When the blockbuster “Barbie” movie becomes available for streaming soon, it will offer a new level of accessibility for people with disabilities.

The film will debut on Max next week complete with a special option to view it accompanied by American Sign Language interpretation.

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An independent federal agency says that the government’s failure to update asset limits associated with Supplemental Security Income and other programs is leaving people with disabilities in a tough spot.

For decades, asset limits for government benefit programs have gone unchanged even as the cost of living has risen. As a result, individuals with disabilities are often hampered in their efforts to become more independent, according to a new report from the National Council on Disability, which is charged with advising the president and Congress on disability issues.

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Federal officials are putting up millions of dollars to expand the supply of housing available to people with disabilities and to help them afford rent.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said this month that it is making $212 million available through the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program.

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With big changes under consideration, federal officials want to hear from workers with disabilities about their experiences with a program that allows employers to pay them less than minimum wage.

The U.S. Department of Labor is launching a “series of stakeholder engagement sessions” as it embarks on a “comprehensive review” of what’s known as the Section 14(c) program.

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A new proposal would offer up matching funds to encourage more people with disabilities to open special accounts that allow them to save money without jeopardizing eligibility for government benefits.

The federal government would offer a dollar-for-dollar match for new and existing ABLE accounts for people earning $28,000 or less each year under a bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate. A similar measure has also been introduced in the House of Representatives.

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The nation’s largest retailer is looking to be more welcoming to people with disabilities.

Walmart said it will modify the shopping experience at most stores across the country during special times now through the beginning of the school year to be more accommodating to those with sensory issues.

“We are striving every day to create a culture where everyone feels they belong,” Julie Barber, executive vice president of general merchandise at Walmart, said in a post announcing the effort. “This year, Walmart is taking steps toward creating a quieter shopping environment that’s more enjoyable for customers who live with sensory disabilities.”

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For the first time in decades, federal officials are planning to update rules prohibiting disability discrimination in housing and they’re looking for input.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking public comment as it considers revising regulations related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Amanda Athman helped pick up the mobile chicken coop at 21 Roots Farm in Grant and move it to a fresh patch of grass just south of the farm’s apple orchard.

Athman knew just how fast to push the coop so that the squawking chickens could keep up. She then found a spot for the chickens’ “dust bath” — a blue plastic tub full of dirt. A regular dust bath, she explained, helps keep their feathers clean by controlling parasites and preventing oil buildup.

Athman, 22, of Lino Lakes, is part of a pilot program this summer at 21 Roots, a nonprofit hobby farm that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She and five other interns — all of whom have been regular attendees of programs at the farm — have been tapped to be part of a 20-week work-experience program where they are being “trained to be trainers,” said Brittany Wiitala, one of the co-founders of the farm.

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ATLANTA — Lakeya McNeal hasn’t yet taken her son Austin on an airline flight, even though she and her husband travel frequently and the 4-year-old boy loves airplanes.

“We don’t really take him because of his temperament,” she said. Austin was diagnosed last year with autism, and he struggles around loud noises, automated doors and sitting for long periods of time.

But recently, Austin got a chance to experience what it’s like being at the airport and inside an airplane cabin during a “flying rehearsal” at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities.

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Disability advocacy groups are calling on the federal government to stop issuing any new certificates authorizing employers to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage.

Under a law dating back to the 1930s, employers can obtain special certificates from the U.S. Department of Labor allowing them to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour. As a result, some individuals earn just pennies per hour.

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