A lack of support services negatively affects the health of low-income mothers raising children with disabilities, the waitlist grows for NYC preschool special ed seats, the U.S. census finds disability rates are higher in rural areas, and more news for the week ending July 1, 2023.

Spotlights

Raising a disabled child erodes health in low-income mothers A new study punctures a hole in research finding a relationship between poor maternal health and a child’s disability.  This relationship, the new study reports, occurs only in low-income families and is due to a lack of socioeconomic resources. (BLOOM blog)

Supreme Court won’t weigh in on whether charter schools are legally private or public The case could have decided whether a charter school must take into account civil rights protections when setting policies and practices.  (Chalkbeat.org)

TriState

Opportunity Grows in Brooklyn: How One High School Rebounded From COVID By Re-engaging Students & Restoring Teacher Morale At least one of two teachers now leading each class at Laboratory Charter High School is special education certified, as the school adopts an all-inclusion-model. (The74million.org)

NYC has not yet lived up to promises for special education pre-K seats “There are still more than 300 children waiting for seats in preschool special education classes,” said Randi Levine, policy director at Advocates for Children. (ny1.com)

New Jersey Court Imposes Limits on Definition of Disability  On June 7, in Guzman v. M. Teixeira International, Inc., the New Jersey Appellate Division showed a willingness to limit the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) definition of “disabled,” ruling against an employee alleging a perceived disability claim involving COVID-19. (shrm.org)

National

Disability Rates Higher in Rural Areas Than Urban Areas Where people live may impact their ability to access health care services and for those with disabilities or who require specialized care that entails more frequent attention and medical visits, location can play an even more significant role. (census.gov)

Biden Administration Plans Crackdown On Disability Rights Violations On the 24th anniversary of Olmstead v. L.C., officials are beefing up enforcement of the decision affirming the rights of people with disabilities to be supported in the community whenever possible. (Disabilityscoop.com)

Ed Department Expected To Update Disability Regulations Soon The agency said it will issue a proposal in August to amend the regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The law prohibits disability discrimination at schools and in other programs that receive federal funding. (Disabilityscoop.com)

Health

Study Suggests Doctors Often Discriminate Against Kids With Disabilities New research details how children with disabilities are ignored and devalued by doctors and other healthcare providers, potentially leading to substandard care. (Disabilityscoop.com)

Misc.

Accessible Nature: A Trail Guide for Disabled Hikers The New York Times highlights a selection of paths, overlooks and other sites in several U.S. parks that outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities can enjoy this summer. (nytimes.com)

Why the 1932 Movie ‘Freaks’ Is a Touchstone for Disability Representation Though it has detractors, scholars and advocates have largely embraced this film for the way it shows people just living their lives while disabled. (nytimes.com)

Local tennis players with intellectual disabilities will share the spotlight with the pros Two members of local Atlanta nonprofit the Special Populations Tennis Program, which teaches tennis to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, will make special appearances at the Atlanta Open, set for July. (news.yahoo.com)

When Death Is the Best Choice, Is It a Choice at All? Though Canadian disability activists have long been critical of how Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) was implemented and have warned that there weren’t enough safeguards to protect vulnerable people from accessing it prematurely, the expansion of MAID set off a nuclear bomb in the disability justice community. (thenation.com)