https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events daily 0.75 2021-06-10 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/literacy-supports-for-remote-learning monthly 0.5 2020-04-16 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/DD Network Partners 2nd Virtual Town Hall monthly 0.5 2020-04-15 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/assistive-technology-2020-census monthly 0.5 2020-04-15 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/tools-for-remote-learning monthly 0.5 2020-04-24 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/conversations-from-quarantine-convening-the-mental-health-community-in-times-of-covid-19 monthly 0.5 2020-04-29 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/ergonomics-in-a-telework-and-distance-learning-world monthly 0.5 2020-05-06 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/lunch-amp-learn-coaching-corner-how-to-effectively-coach-communication-partners-to-teach-language-using-aac monthly 0.5 2020-05-06 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/dd-network-partners-virtual-town-halls-continuing-the-conversation-covid-19-with-a-focus-on-children monthly 0.5 2020-05-14 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/3sumtr7daw5e2zvasfujg6110250de monthly 0.5 2020-05-18 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/dd-network-partners-virtual-town-halls-continuing-the-conversation-covid-19-with-a-focus-on-children-1 monthly 0.5 2020-05-27 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/session-1-early-reading-development monthly 0.5 2020-05-29 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/resources-and-strategies-to-support-early-writing-development-in-young-children-with-disabilities monthly 0.5 2020-05-28 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/resources-and-strategies-to-support-problem-solving-and-early-mathematics-understanding-for-young-children-with-disabilities monthly 0.5 2020-05-29 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/resources-and-strategies-to-support-communication-and-language-development-for-young-children-with-disabilities monthly 0.5 2020-05-29 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/visual-supports-an-eye-on-visuals monthly 0.5 2020-05-29 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/reopening-and-reimagining-town-hall-series-a-4-part-conversation-about-services-and-supports-for-individual-with-intellectual-or-developmental-disabilities monthly 0.5 2020-06-12 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/reopening-and-reimagining-town-hall-series-a-4-part-conversation-about-services-and-supports-for-individual-with-intellectual-or-developmental-disabilities-1 monthly 0.5 2020-06-12 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/reopening-amp-reimagining-a-4-part-conversation-about-services-and-supports-for-individuals-with-intellectual-or-developmental-disabilities monthly 0.5 2020-06-12 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/mpl4ao893fvn5s8pxpdkwogtqz4l3j monthly 0.5 2020-07-08 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/reopening-amp-reimagining-a-4-part-conversation-about-services-and-supports-for-individuals-with-intellectual-or-developmental-disabilities-1 monthly 0.5 2020-06-12 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/webinar-alternatives-to-guardianship monthly 0.5 2020-08-14 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/t5y0vsqd81hvns1ai7nfifrarjtle5 monthly 0.5 2020-08-14 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/90pq32ku0ob0errs77t4vq6cz9ha4d monthly 0.5 2020-08-14 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/vote-safely-in-2020 monthly 0.5 2020-08-14 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/dd-partners-town-hall-how-to-vote-in-the-2020-election monthly 0.5 2020-10-02 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/q4r6bntm7gvbjqyo6arbhayknsmtrl monthly 0.5 2020-10-15 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/assistive-technology-voting monthly 0.5 2020-10-02 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/nj-aidd-partners-virtual-town-hall-whats-working-for-adults-with-dd monthly 0.5 2020-10-20 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/nj-aidd-virtual-town-hall-whats-working-for-children-with-dd monthly 0.5 2020-10-20 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/covid-19-one-year-later-dd-network-partners-town-hall-listening-session monthly 0.5 2021-02-25 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/supported-decision-making-vs-guardianship-how-to-balance-rights-and-safety monthly 0.5 2021-03-22 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/ssi-ssdi-overpayments-an-overview-of-what-you-need-to-know-to-tackle-overpayments monthly 0.5 