Home and community-based services (HCBS) provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities and older adults to receive services in their own home or community.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report indicated an employment rate of less than 26% for people with disabilities, a decrease of 4.5% over the last year. As this report was released during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, it is a unique opportunity to discuss avenues to promote disability employment.

This week, the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) published its 2015 Report to President titled Leveling the Playing Field: Improving Technology Access and Design for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the report describes the critical and increasing role of technology in enabling individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) to have greater control over their own lives and to experience the full benefits of citizenship. The primary goals of the report’s recommendations are:

Recently, ACL awarded a two-year cooperative agreement to Memorial Hermann Health System to operate a Statewide Independent Living Council Training and Technical Assistance Center (SILC T&TA Center). The training and technical assistance center is authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and will strengthen ACL’s ability to provide important training and technical assistance.

For many older adults and people with disabilities, the key to remaining independent can be something as simple as a home-delivered meal, a ramp for their homes, or a few hours of respite for a family caregiver. Unfortunately, an often disjointed maze of eligibility criteria, forms, programs, and agencies can prevent even the most determined individuals from obtaining these critical supports.

In 2011, a beloved actor who spent 80 years telling others' stories shared a heartbreaking tale from his own life. "I felt trapped, scared, used and frustrated," Mickey Rooney told a hearing room full of members of Congress, with cameras rolling. He described abuse and financial exploitation committed by his own family members and had a powerful message for other older adults experiencing abuse: "You're not alone … and you have nothing—nothing, ladies and gentlemen—to be ashamed of."

This week, the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released a policy statement highlighting the importance of making sure that all young children with disabilities have access to inclusive high-quality early childhood programs. The policy statement sets a vision for states, local educational agencies, schools, and public and private early childhood programs to strengthen and increase the number of inclusive high-quality early childhood programs nationwide.

Editor's note: This week the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released a policy statement highlighting the importance of making sure that all young children with disabilities have access to inclusive high-quality early childhood programs.

Transition is coming to the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program, which is moving from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Suicide takes a tremendous toll on older adults, particularly men over the age of 65. Yet the number of older adults in the United States is growing. Nearly 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. The good news is that there are more than 11,000 senior centers that offer a wide range of services and supports to help older adults stay mentally and physically healthy and live independently in their communities.