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The governor has argued that expanding involuntary commitment would boost public safety, but opponents say it infringes on civil liberties. -
Monroe County's digital equity program continues with free online learning, laptops and Wi-Fi accessA multi-pronged digital equity initiative will give Monroe County residents free access to Wi-Fi and on-demand courses ranging from business to cake decorating and artificial intelligence. -
The annual event connected families with resources and introduced a new sensory-friendly play space. -
Athletes from across New York competed in seven winter sports this past weekend as coaches, families and volunteers supported the state’s largest annual Special Olympics event. -
The nursing home recently launched its respite program to give caregivers staying on its campus some time away from their responsibilities. -
Jason McElwain, also known as ‘J-Mac’, who garnered international attention for what he did at a Greece Athena basketball game in 2006, now has his own bobblehead. (or two to be precise). -
The state wants to have about 280,000 customers enrolled in the Medicaid-run home health care program for the disabled and elderly to all use the same fiscal intermediary by April 1. Advocates call the transition so far a "disaster," while lawmakers are pleading that the deadline be extended. -
![A clipping from the Chicago Sun Times on Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Featured Letter:
[image caption] Participants in the "Free Our People March" travel last week along Route 40 in Maryland, about the halfway point between the start in Philadelphia and its destination in Washington. Photo courtesy of Tom Olin
[Headline] Disabled get on the move for freedom
We just celebrated the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Forty years later, people with disabilities still have a dream of escaping nursing homes institutions and going back to the community.
About 150 disabled activists-- many in wheelchairs--convened at 4 to begin a 150 mile march on Philadelphia to Washington. [s] two-week "Free Our People March" will end at Washington [k] in our nation's capital today to [m] the need for more home- and community-based attendant services, and to call attention to the institutional bias that lingers in this country. More than 80 percent of Medicaid long-term care dollars are spent keeping people institutionalized, while less than 20 percent as- people who want to live in their homes and apartments, where they are much happier.
[pulled quote] We have a dream to live independently
[text resumes] There's federal legislation that would address this issue: the Medicaid Community Attendants Service and Supports Act. Introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), H.R. 2032 would assist people with disabilities--regardless of age--in nursing homes back into the community, using the same Medicaid funding that's used to keep them institutionalized. Statistics show that people are much happier and productive living in their own homes instead of languishing in nursing homes.
The major obstacles of MiCASS's passage in Congress are the nursing home lobbyists in Illinois and around the country. Profit is their bottom line, and they have deep pockets to buy off legislators. They continue to be a threat to the civil rights of people with disabilities. They disregard the quality of life for people stuck in their institutions; they see the almighty dollar sign and don't hear the cries of the people who want out.
About 5,000 people with disablities will descend on Washington Park to rally for justice and the right to live in the mainstream community. We have a dream to live independently, free from segregation, as Dr. King could have related to. It's time to have our dream realized.
Larry Biondi,
independant living advocate,
Progress Center for Independent Living, Forest Park](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ad233fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/786x438+0+169/resize/280x156!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2F9e%2Fe3cbdf7e4734ba49acbb4c469809%2F20201127153858-818e5d9a-xx.jpg)
This week on the Disabilities Beat, WBFO’s Emyle Watkins speaks with Stephanie Orlando, from Western New York Independent Living, about what is at stake for disability programs if funding is paused — or ends. -
After the fatal crash over the Potomac River, President Trump blamed diversity hiring. But that's not how disability hiring works. -
The county has purchased 1,000 machines that will use a combination of touch screen and paper ballots; official say they also will have additional accessibility features.
![A clipping from the Chicago Sun Times on Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Featured Letter:
[image caption] Participants in the "Free Our People March" travel last week along Route 40 in Maryland, about the halfway point between the start in Philadelphia and its destination in Washington. Photo courtesy of Tom Olin
[Headline] Disabled get on the move for freedom
We just celebrated the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Forty years later, people with disabilities still have a dream of escaping nursing homes institutions and going back to the community.
About 150 disabled activists-- many in wheelchairs--convened at 4 to begin a 150 mile march on Philadelphia to Washington. [s] two-week "Free Our People March" will end at Washington [k] in our nation's capital today to [m] the need for more home- and community-based attendant services, and to call attention to the institutional bias that lingers in this country. More than 80 percent of Medicaid long-term care dollars are spent keeping people institutionalized, while less than 20 percent as- people who want to live in their homes and apartments, where they are much happier.
[pulled quote] We have a dream to live independently
[text resumes] There's federal legislation that would address this issue: the Medicaid Community Attendants Service and Supports Act. Introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), H.R. 2032 would assist people with disabilities--regardless of age--in nursing homes back into the community, using the same Medicaid funding that's used to keep them institutionalized. Statistics show that people are much happier and productive living in their own homes instead of languishing in nursing homes.
The major obstacles of MiCASS's passage in Congress are the nursing home lobbyists in Illinois and around the country. Profit is their bottom line, and they have deep pockets to buy off legislators. They continue to be a threat to the civil rights of people with disabilities. They disregard the quality of life for people stuck in their institutions; they see the almighty dollar sign and don't hear the cries of the people who want out.
About 5,000 people with disablities will descend on Washington Park to rally for justice and the right to live in the mainstream community. We have a dream to live independently, free from segregation, as Dr. King could have related to. It's time to have our dream realized.
Larry Biondi,
independant living advocate,
Progress Center for Independent Living, Forest Park](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fe5f95e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/786x438+0+169/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2F9e%2Fe3cbdf7e4734ba49acbb4c469809%2F20201127153858-818e5d9a-xx.jpg)
