Alabama
DOJ: Alabama foster care program discriminates against students with disabilities
![DOJ: Alabama foster care program discriminates against students with disabilities](https://gray-wbrc-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/pSkDuZE3-OlcWR1uTz-Jcc4N7R4=/1200x600/smart/filters:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/RARDLJ2GXRBULLTL7EONXCGDBU.bmp)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The U.S. Division of Justice says Alabama’s foster care program has discriminated in opposition to kids with disabilities in state psychiatric services.
The federal authorities says Alabama’s foster program has illegally positioned lots of of scholars with disabilities into “segregated and inferior instructional packages”. The DOJ says that’s a direct violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
The Justice Division says the state’s foster care system should present college students with a high quality schooling, however some college students positioned in psychiatric residential remedy services don’t all the time obtain ample instruction and are denied entry to libraries, science labs and gymnasiums.
“It’s a large number throughout,” Birmingham legal professional Tommy James stated.
Native legal professional Tommy James has 10 instances involving alleged abuse and neglect inside these psychiatric services across the state. James isn’t stunned on the DOJ’s findings.
“It principally confirms what my shoppers have been telling me for years. There’s little to no schooling within the services,” James stated.
James tells us these kids are already traumatized going into these services.
“It’s said all through the report that these kids, primarily based on what the state is doing and what operators of the services are doing, they’re establishing these kids to fail. These are our most weak kids we’re speaking about,” James stated.
State schooling leaders saying Thursday they’re working with Alabama DHR management to rectify the state of affairs and convey Alabama into compliance.
“We’re dedicated to each baby getting a high-quality schooling, that features kids who’re in psychiatric care. It contains all kids who’ve particular wants. And so we wish to know what DOJ instructed and we’ll take a look at these adjustments and I’m positive there will probably be some adjustments down the street, however I can’t touch upon what particularly they may be but,” State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey stated.
A spokesperson for the governor says state schooling and DHR have been working proactively since 2018 to deal with the wants of our specialised remedy facilities. The assertion goes onto say a prime precedence of the Ivey administration is to make sure each Alabama pupil has the power to obtain a high quality schooling.
You possibly can learn extra concerning the DOJ’s findings right here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-alabama-s-foster-care-system-violates-americans-disabilities-act
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Alabama
Update: Heat advisory affecting Alabama until Saturday night
![Update: Heat advisory affecting Alabama until Saturday night](https://www.al.com/resizer/v2/LZJBAIIULVCQNDPVXVGJ3VX3JU.png?auth=56ea692a057079573f94c4092ba9ec35637aabf83e9fb164987f684c6ba8b1ab&width=1280&quality=90)
On Saturday at 1:12 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated heat advisory valid for Saturday between noon and 9 p.m. for Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Greene counties.
The weather service states, “Heat index values up to 105 degrees to 107 expected.”
“Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,” describes the weather service.
Hot weather safety: Weather service tips for staying safe and healthy
- Stay hydrated: Keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
- Seek cool shelter: Stay in an air-conditioned room.
- Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and make sure to check up on relatives and neighbors.
- Child and pet safety: Take every precaution to never leave young children and pets alone in vehicles, especially in extreme heat when car interiors can quickly become hazardous.
- Caution outdoors: If you must work or spend time outdoors, take extra precautions.
- Time your activities wisely: Whenever possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours when temperatures are more manageable.
- Recognize heat-related issues: Familiarize yourself with warning signs and how tp recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- Dress comfortably: Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing to stay cool.
Additional recommendations for outdoor workers:
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas for outdoor workers.
- If someone succumbs to the heat, promptly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.
- In emergency situations, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
These NWS heat safety directives are essential for safeguarding your well-being when facing high temperatures. Stay well-informed and take the necessary precautions to shield yourself and others from the potential hazards of extreme heat.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Alabama
Alabama News Center receives top honors from National Federation of Press Women
![Alabama News Center receives top honors from National Federation of Press Women](https://alabamanewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NFPW-2024-Awards-Ceremony.jpg)
Alabama
U.W.A. is first in Alabama to offer a Master of Dyslexia Therapy degree
![U.W.A. is first in Alabama to offer a Master of Dyslexia Therapy degree](https://gray-wtok-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S7CW2EVZLJD2HDOTZMTHQZTEGE.png?auth=1d3379351c9a577866e00b5a990091c9eff5d6d09693fdd59010981bff9399d4&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
LIVINGSTON, Ala. (WTOK) – The University of West Alabama is launching a new degree this fall, the Master of Dyslexia Therapy program .
According to the International Dyslexia Association 15-20% of the population is dyslexic. That’s one in every five people.
“A lot of times parents see their children come home and they are just struggling to read,” said Sara Reynolds, Coordinator of Clinical Experience. “They are struggling to really capture and decode these words.”
Dyslexia is a learning challenge that is neurological, characterized by difficulties in reading and spelling ability.
“Without that their comprehension skills are going to lack and so with this program we are able to kind of screen those and give them a really good baseline to see where those children are struggling at,” said Reynolds.
The goal of the program is to enhance the number of equipped Dyslexia Therapists ready to help students soar.
“The program is a two-year program. It is thirty hours of course work and throughout those two years you will complete 720 hours of clinical experience. It begins really after you start the program, so this first cohort will begin in Fall I,” said Reynolds. “During the Fall II, which is in about mid- October, you will begin to actually be an actual dyslexia therapist-in-training. So those people will be in the schools wherever they are already employed at or we will partner them with local schools in their area to where they will actually give those services to those students in those schools.”
Studies show that Dyslexia Therapy is working, thanks to educators willing to pave the path toward a brighter future, one student at a time.
For more information on how you can apply for the program visit: https://online.uwa.edu/online-degrees/med-master-education-degree-dyslexia-therapy/.
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