2021-04-13 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/virtual-vigil-april-21-2021 monthly 0.5 2021-04-13 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/6075b8ac5f32e90391b8dde4/1618327726857/ncvrw21_eng_bookmark2+_1_.jpg Upcoming Events - Virtual Vigil: In Honor of People with Developmental Disabilities who have been the Victim of Sexual Violence https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/m0tqabikz99zax0ln0aua3wuk0n86k monthly 0.5 2021-04-13 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/special-education-open-house monthly 0.5 2021-04-13 https://www.drnj-covid.org/upcoming-events/self-settled-special-needs-trusts-an-introduction monthly 0.5 2021-06-10 https://www.drnj-covid.org/sqsp-test daily 0.75 2020-04-17 https://www.drnj-covid.org/sqsp-test/blog-post-title-two-px7lr monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.drnj-covid.org/sqsp-test/blog-post-title-four-cfd77 monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.drnj-covid.org/sqsp-test/blog-post-title-three-ybxdm monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.drnj-covid.org/sqsp-test/blog-post-title-one-bgw7e monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.drnj-covid.org/critical-issues daily 0.75 2020-11-05 https://www.drnj-covid.org/critical-issues/hospital-visitation-policies monthly 0.5 2020-07-01 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5eda45327f7ea538387a00fd/1591362991942/05-01-2020_DOH_Support-Care_Redacted_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - Hospital Visitation Policies - Followup Letter to Commissioner Persichilli on the Support Care Issue with Clarification https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5efbd3a64db8d524d928742c/1593562259420/2020-06-24%2520Commissioner%2520Judith%2520Persichilli%2520%2528003%2529_Redacted_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - Hospital Visitation Policies - Disability Rights NJ Sends Letter to DOH to Extend Support Person Policy to Nursing Facilities https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9b39270feebf4d48241809/1588261140577/LetterDOH04112020_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - Hospital Visitation Policies - Due to COVID-19 Hospital Visitation Policies Exclude Caregivers of People with Disabilities: What We're Doing to Change the Policies https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ec2b81e333ee31ee5a6345d/1589819519895/Screen+Shot+2020-05-18+at+11.34.56+AM.png Critical Issues - Hospital Visitation Policies https://www.drnj-covid.org/critical-issues/covid-19-medical-rationing monthly 0.5 2021-01-22 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/600b373659b82c76b5485b61/1611347952349/11.22.2020+Letter+to+Governor+and+Commission+of+Health+re+allocation+of+critical+care+resources_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - COVID-19 Medical Rationing https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea065f7a8827a7d9d0f3964/1587570393661/CommissionerDOH-FU04162020_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - COVID-19 Medical Rationing - April 16 - Letter to DOH Followup on Allocation of Critical Care Resources https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9b2d85ea6b285e75071060/1587228046523/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-03%2Bat%2B5.11.20%2BPM.jpg Critical Issues - COVID-19 Medical Rationing https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/600b2cfd4a2aad70cc91b832/1611346096136/12-16-20_ExecutiveDirectiveNo20-006_AllocationPolicy.revised_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - COVID-19 Medical Rationing https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e990dd53784a1137aff0d7a/1587089292775/GovernorLetter-MedRat_040320.jpg Critical Issues - COVID-19 Medical Rationing - April 3 - Letter to Governor Murphy Addressing Concerns Over Rationing of Medical Supplies https://www.drnj-covid.org/critical-issues/stimulus-payments monthly 0.5 2020-08-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea059aa378018319c11074f/1587567233729/CCD-Letter_04212020_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - Economic Stimulus Payments - Addressing the Limited Time Frame for Non-tax Filers to Add Dependents with Secretary of Treasury Mnuchin and Social Security Administration Disability Rights New Jersey signed a letter about the stimulus payment deadline for Social Security beneficiaries with dependent children. