Accessibility

Here is an example of alternative funding of assistive technology to support employment. The fund is available through United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan and provides low interest loans for people with disabilities to purchase equipment that enables them to work from home. Examples of items and services that qualify for financing include computers and hardware, office furniture and equipment, home modifications, telecommunications systems, user training and maintenance.

This paper was used as a handout at a workshop, held as a catalyst for DALTCP's major new initiative to study ways to expand consumer choice and empowerment in obtaining personal assistance services.

This paper reports the findings of a study to document and analyze selected best practices related to state administered home and community based services (HCBS) programs. Examination of the programs provided the context for examining two interrelated areas of policy interest: how states organize and deliver a range of HCBS within fixed budgets; and how eligibility determination, needs assessment, care planning and service authorization functions are structured and linked to one another.

This presentation on Medicaid Infrastructure Grants (MIG) presents information regarding what ADRCs need to know about work incentive programs for individuals with disabilities. The presentation was part of the ADRC TA program and was delivered in November 2008. Additionally, a link is included to an informational website for the Ticket to Work Incentives Improvement Act.

The Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Projects or WIPAs were funded by 104 new grants awarded throughout the U.S. and the U.S. territories in 2006 to this SSA grantee program. These grants were created to assist SSA disability beneficiaries by providing information about work incentives, benefits planning, and making good choices about work. This website is a resource for consumers, providers and employment and vocational networks.

This press release, dated May 2008, summarizes a collection of data related to American’s living with disabilities. This information is released each year in advance of the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Use this guide as quick reference to data and statistics.

Visitability is a movement that seeks to eliminate certain barriers to aging independently by promoting accessible home design. The authors examine different types of visitability initiatives, challenges to implementation, and opportunities for further acceptance. The design parameters needed for visitability include a zero-step entrance, wide doorways, and at least one half bathroom on the main floor.

Is your area a livable community? You can use this survey and accompanying reports as a model for finding out. AARP defines a livable community as one that allows people to maintain their independence and quality of life as they age and retire. Aspects that make a community livable include mobility, community supports, and affordable housing. Residents age 45 years and older in two OH counties were surveyed to measure whether these things are truly available in their communities.

Here is a one stop resource of documents and history related to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). In addition to the text, summary, and legislative history of the laws, you can find advocacy resources, news and analysis. The attached article serves as a general summary of the history of the ADA and the effort to restore its original intent of achieving full civil rights for people with disabilities through the ADAAA.

The 2008 national Aging and Disability Resource Center meeting took place in October in Boston. Find here the presentations and handouts from the workshops and plenary sessions. Topics ranged from nursing home diversion to quality to information flow and technology.