New Jersey’s disability ombudsman reports the state doesn’t meet the needs of people with disabilities (but hey, New Jersey has a disability ombudsman!), Ted Lasso points to the need for disability representation on TV, and more news for the week ending June 3, 2023.

Spotlight

NJ makes strides but state still failing in care of people with disabilities, report says The state’s disability ombudsman released a report Tuesday that highlighted more losses than wins in the way New Jersey cares for people with disabilities. (northjersey.com)

Misc.

What ‘Ted Lasso’ did for mental health, Hollywood should do for disability A recent study of content from one streaming service found that disability remained the biggest representational hole, and fewer films included disabled characters in 2021 than in 2018. (Philadelphiainquirer.com)

Companies Grossly Underestimating How Many Disabled Employees They Have, Study Shows A report published earlier this month by Boston Consulting Group emphasizes the view that “in a post-pandemic world, companies are drastically underestimating how many of their employees have disabilities.” (Forbes.com)

State News

House passes expansion of autism, disability services A bipartisan bill in Connecticut to expand resources and support services for residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities won unanimous passage. (ctmirror.org)

Feds Say Jefferson Parish Deputies May Have Violated Law in Death of Autistic Teen The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana may have violated the civil rights of a 16-year-old autistic boy when deputies pinned him to the pavement, handcuffed and shackled, as officers sat on his back for more than nine minutes. (Propublica.org)

Adult-sized changing tables in Ohio rest areas ‘huge win’ for people with disabilities After years of advocating by one Ohio organization for accessible restrooms, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will install adult-sized changing tables in rest areas beginning next year. (wdtn.com)

Students with disabilities often left out of popular ‘dual-language’ programs Boston Public Schools enrollment data obtained by The Hechinger Report through a public records request shows students with disabilities — who make up 22 percent of the student population — are starkly underrepresented in the district’s seven dual-language programs. (Hechingerreport.org)

What parents of children who are LGBTQ+ or have a disability should know about Wisconsin voucher schools Private schools in Wisconsin that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers have different rules from public schools related to exemptions for religious entities and serving students with special needs. (PBSwisconsin.org)