Biden / Federal Policies	7. Office of Civil Rights – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services FAQs for Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Federal Civil Rights Protections for Individuals with Disabilities under Section 504 and Section 1557 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has made clear that civil rights protections remain in full force and effect during disasters or emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic - PDF. These laws include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557) which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.1 OCR is providing this FAQ guidance2 on Federal civil rights obligations under Section 504 and Section 1557 in light of the continuing public health and national emergency concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). https://tinyurl.com/Section505Section1557 8. Politico Trump-Era Medicare Program Under Increased Scrutiny The Biden administration is debating whether to overhaul a major Trump-era program tied to Medicare as soon as this week in the face of rising pressure from prominent progressive Democrats, more than a half-dozen people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. The Trump program — known as a direct contracting model — allows private companies to participate in Medicare as part of a broader health department effort to improve care while limiting the government’s costs. https://tinyurl.com/MedicareProgramUnderScrutiny
Learning Opportunities for Dignity Alliance Massachusetts Participants and Supporters	9. Creating Accessible, Powerful Social Media Content Engaging Everyone: Creating Accessible, Powerful Social Media Content Part Two: Messaging March 2, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. In part one, we covered the basics of how to create accessible posts for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In part two, learn about the parts of an effective social media campaign. Presenters will walk through the parts of a campaign, how to define your message, how to influence and target your message, and how to measure your impact. Presenters will discuss different strategies and walk through campaign examples. Register for Part Two: https://tinyurl.com/PartTwoMessaging Meet the Presenters Jules Good (they/them) is the founder and consulting lead at Neighborhood Access. Jules is a multiply-disabled entrepreneur with a passion for leveraging design, community, and intersectional justice principles to create more accessible neighborhoods. They hold a master’s in public policy from the University of New Hampshire. Jules has worked with nonprofits, state agencies, and private businesses to aid in making their practices and processes more accessible to the disabled community. They are deeply involved in disability justice work both locally in their current home state of New Hampshire, and nationally. Samantha VanSchoick (she/her) spends most of her time passionately & meticulously infusing creative energy into high-impact marketing campaigns. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at CIL, a nonprofit real estate developer, Sam seeks out opportunities to create a world where all people have access to quality, accessible housing in neighborhoods of their choice. Sam serves as the Communications Workgroup Co-chair for Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, a coalition of orgs and advocates across MA that believe in dignity, choice, and determination for aging and disabled persons.

The Dignity Digest Issue # 77 February 18, 2022 www.DignityAllianceMA.org