White House To Convene Disability Summit
By Michelle Diament
For the first time, a White House event will bring together experts from across the country to address the unique health and fitness concerns of those with disabilities.

Endless options for all disabilities
2014 Disability Employment Awareness Month event aims to empower
Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planning NDEAM activities and materials to increase the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities.

In First, State Adopts Updated ‘Handicapped’ Symbol
A revamped version of the blue and white icon that’s long symbolized accessibility everywhere from parking lots to restrooms will soon be commonplace in more communities. disabilityscoop.com

Congress Weighing Tax-Free Disability Savings Accounts
disabilityscoop.com-
Supporters of the ABLE Act say they expect Congress to move quickly in the coming weeks to approve the bill, which would offer people with disabilities more financial flexibility. (Thinkstock)

Nordstrom ads feature models with disabilities
It's not easy to find models with disabilities in ads for the fashion and beauty industry — unless you look in the Nordstrom catalog.

Accessible Frank Lloyd Wright House To Make Public Debut
The only fully-accessible home ever designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is set to open to the public as a museum

Feds Earmark Millions For Disability Housing Assistance
Federal housing officials are putting $120 million on the table to help thousands of people with disabilities access rental assistance.

Sitting tied to disability among older Americans: study
(Reuters Health) - Regardless of how much time older Americans spend being active, those who sit for more hours each day are more likely to be disabled.....

Leonard Nimoy reveals he has lung disease
The 82-year-old wrote on Twitter that despite stopping smoking 30 years ago he had developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
He urged his 808,000 followers to "quit now".

Congress Gives Special Education $500 Million Boost
By Michelle Diament
After being pounded by budget cuts last year, special education is set to see some relief under a deal approved by Congress. Continued @disabilityscoop.com

New Medicaid Waiver Rules Set To Take EffectBy Michelle Diament
In a long-awaited move, federal officials are clarifying what counts as home and community-based services for people with disabilities. continued...@disabilityscoop.com

Frostbite Symptoms And Prevention Tips
Frostbite is the actual freezing of the tissue or a body part. It often affects the ears, nose, fingers and toes. Continued...

Flu cases on the rise in Idaho
Emergency room doctors have seen an increase in the number of flu cases in recent days.

Honor the legacy of my father, Christopher Reeve Los Angeles Times
By Matthew Reeve - These conversations only furthered his resolve that all people with disabilities should be able to lead healthy and productive lives, no matter where they live.

(NY) City Agrees on Access to Taxis for Disabled
By BENJAMIN WEISER and MATT FLEGENHEIMER
Ending years of acrimony, New York City has agreed to settle a major class-action lawsuit and adopt regulations requiring that half of the city’s more than 13,000 yellow cabs be accessible to people with disabilities within six years, a person involved in the negotiations said on Thursday night. continued @ NYTimes.com

Disability-Related Hate Crimes Surge Nearly twice as many hate crimes targeting people with disabilities were reported last year, the FBI says, even as the total number of hate crimes nationwide fell.
@disabilityscoop.com

In Shift, Most States Increase Mental Health Spending
After years of spending cuts, a new report finds that mental health budgets increased in 37 states this year.

Too fat to fly: Stranded Frenchman's ordeal ending
He's been turned down by planes, trains and even a cruise ship in his quest to return home — and his family says it's because he has been deemed too fat to travel. stranded continued @yahoo.com

Nationwide, Families Feel Pinch Of Special Education Cuts
Increased class sizes, decreased services and placement changes are among the effects parents say budget cuts are having on students in special education. Full Ed cuts story@ disabilityscoop.com

What The Shutdown Means For Disability Services
As the first U.S. government shutdown in more than 17 years takes hold, some programs benefiting people with disabilities will continue with business as usual while others grind to a halt. Shutdown Continued @DisabilityScoop.com

Feds Reverse Course On Disability Provision Of Affordable Care Act
Federal officials have reversed course on a new provision of the Affordable Care Act that would have largely barred guardians from serving as paid caregivers for adult children with developmental disabilities. Continued

Death of Linda Gonzales
by Richard Petty
With great sadness we must announce the death of a great independent living leader, a mentor to many, and a good friend. This last weekend, Linda passed away after a brief illness. She is survived by her husband Jerry. Continued @ cilfunding.org

TCA: Michael J. Fox on Living with Disability and Public Expectations
There was no doubt that questions about managing Parkinson’s disease would be the focus of NBC’s TCA panel for “The Michael J. Fox Show.”

