The ACL Policy Round Up is a new blog feature intended to help the aging and disability networks stay informed about new policies (and policy changes) that impact our work, and to ensure our networks are aware of opportunities to provide input on issues that affect older adults and people with disabilities. Please let us know what you think! This first round-up includes some highlights from the last few weeks.  

ACL's

ASPE/BHDAP Announces $1.5 Million Investment in ID/DD Data Infrastructure

Equal access to health care is one of the rights guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this guest blog, Mary Willard, Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), talks about how Centers for Independent Living are working to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to COVID-19 vaccinations. 

Today, we wrap up our month-long celebration of the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We hope you have enjoyed the blog posts and events, and that the information, tools, and other resources we have been sharing from across the federal government have been helpful. Before we close, we have a few more things to share:

 

Throughout the month of July, ACL has been sharing resources for people with disabilities from across the federal government and our partners in the disability networks to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Today, on the actual anniversary, there are so many exiting things to share that we can’t send them out individually, so we’ve recapped some of them here.

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law; this landmark civil rights law affirmed the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of disability. The ADA prohibits discrimination by local and state governments, provides standards for privately owned businesses and commercial facilities, stands against discrimination in the workplace, and ensures equal access to healthcare, social services, transportation, and telecommunications. 

ACL is pleased to announce new Lifespan Respite Care State Program Enhancement Grant awards to 10 states. The cooperative agreements will provide a total of approximately $11 million over five years.

ACL recently awarded a five year cooperative agreement to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care to operate the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC).