August 26, 2026 Mark Seifarth

Today 4PM ET: Register Learn More & Apply for AAPD’s 2027 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award recognizing outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities

Learn More Register for Webinar and Apply Here: https://www.aapd.com/paul-g-hearne-emerging-leaders-award/?utm_source=Main+AAPD+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=79dc319473-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_08_06_01_06_COPY_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7d4fdb3943-f9e320fdc9-49903109

Webinar Is Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 4 PM ET
Editor’s Note and Correction: Our August 5th email announcing the application opening contained a typo that said the webinar is “Wednesday, August 24.” The correct date for the webinar is this Wednesday, August 26. Our sincere apologies for any confusion caused by this error.

Applications for AAPD’s 2027 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award are now open! The Hearne Award recognizes outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader disability community. The award is named to honor the legacy and leadership of our co-founder and AAPD’s first President, Paul G. Hearne, who had a bold idea to create AAPD.

AAPD is hosting a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, August 24th, at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT for interested applicants to learn about the program and application process, and to get questions answered. ASL and CART will be provided. Register here for the webinar. If you have any additional access needs, please email programs@aapd.com.Register For the WebinarNot sure whether you should apply? Here’s more information about applying for the 2027 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award.

What does it mean to receive the award?
Two (2) recipients will receive an award of $25,000: $10,000 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the disability community and $15,000 to further a new or existing project or initiative that increases the opportunities for people with disabilities. Awardees are recognized in the community for their work, their project is promoted by AAPD, and they also receive support from AAPD to help achieve their goals for their project or initiative.

Who should apply?
We encourage applicants who self-identify as an emerging leader with a disability to apply, regardless of U.S. citizenship, incarceration status, or age. A recipient can be an individual or a pair (2-person group). We especially encourage people who have experienced intersecting forms of discrimination and from historically excluded backgrounds, rural areas, and U.S. territories to apply.

Do emerging leaders have to be young in age? Or students?
An applicant’s status as an emerging leader is not necessarily tied to age, education status, employment, or specific experience or involvement in the disability community. The full list of applicant requirements can be found here.

When and how is the award given?
The recipients of the 2027 AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awards will be honored among national disability leaders at the virtual 2027 AAPD National Community Event in the Spring. The event is usually held in April.

I can’t make the webinar! What other resources does AAPD have for applicants?
If you can’t make the webinar, it will be recorded and uploaded to the AAPD website, along with a transcript. In addition to the webinar, AAPD has a guide for applicants that includes a sample application, financial and disbursement information, resources for creating your application budget, and more.

Where can I learn more about the impact of the Hearne Award?
Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award recipients have used their award funds to create organizations, publications, books, blogs, and so much more that have shaped, resourced, and supported disabled people. Many community leaders got their start or increased the recognition of their work at the national level as a result of the award. We strongly encourage you to learn about our incredible 2026 awardees here, and to check out these written and video profiles of PGH award winners over the years, compiled to celebrate 25 years of the award.Learn More and Apply Here***The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 70 million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation. To learn more, visit the AAPD website: www.aapd.com.

August 12, 2026 Mark Seifarth

08/20, 09/17, 10/15 Zoom from CEDC Access for All: Building Digital and Document Accessibility Skills – Social Media Accessibility: Creating Inclusive Online Content

Community Education and Dissemination Council (CEDC)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET Location: Zoom Format: Virtual

Thursday, August 20, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

Thursday, September 17, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

Thursday, October 15, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

All are welcome to join the CEDC on Thursday, August 20, 2026 as we continue our Access for All: Building Digital and Document Accessibility Skills series with our 3rd three-part series on Social Media Accessibility: Creating Inclusive Online Content.

Please note: CEDC quarterly meeting starts at 12:00 PM ET, Social Media Accessibility training begins around 12:30 PM ET. (feel free to join for the whole meeting or only at 12:30 PM ET for the training)

Description:
During our August CEDC Quarterly Meeting, there will be a 20-minute training on presentation accessibility. This training will cover best practices in building and sharing accessible social media communications. This is the first session of a three-part series discussing social media accessibility.

