Getting Your Federal Benefits by Check?

Don't Delay! Go Direct Today!

By March 1, 2013, everyone getting the following federal benefits by paper check is required to switch to electronic payments – direct deposit to a bank or credit union account or to the Direct Express^® Debit MasterCard^® card:

• Social Security
• Supplemental Security Income
• Veterans Affairs

• Railroad Retirement Board
• Office of Personnel Management
• Department of Labor (Black Lung)

Don't wait until time runs out. Learn more about this change. For additional information, visitwww.fms.treas.gov. 

Think electronic payments are at risk of cybercrime? Get the facts about electronic payments.

Want direct deposit?

It's fast and easy to get direct deposit of your benefits right into your checking or savings account.

GoDirect: Get Direct Deposit

You also can call (800) 333-1795 or visit your bank or credit union.

With direct deposit, the U.S. Treasury sends an electronic message to your bank or credit union crediting your account with the exact amount of your benefit. The difference is, your check isn’t printed or mailed.

If you don’t already have a bank account or you are not sure you can get a bank account, you might like to try a Treasury-sponsored ETA account. Learn more about an ETA account.

Prefer a prepaid debit card?

No bank account or credit check is required for theDirect Express^® card, a Treasury-recommended prepaid debit card.

Prefer a prepaid debit card? DIRECT EXPRESS >® SIGN UP for the Direct Express ® card

You also can call toll-free (800) 333-1795 or contact the local office of the agency providing your federal benefits, such as the Social Security Administration or Department of Veterans Affairs.Learn more about the card’s fees and features. Have questions about how to use the card?  Learn more.

Medicare Extends Enrollment Period For Those Affected By Sandy

By Susan Jaffe

NOVEMBER 8TH, 2012, 1:18 PM

Medicare beneficiaries battered by Superstorm Sandy have one less problem to worry about: Federal officials have extended the Dec. 7 deadline to enroll in a private medical or drug plan for next year for those still coping with storm damage.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services “understands that many Medicare beneficiaries have been affected by this disaster and wants to ensure that all beneficiaries are able to compare their options and make enrollment choices for 2013,” Arrah Tabe-Bedward, acting director for the Medicare Enrollment and Appeals Group, wrote in a Nov. 7 letter to health insurance companies and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs.

Beneficiaries hit by the storm can still enroll after the midnight Dec. 7 deadline if they call Medicare’s 24-hour information line,1- 800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227).  Representatives will be able to review available plans and complete the enrollment process over the phone.

“We are committed to giving people with Medicare the information and the time they need to make important decisions about their coverage,” Medicare spokeswoman Isabella Leung said in an e-mail.  Medicare officials have not set a new deadline but have encouraged beneficiaries to make their decisions soon if possible.

Seniors currently in a plan will be automatically re-enrolled for next year in the same plan.

The extra time also applies to any beneficiaries who normally get help from family members or others to sort through dozens of plans but who have been unable to do so this year because they live in storm-ravaged areas.  Neither beneficiaries nor those who provide them assistance will be required to prove that they experienced storm damage.

“This is a really important recognition by CMS to accommodate Medicare enrollees affected by Hurricane Sandy,” said Leslie Fried, director for policy and programs at the National Council on Aging, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Obama administration declared Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island as “major disaster areas,” according to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency.  In addition, FEMA issued emergency declarations for parts of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

More than 4 million seniors in those states are enrolled in drugs-only plans and more than 2.8 million have Medicare Advantage policies, which includes medical and drug coverage.

Susan Jaffe can be reached at Jaffe.KHN@gmail.com

This post has been corrected.  Earlier versions mistakenly said coverage for those who do not enroll in a 2013 plan would expire at the end of the year. CMS says instead that seniors already in a plan will be automatically re-enrolled for next year in the same plan.

Just Launched!: 2012 Survey on Emergency Communications and People with Disabilities

While data collection is underway for the Survey of User Needs, the Wireless RERC's Consumer Research Team has also just launched a new survey on emergency communications.

Emergency communications generally include two main components: 1) contacting emergency response services (911 services) for help, and 2) receiving public emergency alerts for events like severe weather and other natural events, amber alerts for missing children, and other emergencies.

Some of you will remember that we conducted this survey once before, almost two years ago. Because the technology is changing so rapidly and new government rules are being implemented, we think it's the right time to conduct the survey again. The data will be of great interest to regulatory authorities and other professionals working to improve emergency response and disaster relief.

Consumers and industry colleagues, please feel free to distribute the link to the survey widely.  As an incentive for taking the survey, we will be giving away two $100 Amazon gift certificates to two lucky respondents.  Let your voice be heard!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Start the Survey on Emergency Communications and People with Disabilities!

LMI Launches New Program for College-enrolled Wounded Warriors

LMI announced the launch of the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Initiative, a new program for veterans with service-related disabilities who are now pursuing higher education. The program is designed to provide Wounded Warriors with skills they need for success in the civilian workforce and augment the abilities they gained during their military service.

