Developmental Disability News with a Focus on NYS

The Boost’s 2024 Westchester County Recreation Resource List (Children and Adults)

Welcome to The Boost’s first annual recreation list for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Westchester County! (To come: Rockland and Putnam counties.)

The list below includes programs that cover sports & fitness, the arts, social clubs and more.

This is not an endorsement of any particular program. Always ensure it meets the needs of your loved ones.

Several things to note:

Backyard Sports Cares

Breakthrough Fit

Cerebral Palsy of Westchester

Clubhouse Stars

Edge Martial Arts

Family YMCA at Tarrytown

Fast Feet

Fit 4 All NY @ The Arena

Gigi’s Playhouse Westchester

JCC Mid-Westchester

Little League Challenger Division

Miracle League of Westchester

Music Conservatory of Westchester

New Rochelle Parks and Recreation

NOTE: Check your town’s Parks & Rec departments; while I didn’t hear back from most of them, special needs activities are noted on many different Park & Rec websites.

North East Westchester Special Recreation

Nor-West Regional Special Services

PACE University Aquatics

RockonMusic School

RSC Westchester

Rye YMCA

Scarsdale Aikido

Select Human Services

Shames JCC on the Hudson

South East Consortium

SPARC

Steffi Nossen School of Dance & Center for Movement

Swim Angelfish

TicTacGO!

True ChampionZ Martial Arts

We Rock the Spectrum Gyms

This franchise has locations in 34 states. There currently are two in New York, one in New Rochelle, the other Staten Island.

YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester

Down Syndrome Back-to-School Webinar: Aug. 27

The National Down Syndrome Society (ndss) has a free webinar, Down Syndrome: The Specific Learning Profile, which will look at the unique profile of strengths and challenges that individuals with Down syndrome face.

It’s designed to “share an in-depth look at each area of the learning profile as well as how you can use this information with your school teams.”

Speakers will be NDSS Senior Manager of Education Programs Jessica Kuss and NDSS Programs Associate Charlotte Woodward.

Details

When: Aug. 27, 2024

Time: 1 p.m.

You must register in advance here.

‘Smart Beginnings’ Early Intervention Webinar from OSEP: Wed., Aug. 28

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is hosting the “Smart Beginnings” 2024 webinar series, one of which is open to parents and families.

The forum plans to provide participants with the opportunity to learn about improving academic and developmental outcomes, expanding family engagement, and advancing equitable access to high-quality early intervention and instruction through the implementation of evidence-based practices.

Attendees will hear from OSEP leaders and subject matter experts. Sessions will include a live question and answer session with presenters.

Details

When: Wed., Aug. 28, 2024

Time: 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Register here.

Developmental Disability News to Know for Week Ending March 2

The AP takes a look at the 7- to 10-year waitlist nationwide for disability services, Rockland County, N.Y., has an upcoming DSP rally, and more developmental disability news for the week ending March 2, 2024.

New York

Rockland rally to demand higher pay for workers who aid New Yorkers with disabilities A rally is planned for March 8 in Stony Point in protest of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s shamefully low proposed 1.5% cost-of-living increase to nonprofits for DSP wages. (lohud.com)

Bill calls for adult changing tables in public spaces across New York “Traveling with Dignity Act” would provide spaces safer and more sanitary to use. (Spectrum Local News)

Long Island high schoolers make sports accessible for people with disabilities “Lacrosse My Heart,” spearheaded by lacrosse players from Roslyn High School, raised funds to support a wheelchair lacrosse team. (nypost.com)

Outside of New York

In NJ, people with disabilities face 7- to 10-year wait for group home funding Almost 4,400 people with developmental disabilities are on the waiting list. (Northjersey.com)

Colorado Medicaid discriminates against people with disabilities: federal complaint Families of people with disabilities are receiving notices that they’re no longer eligible for services, causing panic and delays. (The Colorado Sun)

Colorado bill would limit use of shortened school days for students with disabilities Some states use these shortened school days even if not requested via the learning plan nor are due to disciplinary reasons (doing so is in and of itself highly problematic). (Chalkbeat.org)

Maine lawmakers hear input on bill to have local schools provide pre-school disability services Child Development Services, overseen by the state Dept, of Ed, has been falling short of its responsibilities. (Pressherald.com)

Toledo has created a Mayor’s Office on Disability It’s believed to be the first such office in Ohio. (Toledo City Paper)

The Wait

States offer services for disabled kids, then make families wait 10 years for them A report on the hundreds of thousands of individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities nationwide waiting for state-covered services. (AP)

I/DD

New study estimates almost 1% of adults in US have an intellectual disability With no national survey measuring prevalence of intellectual disability among adults, researchers turned to data collected between 1980 and 1999. (Disability Scoop)

Autism

Autism diagnoses are soaring. Here’s how some colleges are responding The rate of completion for autistic students lags that of general postsecondary population, 39% to 59%. (The Saratogian)

Autistic people held back by job interview questions Interesting report from Great Briatin. (BBC)

Direct Care Workforce

Dept. of Health and Human Services Announces Multi-Pronged Effort to Strengthen Direct Care Workforce It’s meant to address the workforce crisis. Does it? (ACL.gov)

Tech

New ‘smart’ supportive home opens in Montreal to help young people with intellectual disabilities The first in Canada, this (very) expensive house’s features include tech that creates recipes based on what’s inside the fridge and screens that explain how to brush teeth, and for how long. (Globalnews.ca)

‘How We See It’ Photo Exhibit by People with Disabilities

“How We See It: New Images from The Progressive Visions Photo Club and West Farms Photo Works” is an exhibition featuring a collection of images from across New York City taken by people with disabilities who are  members of CP Unlimited photo clubs.

