AmeriCorps Seniors invites organizations to submit applications for the FY 2024 Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs. These funding opportunities specifically help AmeriCorps Seniors focus Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent projects on issues that are critical to communities and help expand the programs to more geographies.

Performing the duties of ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging Each year, more than 53 million Americans provide a broad range of assistance to support the health, quality of life, and independence of an older adult or person with a disability. Another 2.7 million grandparents ­— and an unknown number of other kinship caregivers — open their arms and homes each year to children who cannot remain with their parents.

As the population of older adults and people with disabilities continues to grow, the availability of services and supports that help many remain independent at home and in their communities will be increasingly important. To be effective, those services and supports must address health-related social needs (HSRNs) — the social and economic needs, such as housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation, that impact an individual’s ability to maintain their health and well-being. This month, the U.S.

The University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies — funded by ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) — is seeking adults with disabilities to complete the 2023 National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD). 

Yesterday, HHS released our new language access plan, which includes critical actions to improve access to HHS programs and services for people with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency. With provisions that specifically address the effective communication and accessibility requirements found in sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the HHS Language Access Plan is the latest in a series of important actions taken by ACL and our partners across federal government over the last several years to uphold the rights of people with disabilities.

ACL is pleased to announce the award of a new grant designed to increase the availability of innovative models of dementia-specific respite care in communities across the nation. The Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc. (Alzheimer’s Association) has received a five-year cooperative agreement award for over $4.9 million per year for Supporting State and Community Innovations in Dementia-Specific Respite Programs and Services. The grant also has a match component, which brings the total funding to over $6.5 million per year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is holding a two-day virtual public workshop to promote diversity in clinical trials on November 29 and 30. Of special interest during the workshop:

On September 26, 2023, Acting Secretary Julie Su announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is launching a comprehensive review of the Section 14(c) program, which authorizes employers, after receiving a certificate from the Wage and Hour Division, to pay subminimum wages to workers whose disabilities impact their productivity for the specific work performed. As part of this effort, the DOL has been holding a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to hear from members of the public, in particular workers with disabilities, about their experiences with the Section 14(c) program.

Join the Partnership to Align Social Care for "The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Includes Codes to Address HRSNs...What Happens Next?"

On Saturday, we join the nation in celebrating Veterans Day and the generations of American service members who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States to support and defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice and to preserve and protect our democracy. About six percent of Americans are veterans, and their numbers disproportionately include older adults and people with disabilities — nearly three-quarters are 55 or older, and about a third have a disability.