Each year, more than 53 million Americans provide a broad range of assistance to support the health, quality of life, and independence of an older adult or person with a disability. Another 2.7 million grandparents ­— and an unknown number of other kinship caregivers — open their arms and homes each year to children who cannot remain with their parents.

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). 

As the population of older adults and people with disabilities continues to grow, the availability of services and supports that help many remain independent at home and in their communities will be increasingly important. To be effective, those services and supports must address health-related social needs (HSRNs) — the social and economic needs, such as housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation, that impact an individual’s ability to maintain their health and well-being. This month, the U.S.

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.

On Saturday, we join the nation in celebrating Veterans Day and the generations of American service members who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States to support and defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice and to preserve and protect our democracy. About six percent of Americans are veterans, and their numbers disproportionately include older adults and people with disabilities — nearly three-quarters are 55 or older, and about a third have a disability.

In this policy-round up: Input Needed for CMS Revised 1915(c) HCBS Waiver Application and Technical Guide (comments due 11/13), Assessing mental health parity and addiction equity compliance in Medicaid and CHIP (comments due 12/4), ACF proposed rule on services and protections for unaccompanied children in its care (comments due 12/4), Coverage of over-the-counter preventative services (comments due 12/4), Census Bureau changes to American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey (comments due 12/19),HHS 504 proposed rule, stakeholder call recording now available (comments due 11/13)

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.

As National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) draws to a close, we reflect on the role that employment can play in community inclusion for people with disabilities. NDEAM is observed each October to celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and to showcase supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices that benefit employers and employees. This year’s NDEAM theme, “Advancing Access and Equity,” speaks to the importance of breaking down barriers and creating opportunities that make employment inclusive of people with disabilities.