Category Archives: National News

Galaxy Report

Advocates press Washington to stay off Social Security

By Andy Jones | Published: December 10, 2012

The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) sent letters, signed by more than 30 major disability rights groups, to Congress and President Obama on November 30, urging them to not make cuts to Social Security during the ongoing budget negotiations.…

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The word “lunatic” removed from federal law

By Andy Jones | Published: December 7, 2012

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 398 to 1 on December 5 to strike the word “lunatic” from federal law, a term deemed offensive by many people with mental illnesses.

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a similar bill on May …

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Asperger’s syndrome to be removed from psychiatric manual

By Andy Jones | Published: December 4, 2012
Autism Awareness Ribbon

The American Psychiatric Association voted December 1 to eliminate Asperger’s Syndrome from the next edition of the widely used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), choosing instead to merge the syndrome with autism spectrum disorder.

Since Asperger’s Syndrome …

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Galaxy Report

Supreme Court will not hear insanity defense case

By Andy Jones | Published: November 30, 2012
Horizontal view of top of Court columns

With three judges dissenting, the Supreme Court declined a chance November 26 to review a case challenging the constitutionality of the state of Idaho’s decision to eliminate the insanity ’defense in its court system.

After passing up a chance to …

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Galaxy Report

Governor declines to appeal Medicaid case, preventing high court from revisiting Olmstead decision

By Andy Jones | Published: November 2, 2012
A map of Washington state

Disability activists nationwide breathed a sigh of relief October 22, as Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire announced that she would not file another appeal in M.R. v. Dreyfus, preventing the Supreme Court from reexamining the disability community’s most …

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Galaxy Report

Senators urge feds to mandate coverage of autism therapy

By Andy Jones | Published: October 26, 2012
Health cost graphic

Four U.S. Senators recently wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, urging Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to require insurers to cover applied behavioral analysis therapy as part of the reforms under the Affordable Care Act.

“All …

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Feds pay $175K to wrongfully deported man with mental disabilities

By Andy Jones | Published: October 22, 2012
Back of man in handcuffs

A man with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, who was banished from the country for four months, will receive $175,000 in compensation from the Department of Justice.

In 2008, Mark Lyttle was allegedly coerced into signing papers stating that …

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Galaxy Report

SSI benefits to see modest increase in 2013

By Andy Jones | Published: October 19, 2012
Coin stacks increasing with arrow

Supplemental Security Income recipients will see a 1.7 percent increase in their monthly payments next year, the Social Security Administration announced October 16.

The increase is due to the program’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, which increases benefits in line …

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Report finds widespread accessibility violations at the Capitol

By Andy Jones | Published: October 19, 2012
Angled Horizontal Shot of Full Capitol

A new report from the Congressional Office of Compliance concludes that the vast majority of the curbs and sidewalks surrounding the U.S. Capitol and its adjacent legislative buildings fall short of Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.

“Most curb ramps …

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