Americans are living longer and healthier lives, and there is no lack of discussion in Washington on aging issues from Medicare and prescription drugs to long-term care and social security. What is missing from this discussion, however, is the understanding that people with disabilities are also living longer and healthier lives. Americans aging with a disability are quickly becoming significant stakeholders in the aging community with specific concerns and interests of their own.
The White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA), which occurs every 10 years and which will be held this year on December 11-14, was created to make aging policy recommendations to the President and Congress, and to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence, and the economic security of current and future generations. Mini- conferences are held in the year prior to the WHCOA for crafting policy recommendations on specific topics for discussion and action at the 2005 Conference.
On July 21-22, the WHCOA held its first ever Mini-Conference on Disabilities. By holding such a mini-conference, the planning committee of WHCOA signaled to the disability community that it was finally willing to discuss the specific concerns and interests of those aging with a disability rather than just those aging into a disability. Including disability on the WHCOA agenda is a step in the right direction. Participants included disability advocates, a variety of private sector representatives, and Federal government agencies such as the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Social Security Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Labor.
Over the course of two days, policy experts worked to create five issue-specific recommendations for the policy committee. The policy workgroup sessions focused on the issues of: 1) social engagement and productivity; 2) healthy long term living; 3) economic security planning and choice; 4) technology, universal design and environments; and, 5) positive messaging.
Our group was charged with defining disability within the context of aging and formulating ideas for the promotion of healthy long-term living for a wide variety of disabilities. Our group worked to highlight the needs of health insurance coverage improvement, rebalancing long-term care toward home- and community-based services, funding and coordination for research, assistance for formal and informal providers of services and supports, and quality education and training. In addition, we established quality checks for each recommendation to ensure that we eliminated barriers to services and supports. Our emerging recommendation is that the nation adopt and fully fund a system to ensure choice from a full range of appropriate consumer-directed home- and community-based services and supports outside of institutions through increased coverage, help for providers, research, education, and training.
The Mini-Conference on Disabilities was certainly a success. United Spinal is hopeful that the conference, and its resulting discussions and policy recommendations will serve as a platform for continued advocacy on such Federal legislative and policy issues as MICASSA, Money Follows the Person, the elimination of Medicare’s two-year waiting period, and improved access to durable medical equipment by removing Medicare’s “inthe-home” restriction. The disability community applauds the WHCOA for recognizing the importance of and incorporating a discussion of the specific concerns and interests of those aging with a disability.
Kim Ruff-Wilbert is a policy analyst in United Spinal’s Washington, DC office. If you have any questions, you may contact her at 202-331-1002.
