Allsup Provides Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act Infographic

from insurancenewsnet.com:   The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, signed into law last month by President Barack Obama, was championed by numerous disability organizations, including the National Down Syndrome Society, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the United Spinal Association. Allsup, a nationwide Social Security Disability Insurance representation company, recognizes the efforts of these and other nonprofit organizations in garnering broad bipartisan support and congratulate them on the enactment of the historic legislation.   To download the infographic "Understanding the Able Act" click here or go to http://www.allsup.com/media/files/ABLE-infographic.pdf.
  "The ABLE Act unlocks the doors of financial freedom for many Americans with disabilities," said Mark Perriello, president and CEO of AAPD. "It allows people with disabilities to start saving for their future." An infographic to help understand the ABLE Act and its potential impact is available for download here. The ABLE Act exempts savings for individuals and families receiving means-tested state and federal programs, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Currently, individuals with $2,000 or more in assets would not be eligible for those programs. The provisions under this act would allow for the creation of what's known as a 529-ABLE Plan, allowing individuals with disabilities incurred prior to age 26 to accrue savings up to $100,000, and still meet asset eligibility.

2013 Youth Transitions Fellowship (YTF)

2013 Youth Transitions Fellowship (YTF)
PLEASE NOTE: All applications must be received by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, March 22, 2013.
The HSC Foundation, in partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), is now accepting applications for a paid fellowship position with the organizations’ disability youth transition and collaboration work. This fellowship is ideal for a person with a disability, who has an interest in youth career transitions and employment solutions. The fellowship starts June, 2013, and continues for 12 months. Under the supervision of AAPD’s Programs’ Manager, the Youth Transitions Fellow (YTF) will gain exposure to youth programs, serving people with disabilities and will have the opportunity to facilitate collaboration among internship, fellowship, and apprenticeship programs; based in the greater Washington, DC area.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications: Ability to facilitate collaboration among large groups
Ability to work with people in all levels of an organization, including young people with a variety of disabilities
Strong oral communication skills and strong organizational skills
Creative and innovative personality
Familiarity with technology and social networking tools
Strong interest in youth transition for people with disabilities and organizing.

Eligibility: Anyone who self-identifies as an individual with any type of disability is invited to apply. You will not be required to disclose your specific disability; however, your application for this program will signify that you consider yourself a person with a disability. PLEASE NOTE: This fellowship is specifically for people with disabilities.

Please Provide the Following: Please attach your resume in Microsoft Word format.
Please provide the contact information for four (4) references who are familiar with your qualifications, relevant to this fellowship and your personal character.
Please attach, in Microsoft Word format, two (2) letters of recommendation from two (2) of the above-mentioned references. PLEASE NOTE: Additional references and/or materials will not be considered.

What Happens Next: Completed applications received by AAPD before 5:00 PM EST, Friday, March 22, 2013 will be collected and reviewed by our team.
Semi-Finalists will be contacted for short, preliminary telephone interviews.
Finalists will be contacted for formal telephone interviews.
The fellow will be selected and notified by May 2013.

2013 Youth Transitions Fellowship (YTF) PLEASE NOTE: All applications must be received by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, March 22, 2013.
　
The fellow must be able to begin the first week of June 2013.

The HSC Foundation’s National Youth Transitions Center The HSC Foundation’s National Youth Transitions Center is a collaborative learning community to benefit youth with disabilities and returning wounded veterans. The National Youth Transitions Center, developed by The HSC Foundation, will bring together the resources of multiple organizations to provide much needed transitions related services, research, public policy, best practices, pilot projects, and evaluation so that youth with disabilities can achieve their greatest level of independence. The Center will create a forum to enhance the ability of young people and veterans with disabilities to enter and reenter the workforce, participate in and contribute to community life, and become productive members of society.
The American Association of People with Disabilities The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation's largest disability rights organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change.
TO APPLY:
Applications must be received by
5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) on or before Friday, March 22, 2013
Via Email: ytf@aapd.com

TAKE 3 MINUTES TODAY TO CONTACT YOUR SENATORS FOR THE CRPD!

