Complaint Filed with U.S. Department of Education Alleging Significant Deficiencies in Oversight of Education Provided to Connecticut Students with Disabilities
Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) and the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) on September 18, 2024 filed a Complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) alleging that despite having “monitoring and regulatory oversight obligations” for “all special education schools and programs” the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) has “not exercised the requisite monitoring and regulatory oversight” of High Road schools in Connecticut, private equity owned segregated schools where multiple school districts place students with disabilities.
“Based on the findings of our systemic investigation and CSDE’s continued noncompliance with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) oversight and monitoring, OCA and DRCT request that OSEP conduct its own investigation … and issue an appropriate corrective action plan for CSDE based on its findings.”
Complaint Filed with U.S. Department of Justice Alleging Disability Discrimination by School Districts in Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury and Stratford
Investigation by Office of the Child Advocate & Disability Rights Connecticut Reveals Substandard Education Provided by High Road Schools and Lack of Oversight by Districts
Federal judge orders declaratory and injunctive relief in an ADA lawsuit on behalf of an Autistic and Deaf client who was illegally denied accommodations as an elected official.
DRCT Receives an Award at Connecticut Valley Hospital Remembrance Ceremony!
By Mike Whilby, Strategic Partnerships Manager
On Wednesday, May 22nd, Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) attended the Patient Cemetery Remembrance and Advocacy Awards Ceremony at Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH) in Middletown. Congratulations go out to DRCT Staff Attorney, Steve Byers and Alum, Jim Welsh for receiving Certificates of Appreciation awards based on their unwavering dedication and steadfastness to patients at CVH. What an incredible honor!
DRCT’s New Supported Decision Making Clinic
DRCT is pleased to announce the launch of our Supported Decision Making (SDM) Clinic where you can get free and confidential help to understand SDM agreements and how they work. To learn more and request an appointment, go to our SDM page or call us at 860-422-4220.
Wheelchair User Files Federal Complaint Over Jefferson Radiology’s Discriminatory Denial of Services to People with Mobility Disabilities
in Violation of Federal Law
Brown, Goldstein & Levy and Disability Rights Connecticut obtain victory in an ADA lawsuit on behalf of an autistic and deaf client who failed to receive accommodations as an elected official.
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DRCT Attends Event at White House
On January 10, 2024, I had the honor of attending the White House’s Communities in Action, Building a Better America event in place of our Executive Director, Deborah Dorfman, whose litigation schedule precluded her attendance.
This event is one in a series of events hosted by the White House for individual states, and for this occasion, the White House invited legislative and nonprofit leaders from Connecticut and Rhode Island. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo; Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy; Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Greg Jackson, Deputy Director of the first ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention; Gene Sperling the America Rescue Plan Coordinator; and Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo addressed the attendees and highlighted how the Biden-Harris American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science ACT and the Inflation Reduction Act have impacted the states of RI and CT.
The attendees were invited to speak for a few minutes to share how these initiatives have impacted their work. Speakers addressed the impact of their work on healthcare, unionized labor, agriculture, early childhood, healthcare, gun prevention advocacy, food insecurity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, to name a few. These individuals highlighted how the funding through all of the aforementioned Acts had either expanded health facilities and added mental health providers, increased tuition assistance funds, facilitated unionized agreements, expanded food services, increased training funds for teachers, improved bridges and roadways, again to name a few.
As the event neared a close, many more hands remained up, but fortunately I was selected as the last one to speak -- briefly as reminded. I indicated how the Biden-Harris Covid-19 initiatives had enabled DRCT to advocate for PPE and vaccines to be prioritized for distribution to individuals with disabilities living in institutions or congregate settings as the pandemic had run amok in those settings; secondly, since one of the items raised by the speakers that day was the efforts by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure that CT households are able to access affordable high-speed internet, I indicated that since the pandemic people with disabilities have increased in numbers in the economy because of flexible remote work opportunities and as we think about strengthening our economy we should not forget that people with disabilities are strong contributors to that economy if they have the flexibility and the technology to participate.
Santina Sciaba-Douglas
Deputy Executive Director
Help Us Reach Our Goal
Your Donation accelerates positive change for people with disabilities.
