March 2026
Volume 19 Issue 5
Ocean air, boardwalk memories — let’s go to the beach! (Recorded)
Artificial Intelligence: Problems and Possibilities for People with Disabilities (Recorded)
The U.S. Access Board has published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) asking for public comment on developing a technical standard for universal changing stations. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 requires the Access Board to issue these standards for sponsors of medium and large hub airports seeking airport development project grants.
While these new technical standards would not currently fall under the ADA, U.S. Access Board standards can become enforceable when they are adopted by an enforcement agency like in this example from 2024 when the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) adopted the Access Board’s Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) for enforcement under the ADA.
A universal changing table (also known as an “adult changing table”) is a table on which an individual with a disability receives assistance from a caregiver with toileting. They are used by individuals with a range of disabilities and medical conditions, who may be wheelchair users, older adults, or children, teens, or adults with developmental disabilities, among others.
The Board requests general information and comments on whether to incorporate an existing industry standard or develop a new standard, elements that should be included within the room where a universal changing table is located, and associated costs.
Public comments are due by April 20, 2026. All comments will be posted to the public docket ABA-2026-0001 on the Regulations.gov website, including any personal information provided. Individuals may submit comments through the federal registrar, by email or by mail.
Learn More: U.S. Access Board Press Release on the ANPRM for Universal Changing Stations
Funding the ADA’s Promise
This article looks at government funding and its role in fulfilling the promise of the ADA. The main spending areas it looks at are education, employment, health, independent living, housing, transportation, and civil rights. Learn more about recent trends in disability program spending and the impact it has on Americans with disabilities.
ICE Operation Brings Heightened Fear to the Disability Community
“I am not afraid of deportation. I am a citizen and have done nothing wrong. I am afraid of miscommunication.” Deaf Minnesotans, like Mai Vang, and other individuals with disabilities have reported heightened fear of violence and disability rights violations related to ICE’s recent Operation Metro Surge. Learn more about the experiences of Minnesotans with disabilities related to recent ICE activity in the state. This comes after last year’s report about ICE’s treatment of detainees with disabilities.
Poll Results: People Over 65 Tend Not to Identify as ‘Disabled’
Disclosing a disability is a crucial step to access accommodations and other rights under the ADA. However, a recent University of Michigan (UofM) poll found that many people over the age of 65 do not self-identify as disabled despite having conditions or impairments that would qualify. Learn more about disability self-identification in older Americans.
Chicago Charter School Investigated Over Special Education Violations
The Illinois State Board of Education has escalated their investigation into violations of special education law at Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy. State officials estimate Instituto failed to provide more than 100 students with disabilities the services they were legally entitled to last school year, amounting to a loss of between 12,000 to 80,000 minutes of instruction.
Learn more: Illinois investigating Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy for special education violations
New MA in Deaf Education at Butler University
Butler University, located in Indianapolis, IN, announced that they will launch a new Master of Arts degree in Deaf Education for fall 2026. This program will prepare educators to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families by using listening and spoken language approaches.
Learn more: Butler University to launch degree in deaf education in fall
New College Acting Class Helps Students with Disabilities
The University of Indianapolis is introducing a new acting class to help students with learning-related disabilities as part of their existing Build program. The class focuses on teaching students different life skills which they can take with them after graduation. From being innovative during improv games to building confidence in different scenes to developing mental flexibility, it’s all about collaborating with others in new ways.
Learn more: New college acting class helping students with learning-related disabilities
New Toolkit Helps Michigan Communities Design Homes for Everyone
This new Inclusive Design Toolkit created by Disability Advocates of Kent County, the Michigan Association of Planning, and the Michigan Disability Network guides planners and developers to build accessible housing that supports aging residents and people with disabilities.
Learn more: New toolkit helps Michigan communities design homes for everyone
Special Ed Services Case Lingers Years After COVID Shutdown
In a federal complaint filed against the Michigan Department of Education in 2021, the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights investigated and determined that Michigan failed to provide proper information about compensatory services or identify someone in charge of federal compliance. No agreement was reached and the issue was referred to an administrative law judge where it awaits a ruling. The Michigan Department of Education has since filed a motion to dismiss the case.
Learn more: Michigan fight over special ed services lingers, years after COVID shutdown
Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) reached a settlement with Lyft to resolve a complaint filed under their state civil rights law. In the complaint, a blind rider stated that Lyft drivers repeatedly canceled rides because she was traveling with her guide dog. As part of the agreement, riders nationwide now have the option of disclosing when they are traveling with a service animal. This MDHR video shows how to update your settings in the Lyft app.
Learn more: Lyft settles service animal discrimination complaint in Minnesota
New Report on Child Confinement in Minnesota Schools
Using their monitoring and investigative authority, Legal Aid’s Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) attorneys visited seclusion rooms in Minnesota schools and released their findings in a comprehensive report, complete with a gallery of photos.
Learn more: Mid-MN Legal Aid releases report on child confinement in Minnesota schools
Community Input on Long COVID Needed
The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) and Minnesota Department of Health are collaborating to provide Minnesota’s disability communities with information about how Long COVID overlaps with protections under the ADA.
Learn more: Share your COVID and Long COVID experience
Ohio Children Face Barriers to Mental Health Services
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has published a brief listing three key findings: workforce challenges, difficulties with access to care and lack of data on access to mental healthcare. They report that families around the state are encountering various barriers to treatment, including critical provider shortages, high costs of care and difficulties navigating the health and insurance systems.
Learn more: Access to mental health care for Ohio children and youth
Supported Decision-Making and Transition Toolkit
As a result of requests made in their annual survey, Disability Rights Ohio has launched a Supported Decision-Making and Transition Toolkit. This resource was designed to help individuals with disabilities explore options for assistance in things like powers of attorney, education, and options outside of guardianship that are less restrictive. These tools can also help people with a guardian make important decisions alongside their guardian.
