ACL is committed to supporting states in developing effective Adult Protective Services (APS) systems to ensure all older Americans and people with disabilities have similar protections and access to services, regardless of where they live. As part of these efforts, last summer we released Draft Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State APS Systems and asked for your feedback.

Dialysis patients generally receive treatment several times per week, and missing a session can have real health consequences. Unfortunately, getting to treatment can be a challenge, and programs that try to address the problem often do not understand the unique needs of these patients. This can create as many problems as the program seeks to resolve. For many dialysis patients, rides that do not show up and waiting hours to go home are familiar experiences. As Troyce Crucchiola, a dialysis patient in Portland, OR describes it, “our lives are so much about hurrying up to wait.”

May is a month of fresh beginnings. Perennials bloom once again, blazing a trail of bright color. Here at the Administration for Community Living (ACL), May is Older American’s Month (OAM), a time to celebrate the perennial contributions of older adults to the nation. The 2016 theme is Blaze a Trail, and in May we will take the opportunity to raise awareness about issues facing older adults, and highlight the way older Americans are advocating for themselves, their peers, and their communities.

To promote the availability and accessibility of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and communities throughout the U.S., Easter Seals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging announce the launch of the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center.

At the time Jamie Kendall passed away unexpectedly, ACL was within weeks of announcing her selection to serve as deputy commissioner for the Administration on Disabilities and director of the Independent Living Administration. Jamie had been serving as the acting director of the ILA since June.

With gratitude and sadness, ACL announces that Principal Deputy Administrator Sharon Lewis will leave ACL at the end of January. James Toews will succeed her in an acting capacity.

Each October, the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the U.S. Department of Labor observes National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This month-long celebration is a time to honor the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. The theme for this year—which marks 70 years since the first observance—is "My Disability is One Part of Who I Am."

Each November, we recognize family caregivers for all they do to ensure the health, safety, and dignity of the people they care for. Family caregivers are the social and economic underpinning of America's long-term care system. Without them, the burden of providing care likely would fall upon the formal, more costly healthcare delivery system, and many people who otherwise could remain in their homes and communities would  have to live in institutional settings. Supporting caregivers is critical—and a key part of ACL's mission.

Today, ACL published a proposed rule for Independent Living (IL) programs in the Federal Register. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is now open for public comment through the Federal Register and Regulations.gov. The rule will not take effect until after all comments are reviewed and a final rule is released.