The White House is pushing back on a long-running lawsuit over its disability accommodations by challenging the right of people with disabilities to sue the federal government. Last year, a federal judge ordered the White House to reinstate sign language interpreters at many press briefings. The order came after the National Association of the Deaf…

LAS VEGAS — As part of her capstone project at Touro University of Nevada, Sara Gudiel crafted a curriculum to promote self-advocacy in individuals with Down syndrome. The program was designed in collaboration with GiGi’s Playhouse Las Vegas, which offers free therapeutic and educational programs to individuals of all ages with Down syndrome, and will…

CHICAGO — Car seats and candy, gold jewelry and handbags — Judith Pelaez, according to a dozen lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Hammond, had access to none of it because the websites selling the wares were not accessible to people with impaired vision. So, according to court records, she started filing lawsuits, all…

NAPA, Calif. — To mark their first wedding anniversary, Tyler and Kelly Mullman traveled from Houston to the Napa Valley. For Tyler, it was also a return to the Bay Area, where he’d spent childhood summers. The trip stirred nostalgia and, for the couple, sparked a lifelong passion for wine. “We fell in love with…

A feature film about an activist known as the “mother of the disability rights movement” is set to debut. “Being Heumann” will premiere as the opening night film at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. The movie from Apple Original Films is about Judy Heumann who was instrumental in fighting for civil rights protections for…

Federal education officials are offering up more specifics about their plans to offload many special education responsibilities, but their efforts to reassure stakeholders are doing little to ease concerns. The U.S. Department of Education held a call with disability advocates late last week in a bid to better explain how it will shift much of…

FORT WORTH, Texas — An institute at UNT Health Fort Worth is participating in a national study working to understand why adults with Down syndrome are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The study, the Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome, is supported by the National Institutes of Health, and is working to identify biological markers of…

An actress with autism and a reality show about individuals on the spectrum who are looking for love are both in the running for Emmy Awards. Tal Anderson, who has autism, was nominated this week for her role on HBO’s acclaimed hospital drama “The Pitt.” Anderson is up for outstanding guest actress in a drama…

Over half of states are not living up to their obligations under federal special education law, with many receiving a failing grade from the U.S. Department of Education multiple years in a row. Just 20 states earned a “meets requirements” designation from the Education Department this year for serving students with disabilities ages 3 to…

CHICAGO — By the time Illinois notified group home provider Broadstep two years ago that it was revoking its license, the list of problems documented by state investigators spanned nearly seven pages. Expired medications. Incomplete background checks. “Critical incidents,” which may have included medical emergencies and other events that spurred 911 calls, not reported properly.…