News
September 2020 Newsletter
October 14, 2020
New Voting Information
A new law has been passed allowing all voters to vote absentee in the November General Election under the “State of Emergency” reason. To get up to date information about voting this November go to the SC State Election Commission 2020 FAQ page. You can find more information about how to vote absentee in our video on Voting Absentee During the Pandemic .
Covid-19 Education Resources
Covid-19 has posed challenging issues for parents and schools districts as districts work to reopen to educate students safely and parents work through returning their children back to school. Here are some resources to help you.
P&A “Questions and Answers on Covid-19 and 2020/2021 Special Education in Public School”.
South Carolina Department of Education Covid 19 Page
Family Connection of South Carolina Resource Page
US Department of Education Covid Resources
US Department of Education Covid-19 Q&A IDEA Part B Provisions of Services
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a crusader for justice and disability rights. As the author of the landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision, Judge Ginsburg freed Americans with disabilities from a life of segregation and isolation by affirming the right to live and receive services in the community of their choice. Her opinion also expanded the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act to people with mental health disabilities. P&A is grateful for her many years of service.
New P&A 2020-2021 Goals Approved by the Board
Each year P&A develops goals to guide what we will work on in the next year. Before we do this we conduct a survey to gather input from the community. Unfortunately, P&A does not receive enough funding to address all the issues people with disabilities face. It is important to note that these goals do not include all our services. We will continue to provide core services such as conducting training, outreach and information services. Here are the new 2020-2021 Goals.
Major Victory For the National Association of the Deaf
A federal district court has ordered the White House to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, live streamed on its website (whitehouse.gov/live), for all public briefings held by the President, Vice President, and Press Secretary that address the COVID-19 pandemic. The order requires that an ASL interpreter be provided at any coronavirus briefing held on White House grounds or at any federal agency. The Court has also ordered the White House to make the interpreter feed available to all TV networks in a manner that will allow those networks to show the interpreter in their live feeds. The injunction will take effect on October 1, 2020. Once the order becomes effective on October 1, it will be the first time in history that any President of the United States has provided live American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for any televised press briefing.