Supplemental Security Income (SSI) : Helping the Poorest Elderly and Disabled Americans

The National Senior Citizens Law Center and Latinos for a Secure Retirement will host an event tomorrow to spotlight Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — an important but oft-ignored program that provides cash income to people who are disabled, blind, or elderly and have little income and few assets — and discuss ways to improve it.

President Nixon and Congress created SSI in 1972 to replace the matching grants to states that had created what the Social Security Administration (SSA) called a “crazy quilt” of aid to the aged, blind, and disabled. SSI is distinct from the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs commonly known as Social Security, though many SSI recipients have worked enough that they also collect Social Security and SSA runs both programs.

In December 2012, 8.3 million people collected SSI: 2.1 million people aged 65 or older, 4.9 million disabled adults aged 18-64, and 1.3 million severely disabled children under age 18. Until the deep economic downturn generated a modest uptick, SSI participation had generally been flat or falling as a share of the population since at least the mid-1990s (see graph).



SSI benefits alone don’t lift recipients out of poverty; the maximum benefits for individuals and couples (when both spouses qualify) are about 74 percent and 83 percent of the poverty level, respectively. But SSI is instrumental in reducing extreme poverty (incomes below half the poverty line). SSI benefits are lower when recipients have other income (or live in a Medicaid facility or with relatives who provide support), so the average federal payment is $500 a month.

Improvements in SSI should aim to boost participation among eligible people and make benefit levels more adequate. Possible reforms include raising the basic benefit, raising and indexing the badly outdated asset and income limits (the asset limits have been frozen since 1989), changing rules that discourage saving for retirement, and extending SSI eligibility for elderly or disabled refugees, a uniquely vulnerable group.

Related Posts:

SSI Provides Critical Support for Disabled Kids and Their Families

Failure to Fund Disability Reviews Is Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

Rich Man, Poor Man: Lawmakers Should Raise and Index the SSI Asset Limits

Posted by: Kathy Ruffing, April 16, 2013
Kathy Ruffing is a Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, specializing in federal budget issues.
as posted by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

RTA Chicago questions increase in free transit for 'low-income disabled'

Below is a portion of article By Richard Wronski, Chicago Tribune, April 17, 2013

Regional Transportation Authority officials say they are concerned about a spike in the number of free-ride permits for low-income disabled people being approved by the state.

Since January there has been a dramatic increase in permits for free rides on public transit, the RTA said Wednesday.

In March, for example, the number of permits rose to 740 compared with 352 approved in the same month of 2012, the RTA said.

"That's a big jump, and we're concerned," said Jordan Matyas, the RTA's chief of staff. "The numbers are doubling, and we want to ensure the proper safeguards are in place."

A spokeswoman for the state's Department on Aging said the agency is "confident in the manner in which seniors and persons with disabilities secure reduced rides on the RTA and other transit bodies."

The department said Wednesday that the verification process is now "fully automated," unlike in past years, and includes verification of age, income and disability of applicants.

The increase coincides with the elimination of state funding for the department's Circuit Breaker program. The program, which helped low-income seniors and disabled people with property taxes and prescriptions, was a victim of state budget cuts last year.

Circuit Breaker also was used to certify low-income senior citizens and disabled people for free rides on the CTA, Metra and Pace.

Gov. Pat Quinn last year asked the transit agencies to kick in $125,000 each to keep the program afloat, but that money ran out.

About 59,000 low-income people with disabilities ride free on the CTA, Metra and Pace, the RTA said. About 112,500 low-income senior citizens have free-ride permits.

Seniors regardless of income are eligible to ride transit for half the normal fare.

James Watkins, an advocate for the disabled and a member of the CTA and Pace advisory committees, said the poor economy could be to blame for the increase in the number of applicants for the free-ride permits.

He said people might also be under the mistaken belief that they need to reapply for their permits every year.

Officials, he said, "are doing a poor job of letting people know what's going on" since Circuit Breaker ended.

For the full article from the Chicago Tribune: CLICK HERE
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-04-17/news/ct-met-free-ride-permits-20130418_1_rta-board-free-rides-regional-transportation-authority

PROM PREP: PICKING OUT THE PERFECT WHEELCHAIR FASHION

It’s that time of year again—prom season is upon us! To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’ll be sharing our best tips and tricks for an adaptive prom.

