Prenatal Tests and Difficult Choices

Amy Harmon in an article in the New York Times entitled "Prenatal Test Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus" discusses the battle some parents of children with Down Syndrome are waging to educate people about the positives in their children's lives. According to the article 90 percent of pregnant women who are given a Down syndrome diagnosis have chosen to have an abortion.

"Convinced that more couples would choose to continue their pregnancies if they better appreciated what it meant to raise a child with Down syndrome, a growing group of parents are seeking to insert their own positive perspectives into a decision often dominated by daunting medical statistics and doctors who feel obligated to describe the difficulties of life with a disabled child. "

While the parents are not trying to prevent people from having abortions, they want to make sure that parents facing this decision have as much information at their disposal as possible. For these parents the issue is not political but moral. To raise a question I first touched upon when I started this site, is the high rate of abortions for fetuses with disabilities a statement about the way we as a society view these disabilities? If so, perhaps efforts like the ones these parents are making, can help change people perceptions.

Good Job VA?

According to an article by Hope Yen of the Associated Press, Congressman John Hall is introducing legislation that will place a hold on this year's bonuses for senior VA officials. "Under the measure, 2007 bonuses could not be released until the VA pares down its backlog to under 100,000 cases — a feat the VA has said could take many months, if not years. Currently, the backlog of claims ranges from between 400,000 to more than 600,000, with delays averaging 177 days." These bonuses figure to about 20 percent of their annual salaries. The bonuses add up to almost $4 millio, quite a large sum for an agency having trouble providing enough care for veterans returning from war.

Social Security and Disability Resource Center

For anyone interested in finding out more about Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or a host of other useful information please check out The Social Security and Disability Resource Center. The site also includes a forum where people can share their experiences or concerns.

Longer Tours Increases Mental Illness

An article in the Washington Post entitled “Troops at Odds with Ethics Standards" by Thomas Ricks and Ann Scott Tyson details a study into American soldiers’ psyches. “The study also found that the more often soldiers are deployed, the longer they are deployed each time, and the less time they spend at home, the more likely they are to suffer mental health problems such as combat trauma, anxiety and depression. That result is particularly notable given that the Pentagon has sent soldiers and Marines to Iraq multiple times and recently extended the tours of thousands of soldiers from 12 to 15 months.”

The authors of the study feel that the Iraq War might be more of a strain on troops than World War II or even Vietnam. Even though there have been fewer casualties in Iraq than the Vietnam War, the lack of a safe zone for troops in Iraq has provided the troops with few opportunities to let their guard down . The authors recommended giving soldiers breaks from the fighting during their tours and 18 to 36 month breaks between tours, neither of which is currently followed.

The study also found that 20 percent of the soldiers surveyed and 15 percent of the Marines appeared to suffer from depression, anxiety or stress.

An Athlete with a Disability May Qualify for the Olympics

The BBC is reporting about Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee from South Africa making an Olympic bid for the 100m, 200m, and 400m races. Predictably, some people are worried that his prosthetic limbs, called blades, are giving him an unfair advantage. The manufacturer argues that they are "passive devices" that lag behind the potential of biological legs. Oscar attributes his success to the fact that he trains harder.

Dole Demands Faster Disability Benefits

The News and Observer reported on efforts by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole to get more funding for the Social Security Administration so that disability benefits eligibility can be processed more quickly. Dole "told the leaders of the Senate Budget Committee that the agency needs more money to resuce the backlog and long delays in reviewing appeals for Social Security disability benefits."

The After-Effects of War

In today's New York Times, Bob Herbert, in Death of a Marine tells the story of a marine who died as a result of the Iraq War that is often over looked. Jeffrey Lucey served in Iraq when the war had just started. In his diary, he described a Scud explosion, “The noise was just short of blowing out your eardrums. Everyone’s heart truly skipped a beat. ... Nerves are on edge.” Jeffrey exhibited all the signs of deep depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. After being unable to receive adequate help from either the military or the Veterans' Administration, Jeffrey committed suicide. His parents Kevin and Joyce shared their story because they wanted more people to realize how dangerous post-traumatic stress disorder can be if not properly treated. Ms. Lucey said "We hear of so many suicides. We thought that if we told other people about Jeffrey they might see their loved ones mirrored in him, and maybe they would be more aggressive, or do something different than we did. We didn't feel we had the knowledge we needed and we lost our child." The Luceys have joined the antiwar organization Military Families Speak Out, and hope to bring the Iraq War to an end.

Walter Reed Just the Beginning

In yet another startling article by the Washington Post, Anne Hull and Dana Priest further uncover the problems facing veterans in need of medical support. In today's Post, "It Is Just Not Walter Reed" details how Walter Reed Hospital is merely a reflection of problems facing military health care throughout the country. Since the problems facing veterans at Walter Reed first came to light, veterans from across the country have responded with stories of their own detailing the horrible conditions they have experienced. Whether it is asbestos in the barracks in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, or scare tactics in Fort Dix, New Jersey to prevent soldiers from "signing sworn statements to assist fellow soldiers for their medical needs,"the system is in serious need of an overhaul.

Accommodations for the Maine Bar

An Associated Press article on Boston.com titled "Learning-disabled Law Graduates Sue for Bar Test Accommodations," discusses two law school graduates lawsuit against the Maine state board that administers the bar examination, for failing to give them adequate accommodations for their disabilities. Bruce Montogomery, 62, has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and has failed the bar four times. Toby Jandreau, 30, has a nonverbal learning disaility and has failed the bar twice after being denied extra time. In their lawsuit, the two seek a preliminary injunction that allow them to take the bar in February with additional time for both and a private room for Montgomery.

In 1998 a federal appeals court ruled that high schools and colleges had to make accommodations for people with learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia. The article explained that "in the applicants' requests, the bar examiners said their disabilities do not limit them enough to justify changing the test rules. The board said in letters to Montgomery and Jandreau that an applicant seeking accommodations must show a more "broad-based and substantial impact" that goes beyond the ability to perform on timed tests."

The outcome of this case could have national implications for all Bar exam takers.