the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance to State Medicaid Directors regarding the “Implications of the ABLE Act for State Medicaid Programs.” The ABLE National Resource Center (ANRC) is pleased to see that the vast majority of the guidance acts to reinforce the language, spirit and congressional intent of the ABLE Act to ensure that ABLE accounts should “supplement, but not supplant” public benefits being provided to the ABLE account owner, including supports and services provided by the Medicaid program.

The contents of the letter are divided into the following topics:

• Treatment of Funds in an ABLE Account
• Contributions to ABLE Accounts
  • Contributions by Third Party
  • Contributions by the ABLE Account Beneficiary
  • Contribution by Third Party who Apply for Medicaid
• Distributions from ABLE Accounts
  • Treatment of Distributions Exceeding QDEs for Non-MAGI Determinations
  • Treatment of Distributions Exceeding QDEs for MAGI Determinations
• Post-Eligibility Treatment of Income
• Transfer of ABLE Funds to State Estate Recovery.

Over the next few days, the ANRC, in collaboration with our partners in both the disability community and 529A community, will be working to analyze the guidance from CMS and develop a comprehensive summary. Additionally, the ANRC plans to host a dedicated national webinar aimed at helping all ABLE related stakeholders better understand how ABLE accounts may interact with Medicaid eligibility and supports and services given this new directive.

For initial highlights, and to read the CMS letter, visit the ANRC website.

The Administration for Community Living has put together resources for how to prepare for an emergency. Advanced preparation is especially important for older adults and people with disabilities because there may have additional needs to consider, including medical issues, accessibility, transportation, and more. 

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The Great Plains ADA Center is soliciting proposals related to ADA implementation that you would be interested in presenting at our National ADA Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA June 17-20, 2018. 

We're interested in subject areas such as Title I, Title II, Title III, Healthcare, Technology, Higher Education, Transportation, Housing and any other interesting workshops related to ADA implementation. Each session will be 90 minutes in length.  However, two part sessions can be provided if the content requires additional time. We will also have a specific track for highly advanced experts to conduct interactive policy development workshops that will be 3 hours in length. 

Please complete and return the Proposal Submission Form (which is attached) if you would like for your session to be considered for the Symposium.  The deadline for submissions is September 30th.

An exciting innovation will be available this coming Symposium to aide you in targeting your presentation more precisely. Our registration tool will allow you to interact by e-mail with session participants prior to the Symposium. You will have access through our new system with the attendees if you wish to poll them about specific issues/topics, suggest limited reading material and/or announce an event they should monitor prior to the Symposium. Since we begin registration at the start of the New Year and the National ADA Symposium is in June, we expect most sessions will be filled by April based on past operations. Therefore, it gives you adequate time to utilize this new feature. You are NOT required to do so, but it is an option that many have expressed the desire to utilize in the past.

This year we will have approximately 100 workshops, around half of which will be conducted by various federal agencies and prior presenters and half of which will be selected from this RFP process. There can be no more than two presenters per session and your airfare/mileage, hotel, conference registration and conference meals will be covered by the National ADA Symposium.

We will notify you no later than Friday, November 17, 2017 of our decision.

Thank you in advance for your interest, application and willingness to make the National ADA Symposium a continued success. Also, feel free to share this with other colleagues and experts in the ADA field.

	National ADA Symposium Call for Presenters
	Call for Presentations 2018 Submission Form.doc, 52KB ∞

Although initially developed by engineers to recreate sci-fi fantasies, smart homes in modern times are important tools for increasing agency and accessibility for elderly people and people with disabilities. Modern smart homes are capable of exhibiting many accessible features, including automated doors and lighting, air conditioning, and heating controlled by smartphones; tables and counter-tops that can be raised or lowered; and wider halls, bathrooms, and showers. As may be expected, houses with features such as these cost as much as $500,000, although the cost has been going down as the technology becomes more commonplace.  Several organizations are working to help with the costs.

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The solar eclipse that happened last month was viewed by millions of Americans. People who are visually impaired experienced the solar eclipse as it happened thanks to technology that allowed them to feel a real time changing image. Employees of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), the co-inventor of the Graphiti™, and students of the Kentucky School for the Blind gathered together to "touch" the sun and experienced this historic event with their friends, family, and co-workers.

Read about the technology used

Researchers and robotics experts say they have developed cost-effective technology that would allow power wheelchairs to drive themselves.  The concept was originally intended to help wheelchair users with upper-body disabilities that limited their movements.  Previous autonomous wheelchair designs could cost the user upwards of $30,000, but this product they've developed will have a total cost of between $300 and $700.

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Special needs trusts have a new level of flexibility.  Under a law passed late last year, individuals with disabilities can for the first time establish special needs trusts for themselves.  Before this, trusts had to be set up by a third party.  The significant change is designed to make saving money easier for those with disabilities.  

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Nominate a Person for a DRW Ruby Anniversary Award