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Today, ED’s Office for Civil Rights has released guidance that clarifies existing legal obligations of schools to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate alongside their peers in after-school athletics and clubs. We make clear that schools may not exclude students who have an intellectual, developmental, physical, or any other disability from trying out and playing on a team, if they are otherwise qualified. This guidance builds on a resource document the Department issued in 2011 that provides important information on improving opportunities for children and youth with disabilities to access PE and athletics.

Click here to register for this event What: This webinar will present a general introduction and overview of Broadband—both as a public policy agenda and as a quality of life issue for people with disabilities. The training will take a look at the unique ways in which Broadband is redefining health care, education, employment, citizenship, and community participation for people with disabilities. When: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 11:00 AM –  12:00 PM MST Presenter: Martin Sweeney -- As a parent, activist and current AT professional, Martin Sweeney has over 25 years of experience in the field of assistive technology. As a training specialist, Sweeney is part of the Center for Accessible Technology team promoting Broadband awareness, access and adoption throughout California.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The secret to boosting the language skills of preschoolers with disabilities may be to put them in classrooms with typically developing peers, a new study finds.Researchers found that the average language skills of a child’s classmates in the fall significantly predicted the child’s language skills in the spring – especially for children with disabilities.The results support inclusion policies in schools that aim to have students with disabilities in the same classrooms alongside their typically developing peers, said Laura Justice, co-author of the study and professor of teaching and learning at The Ohio State University.

Yet another semester is underway, and students with disabilities will yet again be left behind because schools are not providing equal access to electronic materials. The issue has been a subject of escalating tension between students with disabilities and their universities. Surprisingly, a common-sense, noncontroversial solution to solve this problem exists in a bipartisan, bicameral bill being considered by Congress. Even better, Massachusetts representatives have taken center stage in support of this solution; the Senate version was introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and cosponsored by Senator Ed Markey, and Representative Joseph Kennedy III supports the House version. So what’s the hold-up? A vague, unexplained opposition to “accessible instructional materials” on the part of colleges and universities and their lobbying associations.

Click here to register for this event What: The M-Enabling Summit, Global Summit and Showcase for Mobile Applications and Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities, is the first global program solely dedicated to participants in the emerging ecosystem for mobile accessible and assistive technologies, applications and services. Unlike any other conference or exposition, the M-Enabling Summit brings together all facets of the industry. Key stakeholders from across the globe that develop, market, create policy, and deploy the initiatives that are setting new frontiers for Mobile Accessible and Assistive Solutions will be in attendance. Participants at M-Enabling Summit will be able to: Network and exchange ideas with peers and experts from industry, service providers, and organizations of seniors and persons with disabilities Learn about the latest developments, innovations, market drivers and emerging opportunities Share perspectives with global policy makers and regulators See the latest products, services and applications in a showcase featuring companies and organizations driving innovation with accessible and assistive mobile technologies solutions Gain new insights from case studies by service providers, and public and private sector organizations experienced in marketing and services for seniors and persons with disabilities Who Should Attend: Mobile service providers Accessibility experts Organizations of seniors and persons with disabilities Application developers Telecom regulators Emergency response officials IT professionals Corporations using mobile communications with their customers Federal agencies and local government Academia and research centers When: December 5-6, 2011 Where: The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center Washington, D.C.

The Obama administration wants to see more kids with disabilities — no matter how significant — participating in classrooms alongside their typically-developing peers. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are jointly seeking public comment this week on a draft policy statement encouraging greater inclusion for young children with disabilities.

At work, it's what people CAN do that matters. That's the simple message behind the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), an ODEP-funded outreach effort to promote the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities.

Section 485 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act permits students with certain intellectual disabilities to receive Pell Grants, FSEOG, and Federal Work Study under certain circumstances for the first time.

Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions TSA strives to provide the highest level of security while ensuring that all passengers are treated with dignity and respect. To that end, TSA launched TSA Cares, a new helpline number designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at 1-855-787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. TSA Cares will serve as an additional, dedicated resource specifically for passengers with disabilities, medical conditions or other circumstances or their loved ones who want to prepare for the screening process prior to flying.

