Physical Disabilities

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released detailed briefing slides from a presentation on the New Freedom Program. The GAO examined the extent to which the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has implemented the program and how FTA monitors program performance. The New Freedom Program is designed to support new public transportation services and alternatives beyond those required by the ADA. Review the progress, developing policies and procedures.

The federal government's one-stop Web site for people with disabilities, their families, employers, veterans and service members, workforce professionals and many others. The site connects people to information and resources needed to actively participate in the workforce and in their communities. Topics covered on the site include: benefits; civil rights; community life; education; emergency preparedness; employment; health; housing; technology; & transportation.

The goal of NFI is to remove barriers to full integration for Americans with disabilities. This report highlights the activities in several areas: increasing access through technology, expanding educational opportunities for youth with disabilities, integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce, and promoting full access to community life. The report describes initiatives, regulations, grant programs and other efforts to improve integration for youth and adults with disabilities.

The MASS C-PASS Marketing & Outreach Subcommittee (M&O) created a Consumer Forum Series to gather information on barriers to self-direction and community integration from a community perspective. Aside from targeting elders, individuals with disabilities and their families, emphasis was placed on targeting traditionally underserved and un-served racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority groups and rural areas. This report is the narrative account and outcomes from nine consumer forums.

This photo essay captures the people behind the design of Oklahoma's Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Supports and Services (CDPASS) design. The Oklahoma Partnership, organized to support Oklahoma's Real Choice System Change and the CDPASS grants. It was also designed to engage Consumer stakeholders in an interactive environment.

This report provides a systematic review of recent research (primarily since 2002) while it also identifies limitations and gaps in this research. The report reviews research in a variety of areas including supply-side factors influencing employment, employer attitudes and practices, labor market organization, work accommodations, progression of disability benefits and disability management, impact of public policy on employment, and vocational services interventions.

This memorandum and tables present data on Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver expenditures from Federal Fiscal Years 2001 through 2006. Each HCBS waiver is classified by population served in order to show the distribution of HCBS waiver expenditures across long term care populations. This year's memo also identifies which waivers exclusively serve children.

The majority of people who are elderly and/or people with disabilities live out their lives in independent housing. Many utilize medications to maintain optimal health and improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, adverse medication events cost about $120 billion annually and result in illness, hospitalizations, stress on the individuals and their families, and premature deaths. Vermont is attempting to do something about this problem through their CMS Real Choices Supportive Housing Grant.

This report provides estimates of likely enrollments in Kentucky should the state implement a Buy-in program. The estimates are based on a statistical analysis of data from states that have implemented programs. The analysis takes into account both characteristics of the states and characteristics of the states’ programs that are likely to affect enrollments. Relevant considerations include the number of individuals with disabilities, participation rates and the state’s economy.

Working Healthy, the Kansas MIG program, offers people with disabilities who are working or interested in working the opportunity to get or keep Medicaid coverage while on the job. The website offers an interactive map of benefit specialist, a chart on premiums (SRS Form ES-3165) , information on Work Opportunities Reward Kansans (WORK), publications, and FAQs. Also review their brochure in English and Spanish and their one page fact sheet used for outreach.