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I read a very interesting and thought-provoking editorial in Connecticut's Hartford Courant this morning and I wanted to share it - and its message.

Why? Because the concerns outlined in this article are not concerns unique to Connecticut. There are four other states that have yet to follow the national trend of privatizing their advocacy offices.

It's alarming - and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agrees. They have just released a new report stating (very officially) that Connecticut's Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities is not properly structured to provide that advocacy. And that's a problem.

In Connecticut's case, the Office of Protection and Advocacy is responsible for several jobs that create a conflict of interest in regards to their advocacy mission. The example cited in this particular editorial is a building owner applying for an exception to a handicapped-accessible rule.

As you may have guessed, P&A is the agency that decides whether or not to grant a waiver. And that's just not right. As the article's author says, "P&A should not be in a position of weighing the needs of disabled people against the needs of building owners."

As an organization that has to ensure that state law is followed, the Office of Protection and Advocacy is designed to protect and advocate for the state which may sometimes prevent them from being able to truly (and unbiasedly) advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities.

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My Facebook newsfeed is full of people sharing this Business Insider article, titled "This regional grocery chain just beat out Trader Joe's to be named best in America." 

The article is about Wegmans, one of my favorite stores, favorite places to be, and alltime favorite brands. The article talks about what a great employer the 88-store company is - mentioning college scholarships, healthcare, and customer service training - but they neglect one very important fact. Wegmans is a model employer when it comes to being inclusive and hiring people with disabilities. 

In fact, just yesterday I received an event notification for a local Employment First Conference happening here at Rochester at the end of the month. I wasn't at all surprised to see that it's being presented by Wegmans. 

The workshops look as if they will be incredibly valuable, with the following topics and titles being presented: 

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Last May, I wrote this blog post about Google's (then) new Impact Challenge - which offered grant money to organizations who wanted to use technology to make the world more accessible for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. 

They've just announced the thirty organization who will collectively receive more than $20 million. 

The winners are located throughout thirteen countries, with the largest grant going to our dear friends and partners at The Arc of the United States.  The 1.4 million they're receiving will be used to create an online tool that will help people with cognitive disabilities find the best apps and assistive technologies to meet their own individual goals.

To check out all of the organizations and projects that received grants and learn more about the initiative, check out the Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities page. 
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