This year is the 35th anniversary of the IDEA.  Across the United States, nearly 6.6 million students with disabilities and their families rely on this law to ensure that they enjoy the same educational rights as all children. The initial law, Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), was signed into law on November 29, 1975, by then-President Gerald Ford. The IDEA guarantees access to a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment to every child with a disability. Learn more about IDEA by downloading Thirty-five Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA in PDF or Word format.

DOJ has reached an agreement with AMC Entertainment Inc. to settle a lawsuit filed in 1999 under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit claimed that the design of stadium-style movie theaters did not provide persons who use wheelchairs with the same lines of sight as other moviegoers. All AMC stadium-style theaters that are opened after the settlement will be made with accessible seating.  AMC also will move wheelchair seating from the front row to locations further back from the screen and make sure that movie patrons who use wheelchairs enjoy an unobstructed view of the screen.  AMC is the second largest movie theater chain in the country with about 5,300 screens.

The FBI has released 2009 statistics showing that 6,604 criminal incidents were reported as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin or physical or mental disability. Hate Crime Statistics, 2009 includes data from hate crime reports submitted by law enforcement agencies throughout the nation.  The data show that 74 individuals were targets because of an anti-mental disability bias and that 25 were targeted because of an anti-physical disability bias.  It is a federal offense to commit a crime against a person with an actual or perceived disability.

NCST has announced grants to develop or expand community collaboratives that respond to the mobility needs of culturally and ethnically diverse older adult populations. The Center expects to make four to six awards of $10,000 to $20,000 each. Projects are for a maximum of six to nine months. Successful applicants will receive individually tailored technical assistance from the NCST. Only private, non-profit or governmental agencies may apply. Application deadline is December 16, 2010. Read the application instructions and apply online.  For more information on this subject read Everyone Rides:  Transportation Access for Culturally and Ethnically Diverse Elders.

Share of Cost, Traveling with Disabilities: This brochure from the State Department has travel planning suggestions and tips for persons with disabilities. Topics include traveling with medications, required equipment, how to request accommodations and how to pack for travel.  There is also a pamphlet called New Horizons covering air travel subjects for persons with disabilities. This link opens a PDF document.

Share of Cost, Could I Have LUPUS.gov: A federal website dedicated to the autoimmune disease that primarily affects women between ages 15 – 45 years. Each year more than 16,000 Americans develop this condition, which can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Learn about lupus, its symptoms, treatment options and available resources.

A key consideration in implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will be changing Medicare payments to providers to slow the growth in costs and spur improvements in health care delivery. In addition to the technical feasibility of new payment models, a crucial issue will be the capacity of the health care system to assume more economic risk. This article analyzes some of the major models under consideration and assesses how feasible their implementation would be.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Begins Pilot Programs to Speed Payments to Veterans with Disabilities -The VA has launched two pilot programs to find new ways to speed up the payment of VA compensation benefits to Veterans with disabilities connected to their military service. The “Quick Pay” (QP) Disability Program and the “Express Lane” (EL) Pilot are among more than 3 dozen VA initiatives exploring new ways to deliver benefits and improve service to Veterans.

The federal government’s premier conference on Section 508 compliance and accessible workplace technology for people with disabilities will be held December 13 – 14, 2010 in Washington, DC. You are invited to learn more about the President’s Executive Order to increase the hiring of people with disabilities; the nuts and bolts of Section 508 compliance; and how to use accessibility as a tool for fostering a flexible, inclusive and productive federal workforce. Register for this free event.  For more details read the draft agenda.

St. Luke’s House -Offers a variety of programs to individuals living with mental illnesses, such as supported living, residential rehabilitation, life skills trainings and career transition supports.

The 2011 International PacificRim Conference, Humanity: Advancing Inclusion, Equality and Diversity will be held April 18-19, 2011 in Honolulu, HI. This event is widely recognized over the past 25 years as one of the most diverse gatherings in the world. It features workshops, exhibitors and a symposium that will cover special education and inclusion. Call for Proposals is now open and the submission deadline is December 22, 2010. Register online.

Share of Cost, New Rules to Require Equal Visitation Rights for All Hospital Patients: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued new rules for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals that protect patients’ right to choose their own visitors during a hospital stay, including a visitor who is a same-sex domestic partner.  The rules require hospitals to explain to all patients their right to choose who may visit them during their inpatient stay, regardless of whether the visitor is a family member, a spouse, a domestic partner or other type of visitor, as well as their right to withdraw such consent to visitation at any time.

Share of Cost, UnitedHealth Ups Ante On Health IT With Purchase Of Picis, Expecting Stimulus Windfall — Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal: UnitedHealth Group’s technology consulting subsidiary Ingenix, of Eden Prairie, Minn., has purchased Massachusetts tech firm Picis, a maker of emergency room and intensive care software. “Both companies are deeply involved in the area where health care and information technology meet. Ingenix, which had revenue of $1.8 billion last year, provides consulting and outsourcing to almost 6,000 hospitals. Picis, which has its headquarters in Wakefield, Mass.

Share of Cost, Surgeons Train On The First FDA-Approved Total Artificial Heart For Transplant Patients: A 13-member surgical team from the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center completed the first phase of training to implant a new total artificial heart designed to completely replace the heart’s function while the patient waits for a heart transplant. Methodist will be the first hospital in Texas to offer this total heart replacement. The SynCardia total artificial heart is the only FDA-approved total artificial heart and has the highest bridge-to-transplant rate of any approved heart assist device in the world.

Share of Cost, Einstein Receives $4 Million To Test HPV Microbicide — The National Cancer Institute has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University $4.1 million to test the microbicide Carraguard® against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. The research will evaluate the efficacy of Carraguard®, a clear gel made from the seaweed derivative carrageenan in preventing new HPV infections in women. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 440 million males and females are infected with HPV worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control estimates at least 20 million Americans have HPV.

Share of Cost: Obese Children At Higher Risk Of GERD –A large US study found that compared to normal weight children, obese children have a higher risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition where stomach fluid flows up into the food pipe or esophagus, damaging the lining and possibly also raising the incidence of inflammation, asthma and coughs.