CEDC Quarterly: Introduction to Social Media Accessibility
Thursday, August 20, 2026, 12:00 PM ET
Participants will learn about social media accessibility. Covering best practices in accessible social media posts and communications.
Register Now for August 20

CEDC Coffee Chat: Building Skills
Thursday, September 17, 2026, 12:00 PM ET
Participants will engage in a hands-on workshop on how to build accessible social media. Register Now for September 15

CEDC Coffee Chat: Reflection
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 12:00 PM ET
Participants will reflect on both the challenges they face and the successes they experience when creating accessible social media.
Register Now for October 15

Please Note:

We will be using automated captioning through Zoom for these meetings. If you require additional accommodations please let us know by emailing accommodations@aucd.org.
This webinar will be held on the Zoom Platform. You can test your connection with Zoom before joining the meeting here http://zoom.us/test.
This webinar will be recorded and posted on this CEDC Event Page afterwards

Past Events and Resources

CEDC Coffe Chat: Access for All: Building Digital and Document Accessibility Reflection:
View Coffee Chat Reflections Recording

CEDC Coffee Chat: Access for All: Building Digital and Document Accessibility: Building Skills: Participants engaged in a hands-on workshop on how to build an accessible PowerPoint.
View Coffee Chat Building Skills Recording

CEDC Quarterly: Access for All: Building Digital and Document Accessibility: Introduction to Presentation Accessibility: Participants learned about presentation accessibility. Covering best practices in accessible presentations and how to use a PowerPoint well when thinking about accessibility.
View Intro to Presentation Accessibility Recording

CEDC Resources: Access for All: Building Digital and Document Accessibility Skills” Resources
View CEDC Resources on the Padlet Board

August 12, 2026 Mark Seifarth

Ohio Disability Policy Candidates Forum 2026: In Person or Virtually – August 20 11:30 AM – 4 PM

By Ohio Olmstead Task Force

Fawcett Center For Tomorrow, Novice G, Columbus, OH

2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43210

Thursday, August 20 • 11:30 AM – 4 PM

Meet some of the candidates hoping to win your vote this fall. Learn about their understanding and intentions for the disability community.

REGISTER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ohio-disability-policy-candidates-forum-2026-tickets-1991560382716#location

Ohio Disability Policy Candidates Forum 2026

Join us in person or virtually for the Ohio Disability Policy Candidates Forum 2026! This is your chance to meet and hear directly from candidates running for statewide positions about their plans and commitments to the disability community in Ohio. Whether you’re passionate about advocacy, accessibility, or just want to get informed, this event is the place to be.

We hope you’ll join us for a day of connection, insight, and advocacy as we help to shape the future of disability policy in Ohio.

REGISTER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ohio-disability-policy-candidates-forum-2026-tickets-1991560382716#location

If you cannot access this form, email, ohioolmstead@gmail.com for direct assistance.

Organizers: Center for Disability Empowerment, Disability Rights Ohio, Independence Alliance, LEAP, Ohio Association of County Boards, Ohio Disability Vote Coalition, Ohio League of Women Voters, Ohio Olmstead Task Force, Ohio Provider Resources Association, Ohio Self-Determination Association, People First Ohio, The Ability Center, The Arc of Ohio, The Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council, University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Note: Forum organizers do not endorse any candidate or political party. This is a nonpartisan voter education event permitted under state and federal law.

Agenda

11:30 AM – 04:00 PM

Ohio Disability Policy Candidates Forum – Tentative Agenda

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Networking, Vendor Tables, and Refreshments

Kick off the forum by connecting with fellow attendees, advocates, and members of Ohio’s disability community. Stroll through our curated selection of vendor tables, where organizations and businesses share resources, services, and products relevant to people with disabilities. Enjoy a variety of hors d’oeuvres and beverages as you mingle, ask questions, and spark new collaborations. This hour is all about building relationships and discovering what’s new and noteworthy in Ohio’s disability policy landscape.

12:30 PM – 04:00 PM

Candidate Forum: Disability Policy Q&A

At 12:30 sharp, we’ll move to the main event: a series of focused conversations with candidates running for key statewide offices, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Senate. Each candidate will address a set of prearranged questions, all centering on disability policy and issues that matter most to Ohioans with disabilities.This is your chance to hear directly from those seeking to lead our state—how they plan to address accessibility, inclusion, employment, healthcare, education, voting rights, and more. The format ensures every candidate has equal time to answer and engage, allowing for a clear comparison of their positions and priorities. Attendees are encouraged to take notes, reflect on the responses, and consider how each candidate’s vision aligns with the needs of Ohio’s disability community.

