Center for Disabilities Studies

Members of the disability community celebrated, and noted how moved they were by, President-elect Joe Biden mentioning disability in his first speech after the election was called.

The U.S. endured a second straight week of record-breaking growth in the number of new Covid-19 cases detected. Hospitalizations rose quickly, too, approaching levels that will soon eclipse the spring and summer peaks. On Wednesday, the country recorded more than 100,000 cases in a single day.

In a recently published paper, UD Assistant Professor William Kenkel reports evidence suggesting that the difference in hormones released in a mother and infant during vaginal births and caesarian sections can have long-term effects on the child’s neurological development. Kenkel’s research follows on multiple studies linking caesarian sections to increased risk of autism.

Elaine Manlove, who served for 12 years as Delaware’s election commissioner, was remembered by colleagues and political leaders for her dedication to fair elections, her commitment to civic education and her push to modernize Delaware’s voting infrastructure after her death Monday. Manlove was a primary mover in the state’s 2019 acquisition of the ExpressVote XL accessible voting machines and presented at the Center’s 2016 “Accessible Voting in Delaware” Lunchtime Learning session.

Even when elections resources and polling places are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other voting rights legislation, there can still be obstacles to casting a private, independent ballot. One common issue is poll worker training. While polling places are required to have at least one accessible voting machine, many voters with disabilities have reported poll workers not knowing how to operate it.