Reopening State Parks and Limits on Accessible Parking

ACI recently wrote to the Mayor of Westfield in Union County regarding its policy on reopening its parks. Specifically, we are concerned these policies entail prohibiting parking at the parks, which unintentionally exclude people disabilities who require accessible parking.

As the state and municipal services begin to slowly reopen, ACI is closely monitoring how this gradual reopening will impact people with disabilities. Is your town not considering the rights of people with disabilities as it starts to reopen? Please let us know how the reopening has affected you.

Protect the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

ACI was one of 40 organizations to sign on to a letter sent to Congress to protect the rights of students with disabilities. If provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are waived, even temporarily, school-aged children with disabilities and their parents could lose their rights to participate in the public education system. IDEA requires schools to educate students with disabilities. It provides these students with the tools to succeed!

Making COVID-19 Testing for Homes Operated by DDD a Priority

ACI calls on the state Department of Human Services and NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities to make COVID-19 testing of all residents of group homes, SNFs and developmental centers, and other housing programs operated by DDD a priority, whether symptoms are present or not. You can read the letter that ACI recently sent to Carole Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Human Services, at the link below.

Nursing Home Liability in NJ

ACI continues to advocate for the health and safety of residents in nursing homes and similar facilities during the coronavirus pandemic. Our concerns were heightened when news broke of the deaths of 17 residents from coronavirus at the Andover Subacute Rehabilitation Center. We recently sent a letter to Governor Murphy expressing our concerns about the Governor's Executive Order regarding limiting liability of healthcare facilities, which he signed on April 1st. You can read the letter at the link below.

Addressing Food Insecurities of People with Disabilities During Pandemic

People with disabilities are impacted by stay at home orders and limitations on grocery delivery options due to COVID-19. SNAP online delivery is not an option available at all supermarkets. ACI has contacted the following supermarkets with suggestions on addressing the food insecurities of people with disabilities: ShopRite, Stop&Shop, Wegmans, ACME, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, ALDI and Walmart. You can read the letter and responses at the links below.

Hospital Visitation Policy

The NJ Department of Health (DOH) issued the hospital visitation policy for people with disabilities effective April 25, 2020.

DOE now considers a designated support person essential to patient care people with disabilities. As a result, hospitals must allow a designated support person to be with the individual during hospitalization. The policy needs to be broader including all disabilities that may require a support person. Please send your concerns to jean.devitto@doh.nj.gov

ACI, as well as many other advocacy groups and individuals, have been advocating on this issue for the past month. Thank you to all of those who sent letters to the Governor. Thank you to Paul Aronsohn, Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families and Christine Bakter, Associate Director who ensured our emails made it to the Governor's desk. We appreciate your efforts!

Be sure to read the letters that ACI sent out regarding this policy at the links below.

ACI and Advocates Provide Input on COVID-19 Policy

ACI was given the opportunity to provide comment on the document entitled, "Allocation of Critical Care Resources During a Public Health Emergency" issued by the NJ Department of Health on April 11, 2020. As the Health Department is finalizing its policy on how critical care resources are distributed during the coronavirus crisis, ACI and its partner advocates provided needed input to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities and their families/guardians are included.

Below is the letter that ACI sent to the Department of Health.