human experience. The eugenic impulse that views people with disabilities as 'burdens on society' or 'life unworthy of life' is still regrettably alive and well within our health care system....Americans, with or without disabilities, deserve not to be pitted against each other in their efforts to obtain the health care services they need. With limited resources, Congress will need to make difficult decisions -- yet discriminating against people with disabilities in the provision of health care services should never be considered an acceptable option."

Ari concludes: "Disability has often been called the great equalizer -- our community reaches throughout every racial, religious, gender and political classification. Furthermore, though we are wide and varied, including both people with acquired disabilities, such as many of our brave men and women in uniform coming home from overseas, and others who were born with their disabilities, such as myself and the rest of the autistic community, we can unite around our common dream for full participation, inclusion, integration, and equality of opportunity for all."

Read more.

Disability.gov: An Inside Look at the Government's One-Stop Shop for Disability Information

The recent launch of disability.gov -- actually a relaunch and upgrade of the previously named disability.info -- represented a huge leap forward in the federal government's service to Americans with disabilities. I had a chance to learn more about the site from Kevin Connors, a Department of Labor employee who serves as the program director for the site.

Q: How did DisabilityInfo.gov become Disability.gov?

A: After conducting several focus groups and getting feedback from visitors to our site -- including people with disabilities, family members, caregivers, veterans and many others -- we redesigned the site to make it easier to use and more interactive and useful to our audiences. We changed the name because it’s simpler and easier to remember. Disability.gov represents a new generation of online federal government resources that use social media tools to improve communication, interaction and feedback with visitors.

Q: Did the new administration initiate the idea for the redesigned site, or had it been in the works previously?

A: The disability.gov team began working on a plan to redesign the site last fall. The focus group testing we conducted was part of this effort. Certainly the new administration's acceptance of social media and enforced mandates about government openness and transparency helped us make decisions about what types of tools we wanted to offer, but the overall decision to make this move started with the disability.gov team.

Q: Since I’ve worked for the federal government, I’m amazed that one site can consolidate resources from 22 federal agencies. Was that as hard as it sounds?

A: Absolutely! Working with all the different agencies was a very labor-intensive process, but they were more than willing to participate in the development of the site. One of our first steps on the project was to meet with representatives from each agency to identify subject matter experts to be involved in the development and maintenance of the site, and to gather content for the site from them. We felt this was critical to the future success of the site as these are the people who have the in-depth knowledge about the programs and policies their agencies offer for people with disabilities. We continue to work with our partners to encourage their involvement, and identify new subject matter experts within the agencies.

Q: How does ongoing coordination work? Do each of those agencies have a point of contact who contribute content, or does a group meet on a regular basis?

A: Both. We currently have over 100 contributors that work with us on the site. Each of the agencies work a little bit differently, and we are happy to accommodate whatever setup is most efficient and easiest to implement for them. Some agencies choose to have one point of contact for the project, while others have as many as 20 subject matter experts representing the different operating divisions within those agencies.

We provide each contributor with training on how to upload content from federal agency Web sites to disability.gov using our administrative web tool. This tool allows our partners to add information to disability.gov when and how they choose. We monitor what is added and provide editorial oversight so that the site has a cohesive look and feel, but we felt it was important to put the tool directly in the hands of our contributors.

The disability.gov team meets with our federal agency contributors several times a year, and provides continuous support, coordination, and training via email and phone as well. Through the years, the disability.gov team has established long-lasting relationships with each of our federal agency partners, and this open communication has been the key to the initiative’s success.

Q: I’m sure the expectations for compliance -- for the hearing- and sight-impaired, for example –- are higher for a website like disability.gov than for any other site. How did you make sure the site met all people’s needs?

A: Disability.gov strives to be a leader in accessibility and usability. We work very hard to ensure that we not only comply with the law, but also go above and beyond simply what is required so that the site is accessible for all people. This should be the expectation for every website, not just sites specifically for people with disabilities. Our goal is to be a model for all websites, whether they are disability-related or not.

The disability.gov team tested the redesigned website using a variety of assistive technology software and on various machines with the many different browsers that are available. We also obtained feedback from users with a range of disabilities, some who use assistive technology and some who do not. In our testing, disability.gov exceeded the requirements set forth by Section 508 1194.22 by creating a website that is not only accessible, but also usable, by all visitors. The disability.gov team continues to improve site accessibility as we receive additional visitor feedback.

