Family caregivers are the backbone of America’s long-term care system and are often referred to as selfless, tireless and courageous. Stepping in to provide care for a friend or loved one can be a rewarding and uplifting experience and reflects the very best in human nature. While family caregivers are all these things and more, they are human nonetheless.
At ACL, we believe that every person has the right to make choices and to control their own decisions. This right is independent of age or disability.
This right also is not diminished by illness. People who have advanced illnesses should have control over their care and services.
November 1, 2016 | Cynthia LaCounte, ACL/AOA Director of the Office for American Indian, Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian Programs
This post tells the personal story of Cynthia LaCounte, about how her grandmother, a tribal elder of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, prepared her to work on aging programs.
Fifty three years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed a historic piece of legislation that we now know as the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act).
October 28, 2016 | Annette Shea, Administration for Community Living Program Specialist
In 1999 Congress passed groundbreaking legislation which broke down barriers to employment for people with disabilities.
This post also appears on the HHS Blog.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and the value of a diverse workforce that includes the skills and talents they bring. Read an NDEAM message from Acting ACL Administrator Edwin Walker.
I am pleased to announce that today ACL’s final rule for Independent Living (IL) programs went on display in the Federal Register. This final rule clarifies the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and State Independent Living Councils (SILCs).
October 26, 2016 | Annette Shea, Administration for Community Living Program Specialist
Throughout the past year, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has shared profiles and promising practices from employment service providers working with people with disabilities across the country.
On Saturday, we will join communities around the world in observing the International Day of Older Persons. October 1 was designated by the United Nations in 1990 to recognize the vital contributions of older people to the global community and to encourage member nations to thoughtfully address the aging of the population.