NCD Council Meeting, Jan. 22-23 2025, Orlando, Florida

THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY (NCD) WILL HOLD A TWO-DAY IN-PERSON COUNCIL MEETING ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026, 9 A.M.– 3:25 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST) AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2026, 9 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. PLACE: This meeting will take place at the Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32819. The event will also be livestreamed via Zoom for Government. Zoom links will be provided in advance of the meeting. It will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Day 1 – Following welcome remarks by Vice Chair / Acting Chair, Shawn Kennemer, and introductions, the Council will receive a policy update, followed by a panel discussion on institutionalization of youth in nursing homes and a public comment period for input, in person and by Zoom, on youth in nursing homes. After a break, there will be a panel of Floridians with disabilities describing their experiences during and after recent natural disasters, followed by a public comment period for Floridians to provide their experiences in-person and by Zoom. After a lunch break, the meeting will resume with a panel discussion on barriers and innovations in accessible transportation in Florida followed by a Council discussion, and public comment before adjourning. Day 2 – Following welcoming remarks, the Council will receive the Chairman’s report; Council member’s individual reports; an Executive Committee report; and a legislative and media update; a presentation on NCD’s disability competency curriculum project for medical professionals, followed by a Council discussion; a presentation on a study of HCBS denials in Florida, followed by a Council question. We conclude the meeting with an award presentation for NCD Council Member / Former Chair Neil Romano. AGENDA: The times provided below are approximations (all Eastern Standard Time): Thursday, January 22, 2026 9:00 – 9:15 a.m. – Welcome Greetings, Roll Call, Acceptance of Agenda 9:15 – 9:30 a.m. – Policy Update 9:30 – 10:40 a.m. – Panel on Institutionalization of Youth in Nursing Homes 10:40 – 11:05 a.m. – Public Comment on Youth in Nursing Homes 11:05 – 11:20 a.m. – Break 11:20 – 12:25 p.m. – Panel on Experiences of Disabled Floridians During/After Recent Natural Disasters 12:25 – 12:50 p.m. – Public Comment on Experiences in Natural Disasters 12:50 – 2:10 p.m. – Lunch Break 2:10 – 3:10 p.m. – Panel on Accessible Transportation in Florida: Barriers and Innovations 3:10 – 3:35 p.m. – Public Comment on Accessible Transportation in Florida 3:35 p.m. – Adjourn until January 23 at 9:00 a.m. Friday, January 23, 2026 9:00 – 9:10 a.m. – Welcome and Call to Order 9:10 – 9:20 a.m. – Chairman’s Report 9:20 – 9:40 a.m. – Council Member Reports 9:40 – 9:55 a.m. – Executive Committee Report 9:55 – 10:10 a.m. – Legislative and Media Updates 10:10 – 10:25 a.m. – Break 10:25 – 10:50 a.m. – Description of Disability Competency Curriculum Project, RFI Responses to Date, and Potential NCD Recommendations 10:50 – 11:00 p.m. – Council Question and Answer on Project 11:00 – 11:30 - Presentation: A Study of Denials of Florida HCBS Waiver Eligibility 11:30 – 11:40 a.m. – Council Questions and Answers on Study 11:40 – 12:00 p.m. – Public Service Award for NCD Council Member Neil Romano 12:00 p.m. – Adjourn the Quarterly Meeting PUBLIC COMMENT: Public participation during the public comment period provides an opportunity for us to hear from individuals, businesses, providers, educators, parents and advocates. Your comments are important in bringing to the Council’s attention the issues and priorities of the disability community. For the January 22 Council meeting, NCD will have two public comment periods of 25 minutes each. The first on youth institutionalized in nursing homes, and the second on experiences of disabled Floridians in recent natural disasters. Additional information on specifics of the topic is available on NCD’s public comment page at https://ncd.gov/public-comment. The Council will receive comments from in-person commenters first, and time allowing, from Florida residents who attend via Zoom for Government livestream. Comments are also always accepted via email. To provide public comment during an NCD Council Meeting, NCD requires advanced registration by either signing up to present while registering for the meeting or sending an email to PublicComment@ncd.gov with the subject line “Public Comment” and your name, organization (if applicable), state, and topic of comment in the body of your email. Deadline for public comment registration is January 20, 2026, 8:00 p.m. EST. Please indicate if you are providing the comment in-person or only submitting via email. All individuals desiring to make public comments are encouraged to read NCD’s guidelines for public comment in advance of the meeting at: https://ncd.gov/public-comment. Comments during this meeting must be specific to youth in nursing homes and experiences in recent natural disasters. To provide comments by email, please send personal experiences, and/or articles, data, and other research on the following topics to PublicComment@ncd.gov. Your contributions will help strengthen our investigations and provide for a more comprehensive view for federal policymakers. CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Nicholas Sabula, Public Affairs Specialist, NCD, 1331 F Street NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004; 202-272-2004 (V), or nsabula@ncd.gov. ACCOMMODATIONS: ASL Interpreters will be provided in-room and included during the live streamed meeting, and CART has been arranged for this meeting and will be embedded into the Zoom platform as well as available via streamtext link. The web link to access CART Streamtext: https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=NCD If you require additional accommodations, please notify Stacey Brown by sending an email to sbrown@ncd.gov as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting. Due to last-minute confirmations or cancellations, NCD may substitute items without advance public notice.