Category: Disabilities

Health Policy Valentines Too Sweet Not to Tweet

KHN highlights some of the creative valentines posted on Twitter by health policy enthusiasts.

A Disabled Activist Speaks Out About Feeling ‘Disposable’

Alice Wong, a writer and organizer in San Francisco, says the isolation and loss of the pandemic have shown society what it’s like to be disabled.

Children With Disabilities Face Special Back-to-School Challenges

For children with special needs returning to an L.A. classroom, mask-wearing is the least of their troubles.

Reluctant Localities Are Being Dragged Into Court to Fix Sidewalks for People With Disabilities

Hundreds of towns, cities and states across the U.S. have ignored part of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and now it’s costing them billions of dollars to comply.

Low Wages and Pandemic Gut Staffing Support for Those With Disabilities

Group homes and facilities that serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were hurting for staffers before the pandemic. Now the nationwide job crunch and pandemic pressures are making it even worse.

No Papers, No Care: Disabled Migrants Seek Help Through Lawsuit, Activism

A class action lawsuit seeks better care for immigrants with physical disabilities or mental illness who were detained after trying to enter the country. Other disabled immigrants without legal status are also finding it difficult to get care.

Apple, Bose and Others Pump Up the Volume on Hearing Aid Options, Filling Void Left by FDA

A 2017 law designed to help lower the cost of hearing aids mandated that federal officials set rules for a new class of devices consumers could buy without needing to see an audiologist. But those regulations are still on hold.

Violent Colorado Arrest Puts Spotlight on How Police Treat Disabled People

Criminal charges filed against two officers who injured a Colorado woman with dementia don’t address the fact that police often lack the skills to effectively deal with suspects with mental disabilities.

Biden Seeks $400 Billion to Buttress Long-Term Care. A Look at What’s at Stake.

Long-term care options are expensive and often out of reach for seniors and people with disabilities. The president has proposed a massive infusion of federal funding for home and community-based health services that advocates say will go a long way toward helping individuals and families.

For Covid ‘Long Haulers,’ Battling for Disability Benefits Adds Aggravation to Exhaustion

Early in the pandemic, many patients couldn’t be tested. The lack of a covid diagnosis complicates disability insurance for those whose illness continues.