Center for Disabilities Studies

A Philadelphia Inquirer investigation found that employees of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health raped or sexually assaulted at least 41 children with intellectual disabilities over the past quarter-century. The investigation revealed persistent understaffing and lack of oversight throughout the organization, which serves 5,000 children a year. According to the Inquirer, Devereux leadership claims to have adopted new policies in late 2019 to prevent sexual abuse. The Inquirer also reports, however, that a prosecutor who brought multiple abuse cases against Devereux says the organization does not change how it hires, trains or supervises staff.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it will distribute $74 million to state housing finance agencies to support about 2,400 housing units for individuals with disabilities. The money comes through HUD’s Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program.

In multiple surveys, roughly four-in-five physicians have indicated they currently offer telehealth services and plan to continue doing so after the pandemic. However, while avoiding doctors’ offices during the pandemic helps reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19, telemedicine requires digital literacy and technology that is not available to all individuals with disabilities. Experts recommend a blended approach that combines virtual and in-person consultation.

Gov. Carney announced that schools may use a mixture of in-person and remote instruction when they open for the 2020–2021 school year. Usually called hybrid learning, it seeks to limit the risk of Covid transmission while giving students the benefits of classroom time and lessening the childcare and educational burdens parents and family members have assumed during the pandemic. School districts may also choose to use only remote instruction.

Linda Heller, the president of the Hearing Loss Association of Delaware, writes that transparent facemasks should become standard because they allow people with hearing loss and other disabilities to read a speaker’s lips and see more nonverbal facial cues. She also advises those who are speaking to people with hearing loss to speak slowly and clearly, not loudly, and remove nontransparent masks if they are able to remain far enough away. Heller is a member of the CDS community advisory council.