The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a crucial step forward in supporting the autism community by passing the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2024. Over the past two decades, the Autism CARES Act has been a beacon of progress, fundamentally transforming our understanding of autism and reshaping the landscape of support for individuals on the spectrum.

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In August, the Access Board, held public hearings on artificial intelligence (AI) with members of the disability community and others. This series stems from the Board’s Memorandum of Understanding with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT).

The hearings supported the Access Board’s work in fulfilling the executive order on the use of artificial intelligence to engage with disability community members and AI practitioners to learn about the risks and benefits of AI, and to issue recommendations and technical assistance to promote equity, accessibility, and inclusion for all.

In addition to those hearings, the Access Board is accepting written comments of 300 words or less until October 31.

The General Services Administration (GSA) recently published a final rule adopting the public right-of-way accessibility guidelines issued by the Access Board. Under the rule, which went into effect on September 3, GSA’s federal new construction, alteration, and renovation projects will have to comply with the Access Board’s guidelines.

For new and modified facilities this will mean ensuring accessibility, including by addressing:

• Travel distances from on-street parking to building entrances, making it easier to access government buildings while increasing efficiency for everyone who uses street parking.
• Sidewalk sizes and widths, making it easier for people to pass on the sidewalk, reducing accidental collisions, and better accommodating mobility aids such as walkers, rollators, and both manual and electric wheelchairs.
• Ground slope at passenger loading zones to prevent them from being too steep for people with mobility disabilities to climb.
• Audio and tactile warning systems, including audio signal warnings, truncated domes, and detectable warning pavers, to increase safety by alerting pedestrians to an imminent street crossing and to when they have the right-of-way to cross the street.

Two months ago, many voters with disabilities in Wisconsin were looking forward to being able to receive and mark a ballot electronically. However, an appeals court disrupted the plan. Now, advocates are continuing their battle in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. As it takes longer and longer, it appears highly unlikely that voters with disabilities will have access to electronic ballots for the November election.

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States are regularly required to evaluate the eligibility of Medicaid beneficiaries. For people with developmental disabilities, the outcome of this process can affect not only their medical coverage, but also their access to community living supports. With new guidance, federal officials are outlining steps that states should take to ensure that people with disabilities are not inadvertently dropped from Medicaid home and community-based services.

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HUD published on August 27th updated guidance for its Mainstream Voucher program that creates new alternative requirements and waivers to enable public housing agencies (PHAs) to better utilize Mainstream Vouchers, helping people with disabilities transition from – or avoid altogether – institutional settings and instead to live in community.

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