March 2006 Edition - Access Press by Access Press

March 10, 2006

Inside

“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.”

■ Mental Health— p. 6 ■ Pain Patients Suffer Silently— p. 9 ■ No Place Like Home— p. 11

— Helen Keller

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mpls. MN Permit No. 4766

Volume 18, Number 3

Minnesota’s Disability

Community Newspaper

Pumped Up In Florida I

March 10, 2006

by Herb Drill

f you wish to be sarcastic, you could say Richard Paey is “pumped up”— not voluntarily and certainly not painlessly. He’s the “Prisoner to Pain” depicted on a January telecast by correspondent Morley Safer on CBS’ 60 Minutes. Justly or unjustly, Paey’s plight touches all of us who are disabled and have consistent, perhaps chronic pain.

The horror for this lawyer and 47-year-old father of three began in 1985 in a car crash near Philadelphia. A failed operation left him with metal screws in his spine and unrelenting pain. Later, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Paey says doctors could prescribe painkillers, which worked only briefly. “I developed a tolerance,” he says, “so I needed larger doses to relieve the pain—to be a father, a husband, [in] the community.”

To wit: Paey, in a wheelchair, has a spinal cord injury and is confined to maximum security Tomoka Hills Prison near Daytona Beach for alleged drug trafficking. Siobhan Reynolds, executive director of the Pain Relief Network in New York, which is working with the Paey family for Richard’s release, told Access Press: “He was transferred several months ago from a hospital-type situation at Zephyr Falls to a facility closer to his home.”

2006 Election Is Important by Danielle Engle

his is an important legislative year for Minnesota voters. In addition to selecting candidates for state and federal offices, current activities at home and abroad are challenging many citizens to question the concept of “social contract.” What is a social contract? How is it defined by the democratic principles reviewed, debated and outlined by the original framers of the Constitution of the U.S.A.? How and why did the Bill of Rights come into being? Equally important, what are the social rights and responsibilities of, and between, citizens and the branches of government? Jean-Jacques Rousseau theorized, “The heart of the idea of the social contract may be stated simply: Each of us places his person and authority under the supreme direction of the general will, and the group receives each individual as an indivisible part of the whole...” http://en.wiki pedia.org. Going further, John Locke “argued a government could only be legitimate if it received the consent of the governed and protected the natural rights of life, liberty, and es-

tate. If such consent was not achieved, Locke argued in favour of a right of rebellion.” http://en.wikipedia.org. The contract is then renegotiated through methods such as elections and legislature. In the U.S.A. this process occurs throughout all levels of government—city charters, state constitutions, bills and legislature, federal bills, legislation and ultimately, the Constitution of the United States of America. Upon signing the Constitution of the U.S.A. on July 4, 1776, the first three articles Congress (legislative), the presidency (executive) and the judiciary (judicial) defined the three branches of government (www.constitutioncenter.org). These separate but interdependent branches of government were established to ensure a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. On March 4, 1789, the Bill of Rights was signed. The opening paragraph reads: “The Conventions of a number of States having, at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers,

that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution…” Once ratified, the Bill of Rights which included Articles 1-12, became part of the Constitution. At this point in history, voters may find the original documents helpful in determining their dialogue with current office holders as well as candidates for the pending 2006 election. Challenges President Bush’s proposed $2.77 trillion budget proposal includes cuts in domestic programs that impact individuals with disabilities and their families. As the population ages, the percentage of people with disabilities will also increase. With the continuing war in Iraq, there is also an increase in the number of soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other disabilities. Perhaps the biggest challenge before the disability community is the commitment to active involvement in the electoral process. Beginning with the precinct caucuses on

March 7, the process will continue through the November election. For each right and liberty secured through the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is an equal responsibility to exercise and protect the same. Consider Chuck Campbell’s article, “Voting Devices Tested” in the January 10, 2006 issue of Access Press. By becoming involved in the legislative debates, issues, candidate selection process, and other election activities, individuals with disabilities create a presence. This presence is a declaration of being viable voters and citizens who are actively utilizing and exercising accessibility to the legislative and electoral process. Furthermore, these individuals are fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities of the social contract. Issues In the January 2006 State of the Union Address (www. whitehouse.gov/stateofthe union/2006), President Bush said, “Keeping America competitive requires affordable health care. Our government has a responsibility to provide healthcare for the poor and the elderly, and we are Election - cont. on p. 15

The November Coalition (TNC) activist group contends Paey suffers “intractable pain [from] Multiple Sclerosis and failed spine surgery. He is serving 25 years for `illegal prescriptions.’ According to the prosecutor, the prescriptions were illegal because they were written or issued six weeks after Richard’s last medical exam. It was still drug trafficking, the jury was told.” TNC charges that Paey was “moved in shackles to another Florida prison without proper medical care.” Reynolds says the current facility has “no wheelchair access.” Paey isn’t alone. ScienceDaily reported neuropathic pain generally responds poorly to standard treatment and worsens, causing permanent disability in some people. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke—under the National Institutes of Health—says acute pain is normally triggered in the nervous system to “alert you to possible injury. Chronic pain is different. Pain signals keep firing for weeks, months, years. Some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of past injury or evidence of body damage.” Meanwhile, Minneapolisbased Medtronic Inc. plays a role as a maker of implantable biomedical devices—defibrillators and pacemakers. Among its subsidiaries, Medtronic Sofamor Danek makes spinal implant devices and Medtronic Neurological manufactures drug delivery systems. Medtronic states: “Many people suffer chronic pain because they’re unaware of treatment options. Others have fears which prevent them from talking about pain, which creates barriers to adequate relief. Chronic pain is a major public health issue that results in 40 million doctor visits, 515 million lost workdays, and $100 billion in medical

expenses each year. [It] can lead to difficulty holding a job, low self-esteem, strained relationships, and depression.” Reynolds contends Medtronic doesn’t disclose its vested interest in selling expensive pain pumps. On 60 Minutes’ Safer reported, “[U.S.] doctors tend to under-prescribe painkillers due to their addictive nature and fear of attracting authorities’ attention. Patients are often under suspicion when they try to alleviate unrelenting pain.” Without constant medication, Paey says he is in “excruciating pain that, over time, will literally drive you to suicide,” which he says he tried twice. Paey’s physician wife, Linda, adds: “We were fearful of addiction. He was afraid to take too many pills.” When the Paeys moved to Florida, getting drugs was the problem. “I was in that medical nightmare zone where you’ve gone through all the treatments, and nothing works. What does work, no one wants to prescribe because it attracts attention.” Paey’s New Jersey doctor, Stephen Nurkiewicz, agreed to mail and fax prescriptions, even left some prescriptions undated, Safer reported. Convinced Paey might have been re-selling drugs, local police watched him. After two months, “They had guns and ski masks and five or six people ran into the house and half of them took the kids and my mother-in-law; the other one grabbed me,” says Linda Paey. “Rich kept saying, ‘please, call my doctor.’ They said they had.” To the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) component of the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Reynolds says Dr. Nurkiewicz admitted mailing Paey undated prescriptions and, when pharmacists called, Pumped - cont. on p. 15

March 10, 2006

Tim Benjamin, Editor

s we go to press with this issue, the big news is that Peter Singer is coming to town. Who is he? Peter Singer is a professor of bioethics at Princeton who promotes a utilitarian philosophy. According toWiki-

pedia, utilitarianism (from the Latin meaning useful) is “a theory of ethics that prescribes the quantitative maximization of good consequences for a population. The good to be maximized is usually happiness, pleasure, or preference satisfaction.” Singer takes the ideology to an extreme. He is regarded as the father of the animal rights movement, and has said that a person in a vegetative state might be a better candidate for medical research than a chimpanzee. Peter Singer‘s philosophy is not compatible with disability rights and the independent living movement. He has expressed some very radical views on the “quality of life” of people with disabilities and the ability of someone with a disability to contribute to the better good or happiness of all of society. According to Singer, if a soonto-be-parent knows that their

unborn child could have cognitive or physical limitations, the pregnancy should be terminated. Singer once wrote that parents should have the right to terminate the life of a “severely disabled” infant for approximately 28 days after birth. More recently he has decided that 28 days is too arbitrary and parents should try to make a decision as soon as possible on whether to let their child survive or be terminated. (He uses the word terminated, not killed) It’s important to stop this kind of philosophy; not by ignoring it and not by trying to debate the philosophy with Singer but by quiet protest and being visible.

tion,” Minnesota State University, Centennial Student Union Ballroom, Mankato, MN, March 22nd at 7 pm. • Lecture, “Ethics and Animals,” University of Minnesota, Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 4th St. S, Minneapolis, MN, March 23rd at 7 pm.

Singer will give two lectures in Minnesota this month. Hope to see you there, demonstrating by our lives that we are maximizing good. •Annual Business Ethics Lecture, “Ethics and Globaliza-

We have two very good articles about Multiple Sclerosis and its effects. Angela Hume writes about Shannon Hoelzel’s personal views of MS. The Minnesota Chapter of the National MS Society

Protest Alert!

What is Singer’s justification for providing this new model of eugenics? He argues babies with severe disabilities are less likely to grow up and live happy, worthy lives. Parents should therefore terminate them to make way for ablebodied babies who will be happier. If ability determines happiness, as Singer asserts, why then are there unhappy people who are physically healthy and “normal?” The disability rights movement has consistently challenged this assumption, proving time and again that happiness is not determined by ability. Further, Singer’s position opens the door to discrimination towards other minority groups, prompting the question, where do we stop?

❖❖❖❖

We do not disagree with the principles of free speech. However, we do question the University of Minnesota’s commitment to diversity and an open environment of respect when it gives an individual like Peter Singer, who promotes discriminatory beliefs, such a prominent position from which to speak.

by Clarence Schadegg

n February a grassroots group of blind people filed a class action lawsuit against the Target Corporation. When negotiations broke down, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) filed a class action lawsuit against the Target Corporation. The lawsuit is about alleged problems blind Please help support us in our people have with a Web site fight against Peter Singer by that is not totally compatible boycotting his lecture, signing with screen reading programs. our petition urging the sponsors to cancel, and protesting The two types of screen reader outside the Ted Mann Concert programs that are available are Hall on Thursday, March 23, Job Access With Speech 2006. Contact Uriah McKin- (JAWS) and Window Eyes ney and Emily Smith at the U (WE), and the primary visual of M Disabled Student Cul- design of this Web site made it tural Center for more informa- impossible for blind screen tion by calling 612-624-2602. reader users/consumers to access the same information as ■ sighted consumers. Target’s Web site seems to be designed to give sighted people easy access with the use of the Co-Founder/Publisher (1990-1996) .................................................................. Wm. A. Smith, Jr. mouse. But blind people who Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief (1990-2001) ....................................... Charles F. Smith use screen reader programs, Board of Directors ............................................ JoAnn Cardenas Enos, Mike Chevrette, Mary like those cited above; use keyKay Kennedy, Kelly Matter, Tom Squire, & Kay Willshire strokes on the keyboard rather Editor ......................................................................................................................... Tim Benjamin then the mouse. As a JAWS Financial Manager/Editorial Assistant ........................................................................ Terri Ricci Cartoonist ..................................................................................................................... Scott Adams user, I had trouble navigating Production ...................................................................... Ellen Houghton at Presentation Images around the Target Web site. Office Assistant .......................................................................................................... Ekta Prakash Part of the problem had to do Sales/Marketing ........................................................................................................ David Hadlich with the way the Web site was Distribution ......................................................................................................... S. C. Distribution constructed. The Web site has Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by Access Press, coding errors which make it Ltd. Circulation is 11,000, distributed the 10th of each month through more than 200 locations hard for blind screen reader statewide. Approximately 650 copies are mailed directly to political, business, institutional and civic leaders. Subscriptions are available for $25/yr. users. According to David Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons Andrews, Chief Technology serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. Officer, Minnesota State SerPaid advertising is available at rates ranging from $16 to $20.70/column inch, depending on size and vices for the Blind, “There is frequency of run. Classified ads are $10, plus 45¢ per word over 12 words. some kind of control on the Advertising and editorial deadlines are the last day of the month preceding publication, except for page, to check out, that can employment ads which are due by the 25th. only be clicked with a mouse. Access Press is available on disk. Call MN State Services for the Blind, 651-642-0500 or Neither WE nor JAWS sees it. 800-652-9000. You can click one click checkInquiries should be directed to: out, or check out, and the same Access Press • 1821 University Ave. W. • Suite 104S • St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 • (651) 644-2133 Fax (651) 644-2136 • E-mail: access@accesspress.org • Web site: www.accesspress.org page keeps coming up. So, the site is virtually unusable for a Editorial material does not necessarily reflect the view blind person using a screen of the editor/publisher of Access Press.

