Physical Disabilities

Health literacy can be defined as “the degree to which people can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions. Awareness that people with low health literacy skills face difficulties accessing and navigating the health care system has prompted greater emphasis on making communications clear and easy-to-read. This issue brief offers recommendations and resources particularly for resource centers.

What are the responsibilities of 2005 ADRC grantees? The Grantee Requirements and Cooperative Agreement between grantees, AoA and CMS offers full details. All projects must submit a work plan that highlights key goals and objectives for the project. This resource offers guidance to grantees as they develop a plan.

This report summarizes the results of the Massachusetts qualitative consumer satisfaction surveys with both ADRC consumers and surveys of the Consumer Board and Community Partners Advisory Board. The report contains the survey tool, methodology, findings and recommendations to improve satisfaction among these key stakeholder groups as part of the ADRC project’s continuous quality improvement approach.

The Quality Choices for Maine project was conducted from 2001-2004. This report focuses on Access to Services, one part of the three-year RCSC Quality Grant. The specific housing related goal was “to improve access to community housing for people with disabilities of all types.” Project activities were overseen by the Access to Services Technical Assistance Group and a variety of stakeholders. Read the activity summaries, lessons learned and recommendations on how to sustain the work.

Are citizens with disabilities able to participate in all desired aspects of community life in the town in which they live? The Real Choice System Change Community Inclusion Assessment was launched “to determine the level and quality of inclusion in Connecticut communities.” Consumers with disabilities and their families were recruited to answer this survey both on-line and via telephone.

As part of the New Freedom Initiative, 17 states have been awarded Real Choice System Changes grants. The $25.8 million in grants is to help people of all ages with disabilities or long-term illnesses live in their homes and participate fully in community life. Review the list of Systems Transformation Grant Awardees and Family to Family Health Information and Education Center Awardees.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the unique needs of people with disabilities must be surveyed and responded to. If you’re seeking help, review our collection of resources, initiatives and written material about available assistance and supports.

Dr. Margaret Giannini, Director of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Disability needs our help to locate hurricane survivors who were placed in nursing homes and other restrictive facilities. HHS is enlisting our help so they can work with HUD to get these folks back out of the nursing homes and into temporary housing in the community. The attached memo details ways you can send specific information about survivors.

Organizations interested in applying to become Employment Networks (EN) can now do so directly with the Social Security Administration, no longer having to process requests through MAXIMUS. All Request for Proposal (RFP) applications can be downloaded from the Federal procurement web site. This press release provides detailed instructions and contact information.

The Dept. of Education is accepting requests for grant supplements from RSA-funded Centers for Independent living that are involved in serving persons with disabilities displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Awards range from $150,000 to $300,000. Applications are due by September 23rd and should arrive on form ED 524.