CP Unlimited is a broad-based, multi-service organization serving person’s with all types of intellectual and developmental disabilities. The gallery where the show currently is up, Positive Exposure, serves as a community space dedicated to celebrating human diversity through arts and culture.

Participants in the photo program go on photo outings to explore both their communities and the greater New York City area to discover new creative opportunities and practice their skills using digital, mirrorless cameras, and cameras with specialized shutters and mounting systems.

Details

When: Through Aug. 31, 2024

Where: Positive Exposure Gallery, 14 East 109 St., New York, N.Y., 10021

Your Self-Direction Rights Related to Community Classes Town Hall: March 5

The Coalition for Self-Direction (C4SD), started in November 2023 “to protect the constitutional right of choice” for New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is holding a virtual Town Hall to get your questions answered and to get updates from the community.

C4SD recently published the first version of its “Know Your Rights” document. Since then, the org says, some families have been able to use this guide to successfully overturn Community Class reimbursement rejections. However, many others still have questions about how to move forward. At this highly interactive Town Hall, you will:

There are plans to continuously tweak the guide with improvements — and to create additional resources, such as examples of emails and arguments that have worked for others.

Details

When: Tuesday, March 5

Times: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Registration: Pre-register for one session only here.

NYS Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council Public Meeting: March 5

The Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council (DDAC) provides recommendations for statewide priorities and goals for services for individuals with developmental disabilities in cooperation with the OPWDD commissioner. The council has no executive, administrative, or appointive duties. Some of its responsibilities are:

The DDAC meets quarterly. The next one is being held at a variety of locations statewide, as well as virtually.

Details

When: Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Where: In addition to attending virtually, you can attend in person at one of the locations listed below.

Register here

Public meeting of Statewide Family Support Services Committee: March 6

Local Family Support Services (FSS) Advisory Councils throughout New York State, made up of people with developmental disabilities and family members, plan, coordinate and monitor the delivery of FSS across the state. In addition, a Statewide FSS Committee made up of one representative from each of the local FSS Advisory Councils advises OPWDD regarding families’ support needs and the design, implementation and monitoring of FSS.

The next public meeting of the Statewide Family Support Services Committee is coming up at multiple locations and virtually.

Details

When: Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Time: from 11 AM until 3 PM. You can join the meeting in person at the following locations:

Where: The below locations and virtually.

Register: Meeting details and registration link can be accessed here.

Learn the Basics of Self-Direction: March 13

As part of its Transition Workshop Series, Rockland BOCES is offering those whose loved ones are eligible for self-direction a seminar covering some important basics. This is open to families and students with disabilities in all districts.

Some issues being covered:

Details

When: Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

RSVP: Email Mary Ellen Urinyi at murinyi@boces.org

Celebrate Black History Month

The Boost has collected some stories from around the web that honor famous (and not-so-famous) Black Americans with disabilities, and which reflect on the realities and challenges that continue to shape the lives of all Black people with disabilities.

And while this is not disability-related, if you can get to Manhattan, try to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Harlem Renaissance show exploring the “comprehensive and far-reaching ways in which Black artists portrayed everyday modern life in the new Black cities that took shape in the 1920s–40s in New York City’s Harlem and nationwide.” Crowds aside, you’ll be glad you did.

Uplifting stories and reflections

This post from Respect Ability, last updated in 2021, has lots on offer, including this article highlighting African Americans with disabilities.

Check out the World Institute on Disability’s 12 Black Disabled Activists and Advocates You Need to be Following.

On the Special Olympics website read about Harris-Gowdie, who at this year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas became the first Special Olympics athlete to serve as a fully paid and credentialed correspondent, tune in to this Inclusion Revolution Radio podcast with Special Olympics Great Britain athlete, Matthew Brough, a tennis player who won two medals at the Special Olympics Berlin Games 2023, and explore much more.

The ARC weighs in on the month with Why Black Disabled History Matters

News and studies

From the 74 Million learn about Education as a Civil Rights Issue for Black Students with Disabilities & Families

This important 2023 Rutger’s report, which looked at children within the New Jersey-New York metropolitan region, found that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rates tripled from 2000 to 2016. Two key takeaways:

In relatively more positive news, a blockbuster 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control found that autism now affects 1 in 36 kids, but for the first time among children aged 8 years, the prevalence of ASD was lower among White children than among other racial and ethnic groups, reversing the direction of racial and ethnic differences in ASD prevalence observed in the past. (Black children with ASD were still more likely than White children with ASD to have a co-occurring intellectual disability.) This could indicate that efforts to improve screening, awareness and access to services among underserved populations are improving.

Lastly, racial disparities were found to have increased in special education. A 2023 report found that a disproportionate number of students of color (with the exception of Asian students) are being identified for special education, placed in more restrictive educational settings and disciplined at “markedly higher rates” than their peers, according to The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD).

I hope you found these links useful. If you have any you’d like to add, please contact The Boost here.