2023 March Newsletter

CCC is Opening!

Dear friends and families of CIDA

This month’s news begins with the opening of the CIDA Community Center (CCC), and the end
of its construction. After more than three months of ups and downs and many setbacks, I am
very happy to announce that we are opening an additional space where CIDA can create more
possibilities. This space will be used for employment programs, community enrichment classes,
and a gallery space for CIDA’s artists. And above all, the CCC will be utilized as a cooperative
space where small and medium-sized businesses as well as CIDA’s CoSpire members can
work together to create job opportunities.

The CIDA Community Center will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 8th. I look forward to
a month full of happy memories for all of us as spring arrives.

Young Seh Bae, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Education & Policy News

Biden Highlights Need to Invest in Services for People with Disabilities

President Biden has reiterated his commitment to investing in home and community-based services in his State of the Union address. The President called on Congress to allocate funds for services that would allow people with disabilities to receive care in their homes, in turn helping seniors who prefer to stay in their homes, as well as family caregivers who care for their loved ones. The move follows Biden’s 2019
proposal of $400 billion to be spent on Medicaid home and community-based services. A scaled-down version of the plan was approved by the House of Representatives in late 2021 with $150 billion, but funding never made it to the Senate. David Goldfarb, director of policy at The Arc,welcomed Biden’s message and said that there are many people on waitlists for services and a shortage of workers due to low pay for these jobs. [Original Resource]

Lawsuit on pandemic-related loss of services for students with disabilities proceeds

A class-action lawsuit filed in November 2020 by Advocates for Children by seeking to force New York City to expedite makeup services to students with disabilities has been revived by an appeals court. The lawsuit claims that thousands of students with disabilities missed out on essential services due to the city’s struggles to distribute remote learning devices and provide adequate instruction during the pandemic. Students with disabilities are entitled to compensatory services if their school doesn’t provide the therapies or specialized instruction listed on their individualized education program (IEP). The lawsuit argues that the city must create a streamlined process for adjudicating families’ requests for makeup services. The appeals court overturned a previous decision that families needed to exhaust the existing process before bringing a federal lawsuit, sending the case back to the lower court. The city’s education
department is reviewing the decision. [Original Resources]

Education Department Urges Schools To Limit Suspensions Of Students With Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education is urging schools to reduce their reliance on exclusionary discipline practices for students with disabilities. The department wants to create safe and predictable learning environments, instead of using suspensions and similar practices that often prove counterproductive. Director of the Education Department’s Office of Special Education Programs, Valerie C. Williams, notes that nearly 1.6 million children with disabilities were subject to disciplinary removals from school during the 2019-2020 academic year, a figure that has remained constant for a decade. She stressed that removing children with disabilities from school disrupts their routine, which can cause distress and makes it harder for them to learn. This call is part of a wider push by the Education Department to improve the discipline and behavior of students with disabilities in schools. [Original Resources]

What’s Up at CIDA

The 2nd cohort of our CoSpire Social Coop has new members joining!

Along with the successful conclusion of the 1st Social Coop members, we continue to
provide vocational training, necessary activities, and support. The 2nd Social Coop has
welcomed new members, and we are proud of the continuously developing members.
We ask for your support and interest, and we look forward to even better results!

CIDA’s new community center, CCC, is opening its doors!

Finally, CIDA’s community center will open on March 8th. The CCC will offer a variety of
cooking, design, storytelling, and art classes, as well as local events, Social Coop
sessions, and special summer classes. Please support our new beginning!

Collaboration between MOMA’s Art Program and Social Co-op Art Initiative!

The members of Social Co-op Art Initiative will participate in MoMA’s Art Access
program for a total of 6 weeks starting on March 13th! We hope that this opportunity
will create a foundation for more experience and growth as artists!

CIDA Event