Government

If you are a Social Security disability beneficiary and want to make more money through work, the Ticket to Work program can provide the support you need to transition to greater financial independence. You'll learn about Social Security rules that may apply to you including work progress reviews, trial work periods, extended periods of eligibility, earned income exclusions and expedited reinstatements. This free webinar will be held on February 29, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Register online or call 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD).

Watch videos on various tax topics on the Internal Revenue Services' (IRS) YouTube channel. Videos aer in ASL with open captions and voice over for people who are deaf, hard of hearing and hearing viewers. Topics include tax tips, health insurance, disaster recovery and small business.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Advanced Dialysis Centers (ADC) have reached a settlement agreement that provides individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing with equal access to services at the dialysis center. Equal access is required under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This settlement came from a complaint filed by a family member about a deaf patient at ADC not being provided a sign language interpreter.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Allegiant Air $100,000 for violating two rules. One rule states that air carriers must submit an annual report on complaints received by passengers with disabilities that are sorted by type of disability and nature of the complaint. Allegiant did not respond in writing as required to these complaints, and also did not properly categorize and account for all complaints. The airline also violated a rule requiring full-fare advertising to list extra taxes and fees on “free” flight ads posted on their website.

According to a recent report, the ACA provided approximately 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service in 2011 through their private health insurance plans. Also, an estimated 32.5 million people with Medicare received at least one free preventive service in 2011 under the health reform law. Prevention coverage has helped an estimated 86 million Americans.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged Product Fabricators, Inc. with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for firing an employee because he was taking a prescribed medication for back pain. The company viewed the employee as disabled because he was taking the medication and failed to consider his ability to perform the job. Also, the company violated the ADA by requiring all employees to report whether they were taking any prescriptions or over-the-counter medication. 

The Social Security Administration is proposing a new rule to change and reorganize the Listing of Impairments that are used to evaluate adults and children and their eligibiilty for benefits under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. Proposed changes will simplify the introduction of the listings for evaluating visual disorders. Also, additional approved testing for evaluating a person's visual field loss will be included. Comment deadline is April 13, 2012. This information is also in PDF format.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Managment (OPM) has proposed a rule to change its regulations about the appointment of persons with disabilities. The changes would eliminate the requirement that a job applicant present a certification of job readiness. Eliminating this requirement would help speed the hiring process. Also, the agency is proposing to substitute the phrase "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" to comply with Rosa's Law. Comment deadline is April 9, 2012. This information is also in text format. This link opens a PDF document.

Provides advice on how to get the most out of the accessibility features and assistive technologies available for your computer, so that you can use the web in a more accessible way. Includes "how to" guides for people with vision and hearing disabilities.

The U.S. Access Board has released accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment for public comment. The proposed standards address access for people with disabilities to examination tables and chairs, weight scales, mammography equipment, and other diagnostic equipment. The Board will hold public hearings on the standards in Washington, D.C. on March 14 and Atlanta on May 8. Comments can be submitted or viewed at www.regulations.gov. Deadline for comments is June 8, 2012.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will award Mark Barlet and Amber Smock the 2012 Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award in March. The awards, which recognize emerging leaders within the national cross-disability community, will be presented at the 2012 AAPD Leadership Gala on March 21, 2012 from 5 - 9 p.m., in Washington, D.C. Register for tickets online.

The Internal Revenue Service has an online “assistant” that can help you find out if you may be eligible for the EITC. EITC gives a tax break to individuals who earn a low to moderate income. After answering a few questions, the 2011 EITC Assistant will help you find out if you are eligible, if your children qualify and give you an estimate of your tax credit. The EITC Assistant is also available in Spanish. Learn more about other income exclusions and tax deductions that may apply to individuals with disabilities.

This webinar, An Employers Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Individuals with Disabilities, will be held on February 28, 2012 from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. It will cover the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), a recruitment and referral program that connects federal and private sector employers with college students and recent graduates with disabilities. You'll learn how to use the WRP to find talented employees, how to provide accommodations at your worksite and what tools are available in the federal government to support and advance your employment efforts. Register by email.

This fact sheet from the Office of Management and Budget describes several parts of the President’s 2013 budget that will help increase employment, housing, educational and other opportunities for people with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Labor has released "Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success," a collection of career development exercises and activities to help sharpen the communication and other "soft skills" of young workers, including those with disabilities. The curriculum covers communication, networking, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking and professionalism. It was based on a survey of businesses to figure out the most important skills for young workers. This publication is also available in Spanish.

The 51st Biennial NAD Conference will be held July 3 - 7, 2012 in Louisville, KY. The theme of this year’s conference is "Nothing About Us, Without Us!". NAD will be partnering with DeaFestival Kentucky and Deaf Youth USA. The conference will include workshops, exhibits and opportunities for networking and socializing. Check out the schedule. Register online.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is holding its national convention in Seattle, WA, June 27 – 30, 2012. “Think, Learn and Live: Wellness, Resiliency and Recovery” is the theme, which focuses on developing effective programs and resources to increase resiliency and advance recovery. Register online. Limited scholarships for financial help to attend the convention are available to mental health consumers who are U.S. citizens. Read about the requirements and download the application to apply for the scholarships. Application deadline is March 12, 2012.

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation is holding an Open Innovation Challenge with winners to be announced on March 28, 2012. The challenge is "How might we design an accessible election experience for everyone?" The purpose of the challenge is to generate ideas to improve the accessibility of elections and allow more people with disabilities to engage in civic life. The initiative uses a collaborative online environment that allows everyone, from election officials to accessibility advocates, to participate in the design process.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached an agreement with the city of Humboldt, KS that will improve access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities. Several important steps will be taken to improve access for individuals with disabilities. Improvements include making physical changes so that parking, routes into the buildings, entrances, service areas and counters, restrooms and other areas are accessible. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the department's initiative to make sure that cities, towns and counties comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hundreds of very low-income seniors will have access to affordable supportive housing from $31.5 million in housing assistance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding will help nonprofit organizations in five states produce additional accessible housing, offer rental assistance and provide supportive services for the older Americans. The funding is provided through HUD's Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly. Section 202 grants allow very low-income elderly persons 62 years of age or older to live independently in an environment with supportive services.