More people living with disabilities will be eligible to open state-based savings accounts known as ABLE accounts. They re part of the "Achieving a Better Life Experience Act," passed by Congress in 2014. They allow people who became disabled prior to age 26 to save money without jeopardizing any public benefits they receive, from Supplemental Security Income to food assistance. .
The Americans with Disabilities Act website has gotten a makeover, with updated navigation tools and easy-to-find answers to common questions on everything from service animals to accessible polling places. The federal government said it wants to better empower people to understand their and others rights, and equip workplaces, local governments and other institutions to comply with the law. The new website also employs speech software to make it even more accessible. .
Medicaid "Buy In" is considered a key health insurance tool for workers with disabilities. But according to a new report, the reach of these programs is languishing, potentially keeping these individuals out of the labor force. Minnesota is among the handful of states that have no income limits for a person with disabilities to maintain Medicaid coverage while working as much as they can. .
A Missouri Juvenile Justice Association (MJJA) project that aims to disrupt the "school-to-prison pipeline" has received a $275,000 grant from the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council (MODDC), with a focus on training adults to handle discipline more constructively with students of color with disabilities.
A new federal grant is giving schools in three Missouri counties and St. Louis City a fresh look at the challenges of students of color living with disabilities. Missouri students of color with disabilities face harsher school disciplinary practices than their white peers, which can lead them into the juvenile justice system. .