Extending the Promise of the Older Americans Act to Persons Aging With Long-Term Disability

This article discusses the need for Older Americans Act (OAA) programs to evaluate and develop where needed the capacity to serve persons aging with long-term disabilities such as intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and physical disabilities including polio, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis. The rationale for this work is the universal access to OAA programs for all adults over 60, regardless of the disability type, age of onset, or severity, acknowledging that other needs-based criteria often need to be met to receive services. Recommendations for increasing OAA and aging network capacity include addressing long-standing divisions between the fields of aging and disability, a comprehensive review of all Administration for Community Living programs and policies, engaging in program adaptation to build capacity, advancing knowledge and skills of the professional workforce, creating new knowledge to support delivery of evidence-based interventions to all older adults including those with lifelong and early and midlife onset of disability.