We post our bi-weekly bulletin to keep you up to date on disability-related resources, news, and other items of interest. This information is being provided solely for non-commercial, nonprofit educational purposes, including news reporting and research. It is not intended for commercial purposes. Further, we understand that our readers generally read the articles and information online, at the websites provided in the hyperlinks, rather than relying solely on our synopses or copies. We are not responsible for the accessibility or the content of other websites. Please be aware that some links provided are time sensitive, and may become inactive at any time.
We include links to articles, editorials and opinion pieces, press releases, and other materials that represent diverse perspectives. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of any products, services, sources, information, or opinions expressed in these materials.
General News
NARIC: Research Projects Support Students with Disabilities
The National Rehabilitation Center (NARIC) highlights projects that are exploring the experiences of students with disabilities, their parents, and educators, and developing resources to support student success.
Opinion: “The Promise We Made to Americans with Disabilities Is Under Attack”
This opinion piece was written by Tony Coelho, a former United States congressman from California and a primary author and sponsor of the ADA, and Barbara Merrill, the chief executive officer of ANCOR, an organization which advocates for community-based providers of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The authors decry recent federal funding cuts and other actions that seek to decrease support for home and community-based services, which enable many individuals with disabilities to participate in family and community life and avoid “expensive, isolating institutions.”
Employment News
Focus on Ability: Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities
This new tipsheet from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor provides information to help employers and hiring managers ensure compliance with the ADA and other laws while getting the maximum benefit from an interview with an applicant with a disability.
ADA Legal News
New Jersey: Pearson Education to Pay $150,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Educational publishing company Pearson Education, Inc. will pay $150,000 and take other actions to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Pearson required employees to use online platforms to access training and information about their benefits, but failed to make these platforms accessible to employees with vision disabilities or provide assistive technologies as reasonable accommodations to facilitate access.
Kimberly A. Cruz, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District said, “When an employer uses online systems for benefits, leave or training, accessibility cannot be an afterthought. Technology that shuts out employees with disabilities deprives them of equal opportunity both to succeed in the workplace and to access the benefits they have earned.”
North Carolina: Cheerwine to Pay $36,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Charging Employer with Making Illegal Health-Related Inquiries
Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company, a North Carolina-based soft drink company, will pay $36,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
According to the lawsuit, a former Cheerwine employee who walked with a limp was required to perform an agility test and asked impermissible questions about her health. Even though the employee met the physical requirements of the job, Cheerwine placed her on unpaid leave until she could obtain a complete medical clearance. The employee submitted a note from her doctor clearing her to work, but Cheerwine rejected the note and terminated her employment.
Georgia: Kroger to Pay $75,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit
The Kroger Co., a national grocery chain, will pay $75,000 and take other actions to settle a disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a breast cancer survivor whose treatments caused permanent nerve damage to her lower extremities requested to sit on a stool or chair during her shifts, and provided supporting medical documentation.
The store then stopped scheduling her for shifts, ignored her repeated phone calls and an internal complaint. The employee eventually informed the company she filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC, but Kroger refused any further direct communication with her, and she was never again scheduled to work.
Sports and Recreation News
“Power of Play” Adaptive Device Repository
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on the Power of Play for People with Disabilities created this open-source repository of designs for affordable assistive technology (AT) for sports and recreation activity. The repository includes more than 15 devices designed in response to idea submissions from the disability community, including swim paddles, an attachment for a miniature golf club, and a game piece mover, among others. Each device record includes documentation, device designs, and assembly instructions for users to fabricate the devices themselves with existing materials or 3D printing. Users may also submit ideas for adaptive sports and recreation devices!
Training, Events, and Opportunities to Participate
Webinar: Planning Accessible Events: Building Accessibility into Every Stage
September 30, 2026
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Creating an accessible event takes more than meeting minimum ADA requirements. This webinar will explore how to thoughtfully incorporate accessibility into every stage of event planning—from initial design and communications with event organizers to ticket purchasing, accommodations, and on-site support.
Whether you are planning a small meeting, training, conference, or stadium event, this webinar will provide tools and considerations to help make accessibility an intentional part of the planning process from the start.
The Accessible Healthcare Workshop: Real-World Lessons from Health Systems Nationwide
October 1 – 2, 2026
Virtual Workshop
People with disabilities make up more than a quarter of U.S. adults — over 70 million people — and experience significant gaps in the quality and safety of the care they receive. Healthcare organizations are increasingly committed to closing those gaps, but knowing where to start and how to move from policy to daily practice remains a challenge.
The workshop, presented by Disability Equity Collaborative (DEC), in partnership with Rusk Rehabilitation and the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity at NYU Langone Health, is designed for teams working to implement accessible care, and anyone whose role supports patients with disabilities in accessing care. Speakers from a wide variety of health systems will share how they are putting disability access into practice.
Recruiting Rural Libraries and CILs for Collaboration to Improve Disability Resources and Services
The Creative Collaborations for Rural Empowerment: Library and Independent Living Partnerships project seeks libraries, centers for independent living (CILs), and individuals to join the Collaborative Access for Rural Empowerment (Project CARE) Implementation Team or the Rural Independent Living and Libraries (RILL) Network. Project CARE will be expanding to help implement a CIL/Library resource. The RILL Network will explore collaborative programming between CILs and libraries to improve disability services. For more information contact Jeff Gutierrez at the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities.
Adjusting to Vision Loss: What Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals Need to Know
This new course for vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors is from the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision. The course provides practical strategies to support clients through the personal process of adjusting to vision loss. The self-paced course translates psychosocial adjustment concepts into day-to-day VR interactions, service planning, and coordination decisions, with attention to ethical boundaries, role clarity, and documentation requirements. Continuing education credits are available.
Research Study on Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace
Researchers at the University of Washington are studying the best ways to help people with disabilities navigate the reasonable accommodation request process. Study participants must be 18 years old or older, currently employed or actively job searching, have a disability and need or are considering a workplace accommodation, and read and speak English.
The study is fully online and involves surveys, review of materials, and possibly a brief follow-up interview. If interested, email the researchers to learn more.