Learn more: Supported Decision-Making and Transition Toolkit
New Employment and Education Self-Advocacy Resources
Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) has new self-advocacy resources related to education and employment. These include an FAQ on Language Access in Schools as well as information about the state’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Learn more: New Employment and Education Self-Advocacy Resources
Teacher Shortage for Blind and Low Vision Students
Special education professionals are hoping incentives and partnerships with universities will help to fill a major staffing shortage of teachers for blind and low vision students. The article notes that the shortage extends beyond children's services to adult resources and age-related blindness. In rural areas, access is even more limited.
Learn more: Educators for visually impaired aim to boost recruitment, awareness
2026 National ADA Symposium Registration Stipend: Apply Now!
This year, the Great Lakes ADA Center will continue our tradition of supporting attendance from our six-state region at the virtual or on-site Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona. Applications are due March 13, 2026. Learn how to apply for a 2026 National ADA Symposium Registration Stipend.
Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS)
REYAAS is a partnership with the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) seeking to identify policies and practices that support the employment of young adults on the autism spectrum. Check out the research and resources developed by REYAAS.
ADA Mini-Unit for High Schoolers
We are excited to announce that the ADA National Network (ADANN) has released a tool called the “ADA Mini-Unit for High School Educators: Rights, Responsibilities, and the Reasons They Matter.” This resource gives high school educators tools, including a PowerPoint presentation, to teach students about the basics of the ADA. Visit the ADA National Network webpage to learn more and download the mini-unit.
Answer: It depends, but whether a polling place is located at a local library, school, fire station, church or other designated location, qualified people with disabilities must have equal access to vote even if the location is not fully accessible.
The 2010 ADA Standards contain requirements for temporary and permanent structures in the built-environment. At a polling place, this could apply to parking facilities, curb ramps, entrances/doorways, restrooms, waiting areas, ballot boxes, and other physical elements of the space. Some older facilities and elements that existed prior to the ADA may not meet the 2010 ADA Standards if they have not been altered since the law went into effect.
Even if a polling place is not accessible, Title II of the ADA still protects people with disabilities from program discrimination. Under this requirement, state and local government programs—when viewed in their entirety—must be accessible to people with disabilities even if their facilities are not accessible
Providing program access at a polling place could require physical changes to the facility or temporary modifications such as adding a ramp or providing accessible portable restrooms. Non-structural methods could also be used, like providing accessible mail-in voting or offering early voting at alternative accessible locations (e.g. a clerk’s office).
When choosing among available options, a public entity must prioritize methods that offer programs in the most integrated setting appropriate. This means that voters with disabilities should be given equal access to vote at the same time, through the same methods and at the same places as non-disabled voters, where possible.
Resource(s):
Learn more by visiting our ADA Frequently Asked Questions.
Geisinger Health will pay $450,000 and provide other equitable relief to settle a lawsuit that they engaged in policies and practices that denied reasonable accommodations to workers with disabilities, including job-protected leave and reassignment without competition.
EEOC v William Beaumont Hospital
William Beaumont Hospital, now known as Corewell Health East, will pay compensatory damages and provide other relief to settle allegations the hospital refused to place a qualified nurse into certain part-time vacancies as a reasonable accommodation.
EEOC v. Urologic Specialists of Oklahoma, Inc.
Urologic Specialists will pay $90,000 and furnish other relief to settle a pregnancy and disability discrimination lawsuit. According to the suit, Urologic Specialists denied reasonable accommodations to a medical assistant during the final trimester of her high-risk pregnancy. Rather than allow the medical assistant to sit, take short breaks, or work part-time, as recommended by her doctor, the medical practice forced her to take unpaid leave and refused to guarantee her job when she returned to work.
Wilson Logistics will pay $50,000 to a deaf applicant and furnish other relief to settle allegations that they refused to hire the applicant as a truck driver based on their disability. The applicant possessed a commercial driver’s license, relevant experience and an exemption from regulatory hearing requirements by the U.S. Department of Transportation. When the applicant spoke to Wilson through a video relay service, the company’s representative told him the company does not hire individuals who communicate through sign language.
Zarn v Minnesota Department of Human Services
In this case, a Minnesota Department of Human Services employee challenged weekly COVID testing under the ADA. The 8th Circuit found the testing requirements consistent with business necessity and relied on EEOC guidance related to COVID testing as a medical exam.
The settlement agreement requires that students with disabilities in foster care who are placed in psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs) attend school in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs and that students educated on site at PRTFs are provided with equal educational opportunities.
DOJ v New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (“PARKS”) and Historic House Trust (“HHT”)
Under this settlement, the New York City Parks Department agreed to a capital project that will make the Van Cortlandt House Museum more accessible to visitors with disabilities. This decision aims to resolve violations under the ADA.
DOJ v Special School District of St. Louis County
The DOJ has issued a settlement agreement after a 21-month-long investigation concluded that this St. Louis school district routinely subjected students with disabilities to ineffective seclusion practices that violate the ADA. During the two-year period covered by the investigation, the District secluded over 300 students almost 4,000 times and restrained almost 150 students 777 times.
DOJ Statement of Interest - Alcazar v. Fashion Nova Inc.
The DOJ has filed a Statement of Interest arguing that a proposed class action settlement involving the accessibility of an apparel company’s website. The Department argued the proposed injunctive relief for class members is not meaningful because it merely recites the ADA obligation to make visually delivered materials available to individuals who are blind or low vision with no confirmation or enforcement mechanism.