Access Press

Locke, two political philosophers from the 17th and 18th centuries, who wrote about the “social contract” and individual responsibilities in democracy. Thanks, ❖❖❖❖ Dan-ielle, for your research This month Chuck Campbell and the educational article. brings us some startling infor❖❖❖❖ mation about the numbers of homeless with mental health Clarence Schadegg wrote a issues. Chuck explains how the commentary on the class state of Minnesota has pro- action lawsuit that the Naposed initiatives to decrease tional Federation for the homelessness at the same time Blind has brought against that the federal government is the Target Corporation. It decreasing funding. Any new seems that as much as Tarspending by the state might be get talks about being inclulargely offset by the decrease sive and diversity-focused in federal funding. they do not see the need to have their Web site acces❖❖❖❖ sible to people with visual Danielle Engle put together an impairment or blindness. informative article on the com- Clarence explains the probing legislative session and our lems that screen readers have responsibility to the political with the Target Web site and process. Danielle brings to her the difficulties he has expediscussion the ideas of Jean- rienced on the site. Great job Jacques Rousseau and John Clarence; thank you! ■

Screen Reader Advocates Zero In On Target Web Site

by Uriah McKinney and Emily Smith n Thursday, March 23, starting at 7:00 pm, Peter Singer, a worldwide acclaimed philosopher, will be giving a lecture at the University of Minnesota on animal rights. Though this aspect of his scholarship has gained him international praise, he has received criticism from many disability activists for his offensive suggestions advocating infanticide. According to his philosophy, parents should have the right to kill infants with known disabilities, and especially cognitive disabilities, for the greater good of society. This means that an estimated 54 million Americans, a population roughly the size of France, are living in bodies that according to Peter Singer should have been killed upon birth.

After reading the Peter Singer Protest Alert on page 2 you really must turn to page 5 and read the article, “Intellectual Disability.” Arc Minnesota lays out a very informative piece about the definitions, the effects, the demographics and the successes of people with intellectual disabilities.

contributed “What is MS?” Many thanks to the staff at the MS society for their good work and also to Angela and Shannon for the personal story.

reader. It might be used to tell angular disc which can be used you what Target has, but little in a CD slot on any PC with or else.” without JAWS. The NFB charges “that Target’s Web site www.target. com is inaccessible to the blind, violating the California Unruh Civil Rights Act and the California Disabled Persons Act.” (NFB Web site – Target Corporation Sued for Discrimination Against the Blind, February 7, 2006). But according to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bob Ulrich, “Target has always been committed to respecting diversity. Our definition is broad, inclusive and focused on recognizing and appreciating the individuality of every team member, guest and community member. As one of our core values, our commitment to diversity is not something we simply talk about; it is something—we act on…”

According to Mike Calvo, CEO of Twin Cities based Serotek Corporation, “Wherever the site designer provides alternate text, both Freedom Box and JAWS will read it. In the absence of alternate text, Freedom Box will try to obtain a label using our C-SAW technology. C-SAW, which stands for Community-Supported Accessible Web, lets our users label graphical links and share those labels with other users. Users submit their labels to a central repository on the Freedom Box Network, from which the Freedom Box software tries to obtain labels whenever another user visits a Web site. C-SAW lets users make Web sites accessible when the site designers haven’t done so. We’ve offered to license C-SAW to Freedom Scientific for inclusion in JAWS, but they haven’t accepted the offer. Currently, CSAW is only available exclusively through Freedom Box and System Access.”

A Target representative responded to my question, what is Target’s position on the class action lawsuit? The representative told me that Target cannot comment on an ongoing litigation. The NFB “sued Target Corp. in Alameda County Superior Will this lawsuit allow all blind Court claiming that the giant people to gain better access to retail chain discriminates bethe Target Web site if a court cause its Web site is inaccesrules in favor of the NFB? sible to blind customers… Target Corporation may up- Target thus excludes the blind grade its Web site to be more from full and equal participainclusive to the blind and/or tion in the growing Internet screen reader technicians may economy that is increasingly a upgrade as well as invent soft- fundamental part of daily ware programs to better read life”... It was alleged in the difficult Web sites. One such lawsuit that there was a “lack device which is stated to do of access.” The key strokes just that is the recently invented make it possible for those of us Freedom Box, a card size rect- Target - cont. on p. 8

March 10, 2006

Disability Access Symbols New VR Service For Hard Of Hearing Job Seekers

by Terri Ricci

ast month we highlighted sign language with an article from the University of California at San Diego on how the Medical School has included American Sign Language as a part of their study. In response to that article we received information from Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. (CSD) here in Minnesota. They have just completed their third month of Emergency on Call services for the Minnesota Hospital Consortium and we have filled 100% of the requests within one hour of receiving the request. CSD is also in negotiations with five additional medical facilities which would bring the total hospitals served up to 28.

Please see the CSD article be- limited mobility including low for more details on this wheelchair users. For example, the symbol is used to indicate endeavor. an accessible entrance, bathThis month we would like to room or that a phone is lowhighlight the Accessibility ered for wheelchair users. ReSymbol. We have all seen the member that a ramped entrance wheelchair symbol displayed is not completely accessible if at certain times, but just what there are no curb cuts, and an does it mean? This month we elevator is not accessible if it will look at how to buy a wheel- can only be reached via steps. chair that is correct for your If you see the symbol displayed use. Next month we will be and there is any question about checking out how accessible access, consider talking to the gyms or fitness facilities are management about the correct for people in wheelchairs. use of the symbol. Please look forward to that If you have an interesting ararticle on Fitness Access. ticle of how innovative prodThe creators of the Disability ucts or innovative ideas are Access Symbol project state being used to help a person that the wheelchair symbol with a disability, please send should only be used to indi- them to access@accesspress. cate access for individuals with org. ■

he Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program and the Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (MCDHH) are pleased to announce a new staff collaboration aimed at improving employment opportunities for Minnesotans who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late-Deafened and DeafBlind.

one day a week to MCDHH from the VR Program. He will assist Executive Director Mary Hartnett and Commission members with a number of employment issues. VR is a Workforce Development Program for persons with disabilities located in the Rehabilitation Services branch of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

of recommendations from the 2002 DeafBlind Task Force with the active participation of consumers and the leadership and staff at State Services for the Blind.

Rehabilitation Services Director Kim Peck describes this sharing of staff expertise as “…a win - win - win.” Ultimately, the commission, the agency, Minnesota consumers and their employers will all Effective February 15, 2006 Rehabilitation Program Spe- First priority for this collabo- benefit. ■ cialist Rubin Latz is on loan ration will be implementation

Disability Technology

Shopping For A Wheelchair by Jen Mundl

Consortium Of Minnesota S Hospitals Enters Agreement

ommunication Service for the Deaf, Inc. (CSD) of Minnesota is delighted to announce a new kind of partnership with healthcare facilities in the Twin Cities Metro area, whereby CSD will respond 24/7 to emergent requests for sign language interpreting services.

located at the CSD offices.

Minnesota Hospital Consortium members have broadened their definition of emergencies and define “emergent requests” to include situations in emergency departments and urgent cares, as well as unplanned and unforeseen situations with medical professionEmergencies occur everyday. als whereby communication For those who rely upon sign must be facilitated with a deaf language to communicate, patient and/or family members. emergencies are really no different, except that an inter- “Minnesota is fortunate preter must be found to facilito have many dedicated tate communication. Over the years, it has been a challenge interpreters.” for interpreters, referral services, hospitals, and other pub- Beginning in early fall, CSD lic services to find interpreters intends to meet the needs by for those emergencies “at the offering 24/7 interpreter referright time and place” whether ral services for consortium it is during business hours, the members. Interpreters will be middle of the night, on week- scheduled on duty and disends and holidays, or in dead patched from CSD offices. of winter when the thermom- “The Minnesota Hospital Coneter dips to 20 degrees below sortium is eager to work with zero. Minnesota is fortunate CSD on this project,” says to have many dedicated inter- Candy Joppru, HealthEast Care preters. That’s not the prob- System, on behalf of consorlem. Many attempts have been tium members. “We are very made to solve the problem. interested in providing qualiHowever, plain and simple, fied and certified interpreters the current business model to meet the needs of our deaf, doesn’t work efficiently. deafblind and hard of hearing patients, and their family memUnder the leadership of Marty bers and companions.” Barnum, Co-Coordinator of the Emergency Statewide Sign CSD commends the MinneLanguage Interpreter Advo- sota Hospital Consortium cacy and Training Project, a members for their willingness project supported by the Min- to share resources in order to nesota Department of Human provide services that will benServices Deaf and Hard of efit thousands of deaf and hard Hearing Division, discussion of hearing consumers in the began earlier this year to iden- Twin Cities. It’s a win-win situtify a new paradigm—to cre- ation! For more information, ate a new business model to please contact Jan Florand at address the delivery of inter- jflorand@c-s-d.org. preting services for emergent requests. Hospitals decided to The Minnesota Hospital join together as a “consortium” Consortium members are to share the costs of a 24/7 commended for their efreferral service that will be forts. Members include the

electing a new wheelchair can be a little bit like buying a new car these days, with so many chairs and options. Each should idenfollowing facilities: tify their unique needs: • Physical needs. Children’s Hospitals & Clin- • Daily activities. ics of Minnesota: Minneapo- • Transportation issues. lis and St. Paul Campuses; Fairview Care System: UniWheelchair Seats versity of Minnesota Medical Center, University of Minne- Wheelchairs usually come sota Children’s Hospital, with vinyl or nylon seats and Fairview Ridges Medical Cen- backs. Neither is particularly ter, Fairview Southdale; comfortable for people who Hennepin County Medical use their wheelchairs for hours Center; HealthEast Care Sys- at a time. Vinyl will stretch tem: St. John’s Hospital, St. resulting in poor posture and, Joseph’s Hospital, Wood- over time, even in permanent wind’s Hospital, HealthEast deformity. For this reason, it Urgent Care South St. Paul; is recommended using comPark Nicollet Health Services: mercial or custom inserts. Methodist Hospital, Park These can help with both seatNicollet Clinic, Urgent Care— ing and positioning. The result Burnsville, Park Nicollet is often better posture, inClinic, Urgent Care— creased comfort, and greater Brookdale, Park Nicollet ease in performing daily tasks. Clinic, Urgent Care—Carlson When you are choosing a Parkway, Park Nicollet Clinic, wheelchair, consider meeting Urgent Care—Chanhassen, with experienced professionPark Nicollet Clinic, Urgent als. These may include theraCare—Maple Grove, Park pists, physicians, and wheelNicollet Clinic, Urgent Care— chair vendors. They can assist St. Louis Park, and North you in finding a wheelchair Memorial Health Care. ■ meeting your needs.

Standard, Upright Manual Wheelchairs

spine (scoliosis or kyphosis). • Limited ability to sit upright. • Weakness, lack of endurance. Typical users • Seizure or sleep disorders. • May be able to propel the • A need for custom contoured chair, or may need assistance. seating inserts, so the seat con• Have mild to moderate mo- tinues to fit well when the chair tor involvement. is tilted to relieve pressure. • Have fair to good head and trunk control. Features • Sit quite well with little ex- • Seat and back angle remain ternal support. constant at up to 45 degrees tilt. • Walk, but need a wheelchair • May be “growable,” with adfor long distances. justable seats and backs. • Use power wheelchairs as • May have vehicle restraint their primary mobility base. systems built into the frame, and have been crash tested. Features • May transport oxygen and • Available in lightweight, ventilators. heavy-duty, and high perfor- • Often readily accept custom mance (sport) models. seating systems, lap trays, and • May offer commercial posi- communication mounts. tioning inserts. • Offer options for armrests, • Readily accept custom seat- leg rests, foot plates, adjusting systems, lap trays, and able handle height, rear communication mounts. wheels, front casters, tires, anti-tip tubes. Reclining Wheelchairs Power Wheelchairs Typical users • Poor head and trunk control. Typical users of wheelchairs • Limitations in range of mo- with power bases are children tion, especially hips. and adults who want indepen• Fluctuating muscle tone. dent mobility. Advances in • Pain or pressure while sitting. technology mean that a suit• Developing curvature of the able controller or switches can be used even when a person has severe physical limitations. However, these chairs are powerful vehicles. It is important that their users have good judgInstitute, Inc. ment and maturity, to ensure the safety of themselves and others.

ACCESS IS FREEDOM! National Housing

Affordable/Accessible Housing For Persons With Mobility Impairments Community Enrichment Through Housing Diversity

CALL 651-639-9799

Power chairs are now available in: • Rear wheel drive. The power is behind the person, so that it feels as if the chair is being pushed from behind. • Front wheel drive. The power is in front of the person so that if feels as if the chair is being pulled. • Mid wheel drive. The power is under the person. This offers the smallest turn radius. Technology - cont. on p. 7

March 10, 2006

What Is? Finding A Cure For A â&#x20AC;&#x153;Funny Sounding Diseaseâ&#x20AC;? Multiple Sclerosis by Jenna Washnieski

by Angela Hume

hannon Hoelzel, ambassador for the 2006 Christopher & Banks MS Walk presented by Serono/ Pfizer, wants to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis. And by educating other people about MS, Hoelzel knows she can play a vital role in fighting the disease. A Plymouth, MN, native, Hoelzel joined the fight against MS as a little girl. She remembers sitting on the lap of a woman from church while the woman explained why she used a scooter. Hoelzel didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand how her friend could have an illness. She said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Multiple sclerosis? What a weird name. My friend doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look sick to me.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? It was then that Hoelzel decided she wanted to help find a cure for her friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;funny-sounding disease.â&#x20AC;?

After seeing several doctors, Hoelzel was left with no explanation. In an attempt to move forward, she refocused her energy on physical fitness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I gained five pounds of pure muscle in three months,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was in the best shape of my life.â&#x20AC;? But then Hoelzelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision started to blur and double. Fatigue began to interfere with her workout routine. In December 2004, after a visit to a Shannon Hoelzel, of Plyneurologist, she received an mouth, MN, was diagnosed explanationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;multiple sclerowith multiple sclerosis in 2004. sis. Today she wants to help spread awareness of her disease. In the months that followed, Hoelzel began to learn to balance her MS symptoms with Today Hoelzel looks forward other aspects of her life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fa- to going back to school to pretigue has been a challenge,â&#x20AC;? pare for a career in healthcare. she admitted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I usually feel In addition, she is taking aclike Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in a fog.â&#x20AC;? She has tion by working with the Nalearned to manage her fatigue tional MS Society, Minnesota by taking naps and going to Chapter to spread awareness bed early. of MS. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to make a difference, and I want a cure for Also, Hoelzel said her MS,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe there worldview has changed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;MS is another little girl out there has taught me that life is un- who knows without a doubt certain. But I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take my that someday sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help find a health for granted anymore. I cure for this funny-sounding stay positive.â&#x20AC;? disease.â&#x20AC;?