June 12, 2026 Mark Seifarth

From Ohio Statehouse This Week: When Combating Medicaid Fraud, Listen to People with Disabilities & Families First – Mark Seifarth

When Combating Medicaid Fraud, Listen to People with Disabilities & Families First

Mark Seifarth

This week the Ohio Legislature passed a bill to help combat what they say was out of control Medicaid fraud with a self-imposed deadline on June 10^th. Even though the bill was introduced on March 25, 2026, it was not referred to committee for hearings until May 13^th for completion before the legislature’s summer break starting June 11^th.

In its haste to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, it almost made it illegal for parents and family caregivers – many of whom quit their jobs to stay at home and care for their children with significant disabilities – to bill Medicaid after they pass all needed background checks and training to become certified Medicaid providers.

It was only when the disability community, parents, and advocates traveled from all over Ohio to tell their stories that legislators realized they had moved too quickly. For if you remove thousands of parents as direct service providers for their children with significant disabilities, there are not enough qualified service providers available to replace them. Children and adults with significant disabilities for the most part could be forced into more expensive institutions and intermediate care facilities as a result.

Thanks to statewide advocacy, technology that allows people to watch committee hearings live, read bills and amendments online, send online testimony to the committees, and an accessible Statehouse to testify in person – this did not happen.

It also helps that organizations, like the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, provide educational videos to help people with disabilities learn to speak for themselves and express their needs.

Here’s a link to one such video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZu5W2Qp9sg

Indeed, there is fraud in the Medicaid system. On June 8^th, the Acting U.S. Attorney General came to Ohio with the Medicaid Chief and others to announce a new federal state system to share data and fight “fraudsters.” They also announced several major federal and state charges against 9 defendants for allegedly defrauding the government of $42 million in billing to Medicaid and COVID programs.

In fact, Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson said, “Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is one of the gold standard control units.” While state legislators have criticized the governor, the Acting U.S. Attorney General said of Ohio’s governor “… we can have people that actually do and act.” Here is the link to the June 8^th article: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/06/08/ohio-feds-announce-indictments-in-medicaid-fraud/

To be clear, there is still Medicaid fraud and this bill headed to the governor – for his consideration to be signed into law – may help. But in their haste to pass a bill with a self-imposed deadline of less than one month and only 5 hearings, one could argue that thousands of Ohioans with disabilities were put at risk if the disability community – many with disabilities making it very difficult to travel – had not shown up and spoken up for themselves.

As former Ohio Senate staff, state agency liaison to the Ohio Legislature, and Congressional Liaison for the National Council on Disability in Washington, DC, I know how hard State Legislators, Members of Congress, and their staff people work. I wrote letters/emails to State Legislators, and they responded and investigated the issue.

But my contributions are miniscule next to the parents, advocates, and people with disabilities who drove hours – and I heard even borrowed money for gas and missed needed therapy sessions for their children – to testify in person. Great praise is due to all of them for educating our legislators on the very negative impact on this too quickly moving piece of legislation.

Perhaps as a person with a Developmental Disability, when I was a staffer and saw this legislation, I would have immediately called and inquired of my local Boards of Developmental Disabilities and advocacy groups in the community on the impact to people with disabilities and more information on fraud and abuse. But maybe as fast as this bill was moving, only many, many people across the state could have had the needed impact they did.

We must combat what everyone calls waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers’ money as that is hard earned money from Ohioans needed to serve Ohioans. We must be vigilant.

But I have been impacting public policy in Ohio and Washington, DC for over 40 years and I must admit that I am unsettled and disquieted that it took hundreds of Ohioans writing, calling, and traveling to Columbus to testify in person to correct this catastrophic error in the Legislatures’ haste.

Remember Ohio’s Biennial Budget takes at least 6 months to pass and become law. Most legislation takes months and sometimes years to be hashed out and debated. Thanks to education, technology, and hard work, people listened and changes were made.

In the disability community there is an old and hard-fought saying, “Nothing about us without us.” Much of the public testimony presented on this bill centered on people with disabilities, parents, and advocates saying ask us how to improve the system. We are involved as it is our lives. We will and have pointed out fraud and it was addressed.

September 8, 2025 Mark Seifarth

Nonpartisan Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW) 09/08/25-09/12/25-Hosted by American Association of People with Disabilities

Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW)

Monday, September 8, 2025 (All day) to Friday, September 12, 2025 (All day)

DVRW is a nonpartisan movement hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities’ REV UP campaign to advocate for accessible futures, celebrate community, and build power. Disability activists have fought hard for accessibility rights for voters with disabilities, which benefit everyone. If you are disabled, make sure you know your rights before you go to vote! If you aren’t disabled now, think about how the rights won by activists could make voting more accessible for you and others in your life.

