POLAR PLUNGE Page 9
Volume 28, Number 2
Minnesota’s home care crisis continues to play out at the capitol. More pay and benefits for home care workers are at the forefront for several groups. Advocates got mixed news after Gov. Mark Dayton released his budget last month. Supporters for increased pay are working against a backdrop of thousands of job vacancies in the home care ranks. It’s estimated that there are more than 8,700 job vacancies statewide. Workers who do homecare for Minnesotans with disabilities earn less than other Minnesota workers in many fields. Home care workers earn an average of $12.32 per hour, pay directly tied to state reimbursement rates set by lawmakers. The Complex Care Coalition is a group advocating for people who need more specialized and intensive care to remain in their homes and communities. Someone eligible for complex care needs 12 or more hours of care each day. Coalition member Rick Cardenas said the group is pleased with Dayton’s proposal. Dayton proposes that effective July 1, 2018, service recipients with complex needs will see a 10 percent increase in the rate for Personal Care Attendant (PCA) services, and the budgets for Consumer Directed Community Supports, Alternative Care, and the Consumer Grant Program. Best Life Alliance, a statewide coalition, expressed disappointment that Dayton’s 2017 budget, although providing increases to some workers, fails to include the wages and benefits that group seeks. “Consistent, quality direct-care staff are the foundation of community-based services for people with disabilities,” said Best Life Alliance chair and parent Pam Gonnella. “If we don’t address the workforce shortage, the entire system will crumble. Just like maintenance of roads and bridges, we must invest today in order to have a sustainable system. People’s lives are really on the line.” The alliance wants consecutive four percent wage increases for direct care workers, effective July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018. It also wants to increase provider rates to cover the cost of single employee health care coverage by July 1, 2019, to improve worker insurance. The funds Dayton earmarked meet the state’s obligations under its proposed contract with SEIU Minnesota Healthcare. SEIU represents workers in the PCA Choice and other home care programs. Medicaid requirements don’t allow differences in payment rates based on union membership, so all workers would benefit. It includes a raise in the minimum wage from $11 to $13 The governor’s budget goes to the House and Senate for action. It is tied to a tentative agreement announced CRISIS page 7
by Jane McClure High fees are keeping too many Minnesota families out of the Medical Assistance/Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) program. Families in the program make many sacrifices to pay fees meant to keep children with disabilities healthy and living in the community. More than 50 parents and children gathered January 28 in Roseville to share their stories and mobilize for the 2017 legislative session. The Arc Minnesota is leading the charge, calling for state lawmakers to support a reduction in the fees. The goal is to have the fees halved this year and eventually eliminated. “People cannot get access to the programs they need because the fees are out of control,” said Melissa Haley, a St. Paul resident and parent of a child with autism. MA/TEFRA covers needed services including include physical therapy, behavior therapy, personal care attendant services, speech and occupational therapy. Parent after parent, some in tears, described extremely difficult situations they face. Families that provided care for years on their own see MA/TEFRA as saving their families, and helping their children. More than one person described the program as a “godsend.” But the income-based fees are too much for families already paying rent, mortgages, car payments and other living expenses. Families make one payment for care for their child with disabilities and another payment to cover insurance needs for the rest of their children.
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Families call for state intervention, parental fees 'out of control'
Jackie Bambenek shared that her monthly fee for Medical Assistance services for her child with disabilities is more than $950 per month.
This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise, little by little, one day at a time. It may not be easy - but we'll get there together. — Loretta Lynch
NEWS DIGEST
The fees have increased over the years to help balance the state budget. Some families pay hundreds of dollars and others more than $1,000 per month. Rising fees for the program, coupled with looming Affordable Care Act changes at the federal level, have parents worried. If the Trump administrative makes major changes to the insurance system, programs like MA/ TEFRA could become more important than ever. The TEFRA option is intended to allow MA eligibility for children with disabilities whose parents have too much family income to qualify for MA or other Minnesota health care programs. To qualify for MA/TEFRA services a child must live with at least
Accessible360 helps make websites, apps a snap Page 3 The 'mothers' of the ADA Page 3 Readers write about regulations, spend-downs and staying involved Page 4 Arts grants winners announced Page 10 Attend agricultural conference Page 12
FEES page 7
Longtime community leader
Bjerkesett gave many a place to call home by Access Press staff Countless people with disabilities have enjoyed accessible housing, thanks to Michael Bjerkesett. Bjerkesett’s death January 18 sent shock waves through his large circle of friends and triggered an outpouring of sadness from around the world. Family and friends recall his twinkling eyes, ready smile and zest for life. A celebration of his life was held January 29 in St. Anthony. He was 69 years old and lived in New Brighton. Bjerkesett was best known in Minnesota’s disability community as one of the founders of the United Handicap Federation and as the founder and longtime executive director of the National Handicap Housing Institute, Inc. Bjerkesett founded NHHI in 1975 for the express purpose of improving the independent lifestyles of persons with physical disabilities. His own life as a quadriplegic and experiences trying to find a home for himself raised awareness of the challenges people face in finding accessible homes. Dick VanWagner met Bjerkesett in 1974, when he was helping organize United Handicap Federation. He soon realized that Bjerkesett was a leader, rather than an organizer. “Thanks to Mike – and others – the United Handicapped Federation became a reality. With relish I brought the gavel down on that first convention, became an officer, and since I had a knack for knowing when and how to confront or
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Care crisis plays out at capitol
February 10, 2017
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Michael Bjerkesett coddle elected and appointed public officials, took the lead on a number of projects. Mike and I worked together on goals, strategies and tactics – including knowing the responses UHF would receive from some officials and what our second and third steps would be. After a while I could see Mike was champing at the bit, wanting to get out front, to use his energy and intelligence to get things done with his skill, his vision. You can’t keep a thoroughbred in the starting stall when the other horses were well beyond the gates.” Van Wagner and Bjerkesett worked
together on many issues. When they were researching a civil lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transit Commission, Bjerkesett turned to his friend and said, “Dick, I’m a leader not an organizer.” He and architect John Myklebust went on to form what became NHHI. “We both signed on as plaintiffs in the suit against the MTC and kept working together for a few years until going our separate ways, active on different paths working on issues with people with disabilities. Mike has left big footprints, tread marks if you will, on his way home,” said VanWagner. NHHI, which is considered one of the nation’s leading accessible housing developers, has created more than 15,000 specialized housing units over the years. The developer has had a hand in developing barrier-free housing across the nation, including 20 Minnesota buildings. NHHI has conducted research on barrier-free housing design and developed architectural and product specification standards that are functional and affordable, for new and existing buildings. Its staff has also provided design-related services, marketing, consultation and property management activities to other developers. Bjerkesett retired from NHHI in fall 2014. In an interview he said that as he got older, it was taking more time to manage his health and care. He took time off and then founded another nonprofit, BJERKESETT page 15
Pg 2 February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1
EDITOR’S DESK
Tim Benjamin Since the Minnesota legislative session started, there have been hundreds of new bills introduced, including two that are of interest concerning caregivers, home care and home care agencies. Both were introduced on February 6, and both were authored by Sen. Jerry Relph (R -St. Cloud). Together the bills are aimed at easing the workforce shortage that the disability community and home care industry are experiencing. The first, Senate File 318, Certified Paraprofessionals for Home Care Services, creates a career ladder and paraprofessional status for home care workers. The legislation would allow these paraprofessionals, after a 40-hour training program approved by the Health and Human Services commissioner, and under regular supervision by a registered nurse, to do many of the tasks that were previously only permitted for LPNs. On introducing the legislation, the author added an amendment to disallow the use of paraprofessionals with ventilator-dependent clients. There was quite a bit of discussion and opposition concerning this bill. Some in the gallery were saying that this bill was only starting the conversation on how to resolve the workforce shortage in skilled nursing for home care, and it would take several more years to work out. It sure seems like a good start, even allowing that there is a lot to work out in order to increase the pool of providers while maintaining a safe, independent quality of life for individuals with extremely high needs. The companion bill, House File 464, went to the Health and Human Services Reform committee, which is working on the challenge of how to guarantee individuals’ rights to live in the least restricted environment in a way that is financially sustainable for the state. The second of Senator Relph’s bills addressing the home care workforce shortage is Senate File 393. It was explained in a hearing by Jeff Bangsberg, who has come out of retirement and has worked determinedly to foster this legislation through the lawmaking process. There was also very compelling and diverse testimony by Don Dania, Carla Frieze and Jim Carlisle. Each of them spoke about a different aspect of the hardship the workforce
shortage has created for them and their personal networks. They spoke about friends who have gone without care for weekends, others who at the 11th hour averted being admitted to the hospital over the holidays, some whose PCAs are burning out from overwork, and others who have paid the ultimate price for the workforce shortage and lost their lives. SF 393 would authorize an additional 20 percent reimbursement increase for home care agencies whose PCAs serve people who qualify for 10 or more hours of daily care in the home. Current law requires that the agencies provide 72.5 percent of the reimbursement to the direct support person in wages or benefits. The legislation would also add a training requirement (CNA or equivalent level of knowledge/expertise) for PCAs in order to receive the enhanced wage. To receive the higher wage, a PCA would have to have suitable training and
Volume 28, Number 2 Periodicals Imprint: Pending ISSN
Co-Founder/Publisher............................................................................................................Wm. A. Smith, Jr. (1990-96) Co-Founder/Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief.............................................................................. Charles F. Smith (1990-2001) Board of Directors.................................... Brigid Alseth, Steve Anderson, John Clark, Kristin Jorenby, Carrie Salberg, .....................................................................................................................Cheryl Vander Linden, Dick VanWagner, Mark Zangara Advertising Sales......... Michelle Hegarty, 612-807-1078 Cartoonist......................................................Scott Adams Executive Director.....................................Tim Benjamin Production........................................................ In-Fin Tuan Managing Editor........................................ Jane McClure Distribution............................................ S. C. Distribution Business Manager/Webmaster......... Dawn Frederick EDITORIAL: Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material and advertising do not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press.
To receive the higher wage, a PCA would have to have suitable training and guidance specifically for working with a person with high needs. guidance specifically for working with a person with high needs. If the PCA has training but is working for someone who does not require complex services, they would be paid at the regular PCA reimbursement rate. Those with complex care needs are having a profoundly difficult time finding needed caregivers. This increase in reimbursement rate would potentially open up more agencies to accepting complex-need clients, because not only is it more challenging to find PCAs, it’s tough to find quality agencies that will shoulder consumers with complicated and stressful needs. Because the situation is particularly urgent for those with complex needs, SF 393 focuses on PCAs who serve those individuals. The companion, House File 481, will be introduced later in the month.
