Final report for the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Measuring Home and Community-Based Services Quality. NQF, under a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), convened a multi-stakeholder committee to develop recommendations for the prioritization of measurement opportunities to address gaps in home and community-based services (HCBS) quality measurement.

September is National Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month. The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), one of ACL’s newest divisions, funds the NIDILRR’s Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Program. The SCIMS program was established in 1970s, and conducts research on recovery and service delivery outcomes individuals with SCI.

Last month, investigators from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), partnering with researchers from the University of New Mexico, published an article in the American Journal of Public Health entitled "Prevalence and Causes of Paralysis—United States, 2013." The article estimated and characterized the number of people living with paralysis in the United States.

The original Rehabilitation Act became law just before the First World War and little change was made to it over the next five decades. In contrast, the landmark legislation that passed in 1973 altered the course of history in fundamental ways. When the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 became law, I was just starting my freshman year in high school. My parents and I worked hard for years to win the right, or at least the chance, for me to attend the same school and classes as every other kid in my town.

Please note that the comment period has been extended thru October 7th. CMS’s Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services and the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office is seeking feedback from the public (including impacted populations, payers, policy makers, service providers, and others) on specifications and justification for quality measures currently under development and testing. The measure concepts address the following areas and/or populations:

Last month, ACL hosted a staff professional development workshop to learn about an example of a long-term services and supports system embracing person-centered thinking, planning, and practices.  The District of Columbia's No Wrong Door system has incorporated the approach throughout all aspects of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities, including independent living and behavioral health services.

Last week, the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities (ACICIEID) sent its final report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.

ACL is excited to announce the first-ever grant to establish a National Resource Center for Self-Advocacy (NRCSA) to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for enhancing their voice on issues important to their well-being and daily life. Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) will lead the effort in partnership with several organizations.

ACL’s Administration on Aging announced the release of $1,050,000 to the nationally-recognized senior advocacy organization Justice in Aging to create a new National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). The NCLER will support ACL’s ongoing efforts to protect the rights, financial security, and independence of older adults.

Each year in September we pause to honor our nation’s senior centers. The 2016 National Senior Center Month theme, Find Balance at Your Center!, highlights how senior centers are providing programs that focus on the whole person allowing seniors to live healthier lives and stay involved in their communities.