The BTPM Disabilities Beat is dedicated to promoting equity and acceptance by amplifying marginalized voices, holding corporations and governments accountable, and combatting misinformation and stigma through education about the disability community.
Coverage highlights the often-overlooked implications of economic, educational, policy, and environmental factors on the disability community, offering regional and national perspectives. Key topics include:
- Economic Disparities: Examining wage gaps for employees with disabilities and employment opportunities
- Civic Participation: Investigating the accessibility of ballot machines and voter resources
- Mobility and Accessibility: Addressing paratransit availability and infrastructure needs
- Policy Impact: Analyzing legislation and its effects on the lives of people with disabilities
Hear reports from the Disabilities Beat every Wednesday on BTPM NPR during Morning Edition and All Things Considered for impactful reports in about 5 minutes. These stories aim to spark meaningful conversations and drive positive change in our communities.
The BTPM Disabilities Beat is funded in part by the Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation.
Latest from the WBFO Disabilities Beat
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On April 30th at 12 p.m., BTPM's Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins will host a live interview with Maria Perrin, the president of PPL, the new single statewide fiscal intermediary (FI) for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). -
This week on the Disabilities Beat, BTPM NPR's Emyle Watkins talks with Western New York Independent Living's Douglas Usiak about concerns over the Erie County Sheriff's "Handle With Care" Registry. -
Leaders in the local disability community say they oppose a new initiative from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office to create a registry of disabled people for use in emergencies.
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Last week, parties to a federal lawsuit against New York State's Department of Health filed and a judge approved a preliminary injunction which will create new protections for consumers and their personal assistants who are transitioning to a new company running the state's home care program. -
Some disabled people who use New York State’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP, will now be able to stick with the previous company who handled their workers' pay, for a brief time. -
If the preliminary injunction is approved by the judge, some consumers and their personal assistants will be able to stick with their original fiscal intermediary – but not indefinitely. -
Big news is expected today in a federal lawsuit challenging New York's transition to a single company running its Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP. -
The federal court ruling halted plans to end the state's work with over 600 companies that currently administer New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP.
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While New Yorkers will have to wait until at least the end of the week to know what's in the final budget, the legislature has previously indicated it would support $22 million for Daniel's Law. Daniel's Law would provide trained crisis response teams of EMTs, peers, and mental health professionals to respond to a crisis rather than police. -
Earlier this month, WBFO's Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins joined mental health advocates as they traveled from Buffalo to Albany to push for peer-led, voluntary services in the state’s budget. -
Recently, WBFO Disability reporter Emyle Watkins went on the road to cover a group of advocates as they made their way from Buffalo to Albany to challenge topics such as involuntary treatment, Kendra’s Law, and more. -
Additional WBFO Disabilities Reporting
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The closing of a prominent Buffalo pain doctor's clinic several years ago raised questions. But forgotten in the mix was what happened to his chronic pain patients, that came to him with a legitimate concern? The aftermath of Dr. Eugene Gosy's clinic closure has highlighted the challenges Americans face in getting chronic pain treatment while our country confronts the opioid epidemic. -
Governor Kathy Hochul’s Executive Budget included $1 million for Special Olympics New York. WBFO’s Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins first reported in December that the organization was asking the state for at least $1.5 million in the next budget to prevent program cuts. Watkins spoke with their CEO after the budget was released to get her reaction. -
On Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul shared her vision for New York in her State of the State address, which often previews what may be included in her budget proposal. WBFO’s Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins spoke with the head of a local disability services agency to get her reaction. -
Ahead of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State address, one disability organization is asking the state to make a change that could rescue important programs for people with disabilities. -
Delaware North committed to a $100,000 donation to support unified sports programs in local schools. -
If you’ve ever been to a fundraiser at a restaurant, you know it’s a chance to have a great time with friends and support a cause. But for a local woman with a disability, a trip to Tully’s Good Times in Cheektowaga for a Special Olympics fundraiser, ended up being a bad time, as she was left to eat her meal off of a chair. -
One hundred years after a league we all know, the National Football League, was founded, another league launched with the hope of expanding access to football. WBFO’s Emyle Watkins shares how this new sport held a national tournament in New York State for the first time ever this October. -
Five months after WBFO published an investigation into at-its-face violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Buffalo quietly welcomed its first full-time ADA coordinator. WBFO’s Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins sat down with her to learn more about her background and goals for the city. -
This back-to-school season, Walmart announced sensory hours. WBFO asked parents and neurodivergent adults if these sensory hours were helpful to their experiences. -
Summer - it is a time of year widely romanticized in books, movies and TV. Grand adventures, grand gestures, falling in love…. But how much feels really authentic, like something you could have gone through? This summer, a local author has a new book that brings a fresh and relatable take on the great summer romance novel. WBFO’s Emyle Watkins has more.
