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NDSC Governmental Affairs Newsline
January 21, 2015

NDSC signs letter urging withdrawal of appeal to U.S. Supreme Court because case puts ADA at risk

The National Down Syndrome Congress has joined with numerous other disability groups signing a letter (linked below), which was sent to the city and county of San Francisco, asking it to withdraw its certiorari petition in the Sheehan case, which the Supreme Court has accepted for review.  In the Sheehan case, the City of San Francisco asks the Supreme Court to hold that police officers are not required to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act, when encountering people with psychiatric disabilities. We believe this could have grave implications for all people with disabilities.

Re:  City and County of San Francisco v. Sheehan

Dear Mayor Lee and City Attorney Herrera:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations and individuals, representing millions of Americans with disabilities, we urge you to withdraw your appeal in the case of City and County of San Francisco v. Sheehan currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court.  Your appeal to the Supreme Court puts the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- the most comprehensive civil rights law for individuals with disabilities -- at risk...

...Individuals with many types of disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy, and deafness, face dangerous and often deadly consequences when law enforcement officials fail to follow federal disability rights laws...

(To read the letter in its entirety, please visit this link: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/Events/20150114ADALetter.htm)
Good News for Military Families

The FY 2015 Department of Defense reauthorization bill passed Congress and was signed by the President. This law includes a provision that would authorize payment of Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities to a special needs trust for permanently disabled dependent children.

This is great news for military families, who prior to the law's passage could only leave funds from the SBP to an individual. This would disqualify sons and daughters with disabilities from important federal programs like SSI and Medicaid.

Regulations will need to be written before action can be taken by families.  We will keep members apprised on actions taken to implement this bill.

NDSC envisions a world with equal rights and opportunities for people with Down syndrome.


National Down Syndrome Congress
30 Mansell Court, Suite 108
Roswell, GA  30076

800-232-6372; 770-604-9500