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TOP NEWS STORIES OF THE DAY

FOR DIRECTORS

Fund-raising?

Confirmation of Federal Judges and Executive Branch Nominees What Your Nonprofit Needs To Know. Click here for details.

NONPROFIT ISSUES BLOG: Keep abreast of nonprofit policy issues in the easiest way - read OMB Watch's nonprofit weblog at http://www.ombwatch.org/article/blogs/298/0.

The Draper Richards Foundation is seeking social entrepreneurs for its fellowship program. The nonprofits of these social entrepreneurs will receive $100,000 annually for three years. See http://draperrichards.org/index.html.

THE CHALLENGE OF THE MULTI-SITE NONPROFIT* Whether your sites are blocks away or states away, this HBS Working Knowledge article (by two business school professors) says multi-site nonprofits shouldn't use for- profit corporate management models and centralization isn't always best. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=3515&t=nonprofit&noseek=one

FREE ONLINE FILING FOR IRS FORM 990 The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is offering nonprofits free online filing of IRS Form 990. NCCS's process makes filling out the form easier and helps make it more accurate. See http://www.ombwatch.org/article
/articleview/2795/1/337.

Help Innovation Network (http://www.innonet.org)
identify how nonprofits evaluate their work by taking a 10 minute survey at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224B2W4BNTQ

The Web site, Grants.gov, makes it easier for organizations to learn about and apply for federal grants.
Its launch marks an important milestone in President Bush's Electronic Government (E-Gov) Initiative.
Welcome to Grants.gov! Or click here.

. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES (OF VARYING SORTS) * Levi-Strauss Foundation. Priorities:
preventing HIV/AIDS; increasing economic development opportunities; and ensuring access to education.
See http://www.levistrauss.com/
responsibility/foundation/index.htm.

Draper Richards Foundation offers funding support for experienced social entrepreneurs starting up
nonprofit organizations in the United States.
Projects that demonstrate innovative ways to solve existing social problems may receive up to $100,000
annually for three years. See http://www.draperrichards.org/
process/guidelines.html for more details.

Telosa Software is seeking a few nonprofit professionals to beta test Exceed! Basic, its newest fund-raising software.
Participants will receive a free copy of Exceed! Basic and six months of free product support.
Exceed! Basic is designed to be an easy to use fund-raising software for nonprofit organizations - so let them know if it is!
If you are interested, go to http://www.telosa.com/ebasic or call 800.750.6418x202.

* Education Foundation of America funds work in the environment, the crisis of human overpopulation and reproductive freedom, Native Americans, arts, education, medicine, and human services. LOI required. No deadline. See http://www.efaw.org/index.html.

* The Funding Exchange's OSD Grantmaking Program funds organizations with
limited access to corporate or mainstream sources of funding. Funds available for work on issues, including but not
limited to: economic equity, environmental justice, social justice, anti-oppression, media and cultural activism,
movement building, and international solidarity with progressive movements abroad.
Activist-advised grants range from $5-20K.
Donor- advised grants vary. Deadline 3/1. For more information, visit http://www.fex.org/2.3_
grantmakingindex.html

The Web site, Grants.gov, makes it easier for organizations to learn about and apply for federal grants.
Its launch marks an important milestone in President Bush's Electronic Government (E-Gov) Initiative. Welcome to Grants.gov! Or click here.

Searchable CIL Database Coming soon

The importance of disability support workers--Click here for article.

AAPD Urges U.S. Senate to Consider 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Legislation for People with ... Click here for release.

NZ gets award for work on disability issues--The award was given by the World Committee on Disability and the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. It recognised New Zealand's effort to improve the rights and lives of people with disabilities, including the Human Rights Act 1993, establishment of the Office of Health and Disability Commissioner, Minister for Disability Issues and Office for Disability Issues, implementing a disability strategy and its role in UN negotiations on disability issues. Click here for article.

