Spending time at state and national parks has often been linked with health benefits, but accessing sites has long been a barrier for those with mobile disabilities, and efforts in states like Minnesota aim to change it. Starting Aug. 1, the Department of Natural Resources will bring its all-terrain track chair program to eight additional state parks. .
Almost one in three in Missouri lives with a disability, which can sometimes make navigating the world a challenge. People First of Missouri has been helping them advocate for themselves since it was formed in Kansas City in the 1990s. Roger Crome, president of the group, said the mission is to help people live the life they want in the community. .
Some New York groups are taking action to reduce the number of disabled people being hurt in e-bike crashes. According to New York City s crash mapper, there have been more than 1,200 incidents of e-bike, motorbike and bicycle crashes in the past year. A petition by Pedestrians for Bike Safety to implement safer cycling conditions garnered almost 5,000 signatures. .
The Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division is working on a new Olmstead Plan in the Silver State, which mandates that public entities ensure people with disabilities are given the opportunity to live in integrated settings. The name is from the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead decision, which found people with disabilities have the right to receive state-funded services and support in their communities, rather than in institutions. .
Revered “Mother of the Disability Rights movement,” Judith “Judy” Heumann, died Saturday afternoon in D.C., after decades of activism and federal service.