LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

By Michael Rock:

Amid this week’s chaotic news cycle, there have been several important nuggets of news relevant to the disability community.

In Missouri, the Department of Mental Health hoped to abolish a Medicaid waiver waitlist, making it easier for state residents with severe developmental disabilities to access key services. Unfortunately, budget cuts rendered this reform untenable for this year.

Parma, Ohio’s Solutions at Work (SAW), which provides vocational training, has begun taking steps to reopen to better allow for social distancing.

Meanwhile, Montclair State University’s psychology lab in New Jersey has received several grants to better help people with Down Syndrome improve their spatial abilities.

These developments are only a few that have recently happened in the disability community. There will always be more to come.

Michael Rock is a New York City-based reporter and self-advocate with autism. A graduate of Brandeis University, his work has appeared in Kings County Politics, Chelsea Now, Our Town, Queens County Politics, and WhoWhatWhy.