More CDPAP lawsuits in NYS, an artist with developmental disabilities shows at MoMA, special ed teachers are exhausted, and more developmental disability news for the week ending Dec. 20, 2024.\

Spotlight: DSPs

Already Battered Disability Providers Say More Cuts Could Be Coming

A survey released this week by ANCOR finds that a whopping 90% of providers serving people with I/DD have faced moderate or severe staffing shortages in the last year. As a result, 69% said they had declined new clients and 39% indicated that they shuttered programs or services. More than a third said they were considering additional program cuts. (Disability Scoop)

The survey fittingly is called The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2024.

New York

NY lawmakers delay promised boost to early intervention services The state promised families a major investment in early intervention programs, but lawmakers have yet to make good on their word. (msn.com via NY Daily News)

NY ed chief talks regionalization, state aid, special ed The discussion at a town hall touched on the need to “honor differences” when it comes to high school grad requirements for students with disabilities, and more. (lohud.com)

New Accessible Playground at Brewster Elementary School (Brewsterschools.org and Putnam Examiner)

CDPAP

How Fast is NY’s Home Care Program Growing? A report notes that “at the heart” of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program debate is the question of growth, and the percentage being cited is very “misleading.” (Fiscal Policy Institute)

Rochester home care agency sues Hochul’s troubled CDPAP transition Lawyers for All-American Homecare Agency are asking a federal judge to stop the state Dept. of Health from carrying out the proposed transition of CDPAP. The lawsuit joins a barrage of challenges. (Times Union)

NYS got help from union to rig the bidding for Gov. Hochul’s $9B home health aide program overhaul: suit Mark’s Homecare LLC filed the latest suit in Albany Supreme Court. (NYPost)

Empire Center Sues Health Department for Records on CDPAP and Medicaid One suit seeks records relating to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, a costly and rapidly growing form of Medicaid home care that is being overhauled. (Empirecenter.org)

New York’s Fastest-Growing Union Is Management’s Best Friend — and Some Workers Don’t Even Know They’re Members This has some interesting info in it about New York’s leading health care union, 1199SEIU, and CDPAP. (TheCity.nyc)\

Commentary: New York’s seniors need home care. To get it, they need Hochul’s help. This says she can start by supporting the Fair Pay for Home Care Act and hitting the brakes on changes to CDPAP. (Times Union)

Outside of New York

Conn.’s Prospector Theater Brings Sparkle to the Kelly Clarkson Show Guests were founder of The Prospector in Ridgefield, Conn., a non-profit providing employment for people with disabilities through operation of a movie theater and online popcorn business, and two of its “Prospects,” or employees. (Hamlethub.com)

Nevada governor asked lawmakers to scrap plan for autistic girls facility in favor of gaming-backed homeless campus (Nevadacurrent.com)

Alabama pediatric care clinic caters to patients with I/DD (whnt.com)

Justice Dept. Finds Arizona’s Dept. of Child Safety Discriminates Against Parents and Children with Disabilities (justice.gov)

Joshua Long has led Chicago Public Schools’ disability office for a year. What has changed? (Chalkbeat.Org)

Education

Special ed teacher shortage creating ‘point of exhaustion’ More takes from a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ listening session. (k12dive.com)

Students with disabilities are spending more time in general ed. Are teachers being prepared? This report out of Oklahoma includes a look at the largest universities in the country that have a patchwork of special ed requirements for future teachers. (kgou.org)

ABLE Act

A Little-Known Law to Fight Disabled Poverty Just Turned 10 The Obama-era ABLE Act is simple, popular, bipartisan— and it works. Why isn’t it better known? (Mother Jones)

Subminimum Wage

Advocates are pushing to end lower wages for disabled workers. Some families are opposed. (USAToday.com)

Medicaid

Nine States Will End Medicaid for 3 Million People if Trump Cuts Program They are Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia. (governing.com)

Cracker Barrel Addendum

Dad says daughter was called ‘this’: Angry parents protest Cracker Barrel over students’ treatment A crowd protested  the Maryland Cracker Barrel where a group of special needs and autistic children were denied dine-in service. (USAToday.com)

Opinion

School Choice for Some But Not for All?  A new paper from the Center for Reinventing Public Education found families are often faced with convoluted admissions policies, limited transportation options and a dearth of choices. (The74million.org)

RFK Jr. thinks people like me are just evidence of Big Pharma’s crimes (MSNBC.com)

Travel

Secretary Buttigieg Announces Sweeping Protections for Airline Passengers with Disabilities (Transportation.gov)

This is the world’s most disability-friendly airline And…it’s Air New Zealand. (Conde Nast Traveler)

Art

With This MoMA Artist, the Painting Does the Talking Marlon Mullen’s show at the Museum of Modern Art, the first by a developmentally disabled artist, speaks volumes. (New York Times)