This week we have two (fairly dire) updates: a legal case that has dragged on for more than 15 years, yet another British social safety net under fire and some good disability-related coverage from the New York Times.
Judge ends federal oversight of special education in New Orleans Schools
Safura Syed, Verite News
Since 2010, New Orleans education officials have been under intense scrutiny. It was then, close to 16 years ago, that the parents of Disabled students sued, arguing—as they still do today—that charter schools used a discriminatory application process and failed to provide federally required support. A judgment from 2015 meant that multiple educational bodies, including the Orleans Parish School Division and the Louisiana Department of Education, would be observed by an independent monitor.
That ended on March 31 after a U.S. district judge decided that the monitoring could end. The plaintiffs, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), argue that education officials still have much work to do. While the independent monitor’s reviews have been favorable, SPLC lawyers countered, saying in response to the ruling, that these findings amount to “paper compliance” and accommodations for Disabled students remain inadequate under the law.
It is unclear what steps the plaintiffs will now take.
From the Story: “While we have seen some progress over the past 10 years, the school system still cannot guarantee that students with disabilities will receive the services they are entitled to under law. ”— Neil Ranu, lawyer for the plaintiffs
Doctors Couldn’t Help Them. They Rolled the Dice With A.I.
Maggie Astor, New York Times
The NYT’s disability coverage can be hit-or-miss, but this story looked at how many people—especially women with chronic health conditions—are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to fill in the gaps left by doctors who don’t take them seriously. What did they find? That more people are relying on unreliable information from chatbots and similar services than ever before, demonstrating Disabled people’s eroding trust in the medical system. Misinformation is also rife within Disability-led circles and pieces like this one have to leave you wondering how many people AI can harm before it gets reined in.
From the Story: “The medical system really failed me…Is it a good thing to be depending on A.I. for medical advice? I don’t think so. But it’s the option that’s available.” — Margie Smith, interviewee
Motability drivers ‘horrified’ by compulsory black-box trackers
Beth Rose, BBC
Motability, a program run by a British charity in a cross-sector effort with the government and private industry that provides low-cost vehicle leases for disabled people and their families, is facing changes that have users unhappy. The U.K. has become increasingly hostile to marginalized people — most notably those in the trans community — but disabled people have long been under the microscope as well, with financial cuts continuing to worsen a cost-of-living crisis.
Motability drivers under 30 will now be required to install tracking devices used by insurance companies, even if they are not the ones driving. There will also be a marked increase in costs for those included in the program due to tax exemptions on the leases that the government no longer offers. This means, among other restrictions, that drivers will have to pay 25 pence per mile (about 33 cents) once they’ve reached 10,000 miles. That rate used to be 5 pence per mile once over 20,000 miles.
Drivers interviewed for the article argue that the “black boxes,” which are used by many insurance companies, are unfair to disabled drivers and that these new restrictions limit the freedom the program has offered since its founding in 1978.
From the Story: “As a disabled person, my independence could be taken away as a result of a non-disabled person’s actions” — Keron Day, actor and advocate
Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s Death Was a Homicide
Julia Métraux, Mother Jones
In an update from our March 2 roundup, Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death has been declared a homicide. If you need a refresher, Shah Alam was abandoned by U.S. Border Patrol agents on the streets of Buffalo. Blind and with the ability to speak minimal English, Alam was detained for a year under dubious circumstances; the county’s medical examiner found that he died from a combination of dehydration and hypothermia leading to a perforated ulcer.
While administrators are quick to point out that labeling a death as a homicide doesn’t have any bearing on the justice system or legal culpability, Alam’s death has ignited debate in the courts of public and political opinion. As Métraux notes, New York Attorney General Letitia James has shown an interest in the case, while the Department of Homeland Security has publicly claimed that Alam didn’t need any disability-related support.
From the Story: “Mr. Shah Alam fled genocide to build a life in this country…Instead, he was abandoned and left to suffer alone in his final hours.” — Letitia James, New York Attorney General
Canadian woman held with daughter by ICE is released after nearly three weeks of detention
Olivia Bowden, the Guardian
In another detention-related story, Tania Warner and her autistic daughter have been released after detention by ICE agents in Texas for close to three weeks. Their bond was $9,500. The pair had been detained in two separate facilities in Texas and Warner has repeatedly spoken about her ill treatment by authorities via media appearances made by her husband. Now fitted with an ankle monitor, Warner awaits hearings to find out whether—despite appearing to have a work permit that is valid for multiple years—she and her daughter will be allowed to stay.
From the Story: “They’re abusive, and their tactics are to threaten you and to be so inhospitable that you deport yourself… My life is here with my husband. I love him. I don’t want to leave. But at the same time, I’ve gotten a really ugly taste in my mouth for the United States.” — Tania Warner
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