Disability Rights North Carolina

04/17/2026

Session announcement for DRNC's Annual Disability Advocacy Conference on May 6th at the Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill!

Learn from presenters Professor Nicole B. Porter from William & Mary Law School, and Jen Andrew, DRNC's communications strategist, how definitions of disability shape access to rights and services. Participants, including attorneys, will learn how courts historically applied narrow interpretations later broadened by the ADA Amendments Act. The session builds practical skills in analyzing coverage, advising clients, and navigating complex, shifting aspects of disability law with greater clarity and confidence. Participants will also learn about models of disability, social impacts and lived experiences of disability, and barriers to diagnosis.

Join us! Learn more and register today! https://disabilityrightsnc.org/event/2026-disability-advocacy-conference/

04/17/2026

Pre-Application Submission DUE TODAY by 5 PM for public entities and nonprofit organizations to submit pre-applications for Appalachian Regional Commission Grants

The North Carolina ARC Program invites pre-applications from eligible applicants. A pre-application must be received in order to be invited to submit a full application.

Eligible applicants are local development districts, Indian tribes, states, counties,
cities, institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations located in or
serving in the Appalachian Region of North Carolina are eligible for funding. North
Carolina has 31 counties which encompass the region that include the following:
Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.

Please email pre-applications in PDF form to the NC ARC Program Manager at arc@commerce.nc.gov Pre-applications must be received by 5:00pm on April 17th, 2026. Electronic applications are required.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applications and other resources are
available at the following website:
https://www.commerce.nc.gov/about-us/divisions-programs/rural-economic-development-division/appalachian-regional-commission

For program questions please contact the NC ARC office via arc@commerce.nc.gov

04/15/2026

Spring in NC means sometimes it’s sunny at 10 AM and a severe thunderstorm by 3 PM. Make it a habit to check the radar before you leave for school pickup or errands, so you don’t get caught without an umbrella. A lot can change in those few hours.

04/15/2026

h/t Covid Families

A mother brought her son to specialist after specialist. His tests kept coming back normal. By the time someone connected his symptoms to long COVID, he had already missed a full year of school.

His presentation did not fit POTS, ME/CFS, or MCAS. And that is part of the problem.

The research behind those three diagnoses was built largely on adult data. Some children with long COVID do develop POTS, ME/CFS, or MCAS, but how often that happens in kids is still being studied. Yet pediatric long COVID education remains heavily anchored to them.

Emerging research is pointing somewhere more specific. The NIH-funded RECOVER study, which is following more than 15,000 children across more than 100 sites in the US, identified distinct symptom clusters in school-age children involving fatigue and pain, neuropsychological effects and sleep disruption, and gastrointestinal symptoms. These patterns do not align with adult models.
That gap has consequences. When clinicians and educators are trained to look only for those three diagnoses, children who present differently are more likely to be missed, unsupported, or told nothing is wrong.

Pediatric long COVID has its own fingerprint. Our education and accommodation frameworks need to reflect that.



Image: "We keep pointing to the same 3 signs. The data tells a different story. RECOVER has identified distinct symptom clusters in children. patterns that don't map onto POTS, MECFS or MCAS.

04/14/2026

04/13/2026

INCLUDE NC Survey!

This survey aims to better understand the strengths and needs related to emergency and disaster preparedness for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in North Carolina.

Your responses will help design training and resources developed through the INCLUDE NC partnership to improve preparedness and response across residential facilities and emergency response systems to support children and youth with I/DD during emergencies and disasters.

The survey should take about 20–25 minutes to complete. All responses are confidential and only accessible to the research team. https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9HOnhKiclImelvg

04/11/2026

Today is World Parkinson’s Day!

More than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease, and in the United States alone, someone new is diagnosed with PD every 6 minutes.

Parkinson's Foundation is dedicated to making life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything they do, the Parkinson’s Foundation builds on the energy, experience and passion of the global PD community. Join DRNC in raising awareness for Parkinson’s disease ➡️ Parkinson.org/Awareness!

04/10/2026

04/09/2026

Upcoming Event!

Sight & Sound: A Multi-Sensory Jazz Experience
By
Marcus Anderson Foundation

Location:
World Overcomers Christian Church, Durham, NC

Date and Time:
Thursday, Apr 16 from 7 pm to 9 pm

Overview
Free multi-sensory jazz concert designed for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind & low-vision audiences! Hosted by the Marcus Anderson Foundation.

Sight & Sound is a free, inclusive jazz concert experience presented by the Marcus Anderson Foundation during Jazz Appreciation Month.

Designed intentionally for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and low-vision audiences, this immersive performance reimagines how music can be experienced. Through sound, vibration, lighting, visual translation, tactile elements, and certified interpretation, Sight & Sound expands access to live music in powerful and meaningful ways.

This is not an accommodation. This is artistry.

Find out more! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sight-sound-a-multi-sensory-jazz-experience-tickets-1982966907400?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

04/09/2026

04/08/2026

Upcoming Event! Ridge to River: Rebuilding for Resilience WNC

Where:
Land-Of Sky Regional Council
339 New Leicester Highway
#140 Asheville, NC 28806

When:
Friday, Apr 17 from 8:45 am to 3:30 pm

Overview
Come learn and share at a one-day, in-person learning exchange for recovery and resilience practitioners across Western North Carolina.

What to expect:
Community storytelling: Come share your community’s successes, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Small-group discussions (resilience hubs, floodplain management, economic recovery, emergency preparedness, open space opportunities, best practices, case studies, and more).

Resources and funding information to support implementation of resilience projects.

Register today for this free event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ridge-to-river-rebuilding-for-resilience-wnc-tickets-1980390042929?aff=oddtdtcreator

04/07/2026

DRNC invites you to attend our 2026 Disability Advocacy Conference! Wednesday May 6 from 8AM to 4:30 PM at the Friday Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Cherene Allen-Caraco, our conference plenary speaker, is a nationally recognized innovator, trauma survivor, and social entrepreneur transforming community-based mental health care through bold, human-first solutions rooted in lived experience.

At DRNC’s 2026 Disability Advocacy Conference, she will join CEO Virginia Knowlton Marcus for a powerful plenary aligned with In This Together, exploring how we can collectively create systems grounded in dignity, autonomy, and healing.

Join us as more than 350 advocates, allies, and leaders gather for a day of insightful discussions, breakout sessions, and community building focused on ensuring that disabled people have the support, rights, and opportunities they deserve and continue fighting for!

Register today! https://disabilityrightsnc.org/event/2026-disability-advocacy-conference/