In response to a recent study, which essentially concluded that disabled parents are more likely to have their children taken away in custody disputes, H. 1379 seeks to improve access to the Probate and Family Court as well as providing safeguards for parents. Key language includes that there must be a nexus between the disability and the ability to parent in order to remove custody and the judge must make specific findings that the situation cannot be remedied by any adaptive devices. Other key provisions include access to interpreters and other adaptive technologies so that disabled people can gain access to the justice system.
For the language of the bill visit http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/188/House/H1379.