Now, when it comes to prom, question number one is probably, “Who am I going to go with?” But inevitably, especially for us girls, the second question is most definitely, “WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?” Picking out a dress for prom can be a daunting task in itself, but going shopping for a dress in a wheelchair can seem even scarier. Here are some tips and tricks to make your experience the best it can be.

Call ahead. You should call a store ahead of time to let them know you are coming in a wheelchair to try items on. If you alert the store ahead of time, they may be able to spare an associate to help you throughout the time you are at the store. Also, they will be able to give you an idea of how accessible the dressing rooms are.

Look into alterations. There are plenty of DIY alterations that you can have someone help you with after you purchase a piece of clothing, such as replacing fasteners or zippers, or altering a hem to prevent it from getting caught in wheelchair wheels.

Don’t forget the details. Dresses that have too much fabric are also prone to get caught in wheels, brakes, etc. A two piece dress or a dress with an empire waist will allow you to look slim up top and show off your figure without swallowing you up in the fabric of your skirt.

Take somebody with you. This will make it easier to obtain items, fuss with buttons and zippers, and get an honest opinion of how something looks.

Order dresses online. This gives you the same ability to try things on at home. You can always send dresses back that do not work for you.

Have fun! Don’t let the stress of finding the perfect dress ruin your overall experience! Make sure you leave plenty of time to find everything you need and make the necessary alterations. In the end, you will be less worried about what you’re wearing, and focusing on having a good time!

ARTICLE BY Jillian Kenderish, MOTR/L., mageerehab.org (Magee Rehabilitation Hospital): http://blog.mageerehab.org/2013/04/17/prom-prep-picking-out-the-perfect-wheelchair-fashion/

For more tips and tricks for wheelchair fashion from prom to everyday;
check out Be Wheelchair FashionAble.
She has great advice on the types of clothes to look for when mall shopping, as well as tools to make the shopping a little easier.

Dear Netflix, We Can’t Hear You! Signed, 50 Million Americans

by: Barbara J. King, NPR

Recent scientific research links hearing impairment with dementia. Commentator Barbara J. King says widespread availability of closed-captioned films could help.

Netflix was ordered to close-caption all its films by next year.
Justin Lane/EPA /Landov

Addicted, that’s what we are: My husband and I are addicted to BBC television shows. We watch BBC series via Netflix streaming, the “instant” option available to Netflix customers.

This past weekend, we chose a show called The Last Enemy starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Like thousands of others, we are impatiently awaiting the reappearance of Cumberbatch and his co-star Martin Freeman in the BBC Sherlock Holmes series, but Season 3 won’t come to the U.S. until 2014. We hoped The Last Enemy might ease the pain of the wait. It started off great, and we were hooked.

Episode 2, however, unlike Episode 1 and the initial two seasons of Sherlock Holmes, lacked closed-captioning, even though it was listed as closed-captioned on the Netflix website. (Subsequent episodes lack closed-captioning also.)

For us, that was a deal-breaker. My husband has a moderate degree of hearing loss, and without closed-captioning, what should be a fun activity rapidly became an exercise in frustration. Even though my hearing is intact, I also had trouble without visible words on the screen because the show involves fast-paced dialogue and thick accents. After about 20 times of hitting the remote’s pause button and asking each other what we just heard — or didn’t hear — we gave up.

Why does the slight ruination of our weekend viewing plans merit a blog post? Because many millions of other Americans are in my husband’s boat. In her new book Shouting Won’t Help: Why I — and 50 Million Other Americans — Can’t Hear You, Katherine Bouton notes that 17 percent of the U.S. population has some degree of hearing loss. It’s not only older people, either, she notes: 19.5 percent of 12-19-year-olds have at least slight hearing loss; 5 percent of these young people are considered to have some degree of serious impairment.