Wheelchair lobby takes on Medicare--The 58-year-old Connecticut resident is knowledgeable, articulate and good-natured. But when it comes to his efforts to convince Congress to protect patients’ access to complex power wheelchairs, Legault’s best asset might be his physical presence. Click here for article.

Who should MDs let die in a pandemic? Report offers answers--Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia. Click here for article.

As Americans focus on disability in May, national survey finds people forced into choices they would "hate" to make--Click here for article.

State shifting funds for disabled from institutions toward care within community--Click here for article.

Rudd's disability funding an insult says carers groups--Prime Minster Kevin Rudd yesterday said that the Government would allocate a further $100 Million to accommodation for the disabled. Click here for more.

Disability Convention: new treaty comes into being--Nothing about us without us: the newest international human rights treaty comes into being. Click here for article.

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL. Click here for press release.

Convention on disability rights in effect on Saturday--New York - An international convention protecting the rights of the world's 650 million people with disabilities will enter into force Saturday, it was announced by the United Nations. Click here for article.

Cuts could limit services for disabled--Those who provide services to Rock County’s developmentally disabled residents are carefully watching a federal debate over rule changes proposed by the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. Click here for article.

Disability center director has lifetime of experience to lean on --Gelardin has achondropolasia, a form of dwarfism. As the new executive director at the nonprofit center, his appearance brings attention to the organization's efforts to assist the disabled and elderly in living independently. Click here for article.

Democrat wants to require disability-friendly Internet phones, video--At the moment, most TVs and telephones must be outfitted with special features for people with hearing, vision, and speech impairments under U.S. law. Now an influential Democratic congressman wants to expand those requirements to their Internet counterparts. Click here for article.

Congress gives final approval for genetic discrimination bill; Bush expected to sign--The House gave final approval Thursday to a measure that would ban employers and health insurance plans from discriminating against people based on genetic tests that show they may be predisposed to heart disease, cancer or other conditions. Click here for article.

McCAIN'S GITMO PRISONERS.

ADAPT: Protest at McCain’s Senate office leads to arrest of dozens--U.S. Capitol Police arrested dozens of protesters, many in wheelchairs, at the Senate office of presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday while to Arizona Republican was in Florida campaigning about health care as well as raising money. Click here for article.

Rush Homes Is Meeting a Critical Need--A critical need exists across Virginia for accessible, affordable housing for the disabled. But in Central Virginia, Rush Homes is meeting that need — as quickly as the nonprofit organization can refurbish homes for them. Click here for article.

Disability workers strike over pay--The Health and Community Services Union says negotiations with the Government broke down last week. Union spokesman Lloyd Williams says they are calling for better career structures and a 6 per cent pay rise. Click here for article.

Vets say they feel misled about GI benefits.--Soldiers, Marines and airmen spoke Tuesday at a Capitol Hill rally sponsored by a group called the Campaign for a New GI Bill. They complained that they were not given enough funds from the bill to cover college expenses. Click here for article.

In a 6-to-3 Vote, Justices Uphold a Voter ID Law [--The Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s voter identification law on Monday, concluding in a splintered decision that the challengers failed to prove that the law’s photo ID requirement placed an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote. Click here for article.

ADAPT Activists Win Meeting with HHS Sec. Leavitt to Work on Medicaid Reform.--500 ADAPT activists closed off all access to the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, headquarters for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...Click here for more.

ADAPT Celebrates 25 Years of Activism, Progress and Victories Social Change through Direct Action-25 years later, over the course of a week, from April 26 to May 2, in Washington, D.C., over 1000 people with disabilities and supporters from all over the country will participate in a variety of events to remember ADAPT's humble beginnings in 1983...Click here for more.

Phila. researchers bring sight to blind--Within weeks, beyond what anyone had predicted, the experiment worked. The young man and two other patients began to regain some vision. Click here for article.

