Illustrated Guide: The HCBS Final Rule

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Home and Community Based Services Final Rule Illustrated Guide: The HCBS Final Rule

What is the HCBS Final Rule?

4 people in front of government building, arrows and dollar signs pointing to them

Description of Panel 1

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities often receive services from the government (Medicaid dollars).

4 people of different races genders and abilities stand under text,HCBS Final Rule

Description of Panel 2

The Home and Community Based Services Final Rule—also called the HCBS Final Rule—makes sure these services are good for the people who receive them.

People of various genders, races, plus icons showing community destinations and activities

Description of Panel 3

The goal of the HCBS Final Rule is to make sure that people with disabilities in residential and non-residential settings, day programs and work are connected with their communities.

A big X through hospitals, nursing home, ICF, and institution

Description of Panel 4

The Rule does not apply to hospitals, nursing homes, Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities or Institutions for mental diseases.

people going to church, school, gym, and work

Description of Panel 5

The Rule makes sure people with disabilities have as many opportunities and choices as they can.

People at a community park - exercising, walking, and greeting one another

Description of Panel 6

The Rule supports full access for people with disabilities to their communities so that they interact regularly with people without disabilities.

people in front of a Disability flag and a finger pointing to the word Choice

Description of Panel 7

The Rule supports what choices individuals prefer and protects their rights.

people and icons showing objects and activities affected by person centered planning

Description of Panel 8

The Rule wants individuals to choose where they live, what they do, and how they work—this is called person-centered planning.

a home with an individual alone in each of two bedrooms, which are labeled Private

Description of Panel 9

The Rule supports individuals to choose who their roommates are while also supporting each individual’s privacy in their living situation.

a home with an individual alone in each of two bedrooms - one is sleeping, the other is active

Description of Panel 10

The Rule supports individuals to furnish and decorate their room however they want.

people together in a shared home, in living room and kitchen

Description of Panel 11

The Rule supports individuals to control their own activities and have the visitors they choose at any time.

a person using a wheelchair shakes hands with landlord and takes lease

Description of Panel 12

The Rule requires individuals to get a lease or rental agreement to protect them from being forced to leave their home.

The HCBS Final Rule key points to remember: The Rule is about YOU and YOUR everyday life. The Rule says you get a choice about where you live, and who you live with. The Rule says you get a choice about where you spend your day, and how you spend your time during the day. If you think the Rule is not being followed, speak up! Your voice matters. For more information or help with this Rule, you can email .

Institute on Disabilities and PA Developmental Disabilities Council logos

Description of Panel 14

This project is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council; in part by grant #2001PASCDD-02, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

Panel Descriptions

  1. Four people of various genders, races, and abilities – one using a wheelchair – in front of a government building. Arrows and dollar signs flow from the building to the people.
    [end of description] Back to Panel 1

  2. Four people of different genders, races, and abilities - two with their arm raised - are under silhouettes of courtroom gavels and the text, "Home and Community Based Services HCBS Final Rule."
    [end of description] Back to Panel 2

  3. Four people of various genders, races, and abilities - one using a wheelchair - interspersed with other people figures. Background shows a shop, a church, people planting a tree, lifting weights, school bus, movie theater seats, and people talking/working at a table).
    [end of description] Back to Panel 3

  4. Four people of various genders, races, and abilities - one using a wheelchair. A large "X" appears over a group of buildings labeled: Nursing Home, Hospital, Institution, and ICF (Intermediate Care Facility).
    [end of description] Back to Panel 4

  5. People of various genders, races, and abilities in four everyday situations: next to a church, working out with weights, next to a school bus, and at a conference table. Text: "...Church. Gym. School. Work. And more!"
    [end of description] Back to Panel 5

  6. People of various genders, races, and abilities in a line. Behind them is a scene of people doing recreational activities in a community park: exercising with weights, taking a walk, and dog walking.
    [end of description] Back to Panel 6

  7. Four people of various genders, races, and abilities - one using a wheelchair - in front of flag with a zig-zag graphic that represents a Disability Flag. Under the flag, a finger points to one of three squares above the word "Choice."
    [end of description] Back to Panel 7

  8. Four people of various genders, races, and abilities - one using a wheelchair, and two with raised arms – are on the edge of a large circle labeled "Person-Centered Planning." Inside the circle are icons: handshake, clock, map, gears, house, pill bottles, thinking head with gears, basketball, loudspeaker, wifi symbol, lightbulb, doctor with stethoscope, wallet, and people dancing.
    [end of description] Back to Panel 8

