With California wrapping up its legislative session on September 14 and North Carolina adjourning on October 13, state legislatures are going into recess just in time for autumn. Even the full-time representatives are largely done with their major efforts for 2023. So, what now? Is everyone on vacation leaf-peeping and sipping their pumpkin spice lattes? [click to continue...]
RespectAbility’s federal policy work is often done in coalition with other organizations, ensuring input from a wide cross-section of the disability community. Check out our latest advocacy highlights from working in partnership with the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD), which is the largest coalition of national disability organizations that focus on policy, and the [click to continue...]
Over the past month, two of RespectAbility’s major workforce initiatives, the Building Better Futures initiative (BBFI) and our Enabling Economic Independence to Work program (EIW), made great strides forward. The BBFI program, which is made possible by the support of the James Irvine Foundation, is creating employment pipelines in the information technology and job coaching [click to continue...]
“Nothing about us without us.” This iconic disability phrase takes on new significance in terms of health research, as the NIH recently designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities. Although this may sound like a disappointing development, this designation enables healthcare researchers to address the difficulties many people with disabilities face in [click to continue...]
What if you had to choose between paying your rent and marrying your significant other? People with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are faced with this decision every day. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act raises asset limits for SSI recipients and couples. This proposal, while simple, could have a significant impact on [click to continue...]
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) Spotlight Did you know that 44% of companies in the US don’t allow remote work? These companies are missing out on a reliable, skilled, and motivated talent pool, people with disabilities. Earlier this year, our Senior Policy Advisor, Matan Koch, moderated a webinar called Presenting the Business Case For [click to continue...]
Every year, the Rehabilitation Services Administration engages in a reallotment process for the Federal fiscal year, both for vocational rehabilitation funding and for the State Supported Employment Services (Supported Employment) program. This means that every year, even though there are tens of thousands of people going without services, unspent funds are moved from their original state [click to continue...]
RespectAbility’s federal policy advocacy is often done in coalition, ensuring the input of people with disabilities and the power of the disability community at large is appreciated at the federal level. Check out our latest advocacy highlights working in partnership with the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities: Designating People with Disabilities as a Health Disparity [click to continue...]
Spotlight on Service Dogs September is National Service Dog Awareness Month. Did you know that 500,000 service dogs are tasked with helping their disabled partners every day in the United States? This month and every month, we celebrate the service animals that help our community live more independently and fully participate in all aspects of [click to continue...]
Advocating for the disability community takes our policy team all over the country and the Indianapolis State Capitol is only the latest stop for State Policy Manager Jimmy Fremgen! Jimmy was in Indy for the 2023 Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures and met with legislators and potential policy partners from across [click to continue...]
