Santa Perez of People First of Nevada is a lot of things.

“I am an advocate. I am a woman with a BA in Psychology. I sit on many committees around the state. I am a mom with a 15 year old son. I own my own home. Oh by the way, I have a disability!” she says in “Hear Me” a video produced by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Perez captures an idea that is at the heart of this year's Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM) theme: "See Me For Me." It builds recognition of the fact that every person with a developmental disability is a unique individual with their own interests, skills, and passions. It’s an outstanding theme for DDAM – and it’s a concept we work to support year-round at ACL.

In fact, ACL promotes a person-centered approach across our programs. This approach puts the person receiving services, and their family, in the driver's seat, developing a set of formal and informal supports based on their individual strengths, culture, and goals.  We’ve been working with the aging and disability networks across the country for more than a decade to incorporate these principles into the systems that support older adults and people with disabilities, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made.

Promising practices are found in every state. For example, some states are offering people with developmental disabilities the option of self-directing the services they receive through Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services waivers. This means they get a budget, which they use to pay for the services they decide will help them the most. They also decide who will provide the services. If they decide they want less support with cleaning and more transportation, they can make it happen. We’re excited to see this model starting to spread.

ACL and DD network partners work to empower people with developmental and other disabilities to explore, and make the most of, the things that make them unique. This starts with helping children get an early and accurate diagnosis and connecting families with appropriate services and supports. The early childhood and elementary years are also an important opportunity for children to develop the skills to advocate for themselves.

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) offer a variety of diagnostic and support services to help families understand how they can help their child thrive. For example, the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami offers a variety of services emphasizing an interdisciplinary and culturally competent approach. This work includes helping parents understand how to best support their child with a disability, helping them develop skills to advocate for their child, and connecting them with other families who have shared similar experiences.

Many family advocates, as well as individuals with developmental disabilities, are involved in their State Council on Developmental Disabilities (DD Councils), either as council members or as participants in programs like Partners in Policymaking.

ACL also is working to promote accessible learning environments where children can interact with peers with and without disabilities. Many UCEDDs offer early childhood programs where children can receive specialized supports without being completely isolated from their peers; the Early Childhood Education Program at Ohio State University’s Nisonger Center is one such example.

As the school years whiz by and the teenage years begin, students approach a critical transition point that can help lay the groundwork for a successful future career. Working while in high school, developing independent living and specialized career skills, preparing for college, and maintaining high expectations all can help improve future career outcomes.

Last year, I made expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities and older adults one of the "five pillars" that represent my top program priorities as ACL Administrator. ACL and our grantees have been doing important work on this front. Through our Partnerships in Integrated Employment Systems Change Grants, ACL is working to help states streamline their bureaucracies and make competitive integrated employment the first and preferred outcome for all people with developmental disabilities.

In addition, ACL programs across the country are working to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, for example:

Centers for Independent Living are working with young adults as they get ready to leave school and enter the workforce.

Assistive Technology programs are helping people with disabilities discover, test, and finance tools that can help them succeed in the workplace.

ACL’s National Institute for Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research is investing in projects to develop evidence-based programs, practices, and policies to improve employment opportunities for people will all types of disabilities.

Protection and Advocacy systems help remove barriers to employment and ensure employment – and other -- rights are upheld.

And that’s just a few of them.

There are signs that the work of so many is paying off. For the past 23 months in a row, the percentage of people with disabilities in the workforce has increased. However that number, 34%, is still far too low, and we still have a lot more work to do. I want you to know that ACL remains committed to this work.

As people with developmental disabilities follow their own career and life paths, they often face a common set of challenges and barriers. ACL, our grantees, and our federal partners are working to address these barriers, including finding accessible housing, accessing needed services and supports, and getting to and from work or the grocery store.

I am happy to say that more and more people with developmental disabilities are enjoying older age. As their needs, and family support structures, change with time, we must ensure that our aging networks are equipped to support their unique needs. I am excited to see the aging and disability networks coming together, combining forces to make it possible for all of us to support more people, show the impact of our work, and do it better. The aging and disability networks have asked ACL to help bring the two communities together even more strongly, and we are looking forward to working together to make that happen.

I am grateful for the important work that ACL's grantees do every day to support people with developmental disabilities at every stage of their lives. I am proud to work alongside you to empower people with disabilities to blaze their own trails, share their full selves with the world, and help create a world that heeds the call to “See Me for Me.”

Read more ACL DD Awareness Month Blogs:

• A South Carolina CIL Leads the Way on Employment for Youth with Disabilities

• Promoting Safety for People with Developmental Disabilities – No Matter Where They Live

• Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Resources From NIDILRR

Every year on June 15, we join forces with partners across the country and around the world to observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). Created by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations, WEAAD is an opportunity for communities around the world to raise awareness of elder abuse and neglect, and to renew our commitment to preserving the rights of older adults – including the basic human right to live with dignity, free from abuse and neglect. WEAAD also aligns with the United Nations International Plan of Action, which acknowledges the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.

