ABLE NH

04/03/2026

“These are not predictions for New Hampshire in open enrollment; these are outcomes.”

This new Concord Monitor article reinforces what we’ve been raising: these patterns already exist, and New Hampshire has a choice in whether to learn from them.

Read the article and then let your representatives know what you think about Open Enrollment

2,173 people have already spoken out.

https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/mEQ4TP4NI/SB-101--Open-Enrollment

In Wisconsin, school districts last year rejected open enrollment applications from students with disabilities at twice the rate of other students. In Nebraska, dozens of school districts exclusively denied applications to students with disabilities during the 2023-24 school year, while accepting ot...

04/03/2026

Want to stay informed on what's changing with Medicaid in New Hampshire and how it affects you, your loved ones, or your work?

🗓️ Join NH Medicaid Matters for a local community conversation in Rochester, NH on Thursday, April 16th at 5:30 pm at the Education Center of Frisbie Memorial Hospital! This event will provide updates on the upcoming changes to Medicaid and how they will impact your community. Refreshments will be provided to all attendees.

🔗 Register Now: https://rebrand.ly/medicaidrochester

04/03/2026

Please check out this article analyzing upcoming changes at the federal level and their impact on our state!

Already facing nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, disability advocates are now worried that new efforts to crack down on fraud and trim state budgets will erode access to community-based services.

04/02/2026

April is Autism Awareness and Stress Awareness Month! This month, we're advocating for stress management for people dually diagnosed with IDD and mental health conditions and caregivers with The Parent Forge. If you're passionate about mental healthcare for people with IDD, join the ABLE NH Mental Health Task Force to learn about legislative advocacy opportunities, participate in educational projects to increase public awareness, and more. If you're a caregiver in need of a community to talk about the stress in your life, join a weekly Listening Circle hosted by The Parent Forge. Finally, stay tuned for more information about The Circle: Season One, a series by The Parent Forge that promotes mental health resources and open discussion of the challenges faced by parents and caregivers. We'll be dropping more information about each episode in the coming weeks. Stay resourced and resilient!

04/02/2026

Jim was out at a bar with his wife, Patricia, when a stranger walked up, crouched down, and put his hand on Jim’s knee. No context. No invitation. Just an assumption.

Moments like this happen all the time and they tell us something about how disability is still understood in everyday life.

Pat Piet writes about this moment, and many others, from lived experience as a disabled writer, advocate, and caregiver. It’s the kind of perspective that cuts through the noise and challenges what we think we know.

If we’re serious about respect, dignity, and inclusion, this is the kind of perspective we need to be listening to.

Take a few minutes and read it.

And skip the inspiration

04/02/2026

ABLE NH Executive Director Dr. Louis Esposito joins Ian Howes on Of His Own Words to break down what’s happening right now at the State House.

In this conversation, Louis:

Recaps the first half of the legislative session
Highlights key bills ABLE NH is actively tracking
Shares what’s still unanswered and what it means for people with disabilities and their families
Looks ahead at what advocacy is needed as the session continues

The legislative session is moving fast, and decisions being made now will shape access, inclusion, and rights across New Hampshire.

Take a few minutes to listen and stay informed on what’s at stake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE6xTnpQjrU

04/01/2026

When schools can choose, some students don’t get chosen.

Today ABLE NH testified before the Senate Education Committee on SB 101, New Hampshire's open enrollment bill.

In every state where open enrollment has been implemented and denial data is tracked, students with disabilities are denied at disproportionate rates.

In Wisconsin, 40% of students with disabilities were denied.
In Nebraska, students with IEPs made up 38% of denials, but only 17% of students.
In Oklahoma, more students were denied for disability than for all disciplinary reasons combined.
In Colorado, a federal civil rights complaint alleges open enrollment enabled disability discrimination.

SB 101 is less protective than any of these states. It has no data tracking. No transition protocols for IEPs or 504 plans. No protections to prevent disability from becoming an unofficial denial criterion.

So far, the public has spoken:
Support: 75 | Oppose: 2,158 | Neutral: 1

The committee is making decisions now. Make sure they hear from you.

Take action now:

Email your representative: https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/mEQ4TP4NI/SB-101--Open-Enrollment

Submit testimony online: https://gc.nh.gov/house/committees/remotetestimony/default.aspx

03/31/2026

In other states, students with disabilities are already being denied at higher rates.

