Next White House Disability Group Monthly Call to Take Place April 28th

In order to help keep you more informed, the White House is hosting monthly calls to provide updates on various disability issues, as well as to introduce individuals who work on disability issues in the federal government.

The next call will take place on Thursday, April 28 at 2:00 PM Eastern.

Dial in for listeners: United States: (888) 428-4479

Title: White House Disability Call (use instead of code)

Please call in at least five minutes prior to the start of the call.

For live captioning during the call, visit http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1745291&CustomerID=321.

This call is off the record and not for press purposes.

Federal Agency Career Opportunities for People with Disabilities - Disability.gov

Bender Consulting Services has been retained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to recruit, screen and direct candidates with disabilities to federal agencies for positions in the areas of accounting, budget analysis, contact representative, contracts, finance, human resources, information technology, administrative support and miscellaneous clerical positions.

Successful candidates will be placed on the OPM Shared List of People with Disabilities, a database of resumes currently being accessed by more than 400 agency representatives and available to hiring managers and human resource personnel government-wide.

Opportunities are available for applicants in locations throughout the United States.

Positions are available for applicants with disabilities who are early career through senior career levels. This is a great opportunity for college students with disabilities, including graduate students, and experienced career professionals to work for federal agencies.

In order to qualify, an applicant must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible for the Schedule A hiring authority.

Applicants should submit their resume to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference “Federal Career Opportunities” in the subject line. For more information, visit the Bender Consulting Services website at www.benderconsult.com.

Posted by Stephanie B on Apr 8, 2011 9:42:47 AM in Employment

Federal Agency Career Opportunities for People with Disabilities - Disability.gov

Extenuating Circumstances When Screening Applicants with Disabilities

by Steve Gold

HUD states "it has recently come to the attention" of HUD that people with disabilities"face additional challenges during screening procedures [for public housing and housing choice vouchers] due to poor credit histories often exacerbated by outstanding medical costs related to their disability."

Disability advocates have been aware of this for many years so we're  delighted that HUD also now knows about it.

HUD's letter reminds PHAs that "discretion can and should be applied when  determining admissions and occupancy policies."  It further states that  HUD "encourages PHAs to consider extenuating circumstances when screening  applicants with disabilities."

While HUD's "reminder" is very welcomed, disability advocates should  remember that under the disability laws b 504, Fair Housing Act, and ADA,reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications of policies are  mandatory. The failure to consider the above "extenuating circumstances"  as a basis for a   reasonable accommodation  for a person with a disability   is a   civil rights violation!  A policy that blocks such accommodation is   also a violation.

The "poor credit history" is only one barrier.   Other barriers have also   prevented   people with disabilities   from receiving federal   housing benefits  - past criminal histories, especially pre-disability; needed extra rooms   for   durable medical equipment   or for live-in personal assistants;   mandatory inclusion of costs for meals in 202/811s.  We strongly recommend   that the reasonable accommodation route be used for all of these barriers.

While the above HUD memo was written by an   Assistant Secretary   for  Public Housing, the same     proscriptions apply to all federally funded  housing and to other housing subject to the Fair Housing Act.

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.

Information Bulletins are also posted on my blog located at  http://stevegoldada.blogspot.com/

Working with Online Volunteers who have Disabilities |

from Service Leader.org

Online volunteering programs can allow for the greater participation of people who might find volunteering difficult or impossible because of a disability. This in turn allows organizations to benefit from the additional talent and resources of more volunteers, and allows agencies to further diversify their volunteer talent pool.

Just as building designs can help persons in wheelchairs to navigate doorways, there are ways to accommodate persons with disabilities to serve in virtual volunteering programs.

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Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services (E-PAS) Facilitate Employment of Persons with Serious Physical and Mental Disabilities - Disability.gov

By Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D., Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services and Member of the MA Work Without Limits Initiative in Disability.gov

Persons like me with serious physical, intellectual or psychiatric disabilities often can’t function productively in the workplace without some form of assistance. This is not to say that we can’t perform, quite capably, the essential functions of many jobs. Instead these, oftentimes, very simple accommodations (such as personal assistance services) help us go about our daily routines more efficiently.