Woman With A Disabled Husband And Two Disabled Children Fights Foreclosure--Janet Catucci never planned to build a house big enough for three wheelchairs. Click here for article. Watch the videos.

 Public Radio Tries to Reignite Its Public --In WNYC’s antiquated downtown Manhattan studios, the veteran National Public Radio and NBC journalist John Hockenberry and his co-host, Adaora Udoji, formerly of CNN, are rehearsing to find a comfortable rapport for their new live morning news program, which begins Monday. Click here for article.

Senate protects genetic test data--Many patients who could benefit have refused genetic testing out of fear of discrimination, experts say, and potentially groundbreaking research into the molecular causes of disease has been stymied because possible study subjects, fearing repercussions, refuse to participate. Click here for article.

When disability is not disabling--The UN's World Health Organisation estimates that at least 10 per cent of the world's population has some form of disability. To the advantage of the disabled, Victor Pineda is one of them. Click here for article.

Taxes, Life And Disability Income Insurance--Disability Income (DI) can be individual policies for the self-employed or small business, such as a medical practice, or it can be a group policy. Click here for article.

Court to hear case that could help workers claim benefits--Depending on how the justices rule, the case could make it easier for employees to win health and disability benefit payments in court. Click here for article.

Hawking Calls On NASA To Reach Beyond Moon, Mars.--Compares Exploration To Christopher Columbus' Voyage Professor Stephen Hawking honored the 50th anniversary of NASA by calling for a space exploration program which includes establishing an experimental base on the Moon within 30 years. Click here for article.

Bill Blocks Bush Administration Cuts To Medicaid--In an effort to protect Medicaid services for New Yorkers and people across the country, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today helped pass a bill in the House that blocks the implementation of new Bush administration rules that would cut federal Medicaid payments to states. Click here for article.

MTA to granny: Go take a hike! --Toby Rosen, an 86-year-old widow with failing vision and arthritis, has been stranded in her Queens apartment since the MTA told her last month that she was not disabled enough for the city's paratransit system. Click here for article.

Federal domestic spending up 7.5%--Almost half of all domestic government spending, excluding interest on the federal debt, went to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which accounted for $1.16 trillion. The one-year increase in spending for the three programs was almost $170 for every person living in the United States. Click here for article.

A Blind Governor Adjusts, and So Does Albany --At the end of each day they call in and record briefings, laying out what he needs to know about the following day. Click here for article.

National Council on Disability Recommends Improving Federal Data Describing the Status of Americans with Disabilities. Click here for article.

Van Dyk, Tsuchida win wheelchair races at Boston Marathon --South African Ernst Van Dyk won in 1 hour, 26 minutes, 49 seconds, setting a record with a seventh victory in the men's wheelchair division at Boston. Click here for article.

Disability charging plan dropped--The South Australian Government has scrapped a plan to charge disabled people for their equipment. Click hre for article.

Disability staff threaten strike --Health and Community Services Union state secretary Lloyd Williams said after four months of negotiating, the State Government had not met workers' demands and threatened a 48-hour statewide work stoppage this week. Click here for article.

Experts criticise media coverage of disabled athletes --Addressing a session on "Sports, social inclusion and mass media," Athansios Pappous from the Montpellier University said, "When it comes to disabled sports, no coverage is the norm for the media. If at all any coverage is given, the focus will be on the disabled, not on the performance of the athletes. Click here for article.

Owner Of Group Home Arrested For Exploiting Disabled Adult Click here for article.

Pope Set To Meet With Special Needs Students In NYC--Before he addresses tens of thousands of young Catholics at a youth rally this Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI will have a more personal meeting with 50 children with special needs. Click here for article.

Rebate has no effect on benefits--If you receive a rebate, and you’re collecting Social Security disability benefits, will the rebate be counted against you? That’s the question a woman from Texas asked MoneyLine:Click here for more.

Wal-Mart settles with applicant with disability--Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) Stores Inc. will pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a job applicant who claimed he wasn't hired because he has cerebral palsy, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Thursday. Click here for article.

