At this time of year, we stop to give thanks and spend time with our friends and loved ones to reflect on our many blessings. We spend time renewing the ties that connect families and sharing in the joys of the season. Because November is also National Family Caregivers Month, this is a time of year when we pause to think about the people whose support makes it possible for their loved ones to live independently in their homes and communities, as well as the increasing number of grandparents and other older relatives who take over raising children when their parents cannot.

The FY 2020 ACL Falls Prevention Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are now available via Grants.gov. There are two distinct FOAs this year: 

Four new funding opportunities from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL have been announced for the

The FY 2020 Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are now available via Grants.gov. There are two distinct FOAs this year:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeks nominations of individuals to serve as non-federal public members on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). The nomination period is open through Friday, January 24, 2020.

Applications are due Friday, December 20, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL has funded 64 new projects in fiscal year 2019, ranging from six-months long Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects building new technology to five-year centers conducting research and training in rehabilitation

Today is America Recycles Day. Recycling assistive technology is one way to help make community living possible for more people. Assistive technology (AT) and durable medical equipment (DME) encompass a broad range of devices including home hospital beds, hearing aids, communication devices, wheelchair ramps or lifts, and software. These devices play a critical role in helping many older adults and individuals with disabilities achieve educational and career goals, avoid social isolation, and stay out of nursing homes.

Approximately 200,000 Americans will join the U.S. military by the close of 2019. This year’s volunteers will join the ranks of the 24 million Americans who either currently serve in the military or are veterans. When each of them made the decision to join, they knew the sacrifices that lay ahead, the risks they might be asked to take, and the responsibilities one assumes when they put on the uniform.