Today Hoelzel is 27 years old. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still fighting MS. But now sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing it for another reasonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;MS is her disease, too. As a child participating in National MS Society fundraisers, she never would have guessed that at 26 years old, she herself would receive a MS diagnosis. Despite her symptoms, Hoelzel isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t letting MS stop Hoelzel first knew something her from doing the things she was wrong when she started loves to do, like water sports experiencing fatigue during and camping. This summer, college. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I drifted from major she hopes to hike to the bottom to major, year after year,â&#x20AC;? she of the Grand Canyon and then recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the migraine back up. headaches started, I moved home to Minneapolis.â&#x20AC;?

Join the fight against MS Meet Shannon Hoelzel at the Christopher & Banks MS Walk presented by Serono/Pfizer Sunday, May 7, in the Twin Cities. For more information, visit www.theMSwalk.com or call 1-800-FIGHT-MS. â&#x2013;

magine waking up each morning and not knowing whether you will be able to move your legs, get out bed or see clearly. For many people with multiple sclerosis, a chronic, often disabling disease, this is a reality. MS is an unpredictable disease with no known cause and no cure. This is why millions of people are joining in the fight against MS.

Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain Symptoms of MS are unpre- is disrupted, and this produces dictable and vary from person the various symptoms of MS. to person and from time to time in the same person. One While the exact cause of MS is person may experience abnor- unknown, most researchers mal fatigue while another believe that the damage to might have severe vision prob- myelin results from an abnorlems. A person with MS could mal response by the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have loss of balance and immune system. Normally, the muscle coordination making immune system defends the walking difficult; another per- body against foreign invaders son with MS could have slurred such as viruses or bacteria. In speech, tremors, stiffness, and autoimmune diseases, the body bladder problems. While some attacks its own tissue. In the symptoms will come and go case of MS, myelin is attacked. over the course of the disease, others may be more lasting. Scientists do not yet know what triggers the immune system to MS is thought to be an autoim- do this. Most agree that sevmune disease that affects the eral factors are involved, incentral nervous system. The cluding genetics, gender and central nervous system con- environmental triggers. sists of the brain, spinal cord and the optic nerves. Surround- Approximately 400,000 Ameriing and protecting the nerve cans acknowledge having MS, fibers of the nervous system is and every week about 200 a fatty tissue called myelin, people are diagnosed. The which helps nerve fibers con- Minnesota Chapter of the MS duct electrical impulses. Society represents an estimated 7,500 people with MS In MS, myelin is lost in mul- in Minnesota and western Wistiple areas, leaving scar tissue consin. Anyone may develop MS, but there are some patterns. Most people with MS are diagnosed in the prime of life, between the ages of 20 and 50. Plus, two to three times as many women as men have MS. Studies indicate that genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited. Also, MS occurs more commonly among people with northern

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called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken.

European ancestry, but people of African, Asian and Hispanic backgrounds are not immune. At this time, no single test is available to identify or rule out MS. Several tests and procedures are needed. These include taking a complete medical history and performing nervous system functioning tests such as reflex, balance and vision tests. To diagnose MS, doctors commonly use MRI scans to give detailed views of the brain to identify areas of nerve damage. Spinal taps are also used to test the spinal fluid for signs of the disease. Although there is still no cure for MS, there are various strategies available to modify the disease course, treat exacerbations, manage symptoms and improve function and safety. Currently, there are five FDA-approved therapies available that can help slow the progression of the disease. In combination, these treatments and symptom management strategies enhance the quality of life for people living with MS. How does the National MS Society, MN Chapter help? The National MS Society, Minnesota Chapter offers countless educational, support and recreational programs across the state for people living with MS and their families. One of the most popular is MS Camp, a six-day leisure program at Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN. Participants have the opportunity to connect with new and old friends and take a vacation from the daily challenges of living with the disease. The chapter also offers eight special events, such as the Christopher & Banks MS Walk presented by Serono/Pfizer. Event participants raise funds to support MS research and programs for people living with the disease. The chapter is committed to raising public awareness of MS. March 13-17, 2006 has been designated as MS Awareness Week. Throughout the week, the Minnesota Chapter will educate people across the chapter area about MS, the important work of the MS Society and how they can get involved with the chapter. If you are interested in attending programs, volunteering or registering for a special event, or would like to learn more about MS and the National MS Society, Minnesota Chapter, visit www.mssociety.org or call 1-800-FIGHT-MS. â&#x2013;

March 10, 2006

A Primer On Intellectual/Cognitive Max, A Child With And Developmental Disabilities Special Needs by Arc of Minnesota

ntellectual or cognitive disabilities have been traditionally referred to as mental retardation. This latter term is now offensive to many people, and, the term “mental retardation” is no longer used by organizations such as The Arc, the largest organization in the U.S. advocating for and supporting those with intellectual disabilities.

(3) the disability originated before the age of 18. “Adaptive skill areas” refers to basic skills needed for everyday life. They include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics (reading, writing, basic math), and work.

Intellectual disabilities will vary in degree person to perDepending on the criteria used son, just as individual capafor counting purposes, an esti- bilities vary considerably mated 1 – 3% of the United States population is considered to have intellectual dis- “The effects of an abilities. This works out to intellectual disability between 2.5 – 7.5 million vary considerably people. Intellectual disability cuts across the lines of racial, a m o n g p e o p l e w h o ethnic, educational, social, and have them.” economic backgrounds. It can occur in any family. among people who do not have The official definition of in- an intellectual disability. tellectual disability is a condi- People should not make gention in which: (1) the person’s eralizations about the needs of intellectual functioning level persons with intellectual dis(IQ) is below 70-75; (2) the abilities. Persons who have person has significant limita- intellectual disabilities may or tions in adaptive skill areas may not have other impairsuch as conceptual, social, and ments as well. Examples of practical adaptive skills; and coexisting conditions may in-

clude: cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, vision impairment, hearing loss, and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Persons with severe intellectual disabilities are more likely to have additional limitations than persons with milder intellectual disabilities. The effects of an intellectual disability vary considerably among people who have them. Children may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs, such as dressing or eating. People may take longer learning in school. As adults, many people will be able to lead independent lives in the community without paid supports. A small percentage will have serious, lifelong limitations in functioning. However, with early intervention, an appropriate education, and supports as an adult, all can lead satisfying lives in the community. Supports include the resources and individual strategies needed to promote a person’s development, education, interests, and well-being. Supports

axwell (Max) Theis is six and one-half years old. He has a five year-old brother named Nathaniel. Our family lives in Apple Valley, MN. Right now we receive funds from Dakota County that are part of its Client Driven Support program. These funds help with tuition for a non-traditional therapy program and an aide to assist Persons with intellectual dis- Max while he attends the proabilities successfully perform a gram. wide range of jobs, and can be dependable workers. The types One never expects to have a of jobs people with intellectual child with special needs. This disabilities are able to perform is no different from our expewill depend on individual rience when we had Max on strengths and interests. June 25, 1999. Our journey didn’t begin until he was four Many employers still exclude months old. His pediatrician persons with intellectual dis- was concerned about his head abilities from the workplace size. Additionally, he was not because of persistent, but un- holding his head up on his own founded myths, fears, and ste- and was showing some other reotypes. For instance, some signs of developmental delay. employers believe that work- We made an appointment to ers with intellectual disabili- see a neurologist at Gillette ties will have a higher absentee Children’s Hospitals, and an rate than employees without MRI/CT scan confirmed our disabilities. Studies show that fears. Max had a rare brain this is not true and that workers disorder called Agenesis of the with intellectual disabilities are Corpus Callosum (ACC). absent no more than other workPrimer - cont. on p 15 At six months of age, Max began one-hour visits to physical enhance the individual capabilities and functioning. These supports can come from individuals in a person’s life, such as a parent, sibling, friend, teacher, or a co-worker who provides a little extra support at a job setting. They can also come from a service system or school setting.

therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy respectively. Because our insurance only covered weekly visits, we thought we were doing everything we could. Then in March of 2000, a colleague of Greg’s had informed him of a center that helps kids with motor disabilities, and he encouraged us to check it out. After many decisions and time spent raising funds, we enrolled Max for one month of classes. The next month, in November 2001, we moved to Apple Valley so Max could attend daily classes at The Minnesota Center for Conductive Education [now known as The PL+US (Physically Limited Underdeveloped Skills) Program] in Burnsville, MN. These classes have been an integral part of Max’s life. We have recognized his need for routine, repetition, and positive reinforcement every day; this was lacking in other traditional therapy programs. Because of his work there, Max has achieved some amazing milestones: He is using a walker (with little assistance) Theis - cont. on p. 19

What It Is Like To Live With Disabilities

y husband, Miguel Jeldes, and I have two sons, Alex, 18 years old, and Leo, 12 years old. Both of our boys have disabilities but they couldn’t be more different. Even though their needs are quite different, we depend on supportive services to help us care for them as well as pay for the cost of these needs. Let me tell you what I mean.

(Intermediate Care Facility for Persons with Mental Retardation) children’s group home. He lived in our home until he was eight years old. Alex does not talk or walk, nor is he able to be left alone, for he has no capacity for judgment. He is a nine-month-old in the body of an 18-year-old. He has intensive daily care needs, such as feeding, diapering, dressing, etc. as well as seizures and screaming behaviors that need Alex has severe mental and to be managed with medicaphysical disabilities. He lives tions. His needs created many out of our home in an ICF/MR hardships for our family. His

daily care alone was physically and emotionally exhausting. I would say the biggest hardship for us was maintaining consistent employment to

have been able to work and help. For one year now, our properly support our family. family has been assisted with Leo’s cares by a Personal Care Leo has Duchenne Muscular Attendant (PCA). Leo also Dystrophy and has physical has expensive healthcare disabilities. He is very bright needs. We use MA (Medical and has no cognitive needs. Assistance)/TEFRA to help “Often we f e e l However, his physical disabil- us pay the medical expenses o v e r w h e l m e d . W e ity is degenerative, which not covered by private medidon’t want anyone’s means his muscles get weaker cal insurance as well as pay over time and makes it impos- for PCA services. We are pity.” sible for him to do everyday happy to pay our monthly functions such as walking, parental fee to be part of this support our family while car- dressing, etc. independently. program. Without TEFRA ing for him at home. Since He will always need someone’s we would incur enormous moving to Vasa Children’s Home in Red Wing, both of us

debts and would be unable to support ourselves. Often we feel overwhelmed. We don’t want anyone’s pity or special treatment. We need funding for supportive services that help us to function as a productive family unit. Without these programs, we would be unable to meet our children’s needs. Elizabeth (Libby) Johnson and Family, St. Paul, MN ■

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March 10, 2006

Mental Health Initiative

Mentally Ill And Homeless

by Danielle Engle

by Chuck Campbell

n February 24, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced new and redirected government funds slated to improving mental health services for children and adults www.governor.state. mn.us. The funds include $49.5 million from the Health Care Access Fund and $59 million in redirected investments. Changes will be spearheaded by the Minnesota Mental Health Action Group (MMHAG), a coalition of public and private people and groups working on mental health reform.

tion between mental healthcare, physical healthcare and social services by integrating the payment and service model. This is also anticipated to offset the potential loss of federal funds. Shore up children’s schoolbased mental services infrastructure: Changes in federal regulations reduced funding sources for these services. This is designed to ensure payment of those services for uninsured and under-insured children. Develop statewide mental health crisis intervention and stabilization infrastructure as a first-line safety net for children and adults: Lack of mental health crisis services in communities places an undue burden on hospital level care. The provision of community level crisis services will alleviate the resultant shortage of psychiatric bed capacity. In effect it may also assist individuals in maintaining their independence within the community.

