Civil Rights : Disabled & handicapped |
Continuing struggle for equal opportunity and social justice among people who are handicapped or disabled; issues of social acceptance and physical access to social facilities.
9/9/08 Paralympics in Beijing, now underway, represents China's hope of altering the public image of the society as profoundly prejudiced against handicapped persons. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JI09Ad01.html
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Analysis & views: 9/9/08 Paralympics in Beijing, now underway, represents China's hope of altering the public image of the society as profoundly prejudiced against handicapped persons. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JI09Ad01.html 2/7/08 Unique dating service for mentally and physically disabled is operated by psychologist in Hamburg, Germany. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41098 1/29/08 Pissed about Pistorius...:. A China-based writer reflects with some anger on the decision to exclude Oscar Pistorious, a short distance runner, from Olympic competition because he, a double amputee, has run on prosthetic limbs that allegedly give him a "competitive advantage" over runners using their own legs. The writer argues that this case brings out all the prejudices against the "disabled" that are characteristic of the thinking of many "normal" people. http://www.counterpunch.org/secor01282008.html 11/13/07 Study shows 80% of disabled students in British schools are subjected to bullying by their peers, as critics say officials ignore the problem as they focus on racism and homophobia. http://in.news.yahoo.com/071113/139/6n6c3.html 6/15/07 Thick-browed Hollywood actor Eugene Levy lends his voice to the effort to secure greater recognition in Canada of the problem of childhood autism and the need for better treatment programs. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=4548ddda-1de5-4a94-8a1a-6e0214a32214 5/14/07 Danish town of Fjends, Jutland is required to pay compensation for failing to provide special education for a dyslextic man. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2539347.ece
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Websites Disabilities Related Organizations: http://www.access-board.gov/links/disability.htm Ring Surfs: Disabilities: http://www.ringsurf.com/netring?ring=disstudies;action=list
Analysis & views: 7/1/08 Public protest may result in abandoning of plans to close a mental illness clinic in Portland, Oregon. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1214882731212460.xml&coll=7 6/22/08 Supreme Court rules that judges, in assessing insurance companies' denials of claims for disability benefits, must consider "conflicts of interest" that would lead a company to a denial of claims. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0620/p25s16-usju.html 6/18/08 "I'm going to swim for the USA.!" It appears for the moment that a 19 year old San Diego man, severely disabled both physically and mentally but a powerful and enthusiastic swimmer, will indeed participate in this summer's Paralympics competition in Beijing. This follows a lengthy struggle with the bureaucracy of U.S. Paralympics Committee on whether his intellectual incapacity, which gives him at times the mentality of a temperamental toddler, should disqualify him from participation http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/sports/othersports/18swimmer.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th 3/13/08 Beepers in easter eggs are unveiled in a Kansas City project to provide egg hunt opportunities for visually impaired children. http://videos.kansascity.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=1767725 2/26/08 State of North Carolina attempting to reclaim millions of dollars paid to "community support" groups for the mentally disabled that it says is not delivering those services. http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/965474.html 2/24/08 Texas schools are under attack for alleged inadequacy in their programs for the mentally disabled. 11/9/07 Missouri may be about to abandon its program of providing caseworkers to help families of developmentally disabled to navigate the state's complex mental health system. 4/22/07 U.S. colleges are getting better at identifying emotionally troubled students, but not much better at finding ways to reduce the dangers they pose. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4737071.html 4/12/07 Mental health professionals in North Carolina are protesting state cuts in commuinity support services. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770411177 2/10/07 St. Louis Post Dispatch expose of abuse of patients in Missouri's facilities for mentally ill and retarded leads legislator to propose increased criminal penalties for abusers. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/OpenDocument 1/19/07 A "bad cripple" speaks out: Disability rights advocate decries the implications of the case of a Seattle girl, severely handicapped, whose parents gave her the "Ashley treatment" by having her body surgically altered to render her permanently juvenilized and de-sexualized to keep her forever their "pillow angel" content with a diminished existence. The writer, noting that a Seattle medical board of ethics approved the treatment, finds that case all-too-typical of the tendency of "normal" people to hold the disabled to limited and degrading behavioral expectations, recalling that a teacher once tried to exempt him from homework because he was "one of God's special children." http://counterpunch.org/peace01182007.html 1/5/07 Disabled Seattle girl is further disabled by her parents' and doctor's decision to "stunt her growth" by, among other things, placing 6 estrogen (birth control) patches on her body. