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
Use Your Power: Vote
The REV UP (Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power) Voting Campaign, a non-partisan initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), offers information and resources to support civic engagement and ensure the accessibility of elections.
Tracking Laws That Affect Parents with Disabilities Across the US
The National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities reviewed the status of state laws related to the rights of parents with disabilities. Read the summary of what they found and check out the maps that illustrate where laws have been introduced or passed across the country.
Remembering Jim de Jong, Disability Rights Leader
We are saddened to report the passing of Jim de Jong, disability rights leader and retired director of the Great Plains ADA Center.
Jim worked to support the passage of the ADA, serving on the U.S. House of Representatives Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities before taking the reins at the Great Plains ADA Center in 1991. Jim worked tirelessly to advance understanding and implementation of the ADA throughout the Great Plains region and nationally. He will be missed.
ADA Legal News
North Carolina: Butterball Will Pay $230,000 and Improve Policies to Resolves EEOC ADA Lawsuit
Butterball, LLC, a poultry processing company based in North Carolina, will pay $230,000 and take other actions to settle an ADA lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a long-term employee informed the company’s third-party benefits administrator of her need for intermittent leave to receive cancer treatments, but the leave was never granted, and the employee was fired when she accrued too many “attendance points.”
Health and Wellness News
Caregiving in the U.S. 2025: Family Caregivers of Adults Age 50-Plus
This report from the National Alliance on Caregiving and the AARP focuses on the experiences of family members who provide care to adults aged 50 and older. These caregivers contribute substantially to the nation’s long-term care system, often with limited formal support.
More than 51 million Americans – nearly one in five adults – are providing care to someone aged 50 and older, a significant increase in the last decade. Almost one-quarter care for two or more adults simultaneously, and/or care for someone with dementia, which may create more complex caregiving responsibilities and greater negative impacts on caregivers’ finances, health, and well-being.
Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services for Older Adults: A Primer
Most older adults want to remain in their homes as they age, but many do not have the financial resources to make this choice.
This primer provides an overview of home and community-based services (HCBS) funded by Medicaid, and how states are serving older adults with disabilities in their communities.
Housing News
“New Federal Housing Law Could Expand Access for Disabled People”
A recently passed federal law could help disabled people access safer, more affordable, and more accessible housing. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act updates federal policies and authorizes a pilot program that could provide grants and loans for home repairs and modifications such as ramps, wider doorways, and accessible bathroom and kitchen improvements.
Federal agencies will develop regulations to carry out the law, but Congress must still provide funding before many of the new programs can begin. The Government Accountability Office is directed to study options for improving housing for older and disabled people and issue a report by next July.
Arts and Culture News
“Ruth Madeley Is Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann in Powerful ‘Being Heumann’ Teaser Trailer”
Check out the trailer for the new movie “Being Heumann,” premiering this November. The biopic follows the journey of disability rights activist Judy Heumann, and highlights her involvement in the 1977 San Francisco sit-in that led to the publication of regulations to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Netflix and SignUp Media Partner to Offer Kids’ Titles with Sign Language Interpretation
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is now available across 73 Netflix titles, expanding access for kids and families, including kids too young to read captions.
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.
Microtraining: Connection Counts: Addressing Loneliness through Participation
This new training from the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities features videos and quick quizzes. The training aims to help participants learn about how getting out of the house supports connection and well-being, and to gain strategies to help yourself or someone else take that first step out the door.