On April 18, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic, expansive set of executive directives to improve the long-term care landscape. Lack of access to affordable and high-quality long-term care is a longstanding issue in the United States that crucially impacts the lives of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and both professional and family caregivers. While advocates have been calling attention to concerns about the country’s long-term care system for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of these issues and uniquely highlighted the scope of the…
The Front Page Blog: Blogs on Community Living
As the leaves put on a daring display, we are reminded of the innovative spirit built into every cell of nature including ourselves. Innovation is at the forefront of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. This year’s NDEAM theme is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation” echoing the spirit of the Americans who raised their voices in order to be heard and achieve advancements in equitable treatment…
During this month’s National Volunteer Month, we recognize the important contributions of volunteers by providing key highlights from a study, funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and conducted by New Editions Consulting, that assessed the role and economic value of volunteers in home- and community-based and long-term care programs for older adults.
Most older adults prefer to stay in their own homes as they get older, rather than live in institutional settings (Khalani-Cox, 2017). The ability to do so contributes to the adult’s well-being and helps mitigate…
February is National Senior Independence Month. According to the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living -
“This celebration was established to help seniors remain in control of their daily lives.This month encourages seniors to take the opportunity to evaluate their current living situation, and determine whether or not adjustments could be made to create a better lifestyle. This is the opportunity to notice strengths and weaknesses in daily routines and make minor adjustments with potentially huge improvements.”
Many…
This year is the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush. The landmark legislation prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public transportation, telecommunications, public accommodations, and state and local government services. Since 1990, the ADA has helped lessen discrimination and promote inclusion for people with disabilities, laying the groundwork for the Olmstead decision, the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule, and other notable…
Each May, the Administration for Community Living observes Older Americans Month. In 2021 the theme is “Communities of Strength,” celebrating the resilience and strength older adults have built during lives filled with successes, failures, joys, and difficulties. The focus this year is on the power of connection and the vital role it plays in well-being. More information about the celebration of Older Americans month, as well as materials, resources, and activities related to this event can be found on ACL’s website through the link above.
As the United States population continues…
On Wednesday, October 28th, New Editions supported the Administration for Community Living (ACL) National Disability Employment Awareness Month Virtual Event (NDEAM) through our Management Support contract with the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The theme of the event was “Employment Innovation: Improving Work for People with Disabilities” and the agenda highlighted the past, present and future of research to advance employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program provides funding and support for 44 state grantees to design and develop services and supports to assist individuals move from institutional to home and community-based settings. Additionally, MFP provides the foundation and framework for states to transform their systems to be more focused on home and community-based systems.
For the past eight years, New Editions provided technical assistance to the 44 grantees. The advancements in home and community-based services that states…
In June, New Editions facilitated the seventh annual meeting between the US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Agriculture (USDA) at HUD headquarters. The theme of this year’s meeting was Housing as a Platform for Health.
HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson started off the event by greeting the attendees and reflecting on how important it is to view individuals in a holistic manner. The Secretary was followed by three panels of key staff from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HUD, USDA, and other HHS divisions who…
In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March is designated as National Reading Month. The primary audience for Dr. Seuss’ books is young children, but his writings have insight for adults, too. As he said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
Reading is a key component of education and professional development. It is also a popular recreational activity that has immediate and long-lasting health benefits. Scientific studies have associated reading with increased cognitive function, memory, vocabulary, empathy…
October 8th marks the 30th anniversary of Public Law 99-457 that expanded the special education law to cover infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities. The law recognizes families as pivotal to the success of babies and young children with developmental disabilities. Early intervention and special education services definitely made a difference for my son, Pete – who is now 28 years old. Pete was born with the rare, genetic Costello syndrome, which is associated with ongoing global delays in development.
While the focus of early intervention and special education…
The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities holds an annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference. The conference is for staff of Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as partners, providers and advocates providing services to people with long term services and supports (LTSS) needs in the community.
At this year’s HCBS Conference, I had the opportunity to represent the Maryland Medicaid agency (my previous employer) on a panel presentation on how to obtain Federal funds for Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) inaugurated April 24-30 as National Reentry Week. This week is part of the effort to encourage and highlight the work that the Department of Justice has taken to make our criminal justice system fairer, more efficient, and more effective at reducing recidivism and helping formerly incarcerated individuals contribute to their communities. An important part of that task is preparing those who have paid their debt to society for substantive opportunities beyond the prison gates, and addressing obstacles to successful reentry that too many returning…
Community bakeries and cafes are popular places to gather with friends and neighbors, celebrate a team victory or cheer up when you are feeling a little low. Running these cafes can be difficult but rewarding work, especially when staff members see and hear the positive feedback from their customers. There are two establishments in the Washington, DC suburbs that offer more than something for your sweet tooth or a quick caffeine fix. They are dedicated to training and employing people with disabilities.
