DRTx in the News
Advocacy group alleges Abbott’s executive order unfairly harms kids with disabilities Excerpt: “Disability Rights Texas filed the first federal lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott over his ban on mask mandates,… Continue reading “Disability Rights Texas files federal lawsuit against Gov. Abbott over school mask mandate ban”
After July 1 deadline, 77 evaluations still not complete On June 30, Austin ISD made an announcement: its once-egregious backlog of hundreds of uncompleted special education evaluations was “no more.” The backlog, which… Continue reading “Has AISD Cleared its Special Education Backlog, or Not?”
Caroline Cheevers still recalls the panic. With Winter Storm Uri killing power across Houston, there seemed no help for her daughter, Hailey, a medically fragile 10-year-old who requires electricity to… Continue reading “New law requires wellness checks during crises for the medically fragile who depend on power”
Ebonie Baltimore got a call on March 1 from the group home where her nephew, Xavier Hernandez, lived. Something had happened to Hernandez at school, the caller said, and he’d… Continue reading “Fort Worth student with autism died after being restrained at school. What happened?”
Olivia Esparza grew desperate as she watched her daughter, Diana, get colder and colder in the February freeze. Diana, 20, has a condition called Rett syndrome and is non-verbal and… Continue reading “‘I don’t know who cares about us’: How Texas failed people with disabilities during the freeze”
While the February winter storm impacted nearly all Texans, it put people with disabilities in perhaps the most difficult spots. A new survey revealed the stories of people who struggled… Continue reading “Survey reveals what struggles Texans with disabilities had to deal with during the winter storm”
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) and Susman Godfrey LLP on Monday announced that they are filing a lawsuit against Austin ISD, claiming that the district is failing thousands of students with disabilities. The lawsuit claims… Continue reading “Austin ISD Sued Over Student Disability Evaluations”
Last week’s storm made it clear there’s no safety net for disabled Texans during a disaster. Advocates say that can be a death sentence. Like many Texans, Rafael Garcia couldn’t… Continue reading “‘We Have No Safety Net’: Disability Rights Advocates Speak Out After Winter Storm”
School system tries to keep up with its workload and comply with legal mandates Trasell Underwood doesn’t know how hard it will be yet. Underwood adopted her son when he… Continue reading “AISD’s Special Education System Struggles to Keep Up”
Freezing temperatures and winter storms have caused widespread power outages across the country leaving people with disabilities and chronic illnesses scrambling to find ways to access life-saving medical supplies and charge… Continue reading “They have chronic illnesses. Then, the power went out in Texas. ‘It’s been emotionally exhausting.’”