Disability Rights Archives | Grady H. Williams, Jr. LL.M, Attorneys at Law

Category archives: Disability Rights

Disability Advocates Wary of Proposed Medicaid Funding Changes
5 years ago
A recent push by the federal government to change Medicaid’s funding structure is raising concerns among disability rights advocates that the effort will slash funding for necessary services. At present, Medicaid is a joint partnership between the federal and individual state governments, and the... [read more]

Will the Government Start Monitoring the Social Media of Disability Applicants?
6 years ago
A proposal tucked into the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) 2020 budget, released March 18, is raising fears that people applying for government disability benefits will soon have their posts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks scrutinized. Since at least 2014, the SSA’... [read more]

Walmart Greets Greeters With Job Change That Could Ax Many With Disabilities
6 years ago
How much responsibility do employers have to reasonably accommodate people with disabilities when it changes the employees’ underlying job description? That question is central to the latest employment controversy surrounding America’s largest retailer, Walmart. For years, a ubiquitous fea... [read more]

Bipartisan Bill Gives Explicit Right to Care in the Community Rather than an Institution
6 years ago
People with disabilities would have an explicit legal right to receive services in the community rather than in an institution under new legislation backed by a bipartisan group of senators and representatives. The legislation, introduced January 15, would if passed represent the most comprehensive ... [read more]

What Is an ABLE Account? An Introduction
6 years ago
Since the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014, tens of thousands of people with disabilities have opened up new, special tax-free savings accounts to save for disability-related expenses. These accounts, popularly known as ABLE accounts, allow many people with disabi... [read more]

Survey Ranks Nearly 200 Cities on Friendliness to People with Special Needs
6 years ago
When people with disabilities and their families are considering a particular urban area, numerous factors come into play. Does the city provide accessible amenities, such as sidewalks, transportation, entertainment options, and parks? Is affordable housing available, and is this housing economical ... [read more]

2018 Midterms Raise Accessibility Concerns
6 years ago
As the midterm elections approach, disability rights advocates are concerned about whether all eligible voters with disabilities will, in fact, have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. About 35 million eligible voters in the U.S. have a disability – close to one in six. Although ... [read more]

Deadline for Electronic Check-in for Home Care Workers Pushed Back
6 years ago
Congress has passed and President Trump has signed a law delaying by one year the requirement that providers of home health care services clock in electronically with Medicaid prior to performing services. Disability rights advocates and a bipartisan group of senators had been calling for the... [read more]

New Qualifications for ALJs Are Bad News for Social Security Beneficiaries, Legal Experts Warn
6 years ago
On July 10, President Trump issued an executive order that could compromise the independence of federal agency judges, most of whom work at the Social Security Administration (SSA). "Nothing less than the integrity of the administrative judiciary is at issue here," the president of the American Bar... [read more]

SSA Liberalizes Rules on When Special Needs Trusts Can Reimburse Family Members for Travel
6 years ago
Travel is sometimes necessary when a family has a child with special needs. Family members may need to visit the person with special needs, or a medical emergency may require travel to care for the loved one, or the family may simply want to take the child with special needs on vacation. For... [read more]

Looming Deadline for Electronic Check-in for Home Care Workers Raises Concerns
6 years ago
Starting in 2019, providers of home health care services will be required to clock in electronically with Medicaid prior to performing services. However, disability rights advocates and a bipartisan group of senators are calling for the state-by-state rollout of these Electronic Visit Verification (... [read more]

Lawsuit Targets Education Department’s Handling of Discrimination Claims
6 years ago
Each year, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) receives tens of thousands of discrimination complaints, of which disability discrimination is by far the largest category. For example, complaints can allege that students with disabilities are not being given accessible textbooks, are being denied ... [read more]