Not all hearing loss is alike. Bouton notes that the deaf community in the U.S. today is vibrant, with its own language, full of accomplished people in “just about every profession.” By contrast, she writes, the hearing impaired “live in a kind of limbo, not really part of the hearing world but not part of the Deaf world either. Many are unwilling to acknowledge their hearing problems publicly.” Bouton’s own story underscores this last point: For two decades, she endeavored to keep her own hearing loss secret as she worked in high-powered journalism.

It’s no secret, though, that some people are less than happy with Netflix’s services to the deaf and hearing-impaired communities. A Massachusetts woman who is deaf, working together with two deaf organizations, sued the company in 2010, saying that a lack of closed-captioning on its instant-streaming shows violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. A judge agreed: Netflix was ordered to close-caption all its films by 2014.

Possibly you are thinking: First-world problem! That’s a comment I get pretty often here at 13.7, when I’m tackling an issue that a reader dismisses as less than critically important. So let me explain why Netflix’s forthcoming compliance with the ADA is good news from the scientific side of things.

A 2011 paper by Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University, summarized by Bouton in her book, offers a startling conclusion: There’s a strong correlation between hearing loss and dementia. Lin studied 639 people aged 36 to 90, some of whom had hearing loss at the study’s inception, but none of whom had dementia. A median time period of 12 years later, with scientific controls applied for effects of age and medical conditions, those who did have hearing loss at the start had a greater incidence of dementia. “The risk of dementia,” Bouton reports, “increased with the degree of hearing loss. The use of hearing aids seemed to have no effect.”

An association between two variables is a tricky thing because it doesn’t imply a cause: There’s no proof that a hearing impairment leads to dementia.

Bouton asks the key question: How might hearing loss and dementia be related? She reviews three possibilities. Social isolation often results from hearing impairment and may itself be a risk factor for dementia. Or, the brain may be so overworked by trying hard to hear others’ speech that working memory may be affected (this is called the “cognitive overload” idea). Finally, there may be some underlying cause common to both hearing loss and dementia.

Or maybe more than a single factor is at work.

Perhaps in the future, scientists will be able to disentangle these various possibilities. (That hearing aids seem to have no effect strikes me as particularly surprising.)

One thing is already clear: more closed-captioning would help the situation. It would combat both a feeling of isolation and any cognitive overload resulting from straining hard to hear felt by those with hearing loss.

Netflix and other companies that share film or TV content with paying customers can and should ensure that the spoken dialogue is comprehensible to all. It makes no sense for Netflix to offer a series of episodes, some closed-captioned and others not, as happened to us. (A Netflix customer representative readily agreed when we contacted her and promised to look into the problem.)

Watching a film shouldn’t be an unpleasantly challenging strain or a pleasure rendered impossible altogether. Whether solo or shared, it should be an engaging brain treat available to all, no matter the working status of one’s ears.

Barbara King’s book How Animals Grieve has just been published. You can keep up with more of what Barbara is thinking on Twitter.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

CTA Survey asks opinion on Train design, but lacks Disabled & Senior input | April 2013

When taking the survey, there was no way for Seniors to identify their needs for safe transit. People with Disabilities were not even a thought as the Survey demonstrated.
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CTA is asking for rider opinion on rail car seating arrangements as it gathers information before selecting a manufacturer for the upcoming 7000-series cars.

In a survey e-mailed to some CTA riders this week, the agency asks riders to weigh in on whether they prefer the aisle-facing seats on the new 5000-series rail cars to the standard seating on the older rail cars on the Brown and Blue lines.

The CTA also asks riders whether they would rather see the aisle-facing cloth seats on the 5000-series cars or plastic bench seats featured in New York City subway cars.

Riders also are asked how they prefer to steady themselves when standing: by leaning against the train, or holding onto a pole, hanging straps or the back of a rider's seat.

"The survey is one part of the research we’re doing. We’re also studying how passengers board and alight and how they move within the cars once they’re on board," CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said. This information will help the CTA in making choices about the 7000-series cars, Chase said.

