Establish or Join the 'REV UP' Disability Voting Coalition in your State

The purpose of REV UP State Disability Voting Coalitions is to influence election and policy outcomes at the local, state, and national level. We have Coalitions established and developing in 21 states and are working to expand to more! We are looking for leaders who can pull together and organize advocates in their state to work together around voter registration and engagement activities and help establish a strong, diverse Coalition. The 2018 midterm elections are one year away - contact us at zbaldwin@aapd.com if you are interested in getting involved.

REV UP! AAPD from channelAustin on Vimeo.

Encourage Others to REV UP and Get Out The Vote

People with disabilities accounted for nearly 17% of eligible voters in 2016. When we include our families, we account for 25% of the total electorate. 

We can influence our family, friends, advocates, educators, professionals, providers, and bureaucrats to vote in favor of disability rights!

source: American Association of People with Disabilities

Action Alert! Urge Your U.S. Senators to Vote NO on the 2018 U.S. Senate Budget

A Action Alert has been shared by our colleges at American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) on the U. S . Budget, and the effects on people with disabilities, as well so many Americans. Please Share take action as outlined below, and feel free to share. - Jim W.

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Background This year’s budget process is very important because it is the first step in developing legislation that can be very harmful to people with disabilities. House and Senate Budgets set overall spending and revenue targets for the next 10 years. The real purpose of this year’s budgets is to set the stage for a massive tax cut bill by the end of the year. The House recently passed its Budget; the Senate will be voting on its version this week. The Senate Budget allows for up to $1.5 trillion to be added to the deficit. If resulting tax cut legislation exceeds this amount, then any amount over that could come from cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and many other programs that are critical for people with disabilities. The Senate Budget assumes some $5 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years, as well as optimistic projections of economic growth, to make up for lost tax revenue. Learn more here. While the tax cut legislation that would result from both chambers passing a joint Budget is still unknown, the tax plan framework released last month indicates that its benefits are heavily tilted towards wealthy individuals and corporations. If the House and Senate are able to pass a joint budget, it would allow for legislation that is easy to pass since it only needs a simple majority (51) in the Senate (using reconciliation).

Take Action The Senate is scheduled to vote on the 2018 Budget Resolution this week. Call your Senators today. Call the Capitol Switchboard number 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senators.   What to Say: I am a supporter of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Please vote NO on the 2018 Senate Budget Resolution. This budget starts the process for tax cuts that we cannot afford and that will go mainly to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. It could also pave the way for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other critical programs for people with disabilities to help pay for these tax cuts. Tax reform should be done through the regular and bipartisan process, hearing from experts and all stakeholders, marking up in committees, and debating in the House and Senate. Tax cuts should benefits all citizens and should not be made by cutting programs that support people with disabilities and other low income individuals in the community.   * * * October 17, 2017This alert was developed from content provided by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).

Health Insurance 2018 Open Enrollment (OE) begins on November 1, 2017 End Date Vary by State

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has shared the following detailed information on Open Enrollment for Government Health Care Programs for 2018. There are important dates and changes noted below. This post will be updated as needed.

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Healthcare Open Enrollment #5Changes and Challenges

From November 1, 2017 through December 15, 2017 (in most states), individuals will be able to purchase health insurance through the marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

IMPORTANT: 2018 ACA Open Enrollment starts November 1, 2017 in all 50 states and DC It ends on December 15, 2017 in all states except: California (1/31/2018) Colorado (1/12/2018) Connecticut (12/22/2017) District of Columbia (1/31/2018) Massachusetts (1/23/2018) Minnesota (1/14/2018) New York (1/31/2018) Rhode Island (12/31/2017) Washington (1/15/2018)   *Special enrollment period (12/16/2017 – 12/31/2017) available for hurricane victims*

There are a number of changes that have occurred to the 2018 OE period, which will run from November 1st to December 15th in most states. Shorter Enrollment Period. The first major change is a shorter enrollment period. The 2018 enrollment period was originally scheduled to run November 1, 2017 through January 31, 2018. However, the Department of Health and Human Services cut the period in half so that it only runs until December 15, 2017. This means it is crucial to get information out to individuals about OE5 before and during the open enrollment period since individuals will have less time to sign up for ACA healthcare. Cuts to the outreach, education, and enrollment budget. The second change refers to a series of deep budget cuts that happened in late August. These cuts include a 90% reduction for marketplace advertising, a 42% cut for HealthCare.gov (the website that allows individuals to sign up for health insurance), and a $25.7 million cut to Navigators (trained individuals that help guide people through the ACA sign-up process). Website Outages. It was recently announced that the federal health insurance exchange – HealthCare.gov – will be shut down for maintenance once a week, every week for 12 hours, during the open enrollment period. With the already shorten open enrollment period, these outages will make it even more difficult for people to sign up for health insurance through the marketplace. These changes will suppress marketplace enrollment and will likely limit the number of people who gain health insurance. Having less people sign up for coverage could lead to less-balanced risk pools and higher costs.

What does this mean for people with disabilities? The ACA has helped, and continues to help, people with disabilities in a number of ways. Providing protections for people with pre-existing conditions opened the door for many people with disabilities to receive affordable, comprehensive health insurance. The ACA also eliminated lifetime benefit limits, meaning there were no caps to the amount of money one could receive in a lifetime from an insurer. Medicaid expansion in 32 states, including Washington, DC, provided individuals with incomes at or below 138% of the poverty line affordable healthcare. These provisions resulted in 20 million people gaining health insurance by January of this year. Government health insurance is extremely important to people with disabilities – in 2015 58.3% of adults with disabilities had government health insurance compared to 17.4% of adults without disabilities. Shortening the Open Enrollment period and cutting funding means less uninsured individuals will have the opportunity to enroll in health insurance, and fewer individuals will be able to take advantage of the opportunities ACA has created for people with disabilities.

What can we do now? Help spread the word about Open Enrollment Period #5! While a significant amount of funding has been cut and the enrollment period shortened, we can make a difference by spreading information through our own networks. Post to Facebook or send a Tweet about the Open Enrollment period. Ask your friends and family if they have health insurance. Every effort helps!

Open Enrollment Resources HealthCare.gov – Open Enrollment website Get America Covered – provides enrollment information specific to your state Get Covered America – locate someone in your area who can help you complete your health insurance application Families USA Enrollment Assister Resource Center – materials to help navigators and assisters be successful during open enrollment and beyond Out2Enroll – Enrollment resources and support for the LGBTQ community ACA Signup Project – Graphics and materials to help promote Open Enrollment #5

Registration for the 2018 Disability Equality Index is Now Open! The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a unique, joint initiative of American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN). It serves as the nation’s most trusted annual benchmarking tool allowing America’s leading corporations to self-report their disability policies and practices. This evolving index objectively scores each corporation on a scale from 0 to 100—100 representing the most inclusive. The DEI was developed by the two national leaders in consultation with the appointed DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse and voluntary group of experts in business, policy, and disability advocacy.   Regardless of score, each participating company is: Given a complimentary copy of the 2018 DEI Report, which consists of detailed aggregate results and benchmarking information. Presented a scorecard outlining areas in which they excel, as well as those in need of improvement. Invited to exclusive networking opportunities with other participating DEI companies at the USBLN Annual Conference. Offered customized DEI consulting services specifically geared towards increasing their DEI score.

Eligible companies must register by January 12, 2018 to participate in the 2018 survey. All registered companies will receive access to the 2018 DEI the week of January 22, 2018 to begin submission of responses.  Final company DEI responses are due back on April 13, 2018.  DEI scores will be finalized by late June 2018. SOURCE: American Association of People with Disabilities

2017 Disability Equality Index names the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion"

Washington, D.C. (August 23, 2017) – US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) are proud to release the 2017 Disability Equality Index (DEI) – the third year measured by the Index. 110 companies participated in the 2017 DEI, with results indicating where companies are excelling in their commitment to inclusive environmental, social, and governance policies. DEI results also indicate areas in which companies must improve and close the policy and practice gaps for disability inclusion. This year a record 68 employers have earned the top rating of 100 – signaling to corporate America that becoming inclusive to people with disabilities drives positive results across the business.

Since the commencement of the DEI, corporate America has significantly advanced efforts to be inclusive of people with disabilities. In fact, the DEI report shows external employee recruitment has become even more inclusive with 95% of all 2017 DEI companies report having recruitment efforts in place that are specifically geared toward hiring individuals with disabilities; an 11 percentage point increase since 2014.

Companies are also becoming more inclusive internally to employees with disabilities. 88% of reporting companies have a specific disability-focused employee resource group or affinity organization; an 18 percentage point increase since 2015. In addition, 86% of DEI companies reported a senior executive proactively acts as a champion or sponsor of these resource/affinity groups; a 17 percentage point increase since 2015. Both points signal corporate culture is gradually shifting to be more inclusive; from various directions of the company.

Conversely, the DEI results show where corporate America still lags in the journey towards disability inclusion. For example, although many participating companies recognize USBLN certified disability-owned business enterprises, only 51% of reporting companies report having disability included in their supplier diversity programs – up slightly from 49% in 2016.

Another opportunity for improvement is in interview accommodations. Only 39% of DEI companies communicate the option to request an accommodation(s) for the interview. Another barrier towards inclusivity is accessibility. Despite the recent momentum gained with web accessibility efforts (including the #a11y initiatives), just over half of the DEI companies audit their external websites for accessibility. This number drops to 26% when it comes to their internal websites.

“We applaud those companies that are advancing their disability inclusion efforts across the business,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of USBLN. “Taking the DEI is an important step within the journey, backed with concrete data and insight. The release of this report, and the 68 leading companies, challenges other companies to fill in those critical gaps, and realize the possible results by being inclusive to people with disabilities, throughout the workforce, marketplace and supply-chain.”

"AAPD proudly recognizes this year's top DEI scorers," said Helena Berger, President and CEO of AAPD. On the heels of the 27th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we should celebrate our achievements but also reflect on the fact that employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities have remained unchanged. Employment is a pathway to the American Dream, and the DEI is an effective, non-punitive tool that builds partnerships between the disability and business communities to ultimately expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and embrace the talents and skills we bring to the workplace. Working together, we can help ensure no one is left behind or unable to pursue their dream because of a disability."

The recognition of being a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” is reserved for those companies that have scored 80 or above on the DEI. The full company list can be accessed here: http://www.usbln.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/2017-DEI-top-companies

The companies participating in the 2017 DEI represent 21 different sectors of the American economy, and have a total U.S. workforce of approximately 7.2 million workers—or approximately 5% of all American workers. In addition to their impact on the American workforce, these companies have a substantial financial impact on the American economy, with all publicly held corporations totaling representing nearly $6 trillion in market value.

The 2017 DEI Report dives deeper into the insights of the 2017 DEI results, and serves as a tool for the business community to recognize areas where they can continue to improve their support for their employees with disabilities and learn best practices and policies from other Fortune 1000-scope businesses. The 2017 DEI Report is public and can be accessed here: http://www.usbln.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/2017-DEI-report

Companies that are interested in taking the 2018 DEI can sign up for the mailing list to be notified of the open registration period: http://bit.ly/2wjRiRM

About the DEI
The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a unique, joint project of US Business Leadership Council and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). It serves as the nation’s most trusted annual benchmarking tool allowing America’s leading corporations to self-report their disability policies and practices. This evolving survey then scores each corporation on a scale from 0 to 100—100 representing the most inclusive. The DEI was developed by the two national leaders in consultation with the appointed DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse and voluntary group of experts in business, policy, and disability advocacy.

About the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 56+ million Americans with disabilities.

