Lawmakers push new savings account for people with disabilities (The Hill, Aug. 16)
Members of Congress are on the verge of creating a new, tax-free savings account for people with disabilities in what would be a rare burst of bipartisanship in an election year.
Advocates Cracking Down On Sheltered Workshops (Disability Scoop, Aug. 15)
A nationwide effort is underway to lodge federal complaints against sheltered workshops that are not fully complying with the law.
Affordable Care Act benefits sour for Oregonians with developmental disabilities (The Oregonian, Aug. 15)
Under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, many of the 9,000 Oregonians with developmental disabilities who live at home are now eligible for three times or more in the amount of money to cover services – or tens of thousands of dollars each.
Increasingly, Parents Push For Inclusive Playgrounds (Disability Scoop, Aug. 14)
Admittedly, playgrounds have been adding accessible features for decades. But a lagging economy has put many local governments and park boards in survival mode.
Breaking Down Barriers to Medicaid Innovation: Rethinking Medicaid Waiver Approval (American Action Forum, Aug. 14)
A nationwide effort is underway to lodge federal complaints against sheltered workshops that are not fully complying with the law.
This D.C. managed care organization got frustrated with unreliable access to mental health clinics. So they opened their own (Washington Business Journal, Aug. 14)
Every time Dr. Rhonique Harris would find a behavioral health clinic to refer pediatric patients to for outpatient therapy, it seemed the clinic would soon disappear.
A better understanding of mental illness hasn’t reduced the stigma around it (The Washington Post, Aug. 12)
The tragic news of Robin Williams’s death has again reignited a larger conversation about the need to eliminate the social stigma still surrounding depression and mental illness.
Reform Update: Flood of new patients worries mental health workers (Modern Healthcare, Aug. 12)
Many behavioral healthcare advocates and providers across the country are reporting significantly increased demand for their services because of the Medicaid expansion in some states.
No difference in blind and sighted people’s understanding of how others see the world (The Washington Post, Aug. 11)
Even when blind from birth, sightless people understand how others see the world in the same way that sighted people do—though they have never personally experienced a single visual image, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University.
Feds push for 911 text service but FCC support not unanimous (Tech Times, Aug. 11)
New rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission promote the support of text-to-911 communications around the country, enhancing the ability of 911 call centers to dispatch first responders to individuals who have speech disorders or are unable to speak due to the nature of their emergencies.