The Arc and Inclusion International joined together this past weekend for a powerful conference and convention!  Presidents Mohan Mehra and Klaus Lachwitz began the Assembly with remarks, later joined by UNICEF's chief of disability services. See more at the blog of The Arc.

KTLA News reported that a family couldn’t board their cross-country flight because the airline stated their son was a “flight risk”.  Mom, Joan Vanderhorst videotaped son as staff were complaining, showing him quietly playing with his hat.  The family had to take a different flight to get home as they weren’t allowed on the plane. 

The family has flown several times.  However this time, they had upgraded to first class. Robert, the father, says the family was warned their son's behavior was a concern because their first class seat was too close to the cockpit and a distraction to the pilot could cause a mid-flight emergency landing.

The Vanderhorsts call it a clear case of discrimination and they plan to take action against American Airlines.

To read the entire article go here.

To read what The Arc is doing on travel, please go here.

This past Friday, on August 24, Senator Brown confirmed his intention to vote to ratify the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).As mentioned in a previous "Notes from The Arc", the Convention will be sent to the full Senate only if the sponsors believe it has the votes to pass. Senator Brown's commitment increases the likelihood that the Convention will be presented to the full Senate.

Please go here to see this week's Notes from The Arc.  Remember to register to vote.

This month opponents of institution closure provided what was termed as a research review of existing studies on outcomes from deinstitutionization.  You can see the problems we found with that review here.  Scroll down to bottom of the page.

Persons with disabilities often don’t exercise the right to vote.  This means that they don’t get to play a role in how our country is governed.   We’re fortunate to have a strong democracy in the United States, but it can only stay that way with citizen participation.  Not voting on any of our parts, slowly wears away at the foundation of our democracy.  Go to “We’ve Got the Power” site to learn more!  Register before October 17 for the general election-connect here.

Last week we posted that the BMOS was seeking visitors with a range of disabilities to help test exhibitor prototypes and visitors would be able to attend free of charge.  Those opportunities are no longer available.  Attendance is subject to normal admission costs.

MassHealth will hold a public meeting on the "dual eligibles" or integration of Medicare and Medicaid demonstration on Friday, August 31, 2012 at 10am - 12pm. Meeting will be held at One Ashburton Place, 21^st floor, conference rooms 1, 2, and 3, in Boston. All stakeholders and members of the public with interest in this demonstration are encouraged to join. Reasonable accommodations will be made for participants who need assistance by contacting Donna Kymalainen at Donna.Kymalainen@state.ma.us

The Boston Museum of Science is seeking visitors with a range of disabilities to help test exhibitor prototypes, August 11-21, 2012.  Come to the Museum for a 1-2 hour time, including weekend days, and guests are welcome. Some of the exhibits are group activities. After the testing, you may explore the exhibit halls on your own. Parking and admission will also be free for you and your visiting group members. ASL interpretation can be requested. If you are interested, please contactclussenhop@mos.org or 617-589-4435.

On July 26, 2012, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to send the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) to the full Senate for ratification.  It’s fitting that the resolution was voted upon on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Thank you to Senator Kerry and committee members for this historic step. The next step is obtaining the votes of senators to ensure passage.  Last we talked to Senator Scott Brown he said he would review the Convention once it was passed out of Committee. We will let you know when to call his office and ask for his support again.