The Food and Drug Administration cleared a new blood test on Friday that can detect mental disabilities in infants. The laboratory test called CytoScan Dx Assay is not intended for prenatal screening but for helping doctors diagnose some developmental disabilities earlier, such as Down syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome.
Whereas other existing tests are generally only used after a child starts exhibiting signs of a disorder, doctors said the new test should be available to use before any signs occur to help get appropriate care right away. Read more.
Ryan Gabrielson won first prize of the inaugural Katherine Schneider Award for Excellence in Disability Reporting.
Gabrielson was invited to speak about “Broken Shield” at a Must See Monday event at ASU
Steve Doig, Knight Chair in Journalism at ASU, introduces Ryan Gabrielson at the Cronkite School.
Tim McGuire, Frank Russell Chair of Journalism at ASU, introduces Katherine Schneider at awards ceremony
Gabrielson spoke about his process investigating the failures of a California police department to protect the developmentally disabled as part of his award-winning piece “Broken Shield.”
Gabrielson answers questions from journalism students at ASU.
Board members of the National Center on Disability and Journalism pose with award winner Ryan Gabrielson. Clockwise from left: Steve Doig, Gabrielson, Nan Connolly, Jennifer LaFleur, Kristin Gilger, Tim McGuire.
Journalism students at the Walter Cronkite School ask Gabrielson about investigative reporting.
The Social Security Administration is preparing to crack down on fraud among hundreds of administrative law judges to ensure that disability benefits are awarded consistently. Read more.
In her new book “Raising Henry,” Columbia University professor Rachel Adams separates her son from his Down syndrome diagnosis. In this New York Times book review, Adams is applauded for making the argument that Henry’s diagnosis is a disability, not a tragedy, but is asked for more personal reflection of who Henry is. Read more.
The South African government is investigating the vetting of a fake sign language interpreter with a violent past who was allowed to be near world leaders, including President Barack Obama, at Nelson Mandela’s memorial Tuesday. Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, said he has schizophrenia and claimed he started hearing voices at the Mandela service. Read more.
Deaf and hearing impaired activists are speaking out after the sign language interpreter at a memorial for Nelson Mandela was revealed to be a fake. The South African government said in a statement that it is “looking into the matter.” Read more.
Last week’s announcement that New York City had settled a major lawsuit by requiring at least half of its taxi fleet to become wheelchair accessible by 2020 has left those in the taxicab industry with more questions than answers. Read more.
New York City has agreed to adopt new taxi cab regulations to settle a class action lawsuit claiming the city was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As part of the agreement, the city will require half of its 13,000 yellow cabs be accessible to people with disabilities.
New York City has settled a long-standing lawsuit claiming the city’s taxi fleet was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the settlement, the city agreed to adopt regulations requiring that half of its more than 13,000 yellow cabs be accessible to people with disabilities in six years. Read more.
In a response to the editorial “How to Do Right by the Disabled,” Stephen Freeman wrote that the U.S. ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities should not be subject to debate. Freeman, the chief executive of YAI, which provides programs for the disabled, disregarded the opposition’s claims that the treaty would infringe on American sovereignty as untrue. Read more.