Your Donation ensures that DRCT's advocacy can have a systems-wide impact to ensure that policies, regulations, and legislation that impact the needs of people with disabilities are addressed.
Your Donation will help DRCT achieve its goal of raising $25,000 to continue advocating for people with disabilities.
We are grateful for your support.
Deborah Dorfman, Executive Director/Attorney
Yale Students, Alumni Reach Settlement Agreement to Resolve Lawsuit Against
Yale University
Elis for Rachael, Inc., two Yale students, and Yale University release the following joint statement:
"The parties have reached a settlement agreement to resolve a lawsuit filed last November in federal district court related to policies and practices impacting students with mental health disabilities."
For more information, please visit www.elisforrachael.org, www.bazelon.org, or www.disrightsct.org.
There is no reason why Connecticut cannot close Southbury Training School
Hartford Courant Opinion, by Deborah A. Dorfman
HUSKY C EXPANSION:
TAKE ACTION NOW TO END DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
HUSKY - Medicaid Update
THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IS EXTENDED, BUT AUTOMATIC RE-ENROLLMENT IN HUSKY ENDS ON MARCH 31
DRCT OBSERVES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Content Warning: This post contains discussions of trauma, murder, and sexual assault.
DRCT Celebrates Black History Month by Mike Whilby, Strategic Partnerships Manager
As we continue to observe Black History Month, I would like to spotlight the legendary poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. Maya’s influence intersected race and disability. After she was sexually assaulted at the age of seven by her mother’s boyfriend and coping with his subsequent murder, Maya became nonverbal like so many other young children that are forced to cope with the physical and psychological impacts of trauma.
During this time, she immersed herself and found strength in communicating through her poetry. One of her most popular poems to date is “Still I Rise.” This poem emphasizes the strength Maya Angelou developed through all her lived experiences and provides a message of determination, hope, and personal freedom. To celebrate Black History Month, I would like to honor Ms. Angelou’s memory by offering her poem: “Still I Rise.”
DRCT Celebrates MLK
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2023, we are pleased to share this personal reflection from Mike Whilby, DRCT Strategic Partnerships Manager.
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"As we come to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day 2023, I can’t help but think about the importance and the purpose of education for all people. As individuals we should always strive for understanding of truth, to think for ourselves, and to help experience life. As we gather intelligence, it is important that we don’t forget who we are, and that education transcends not only acquiring knowledge but speaks to the content of our character. Let us remember to always seek the truth, to continue to advocate and fight for justice for those in our communities who don’t have a voice, and ultimately learn to live and love one another."
PRESS RELEASE: DRCT to Focus on Seven Priority Areas in 2023 - Problems Adversely Impacting People with Disabilities That Are Most Widespread, Pose Greatest Risk
Areas of Focus: Abuse and Neglect, Healthcare, Education, Employment, Individual Rights, Housing and Opportunities to Live in the Community
PRESS RELEASE: Yale University Violates Federal Law in Treatment of Students with Mental Health Disabilities, Lawsuit Alleges, Seeking Court Action to End University’s Discriminatory, Unlawful and Harmful Practices
Suit Filed on Behalf of Current and Former Students Seeks Class Action Status As Concerns About Suicides, Current Yale Policies Remain Despite Advocacy for Change
Our New Free Education Rights Clinic
Disability Rights Connecticut is pleased to announce our Education Rights Clinic. The clinic will be open to students and families of students with disabilities, including students with special education needs or students who have or may need 504 plans.
Clinic appointments will provide an opportunity for callers to talk with advocates, law students, and attorneys. In a one-hour virtual meeting, clinic attendees will receive counsel and advice and short-term service related to their child’s special education needs free of charge.
Day & evening appointments available | Virtual appointments only* | Walk-ins not available**
Important Note: If you need a disability accommodation or an interpreter, please contact 860-310-1993.
Introducing the Recite Me Web Accessibility and Language Toolbar
DRCT’s commitment to making its website accessible includes our addition of Recite Me. Recite Me is a web accessibility and language toolbar (WAT). The WAT allows visitors to use many tools, like text-to-speech and language translation. DRCT thanks the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and our fellow protection and advocacy systems (P&As) for introducing us to Recite Me.