Q: I’m familiar with Section 508, which requires that federal agencies’ electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. Your site claims to also be compatible with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). How are these guidelines different, and what does that mean to the user?

A: Four Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Priority 1 checkpoints, 1.3, 4.1, 6.2 and 14.1, include elements that are either not covered in Section 508 or are slightly more stringent than Section 508 standards. If a website is 508 compliant and the site wants to be WCAG compliant as well, the designers must address these four checkpoints additionally. For example, at this time Section 508 does not specifically address audio description as a requirement for web-based media when the captioned text that is provided is not able to be navigated by screen reader software, but WCAG Priority 1, 1.3 does address this need. Meeting both Section 508 and WCAG guidelines provides an extra layer of accessibility and usability checkpoints, especially when it comes to Web-based multimedia and dynamic content on a site.

Q: Disability.gov is active on Twitter (twitter.com/disabilitygov), and you have a blog and a news feed. How is social media expanding access for people with disabilities?

A: Social media gives people with disabilities a platform to discuss their experiences, find answers to questions, and connect on a common ground. Disability.gov's goal when adding these social media tools was to encourage interaction and feedback with and among its visitors. We've added personalization to the site that didn't exist before, and we'll continue to find more ways to interact as we explore different social media options. Our main goal was to open up communication with our visitors -- we wanted to change from one-way communication to an actual conversation with our visitors.

The redesigned site represents a shift in philosophy from simply broadcasting information to having a true collaboration with the public. These new tools help disability.gov visitors quickly access the information they need and connect with others on disability-related topics. They also offer new ways to organize, share and receive information, and help create communities around subjects of common interest. Visitors can sign up for personalized news and updates, participate in online discussions and suggest resources for the site.

Q: Do you have plans to expand even more -– like a Facebook page or additional interactive features?

A: We will continue to look into adding new social media features in the coming months, and include the ones we feel are most in line with our goals and would be most useful and relevant to our audiences on disability.gov. Before we redesigned the site, we conducted extensive research on the different tools that are available and selected those we felt were the best fit. This is the process we will continue to use in the future. Our next phase is to add features that allow for personalization, and increase interaction among visitors with features like user forums.

Q: Speaking of Facebook, what are the challenges involved in using the latest technology while adhering to rules and policy affecting federal agencies? For example, President Obama was told he couldn’t use his Blackberry.

A: The government is currently developing policies that regulate what can and cannot be done. With the Obama administration, there is certainly a great deal of support for use of social media in order to make the government more open and transparent to citizens. The disability.gov team has moved cautiously into the social media realm. We conducted a great deal of research prior to the redesign, and met with several federal agencies that have been using social media in order to develop a set of best practices. We used these best practices, along with a thorough understanding of our audiences and the goals we want to achieve, to develop our approach to engaging in social media.

Q: What else would you like people to know about disability.gov?

A: Disability.gov is an important resource not only for the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, but also for parents of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, military families, caregivers, and many others. The site offers thousands of resources on disability-related programs and services from the federal government, as well as state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. Above all, the mission of the site is to connect the disability community to information and opportunities.

Duncan Breaks Silence on Special Ed

Well, it took seven months, but yesterday Education Secretary Arne Duncan actually talked about special education. As I reported when President Obama first nominated Duncan, many disability advocates criticized him not for doing bad things in special ed when he oversaw education in Chicago, but for simply overlooking it as a priority. Over the past seven months, he's done little to reassure the disability community. His official bio doesn't mention special ed, and the issue has been absent from every major speech and interview he has given.

So yesterday was our first chance to hear how Secretary Duncan thinks special education may fit into his broader vision for education reform. Addressing a group of state special education officials in Washington, he asked for their support in developing state standards to make sure the needs of students with disabilities are met.

Since more than half of students with disabilities spend most of their time in general classrooms, Duncan asked, "How how do we make sure not just special education teachers, but every single teacher, can be a teacher of children with special needs?" He said he and his staff are seeking ideas from parents, teachers, and state officials. View video of his remarks.

Did he say anything that demonstrates innovative thinking or a commitment to making special ed a top priority? No. But I've been critical of Duncan for not addressing the topic at all, so I'll give him credit for meeting with this group and acknowledging the 6 million-plus students under his watch who have special needs.