The 5000-series cars with the aisle-facing seats have sparked mixed feelings from CTA riders, some of whom say the seats are too narrow, especially when carrying bags or purses. The cars are on the Red, Green and Pink lines.
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For the CTA Riders Survey for Train Design: CLICK HERE


[photo: Commuters sit in face-to-face in a new series 5000 "L" car on the red line. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune / April 29, 2010)]

parts of post is By Tracy Swartz, RedEye article of April 16, 2013

EEOC Sues Wal-Mart for Sexual Harassment, Retaliation and Disability Discrimination April 2013

PRESS RELEASE 4-10-13
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

EEOC Sues Wal-Mart for Sexual Harassment, Retaliation and Disability Discrimination

Developmentally Disabled Walmart Employee in Akron Store Fired for Complaining About Sexual Touching, Federal Agency Charges

CLEVELAND - Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P. violated federal law by allowing a male employee at an Akron Walmart store to subject a developmentally disabled female co-worker to sexually inappropriate conduct and then retaliating against her for her opposition to the sexual misconduct, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it announced today.

The EEOC said Jamie Wells, who is developmentally disabled, worked at the company as an associate in the Akron store's lawn & garden department for more than 11 years. The EEOC said that from about April 2005 through Jan. 7, 2011, the store allowed a male coworker to sexually harass Wells, including sexual touching Wells while on the store's premises. Further, although store management officials were aware of the harassment, they failed to take prompt or effective action to remedy the sexually hostile work environment. Instead, the EEOC said, the store fired Wells three weeks after she complained about the abusive conduct.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC also charged that the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide reasonable accommodations to Wells through adequate training, supervision, and communication regarding its anti-harassment policies. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Case: 5:13-cv-00795) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The agency seeks injunctive relief, compensatory and punitive damages and lost wages and benefits.

"Ms. Wells' impairment made her particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment," said Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence of the EEOC's Philadelphia District Office, which oversees Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland, and portions of New Jersey and Ohio. "Once this Walmart was put on notice of the harassment, it had a legal responsibility to take immediate and appropriate action to stop the misconduct. When an employer fails to do so, the EEOC must and will hold that employer accountable."

Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P., of Bentonville, Ark., operates Wal-Mart's retail stores in the eastern United States.

Eliminating policies and practices that discourage or prohibit individuals from exercising their rights under employment discrimination statutes, or that impede the EEOC's investigative or enforce­ment efforts, is one of six national priorities identified by the Commission's Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Further information about the agency is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov .

http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/4-10-13.cfm

National Council on Disability (NCD) Welcomes Rebecca Cokley as Executive Director

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, National Council on Disability (NCD) welcomed Rebecca Cokley as Executive Director. Cokley was appointed to the position by NCD Chairperson Jeff Rosen on the recommendation of the Council. The appointment marks a return of sorts for Cokley, who previously served on NCD’s Youth Advisory Commission as Vice Chair.

The Council promotes policies, programs, practices and procedures that further the objectives of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the same level of access to civic, social and economic participation as their non-disabled friends, family members and peers. NCD has 15 Presidentially-appointed Council Members who live across the nation, and 11 professional staff based in Washington, DC. NCD will hold its next quarterly meeting next week in the nation’s capital, April 22 and 23.

“Rebecca’s outstanding experience in disability policy will equip NCD with the desired leadership needed to address the challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities going forward,” said Jeff Rosen, NCD’s Chairperson. “She adds a proven track record to NCD’s continuing efforts to ensure that the precepts of the ADA – equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency -- are accessible for the growing number of Americans with disabilities from diverse circumstances with a multiplicity of issues and increasingly intersecting identities.”

“I am thrilled, humbled, and invigorated to be able to work with such a dedicated team of staff and Council members,” added Cokley. “NCD helped serve as a catalyst for my initial advocacy work. It’s incredibly rewarding to be returning to a place that has always served as a leader in disability policy. I’m looking forward to what NCD will achieve as we continue to bring the voices of Americans with Disabilities from all backgrounds and perspectives to the policymakers making the decisions that impact our lives on a daily basis.”

Cokley comes to NCD after serving 4 years in the Obama Administration. Most recently, she was the Special Assistant to the Principal Deputy at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Before serving at ACL, Cokley was the Director of Priority Placement for Public Engagement in the Presidential Personnel Office at the White House where she was responsible for outreach to diversity and minority organizations to recruit qualified individuals for roles in the Obama Administration. Prior to her time at the White House, Cokley was the Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. She is also the proud spouse of Patrick and mother of Jackson.