During the announcement, Governor Pawlenty said, “Our current mental healthcare system needs improvement and this initiative will deliver significant advancements in access, quality and accountability.” Reports indicate that over the past 3 years, 25% of caregivers and 30% of children in the state’s welfare system were diagnosed with a serious mental health disorder. Currently, there is a shortage of mental healthcare professionals in Minnesota, includ- Monitor and track availabiling psychiatrists. ity of mental health services: To ensure the availability and Changes will be focused on adequate funding of mental delivering effective care in a health services, a coordinated timely and efficient manner, system needs to be in place to providing incentives to allevi- monitor and track these serate the shortage of mental vices. Psychiatric acute care healthcare professionals, and capacity will be the first target the coordination of caregiving area. services, most notably in the provision between health and Develop and support evimental health services. dence-based practices: The goal is to develop standardThe Initiative’s Key Elements ized assessment tools and interventions and treatments that Adopting a consistent mental are based on short-term and health benefit set across the long-term outcomes. It will Department of Human Ser- also include licensing and acvices (DHS) programs: Re- creditation tracking and concipients of General Assis- sumer and provider feedback. tance Medical Care (GAMC), Minnesota Care, and Prepaid Address workforce shortages, Medical Assistance Program including psychiatrists and (PMAP) will have access to other critical mental health mental healthcare programs professionals: Today there is modeled after Medical Assis- a shortage of psychiatrists and tance (MA) and fee-for-ser- other professionals. The cost vice recipients. in life and quality of life to consumers stresses the imporIntegrating care systems: The tance of alleviating the long goal is to improve coordina- waiting periods for psychiat-

s Minnesota the land of ric and other services. The goal 10,000 homeless people is to enhance reimbursement with mental illness? Acrates for providers who serve a high proportion of clients re- cording to the Minnesota Coalition For The Homeless, ceiving public assistance. “More than 20,000 people in Develop capacity to address Minnesota are without a home the mental healthcare needs each day ….” “47% of homeof specialty populations: less adults reported a signifiSome mental health disorders cant mental health problem.” are not common enough to be sufficiently supported by Why are so many people with sources outside of the state or serious mental illnesses homecounty government. Specialty less? According to the Napopulations include those with tional Resource and Training eating disorders, co-occurring Center on Homelessness and disorders (psychiatric disorder Mental Illness (NRTC), a diand substance abuse, et al), vision of the federal culturally specific treatment government’s Substance needs and attachment disor- Abuse and Mental Health Serders (children lacking secure vices Administration: attachments with caregivers develop an array of emotional, “People with serious mental illbehavioral, social, cognitive, nesses have greater difficulty developmental, physical, and exiting homelessness than other moral problems with a ten- people. They are homeless dency to perpetuate the cycle more often and for longer periwith their own children) ods of time than other homewww.attachmentexperts.com. less subgroups. Many have In some cases, treatment needs been on the streets for years. are purchased outside of Min- Up to 50% have co-occurring mental illnesses and substance nesota. use disorders. Their symptoms are often active and untreated, Create a system for measuring mental health making it extremely difficult for them to negotiate meeting service outcomes The goal is to develop a Web- basic needs for food, shelter, based statewide system to and safety and causing distress evaluate the outcomes of men- to those who observe them. tal health services. This cen- They are impoverished, and tralized system ensures the many are not receiving benefits continued monitoring and im- for which they may be eligible.” provement of mental health“Those who have disabilities care services. and are unable to work can To learn more about the men- find it nearly impossible to tal health initiative and planned secure affordable housing in events, visit the MMHAG Web virtually every major housing site at www.citizensleague. market in the country,” accordnet/mentalhealth/ or tele- ing to NRTC. phone (612) 338-0791. Readers may also take advantage of With wind chills plummeting the Mental Health Day on to near –40, as they did in midthe Hill on March 28, 2006. February, prolonged exposure This annual event is sponsored to the elements can be deadly. by the Mental Health Legisla- Most shelters are only open at tive Network, it offers indi- night; people have to leave in viduals and families an oppor- the daytime even when it is tunity to demonstrate their sup- still bitterly cold. Capacity is port for increased funding and inadequate, and once full, improved policies for mental people may be turned away. Theft is another major probhealth services. lem, according to one homeA legislative briefing will be less man: “You sleep with your held at 10:00 am at Christ shoes on; otherwise they might Lutheran Church just across be gone when you wake up.” the street from the Capitol. The potential loss of a backThere will a rally at 12 noon in pack or duffel bag containing the Rotunda of the Capitol. all their worldly possessions Visits with Legislators are undoubtedly accounts for scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm many homeless people’s reIndividual and group appoint- luctance to use shelters. Longments need to be made in ad- term housing is the only soluvance. Additional information tion to homelessness, particuis available at www.leg.state. larly for those with serious mn.us.leg or one of the fol- mental illness. lowing: Mental Health Association of Minnesota at 612- There is some help on the ho331-6840 or 1-800-862-1799; rizon. Governor Pawlenty’s National Alliance on Mental proposed 2006 budget inIllness of MN at 651-645-2948 cludes $25 million “for permanent supportive housing … or 1-888-473-0237. ■ to provide an innovative solution to the problem of chronic

homelessness.” The private sector is also pitching in, according to a February 14, 2006 press release: “In an effort to help end longterm homelessness in the Twin Cities, the Frey Foundation … will commit $5 million to spur the further development of housing and services.” The $5 million, which will be distributed over 5 years, is touted as “the largest private gift to date” toward an overall goal of raising $50 million for “Minnesota’s Business Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness.” The press release quotes Frey: “The goal … is to expand and enhance the availability of supportive housing services and increase the supply of affordable housing in the Twin Cities.”

elderly, takes a 26% decrease in funding ($190 million) and Section 811, housing for people with disabilities, takes a 50% cut of $118 million. These two program cuts would significantly reduce housing assistance for some of our country’s most vulnerable populations including families, seniors and people with disabilities.” The cut to Section 811, housing for people with disabilities, seems particularly at odds with the President’s stated goal of ending chronic homelessness within 10 years, given that up to half of homeless people are disabled with mental illness. Overall, the President’s proposed budget for FY 2007 slashes funding for housing assistance. This is at a time when HUD has yet to find housing for many of those whose homes were destroyed by hurricane Katrina. The National Coalition for the Homeless calls the President’s proposed budget one of “increased misery, desperation and despair.”

Unfortunately, increased funding for projects to end homelessness in Minnesota may only help offset drastic cuts in federal housing assistance programs. According to the National Coalition for the With such enormous cuts at Homeless: the federal level, enhanced “While the President’s pro- state funding is needed just to posed budget does increase avoid increased homelessness. funding in some areas, the Given the President’s proHomeless Assistance Grants posed FY 2007 budget, the increased by $209 million and goal of eliminating chronic Housing for People with AIDs homelessness may be unattainsaw a $14 million increase, it able, at least in the near term. makes these increases by mak- Housing is the only real soluing reductions in other pro- tion to homelessness, and it grams for low-income people, costs money to build and mainnot by finding new resources. tain housing. “His proposals would cut $600 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) … and funding for Health and Human Services (HHS) discretionary programs would decline by $1.6 billion. “HUD programs that are taking the largest reductions include the Community Development Block Grant, which would lose $736 million… a 20% decrease over FY 2006. Section 202, housing for the

For more information see: • Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless at www.mnhome lesscoalition • Governor Pawlenty at www.governor.state.mn.us (click link to budget) • National Resource and Training Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness at www.nrchmi.samhsa.gov • The Frey Foundation at www.freyfoundationmn.org • National Coalition for the Homeless at www.national homeless.org. ■

March 10, 2006

The Singing Canaries’ World

When Choosing A Wheelchair . . .

by Mary Tellers

n February I watched a documentary about Sweet Honey in the Rock, a black women’s a Capella group. For 30 years this troupe has sung about social justice issues. One member described their purpose as, “The world needs to know how it looks to us.” When the Environmentally Safe Housing Initiative (ESHI) first met last fall, the “singing canaries,” those of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and/or Environmental Illness (EI), educated other ESHI members about: (1) what triggers our reactions; (2) the effects of chemicals on our physical/emotional health; and, (3) the measures we have taken to prevent, minimize or detoxify from exposures. In our own way, we got to speak about how “the world looks to us.” Rachel Carson, author of the book Silent Spring, warned consumers in the 50’s of the impending dangers of pesticides and other chemicals. In 1989, the U.S. marked a milestone (of sorts) little known to the general public, producing its one millionth man-made chemical. According to the Environmental Defense Group, of the 4 billion pounds of toxic chemicals released into the environment each year, 72 million pounds are known

carcinogens. In a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, researchers tested the umbilical cord blood of ten unborn babies and found 287 industrial chemicals and pollutants contained within it. With the world as toxic as it is, it’s no wonder that 16% or more of the population is considered chemically sensitive. MCS, according to the Chemical Injury Resource Association of Minnesota (CIRA), is “a reaction to chemical substances that may occur following long term exposure to low level chemicals found in many common products, in naturally occurring substances such as mold, wood, smoke, etc. or from exposure to a large amount of toxins such as a chemical spill.” Environmental Illness (EI) is a broader term that means a reaction to a number of environmental substances, including exposure to electromagnetic/electrical fields (EMFs). Toxic Triggers Typically, a MCS/EI individual may react to any or all pesticides, lawn chemicals, plastics, paint/ink, mold, wood, tobacco smoke, perfume/colognes, synthetic building materials, car exhaust fumes, synthetic fabrics, formaldehyde, household cleaning

and laundry products, air fresheners, scented candles, and glues/adhesives. A person may be healthy one day, and then suddenly manifest symptoms because he/she has reached what building biologists call “the rain barrel effect.” Every day our bodies are exposed to many environmental toxins, usually storing them in our fat cells. Most everyone has the capacity to handle this exposure without symptoms until we reach a point where our body, much like a rain barrel, eventually fills up and toxic overload spills over causing symptoms that can range from slight to life-threatening.

Mary Tellers

and have two bites of fruit, I experience greater systemic yeast overgrowth, severe fatigue, with painful joints, gastrointestinal bloating and upset, general fogginess and dulled cognitive abilities.” Memory problems, impaired motor functioning, recurring infections, slurred speech and mental confusion are just a few Physical and Emotional of the impairments she experiImpact In general, symptoms can in- ences from constant environclude headaches, muscle and mental toxin overexposure. joint pains, fatigue and weakness, disorientation and con- When a MCS/EI person befusion and respiratory prob- comes overwhelmed physilems. Many MCS/EI individu- cally, mentally and emotionals are also sensitive to elec- ally, their distress frequently tromagnetic and electrical becomes exacerbated by feelfields, develop food allergies, ings of isolation and abandonand may suffer from asthma, ment. The steps they must fibromyalgia, mitral valve pro- take to recover and maintain lapse, or chronic fatigue syn- their health typically creates situations that cut them off drome. from interacting or socializing Victoria has MCS and meta- with other “normal” people. static breast cancer. Her diet is limited because she reacts to Their family and friends don’t foods as well. She comments, understand what’s going on “… if I deviate from my diet Canaries - cont. on p. 19

TECHNOLOGY - Cont. from p. 3 Considerations For Power Wheelchairs Power wheelchair technology is changing very rapidly. It is important to test drive a wheelchair and try out its controllers before buying the chair. If the chair will be used by a child, or by a person with a progressive condition, it is important to ask if it is “growable.” That is, can it be adapted to meet the person’s changing needs. Due to the size and weight of most scooters and power wheelchairs, transporting them usually requires a van with a ramp or lift. Not all insurance com-

panies will pay for scooters; •Relatively easy to fold and check with your insurance car- transport. •Appearance more acceptable rier. to some than a wheelchair. •May be less costly than a Strollers wheelchair. •May have positioning sysTypical users •Have mild to moderate mo- tems. •May have vehicle restraint tor involvement. system, and be crash tested. •Need minimal positioning. •Are able to walk, but need Final Comments assistance when traveling long distances. •Have a wheelchair, but want Selecting a wheelchair is a a second mobility base for daunting task; but finding the right fit will make your life quick trips around town. easier. Soon you’ll be able to •Features. partake in many different ac•Lightweight. tivities plus perhaps find new

abilities you were unaware you had. Check thoroughly and discuss all options with other knowledgeable persons or your care attendant. The more heads together, the better you will be prepared to get the answers you need in making a decision. It is also noted it is recommended to purchase the new wheelchair approximately every five years. ■ See the article at the right for a complete list of things to think about when you choose a wheelchair.

ollowing is a list of 250 pounds, has severe tone things to consider issues, or is very active? when you are choos- • A “tilt-in-space” frame? • A reclining frame? ing a wheelchair. • Low to the floor, so that the user has enough head space Choosing a vendor when riding in a van? So that • Do you have a local vendor transfers are safe and easy? who knows about wheel- • Able to support attachments, such as oxygen tank, ventilachairs? • What local (or other) ven- tor, suction machine, or dors are recommended by mounting system for a comother people you know who munication device? use wheelchairs? Armrests • Does the vendor service the chairs they sell? • Will they come to your home Are they: to provide service? Or do you • Removable for easier transfers? have to take the chair to the • Height adjustable to support a lap tray? vendor? • Desk-length to allow getting close to tables and desks? Financial issues • Able to flip back so it is easier • How will you pay for the chair? to reach wheels? • Can the vendor help you find • Are the leg and foot supports: ° Removable? funding if needed? ° Swing-away to assist in • What wheelchair features transferring? does your insurer consider to ° Able to be elevated? be “medically necessary”? ° Provided with a fixed front • Features not considered to be end for users with exces“medically necessary” may sive tone? not be covered. • Are the foot plates: ° Adjustable as to the angle? Basic considerations ° Extra large? ° Metal or high-density plas• How long is the chair? tic? • How wide is it? ° Provided with heel or toe • How much does it weigh? loops? • Does the chair fold? Does it ° Able to flip-up? need to? • Are the rear wheels: ° 12", 20", or 24" size? Maintaining the chair ° Solid tires or pneumatic tires? • Who will clean and maintain ° Provided with hand rims the chair at home? At school? for self-wheelers? (Sometimes power chairs are ° Solid, pneumatic, or semileft at school.) pneumatic? • Is it “growable”? If not, how long will the person be able • Are the front casters: ° 5", 6", or 8" size? to use it? ° Solid, pneumatic, or semipneumatic? Using the chair • Who will be pushing the chair? Would taller push handles be helpful? • Who will be lifting the chair? • Can the chair be used in all environments – home, school, job, community? • Will ramps be needed at these locations? If so, who will provide them? Traveling with the chair • Will the person ride in the chair in: The family automobile? School bus or van? Other vehicles? • Will the person have enough headroom in each vehicle? • Are tie downs needed for those vehicles? If so, who will provide them? • Are ramps or lifts needed for those vehicles? If so, who will provide them? • Some points to consider: Is the wheelchair frame: • Lightweight, for easy pushing and lifting? • Heavy duty, for use by a person who: weighs more than

