Emily F. Keller: Journalist

Student Battles Education Department Over Bullying

    A judge has ruled that a lawsuit by a New York City student seeking private school tuition funding after being bullied in public school for having a disability will go forward.

    The student, known as L.K., charged that repeated bullying at school affected her ability to earn an education and that her school was aware of the situation and did nothing about it. The plaintiff said the school showed “deliberate indifference” to the situation, which is prohibited by Title IX, according to a summary of the case.

Autism Organization Supports Parents and Care Givers

    Brooklyn parents of children with autism held a press conference with local representatives August 11 to extend their support for the organization My Time Inc.  

    The advocates gathered at Brooklyn Borough Hall to offer praise for the organization whose mission is to support, educate, empower, enlighten and uplift parents and caregivers of children with autism and developmental disabilities.

    The organization offers resources to parents and caregivers and also prides itself on providing parents with opportunities for stress relief from the difficulties of care taking. Programs include parent-to-parent mentoring, support groups, social events and activities for children. The services are free and donations are accepted.

State Budget Reduces Funds for Early Intervention Program

    The 2011-12 New York State budget will cut the Early Intervention Program for children with disabilities by $5.5 million, of five percent of its total budget. However, this cut has been reduced from the original proposal of an $11 million cut.

    Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget for fiscal year 2011-12, which aims to eliminate a $10 billion deficit, was passed on March 31.

Audit Finds School for the Disabled Overcharged State

    The New York State Comptroller’s office determined through an audit that the Henry Viscardi School (HVS) in Albertson has overcharged New York State for reimbursements.

    State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said managers at the Long Island school charged the state $835,074 for “unreasonable and unnecessary expenses,” including the cost of a leased car for Edmond Cortez, president of school’s parent company, Abilities! For the two years ending June 30, 2009, HVS claimed a total of $27.8 million in reimbursable expenses.

Ed Roberts Campus Opens

    A new school has opened in California in honor of Edward V. Roberts, a leader in the independent living movement for people with disabilities.

    The Ed Roberts Campus opened in November 2010 and is expected to serve 30,000 people annually. A grand opening celebration took place April 16. Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) attended the event.

State Continues Funding to Schools for Disabled Children

    New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has cancelled plans to cut direct state funding to eleven schools for children who are deaf, blind and physically challenged.

    The state has committed $98 million to ensure that funding remains available to the schools, which serve 1,700 students.

Governor Proposes Changes to Schools for Children with Disabilities

    New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a funding change for schools that serve children with disabilities.

    The governor’s Executive Budget for fiscal year 2011-12, which begins April 1, calls for the elimination of direct state funding to schools for children who are deaf, blind and physically challenged. The proposal would shift the $100 million cost of 11 specialized schools from the state to local school districts, creating an unfunded mandate for the districts that refer children to those schools to come up with the funds themselves.

Parent Educator Looks at Relationships in Special Needs Families

    Families with special needs children may have a higher rate of divorce and more marital conflict than other families, according to an article published in The New York Law Journal on August 6.   

    The article by Susan L. Pollet, coordinator of the New York State Parent Education and Awareness Program, compared studies and articles by various sources from 2003 to 2009.

State Budget Alters Services for People with Disabilities

    President Barack Obama and Governor David Patterson recently announced their budgets for the next fiscal year, which include spending adjustments to programs for people with disabilities.

    Paterson's fiscal year 2011 budget seeks to close a $7.4 billion deficit with measures such as limiting personal home care to 12 hours a day.

    The $80 billion budget also proposes charging fees to families with disabled or delayed infants and toddlers who enroll in early intervention service programs that are provided by New York State. Those charges are part of a $1 billion set of new and increased taxes and fees contained in the budget.

    This article was published in Able News. Click here to read the full article.

Cell Phones Could Offer Travel Instructions to People with Cognitive Disabilities

  The same technology that drivers use to find their destinations could help people with learning or cognitive disabilities to exit a bus at the right stop.

    For people with developmental disabilities like Down syndrome and Asperger’s syndrome, learning when to get off the bus can be one of the most challenging parts of using mass transit. Researchers in Florida are working on a technological innovation to try to ease the process using cell phone location technology similar to Global Positioning Systems that provide directions to automobile drivers.

    Published on Transportation Access. Read the story.