“After reviewing our extensive support for veterans, we identified a gap in how Wounded Warriors are brought into the civilian workforce—veterans with service-related disabilities need exposure to critical skills that can help make their transition a successful one,” LMI President and CEO Nelson M. Ford said. “LMI proudly supports our nation’s Wounded Warriors and we hope this program, where our staff provides mentorship, direction, and work experience, can become a model for other organizations involved in this cause.”

The Wounded Warrior Fellowship Initiative is open to Wounded Warrior students who served post-September 11, 2001, and are now enrolled in accredited two- and four-year universities. The flexible program provides them with access to mentoring and workplace experience in public sector consulting, including data analysis, engineering, and information technology, as well as accounting, finance, human resources, security, and communications.

“Wounded Warriors have highly sought-after leadership abilities, interpersonal skills, and a passion to serve, all of which are critical to an organization like LMI,” said Lt. Gen. Rick Kelly, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and the program’s senior advisor. “We are committed to helping them develop the unique skills required in a civilian business setting, and will provide a supportive, flexible environment that is attuned to their individual needs and in line with their professional goals. We just want them to be successful in their transition.”

The Wounded Warrior Fellowship Initiative is available at LMI’s McLean, Va., headquarters, along with LMI’s regional offices in San Antonio, Huntsville, Ala., andSt. Louis.

For more information, visit www.lmi.org/wwfi.

About LMI

LMI is a government consulting firm committed to helping government leaders and managers reach decisions that make a difference. LMI draws on its 50 years of experience as a pioneer in logistics by applying an unmatched knowledge of people, processes, and assets to a variety of sectors, including defense, intelligence, healthcare, energy and environment, homeland security, and civil government. As a not-for-profit organization, LMI is a trusted advisor to the government—free from commercial or political bias and dedicated to the mission of advancing government management.

Accessible Technology On-line Webinar Series*

All Sessions are scheduled from 1:00-2:30 p.m. (90 minute sessions) Central Time Zone(CT). The program is available in the following formats:

• Streaming Audio via Blackboard Collaborate webinar platform
• Real-time Captioning via Blackboard Collaborate webinar platform
• A telephone option is available by calling the toll number. NOTE: You will incur charges for telephone access based on your telephone provider.

All sessions will have a digital recording of the session archived on this site.

Continuing Education Credits/Certificates

A certificate of attendance is available upon request once actual attendance/participation is documented.

December 11, 2012 » Mobile Accessibility - The Status of Accessibility in Mobile Devices

David Dzumba, Chair of the Accessibility Working Group of the Mobile Manufacturer's Forum will take the lead in providing an insight into and perspective on the status of accessibility in mobile devices. David currently serves as the FCC Emergency Access Advisory Committee co-chair and is senior manager of Accessibility at Nokia.

 

Time:
1:00-2:30PM CT

Speaker:

Mobile Manufacturers' Forum

 

Digital tablets improve reading for people with vision disabilities

CHICAGO: People who have eye diseases that damage their central vision can regain the ability to read quickly and comfortably by using digital tablets, according to a recent study.

The research found that people with moderate vision disabilities could increase their reading speed by 15 words-per-minute, on average. Using a tablet with a back-lit screen resulted in the fastest reading speeds for all study participants, no matter what their level of visual acuity. The research is being presented today at the 116^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology,jointly conducted this year with the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

Loss of central vision affects millions of people who have eye diseases such as macular degeneration  or diabetic retinopathy, which damage the light-sensitive cells of the eye’s retina. The retina relays images to the optic nerve, which transmits them to the brain. When treatments such as eyeglasses, medications, or surgery are no longer effective, ophthalmologists – eye medical doctors and surgeons – help patients maximize their remaining sight by using low-vision aids. Before digital tablets came along, reading aids were limited to lighted magnifiers, which are cumbersome and inconvenient by comparison.

In the study, which was conducted at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, researchers found that all of the 100 participants gained at least 42 words-per-minute (WPM) when using the iPad™ tablet on the 18-point font setting, compared with reading a print book or newspaper. A more modest gain of 12 WPM, on average, was achieved by all subjects when using the Kindle™ tablet set to 18-point font. Patients with the poorest vision – defined as 20/40 or worse in both eyes – showed the most improvement in speed when using an iPad or Kindle, compared with print.

The researchers believe the iPad’s back-illuminated screen is the key to the significantly improved reading speed achieved by patients with moderate vision disability. The vision factor involved is called contrast sensitivity, which means being able see an object as separate and distinct from its background and to discern shades of gray. Loss of contrast sensitivity is common in people with low vision. The high word/background contrast provided by a back-lit screen is a big plus for such patients. The original Kindle, which was used in this study, does not have a back-lit screen.

The study also assessed low vision patients’ comfort while reading and found that their preferred mode was linked to their degree of vision loss. People with the worst vision found the iPad most comfortable, while those with the best vision preferred print. This information will be useful to ophthalmologists in advising patients with various degrees of vision loss.