As a cloud-based program, Recite Me allows users to view and use a site in a way that works best for them. It helps the 1 in 4 people in the U.S. who have a disability, including those with common conditions such as sight and hearing loss, dyslexia, among others. It also meets the needs of the 1 in 5 people who speak a language other than English at home, by translating on-page content into over 100 different languages.
We are highly encouraged by our community’s early engagement with and enthusiasm for the new toolbar. In just a few short weeks, we have been better able to meet folks where they are at, and thus, fulfill DRCT’s mission. Specifically, nearly 350 web pages were viewed while using the WAT. What’s more, users viewed 5-7 pages per session, which is 1-1.5x times the industry average.
So how do you access Recite Me?
You can open the Recite Me toolbar by clicking on the “Accessibility & Translations” button at the top center of the homepage or by clicking the accessibility icon, which now appears in the bottom right corner of every page on our website.
The toolbar will then open and display a range of different options for customizing the way our site looks and the ways in which you can interact with its content.
How does Recite Me help me access DRCT’s website?
Again, Recite Me helps people access our site and customize their UX with the content. The toolbar has a unique range of functions. You can use it to:
Read website text aloud (including PDFs)
Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you
Change font sizes and colors
Customize background-color
Translate text into more than 100 different languages
Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus
You can find out more about how Recite Me works from their user guide (https://reciteme.com/user-guide) and/or video tutorial (https://drive.google.com/file/d/13ULlgfGn_zIISX0CPMsZymz4SKzGGYWS/view).
Where can you find additional support for Recite Me?
If you have any questions about using Recite Me, you can contact them by email at info@reciteme.com or by calling (571) 946-4068.
Or as always, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to our team with UX feedback, suggestions, etc.
COVID-19 Updates
Protect Yourself, Get Boosted!
The CDC approved the vaccination and booster shot for Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer. You are not required to show documentation regarding your pre-existing medical conditions.
If you are experiencing disability-related accessibility barriers, please call Disability Rights Connecticut at 800-842-7303 or email info@DisRightsCT.org
If you would like to receive the vaccination and/or booster shot:
Go to the Connecticut Vaccine Portal https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal?language=en_US
People who need the vaccine and/or booster shot at home, due to being homebound Homebound Intake form (ct.gov)
Free, At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Tests Delivered to Your Door
Individuals are able to order free, at-home COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. Tests will usually ship within 7-12 days of ordering.
Obtenga pruebas caseras gratuitas de COVID-19 https://www.covidtests.gov/es/ (Spanish)
Those without internet access and those needing assistance may order by calling 1-800-232-0233.
The Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) is an additional resource, connecting people with disabilities to COVID-19 vaccination and testing in their communities.
DIAL support can be reached by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing DIAL@USAgingandDisability.org
Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can reach DIAL using the 711/Video Relay Service (VRS). To use this free service, simply dial 711 to be connected via text with a communications assistant.
For people who do not communicate through speech, sign language, or VRS, email is the best option to communicate with DIAL.
Older adults can call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 Monday-Friday or visit the website to chat live or browse resources.
If you are experiencing disability-related accessibility barriers, please call Disability Rights Connecticut at 800-842-7303 or email info@DisRightsCT.org.
Interpreter Shortage Challenges Appropriate Medical Care For Deaf Patients
Deaf residents report frequent issues with sign language interpretation at Connecticut hospitals and health care facilities, hindering their ability to understand medical care fully.
And though video remote interpreting (VRI) services are widely available at Connecticut hospitals, patients have reported mixed experiences with the technology.
The issues persist more than 30 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires interpretation for patients and family members under the “effective communication” section of the law. In the last three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has negotiated four settlements with medical facilities in Connecticut for complaints related to communication with deaf patients.
“At one point, ADA and accessibility seemed to be very good,” said Marissa Rivera, an advocate with Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT). “And now, in 2022, it has completely collapsed.”