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For National Council on Disability (NCD) homepage : CLICK HERE

CMS 2013 Medicare Incentives Programs Webinar (April 25, 2013) - RSVP limited space

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) encourages you to register for the webinar "CMS 2013 Medicare Incentives Programs" about program information for the EHR Incentive Programs, Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), and the eRx Incentive Program. Space is still available during the dates and times below.

The webinar provides a breadth of information on the programs, including eligibility, key program milestones, payment adjustments, and hardship exemptions. Presenters will review decision trees that demonstrate how providers can receive incentive payments and avoid payment adjustments by participating in the different programs.

Registration
Register by clicking the link below. The dial-in number and link to the webinar will be provided upon registration.

Thursday, April 25, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EDT

Please note: Registration closes one hour prior to the start time on the day of each call.

Event Detail
Webinar for Medicare eligible professionals to discuss what providers need to do in 2013 to earn incentives and avoid payment adjustments associated with the Physician Quality Reportng System (PQRS), e-prescribing, and the EHR Meaningful Use initiatives.

Dial in number: 1-877-267-1577
Passcode: 2915
Webinar link: https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/april25incentiveswebinar/

Want more information about eHealth?
Visit the CMS eHealth website for the latest news and updates on CMS' eHealth initiatives.

Disability Pride Festival in Madison, Wis. - SAT July 27, 2013

From The Disability Pride Festival in Madison, Wis website;

Come join us in celebrating Disability Pride!
On Saturday July 27, 2013, we will come together at Madison’s first Disability Pride Festival to share our talents, skills, arts, energy, and pride in being who we are. Disability Pride Madison builds on a long tradition of disability pride celebrations around the world. Our theme for this year is “Forward to possibility.”

Who We are
We are a group of people with various types of disabilities and some without, of diverse identities and beliefs, who share a passion for promoting disability pride.

Our Mission

Create and support a cross-disability community
Celebrate pride in who we are as part of a diverse world that includes people with and without disabilities
Promote positive engagement of people with disabilities in our broader community

For more information visit the homepage of Disability Pride Festival

April is Paralyzed Veterans of America Awareness Month - 2013 The Big Push for Progress

In April 2013, Paralyzed Veterans of America is marking the 67th anniversary of its founding by urging all Americans to take a stand for veterans.

With the theme The Big Push for Progress and events across the country, Paralyzed Veterans Awareness Month highlights the unique challenges facing veterans with spinal cord injury/disease. It spotlights the work of Paralyzed Veterans to empower seriously wounded heroes and their families with everything they need to thrive.

“Paralyzed Veterans of America has pushed hard for progress over our 67 years and we’ve delivered results. But we have much more progress to make in the cause of veterans and their families. Look at the challenges we face today: government funding cuts that could impact veterans and a disabled veterans unemployment rate three to eight times higher than average, to name just two issues,” said Bill Lawson, U.S. Army veteran and national president of Paralyzed Veterans. “That’s why I’m asking my fellow Americans to help me this April, Paralyzed Veterans Awareness Month, in redoubling our efforts for positive change. We need you to be part of our big push for progress.”

Lawson will be traveling across America during this very special month to raise awareness for Mission: ABLE, Paralyzed Veterans’ campaign to help veterans with disabilities fully live the lives they deserve and to receive what they need most: care, benefits and jobs. The campaign aims to enlist all Americans — citizens, communities and companies — in an effort to help paralyzed veterans and their families live full, independent and productive lives.

Paralyzed Veterans of America and its 34 chapters:

Fight for quality VA health care and veterans benefits.

Promote and provide adaptive sports and recreational activities.

Lead the charge to make America more accessible.

Empower paralyzed veterans with the tools and support they need to secure good careers.

Invest in research to find new treatments and a cure for paralysis.

Provides its services to all veterans and their families free of charge thanks to the generous support of the public. To make a donation, please go to www.PVA.org.

For more about Paralyzed Veterans of America Awareness Month CLICK HERE


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