June 2010, Vol.10, No.6
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June 2010, Vol.10, No.6

AAIDD F.Y.I.
June 2010, Vol.10, No.6

Visit www.aaidd.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter. Subscribe at http://www.responsetrack.net/aaidd/sign_up

Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:

  • U.S. Senate Committee approves legislation to change label of 'mental retardation' to ‘intellectual disability’
  • New AAIDD book dispels myths and provides insights into major ethical, medical, and legal issues in end-of-life care for people with developmental disabilities. Special pre-publication offer until July 1, 2010
  • Award-winning study documents consistent benefits of residential support in small settings for people with intellectual disabilities, with having the choice of where and with whom to live
  • $32.7 million awarded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help the elderly and people with disabilities continue to live independently at home
  • Learn more about the Supports Intensity Scale at a workshop at the AAIDD annual meeting in Rhode Island in June
  • New federal online tool helps employers determine which federal disability nondiscrimination laws apply to their organization and their responsibilities
SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES LEGISLATION TO CHANGE LABEL OF 'MENTAL RETARDATION' TO ‘INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY’ 
On May 26, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill titled Rosa's Law (S. 2781) that would change references to the words "mental retardation" in numerous existing laws to "intellectual disability." The bill, introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) is aimed at eliminating the terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" from the U.S. federal law books. Before approving the measure, the panel adopted, by unanimous consent, a Mikulski substitute amendment that would specify that the bill is not intended to change coverage, eligibility, rights, responsibilities or definitions in existing laws and that the bill also is not intended to require states to make similar changes to state laws. Read the text of this legislation.

Rosa’s Law coincides with the publication of the 11th edition of the definition manual titled Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability (AAIDD). This is the first definition manual where AAIDD presents an official definition for “intellectual disability”, the condition formerly referred to as 'mental retardation'. Learn more about Intellectual Disability.  Download an FAQ on the 11th edition of Intellectual disability.

NEW AAIDD BOOK DISPELS MYTHS AND PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO MAJOR ETHICAL, MEDICAL, AND LEGAL ISSUES IN END-OF-LIFE CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION OFFER UNTIL JULY 1, 2010
Palliative care for people with intellectual disabilities is inherently controversial and ridden with medical, ethical, and legal complexities for which most professionals receive little training and can turn to very few resources for help. End-of-Life Care for Children and Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities presents the first comprehensive framework under which professionals and families can make decisions that are thoughtful, ethical, and that respect the wishes of individuals with disabilities.  Edited by Sandra L. Friedman, MD, and David T. Helm, PhD, the book is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD).  Listen to a podcast interview with Dr. Friedman. Read a news release.

Learn about a special pre-publication discount offer valid until July 1, 2010.

AWARD-WINNING STUDY DOCUMENTS CONSISTENT BENEFITS OF RESIDENTIAL SUPPORT IN SMALL SETTINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, WITH HAVING THE CHOICE OF WHERE AND WITH WHOM TO LIVE
A study on “Satisfaction and Sense of Well Being Among Medicaid ICF/MR and HCBS Recipients in Six States”  published in the April 2009 issue of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities gets the best research paper in 2009 award from the NARRTC (formerly National Association of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers).  The study examines satisfaction and well-being among 1,885 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)and Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) services in 6 states. Loneliness was the most widespread problem among the people surveyed and the findings document benefits of residential support provided in very small settings, with choices of where and with whom to live. Read the article.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is a journal of policy and practice and is published bi-monthly by AAIDD. Learn more. 

$32.7 MILLION AWARDED BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO HELP THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CONTINUE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced $32.7 million in Service Coordinator grants to provide more than 19,200 low-income frail elderly and residents with disabilities in federally supported housing, with assistance to identify and receive health care, meals, and other critical support services. These grants are directed to owners of privately owned multifamily housing developments that receive money from HUD to house low-income individuals. The owners or their management companies either hire or contract service coordinators with backgrounds in providing social services, especially to the frail elderly and people with disabilities, to assist their residents with special needs. Learn more, including a list of grant recipients.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE AT A WORKSHOP AT THE AAIDD ANNUAL MEETING IN RHODE ISLAND IN JUNE
The annual meeting of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) features a one-day workshop on the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS), a popular assessment tool that helps determine the needs of people with intellectual disabilities to allow professionals to plan services accordingly. The workshop will be conducted by AAIDD Senior Trainer Karen Hoffman. Learn more about the workshop. Learn more about SIS.

NEW FEDERAL ONLINE TOOL HELPS EMPLOYERS DETERMINE WHICH FEDERAL DISABILITY NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS APPLY TO THEIR ORGANIZATION AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES 
The U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a new tool to help America's employers ensure their employment policies and practices do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. The online Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, available at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/odep.htm asks users to answer a few relevant questions on the nature of organization, size of staff, and whether the business or organization receives federal financial assistance. Based on the responses provided, the advisor generates a customized list of federal disability nondiscrimination laws that likely apply, along with easy-to-understand information about employers' responsibilities under them. Learn more. Read a news release. 


AAIDD F.Y.I. is compiled by Anna Prabhala, Editor and is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Please submit comments, suggestions, tips, and news to anu@aaidd.org. To learn about AAIDD products, visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org. For more information on becoming an AAIDD member, visit /Membership/index.shtml.

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