Disability Rights
To this day, people with disabilities continue to be treated as second class citizens, shunned and segregated by physical barriers and social stereotypes. They are discriminated against in employment, schools, and housing, robbed of their personal autonomy, sometimes even hidden away and forgotten by the larger society. It is our priority to challenge this scope and to create further awareness of the significance and under-representation of these individuals in our present society.
Related Links
(08-06-08) Civil Rights Groups Hail Appeals Court Decision Protecting the Rights of People with Mental Illness
The New Mexico Court of Appeals struck down a city ordinance, affirming an earlier ruling, that would have empowered the city of Albuquerque to forcibly medicate people with mental illnesses. The Assisted Outpatient Treatment Law (AOT) conflicted with state laws that require patient consent before treatment. This decision is a tremendous victory - upholding civil liberties in New Mexico. Continued»
(11-07-07) Civil Rights Groups Sue Doña Ana County Jail over Poor Mental Health Services
Civil rights groups sued the Dona Ana County Detention Center today for failure to provide adequate mental health services to inmates in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and constitutional prohibitions on “cruel and unusual punishment.” The class action suit charges county officials with “deliberate indifference to [inmates’] serious mental health needs,” including failure to provide adequate mental health screening, monitoring, and care. Continued »
(05-02-07) Las Cruces Mall Agrees to Injunction Allowing Man to Use Segway
The Mesilla Valley Mall in Las Cruces agreed to a preliminary injunction that will allow John R. Funk to operate his Segway in the mall. Funk, who suffers from severe scoliosis and spinal stenosis, uses the Segway as an alternative to a wheelchair. Continued>>
(04-12-07) Las Cruces Mall Agrees to Stipulated Temporary Restraining Order in Segway Case; Hearing Moves to Federal Court
The corporation that manages Mesilla Valley Mall in Las Cruces, Jones Lang Lasalle Inc. and its local manager, agreed to allow a man with a disability to operate his Segway, a motorized transportation device, in the mall until a hearing on the requested injunction is held in the lawsuit filed against them on March 29th, 2007. The defendants removed the case from state to federal court. The motion on a preliminary injunction will be heard on May 1st, 2007 at 1:30 PM before federal judge Judith Herrera in Albuquerque. Continued>>
(03-29-07) Las Cruces Resident with Disability Sues Mall for Banning Segways
A man with a disability is suing the corporation that manages Mesilla Valley Mall in Las Cruces and its local manager for prohibiting him from entering the mall on his Segway, a self-balancing, two-wheeled transportation machine. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico claims that Jones Lang Lasalle, Inc. is violating John R. Funk’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Continued>>
(10-13-06) Court Strikes Down Kendra’s Law
Second District Court Judge Valerie Huling struck down a law that would have empowered the City of Albuquerque to forcibly medicate people with mental illness. The judge issued a permanent injunction against the "Assisted Outpatient Treatment" (AOT) ordinance, also known as Kendra’s Law, because it conflicted with State laws that govern treatment for the mentally ill. Continued >> |
