Family caregivers are the backbone of America’s long-term care system and are often referred to as selfless, tireless and courageous. Stepping in to provide care for a friend or loved one can be a rewarding and uplifting experience and reflects the very best in human nature. While family caregivers are all these things and more, they are human nonetheless. They are not immune to stress, fatigue, burnout or illness. In fact, research shows they may be more vulnerable in this regard.

At ACL, we believe that every person has the right to make choices and to control their own decisions. This right is independent of age or disability. This right also is not diminished by illness. People who have advanced illnesses should have control over their care and services.

This post tells the personal story of Cynthia LaCounte, about how her grandmother, a tribal elder of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, prepared her to work on aging programs.

Fifty three years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed a historic piece of legislation that we now know as the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). At the time, people with developmental disabilities (DD) faced exclusion from many spheres of public and private life, including most schools and community spaces. Many spent nearly their entire lives in large, state-run institutions that were often grossly underfunded and where reports of systemic abuse and neglect were common.

In 1999 Congress passed groundbreaking legislation which broke down barriers to employment for people with disabilities.

This post also appears on the HHS Blog. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and the value of a workforce that includes their skills and talents.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and the value of a diverse workforce that includes the skills and talents they bring. Read an NDEAM message from Acting ACL Administrator Edwin Walker.

Throughout the past year, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has shared profiles and promising practices from employment service providers working with people with disabilities across the country. Many of the providers described their experiences transitioning from a sheltered workshop to more integrated community-based models.

Today, the final rule for Independent Living (IL) programs went on display in the Federal Register. The rule was developed in close coordination with the independent living network and addresses the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Specifically, the final rule:

I am pleased to announce that today ACL’s final rule for Independent Living (IL) programs went on display in the Federal Register. This final rule clarifies the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and State Independent Living Councils (SILCs).