Americans with Disabilities Act

He was stuck in a hospital for 8 months. How states can fail people with disabilities

11:39am November 21, 2024

In Georgia and other states, the federal government oversees the treatment of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, because the states have been unable to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the subsequent Olmstead ruling.

Tabitha (l) helps Sam (r) remove his socks and leg braces. Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 in Georgia, United States.

Disabled students are struggling to get what they need at school

8:53pm July 05, 2024

Students with disabilities often face a tough time getting the services they need at school. When they can't get them, many families seek help from the federal government. And, right now, the Department of Education is swamped with a record number of discrimination complaints. The backlog is leaving families across the country waiting months, even years, for help.

NPR's Jonaki Mehta visited one such family, in central Georgia

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President Joe Biden walks with actress Selma Blair and Blair's service dog Scout as they arrive for an event to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday.

Politics & Government

The moment when Selma Blair's service dog seemingly made Biden one of his people

6:31pm October 02, 2023

by Heidi Glenn

It was a subtle gesture: As actress Selma Blair delivered remarks to an audience at the White House, Scout, her service dog, laid down next to her and then gently flopped over on Biden's shoe.

Evan Woody has needed round-the-clock care since his brain injury and lives with his parents in Dunwoody, Ga. His father, Philip, says his family has some plans in place for Evan's future, but one question is still unanswered: Where will Evan live when he can no longer live with his parents?

Health & Safety

Americans with disabilities need an updated long-term care plan, say advocates

11:01am November 09, 2022

by Sam Whitehead

Nearly 75% of Americans with disabilities live with a family caregiver, many of them age 60 or older. Updating your care plan now, experts say, can help make sure everyone thrives.

Georgia Linders got sick with COVID in the spring of 2020 and never recovered. Her ongoing battle with long COVID has prevented her from working. She spends her days advocating for COVID longhaulers like herself and painting, one of the few activities tha

Health & Safety

Millions of Americans have long COVID. Many of them are no longer working

2:01pm July 31, 2022

by Andrea Hsu

An estimated 4 million workers in the U.S. are struggling to work due to debilitating symptoms from long COVID. The government is urging employers to provide accommodations to keep them on the job.

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Shruti Rajkumar sitting in a wheelchair at a museum in Washington, D.C.

The ADA was a victory for the disabled community, but we need more. My life shows why

5:01am July 29, 2022

by Shruti Rajkumar

The Americans With Disabilities Act turns 32 this year, and while its anniversary is one to be celebrated, it also calls for a reflection on what more can be done for disability rights.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke speaks at a news conference on Aug. 5, 2021. The federal government said Thursday that artificial intelligence technology to screen new job candidates or monitor their productivity can unfairly di

National

U.S. warns of discrimination in using artificial intelligence to screen job candidates

5:04pm May 12, 2022

by The Associated Press

The federal government tells employers that the commonly used hiring tools could violate civil rights laws by discriminating against people with disabilities.

Last month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin posed with school children and parents after signing a bill that bans mask mandates in public schools in Virginia.

Virginia's law barring mask mandates does not apply to 12 children with disabilities

4:38pm March 25, 2022

by Deepa Shivaram

A federal judge said a new state law violates protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But the preliminary injunction only applies to those children whose parents challenged the law.

President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990.

Across Federal Workforce, People With Disabilities See Need For More Representation

8:00am July 31, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

People with disabilities represent the largest minority group in the country, but say they remain vastly underrepresented when it comes to the ranks of the federal workforce.

The house that John High rents with his son in Norman, Okla., doesn't even have a windowless room he could retreat to in a tornado, he says, and he can't afford to build a a wheelchair-accessible storm shelter.

Health & Safety

Many Tornado Alley Residents With Disabilities Lack Safe Options In A Storm

1:43pm February 18, 2020

by Jackie Fortier

Oklahoma used to have more public shelters that could accommodate wheelchairs. But many have closed, and there's still no financial aid for renters with disabilities to build safe alternatives.

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