Today is our Action Day for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The opposition has stated that the disability community is uninformed and does not really support the disability rights treaty. We are being significantly outnumbered by the opposition on calls and contacts via social media. We need every U.S. Senate member to be contacted and to know that the disability community is leading the movement for U.S. ratification of this international disability treaty and our voice matters! Have your friends, family, and work colleagues make calls, Tweet and Twitpic, email, and Facebook today to show support.  CONTACTS: You can find phone and email contact information for your senator here and Twitter IDs for your senators here (Tweet using #CRPD #UNCRPD)   Tell your Senators: I am a person with a disability and I want to see the senator vote in support of the CRPD this year! The CRPD will not cost the Federal Government any additional funds. The CRPD has been reviewed by both Republican and Democratic Attorneys General and by past Counsel to Presidents. They confirm that it does not threaten the sovereignty of the U.S., nor does it require any new legislation to comply with the treaty.  This treaty is good for American business and for the world. It will allow us to bring our knowledge of making a society accessible to the whole world. MOST IMPORTANTLY - This treaty is very important to the U.S. disability community! Following U.S. ratification of the treaty, U.S. leadership will help raise accessibility around the world, directly helping Americans with disabilities who live, work, or travel abroad.   Sample Tweet : @(SenatorID) Support the #CRPD #UNCRPD in 2012! This is a #disability issue and we say vote YES! Sample Twitpic: Click here, or on the image below to see the sample Tweet.   Want more information about the treaty? CLICK HERE Interested in why the CRPD is important to parents of children with disabilities? LISTEN HERE Add your organization to a list of over 275 U.S. disability organizations that support the CRPD CLICK HERE

Medicaid in Post-Election Discussions of Deficit Reductions

by David Heymsfeld, AAPD Policy Advisor:
With the election over, and Congress scheduled to return next week, Washington’s attention will quickly shift to proposals to reduce the federal deficit.
It has been widely reported that during the last few months there have been extensive behind the scenes discussions, particularly by Senators, of “grand bargains” to reduce spending and increase revenues to make major reductions in the deficit.  Now these discussions will move to the public arena.   They will be dominated by a sense of urgency created by the so-called fiscal cliff across the board spending cuts and tax increases which will occur on January 1, unless Congress passes legislation to undo them.
Reports of the behind-the scenes discussions indicate that they include considering proposals to make significant reductions in the federal Medicaid program. This is an issue of great concern to people with disabilities; 8 million of whom rely on Medicaid for health care and long term supports which is critical to their ability to live healthy productive lives as independent members of their communities.
AAPD and other advocates have made it clear that we are willing to work with Congress and the Administration to develop proposals which reduce the costs of Medicaid, by reforms that will make the program more efficient without reducing the services provided.  We will oppose proposals that only reduce funding and lead to cuts in the number of beneficiaries or the services they receive.
Two general approaches for reducing annual spending for Medicaid have gained significant support.
The first, incorporated in the budget passed by the House earlier this year is known as the block grant approach.  It specifically sets funding levels for Medicaid for the next ten years.  The ten-year budget would reduce Medicaid spending by $800 billion compared to the current program.
The second approach, one that reportedly has been seriously considered in the recent behind the scenes discussions, is a “per capita” approach.  It would limit funding by establishing an allowable cost for each beneficiary under the program. This would permit increased funding if more persons were added to the program.
In evaluating any specific proposals to reduce funding with these approaches, it is important to bear in mind that there are two separate issues; how much is funding reduced, and what problems are created by the method used to set the caps.

Voting Resources for People with Disabilities

Voting with a Disability, resources from Nonprofit Vote .org:

Below you will find links to voting with disabilities from national organizations.

Disability Vote Project: American Association of People with Disabilities
The AAPD Disability Vote Project (DVP) addresses the fundamental inequalities faced by voters with disabilities, and works in a nonpartisan approach to ensure full accessibility to all polling places and voting equipment.
DVP’s work:

• Eliminating barriers to voting
• Promoting voter turnout in the disability community
• Ensuring that voting the voting machines in production are accurate, accessible, and secure
• Growing disability vote coalitions across the country
• Educating the disability community on the importance of voting
• Increasing the registration rate among voters with disabilities

Disability and Voter Turnout
Fact sheets and testimony:

•  “Fact sheet:  Disability and Voter Turnout in the 2010 Elections,” by Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse, June 2011.
•  “Fact sheet:  Disability and Voter Turnout in the 2008 Elections,” by Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse, July 2009.
• “Testimony before Election Assistance Commission,” October 8, 2009.  By Lisa Schur.  Webcast at http://www.yorkmedia.com/eac/webcasts2009.htm.
• Studies:
• “Sidelined or Mainstreamed?  Political Participation and Attitudes of People with Disabilities in the United States,” Presented at the American Political Science Association  conference, August 2008, and updated October 2009.  By Lisa Schur and Meera Adya.
• “Voting,” in Gary Albrecht, ed., Encyclopedia of Disability (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005).  By Lisa Schur, Todd Shields, and Kay Schriner.
• “Enabling Democracy: Disability and Voter Turnout,” Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 55, No. 1, March 2002, pp. 167-190.  By Lisa Schur, Todd Shields, Douglas Kruse, and Kay Schriner.
• “What Determines Voter Turnout?  Lessons from Citizens with Disabilities,” Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 81, No. 2, June 2000, pp. 571-587.   ByLisa Schur and Douglas Kruse.