What Are Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services (E-PAS)?

Personal assistance services (PAS) are defined as assistance with everyday tasks that a person would typically perform for him/herself, were it not for the disability (ODEP, 2006). These services can include in-home assistance with bathing, grooming and dressing to get ready for the workday. In the employment context, PAS does not include routinely performing the employee’s essential job functions.

Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services, or E-PAS, supports people with disabilities engaging in competitive employment. E-PAS can involve personal care services performed at a workplace – for example, help eating a meal, preparing for the workday and/or getting to and from the workplace. It may also encompass job coaching, which is not always thought of as PAS.

For a worker with quadriplegia, the assistance needs might include personal care tasks like feeding or toileting at the worksite, as well as help with traveling to and from the job and task-related assistance with copying documents and perhaps, filing and retrieving papers.

For an employee with cognitive limitations, needs might include assistance with organizing work tasks, becoming acclimated to a work schedule and learning one’s way around the workplace.

For a worker with serious mental health issues, there could be a need for cueing services like medication reminders, guidance in relating appropriately to co-workers or help with interacting with supervisors.

Medicaid as a PAS/E-PAS Funding Source

Most persons with significant disabilities are in no position to pay privately for PAS, and neither Medicare nor private health insurance will cover it – even for vital personal care needs like in-home assistance with transfers, bathing, toileting and dressing, not to mention cueing services for persons with mental health issues or workplace PAS services. The only funding sources for personal care PAS are Medicaid (which goes by different names in different states) and the Veterans Administration for those with military service-connected disabilities.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state health care program that funds services for eligible low-income/low resource individuals and families. While there is a federally mandated set of basic core services, eligibility rules and additional optional services vary from state to state. Coverage for personal care services is a state plan option that is offered by two thirds of states and does not always extend to cueing services (even though the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has reimbursed them for many years.)

Several states have explicit Medicaid E-PAS programs designed to facilitate competitive employment for persons with disabilities. California, Connecticut, Kansas, New Jersey, Nebraska and Wisconsin come to mind; Utah also has a remarkable E-PAS program targeting consumers with mental health issues.

Ordinarily, working individuals have incomes that put them over the usual income threshold for Medicaid eligibility. However, most states have a Medicaid Buy-In program that allows working persons with disabilities to become eligible for the broad array of Medicaid services by paying a monthly premium. Again, there is much variability state to state as to the minimum required work effort, services covered, premium rate structures, etc.

Other Types of E-PAS and Who Pays for What

Certain E-PAS items, like job coaching, are the province of the state operated, state/federally funded Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs, which also have income and asset limits for eligibility. The state VR programs have finite funding that limits the number of consumers they can serve in a given fiscal year. Therefore, the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) requires that they serve persons with ‘most significant disabilities’ first.

While Medicaid may cover travel to and from the workplace, as well as on-site personal care services like feeding and toileting needed during the workday, employers are required by Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, to fund personal care services during work-related company travel. And importantly, ADA ‘reasonable accommodations’ required of employers also extend to task-related PAS with non-essential job functions like copying, mailing, filing, etc.

The following table summarizes the three main areas of E-PAS and who funds them. Obviously there are gray areas, and the distinctions between each category and responsible party are not always clear-cut.

Three Categories of Workplace PAS/Three Funding Sources
Medicaid-funded Personal Care PAS: Help getting to/from worksite, personal care (mobility, feeding, toileting) at the worksite, cueing services for those with serious mental health issues.	Employer Reasonable Accommodation PAS (per ADA): Task assistance, e.g., ASL inter-preter, filing help, scribe; personal care only for job-related travel.	Vocational Rehabilitation PAS: Job Coach (helps organize tasks and processes; advocates for worker)/Supportive Employment.

How to Identify E-PAS Resources Available to You

Your VR counselor or Club House are likely sources for assistance in determining your needed employment supports and how to obtain what E-PAS you require in order to achieve competitive employment.

