On Tuesday, September 1st, 2015, Dayton Regional STEM School students held a rally to push for Matthew's Bill, currently labeled SB112 in the OH Senate. This bill was inspired by Jennifer Helton, formerly an intervention specialist at DRSS, and her son Matthew, who has multiple disabilities. Changing him in public restrooms is extremely difficult given the lack of changing tables for adults.
Students in Meghan Durkee's Government Class have been seeking to address this issue by getting legislation passed to fix this issue. They worked with Senator Lehner over the course of the last year to pass the legislation into law, and Tuesday night's rally featured members of the public, including distinguished guest Dr. Tom Sudkamp, Wright State University's Provost, who provided students with feedback on their efforts.
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| Dr. Sudkamp, teachers, and students discuss the impact of Matthew's Bill and provide students with feedback and ideas on their current legislative efforts. |
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| Students afterwards had time to talk with Senator Lehner one-on-one. |
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| The students' efforts were featured in a story on Fox45/ABC22 that evening. Click here to watch! |
The students continue to seek allies for their legislation, and if you are interested in helping them pass this bill into law, please
contact them through their website here. For more information on Matthew's Bill,
check out their website.
