July, 2009

As a special education master’s student in George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development, I am conducting a research study about the IEP process.  An IEP is an Individualized Education Program, which documents instruction strategies that are tailored to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.

A crossroads looms. The promise of Freedom has not yet come to all our citizens.  People with physical and developmental disabilities, older adults, and those who have a mental illness, yearn to craft a meaningful life. Self-Determination is a way to face together the current perfect fiscal storm and to have people not just survive - but flourish in an environment fraught with potential cutbacks and support scarcity.

September 6, 2008, was a clear-blue Indian summer day in Nebraska Jennifer Ruth sat in the stands and watched her 12-year-old son, Derek, run with the football.  She was unconcerned when he was tackled in a routine play. But as he fumbled the ball, she remembers seeing his right arm drop oddly, almost in slow motion...

An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proposed rule implementing the ADA Amendments Act may be open to challenge as inconsistent with congressional intent, speakers said during a July 1 teleconference sponsored by the National Employment Law Institute (NELI). EEOC's proposal, which revises its existing regulations interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act, was approved June 17 by a 2-1 commission vote and is currently being reviewed by the White HouseOffice of Management and Budget and other federal agencies (115 DLR AA-1, 6/18/09).

The pharmaceutical industry recently agreed to spend $80 billion over the next decade improving drug benefits for seniors on Medicare and defraying the cost of President Barack Obama's health care legislation, capping secretive negotiations involving key lawmakers and the White House.

Pfizer Inc announced today that it will launch an innovative program to help eligible unemployed Americans and their families who have lost their health insurance maintain access to their Pfizer medicines for free.  The inspiration for the new program, called MAINTAIN™ (Medicines Assistance for Those who Are in Need), was generated by Pfizer employees who were witnessing friends, family and neighbors struggle to make ends meet after losing their jobs. 

It is with great pleasure that I would like to introduce to you Project BRAIN’s newest team member, Wanda M. Baker.  Jennifer and I welcomed Wanda to our team on June 16, 2009 as the new full-time Resource Specialist & Trainer covering the West Tennessee Region. 

The National Network of ADA Centers announces new episodes on the Disability Law Lowdown website at ASL.DisabilityLawLowdown.com. The first video podcast series in American Sign Language bring a new level of service to the Deaf community by expanding traditional audio-only podcasts to include video that allows subscribers too see native Deaf speakers signing the show’s content.