Letter From the Disability Community to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky
(January 13, 2021) - On Friday, January 7, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky spoke in an interview about a research study showing that among vaccinated COVID-19 patients, 78% of those who died had four or more co-occurring conditions. In her full, unedited remarks, Dr. Walensky stated that these people “were unwell to begin with” and referred to these results as “really encouraging news.”
Many disability rights organizations including Disability Rights Connecticut joined Autistic Self Advocacy Network in writing a letter to Dr. Walensky.
Coalition Calls For Greater Access To Mental Health Services
(January 11, 2022) - After a spike in adults and children seeking mental health treatment during the pandemic, a “Recovery For All” coalition of lawmakers, union leaders and providers are calling on Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders to increase funding and access to services.
The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the state Department of Children and Families are in a staffing crisis that has impacted the agencies’ ability to provide mental health services to the state’s poorest residents, according to the coalition.
In order to increase services, the state needs to pay competitive wages to recruit and retain psychiatrists and other mental health workers, said Deborah Dorfman, executive director of Disability Rights Connecticut. “We have to entice providers to be in Connecticut and work in Connecticut, otherwise we won’t be able to do what we need to do,” she said…Read more
Disability Advocacy Organizations File Federal Complaints Against CT
HARTFORD (January 6, 2022) - Disability Rights CT, the statewide protection and advocacy system for individuals with a range of disabilities, and CLRP, a nonprofit law firm representing people with psychiatric disabilities, today filed two federal complaints against the State of Connecticut with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights.
The complaints allege violations of various federal anti-discrimination laws requiring equal access. DRCT and CLRP allege that Governor Lamont’s refusal to require that towns and cities distributing the state’s essential supplies of COVID-19 test kits and N-95 masks during the Omicron wave prioritize individuals who are at high risk, either because of their health status or because of living in congregate settings, for the limited supplies available, violates federal law…READ MORE
Justice Department says isolation, inadequate mental health treatment and flawed education programming endanger young men incarcerated in Connecticut
The federal justice department on Tuesday accused the state of endangering young men incarcerated at the Manson Youth Institution with unsafe punitive isolation, inadequate mental health services and by failing to provide special education services for children with disabilities.
In a report and attached letter to Lamont, justice department lawyers accused the state of violating the rights of youths accused of serious crimes.
The state Department of Correction had no immediate response, but Gov. Ned Lamont’s office promised to work with the justice department on any problems with Manson. (via Hartford Courant)
CVS Health Partners with Disability Community in Commitment to Affordable and Equitable Access to Health Care
CVS Health, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and the National Council on Independent Living today announced that they are working together to seek policy solutions to protect equitable access to health care for all Americans and continue to protect the fundamental rights of people with disabilities.
“We have a long track record of supporting the essential and foundational legal protections for people with disabilities and ensuring that marginalized populations can access affordable health care and medicines in their community,” said David Casey, Senior Vice President, Workforce Strategies and Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health. “Our agreement to pursue policy solutions in collaboration with the disability community will help protect access to affordable health plan programs that apply equally to all members. As a result, we will not pursue the matter further before the Supreme Court.”
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Statement by Disability Rights Connecticut
RE: Reversal of Policy by Department of Social Services, Agreeing to Provide Medicaid Coverage for Individuals with Severe Disabilities Needing Robotic Arm
“The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) finally got it right, reversing previous repeated denials of Medicaid coverage for a robotic arm for severely disabled individuals to assist them with basic activities of daily life and facilitate independent living.
Person who uses a wheelchair with a robotic arm.
While it is unfortunate that a misguided, illegal and counterproductive policy was established at all, we are pleased that the Department has rescinded that policy, and is no longer acting in defiance of state and federal law. Most importantly, we are pleased that our client will now be able to utilize the robotic arm that can make a demonstrable difference in her life, and that other individuals with similar disabilities will also have access to this impactful technology, reducing the need for hands-on assistance and the likelihood of institutionalization.
As we have pointed out, maintaining independence is a fundamental goal of the federal Medicaid Act, state Medicaid law, and state and federal disability law. In the absence of such independence, the likelihood of institutionalization increases, which is adverse to the best interests of the individual, constitutes disability discrimination and ultimately harms the taxpayers, who would be impacted by the higher costs of institutionalization.
