Blue Ridge Independent Living Center

****** Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment Rule Takes Effect This Summer! ******
https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/34995?autologincheck=redirected
Note that there are no routine inspections to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As per the article, “Enforcement typically is the result of a formal complaint from patients.”

If you are interested in filing an ADA complaint, contact the Blue Ridge Independent Living Center (BRILC) and we will assist you.

******* Join ACL in the Never EVER Campaign ********
June 15-26, 2026
Today, ACL joins government agencies and organizations nationwide to spread the word about imposter scams. These scammers pretend to be someone they’re not — including government agencies and well-known businesses — to trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information.

The campaign reinforces an important message: the government will never EVER demand money, make threats, or tell you to transfer money or withdraw cash. Learn how to avoid these scams and help spread the word by joining the Elder Justice Coordinating Council’s Never EVER campaign.

Beginning today through June 26, we encourage you to help amplify the campaign by using the hashtag and sharing campaign materials, including the customizable toolkit.

Learn more about the campaign
https://click.connect.hhs.gov/?qs=ABB7InYiOjEsImQiOjQ5MDh9AAoAAAAAAbOU9GGxmhI3uYtDWyfHPK0JHVnVe1jUc2mj_0bRAk5fxVTnQQ1llTUhc4tAeUuKJNzLgwDNdPc17NfxJMwC1dk-_v-ijg

Related resources
• HHS Announces Federal Elder Justice Action Plan and the EJCC's “Never EVER” Campaign to Protect Older Americans
• Blog by ACL Principal Deputy Administrator Mary Lazare: Protecting Older Adults Is Everyone's Job

ACL.gov
Advancing independence and inclusion of older adults and people with disabilities
This email comes from an unmonitored account. Please do not reply to this email.

**DHCD VERP Listening Sessions + MHC ROFR Training Opportunity**
Opportunity from DHCD: VERP Listening Sessions

The Virginia Eviction Reduction Program (VERP) funds local and regional organizations to provide eviction prevention, diversion, and court navigation services to Virginia renters. Since 2021, the program has served more than 8,000 households across the Commonwealth.

As the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) designs the next grant cycle, staff want to hear directly from prospective grantees and housing providers about what tenants and communities need, where gaps exist, and how the program can be structured to reach more households effectively.

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

For Prospective Grantees
DHCD is planning the next cycle of VERP and wants input from organizations working on the front lines of eviction prevention before the application process opens. DHCD staff are holding two virtual listening sessions for potential grantees – both covering the same topics. You only need to attend one of these sessions.
Please note: participation in a listening session has no bearing on eligibility or scoring in the competitive application process.

Session 1: Monday, June 15th, 2026 | 2:00 – 3:15 PM
https://us.list-manage.com/ouBpUrEnuXn?e=0250675007&c2id=78c4ee9998d36b5c66ec37bae8e0a1cd

Session 2: Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:15 AM
https://us.list-manage.com/Pn7nm36ln3M?e=0250675007&c2id=78c4ee9998d36b5c66ec37bae8e0a1cd

For Housing Providers
VERP provides flexible financial assistance paid directly to landlords on behalf of tenants, plus on-site court navigation services that give both landlords and tenants more time and information to resolve disputes before a judgment is entered. As DHCD designs the next grant cycle, staff want to hear directly from housing providers about the challenges they face when tenants fall behind, what would make programs like VERP more useful, and how DHCD can better support stable tenancies across Virginia.

Landlord Session: Monday, June 22nd, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM

Right of First Refusal Training – Manufactured Home Communities

Calling all attorneys, organizers, affordable housing providers, government staffers, and elected officials: this virtual training will provide an overview of Virginia’s new Right of First Refusal law for manufactured housing communities (HB375; Del. Krizek).
This informational webinar is presented by our partners at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the Legal Aid Justice Center, and Allies for Housing Action.
Register: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Know someone who supports affordable housing in Virginia but may not be a member? Encourage them to join and share your favorite thing about VHA membership!

********* Be in the K/now: Advocacy Edition *********
June 2026
Much of our advocacy right now is focused on Virginia's unfinished state budget, and for good reason.

