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The article highlights the severe financial strain facing the American special education system due to underfunded mandates imposed on states and local school districts. Using Minnesota as a prime example, lawmakers tasked the state's Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education with identifying $250 million in budget cuts to offset projected spending growth of nearly $1 billion between 2022 and 2027. However, after releasing provisional recommendations in August, the commission unanimously urged the legislature to reject its own proposed savings, warning that cutting funding would directly harm disabled students.



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Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced that the state has secured over $11 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education to support DWD's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. This funding comes after a six-month period where the division could not process new applicants, resulting in approximately 7,600 people waiting for assistance until state lawmakers approved additional funding in June 2026. With the new federal funds, the state projects it can now fully serve all eligible Wisconsinites with disabilities seeking career services and job skills training without placing anyone on a waitlist through federal fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2027).



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Medicaid funding cuts are leading several states to reduce pay rates for family caregivers of individuals with severe disabilities and chronic medical conditions, forcing families to make difficult financial choices. While advocates for tighter regulations cite the need to curb rising program costs and potential fraud, these spending reductions are increasing waitlists for home-based care across the country. Proposed federal legislation aimed at easing this burden by providing tax credits or long-term care insurance benefits remains stalled in Congress, leaving unpaid family caregivers—who contribute over $1 trillion annually in uncompensated labor—to absorb the primary financial and emotional strain of long-term care.



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Recent immigration, wage, and assistance policies pose a significant challenge to the sustainability of the long-term services and supports (LTSS) workforce, which relies heavily on immigrant workers to care for an expanding aging population. These policies—including reductions in healthcare coverage eligibility, stricter work requirements for public assistance, wage pressures from public program budget cuts, and tighter immigration enforcement and visa restrictions—worsen existing labor shortages and high turnover rates in direct care roles. As the pool of immigrant care workers shrinks and public support declines, the burden shifts toward unpaid family caregivers and costly institutional facilities, prompting several states to step in with localized initiatives to provide health coverage, food assistance, legal aid, and professional licensing pathways for immigrant workers.



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A new Lyft app update removes a personal payment barrier for Medicaid waiver recipients using public funding programs. Previously, riders had to input a personal payment method just to create an account. This requirement excluded an estimated 15% to 20% of participants who do not have bank accounts, despite their trips being fully funded. The technical change allows unbanked users to seamlessly register and access rides for employment and daily activities.





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The 2027 AAPD Summer Internship Program Application is now open! For nearly 25 years, AAPD’s Internship Program has placed students and recent graduates with disabilities in paid internships. The program advances participants’ career opportunities, deepens their leadership skills, and meaningfully connects them to the broader disability community.
For Summer 2027, AAPD will offer a hybrid internship program, in which some interns will join remotely from across the country, while others will be based in Washington, DC. All interns will work full-time for 32 hours a week for 10 weeks during the summer and participate in various AAPD programming and activities.
Interns will:

  • Participate in a one-week orientation to prepare for their internship, meet with the cohort, and learn about the disability rights movement

  • Work at their paid internship program Monday - Thursday

  • Participate in weekly in-house programming on Fridays

  • Attend events and network on Capitol Hill, conferences, community events, briefings, and more

  • Connect one-on-one with a mentor who provides career guidance

AAPD’s internship programs are proven to help alumni build economic power and success: On average, AAPD intern alumni both earn more and are more likely to be in the workforce and employed full-time than both the general disabled population and people without disabilities (Source: AAPD Summer Internship Program 20-Year Program Evaluation)
The summer 2027 internship application is due on October 1 at 5 PM ET.
Learn More and Apply by October 1 at 5 PM ET

AAPD has excellent resources to make the process easier for applicants. Be sure to check them out on our website. Interested potential applicants can join a virtual information session on Thursday, September 10, from 12 - 1 PM ET to learn more about the program and application process, and get their questions answered. CART and ASL will be provided. The session will be recorded and shared on the AAPD website.
Register for the Informational Session on September 10

For additional information, please visit our Summer Internship Program webpage. If you have any questions, please email info@aapd.com or call 202-521-4316.
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The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (Public Law 119-101), enacted on July 11, updates federal housing policies to expand access to safe, affordable, and accessible housing for individuals with disabilities. A central feature of the law is the authorization of a Whole-Home Repairs pilot program, which offers grants and loans for physical and sensory modifications such as ramps, wider doorways, lifting devices, and accessible kitchens and bathrooms. Additionally, the act introduces new planning and manufactured-housing grants, alters how Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits factor into HUD-VASH program eligibility, and mandates a Government Accountability Office study on removing housing barriers due by July 11, 2027. However, the legislation's actual effectiveness hinges on future congressional funding, agency guidance, and how effectively local communities incorporate accessibility into their implementations.



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The UW–Madison People & Robots Laboratory is looking for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to participate in a paid study about how people interact with security and privacy notifications. These notifications include examples like spam email warnings, unsecure website alerts, and cookie prompts on websites.

During the study, you will try five new apps made to help with these notifications. We will also ask you questions about your thoughts or ideas. 

To be eligible for this study, you must:

  • have an Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) * 

  • be 18 years old or older.

  • live in the USA, within driving distance of Madison, WI.

  • communicate feedback on your experience verbally or through other means, such as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device.

  • be willing and able to participate in one 1.5-hour session with a support person.

Location: UW-Madison (Morgridge Hall); We are open to discussing other options, such as a local library.

Expected Duration: 1.5 hours

Payment: $40 for completing the study

Project PI: Dr. Bilge Mutlu (bmutlu@wisc.edu) and Dr. Rahul Chatterjee (rchatterjee4@wisc.edu)

Required: You will need to bring another person with you (e.g., a parent, guardian, caregiver, sibling, or other trusted person).

If you are interested in participating, please scan the QR code on the flyer I've attached or go to the following link: https://forms.gle/DLgz3AuHFknRnZed8. You can also email, text, or call Hailey at hljohnson22@wisc.edu or (608) 620-3463.

Our first meeting will be an online video call to ask you questions to ensure you are eligible for the study, complete informed consent, and schedule the in-person session.

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