Through DVRW, voters with disabilities:

Think: My vote matters and voting is one way that I can use my power in my community.
Feel: Solidarity with a broader community; supported to access their right to vote.
Do: Register to vote; make a plan to vote in November 2025; support a friend in registering, educating, and voting!

Through DVRW, election officials, poll workers, and nondisabled people:

Learn about the barriers that disabled voters face.
Learn what actions they can take to make voting more accessible.
Recognize the power of the disability community and the importance of building accessible systems
Engage the disability community during this week of action and in every election cycle.

Learn how voting in Ohio is accessible at VoteOhio.org. Go to https://www.lwvohio.org/electionsandvoting for information you need to register or update your registration. If you run into trouble when voting, call or text Election Protection to get help right away. https://866ourvote.org

August 31, 2025 Mark Seifarth

Sept 2nd 12-1PM ET – Next Mid-Atlantic ADA Center Webinar Series – Fighting for Civil and Disability Rights: Strategies to Overcome Barriers

The Human Experience of Black People with Disabilities and Their Rights Under the ADA

REGISTER: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/axs6uxa

Join us as we unpack this research study and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities, as well as the challenges and barriers, faced by Black individuals with disabilities in accessing information and exercising their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). By presenting the findings of this study, we will highlight the discrimination and marginalization these individuals experience, while also exploring avenues for advocacy, collective action, and support.

The Intersection of Race, Disability, and the ADA: Findings from a Focus Group Study

March 4, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET

This study explores the intersection of race, disability, and rights under the ADA. On this webinar we shared key themes from the research, including the systemic barriers Black individuals with disabilities face in exercising their rights. Topics included access to information about the ADA, the role of advocacy, and recommendations to improve access, awareness, and inclusion. We will highlighted the strength and resilience of Black disabled communities, as well as strategies for collective action to address injustice.

Previous Webinars recorded and is available for on-demand: https://www.adainfo.org/trainings/

Intersectionality: Unpacking Discrimination, Stigma, and Multiple Marginalization

June 3, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET

Intersectionality recognizes that individuals hold multiple, interconnected social identities—such as race, disability, gender, and class—that interact in shaping their experiences of privilege and oppression. For Black individuals with disabilities, these overlapping identities often lead to compounded barriers in exercising rights and accessing opportunities under the ADA. This webinar will explore how these intersecting identities create specific vulnerabilities in areas like healthcare, education, employment, and public spaces. Through real-world examples, we will examine the impact of intersectional discrimination on Black disabled communities and discuss actionable strategies to address these challenges. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with the tools to analyze and advocate for the rights of Black individuals with disabilities through an intersectional framework.

Previous Webinars recorded and is available for on-demand: https://www.adainfo.org/trainings/

Fighting for Civil and Disability Rights: Strategies to Overcome Barriers

September 2, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET

For Black individuals with disabilities, systemic barriers can present unique challenges in securing equal opportunities and exercising fundamental rights. This webinar will delve into the legal landscape of civil and disability rights, highlighting key legislation and protections. We will explore common barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, including discrimination, inaccessible environments, and lack of inclusive policies. Participants will learn advocacy strategies to overcome these obstacles, ranging from self-advocacy and community organizing to legal recourse and policy engagement.

The Power of Visibility and Community Advocacy

December 2, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET

Visibility matters. When we share our stories and perspectives, we challenge stereotypes, build empathy, and inspire others to action. This webinar will explore how embracing visibility can combat the intersectional discrimination faced by Black disabled individuals. We’ll discuss how sharing your authentic experiences can spark important conversations, foster understanding, and drive social change within your communities. Learn practical strategies for leveraging your voice and platform, building alliances, and engaging in effective community advocacy to amplify your impact.

July 30, 2025 Mark Seifarth

Brief Thoughts on the Americans with Disabilities Act 35 Years: Onward and Why

Mark Seifarth

As July 2025 Disability Pride Month and the 35th Anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act draw to a close, I offer my brief thoughts and reflections as we go forward:

Brief Thoughts on the Americans with Disabilities Act 35 Years: Onward and Why

Mark Seifarth

On July 26, 1990, I was on the White House lawn with 3000 of my closest friends watching George H.W. Bush sign the Americans with Disabilities Act.