Waiting Lists, Inadequate Funding for Disability Services -- and More Cuts on the Way?

I recently joined the board of the Arc of Montgomery County, which advocates for people with developmental disabilities and provides direct services to people from infants to seniors. Today as part of my orientation, I visited several residential, vocational, educational, and day care programs throughout the county. While I was impressed with the level of service these people are receiving and the dedication of the providers, I couldn't help but think of the nearly 20,000 people in Maryland who are on a waiting list for these critical services.

And even the existing services are in danger because of budget cuts. Even if you're not in Maryland, read this alert, "People with Developmental Disabilities at Risk of Losing Services." Whichever state you're in, people with disabilities are facing these same risks. With long waiting lists, people are already being denied services they desperately need. This is no time to make additional cuts.

Rhetoric Over Disabilities and Health Care Reform Heats Up

Disability Scoop has a nice summary of some of the disability issues at the heart of the health care reform debate. Read "Disability Issues At Center Of Heated Health Care Debate." Not surprisingly, former Governor Sarah Palin is at the center of some of the controversy -- which started when she seemed to suggest that President Obama would like to kill her son with Down syndrome. Specifically, Palin has said the plan would force people who are either old or disabled "to stand in front of Obama’s 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide...whether they are worthy of health care."

Whatever you think of Palin -- and I know many disability advocates like her a lot -- there is no denying the hypocrisy of suggesting that the president's policies (and, by extension, the president himself) are "evil" and that the president would support kill disabled children, and then calling for restraint and civility in these discussions. On her Facebook page, she wrote:

"There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment. Such tactics diminish our nation's civil discourse which we need now more than ever because the fine print in this outrageous health care proposal must be understood clearly and not get lost in conscientious voters' passion to want to make elected officials hear what we are saying. Let's not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us."

Huh?

I was pleased to see Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff in the White House Office of Public Liaison, step forward as the father of a child with autism. In the video below, Strautmanis says the plan would ensure that individuals won't be denied insurance coverage because of any pre-existing condition and would expand access to Medicaid. I've previously written about Strautmanis's personal connection, and I hope he'll continue his involvement in these and other issues important to people with disabilities.


Many disability groups are expressing support for the president's plan. United Cerebral Palsy has endorsed the health care reform bill, and the Arc is encouraging its members to "dispel the growing number of myths" about health care reform. In addition, the American Association of Disabled People has posted several facts from AARP to refute what it says are myths and lies. They include:
Fact 1: Medicaid not be ended, and no benefits or services will be cut.
Fact 2: No legislation currently in Congress would mandate the rationing of care. Period.
Fact 3: There is no provision of any piece of legislation that would promote euthanasia of any kind.

AARP goes on to say: "The rumors out there are flat-out lies. Right now Medicare does not cover counseling for end-of-life care. The portion of the bill in question would simply provide coverage for optional end-of-life consultations with doctors, so that the patient can be aware of all of the treatment options on the table. It is not mandatory and it has nothing to do with euthanasia."

National Down Syndrome Advocacy Day, February 2010

The National Down Syndrome Society has announced the first annual Down Syndrome Advocacy Day will be held on Capitol Hill Feb. 24-25, 2010. So technically, I guess it's "Advocacy Days" plural. Advocates will meet with elected representatives, learn advocacy tips, and connect with Down syndrome advocates from around the country. For information, visit the National Down Syndrome Society's website. You can also sign up for action alerts on Down syndrome.

Summer Means Camp -- for All Kids

Friday was my daughter Chloe's last day of summer camp -- a six-week program with 500 students, 100 of whom have some type of disability. The model is full inclusion. All kids do all activities, to the best of their abilities, and they learn from each other.

Since Chloe is non-verbal, we relied on daily notes to tell us how she was doing -- and every note assured us she was not only learning, but also having fun. My favorite story was when a child approached Chloe's counselor and asked, "Does she speak sign language?" The counselor said she understood a little, and he signed "friend," played with her the rest of the day, and gave her a hug at the end of the day. The next day, he brought in his favorite stuffed animal so she could play with it. And as he paid more attention to Chloe, the other children did too.

The inclusion model was new for us. For the past three years, Chloe has been in a special school with other children with autism and other delays. This fall, she will attend a public elementary school, and camp showed us how important it is for her to be with typical children even though she requires a different type of instruction.

