Category: Disability Rights Highlights

Poverty Programs Work When They Address Needs

by Dennis Parker, Saima Akhtar, and Sara Lunden A recent New York Times article, “How Poverty Programs Aided Children From One Generation to the Next,” looks in-depth at benefits programs in the U.S through the experiences of several…

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Disability rights suit against Suffolk DSS reaches preliminary settlement

NCLEJ’s case Newkirk v. Pierre was featured in Crain’s New York Business Health Pulse Newsletter. Read the article here. Read more about this class action settlement for Suffolk County residents with disabilities who could not access the reasonable…

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Federal Court Preliminarily Approves Settlement to Improve Access to Public Benefits for People with Disabilities in Suffolk County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact for comments: Jordan Berger, NCLEJ Skadden Fellow, berger@nclej.org, 646-680-8906Saima Akhtar, Senior Attorney, akhtar@nclej.org, 646-558-6152Linda Hassberg, Senior Attorney, Empire Justice Center, lhassberg@empirejustice.org, 631-533-5272 A federal district court judge in the Eastern District of New York…

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This is What Fighting for Disability Rights Looks Like

by Jordan Berger, NCLEJ Skadden Fellow Today is the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On this anniversary, it is important to reflect on the progress the disability community has made towards inclusion and equity….

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Missouri judge denies state’s request to dismiss federal SNAP lawsuit

The following excerpts were reprinted from Missouri Independent. Read the the full article. This article was also reposted in Fulton Sun. Mary Holmes says she subsisted on hardly any food for over a month as she struggled to…

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Missouri Case Moves Forward to Secure Access to SNAP Food Benefits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Zavé Martohardjono | martohardjono@nclej.org  For years, Missourians have faced problems and been wrongfully rejected when applying for SNAP benefits because of difficulties navigating the state’s Department of Social Services’ application process. Missourians—especially people with…

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New York Ends Mortgage Requirement for Homeowners Who Receive Welfare Benefits

The Social Services Law 106 was repealed in the New York State Budget. This important and necessary reform was long overdue. As a result of the repeal and subsequent guidance issued by the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance,…

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Good news from Missouri: Plaintiffs have started receiving SNAP benefits

Plaintiffs in our lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Social Services have received interviews and started receiving benefits after months of being unable to get through to the State Agency’s failing call center— a barrier that has caused thousands of eligible households to be…

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Lawsuit Exposes Missouri’s Failure to Provide SNAP Benefits, Denying Food Aid to Thousands

MISSOURI — The National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, and Stinson LLP filed a lawsuit today on behalf of Empower Missouri and two low-income Missourians against the state’s Department of Social…

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Private developers will be required to remedy toxic mold, under ADA

Some good news in a case that NCLEJ has been working on for nearly a decade: NYCHA residents, including those living in buildings operated by Section 8 private developers*, will be afforded protection against the build-up of toxic…

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