85 posts
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DECATUR, Ala. — For families navigating the transition of a child with developmental disabilities from the structured safety of the public school system into adulthood, the road ahead often drops off into a steep cliff of uncertainty. In Decatur, Alabama, local entrepreneurs and advocates Jeff and Andrea Sharp are working to build a bridge across…
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After a demanding shift stocking coffee beans at grocery stores around Birmingham, 27-year-old Sarah Stewart retreats to a familiar spot. She sits comfortably in her mother’s office chair, gently rests a pair of virtual reality goggles over her eyes, and steps into an immersive digital realm. On this particular afternoon, she selects…
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DECATUR, Ala. — A Decatur couple who operate a local non-profit thrift store dedicated to employing adults with developmental disabilities are expanding their mission this month with the launch of a comprehensive, college-like day program. The new initiative is designed to focus heavily on continuing education, social development, and hands-on job training, filling a critical…
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Disability service providers across the United States are increasingly finding themselves forced to turn away new referrals and scale back critical programs as they grapple with an unrelenting workforce crisis. With massive, unprecedented funding cuts looming on the horizon, industry leaders and administrators report that they see no relief in sight for a system that…
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The nation’s top emergency response agency has announced that it will bring back specialized training on meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities during disasters, reversing a policy decision that halted the curriculum more than a year ago. The Federal Emergency Management Agency removed the training from its official curriculum in response to various executive…
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In a legal development that civil rights advocates are calling a profound betrayal, the federal government has agreed to a settlement that will eliminate regulatory requirements mandating that individuals with disabilities be served in community settings. The decision, approved by a federal judge late last week, brings an end to a protracted legal battle and…
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Historic Wrigley Field, the legendary home of the Chicago Cubs, has officially achieved a major milestone in sports accessibility by becoming the first Major League Baseball stadium to be designated as a Certified Autism Center. The announcement, made jointly by the historic baseball franchise and the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, marks…
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For months, advocacy groups, educators, and researchers have harbored mounting concerns that the U.S. Department of Education could allow millions of dollars earmarked for special education research to lapse permanently. Now, a federal judge is stepping into the fray to demand accountability and transparency from the federal agency. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs is…
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Many cinematic works draw inspiration from a filmmaker’s personal life, but few offer a glimpse quite as intimate, unvarnished, and deeply lived-in as Liz Sargent’s feature debut, “Take Me Home.” For Sargent, who grew up as one of seven children adopted by her parents alongside four biological children, the narrative feature-length film…
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FORT WORTH, Texas — State agencies across Texas have unveiled a comprehensive new initiative aimed at fundamentally improving access to early childhood settings for children with disabilities and developmental delays. While the collaborative roadmap has drawn praise from advocates and families alike for finally acknowledging long-standing systemic failures, experts emphasize that a strategic plan alone…
