The University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies — funded by ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) — is seeking adults with disabilities to complete the 2023 National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD). 

ACL is pleased to announce the award of a new grant designed to increase the availability of innovative models of dementia-specific respite care in communities across the nation. The Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc. (Alzheimer’s Association) has received a five-year cooperative agreement award for over $4.9 million per year for Supporting State and Community Innovations in Dementia-Specific Respite Programs and Services. The grant also has a match component, which brings the total funding to over $6.5 million per year.

Deadline Extended: Community Care Hub National Learning Community. ACL has extended the deadline for the 2023-2024 Community Care Hub National Learning Community to Wednesday, November 8, 2023. Participants will gain access to vital peer support, technical assistance from national experts, and up-to-date information on resources, initiatives, and collaborations aimed at furthering the capacity of community care hubs nationwide.

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the launch of the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, which will support states in developing or expanding innovative housing-related supports and services for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

October 31st marked 60 years since President John F. Kennedy signed the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). The DD Act advanced a fundamentally different vision of what it means to live with a developmental disability. The law empowered people with developmental disabilities and their families to help shape policies that impact them, and it served as the blueprint for many subsequent laws that both protect the rights of people with disabilities and promote independence, integration, and inclusion throughout life.

ACL’s Eldercare Locator and Disability Information & Access Line (DIAL) are trusted resources that help connect older adults and people with disabilities with resources in their community. In recent days, Eldercare Locator has noted a significant increase in people reporting they have been targeted by scam phone calls.

The purpose of the SBIR Program is to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of small business in meeting federal research or research and development needs, and improve the return on investment from federally-funded research for economic and social benefits to the nation.

The 7th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day (OAMHAD) symposium will be held virtually on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The free event is hosted by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), with funding provided by ACL, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

ACL awarded a total of $985,000 for the first year of six new two-year cooperative agreements addressing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in tribal communities. The awardees will focus on identifying community needs; facilitating multidisciplinary activities advancing elder justice; and preventing and responding to abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

ACL’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is sponsoring its second year of virtual matchmaking sessions for ACL/NIDILRR stakeholders to connect with each other to share information, discuss common research interests, and, ultimately, find partners for research collaboration.