In Fairfax, Virginia, Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates provides an array…
Winter weather evokes mixed emotions in adults. Children love this time of year when school can be canceled on a Wednesday and snowmen dot the landscape, while adults wrestle between the guiltless joy of having an excuse to stay indoors with a book, hot chocolate and Netflix—and the inevitable loathing of de-icing, shoveling and the worsening of already terrible traffic. Among the black and white of the average person’s view exists a hidden realm of winter trials reserved for people with disabilities.
Remember the Oregon Trail? It was a computer game designed around the journey of…
Community integration for seniors and individuals with disabilities hasn’t always been the standard, but it is on the rise – thanks in part to programs like the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program. As a nation we are now at a tipping point with Medicaid dollars for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) approximating the dollars being spent on institutionally based services.
This shift has been influenced by the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision that requires states to provide services for people with…
Since my days as a rehabilitation counselor three decades ago, I have worked toward a goal of including people with disabilities into our society—no matter the job that I held. When I became an employer twelve years ago, I sought and hired people with disabilities. New Editions seeks contracts that focus on historically marginalized populations, trying to create a better society where everyone benefits, regardless of race, religion, age, culture or disability. About five years ago, we won a contract with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Center of Excellence on…
Attend any awards ceremony and right after the person being honored thanks his or her parents, that person then thanks the people who have provided support, guidance, opportunities—that person’s mentors. Imagine for just a minute that the person in the audience being thanked is you. Mentoring can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your career. Helping others is rejuvenating and for those of us who strive to have meaning in our lives, we find mentoring makes us feel useful and happier. It’s even helped me find more creative solutions to my work problems as I…
The white cane is universally recognized as a representative marker for blindness and low vision. But many people may not realize that for individuals who are blind or have low vision, the white cane is so much more than a navigational tool. It is a symbol of independence, integration, and triumph. This is why people across the country observe October 15th, White Cane Safety Day, as a day to celebrate just how far individuals with visual impairments have come in their pursuit for independence.
It all began in 1921, when James Biggs, an artist in Bristol, England lost his sight and…
Do you know where you will live when you are 80 years old? Will your home accommodate your health and physical needs? How will you manage if you cannot drive? Will you be able to sell your house and move into affordable, accessible housing with accessible public transportation?
Federal officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) foresee a housing crisis by the year 2040, when baby boomers will have aged into their 80’s, many becoming frail and mobility impaired. HUD’s Jennifer Ho, a Special Assistant to the Secretary, reported at a recent…
As a student at Loyola University, I was l lucky enough to call New Orleans home from 2001 to 2005. During that time, I became well acquainted with the vibrancy of the city, the kindness of its residents, and the cultural, political, socioeconomic and geographic traits that make it unlike any other place in the world. Two months after I moved to Northern Virginia, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, changing the landscape of one of America’s most beloved cities and altering the country’s understanding of natural disaster preparedness.
Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of over…
I was optimistic about the direction the field of disability was taking when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed. I had spent a year arguing with my brother-in-law who belonged to an organization that was actively lobbying against the ADA. He was convinced that the ADA would be the death of the small business that employed him. Our arguments were heated and often led to me saying things such as, “We’re all only temporarily able-bodied. You should be helping to create an environment you’d want to live in if you became disabled.” I felt I had won that argument when the ADA…
July 2015 is bookended by two celebrations of independence in America – the Fourth of July holiday and the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At New Editions we consult on disability research and policy, we actively recruit and hire individuals with disabilities, and we promote diversity, so issues of civil rights, equal opportunity and freedom of choice are always on our minds. To observe the ADA anniversary, a group of New Editions employees reflected on the impact of the ADA in their lives.
Overall, there was a strong sense that the ADA has been…
New Editions has been recognized with three awards for our diversity and inclusion. As a government contractor specializing in health, disability and historically marginalized populations, we work side-by-side with our government partners to create a more inclusive environment – through information technology and systems that are accessible, programs that are inclusive, training managers and supporting programs that promote independence, community integration and inclusivity. In April, the Federal Employees with Disabilities (FEDs) President asked me to speak at the 2015 New Perspectives…
Because my son has a disability and works, he also must file a tax return. Last year I helped him file his returns for the first time. We began by using the IRS Free File option for people earning less than $60,000. By selecting the “Help me find Free File software” I was able to find a “name-brand” software that we used to auto-file his Federal return and his state return. Although we did not use them, I discovered that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also provides accessible tax forms and offers free tax preparation assistance for those individuals with…