Each of us knows, directly or through many friends and colleagues, about the unprecedented workforce shortage of PCAs—for all state program participants, and for direct-pay clients. The entire disability community should support the governor’s budget, which includes a substantial reimbursement increase for all PCAs. So remember: in order for any of this legislation to be passed, the disability community has to show up in numbers. Don’t forget Tuesdays at the Capitol, don’t forget calling and writing or asking your disability organization to help you help them support the needs of all of us with disabilities. Stay warm and safe and call a friend to make sure they’re safe. The days are getting longer, and we can hope that we’ll get brighter days in more ways than one. ■
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February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 3
Providing digital access
Accessible360 helps make websites, apps accessible Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has ensured equal opportunity for Americans who live with physical and mental conditions that limit their means. While wheelchair ramps, closed captioning and wider doorways have become commonplace, the digital realm still lags behind. Accessible360, founded by entrepreneur Mark Lacek, seeks to fix that oversight. The company’s purpose is to make websites and digital apps fully functional for those who live with blindness, deafness, or physical or cognitive disabilities. The company was launched in April 2016 and began promotion last fall, just in time to help businesses comply with a rollout of new regulations from the Department of Justice in 2018. Technology has changed since 1990 when the ADA was passed. The Department of Justice announced last year that it the law applies both to physical buildings as well as digital areas. Accessible360 is here to make companies accessible today. Many screen readers don’t recognize 100 percent of a website, Lacek said. When a blind user can’t access an offer, it is discrimination and a violation of the law. Some compliance issues are obvious, like font sizes that affect persons
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by Loren Green
Accessible360 Team Members are Aaron Cannon, Mark Lacek, Michele Landis, Kelly Henry and Peter Quale. with visual impairment. counterparts, so it’s essential for comBut Lacek said most are subtle. panies to adapt to their needs. “Up to “There are things you would never rec85 percent of websites are not compliognize as a sighted person. Technology ant based on what the current ADA just doesn’t pick them up.” guidelines are,” said Lacek. Checkout screens are a notorious “It’s somewhat Y2Kish,” Lacek said problem for blind users, he explained. when explaining digital ADA compliThis alienates those users and decreasance. “There’s this pending thing on es potential sales. Studies show that the horizon. The difference is everyone Americans with disabilities spend more knew about Y2K and people are just time online than their non-disabled becoming aware of this issue.”
Accessible360 offers three core services. Lacek’s team of 10— led by accessibility engineer Aaron Cannon (who is blind)—will provide an audit of a website to determine issues and potential fixes for a client. Other services are remediation (fixing the issues) and monitoring. Monitoring, he said, works like a home security system or credit card alert program, where Accessible360 makes sure that any new content uploaded to a website remains in compliance even after the first two phases are complete. “The biggest challenge is really awareness and education of the general public,” said Lacek. “A lot of people don’t realize that the ADA regulations applies to the internet and their sites need to be accessible.” The company was inspired by the number of lawsuits being filed about website accessibility. So far, Lacek’s team has worked with retail, financial services, travel, health and medical, and educational websites. It’s important to be compliant, he says, but it’s more important to make the world a better place. “No one wants to be that company or that website that’s not empathetic to all of society,” he added, “including the disabled.” ■ (This article originally appeared in The Line.)
HISTORY NOTE
Many women played key roles in the passage of the ADA In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women's History Month. A special presidential proclamation is issued every year to honor the extraordinary achievements of women in the United States. Countless women with disabilities have played key roles in the disability rights movement, the movement from institutionalization to community living, education reforms and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA Legacy Project has compiled biographies of women who were leaders in the movement to pass the ADA 26 years ago. Access Press will present some of their stories in our February and March issues. Thousands of other women served in various leadership capacities and were instrumental in securing the passage of the ADA. They all can be considered the "Mothers" of the ADA. Patrisha Wright was more than a "Woman of the ADA." Her leadership during the ADA's passage eventually earned her the nickname "The General." She was one of a handful of leading strategies based in Washington, DC and worked especially closely with Ralph Neas, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Wright and Neas collaborated with a number of other leaders who focused on different objectives for passing the ADA, including Washington lobbyists Liz Savage and Paul Marchand; grassroots organizers Justin Dart and Marilyn Golden; and attorneys Arlene Mayerson, Chai Feldblum, and Robert Burgdorf. Wright served as chief of the negotiating team representing Americans with disabilities throughout the ADA legislative process. Leader Justin Dart called her "one of the great Congressional negotiators of American history." Wright made her first major inroads into the disability rights movement at the Section 504 sit-in in San Francisco in April 1977. Although she was there
mainly to serve as a personal assistant to Judy Heumann, Wright began to reveal and develop her negotiating skills in dealing with authorities. This experience led her to become more involved with overall advocacy efforts. In the late 1970s, she joined DREDF, the Disability Rights Education, and Defense Fund, where she worked with Robert Funk, Mary Lou Breslin, and Arlene Mayerson to advocate for disability rights on a national level. Wright was so widely respected in Congress and the White House that her unique apparel and colorful vocabulary were safe from reproach. The ADA's success was due in no small part to Wright's strategic leadership. Wright’s many allies included Chai R. Feldblum and Liza Savage. Feldblum served on Wright's team as a full-time negotiator and advocate. While working from 1988-1991 as Legislative Counsel to the AIDS Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, Feldblum was also lead attorney on the team drafting the ADA. She served as chief legal counsel to the disability community during negotiations and passage of the ADA and was equally instrumental in drafting and negotiating the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Feldblum to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. During the late 1980s, when Savage was with the Epilepsy Foundation, she coordinated the Congressional lobbying campaign, building a coalition of more than 75 national disability, civil rights, religious and civic organizations, that led to the enactment of the ADA. Savage was Pat Wright's strong right-hand woman.■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mnddc.org or www.mncdd. org and www.partnersinpolicymaking.com.
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February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 4
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
Excessive regulations compound the state's care crisis by Michael Kraines
CASSIDY ANN SUTTON
Minnesota’s providers of home and community based services for people with disabilities face a serious workforce crisis. The Star Tribune reported last year that there are 9,000 open positions in this field. This dilemma has been years in the making and can be attributed in part to a shrinking labor pool, greater service demands and wages that have not kept pace with other industries. The Best Life Alliance, a Minnesota coalition that advocates for these services, is asking state legislators to pass a 4 percent wage increase for all direct support professionals (DSPs). In spite of broad support last year for a similar measure, proposed legislation never made it to a floor vote. With new leadership in 2017, we are hopeful that this will pass. Unfortunately, Gov. Mark Dayton did not allocate funds in his budget that supports the Best Life Alliance's call to increase DSP wages four percent. DSPs work alongside individuals with disabilities every day, and are a major factor in the effort to help people to get as far as they can in the employment realm. A wage increase is critical and long overdue, but we also need to take a broad systemic look at inefficiencies. We can reduce wasted state resources, and create long-term solutions to this workforce challenge. For several years, nonprofit service providers have increasingly been forced to divert funds from DSPs to pay for growing governmental and bureaucratic demands. There are unfunded and often unnecessary regulations, audits, studies and poorly designed government administered functions and processes. Policies or laws are often created with good intent, but service providers must then address them and absorb the costs. Advocates lend help by seeking funds to offset costs and everyone soldiers on— providers, advocates and policymakers. People find it hard to recognize that
many costly initiatives fail to actually improve services for people with disabilities. But, the policies, and higher costs, remain ongoing. Take, for example, the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA). Certainly, people with disabilities should be informed about the opportunity and benefits of competitive work. This was already happening at most, if not all of the state’s nonprofit direct service providers. WIOA only adds another layer, and a process that diverts millions of dollars from direct support, to double up on counseling. WIOA is new and the verdict is still out on its value. It’s off to a rocky start and looks to be following the playbook I mentioned. To be fair to Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development, or DEED, this was a federal initiative. DEED is doing its best to meet the new requirements without much assistance from the Department of Labor, or additional federal funding. DEED had to comply and absorb the cost. At the service agency where I work, we serve 190 individuals with disabilities. The vast majority are working. We had to bring staff out of direct service to manage WIOA related compliance. We too, have to absorb the cost, and that means less service for the people who need it. Advocacy organizations are calling for funds to meet the demands of WIOA so we can regain the direct services lost. The money diverted to counseling sessions needs to be replaced. The governor hears the call from his policymakers, and puts $7 million in his budget for WIOA. So, what is the outcome of WIOA so far? Parents of people with significant intellectual disabilities are telling me that WIOA is a “waste of time.” They ask, “Do we really have to go through that again in a year?” Another person called it pointless. Furthermore, I have been asked more than once by parents if their
son or daughter could be exempt from WIOA. The money, time, and energy would be better spent on the people who are truly helping folks with disabilities, DSPs. WIOA and numerous other initiatives take money from the direct services that people with intellectual disabilities need. The workforce crisis is real. Scarce resources should be used more effectively to provide the best quality DSPs who will help people with disabilities to get as far as they can on the work
continuum. Fair pay attracts quality people. This can’t be overstated. Investing in DSPs is building in a better future for people with disabilities. Michael Kraines is a board member for the Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation (MOHR). He is the executive director for CHOICE, Inc., an agency that works with people with intellectual disabilities in the areas of employment, advocacy, community involvement, and health and wellness. ■
People shouldn't have to live in poverty to get help they need
This oldster urges others to stay involved in legislative issues
On February 1 I testified on behalf of Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) before the Senate Committee on Human Services Reform and Policy. We support the governor’s budget increase for Minnesota Supplemental Aid—Housing Assistance (MSA-HA), but we also request consideration for MNCCD’s other top priorities: Enhancements and upgrades to Consumer Directed Community Supports which would allow more choice particularly for adolescents transitioning into adult services; and increases in the income and asset limits
“We are the oldsters," my friend said the other night. It's no wonder I don't always read Access Press the minute it arrives. (Excuse me Tim) Let me explain. As I start reading the news coming out of the capitol, I'm keenly aware that names are different, but some of the issues may be the same. A bit of nostalgia starts creeping in as I begin remembering my days at the capitol, in the 1970s. Now, as an oldster, I still keep involved via phone calls and emails to public officials. Given the new administrations here in Minnesota and in Washington D.C. we have a rough road ahead of us. Fortu-
for Medical Assistance (MA) spenddowns so that people with disabilities can keep more of their own income and savings to live in the community. These programs are not new mandates or initiatives, but enhancements to already existing programs. Here are my thoughts as an individual. I appreciate the challenges legislators face. In my 40-year career in health and human services, as well as service on the Rochester School Board, I am keenly aware of the
BACHMAN page 5
nately, there are many advocates in and around the capitol and Access Press to keep us informed. Every legislator's name, phone number, and committee assignments are listed on the web site under state of Minnesota. It's easy to find what, when and where bills are up for committee hearings. This information allows people like myself to call or email any of the legislators on that particular committee. Hopefully, 2017 will be a successful session. LeAnne Dahl, The Oldster Columbia Heights
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 5
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
People shouldn't live in poverty to get help that they need BACHMAN page 4 pressures elected officials feel in balancing constant requests for increases in funding with resources at hand. There is a constant dilemma in deciding what needs to be funded by taxpayers, and what should be individual and family responsibilities. What is the proper balance? It goes to the heart of who we are. I ask that you ponder this question: Should persons with disabilities have to live in poverty to get the services and supports they need? I understand if people do have the means to pay for at least a portion of their support they should do so. But I also contend that the balance is way out of whack and puts an undue burden on persons with disabilities, as well as seniors who need MA services. About 12,200 people including 7,100 people with disabilities and 4,700 seniors are impacted by the MA spend-down. The
spend-down limit for persons with disabilities is $792 and month (80 percent of the federal poverty guideline), with a limit of $3,000 in savings. HF 225 and SF 250 would change MA so people can keep $990 a month of social security income and $10,000 of savings. This is a step in the right direction, but will hardly allow for persons with disabilities to pay for anything more than the basics. The recent ABLE act allowing people to build up savings over time without loss of benefits is welcomed. However, in order to build up savings you must have something left over to save. At $792 a month after paying for rent, utilities, food, clothing and other expenses, where is the “left over” to save? We’ve built much of our health and human services infrastructure on Medicaid funding, and Medicaid is means-tested. When I was state director of mental health in Utah, a veteran colleagues said the mantra was: If it moves,
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In Memoriam Moran was a skilled interpreter
Deaf and hard-of-hearing Minnesotans remember Kathy Moran for her work as an advocate as well as a skilled interpreter. Moran was honored in January at a Minneapolis memorial service. She died weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. “She wanted to make sure that deaf folks could participate in life as fully and as equally as possible,” Mark Alan English, partowner of Middle English Interpreting in Minneapolis, told the Star Tribune. “The deaf community adored her. … She danced to her own drum, and everyone knew her. She was part of their community.” Moran had worked for the Ebenezer Society for 32 years, and developed the Minneapolis social services agency’s deaf services program. A New Rochelle, N.Y. native, Moran came to Minnesota to attend Carleton College, where she played field hockey, softball and basketball. Family members said she loved language, words and puzzles. She spoke Spanish, some Russian and a bit of French. For those in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, Moran was someone highly regarded. She was a “master facilitator of communication,” said Liz Brown, a longtime friend and a specialist in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services division in the Minnesota Department of Human Services. “She wanted the people she served to have equal access to everything that was available to everybody else,” Brown said. “She was a force to be reckoned with.” Moran is survived by her mother, brothers and many other relatives.