About the US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
USBLN (US Business Leadership Network) unites business around disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace. USBLN has more than 130 corporate partners spanning the technology, healthcare, financial, transportation, entertainment, and retail industries. USBLN serves as a collective voice of nearly 50 Business Leadership Network Affiliates across the United States, representing over 5,000 businesses. USBLN has various nationally recognized tools and programs, such as the Disability Equality Index and the leading disability-owned business enterprise (DOBE) certification program, to bridge inclusive companies with people and organizations within the disability community.

source: press release

AAPD 2018 Summer Internship Program (all types of disabilities) - Deadline to Apply: November 6, 2017

Since 2002, the AAPD Summer Internship Program has developed the next generation of leaders with disabilities and offered host employers access to a talented, diverse workforce. Each summer, AAPD places college students, graduate students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in summer internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, non-profits, and for-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area. Each intern is matched with a mentor who will assist them with their career goals. AAPD provides the interns with a living stipend, transportation to and from Washington, DC, and fully-accessible housing. At the beginning of the summer, interns participate in a 1-week orientation session to learn about AAPD and the disability rights movement, meet the other interns, and participate in a variety of engaging workshops and events. As part of the AAPD network, interns also receive opportunities to attend events on Capitol Hill, conferences, community events, briefings, and more.

Apply Today!

Previous AAPD Summer Internship Placements include:

Administration for Community Living American Bar Association Association of University Centers on Disabilities Department of Homeland Security Federal Communications Commission House Committee on Energy and Commerce Institute for Educational Leadership JBS International National Archives and Records Administration National Disability Rights Network National Education Association Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Representative F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) The Arc US Agency for International Development US Department of Labor US Office of Personnel Management Walmart

Applications for the 2018 AAPD Summer Internship Program are due by 5pm Eastern Time on November 6, 2017.   Apply for the 2018 AAPD Summer Internship Program The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. Source: press release

Action Alert - AAPD! We're Not Out Of The Woods Yet On Republican Healthcare Attempts To Repeal and/or Replace!