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ed1bf9652706d05127071f2/1590804379714/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-29%2Bat%2B9.57.30%2BPM.jpg Critical Issues - Economic Stimulus Payments https://www.drnj-covid.org/critical-issues/right-to-education-for-children-with-special-needs monthly 0.5 2020-11-05 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5eb1b76d722b637daa424e84/1588705262631/Screen+Shot+2020-05-05+at+2.58.14+PM.png Critical Issues - The Right to Education for Children with Special Needs - Disability Rights New Jersey Continues to Fight For Students with Disabilities Some school districts in New Jersey are withholding Special Education Services for students now that learning has been moved to virtual classrooms. In an email shared May 4, 2020, Disability Rights NJ shared the actions taken against the the injustice, with petitions filed for Due Process and Emergent Relief against one school district refusing to provide a student his IEP services since COVID-19 forced schools to close. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea8a2f0ec78e0341d703db5/1588110427903/Screen+Shot+2020-04-28+at+5.40.47+PM.png Critical Issues - The Right to Education for Children with Special Needs - Disability Rights New Jersey Referenced in NPR Update on Special Education Law Under Review by DeVos U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will not recommend that Congress waive the main requirements of three federal education laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA. The federal law ensures that children with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education whenever and wherever schools are operating. However, advocates warn there are still areas to watch, including in New Jersey, where parents have been asked to waive their right to sue before districts are able to provide their children with special education services. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea705cb39af0e44164bcd9a/1588004419378/Screen+Shot+2020-04-27+at+10.27.37+AM.png Critical Issues - The Right to Education for Children with Special Needs - Disability Rights NJ Legal Advocacy Director Interviewed by HUFFPOST on Special Education Waivers A form distributed by districts asks families to “waive and relinquish; fully release and discharge; and indemnify and hold harmless” the school district and all of its employees “from all claims, liabilities, causes of action, costs, expenses, attorneys’ fees, damages, indemnities, and obligations of every kind and nature, in law, equity, or otherwise,” before providing students with the counseling and speech services outlined in their individualized education program, or IEP. The form, devised with help from an education law firm, has raised alarms for disability advocates and lawyers, who have taken up the matter with the New Jersey Department of Education. Rebecca Schore, the legal advocacy director at Disability Rights New Jersey, said her organization already has two clients who have been asked to sign the waiver in order to receive counseling and speech support. https://www.drnj-covid.org/critical-issues/nursing-home-care monthly 0.5 2020-10-26 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5eb02b2bd76904418cc5537d/1588603724474/Screen+Shot+2020-05-04+at+10.45.31+AM.png Critical Issues - Nursing Home Care - After Anonymous Tip, 17 Bodies Found at Nursing Home Hit by Virus The police in a small New Jersey town had gotten an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the state’s largest nursing homes. “They were just overwhelmed by the amount of people who were expiring,” said Eric C. Danielson, the police chief in Andover, a small township in Sussex County, the state’s northernmost county. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5efbd4d54db8d524d928a1c8/1593562347693/2020-06-24%2520Commissioner%2520Judith%2520Persichilli%2520%2528003%2529_Redacted_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - Nursing Home Care - Disability Rights NJ Sends Letter to DOH to Extend Support Person Policy to Nursing Facilities https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5eb02c1ebc84607ce3eb76bf/1588604399794/Governor%2520Murphy%2520Andover.final2_Page_1.jpg Critical Issues - Nursing Home Care - Letter to Governor Murphy & DOH in Response to Allegations of Neglect at Nursing Facilities Gwen Orlowski, Executive Director of Disability Rights New Jersey asked for more oversight of facilities in New Jersey including Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, in which a New York Times article recently revealed "After Anonymous Tip, 17 Bodies Found at Nursing Home Hit by Virus," April 15, 2020. The complete letter is available to read where we ask the Department for full transparency and to include the names of the specific facilities where there are COVID-19 outbreaks. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ec2a9b23c2cb1525b358b23/1589815815141/Screen+Shot+2020-05-18+at+11.19.30+AM.png Critical Issues - Nursing Home Care - At South Jersey center for disabled adults, COVID-19 has killed 8 while infecting most residents and many staff Gwen Orlowski, executive director of the advocacy organization Disability Rights NJ, said she believes state officials were “doing everything within their power to try to prevent the spread of the disease as best they could, given the fact that they really didn’t know who had the virus.” But without being able, early on, to test asymptomatic staffers who come and go from the facility, residents couldn’t be protected, she said. https://www.drnj-covid.org/home daily 1.0 2021-01-08 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ff895f99efbee440c6480c4/1610126860830/amazon-smile-logo.png Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ff376dbb6dc0c1e61197b8a/1609799815939/NJ_digital_logo_fb.jpg Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5eb5b50877f6ea23d6c21c82/1589486921614/NJSBA+Logo-white.png Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e94aa5e10408e119c00c218/1586801252114/AdobeStock_137443638.jpg Home - Representative Payee Program https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9896a2ef5294090ec1393d/1587137107480/AdobeStock_191481650.jpg Home - 2020 Voting & Census Disability Rights New Jersey encourages the disability community to be counted in both the elections and the Census, to share their voices and be counted, as it sends a message to law makers about the values we hold to the highest priority. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9895af18bc7d3435421798/1587058122447/AdobeStock_44728816.jpg Home - Juvenile Justice https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e94a99a10408e119c008df6/1586801073071/AdobeStock_276763597.jpg Home - Community Inclusion https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e92382cbfaecc6753560ce2/1586640946097/Website%25252Bimages-3.jpg Home - Special Education https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9896d4679dfd16a52c1123/1587058397134/AdobeStock_211251929.jpg Home - The Richard West Assistive Technology Center at Disability Rights New Jersey Our ATAC Team provided resources for free apps/software and strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and is an essential part of the DRNJ agency, making all of the COVID response work for our teams possible https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea1fa478ac157064375d97e/1587673700358/AdobeStock_198348710.jpg Home - Employment https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e92380b72f3495f04cf20a9/1586640913836/AdobeStock_100571609.jpg Home - Institutional Monitoring https://www.drnj-covid.org/our-mission daily 0.75 2020-04-28 https://www.drnj-covid.org/assistive-technology daily 0.75 2020-04-23 https://www.drnj-covid.org/employment daily 0.75 2021-03-02 https://www.drnj-covid.org/special-education daily 0.75 2021-04-14 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e961cb1c0cb37123d261956/1586896083824/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-14%2Bat%2B4.26.12%2BPM.jpg Special Education - Alert: Congress using COVID-19 to Strip Students with Disabilities of Access to Special Education Congress wants to give Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos unprecedented power to waive IDEA protections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, schools could opt out of providing a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, cancel individualized education plans, remove procedural safeguards and much more. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5eb1bad5002c086047deadb9/1588706494498/Screen+Shot+2020-05-05+at+2.58.14+PM.png Special Education - Disability Rights New Jersey Continues to Fight For Students with Disabilities Some school districts in New Jersey are withholding Special Education Services for students now that learning has been moved to virtual classrooms. In an email shared May 4, 2020, Disability Rights NJ shared the actions taken against the the injustice, with petitions filed for Due Process and Emergent Relief against one school district refusing to provide a student his IEP services since COVID-19 forced schools to close. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea8a81f1f2217364b7a79f1/1588111494481/Screen+Shot+2020-04-28+at+5.40.47+PM.png Special Education - Disability Rights New Jersey Referenced in NPR Update on Special Education Law Under Review by DeVos U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will not recommend that Congress waive the main requirements of three federal education laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA. The federal law ensures that children with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education whenever and wherever schools are operating. However, advocates warn there are still areas to watch, including in New Jersey, where parents have been asked to waive their right to sue before districts are able to provide their children with special education services. https://www.drnj-covid.org/institutional-monitoring daily 0.75 2020-07-08 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9607e33e58b13b67cf4c62/1587501485731/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-04-13%2Bat%2B12.08.42%2BPM.jpg Institutional Monitoring - Interview with Star Ledger on Slow Implementation of Social Distancing Among Hospital Patients Executive Director of DRNJ, Gwen Orlowski was interviewed April 11 by a journalist with the Star Ledger because of recent complaints received. “We are getting anecdotal stories that there is a delay in separating the well roommates from those showing symptoms,” Orlowski said, about how slowly the hospitals have been in implementing social-distancing practices. To address these concerns, Disability Rights New Jersey is speaking weekly to the Department of Health to encourage change https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9f5afe757946477e9f34df/1587501910935/Governor%2520Murphy%2520Andover.final2%2520%25281%2529_Page_1.jpg Institutional Monitoring - Letter to Governor and DOH Addressing Situation at Nursing Facilities: Including Andover and Other NJ Facilities In a letter sent yesterday to Governor Phil Murphy and Department of Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli, Gwen Orlowski, Executive Director of Disability Rights New Jerse y asked for more oversight of facilities in New Jersey including Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, in which a New York Times article recently revealed "After Anonymous Tip, 17 Bodies Found at Nursing Home Hit by Virus.” These allegations are "so serious, that all oversight and protective agencies and authority should be brought to bear for the health and safety of the residents." https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e960a621bd338729ca7392e/1587501317906/Screen+Shot+2020-04-14+at+2.39.51+PM.png Institutional Monitoring - Letter to Commissioner of NJ Department of Health On April 11th, DRNJ sent a letter to Judith M. Persichilli, Commissioner of New Jersey Department of Health and Governor Phil Murphy addressing the concerns of people with disabilities, where hospitalization is necessary during the COVID19 crisis and their civil right to be accompanied by support caregivers has been excluded. The letter was shared with the disability community supporters through email and our social channels https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5f05f20e46dd081f01aae0ac/1594225237162/2020-06-24%2520Commissioner%2520Judith%2520Persichilli%2520%2528003%2529_Redacted_Page_1.jpg Institutional Monitoring - Disability Rights NJ Sends Letter to DOH to Extend Support Person Policy to Nursing Facilities https://www.drnj-covid.org/community-inclusion daily 0.75 2021-03-25 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e97cf5a92d0a94e8f4bf543/1609789176306/Screen+Shot+2020-04-13+at+4.32.47+PM.png Community Inclusion - Ask Governor Murphy to Protect the Welfare of New Jersey Citizens with Disabilities Our commitment to serving the needs of individuals with disabilities never ceases. Adults and children alike, with disabilities are among those at the greatest risk in this crisis because so many are in institutions or incarcerated, homeless, seniors or medically compromised, or dependent on others for care. NJ Governor, Phil Murphy, along with the Department of Health and other state agencies have mobilized state resources to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. DRNJ applauds these efforts, and asks them to keep a special focus on the additional steps necessary to protect individuals with disabilities. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5f1b08d03fcc8b4cc3acd154/1609789176279/2020-07-23%2520MVC%2520re%2520ADA%2520compliance_Page_1.jpg Community Inclusion - Executive Director, Gwen Orlowski Urges NJ Motor Vehicle Commission to Comply with ADA https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5f3aa66a116135428f537cde/1609789176276/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+11.46.26+AM.png Community Inclusion https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e99c075060d124f4a5480fa/1609789176296/Screen+Shot+2020-04-17+at+10.42.13+AM.png Community Inclusion - Appealing a Reduction, Termination or Denial of Managed Care Services Disability Rights New Jersey's Community Inclusion team held a webinar on Wednesday April 15, 2020 focusing on the process to appeal a reduction, termination, or denial of Medicaid services delivered through a Managed Care Organization. Over 50 attendees learned how to preserve their Medicaid benefits and advocate for themselves and others. Though most Medicaid reductions and terminations are on hold during the COVID-19 health emergency, there is never a bad time to learn how to exercise your rights. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5f468051730c374d0bf4576b/1609789176273/Screen+Shot+2020-08-26+at+11.27.47+AM.png Community Inclusion https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e963619d84b1b61324b717f/1609789176299/Screen+Shot+2020-04-13+at+4.35.51+PM.png Community Inclusion - Letter to Governor Murphy Addressing Medical Rationing As the COVID19 crisis increases in the United States, and the critical need for medical care surges, Disability Rights New Jersey is concerned that there may be shortages of medical equipment, which may lead to rationing. Read Executive Director, Gwen Orlowski's letter to Governor Phil Murphy proposing important principles for the delivery of care to individuals with disabilities. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9640d503a960031c020db9/1609789176303/Screen+Shot+2020-04-14+at+7.01.20+PM.png Community Inclusion - The 2nd Virtual Town Hall Convening of the DD Community will be held April 18th at 2pm. Join DRNJ & the DD Network Partners for this Free Webinar. If you have questions you would like us to address at the Virtual Town Hall, please send them in advance to: questions@drnj.org https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ebe9f1d7759573d51e1cf07/1609789176293/Screen+Shot+2020-05-15+at+9.14.55+AM.png Community Inclusion https://www.drnj-covid.org/representative-payee daily 0.75 2021-02-03 https://www.drnj-covid.org/valuable-resources daily 0.75 2021-06-10 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5efdec29b415005eed7c3b94/1593699381566/NJCDD5yearplan-FLYER%2520final.jpg Valuable Resources https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea89ddf5c1bc24c716a5381/1588108846365/Screen+Shot+2020-04-28+at+5.18.45+PM.png Valuable Resources - National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) Launches 'Know Your Rights' during COVID-19 Video Series The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting every community in the nation. Shuttering schools and workplaces, slowing public transportation, and delaying community-based services. In this series of videos, the National Disability Rights Network explains what your rights are and what you can do if you believe your rights are being violated. We hope this series will help to strengthen self-advocacy, address racial inequities, and protect the rights/lives of people with disabilities. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5f9c2f1e2cc9a4114461f283/1604071242243/Open+Enrollment+Flyer.png Valuable Resources https://www.drnj-covid.org/economic-stimulus-faqs daily 0.75 2020-06-16 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ed1bf34ff1f544b3b169808/1598439130623/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-05-29%2Bat%2B9.57.30%2BPM.jpg Economic Stimulus FAQs https://www.drnj-covid.org/voting-census daily 0.75 2020-11-04 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ec2a3e051d469250648cb39/1589814411267/Screen+Shot+2020-05-12+at+10.53.14+AM.png Voting & Census - App.com Published an OpEd by Disability Rights NJ Director of Policy, Mary Ciccone, on the Necessity of Voter Accessibility According to the American Association of People with Disabilities, in 2018, only 40% of eligible individuals with disabilities voted, and many individuals cited existing barriers as a reason to not vote. Lack of accessibility will only make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to vote. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e971fab46c31d53de611c93/1586962461106/Screen+Shot+2020-04-15+at+10.48.32+AM.png Voting & Census - Disability Rights NJ Announced Free Webinar on April 22 to share Assistive Technology to help you complete the 2020 Census Form April 9th 2020 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5fa2bb51bbc61b699e464840/1604500434154/Screen+Shot+2020-11-04+at+9.26.59+AM.png Voting & Census - Election 2020: Voting Challenges for The Disabled A 2016 study by the Government Accountability Office found 60 percent of polling places had at least one accessibility issue. This year, amid a global health crisis, they find the largest minority group will face barriers they’ve never seen before. DRNJ Director of Policy, Mary Ciccone has been quoted. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e965ab0be50c65fecdb5d04/1586912002256/Screen+Shot+2020-04-14+at+8.48.56+PM.png Voting & Census - Calling out the importance of the 2020 Census. March 26, 2020 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9742b40670ea2f450ec9bd/1586981428758/Screen+Shot+2020-04-15+at+1.20.59+PM.png Voting & Census - Primary Elections Postponed Due to COVID-19 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e971eee9a52bc41b0392844/1586962272443/Screen+Shot+2020-04-15+at+10.47.47+AM.png Voting & Census - Launching the 2020 Census Initiative April 1, 2020 https://www.drnj-covid.org/give-now daily 0.75 2020-12-01 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e9893487bffa75893a4a74f/1587057492311/AdobeStock_129665693.jpg Give Now https://www.drnj-covid.org/gwens-letter daily 0.75 2020-04-17 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e98c4c2b40f977e321cf0f3/1587070153908/Gwen.png Gwen's Letter https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e98b9caae90882f7d446bf3/1587067389393/Gwen%2BDRNJ%2B1a.jpg Gwen's Letter https://www.drnj-covid.org/sharing-our-expertise daily 0.75 2021-04-19 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ebae2f66a3b687667f07c08/1589306242638/Screen+Shot+2020-05-12+at+10.53.14+AM.png Sharing Our Expertise - App.com Published an OpEd by Disability Rights NJ Director of Policy, Mary Ciccone, on the Necessity of Voter Accessibility According to the American Association of People with Disabilities, in 2018, only 40% of eligible individuals with disabilities voted, and many individuals cited existing barriers as a reason to not vote. Lack of accessibility will only make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to vote. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e97b7591d366e1fec08add9/1587001299706/Screen+Shot+2020-04-03+at+5.11.20+PM.png Sharing Our Expertise - “Americans With Disabilities Are Terrified” Interview with The Atlantic About Hospitalization During COVID-19 DRNJ Board member Dan Florio, Esq. was recently profiled in an article by The Atlantic " Americans with Disabilities are Terrified " in which he shares his fear over the reality of his care, should he fall ill and need intubation. Dan was born with spinal muscular atrophy and does not have use of his arms or the ability to walk. Without the ability to speak, or the use of gestures to communicate with doctors, he would be in an "awake coma for weeks...The fear of that…it’s overwhelming," he said in the interview to The Atlantic. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ebda4395f50f54efdde4129/1589486759975/Screen+Shot+2020-05-14+at+4.03.38+PM.png Sharing Our Expertise - Disability Rights New Jersey Awarded the COVID-19 Emergency Community Law Grant by NJ State Bar Foundation https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ec2a8d2c77e320d8689e6bc/1589815585932/Screen+Shot+2020-05-18+at+11.19.30+AM.png Sharing Our Expertise - At South Jersey center for disabled adults, COVID-19 has killed 8 while infecting most residents and many staff Gwen Orlowski, executive director of the advocacy organization Disability Rights NJ, said she believes state officials were “doing everything within their power to try to prevent the spread of the disease as best they could, given the fact that they really didn’t know who had the virus.” But without being able, early on, to test asymptomatic staffers who come and go from the facility, residents couldn’t be protected, she said. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea6ec36ad6d2b7cb62b910b/1587997872350/Screen+Shot+2020-04-27+at+10.27.37+AM.png Sharing Our Expertise - Disability Rights NJ Legal Advocacy Director Interviewed by HUFFPOST on Special Education Waivers A form distributed by districts asks families to “waive and relinquish; fully release and discharge; and indemnify and hold harmless” the school district and all of its employees “from all claims, liabilities, causes of action, costs, expenses, attorneys’ fees, damages, indemnities, and obligations of every kind and nature, in law, equity, or otherwise,” before providing students with the counseling and speech services outlined in their individualized education program, or IEP. The form, devised with help from an education law firm, has raised alarms for disability advocates and lawyers, who have taken up the matter with the New Jersey Department of Education. Rebecca Schore, the legal advocacy director at Disability Rights New Jersey, said her organization already has two clients who have been asked to sign the waiver in order to receive counseling and speech support. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/607d939489a9176eea0d48bf/1618842735613/Screen+Shot+2021-04-19+at+10.24.18+AM.png Sharing Our Expertise - NJ’s lockdown on programs for disabled people must end now, families say. Gwen Orlowski, executive director for Disability Rights New Jersey, a federally funded legal advocacy group, said Friday many families have contacted her organization seeking help. Disability Rights agrees families have a valid point. “We recognize that there are public health concerns to reopening day programs, and we also recognize that the continued closure of congregate day programming is taking a toll on (those) who need those services and their families or caretakers who are trying to fill the gaps during the pandemic,” Orlowski said. