Disability Futures

Why are so many justifications being made for the murder of London McCabe, but not for the murder of Scott McMillan? Why is so much about the McCabe family being reported, at almost the exclusion of the victim? In the story about Scott, we read extensively about the wounds this poor child received. We are told that the ER nurses wept at the sight of his battered body. In contrast, in stories about London, we read extensively about the trials and tribulations of his Mother, Jillian. About how difficult it was for her. About everything she was going through and how she just lost it. All we read about London is that his body was recovered hours later, floating in the water- and that he liked hats. What’s the difference?

Following the statement from TASH regarding their official stance that they will not support or directly endorse facilitated communication, the partners at Autonomous Press have decided that we cannot do business with the organization or any representative acting in their capacity as such while this policy is in effect. As a press started by a majority autistic partnership, one whose own members type to communicate frequently, we do not feel comfortable attending, selling at, or promoting this organization or their events in any way.

We make this decision with a heavy heart. Many of us have friends on the board. In addition to that fact, though, one of our editors on Typed Words, Loud Voices, our groundbreaking anthology of typers, is herself an FC activist. She has presented at TASH to specifically address the ways she communicates and barriers caused by false and ableist skepticism leading to poorly designed and agenda-driven “studies.” We can only imagine the strain that this institutional decision has placed on her, implying as it does that TASH does not stand behind those that they invite to share their knowledge and ideas.

It is out of a desire to make our commitment to representing voices like hers, and not to privilege some forms of accommodation and some forms of communication over others, that we make this move:

First off, the term “Deafblind” isn’t always “totally deaf, totally blind”, there are various degrees ranging from being hard of hearing and some usable sight, to being deaf and little to no usable sight. It is more complex than just having blindness or deafness alone. For more information on Deafblindness check out the American Association of the Deafblind’s FAQ page.

10) Please do not question our ability to see or hear.

I label myself as a Deafblind person, yet I wear glasses, with limited correction, and use a white cane. I also have a Cochlear Implant and can identify environmental sounds, but cannot understand speech without close lipreading. Others may speak very well and can carry a conversation on a cell phone, but have trouble in noisy areas or with strangers as their voices are not familiar.

9) If you’re in our space please do not move things around.

We need things exactly where we’ve placed them so we can quickly find them again. There’s no “scanning” visually for it, so if something’s moved, it takes us a long time to find it by touch. If you do move something, tell us where you’ve put it.

The latest guidelines said states mostly would not have to collect taxpayer Social Security numbers from those who contribute to such an account. It also said those who apply for an account won't have to submit physician documentation showing a disability diagnosis, the IRS wrote in a noticeFriday.

“These are important issues for an administrator,” said Andrea Feirstein, president of AKF Consulting.

(T)he Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) told state Medicaid offices around the country that Medicaid dollars, usually reserved for clinical services and medications, could be used to help chronically homeless people and others with long-term disabilities to find and maintain permanent housing.

That means a fresh source of funds for everything from helping homeless people apply for housing and understand the terms of their lease to teaching them how to get along with neighbors and make healthy food choices.

The CMS policy statement comes as many states continue to struggle with large homeless populations. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)reported Thursday that while the overall number of homeless in the U.S. dropped by 2 percent, or by 11,742 people, this year over last, it increased in 17 states. New York had the largest increase, of 7,660 people, followed by California with 1,786 more homeless.

A new study out of Georgetown University has filled in part of that gap, and the results are troubling. The findings suggest that pedestrian wheelchair users are a third more likely to be killed in a road accident than the general public is. The study, published in BMJ Open, also found that in more than 75 percent of crashes that involve a wheelchair user, no “crash avoidance maneuver” by the driver—like braking or steering—was recorded.

“This gets back to basic city design: How do we design places in ways that make it safe for pedestrians to use them?” says John Kraemer, an epidemiologist and lawyer at Georgetown with a special interest in road safety for vulnerable users, and the study’s lead author. “What we really don’t want is [for] a person who's using a wheelchair or has a disability to choose between not being able to access their community or having to do it in a dangerous way.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a Conciliation Agreement with Mortgage One, Inc., of Sterling Heights, Michigan, resolving allegations of lending discrimination againstan applicant with disabilities.  HUD claimed Mortgage One and loan officer Nancy Doody required the mortgage applicant to provide intrusive and unnecessary documentation regarding his disabilities before approving his FHA-insured mortgage. Read the agreement.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate in the terms and conditions of a loan to an individual based on a disability, including imposing different application or qualification criteria.

“A person’s qualifications to purchase a home should be the only criteria used to evaluate his or her loan application, not whether they are living with a disability,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This agreement reaffirms HUD’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that mortgage lenders treat all applicants fairly.”  

The production company behind “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and other reality television staples will debut a new documentary series following young adults with Down syndrome.

The six-episode series “Born This Way” will air on A&E Network starting Dec. 8 at 10 p.m. ET.

For the show, cameras followed seven Southern California young adults with Down syndrome and their families as they navigate jobs and relationships and look to gain greater independence.

Among those featured is Steven, who works two jobs and knows the title and year of every Oscar-winning film, John who is pursuing a career in rap music and Cristina who works at a middle school and has a boyfriend of four years who she plans to marry.

An integrated approach to providing access to reliable and safe transportation is needed for adults on the autismspectrum and their families, according to a new Rutgers study that offers recommendations for removing barriers to better mobility.

The Rutgers report addresses transportation obstacles that those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, and their families, must overcome to carry out their daily activities and offers recommendations on how to remove the obstacles. Many challenges are associated with transportation, such as the inability to live independently, reach employers and health care providers and even engage in community and social activities.

The research found that New Jersey adults with ASD travel primarily as passengers of cars driven by their parents and other family members, which often results in stress, inconvenience and negative employment consequences for both the adults with ASD and their drivers. While the availability of accessible public transportation is crucial for everyone with all types of disabilities, including adults on the autism spectrum, many do not have access to public transport or possess the familiarity or skills to use these services.