“Reading is a simple pleasure that we often take for granted until vision disability makes it difficult,” said Daniel Roth, M.D., an associate clinical professor at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine who led of the study. “Our findings show that at a relatively low cost, digital tablets can improve the lives of people with vision disabilities and help them reconnect with the larger world.”

The 116 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology is in session November 10-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago. It is the world’s largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference. More than 25,000 attendees and 500 companies gather each year to showcase the latest in ophthalmic education, research, clinical developments, technology, products and services. This year’s meeting is being held jointly with the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

For more information, visit www.aao.org or  www.geteyesmart.org

HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE, ETHNICITY, AND DISABILITY: A NATIONAL CONFERENCE

CONFERENCE PURPOSE

The conference is intended to bring together researchers, advocates, and policy makers in racial and ethnic disparities and disability-related disparities to:

• Learn about barriers to health care and health promotion for people with disabilities in underserved racial and ethnic groups
• Share your own work on health disparities at this intersection
• Discuss priorities for future research and action

CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS

The conference is part of Project Intersect: Addressing Health Disparities at the Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Disability.  Project Intersect is based in the Institute on Development & Disability at Oregon Health & Science University.  Project partners include: ·        

• Project Intersect Advisory Council – A national group of adults with disabilities and family members of adults with disabilities who are members of underserved racial and ethnic groups       
• The National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University   
• The Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois – Chicago
• USC UCEDD, University California and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles  
• The Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi 
• Jana Peterson-Besse, MPH, PhD – Dr. Peterson-Besse is a researcher and teacher in public health, disability, health disparities, and social determinants of health

HOTEL INFORMATION

The conference will be held at the
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capital HillPlease check back once we open up the reservation process
 to ensure you get the conference rate for your stay. 

Check back soon for registration and additional conference details!

For questions please click here

Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against the City of San Jacinto, California, Alleging Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the city of San Jacinto, Calif., alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act based on its treatment of group homes for persons with disabilities.   This lawsuit is part of the Justice Department’s continuing effort to enforce civil rights laws that require states and municipalities to end discrimination against, and unnecessary segregation of, persons with disabilities.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that the city has impermissibly restricted the ability of group homes for people with disabilities to operate within the city.   Under the city’s zoning code, group homes that are not required to be licensed by the state, as well as some licensed homes, are not permitted uses in any zoning district within the city, and their ability to operate in multi-family zones is restricted.   The United States’ lawsuit further alleges that the city targeted housing for persons with disabilities for enforcement actions, including a November 2008 sweep in which city and county officials, including armed and uniformed police officers and sheriff’s deputies, appeared at homes unannounced and interrogated residents with disabilities from a prepared questionnaire that included intrusive questions targeted to persons with mental disabilities.  The complaint also alleges that the city has conditioned the grant of reasonable accommodations on the adoption of unwarranted limitations on the residents of homes for persons with disabilities.

This lawsuit arose as a result of complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the operators of group homes who were impacted by the city’s discriminatory enforcement activities.

The suit seeks a court order preventing the city from enforcing its laws in a way that unlawfully discriminates on the basis of disability, and prohibiting the city from failing to make reasonable accommodations.   It also seeks monetary damages to compensate victims and a civil penalty.      

“No person should be denied an equal opportunity for housing in his or her community, or suffer harassment or intimidation, because he or she is a person with a disability,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to preventing discriminatory treatment of people with disabilities.”

“This suit is part of my office’s continuing efforts, in partnership with DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, to ensure that all residents of the Central District are accorded the rights to which they are entitled under the law,” said André Birotte Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.  “Under the law, people with disabilities, including mental disabilities, must be given the opportunity to live in our community, free from discriminatory efforts to exclude them.  This suit seeks to ensure that this opportunity is fully and fairly provided.”

 “Local governments may not zone out people with disabilities from the opportunity to live in mainstream communities,” said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD and DOJ are united in our efforts to combat unlawful interference with the rights of people with disabilities, whether in the form of  unfair zoning restrictions, selective enforcement of ordinances, or otherwise.”

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability.   Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that State and local governments give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all of their programs, services and activities.   More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt .   Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination or have information related to this lawsuit can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov , or contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 1-800-669-9777.

The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct.   The allegations must still be proven in federal court.

National Clearing House for Long Term Care

Finding Services

There are several databases available to you to locate services in your state.

Aging and Disability Resource Centers

Where available, each state links to a long-term care resource database maintained by that state for its Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). ADRCs serve as single points of entry into the long-term supports and services system for older adults and people with disabilities.

Eldercare Locator

The Eldercare Locator provides information and links to resources that enable older persons to live independently in their communities. This public service website links to state and local Area Agencies on Aging and community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers.

Centers for Independent Living

Centers for Independent Living provide access to resources for people with disabilities that empower individuals to live independently in their communities. ILRU ( Independent Living Research Utilization) provides a national database of centers for independent living, and statewide independent living councils.

Find services in your area using the map below. For Map click HERE

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