You can also visit the websites of the Center for Personal Assistance Services, the Job Accommodation Network or Disability.gov to learn more about personal assistance services and other types of workplace accommodations.

Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D., Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services in Cambridge, MA receives in-home PAS through the MA Medicaid Buy-In; his employer provides additional service hours at the same wages for two of his home PAS workers to provide task-related E-PAS at the office.

TIME GOES BY | 2012 Social Security Benefit

by Ronni Bennett

In the past few days, an AP story has been circulating among newspapers reporting that in 2012 there will be a small cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security benefits. But the kicker is that an increase in the Medicare Part B premium will probably be larger.

I doubt there is a TGB reader alive who does not know the COLA has not increased for the past two years. The reason given is that there was no inflation during 2009 and 2010. You and I know better, but that's how it goes.

Currently, the average Social Security benefit is $1,077. The Medicare Part B premium for about 75 percent of beneficiaries (people whose incomes are less than $85,000) $96.40, is deducted leaving an average payment of $980.60.

So far this year there has been a small uptick in inflation which, the Social Security trustees project, will result in a 1.2 percent COLA for 2012. Assuming inflation comes in at the trustees' guess, that average benefit would increase to $1090 ($13.00 per month or $156 for the year).

But wait. Don't start planning a European vacation with it yet.

The Medicare Part B premium for 2012 will be $113.80 – an increase of $17.40 per month, reducing the 2012 Social Security average benefit to $976.20. $4.40 less than the current average.

Fortunately, there is a “hold harmless” clause that prevents Medicare premium increases from reducing the Social Security benefit, so the 2012 average payment would remain at $980.60.

So much for a cost-of-living increase next year. That should please the Republicans who think elders are living too high on the hog sucking on what Alan Simpson calls the “government tit.”

In an attempt to forestall cuts to Social Security in Congress, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), on 15 March, introduced S.582 – The Social Security Protection Act of 2011.

In brief, the bill (full text here) would make it out of order in both the Senate and House of Representatives to consider any legislation that

• increases the retirement age or the early retirement age for individuals receiving benefits under title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act on or after the enactment of this Act;

• reduces cost-of-living increases for them;

• reduces benefit payment amounts for them; or

• creates private retirement accounts for any of the OSADI benefits they receive. Makes waiver or suspension of this Act out of order in the House or Senate.

According to opencongress.org, as of yesterday, there has been zero news coverage of this bill. There are nine co-sponsors, all Democrats, of course:

Senator Daniel Akaka [D, HI]
Senator. Mark Begich [D, AK]
Senator Richard Blumenthal [D, CT]
Senator Barbara Boxer [D, CA]
Senator Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
Senator Frank Lautenberg [D, NJ]
Senator Barbara Mikulski [D, MD]
Senator Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse [D, RI]

You need to call your senators today to tell them to vote for this bill. Dave Johnson, writing at Campaign For America's Future, gives simple instructions:

“Call your Senators RIGHT NOW at 1-866-251-4044. You’ll be given a choice of which of your state’s two senators to be connected with. Call BOTH if you have the time. It only takes a minute each. Tell the person who answers the phone:

• I am a voter/constituent living in [your state]. I am calling to tell the Senator:

• I oppose all cuts to Social Security and

• I urge them to vote yes on the The Social Security Protection Act of 2011. “Please take the time for this very important effort today. This is for all of us who depend on Social Security. Call today: 1-866-251-4044.”

On 16 March, Representative Anthony Wiener introduced the same bill in the House, H.R.1118. Co-sponsors are:

Rep. Ted Deutch [D, FL-19]
Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
Rep. Alcee Hastings [D, FL-23]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D, IL-2]
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
Rep. Frederica Wilson [D, FL-17]

Undoubtedly you are getting tired of hearing about all this from me, but we must remain alert and do everything we can to preserve Social Security not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren and beyond.

