April
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Disability Connection
| In This Issue: | April 2010 |
Welcome to Disability Connection, the newsletter of Disability.gov. Managed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, Disability.gov provides Americans with disabilities a direct connection to the information and resources they need to fully participate in the workforce and in their communities. This newsletter will keep you informed about new developments relating to disability programs, policies and services across the federal government. It also offers timely information about the important contributions and initiatives of the 22 federal agencies that are partners to this Web site.
News & Events
Health Care Reform – What’s in It for You?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act represent the most sweeping changes to America’s health care system since the Medicare and Medicaid programs were signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 30, 1965. Among the provisions that support independent living and home- and community-based care are the CLASS Act and the Community First Choice Option. The American Network of Community Options and Resources has developed a series of issue briefs about several provisions of health reform, including the changes to Medicaid and long term services and supports that will allow people to stay in their homes instead of a hospital, nursing home or intermediate care facility. For more information read the fact sheet How The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Will Help Americans with Disabilities.
As health reform is implemented this year and beyond, many people have questions about what this landmark legislation means for them, their families or their businesses. There are several important provisions that take effect immediately, and HealthReform.gov has answers to many common questions. You can also email your questions to Healthreform@hhs.gov in advance of a series of live Web Chats that are being held to explain health reform. Previously recorded Web Chats on how health reform affects seniors and small businesses are available on YouTube.
Recently, Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reported that a growing list of insurers will soon begin providing continued health insurance for young adults under age 26 graduating from college or aging out of their parents’ plan—good news for the thousands of young adults graduating this spring who may have otherwise lost their coverage. In addition, several health insurance companies have already agreed to stop dropping patients’ health coverage before they are banned from doing so in September.
For more information about when provisions of the law will be implemented over time, read the Kaiser Family Foundation’s fact sheet Health Reform Implementation Timeline.
Disability.gov’s New Personalization Features
Disability.gov now has several new ways for you to connect with and share information with others, provide input on the site and customize how you use it. By registering to create an account on Disability.gov, you can vote and comment on resources you find on the site, join groups to discuss the subjects that interest you most and create saved searches. For more information about these new features visit How to Use Disability.gov's Personalization Features. You can also become a fan of Disability.gov on Facebook, join the site’s LinkedIn group and follow the site’s daily updates on Twitter.
Countdown to the 20th Anniversary of the ADA
On April 17 Disability.gov’s blog, known as Disability.Blog, began its Countdown: 100 Days to the ADA. Each day leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2010, Disability.gov will explore one of our nation's most important civil rights achievements by highlighting historical points leading up to the ADA’s enactment and describing how supporting the rights of individuals with disabilities benefits ALL Americans. We invite you to share personal perspectives on how your life has been touched by the ADA and welcome your ideas for topics to feature. Subscribe to receive updates on Disability.gov’s blog and read recent posts from guest bloggers Jeff Sell, Esq., vice president of public policy for the Autism Society, and Clint Armistead, a senior at the University of Kansas, who provided a youth perspective on the R-Word Campaign.
For more information about the ADA visit ADA.gov and Disability.gov’s Civil Rights section.
President Obama Issues Memorandum on Hospital Visitation
President Barack Obama has asked the Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS) to ensure that hospitals that participate in Medicare or Medicaid respect the rights of patients to choose who can visit them in the hospital. In his memorandum to the Secretary, the President stated that it should be made clear that participating hospitals may not deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The President has also asked that he be provided with additional recommendations on actions HHS can take to address hospital visitation, medical decision-making or other health care issues that affect LGBT patients and their families.
For more information about health laws and regulations visit Disability.gov’s Health section.
Access Board to Hold Hearing on Refresh of ICT Standards and Guidelines
On May 12 the Access Board will hold a public hearing in Washington, D.C., on its proposed refresh of requirements for information and communication technologies (ICT) covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act. The event will provide an opportunity for the public to comment on a draft of updated standards and guidelines released by the Board in March. Also, on May 13 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold a workshop on mobile communications access, ways in which new technologies can meet the communications access needs of people with disabilities, and technology demonstrations of advanced mobile communications.
Section 508 requires access to the federal government's electronic and information technology. It covers all types of electronic and information technology in the federal sector and it applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain or use these technologies. Section 255 requires that telecommunications products and services be accessible to people with disabilities. If manufacturers cannot make their products accessible, then they must design products that are compatible with adaptive equipment used by people with disabilities, where readily achievable.
The amendments to the guidelines also address self-service machines used for ticketing, boarding passes and ordering food in restaurants, as well as automatic teller machines (ATMs). Accessible ATMs, including those with speech and those that are within reach of people who use wheelchairs, must provide all the functions provided to customers at that location at all times. For example, it is unacceptable for an accessible ATM only to provide cash withdrawals, while an inaccessible ATM also sells theater tickets.
