Disabilities

The American Rescue Plan Act that President Biden signed into law increased funding to Medicaid, but delays and red tape have kept several states from claiming much of the cash almost a year later.

Why billions in Medicaid funds for people with disabilities are being held up

10:37am March 02, 2022

Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated up to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, many states have yet to access the funds due to delays and red tape.

People attend the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games 100 Day countdown event at the National Aquatic Center in Beijing, China, on Nov. 24, 2021.

China is a Paralympics star, but its people with disabilities face high hurdles

8:07am February 28, 2022

by Emily Feng

China has dominated the medal count at the last five Paralympic Games. That's in stark contrast with the low level of disability access in Chinese society.

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Brothers Chase Miller (left), 10, and Carson Miller, 11, in November 2021. The two brothers have a rare genetic disorder and are immunocompromised. Their family has to practice extreme caution to prevent coronavirus exposures.

Health & Safety

There's one population that gets overlooked by an 'everyone will get COVID' mentality

6:11pm January 26, 2022

by Lesley McClurg

The roughly 7 million Americans who are immunocompromised — including many people with disabilities — live with much higher risk of COVID-19, and near-constant vigilance.

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Expanded funds for in-home care can help seniors and disabled Americans stay in their homes. Here, Lidia Vilorio, a home health aide, gives her patient Martina Negron her medicine and crackers for her tea in May in Haverstraw, N.Y.

Health & Safety

New federal funds spur expansion of home care services for the elderly and disabled

3:16pm October 21, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

These services can make the difference between being able to live at home with family or landing in a nursing facility. But state Medicaid programs don't always pay for them.

Mark Forrest is back fishing after rehabilitation with the IpsiHand device helped him regain use of his right hand.

Health & Safety

New Device Taps Brain Signals To Help Stroke Patients Regain Hand Function

7:00am June 13, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

After a stroke, people often lose dexterity in one hand. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has authorized a device that can restore function by encouraging the brain to rewire.

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President Barack Obama bumped fists with Nathan Copeland during a tour of innovation projects at the White House Frontiers Conference at the University of Pittsburgh in 2016.

Health & Safety

Scientists Bring The Sense Of Touch To A Robotic Arm

6:44pm May 20, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

A man who is paralyzed can quickly perform tasks like pouring a glass of water, thanks to a mind-controlled robotic arm that conveys a sense of touch.

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The GO FlyEase, Nike's first hands-free shoe, hinges open and closed, so the wearer just needs to slip their foot in and push down in order to put it on.

Nike Accused Of 'Using Disability' To Hype New Hands-Free Sneaker

2:20pm March 29, 2021

by Eva Tesfaye

The GO FlyEase is scheduled to be released on April 30. Some people with disabilities worry that they won't be able to get a pair because of the company's mass marketing strategy.

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Peter Prater survived a case of COVID-19 after an outbreak hit his home, the Tallahassee Developmental Center in April. No federal agency tracks how many of the estimated 300,000 people who live in such facilities nationwide have caught COVID-19 or died a

People With Intellectual Disabilities Are Often Overlooked In Pandemic Response

5:10am February 12, 2021

by Katheryn Houghton

Without federal tracking, no one knows how many people in disability group housing have fallen ill or died from the virus. And few states are prioritizing them for vaccination.

Suzan Mubarak and her boyfriend, Mitch Domier, live only a few miles apart in Bozeman, Mont., yet the pandemic has limited their ability to see each other in person.

Health & Safety

The Pandemic Made Their Love Long Distance — From Just A Few Miles Apart

9:04am January 26, 2021

by Katheryn Houghton

Everyone is trying to figure out how relationships work in the pandemic. That includes a couple keeping their love alive, ever since their group homes for adults with disabilities went into lockdown.

Chantelly Manzanares grades her daughter Rosabella's spelling test. Because her mother is deaf, Rosabella sometimes uses American Sign Language to interpret what's happening in her classes on Zoom.

National

Parents With Disabilities Face Extra Hurdles With Kids' Remote Schooling

7:54am January 23, 2021

by Kristin Gourlay

Parents with disabilities often face extra issues with remote learning. A deaf mom whose first language is American Sign Language is navigating the challenge of monitoring her hearing child's work.