Sen. Brown seeks to increase Ohio vet disability benefits--Ohio, with an average annual disability payment of $8,090 for its 85,859 veterans, was ranked 49th in a 2006 Veterans Benefit Administration annual report. New Mexico topped the nation with an average annual benefit of $12,891. Click here for article.

Joba Chamberlain's father feeling better--Joba Chamberlain left the team Monday, a day after his father collapsed, and traveled to Nebraska to be with his dad...Click here for article.

Texas punishes 800 for abusing disabled patients --More than 800 employees at Texas' 13 large facilities for the mentally and developmentally disabled have been suspended or fired for abusing patients since fiscal 2004, state officials said Tuesday. Click here for article.

Poor aftercare cited in 3 deaths--A hospital social worker's plan: an appointment for drug counseling and a suggestion that he "identify things that he can do for himself during the day." Two weeks later, Thames was dead of a drug overdose. Click here for article.

Disabled Homeless Man Beaten to Death With His Crutch-- Gregory Willis made his home on the streets, getting around in his wheelchair and with the aid of a crutch. Click here for article.

In the AU: Carers push for better pay, some just want care--Simpson is fiercely independent. But when there is no one around to help him wash, dress and eat, that independence becomes severely. Click here for article.

Pay attention to disAbility week--This club was recognized by the Associated Students in October 2007 and has approximately 25 active members. Click here for article.

Speaker says disability is not a tragedy--Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, Harriet McBryde Johnson was not allowed to go to public or private school despite the fact that she could learn and interact in school just like any other child. Click here for article.

The Great American Wheelchair Race Rolls Disability Awareness Across Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus on April 17. The event, now in its 21 st year, is sponsored by the Campus's Special Education, Achievement Studies and Renaissance Services program, which is marking its 41st anniversary. Long Island University was one of the first academic institutions in the nation to welcome students with disabilities. Click here for press release.

Should food allergy be considered a disability? Parents: Anti-bias law should apply to kids barred from programs --Click here for article.

House Subcommittee Approves Measure Blocking Seven New Medicaid Rules-The House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health on Wednesday by voice vote approved a measure (HR 5613) that would impose a moratorium on seven new Medicaid regulations for one year...Click here for article.

Possible Medicaid changes could threaten families--Services like in-home rehabilitation and school-based transportation for the developmentally disabled, the mentally ill and others on Staten Island and across the country could be slashed if Congress fails to extend an existing moratorium on changes to Medicaid regulations, according to advocates here. Click here for artricle.

Campaign launches to boost awareness of hidden disability--A campaign has been launched today to raise awareness of the 'hidden disability' aphasia. Click here for article.

Injured Ohio veterans get 2nd-lowest disability payments in nationIf you're among the more than 85,000 Ohio veterans receiving disability payments, you might be tempted to heed the advice once given to America's 19th-century fortune seekers. "Go west, young man . . ." Click here for article.

Kewanee native eliminated in first round of Miss USA-A Kewanee-native and reigning Miss Iowa, Abbey Curran was eliminated from the Miss USA competition Friday night during the first round of cuts - from 51 contestants to 15....Curran is the first contestent in the history of the pageant to have a debilitating ailment, cerebral palsy. Click here for article.

Expanding her vision-For Kathi Wolfe, a local poet, freelance journalist and contributor to the Washington Blade, her recently published chapbook, “Helen Takes the Stage: The Helen Keller Poems,” is the next step on what has been a life-long relationship with the famed deaf and blind activist. Click here for article.

Malaysia's first cross-disability lifestyle magazine launched. Click here for article.

National Council on Disability to Hear Presentations From Government Leaders About Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.Click here for release.

Disability workers threaten strike.--Disability workers from across Victoria walked off the job on Thursday as union leaders warned of rolling stoppages following protracted negotiations over pay and working conditions. Click here for article.

