Declaration for Independence

A Call to Transform Health and Long Term Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities



Olmstead at 16

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The most historic legal decision affecting the civil rights of people with disabilities celebrates its 16th anniversary today, June 22nd. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered its landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C., cementing the Americans with Disabilities Act’s integration mandate. The groundbreaking decision has helped thousands of people with disabilities leave institutions to [...]

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Converging Paths, Equal Ground: The Promise of Mental Health Parity

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Physical and mental health services have long been unequal, both in the delivery of care and in the public conversation. Mental health parity carries with it the promise of resolving this disconnect, of realizing (through scope of services, provider access, formularies, co-insurance, etc.) the potential for whole health. Yet the true promise of parity means [...]

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Setting the Strategic Table: 4 Priorities for the Conference on Aging and the Decade to Come

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Convened each decade since the 1960s, the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) is the leading forum for identifying and advancing actions to improve the quality of life for older Americans. In advance of Older Americans Month this May, we sat down with Dr. Yanira Cruz, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Council on [...]

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Get Involved in Developmental Disabilities Awareness – This Month and All Year Long

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Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte is a 30-plus-year south Florida disability advocate and former chair of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel, but she prefers to be known as Lucy’s mom. She is known for her advocacy of the principles of self-determination as a way to get beyond the stigma associated with developmental [...]

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Medicaid Expansion and the Tale of Don Quixote

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Next month, all eyes will be on the U.S. Supreme Court when it takes up the issue of whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare, allows people in states without their own insurance market exchanges to receive federal tax credits that help them afford the health insurance they purchase through the [...]

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Looking Back and Forward – The ADA’s Legacy for the Next Generation

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The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990, turns 25 this year. Part of its legacy is a generation of individuals with disabilities that have known only the ADA’s acknowledgment of their rights to participate fully in all aspects of American society. The ADA’s legacy, however, is greater than this. Together [...]

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5 Reasons Hiring People with Disabilities is Good for Business – And the Rest of Us

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Hiring people with disabilities doesn’t just allow businesses to tap into a huge and talented workforce; it improves culture, benefits the bottom line, is responsive to government guidelines, and is easier than ever – with new technologies, public-private partnerships, and new ways of doing business coming together to build inclusive workplaces. Mark Perriello; Dec. 30, [...]

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Notes from the Road: The Intersection of Health Care Reform and Long-Term Care

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With so much going on in health care reform, much information is being circulated. What does it mean for us and the Independent Living moment? The National Advisory Board is heading to the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD)’s National Home and Community-Based Services Conference, where we are presenting on the [...]

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Reach Out and Declare YOUR Independence!

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What a fabulous and exciting turn out for the National Day of Dialogue! Thanks to all who participated, and we encourage you to catch the replay on our Events page. Health care reform and Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) are front and center—please take time to write your elected officials and/or their staff about eliminating [...]

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