It may not seem right that a cost-of-living adjustment disappears into Medicare and then some, but without Social Security, many elders would have no income and destroying the program is high on the Republican agenda. Please pick up that phone again.

TIME GOES BY | 2012 Social Security Benefit

Social Security and Medicare: Deficit Myths Information Bulletin # 328 (3/2011)

by Steve Gold

Challenging Social Security and Medicare's fiscal soundness has been a regular activity of conservatives in this country since the 1950s. The current attack is a virtual replay of 1983, with a few new twists. Each time they attack, the unstated but likely intentional consequences are to instill fear in older and disabled Americans, and people who will be retiring in the future. Advocates for Older and Disabled Americans must take the offense and fight back.

One of the new twists is to repeat the mantra that Social Security and Medicare are "Entitlements." This short-hand label suggests the programs are simply government largesse, "welfare," and charity. In our current climate, such branding supports reducing or even eliminating these programs.

But neither Social Security retirement/disability nor Medicare is an "Entitlement." Both were enacted as insurance programs. Payments come out of our wages pursuant to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act's FICA, and are deposited in four separate trust funds: Old-Age and Survivors Insurance; Disability Insurance; Hospital Insurance (Part A of Medicare); and Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B).

Throughout out working lives, we pay insurance payments or "premiums" (a percent of our earnings) into these government sponsored insurance trust funds so that when we no longer have earnings, due to retirement or disability, we will receive these insurance benefits - the same way any private insurance program is supposed to work.

Folks, let's wake up. It's our insurance benefits on the chopping block; it's our money. Don't buy into the politico-hysterical rhetoric.

A second twist alleges that these programs are in deep financial trouble and are the cause of our national deficits. One of the biggest difficulties we face is to know which "facts" are accurate and which are thrown out to frighten us.

The 2010 actuarial annual report of the Trustees' of Social Security and Medicare shows assets of $2,540.3 billion in Social Security and $380.8 billion in Medicare, Part A and B. The Trustees report that "the outlook for Medicare has improved substantially." Part A "is now expected to remain solvent until 2029, 12 years longer than was projected last year." Part B's program costs are "down 23 percent relative to costs projected" earlier.

Due to the current deep recession, the Trustees point out that short-term outlook for Social Security is not good. Social Security expenditures will exceed receipts this year for the first time since 1983. Even so, the Trustees expect the deficits to "shrink substantially for 2011 and to return to small surpluses for years 2012-2014 due to the improving economy."

What if the economy does not improve as much as the Trustees assume? Rather than unsupported fear mongering, advocates must initiate a public discussion regarding how we might address this problem.

Easy and relatively painless remedies exist to address future Social Security concerns. For example, presently we pay Medicare payroll taxes (1.4%) on our total earnings, but Social Security payroll taxes are do not apply to earnings above $108,800.

Why should earnings above $108,800 not be subject to Social Security payments? Why should people who earn less pay on their entire earnings but people who earn more do not? Raising the Social Security's taxable amount of earnings to include all of our earnings the same as Medicare does will have no impact on the rate withheld, presently 6.5%, but will ensure that we all pay our fair share.

A variant of this proposal came from The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in December 2010 which recommended we pay different Social Security payment rates on all of our income depending on the earnings. The Commission estimated their recommended changes would close nearly half of any shortfalls over the next 75 years.

An honest public discourse without rhetoric and myths might lead to proposals that really address how to continue and improve these programs. In 1983, President Reagan appointed Alan Greenspan to head a commission which proposed numerous changes that resulted in nearly 30 years of security. Hmmm. Reagan and Greenspan????

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.

Information Bulletins are also be posted on my blog located at http://stevegoldada.blogspot.com/

To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.

Tax Benefits & Free Tax Preparation for Taxpayers with Disabilities - Disabilityt.gov blog

By Guest Blogger Richard Keeling, Senior Tax Analyst, Stakeholder Partnerships Education and Communications, Wage and Investment Division, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Taxpayers with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities may qualify for a number of IRS tax credits and benefits. If you or someone else listed on your federal tax return has a disability, you may be eligible for one of the tax credits listed below. In addition, there are several programs that can help people with disabilities prepare their taxes and file them electronically for free.

1. Standard Deduction: Taxpayers who are legally blind may be entitled to a higher standard deduction on their tax return.
2. Gross Income: Certain disability-related payments, Veterans Administration disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are excluded from gross income.
3. Impairment-Related Work Expenses: Employees who have a physical or mental disability limiting their employment may be able to claim business expenses in connection with their workplace. The expenses must be necessary for the taxpayer to work.
4. Credit for the Elderly or Disabled: This credit is generally available to certain taxpayers who are 65 and older, as well as to certain taxpayers with disabilities who are younger than 65 and are retired on permanent and total disability.
5. Medical Expenses: If you itemize your tax deductions using Form 1040, Schedule A, you may be able to deduct medical expenses. See IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.
6. Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): EITC is available to taxpayers with disabilities, as well as to the parents of a child with a disability. If you retired on disability, taxable benefits you receive under your employer’s disability retirement plan are considered earned income until you reach minimum retirement age. The EITC is a tax credit that not only reduces a taxpayer’s tax liability but may also result in a refund. Many working individuals with a disability who have no qualifying children, but are older than 25 and younger than 65, do qualify for EITC. Additionally, if the taxpayer’s child has a disability, the age limitation for the EITC is waived. The EITC has no effect on certain public benefits. Any refund you receive because of the EITC will not be considered income when determining whether you are eligible for benefit programs, such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid.
7. Child or Dependent Care Credit: Taxpayers who pay someone to care for their dependent or spouse, so they can work or look for work may be entitled to claim this credit. There is no age limit if the taxpayer’s spouse or dependent is unable to care for themselves.

For more information on tax credits and benefits available to taxpayers with disabilities, see Publication 3966, Living and Working with Disabilities or Publication 907, Tax Highlights for Persons with Disabilities, available on the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/ or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify.


Trained community volunteers may help with special credits, such as EITC, Child Tax Credit and Credit for the Elderly or Disabled. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, most sites also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in half the time compared to returns filed on paper – even faster when tax refunds are deposited directly into one's bank account.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)
The VITA Program offers free tax help to people with low to moderate-income (generally, $49,000 and below) who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified volunteers (sponsored by various organizations) receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other convenient locations. Most locations also offer free electronic filing. To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-906-9887 or visit the VITA site list online. (This list does not include every VITA site.)

Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
The TCE Program provides free tax help to people ages 60 and older. Trained volunteers from nonprofit organizations provide free tax counseling and basic income tax return preparation for senior citizens. These volunteers are often retired individuals associated with nonprofit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. As part of the TCE Program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program at more than 7,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income, with special attention to individuals ages 60 and older.
For more information on TCE, call 1-800-829-1040. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit AARP's website.

Additional information about tax benefits for people with disabilities is available in the Tax Credits section of Disability.gov.

Richard Keeling is a Senior Tax Analyst in Stakeholder Partnerships Education and Communications in the Wage and Investment Division of the IRS.  His primary responsibility is working with the Taxpayers with Disabilities Program.

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Mild Psych Problems Hike Risk of Later Disability from MedPage Today

By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today

People do not have to be severely depressed or anxious to be at increased risk for physical or mental disability, researchers found, as even mild distress led to serious loss of function for some study participants.

Analysis of data on more than 17,000 individuals in Sweden indicated that mild psychological distress approximately doubled the likelihood of a subsequent diagnosis of somatic or psychiatric disability (hazard ratios 1.7 and 2.2, respectively, P<0.05, relative to no distress), reported Dheeraj Rai, MBBS, of the University of Bristol in England, and colleagues.

The development of cost-effective psychosocial or medical interventions for people with mild psychological distress may be a priority worth pursuing as it may reduce the disability burden, improve health outcomes and generate significant societal savings," Rai and colleagues wrote online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
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Career Connection Series: Ready to Choose Work? You May Already Have a Ticket - Disability.gov

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By Dan O’Brien, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration
 
What is Ticket to Work?

