A proposal in Congress would do away with Medicaid's institutional bias and guarantee people with developmental disabilities access to services in the community. Backers of the measure known as the HCBS Access Act say the bill would eliminate waiting lists for community-based services over time by increasing funding for the program, providing grants to states to expand their service capacity and taking other steps to bolster the workforce of caregivers who support people with disabilities.

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The Accessibility professional is not just a change agent but in fact, part of a larger tribe that sees the world through a lens of inclusivity and espouses a new cultural norm that is essential in defining the mindset of the digital economy of the here-and-now and the future of the industry. The Tribe of Accessibility is a bridge between technical know-how, commerce, and a desire to imagine new possibilities where there is a bridge between design and technologies that allows for all users to be engaged in the digital ecosystem that is so vital to the way we live today. It is the Accessibility professional who understands that they have a responsibility not only to drive change but to be a conduit for the Disability Economy.

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In a tight labor market, overlooking those who can work but face obstacles comes at a steep cost to the economy. At a time when some 10 million US jobs are unfilled, Covid-19 still lingers and the workforce is aging at an alarming rate, it’s never been more urgent for employers to strengthen their resolve to hire and retain workers with disabilities.

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Care provided by millions of unpaid family caregivers across the U.S. is valued at a staggering, estimated $600 billion annually. An estimated 36 billion hours of care annually are provided by family caregivers for older parents, spouses, partners, and friends with chronic, disabling, and serious health conditions.

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In the summer of 2020, leaders at Knute Nelson, a critical provider of community-based and residential supports and services for older adults in Minnesota, launched an internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative, with the goal of infusing DEI principles into all aspects of their work. To meet the coming demand for home care and senior services, the ways that the organization recruited and retained its workforce needed to shift.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a fact sheet that addresses the following areas: COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments, telehealth services, waiver flexibility, hospital-at-home care, provider scope and oversight flexibility, and Medicaid continuous enrollment. CMS has included individual fact sheets for how the end of the PHE will impact waivers related to healthcare providers, settings, and service delivery. 

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President Joe Biden and his administration are using the importance of personal home care as a way to fight back against some Congress members’ desire to cut Medicaid funding. In a letter that opposed certain aspects of the “Congressional Republican agenda,” the White House criticized Republicans’ previous plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, cut Medicaid spending and — in general — keep health care on the chopping block for budget cuts.

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Older workers are helping fill a labor shortage in the home-care industry that worsened during the pandemic. They are taking personal care, in-home help, or companionship positions with home-care agencies and other businesses that provide support to older adults.

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