Disability News Now

"Jimmy’s a mess. He feels like no one wants him,’’ said Madelene McCoy, Jimmy’s guardian since the 28-year-old was 7 years old. "What’s killing me is we have promised this kid the sun, the moon and stars, and the answer always seems to be: 'Jim can wait'," she said. Besides his developmental disability, Jimmy — who needs round-the-clock care — suffers from post traumatic stress disorder from abuse in two group homes, she said. He can be violently self-abusive, swallowing inedible objects when he is frightened. And he’s often frightened living at the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa, she said.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed a bill Wednesday that splits money from the future sale of the Oregon School for the Blind between a fund for the blind and the School for the Deaf, settling a legal challenge against the state.

"The 'Disability Etiquette' webinar provides practical information that will help local United Ways and their partners during the tax season and throughout the year better communicate and service people with disabilities," said Laura Scherler, director of Income Capacity Building at United Way Worldwide.

The number of young children identified as having developmental delays has risen in Oregon, led mainly by a huge one-year surge in Multnomah County, the state reported Wednesday.

The city auditor and Commissioner Randy Leonard, faced with growing community demands for accountability after controversial police shootings and a death in police custody that's taken three years to investigate, want to give Portland's police oversight division the muscle they say it needs to be effective.

Four Labrador puppies will tomorrow head off to prison for 14 months to make a difference to inmates' lives for that time, before the puppies grow up to be assistance dogs for people with disabilities.

Disability is a natural part of human experience and in no way diminishes the right of people with disabilities to make choices, contribute to society and experience in full the many blessings of our American society. And to realize those family members, friends and the community at large all play a role in supporting people with disabilities to pursue their dreams and the goals of this city we live in.

The state of Mississippi is facing a federal lawsuit alleging its failure to provide community-based mental health services to its children is denying them access to care and increasing their odds of being institutionalized.

It is estimated that 10 percent of the Valley population is either deaf or hearing impaired. In Cameron County, officials estimate there are about 4,000 residents that suffer from some type of hearing impairment.

The Justice Department today filed a motion in federal court to enjoin the admission of developmentally disabled children to the center to prevent their placement in "dangerous conditions" and to allow continued investigation of accusations of "imminent and serious threats to the safety of the facility's more than 500 residents."

A new study suggests a trend toward developing hyperactivity among typically developing elementary-school-aged siblings of autistic preschoolers and supports the notion that mothers of young, autistic children experience more depression and stress than mothers with typically developing children.

In a ruling that has divided doctors and disability organisations, the Family Court has granted the parents of a profoundly disabled Queensland girl permission to have her undergo a hysterectomy.

Focus on 200,000 Veterans Expected to File Claims under New Agent Orange Presumptives over Next Two Years

A DVD offering advice to deaf people on crime prevention has been made by an officer after he realised sections of the community were missing out.

After 40 years, furniture retailers go public about her fight with multiple sclerosis

The federal government is redoubling its efforts to crack down on civil rights violations against students with disabilities and other minority groups, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Monday.

What is clear is that an expanded Medicaid would cover a wide range of people, from uninsured young adults to empty nesters to divorced spouses and widows left without insurance. Many of these folks have un-met health needs. The number of people on Medicaid who have severe mental illness and substance abuse addictions is expected to more than double if the overhaul passes. The legislation would also bridge a gap for unemployed and uninsured Americans who are not old enough to qualify for Medicare, federal health insurance for the elderly.

As a society, we have a de facto "don't ask, don't tell" disability policy. As children we are taught that it is impolite to look at, ask questions or acknowledge a person's disability for fear we will hurt their feelings or make them feel uncomfortable. So, we don't talk or look -- at all. That silence and avoidance is worse than any hurt feelings or discomfort; it sidelines people with disabilities from social, economic and artistic opportunities.

Experts say about 1 percent of adults have schizophrenia, which would translate to roughly 22,000 Iowans. People with the disease are more likely to be meek and introverted than aggressive and dangerous, psychiatrists say. Studies have shown they're much more likely to be the victims of violent crime than the perpetrators of it. But publicity about violent schizophrenia patients drives a cycle of silence and misunderstandings, experts say. Every time the public hears about the illness being linked to a gruesome crime, the stigma surrounding the disease gets stronger. That stigma makes everyday people with mental illnesses even more hesitant to speak openly about their less dramatic experiences.

NAMI calls on news media to look carefully and in depth at the facts of the tragedy. Look beyond sensationalism and provide balanced perspective and education on mental illness, treatment and recovery.