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/298552_stunted05.html 10/5/06 New Cornell study shows a "dramatic" gap in unemployment and poverty between those with and without disabilities. http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3727 8/15/06 Large number of disabled people "left behind" in New Orleans evacuations for Katrina highlights a national problem of lack of emergency planning for the handicapped and disabled. http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3537 4/30/06 Washington D.C. city council approves a drastic $15 million cut in services for the disabled: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/2006/04/29/AR2006042901272.html 4/30/06 Cost-cutting at the expense of the disasbled; proposed Social Security eligibility guidelines could force many to wait two additional years to obtain benefits: http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3106 4/20/06 Agencies dealing with developmentally disabled giving increase emphasis on helping the disabled to live sexually healthy lives: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/us/20romance.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin 4/12/06 Cuts in federal funding that nobody understands are causing drastic reduction in deaf theatre around the country: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/12/theater/12deaf.html?th&emc=th 3/22/06 Disability rights protesters against conditions in Tennessee nursing homes are arrested: http://www.tnimc.org/feature/display/15861/index.php
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Analysis & views: 4/7/08 Disabled are suing Florida to provide Medicaid payment to those opting for home health care. http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20080407/NEWS/804070319/1034 10/3/07 State budget cuts may force many Florida disabled from personal care into group homes. 4/29/07 Florida legislators continue to work on plans to reduce expected budget deficit by cutting back on services to the disabled. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2007/04/28/a26a_XGR_BUDGET_0428.html 4/11/07 Where the Florida tax cuts may cut the deepest: Families of developmentally disabled are not prepared to deal with the more than $150 million in cuts to services to the disabled being considered by a legislature bent on giving property tax "relief" to homeowners. http://www.miamiherald.com/884/story/69836.html 11/25/06 Threatened herself with jail by a Pinellas County judge if she didn't find a way to provide hospitalization for mentally ill inmates, Florida director of Department of Children and Families comes up with $5 million in funding to provide 85 additional hospital beds. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16093124.htm
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Analysis and views: Jacksonville: 7/19/08 Conference in Jacksonville aims to help the disasbled to deal with accessibility problems associated with emergency rescue facilities. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/071908/met_306186129.shtml Orlando: 7/4/08 Walt Disney World is providing sign language interpretation for its shows to increase accessibility for the hearing impaired http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-disneysign0408jul04,0,6376687.story Miami: 3/15/08 Sunday's Miami triathalon will involve participation by a group of disabled Marines. http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/457595.html Jacksonville: 1/18/08 Jacksonville Public Library becomes the first library to install videophones for the deaf throughout a whole library system. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/011808/met_237669411.shtml Orlando: 11/13/07 Orlando Sentinel columnists says Disney World, faced with a lawsuit over the use of Segways on theme park grounds, should not give up their position as a federal suit against their decision, supported partly by disabled persons advocates who note the popularity of Segway use among the disabled. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/orl-miket1307nov13,0,1218911.column?coll=orl_mezz Broward Co.: 11/9/07 Broward County, after the shooting of a Deputy by an inmate in a wheelchair being transported to prison, changes its transportation procedures and now requires shackling of those being transported, even disabled persons. Tamarac: 10/9/07 Increase in property value assessment of an assisted living facility in Tamarac is seen as part of developer's intention to convert the property to more "hip" usage. Ormond Beach: 9/13/07 Wheelchair bowlers' tournament in Ormand Beach gives handicapped bowlers an opportunity to get away from routines in which many are the only bowlers in their regular bowling leagues. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newEAST01091307.htm Gainesville: 9/7/07 Disabled in Alachua County are caught in the middle of a dispute between the county's agency for services to the disabled and the transportation company that has provided rides to the agency's center. The company says they have not been paid for services, the agency says the company has provided less than stellar service. http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20070907/NEWS/709070329/1002/NEWS Pinellas Co.: 5/15/07 Pinellas County will not have adequate shelters available for any developmentally disabled people displaced by hurricanes during season beginning June 1. http://www.tbo.com/news/nationworld/MGBH2JXRP1F.html Volusia Co.: 5/1/07 After Florida legislature cuts funding for disabled servives, Duvall Presbyterian rehabilitation center at Glenwood, near DeLand, notifies 27 state-supported developmentally disabled residents they will have to leave, citing "change in political environment." http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtWEST02050107.htm Jacksonville: 4/3/07 Disability rights pioneer dies in Jacksonville. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/040307/met_9015989.shtml Ocala: 4/25/06 Art (and kids) learning from life: Ocala students become involved with mentally disabled people in their community in preparation to perform "The Boys Next Door." http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/FEATURES07/204240309/1027/YOURLIFE Lakeland: 2/6/06 Lakeland girl gets a barbie in a wheelchair: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060206/APN/602060503&cachetime=5
Ft. Lauderdale: Lawsuit claims severe deprivation from cuts in agency that provides services to the disabled in Ft. Lauderdale: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/13751373.htm
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