How is Medicaid Reform in Florida Affecting People with Disabilities and Their Families?

Florida is undertaking an effort to "reform" Medicaid. It has done so in two counties - Broward and Duval - and during the 2005 Special Session, the Legislature authorized the expansion of Medicaid Reform to Baker, Clay, and Nassau Counties. The expansion of Medicaid Reform is expected to take place during July 2007 in these counties.

How is the experiment affecting people with disabilities?

See comments of the ADA Working Group.
See comments of the Advocacy Center.
See remarks of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council

We want to hear from you.


To join the Disability Law Committee, contact Austin Newberry at the Bar, at anewberry@flabar.org.

Resource: ADA Information Line at the US Department of Justice

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information Line U.S. Department of Justice

800-514-0301

TTY 800-514-0383

Application Form to Join Public Interest Law Section

To become a member of the Disability Law Committee, you must be a member of the Public Interest Law Section of the Florida bar. Please fill out the application form and ask to be on the Disability Law Committee.

The Public Interest Law Section of The Florida Bar

The Public Interest Law Section (PILS) defines its mission as a forum to advocate for the legal needs of people who are generally disenfranchised, under represented or lack meaningful access to traditional public forums.

The Public Interest Law section is an organization within The Florida Bar open to all members in good standing and non-Bar members, who have a common interest in advocacy and enhancement of constitutional, statutory or other rights which protect the dignity, security, justice, liberty, or freedom of the individual or public. Continued on site.

Welcome to the Blog of the Disability Law Committee of the Florida Bar

Thank you for visiting our Blog. The Disability Law Committee is a Committee of the Public Interest Law Section of the Florida Bar.

The Committee focuses on a wide range of issues affecting people with disabilities, including, but not limited to the following:

- Discrimination on the basis of disability in employment;

- Discrimination on the basis of disability in housing;

- Discrimination on the basis of disability by businesses;

- Discrimination on the basis of disability by state and local governments;

- Violations of the Air Carrier Access Act;

- Guardianship;

- Civil rights of children with disabilities;

- The criminal justice system and people with disabilities;

- IDEA - civil rights of children in school;

- Service animals and people with disabilities;

- Emotional support animals and condominiums;

- Transition of nursing home residents into the community;

- Money Follows the Person;

- Transportation issues experienced by persons with disabilities;

- Sign language interpreter issues;

- Architectural barrier issues;

- Medicaid Reform in Florida and its effect on people with disabilities;

- Implementation of Olmstead;

- Emergency evacuation and sheltering and people with disabilities.

Please tell us of other issues and concerns on which you believe attorneys should be focusing.

Members of the Florida Bar who are members of the Public Interest Law Section are eligible to join the Committee. If you are interested in joining, please contact Co-Chairs Marc Dubin (mdubin@pobox.com) or Paolo Annino (pannino@law.fsu.edu).