Britney Spears Case Spurs Bipartisan Bill Against Conservatorship Abuse

 The proposed bill would impose new safeguards and allow conservatees to have their private guardian replaced with an independent public guardian without having to prove misconduct or abuse. Read More >

Family Suing After Maskless Student With Disability Barred From School

 The high schooler has a speech-related disability that makes it hard for him to pronounce certain sounds and letters — and also means he cannot wear a mask safely, according to a lawsuit. Read More >

'Crip Camp' Team's Appearance At Oscars Marks 'Tipping Point' For Inclusion

 With wheelchairs and a service dog, the team behind "Crip Camp" — a documentary about the origins of the disability rights movement — brought a different kind of diversity to the red carpet. Read More >

30 Years After Americans With Disabilities Act, A Look Back And Ahead

It took people with disabilities crawling their way up the Capitol steps to get the landmark civil rights bill passed three decades ago, and even today, hurdles remain. Read More >

Autism Resulted In His Rights Being Stripped Away. He Just Won Them Back

 After years under guardianship, a man with autism is now able to vote, buy a house or travel when he wants and advocates hope more people with disabilities follow in his footsteps. Read More >

NHL Team Cuts Ties With Draft Pick Over Bullying Of Classmate With Disabilities

 After a bullying incident came to light involving a Black classmate with developmental disabilities, an NHL franchise has renounced the rights to the team's fourth-round draft pick. Read More >

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Could Leave People With Disabilities Behind

 With plans now in the works for distributing a coronavirus vaccine, there are worries that despite the high risk they face, people with developmental disabilities may not be given priority. Read More >

Ginsburg Remembered For Impact On Disability Rights

 Best known for standing up for women's rights, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also played an outsized role in ensuring the rights of people with disabilities, advocates say. Read More >

Rationing Care Amounts To Disability Discrimination, Complaint Says

Disability advocates have filed a complaint with a federal civil rights office over guidelines being developed to ration novel coronavirus care if medical facilities get overwhelmed. Read More >

Rights Of Special Ed Students Over 18 Ignored, Lawsuit Claims

Special education groups contend that one state is violating federal law by refusing to allow guardians to look out for certain students with disabilities after they become legal adults. Read More;

Feds Work To Protect Parents With Intellectual Disabilities

Federal officials say that a state has agreed to change its ways after child welfare workers sought to remove children from their mom and dad allegedly because of the parents' low IQs. Read More >

In Lieu Of Guardianship, States Look To Supported Decision-Making

At least a dozen states have adopted laws encouraging supported decision-making, which — unlike guardianship — allows people with disabilities to make decisions for themselves. Read More ;

Workplace Accommodation Toolkit

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) refreshed its Workplace Accommodation Toolkit. The Toolkit is a free comprehensive resource for employers, seeking to move beyond basic compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to create more disability-inclusive workplaces. It includes accommodation policies and processes from leading businesses; forms, training presentations, and role-play videos; and best and emerging practices for creating a disability-inclusive workplace across all phases of the employment life cycle. Additions for this refresh include a drawer of tools for IT Professionals responsible for digital accessibility, and the Solution Showcase featuring short videos of various technology solutions that can be implemented as effective job accommodations.

• View JAN's Workplace Accommodation Toolkit

Surge In Voters With Disabilities May Influence 2020 Election

Significantly more people with disabilities cast ballots last year, according to a new report suggesting that this demographic is poised to have a big impact in the 2020 presidential race. Read More ;

Obamas Bringing Disability Rights Film To Netflix

The evolution of the disability rights movement is at the heart of a documentary that former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are bringing to Netflix. Read More;

Test-Maker Sued Over Divulging Students' Disabilities

A major standardized test-maker is being accused of illegally disclosing students' disabilities. Read More >

Ed Department Reconsidering Previously Settled Disability Complaints

The U.S. Department of Education has quietly renegotiated hundreds of disability-related civil rights agreements with schools. Read More ;

Ed Department Sued Over Handling Of Disability-Related Complaints

Disability advocates say that federal education officials acted illegally by fundamentally altering the way they handle discrimination complaints in schools. Read More >

Concerns Raised As Disability Panels Fail To Meet Under Trump

Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to convene multiple committees tasked with advising the federal government on disability issues that appear to have been put on hiatus. Read More;

Justice Department Sued Over Rescinded Disability Guidance

A lawsuit is accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of acting illegally when it withdrew more than two-dozen guidance documents late last year, including several clarifying the ADA. Read More >