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has shared the following Action Alert to help the disability community, family members, friends, advocates, etc. information on the continuing issues of the attempts to repeal and/or replace the nation's healthcare system we have. Please take a few moments to review the below information and resources. TY!
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Action Alert! We're not out of the woods yet on Healthcare   Please continue visiting, calling, tweeting, and emailing your Senators! July 20, 2017 Thank you so much for all of your advocacy over the past few weeks to to protest the American Health Care Act and Better Care Reconciliation Act – together we sent the message loud and clear that we will not sit idly by as our healthcare and services are stripped away. Your advocacy made a difference! Unfortunately, the Senate is still not listening. The effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and harm Medicaid is back again with two new versions. The Senate’s “Better Care Reconciliation Act” (BCRA) and a new bill, the “Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act” (ORRA), are being readied for a vote next week. It is unclear which bill the Senate will move on at this point, but we expect a “motion to proceed” sometime next week — likely Tuesday or Wednesday. These bills are harmful to people with disabilities for many reasons. The ORRA cuts taxes on the rich by removing health care from the poor and middle class The ORRA would eliminate health care coverage for 32 million people by 2026; 17 million by next year (Congressional Budget Office) The ORRA would increase health care plan premiums by at least 100% The ORRA stops all Medicaid expansion at the end of 2019 (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) The BCRA guts Medicaid by cutting over $700 billion Both bills make it harder to provide home and community based services by eliminating the Community First Choice option for Medicaid Both bills eliminate the protections against discrimination for pre-existing conditions Both bills eliminate the requirement for essential health benefits (which include prescription drugs, mental health services, rehabilitative and habilitative services, and devices, and more) TAKE ACTION! Everyone needs to continue visiting, calling, tweeting, and emailing their Senators to tell them to vote no on the motion to proceed to consider these bills. All Senators must understand the damage this bill will do to the lives and liberty of people with disabilities and their families. We are grateful for all the advocacy you have already done – it has been effective. Please, keep it up!   Contact your Senators The message is clear: “Senator _____ must reject any bill that causes large coverage losses, ends the Medicaid expansion, caps and cuts the Medicaid program, or guts critical protections for people with health conditions.”   Toolkit to ADAPTandRESIST to SaveMedicaid – ADAPT Focus on telling stories when you meet with, call, or contact your Senators. Write stories or record brief 60-90 second videos about you, your child, your parent, your relatives, or your friends who have a disability and need the support of Medicaid and health care. Include pictures. Share these stories on Facebook and Twitter and ask your friends and family to do the same. Our Senators need to see the human face of Medicaid. The most effective outreach is to meet with your Senator (or their staff) in-person. When you do so, share your story of how access to health care and home and community-based services are important to you or your loved ones with disabilities. Those stories will particularly be impactful. Contacting Congress allows you to easily search for your Senators and access information on their D.C. offices. Civic Engagement Toolbox for Self-Advocates – Autistic Self Advocacy Network How to Set up a Meeting with your Member of Congress – Families USA Medicaid Cuts Equal Disability Cuts Toolkit – TASH Call Script – Center for Public Representation Call Script – Families USA Email Template – Center for Public Representation   Engage your Senators through Social Media Tweet your Senators and use the hashtags #SaveMedicaid, #NoCutsNoCaps, #ProtectOurCare, #ADAPTandRESIST, #KeepAmericaCovered, and/or #CoverageMatters   Sample Tweets: [insert your Senator’s Twitter handle] Over 10 million people with disabilities rely on #Medicaid for healthcare coverage. Please – #ProtectOurCare & #SaveMedicaid.   [insert your Senator’s Twitter handle] Don’t allow insurers to discriminate against people w/ disabilities because of pre-existing conditions. #ProtectOurCare   [insert your Senator’s Twitter handle] The #BCRA is a threat the life, liberty, and independence of people with disabilities. #ProtectOurCare #SaveMedicaid   [insert your Senator’s Twitter handle] Medicaid provides essential services to millions of people with disabilities. #SaveMedicaid #NoCutsNoCaps   [insert your Senator’s Twitter handle] Repeal without a replacement is not an option! #SaveMedicaid #NoCutsNoCaps #ProtectOurCare   States to Target: Arizona Alaska Colorado Indiana Maine Nevada North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania West Virginia Please be sure to thank Senators Capito (R-WV), Collins (R-ME), and Murkowski (R-AK) for their commitment to not vote for a repeal bill without a replacement.   Contact your Governors While Senators have the most direct influence on the legislative future of the BCRA and ORRA, contacting Governors is another great way to put additional pressure on Senators. You can find contact information for governors here.   Social Media Graphics: You are welcome to use any of the graphics below as part of your social media outreach. Thank you to SuMo Design Workshop for pulling these together!   #ADAPTandRESIST Flyers - ADAPT Don’t Take Our Healthcare Graphics – MoveOn.org Preexisting Condition Graphics Additional Resources and Analyses H.R. 1628, Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017 – Congressional Budget Office Repeal-Without-Replace Even More Harmful Than Failed Senate Bill – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Senate Health Bill Can’t Be Fixed – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Individuals with Disabilities – Center for Epidemiological Research for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Contrary to Republican Claims, Revised Senate Health Bill Provides No Additional Funding for States – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Waivers Can’t Solve the Problems Created by Massive Federal Medicaid Cuts – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Wealthy, Corporations Still Win Big Under Revised Senate GOP Health Bill – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Major Threat: How the Better Care Reconciliation Act Jeopardizes Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services – AARP Latest Version of Senate Health Care Bill Fundamentally the Same as Previous Versions – Families USA   Previous AAPD Healthcare Action Alerts Action Alert! Senate Delays Healthcare Vote – Keep Up the Pressure!(6/30/2017) Action Alert! Last Chance to Tell Your Senators to Save Healthcare(6/27/2017) Action Alert! The American Health Care Act is about to be Introduced in the Senate (6/20/2017) Action Alert! Remind your Senators why Health Care Matters to You while they’re Home on Recess (5/31/2017) The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. Copyright © 2017 American Association of People with Disabilities, All rights reserved.