Glommen led ARC, Foster Grandparents
Harvey Hamilton Glommen did many things to help society’s most vulnerable members. His long career included a stint in the late 1960s as executive director of ARC and work to deinstitutionalize people with developmental disabilities and move them into community-based programs. Glommen, 88, of Blaine, died in January at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis. Glommen began his career in the 1960s as a social worker. He developed innovative and lifesaving programs for seniors, including a meal delivery plan that in part prompted the federal government to invest in Meals on Wheels. He advocated for orphans in promoting interracial adoptions. He spoke for people with developmental disabilities in an era when their dignity was not always respected. His influence stretched from Minnesota to Washington, D.C., where he worked in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare during President Lyndon Johnson’s administration in the 1960s. He led Johnson’s Foster Grandparents program. The program paid seniors to work with needy children with developmental disabilities and long-term health issues. Glommen was born in Michigan. He served in the U.S. Army and then graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with the help of the G.I. Bill. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. For 20 years, Glommen and his wife Ina were foster parents for adults with mental health issues. His life’s work was influenced by his strong faith. He is survived by his wife, a son, three daughters, six grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Services have been held.■ ∏∏f∏∏
Medicaid it. The “free” federal match seduced everyone. But now the chickens have come home to roost with the looming possibility of block granting Medicaid to the states. If that happens, Minnesota stands to lose $5 billion a year, nearly half the current health and human services budget. What then? Medicaid may currently be an entitlement, but it is also means-tested. You have to be poor, or spend down enough income and assets to be poor, in order to qualify. And if you are a middle-class family with a child with disabilities who qualifies for TEFRA you must pay a large parental fee while still paying health insurance premiums, in effect paying double for the services your child needs. If you are an adult with disabilities, services supported by Medicaid are vital to your ability to work and live in the community, or even just live. Many have no other options. And the government, through the
Olmstead decree, says you have a right to live in the community if you so choose. You may have that right, but what good is it if you can’t exercise it because you can’t get services? Some may say that the taxpayers should not be funding entitlements, that everything should be meanstested. However there are other entitlements that are not means-tested: VA benefits and Medicare are examples. Here are a few suggestions to guide legislative decisions: • Is the program or service cost-effective? • Does it duplicate other services that are easily accessed? • Is it an investment in longterm cost savings? • Do we have a moral obligation to this population? • Do we have a legal obligation to this population? • Is the mechanism we’ve established to determine eligibility efficient and without undue red tape?
• Is there a mechanism to assure accountability, and protect against waste, fraud and abuse? • Are there sufficient funds to assure that the infrastructure that has been built up to sustain the service? • Is there a public/private partnership that shares responsibility for providing the services and supports? • Will providing this service help integrate people into the community and preserve and protect families? When you apply the above principles to the priorities we’ve outlined for helping people with disabilities live in the community, and to help children with disabilities get the services they need, the answer is all the boxes are checked. ■ Randall W. Bachman Afton (This letter was excerpted from a longer letter to Sen. Jim Abeler.)
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 6
REGIONAL NEWS Dayton signs health premium relief
Gov. Mark Dayton signed health insurance premium relief into law January 26, soon after it passed the House of Representatives 108-19 and the Senate 47-19. As many as 120,000 Minnesotans could start seeing big drops on their health insurance premiums. Roughly $310 million will be spent throughout 2017 to give 25 percent discounts. The measure was signed into law just before the open enrollment period for 2017 health insurance ended, prompting calls for Minnesotans who had been holding back from buying insurance due to the high premium cost to now reconsider. After the law was enacted, some details still had to be worked out. The relief is available only to people who buy insurance on the individual market -- not people who get insurance through their employer or through a government program such as Medical Assistance or Medicare. Among people on the individual market, the 25 percent state-funded discount Governor Mark Dayton applies only to individuals who don't get federal tax subsidies. Those federal subsidies are available to people earning up to 400 percent of the poverty limit -- $47,520 for an individual, or $97,200 for a family of four. There is no maximum income limit. In order to get discounted individual market insurance, Minnesotans must have current individual market coverage. Though federal subsidies are only available on plans purchased through the state-run MNsure exchange, the state grants are available to plans bought on MNsure or directly from insurers. The discounts will be automatically applied to customers' insurance invoices. "If you qualify for the discount it will show up on your premium invoice in a few months," said Eileen Smith with the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. "You don't have to do anything to get the discount." People should keep paying their premiums in full -- and not take 25 percent off themselves, the Council of Health Plans said. Discounts are likely to start appearing in bills sent out in April for May insurance, though some insurers could apply the discounts earlier. Even though it will take months to start getting the cuts, they are retroactive to the beginning of the year. Smith said customers would likely see the retroactive discounts applied to future bills. ■ (Source: Pioneer Press)
Human rights offices are proposed
Gov. Mark Dayton's two-year budget plan seeks an additional $2.3 million to add human rights offices in Rochester, Duluth, and Worthington. Each office would have two employees. Currently, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights has offices in St. Paul and St. Cloud. The budget would also add a second employee at the St. Cloud office. Commissioner of Human Rights Kevin Lindsey said the department investigates discrimination complaints across the state and wants to boost its presence in Greater Minnesota. "When we take a look at our overall inventory of cases, we have cases throughout the state of Minnesota, and sometimes it's helpful for people to actually come in and sit down and meet face to face with someone," Lindsey said. In 2015, the department completed 619 discrimination investigations and opened 620 new cases. The most common complaint is disability discrimination. The proposal has met support from various civil rights groups and some legislators. Minority groups in Rochester have been calling for a human rights office in Rochester for some time. Donovan Bailey, who serves on the Third District Equal Justice Committee, said he is thrilled the governor's budget includes money for a Rochester office. Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, welcomed the idea of a Rochester human rights office, as does Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester. But Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said his constituents aren't telling him there is a need for more human rights offices in the state. "It's an unnecessary use of public resources. It's not needed. There are questions about the human rights office as to whether we need them, to begin with," he said. ■ (Source: Rochester Post-Bulletin)
Donors replace child’s wheelchair
A Becker family is grateful for donations to replace their six-year-old son’s custom-made wheelchair. But the family is unhappy that the original chair belonging to Tyce Sauter may have been stolen.
The chair disappeared from a family vehicle last month. Kristi Sauter, mother of Tyce, said the child needs the wheelchair to get around. He was born prematurely at 29 weeks and has cerebral palsy. His lightweight wheelchair is his lifeline to school and all other normal activities. It’s not known where the chair was stolen, or if it fell out of the vehicle by accident. The chair has a cost of $12,000 and is made of aluminum. “I talked with Gillette and they said if someone was to try and scrap his wheelchair they’d get about $4 for it,” Sauter said. A campaign was started and quickly raised enough money to replace the chair with a new one. (Source: WCCO-TV)
Minnesotans can use ABLE accounts
Minnesotans with disabilities and their families can save for goods and services to improve their lives under the new Minnesota ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Plan, which opened in January. The accounts are welcomed by families wishing to save for a child’s college or meet other needs. The plan allows a maximum of $14,000 a year, to a total maximum of $100,000, to be contributed to an account for an individual before the individual’s benefits are affected. Participants can choose to put their money into what operates as a checking account or into one of six investment options. ABLE accounts are not limited to people with disabilities on public programs. The accounts are exempt from eligibility consideration if people are on Medical Assistance, Supplemental Security Income or other federal programs. Previously people with disabilities may lose eligibility for government benefits once they reached $2,000 in savings. Minnesota ABLE Plan accounts can be opened online at mn.savewithable.com. Call 888-609-8872 with questions. Parents of eligible minor children may initiate an account for their child. Any person can contribute to an ABLE account. Contributions can be made by check,
through an employer’s payroll direct deposit, or directly from another checking or savings account. “The Minnesota ABLE Plan helps people with disabilities, including those who want to work and build earnings, and families who want to contribute funds that can be used to maintain health, independence, and quality of life,” said Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper. “People will now be able to save for education, housing, assistive technology and a variety of other things that are not included in public benefits.” Ascensus College Savings is the firm that will administer the Minnesota ABLE Plan. ■ (Source: southernminn.com)
Audit shows state hiring issues
A first-ever outside audit found that state agencies don’t fully comply with equal-opportunity laws, resulting in missed job and contract opportunities for people with disabilities, people of color and women. The audit concludes that state agencies don’t follow the affirmative action, procurement, and human rights laws already on the books to recruit, hire and protect a diverse pool of employees and contractors. The 114-page audit also found that the state has dramatically slashed the budget and staff at the Human Rights Department, which has the job of investigating discrimination allegations and reviewing departmental affirmative action plans. Also, problems detected were not always fixed, according to the report. The state Department of Administration failed to correct disparities when found, even though the commissioner had authority to "use set-asides and percentage preferences ... to increase contracting with targeted groups." "There is a lot of work that needs to be done," said Minneapolis attorney Michael Fondungallah, who wrote the audit with law partner Pamela Kigham and Milwaukee attorney James Hall. "People were signing off and were not following the law and not making an effort to recruit protected-class people." Social justice advocates say that a lack of opportunity and deep-seated institutional biases play a prominent role in the state's dismal record of income and educational disparities and that the report proves it. The governor intentionally gave the auditors breathing room to complete their work, said the chief of staff Jaime Tincher, who co-chaired the audit working group. "It's important to look back, but let's look at these numbers and use them to move forward to change the behaviors, and the strategies, and the tactics that are happening, with a focus on what we want to achieve," Tincher said in a statement. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)
Minnesota selected for new clinics
Minnesota is one of eight states selected to pilot a new model of mental and chemical health care, called certified community behavioral health clinics, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in January. The clinics are an innovative model designed to bring together behavioral, chemical and physical health care for people with mental and substance use disorders, and serve as a “one-stop-shop” for both adults and children who have trouble getting the services they need. Typically, a person with a mental illness will need to contact several different agencies to obtain various services, and rarely can someone obtain both mental health and substance use disorder treatment through the same agency. The new model intends to change that by offering services to adults with serious mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbance, and people with substance use disorders. The clinics will offer services such as primary care screening, cognitive behavioral therapy, REGIONAL NEWS page 15
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February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 7
COURTESY PHOTOS
Leslie Sieleni told about the financial struggles she and her husband now face paying the parental fees for services their son Sean receives.
