Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services proposes to reinvest ARPA Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) enhanced funding to implement a statewide grant program with HCBS providers, advocates and stakeholders. These grants will address the workforce crisis, support businesses and programs transition to a model that supports individual with intellectual, developmental, and other significant disabilities find and retain work in competitive integrated employment and other innovative solutions.

This new communications resource, developed by CHCS and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers’ National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, identifies clear and consistent language that can help strengthen the complex care community. The language represented in the guide reflects perspectives of stakeholders and people with lived experiences, and is intended to support providers, program leaders, consumer advocates and communications professionals in developing complex care approaches.

The peer-reviewed healthcare journal, Health Affairs, has dedicated its February issue to the topic of racism and health. Google and Twitter have flagged racism as "sensitive content" and are blocking Health Affairs' paid media advertisements to promote the content. This article by Becker's Hospital Review discusses censorship of racial and ethnic issues and explains why sharing facts about health disaparites is important on these digital platforms.

NCIL is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2022 Annual Conference: Forging Justice, which will be held July 25-28, 2022. This will be a hybrid event, with the option for participants to join in-person and virtually. The NCIL Conference is designed to provide peer support, organizing, advocacy, and learning opportunities for the network to plan for the future of Independent Living. Workshop applications are due on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Many states are directing focus toward achieving racial health equity as a key priority within their Medicaid programs and managed care contracts. This blog post discusses the importance of equitable access to high-quality and comprehensive primary care and the structural and interpersonal racism that creates barriers within health systems. The post explores how states can advance more equitable primary care by building on the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) framework.

The National Task Group for Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices and the LuMind IDSC Foundation have published a new report exploring the barriers to determining mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in adults with neuroatypical conditions, such as brain injury, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and significant sensory impairments. The report is base on a project that was designed to help with furthering diagnostic equity for adults with these conditions and educate clinicians about the differences between these conditions in the dementia detection and assessment process.

FEMA is seeking qualified individuals with expertise on the needs of people with disabilities and older adults for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to serve on the agency’s National Advisory Council. Selected council members will guide future recommendations on topics including equity, climate, readiness and workforce. Applications are due on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

Today, February 4, 2022, The Department of Health & Human Services has issued new guidance to health care providers on civil rights protections for people with disabilities during COVID-19. The guidance, issued by HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, makes it clear that during the public health emergency it is vital that individuals with disabilities are not prevented from receiving needed health care benefits and services, as this violates federal civil rights laws.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has launched the Community Connected Health Initiative, with the intention of integrating innovation, technology, and human connection to support communities in achieving better health. OSTP released a Request for Information (RFI) on Strengthening Community Health Through Technology. This RFI is open to all stakeholders and will likely remain open until March 31, 2022.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has added a new section to its COVID-19-related technical assistance to clarify when COVID-19 may be considered a disability and how this can impact employers, employees, and job applicants. The new section provides examples of when COVID-19 or disabilities arising from conditions that were caused or worsened by COVID-19, may meet the definition of disability under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act. It also addresses nondiscrimination protections provided to employees and job applicants under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act.