ABC News recently featured summer camps for children with disabilities. Sean Nienow, director of the National Camp Association, says, camp "is just part of Americana, and if you've got children with particular special needs it's just very difficult for them to readily fit into a mainstream setting."

Peg Smith, the chief executive officer of the American Camp Association, said 17 percent of all accredited summer camps provide programs for children with special needs. "The world today recognizes that kids need to be kids first, regardless of illnesses or special needs," she said. "It only makes sense that the camp experience, if it's truly designed for young people, is accessible to all kids, regardless of their disabilities."

As much as I appreciate the camp that Chloe was able to attend -- and will probably attend for many more summers -- I can't help but think that the high costs of these specialized programs put them out of reach for so many families. I hope that as more people learn about their benefits, they will attract more support and be able to open opportunities for more children.

Disability Advocates Applaud Sotomayor Confirmation

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law called Thursday's Senate's confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor a historic milestone for Hispanics, women, and people with disabilities. "Judge Sotomayor's confirmation promises a brighter future for people with disabilities," said Robert Bernstein, Ph.D., executive director of the Bazelon Center. "For years people with disabilities have looked for a champion on the Supreme Court, someone who understands the importance of disability rights laws to the people they were intended to protect. We think Judge Sotomayor may be that champion."

Jennifer Mathis, deputy legal director at the Bazelon Center, added: "Never before have we had a justice with so much experience interpreting laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Judge Sotomayor's careful, thorough approach to deciding disability rights cases demonstrates her respect for Congress's intent that these laws provide strong protections for people with disabilities."

New Report: Learning Disabilities in the U.S.

Rachel Norton, a member of the San Francisco Board of Education, provides a nice summary of a new report on the state of learning disabilities in the United States. Compiled by the National Council on Learning Disabilities, the comprehensive report reviews both positive and negative trends in meeting the needs of about 2.7 million public school students who have learning disabilities. View the 32-page report.

Some key facts:
- Those 2.7 million students represent 6 percent of public school students nationwide. Two-thirds are males.
- The number of students identified with learning disabilities increased during the 1980s and 1990s, but dropped by 7 percent between 1998 and 2007. Why? Possibly because of stricter standards for identifying learning disabilities and better education strategies.
- The cost of educating a student with learning disabilities is 60 percent higher than the expense for a general education student, compared with 90 percent higher for all students with disabilites.
- Not surprisingly, students who have learning disabilities are far more likely to be held back in school or have disciplinary problems.
- Just one in three students with a learning disability enroll in postsecondary education programs.
- As with all specialized teachers, there just aren't enough qualified teachers or adequate training to meet the needs of children with learning disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education reports that at least 11 percent of special education teachers are not "highly qualified" as defined by IDEA.
- In another study, fewer than half of principals said their general education teachers were prepared to improve the performance of their students with individualized education plans (IEPs).

By the way, the National Council for Learning Disabilities has an excellent website that I had never seen before. Very clean, attractive, and full of resources that are easy to find.

Secretary Duncan Asks Schools for Seclusion/Restraint Policies

Disability Scoop reports that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has sent a letter to all state education heads to formally submit their policies on seclusion and restraint in schools.

From Disability Scoop: "The request follows a government report released in May that documented hundreds of cases of allegedly abusive or deadly uses of restraint and seclusion tactics. It included cases of teachers holding students face down for hours, gagging them, leaving them in dark, closet-like spaces for hours at a time and preventing students from using the bathroom, among other allegations. Nearly all of the allegedly abusive cases involve children with disabilities. Soon after the report was released, Duncan told members of Congress that the report included 'very disturbing, troubling information.' He said he would ensure that all states have policies in place for handling seclusion and restraint in schools before the new school year begins."

U.S. Signs Disability Rights Treaty

As President Obama announced on Friday, today Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York. The president will submit the treaty to the U.S. Senate, which needs to ratify it.

According to the Associated Press, Rice said the treaty "symbolizes that the United States is recommitting itself to upholding human rights through multilateral institutions. It is symbolic of the president's determination to adhere universally to those principles that he has championed and that the United States stands for domestically....

"We all still have a great deal more to do at home and abroad. As President Obama has noted, people with disabilities far too often lack the choice to live in communities of their own choosing; their unemployment rate is much higher than those without disabilities; they are much more likely to live in poverty; health care is out of reach for far too many; and too many children with disabilities are denied a world-class education."

