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.
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.
Angelo Binno, a law school applicant in Michigan, has charged the American Bar Association (ABA) with discriminating against people with visual impairments in its reliance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
Binno’s complaint concerns a section of the test that instructs applicants to draw diagrams to solve problems. The LSAT is a required component of the law school admissions process.
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.
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.
Last month, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its travel training program, which teaches people with disabilities how to use the New York City transit system.
The event took place at St. Francis College in Brooklyn and included presentations by program leaders, students, parents and advocates.
Peggy Groce, director of travel training at the DOE, presented a Pioneer Award to Jack Gorelick for founding a program for siblings of people with disabilities that is still running at the AHRC, where he worked for forty years. It is the longest running program of its kind in the nation. Gorelick is also a founding member of the National Association for Travel Instruction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
