The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) will now include people with disabilities in its service population with an official name change.
The organization will phase in its new title, the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), over the next few months.
“Through this meaningful step forward, the association welcomes the opportunity to build relationships and enhance the capacity of the state agencies to provide long-term services and supports to both older Americans and individuals with disabilities,” said NASUAD president Irene Collins.
The association said the decision was driven in part by economic pressures. “Recently, federal legislation, increased reliance on additional funding sources, and the economic downturn have dramatically impacted and increased the scope of services states are called upon to provide, and their ability to do so,” the association said in a press release.
“As the need for long-term services has expanded, so has the role of the state aging agency, with nearly 65 percent of the states serving both seniors and individuals with disabilities as of October 2009,” the association stated.
Marvin Wasserman, executive director of the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled, said that programs that are currently open to seniors should also be opened to people with disabilities.
“I would also like to see parity in programs such as Senior Rent Increase Exemption/Disabled Rent Increase Exemption, where seniors are allowed to have a higher income to participate, and the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program the New York State prescription drug plan for seniors, which is not currently open to persons with disabilities,” he said.
“There has been a trend for senior organizations such as AARP to take positions in support of greater access, and I hope this will continue,” Wasserman added.
Ryan Reilly, coordinator at the Ocean County Office for Individuals with Disabilities, said he does not foresee any direct impacts to his organization, which receives no state or federal funds. He said the move is a step in the right direction.
“The resources for disabilities and the majority of funding for seniors comes out of the Older Americans Act. The name change is great. The hope is that in time that step will lead to a sharing of funds,” Reilly said.
On the local level, Debra Behnke of the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation in New Jersey said Salem’s Office of Disability Services works well with the county’s Office on Aging, but noted that that both populations are unique.
“Aging has a specialty population, as does the disabled world. It is my belief that we, those who serve the disabled, are most knowledgeable on the vast array of issues. Long-term care is only a portion of what we deal with every day,” she said.
William Ditto, director of the New Jersey Division of Disability Services, said he has great confidence in NASUAD’s executive director, Martha Roherty, but called for people with disabilities to be represented equally on the board.
“I would also like to see some cross training initiated with the disability folks, providing the state unit on aging directors with some knowledge of the disability population,” Ditto said.
“I also feel very strongly that this does not or should not mean that disability and aging services have to be merged at a state or local level,” Ditto said, noting that many people with disabilities seek services other than long-term care.
The name change is in sync with efforts in 44 states to expand the Disability Resource Connection that aims to serve both populations as well.
This article was published in the September 2010 issue of Able News.
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