Supreme Court Ruling: A Big Win for 401(k) Participants?--Both in district court and in the circuit court of appeals, judges tripped over a Supreme Court ruling they considered precedential. In a 1985 case, a participant in a long-term disability plan sued because her benefits. Click here for article.*

Eric Tyson column — Struggling with disability retirement -I am a 50-year-old retiree on disability. I receive $1,000 monthly from Social Security and another $1,200 monthly from state retirement. Click here for article.

Aid to Make Homes 'Accessible'-Americans generally would prefer growing old in their own homes. Yet many of those homes are ill-suited to the disabilities that can accompany old age. Click here for article.

Ecuador becomes the 20th State Party to ratify UN Disability Rights Convention-Click here for release.

Military tech to be used to aid disabled--The Defense Ministry plans to launch research and development projects with a view to applying its advanced defense technologies for creating devices to help disabled people take a more active part in society, it was learned Saturday. Click here for article.

Hall seeks veterans’ input on disability improvements--Rep. John Hall is holding three public forums to gather input from veterans on how to improve the handling of vet disability claims and relieve a backlog of more than 600,000 cases. Click here for article.

Disabled performers hone their craft at Inglewood studio--"Anybody here ever have a dog?" Raymond Parker, an actor, stand-up comic, writer and acting teacher, calls out to his class. The hands of roughly 20 of the 30 students fly up. "Did you ever wonder what your dog was thinking?" he asks. Click here for article.

U.N. convention for disabled to take effect May 3 --A U.N. convention aimed at ensuring equal rights for the world's 650 million disabled people in work, education and social life will go into force on May 3, the United Nations said on Thursday.Click here for article.

United States Senator Dick Durbin to Speak about Disability Legislation at New York Law School, April 14. Click here for press release

As Ga. lawmakers debate, disability funding is in doubt.--It's hard to believe now, but the basement where Jon Zilles lived for five years wasn't all that bad. No sunlight made it easy to sleep late. Click here for article.

UN declares World Autism Day--Wednesday is the first time the United Nations has declared World Autism Awareness Day. Click here for article.

Study Links Preemies With Autism Signs--A small study of toddlers finds that about one-quarter of babies born very prematurely had signs of autism on an early screening test. Click here for article.

Medicare | Paying Medicare Advantage Plans Same Rates as Traditional Medicare Would Delay Program Insolvency by 18 Months, Medicare Actuary Says.Click here for report.

Big day for disabled surfers--MORE than 200 surfers, carers, volunteers and disabled people will descend on Seven Mile Beach this Sunday for the seventh annual Gerroa Disabled Surfers Association Hands-On Day. Click here for article.

Peres: One of my sons was disabled by polio--"A society that doesn't take care of the disabled is a handicapped society," President Shimon Peres of Israel revealed Tuesday. Click here for article.

Insurers Faulted as Overloading Social Security --The Social Security system is choking on paperwork and spending millions of dollars a year screening dubious applications for disability benefits, according to lawsuits filed by whistle-blowers. Click here for article.

More Americans Turning To Food Stamps--Amid Economic Slowdown, Record 28 Million In U.S. Expected To Use Program In Coming Year.Click here for article.

Social Security disability delay preceeded Gaston County man's suicide--Wait on disability hearings longer in Charlotte area than across nation. Click here for article.

Georgina Kleege: Telling the Story of Disability--Memoirs set an example for a more honest account of life as a blind person. Click here for article.

Doctors Rethink New Cholesterol Treatments -Study Showing Vytorin Does Not Improve Heart Disease Prompts Return To Older Statin Drugs. Click here for article.

Thousands join French disability, pension protests --Thousands of disabled people demonstrated in the streets of Paris to demand higher benefit payments, while separate protests unrolled across France against proposed pension reforms. Click here for article.

THE GOVERNOR’S DISABILITY--Will Paterson help improve quality of life for other disabled New Yorkers? Click here for article.

