May 31, 2019-NJ special needs students allegedly ejected from senior prom
HILLSBOROUGH – A prom night that was supposed to be fun and exciting for both Lily Doyle and her friends ended in embarrassment, according to her father, Ken Doyle. “It was supposed to be a nice night, but the school ruined it for them,” said Doyle. “Like, how do you ruin prom?” On Friday, May 17, Lily and her friends were forced to leave
May 31, 2019-LOOKING TO GET TO GRIPS WITH LONELINESS AMONG NJ’S ELDERLY, OTHERS AT RISK
Social isolation is a public health concern, says Assemblyman; a new task force would assess its reach in New Jersey and recommend ways to alleviate itedit Amid growing concern worldwide about the impact of loneliness on the elderly, Garden State lawmakers want to learn how social isolation affects vulnerable New Jerseyans and what can be done to keep them more active and engaged. Read
May 27, 2019-I’m obese. I want a healthy lifestyle. But it’s often inaccessible to disabled people like me.
Diet and exercise are especially challenging for disabled people. I’m at the doctor’s office watching him study my chart when a frown crinkles his cheeks. He looks up, and I know what he’s about to say. “According to the BMI, you’re obese.” “Is that so?” “You need to diet and exercise more,” the physician, who has a chiseled physique, scolds. “Given your condition, life
May 26, 2019-The Trump Administration wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act — not having it!
According to the Declaration of Independence, “governments are instituted among men to secure our rights …to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is not enough that such sentiments be inscribed on marble walls, or written on parchment and kept behind glass in a stately museum. They must be inscribed on the American heart generation after generation, or they lose their moral force.
May 22, 2019-New Jersey Says Goodbye to Troubled Group Home Company
Bellwether Behavioral Health, a for-profit disability care company that previously lost its licenses in Delaware and Florida, has now lost its relationship with New Jersey’s Department of Human Services. Last year WNYC reported that Bellwether, the largest group home provider for developmentally disabled adults in New Jersey, had thirteen times the average rate of abuse or neglect complaints compared to other large group home companies.
May 21, 2019-80 Arrested In Nation’s Capital At Disability Rights Protest
Dozens of disability rights activists — including some in wheelchairs — were arrested near Capitol Hill while pressing for more access to community-based services. U.S. Capitol Police arrested 80 people who were demonstrating Monday morning outside the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Read more
May 21, 2019-State To Pay $8M After Pleas To Help Man With Special Needs Went Unanswered
SEATTLE — Vernon Gray was living with rats when a social worker showed up to his Central District home, where a layer of garbage coated the floor and a squalid odor caused people to gag when they stepped onto the property. That was in 2009, when the state’s Adult Protective Services received its first report about him. Gray, who has a developmental disability, had
May 21, 2019-The Arc’s Concerns about Changes at the Administration for Community Living
The Arc was concerned to read the Notice Statement on the reorganization of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) published in the federal register. As the “the principal agency in the department designated to lead aging and disability programs,” ACL must have sufficient resources, support and clarity in its goals to be successful in this role. ACL has been a leader and key partner
May 21, 2019-STATE SHARES GOOD NEWS ABOUT REFORMS AT PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS
DOH is putting its back — and its budget — into making facilities more responsive to patients, safer for staff Progress has continued at New Jersey’s four state-run psychiatric hospitals, with violence and patient numbers declining, staffing levels increasing, new safety protocols in place, and a growing focus on quality patient outcomes. Those are among the findings in a new report by the state
May 16, 2019-72,500 New Jersey Families Benefit from Housing Choice Vouchers
But In NJ, 682,200 Low-Income Renters Still Paying Over Half Their Income for Housing In New Jersey, 72,500 New Jersey Families benefit from Housing Choice Vouchers. Yet, in our state, 682,200 low-income renter sare still paying over half of their income in housing. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has published updated interactive fact sheets detailing federal rental assistance to each state. Read