Uber To Pay Millions To Settle Claims Of Overcharging People With Disabilities

 Uber will make changes and pay millions to settle a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit alleging that the ride-sharing service illegally overcharged people with disabilities for years. Read More >

An Airline Broke An Activist's Wheelchair. Her Death Months Later Amplified Calls For Change

 

Engracia Figueroa's death has heightened calls to fix how airlines accommodate people with disabilities, a system that activists say is archaic and dangerous. Read More >

Doctors Know Little About Their Obligations To People With Disabilities, Study Finds

 Three decades after the ADA took effect, new research finds that many physicians remain unaware of their obligations under the law when caring for people with disabilities. Read More >

Britney Spears' Case Highlights Pitfalls Of Conservatorships

 With her conservatorship terminated, Britney Spears now has control over her checkbook and her uterus, but perhaps more than anything, her case shows how the legal tool can harm as well as help. Read More >

Fourth Grader Petitions School District For Greater Accessibility

 Tired of hearing no from her local school district, a fourth-grade student who uses a wheelchair is seeking better accessibility to restrooms on campus. Read More >

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 >

Disney Can't Dodge Lawsuit After Boy With Autism Was Barred From Store

 A federal judge denied a request to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit brought by the mother of a boy with autism who was denied entry to a Disney Store because he could not wear a mask. Read More >

Jury Awards $125 Million To Former Walmart Employee With Down Syndrome

 Walmart has been ordered to pay a former employee with Down syndrome over $125 million after a jury found that the retailer failed to provide her with appropriate disability accommodations. Read More >

Schools Fail To Curtail Restraint, Seclusion Of Students With Disabilities

 New federal data shows that educators are continuing to rely on restraint and seclusion to address behavior issues among students with disabilities in the nation's schools. Read More >

Insightful Blog on Disability Agenda Possible Impact on Societal Issues

 “The Disability Agenda Could Bring Unity to A Fragmented Society”, by Josie Badger – RAISE Center

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 >

Majority Of States Failing To Meet Obligations Under IDEA

Less than half of states are doing what they should to serve students with disabilities in compliance with federal special education law, the U.S. Department of Education says. Read More >

Do Special Ed Judges Need Law Degrees?

In a bid to address a shortage of special education judges, one state is proposing allowing individuals without law degrees to hear student complaints. Read More;

N.M. alleges Google program spies on students

New Mexico alleges in a lawsuit filed Thursday that Google's educational services package gathers personal data about students and their families. The state says it is focused on student safety, while Google says its G Suite for Education program gives school districts and families control and does not gather data for use in targeting ads.

Full Story: The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/20),  The Associated Press 

Military Families Take Fight For Special Education To Capitol Hill

Families of service members want lawmakers to require the military to provide legal assistance to help them get the special education services their children need. Read More ;

Trump Plan Would Weaken Disability Housing Protections, Advocates Say

A new Trump administration rule could make it harder for people with developmental disabilities and others to lodge discrimination complaints under the federal Fair Housing Act. 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 >

Families Of Children With Special Needs Now Face Deportation

Under a new Trump administration policy, a program that has long allowed undocumented families to remain in this country while fighting serious or life-threatening conditions is ending. Read More ;

Expensive Legal Fights Ensue Over Special Education Services

The law says public schools must give students with disabilities the services that meet their individual needs, but parents and districts often disagree on what those services should be. Read More ;

U.S. Supreme Court Allows People To Sue Over Web Accessibility

The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for people with disabilities to sue retailers if their websites are not accessible. Read More >