Click here to register!What:The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, in conjunction with the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, the Harvard Law Project on Disability and the UNESCO Bioethics Chair American Unit, is proud to invite you, to join us on December 10th for a Symposium on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Autism Research at Harvard Law School. The free event will run from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Harvard Law School campus, Hauser Hall, Room 105. Topics covered will include prenatal testing, community participation in research methodologies, appropriate and inappropriate intervention goals and much more. This symposium will serve a unique role in shedding light on ethics and values issues within the autism research community. By bringing together self-advocate and researcher participants, we hope this will serve as a starting point for meaningful dialogue between those conducting research on autism and the community of Autistic adults and youth. Confirmed participants include Administration on Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Sharon Lewis, ASAN President and IACC Public Member Ari Ne'eman, National Institute on Child Health and Human Developmental Director Alan Guttmacher, Harvard Law Professor Michael Stein, Paula Durbin-Westby, Emily Titon, Liz Pellicano, David Rose and many more.   This event is open to the general public without charge and is made possible by a grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.When:Saturday December 10, 2011 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM ESTWhere: Harvard Law School, Hauser Hall Room 1051563 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA 02138 Contact: Ari Ne'eman Autistic Self Advocacy Network 202.596.1056 info@autisticadvocacy.org

The sheer number of people with disabilities makes them an important voting block, researchers say, but turnout among the group is severely lagging. In 2008, voter participation among people with disabilities was 11 percent lower than that of typically developing individuals, according to a new study. “Fully closing the disability gap would have led to 3 million more voters in 2008 and 3.2 million more voters in 2010, potentially affecting many races and subsequent public policies,” the report published in the journal Social Science Quarterly found.

Modernizing Public Benefits Programs:  What the Law Says State Agencies Must do to Serve People with Disabilities.  The pamphlet, adapted from NCLEJ materials, discusses the legal obligation to make agency websites accessible to people with disabilities, to make any online application forms and process accessible, to modify agency policies and practices when necessary to ensure accessibility, to ensure that telephone communication with individuals with disabilities is effective, and to use automated phone systems that are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.

In August, 2011 the Department of Education (DOE) released a report providing recommendations for improved equal opportunities for physical education for students with disabilities in response to a 2010 Government Accountability Office (GOA) report which states that local and state officials would find more federal guidance helpful in this arena. The recommendations from the DOE include the use of specialized equipment and tools such as Play Station, Wii and Xbox which simulate participation. It is the participation, however, which is seen as the key component for physical education whether the students participating have disabilities or not. The report notes that it is only through participation that all students learn about teamwork and sportsmanship.

On Dec. 1, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR ), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,  announced the details of a $4 million grant program supporting field initiated research and development projects to support the full inclusion and integration of individuals with disabilities in society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan confronted difficult questions asked by special educators who are members of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), in a document released today.  Ask Arne: A Conversation with CEC Members and the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (found here) addresses the inclusion of students with disabilities and the professionals who work on their behalf in controversial education reform initiatives supported by the Obama Administration, including pay-for-performance and measuring student growth over time for accountability purposes.

Parents and students with disabilities aren't as involved in the process of mapping out their goals with schools as much as they should be, although federal law intends for parents and school staff to work together on these plans, a new study finds. The study, published this month online in the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, found that participation in IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings varied based on the type of disability a student has, their family income, and their racial or ethnic background. Parents of students who had demonstrated "challenging" behavior at school, or who had poor social skills, reported they found meetings about their IEPs or transition from high school to college or work less than satisfactory, the authors found.

A little remarked upon requirement in the health law expands treatments for people with cerebral palsy, autism and other developmental disabilities. But some advocates and policy experts are concerned that insurers may find ways to sidestep the new requirement. The health law requires that individual and small group plans sold on or off the health insurance marketplaces cover 10 essential health benefits, including “rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices.”

For the first time in IDEA’s nearly 40-year history, the U.S. Department of Education has included the performance of students with disabilities on state and NAEP assessments as part of determining how states are implementing IDEA.  And the results are humbling. 35 states and the District of Columbia were found to “need assistance” or “need intervention” after outcome data was combined with compliance measures that demonstrate adherence to the law. To be clear, the overwhelming majority of states “meet requirements” when just looking at compliance with IDEA, in fact only 9 were deemed as “needs assistance”.