One Woman's Fight--This is 45-year-old Susan Mattson. She's worked for over 27 years at Basic American Foods in Shelly. Susan's survived two aneurysms and several seizures. But she may soon loose her home and a farm that's been in the family for 137 years. Click here for article.

UK 'must adopt disability treaty'--The government has been urged by a charity to ratify fully an international treaty on disability.Click here for article.

Disabled Boy’s Stolen Wheelchair Report Prompts Flood Of Help Offers--An Orlando company has offered to donate an expensive wheelchair to an 11-year-old disabled crime victim less than 24 hours after he was featured on Local6.com and Local 6 News. Click here for article.

A Life on the Edge--When life kept kicking her in the teeth, Mary O’Connor finally bit back. Click here for article.

HUD charges Air Park Estates' owners with violation-Owners of Air Park Estates, including Crow-Billingsley Air Park Ltd., Airpark GP L.L.C. and Air Park-Dallas Zoning Committee, have been charged with violating the Fair Housing Act for denying a disabled resident...Click here for artice.

Alarm Sounded On Medicare, Social Security--Payouts For Medicare Projected To Exceed Collections This Year; Social Security Gets 2017 Threshold. Click here for article.

Early retirement selfish, unpatriotic-Click here for article.

No disabled parking placards for pregnant women--Assembly committee kills plan to give parking permits to late-term pregnant women. Click here for article.

Special Trusts For Special Needs --The financial needs that come with mental disability have lead to the development of a new type of trust that can provide special benefits to its recipients without reducing their eligibility for governmental aid. Click here for article.

More Than Able Need new hires? Tap into the motivated, loyal pool of disabled workers .Click here for article.

Sheriff's department does not adequately house disabled inmates, appellate court rules--The county should also provide sequestered inmates with more access to programs and facilities. Click here for article.

Cloned cells treat Parkinson's in mice --- Researchers who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said on Sunday they worked better than other cells. Click here for article.

'No Child' Opens Opportunities For Disabled--As ninth-grader Stephen Sabia reads “Romeo and Juliet” and studies the Holocaust and World War II for honors history and English, his mother credits an important ally in her years-long drive to secure the best education possible for her son with Down syndrome: the federal No Child Left Behind law. Click here for article.

Ohio voting machines confiscated in criminal investigation--Ohio investigators are treating a warehouse where 15 electronic voting machines have been quarantined as a crime scene following a report someone may have illegally tampered with them to remove a candidate's name from the ballot. Click here for article.

Iowa Senate Approves Paper-backed Voting System--With the new optical-scan voting machines, voters will fill in bubbles for the candidates they want, then feed their ballot into the machine, which reads the ballot using "dark-mark logic." Click here for article.

When will you get your IRS tax rebate?--"I'm always at the end of the list!" said Rolf Hoffmann of Hollywood. He's 84. He figures the last time he filed an income tax return was more than a dozen years ago. But that's what he must do to get his tax rebate check of up to $600. Click here for article.

State settles lawsuit seeking community placements for disabled--The Patrick administration has settled a class action lawsuit filed by disabled residents who want to move out of nursing homes and into the community. Click here for article.

Disabled Chinese slave workers freed--CHINESE police have rescued 33 intellectually disabled people forced to work at a building site by slave labour merchants after the apparent suicide of a detainee alerted authorities. Click here for article.

Lawmaker: Pregnant Women Should Get Disabled Parking Rights--Click here for article.

Local Non Profit Provides Solutions for Elderly and Disabled--What happens when you are out in the community serving the elderly and disabled, and you continually see critical needs that are not being met? Click here for release.

Garcia is one of the victims of the predatory lending company Lifetime Financial

Three Schools for the Learning Disabled--In the United States, federal law requires public schools to provide special education services to children with any disability. Specialists commonly provide these services while the children attend the same schools, and often the same classes, as other students. Click here for articles.

