Twenty-four years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. The law’s passage signaled America’s commitment to achieving equality for all its citizens by providing long overdue protections for people with disabilities. We have made tremendous progress toward this goal, but we have yet to reach the point at which every person can realize the fundamental rights, protections, and freedoms afforded to each of us by the United States Constitution.

Adam’s* Decision In 2012, “Adam” (not his real name) was fighting an infection in his leg and facing a tough situation.

Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee spoke about opportunities to improve the well-being of older persons to the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing this week. The Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing was established by the General Assembly in December, 2010 “to consider the existing international framework of the human rights of older persons and identify possible gaps and how best to address them, including by considering, as appropriate, the feasibility of further instruments and measures.”

Over the course of my service as Assistant Secretary for Aging, one imperative has stood above all others: preventing elder abuse. I talk about it every chance I get, and it is something we all need to talk about. Preventing elder abuse must be part of the national conversation about how we care for older Americans. That’s why, as our nation prepares to observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2014, I hope you will join me in seeking out opportunities to raise awareness about elder abuse and neglect.

"How is my child doing?": parents and other caregivers often ask themselves. Several federal projects are underway to support parents and professionals who work with young children in answering this universal question.

Today, President Obama signed the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" into law. This bipartisan bill, which recently passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 95-3 and the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 415-6, makes important changes to disability programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act and the Assistive Technology Act, including the transfer of three programs from the Department of Education to the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act of 2014 (WIOA), signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2014, transfers the Independent Living Services and Centers for Independent Living programs funded under title VII, Chapter 1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA (P.L. 113-128) (Rehabilitation Act) from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), U.S. Department of Education, to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Administration on Aging, a program division within ACL, is pleased to announce that it has awarded a grant in the amount of $765,152 to the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. The grant continues funding of the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).

The Administration on Aging, a program division within ACL, is pleased to announce that it has awarded grants—totaling over $4.8 million and funded by the 2014 Prevention and Public Health Fund—to advance the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based falls prevention programs and strategies across the nation.

ACL is pleased to announce awards totaling $2,023,646 to seventeen states to further implement the requirements of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006.