News
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: Secretary Buttigieg Announces Proposed Rule to Ensure Passengers Who Use Wheelchairs Can Fly with Dignity
By SD Network, 2024-02-29
Recently, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a new proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would ensure airline passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity. The proposed rule would require that airlines meet standards for accommodating passengers with disabilities.
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: Input Needed: FEMA Reforms To Help Improve Disaster Assistance Program
By SD Network, 2024-02-28
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published an interim final rule (IFR) that seeks to simplify processes, remove barriers to entry, and increase eligibility for certain types of assistance under their Individual Assistance program. These changes will help make it easier for people to receive the assistance they need after a disaster, which is especially important for people with disabilities and older adults, who are disproportionately affected during and after disasters due to accessibility needs.
Among other things, the interim rule:
- Increases eligibility for home repair assistance.
- This includes allowing survivors with disabilities to use FEMA funding to make certain accessibility improvements to homes damaged by a declared disaster. This change helps survivors with disabilities improve their living conditions by making their homes even more accessible than they were pre-disaster.
- Makes improvements to program registration requirements.
- Simplifies the documentation requirements for continued temporary housing assistance.
- Simplifies the appeals process.
- Establishes additional eligible assistance for serious needs, displacement, disaster-damaged computing devices, and essential tools for self-employed individuals.
The IFR goes into effect on March 22. Comments can be submitted online until July 22. FEMA will then consider whether to make changes to the rule on the basis of comments received.
What's your story? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Lindsey shares that she was diagnosed with autism when she was 28 months old. Her family had given little hope from others. She explains that they were told that she would never drive a car, get a job, go to college, or never live independently. She has proved them wrong over and over. She does drive a car, she graduated with an Associates Degree from UW-River Falls, she works full time at Target, and she’s a homeowner with her sister! She’s a co author, artist and illustrator, and a motivational speaker. She and her family wrote their story together to help other families living with autism. She’s also a coauthor with her aunt for the children book series entitled, Little Lindsey. “We both want everyone of all ages to learn and understand what it's like living with autism,” she says. She has been an artist since I was 13 years old and presents her work in art shows. She’s an illustrator for Koda the Fluff, Florida’s famous therapy dog, as well!
How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?
Lindsey tells us that a couple years ago she heard about the Self-Determination Conference from her friend, Ashley Mathy. “She sent me information about it. Thanks to her, I was a keynote speaker in the fall of 2022,” she excitedly shares! She decided to join the SD network because she wants to share her story and help make a difference.
Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms of self-determination?
Lindsey is excited that she will be a keynote speaker at the Employment First Conference this spring in Wisconsin Dells!
What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?
Lindsey stresses that it’s okay to reach out for help. “You are never alone. You all matter. You are always welcome to share your story to help other people. Always be yourself. You have the capacity to be anything that you want to be,” she exclaims!
What are some of your hobbies?
In her spare time, Lindsey loves drawing, hanging out with friends and family, reading books, watching movies, traveling, and going out for walks.
***We love hearing the views and opinions of Network members. We need to mention that the views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the person who is sharing them. They do not necessarily reflect InControl Wisconsin or any of our supporters and funders.
The number of people with disabilities across the country who are employed is at its highest level since federal officials started keeping track. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22.5% of people with disabilities had jobs in 2023. That’s an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the year before.
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: ACL’s DCW Strategies Center Launches Multi-Pronged Effort to Strengthen Direct Care Workforce
By SD Network, 2024-02-27
New TA Opportunities and Resources To Address the Dire Shortage of Direct Care Professionals
This press release was posted earlier today on HHS.gov.
HHS Announces a Multi-Pronged Effort to Strengthen Direct Care Workforce
“Today’s announcement reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s steadfast commitment to strengthen the caregiving infrastructure and increase the availability of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Like our efforts to support the development of clinicians and grow the behavioral health workforce, the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center is an important component of our Health Workforce Initiative.”
“Urgent action is needed to address the shortage of direct care professionals, which is threatening to reverse decades of progress in community living,” said Alison Barkoff, who leads the Administration for Community Living. “The DCW Strategies Center was created to strengthen collaboration across state agencies, direct care professionals, people receiving services, and other stakeholders in order to improve recruitment, retention, and development of this critical workforce. The initiatives announced today are an exciting step forward toward this goal.”