Longtime activist Jean Bender addressed families at a recent session to discuss excessive MA/TEFRA fees.
FEES page 1
one parent; be younger than age 19, be certified as disabled, and need a certain level of care that is similar to the level of care provided in a hospital, nursing home or intermediate care facility for people with developmental disabilities. Home care costs need to be less than the cost for care in a skilled medical facility. But the income-based fees are beyond the financial reach of many families. Some families have gone deeply into debt and drained their financial resources. Often one parent has had to stop working. Others have had to give up services their children needs. Parents at the forum shared story after story about long waits for service, and high fees once services were obtained through MA/TEFRA. “We went from elation to thinking, what have we done?” said White Bear Lake resident
CRISIS from page 1 January 5 by SEIU Healthcare. The contract, which needs to be ratified by union members and state lawmakers, would also provide more than $1 million in state support for worker training. It offers new stipends to reward employees for taking additional instructions to improve quality of care. The holiday pay provision is significant because it’s the first-holiday pay for Minnesota home care workers; with time-and-a-half pay for two holidays. It also includes an online matching registry, to help home care clients find employees and to help home care work-
Leslie Sieleni after her family got its first bill for the program. Families are forced to forgo supports their child with disabilities need. Other children in a family suffer from lack of family income. When families get behind on the fees, they are harassed by bill collectors. Dakota County resident Kelly Kausel has depleted her 401 K and a family inheritance. “I’ve given it all to the state of Minnesota.” Bob Atkinson, who lives in Scott County, has a young adult daughter with Down syndrome. The family is out of MA/TEFRA, but used the program for many years. “In the beginning we though the fees were very fair and very affordable,” he said. But a fee hike in 2007 changed that. Fees shot up to almost $950 per month at the end of his daughter’s eligibility.
“We are working families,” said Atkinson. “It feels as if we are being punished for having a disabled child.” “Our fees right now are more than our car payment,” said Moriah Demers. She said the fee structure encourages families to work less and earn less, or to forego treatments needed by their children. “We are just trying to see our son succeed in life,” said Sieleni. “Why should our child pay the price for this?” She and other parents said the right services for children with disabilities, starting at the earliest age possible, help children live and work independently as adults. Supports early in life will save the state money for years to come. The Arc Minnesota will focus on parental fees during its Day at the Capitol Tuesday, February 28. For more information, go to www.thearcofminnesota.org. ■
ers find clients. The tentative agreement took four months of negotiations with the state. The negotiating process included clients. Jim Carlisle, a disability rights advocate who has received home care services for more than 40 years, was a member of the bargaining team. Carlisle said the changes agreed to in negotiations would, if ratified by the union and state lawmakers, represent significant steps forward in addressing the care crisis thousands of families across Minnesota currently face. “My wife and I both rely on home care workers in our day-to-day life,” said Carlisle, who lives in West St. Paul. “As the
current care crisis has grown, we’ve seen the harm to families like ours across the state because of the lack of quality caregivers. I was proud to be on the union’s bargaining team and to have a chance to help reach this tentative agreement that would raise wages, invest in training and improve benefits to help attract and retain the quality home care workers we need now and will need even more as our population ages.” Dawn Burnfin from Chisholm, a home care worker and mother of five who was also part of the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota bargaining team, praised the agreement. “I am passionate about my job and proud of the good
Sen. Greg Clausen told the families that he is committed to helping them find a solution.
work home care workers do keeping Minnesotans safe and in their homes. The gains in the tentative agreement would begin to make home care workers feel like our time, skills and work are just as important as other jobs,” said Burnfin. “I hope elected officials who aren’t yet affected by the care crisis understand it may not be long before you or your spouse or your parent will need someone to care for them. When that time comes, do you want someone wellpaid and well-trained, so your loved one gets the care they deserve?” ■
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February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 8 DIRECTORY OF ORGANIZATIONS MEMBER Lifetrack Employment Services helps people with disabilities find and keep valuable employment in the community. Whether you are looking for new employment or looking for support to thrive in your current job, Lifetrack’s knowledgeable and caring employment specialists can help you in your career journey. Lifetrack believes in increasing the diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. This program is designed for adults with disabilities and transition-aged youth. Lifetrack partners with Vocational Rehabilitation Services and State Services for the Blind and is CARF accredited.This program is free to participants. FMI: Contact Bobbi Van Grinsven, Manager of Employment Services at (651) 265-2346 or BobbiV@lifetrack-mn.org.
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February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 9
CLIFF PARNELL
Polar Plungers teamed up with the St. Paul Winter Carnival Vulcan Crewe, law enforcement and Special Olympics Minnesota during the 2017 carnival. The Vulcan Snow Park at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds included a Polar Plunge event January 29. Teams donned their finery and jumped into a poll of icy cold water to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota. The Winter Carnival Polar Plunge is one of many held around the state to raise money for the athletes. The events continue through midMarch. There is still time to participate. Register online at www.plungemn.org. Participants may plunge as individuals or in teams. They are also encouraged to wear unique and outrageous costumes on event day. Each participant must raise a minimum of $75. So ask family and friends to pledge. Third, check-in on the event and bring the pledges, shoes and a towel. â–
CLIFF PARNELL
Polar Plungers start time of chills, thrills
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 10
PEOPLE & PLACES Six Twin Cities arts groups receive arts access grants the end of April. The board has approved a dissolution plan, and started a process that will include needed legal reviews and a transfer of assets to a new organization. Over the years the foundation has led many activities to raise funds for lupus research and to help those affected by the autoimmune disease. Price expressed thanks to the community on behalf of the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota board and staff. “As a person whose family is impacted by this chronic autoimmune disease, it remains my sincere hope that someday soon we will live in a world without lupus,” he said.
We welcome your news SCOTT PAKUDAITIS
Six Twin Cities arts organizations have been awarded ADA Access Improvement Grants by VSA Minnesota. The nonprofits will use grants, totaling $67,320, to make arts programs more accessible to people with disabilities. Funded projects include Artability, part of People Incorporated, St. Paul, which encourages mental health through visual and written artistic expression. The $7,500 grant will provide art supplies, instructors and ASL interpreters to increase access to its free art-making workshops for deaf mental health services artists. The Arts’ Nest, Minneapolis, will use a $12,500 grant to remodel a current storage room on the main level of Phoenix Theater into both a wheelchair-accessible single-occupant restroom and an accessible dressing room space for performers. Illusion Theater & School, Minneapolis, will use a $12,060 grant to adapt the front row of its theater to create additional accessible seating for people who use wheelchairs, crutches and walkers. Current seating will be removed and moveable chairs purchased. Illusion will also conduct focus groups with current and prospective theatre patrons who are hearing impaired to create connections and understand ways to improve their experience at Illusion, leading to increased attendance by that community. Nimbus Theatre, Minneapolis, will use a $15,000 grant to make the entrance of its new theater building fully accessible. Take-Up Productions /Trylon Cinema, Minneapolis, will use a $15,000 grant to will renovate its movie theater with a new entryway and street façade that enables easy access for patrons with disabilities, and three additional wheelchair accessible spaces in the 100-seat theater. Young Dance, Minneapolis, will use a $5,260 grant to conduct an Invitation to Belonging Summer Institute, a one-week intensive workshop for teens and adults with and without disabilities, investigating the role the arts have in creating and sustaining inclusive communities. Since 2010, 119 projects by 66 different organizations have been funded, totaling $1,380,320. VSA Minnesota administers the ADA Access Improvement Grant program for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Funds come from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The purpose is to enable nonprofit arts organizations in the seven-county Twin Cities area to improve their programs, projects, equipment, or facilities in ways that have the potential for significant or long-term impact in in-
Young Dance
volving more people with disabilities as participants or patrons in arts programs. Grant requests were reviewed and ranked by a panel of artists and community members. The next grant application deadline is May 1.
Three groups receive grants The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced more than $500,000 in grants to provide innovative employment options to advance community integration for people with disabilities. The grants are a result of a request for proposals issued by DEED’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services program to day training and habilitation providers. “These grants will provide additional job training for Minnesotans with disabilities,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Participants will have access to competitive, meaningful and sustained employment in their community.” Grant funds will be used to improve individual employment outcomes by aligning programs, funding and policies to support people with disabilities to choose, secure and maintain competitive employment, including self-employment, in integrated settings. Organizations receiving the grants are Ally People Solutions of St. Paul, $174,872; Kaposia Inc. of Little Canada, $171,400 and Minnesota Diversified Services Inc., Minneapolis, $174,813 The 2016 Minnesota Legislature approved funding for the grants in part to help meet some of the employment goals of Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan, which seeks to ensure that people with disabil-
ities are living, learning, working and enjoying life in the most integrated setting.
Fraser matches challenge grant Fraser, Minnesota’s largest and most experienced provider of autism services, has raised an additional $500,000 from foundations and individuals in the community in order to receive a $500,000 challenge grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. The funds will support a new Fraser clinic in the Twin Cities east metro area, to meet demand there for autism and mental health services. “This challenge grant will help us move to the next phase of building a new Fraser clinic in the east metro,” said Diane Cross, Fraser president and CEO. “We are now able to begin designing the building and look forward to serving more families.”
