From U.S. Equal Employment Office Commission Chair Charlotte A. Burrows: Each October, the nation commemorates National Disability Employment Awareness Month to recognize the many contributions of persons with disabilities to our country’s economy and workplaces. In 1988, Congress first declared National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an extension of a week that had been celebrated since 1945, to raise awareness of the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities.  

This week is National Retirement Security Week, a chance for people of all ages to join together and raise awareness about the importance of saving for retirement -- especially for those who at greatest risk of financial insecurity.

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new "one-stop shop" on Medicaid.gov to make it easy to access information about states' plans to enhance, expand, and strengthen home and community-based services using new Medicaid funding made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). 

About the Observance Celebrated every November, National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM) is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. It offers an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities, and increase support for caregivers.

ACL released a report on the fifth year of data collected by the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS).

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL has funded 81 new grants and contract awards in fiscal year 2021, ranging from six-months long Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects building new technology to five-year centers conducting research

You probably know that the CDC is recommending COVID-19 vaccine boosters for many older adults and people with disabilities, but the recent guidance includes an important provision – and an opportunity – that you might have missed. This ACL Policy Round Up recaps the highlights of that guidance and:

ACL is pleased to announce the recently awarded cooperative agreement to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) to operate the new Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center. The first year of this three-year project has an award of $250,000.  

Submit Letter of Intent Letter of Intent Due: October 29, 2021 The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is now accepting Letters of Intent for ACL Title III-D Evidence-Based Program Review. The purpose of the review process is to identify new health and wellness community-based programs that provide older adults and people with disabilities the education and tools they need to remain healthy and independent.

The Blazing New Trails for Community-Based Direct Support Professionals prize challenge was launched by ACL to seek innovative solutions that would strengthen the direct support professional (DSP) workforce and increase the overall stability of home-and community-based services (HCBS) for individuals with intellec