Author Archives: Andy Jones

Galaxy Report

Maine housing settlement approved

By Andy Jones | Published: May 14, 2012
Map of Maine

 

The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine approved a legal settlement May 2 requiring the state of Maine to expand community living options for people with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities.

The settlement, first announced in September …

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Galaxy Report

DOJ intervenes in Oregon, sheltered workshops case

By Andy Jones | Published: May 14, 2012
Oregon Map

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has filed an amicus brief on behalf of a group of disability advocacy groups who are suing the state of Oregon for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in its system …

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Report: Lack of transportation confines more than 500,000 people

By Andy Jones | Published: May 14, 2012
Amtrak Locomotive

Two disability advocacy groups released a new report May 8, calling on federal, state and local governments to dramatically expand transportation opportunities for people with disabilities.

“Access to transportation is a prerequisite to full civil rights for people with disabilities. …

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Galaxy Report

Disability-related housing discrimination claims soar

By Andy Jones | Published: May 14, 2012
Graphic of fair housing with bright colored housing

Nearly half of all housing complaints filed under the Fair Housing Act were based on disability related concerns, according to a new report from the National Fair Housing Alliance.

More than 27,000 complaints were filed nationwide last year under …

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California looking to clamp down on ADA lawsuits

By Andy Jones | Published: May 14, 2012
The word costs in a clamp

A new bill moving through the California legislature would make it significantly more difficult for lawyers to sue California business owners for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By a 4-1 vote, the state Senate Judiciary Committee …

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Kansas delays planned Medicaid changes after massive disability protests

By Andy Jones | Published: May 14, 2012
Photo of Kansas Flag

More than 800 advocates for people with disabilities, operating under the banner of “Don’t Gamble with Our Lives,” swarmed into Topeka on April 25 to rally against a highly publicized plan to hand over control of the state’s Medicaid services …

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Court approves settlement in Massachusetts prison case

By Andy Jones | Published: April 24, 2012
Hands on prison bars

A Massachusetts plan to expand protections for inmates with mental illnesses in its state prisons received court approval April 12.

The Disability Law Center of Massachusetts filed a class action lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections in 2007, accusing …

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Pulitzer Prize recognition puts disability coverage in the spotlight

By Andy Jones | Published: April 24, 2012
Gold Medal 2012

Two major investigations into the treatment of people with disabilities in assisted living facilities were finalists in the “Public Service” category of the Pulitzer Prizes, the nation’s most prestigious awards for excellence in journalism.

The New York Times was recognized …

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NYC taxi case argued at the 2nd Circuit

By Andy Jones | Published: April 24, 2012
Yellow Taxi Sign

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit heard arguments this week on a controversial ruling in December, where a federal district court ruled that New York City’s taxicab fleet violates Americans with Disabilities Act public accessibility requirements.…

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