Lupus Foundation to dissolve Just after celebrating 40 years’ service, the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota has announced plans to dissolve the organization. The group under various names has provided support for people affected by lupus, and raised awareness about the disease since 1976. “I must share the difficult news that our organization's journey will be coming to an end due to increasingly unsustainable economic realities that we face. In short, we have made the very difficult decision to dissolve Lupus Foundation of Minnesota,” said Board Chairman Jason Price. The process of shutting down the foundation is expected to wind up at
Access Press welcomes articles for its People and Places pages. Articles may cover a wide range of topics. Disability organizations and businesses are welcomed to send submissions. Deadline is the 25th of the month for publication the following month. Here is a sampling of the type of news our editors wish to see. Has someone won an award or a grant? Did the board of directors get new members? Has an organization hired a new leader to replace the current leader? Is the current leader retiring after many years? Is a group moving or expanding its locations? Look at the newspaper or its website for an idea of the types of articles that appear in People and Places. The editors will consider articles that have already appeared in an organization’s newsletter or articles that have appeared in other newspapers. Photos are also welcomed. People and Places is also a place in the newspaper where photos of events can be sent, if the photos are sent for publication in the month after the event was held. These photos are appreciated because the newspaper staff cannot always get to community events. Photos need to be of a large enough size to reproduce for print media. Taking photos off of Facebook or a website doesn’t always work because those photos can be too small to reproduce properly. If photos are take of vulnerable adults or children, please make sure permission has been obtained to release photos. The editors will ask to see release forms. With photos, please send caption information: who, what, when, where, why and how. Questions? Email access@accesspress. org and the newspaper editors will respond. Or call 651-644-2133. ■
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February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 11
ENJOY! ATTEND SNOWFLAKE BALL People with disabilities of high school age and older can don their formalwear and dancing shoes, and attend the annual Formal Snowflake Ball, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sat, Feb 18 at Ridgewood Church, 4420 County Rd. 101, Minnetonka. Admission is $10, for one person and one caregiver. Enjoy live music, entertainment, dancing, formal photos, snacks, manicures and a gift bag to take home. Preregister. The event is sponsored by Joni and Friends, an international disability ministry and Ridgewood Church. FFI: www.snowflakeball.wordpress.com
34. Other discounts available. FFI: 651-647-4315, www.mnjewishtheatre.org DIAL M FOR MURDER Northfield Arts Guild presents a tale of passion and greed, at 411 W. 3rd St., Northfield. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, Feb. 26. Make reservation at least two weeks in advance). Tickets $17. Other discounts available. FFI: 507-645-8877, www.northfieldartsguild.org OPEN FLOW FORUM The Artists with Disabilities Alliance (AWDA) meets 7-9 p.m. the first Thu of each month at Walker Community Church, 3104 16th Ave. S., Mpls. Next gatherings are March 2 and April 6. Artists with disabilities can share visual art, writing, music, theatre and other artistic efforts or disability concerns in an informal and fragrance-free setting. Bring art as well as refreshments to share. Facilitators are Tara Innmon and Dan Reiva. The church is fully accessible, but special accommodations can be requested. FFI: Jon at VSA Minnesota, 612-332-3888, jon@vsamn.org
ART FOR ALL Rise Inc. invites community members to see a beautiful new mosaic created by agency clients, staff and volunteers, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tue, Feb. 14 at 8406 Sunset Road N.E. Spring Lake Park. A program will be held at 11:15 a.m., with a tour at noon. The Art for All mosaic will lift spirit and inspire. RSVPs appreciated but not required. FFI: zleonard-monrad@ rise.org
STEPS OF HOPE 2017 WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT AuSM presents Steps of Hope for Autism in MinGuthrie Theater presents the story of American acnesota, its 17th annual family fun walk and the tors discussing issues of race and genocide, at Guthstate's largest autism resource fair at 8:30-11 a.m. rie Theater, Dowling Studio, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. Theatre in the Round Players presents a comedy thriller, at Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave., Mpls. Sat, March 5 at Southdale Center, Edina. Each parAD/ASL/OC offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, March 2. Tickets AD offered 2 p.m. Sun, March 5. Tactile tour at 1 p.m. upon request based on reservations. Large-print ticipant is an autism hero, rallying for the one in 68 $9 general admission. FFI: 612-377-2224, www.guthprograms and assisted-listening devices available at every performance. Tickets $22. Other discounts individuals living with autism in Minnesota. Regisrietheater.org/visit/access_services available. FFI: 612-333-3010, www.theatreintheround.org tration to participate (including the autism resource THE KING AND I fair) is free. Preregister, collect pledges and help A touring company presents the story of the King of parking available. Tickets $29. Other discounts available. FFI: Ticketfund AuSM's innovative programs and services. Siam and the schoolteacher who teachers his many wives and chilWorks 612-343-3390, www.ticketworks.com Those who pre-register and raise $100 or more will receive a free dren, at Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. OC offered Steps of Hope 2017 T-shirt. FFI: www.SOHwalk.org THEATER GRAND OPENING 7:30 p.m. Thu, March 2. ASL offered 1 p.m. Sun, March 5. AD offered Join PACER 6 p.m. Thu, March 9 for the grand opening of the newly MARIE ANTOINETTE 6:30 p.m. Sun, March 5. Tickets $39 to $135. Limited seats are remodeled Willow Creek Theater located near General Mills (9900 Walking Shadow Theatre Company presents the story of the young available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting Shelard Pkwy., Plymouth. New owner, Emagine Entertainment, has French queen, at Red Eye Theater, 15 W. 14th St., Mpls. ASL offered or captioning on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up chosen PACER Center as its nonprofit partner for this exciting event, 7:30 p.m. Tue, Feb. 14. AD offered 2 p.m. Sun, Feb. 19 and 7:30 p.m. to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation or capwhich means all proceeds from ticket sales will support PACER. Thu, Feb. 23. Pay what one can for AD/ASL regular: $10-26 plus sertioning. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. Tickets ($100 each) include a pre-movie cocktail party at the theater vice fee. Other discounts available. Brown Paper Tickets: 1-800-838Audio description receivers may be used in any price level in the thewith food, wine, and valet parking. Then enjoy one of the new fea3006, www.walkingshadowcompany.org atre. FFI: 612-339-7007, www.hennepintheatretrust.org/accessible ture films offered at the theater. The cocktail party will take place THE ROYAL FAMILY ON THE LINE from 6-8 p.m. with the movies beginning at 8 p.m.FFI: 952-838-9000, Guthrie Theater presents the tale of three generations of the theatriNorth Hennepin Community College Theatre presents the story of www.pacer.org/willowcreek cal Cavendish family, at Guthrie Theater, McGuire Proscenium Stage, three friends and how a labor strike affects them, at North HenNINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. Open captioning offered 1 p.m. Wed, Feb. 15 nepin Community College Campus Center, Black Box Theatre, 7411 Park Square Theatre presents the story of women bound by tragic and Sat, March 4. AD/ASL/OC offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, Feb. 24. AD and 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Entrance closest to theatre is off West circumstances, at Park Square Theatre, Andy Boss Thrust Stage, 20 ASL offered 1 p.m. Sat, Feb. 25. Sensory tour available at 10:30 a.m. Broadway, just south of 85th Ave. N.; the campus center is just past W. 7th Place, St. Paul. OC offered 7:30 p.m. Thu-Fri-Sat, Feb. 23-25, Tickets reduced to $20 for AD/ASL, $25 for captioning (regular $15the Fine Arts building and parking lot, on the second floor. ASL ofand 2 p.m. Sun, Feb. 26. Assistive listening devices available. OC 62). FFI: 612-377-2224, www.guthrietheater.org/visit/access_services fered 7:30 p.m. Fri, March 3. Tickets $10. Other discounts available. single ticket discount is half-price for patron and one guest with FFI: 763-493-0543, www.nhcc.edu/theatre HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH code ACC. Other discounts available. FFI: 651-291-7005, www. A touring company presents the genre-bending musical, at Ordway TOUR FOR PEOPLE WITH MEMORY LOSS parksquaretheatre.org Music Theater, 345 Washington, St. Paul. OC offered 7:30 p.m. Minnesota Historical Society offers sensory-based tours on the first PROMETHEUS BOUND Thu, Feb. 16. AD and ASL offered 5 p.m. Sat, Feb. 18. Tickets $34Tue of each month for people with memory loss and their caregivers, Normandale Department of Theatre presents the story of a Greek $114.50; if using ASL or captioning, request accessible seating. FFI: at James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Each themed tour, god, at Premanand Fine Arts Theatre, Normandale Community 651-224-4222, www.ordway.org/accessibility/ usually an hour or less, highlights three rooms and is followed by an College, Fine Arts Building, 9700 France Ave. S., Bloomington. ASL optional social time until 11:30 a.m. with pastries and coffee. Private PETER AND THE STARCATCHER offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, Feb. 24. Tickets $10. Other discounts available. group tours are available for care facilities. Tours are made possible Theater Latte Da presents a Peter Pan prequel for grownups, at FFI: 952-358-8884, www.normandale.edu/theatre through funding by the Bader Foundation. Next tour is 10 a.m. Tue, Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE, Mpls. AD and ASL offered 7:30 p.m. THE WHIPPING MAN March 7. Free, reservations required. FFI: 651-259-3015, http://sites. Thu, Feb. 16. Tickets reduced to $17.50 for ASL/AD patrons and one Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company presents the post-Civil War mnhs.org/historic-sites/james-j-hill-house guest. FFI: 612-339-3003; www.theaterlatteda.com story of a young solider, at Highland Park Community Center Theater, THE TRAGEDY OF CARMEN 1978 Ford Pky, St. Paul. AD offered 1 p.m. Sun, Feb. 26. Tickets $20Skylark Opera Theatre presents at unique opera adaptation, at to page 13 Midpointe Event Center, Sterling Hall Main Ballroom, 415 Pascal St. N., St. Paul. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, Feb. 17. Large print programs available upon request. Free parking and designated accessible
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ENJOY
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Halle O'Falvey Exhibit opens 7-9 p.m. Sat, March 4 at Artista Bottega, 937 W. 7th St, St. Paul See artistic quilts made from memorabilia and repurposed cloth. A reading from “Weiner Water Soup” and “How I Met My Mother” is 7-9 p.m. Sat, March 18. The display and events comply with accessible guidelines and the gallery is accessible.