Two technical assistance opportunities are available to states:
- DCW Intensive Technical Assistance, which will facilitate collaboration among state agencies – including Medicaid, aging, disability, labor and workforce development systems – and with stakeholders to improve recruitment, retention, training, and professional development of the direct care workforce. It will include a focus on strategies to help states sustain direct care workforce initiatives funded through the American Rescue Plan. The DCW Strategies Center will provide up to 250 hours of individualized technical assistance on a variety of issues for up to six cross-agency state teams. Each team will be assigned a coach and have access to subject matter experts to support them in addressing their state’s unique needs. Each team will include representatives from the state’s Medicaid, aging, disability, and workforce development agencies, in addition to other stakeholders. The support provided through this initiative will be coordinated by a consortium led by ADvancing States, in partnership with the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services and the National Association of State Medicaid Directors.
- DCW Peer-Learning Collaboratives, which will bring together four to six states in a working group focused on a particular topic. There will be up to three learning collaboratives available to states. The DCW Strategies Center will host monthly virtual meetings focused on group learning to facilitate information sharing on best practices, innovative strategies and demonstrated models for growing the direct care workforce. In addition, each participating state will receive up to 70 hours of individual technical assistance on a topic or issue important to the state. Each participating state will be expected to accomplish one policy or program-related milestone within the parameters of the topic of focus as a result of participation in one of the collaboratives.
Today also marks the official launch of the DCW Strategies Center website. The website serves as the national hub for resources including information about best practices, promising strategies, upcoming events, webinars and technical assistance opportunities, and more to support states, stakeholders and communities in strengthening and expanding their local direct care workforce. The library features resources from federal agencies, as well as resources published by partners from all levels of government, research and advocacy organizations, non-profits and industry, and other stakeholders.
Finally, on Thursday, March 7, at 10:30 a.m. EST, the DCW Strategies Center will kick off a technical assistance webinar series. The series will address a variety of topics related to strengthening and supporting the direct care workforce. In the first session, participants will learn about the DCW Strategies Center and hear from senior leaders from the White House and from across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Labor, who will share some of the work being done by federal agencies to strengthen the nation’s capacity to support community living by improving recruitment, retention, and training of this vital workforce.
About the direct care workforce crisis
Low wages, lack of benefits, limited opportunities for career growth, and other factors have resulted in a long-standing shortage of these critical professionals. That shortage reached crisis levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues today, with more than three-quarters of service providers declining new participants and more than half cutting services.
As a result of the workforce shortage, people who need assistance often have no option except to move to a nursing home or other institution; people who want to leave these facilities cannot; and the health and safety of those who live in the community are put at risk.
As the populations of older adults and people with disabilities grow, so does the demand for home and community-based services. Without urgent action, the problem will only continue to get worse.
About the DCW Strategies Center
The DCW Strategies Center provides technical assistance to states and service providers and facilitates collaboration with stakeholders to improve the recruitment, retention, training, and professional development of members of the direct care workforce.
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: Development and Leadership Opportunities Open for Youth with I/DD
By SD Network, 2024-02-23
Development and Leadership Opportunities Open for Youth with I/DD
The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities, an ACL grantee, is recruiting youth and young adults ages 12-26 with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to participate in development and leadership opportunities. These opportunities will allow members to grow, build relationships, and impact national work while receiving a stipend for their time and work. There are two opportunities available:
- Youth Steering Committee (YSC) Member: The YSC is a group of youth ages 17-26 who guide the center's design and operation. The YSC guides the work plan, develops resources, and supports evaluation efforts. YSC members receive ongoing support and education to build their knowledge about health care transition and leadership skills.
- Youth Development Initiative (YDI) Committee Member: The YDI is a group of youth ages 12-17 with I/DD who will receive training and mentoring by young adult leaders also with I/DD. This initiative will help them understand health care transition, advocacy, and self-determination. These skills support youth in their own transition and prepare them for potential leadership opportunities.
ILRU: Volunteers Needed for a Research Study for People with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
By SD Network, 2024-02-23
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AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Fall 2024 Internship Program Application Now Open!
By SD Network, 2024-02-23
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