Social Security’s Ticket to Work is a voluntary program that helps people with disabilities who want to work by providing them with free support services. If you are between the ages of 18 and 64 and are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you already qualify.

While you explore your work options or go back to school, the Ticket Program and special rules, called Work Incentives, help you stay in control of your healthcare and cash benefits. For example, cash benefits don’t stop until you earn a certain amount of money (this is called Substantial Gainful Activity or SGA). The goal is that one day you can be financially independent.

Learn how the Ticket to Work Program and Work Incentives might be right for you:
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White House Disability Group Monthly Conference Call - March 31 - Disability.gov

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In order to keep Americans with disabilities and other interested parties informed about the Obama Administration's disability-related efforts, the White House Disability Group is hosting monthly calls to provide updates on issues such as key political appointments, employment, civil rights, health care and transportation, as well as introduce staff who work on disability issues in the federal government.

The next call will be held on Thursday, March 31 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. It will feature remarks from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and include introductions to other Obama Administration personnel.

Details for the call are as follows:

Dial in for listeners: United States: (800) 230-1059

Title: White House Disability Call (use instead of code)

For live captioning during the call, go to

http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1734047&CustomerID=321.

Those interested in participating in the call are encouraged to call in at least five minutes prior to its start. This call is off the record and not for press purposes.

If you would like to be added to the White House Disability Group email distribution list, please email sfeuerstein@who.eop.gov and provide your name, email address, city, state and organization (if applicable).

Please let others know about this call so that they may participate.

Posted by Diana Z. on Mar 22, 2011 1:55:11 PM in Civil Rights, Education, Employment, Health, Transportation

Technorati Tags: Obama Administration disability initiatives, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, White House Disability Group

 

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White House Disability Group Monthly Conference Call - March 31 - Disability.gov

Persons with Disabilities and Tohoku-Kanto GreatEarthquake

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Relief Headquarters for Persons with Disabilities of Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake

Thank you very much for visiting "DPI-Japan Update".

Currently, this blog is sending you the updates from the "Relief Headquarters for Persons with Disabilities of Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake".

This HQ is organized by persons with disabilities to support persons with disabilities affected by the great earthquake.

For more information on this HQ, please see this (MSWord) (PDF).
Message from Shoji Nakanishi, the Director
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
---Donation from overseas---

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Light Therapy May Aid Traumatic Brain Injury

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Two patients with long-term deficits from traumatic brain injury (TBI) have shown substantial improvement in cognitive function with transcranial light therapy, investigators reported.

A TBI patient on medical disability returned to work as a technology consultant after four months of nightly, at-home treatment with near-infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the forehead and scalp.

Seven years after a closed-head TBI, another patient experienced improved sustained attention capability from 20 minutes to three hours with ongoing LED treatment.

Both patients regressed with discontinuation of the light therapy, Margaret A. Naeser, PhD, of Boston University and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, and colleagues reported online in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.

"Results from the two chronic TBI cases described here, along with those from previous [light therapy] studies with acute stroke patients and chronic, major depression cases, suggest that further, controlled research with this methodology is warranted," Naeser and her co-authors wrote in conclusion.

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Aphonia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits | Disability Blog

Image via WikipediaThere are some voice difficulties that are marked by making vocal sounds different from what they should normally be or by having problems pronouncing words properly. An example of this is dysarthria. There are other voice problems that are characterized by an impairment in your ability to produce vocal sounds with your vocal organs. An example of this is dysphonia. Aphonia literally means “no voice”. Aphonia is a condition in which you lose the ability to speak. It may involve a complete or partial loss of your voice. You may not be able to speak at all, or you may only be able to whisper. There are two main categories of aphonia. They are organic and functional. Organic aphonia results from some kind of infection, injury or disease like laryngeal or thyroid cancer. Functional aphonia is aphonia where there is no discernable physical cause for the condition. An example of this is hysterical aphonia. As just mentioned, aphonia may be caused by physical conditions like inflammation, disease, or injury. This includes:
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Henderson v. Shinseki, U.S. Supreme Court Permits Veterans' Delayed Challenges of Denial of Benefits

by Barbara Jones, Sr. Attorney | from: AARP Foundation Litigation

AARP had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that imposed rigid, inflexible rules that harm disabled veterans seeking to appeal the denial of their benefits.

