2019 News & Alerts

September 9, 2019 – Bazelon Center Statement on the Passing of Marca Bristo
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law mourns the passing of Marca Bristo, the longtime disability rights leader who founded and for decades led Access Living, the Chicago-based independent living center, and served as chair of the National Council on Disability. Read the statement (PDF).

August 5, 2019 – Bazelon Center Statement on the Recent El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio Shootings
Once again, as on far too many past occasions, our hearts break for the victims of mass violence, their families and friends, and their communities. This time, those communities were El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. In one of these incidents, the shooter appears to have acted out of hatred and fear of immigrants. Read the full statement (PDF).

July 26, 2019 – Bazelon Center Statement on Celebrating the 29th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
This week marks the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA. One of America’s most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation, the ADA is a landmark civil rights law for people with disabilities. Read the statement (PDF).

January 18, 2019 – Bazelon Center Statement on the Passing of Judge Patricia Wald
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law mourns the passing of Judge Patricia Wald, who died on Saturday, January 12 at age 90. Judge Wald was a pioneer of public interest law and one of the Bazelon Center’s founders.  She made tremendous contributions to disability rights, including through groundbreaking litigation that secured children with disabilities the right to a public education — ultimately leading to the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Read the statement (PDF).