612.377.2224 • accessibility@guthrietheater.org guthrietheater.org Access programs at the Guthrie are sponsored by Travelers, Medtronic and Xcel Foundation
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 12
OPPORTUNITIES Farmers invited to conference The Minnesota AgrAbility Project hosts its 24th Annual Fenceline Conference March 12-13 at the Holiday Inn & Suites, St. Cloud. The conference is free but reservations are requested. Conference theme is “What’s Your Plan,” with a focus on farm safety. Hear a program and legislative updates, learn what’s new in agriculture, prepare a safety plan, discuss care for caregivers and more. The project helps farmers with disabilities and their families find the right solutions to barriers they face while farming. It is dedicated to helping farmers work more safely, productively and independently. Services offered include on-site farm consultation, low-interest loans, education and training, safety planning, financial planning, support and advocacy and peer support network. Vendors will be on hand to demonstrate new products and services. The MN AgrAbility project is administered by EquipALife, a non-profit community organization committed to serving famers with disabilities throughout the state of Minnesota. FFI: 866-535-8239, www.equipalife.org
TAX HELP
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
FREE TAX PREPARATION Income tax season is in full swing, and there are now more than 220 sites across the state offering free tax assistance for those filing income tax and property tax refund returns, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and AARP Tax-Aide programs are two free tax preparation options where volunteers help taxpayers prepare their federal and state income and property tax returns. People with disabilities are among those who qualify for services. All volunteers from both programs are certified by the Internal Revenue Service to prepare basic tax returns in communities throughout Minnesota. Most sites are open now through April 18. FFI: 651-297-3724, 1-800-657-3989
NAMI PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN & TEENS OFFERED IN ST. PAUL NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will present a Kidshop 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat, Feb. 25 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 674 Johnson Pky, St. Paul. The NAMI Kidshop is designed for school-aged children and teens (717) with a sibling or parent who has a mental illness. Kidshop provides a fun experience where kids join in activities, share concerns, get support and learn they are not alone. The program is free of charge, but registration is requested. FFI: Kara Bennett, 651-645-2948 x114.
ADVOCACY JOIN PUBLIC POLICY NETWORK The Arc Minnesota’s Public Policy Network provides legislative updates and helps Minnesotans get involved with issues at the state and federal levels. It provides information about upcoming hearings, action alerts, what proposed laws and policies mean, and when gatherings are help. The 2017 Minnesota Legislature convened in January and preparations are well underway. Sign up by visiting the organization’s website, at www.arcmn.org/stayinformed. FFI: Mike Gude, 651-604-8066, mikeg@arcmn.org Research dinner on mental illnesses NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and the University of Minnesota will host the 15th Annual Research Dinner 6 p.m. Thu, Feb. 23, at the Radisson Hotel Roseville, 2540 N. Cleveland Ave., Roseville. The event provides hope and brings new research findings on mental illnesses to the community. New head of psychiatry at the U of M, Sophia Vinogradov, will be a featured speaker. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 members or $55 non-members. Registration is required. The event is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work for 1.5 CEUs. FFI: 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org Join public policy network The Arc Minnesota’s Public Policy Network provides legislative updates and helps Minnesotans get involved with issues at the state and federal levels. It provides information about upcoming hearings, action alerts, what proposed laws and policies mean, and when gatherings are help. The 2017 Minnesota Legislature convenes in January and preparations are well underway. Sign up by visiting the organization’s website, at www.arcmn.org/stayinformed. FFI: Mike Gude, 651-604-8066, mikeg@ arcmn.org
PACER WORKSHOPS SAMPLING PACER Center offers many useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with any disabilities. Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified. Workshops are offered throughout the state. Advance registration is required for all workshops. Appy Hour: Apps for Video Modeling is 11 a.m.-noon Thu, Feb. 23. Staff from the Simon Technology Center will explore the latest app offerings that support using and making video models. Want to share an app? Send the link to stc@pacer.org along with the reason that you like it and it will be demonstrated during the event. Tech for Teens: Wheels and Wires is 10-11:30 a.m. Sat, Feb. 25. Teens will learn the basics of engineering through a “day in the life of an engineer” presentation. Teens will also have the opportunity to build an electrical circuit, and collaborate and share ideas with their peers. Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions catered to their needs. FFI: PACER, 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237, www.pacer.org FREE FAMILY COURSE NAMI Minnesota is offering a free educational course that helps families gain a greater understanding of mental illness, discuss resources, build
communication skills, reduce stress and find support. More than 4,000 Minnesota families have benefited from this course, taught by family members who have walked the walk. The Familyto-Family course will meet weekly for 12 weeks 6-8:30 p.m. Thu starting Feb. 23, at North Heights Christian Academy, 2701 Rice St., Roseville. Registration required. FFI: Anne, 651-653-5116 or Kathy, 651-429-0059.
INFORMATION & ASSISTANCE VISION LOSS GROUP OFFERS ACTIVITIES Vision Loss Resources provides free and low-cost activities in the Twin Cities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Life skills classes for those with low vision; card games, craft classes, book clubs, walking groups, dinners out, special outings and technology classes are among the offerings. Participants need to RVSP to participate. FFI: RSVP hotline 612-8433439; activity phone 612-253-5155, www.visionlossresources.org MCIL OFFERS CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living provides many life skills classes as well as fun outings and events for people with disabilities. MCIL is at 530 N. Robert Street, St Paul and most activities are there or start there. Classes and events are listed on the website, www. mcil-mn.org. Click on “Classes Groups and Sessions” for updated information or to print their calendar. Please give two weeks’ notice if the alternative format or other accommodations are needed. Events are free, accessible and mostly scent-free. FFI: 651-603-2030 VISION REHABILITATION OFFERED Vision Loss Resources is offering a full menu of vision rehabilitation services, available in clients’ home or onsite at VLR. An affordable individualized service plan will be offered to each participant. The rehabilitation services are geared to provide participants the practical skills they need to remain independent and at safe at home. Services are offered as part of an affordable service plan. Sliding fee scale options are available and a grant from United Way will help continue to serve those who cannot afford to pay for services. The support groups, peer counseling, and volunteer services will continue to be offered without charge. FFI: 612-843-3411. MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT OFFERED NAMI Minnesota offers more than 300 free educational classes statewide each year, along with help in navigating the mental health system. NAMI also has more than 60 free support groups living with a mental illness and their families. In the Twin Cities NAMI has about two dozen family support groups, more than 20 support groups for people living with a mental illness, anxiety support groups, groups for veterans and other groups. Led by trained facilitators, groups provide
help and support. Parent resource groups are facilitated by a parent who has a child with a mental illness and who has been trained to lead support groups. A group meets 6:30-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday at Eagle Brook Church, 2401 East Buffalo St., White Bear Lake. FFI: Jody Lyons 651645-2948 x109. Family support groups help families who have a relative with a mental illness. A group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wed at Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 West, Roseville. FFI: Anne Mae. 651-484-0599. Open Door Anxiety and Panic support groups help people cope with anxiety disorders. One group meets 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. the second and fourth Thu in Room 104, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul. The group used to meet at Goodwill/Easter Seals. Another group meets 6:30-8 p.m. the first and third Thu at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul. Young Adult NAMI Connection is a free support group for persons ages 16-20. A group meets 7-8:30 the first and third Thu at Friends Meeting House, 1725 Grand Ave., St. Paul. The group is facilitated by young adults who live with mental illnesses and are doing well in recovery. A full calendar of all events is offered online. FFI: 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org ADULT SUPPORT GROUPS OFFERED AuSM offers free support groups for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Groups include those for adult family members, women with autism spectrum disorders and independent adults with autism. Check the website for upcoming groups. Groups meet at 2380 Wycliff St. FFI: 651-647-1083 ext. 10, www.ausm.org
VOLUNTEER
HELP ADULTS REACH THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS and earn their GED. Tutor, teach or assist in a classroom with the Minnesota Literacy Council. Give just 2-3 hours a week and help people expand their opportunities and change their lives through education. The literacy council provides training and support and accommodations for volunteers with disabilities. FFI: Allison, 651-251-9110, volunteer@mnliteracy.org, http://tinyurl.com/adult-opportunities BE A FREQUENT FILER Ramsey County – Volunteer Services is looking for people who want to help in an office. Volunteer office assistants are needed in several areas. Multiple shifts are available, Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Midway area and downtown St. Paul locations have limited reimbursement for parking expense or bus fare is provided. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. Ask about accommodations. FFI: 651-266-4090, Volunteer@co.ramsey. mn.us
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 13
Medicaid a worry
Disability groups rallying for spend-down, among other issues As the 2017 Minnesota Legislature chugs toward the first bill deadline March 10, Minnesotans with disabilities are working to make sure their voices are heard. More than 600 bills had been introduced as February began. That crush of legislation makes it crucial to make the case for policy and funding changes. Disability Matters Day at the Capitol Minnesota State Capitol is Tuesday, February 28. Check-in is at 10 a.m. in the L’etoile du Nord Room in the lowered level, with an 11:30 a.m. rally in the rotunda. Those interested in participating can preregister and set up times to meet with their legislators before or after the rally. The rally’s focus is on funding and services to help people with disabilities live independently in the community. Event sponsors include Brain Injury Alliance of Minnesota, Get Up Stand Up to Cure Paralysis Foundation, Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) and The Arc Minnesota. Contact Mike Gude, mikeg@arcmn.org, 651-604-8066 or Erica Schmiel, ericas@braininjurymn.org, 612-877-7905 if there are questions. House and Senate health and human services finance and policy committees are hearing bills, reviewing Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget and working on budgets of their own. A $1.4 billion surplus was announced in December 2016, so more good news on that front is likely. But a second fiscal issue at the federal level is causing alarm. President Donald Trump and his advisors are proposing moving to move to a block grant system for Medicaid. That could mean much less money for states. For
ENJOY from page 11 KING LEAR Guthrie Theater stages Shakespeare’s masterpiece for the first time in more than two decades, at Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. AD and OC offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, March 10. OC offered 1 p.m. Sat, March 11. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, March 17. AD and ASL offered 1 p.m. Sat, March 18, with sensory tour available at 10:30 a.m. OC offered 1 p.m. Wed, March 29. Tickets reduced to $20 for AD/ASL, $25 for captioning (regular $1577). FFI: 612-377-2224, www.guthrietheater.org/ visit/access_services THE BFG - BIG FRIENDLY GIANT GREAT Theatre presents the tale of a giant puppet and a little girl, at Humphrey Theater, St. John’s University, 2850 Abbey Plaza, Collegeville 56321. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sat, March 11. Tickets $10 all ages. FFI: 320-363-5777, www.GreatTheatre.org DINNER AT EIGHT Minnesota Opera presents a comedy set at a dinner party, at Ordway Center Music Theatre, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. OC offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, March 11; Thu, March 16; Sat, March 18, and 2 p.m. Sun, March 19. Sung in English with English captions projected above the stage. AD offered 2 p.m. Sun, March 19. Tickets reduced to half-price for AD patrons (regular $25200). Braille, large-print programs and infrared listening systems available at Patron Services in Ordway’s first level lobby. FFI: 612-333-6669, www. mnopera.org JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Glory Players Theater Company presents the story of Joseph, his wonderful coat and zany brothers, at Messiah United Methodist Church, 17805 County Road 6, Plymouth. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, March 12. Admission is free. A freewill offering will be collected at intermission. All profits will go to support partner service organizations. FFI: http://messiahchurchmn.org URINETOWN Lyric Arts Company of Anoka presents the Tony-winning production about a water shortage, at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, 420 E. Main Street, Anoka. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, March 12. ASL interpreters are provided at the first Sunday performance of each regular season production. A limited number of seats near the interpreters are held in reserve for ASL patrons until three weeks prior to the performance. Any ASL seats left unreserved are
MIKE GUIDE
by Access Press staff
Rick Seiler testified at a recent press conference about the challenges of living under the Medical Assistance spend-down. He has been unable to work since a 2014 car accident.