President H.W.Bush and his administration demonstrated bipartisanship in working with many legislators on both sides of the aisle in Congress in bringing the ADA to his desk to be signed into law. Many legislators, elected and appointed officials, and people with disabilities & advocates were instrumental in the passage of the ADA and I pay the utmost respect to all of them, but they are far too numerous to list. It was unifying and bipartisan across the political and disability spectrum. I submit, we must work to regain that bipartisanship in federal, state and local government.

During the July 2025 35th ADA anniversary, I have been posting many opportunities to learn about and participate in events online to grow in your knowledge of the ADA on the Ohio Disability Blog, Twitter X, and Linked In. One example providing a great deal of education and information is the Film and Panel Discussion on “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act.” Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and the American Association of People with Disabilities hosted the event in the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, DC. The panel discussion was moderated by Judy Woodruff and featured guest speakers Former Congressmen Tony Coelho and Steve Bartlett.

Here is a YouTube link to the two-hour film and bipartisan panel discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqU7EjWZkKA (If there are any difficulties with the link, please search –- discussion and screening of Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act –- and the search should yield a link to the film on PBS and a YouTube link to the film and panel discussion above.)

My reasons for these brief thoughts on the ADA 35th Anniversary are twofold.

First, we must learn and remember our history. As a person with a lifelong physical disability born 33 years before the ADA became law, I am now closing in on 70 years old. So, these anniversaries give us the opportunity to learn and grow from people who worked on the passage, and how that long advocacy journey resulted in the ADA. Please continue to learn. We also have entire new generations of people with disabilities and advocates who continue to push for equal access, equal treatment, and informed choices in their communities for people with disabilities. We must all mentor, educate, and support succeeding generations coming of age since 1990 as they are assuming leadership roles and championing new advocacy efforts and initiatives.

Second, in many ways the current public and policy environment should cause concern, and highlight the need to educate, inform and advocate on services and supports that help people with disabilities work, live, and grow in their own local communities. All people must have real opportunities to learn and make informed decisions about their own lives. In the current policy environment, many federal programs are being cut or combined with other programs under the guise of streamlining and efficiency when hard fought supports to work and live in your community may be diminished or not be available.

One example is cuts to Medicaid and other programs described as cuts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. Now these are taxpayers’ dollars. We must be sure they are well spent and result in the legally prescribed outcomes. We must all identify misuse or abuse of tax money and correct these misuses.

But, in some ways we are not being given all the information. Yes, perhaps recent cuts in Medicaid funds and other programs are not directly in programs meant to support people with disabilities. Many of these cuts in programs will be sent to individual states to implement. With much less money available to states to administer these programs, each state must decide where to make cuts to make up for the significant reduction in federal funds. The federal government can say, they didn’t make the cuts, but they may give individual states no choice but to cut work and community programs for people with disabilities. Further, states are being forced to implement additional onerous paperwork and reapplications for services, not annually, but twice a year. This is not only costly to states but may result in loss of services due to the difficulties posed by new compliance mandates for consumers, such as additional unanticipated deadlines.

Finally, we may begin to encounter a decline in respect, understanding, and acceptance of people with disabilities – from changes in housing opportunities, to increased reluctance to any costs to fully incorporate people with disabilities in community and public life.

I believe it is not happening often at this point. But it highlights that now more than ever we must utilize all we have learned in the advocacy for and passage of the ADA of 1990. We must continuously educate, inform, and combat misinformation, or incomplete information on cuts and changes to federal, state, and local programs that support people with disabilities living, working and contributing in their local towns and cities. We must highlight how these programs give everyone the chance to work and live together in society.

Please celebrate the ADA after 35 years of law. It is a great milestone as we continue to learn and grow.

So, let me leave you with this final thought: advocacy is constant. We must continuously work to not return to the days when people with disabilities were not to be seen or were not your neighbor.

When I gave the Commencement Address at Kent State University some years ago, the title of my remarks was “The Finals are Never Over.” For as we celebrate our accomplishments and triumphs, the next challenge or opportunity to use what we have learned is just around the corner. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the fight for equal access for people with disabilities is never over.

July 16, 2025July 16, 2025 Mark Seifarth

July 16th 3PM ET- Lunch & Learn: The ADA 35th Anniversary – What are your rights as a person with a disability?

Register today for the next ADA Lunch and Learn: The ADA 35th Anniversary: What are your rights as a person with a disability?

Lunch & Learn: The ADA 35th Anniversary – What are your rights as a person with a disability?

July 16 2025

3pm – 4pm Eastern Time — 12pm – 1pm Pacific Time

Description

Join the Pacific ADA Center in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This session will provide an overview of your rights under the ADA and how the law continues to protect people with disabilities in public life. Learn how the ADA impacts everyday experiences in employment, transportation, public services, and beyond.

