The Special Olympics come to West Point, Pennsylvania works to eliminate its waitlist for disability services, the best car toys for kids with autism and more developmental disability news for the week ending April 20, 2024.
New York
West Point to host Hudson Valley Spring Special Olympics 600 athletes will compete on April 20. (timesunion.com)
Mount Pleasant fires back, sues nonprofit JCCA to keep migrant children from shelter (lohud.com)
School claims disability rights’ group unqualified for investigation Shrub Oak Int. claims that investigators from Disability Rights New York have asked “inappropriate” questions. (Timesunion.com)
Opinion: New York must do more to support formerly incarcerated individuals with a disability Cognitive disabilities affect about one-fourth of incarcerated people. (Empirereportnewyork.com)
FYI, the WIHD Community Support Network newsletter reminds us that the state’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget included funding for OPWDD to establish an ombudsman program run by a single entity. Request for Proposals were submitted early in the year, and awards will be issued later this spring.
Outside of New York
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro aims to eliminate waitlist for services for adults with intellectual disabilities He’s starting by boosting the salaries of employees who work with the intellectually disabled through nonprofit service agencies.
Interview: Minnesota’s groundbreaking push for teacher training on ableism Minnesota will soon enact a first-of-its-kind law promoting teacher training on ableism and the history of the disability justice movement. (Minnpost.com)
College
InclusiveU celebrates decade of creating ‘a home’ for students with disabilities The Syracuse University initiative is part of SU’s School of Education. (The Daily Orange)
Europe
Campaigners Seek EU-Wide Ban on Forced Sterilisation of People With Disabilities (usnews.com)
Autism
Best Car Toys for Kids with Autism Road & Track has assembled a list of car-related toys specifically for kids with sensory sensitivities.
Opinion: Schools Are Killing My Son’s Autism Support Under the Veil of Equity (Newsweek)
These identical twins both grew up with autism, but took very different paths (npr.org)
Swifites
How Taylor Swift’s Music Is Teaching Social-Emotional Skills To These Pennsylvania Special Ed Students Rock on. (Disability Scoop)