As I testified recently regarding the future of Hiram Davis Medical Center, I found myself thinking about how often we focus on where people are supported rather than how they are supported.
The question is not whether people with developmental disabilities can live successfully in the community. We know they can. The question is whether Virginia is willing to invest in the services needed to support them there.

That question becomes especially important for people with the most significant medical and support needs. Nursing services, personal care, and respite are not just line items in a budget. They are the supports that make community living possible.

During the hearing, I was struck by the direct connection between the decisions being discussed and the budget still being negotiated in Richmond. The same nursing and personal care services needed by people leaving Hiram Davis are the services many individuals and families already struggle to find in communities across Virginia.

For me, that is the real issue. The challenge is not simply helping people move into the community. The challenge is ensuring people with the highest support needs can access the services required to live safely, successfully, and fully in their communities once they get there.

As lawmakers return to Richmond this month, we remain focused on ensuring these investments remain a priority.
— Tonya Milling, Executive Director

*** Let’s Not be Defeatist. Congress can act to fix the Social Security Trust Fund ***
The 2026 Social Security Trustees Report was just released, and it shows that the Social Security retirement trust fund will be depleted by 2032, one quarter earlier than last year’s estimate. If Congress does not act, incoming revenue would only be sufficient to pay 78 percent of scheduled retirement and survivor benefits, meaning a potential across-the-board reduction of up to 22 percent.
That does not mean Social Security is “going broke.” It means policymakers have a choice. They can do nothing and allow benefits to be reduced, or they can act to protect the benefits workers and families have earned.

Ideas to Improve Social Security

Fortunately, Americans are united about what Congress should do. Strong majorities oppose benefit cuts and support revenue solutions. One of the most popular solutions is simple: ask the wealthy to pay their fair share into Social Security. Many people do not realize that high-income earners pay no Social Security payroll tax on wages above $184,500.

With economic insecurity rising and wealth increasingly concentrated at the top, it makes sense to ask the highest earners to contribute more to preserve benefits for workers, people with disabilities, survivors, and families. The public does not just support maintaining Social Security benefits. There is also strong bipartisan support for improving the program to reflect the realities of modern life.

Popular ideas include providing caregiver credits for people who spend time out of the workforce caring for family members, strengthening protections for people with disabilities, and modernizing Supplemental Security Income so that low-income older adults and people with disabilities can meet their basic needs when Social Security, retirement savings, or other income is not enough to keep them out of poverty.

Congress Needs to Act to Keep Social Security Strong
Social Security helps people remain in their homes, pay for groceries and prescription drugs, and maintain economic security as they age. If we want the program to continue meeting the needs of workers and families, Congress must make the changes necessary to secure and strengthen it.

If the new depletion date falls in 2032, the next President and Congress will have to confront this choice directly. Saying “no cuts to Social Security” is not enough. If policymakers refuse to raise the revenue needed to protect the program and simply allow the depletion date to arrive, that is a choice to let benefits be reduced.
Instead, Congress should do what Americans want: keep Social Security strong, require the wealthy to pay their fair share, and reject benefit cut

***** How HOME helps protect service members *****
Did you know? Virginia goes further than federal law to protect those who serve.

The federal Fair Housing Act bans housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, s*x, disability, and familial status. But it does not protect people based on their military status.

Virginia does.

Since 2020, military status has been a protected class under the Virginia Fair Housing Law. That means landlords, sellers, lenders, and real estate agents in the Commonwealth cannot treat you differently because you are:

• An active-duty service member in any branch
• A veteran with an honorable or general discharge
• A dependent who relies on a service member for at least half of their support

This matters a great deal in Virginia. The Commonwealth to is home to one of the largest populations of veterans and active duty service members in the country.

If you believe you've faced housing discrimination, file a report with HOME of VA.

➡️ Know your rights, learn more, and share with someone who serves!

***** FDA: Context-Based Evidence Framework for rare and ultra-rare diseases *****
Knowing many of your organizations share concerns about FDA’s work related to rare disease, I wanted to make sure you were aware of this opportunity.

