Tag: disability
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Building a life: Inside the Douglas County community reshaping what’s possible for intellectually disabled
When Ted Callahan unlocked the door to his apartment last summer, it was the first time in nearly 50 years he had lived anywhere other than with his mother. Ted was born with Down syndrome in 1976, at a time when families were often encouraged to place children with intellectual disabilities in institutions, segregated from…
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Building a life: Inside the Douglas County community reshaping what’s possible for intellectually disabled
When Ted Callahan unlocked the door to his apartment last summer, it was the first time in nearly 50 years he had lived anywhere other than with his mother. Ted was born with Down syndrome in 1976, at a time when families were often encouraged to place children with intellectual disabilities in institutions, segregated from…
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Appeals court clarifies meaning of ‘at-risk’ victim based on breathing disability
Colorado’s second-highest court clarified last month that victims qualify as “at-risk” under state law if they required mechanical assistance to breathe on the date of the offense against them. El Paso County prosecutors charged Jon Claude Crow with third-degree assault, which is ordinarily a misdemeanor. It becomes a felony if the assault is on an…
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Federal judge green-lights trial for ex-Rio Grande County sheriff employee’s hostile work environment claims
A federal judge on Monday found a former Rio Grande County sheriff’s dispatcher had not shown she was subjected to disability discrimination or was retaliated against, but that a jury would need to decide whether she experienced a hostile work environment based on her sex and ancestry. Then-Sheriff Don McDonald fired Lauren N. Trujillo in…
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Judge dismisses constitutional claim against detective despite ‘eyebrow-raising’ investigation into motel
A federal judge on Friday dismissed a Greenwood Village motel operator’s constitutional rights claim against a detective who allegedly singled out the establishment for a criminal investigation based on its willingness to house people with disabilities long-term. Zarrin Hospitality Group, Inc. is the operator of a Motel 6 at 9201 E. Arapahoe Road. Its owner…
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Federal judge dismisses claims against DPS over disabled student who fell out of window
A federal judge concluded on Tuesday that a cognitively disabled student failed to allege Denver Public Schools and one of its employees violated his constitutional rights by briefly leaving him unattended in a classroom, only for him to climb out of the window and fall two stories. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney rejected…
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Federal judge dismisses ex-Loveland employee’s conspiracy claims against city
A federal judge dismissed the claims of a former Loveland city employee last week who alleged a conspiracy by her employer to deprive her of unemployment benefits and tarnish her reputation. Michele DiPietro worked as a paralegal for the city attorney’s office during 13 months between 2020 and 2021. In her telling, DiPietro’s request for…
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Chris ‘Crazy Legs’ Fonseca reflects on 40-year career ahead of Loonees show
Comedian Chris Fonseca likes to start his show by addressing the “elephant in the room.” “I roll up there in a wheelchair,” said Fonseca, who has cerebral palsy. “You get me up there and people — especially people who’ve never seen me — may wonder if it’s someone pretending to be handicapped or what the…
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Colorado justices hear pleas to fix accommodations process for disabled bar applicants
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court heard from law students with disabilities last week that the process for pursuing accommodations on the bar exam is expensive, time-consuming and unfriendly — and a proposed rule change is only the first step to fixing the problem. “If this court chooses not to address these inequities, it effectively endorses…
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Appeals court rejects state’s argument that severely disabled sex offenders cannot de-register
Colorado’s second-highest court last week clarified for the first time that a 2018 change to state law now permits severely disabled sex offenders who are otherwise required to register for life to discontinue their registrations. Defendants convicted of certain serious sex crimes are generally required to register for the rest of their lives. However, the legislature in 2018 enacted…