The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) joins the disability community in mourning the loss of Andrés Gallegos, Chairman of the National Council on Disability (NCD), who passed away over the weekend. Andrés was one of our nation’s most important legal minds on disability rights, a fierce champion of true inclusion and equal opportunities for disabled people, and a leader in the independent living movement.

The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities, a national resource center funded by ACL’s Administration on Disabilities (AoD), has launched a new website to help young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) direct their own transition to the adult health care system.

We hope you have enjoyed the ACL Updates, blog posts, and other information we have shared throughout National Family Caregivers Month. As we close the 2023 celebration, we’re recapping a few important highlights in case you missed the opportunity to read, watch, or share with your networks.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an updated joint-policy statement on supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. The statement reiterates expectations for inclusive early childhood settings and updates recommendations for state and local agencies that implement Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs, Head Start, child care, home visiting, preschool, and public schools to increase inclusive early learning opportunities for all children.

Each year, more than 53 million Americans provide a broad range of assistance to support the health, quality of life, and independence of an older adult or person with a disability. Another 2.7 million grandparents ­— and an unknown number of other kinship caregivers — open their arms and homes each year to children who cannot remain with their parents.

The University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies — funded by ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) — is seeking adults with disabilities to complete the 2023 National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD). 

As the population of older adults and people with disabilities continues to grow, the availability of services and supports that help many remain independent at home and in their communities will be increasingly important. To be effective, those services and supports must address health-related social needs (HSRNs) — the social and economic needs, such as housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation, that impact an individual’s ability to maintain their health and well-being. This month, the U.S.

ACL is pleased to announce the award of a new grant designed to increase the availability of innovative models of dementia-specific respite care in communities across the nation. The Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc. (Alzheimer’s Association) has received a five-year cooperative agreement award for over $4.9 million per year for Supporting State and Community Innovations in Dementia-Specific Respite Programs and Services. The grant also has a match component, which brings the total funding to over $6.5 million per year.

On Saturday, we join the nation in celebrating Veterans Day and the generations of American service members who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States to support and defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice and to preserve and protect our democracy. About six percent of Americans are veterans, and their numbers disproportionately include older adults and people with disabilities — nearly three-quarters are 55 or older, and about a third have a disability.

In this policy-round up: Input Needed for CMS Revised 1915(c) HCBS Waiver Application and Technical Guide (comments due 11/13), Assessing mental health parity and addiction equity compliance in Medicaid and CHIP (comments due 12/4), ACF proposed rule on services and protections for unaccompanied children in its care (comments due 12/4), Coverage of over-the-counter preventative services (comments due 12/4), Census Bureau changes to American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey (comments due 12/19),HHS 504 proposed rule, stakeholder call recording now available (comments due 11/13)