Now New Hampshire is considering open enrollment.
So what happens here?

What does “capacity” really mean?
What happens to IEPs and 504 plans on day one?
Who is responsible when services fail?
What happens when discipline or attendance is tied to disability?

These aren’t small details.
They are the difference between access and exclusion.

📊 So far:
Support: 72 | Oppose: 1,942 | Neutral: 1

The hearing continues Wednesday, April 1st at 10am
1 Granite Place, Concord

Show up. Speak out. Ask the questions that still haven’t been answered.

Can’t make it?

📩 Email the committee:
https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/mEQ4TP4NI/SB-101--Open-Enrollment

📝 Submit testimony online:
https://gc.nh.gov/house/committees/remotetestimony/default.aspx

Students with disabilities cannot be an afterthought.

03/30/2026

On Wednesday, Sen. Lang introduced an amendment to one of the open enrollment bills being considered by the legislature. The changes are substantial.

🚨 Check out our break down of what the new version says, and what it might mean for public schools in the Granite State. 🚨

The public hearing on the bill continues in the House Education Policy and Administration Committee on Wednesday at 10:00 am.

https://www.reachinghighernh.org/content-item/536/sb-101-amendment

03/29/2026

“It’s not an open enrollment issue… it’s a special education issue.”

That moment came from the hearing last week from Senator Tim Lang. And yes, this is just one clip from a longer conversation. But it points to something bigger:

There are still too many unanswered questions about what happens to students with disabilities under open enrollment

Right now, we don’t have clear answers about:

How does support follow a student across districts?
What happens to 504 plans on day one?
Who is responsible when something goes wrong?
How are students protected from being discriminated due to their disability?
show

Research and reporting from other states show what can happen when these questions go unanswered. Students will be left without services, delayed supports, or quietly pushed out of options that were supposed to be open to them.

https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/05/wisconsin-public-schools-students-disabilities-options/

The hearing continues on Wednesday, April 1st.

If you’ve been following this issue…
If you’ve been asking questions…
If you want legislators to hear what this looks like in real life…

Show up in person. Wednesday April 1st at 10am at Granite Place in Concord

Because right now, too many of these decisions are being made without the voices of the people most impacted in the room.

They need to hear from you.

Can't make it? Email the committee here to let them know your opinions
https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/mEQ4TP4NI/SB-101--Open-Enrollment

Submit testimony online.
https://gc.nh.gov/house/committees/remotetestimony/default.aspx

So far:
Support: 65 | Oppose: 1617 | Neutral: 1

People are speaking up. Add your voice.

Because inclusion isn’t something we assume.

03/26/2026

At yesterday’s hearing on SB 101 (Open Enrollment), a simple question came up:

Who assumes the financial responsibility for a 504 plan because it doesn't fall under IDEA?

The response: “I don’t know.” It’s clear that as lawmakers consider a fundamental shift in public education, they are not thinking about what happens to ALL students.

If there aren’t clear answers about responsibility, access becomes uncertain. And when access is uncertain, students are the ones who carry that risk.

Some at the hearing argued that this bill will make schools “compete” and get better.

But public education isn’t a marketplace. Students aren’t products. When competition becomes the model, schools may be incentivized to serve students who are easier to accommodate and avoid situations that require more coordination or support.

And people are paying attention.

📊 Online testimony:
Support: 63
Oppose: 1,424
Neutral: 1

The hearing will resume next week, which means there is still time to speak up. Reach out to the committee and share your perspective.

https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/mEQ4TP4NI/SB-101--Open-Enrollment

Because this isn’t just about “choice.” It’s about whether the system is actually prepared to follow through on its responsibility to every student.

03/25/2026

Want to stay informed on what's changing with Medicaid in New Hampshire and how it affects you, your loved ones, or your work?
🗓️ Join NH Medicaid Matters for a local community conversation in Derry, NH on Wednesday, March 25 at 6 pm at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry! This event will provide updates on the upcoming changes to Medicaid and how they will impact your community. Dinner from Wrap City will be provided to all attendees, and on-site child care is available.
🔗 Register Now: https://rebrand.ly/roundtablederry