The Winkelmans have a son with autism, whose rights are covered by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The parents contested the school district’s plan for their son Jacob under IDEA. A family of modest means, the Winkelmans sought to represent their son in court, only to be told that a lawyer would be required, a lawyer they could not afford. The result: a barrier to a family’s legal rights.
Jacob’s father was forced to take a second job while his mother spent hours of her time researching previous court rulings and writing her own filings, which, though less expensive than hiring an attorney, nevertheless cost them $30,000. Disappointingly, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the family.
CTD heard about this outrageous case and signed onto an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Winkelmans’ right to represent their child in court. CTD was the only disability advocacy organization in the state to participate in this case of critical interest to parents of children with disabilities. On May 27, 2007, the Winkelmans and other parents of children with disabilities were vindicated when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the earlier decision. CTD is proud to have supported Jacob, his family and all parents to have the opportunity to have their case heard in a court of law whether or not they choose or can afford to hire an attorney to represent them.
This Oct. 19th and 20th, CTD will be holding its award winning Fourth Annual Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival, at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location in Austin. For the first time, this years’ festival will feature a student film competition, and each night will showcase short films of the competitions’ winners. The festival will also feature award winning short and feature films that provide an intriguing portrayal of people with disabilities. Renowned film professor and expert Dr. Laurence Becker will speak Saturday night on the role of disabilities in cinema. Dr. Becker will also speak at a press conference for local media at 6pm on Friday before the festival begins. For more information, go to www.ctdfilmfest.org
Friday, October 19
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Saturday, October 20
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Alamo Drafthouse offers a full service menu that includes appetizers, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and desserts. You can also order beer or wine by the glass. Drafthouse wait staff will take orders to your seated table so that you may dine while watching films. Food or drinks can also be enjoyed in the lobby during the meet/greet before the festival. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar 1120 S. Lamar, Austin (512) 476-1320 |
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Do you want to have control over your community care dollars? Do you or someone you know receive STAR Plus services in Travis, Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Lee or Williamson Counties? If so, you should know that CTD’s Consumer Directed Services Option is available for people who qualify for attendant care. YOU’RE the boss and CTD is your agent in this option, which allows you to hire and fire attendants, pay them higher wages or give them paid holidays off. And YOU choose who you want to be your attendants.
CTD helps you set a budget, cuts paychecks, handles all payroll, interfaces with the IRS and TWC, as well as handling administrative related duties. For more information on this exciting new way for you to have more freedom and independence, please contact CTD’s CDS Coordinator at (512) 263-1070 or at kbremer@cotwd.org.
The Texas Technology Access Program at The Center for Disability Studies, University of Texas at Austin has an assistive technology device loan program designed to meet the needs of persons not served by existing agency loan programs. This program will allow persons with disabilities, their families, educators, service providers and employers to borrow AT devices for six weeks and may be renewed if the device has not been requested by another borrower. This service is free and is available to anyone in Texas that meets the qualifications.
The program will give individuals and agencies an opportunity to borrow an AT device and use it in the individual's normal environments, they are then better able to determine if the device meets their needs or the needs of individual with disabilities they're serving. This will allow them to make an informed choice about which device to purchase or whether to purchase a device at all.
For more information on available devices or to download a Device Loan Request Form , please visit our website at http://tatp.edb.utexas.edu or call 1-800-828-7839 and a Loan Request Form will be mailed to you.
The Attendant Network is a free, online registry that allows users to create a profile and search for personal attendants. Users search and browse the profiles of personal attendants and can send and receive messages anonymously through the Web site. The service is currently offered for residents of Houston, Austin, D/FW, San Antonio and El Paso. Visit www.AttendantNetwork.org to signup.
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