Physical Disabilities

The unemployment rate of persons with a disability was well above the rate of those with no disability. Nearly one-third of workers with a disability were employed part time, compared with about one-fifth of those with no disability. Review the findings of this report, as well as a related journal article.

Review the results of a survey that measures the current attitudes of corporate employers toward employees with disabilities and corporate action on hiring people with disabilities. Findings are presented on current corporate disability policies and programs, steps employers have been taking towards recruiting, training, and retaining people with disabilities, as well as the barriers they experience, and more.

Review the results of a survey that assesses the quality of life of people with disabilities on a wide range of critical dimensions and tracks them over time. A number of indicators were used, and findings show that while there has been modest improvement in a few areas, there has yet to be significant progress. Employment remained as the largest gap between people with disabilities and those without. Attached are links to the final report, executive summary, presentation and webinar.

A study was conducted to identify current definitions, issues and strategies related to the use of PAS in the workplace. Participants were employees with disabilities who used PAS in the workplace as well as employers. More than 30 articles were reviewed and a comprehensive search of bibliographic resources was conducted. The study revealed an increasing need for PAS, and highlighted fiscal and societal barriers to the full implementation of PAS at work.

Find a clearly written, user-friendly manual developed for use by an individual transitioning into greater independence and adulthood. The toolkit provides comprehensive guidance on planning for personal assistance services and transitioning to independent living. A number of personal stories are included, along with useful questionnaires, checklists, goal development guides, sample plans, activities of daily living worksheets, and extensive PAS hiring, management and training information.

What are some of the essential components of Medicaid long-term care programs? This brief, geared towards people working in Medicaid or disability employment, discusses payment for long-term care, range of services, administration, eligibility, functional assessment and rebalancing of long-term care systems. Also find examples of how some states have incorporated aspects of long-term care services and supports (LTSS) into their Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) programs.

Review the findings of six listening sessions where participants provided input on more effective ways to increase employment of women, veterans, and minorities with disabilities, the identfication of federal and state systems effectively collaborating to achieve successful employment outcomes, and identification of three top issues on which the federal government should focus to support an increase in labor force participation of people with disabilities.

The Ask Medicare initiative was developed by CMS to help caregivers navigate challenging issues and find necessary information to make better healthcare decisions for their loved ones. The main feature of Ask Medicare is a one-stop, easy-to-use Web site with targeted information, decision-making resources, and support tools. The Web site also includes a free e-newsletter and instructive, personal stories from caregivers.

Read two reports about successful initiatives in outreach efforts. One describes how the SSA and Dept. of Veterans Affairs worked collaboratively to improve data exchange and outreach, thus increasing it’s service to the military community. The other examines two lives in Colorado and Arkansas that have improved as a result of provisions in the MIPPA Act of 2008.

This report is the latest in a series of annual reports that present expenditures data for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers authorized under Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. Table 1 presents reported Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 expenditures for each HCBS waiver in effect during that year. Table 2 presents HCBS waiver expenditures data from FY 2004 through FY 2009 by state. The remaining tables present data according to the populations served in waivers.