Disability.gov Crime Victims with Disabilities Update: Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Remarks by President Barack Obama after signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This law closes the current gaps in federal law to also provide federal assistance in the cases of a hate crime committed against persons because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. In his remarks, the President stated that "No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are, or because they live with a disability."

For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/yza7xn9.

ARCHIVED: Disability.gov Veterans' Benefits Update: SSA Webinar for Wounded Warriors

This post may contain outdated information.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is hosting a national webinar for Wounded Warriors on November 4, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Participants will learn about benefit programs and get answers to questions such as who is eligible, and when and how to apply for benefits.

For more information visit http://www.disability.gov/benefits/other_benefits_programs/veterans_&_military.

ARCHIVED: United We Ride National Dialogue Wants Your Ideas on Accessible Transportation

This post may contain outdated information.

United We Ride will be holding a National Dialogue from November 2-13, 2009 to provide an opportunity for participants to discuss ideas that will improve transportation services in communities across the country for people with disabilities, older adults and individuals with limited income. The Web-based interactive dialogue is designed to influence future transportation policies.

Disability.gov Veterans' Benefits Update: VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veterans with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an association with the herbicides referred to Agent Orange. The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease. This decision means that Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association between their illnesses and their military service. This simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.

For more information about benefits for veterans and members of the military, visit http://www.disability.gov/benefits/other_benefits_programs/veterans_&_military.

Disability.gov Employment News & Events Update: President Obama Announces New Initiatives During National Disability Employment Awareness Month

President Obama has announced that his Administration is taking several steps to ensure that there is fair and equal access to employment for all Americans, particularly the 54 million people in this country living with disabilities. These actions include collaboration between the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to sponsor a day long Federal Government-wide job fair for people with disabilities.

For more employment-related news, visit  http://www.disability.gov/employment/news_%26_events.

Disability.gov Crime Victims with Disabilities Update: First National Study on Crime Against Persons with Disabilities

The report Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2007 has been released by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Office of Justice Programs. In 2007 persons age 12 or older with disabilities experienced about 716,000 nonfatal violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault (47,000), robbery (79,000), aggravated assaults (114,000) and simple assaults (476,000). They also experienced about 2.3 million property crimes during the year.

For more information visit http://www.disability.gov/civil_rights/crime_victims_with_disabilities.

ARCHIVED: Disability.gov Employers Update: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

This post may contain outdated information.

In 1988 Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actually began in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. Read President Barack Obama's National Disability Employment Month proclamation and learn more about NDEAM events and celebrations that will take place throughout the month of October.

For more information about employment and people with disabilities, visit http://www.disability.gov/employment/employing_people_with_disabilities/recruiting_&_hiring.

Disability.gov Benefits News & Events Update: Social Security Hearings Backlog Down for First Time in Decade

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has reported that for the first time since 1999 SSA has ended the year with fewer disability hearings pending than in the prior year. Social Security ended fiscal year (FY) 2009 with 722,822 hearings pending compared to 760,813 hearings pending at the start of the year, a reduction of more than 37,000 cases. Over the same period, the average processing time for these cases improved from 514 days in FY 2008 to 491 in FY 2009. Read more about SSA's hearings and appeals process.

For more benefits news, information visit http://www.disability.gov/benefits/news_%26_events.