Declaration for Independence

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





What We’re Reading: April 9, 2018

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Governor Ivey Announces Funding for New Behavioral Health Services | Center for Public Representation Governor Kay Ivey announced on Friday that Alabama has set aside $11 million in its recently passed budgets for the Alabama Department of Mental Health to expand behavioral health services for Medicaid-eligible children and youth. When combined with federal matching funds, [...]

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What We Must Do to Prepare and Respond to Emergencies and how People with Disabilities are Still Being Left Out

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Paul Timmons and Marcie Roth of Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies bring us up to speed on how people with disabilities are being left out of supports during emergencies. 2017 will certainly be distinguished by our response to national disasters and emergencies. From floods, to an  unrelenting hurricane season, as well as yet another round of [...]

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National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Inclusion Drives Innovation

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By Merrill Friedman, Sr. Director, Disability Policy Engagement, Anthem, Inc. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Every year NDEAM is observed in federal and private sector offices to recognize the contribution that individuals with disabilities make in the workplace as well as to yearly renew the promise to keep the American work experience [...]

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2017’s Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities — Cross-post from Wallet Hub

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Oct 3, 2017  |  Richie Bernardo, Senior Writer https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-people-with-disabilities/7164/ When searching for a new place to call home, people with disabilities often have a longer and more complicated list of considerations compared with healthier individuals. In addition to common wish-list items, such as reliable public transportation and diverse entertainment options, people with major health conditions also must [...]

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Senior Citizens Day

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August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day – a day to recognize the wisdom, accomplishments and sheer perseverance of older Americans. We have all been influenced by older Americans – be they parents, relatives or friends -- but the way in which we think about older Americans can often contradict the realities of their day [...]

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ADA: Pathway to the Future

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by Lex Frieden Each year, around the anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I am asked by the press and others: “Exactly what has the ADA accomplished?” and “Looking forward, what must be done to realize the vision of full participation that underlies the ADA?” These are thoughtful questions and [...]

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Schools: An Integral Partner in the “Community Chest” of Mental Health Resources

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by Constance Garner Summer is beginning, and the time has opened up for barbecues and family game nights. Just in time for the season, our friendly neighborhood expert on health care and education, Connie Garner offers some of her thoughts on mental health, schools, and a popular board game that we may be playing with [...]

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Alternative Math

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Pat Nobbie writes Mia's Space, a column for Making a Difference, the quarterly magazine of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities We are proud to repost a column written by our friend and colleague Pat Nobbie. This post was originally published in the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities award winning quarterly magazine, "Making a Difference" in [...]

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Autism Acceptance Month – Moving Beyond Awareness

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By Reid Knight, Leadership Programs Coordinator, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network April is Autism Acceptance Month!  During the month of April we recognize our friends, family members and colleagues on the autism spectrum and further highlight the importance of a society that is more inclusive and accepting of neurodiversity.   During April you have probably seen many recognitions [...]

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In 2017 Individuals with ID/DD (Still) Want Their Natural Freedom

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by Sharon Lewis, Principal, Health Management Associates Thirty years after President Reagan first declared March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, how far have we come in ensuring the human and civil rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), and how far do we still have to go? In recognition of March 2017 as [...]

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