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5ea8a6d2ae120a0dc046e55e/1588111204491/Screen+Shot+2020-04-28+at+5.57.16+PM.png Sharing Our Expertise - More than 5,500 Saliva Tests are headed to New Jersey’s Developmental Disability Centers Quoted in the article is Disability Rights New Jersey, Executive Director, Gwen Orlowski,“Through our virtual town halls and client calls, we know that the issue of universal testing was paramount for residents and their families. Only through testing could people be confident that the cohorting of residents would actually lead to the flattening the curve at the DCs, and ultimately, no new cases,” Orlowski said. Orlowski said she hoped the state will expand testing to include the 24,000 people living in group homes and other community housing, as well as the contracted employees who look after them on the state’s behalf. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5fb2d292c7b5bc0df6d57d54/1605554906409/Screen+Shot+2020-11-16+at+2.24.00+PM.png Sharing Our Expertise - COVID-19: Disabled Community's Second Wave Concerns “I think the most frustrating part is not just now, but for a long time, people with disabilities haven't been at the table, where decisions are made," said Javier Robles. The committee recently released a report outlining 23 ways in which the state failed to protect the disabled community during the coronavirus pandemic. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5fb2d183c45696072527dd88/1605555253782/Screen+Shot+2020-11-16+at+12.17.02+PM.png Sharing Our Expertise - Disability leaders condemn the handling of COVID, worry about wave While the report "takes a broad look at the state’s systems and functions and how they impact people with disabilities, their families, and service provider networks," some things need to be fixed “immediately” as COVID-19 sweeps back into the spotlight with cases rising again, said Javier Robles, a Rutgers University professor and organizer of the New Jersey Disabilities COVID-19 Action Committee, which prepared the report. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5fa2ba4664c67a207b678238/1604500138955/Screen+Shot+2020-11-04+at+9.26.59+AM.png Sharing Our Expertise - Election 2020: Voting Challenges for the Disabled A 2016 study by the Government Accountability Office found 60 percent of polling places had at least one accessibility issue. This year, amid a global health crisis, they find the largest minority group will face barriers they’ve never seen before. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5f9aed3226507349c78a490b/1603989082902/Screen+Shot+2020-10-29+at+9.45.15+AM.png Sharing Our Expertise - Voters with disabilities — long ignored as a minority voice — may come together as a “sleeping tiger” in the general election due to the coronavirus pandemic Disability Rights New Jersey spearheaded a push to help people with disabilities register to vote. It also set up a voting hotline in an effort to mitigate these problems. “The ability to obtain access for people with disabilities is the idea of trying to address as many issues and barriers for as many people as you can,” said Mary Ciccone, the group's director of policy. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e97b69222002f6f2fca0853/1587002244845/Screen+Shot+2020-04-13+at+12.08.42+PM.png Sharing Our Expertise - Interview with Star Ledger on the Slow Implementation of Social Distancing Among Hospital Patients Executive Director of Disability Rights New Jersey, Gwen Orlowski, was interviewed April 11th by a journalist with the Star Ledger because of recent complaints received. “We are getting anecdotal stories that there is a delay in separating the well roommates from those showing symptoms,” Orlowski said, about how slowly the hospitals have been in implementing social-distancing practices. To address these concerns, Disability Rights New Jersey is speaking weekly to the Department of Health to encourage change. https://www.drnj-covid.org/juvenile-justice daily 0.75 2020-06-15 https://www.drnj-covid.org/get-help daily 0.75 2020-05-01 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e8f69a0603f6633319de6ed/t/5e99ce3a1f79016c41a9986e/1587138115220/66842749_2450982338285605_5417634136145788928_o.jpg Get Help https://www.drnj-covid.org/dd-network-faqs daily 0.75 2020-04-27 https://www.drnj-covid.org/nursing-facilities-faq daily 0.75 2020-08-26 https://www.drnj-covid.org/covid-vaccine-information daily 0.75 2021-01-28