After all the subject is a big thread in the show itself, in which Fox plays a local New York news anchor for NBC who returns to work after a five-year break following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s. Fox Continued @ variety.com

White House Taps New Disability Liaison
Starting this week, there is a new adviser at the White House focusing specifically on disability issues. Claudia Gordon will serve as a liaison between the Obama administration and the disability community as associate director Continued @ whitehouse.gov

NCD Celebrates the Life and Legacy of
Michael Winter
Michael Winter, a long-time disability advocate and employee of the U.S. Department of Transportation passed away suddenly the evening of July 11.
In an interview with Independence Today done in 2007, Winter – a fixture in disability advocacy since the 1960’s – described himself as “a father, son, civil rights activist, former president of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), director of an agency in the federal bureaucracy.... and a Chicago Bears fan.”
Read the NCD article / obituary

Vets furious at slow disability benefits process
Lyde E. Ramsey fought the enemy as a young soldier in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Now, at age 90, he’s fighting the U.S. government.

Flying With Disability: Best Travel Tips
Wheelchair accessible holidays and cheap international air travel have made flying with disability a viable option for disabled people. Competition between air carriers has contributed improving the quality of services available to airline passengers. Continued @reducedmobility.eu

National Council on Disability (NCD) Welcomes Rebecca Cokley as Executive Director.
Cokley was appointed to the position by NCD Chairperson Jeff Rosen on the recommendation of the ...Continued in wallstreetjournal@ WSJ.com

Moody's Lifts Outlook for Biogen on FDA Approval for Multiple Sclerosis Pill (BIIB)
Biogen's rating reflects its niche position in the biopharmaceutical market, its success with three blockbuster product franchises--Avonex, Rituxan and Tysabri--and its expertise in MS, Moody's noted.

Everyone’s Friend,
Peter Zarba
Gone at 56
Peter Zarba had a short life that he filled with so many experiences and achievements. He is described as kind, smart, giving, funny, dynamic and loving and everyone who met him walked away feeling they were his friend. Full Zarba story @ ablenews.com

Agency must accommodate disability
Being disabled is the one protected category of illegal discrimination that any of us can join on any day and without notice. When someone becomes disabled, disability discrimination can occur in two ways. Continued @ federaltimes.com

Device Offers Partial Vision for the Blind
The device allows people with a certain type of blindness to detect crosswalks on the street, the presence of people or cars, and sometimes even large numbers or letters.
Full Story in New York Times by Pam Belluck

Deaf Wellesley College graduate wins round-the-world trip with couch-surfing video
You might not think of a couch as your ticket to travel around the world – but Wellesley College class of 2012 alum Jenny Lu went couchsurfing through Europe and won herself a round-the-world trip in the process. Full story - with the winning video

San Diego halts all actions against marijuana dispensaries
At the order of newly elected Mayor Bob Filner, the city is dropping all legal efforts aimed at forcing marijuana dispensaries out of business. Continued

Social Security to fast-track some disability claims
In an effort to ease the burden of being stricken with a debilitating condition, the Social Security Administration is expanding a program that fast-tracks disability claims by people who get serious illnesses such as cancer, early-onset Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease -- claims that could take months or years to approve in the past. Continued

The Latest News Headlines

Ukraine Says Russian Plane Shot Down Its Fighter Jet
MOSCOW — The Ukrainian government said on Thursday that a Russian military plane had shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet in Ukrainian airspace the previous evening, a serious allegation of direct intervention by Russia’s armed forces. @NYTimes.com

Putin calls Obama to discuss Ukraine
Russia's Vladimir Putin has telephoned President Barack Obama to discuss the US proposal for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. BBC News See realtime coverage

Meryl Davis, Charlie White win USA's first ice dancing gold medal
SOCHI, Russia -- Meryl Davis and Charlie White stood atop the podium, unable to stop grinning or sneaking peeks at the scoreboard. continued @USA TODAY

US Justice Department to expand rights of gay married couples
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General Eric Holder on Saturday announced widespread changes within the U.S. Justice Department to benefit same-sex married couples, such as recognizing a legal right for them not to testify against each other in civil ...

Health Law To Cut Into Labor Force
CBO Report Forecasts More People Will Opt to Work Less as They Seek Coverage Through Affordable Care Act.
Continued @the wall street journal

Valdez, Alaska, cut off after avalanche blocks only road in; flood watch in effect
Town officials have cautioned residents to prepare to hunker down for at least a week as crews work to clear a pile of snow hundreds of feet wide from Richardson Highway.The pile of snow, ice and debris was said to be hundreds of feet long and as much as 40 feet deep in some places. Town officials stressed that the city has plenty of fuel, and food and water was being brought in by barge. A flood watch was issued for the area on Monday [because of the lake forming behind the avalanche in the valley].

