Supreme Court outlawed segregation of disabled people 25 years ago. But change has come slowly STAT, June 21, 2024By Timmy Broderick As a toddler, Veronica Ayala loved Fridays. At 5 o’clock sharp, her mom whisked her away from the grim Moody State School for Cerebral Palsied Children for a 48-hour reprieve. Ayala’s house was mere […]
Category: Home and Community Based
Self-Determination and Self-Directed Services Download the letter on Self-Determination and Self-Directed Services (pdf) Download the Facts Sheet from MA Alliance for 21st Century Disability Policy (MA21) on Self-Directed Services (pdf) Letter to DDS June 18, 2024Department of Disability ServicesOffice of the General Counsel,1000 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118 dds.regs.comments@mass.gov. SUBJECT: Self-Determination and Self-Directed Services Dignity Alliance Massachusetts […]
May 29, 2024: A webinar explaining the Marsters v. Healey Settlement Agreement, was prepared especially for guardians, supporters in supported decision-making arrangements, and other advocates. The objectives of the webinar are to review basic provisions of the Agreement and review rights available for residents. The Agreement is anticipated to be finalized in federal court in […]
May 29, 2024: The Center for Public Representation (CPR) and Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) have prepared a webinar especially for attorneys, paralegals, and legal advocates explaining the Marsters v. Healey Settlement Agreement.. The objectives of the webinar are to review basic provisions of the Agreement and describe avenues for ongoing advocacy for class members […]
May 2024 You can read more about the settlement at the Marsters Overview post. Attorneys (Steven Schwartz and Kathy Walker from the Center for Public Representation) for the plaintiffs have prepared a webinar presentation, Bringing People Home – Understanding the Settlement Agreement in Marsters v. Healey. The presentation targets individuals who have regular communication with […]
By Jason Laughlin*Boston Globe, May 12, 2024 In more than four decades of fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, Joe Tringali never got angry. But he sure was persistent. He called, emailed, called again, relentlessly, until he got legislators to listen. Most recently, Tringali’s steady but forceful activism focused on a practice by […]
Update: An RFI has been posted by MassHealth (RFI info below). The deadline to Reply to the RFI is July 9. View a presentation of the issues with the state’s pursuit of an IAE (pdf) written by Jenny Kaplan and Meg Coffin. Overview Recently the Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) released an […]
Final order approving a landmark cross-disability Settlement Agreement in Marsters v. Healey. June 18, 2024 – Following the fairness hearing on June 17, 2024, at the United States District Court in Boston, Judge Nathaniel Gorton entered a final order approving a landmark cross-disability Settlement Agreement in Marsters v. Healey. Marsters Lawsuit Settlement Agreement Reached April […]
Joint Legislative Committee on Bonding, Capital Debt and State AssetsApril 2, 2024 Download (docx) Testimony in Support of H. 4138 – The Affordable Homes Act Dignity Alliance Massachusetts applauds the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their leadership in addressing the issue of housing as proposed in House Bill No. 4138 – the Affordable Homes Act. The legislation […]
Governor Healey’s budget proposal threatens 50 years of disability rights *Boston Globe, March 28, 2024By Alex Green Her proposal to slash fundamental personal care services for the disabled is baffling. Every day, more than 40,000 Massachusetts residents wake up in their own beds and go about their lives thanks to a personal care attendant. These […]