A school resource officer program in the Metro Nashville school district raises questions about the growing national trend, the National Gallery of Art apologizes for removing a visitor with a disability, and more news for the week ending Aug. 5, 2023.

Spotlight

Why Disability Advocates Are Concerned About School Resource Officers Following the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tenn., the Metro Nashville Police Department is deploying more school resource officers throughout the school district. The increased police presence has some people, including disability advocates, concerned, especially as national data shows that students with disabilities and students of color are disproportionately impacted by SROs. (nashvillescene.com)

Federal

Feds Extend Lifeline To Disability Service Providers Federal Medicaid officials say they will extend some flexibilities for home and community-based services that emerged during the pandemic in a bid to help the beleaguered disability services sector stay afloat. (Disabilityscoop.com)

New York

Iona Prep, differently-abled students host basketball game to conclude summer program Students from the school teamed up with differently-abled students thanks to a partnership with the South East Consortium for Special Services. (westchester.news12.com)

New Jersey

Asbury Park rules ruin day at Jersey Shore beach for visitor with disability An ordinance against tents meant Marina Lombardi, who has severe disabilities and needs “more protection from the sun and the heat than an umbrella can provide,” was asked to leave. (app.com)

Outside of New York

Virginia: ‘Everybody is Frustrated’: Feds Probe Virginia’s Handling of Special Education Parents and advocates say lax oversight of districts left students without meaningful services during and after pandemic-related school shutdowns. (the74million.org)

Washington: High School Serves As Model For Inclusive Learning A look at one of 16 sites in Washington that partnered with the University of Washington’s Haring Center for Inclusive Education to work on inclusionary practices. (Disability Scoop)

Idaho: ‘We were heard.’ Gov. Brad Little funding gets Idaho teachers trained on dyslexia While the new dyslexia requirements were enacted last year, school districts didn’t receive state funding to implement them until this year. Lawmakers in March approved $1.5 million to supplement the costs over the last year. (idahostatesman.com)

Accessibility

Clothes for kids with disabilities get better, but teens see a lack of fashionable options A mom who worked in fashion before her son was born with muscular dystrophy now raises awareness about the need for designers and retailers to embrace adaptive clothing. Adidas, and others, are on board. (Apnews.com)

National Gallery of Art apologizes following removal of visitor with disability The National Gallery of Art in D.C. has apologized after a visitor with a disability was removed for violating the museum’s bag policy despite their disability — an incident that prompted the museum to ensure it doesn’t happen again. (wtop.com)

The Future of Design Is Designing for Disability Accessibility should not be a grudging afterthought. With planning, it can lead to elegant, beautiful, and engaging art. (thenation.com)

Opinion

Opinion: A greater society begins by properly caring for the overlooked Greater funding is needed to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the providers who help care for them.

Campaigns

3 Vibes To Avoid In Disability Campaigns For a disability campaign to be ethical as well as successful, planners must consider carefully what kinds of appeals should and shouldn’t be used. (Forbes.com)