As Sharon Lewis, deputy administrator for the Administration for Community Living (ACL), noted in her Disability Employment Awareness Month blog post earlier this month, working is about more than earning a paycheck. It gives purpose and structure to our lives. In the late 1990s, the Medicaid Buy-In program launched historic changes for workers with disabilities. For individuals suppressing their income to gain or maintain access to critical community-based supports, it was life changing.

By Christopher Coleman, CEO and Founder of the Unconfined Life Institute

Expect. Employ. Empower. Everyone deserves the opportunity to find and perform meaningful work. This includes older adults and people with even the most significant disabilities.

By Larissa Crossen, Administration for Community Living Program Specialist

Chronic health conditions are, unfortunately, often a part of the aging process. Ninety-two percent of people over age 65 live with at least one chronic health condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, or cancer. Seventy-seven percent live with two or more such conditions. Chronic health conditions can create challenges that affect every aspect of a person’s life. However, learning to manage those conditions enables people to stay healthy, active, and engaged in their communities.

What people say when they greet each other can tell us about their culture as well as their community’s experience. One traditional Mandarin greeting translates into English as "Have you eaten?" Linguists believe this practice probably started when food was scarce and people were often hungry. A recent study in the United States indicated that 8.8% of households with older adults are food insecure, which means they aren’t sure where or how they will get their next meal.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" is as true now as it was in 360 BC when Hippocrates gave this prescription to his patients. Good nutrition promotes health and helps prevent and manage many diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and high blood pressure. As the Older Americans Act’s largest health promotion program, the Elderly Nutrition Programs do more than just provide food. The purposes of the Elderly Nutrition Programs, which are administered by ACL, are

I am delighted to welcome two important programs to ACL—the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) and the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). These programs are moving to ACL as a result of the 2014 budget recently signed by President Obama.

Twenty-four years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. The law’s passage signaled America’s commitment to achieving equality for all its citizens by providing long overdue protections for people with disabilities. We have made tremendous progress toward this goal, but we have yet to reach the point at which every person can realize the fundamental rights, protections, and freedoms afforded to each of us by the United States Constitution.

Adam’s* Decision In 2012, “Adam” (not his real name) was fighting an infection in his leg and facing a tough situation.