Talk About Sexual Violence Focus Group Report: Medical Providers

/in , , , , /by Pam Katz

Talk About Sexual Violence centers on conversation groups of medical providers and people with disabilities, including survivors of sexual assault. It is important to learn how medical appointments can be more supportive and patient-centered, especially if someone has experienced sexual assault.

Conversation groups were designed as a live, online video session with medical professionals who answered questions about their practices with patients who had been sexually assaulted, including those with disabilities.

This focus group details the findings from those conversation groups.

Disparities for People of Color With IDD in Accessing Long-Term Services and Supports

/in , , , , /by Pam Katz

Amparo Ceja is a dedicated mother to her young son, Jesus. Jesus has Down syndrome. The Latino family has experienced discrimination and disparities because of their race and Jesus’ disability. Amparo is concerned about the disparities they and other Latino families experience in accessing disability services and supports. The COVID-19 pandemic deepened existing disparities. Amparo is worried about how persistent disparities will impact Jesus’ future after high school and the rest of his life, especially when she becomes too old to care for him. Amparo and other mothers joined forces with The Arc of California to launch a local chapter of The Arc called Madres Unidas Para Una Mendota Con Igualdad of The Arc. Angel Picon, Director of Community Organizing for The Arc of California, was instrumental in the formation of the new chapter and helps guide the mothers in their fearless advocacy to confront disparities and racism. Amparo, Jesus, and Angel shared their stories with The Arc.

En Español

Amparo Ceja es una madre dedicada a su pequeño hijo, Jesús. Jesús tiene síndrome de Down. La familia latina ha experimentado discriminación y desigualdad debido a su raza y la discapacidad de Jesús. Amparo está preocupada por la desigualdad que ellos y otras familias latinas experimentan en el acceso a los servicios y apoyos para personas con discapacidades. La pandemia de COVID-19 profundizó las desigualdades actuales. A Amparo le preocupa cómo las desigualdades persistentes afectarán el futuro de Jesús después de la escuela secundaria y por el resto de su vida, especialmente cuando ella sea demasiado mayor para cuidar de él. Amparo y otras madres unieron fuerzas con The Arc de California para lanzar una división local de The Arc llamado Madres Unidas Para Una Mendota Con Igualdad of Arc. Angel Picon, Director de Organización Comunitaria de The Arc de California, fue fundamental en la formación de ésta nueva division. Angel ayuda a guiar a las madres en su valiente defensa para enfrentar la desigualdad y el racismo. Amparo, Jesús y Angel compartieron sus historias con The Arc.

Enhancing Health Care for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

/in , , , /by Pam Katz

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the inequities of the healthcare system that exist for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. For many people with IDD and caregivers, receiving care in a hospital setting has always been a challenging experience. We know that training in this area is lacking. Education and experiential learning for healthcare professionals is essential to addressing these challenges.

The Arc Massachusetts, The Arc Oregon, and The Arc’s national office have partnered to develop a web-based, culturally competent training and toolkit for emergency medical personnel. The goal is to support equal access to emergency healthcare for people with IDD by educating healthcare providers working in hospital emergency departments.

Download presentation slides here.

Boost Your End of Year Giving Success

/in /by Pam Katz

This webinar will provide you and your chapter with simple steps regarding year-end giving campaigns that you can implement today. Among other things, learn how to segment your solicitation lists for better results and how to be more donor and community-centric in your communications, which will result in more gifts. Attendees will also learn how to measure success in addition to the total amount raised.

Download presentation slides here.

For more information, please contact ncearc@thearc.org.

 

Victimization and People With Disabilities: It’s Real TALKS Train-the-Trainer Discussion Guide

/in , , , , /by Pam Katz

People with disabilities are more likely than people without disabilities to be victims of mistreatment, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The Victimization and People with Disabilities: It’s Real TALKS Train-The-Trainer Discussion Guide is for organizations to learn about victims with developmental and other disabilities who have experienced crimes of sexual assault, trafficking, financial exploitation, and Medicaid fraud; and solutions from professionals to help support survivors and to reduce victimization of people with disabilities.

#FreeBritney: Lessons for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Their Families

/in , , , , , , , /by Pam Katz

Britney Spears’ public battle over her conservatorship is shining a light on some of the broader challenges that people with disabilities face under guardianship, which is a term some states use for that kind of court involvement. This webinar describes some of the issues being highlighted in the media from Ms. Spears’ case, how they might apply to people with IDD, and alternative approaches that individuals with IDD and their families might consider.

