UDC Law Symposium to Feature DDRA Panel

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Annual Law Review Symposium will feature a panel on "Developmental Disability Law & Rights: Why D.C. Needs New Legislation Now." The symposium will also feature panels on child welfare in D.C. and the District's FOIA law.

UDC Annual Law Review Symposium
Friday, February 26, 2010, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=Symposium

Building 44-A03 - Directly above the main garage
University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
Metro Stop: Van Ness-UDC on the Red Line
RSVP: With name, organization, & panel of interest to UDC2010Symposium@gmail.com

Panel - Developmental Disability Law & Rights: Why D.C. Needs New Legislation Now
9:30 - 10:45 AM
Moderator: Joseph B. Tulman - UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, Professor of Law
Panelists: Sandy Bernstein - University Legal Services for the District of Columbia, Legal Director; Robert L. Burgdorf Jr. - UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, Professor of Law; and Thelma Greene - Self-Advocate

New Language in the News

Section 401 of the DDRA makes "intellectual disability" the official term to be used in all District government laws, regulations, policies and government publications to describe a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior. A companion bill removes the "R Word" from all District laws.

See this post for more on the DDRA's proposal, which is part of a national respectful language movement that's lately been in the news a great deal:

• In January Rahm Emanuel used the "R Word" and then apologized.
• In early February Michael Alison Chandler wrote an excellent WaPo article on developments in the Metro region and Michael Gerson signed the pledge to end the "R Word" at www.r-word.org.
• This Sunday WaPo's Outlook section featured an argument against banning the "R Word," and on Monday Timothy Shriver of Special Olympics responded.

Tune in to "Sound Advice"!

This month Sound Advice, a weekly DC Cable show sponsored by the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, features the DDRA! Tune in for this exciting discussion:


Sound Advice - UDC-TV Channel 98 (DC Cable)
Host: Katherine "Shelly" Broderick, Dean, UDC David A. Clarke School of Law
Guests:

• Robert L. Burgdorf, Jr., Professor, UDC David A. Clarke School of Law
• Tina Campanella, Executive Director, Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilties
• Bernard Crawford

Air Times:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday - 1:00 pm, 8:00 pm
Tuesday/Thursday - 10:00 am, 12:30 am, 3:00 pm, 10:00 pm
Sunday - 9:30 am, 7:30 pm