Physical Disabilities

A product of the MASS C-PASS mini-grant project operated by the Multicultural Services Center of the Pioneer Valley (Otro Puente) this bilingual guide was designed for newly arrived Latino individuals and families to the city of Holyoke, MA. Written in response to concerns that many families don’t know how to start looking for supports for a person living with a disability, the guide reviews how to prepare for an interview or home visit, ways to gather information and a list of local agencies.

This site was created to support self-advocates and their communities to participate in Statewide personal assistance service systems change, promoting consumer-directed service models through community councils and customized training and technical assistance. The list of tools includes CPASS Business such as the calendar and newsletter as well as Consumer Direction & CPASS Resources and Training materials (Self-Advocacy and Personal Assistance Handbooks, Service Models, Support Brokerage).

In 2003, Massachusetts substantially increased premiums charged to enrollees in its CommonHealth-Working (CH-W) program. This study evaluates the impact of the premium change on enrollment. Findings indicate the premium increase had a small, but statistically significant impact on program exits. Key factors as to why the CH-W experience differs from other state programs experiencing similar enrollment declines are discussed. A report and presentation of the study are included.

CMS has announced the standards effective January 1, 2008. Review the minimum, maximum and monthly maintenance figures.

This report describes the enduring changes brought about by the NFT Grantees who either established or improved nursing facility transition programs or helped establish infrastructure. This two-part paper first examines changes and remaining challenges, lessons learned and recommendations, and later provides state-specific summaries. Review grantee activities including new statutes, policies, funding and expense changes, plus outreach and technical materials developed to facilitate transition.

Who are people with disabilities? What do we know about people with disabilities? How many individuals with disabilities use assistive devices? How many people with disabilities are working? What are people with disabilities' demographics? Numerous resources are available to provide statistical data to answer these questions and provide information on other disability related topics. This website compiles a list of other sites which have disability data readily accessible.

The most striking characteristic of housing and health care in this country is the disconnection between the two. Access to affordable, accessible housing is critical to the success of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program, which will provide opportunities for thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries living in institutions to relocate to the community. Presented in a concise question and answer format, this document explains many of the features of what can be a complicated program.

Partnerships to Independence (PTI) was created by the Birmingham Independent Living Center in Birmingham, Alabama through a grant from CMS. This transition guide addresses nursing home outreach, support needs and skills, follow-up, and barriers. The purpose of PTI was to develop a model program that could be replicated in other CILs in Alabama and the US. ILC staff identified a number of basic resources and strategies that can be used to promote nursing home transition.

The Job Accommodation Network: JAN Fact Sheet reports findings from over 1,000 employers interviewed between Jan '04 and Dec '06. Findings include the following: employers want to provide accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees, most employers report no cost or low cost for accommodating employees with disabilities, employers report accommodations are effective and employers experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released it annual report covering the period from Oct 1, 2005-Sept 30, 2006 and contains selected measures of agencies’ progress toward model equal employment opportunity programs, including workforce profiles of 59 federal agencies. The report finds that the participation rate for individuals with targeted disabilities (such as deafness, blindness, paralysis, intellectual disabilities, and mental illness) continues to fall.