With the presidential election coming up fast, now is the time to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have their voices heard. To help, The Boost has put together a comprehensive, easy-to-read voting guide for self-advocates and those who care for people with IDD.

The Boost’s NYS 2024 Voting Guide for People with Developmental Disabilities offers information and links to everything from whether guardianship affect’s one’s right to vote to how and where to register, ballot options, accessible voting and disability voter rights. Those outside of New York might find it helpful, as well.

And for those up in arms about the change Gov. Kathy Hochul is making to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), there’s good news: Opposition is growing. See the news links below and be sure to check out The Boost’s timeline of events, The Heat Is On: A Roundup of the Latest News on Proposed CDPAP Changes.

As always, choose your sweet spots below, and thanks for subscribing.  — Roberta Bernstein, Founder/Editor, The Boost

The Boost’s NYS 2024 Voting Guide for People with Developmental Disabilities

Everything you need to know help people with IDD have their voices heard, from how to register and accessible voting to knowing their rights.

COVID-19 Affected Education of Students with Unique Learning Needs Hardest: Report

From sensory-friendly activities and accessible outings to free educational webinars. If you’d like to be included on this list, please contact The Boost here or at fromtheboost@gmail.com.

NYS Rec & Entertainment, Webinars & More Starting Sept. 20, 2024

Child care harder to find for children and parents with disabilities, CDPAP opposition grows, and more developmental disability news for week ending Sept. 20, 2024.

Spotlight

Think Child Care is Hard to Find? It’s Even Tougher for Children, Parents with Disabilities

While most parents struggle to find child care, parents of children with disabilities — and parents with disabilities themselves — often face additional challenges, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

There are various barriers to finding and using child care programs, including:

• Physically inaccessible facilities
• Early intervention and special ed services provided off-site
• Exclusion from activities
• Suspension and expulsion from programs
• Safety concerns

Child care programs, for instance, often require children to be toilet trained by age 3. “For some parents of children with disabilities — this can be an automatic disqualifier for their child,” the report notes.

The whole report can be found here.

New York

Home care agencies sue N.Y. in federal court over CDPAP change Four home care agencies serving New York City and its suburbs join a wave of opposition against the plan. (Times Union)

Center for Disability Rights Calls on Hochul to Protect CDPAP and the Disability-Led Organizations that Established Them (Center for Disability Rights)

NYC cracked down on private school special ed costs. Hundreds of children lost services. The city stepped up enforcement of a June 1 deadline for special ed services — one loosely enforced — while simultaneously giving families less notice about the deadline than in past years. (Chalkbeat)

Lawmaker Calls On State Leaders to Reform New York’s Beleaguered Guardianship System A resolution intends to force Albany to take up the cause of those whom judges have deemed incapable of managing their own affairs. (ProPublica)

Museum telling history of people with disabilities to open on Long Island Slated to open in the fall of 2025, it reportedly will be the nation’s only brick-and-mortar museum on the topic. (Long Island Business News)

Tom Golisano Gifts $360 Million to 82 Non-Profits Across Upstate New York They include disability services. (Democrat & Chronicle)

Outside of New York

Fed-up families say N.J. ignores abuse in group homes. The state doesn’t have the authority to impose fines when developmentally disabled get hurt inside state-licensed facilities. Lawmakers are weighing a change. (nj.com)

Conn. airport airline offers children with autism a chance to get used to boarding process Bradley Airport hosted its third “Autism Flies” event in partnership with Autism Double-Checked and Breeze Airways. (NBC Connecticut)

Johns Hopkins health system to pay disabled patients for alleged violations during COVID In one instance, a young woman with intellectual disabilities reportedly was not allowed to bring her mother into the hospital’s psychiatric unit after being admitted after a suicide attempt. (Washington Post)

‘I hope it makes a difference’: Parents who helped spark Maine DOJ lawsuit speak out The state allegedly failed to provide treatment beds and services, leaving dozens of kids with mental health problems and developmental disabilities stuck in ERs statewide. (New Center Maine)

For Oregonians with disabilities, mental health care can be tough to access (kgw.com)

Local Mass. health center aims to close gaps for diagnosing developmental disabilities in kids of color (GBH)

Down Syndrome

Opinion: Having a Child With Down Syndrome Changed the Way I Think About IQ “As a lifelong overachiever, I’d never questioned the importance of intelligence tests—until I saw my daughter’s unique way of being.” (Wall Street Journal)

Doctors Get Clearer Picture On Developmental Milestones For Kids With Down Syndrome (Disability Scoop)

Autism

Opinion: Tina Brown, And When Even Autism Becomes Politicized Another take on the media response to Gov. of Minnesota and vp nominee Gus Walz’s neurodivergent son, Gus. “This politicizing of autism and disabilities is not surprising: nearly all issues today are seen through the lens of partisan politics. But in the case of autism, it is especially misplaced and counterproductive.” (Forbes)

Autism CARES Act of 2024 Is Halfway There The bill passes the House, and the Senate’s up next. Deadline: Sept. 30, 2024. (Autism Society)