The treaty, already signed by 140 countries, is designed to end discrimination and exclusion of people with physically and mentally disabilities. About 10 percent of the world's population, or 650 million people, live with a disability.

Hypocrisy in Greece over Special Olympics?

Kristina Chew over at autism.change.org recently raised an issue over Greece's role as host of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games. She quotes blogger Emma, whose blog, The Iron Chicken, is about "Life in the weird lane, raising a child with disability in Greece and other things."

Emma writes:
"The irritation stems from the knowledge that Greek politicians are going to being doing their photo opportunities and making their postive statements about inclusion and acceptance and the progress that Greece has made etc, etc, etc, when in fact they are doing pretty much.....nothing towards inclusion and acceptance or anything else regarding disability."

Read Emma's post.

Vist the official site of the 2011 Games.

Mixed Reactions to ADA Anniversary Events

Dora Raymaker of autism.change.org points out that reaction to President Obama's ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act was not entirely positive.

As an example, read the reaction from New Mobility, titled "Obama's ADA Speech Bombs." Managing editor Josie Byzek worries that President Obama "believes most of the hard work is already done (if it was ever that important to begin with), and mainly all we need now is better medical treatment, either through stem cell research or health care. Obama’s greatest praise is for the appeasers who never complain, and he gave just a passing pat on the back for the advocates who brought the ADA into being. Job done, he seems to say. No need for that type of unpleasantness any more."

Raymaker herself wrote a thoughtful analysis about her mixed feelings about the ADA, asking readers whether the ADA should get a birthday card, a get well card, or both.

To provide a balanced report, here is the statement of U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on the ADA anniversary.

I think the real question is not what people think about the president's comments on the ADA's 19th anniversary, six months after taking office. The real test for President Obama will be when we mark the 20th anniversary and reflect on what progress this administration has made in disability policy.

ADA 19th Anniversary: Remarks, Proclamation

Today is the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As reported earlier (see post below), President Obama on Friday announced his intention to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As part of a ceremony marking the ADA anniversary, the president also signed a proclamation (read full text) and commented on the work that remains to be done in the area of disability rights.

The proclamation notes: "People with disabilities far too often lack the choice to live in communities of their choosing; their unemployment rate is much higher than those without disabilities; they are much likelier to live in poverty; health care is out of reach for too many; and too many children with disabilities are denied a world-class education."

And in his remarks, the president said, "I am not satisfied -- I am proud of the progress we have made, but I am not satisfied -- and I know you are not either -- until every American with a disability can learn in their local public school in the manner that's best for them. Until they can apply for a job without discrimination and live and work independently in their communities, if that is what they choose, we have got more work to do."

Watch CSPAN's video of Friday's event.

The ADA at 19: A Time to Celebrate (and Advocate Harder Than Ever)

Sunday is the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It's nearly indisputable that people with disabilities have more rights and more access than they did before the ADA, and that's reason to celebrate. But if you're reading my blog, you probably also know that our country has a long way to go before people with disabilities are truly equal citizens. Today, we face questions like: How will people with disabilities fare in health care reform? How can we make progress in education, housing, employment, and other areas when budget cuts are devastating services for people with disabilities nationwide?

This milestone will elicit many ceremonies and speeches, including one from our president, but it will take more than words and compassion to eliminate discrimination, remove barriers, solve problems, and ensure equal rights and opportunities for all Americans. As I review remarks about this anniversary, I'll be looking for ideas, plans, and dollars -- not just progress reports.

In the meantime, I want to share several important resources that may help you learn more -- and teach others -- about the ADA and its importance. I encourage you to add your own comments on 1) the significance of the ADA, 2) steps we still need to take, or 3) other resources you'd like to share.

LINKS
- Full text of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended in 2008)
- About the ADA
- History
- How the ADA Defines "Disabilities"
- ADA Training (podcasts, toolkits, conferences, and more)
- Resources (employment, youths with disabilities, and more)
- Information on Accessible Technology

Thanks to the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) National Network of ADA Centers for these resources. Learn about DBTAC and find even more on its website.