Minnesota $11 billion could be slashed to $5 billion. Few details are available at this time, but the prospect of such a change and the likely fight for funding has Minnesota’s disability community very worried. The prospect of such a cut or funding cap has been discussed at MNCCD meetings. Consortium President Randall Bachman called it a “clear and present danger.” “It affects everything,” he said. Medicaid programs are now regulated by the federal government but run by state in a matching grant program, with no caps. A block grant system would have caps and would give states more
leeway to set regulations. The move to block grants is promoted as a way to cut waste, but disability advocates contend it could mean longer waits for waiver service and help from other programs people depend on for day-to-day living. MNCCD member groups are contacting Minnesota’s Congressional delegation about the threat to Medicaid. The rush to defend Medicaid goes on while MCCD continues its “Advancing Independence and Promoting Choice” campaign. A large group gathered January 10 at the State Office Building and share its top legislative priorities for the disability community Changing Medical Assistance pol-
released to the general public. If no ASL seating has been reserved three weeks before the show, the ASL interpretation will be canceled. When ordering tickets, please indicate the need for seating in this section. Lyric Arts reserves Rows H and I for parties including persons using wheelchairs or with limited mobility. Tickets $18-32; $5 discount for ASL seats. FFI: 763-422-1838, www.lyricarts.org
FFI: Nicole, 651-288-8907
DR. SEUSS’ THE SNEETCHES Children’s Theatre Company presents the tale of haves and have-nots and how that changes, at Children’s Theatre Company. United Health Group Stage, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls. AD and ASL (school performance) offered 10:30 a.m. Wed, March 15. AD and ASL offered 7 p.m. Fri, March 17. ASL offered 5 p.m. Sun, March 26. Sensory-friendly offered 7 p.m. Fri, March 24. Assistive listening devices, induction loop system, Braille programs and sensory tours available upon request. Other discounts available. To reserve seating in the ASL/ AD section, make sure to enter the "ASL-17" promo code in the upper right hand corner. Tickets $15$54. Tickets $15-$54; FFI: 612-874-0400, www. childrenstheatre.org
SAORI FIBER ART BY BLOOM This exhibit, part of a rotating series of exhibits coordinated by VSA Minnesota, features Saori weavings by a group of artists called Bloom. Work by VSA Emerging Artist Grantee Devra Goldstein is also in the show. This compassionate team of Saori weavers works together to create beautiful art three days a week at White Bear Center for the Arts, creating their work and enjoying interacting with other artists from the community. Their work is as unique as each artist. At Vision Loss Resources, 1936 Lyndale Ave. S. (at Franklin), Mpls. Lobby open Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. On display through March 7. Free. FFI. VLR: 612-871-2222, vsamn. org/artists-disabilities/exhibit-program/
WELL-VERSED One Voice Mixed Chorus with the Well-Strung quartet and youth spoken word artists from RECLAIM present an evening of choral music, strings and poetry, at Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, March 18, Tickets $15-$40; $5 more at the door on concert day. FFI: 651-224-4222, www.OneVoiceMN.org
VSA MINNESOTA VSA Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit organization that works to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts, at http://vsamn.org. The website has a comprehensive calendar at the upper right-hand corner of its home page. For information on galleries and theater performances around the state join the Access to Performing Arts email list at access@vsamn.org or call VSA Minnesota, 612-3323888 or statewide 800-801-3883 (voice/TTY). To hear a weekly listing of accessible performances, call 612-332-3888 or 800-8013883. Access Press only publishes performance dates when accommodations are offered. Contact the venue to find out the entire run of a particular production and if discounts for seniors, students or groups are offered.
ALLY FLASHERS EXHIBIT The ALLY Flashers, a photography group from ALLY People Solutions, has an exhibit on display at the Dubliner Bar and Café, Cretin/Vandalia and University avenues, St. Paul. The photos are on display through February during regular business hours. The photos are for sale and each photographer gets proceeds, minus frame costs, for his or her work sold.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Another web events listing is http://c2net.org (c2: caption coalition, inc., which does most of the captioned shows across the country. Facebook is another way to connect with performances.
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT Stages Theatre Company presents the story of a toy rabbit who yearns to be real, at Hopkins Center for the Arts, Mainstage, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. Sensory-friendly offered 10 a.m. Thu, March 16. School groups call 952-979-1119 to reserve tickets. Price is $5 per student. Sensory-friendly offered 10 a.m. Sat, March 18. Tickets to this performance are $10 (not available online); call to reserve: 952-9791111, opt. 4. AD and ASL offered 7 p.m. Fri, March 24. Tickets reduced to $11. FFI: 952-979-1111, opt. 4; www.stagestheatre.org
icy so people can keep more Social Security income and savings is a top priority for MNCCD, but it wasn’t funded in Dayton’s budget. At the news conference self-advocate Rik Seiler spoke to reporters. The former construction workers sustained a traumatic brain injury in 2014 after he was struck and injured by a motor vehicle. He had just rescued a young woman from an auto accident. Seiler has gone from being a rescuer to someone who needs help. While he is pleased to have regained independence with the help of Medical Assistance Disability and home care services, Seiler must pay a spend-down on all medical bills until he just has $792 to live on. “I live on about $1,000 per month from Social Security Disability Insurance, which I paid into for 25 years while working construction,” he said. “But because of the spend-down, I am expected to pay all my medical bills until I have just $792 per month left to live on,” said Seiler. “It feels like I am being penalized for working hard my whole life and paying into Social Security.” The second priority is breaking down barriers to community supports to provide more choice. Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) is an option that provides greater flexibility to persons with disabilities receiving public supports. The program allows individuals to direct their own care, choose cost-effective services that are specifically tailored to meet their own needs, and find creative solutions to staffing shortages that plague the industry. “Our legislation is a critical step in breaking down the current barriers that prevent thousands of individuals from accessing CDCS,” said Steve Larson, senior policy director from The Arc Minnesota. ■ Sign up to connect with Audio Description across Minnesota HTTP:// tinyurl.com/d34dzo2. Connect with ASL interpreted and captioned performances across Minnesota on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/ FBcaption. Another resource is Minnesota Playlist, with a recently updated website calendar with all the ASL-interpreted, audio-described, captioned, pay-what-you-can shows and other features. Go to http://minnesotaplaylist.com/calendar Arts festivals are held throughout the state. Check www.exploreminnesota.com/index.aspx, http:// festivalnet.com/state/minnesota/mn.html, www. fairsandfestivals.net/states/MN/
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 14
RADIO TALKING BOOK AGING EYES INITIATIVE AVAILABLE Seniors faced with vision loss are often riddled with anxiety and stress. A few years ago, State Services for the Blind started the Aging Eyes Initiative to meet the growing need to provide services to seniors losing vision. The program trains people currently working with seniors to provide a first level of support to seniors in the early stages of vision loss; these might be professionals they already know as they are introduced to adaptive devices and the rehabilitation process. To find where the free resource and services offered, contact Cindy Kaufmann at 651-539-2276 or toll-free 1-800-652-9000. BOOKS AVAILABLE THROUGH FARIBAULT Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Call 1-800-7220550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The catalog is online at www. mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service. Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go
to the Facebook site at http://tinyurl.com/ facebookMTBN Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newline. Register for the NFB Newline by calling 651-539-1424. Access Press is featured at 9 p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference. Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate CHAUTAUQUA* Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m. Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, Nonfiction by Lisa Randall, 2015. 16 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 14. Theoretical physicist Professor Lisa Randall proposes that it might have been dark matter that killed the dinosaurs. Our planet is clearly connected to the makeup of the universe, but our place in the universe is also quite fragile. Read by Lannois Neely. PAST IS PROLOGUE* Monday – Friday 9 a.m. Northern Armageddon, Nonfiction by Peter MacLeod, 2016. 13 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 15. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was a culmination of the Seven Years’ War, from 1754 to 1763, and led directly to the colonial War of Independence and the creation of Canada. Churchill called it the first world war. Read by John Potts. THE WRITER’S VOICE* Monday – Friday 2 p.m. My Own Words, Nonfiction by Ruth Bad-
er Ginsburg, 2016. 14 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 22. As a U.S. Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has had a powerful and enduring influence on law, women’s rights, and popular culture. She is one of America’s most influential women. Read by Patricia Muir.
the Philippines is a prelude to an attempt on her life and a dangerous friendship between three men. Time and circumstance have forced them to make impossible choices that have cost human lives. How far will they go to save themselves? V, L, S – Read by Pat Kovel-Jarboe.
CHOICE READING* Monday – Friday 4 p.m. Lazaretto, Fiction by Diane McKinney-Whetstone, 2016. 12 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 14. In post-Civil War Philadelphia, a young black woman gives birth to a child fathered by her wealthy white employer. It sets off a chain of events that culminate at the Lazaretto, the country’s first quarantine hospital, a crucible of life and death. V, S - Read by Pat Lelich.
AFTER MIDNIGHT* Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m. The Secret Language of Stones, Fiction by M.J. Rose, 2016. 12 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 22. Opaline spends her days making watches for soldiers at the front and mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. She has a rare gift that allows her to translate the energy from stones, enabling her to receive messages from beyond. S - Read by Judith Johannessen.
PM REPORT* Monday – Friday 8 p.m. Passing on the Right, Nonfiction by Jon A. Shields and Joshua M. Dunn, Sr., 2016. 12 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 14. Should conservatives become professors? The Left fears infiltration; the Right lampoons the leftism of the academy. But most conservative professors experience the university as a far more tolerant place than critics imagine. Read by Brenda Powell.
WEEKEND PROGRAM BOOKS Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing The Way of Rest by Jeff Foster. For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing House of Secrets – Battle of the Beasts by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini. Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing There Now by Eamon Grennan and Standoff by David Rivard. The Great North (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Pothole Confidential by R.T. Rybak.
