As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approaches, ACL is featuring guest blogs from leaders in the disability community. In this blog, Judith Heumann, a lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people and the Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S.

As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approaches, ACL is featuring guest blogs from leaders in the disability community.

As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approaches, ACL is featuring guest blogs from leaders in the disability community and highlighting how ACL programs continue to advance the ADA’s promise of inclusion and civil rights for people with disabilities. DD Councils and the Four Pillars of Integration By Donna Meltzer, CEO, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD)

As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approaches, ACL is featuring guest blogs from leaders in the disability community.

Before independent living was a program, it was an idea that sparked a social movement to advance the rights of people with disabilities. The independent living movement embodies the idea that no one should be denied dignity, self-determination, or equal opportunity simply because they are living with a disability. And no one could be a greater expert on the needs of people with disabilities than a person with a disability. Decades before federal laws required curb cuts and workplace accommodations, this was considered a radical idea.

As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approaches, ACL will be featuring guest blogs from leaders in the disability community.

Yesterday, the Administration for Community Living and the HHS Office for Civil Rights hosted Community Living for All: Celebrating 25 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Advocates and leaders provided a variety of perspectives on the progress of the last 25 years and the work that remains before a packed room of disability and aging advocates.

Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). Established by the United Nations in 2006, WEAAD brings together people from around the globe to shine a spotlight on the mistreatment of older adults. Each year in the U.S. alone, hundreds of thousands of older people are abused, neglected, and exploited. Our seniors lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually to financial abuse and exploitation, depriving them of funds that could have been used to pay for basic needs such as housing, food, and medical care.

Thursday, May 28, 2015, 8:30–11:45 a.m. ET On Thursday, May 28, 2015 the White House Conference on Aging will host a Regional Forum in Boston, Massachusetts to engage with older Americans, their caregivers, advocates, community leaders and others on the key issues affecting older Americans.

The White House Conference on Aging released a policy brief on elder justice, a key focus area for the 2015 Conference. The Policy Brief on Elder Justice explores the ways in which older Americans may be susceptible to financial exploitation and other forms of elder abuse. It also describes the federal efforts being made to prevent, identify, and respond to elder abuse.