Associated Press
U.S. Court Reinstates Home Care Pay Rules
A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated regulations drawn up by the Obama administration to extend minimum wage and overtime protections to almost two million workers who provide home care for the elderly and disabled. The regulations, struck down by a lower court about nine months ago, were intended to remove an exemption in federal minimum wage and overtime laws for home care workers employed by third-party staffing agencies. — Noam Scheiber
Related: The Wall Street Journal, “Appeals Court Revives Rule Adding Pay Protections for Home-Health Aides;” CBS, “Court reinstates wage rules for home care workers;’” HealthcareDIVE, “Court ruling on wages could shake up home healthcare;” and, Federal Regulations Advisor, “Monday Morning Regulatory Review – 8/24/15: Conflict Minerals Demise; Home Health Care Reversal & Ministerial Removal”
The Week
Why is so much of the internet still inaccessible to disabled people?
Much of the physical realm is more accommodating today than it was in 1990. There are fewer inaccessible stairs or swimming pools. More television shows are required to be captioned. The blind are offered alternative ways to fill out ballots. But the disabled community continues to struggle online. — S.E. Smith
NPR
Are Traumatized Students Disabled? A Debate Straight Outta Compton
The suit argues that trauma is a disability and that schools are required — by federal law — to make accommodations for traumatized students, not expel them. The plaintiffs want Compton Unified to provide teacher training, mental health support for students and to use conflict-mediation before resorting to suspension. — Cory Turner
Associated Press
State not getting mentally ill out of jail fast enough, monitor finds
Efforts by Washington state health officials to shorten the time mentally ill people wait in jails for competency services are failing to keep up with a growing demand and urgent measures are needed to deal with the backlogs, according to a court-ordered monitor. — Martha Belisle
Related: NPR, “Amid Backlash Against Isolating Inmates, New Mexico Moves Toward Change”
The Atlantic
Rewriting Autism History
It is clear now that Kanner and Asperger’s discoveries were neither independent nor simultaneous. And yet, even as Asperger’s ideas have achieved acceptance, history still endeavors to forget him. In late 2012, the American Psychiatric Association announced that the name Asperger’s syndrome would be dropped from subsequent editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. But his legacy—which is, essentially, being right about autism decades before anyone else—remains. — Elon Green
Chicago Tribune
Veterans fight for health care options closer to home
The Veterans Administration Choice Act, signed into law about a year ago, was supposed to ease backlogs in care for veterans by opening access to non-VA treatment options. But, advocates say, the VA could be doing a much better job providing health care to Northwest Indiana veterans by allowing them to use their benefits locally. … But local veterans say much more needs to be done to fix a system that requires some Indiana veterans to travel more than 70 miles to Chicago for treatment. … Veterans who live within 40 miles of Adam Benjamin VA Outpatient Center don’t qualify for a VA Choice voucher even if the specialty care they require is unavailable at the Crown Point facility. — Christin Nance Lazerus
Related: The Washington Post, “Military women are at the same risk of PTSD as men, study finds”
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