  9. A cutaway view of a home with roommates inside two of its four rooms. The downstairs rooms are a living room and kitchen. A person is in each of the second floor bedrooms which are labeled "Private." The same two people appear together in an inset graphic.
    [end of description] Back to Panel 9

  10. A cutaway view of a home shows two floors. The bedrooms are uniquely furnished and decorated. One person is in each bedroom. One sleeps in bed. The other is at the dresser.
    [end of description] Back to Panel 10

  11. A cutaway view of home shows two floors. The upstairs rooms are unoccupied bedrooms. Downstairs, three people in the living room snack and watch a movie together. Two people share a meal in the kitchen.
    [end of description] Back to Panel 11

  12. Three people of various genders, races, and abilities - one using a wheelchair – in front of buildings with a "For Rent" sign. A person wearing a shirt that says "Landlord." shakes hands with the wheelchair user and offers a document labeled "Lease."
    [end of description] Back to Panel 12

Image attributions

  • 1. Building: Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
  • 2. Law (gavel): Dinosoft Labs from the Noun Project
  • 3. and 5. Church: Clker-Free-Vectore Images from Pixabay
    Workout: Clker-Free-Vectore Images from Pixabay
    School bus: Deester from Pixabay
    Shop: OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
    Job interview: Tumisu from Pixabay
    Movie theater: OpenIcons from Pixabay
    People with plant: iconathon.org–commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Noun_project_6396.svg
  • 4. Building: Lars Pongrac from Pixabay
  • 6. Park scene: sunil kargwal from Pixabay
  • 7. Disability Pride Flag: Ann at Flicker https://www.flickr.com/photos/capriuni/
    Person-centered: Christiana Mergan from Pixabay
  • 12. Buildings: Dsndrn-Videolar from Pixabay

The Disability and Change Symposium is available as a free online learning module.

Combating Implicit Bias: Employment

Disability and Change 2020 logo

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About this year's theme

Employment statistics for persons with disabilities continue to be disappointing, ~19% compared to ~66% of peers without disabilities. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). We ask ourselves, "is there something beyond overt discrimination and access that perhaps we need to address? Are there silent barriers such as those created by implicit bias?"

Most of us believe that we are fair and equitable, and evaluate others based on objective facts. However, all of us, even the most egalitarian, have implicit biases – triggered automatically, in about a tenth of a second, without our conscious awareness or intention, and cause us to have attitudes about and preferences for people based on characteristics such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and religion. These implicit biases often do not reflect or align with our conscious, declared beliefs. (American Bar Association, Commission on Disability Rights, "Implicit Bias Guide," 2019)

This year's theme challenges us to each ask ourselves "What implicit bias(es) do we have and encounter, and how do we recognize them and move beyond them to create opportunities, welcome, and full participation for all?"

As always, this Symposium privileges first-person voices and experiences.

About the Disability and Change Symposium

The stated goal of the annual Symposium is "to create conversation that transcends any one-dimensional depiction of people with disabilities, and foregrounds the multidimensional lives of our speakers - as writers, educators, performers, and advocates."

The Disability and Change Symposium is a one-day, interdisciplinary conference focusing on cultural equity and disability. The event is free, accessible and open to the public.

Acknowledgments

Organized by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, the Symposium is an outcome of collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Faculty Council on Disability whose mission is "to foster collaboration across Temple University on disability-related projects including research, teaching, programming, publication, and grant-seeking. By connecting with one another, Council members help build community among the growing number of people at Temple whose work engages with disability."

Core funding for the Disability and Change Symposium is through a grant from the Center for the Humanities at Temple University (CHAT)

We extend our appreciation to Disability Resources and Services for providing Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) and American Sign Language services for the day.

The Institute on Disabilities, Temple University College of Education is pleased to recognize some of our 2020 Symposium Partners/Sponsors from Temple University:

This year we also want to recognize the contributions of students (Associate Professor Deb Blair, STHM 2114 - Leisure & Tourism in a Diverse Society), who contributed to shaping and supporting this symposium:

  • Madeline Culbert, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management; Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management (est. 08/2021)
  • Jair Guardia, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management. (est. 08/2021)
  • Hallie Ingrim, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management
  • Thomas Leonard, School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management (est. 08/2021)
  • Bryan McCurdy, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management (est. 05/2022)

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