An online service that's believed to be the first of its kind is helping people with developmental disabilities find compatible roommates and settle into homes independent from their families. All of the roommates have some type of physical or developmental disability. They are matched in two- or three-person housing arrangements, with some needing an extra bedroom for a full-time caregiver. Others need a few hours of outside support each week.

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Recently released data indicates that hate crime incidents targeting people with disabilities are on the rise.  In 2018, 177 hate crime offenses based on disability bias were reported compared to 128 the year before.  According to the report, of the disability-related offenses logged, 110 targeted those with mental disabilities while 67 affected those with physical disabilities.

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When the annual cost of living (COLA) increases, there's usually an increase in the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amount.  Recently, it was announced that the COLA will increase in 2020, so Social Security benefits will increase by 1.6% beginning in January.  

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Every adult should be able to vote, but various barriers continue to prevent people with disabilities from doing so.  Everything from not being able to verbally state their name, to building access issues, to not being able to use the actual voting machine...  Numerous problems continue to be reported across the state.  Many organizations and advocacy groups are working on getting these issues addressed.

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Climate change effects everyone, but some say the disability community is the most vulnerable to things such as wildfires, hurricanes and air pollution.  This article talks about the impact it has and things that could be done to help.

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A draft report on Person-Centered Planning has been released nationwide.  It is open for public comment until December 2, 2019. The report seeks to define person-centered planning and describe ways to strengthen person-centered planning for individuals who use long-term supports and services.   

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working with partners, self-advocates, caregivers and providers to build a stronger long-term supports and system in the United States that works better for everyone.  The goal is for people with disabilities and older adults to have more choice, control and access to quality services that support independence, good health, and quality of life.       

National Quality Forum (NQF) put together a multi-stakeholder committee to draft this report.  The committee is made up of individuals with lived experience with disabilities, family members, and professionals who have extensive experience with person centered planning. 

	NQF PCP Draft Interim Report
	pcpp_interim_draft_report_for_comment (1).pdf, 287KB ∞

Last week, ACL represented the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the Access and Mobility for All Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). In addition to speeches and panel discussions, the summit featured technology demonstrations by local Assistive Technology Act programs and the approval of a strategic plan for the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) - an interagency partnership to coordinate the efforts of federal agencies funding transportation services.

Of particular significance to ACL's grantees and partners, the summit included an announcement of new funding to promote inclusive transportation and a discussion about harnessing ACL and HHS program funds to meet "matching" requirements for several grants from the USDOT's Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

New Funding Opportunity 

FTA has announced the Mobility for All Pilot Program. The $3.5 million grant program is available to states and tribes who can partner with community-based organizations as sub-applicants, The program will fund projects that enhance transportation connections to jobs, education, and health services for older adults, people with disabilities, and people with low income. 

Applications are due January 6, 2020. For more information, see FTA's notice of funding. 

In 2019 the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requested that the National Quality Forum (NQF) convene a committee of experts with lived and professional experience in long-term services and supports (LTSS), and with the acute/primary/chronic care systems. This committee aims to provide ACL, CMS, federal and state entities, and the general public with a consensus-based, multistakeholder view of multiple areas of person-centered planning.

The committee drafted a report as an interim summary of the its efforts to develop the following:

• A functional, person-first definition of person-centered planning;
• A core set of competencies for persons facilitating the planning process, including details of foundational skills, relational and communication skills, philosophy, resource knowledge, and the policy and regulatory context of person-centered planning; and
• Systems characteristics that support person-centered planning such as system-level processes, infrastructure, data, and resources, along with guidance on how to maintain system-level person-centeredness.

This report represents an interim summary of the Committee’s efforts to date. A future final report with Committee feedback will address the history of person-centered planning, a framework for quality measurement within person-centered planning, and a research agenda to advance and promote person centered planning in long-term services and supports, which includes home and community-based services and institutional settings such as nursing homes, and the interface with the acute/primary/chronic care systems.

Feedback is needed on the interim report by 6:00 pm ET on December 2. Registration is required for submitting comments. 

Contact pcplanning@qualityforum.org with questions, concerns, or accessibility difficulties for reviewing the report and submitting comment.

Nearly half of all individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid receive help with personal care, such as bathing, dressing, managing medication, and other long-term services and support (LTSS). Given the nature of these services, cultural competence – the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural situations – is a key part of establishing trust and respect between direct care workers and their clients.

RIC has developed the following briefs to help LTSS providers, administrators, and other stakeholders, support a diverse workforce that can meet the cultural needs and preferences of dually eligible individuals.

Organizational Cultural Competence

This brief provides strategies for assessing organizational cultural competence, supporting diversity across all levels of an organization, addressing linguistic competence, and engaging community partners.