FCC Plan Details Actions for Connecting Consumers, Economy to Affordable High-Speed Internet
The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan lays out a strategy to connect the nation to high-speed Internet service over the next decade. Currently, only 42 percent of people with disabilities use broadband at home. Among the plan's goals is to bring affordable broadband to rural communities, schools and libraries, as well as to older Americans, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Chapter 9 of the plan discusses the importance of affordable and accessible assistive technologies that will enable people with disabilities to benefit from high-speed Internet service. As the report indicates, “broadband = opportunity.” It promotes social and economic opportunity by connecting people to jobs, education, health care and other resources that support independent living. For more information read the recently released paper A Giant Leap & A Big Deal: Delivering on the Promise of Equal Access to Broadband for People with Disabilities.
Welcome Your Census Taker
On May 1, census takers will begin going door-to-door to roughly 1/3 of households that have not yet mailed back their 2010 census forms. Accurate representation and funding are important to everyone, including people with disabilities. Without an accurate count, vital community services such as health care, transportation and other assistance programs may not be adequate. The information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion of federal funding is spent each year on infrastructure and services like hospitals, job training centers and senior centers. For information about how important an accurate census count is for people with disabilities, read The 2010 Census and People with Disabilities: High Stakes and Major Opportunities.
You can find out the Census participation rate in your community by going to the Census map and see if your state is among the top 5.
Federal Agency in Focus
U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division enforces federal statutes that protect the civil rights of all individuals and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion and national origin. Established in 1957, the Division has played an important role in many of our nation’s battles to advance civil rights – from the desegregation of schools and prosecution of hate crimes to ensuring that girls and women have equal opportunities in schools and the workplace and individuals with disabilities have equal access to services. You can watch a new ASL YouTube video on how the U.S. Department of Justice is working to support the rights of people with disabilities.
Recently Samuel R. Bagenstos, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, testified before Congress on Emerging Technologies and the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities. In his testimony, Mr. Bagenstos spoke about the importance of accessible technology to people with disabilities. For more information on this hearing visit the website of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology.
The Division’s Disability Rights Section (DRS) works to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). DRS enforcement activities are part of its work in carrying out the ADA's mandates.
State Program in Focus
Independence First
IndependenceFirst is a non-profit agency in Wisconsin directed by, and for the benefit of, persons with disabilities. IndependenceFirst offers four core services: independent living skills training, peer counseling, advocacy, and information and referral services. These services are available to people of all age groups and all disabilities in the counties of Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee and Milwaukee. Find the IndependenceFirst office near you.
Hot Topics in Housing
April is Fair Housing Month
Each year the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and communities and organizations across the country recognize Fair Housing Month by hosting activities to raise awareness about fair housing rights and to end housing discrimination. The theme for this year’s activities, “Fair Housing in 2010: Time to Act,” reflects the urgent need to ensure fair housing. Watch a video of John Trasviña, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, discussing the agency’s work to end housing discrimination. You can also download the text of Mr. Trasviña’s remarks in Word format.
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability or family status. A recent example of HUD’s work to enforce this law occurred April 20 when HUD charged a housing provider in Florida with violating the Fair Housing Act because it refused to make one of its units accessible for a Veteran with a disability. The provider also allegedly refused to transfer the Veteran to an accessible unit and threatened to evict him after he sought assistance from the Miami-Dade County Commissioner's office. HUD brought the charge on behalf of a 71-year-old double amputee Veteran who uses a wheelchair.
For more information about housing and related-laws visit Disability.gov’s Housing section.
Rental Assistance to Support Independent Living for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities
As part of President Barack Obama's Year of Community Living, the departments of Health & Human Services (HHS) and Housing & Urban Development (HUD) have been working to provide housing support for non-elderly persons with disabilities to live productive, independent lives in their communities rather than in institutions. To help achieve this goal, HUD is offering nearly $40 million in funding to public housing authorities across the country to fund approximately 5,300 Housing Choice Vouchers for non-elderly persons with disabilities, so they can live independently.
For more information about independent living visit Disability.gov’s Community Life section.
Supportive Housing
According to the Supportive Housing Network of New York, supportive housing is “permanent, affordable housing in which a range of on-site support services are available.” The Department of Housing & Urban Development’s (HUD) Supportive Housing Program is designed to help homeless persons live as independently as possible. Supportive housing offers people a stable place to live while increasing their skills and income and gaining more control over the decisions that affect their lives. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Homelessness Resource Center also offers information about supportive housing and strategies to prevent and reduce chronic homelessness.
For more information visit HUD’s Homeless Resource Exchange and Disability.gov’s Housing section.
HUD Asks for Input on Research Agenda
The Department of Housing & Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) is seeking suggestions for possible research the department will fund in fiscal year 2011 and beyond. This research will help HUD achieve the goals outlined in its Strategic Plan. The research done by PD&R falls within one or more of 12 primary categories, including people with disabilities, fair housing and homelessness.
For more information on housing research visit Disability.gov’s Housing section.
Proposed Rule on the Definition of Homelessness
The Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has issued a proposed rule to define certain terms in the Homeless Emergency Assistance & Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act). The HEARTH Act defines the terms homeless, homeless individual, homeless person and homeless individual with a disability, but these definitions contain terms that require clarification and input from the public.
For more information about housing laws and regulations visit Disability.gov’s Housing section.
Featured Tools & Resources
Ask JAN
If you have questions about workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or related laws, the Job Accommodation Network’s (JAN) recently redesigned website is the place to go. JAN is the leading source of free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities improve their chances of becoming successfully employed and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace. Ask JAN and get answers to questions about the ADA, accommodations, tax incentives for businesses and more. JAN also provides assistance via phone at (800) 526-7234 (Voice) or (877) 781-9403 (TTY).
For more information about job accommodations visit Disability.gov’s Employment section.
A New Day: We're Listening Webcasts
In early 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and its federal partners held a series of six "Listening Sessions" across the country on the employment of people with disabilities. Assistant Secretary Kathy Martinez stated that “...by hosting these listening sessions we had given a voice to a huge cross section of our constituency, which includes people with disabilities, family members, service providers and allies from the public and private sector. What gave me the greatest hope was that many of these people have not in the past identified themselves with the traditional disability community, yet during these sessions they came forward for the first time.” The sessions provided an opportunity for members of the public to provide input to senior federal officials on better ways to employ all people with disabilities, including women, Veterans and minorities with disabilities, and what was currently working in their communities to increase employment among people with disabilities.
The Power of 504
This award-winning, 18-minute documentary video captures the drama and emotions of the historic civil rights demonstration of people with disabilities in 1977 that resulted in the signing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The video, available in open caption, audio descriptive and standard formats, includes contemporary news footage and interviews with participants and demonstration leaders.
For more information on the Rehabilitation Act and other disability-related laws read A Guide to Disability Rights Laws or visit Disability.gov’s Civil Rights section.
In Your Community
Health Care Reform Where You Live
Two of many conditions that insurance companies could use as a reason to deny health insurance coverage are diabetes and high blood pressure. Section 1101 of the new health reform law establishes a “temporary high-risk health insurance pool program” to provide insurance coverage to people who are uninsured and have pre-existing conditions such as cancer, diabetes or HIV/AIDS. These high-risk pools help people find affordable health coverage in their state. Many states already have high-risk pools, and all states will have health insurance exchanges by 2014. Find out more about the benefits of health care reform in your state.
Centers for Independent Living
Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are private, non-profit corporations that provide services to increase the independence of people with disabilities and the accessibility of the communities where they live. CILs are funded in part by the Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, to provide several core services including advocacy, independent living skills training, information and referral, and peer counseling. Find a center near you.
National Down Syndrome Society
The mission of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. NDSS envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations and become valued members of welcoming communities. Find a NDSS affiliate near you.
SSA’s “Choose Work Tour” May Be Coming to Your Community
Are you receiving Social Security disability benefits and thinking about going back to work? Do you want to learn how work will affect your Social Security benefits? If you are interested in learning about the Ticket to Work Program and other work incentives, register to attend a free Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE). WISE events are held by community organizations for people who receive Social Security disability benefits to learn more about work incentives. Click on your state on the Choose Work website for information and contacts in your area that can help you find employment. For more information download the flyer about these events.
For additional information about incentives to return to work visit Disability.gov’s Employment section.
Grants & Financial Assistance
Scholarships
Deadlines for many scholarship applications are fast approaching, and Disability.gov’s Scholarship section will be regularly updated over the coming days and weeks. Check back often for information about scholarships for people with specific disabilities such as lupus or Down syndrome, and for people who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs); Individual Level Characteristics Related to Employment Outcomes Among Individuals with Disabilities—Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs) work to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to benefit rehabilitation service providers, individuals with disabilities, their family members or other authorized representatives of individuals with disabilities. Applicants eligible to apply for this grant include states, public or private organizations, including for-profit organizations, institutions of higher education (IHEs) and Indian tribes and tribal organizations. The application deadline is June 22, 2010.
Rehabilitation Long-Term Training—Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program provides financial assistance for projects that provide basic or advanced training leading to an academic degree or a certificate in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation, and projects that provide support for medical residents enrolled in residency training programs in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Applicants eligible to apply for this grant include states, public or non-profit agencies and organizations, including Indian Tribes and institutions of higher education. The application deadline is June 7, 2010.
Lifespan Respite Care Program
Lifespan Respite Care programs provide community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults of all ages with special needs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration on Aging plans to fund approximately 10-15 grants for this purpose. Eligible state agencies funded under this announcement can use grant funds for the purposes of planning, establishing and expanding Lifespan Respite Care systems in their states, including new and planned emergency respite services, training and recruiting respite workers and volunteers, and assisting caregivers to gain access to needed services. The application deadline is June 7, 2010.
Special Education Research Grants
In this announcement, the Institute of Education Sciences is requesting applications for research projects that will contribute to its special education research programs in Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education; Reading, Writing, and Language Development; Mathematics and Science Education; Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning; Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary Students; Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education; Professional Development for Teachers and Related Services Providers; Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems; and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Eligible applicants are those that have the ability to conduct scientifically valid research, and include, but are not limited to, non-profit and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions, such as colleges and universities. The application deadlines are June 24, 2010 and September 16, 2010.
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