Why use special seating? • Supports the pelvis. • Solid, firm seats provide a stable surface for the pelvis. • Contoured seat help to center pelvis. • Anti-thrust seats help keep the pelvis from sliding forward. • Hip guides and abductors help align hips and thighs. • Gel seats, air filled cushions or special foams help prevent pressure sores. • Lap belts are used to keep hips back on the seat. • Supporting the trunk. • Firm, solid backrest supports the trunk from behind and discourages rounded posture. • Contouring of the backrest may be needed to add lumbar support, provide. ■

March 10, 2006

Spirituality Is For Everyone TARGET by Jo Lambert

ll people have a need to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of their life. How a person does this is individual. I would not presume to know all the avenues available for the development of his/her spiritual aspect, but it is important a person be given the opportunity to do so. I realize there is room for improvement in all aspects of the person’s life with a disability, but at least there is acknowledgment by society of the importance of the physical, psychological, emotional, and social needs. I agree as would most people these are essential to the health and happiness of a person with or without a disability, but if I added

A worldview definition of spirituality, can take on many faces, many ways to be achieved. spiritual, would people agree to its importance or list this as a minor issue. I imagine it would be a mixed response, but it should not be, by not addressing the spiritual aspect of an individual, he/she will not be able to achieve his/her optimal in the other areas of life. It has been stated not only in religious circles, but in medical and scientific research, when a person’s ‘well-being’ is addressed an energy helps in the healing process. Wellbeing is the spiritual aspect of the person, if it is easier to relate to by using well-being, please feel free to replace the word spiritual with well-being if you like.

their narrow view of spirituality as church attendance to include a world view. A world view definition of spirituality, can take on many faces, many ways to be achieved. The definition is a holistic approach to life, meaning it has to reflect the culture or cultures of the individual as well as the; physical, psychological, emotional, and social aspects of the person. Spirituality is defined by the individual needs, not what society defines as ‘well being’, giving the person control on how to achieve well-being. The definition of ‘well being’ includes the inner life of the person, or what makes them both want to smile and cry. It can be the ability to share what your inner most dreams are with another person, or what energizes you, and then you are expressing your wellbeing or spiritual aspect. This look at spirituality can be found in various writings at http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ spirituality#spirituality_and_ personal_well-being. No matter how you define it, it is important in all people’s lives and is not always allowed to grow in the life of the person with a disability.

other needs by advocates or service providers. It should not be ignored just because someone has a different concept of spiritual, or in many cases have decided not take care of their spiritual needs. I equate this with an agency worker or advocate delivering care to a person with a disability stating that they personally do not believe a balanced diet is important, therefore it will be allowed as a topic of concern to the client. Does this sound rather stupid to you? Well, when I hear someone from an agency say that they are not obligated to include spirituality when working for a person with a disability it sounds rather stupid to me. As you may have guessed, I have no patience with individuals within agencies or organizations claiming ‘the best interest’ of the client say there is no need to address this issue. It is an important aspect of the individual’s life and it is a right. The agency must provide resources to address the spiritual needs of the individual, just like all the other aspects of the person’s life, it is the obligation of agencies both private and public to provide these resources or information on avenues to achieve spiritual growth no matter what the individual beliefs of the employees or management.

who are blind screen reader users to navigate around Web sites. Unlike the mouse, key strokes allow screen reader users to navigate a Web site by a single key strokes or key stroke combinations. A Web site that is user friendly to screen readers will allow those of us who are blind to access as much information as sighted people who choose to use the mouse. A lawsuit filed against Target in California will certainly affect the future on-line shopping access opportunities of blind people across the United States. Target Corporation’s headquarters is located in Minneapolis. I’ve often shopped at the downtown Minneapolis Target store, and the staff was exceedingly helpful to me. The Target employees were aware of my blindness. The clerks often read the printed product information to me and/or they took me to where the products were located in the store. With my products in hand, I took them to the cashier to purchase them. But I could not perform the same purchase task on the Target Web site. When I open the Web site my cursor should be placed at the top of the frame, not at the bottom. I can read some information in the particular tables, but I wasn’t sure that the details I read were for a sweater or a shirt. In short, the Web site was confusing to me. The two Target representatives I talked with were unable to help me easily navigate around the site like sighted people do. I also talked with five blind people who use screen reader programs, and all of us came up with the same results. The Web site was designed in a way in which we had limited navigation ability. I rely on JAWS to read everything to me. Web sites with a lot of graphics, visual displays for sighted people, cannot be read by screen readers. With our screen

In order to take a holistic approach agencies both private I am aware there are many and public have to ‘hear’ and people, both in the private and implement what the con- public sector working to insumer’s needs are with open- crease the awareness and furness to diversity toward a ther the understand of the imperson’s life. There are many portance of the spiritual or ways to look at the spiritual ‘well-being’ of a person with a aspect of the person and there disability. However, again I are many avenues to achieve must say I believe spiritual or People working in disability spiritual growth, just like when well-being has to be given rights, and agencies deliver- approaching other aspects of a equal time along with addressing services to people with dis- person’s life. ing the physical, psychologiabilities, may not share this cal, emotional, and social asview of spirituality, seeing the I strongly believe the basic pects of the person with a discomplete person as physical, rights of people are being vio- ability by those that provide psychological, emotional, and lated when spiritual needs are services for people with dissocial. Because of this view, not given the same attention as abilities. ■ agencies both public and private are violating the rights of the individual. At times, agencies both public and private Accessible Space, Inc. OUSING ITH ARE use ‘separation of church and ASI state’, or it is listed as a ‘subtopic’ under ‘leisure activities’, Accessible, affordable housing & supportive living options or as a therapeutic alternative for adults with qualifying disabilities or seniors 62 & older to choose reducing its importance, or even eliminating it SUPPORTIVE LIVING SERVICES* ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING all together. If given the op• Rent based on 30% of monthly income • A variety of supportive services are tion to choose I believe the • Wheelchair accessible, 1 & 2 BR apts. available for adults with a physical majority of consumers would • 1 BR apts. for seniors age 62 and older disability, mobility impairment, give service providers a list of • Approved pets welcome! or traumatic brain injury, including ways he/she could develop his/ • Locations throughout the Metro Area, 24-hour shared personal care her spiritual aspect. Of course Greater MN, and throughout the Nation attendant staff at many locations. this would mean allowing conGREATER MINNESOTA LOCATIONS sumers the option to have a Austin • Brainerd • Champlin • Duluth • Grand Rapids • Hibbing spiritual category as part of Marshall • Rogers • Rochester • St. Cloud • Stillwater • Willmar their care plans, or service plans with input from the con(651) 645-7271 or (800) 466-7722 ~ TTY/TDD (800) 627-3529 sumer as to how they would Housing Info: ext. 295 ~ Employment Info: ext. 297 (EOE/AA) achieve their spiritual optimal. Apply for housing or employment on-line: www.accessiblespace.org Both public and private service providers, members of this *Eligibility or selection of ASI services is not required to qualify for housing ASI services are not available in all locations society, would have to revise

Cont. from p. 2 readers unable to read visual graphics, those of us who use JAWS or WE cannot make the same decision and/or perform the same action on such a Web site as we can inside the store. As a concerned blind person, I want to see a mutually beneficial outcome for the Target Corporation and for blind people in general. Technology is in a constant state of improvement, and it is realistic for blind screen reader users to access the same information as sighted people if the Web site is modified for easy screen reader use. Such a thing won’t interfere with the graphic depiction of colorful clothing, or other items shown as graphic symbols for a sighted consumer. With tags, blind people can read the details of products that sighted people see. It is a mutually winnable situation for the Target Corporation, blind people and sighted people. Target’s willingness to be inclusive to blind people is an important step to provide us with essentially the same access to the sale of products as any other consumer. With a user friendly screen reader Web site, it will make my tasks easier to research details about certain products of interest. And this lawsuit may make it possible for blind consumers to allow us to be more independent in our search on the Web. According to the NFB, blind people “access Web sites by using keyboards in conjunction with screen-reading software which vocalizes visual information on a computer screen. Target’s Web site—which according to its home page is “powered by Amazon.com”—contains significant access barriers that prevent blind customers from browsing and purchasing products online, as well as from finding important corporate information such as employment opportunities, investor news, and company policies.

The plaintiffs charge that www.target.com fails to meet the minimum standard of Web accessibility. It lacks compliant alt-text, an invisible code embedded beneath graphic images that allows screen readers to detect and vocalize a description of the image to a blind computer user. It also contains inaccessible image maps, preventing blind users from jumping to different destinations within the Web site. And because the Web site requires the use of a mouse to complete a transaction, blind Target customers are unable to make purchases on Target.com independently.” – (“Target Corporation Sued for Discrimination against the Blind, February 7, 2006). My statements were made independent of those made by any organization and organization representative cited in this article. Blind screen reader users have diverse viewpoints about this lawsuit, and this is something which will be revisited in the future. All of us, blind or sighted, need help periodically. The advancement in technology has leveled the playing field, so to speak, a little more in favor of a more fully inclusive public Web site like that of Target Corporation. Target has a great opportunity to live up to its pledge as a store that is inclusive and committed to diversity whether it is total free access on the Web or in the store. Perhaps Target Web technicians could work with JAWS and Window Eyes technicians to collaborate on ways for blind screen reader users to have better access in all parts of Target’s Web site. Responses to this article can be sent to me, Clarence Schadegg, at cschadegg@mn.rr.com. I look forward to reading your comments. ■

March 10, 2006

People Of All Abilities Dance At â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts Accessâ&#x20AC;? Program by Carla Knutson Biermaier

n February, more than 100 teens and adults, many with physical and mental disabilities, participated in a performance by Zenon Dance

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a very interactive program, with lots of instruction and music,â&#x20AC;? said John Sugimura, Hennepin County Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Program and Spe-

Members of the audience experienced the joy of dance with Zenon Dance Company.

cial Events manager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zenon had people up on their feet, doing whatever movement they could. Everyone contributed to the dance by doing small, individual movements based on their abilities, which were put together to create a large scale dance.â&#x20AC;? The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts Accessâ&#x20AC;? series is sponsored by the Library Foundation of Hennepin County, in collaboration with the Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota (ARRM), Homeward Bound, Inc., and Star Services. The last performance of the season will be on Monday, March 27, 7 pm at the Eden Prairie Library. Jawaahir Dance Company will perform dances from

Company at an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts Access at Hennepin County Libraryâ&#x20AC;? program at the Ridgedale Library. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arts Accessâ&#x20AC;? series is designed for an all-inclusive audience, including the deaf and hard of hearing community and special needs students and adults, but is open to the general public as well. Zenon performs both modern and jazz works created by emerging or internationally-renowned choreographers.

For information about upcoming activities and current services as well as access to the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s catalog, electronic data bases, the Internet, and other resources, go to www.hclib.org. Almost 2 million books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, and other materials, plus more than 1,000 computer workstations, are available to you free of charge at the libraries. Library

â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Foolinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 20!â&#x20AC;?

T People of all physical and mental abilities participated in a program presented by Zenon Dance Company.

by Will Boggs, MD

Among 3,575 individuals who responded to a mailed questionnaire, 2,302 reported having chronic pain and 2,221 answered relevant questions. The investigators found that 497 of these patients (22.4 percent) said that they had not informed their doctors about their pain. Of these silent pain sufferers, 70.6 percent had moderate or severe pain, 48.9 percent had pain for eight days or more per month, and 40.6 percent met both of these criteria.

LIFELONG LEARNING VIA HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY

The "Arts Access at Hennepin County Library" program series encourages people of all physical and mental abilities to experience the performance arts. cards are free. Apply at any of the 26 suburban Hennepin County libraries (bring a form of identification) or fill out

your application online at www.hclib.org. Wireless Internet access is available at all 26 libraries. â&#x2013;

VSA Arts of MN Kicks Off Its 20th Anniversary Year

Pain Patients Suffer Silently NEW YORK (Reuters Health) More than 20 percent of patients with chronic pain do not seek physician care for their pain, according to a report. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to get over what for many people appeared to be the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mentality about chronic pain,â&#x20AC;? Dr. Barbara P. Yawn from Olmsted Medical Center, Rochester, Minnesota told Reuters Health.

Middle Eastern cultures. Admission is free. For more information, call Sugimura at 952-847-8661.

About one quarter of them reported at least moderate interference with general activity and sleep, the results indicate. Vocal pain sufferers were more likely to report interference with general activity and sleep. The survey showed that 78.9 percent of the silent sufferers used over-the-counter pain medications (compared with 56.3 percent of vocal suffer-

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ers), but only 5 percent used prescribed pain medications (compared with 35.2 percent of vocal sufferers). Silent sufferers made fewer healthcare visits per year than their vocal counterparts (5.2 vs 8.6), the report indicates. Educational and employment status had little impact on whether patients were silent or vocal about their pain. Men

here will be a Silent Auction and Cabaret on Sunday, April 2, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St., Minneapolis. The featured performers are Billy McLaughlin, a five-time Billy Minnesota McLaughlin

were more likely to be silent than women, the investigators say, and younger patients were more likely to be silent than older patients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we need to reassure our patients (probably by exPain - cont. on p. 11

Music award winner who is the auction, call 612-332returning to the stage with a 3888 or 800-801-3883, newly adapted performing voice/tty, or go to http:// style. He will be preceded mn.vsarts.org. â&#x2013; onstage by jazz master Carei Thomas & Friends. The fundraiser will toast the achievements of advocates who have promoted greater access to the arts for people (and artists) with disabilities. The afternoon will include bidding on several hundred Silent Auction items, gourmet desserts, hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres, and beverages. To order tickets ($30, $20 lowincome) or donate an item to !CCESS0RESS PDF 0Carei Thomas

March 10, 2006

Home Access Answers

Parading Through The Homes by Jane Hampton, CID, Access Specialist Dear Jane, I have noticed billboards throughout the city advertising this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parade of Homes. I was disappointed when looking at the guide book that there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any builders advertising accessible single family homes, but I did notice several builders advertising accessible townhomes and condominiums. What are your thoughts? Sheila, Apple Valley, MN Dear Sheila, The Parade of Homes Spring Preview is an annual showcase of newly constructed homes which began on February 11, 2006 and will be running through March 19, 2006. This year, there are 1,249 homes featured, open to the public from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, Thursdays through Sundays. At the Parade of Homes, visitors can see a variety of styles, sizes, and pricing of homes in neighborhoods

throughout the metropolitan home on the Parade. Thus, our area. afternoon of touring 31+ homes (condos and townDuring the tour, free guide- homes) revealed that although books are available at Holiday most of the buildings were Station stores and any of the accessible in their common homes on the Parade. In the areas, the privately owned guidebooks, editors have iden- units appeared to be very â&#x20AC;&#x153;nortified models whose builders malâ&#x20AC;? (inaccessible), yet some indicated they have â&#x20AC;&#x153;experi- units had basic access features ence building Universal De- such as: sign (accessible) homes and offer main levels accessible to â&#x20AC;˘ no steps; wheelchairs.â&#x20AC;? This year, you are correct; there are no single â&#x20AC;˘ wide doors; family accessible homes on the Parade; only townhomes and â&#x20AC;˘ wide corridors; condominiums listed with acâ&#x20AC;˘ lever door hardware; cess potential. In the past, there have been homes in the Parade that have been constructed to be fully wheelchair accessible. In fact, I had the privilege of designing one of the very first accessible homes to be in the Parade back in 1993. This year, however, the list in the Parade of Homes guide focuses on the builder and his/or her experience of creating Universal Designed homes and not the

Computerized Desktop publishing: Brochures Catalogs Direct Mailings Flyers Newsletters Newspapers Resumes and more! Ellen Houghton â&#x20AC;˘ 952-404-9981 presentationimages@mn.rr.com

â&#x20AC;˘ easy to operate faucet hardware; â&#x20AC;˘ low pile carpet with good transitions to hard flooring; â&#x20AC;˘ large windows with low window sills (for better viewing from a seated position; i.e., wheelchairs); â&#x20AC;˘ open floor plans with potential for more extensive accessibility; â&#x20AC;˘ some models provided kitchen pass-throughs; â&#x20AC;˘ larger rooms to provide needed turning space for mobility aids, and wheelchairs. A good sign was that all of the builders and buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; representatives (i.e., realtors) we spoke to: 1) knew what we were asking for; 2) had an appropriate vocabulary to answer our questions; and, 3) showed interest in working with us to customize their standard floor plans to achieve desired and necessary accessibility features for our clients or a new homeowner. This demon-

strated to us that there is far more awareness of accessible housing needs than we had just a few years ago. We also must remember that builders who have built an accessible home this year may have done so for a specific client and thus may not need to â&#x20AC;&#x153;advertiseâ&#x20AC;? the home, because it is already sold. Accessibility Design alone has been a part of several newly constructed homes this year, but all wanted immediate occupancy making it difficult to be showcased on the Parade. If you are looking at building an accessible home in the future, the Parade of Homes is a great way to shop for a home builder and see trends first hand. Irregardless of the builder you choose, you will most likely need to modify the design/plans to create an accessible home that meets your needs. There are Access Specialists and Designers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that can assist you with this, but you may have to be your own advocate and bring them onto your team. The builder may not have these resources for you already established. Also, contacting them early in the process may save time and money in re-designing, eliminate costly â&#x20AC;&#x153;change orders,â&#x20AC;? and reduce the need to remodel laterâ&#x20AC;Śafter construction and/ or as future issues arise. If you are planning to spend time touring the Parade of Homes, before selecting which builders you would like to visit, do a little research by phone or internet to minimize â&#x20AC;&#x153;deadendâ&#x20AC;? visits. You will want to figure out exactly what units are accessible to you and what units are on the Parade that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accessible, but could be

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if you modified the design before or while it is under construction. If you are Internet savvy, most floor plans are available online with the availability of alternative configurations as well. The Parade of Homes has a Web site: www. paradeofhomes.org which can link you to builders showing homes in the Parade. And if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not looking at building a home, the Parade of Homes is a lot of fun to visit and dream. We hope that as the years go by and access features become more mainstreamed through code adoption, awareness, and/or public demand, accessible single family homes will, too, be prevalent in the Parade of Homes.

Do you have a question for Jane and Accessibility Design? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll cover all of your questions in future issues of Home Access Answers. Please contact us at 952-925-0301 or email us at info@accessibility design.com or visit us at www.accessibilitydesign.com. Jane Hampton, president of Accessibility Design, founded the company in 1992 to enhance lives through design and project management. They provide design, consultation, project management, and product recommendation services specializing in home access for individuals with disabilities at all stages of life. â&#x2013;

March 10, 2006

On Mental Illness

Living Independently

No Place Like Home

Finding a “House Call” in the Twin Cities

by Pete Feigal [Editors Note: We have reprinted one of Pete’s articles that can give some clarity to living with mental illnesses.]

can simply disappear in secret, avoiding the problem altogether. Some of us hide out in our rooms, others in books, some with their pets, others e with this illness retreat into television or comfear that there will puter games. Some choose to never be a place of hide in their bodies. safety and belonging for us. Our experience of belonging When we are hiding out, waitseems conditional on our per- ing sometimes takes the place formance. We feel as if we are of belonging: waiting to be valued for not making trouble discovered, waiting to be asked and, if we amputate our hearts in, waiting for it to be safe. and feelings, we minimize our Waiting and hiding are strateundesirability and make our- gies of powerlessness. selves harmless. Only then can we take up space. Our history as a species is filled with conflicts between people We learn to guess, try to figure seeking a rightful place. Indiour place out, and try to earn it ans with Europeans, blacks somehow. But we never really with apartheid, Jews with Nafeel we’ve found it, and it zis, women with men, rich with seems as though we could be poor, we have been terribly exiled at any moment. So we clumsy in allocating a place of learn to grab whatever is of- safety; and we all seek refuge, fered, thankful for being al- a home. Even Jesus was born a lowed to stay somewhere, any- refugee, homeless among his where. This is how we define own people. belonging: the temporary postponement of certain exile. But safety and belonging are not freely granted by the world. Some of us try to earn our Millions of homeless people place by being the clown, or in our cities testify to the enthe savior, or just invisible. during truth of Jesus’ experiWe clutter our lives with these ence. Millions of refugees strategies for belonging, try- worldwide reveal our inability ing through some combination or perhaps our unwillingness of performance and cleverness to provide a homeland for all to make ourselves look attrac- our children. tive and valuable so that those who “really” belong will let us Any child in pain claims kinstay around. Some of us take ship with all others who live in what seems to be the only other exile from true belonging. For choice: self-imposed exile. those of us who have felt emoWith a good hiding place, we tional exile and isolation in

PAIN - Cont. from p. 9 ample) that we will listen to concerns about chronic pain and take those concerns seriously,” Yawn said, and “that we do have alternatives to the ‘stronger’ pain medications that can cause side effects and have the potential for addiction. I think it is important to determine if the chronic pain is interfering with work, play, or sleep and

if it is, try to help,” Yawn commented. “We also need to know when patients are able to deal with the pain on their own and don’t need us— but I would prefer they have the confidence to ask us when it is interfering with activities they want to do.” ■ SOURCE: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, February 2006.

our lives with mental illness/ brain disorders, this kinship is difficult to feel, hard to imagine. But it lies in the heart of our Journey. When we doubt our belonging, we grow desperate, and we learn to grab almost anything—a job, a sexual partner, a gang, a therapist, a lifestyle— and make that our place of belonging. In our desperation we lose both our serenity and our sensitivity to the needs of others. Yet no other human being can provide that belonging for us. They are not in charge of granting us a place here, our place is already given. Our challenge, our work, is to honor our place in this moment, to breathe deeply, in the unconditional gift of home. The search for a home is an ancient spiritual metaphor. In the Hebrew story of Exodus, God saw the suffering of the Hebrew slaves and promised them an unconditional “land of milk and honey.” No matter how unfaithful or sacrilegious they proved to be along the way, no matter how much they complained about the difficulty of the journey, the gift of belonging was never taken away. They were not given the land as a reward for their performance; they were given the land because they required a home. The invitation to belong is made again and again, but we must be able to hear the promise and accept the gift. The journey to our home need not always lead to a separate country or place. Sometimes it leads us to a still, small voice within our souls, a place of belonging as sure and quiet as our very breath. This search for home is essential to our healing because finding a place where they let us stay is not the some as having a place where we belong. ■

by Lisa Schmidtke

ealthcare is often brought to the home to help someone recover from illness or surgery, to maintain a person’s health or to provide assistance in meeting one’s daily needs. The advice from last month’s “House Call” article on Personal Care Attendants remains the same. Before you hire anyone, make sure that any medical assistance is performed under the direction of a physician. In Home Personal Care and A+ Home Care hires registered nurses to provide care while others such as Intrepid USA and Comprehensive Therapy will also coordinate multiple home health services. Other “supportive services” can help a person continue living independently in the home. Supportive services include assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming. Services are provided as frequently as necessary that may require care and can be on a 24/7 basis.

Telehealth is transforming ted immediately to a nurse. home healthcare as we know My grandma looked at me and it. According to Wikipedia, the said, “Magic!” Internet’s “Free Encyclopedia,” telehealth is the delivery Lisa Schmidtke is the Presiof health related services and dent and Founder of information via telecommuni- Housecalls Network. She can cations technologies. Clinical be reached by email at uses of telehealth technologies lisa@housecalls-network. include transmission of medi- com or by phone at 952-221cal images for diagnosis, ex- 0722. Housecalls Network changing health services or does not endorse any particueducation live via videocon- lar provider. They assume no ference, transmission of medi- responsibility for transactions cal data for diagnosis or dis- between the readers of this ease management, or health article and listed organizaadvice by telephone. Non- tions. ■ clinical uses of telehealth technologies include continuing Their Housecalls Network medical education, grand Web site, www.housecallsrounds, patient education, and network.com, contains a dimeetings among telehealth rectory of resources that can networks, supervision, presen- help the growing population tations and research. My first of seniors, disabled people and experience with telehealth was their caregivers live indepenafter my grandpa had a heart dently. Housecalls Network attack and he was home recov- also sells aids for daily living, ering, unable to drive for eight lifting cushions and other weeks. He weighed himself, adaptive equipment through took his blood pressure and their Web site, catalog and checked his blood sugar level home presentations. The age of doctors performing and the results were transmit“house calls” is long gone in most cities. However, businesses offering chiropractic services, massage and physical therapy in a patient’s home are becoming more popular. • A+ Home Care - www.aplushomecare.org; (952) 854-7760 For an “adjustment” that doesn’t require you to adjust • Comprehensive Therapy - 952-922-2221 your schedule, try Crown Chi- • Crown Chiropractic - 612-715-BACK ropractic or Home Care Chi- • Fitness Solutions - www.fitnesssolutions.cc/pages/ ropractic. No Knots will give 2/index.htm; 612.730.5351 your back a nice massage that • Footworks - 651-501-0624 those expensive massage chairs can’t even touch. Foot • Home Care Chiropractic www.homecarechiro.com; 612-331-9999 care may seem like a luxury, but for someone suffering from • Home Health Care - 1-800-232-0851 diabetes or edema, a foot mas- • In Home Personal Care - www.inhomepersonal care.com/ihpc.htm; 763-546-1000 sage may help increase circulation. Strength and balance • Intrepid USA - www.intrepidusa.com/services.html; training provided by Seniors 952.285.7300 Abilities Unlimited can help • No Knots - 651-768-7102 prevent falls and injury. Their • Seniors Abilities Unlimited - www.seniorabilitie 92 year-old “spokes model,” sunlimited.com; 952-746-3222 Helen, says it best with her • Senior Helping Hands - www.centracare.com/sch/ quote, “Now, the only way I’ll centers/behavioral/senior.html; (320) 255-5732 fall is if someone pushes me over!”

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March 10, 2006

News At A Glance . . . Eye Injury Report

Community effort offers help with Medicare Part D

Book Review – Head and Brain Injuries

ccording to a recent report by the U.S. Department of n 2002 Elaine Landau published Head and Brain Injuries. Labor, more than one million Americans required time off An award-winning author of books that include writing for from work due to injuries or illness obtained on the job in one year children and young adults, she avoids the dry text that tends to alone. Eye injuries accounted for more than 36,000 of that total. lose many readers. This concise, informative guide about traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is geared toward young readers The report also found: as well as adult readers. • More eye accidents at work happen on Tuesday than any other day of the week. She provides an overview of TBI that includes case examples • Those aged 25-34 reported the most eye injuries. 29,460 or of how injuries occur. With her focus on infants, children, 80 percent of workplace eye injuries were to men. teenagers, and young adults, she covers sports injuries (specifi• Cuts, lacerations or punctures were the most common eye injury. cally soccer, football, and golf), automobile accidents, and falls. Fortunately for employers and employees, 90 percent of all jobrelated eye injuries can be prevented by simply wearing the proper The brain, its anatomy and functions are explained in an easy, eye protection! For more info, contact Sarah Hecker, Director, understandable text. To highlight key points, she uses photoMedia Relations, Prevent Blindness America, 312-363-6035. graphs and illustrations.

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Readers gain insight into the treatment and rehabilitation process. She includes an overview of legislation impacting people with disabilities. She concludes with a glimpse into the future. With the excitement of new discoveries under current research, she also fosters public awareness of the importance of practicing safety in the prevention of head injuries.

Students at the Wright Technical Center are assisting with a community effort to help people understand and benefit from Medicare Part D. During a recent session at the school, students did the information keyboarding into Medicare’s Web site. Here, student Lillian Parks (center) and pharmacist Brad Winterhalter (right) enjoy working with Gerald Mundell (left). For more information about the program, call Buffalo, Hanover, Montrose Community Education at 763-682-8770. (Photo courtesy of Dave Strait.)

fforts of several local community groups and individuals Landau’s remarkable skill in striking the median for layperson have developed a program to help people better underand professional, young reader and adult reader place Head and Brain Injuries high on the list of recommended reading for stand and benefit from Medicare Part D. those with a desire to learn more about preventing, treating and Medicare’s NEW ‘Individual’ Prescription Plans require some coping with TBI. effort to get the ‘best’ deal (and there are ‘good’ deals for most For more information about Elaine or other books that Elaine people) while providing more freedom of choice and greater has written visit, www.elainelandau.com/home/other consumer influence than previous choices. News at a Glance - cont. on p. 19 books.htm.

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March 10, 2006

Politics And Speech! Celebrating The Gift Of Life Do They Go Hand In Hand? by Kenneth Brown

by Michael Cohn, M.Ed

s most of you know, to succeed in a political career you must be able to verbally communicate fast and clearly. There is a question that I have been wondering and I hope that this article will help answer my query. Why is it that we do not see very many people with speech disabilities out in the political or business world? Yes, many people with speech disabilities are very intelligent, yet because of the way they have been treated by many people in the disability and non-disability community, it is hard to continue to prove themselves as capable and intelligent people. Why do I say this? Unfortunately, having a disability for many also accompanies the idea that a person with a disability has entitlement. I think that is a selffulfilling prophesy. Many people with disabilities that I have talked with feel that the government owes them because of what they have to deal with everyday. I think that this is a sad stateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to see people live with this belief. Yes, living with a speech disability may put up more barriers on your lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if you let it. You need to take chances in life and get out in the world and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have abilities that do work.â&#x20AC;?

Yes, living with a speech impediment is not fun. People may not want to give you the time of day, simply because they are embarrassed that they cannot understand you. Yet, this should not prevent people with any kind of disability from getting involved in political work. People should not just expect a person to be given things from the government without putting in some kind of work or effort. This work might mean being a volunteer on a campaign or better yet, they can run for political seat.

Because the political arena involves having to communicate thoughts and ideas and answer questions without any hesitation, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly unlikely youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see a person with a speech impediment holding an elected high profile position. Until more people with speech impediments are willing to take chances to run for a political seat, whether it is city or state, I do not think we will be seen as equal even though we have the mental ability to think clearly. Our speech disability interferes at times in opening up opportunities socially, busiDuring the past two years I ness and politically. have been very active in a number of political campaigns, For those of you who are ofboth local and statewide. fended by this statement, it is When was the last time you not done to hurt anyone or any met a political candidate with group of people, but it is a fact. a speech impediment or a can- I have had to come to terms didate who has a committee with this fact because of a pochair with a speech impedi- litical opportunity that came ment? I personally have never my way. I was not willing to met a person running for any just sit back and not get inposition, local or state, who volved. had a speech impediment or a committee chair with a speech During this last year, there were impediment, besides me. I many local city council races know of other people with dis- and in St. Louis Park there was abilities who have run for of- an open seat, which I decided fice and are currently serving to take the opportunity and run the State of Minnesota in one for. Because there were three capacity or another. But these candidates running for the people are vision impaired or open seat, there had to be a blind, thus they are able to primary. I made it through the communicate their thoughts primary, which was a nice surand ideas and answer any ques- prise. After the primary, it was tions in a timely manner. eight weeks until the election. There was a lot of work involved with the campaign. Many of the voters I reached were open to asking me to repeat what I said if they were not able to understand. There were also many people who were uncomfortable with my speech and some would not even acknowledge my presence, this is why I say you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a person with a speech impediment in a high profile office, even though developmentally they may be as sharp as a tack. â&#x2013;

have been reflecting on my life and the things that I am most proud of. It is a wonder to me that I would do this at the time of Martin Luther Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Birthday and during African Heritage Month. The things that I am most proud of are my disability, my business, my family, my significant other, and my volunteerism. I am proud of these, as they have helped to mold me into the person that I am today. My disability has caused me to be determined, but passionate.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In our history there are African Americans with disabilities that have overcome their disability to be successful.â&#x20AC;? My children have given me the opportunity to express my Love and appreciation for those that truly depended on me. My parents taught me to be self-sufficient and take responsibility for my actions. My family taught me how to survive and to thrive in this world. My significant other helps me to realize that I can share myself with someone without the fear of her taking advantage of me. My grandchildren give me the gift of continued youth and taking care of myself. My business gives me the opportunity to serve others. My volunteerism gives me the opportunity to give back to my community some of that, which has been given to me. These things and so many more I have done despite my disability. I had tons of help and support along the way from hundreds of people. I have experienced the meanness of youth, the ignorance of adults, the slap of discrimination, and the horror of inequality based on stereotyping. I am not complaining. I am really celebrating the gift of life. I grew up in Inner-city St. Louis, MO during the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and early 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I experienced life to its fullest

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as I grew up in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Villageâ&#x20AC;? as a child. The one thing I regret is I did not get the opportunity to play organized sports as a youth. Coaches, parents, teachers, and others were not trained to work with â&#x20AC;&#x153;crippled children,â&#x20AC;? and my abilities were ignored. This situation is better today, but not perfect with the ADA and Civil Rightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protections. I did not have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;role modelâ&#x20AC;? with a disability of any kind that I could relate to, to model my life after. There was an actor in a television western that walked with a limp, but I could not connect the dots to my life.

I own and operate a service company. Several weeks ago I was sent to see a physical therapist because I was experiencing on-going minor pain in my arm and hand. The therapist took several measurements of my arm and hand, and examined my neck and shoulders. After the examination, she determined that most of the pain I was experiencing was due to â&#x20AC;&#x153;over use of my arm and hand.â&#x20AC;? This caused my muscles to be in a constant state of stress. Today after several weeks of following her recommendations for daily stretching, my arm, neck and shoulders, I feel better today None of this stopped me from than they have in at least three having dreams, setting goals years. and realizing many of them today. I dreamed of owning Additionally, another aspect of my own business, I dreamed my life that I am proud of is the of being a parent, I dreamed of relationships that I have been being a role model and provid- able to build and maintain with ing inspiration to others. I many of our senior/elder comdreamed of sharing my life munity members. Many of them experience with others so that through the aging process have they may not have to suffer the developed a disability, but they injustices I did. I dreamed of continue to be thriving producbeing able to be a voice for tive members of our commuthose that believe they have no nity. Once again someone asvoice. sisted me in my life to continue my work in the community. By the way, my disability is One aspect of my work is to that I am partially paralyzed help our youth respect, honor, on my left side. In our history, there are many African Ameri- â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been and readily cans with disabilities that I accept the challenges could have looked up to. As that my disability our history is not properly taught in our school systems, it presents to me on a daily is our responsibility to edu- basis.â&#x20AC;? cate our selves about our history. I did a little research and understand, and support our found many people in our his- senior/elders through service tory had disabilities of some and to help our senior/elders to kind. Wilma Rudolph had Po- respect, support, and cherish lio, and also suffered from our youth through acceptance bouts with Pneumonia and to help all of us build a better Scarlet Fever as a child: First community. Both of these vital American woman to win three important groups of our comgold medals in the Olympics munity have fears of each other 1960. Harriet Tubman-Epi- that we, in the middle, need to lepsy/Narcolepsy: Conducted realize and help in dispelling 300 slaves to freedom on the the fears. Underground Railroad. In our history there are AfriDid you know that being par- can Americans with disabilitially paralyzed has not pre- ties that have overcome their vented me from being normal? disability to be successful. I do things a little differently Whoopi Goldberg: learning than a person with full mobil- disability and a High School ity on both sides, but I can do Drop-out, gained notoriety whatever I want to do. I have with one woman show [Spook been able to survive three near Show], debut on Broadway drownings, a severe auto acci- 1983, won an Academy Award dent, being assaulted with a for the movie Ghost, and apdeadly weapon and having to peared in a number of movies drive 13 miles to a police sta- and television shows. Stevie tion to get assistance, and a Wonder: Blind, learned to play near fall from a rooftop. I have drums, piano and harmonica been and readily accept the by the age of nine, pioneered challenges that my disability the use of Synthesizers in mupresents to me on a daily basis. sic during the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, won I will readily admit that there three Grammy awards in 1972, have been times due to my toured with the Rolling Stones determination and iron will that in 1972, Grammy for Album I have tried to do some things of the year 1974, 1979 first that I should not have. In try- Platinum Album. â&#x2013; ing to accomplish these tasks, I realized a few additional limitations I have.

March 10, 2006

Upcoming Events March 8 and 22, 2006 American Sign Language Classes – ASL Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) encourages individuals to EXPAND your social network, gain new knowledge, experience, and skills!

March 15, 22, and 29, 2006 March 18, 2006 Chemical Dependency 15th Annual with disability Greater Midway MCIL also encourages people Home & Garden Show to join the Support Groups. Visit expanded workshops on energy saving improvements, Day/Time: Meets every other windows, gardening, kitchen Wednesday, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm design, color trends, pavers, and more. Featuring local home Location: 1600 University improvement contractors/prodDay/Time: Thursdays, 10:30 Ave W, Suite #16, St. Paul. ucts, tree/garden experts, fiam to 11:30 am RSVP to: Laura Borton at 651- nancing options, senior re603-2028 or laurb@mcil- sources, Q&A with Ramsey Location: 1600 University mn.org. County Master Gardeners. Ave W, Suite #16, St. Paul. RSVP to: Laura Borton at 651Day/Time: Saturday, 9am to ❖❖❖❖ 603-2028 or laurb@mcil3pm mn.org. March 18, 2006 Location: Crossroads ElCan We Count on ❖❖❖❖ ementary School, 543 Front Minnesota’s Voting Ave. St. Paul. Cost: Free adSystem? March 9 and 23, 2006 A Forum on the State of Elec- mission and parking. Please contact 651-771-2004 or Traumatic Brain Injury – tions in Minnesota. bjrhyser@hotmail.com with Support Group MCIL also encourages people Day/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m. any questions. to join the Support Groups. to noon; Registration and cof❖❖❖❖ fee at 9:30 am Day/Time: Meets every other March 21, 2006 Thursday, 6-7 pm Location: First Universalist Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Church, 3400 Dupont Avenue Location: 1600 University South, Mpls Transgender Support Ave W, Suite #16, St. Paul. Metropolitan Center for IndeRSVP to: Laura Borton at 651- Cost: Event is free and open pendent Living encourages 603-2028 or laurb@mcil- to the public. This forum is individuals to come meet new mn.org. designed to educate the public people, gain new knowledge, and elected officials about our experience, and skills! ❖❖❖❖ voting system. Procedural and equipment requirements of the Day/Time: Tuesday, 6:00pmMarch 13-14, 2006 Help America Vote Act 7:30pm Putting the Pieces (HAVA) have introduced Together: 3rd Annual Care changes about which we all Location: 1919 University Ave, and Treatment Education should be aware. Panelists St. Paul, MN TRANSPORTAConference will discuss voter registration TION to 1919 University CenDay/Time: Monday, 10 am to issues, voter disenfranchise- tre: Using Metro Mobility? Go 7 pm, Tuesday, 7:30 am to ment and suppression, ensur- to Charles Ave and turn into 1:30 pm. Pre-conference ing the accuracy of the vote Parking Lot A. Using Metro Workshop on Sunday. count, national lessons learned Transit? Bus stop at: Univerand the impact of the Help sity and Prior Ave. Driving Location: Treasure Island America Vote Act. yourself? Go to Charles Ave Resort and Casino; Red Wing, and turn into North Parking lot – MN. For more information Sponsored by: LWVMNEF, Parking is FREE! RSVP to: contact Nikki Walker at 763- Citizens for Election Integrity Laura Borton at 651-603-2028 245-0464 or nikkiwalker@ MN, and Association of Uni- or laurb @mcil-mn.org. mac.com. versalist Women ❖❖❖❖ Sponsored by: the Minnesota ❖❖❖❖ Department of Education ❖❖❖❖

March 24, 2006 Personal Assistant Services Metropolitan Center for Independent Living encourages individuals to EXPAND your social network, gain new knowledge, experience, and skills!

March 28, 2006 Cribbage Games Metropolitan Center for Independent Living encourages individuals to EXPAND your social network, gain new knowledge, experience, and skills!

