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President Barack Obama's Agenda to Empower Individuals with Disabilities

President Obama and Vice President Biden have a comprehensive agenda to empower individuals with disabilities in order to equalize opportunities for all Americans in employment, education and many other areas of their lives. The plan also supports becoming a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and promoting independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities, giving them the choice of living in their community rather than in a nursing home or other institution. The president is also committed to helping Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and their families and communities through increased funding for autism research, treatment, screenings, public awareness and support services.

Social Security Expands Fast-Track Disability Claims Processing

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that improvements to the agency's computer modeling system have increased the number of claimants receiving expedited approvals for disability benefits. "In practical terms, this means that this year 100,000 to 125,000 disabled Americans - those with the most severe disabilities - will be approved for benefits in about 10 days instead of waiting the three to four months it typically takes for an initial decision," SSA Commissioner Astrue said.

Project Civic Access: Cities and Counties - First Steps Toward Solving Common ADA Problems

The U.S. Department of Justice's Project Civic Access initiative has worked with more than 100 state and local governments to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and, in the process, observed several common problems. This project describes how those problems affect people with disabilities and offers suggestions for state and local governments on how to solve them.

New Resources for Wounded Warriors, Veterans & Their Families

The U.S. Department of Labor has joined with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to launch a Web-based directory to help wounded warriors find resources to assist them transition back to civilian life. The National Resource Directory contains more than 10,000 services and resources at the national and local level relating to health care, support for caregivers, counseling services, emergency financial help and much more.

President Obama's Veterans Committment

In his Veterans agenda, President Obama states his strong commitment to improving the quality of health care for all veterans and returning service members, including those living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Veterans Resources at DisabilityInfo.gov

More resources for veterans and service members can be found in the Employment, Education, Housing, Health and Benefits sections of DisabilityInfo.gov. Specific information about employment success strategies for returning service members with TBI and PTSD can be found on the America's Heroes at Work Web site.

Compared Nursing Home Ratings

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released quality ratings for each of the nation's 15,800 nursing homes that participate in Medicare or Medicaid. Facilities are assigned star ratings from a low of one star to a high of five stars based on health inspection surveys, staffing information and quality of care measures. Learn about alternatives to nursing home care and other long-term care choices.

Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities

The recently released Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities is the first of its magnitude, with responses representing more than 2.4 million companies nationwide. The survey's results reveal that a majority of large businesses hiring people with disabilities are discovering that costs for accommodations differ very little from those of the general employee population. They also show that once an employer hires someone with a disability, they are much more likely to hire other people with disabilities. The complete report is available in Word format. The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has just released a new fact sheet on the subject of accommodations. Making Workplace Accommodations: Reasonable Cost, Big Benefits is available in PDF and Word format.

Learn What Businesses Have to Say About The Value of Employees with Disabilities

The recently revised Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, features video clips, research and other information from businesses and industry leaders on how hiring people with disabilities improves an organization's bottom line across six themes: Return on Investment, Human Capital, Innovation, Marketing, Diversity and Social Responsibility.

Accomodation Fact Sheet

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has just released a new fact sheet on the subject of accommodations. Making Workplace Accommodations: Reasonable Cost, Big Benefits is available in PDF and Word format.

 

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