QUOTES OVER THE YEARS
"With nearly 54 million Americans living with disabilities, it must be a priority for our government to do everything it can to protect and respect the needs of these Americans. I am proud the Senate passed this Act today to reverse judicial decisions that permit discrimination against persons with disabilities. Eighteen years ago, enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act was a historic milestone for millions of Americans when it was signed into law. It gave Americans with disabilities better access, more opportunities, and increased independence."
- Senator Barack Obama, on the Senate's passage of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Sept. 11, 2008

"The ADA is one of the most successful civil rights laws in our history and has been an essential part of countless American lives."
- President George W. Bush, proclamation on the 18th anniversary of the ADA, July 26, 2008

"In 1992, I issued a challenge to our nation. I said we must not rest until America has a national disability policy based on three simple creeds; inclusion, not exclusion; independence, not dependence; and empowerment, not paternalism. I remain committed to that vision and I want to thank all of you for working so hard with us to make it a reality. More than ever before in our history, America's greatness in the next century will depend upon the ability of our citizens to make the most of their own lives. Americans with disabilities are an enormous, largely untapped reservoir of that potential."
- President Bill Clinton, May 23, 1996

"This Act is powerful in its simplicity. It will ensure that people with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have worked so long and so hard. Independence, freedom of choice, control of their own lives, the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the rich mosaic of the American mainstream."
- President George H.W. Bush, ADA signing ceremony, July 26, 1990

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.

President to Sign International Disability Treaty

Earning its name, Disability Scoop reports two days early that on Friday, President Obama will announce he will sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It's no coincidence that Friday is also the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To date, 140 countries have already signed the treaty, which seeks to remove barriers for approximately 650 million people with disabilities around the world.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye told Disability Scoop, "On Friday, the president will announce this administration’s decision to join all the other nations who have signed this convention, thereby affirming internationally the commitment enshrined in our own national law and our long-standing leadership in protecting the rights of people with disabilities."

Read more at the United Nations' Enable website, a great resource for disability rights around the world.

UPDATE: United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) applauds the president's decision, calling the treaty "good for America, good for people with disabilities, and good for the world."

An Easy Way to Make a Big Difference for People with Autism

I serve as a state advocacy coordinator for Autism Speaks, but as a parent, I have a personal appeal for you. Health reform is moving along without a critical component -- assurance that insurance companies will be required to cover autism services. You can help by making two phone calls, sending two emails, and telling your friends about this.

Most urgent, call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at 202-225-0100.

Also important, call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at 202-224-3542.

If you aren't sure what to say, you can use these messages:
"Hi, My name is _______________. I am calling from (your city, your state). I want you to know that health care reform that does not stop autism insurance discrimination is unacceptable. People with autism deserve coverage for the treatments and therapies that will help their medical condition. Thank you."

You can also email Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid.

Read more about these issues and how you can get involved.

An Open Letter -- and Homework -- for Secretary Duncan

Dear Secretary Duncan:

I like to report on positive steps the administration is taking to improve the lives of people with disabilities. And I'd REALLY like to find some good news -- even supportive statements -- coming from you and the Department of Education. I promise you, if you say something positive, I'll report it here and many people will read about it.

But PLEASE. Give me something to work with.

As an example, you met yesterday with the American Federation of Teachers, the second largest teachers union, with 1.4 million members. In your address and in the Q&A, you never mentioned special education and how it might fit in with your proposed education reforms.

You had a chance when a teacher from Illinois asked you about standards for paraprofessionals. You could have said, "Great question. As you know, we have more than 250,000 paraprofessionals in our schools who play an important role supporting teachers -- and who are critical to our ability to meet the needs of children in special education programs. We have to make sure that we have high standards for them just as we do for teachers."

That's what you could have said. Instead, your answer was: "Great question. One I haven't done a lot of work on."

Secretary Duncan, with all respect, it's time for you to do some work on special education. As a start, please read this fact sheet on paraprofessionals from your own Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). But please, don't stop there. As you work to fulfill your responsibility to provide education for all Americans, including those who have disabilities, visit the OSEP website to learn about its programs and responsibilities. While you're there, you may notice that under "what's new," there are only two new entries since President Obama took office six months ago. I hope to see more developments and hear your plans soon.

Longtime Advocate for Blind Dies at 61

After Harold Snider was forced out of his third-grade classes because he was blind, his parents sued Duval County in Florida, and Harold became the first blind child in the county to graduate from public school. He went on to become a leading advocate for people with disabilites. Snider died June 26 at his home in Rockville, Md., after a heart attack.

