Recently, ACL awarded a two-year cooperative agreement to Memorial Hermann Health System to operate a Statewide Independent Living Council Training and Technical Assistance Center (SILC T&TA Center). The training and technical assistance center is authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and will strengthen ACL’s ability to provide important training and technical assistance.

In 2011, a beloved actor who spent 80 years telling others' stories shared a heartbreaking tale from his own life. "I felt trapped, scared, used and frustrated," Mickey Rooney told a hearing room full of members of Congress, with cameras rolling. He described abuse and financial exploitation committed by his own family members and had a powerful message for other older adults experiencing abuse: "You're not alone … and you have nothing—nothing, ladies and gentlemen—to be ashamed of."

For many older adults and people with disabilities, the key to remaining independent can be something as simple as a home-delivered meal, a ramp for their homes, or a few hours of respite for a family caregiver. Unfortunately, an often disjointed maze of eligibility criteria, forms, programs, and agencies can prevent even the most determined individuals from obtaining these critical supports.

The White House Conference on Aging released a policy brief on elder justice, a key focus area for the 2015 Conference. The Policy Brief on Elder Justice explores the ways in which older Americans may be susceptible to financial exploitation and other forms of elder abuse. It also describes the federal efforts being made to prevent, identify, and respond to elder abuse.

The 2020 Federal Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy outlines how the partner agencies will enhance interagency coordination through the identification of a shared vision, compatible outcome goals, and policy priorities, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for youth with disabilities by 2020. The Plan was developed by The Federal Partners in Transition (FPT) with representatives from four federal agencies, the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration.