Education & Legislation

Find Links To My Posts On Education & Legislation Below!




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Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE)
The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) was finally signed into law by the President on December 19, 2014. Tax-free savings accounts can now be built for a population that has historically been forced to live in poverty. Up until now, in order to be eligible for SSI and Medicaid, a person could not have more than $2,000 in cash and property ($3,000 for couples) or make more than $700 monthly (!) in order to be eligible for Medicaid or SSI. This means they can’t save money for things that Medicaid and SSI don’t cover like education, housing, a job coach or transportation. 

People With Disabilities Have a RIGHT To Make Choices
There may be some people who wonder how a person with disabilities can decide important things such as which doctor or therapist to see or which facility to go to. I wonder how anybody can take away another’s right to make such decisions!

Medicaid For People Who NEED It
When we hear “Medicaid” many imagine a lazy, non-working individual, sitting at home watching Jerry Springer and Maury. But the fact is, 70% of Medicaid spending goes towards people with disabilities. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report released at the end of 2008, there were 54.4 million Americans living with at least one disability in a census taken in 2005. This means roughly 1 in 5 people are disabled. 

NYC Schools Including "Other" Kids  
In 2010, NYC launched a city-wide effort at 260 schools to integrate more students with special needs in mainstream classrooms (aka: INCLUSION). It has been in effect for about a year now. And it’s looking promising!

A Bitchy Rant About Inclusion  
I read this story about a special ed teacher (who is qualified by certifications & degrees, no doubt) who put together a club at her school, "Creating Exceptional Character" which...brought typical students into classrooms after school to work with students with special needs." ...She then created an elective course...The article called it a "reverse inclusion" class...I have severely mixed feelings about it. In fact, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off! 

Is Inclusion A Good Thing?  Inclusion is a murky word. Proponents of inclusion want to have classrooms, social activities and workplaces where there are disabled and non-disabled individuals getting together, commiserating, cooperating...It scares the crap out of me. Why? Because too many people believe that insertion = inclusion and frankly, my friends, it does not.

Hey, Dummy!  
Today, boys & girls, I want to discuss what a learning disorder (LD) is.
If your kid doesn’t do well in school; if he can’t focus on a task; if he is always tapping his fingers or pencil; if he continually talks to other students in class during work time; if he never seems to be able to complete his homework; if he fails pretty much every test he takes, he may not be a Bad Kid. He may actually have a learning disorder.

Kids Love Being In Nursing Homes!
Hey, have you heard about what's happening in Florida? What those brainiacs have decided to do is stick disabled children – some who are still infants – into institutions and nursing homes even though the level of care they need could be met in their own homes! I know it sounds outlandish – “Those types of things just don’t happen anymore!” – but it’s the God to honest truth!

Let's Go Swimming.....Maybe!
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) outlines the rights of people with disabilities and forbids discrimination of any kind towards this group. In 2010, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sought to apply this regulation to public entities that offer a pool or spa, such as hotels, by requiring them to make these amenities accessible. 2 ½ years later we are still waiting.

Dear Senator DeMint
I want to thank you. Thank you for blocking the Senate from ratifying the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Sure, there's bipartisan support for it...but why should the Senate waste its time...?


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