Joseph Shapiro

People with disabilities are asking the federal government to stop what they say are care-rationing plans from states and hospitals, which could possibly deny them treatment for COVID-19.

About 2% of people with COVID-19 will need ventilators to help them breathe. Are there enough ventilators, and are there enough doctors and respiratory therapists trained to use them?

Prisons often give disproportionately harsher punishments for minor offenses to women than to men, according to a new federal report that backs up the findings of an earlier NPR investigation.

The rail carrier Amtrak says passengers who use wheelchairs will no longer have to pay for the added cost of accommodating them.

NPR reported on Friday that the ticket for a two-hour ride between Chicago and Bloomington-Normal, Ill., stations usually costs $16. Amtrak had based the higher price on adjustments to train cars.

When two disability rights advocates tried to book a one-way train ride, Amtrak charged $25,000 in order to accommodate their wheelchairs. The ride from Chicago to Bloomington, Ill., is usually $16.

It usually costs $16 to take Amtrak from Chicago to Bloomington, Ill. The company defended the $25,000 cost for the extra wheelchair users, saying it reflects a new policy.

It costs $16 to take the Amtrak from Chicago to Bloomington, Ill. But people who use wheelchairs were recently asked to pay $25,000. Amtrak defended the cost, saying it reflects a new policy.

Chuck Coma was one of the thousands of people assaulted in federal prisons each year. His cellmate nearly killed him. But it's now up to his family to take care of him.

President Trump is reversing The Department of Education's plans to cut funding for the Special Olympics. The proposed cuts set off a political firestorm.

The breakout song from Disney's Frozen has inspired many marginalized groups — but its message of rejecting stigma holds special resonance for disabled people and their families.

One of the most enduring pieces of legislation signed by former President George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday at the age of 94, is the American Disabilities Act, which he signed into law in 1990.

Prison rules created to control men often don't work well for women, who come with different histories and experiences. "Gender-responsive corrections" aims to treat women based on these differences.

When someone in prison breaks a rule, there's punishment. But discipline in prison treats women more harshly. In an NPR investigation, we look at how one state, Iowa, is trying to change the system.

Data from 15 states reveal that female inmates are disciplined at higher rates than men for smaller infractions of prison rules — often with harsh consequences.

A nationwide program helps parents of children with developmental disabilities — and people with disabilities themselves — advocate for their rights, from the school yard to Congress.

An NPR investigation found people with intellectual disabilities have one of the nation's highest rates of sexual assault. Now states, communities and advocates are proposing changes to prevent abuse.

NPR obtained data from the United States Department of Justice that shows adults with intellectual disabilities suffer from an epidemic of sexual assault. Many keep their sexual assaults a secret, and it can isolate them, telling NPR they worry it proves they are not competent to live and work independently.

Two psychologists both have a rare specialty: counseling sexual assault survivors who have intellectual disabilities. The stories of sexual violence in their clients' lives have striking similarities.

A rape case 25 years ago revolutionized justice for people with intellectual disabilities. They were "unwinnable" rape cases, until prosecutors figured out the secret.