Training Culturally Competent Direct Care Workers

This brief focuses on establishing and building on organizational policies to support cultural competence, using adult learner-centered training methods, and identifying setting- and community-appropriate training programs.

Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Direct Care Workforce

Can you imagine your life without a computer? Most people now literally spend hours and hours a day on a computer.  Everything from writing reports for work to paying bills, to playing games, to researching and booking a vacation, the uses of computers are truly endless. Whether people like it or not, computers are part of our lives.   How many times have you thought about what muscles it takes to move the mouse across the screen or type a word on the keyboard? Most people don’t even think twice about what physical abilities it takes to use a keyboard and mouse.  Although computers can open many great opportunities for people with disabilities, accessing them can often present many challenges.

Since it was known pretty much from birth that my disability would affect my fine motor skills, I’ve used computers almost all of my life. I think my first actual computer was an Apple 2. I used a huge enlarged keyboard (seriously, I think it was at least two feet by two feet). It had a key guard to prevent me from hitting multiple keys at once. I don’t think it had mouse functions though.   I remember practicing typing my numbers on a blue screen. In first grade, I think I started using one of the very first Macintosh computers with the same keyboard. Around that time, I also started experimenting with different augmentative communication device.   Again, access was an issue because I have limited fine motor ability really only in one hand. My right hand doesn’t really work and the left has limited function, so we had to trial and error lots of different access methods. I tried things such as different switches, headpointers, and other equipment. We spent hours trying different positions and techniques.  With each piece of equipment I tried, I was timed to see what was fastest. My occupational therapist and speech therapists spent hours collecting data to figure out what would work best.   I was a pretty stubborn kid, and didn’t like to use anything except for my hand. I don’t know why, but I still feel that way—probably because I feel like I have most control over it.

As the years went on, the keyboards became smaller and more advanced.  They began to have built in mouse functions which allowed me to use the mouse independently.  I had a few different keyboards over the years. The computers also became smaller too. Eventually, communication devices became computers and for a few years I used my device as a computer at school. I’ve always had a desktop computer at home though. We usually tried to have the same setup as I used at home.  It just made it easier for homework.

When I went away to college, I went back to using both a communication device and a desktop computer because it was just easier.  Actually, during one of visits before I started, the Center for Students with Disabilities showed me the Intellikeys keyboard.  It’s an enlarged keyboard with the mouse functions built-in.   I’ve been using it for over 17 years.  It works great.  However, as I explained in a previous entry, the keyboard was discontinued about five years ago and to my knowledge there still isn’t a keyboard on the market that has built-in mouse functions.  Luckily, Intellikeys still works with my current operating system, but, as technology advances, I know there will come a point where it won’t anymore.

I mentioned in an entry a few months ago that I was going to be getting an eye gaze system.  My parents and I first learned about it when we visited my Independent Living Center in March.  The assistive technology person thought I might be a good candidate for it.  In April, a representative from the eye gaze company came to see if I would be.  The way she tested me was really neat.  She hooked the device (which looks like a ruler) up to her tablet, and there’s a program that calibrates it to your eyes.  There was a screen that had dots and I had to look at each dot until it burst.  I got like a 96% on it which meant I definitely would be able to use it.  We learned that I could funding assistance through a grant program AT&T has for people with disabilities.  The rep began the paperwork which took a few weeks a process, and in May, I learned my application for the voucher was approved.  I paid my part of the deal and the rep ordered my eye gaze system.

I first got it in early June and had to setup an appointment with the rep to get it installed.  As luck would have it, I got a faulty device, and we had to send it in three different times.  Each time, it was gone for a couple weeks and then I had to wait until the rep was in the area so she set it up and try it.  It turned out to a very frustrating several month process.  In mid-October, it came back and it finally worked!  The rep installed it, but she didn’t do a very good job of mounting it or teaching me how to use it.  My parents had to remount it so I could use it, and I’ve been slowly teaching myself how to use it.

It’s definitely a very neat concept, but it’s going to take quite a while to learn and effectually use.  Using just my eyes, I can control the mouse and type on an onscreen keyboard.  The mouse functions such as  double-click, right-click, left-click, drag, and scroll are all on a bar on a side of the screen, and when I want to use one of those, I look at the icon for a second and then look at the spot where I want the function to take place.  It’s hard to explain and even harder to do at this point.  It’s going to take a lot of practice, but hopefully I’ll get used to it.  For the time being, I’m using a combination of the Intellikeys and the eye gaze.  Eventually, the eye gaze will probably have to replace the keyboard, but hopefully that’s a few years down the road.

I know I keep saying this, but technology has come a long way.  Who would have thought 20 years ago that people would be able to use the computer just by moving their eyes?  It’s pretty amazing.  I just wonder what the next big thing will be! 

***The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors.