A drastic reorganization of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is now underway. Thousands of federal employees are being fired. Twenty-eight divisions are being cut to 15. Critical programs within HHS’s Administration for Community Living (ACL) that support older adults and people with disabilities are being redistributed among other HHS agencies, including the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“We are deeply concerned that HHS reorganized agencies without input from our community,” said Vincenzo Piscopo, President and CEO of the United Spinal Association, in response to the reorganization. “We still don’t know where any of our programs are being moved to or if they still exist. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has been invaluable in helping us become and stay independent, so we can work, pay taxes, and contribute to our communities.”
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United Spinal Association is communicating with Members of Congress and the Administration to get answers regarding this major restructuring. We want to make sure that critical programs, services, and funding for the disability and aging communities, such as the Centers for Independent Living, Home and Community-Based Services and the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) are not impacted.
Follow our Policy Watch page to keep up to date on threats to disability services and to get the latest explainers on moves and messaging from the government that affect our rights.