Author Archives

May 15, 2019-REGIONAL HEALTH HUBS, PIECING TOGETHER THE HEALTHCARE PUZZLE

State legislators should formally recognize, and maintain the budget appropriation for, key ‘regional health hubs’ Our healthcare system is fragmented. Hospitals and doctors try to provide the best care for patients; community organizations provide food, shelter, and social supports for clients. Residents try to support their families and neighbors. A lot of effort. Some success. Too often, frustration and failure. How can we provide

Read More »


May 10, 2019-HUD Says Its Proposed Limit on Public Housing Aid Could Displace 55,000 Children

WASHINGTON — Thousands of legal residents and citizens, including 55,000 children who are in the country legally, could be displaced under a proposed rule intended to prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving federal housing assistance, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The proposal, published on Friday, would prohibit families in which at least one member is undocumented from obtaining subsidized housing, according

Read More »


May 7, 2019-Jean Vanier, who gave homes and dignity to the intellectually disabled, dies at 90

Jean Vanier came from privilege as a son of the British monarchy’s representative in Canada, the governor general. But his life would be defined not by the establishment, but rather by a restless quest for purpose. After stints in the British and Canadian navies, he considered becoming a Catholic priest, ultimately deciding he was not meant for the seminary. He found a degree of

Read More »


April 30, 2019-IS NJ PREPARED TO SPEND $9M — $1 PER PERSON — TO ENSURE ACCURATE CENSUS COUNT?

The Murphy administration has allocated $2.45 million for a census outreach campaign, but advocates and some lawmakers say more than three times that amount is needed No one thinks New Jersey is devoting enough money to the census — a huge issue for the state since it could lose billions and even a member of Congress if the population is undercounted. The Murphy administration

Read More »


April 29, 2019- ASAN Comments on Proposed Person-Centered Planning Panel

Autistic Self Advocacy Network Re: Proposed Roster for Person-Centered Planning Panel The Autistic Self Advocacy Network[1] appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed roster for the Person-Centered Planning Panel. ASAN is firmly committed to improving the quality of person-centered planning and is pleased that both the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are collaborating

Read More »


April 30, 2019-ALS patient advocate and activist Ady Barkan makes the case for Medicare for All to Congress

The House of Representatives is breaking ground Tuesday, conducting its first hearing on Medicare for All, and the star witness is social change warrior Ady Barkan, who is also dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Using an electronic voice, because he can no longer speak, Barkan focused his testimony on three of the big failings of our current healthcare system:

Read More »


April 30, 2019-Hero Ady Barkan testifies before Congress for Medicare For All: My health care costs $9000 per month

Health advocate and hero, Ady Barkan, testified today before Congress using a synthetic voice as he is no longer able to speak due to advanced ALS.  “It [Medicare for All] means that we can finally start to eliminate the atrocious racial and economic disparities that destroy so many lives, that rob our communities of so much dignity, that strip us all of our common

Read More »


April 25, 2019-GOP on track to destroy Social Security in 15 years. If Democrats win, we can fix by doing one thing

Social Security’s trust funds will be tapped out by 2035, according to an annual report released Monday by trustees of the government’s two largest entitlement programs, the other being Medicare.  Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell blew up our national debt to the highest level in history with their $1.5 trillion tax cut for the superwealthy, while the IRS admitted that everyone else got screwed

Read More »


April 30, 2019-Disabled people don’t need so many fancy new gadgets. We just need more ramps.

It feels like every few months, the media becomes infatuated with a new piece of flashy technology peddled to solve a purported disability-related problem.  This is how we get things like “signing gloves” that purport to translate American Sign Language (they do not), expensive portable GPS units for blind people, or high-concept decoder rings that allow blind people to read non-Braille texts. The most

Read More »