ESEA Reauthorization Bill Moving Fast, Could Harm Students with Disabilities SUMMARY: Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), the new Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, recently released a discussion draft bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), called the “Every Child Ready for College or Career Act of 2015.” Senator… read more
TASH has led the fight against the use of aversive behavioral interventions for many years. Last year, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights data collection reported that restraint and seclusion use is climbing in public schools. Use is disproportionate: 75% of all incidents involve students with disabilities, and children of color with and… read more
Members of TASH, We write to apprise you of the plight of Reginald “Neli” Latson, a 23-year-old man with autism, who has been unjustly treated and subjected to a cycle of arrest and incarceration for behaviors that are a result of his disabilities. Background: In 2010, Latson was arrested for an altercation with a police… read more
Today, Thursday, July 31, the House Ways & Means Committee will markup the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/H.R. 647)! We need your help to ensure the ABLE Act moves through the Committee process and to the House floor for a vote as quickly as possible. Action Needed Immediately: Please take a few minutes… read more
Next Tuesday, July 22, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is scheduled to hold a vote on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This vote or “markup,” is a critical step toward a full Senate vote, and we need your help! Call 202-224-3121 to speak to your Senators today and urge them to swiftly… read more
It is a SCORCHING 90+ degree weather in Washington, D.C. today, but that will not stop TASH members and advocates from across the country, to gather on Capitol Hill to hear from disability champions in Congress and meet with U.S. senate and house offices. TASH’s Capitol Hill Day started with an 8:30 AM meeting at… read more
National Call-In Day, June 12 Restraint and Seclusion are practices used in public schools (and schools that receive public funds) that have killed, injured, and traumatized students. More than 20 children have died, according to a Congressional agency report. Nearly 110,000 students were subjected to restraint and seclusion in isolation rooms, according to data from… read more
A Georgia Court of Appeals judge recently ordered a new trial for a man convicted of repeatedly raping a 24-year-old woman with Down syndrome. Judge Christopher McFadden overturned the jury’s guilty verdicts against William Jeffrey Dumas, who was originally sentenced to 25 years in prison. McFadden, who oversaw both cases, said he would not comment… read more
During the week of October 7th, disability organizations and advocates will team up to advocate for the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/HR. 647). This important legislation would utilize the 529 college education saving account program to establish a savings tool for individuals with disabilities. The bill currently has… read more
On July 31, the Senate HELP Committee passed the Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization (S. 1356), which includes several provisions that TASH is pleased to see, including an extension of supported employment to 24 months, and the inclusion of customized employment and Discovery as fundable services. However, TASH and several of its allies in the disability… read more