Presenters

Jan Garrett serves as the Deputy Director of ADA Programs for the Pacific ADA Center at the Public Health Institute (PHI). She has over 25 years of experience providing guidance and training on the ADA and other disability rights laws for businesses, state and local governments, architects, people with disabilities, and others. As a person with a lived experience of disability, Jan has a deeply personal understanding of why disability civil rights are so important.

Savannah Bradley is the Community Outreach and Programs Manager for the Pacific ADA Center, a program within the Center on Disability at the Public Health Institute (PHI). Savannah holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from San Diego State University and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Health Behavior from Oregon State University. She worked in higher education for a decade before joining PHI in 2024 and has dedicated her career to reducing health disparities and advocating for underserved populations.

Registration information

All events »

July 6, 2025July 6, 2025 Mark Seifarth

Register: July 8th Webinar Celebrating the ADA: How Assistive Technology (AT) Supports Daily Life and Work

Celebrating the ADA: How Assistive Technology (AT) Supports Daily Life and Work

Tuesday, July 8th, 2025

3:00 PM EDT – 4:30 PM EDT

Web / Online

Join the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) for a special webinar in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with a focus on how technology is shaping the future of accessibility.

The ADA affirms a simple but powerful principle: individuals with disabilities who want to work should be able to work. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, there have been advancements made with tools to increase accessibility. At the same time, there are basic assistive technology (AT) tools that continue to be overlooked as a solution.

The webinar panel from the Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center (AT3 Center) will focus on increasing access to and acquisition of AT tools across the lifespan. The panel will share examples of how AT is a critical bridge to helping break down barriers and provide innovative approaches for one to be more independent within the workplace and the broader community.

Registrants can note accommodation needs, such as captioning or sign language, on the registration page. The webinar will be live captioned (with Spanish machine translations) and have ASL interpretation available.

Webinars are recorded and posted with supporting materials on the DETAC website at: aoddisabilityemploymenttacenter.com

The Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center is funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to provide evidence-based training and technical assistance to Administration on Disabilities grantees for improving competitive integrated employment and economic outcomes for individuals with disabilities across the nation.

Cost of Event: Free

Registration Requirement: Required

For More Information on This Event:

Sponsoring Organization(s) of Event:

Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC)

Audience(s):

Architects/Contractors
Business
Employer
People with Disabilities
State and Local Government

Topic:

ADA Anniversary

June 23, 2025 Mark Seifarth

Webinar June 25th 1-2:30PM ET – Top 5 Things to Know About Aging in America – Alliance For Heath Policy

WEBINAR:
Top 5 Things to Know About Aging in America
Insights for the Health Policy Community
Wednesday, June 25 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET

Register for the webinar

What to expect from the webinar:

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the many programs and resources tied to aging, you’re not alone.
This webinar will help you understand the four foundational policies identified by Alliance experts—Medicare, Medicaid, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Older Americans Act (OAA)—that have the greatest impact on aging populations.
Our panel of experts will share their go-to resources for understanding and staying up to date on the key aging policies (and why these policies matter). Speakers will also highlight innovations and emerging models from across the country that offer a glimpse into the future of aging policy.

This free, nonpartisan webinar is open to the public and designed to give policymakers, staffers, advocates, and curious minds the tools to engage more meaningfully with the policies shaping aging in America.
This webinar was made possible thanks to 2025 Signature Series Champion Sponsors Elevance Health, GSK, and Kaiser Permanente.

Register for the webinar

Webinar speakers:

Rob Lott (Moderator)Senior Deputy Editor, Health Affairs

Tricia NeumanSenior Vice President, Executive Director for Program on Medicare Policy, KFF

Rebecca VallasCEO, National Academy of Social Insurance

Abby CoxSenior Director of Aging Policy, Advancing States

About the Alliance’s Signature Series:

For the past decade, the Signature Series has been the Alliance for Health Policy’s flagship annual program that brings together cross-sector experts to examine the most challenging issues in health policy. Each year, the Series uncovers key insights and translates them into accessible, nonpartisan education for policymakers and the public.

The 2025 Signature Series on “Aging in America” brings together the best and brightest minds from across the health care and policy landscape to examine how our system measures up to the needs of an aging population, and how we can best educate policymakers to be ready to take on the challenge. Events include a thought leader workshop, webinar, public summit, and congressional briefing.