The Haystack Project's Petition for Rulemaking, which calls on the FDA to establish a Context-Based Evidence Framework for rare and ultra-rare diseases, is open for comment. This framework would require study designs, endpoints, and analytical methods that reflect the actual scientific and clinical realities of each rare disease—not a one-size-fits-all standard.

Haystack has provided a comment drafting guide and submission instructions available at: https://lnkd.in/eKXYh3W

Haystack is encouraging patients, caregivers, clinicians, and advocates to submit. Follow the link below to learn more.

https://lnkd.in/gius-FxM

***** 2026 Youth Scholarship Applications Now Open! *****
Youth Scholarships

NCIL is offering scholarships to attend our Annual Conference to youth with disabilities ages 18–26 who may otherwise be unable to afford the cost of attendance.

The 2026 Annual Conference on Independent Living will take place July 20–23, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC.

Scholarships cover the costs associated with full participation in the conference, including registration, travel, and hotel accommodations.

The only requirements to apply are:

• Identifying as disabled or as a person with a disability (or disabilities); and
• Being between the ages of 18 and 26.

Emet Tauber Youth Scholarship

NCIL is also offering the Emet Tauber Youth Scholarship.

Emet Tauber was a former Youth Scholarship recipient and NCIL board member who passed away in 2019. Emet’s life was changed by the Youth Scholarship Fund, and he was passionate about enabling others to have the same opportunities. Therefore, the Emet Tauber Youth Scholarship will be awarded each year to at least one youth with a disability who is also trans and / or Jewish, in recognition of Emet’s activism within both communities.

If you would like to be considered for the Emet Tauber Youth Scholarship, follow the prompts on the application form under the “Emet Tauber Youth Scholarship” section.

How to Apply

Fill out the online application: https://bit.ly/4nrWgqf

The application deadline is June 12, 2026. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered. Funds are limited, so interested parties should respond promptly.

Scholarship recipients will be notified within one week of the deadline.

More Information

Read more about the conference: https://bit.ly/48YPgeF

Please contact NCIL Operations Director Jenny Sichel at [email protected] with any questions.

*** FCC Announces May 27 Webinar to Recognize Older Americans Month ***
In recognition of Older Americans month, the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) will host a webinar on Wednesday, May 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET highlighting Champion Your Health which underscores prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility as cornerstones of healthy aging.

During the webinar, attendees will be provided with information about:
• Telehealth, Long Con and Romance Scams and Fraud
• 988 Su***de and Crisis Lifeline
• Access to Video Calls

This event will be streamed for the public on www.fcc.gov/live. Please register for this webinar using the link
e3646397-c94e-4c3c-9bb4-cd2118601210@72970aed-3669-4ca8-b960-dd016bc72973" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/e3646397-c94e-4c3c-9bb4-cd2118601210@72970aed-3669-4ca8-b960-dd016bc72973

This link is also featured on the Events page.

Registration is optional. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The presentation slide deck will be shared after the webinar.

Sign language interpreters and captioning will be provided. Additional reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need and your contact information in case we need more details. Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice). Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone).

Email [email protected] with questions about the webinar or to schedule a meeting to discuss how to collaborate with the FCC on providing information to your community.

We look forward to your participation at the webinar on May 27, 2026!

******** HCBS Access Act Reintroduced *********
Justice in Aging proudly supports the HCBS Access Act, which was reintroduced yesterday by Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). This transformative legislation would flip the script on access to the support older adults with limited income and resources need to age in their homes and communities.

Today, far too many older adults cannot afford care, families are strained, and more people are institutionalized than need to be. The HCBS Access Act would address many gaps and inequities in the current aging and disability care system by making home and community-based services (HCBS) a comprehensive and universally covered Medicaid benefit.

The HCBS Access Act, along with the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act, would also invest in the direct care workforce to bring more people into the caregiving profession and ensure that they are well-trained and fairly compensated. This legislation would make enormous strides towards ensuring older adults can age in dignity and we are committed to working with Congress to enact it.

Learn more about the HCBS Access Act in Justice in Aging’s fact sheet.
https://justiceinaging.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=727c211cf7b5afb21ea9dada3&id=16f1fce083&e=a195367e25