ACL and our partners at the National Center on Elder Abuse are planning many exciting activities over the next 90 days as we countdown to WEAAD. You can join us to make a difference and strengthen your community. Here are just a few ways you can participate:

• Host a commemoration event and share your plans on the 2018 WEAAD event map;
• Use #WEAAD in all of your WEAAD social media posts on Facebook and Twitter so that the nation and the world can see your commitment and planned activities;
• Create and submit art to the WEAAD Virtual Art Gallery, a project of the Elder Justice Roadmap Steering Committee; and
• Stay tuned for details on a joint WEAAD-inspired webinar with partnering organizations as well as NCEA’s four week social media countdown starting May 18th which will focus on sharing resources, information, and notable news.

Protecting the rights and preventing abuse of older adults and people with disabilities is a key priority for me, and for all of us at ACL. We are working with states to develop systems and programs that prevent abuse from happening, while also supporting individuals who have experienced abuse. We are spearheading a number of proactive efforts to strengthen and improve adult protective services around the nation. ACL has funded over eight million dollars in grants to assist with curtailing neglect, abuse, and exploitation. The funds are having a significant effect, supporting data collection, research, and technical assistance for adult protective services programs.

Over the next 90 days, I hope you will join us in shining a light on the issue of elder abuse: why elder abuse occurs, how we can prevent and address it, and how we can encourage constructive public conversations about the issue. For more ideas and resources to help you get involved, please visit the WEAAD web site where you will find the WEAAD outreach guide, tips on how to take action and other useful tools to spark community engagement and mindfulness.

On Veterans Day, we honor all those who have served in the military. It is a time to appreciate our veterans and all they have done to protect our country and make this world a better place. 

As a veteran, this day is particularly meaningful to me. I am proud to have served in the U.S. Army, and I also am proud of the fact that so many of my colleagues at ACL – more than ten percent of our workforce! -- have served or are currently serving this great nation.  (You can see some of them on ACL’s Facebook page.)

Photo: A few of our vets who work at ACL Headquarters in Washington, D.C. From left to right; Back row: Phillip McCoy, Christy Samuels, Kenny Moss, Caldwell Jackson, Jesse Moore; Front row: Christine Phillips, Keri Lipperini, Corinna Stiles, Sophia Newman

I thank them, and all veterans for their service, dedication, and commitment to keeping our country free.

Veterans who have served all over the world are now living in every corner of the United States. Many are aging or have disabilities resulting from their service.

As you know, ACL was created around the fundamental principle that all people, regardless of age or disability, should be able to live independently and fully participate in their communities.  Of course, this includes our veterans.

The many community-based organizations that make up the national aging and disability network are uniquely positioned to support these efforts.  We’re working with the network to develop innovative new approaches that improve efficiency, reach more people, and  enhance the quality of the services we provide. 

One of these initiatives is the Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services program. Veterans in this program design their supports based on their unique circumstances and lifestyles.  Veterans have the support of person-centered counselors to connect them to available resources and support them as they manage their own flexible budgets as well as hire and supervise their own workers. This flexibility allows them to come up with creative solutions to meet their support needs, including hiring family, friends, and neighbors to deliver their care and services. 

This program was launched in 2008 as a partnership between the ACL and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and has led to many new partnerships between local VA Medical Centers, Aging and Disability Resource Centers and state “No Wrong Door” systems, Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and other network organizations. 

Promising practices from these partnerships in seven states are highlighted in a new report by AARP, The Commonwealth Fund, and The SCAN Foundation.  The paper begins with a checklist to help local organizations enhance collaboration and truly create a “no wrong door” for veterans and the families who support them to receive services in the community.

On Veterans Day, and every day, ACL is proud to honor our nation’s veterans and actively serving personnel, and we believe that one of the best ways of honoring their service is helping them remain in their own homes and communities throughout their lives. To the veterans and their families out there, thank you for your service and sacrifice on behalf of our country’s freedoms and security!

Editor's Note: Today, ACL also launched a new No Wrong Door website which includes many resources on Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services and other programs and practices to support veterans.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and all month we've been celebrating the many contributions of workers with disabilities and highlighting some of our work to remove the barriers that often prevent people with disabilities from working.

At ACL, we have a vibrant workforce that benefits from the diversity of experiences contributed by people from all backgrounds, including many people with disabilities. Unfortunately, we are far from typical, and it is a sad fact that people with disabilities are far less likely to be working than their peers. The latest data* from the Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation and Research Training Center indicates that 33 percent of working-age people with disabilities participate in the labor force, compared to 77 percent of their peers without disabilities. (Editor's note: *This link is no longer active and has been removed.)

When people with disabilities don’t have opportunities to work, we all miss out.

• People with disabilities miss out. Employment in integrated settings, and at competitive wages, offers a direct pathway to greater independence and self-sufficiency, and research suggests that people with disabilities are happier and healthier when they have the opportunity to work.
• Employers miss out on a larger and more diverse talent pool to pick from when hiring. Workers with disabilities can bring unique perspectives, creativity, and loyalty to the workplace that can boost a business' bottom line.
• As a country, we miss out when people with disabilities don’t have the chance to contribute as colleagues, business owners, and taxpayers.

