The federal Administration for Community Living is holding a competition for businesses to create non-traditional methods of recruiting, training and retaining employees with disabilities, especially intellectual and developmental disabilities, for competitive, integrated employment. Businesses must include people with disabilities in all phases of the planning and implementation process and stand to win as much as $100,000.
More than 500 people are expected to attend the 2020 LIFE Conference, one of the largest disability conferences in Delaware. Organized by a coalition of Delaware groups serving people with disabilities, the conference brings together people with disabilities, their families, advocates, providers, educators, legislators and government officials for educational and networking opportunities.
A recent policy change has led Amtrak to charge extra fees to passengers who request seats be removed from a train car for any reason – including to accommodate wheelchairs. This resulted in two members of Illinois-based disability advocacy group Access Living facing $25,000 tickets. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois has said she plans to request a meeting with Amtrak’s president to discuss the policy.
A proposed change to Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income would result in more frequent reviews to confirm certain recipients still meet the programs’ definitions of disability. Critics say the Social Security Administration has failed to provide evidence of need for the change and the additional reviews may create administrative hurdles that cause people who otherwise still qualify to lose their benefits.
Rehoboth Beach’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year does not include the estimated $250,000 needed to replace the town’s oldest playground with a new, ADA-compliant version. The playground, called the Tot Lot, is past its expected life span and has problems with structural rust. The budget must be approved before April 1.
