From Yahoo.com (with video), Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Entertainment Weekly: The HBO biopic ‘Temple Grandin’ was among the big winners in this year’s Emmy awards contest, sweeping 7 awards including best actress for Claire Danes, best directing for Mick Jackson, and best made-for-television movie or miniseries. The project portrayed the early life of the [...]

From the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post ‘Federal Eye’ blog,  and the Kansas City Star: In its first detailed look at employment for workers with disabilities,  the federal government reports that these workers are far more likely than people without disabilities to be out of work or working only part-time. According to the Department of [...]

Student with dog, oxygen tank wasn’t allowed on the basketball court From the Chicago Tribune, CBS/AP: A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of a 17-year-old girl claims that the Special Olympics has improperly barred her from playing basketball in an after-school sports program at her West Chicago high school. Jenny Youthwith, who has developmental disabilities [...]

From the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times: Ole Ivar Lovaas, a UCLA psychologist who developed one of the most widely used therapies for children with autism, has died at the age of 83.  Dr. Lovaas was the first researcher to suggest that autism can be treated. He is credited with helping to [...]

From the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required): Vanderbilt University’s new Next Step certificate program is providing a college experience to six students with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to participate in classes and extracurricular activities with typical college students. The Next Step students also get job training and work on basic life skills. The two-year [...]

Press release from the National Down Syndrome Congress: John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, has pledged that the Emmy-nominated song “Down Syndrome Girl” will not be aired on the primetime Emmy telecast or the broadcast of the Emmy’s Creative Arts awards. Shaffner’s promise came in response to a [...]

Disability advocate Dave Hingsburger uses Jennifer Aniston’s recent gaffe (calling herself a “retard” during a televised interview)  as an opportunity to examine the word’s implications in modern society. His conclusion: The word is an unacceptable attack on a group of people who have historically been marginalized, stigmatized and oppressed. An excerpt: The people who ‘ARE’ [...]

From the Los Angeles Times ‘Ministry of Gossip’ blog, US Magazine, press release from the National Down Syndrome Society: Actress Jennifer Aniston used the word “retard” during a television interview Thursday, drawing criticism from disability advocacy groups. Appearing on Live with Regis and Kelly (video here), Aniston was discussing a recent Harper’s Bazaar photo shoot [...]

Family Guy musical number was nominated in “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” category Source: Letter from the National Down Syndrome Congress Members of the Self Advocate Council of the National Down Syndrome Congress this week sent a letter protesting the Emmy award nomination given recently to “Down Syndrome Girl,” a musical number that appeared this [...]

Editorial writers at the [Bergen County, NJ] Record offer praise for a new state law that removes outdated terminology like “mentally retarded,” “feeble-minded” and “physically or mentally defective” from New Jersey law and rulebooks. An excerpt: Talk about a revolution. Within little more than a generation, we’ve advanced from assuming lesser futures for citizens with [...]

Los Angeles Daily News columnist Dennis McCarthy highlights an upcoming performance by the Born To Act Players, a 32-member troupe of actors with and without disabilities that will be performing this month in a professional theater for the first time. An excerpt: Before they walk on stage, the Born to Act Players close their eyes [...]

From Thegovmonitor.com: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie this week signed legislation that removes outdated and demeaning descriptions of people with disabilities from state law and regulation. The bill eliminates such terms as “mentally retarded” and “feeble-minded,” which are considered offensive by many. Replacing them are terms like “intellectual disability” and “developmental disability.” The new law [...]

Ernie Hernandez Jr. died of multiple stab wounds; Police say they see no motive in ‘a very brutal, a very violent’ attack From KTXL-TV, Sacramento, the Modesto [CA] Bee, KTXL-TV, Sacramento, KCRA-TV, Sacramento: Police in Modesto, California, are investigating the death of  37-year-old Ernie Hernandez Jr., who was stabbed multiple times in the head and neck Saturday [...]

From the Washington Post: Consumers with disabilities say the Internet and many mobile devices are leaving them behind, but legislation pending in Congress would pressure electronics companies to improve accessibility for all. “This is simply about inclusion. You have an industry that is known for innovation, but they don’t have a cultural understanding of what universal design [...]

In an obituary, the Los Angeles Times, describes Paul K. Longmore as a major founder of the field of disability studies, and says he helped establish it as a field of academic research and teaching. Longmore died August 9 at the age of 64. “He devoted his life to making this a better and more just [...]