We can’t afford to let that happen. 

At ACL we are working with our partners across federal government, with states and communities, and with people with disabilities to identify – and then demolish – the obstacles that keep people with disabilities out of the workforce.  

Frequently, the highest obstacles to employment are not physical. For example, businesses often believe reasonable accommodations are extremely difficult or costly to provide, and they shy away from hiring people with disabilities as a result. In fact, a survey of employers found that nearly 60% of accommodations cost nothing at all, and the rest had an average cost of $500.

Too often, the individual strengths, skills, and talents -- and potential -- of people with disabilities are underestimated. This is particularly true for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We know that high expectations and high accomplishments go hand-in-hand, but children and young adults with disabilities are often not pushed to succeed in the same way their peers without disabilities are.

We have to change this – and we are. ACL is working hard to advance an “Employment First” approach, and we are excited to see it taking hold across the country. As laboratories of innovation, states and communities are experimenting with new models to make working in the community the preferred option for people with all types of disabilities. A central premise of “Employment First” is increasing expectations – both for people with disabilities and for our systems that help them access the opportunities they need to succeed.

That central premise is shared across all the work we do at ACL to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Together with partners in the federal, state, and community levels, we are dismantling some of the other common barriers to employment, such as a lack of accessible transportation, difficulty finding programs and services that can help, and insufficient skills training. For example:

• ACL’s Partnerships in Integrated Employment (PIE) grants are increasing collaboration across state systems in order to improve employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities. As an example, ACL’s local PIE grantee, the DC’s Department on Disability Services, participates in Project SEARCH, a year-long school-to-work program led by local businesses that offers classroom and on-the-job training in an integrated workplace.
• ACL’s inclusive transportation program connects people with disabilities and older adults with local transit planners to improve transportation options. Together with the Federal Transit Administration at the Department of Transportation, ACL sponsors a project, Transit Planning 4 All, to develop, test and demonstrate ways for older adults and people with disabilities to be actively involved in designing and implementing coordinated transportation systems. 
• University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and grantees of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research are researching employment programs and practices, developing innovative service models, and using universal design principles to make workplaces more accessible.
• Centers for Independent Living, which are run by and for people with disabilities, connect people with services, supports, and peer mentors to help them find jobs and succeed in the workplace, and State Councils on Developmental Disabilities help give people with disabilities and their families a voice in the policy-making process. Many DD Councils also support employment programs such as Project SEARCH.

Complementary work is underway throughout HHS and the federal government:

• The Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have launched a “Ticket to Work” initiative that offers career development services for adults receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs.
• CMS’ Medicaid Buy-in initiative gives states the option of developing a Medicaid benefit group for workers with disabilities whose earnings prevent them from receiving services and supports through traditional Medicaid.
• The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has a broad variety of programs, resources, and technical assistance centers to promote disability employment.

These are just a few of many examples.

Our country and our economy can't afford to overlook the potential that people with disabilities represent. NDEAM may be coming to a close, but our commitment to removing barriers to employment for people with disabilities is not. It is a year-round focus, and I am excited about what we can do, working together.

Editor’s note: this page has been updated to remove broken links

On Sunday, we will join communities around the world in observing the International Day of Older Persons. October 1 was designated by the United Nations in 1990 to recognize the vital contributions of older people globally and to encourage member nations to thoughtfully address their increasingly aging populations.

This year, the United Nations has designated the 2017 International Day of Older Persons theme as, “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society.”  This topic highlights the benefits that come with supporting the full inclusion of older adults in their communities, workplaces, and families.

Older adults’ contributions to our society are many, because they play multiple roles. They are grandparents, parents, great aunts and uncles; they are friends and mentors; they are community leaders and volunteers; they are also elected officials, and critical contributors in the workforce.  Clearly, our communities are stronger when everyone has the opportunity to contribute their talents.

Helping to make that possible is at the core of everything we do at the Administration for Community Living. ACL was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people with disabilities of all ages should be able to live independently and participate fully in their communities. To that end, ACL advocates for older adults, people of all ages with disabilities, and the people who support them; funds a wide range of services and supports provided by networks of community-based organizations; and invests in research and innovation.

ACL programs provide support to caregivers, many of whom are older adults themselves; help older adults manage chronic health conditions, remain physically active, and preserve their overall health; support states in protecting rights and preventing abuse; help older adults maintain control of their own lives, even if they need assistance with some tasks; and much more.

In the U.S., 10,000 adults turn 65 every day. Globally, the number of people aged 60 and above is expected to reach 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2 billion in 2050. We must all work together: in our communities, across the nation, and in partnership with other countries, to promote policies that recognize and make use of the experience and capabilities of this growing population. This is particularly true as people are living longer and staying healthier for more of those years.

On this year’s International Day of Older Persons, and every day going forward, let’s make a committed effort to ensure that every person has the opportunity fully participate in their communities, throughout their lives.