The Arc: We've Got the Power Vote in 2012
Election Day 2012—it’s closer than you think! In this time of rapid change and challenges at all levels of government, the importance for action by people with intellectual & developmental disabilities (I/DD), their families, and everyone who cares about our issues, and to become engaged in the political process has never been more important.
The Arc is pleased to provide resources for advocates and community partners for the upcoming 2012 elections. As people who care about the dignity, civil rights and access for people with I/DD at all levels of society, it is our role to promote civic responsibility and participation in our democracy. The Arc is launching its “We’ve Got The Power!” campaign to amplify the voice of people with disabilities as active participants in the political process, and in their communities. Together with Nonprofit Vote, a nonpartisan organization focused on providing voter engagement tools and resources, The Arc is providing links to toolkits, checklists, and other important resources for those wishing to show our communities that “We’ve Got the Power!” It’s time to Make Our Mark in 2012!

Bazelon Center 2012 Voting Rights Guides

Highlighted Tools

• VOTE 2012—It’s Your Right! Addendum to the 2008 Voting Rights Guide for People with Mental Disabilities (8/30/12): Replaces the 2008 chart “State Laws Affecting the Voting Rights of People with Mental Disabilities” in
   
  • Guide to the Voting Rights of People with Mental Disabilities (73 pages; 5.5"x8.5" page size) (2008 with 2012 updated chart of state laws)
• Restoring the Voting Rights of People Under Guardianship (PDF) | Word Version (8/30/12): Includes model motions, affidavits and orders that people under guardianship—or their family members or advocates—can use to restore voting rights taken away because a person with a mental disability has a guardian.
• Model Letter to State Election Officials (PDF) | Word Version (8/30/12): Alerts state election officials to voting problems faced by people with mental disabilities, and describes federal laws that protect the voting rights of people with mental disabilities.
• Chart of State Laws Affecting the Voting Rights of People with Mental Disabilities (8/29/12)
• Chart of State Laws on Voter Challenges (8/29/12)
• Summary and Links to Guardianship and Conservatorship Forms Provided by State Courts (8/29/12)
• Absentee Ballot Requirements by State (8/29/12)

Handouts and Flyers for Posting in Facilities and at Polls

• For advocates, family members, poll workers and others, on providing help to voters with disabilities--who can, and how (2-page PDF)
• For voters with mental disabilities, explaining basic voting rights (1-page PDF)

Additional Resources

• Clearinghouse Review Article on Voting Rights of Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments (9/08)

  

Below you will find links to voting with disabilities information from each state.

Lauren Potter and Glee Recognized at AAPD Gala

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) held its 2011 Awards Gala Tuesday evening, which brought together leaders from government, business and the disability and civil rights communities.

AAPD honored Glee's cast and creative team for leading the way in how young people with disabilities are perceived in popular culture.

Actress Lauren Potter, who plays the role of Becky Jackson on "Glee," accepted the award on behalf of "Glee."

Potter has Down Syndrome and said she will use her fame to help change negative perceptions about people with disabilities and will work to stop bullying by teaming up in an anti-bullying campaign with abilitypath.org.

AAPD Honors Glee and Others

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 6:15 p.m. Reception 7 p.m. Dinner The Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center Atrium 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – Washington, DC SPIRIT OF THE ADA AWARD Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. & Mrs. Cheryl Sensenbrenner PAUL G. HEARNE AWARDS/AAPD LEADERSHIP AWARDS Jessica Lehman Community Resources for Independent Living Catharine McNally Keen Guides, Inc. AAPD IMAGE AWARD To the Cast and Creative Team behind the Fox Television show “Glee” All proceeds benefit American Association of People with Disabilities, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I attended an AAPD Awards Gala in the past and it was a special experience that I will remember forever. This organization goes to great lengths to champion causes for all people with disabilities.