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

On July 14, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Older Americans Act into law. Over the past 50 years, the aging network established and funded by the Act has helped millions of older adults live and thrive in the communities of their choice. These services include home-delivered and congregate meals, caregiver support, preventive health services, transportation, job training, elder abuse prevention, and so much more.

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.

Approximately a quarter of a million Americans live with spinal cord injuries and an additional 4 to 5 million people in this country are affected by paralysis of the extremities. For many, obtaining reliable information about paralysis, and gaining access to opportunities that increase independence, self-confidence, and the ability to participate in their communities can be a challenge.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is pleased to announce the release of a new grantee report outlining services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the U.S. territories. The report, “Services for People with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities in the U.S.

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.

Since the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act was signed last year, ACL has been working through the process of moving the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and the independent living and assistive technology programs from the Department of Education to ACL. We passed a major milestone when we consolidated our staff administratively earlier this year, and we have spent the last couple of months achieving another—merging our grants and contracts into one system.

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.