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Respite Care is a must for families that are caring for an individual with a severe disability. Unfortunately however, this respite is not readily found, forcing caregivers to go months, if not years, without a break from their daily routines. The Lifespan Respite Care Act would authorize federal grants that would jumpstart the creation and enhancement of respite programs across the country, thereby making these services more accessible to those who need them most. It is very likely that the bill will be considered in November. Now is the time to contact your legislators and let them know how you feel about this legislation. To learn the contact information of your representatives to get a sample e-mail to send to them, visit the AAPD website at www.aapd.com/News/health/060812nrc.htm.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities is a non-profit organization that works with state and local housing agencies and advocates to ensure that federal housing subsidies are directed to the families most in need. The Center’s housing work focuses primarily on the housing voucher program and on the intersection of housing and welfare policy. PRESIDENT'S 2007 BUDGET RENEWS SAME NUMBER OF HOUSING VOUCHERS FUNDED IN 2006. But many local programs could face cuts due to flawed funding formula. Advocates should meet with the local Housing Authorities to encourage them to use some of the vouchers for persons with disabilities. With the influx of FY 2006 vouchers ask your local housing authority to use them for persons with disabilities. To find the increased number of vouchers for your state or your specific local housing authority, see the charts at CBPP.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) and House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 6258, Americans with Disabilities Act Restoration Act of 2006, that would restore protections for disabled Americans under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Over the years the Supreme Court has continuously undermined the original intentions of the ADA, chipping away at the broad protections offered by the legislation. As stated by Chairman Sensenbrenner, "this bipartisan legislation will enable disabled Americans utilizing the ADA to focus on the discrimination that they have experienced rather than having to first prove that they fall within the scope of the ADA's protection. With this bill, the ADA's 'clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination on the basis of disability' will be properly restored and the ADA can rightfully reclaim its place among our Nation's civil rights laws." Congressman Hoyer added, "the Supreme Court's interpretations of this historic law have been largely inconsistent with the original intent of Congress...we intended the law to be broadly - not narrowly - interpreted. The point of the law is not disability; the point is discrimination." To learn more about the prospective legislation, visit the Library of Congress' Thomas website at http://thomas.loc.gov and search for either the number or title of the bill.
While MiCASSA (Medicaid Community Attendant Services And Supports Act), a bill that would allow Medicaid recipients to choose in-home services instead of being forced into nursing homes, is not likely to pass this session. A push is needed to get as many folks signing on in the Senate and House to lay the groundwork for the next session. Your representatives will be home July 28th - September 5th for Summer Recess. Talk to your representatives about MiCASSA, ask them to sign onto this important legislation. Click on the links to the House and Senate above to contact your representatives.
To learn more about MiCASSA, visit the ADAPT MiCASSA information page at www.adapt.org/casaintr.htm.
Senators Bingaman (D-NM), Santorum (R-PA), Murray (D-WA), Collins (R-ME), Akaka (D-HI), Jeffords (I-VT), Lieberman (D-CT),Kerry (D-MA), Harkin (D-IA), and Kennedy (D-MA) have introduced bipartisan legislation in the Senate to fix Medicare's "in the home" restriction on mobility devices. The "in the home" restriction prevents beneficiaries from obtaining wheelchairs that are necessary for use outside the home. The result is that people who may not need a wheelchair to get around their house but do need one to get around their communities, can't get Medicare to pay for one. This legislation would remove this backward restriction for mobility devices, such as wheelchairs.
If you believe in this legislation, call your Senators and ask them to become cosponsors of this important legislation. Or, if your Senator is one of the original cosponsors listed above, please be sure to thank them for supporting this bill. Your Senators can be reached toll-free via the capitol switchboard at (877) 224-0041.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced legislation that will improve medical access for people with disabilities. The Promoting Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2006 will establish accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment and create wellness grants to fund health programs that focus on the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. Among the issues addressed in the bill is the training of medical and dental residents in responding to the special needs of patients with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities. To learn more about this legislation, visit the US Senate website and search for Promoting Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities.
In an effort to "clean up" the chaos the current Medicare Prescription Benefit has caused for many seniors and people with disabilities. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced a bill that would make the process of obtaining prescriptions much easier, while at the same time, lessening out of pocket costs. The legislation would allow Medicare beneficiaries to obtain drug coverage directly from Medicare itself and would eliminate the gap in coverage under which Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for annual drug costs between $2,250 and $5,100. The legislation would also allow HHS to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Under the new bill, co-sponsored by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have to "rely on a bewildering array of private plans to meet their need for drugs." To learn more about this proposed legislation, visit Senator Kennedy's website at kennedy.senate.gov/ or Senator Stabenow's website at stabenow.senate.gov/.
Bipartisan legislation (H.R. 4704) has been introduced in the House that is a companion bill to the Senate emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities bill (S. 2124), introduced by Senator Tom Harkin in December 2005. The purpose of this legislation is to offer a comprehensive approach to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are met before, during and after a national disaster. Like S. 2124, the House bill would establish a Disability Coordinator within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill also amends the Stafford Disaster Relief Act, the law that authorizes specific federal assistance in times of an emergency in the following ways:
Finally, the bill requires a national study of emergency shelters to determine accessibilty. (The preceeding summary was provided by the National Council on Disabilities (NCD).)
We encourage you to take our poll concerning Emergency Preparedness. The poll is available on our Community Forum. NOTE: To participate in our poll you must register on our Community Forum.
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