NIGHT JOURNEY* Monday – Friday 9 p.m. The Considerate Killer, Fiction by Line Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis, 2016. Nine broadcasts. Begins Feb. 28. Nina’s trip to
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motivational interviewing, and trauma-focused therapy for children. Support for the clinics was one piece of Gov. Mark Dayton’s $47 million commitment to the state’s mental health care system, said Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper. “As a state, we move closer and closer to filling the gaps in our state’s continuum of care,” Piper said. “We must continue to invest in this to make sure people get the right services at the right time.” Last spring, six clinics began planning. DHS in the fall certified the clinics across Minnesota as pilot sites. These are Northern Pines Mental Health Center, Northwestern Mental Health Center, Wilder Children and Family Services, People Incorporated, Ramsey County Mental Health Center and Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center.■ (Source: Minnesota DHS)
Family frustrated with handling of case
An Alexandria family has continued to object to how police there handled a February 2015 incident with a family member with mental illness. But the Salisburys lost a round recently, when the Minnesota Department of Human Rights wouldn’t take their side in the dispute. The state found no probable cause that the Alexandria police officers who went to the Salisburys' house in February 2015 engaged in discrimination on the basis of Salisbury's disability. All three officers had some level of crisis intervention training to help de-escalate conflicts, the decision noted. David Salisbury has struggled for decades with mental health problems, but an outburst that involved throwing a television at the back door landed the Alexandria man in jail -- not in a hospital or treatment facility. The Salisburys are considering an appeal. "I'm just in shock," said Pat Salisbury. "They came into our house. I told them my husband was sick and needed to go to the hospital." Alexandria Police Chief Richard Wyffels said there were safety risks, he said, and if the mentally ill person is acting out, the first stop is going to be jail. Wyffels said he saw the incident as a domestic situ-
BJERKESETT from page 1 Accessible Architecture, Inc. It is an online resource, providing state-of-the-art, barrier-free designs at no cost/ His dedication to barrier-free housing for elders and people with mobility disabilities and equal access drew praise from Bjerkesett’s colleges. Friends described him as a quiet, humble and hard-working, and as someone who could work collaboratively and bring people together. He helped many friends, behind the scenes, with their personal and financial struggles. He was a loyal friend to many. But “the Bjerk” also had a great sense of humor, was an avid sports fan and loved getting together with old friends. After his death many people spoke of his kind and friendly demeanor, dating back to his days as a popular student-athlete at Fridley High School. He seldom missed a chance to get together with Fridley friends and swap stories of growing up together. Born into an Irish-Norwegian family, Bjerkesett spent his early childhood in Worthington. His family moved to Fridley when he was in grade school. He played baseball and hockey, and was all-Skyline Conference and all-state on the Fridley Tigers football team. Fridley Community Schools honored him in 2013 with an award as an outstanding alumnus. Just after completing his associate of arts degree from Bemidji State University in 1967, Bjerkesett was riding home with friends when the vehicle was in an accident and rolled. He went to North Memorial Medical Center for rehabilitation and then attended what was then Southwest Minnesota State College in Marshall. He graduated in 1971. At the time Southwest State was one of the few accessible campuses in Minnesota. Bjerkesett told Access Press in a 2008 interview that “There were a lot of disabled [at Southwest] who had been in chairs a lot longer than me. They helped me a lot.” After graduating with a degree in business administration and psychology,
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 15 ation, with the son and wife in harm's way. "Our officers are very sensitive to mental illness and know this is part of the world we live in," Wyffels said. "The police did their job in this case." The case comes amid mounting concerns over relying on police to respond to mental health emergencies and the high number of mentally ill people caught up in the criminal justice system. Mental health advocate Sue Abderholden, head of NAMI Minnesota, said Salisbury's ordeal is all too familiar. Most people have no idea they can tap a mental health crisis team for such emergencies. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)
Early intervention seen as key
Reducing the time it takes for a person experiencing psychosis to get treatment is the goal of two new mental health pilot projects in the Twin Cities. Called coordinated specialty care, the pilot projects will serve people 15 to 40 years old with early signs of psychosis. The word “psychosis” is used to describe conditions that affect the mind when there has been some loss of contact with reality. Psychosis is treatable, and studies have shown that early treatment increases the chance of a successful recovery. “It’s critical that people who are first experiencing psychosis get the right care quickly,” said Department of Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper. “This research-based program is an exciting new approach that will help people when they need it most.” Three organizations will receive up to $2.97 million in federal funds through the State of Minnesota. Offering the new service will be Hennepin County Medical Center with one team and the University of Minnesota at their Psychiatry Clinic in St. Louis Park with two teams. Each team can serve up to 30 people. The third organization receiving funding, the Minnesota Center for Chemical and Mental Health, will provide technical support, including training, consultation and community information sessions. “The need for treatment for first episode psychosis is great,” says Piper Meyer-Kalos, principal investigator and executive director of the Minnesota Center for Chemical and Mental Health. “Currently, people experiencing psychosis for the first time are typically waiting well over a year Bjerkesett went back to North Memorial as a rehabilitation program counselor. In 1973 Bjerkesett left North Memorial to form the United Handicapped Federation and serve as its first executive director. The federation was a consortium of 19 disability advocacy groups, educating the public on a number of issues. He began NHHI in 1975, to develop accessible affordable housing for low-income adults with physical disabilities. Partners in development remember his focus on collaboration and making each projects better than the next. His work required an in-depth understanding of various federal and state housing programs in order to develop housing alternatives, supervise management of properties, develop and disseminate design expertise, control allocation of funds, develop marketing/management plans, direct research, institute new programs and raise funds for continued operation of NHHI's corporate objectives. “It’s important to me that what we came up with at NHHI was never ‘our’ idea,” said Bjerkesett in a 2014 interview. “We never have seen ourselves as the beall and end-all for housing for people with mobility limitations. We saw ourselves as adding an element to the range of options in the community.” In that interview, Bjerkesett said he was gratified to see so many of NHHI’s innovations become standard features in housing. “Since the 1980s we’ve seen major improvements in building accessibility,” he said. “It’s really nice to see, over time, building standards become more and more accessible.” He won many awards over the years, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from Southwest State University, the Courage Award from the Courage Center and the WCCO Radio Good Neighbor Award. Parents Ole and Barbara Bjerkesett, and brother-in-law Leon Getting preceded him in death. Bjerkesett is survived by sisters Marlene (George) Jezierski and Karen
to get treatment.” Funding for the program is through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA recently required that states set aside 10 percent of their Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to address these needs. ■ (Source: Minnesota DHS)
Questions raised about handling of case A 15-year-old girl who ran away from an Itasca County mental health treatment center was sexually abused by an adult counselor who allegedly harbored the girl in her home, according to a recent state investigation report. The girl was missing for more than two months last fall before Grand Rapids police discovered her in the garage of a former counselor at the Itaskin Center, a 62-bed treatment facility. The girl, who was seen running away from the home last summer, hid in the former counselor’s home. The center was cited for neglect after state investigators concluded that multiple staff members failed to report concerns about an inappropriate relationship between the adult counselor and the girl. The incident follows a series of recent breakdowns at state-licensed facilities for children and teens, and has prompted fresh questions about staff professionalism and legal accountability. "We are not even close to holding anyone accountable in these cases," said Nancy Fitzsimons, a professor of social work at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Grand Rapids city attorney has questioned why no charges against the counselor have been announced by the Itasca County attorney's office. According to the state report, a staff person with "significant supervisory and administrative authority" was aware that the girl may have been in a relationship with the counselor and staying at her home, but failed to report this as required. "There were some major red flags here that went ignored," said Roberta Opheim, state ombudsman for mental health and developmental disabilities. Jim Christmas, president and chief executive of North Homes Children and Family Services, parent organization of the facility, said the case has led to a "renewed
Getting; and several nieces and nephews. Bjerkesett made a bequest to the SMSU Foundation to create a scholarship for students planning to work for nonprofit groups. Memorials in his honor can be
HOUSING CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT
REGIONAL NEWS from page 6
emphasis" among staff on their obligations as caregivers and mandatory reporters of maltreatment.” But he also said the home disagrees with the state finding of neglect. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)
Piper seeks new facility
During a visit to Willmar in January, Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper stressed the need for legislators to support a proposal to fund a new facility for a state-operated hospital that serves children and teens with complex mental health conditions. Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed $7.53 million to construct a new, 16-bed child and adolescent behavioral health services facility. “Our staff are caring for kids experiencing significant mental health crises, and who are often physically aggressive, in a building with poor sightlines, dangerous stairways and unsafe bathrooms,” said Piper. “It’s time for lawmakers to support a new facility that is safe and gives our young patients a therapeutic environment for recovery. The current leased facility is part of the MinnWest Technology Campus, site of the former Willmar Regional Treatment Center. Piper said the state is working to extend the lease for the site, set to expire in June, but a long-term solution needs to be found. In addition to addressing problems with stairways and sightlines, the proposed new facility will give the program the flexibility to group patients in units appropriate to their ages or conditions as children are admitted or discharged. “A new facility is just one piece of what we need to ensure that we’re providing safe, quality care for some of the state’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens,” Piper said. “We also need additional funding – included in Gov. Dayton’s budget – to continue to staff our facilities appropriately.” The new Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Services facility is one of several projects Dayton has proposed to address safety issues at state-run psychiatric facilities. He has also called for $70.255 million for renovations at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter and $2.25 million for security upgrades at the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center. ■ (Source: Minnesota DHS)
sent to SMSU Foundation in Marshall or the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Foundation in Minneapolis. ■
EMPLOYMENT Supervising Attorney: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. For more info, go to www.mylegalaid.org/jobs. Attorney: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. For more info, go to www.mylegalaid.org/jobs. HOUSING NOTICE: OPENING THE 1 BEDROOM WAIT LIST Westonka Estates, 2461 Commerce Boulevard Mound, MN 55364, (952)472-4952. Project-Based Section 8/202; rent based on income for qualified applicants. Applications may be downloaded at www.commonbond.org from 9am January 1, 2017 until 12pm January 31, 2017. Completed applications must be received by mail or hand delivered, on or before January 31, 2017. All qualified Applicants will be placed on the Waiting List in the order they are received. CommonBond Communities Equal Housing Opportunity NOTICE: OPENING THE 1 BEDROOM WAIT LIST South Shore Park, 255 Mill Street, Excelsior, MN 55331; (952) 474-9036. Project-Based Section 8/202; rent based on income for qualified applicants. Applications may be downloaded at www.commonbond.org from 9am January 1, 2017 until 12pm January 31, 2017. Completed applications must be received by mail or hand delivered, on or before January 31, 2017. All qualified Applicants will be placed on the Waiting List in the order they are received. CommonBond Communities Equal Housing Opportunity FOR RENT Calvary Center Apts: 7650 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN. A Section 8 building now accepting applications for our waiting list. Call 9 am to 4 pm, Mon – Fri 763-5464988 for an application. Equal Opportunity Housing. Find your new home with At Home Apartments. Call 651-224-1234 or visit AtHomeApartments.com for an apartment or town home. Equal Opportunity Housing. Classified rates: $14 for the first 12 words and 65¢ per word thereafter. Classified ads prepaid. Mail to: Access Press, Capitol Ridge Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; Phone: 651-644-2133; Fax 651-644-2136; Email: access@accesspress.org
February 10, 2017 Volume 28, Number 1 Pg 16
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