Read AARP's Amicus Brief (PDF)

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Wheelchair Tip: Make Sure You Have the Correct Custom Wheelchair Measurements | How I Roll

by Jacob

More often than not I see people disabled in manual wheelchairs who have their wheelchair measurements set-up all wrong. Sometimes their wheelchair is much too wide for their body structure. Sometimes they don’t have the back axle centered correctly for optimal balance given their size, weight, and disability level. Or, sometimes they could simply be in a more active type/style of custom manual wheelchair. Of all the wheelchair measurement mistakes I see, there is one that absolutely stands out the most. It bothers me to no end seeing a wheelchair’s back wheels higher than waist-level of the person sitting in it. What these people don’t understand is the higher those back wheels go the higher they’ll have to reach with each push. Also, the higher you reach to grab the wheel rail the more your triceps will be stretched, making each push more difficult.

I suggest you keep the highest point of your back wheels within 2 inches of your waist-line for optimal pushing efficiency.

I met a guy last week who’s been paralyzed in a wheelchair for the past 4 years. He had his 4 year anniversary a day prior to us meeting. His back wheels were at least 5 inches higher than his waist-line. He had asked me a couple questions about my Tilite. Somehow in my mind his questions gave me full permission to voice an opinion on his back wheel height measurement. He thanked me for the input, telling me he’d never thought about it before. I’m not sure if ever updated his wheelchair, or if he still rolls around with his elbows pointed back and up to the air. The point is, this kid had been given a wheelchair by whatever hospital he happened to be inpatient at, and they measured him entirely incorrect. 4 years later this kid is still using the same incorrectly measured wheelchair, under the false impression that the extra effort he puts into pushing himself around each day is normal.

Sure, being confined to a wheelchair is disabling. But being confined to a wheelchair that’s measured incorrectly is highly disabling. I’m not suggesting you buy a new wheelchair tomorrow, but it’s definitely something to think about when wheelchair renewal time comes around.

After Two Decades, Change Coming To ADA - Disability Scoop

Image via WikipediaBy Michelle Diament

For the first time in more than 20 years, regulations governing the Americans with Disabilities Act are getting a major overhaul.

Starting Tuesday, new rules go into effect covering everything from building design to what qualifies as a service animal.

Notably, the new ADA regulations will include first-ever accessibility requirements for swimming pools, parks, golf courses, boating facilities, exercise clubs and other recreational facilities.

What’s more, going forward, only trained dogs will be eligible for use as service animals.
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Legislator Who Suggested Siberia For 'Retarded' Resigns - Disability Scoop

By Shaun Heasley

A New Hampshire lawmaker resigned Monday amid criticism for suggesting to a constituent that the state ship people with disabilities to Siberia.

Rep. Martin Harty, a 91-year-old first-term Republican in the state’s House of Representatives, drew fire after it became public that he told a constituent that “the world is too populated” with “too many defective people.”

“I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population,” Harty continued, according to the constituent’s account. He specified that he was referring to “the mentally ill, the retarded, people with physical disabilities and drug addictions.”

When questioned about the comments last week, Harty was unapologetic and told the Concord Monitor that he was “just kidding.”

But on Monday Harty submitted his letter of resignation to state House Speaker William O’Brien.
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JFActivist: What Do Egypt, Libya and Wisconsin Have to Do With Disability Rights?

From the National Disability Leadership Alliance (formerly JFAAN) (3.9.11)
Please join us for the next Organizer's Forum!

TOPIC: Connecting Local Organizing with National and International Struggles...
 
"What do the labor struggle in Wisconsin and the protests in Egypt and Libya have to do with us?"

TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1-2 pm Eastern Time (10-11 Pacific)
Call in number: 712-432-0080
Code: 193134#

Speakers:
Jason Glozier, Grassroots Organizer, Access to Independence, and ADAPT Organizer

Tim Sheehan, Executive Director, Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin

3rd speaker TBA to help us talk about what the protests in Egypt, Libya, etc. have to do with local disability rights organizing

Topics to be addressed include:

* Do folks involved in local disability rights work need to know about the labor union struggle in Wisconsin and the protests in Egypt, Libya, and other countries? Why is it important?

* How do we connect folks on a local level to these other struggles? How do we educate people?

* How do we use these struggles to inspire people to take action on a local level?

CART: The call will have real-time captioning (CART)! The website where you will be able to view the captioning is http://www.2020captioning.com/livefeed.php?event=AAPD Thank you to the National Disabilty Leadership Alliance for sponsoring the captioning of this call.

NOTE: We have set up a listserv to allow everyone to easily get notices about the Organizer's Forum, called disabilityorganizing@googlegroups.com. Please check your spam filter for an invitation that you may have received, or email jlehman7@gmail.com so I can add you.

Background:

The Organizing Workgroup of the National Disability Leadership Alliance (formerly JFAAN) hosts these calls the third Tuesday of every month as a resource for disability organizers, in an effort toward building the organizing capacity of the disability community across the country. They generally follow the format of a Welcome followed by 2-3 experts in a given area speaking for 10-20 minutes on their experiences, advice and challenges. The calls include a 20-30 minute question and answer period.

To ask questions via CART: Sign-in to the Chat function on the right side of the transcript and type your question. One of the call facilitators will read out any questions posted there.

Because we want to maximize the generously donated CART services, we will begin the call promptly at 1pm and end the call promptly at 2pm (eastern time). A few other reminders about call etiquette:
· Say your name before each time you speak
· Speak one at a time
· Speak slowly and as clearly as possible

So you can mark your calendars now, Organizer’s Forums are held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. If you have suggestions for call topics or presenters for upcoming topics, please email them to jlehman7@gmail.com or dcoleman@cdrnys.org.

Looking forward to talking with you all next Tuesday!

Jessica Lehman and Diane Coleman
Co-Chairs, National Organizing Workgroup

JFActivist: What do Egypt, Libya and Wisconsin have to do with Disability Rights?

JFActivist: Transportation: Will Technology Innovations Benefit People with Disabilities?

By Jenifer Simpson, AAPD Policy

On February 23, 2011, AAPD was invited to attend a workshop on “Technological Innovations in Transportation for People with Disabilities” held by the Federal Highway Administration in McLean, VA. The event was convened by Mohammed Yousuf in the Office of Operations Research & Development at the agency, as part of their Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) program. The EAR program is examining how current and future advancements in intelligent transportation systems and other technologies could improve accessible transportation for people with vision disabilities and for people with other disabilities. The aim would be both to advance safety and promote greater independence.

While connection of vehicles through wireless networks is a current focus for intelligent transportation – for the purpose of more efficient use of vehicles and the goods they transport – pedestrians can also benefit from technology advances. Research on vehicle-highway interaction, nanotechnology, and a host of other types of transportation research in safety, pavement design, highway structures and bridges, human-centered systems, operations and intelligent transportation systems, and in materials science can all offer new ways to provide accessibility for people with disabilities.

 

The workshop included presentations on advances in wireless technology, computer vision, artificial intelligence and robotics. Discussion focused on how these new technologies could be integrated to assist people with disabilities to be more mobile and independent. For instance, wayfinding, navigation, orientation and guidance for people with vision disabilities could be enhanced by more wireless connections and better databases of information about the built environment. Similarly, people with intellectual disabilities might benefit from devices that provide directions and guidance. A key component to new tools for accessibility by people with disabilities is greater availability of sensor devices that can be attached to objects in the environment, such as lamp posts, traffic signs, building entrances, vehicles etc.

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