Webinar slides

Webinar transcript

Houston Area Urban League v. Abbott

/in , , /by Pam Katz

State: Texas

Filed: 2021

Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

Plaintiffs: The Arc Texas, Houston Justice, Houston Area Urban League, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Jeffrey Lamar Clemons

Defendant: Governor Gregory Abbott and various state officials

Counsel: The Arc, NAACP LDF, Reed Smith LLP

Overview: For the past 150 years, the State of Texas has had a long track record of excluding and discouraging Black and Latino residents of the State from exercising their fundamental right to vote. Voters with disabilities, including Black and Latino voters with disabilities, have also persistently experienced barriers in accessing their right to vote in Texas. The State’s policies of exclusion and restrictive voting laws have resulted in chronically low voter turnout. In passing S.B. 1, instead of making the election process safer or more secure, the law eliminates methods and opportunities of voting disproportionately used by Black and Latino voters, burdening or effectively disenfranchising these voters by raising the time, cost, and risk associated with exercising their constitutional right to vote. The law also erects barriers to voting that will disproportionately and unlawfully deny equal access to individuals with disabilities.

Case Documents

Second Amended Complaint

Opposition to Motion to Dismiss

Order on Motion to Dismiss 

Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment on ADA and 504 Claims

Exhibits Supporting Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment on ADA and 504 Claims

Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law for Claims Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (Claims under Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act)

Press Releases

Lawsuit Filed Challenging New Texas Law Targeting Voting Rights

Federal Court Strikes Down Texas’ Election Law Provisions Restricting Assistance for Limited English-Speaking and Disabled Voters

Fighting for an Inclusive Democracy

Texas Law Punishes Voters

Landmark Trial Challenging Regressive Voting Rights Provisions in Texas Senate Bill 1 Concludes

Federal Court Strikes Down Restrictive, Suppressive Texas Voting Measures in S.B. 1 That Limited Voting Assistance

Related Media

AP News: Texas flagged 27,000 mail ballots for rejection in primary

CNN: How new voting restrictions threaten ballot access for disabled voters

Courthouse News Service: Voters with disabilities face new barriers over Texas voting law

Democracy Docket: Texas Omnibus Voter Suppression Law S.B. 1 Will Be Put to the Test at Federal Trial

KAH Consulting Group: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Rallies Against Texas Senate Bill 1 in San Antonio

KWTX: Texans with disabilities fear new restrictions on voting help could mean criminal charges at the polls

Law360 Pulse: Texas DA Ordered To Face Voter Discrimination Suits

Law360: How Lawyers Are Mobilizing To Protect The Vote

NewsOne: NAACP Legal Defense Fund Leads Challenge Against New Texas Voter Suppression Law

New York Times: New Voting Laws Add Difficulties for People With Disabilities

New York Times: ‘My Vote Was Rejected’: Trial Underway in Texas Over New Voting Law

Pew: Voters with Disabilities Face New Ballot Restrictions Ahead of Midterms

Politico: Why Election Laws in Georgia and Texas Remain a Threat

The Texas Tribune: Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks

The Texas Tribune: What’s at Stake in the Long-Awaited Trial Over Texas’s Sweeping 2021 Elections Law

USA Today: New election laws could create barriers for voters with disabilities

Vox: Democrats’ fears about restricting mail-in voting were confirmed in Texas

Texas Tribune: Judge strikes down strict voter assistance rules in Texas’ 2021 rewrite of election laws

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller

/in , /by Pam Katz

State: Texas

Filed: August 30, 2021

Court: U.S. Supreme Court

Overview: The Fifth Circuit eliminated an entire class of damages that those who have been subjected to unlawful discrimination can obtain under the ADA and Section 504—remedies for their mental distress and emotional injury. Amici argue that without the availability of these damages, some individuals who have been denied a legal right in violation of federal law will have no remedy.

Excerpt: “Often, violations of the relevant statutes do not cost individuals with disabilities money, nor do they impose physical harm. Instead, they are humiliated, singled out, mocked, or made to go without regular access to the service to which they are entitled. Those are all serious harms that cannot be disregarded as mere annoyance or passing embarrassment that might not justify recovery. Such core harms to human dignity are the very injuries that the Rehabilitation Act, Title VI, Title IX, and the Affordable Care Act are meant to prohibit. Taking away an important remedy for these harms would rob our civil rights statutes of their force.”

Case Documents

Amicus Brief

Related Media

Press Release: The Arc Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling Weakening Remedies Available to People with Disabilities Experiencing Discrimination

Crime Victims With Disabilities: Know Your Rights

/in , , , , /by The Arc

As a crime victim with a disability, it may be hard to know what to do. With this fact sheet, you can know your rights and where to find help.

Advocacy Made Easy: State & Local Chapters Working Together

/in /by Pam Katz

The Arc of Indiana’s legislative agenda at the state level has made a positive difference for people with IDD. Recently, The Arc took a leadership role in getting a 14% Medicaid waiver increase in Indiana’s biennial budget. This will raise DSP wages to an average of $15.00 per hour statewide. Stone Belt Arc has worked with The Arc of Indiana to successfully engage and educate legislators at the local levels. The Arc’s agenda is strengthened by partnerships with the local affiliates. Join us to learn practical tips and tools to take your advocacy efforts to the next level. Local executives will get ideas on events, outreach, and communication to use in their community. State executives will learn how The Arc of Indiana uses the power of the local advocates to affect change in the state legislature.

Download the presentation slides here.

Download the advocacy toolkit resource here.

For more information, please contact nce@thearc.org.