News & Events

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will be awarding two individuals $10,000 each to help them continue their commitment to the disability community and connect their work with AAPD’s national outreach. The winners will meet national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, DC in March 2013. Application deadline is November 5, 2012.

The National Council on Disability has released its annual progress report on national disability policy. The report examines disability policy over the past year and reviews how emerging trends and government policies affect the quality of life of people with disabilities. The report covers three main policy areas, living, learning and earning, and makes recommendations on independent living, the education of children with disabilities, making U.S. currency accessible, and many other issues.

The U.S. Access Board will hold public information meetings to gather information on bus accessibility as part of its update of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles. The meetings will focus on the usability of recent bus designs that have portions of ramps remaining inside the vehicle to reduce their exterior projection. The first meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on September 19, 2012 in Washington, D.C. A second meeting will be held 2:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on October 2, 2012 in Seattle, WA. The Board also will be accepting written comments on this subject until October 31, 2012.  

NYLN is now accepting applications for its Governing Board. Board members must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 14 and 28, have a disability and believe in full-inclusion. Find out more about what Board members do by joining an informational call on September 24. Applications should be postmarked no later than September 29.

The National Disability Institute will present a webinar series featuring six, free 90-minute online programs. Each webinar will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on select Wednesdays starting in September and continue each month through December 2012. The series will address financial, tax and public benefits for people living with multiple sclerosis, their families and caregivers. However, the topics would be of interest to all people with disabilities. The first webinar, Being Money Smart, will be held on September 5, 2012 from 3 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Register online for each webinar.

Save-the-date for the for the Compendium release briefing on November 28, 2012 in Washington, D.C. The Compendium is a Web-based tool that pools together disability statistics from various federal agencies in one place to make finding and using disability statistics easier. The roundtable will follow the briefing giving disability advocates, policymakers and researchers the opportunity to discuss how research relating to people with disabilities. Registration will open in September. Check back for ongoing information.

The U.S. Access Board has extended the comment period on proposed updates to its Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles to collect more information on bus ramps. The Board will hold public meetings to discuss the usability and impacts of certain bus ramp designs that have been implemented more recently. Meetings will be held September 19, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C., and in early October in Seattle, WA. Comment deadline is October 31, 2012.

The Justice Department has announced an extension for existing swimming pools to comply with the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design. Existing pools now have until January 31, 2013 to comply with the standards. These standards were developed to make sure that buildings and facilities, including swimming pools, are accessible to more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. The department will be issuing a technical assistance document to help pool owners understand and comply with the accessibility requirements.

The National Institute on Aging and the Administration on Aging invite applications for translational research proposals that will develop new interventions, programs, policies, practices and tools for community-based organizations to help older adults remain healthy and live independently. Applications may be submitted beginning May 5, 2011.