July 2023 Advocacy Update
Roll on Capitol Hill
The 2023 Roll on Capitol Hill (ROCH) was June 18-21 in Washington DC. ROCH is United Spinal’s annual policy event that supports key advocacy priorities for it’s membership and the broader disability community. The goal is to ensure that legislators include wheelchair users and all people with disabilities in policy debates on Capitol Hill. Many advocates from Massachusetts attended. Mary Cooper, one of our long time Peer mentors, and her daughter represented SCIboston. Below are some great pictures that she shared with us of the event (click on the phone now to see the full image). Some of the things that Mary and her daughter advocated for were:
H.R. 1267,and S. 535, the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act. It is time for the govt’ to provide consumer protections and assistance in Air Travel for passengers with disabilities.
Disability Access to Transportation Act. H.R. 3845 and S. 1813, to stabilise increased accessible transportation options for people with disabilities.
Disability Community Independence. It is time to get rid of “In the home” only language when describing wheelchair needs. We need wheelchairs for the home as well as in the community.
To learn more about ROCH you can visit the event page here
Webinar: Accessible Transient Lodging
The NIDILRR-funded Great Lakes ADA Regional Center will host a webinar, Accessible Transient Lodging, July 6th, 2:30 – 4 pm ET. Presenters will address and clarify requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Standards for hotels, motels, and other types of transient lodging facilities. These include the required number and dispersion of compliant guest rooms and suites with mobility and communication features, accessibility requirements for guest accommodations, and signage, among others. Registration is free and required. Participants may submit questions in advance during registration. Continuing education credits are available upon request.
From The Disability Policy Consortium
ANNOUNCEMENT: MassHealth Members Must Confirm Their Eligibility
In the News:
Healey: 300,000 people will likely get dropped from MassHealth this year
More than 2.3 million Bay Staters currently receive state-sponsored health insurance through MassHealth, up 31% since before the pandemic.
"More than 2.3 million Bay Staters currently receive their health insurance through MassHealth, up 31% since February 2020, Gov. Maura Healey’s office noted in a Wednesday press release. That higher figure comes partly as a result of federal continuous eligibility requirements that lasted throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to the release.
However, with the emergency declaration set to expire on May 11, MassHealth is beginning to re-determine whether its members are still eligible. State officials project that enrollment will eventually shrink to around 1.9 million members during the 2024 fiscal year, the State House News Service reported.
“We know what we’re facing right now this spring with redetermination. We know the work that we need to do,” Healey said at a press conference Wednesday announcing the state’s 2024 budget proposal.
Of the enrollment projections, she added: “I think those numbers reflect our best educated estimate of what is necessary and appropriate to meet this moment and the needs of folks who have been accessing MassHealth.”'
To read the whole article follow this link: https://www.boston.com/news/health/2023/03/02/masshealth-redetermination-maura-healey-300000-estimate/?amp=1
Ask Your Legislators to Co-Sponsor the Wheelchair Warranty Bill (H.378/S.152)
We need your help to build support for the wheelchair warranty bill (H.378/S.152)! Please use the "Take Action" form below to reach out to your state legislators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill. If they are already co-sponsoring, you'll be able to thank them instead. We encourage you to add a personal story and make the email your own, because legislators want to hear why the bill is important to you!
H.378/S.152, "An Act expanding wheelchair warranty protections for consumers with disabilities", will build on the existing wheelchair warranty law to cover more people and hold wheelchair companies accountable to consumers. Click "Learn More" below for more details.
If you would like to do more you can testify on this bill, please contact the Disability Policy Consortium, and they'll be happy to work with you to help prepare testimony and keep you updated on when the hearing is/other actions!
For more info contact Harry Weissman at hweissman@dpcma.org or 617-977-4084.
From United Spinal National
Support Safe Air Travel for Wheelchair Users
This is our moment to push for legislation that will create new protections for airline passengers with disabilities, and make meaningful policy changes to bring greater accountability and improve the air travel experience for wheelchair users. United Spinal Association supports the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act (H.R. 1267/S. 545), which has been introduced by Representative Dina Titus and Senator Tammy Baldwin.
Support Disability Community Independence Now
Our community knows how important the right wheelchair is to our independence. We urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to open the comment period for Medicare coverage of standing systems; lift the ‘in the home’ restriction on coverage of mobility devices and conduct a full review of current mobility device coverage, coding and payment policies.
We Need Accessible Ground Transportation
Thirty-three years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with disabilities continue to face systemic discrimination and a lack of accessible transportation options. Transportation is a core component of independent living. United Spinal supports the Disability Access to Transportation Act.
Advocacy Program Working Groups
Also, we are still looking for participants for our working groups. Information on each of the four working groups can be found on the webpage, along with the form to sign-up to participate. Please contact Steve Lieberman at slieberman@unitedspinal.org or Annie Streit at astreit@unitedspinal.org if you have any questions. We are extremely proud of the growth of this dedicated network of advocates!