Making Hospitals Pay For Own Mistakes.--(CBS) William Doyle survived his open-heart surgery - but was almost killed, days later, by a hospital mistake, CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports. Click here for article.

The New Governor Also Serves as an Inspiration for the Blind--Harold James, a 44-year-old bear of a man with a neatly trimmed beard, works at Lighthouse International, a nonprofit organization that helps people with vision problems. Click here for article.

Gov. David Paterson's rise inspires blind students --For his morning journal-writing assignment at Intermediate School 237 in Flushing, Queens, Eric Ballard selects a daily topic of his choosing. Click here for article.

Appeals court sends disability case back to district court--Six years after he suffered a stroke at age 46 that ended his career as a truck driver, Paul McCadney faces still more legal proceedings in his effort to collect Social Security supplemental security income and disability insurance payments. Click here for article.

The Science Of Sleep--(CBS) Human beings spend on average one third of their lives asleep. We know we need to sleep but most of us have never really given a whole lot of thought to why. Click here for story.

Paterson prepares for unexpected role as governor of New York-- They knew Lt. Gov. David Paterson, son of their longtime friend and ally Basil Paterson, would become New York's first black governor at 1 p.m. on Monday. Click here for article.

Study Suggests Medicaid-Sponsored Home Care Reduces Nursing Home Use--Click here for more.

News Professor urges to review cultural images of disability--Click here for article.

Paterson's Ascension Inspires Disabled--When David Paterson takes office Monday to become the nation's first legally blind governor to serve more than a few days, among those watching with the greatest interest will be those who cannot see. Click here for article.

Next N.Y. governor says he's ready to lead--"I am prepared," Paterson told reporters in the state capital, Albany. "At this point, it is time to get back to the business of the state." Click here for article.

New Gov. on Monday. NYC may get boost if Lt. Gov. Paterson new Gov.Click here for article.

Spitzer resigns as New York governor. The once-rising political star, embroiled in a prostitution scandal, will be replaced by Lt. Gov. David Paterson. Click here for article.

FACTBOX: Succession scenarios if Spitzer resigns Click here for article.

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring, Resigns? --Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation. Click here for article

Paterson could become New York’s first black governor.--A graduate of Columbia University and Hofstra Law School, David Paterson had an eye infection as an infant that left him blind in one eye and legally blind in the other. Click here for article.

Kevorkian Plans Congressional Run--Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian says he plans to run for Congress. Click here for article.

Chicago Center Displays Disability-related Art--A new art and culture center focuses exclusively on disabilities. It is located at Chicago's Access Living. It's the first of it's kind to offers a wide range of activities. The Disability Arts and Culture Center is a great resource for increasing awareness about people with disabilities from different perspectives. Click here for article.

Dodd Anounces The Disability Savings Act Of 2008-- Sen. Christopher Dodd announced significant new legislation today that would allow families of people with disabilities to save money in tax-advantaged accounts. The Disability Savings Act of 2008 would allow savings similar to college 529 plans, so families could put aside money for care without jeopardizing their access to existing government assistance. Click here for article.

N.J. high court enhances benefits for nonphysical disability--The state Supreme Court Tuesday ruled a worker can suffer mental frailty and be entitled to enhanced disability benefits without any physical wound or injury, although the court added that an eligible worker has to have endured a horrific or terrifying on-the-job moment. Click here for article.

Why disability rates are dropping among older Americans.--Better medical care and more education—not positive life-style changes—are the major reasons for a decades-long decline in disability rates among older Americans. That's according to a new study funded by the National Institute on Aging that provides one of the first comprehensive looks at the factors fueling the welcome trend. Click here for article.

A Closer Eye On Nursing Homes--Recent revelations of shameless self-dealing, massive mismanagement and substandard care at one of the state's largest nursing home chains, Haven Healthcare, have rightly shocked the public. Click here for article.