In the 1970s, he became the first blind employee of the Smithsonian Institution, where he coordinated programs for people with disabilities for the National Air and Space Museum. "You can't look at the spacecraft, so you touch it, or you hold a model of it or a raised line picture of it," he explained. "You can't see an airplane, so you hear its engine roar."

Snider worked on disability issues for the Republican National Committee, and in 1990President George H.W. Bush appointed him as deputy executive director of the National Council on Disability. He helped draft the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. He also worked with the National Federation of the Blind to develop NFB-Newsline, an audible newspaper and magazine service that allows people to hear the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers at no cost.

According to an obituary in the Washington Post, Snider "said he was sometimes asked how blind people performed tasks such as crossing the street, cutting a sandwich or, as the more curious would ponder, having sex. 'I tell them I do it like everybody else. In the dark.'"

Waitlist-Gate Likely a Non-Issue for White House Disability Chief

The White House's top disability advocate was back in the news yesterday -- but for the wrong reasons. The Chicago Tribune reported that Kareem Dale, special assistant to the president for disability policy, used his White House email account to recommend a student for admission to the University of Illinois law school, his alma mater. The school's dean testified that the school no longer uses "clout lists" and that Dale's email from April was ignored.

Is this a big deal or a small deal? I say pretty minor, and unlikely to affect Dale's ability to be an effective advocate for people with disabilities. In his email, he stressed that he was writing in a personal capacity -- so while he used poor judgment, there's no evidence he was intentionally implying his endorsement reflected the views of the President or anyone else at the White House.

When I worked at the White House during the first years of the Clinton Administration, several junior staff were reprimanded for receiving -- not sending -- faxes with NCAA brackets during March Madness. It was considered a form of gambling and an ethical violation to give someone the fax number and ask to receive the document. Sending a completed bracket, I'm sure, would have been considered worse.

More relevant, there was a strong policy against using your White House badge to gain any sort of favor. If a local bar or restaurant advertised "half price drinks/food for White House staff," it would be an ethical violation to accept. In fact, you were encouraged to put your badge in your pocket while you were outside the building. So when you work there, you have to recognize that you are always representing the White House and the President -- and increasingly, you are under a microscope from people who want to catch you doing something wrong.

My guess? From now on, Kareem Dale's media exposure will be related to his dual roles as an advocate for disabilities and the arts. And you've heard the end of waitlist-gate.

White House Appoints Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

President Obama has appointed Alexa Posny as his Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education. As you can see from her bio, she has a lot of relevant experience, including being a teacher herself.

"Alexa E. Posny currently serves as the Commissioner of Education for the state of Kansas. As Commissioner, she is responsible for helping over 450,000 students meet or exceed high academic standards, licensing over 45,000 teachers, and overseeing a state education budget of a little over $4.5 billion. Prior to this, Posny was appointed as the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for the U.S. Department of Education, a position in which she assisted state and local efforts to effectively educate all children and youth with disabilities. Other positions that Posny has held included the Kansas Deputy Commissioner of Education, Kansas State Director of Special Education, Director of Special Education for the Shawnee Mission School District, Director of the Curriculum and Instruction Specialty Option as part of the Title 1 Technical Assistance Center (TAC) network of TACs across the United States, and a Senior Research Associate at Research and Training Associates in Overland Park, Kansas. Posny earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, a master's degree in behavioral disabilities and a doctorate in educational administration both from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Chief State School Officers, the National Council for Learning Disabilities, and chairs the National Assessment Governing Board's Special Education Task Force. Most importantly, she has been a teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels and remains a teacher today, serving as adjunct faculty with the University of Kansas."

Posny's nomination requires Senate confirmation. Read July 6 press release, including other appointments.

UPDATE: Kathy Martinez has been confirmed as the Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy at the Department of Labor. Read bio from the Washington Post.

Disability Groups Support Sotomayor Nomination to Supreme Court

Back on May 27, I posted a review of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's record on disability issues. Yesterday Disability Scoop reported that numerous disability organizations are publicly expressing their support for Judge Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. The groups -- which include the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Autism Society of America, the National Council on Independent Living, the National Disability Rights Network, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the National Down Syndrome Society -- wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee saying Judge Sotomayor's record reflects "a good understanding of -– and healthy respect for -– the rights of persons with disabilities."

UPDATE (July 9) -- Read the letter from these groups. And here's a letter from disability law professors who support Judge Sotomayor.