Egypt referendum:
'98% back new constitution'
The BBC's James Reynolds in Cairo: ''That figure of 98.1% cent is entirely unsurprising for the yes vote''
A proposed new Egyptian constitution has been backed by 98.1% of people who voted in a referendum, officials say. continued

The House's massive $1.1 trillion spending bill: The Post's guide
By Associated Press
-WASHINGTON —The House on Wednesday passed a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill that would fund federal agencies through the rest of the fiscal year and end the threat of more government shutdowns.. continued@washingtompost.com

West Virginia water emergency nears fifth day, with no end in sight WashingtonPost.com
By Joel Achenbach, Sunday, January 12, 2014
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Around the swollen Elk River, now flowing with a chemical that no one can pronounce, myriad streams and rivulets tumbled from the hillsides this weekend, the result of a drenching downpour. Continmued...

For Target, the Breach Numbers Grow
By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS and NICOLE PERLROTH
nytimes.com JAN. 10, 2014
Target on Friday revised the number of customers whose personal information was stolen in a widespread data breach during the holiday season, now reporting a range of 70 million to 110 million people.

34 states under wind chill alerts as arctic blast swoops across nation
CHICAGO, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Thirty-four states were under wind chill alerts Monday as a record-breaking blast of arctic air swooped down on the United States.

Small plane makes emergency landing on New York expressway
By Candice Aviles Courtesy of Newsy.com In this photo downloaded from the New York City Police Department?s Twitter account, a light airplane?s fuselage rests on the roadway after its pilot made an emergency landing on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx borough of New York, Saturday, ...

Highways closing as NYC area preps for snow, cold
By JIM FITZGERALD and JONATHAN LEMIRE, Associated Press
A pedestrian walks in the snow on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014, in Albany, N.Y. Up to 5 inches of snow had fallen in eastern New York early Thursday, but the National Weather Service said some areas from Buffalo to Albany could get up to 12 inches by the time the storm subsides on Friday. (AP Photo/Mike Groll

Second blast in Russian city kills 10 on trolleybus: reports
VOLGOGRAD, Russia (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed when an explosion ripped through a trolleybus in the second deadly blast in the Russian city of Volgograd in two days, the Interfax news agency reported, citing law enforcement officials.

One million US jobless to lose financial aid
BBC News More than a million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits after an emergency federal programme expired on Saturday. Lawmakers failed to agree on an extension of the scheme before the US Congress began its winter recess.

Day Is Added To Deadline As Rush Hits Health Portal
NYTimes.com
Written by Michael Shear
A record-setting crush of last-minute shoppers descended on HealthCare.gov on Monday, creating long wait times for users and putting new stress on the government's much-maligned health portal as they raced against a midnight deadline ...

Did the NSA overreach? Lawmakers spar over data-collection program
Members of Congress are split on whether to rein in the National Security Agency's surveillance activities after intelligence leaks revealed the extent of the government's data-collection program. @cnn.com

Nobel Peace Prize winner ‘optimistic’
The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday, landed in Oslo on Sunday to begin three days of traditional prize events. Ahmet Üzümcü said he’s “optimistic” that OPCW workers will meet the UN’s deadline for ridding Syria of its chemical arsenal.
Continued @www.newsinenglish.no

US states take jump as legal marijuana markets open
In a country known for its drug war and where Bill Clinton once caught hell for admitting to smoking pot, new ground is being broken: legal marijuana markets in two states. continued@yahoo news.com

Nelson Mandela death: World mourns South Africa's first black president CNN Johannesburg, South Africa
South Africans mourned Friday the death of the man who led the fight to end the system of apartheid here and then went on to lead the country itself. continued @ cnn.com

Metro-North Crash Raises Questions on Alert System
By MATT FLEGENHEIMER, FORD FESSENDEN and HENRY FOUNTAIN
The commuter train that derailed in the Bronx on Sunday, killing four people, had an alert system in place in the locomotive pushing the rail cars, but not in the cab where the train operator was positioned. continued @ nytimes.com

4 dead, 63 injured after NYC-bound Metro-North passenger train derails in Bronx New York - A Metro-North train whipped around a sharp turn in the Bronx on Sunday morning just before a deadly derailment that killed four, injured dozens and tossed passengers around like rag dolls.@ NYDailyNews.com

Your Favorite Celebrities and Their Political Views

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Shortage of living spaces for disabled outside nursing homes is costing Colorado

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20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

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President Barack Obama signs an executive order to increase federal employment of individuals with disabilities at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilites Act on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 26, 2010.

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Dumbest Quotes Of The 2000s
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Iran and Russia Exchange Acerbic Barbs on Sanctions
-- Russia and Iran publicly traded barbs on Wednesday, showing strains in their longstanding alliance because of Moscow’s support for a new set of American-backed sanctions over the Iranian nuclear program.
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