Day/Time: Friday, 1:00 pm to Day/Time: Tuesday, 12:00 3:00 pm pm to 3:00 pm Location: 1919 University Ave, St. Paul, MN TRANSPORTATION to 1919 University Centre: Using Metro Mobility? Go to Charles Ave and turn into Parking Lot A. Using Metro Transit? Bus stop at: University and Prior Ave. Driving yourself? Go to Charles Ave and turn into North Parking lot – Parking is FREE! RSVP to: Laura Borton at 651-603-2028 or laurb@ mcil-mn.org. ❖❖❖❖ March 27, 2006 Arts Access at Hennepin County Library Featuring Jawaahir Dance Company. Audience of all abilities and heritage can experience the beauty of Middle Eastern culture through dances that eloquently convey the heritage and authentic dance forms from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Persia, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. Arts Access at Hennepin County Library connects teens and adults of all mental and physical abilities to the arts. Day/Time: Monday, 7 pm Location: Eden Prairie Library Sponsored by: Library Foundation of Hennepin County in collaboration with the Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota (ARRM), Homeward Bound, Inc., and Star Services. ❖❖❖❖

West, St. Paul; (just across the street from the Capitol). Please note: No food is allowed and you need to park at one of the ramps or surface lots. Please call ahead and make appointments with your legislators. For more information, go to this Web site: www. leg. state.mn.us/leg/District finder.asp and click on “who represents me,” and then enter your address. Invite them to attend the rally. For more information, call the Mental Health Association of Minnesota at 612-331-6840 or 1-800-8621799, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness of MN at 651645-2948 or 1-888-473-0237.

Location: 1919 University Ave, St. Paul, MN TRANSPORTATION to 1919 University Centre: Using Metro Mobility? Go to Charles Ave and turn into Parking Lot A. Using Metro Transit? Bus stop at: University and Prior Ave. Driving yourself? Go to Charles Ave and turn into North Parking lot – Parking is Sponsored by: the Mental FREE! RSVP to: Laura Borton Health Legislative Network. at 651-603-2028 or laurb ❖❖❖❖ @mcil-mn.org. ❖❖❖❖

April 3, 2006 Open House for Holy Cross Institute March 28, 2006 Mental Health Day on the Hill Come discover a new high school with Arts and a ClassiLet your voice be heard! cal Education Combined. 8th Come to the Capitol and dem- graders and parents invited to onstrate your support for in- meet the teachers. creased funding and improved policies for mental health ser- Day/Time: Monday, 7:30 pm; vices. We need access to healthcare services and medi- Location: Hudson (WI) Mucation, more affordable hous- nicipal Building, 911 4th Street, ing, employment opportuni- Room 212. For more informaties, community mental health tion contact 651-379-5202 or services, and family supports. visit www.holycross-institute. We need better educational org. outcomes and fewer people ❖❖❖❖ ending up in the criminal justice system due to untreated April 15, 2006 mental illness. Let’s advocate Using IntelliTools for children, adolescents, Classroom Suite with adults and families. Young Children Learn how the integration of Day/Time: • Tuesday, 10:00 am: Legis- IntelliPics Studio 3, Intellilative Briefing. mathics 3, and IntelliTalk 3 • 12 noon. Rally in the Ro- can enhance K-8 curriculum tunda of the Capitol activities in math, language • 1:00 pm. Visit with your arts, social studies, and sciLegislators ence. Participants will receive a free 45-day trial version of Location: Christ Lutheran the software. Church, 105 University Avenue Events - cont. on p. 17

March 10, 2006

PUMPED - Cont. from p. 1 verified prescriptions. Shown evidence Paey filled 200 prescriptions within two years for 18,000 pills; the doctor claimed all the prescriptions were forgeries. Dr. Nurkiewicz wouldn’t talk to 60 Minutes, Access Press found his telephone number unlisted, and Reynolds claims he cut a deal with the DEA and “faces no criminal charges.”

drugs. The Washington Post has reported: “An extensive effort to ease tensions between physicians who specialize in treating pain and the [DEA] over the use of morphine-based painkillers has backfired— leaving many pain doctors and patients more fearful than before that they could be arrested for practicing what they consider good medicine.”

Florida assistant state attorney Scott Andringa acknowledged to Safer that Dr. Nurkiewicz’s statements were “inconsistent and contradictory,” but said Paey took advantage of his doctor’s inattention to detail. “It’s a crime to forge prescriptions, and it’s a crime to use a forged prescription you stole to get drugs from a pharmacy, which is what he did,” Andringa says. Paey claims he never sold

Under Florida law, having one bottle of painkillers obtained illegally is considered drug trafficking, with a higher penalty than trafficking in much larger amounts of cocaine. Andringa’s office offered Paey a plea bargain: no jail time if he admitted the crimes. Paey says “I would have found it near impossible to get any medication. I didn’t want to plead guilty to something I didn’t do.” The jury convicted

Paey of 15 counts of prescription forgery, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and drug trafficking. The judge had no alternative but to sentence him to 25 years. Paey expected to win in court. When he was convicted, he and his wife were shattered by the verdict. The Mayo Clinic contends chronic pain can develop for no apparent reason—“that doesn’t mean the pain doesn’t exist. [A] Doctor may not be able to link it to an identifiable physical cause. X-rays and lab tests can’t ‘see’ pain. Even subtle damage to nerves can cause severe pain. Years of research have failed to uncover the precise physical causes of a variety of painful ailments.” Dr. David Martin admits: “Some people don’t know what is causing their pain. Others

know the source, but search for an effective treatment.” An anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester says “in the vast majority of cases, we can determine a cause; in some cases we [have] an explanation but we can’t eliminate it. Not all abnormalities cause pain and not all pain is associated with abnormality.” He claims that when “patients tell me about their pain, I believe them.” Dr. Martin notes patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is “often used to control pain after surgery. The machine will ignore the request if you push the button too frequently. Only the patient should push the button.” He emphasizes some pain medications “pose no risk for addiction. These include anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-

depressants, and anti-epileptic medications. Opioids, such as morphine and codeine, have some risk of addiction; when taken as directed by a physician, the risk is very small. When your body adapts to a drug, eventually you may need a higher dose to get the same relief.”

basis of very weak evidence.”

tions to consider. Within the context of a social contract— democratic government, if you prefer—what are the social, financial and moral responsibilities of the individual, family, community and the local, state and federal levels of government? What services do you consider essential to the social contract?

As constituents, individuals with (and without) disabilities have the right – some may say the responsibility – to communicate concerns, questions and calls for action to respective government officials and 2006 office candidates.

Now inject irony: Paey had a pain medicine pump inserted surgically before he went to prison, Reynolds noted, and now Florida pays for the constant stream of medication delivered directly to Paey’s spine. That provides him with pain relief at doses more pow60 Minutes talked to Dr. erful than the drugs he was Russell Portnoy, chairman of taking when he was arrested. the Dept. of Pain Medicine at New York’s Beth Israel Hos- To contact Richard Paey or to pital, who said, “People are learn more about his appeal literally able to take indus- visit www.PainReliefNet trial strength doses without work.org. ■ sustaining any problem at all. There’s a very deep concern Herb Drill writes and edits [in] the medical profession www.notaccessible.com and is that the authorities don’t a charter member of the Sociknow anything about pain ety of American Business Edimedicine; and are so afraid tors and Writers. of prescription drug abuse that they tend to investigate or go after prescribers on the

ELECTION- Cont. from p. 1 get calls for the elimination of Another CBPP report states, all funding for traumatic brain “More than four-fifths of the Medicaid savings proposals in In the 2007 budget, Bush pro- injury. the Administration’s new budposes additional cuts from Medicare and Medicaid over Consider this quote from the get would reduce federal Medthe next 10 years. Proposed January State of the Union icaid expenditures by shifting health care cuts include the Address: “Our nation is grate- costs directly from the federal elimination of all funding for ful to the fallen, which live in government to the states. traumatic brain injury, rural the memory of our country. These cost shifts are consisand community access to emer- We’re grateful to all who vol- tent with a broader theme in gency devices, universal new- unteer to wear our nation’s the new budget of squeezing born hearing screening, and uniform — and as we honor grants in aid to states. If impleemergency management ser- our brave troops, let us never mented, the Administra-tion’s vices for children, to name a forget the sacrifices of Medicaid proposals would few (www.gpoaccess.gov/ America’s military families.” leave states the option of cutting back their Medicaid proindex.html, “07 Budget Appendix, Health Resources and Now consider a report pub- grams (by reducing eligibility, lished by the Center on Bud- benefits, or provider payServices Administration”). get and Policy Priorities ments), cutting back other state In 2003, the Defense and Vet- (CBPP, www.cbpp.org). Vet- programs, or increasing taxes erans’ Head Injury Program erans’ programs would be cut to make up for the loss of fed(DVHIP) reported 62% of 155 $10.3 billion over the next 5 eral funds. In states that opt to injured soldiers screened upon years. By 2011, the cuts will cut back on their Medicaid return from Iraq were found to reach 13%. The primary pur- programs, low-income famihave a brain injury (report pose of these programs is to lies, individuals with disabiliavailable at www.biausa.org). provide veterans with medical ties, and seniors would be at risk.” Yet, as indicated in the previ- care. ous paragraph, the 2007 budmeeting that responsibility.”

PRIMER - Cont. from p. 5 ers. Another popular misper- likely to continue indefinitely; ception is that employing •Is attributable to a mental or people with intellectual dis- physical impairment or a abilities will cause insurance combination of those impaircosts to skyrocket. Studies ments; show, however, that employ- •Occurs before the age of 22; ing workers with intellectual •Results in substantial funcdisabilities will not lead to tional limitations in three or higher insurance rates or more more of the following areas workers’ compensation claims. of major life activity: selfcare, receptive and expresIntellectual disabilities and de- sive language, learning, movelopmental disabilities are bility, self-direction, capacoften used interchangeably. ity for independent living, and However, they are not quite the economic self-sufficiency; same. An intellectual disabil- •Shows a need for special, inity is one type of developmen- terdisciplinary supports for the tal disability, but not all devel- individual or other forms of opmental disabilities have an lifelong or extended assistance. intellectual component. In addition to intellectual disThe federal government’s defi- abilities, examples of develnition of developmental dis- opmental disabilities include ability is a condition which: cerebral palsy, epilepsy, de•Is severe and chronic and velopmental delay, autism, and

fetal alcohol syndrome. For more information about cognitive/intellectual disabilities, about developmental disabilities, and about funding and supports available for persons with these disabilities, contact The Arc of Minnesota, 651523-0823 or 1-800-582-5256; website: www.TheArcOf Minnesota.org; e-mail: mail @arcmn.org. ■ Information for this article was taken directly from fact sheets produced by The Arc of the U.S. and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Go to www.thearc. org/faqs/intromr.pdf and www.eeoc.gov/facts/ intellectual_disabilities.html for the complete articles.

The budget also calls for the termination of some grants to state and local governments. They include: the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which provides nutritional food packages for low-income elderly individuals; the Preventative Care Block Grant which funds preventative health services for underserved populations; and the Community Services Block Grant which provides funding for social services and other types of assistance for low-income families and individuals who are elderly and/or with disabilities. In 2007 there is a proposed 50% cut in Section 811 housing for low-income people with disabilities. There is also a 79% cut in community policing services. From 2007 - 2011, there is a 17% reduction in education, training, employment, and social services. There is also a 14% reduction in transportation. Summary In light of these and other issues, there are several ques-

Review these in light of policy statements issued by candidates. For example, the following issues are highlighted by candidates in the Minnesota gubernatorial election: quality affordable healthcare; transportation services; educational opportunities at levels K-12 and above; agricultural development; vocational and rehabilitation services; crime prevention and public safety programs; environmental protection; job opportunities and a sound economy; and sustainable energy sources.

By researching the issues, attending legislative, political party and special issue meetings, voters with disabilities can help determine the outcome of the 2006 election and the outcome of the 2007 budget proposal.

In Minnesota the state offices include: Governor and Lieutenant Governor; Secretary of State; Attorney General; State Auditor; 67 State Senators; and 134 State Representatives. Federal offices include one U.S. Senator and eight U.S. Representatives. Additional information on offices and candidates is available at www. congress.org and www.us These are only a few of the elections.com. ■ many areas likely to be impacted in the coming years. See below for a searchable Several areas directly impact database on the upcoming individuals with disabilities. election issues and candidates.

Legislative Issues – Searchable Database

here is a searchable database where users may research FY07 Budget Publications. This is an excellent starting point for voters to research individual interests and concerns. It also provides information that voters can use in addressing current office holders and 2006 candidates. The site is www.gpoaccess. gov/index.html. When the site opens, find Executive Resources near the middle of the page. Under this select View All. When a new page opens,

look under Presidential Materials and then select Budget of the United States Government. A search field appears at the bottom of the page. Enter a word or phrase to pull documents pertaining to your entry. Example: Entering “2007 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY” in the search field yielded 50 documents. The first listing contained the sought information. In another search, “Education Disabilities Act,” 50 documents ap-

peared the fourteenth containing the needed information. The document titles are useful indicators in locating the information you seek. Documents can be viewed in two formats. With the text version, users can copy, paste and print. With the PDF versions, documents can be saved or printed. Dependent on your needs, the PDF version may yield a better print. ■

March 10, 2006

Accessible Performances The following performances will be Audio Described (AD) for people who are blind or have low vision, or Interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Compiled by VSA arts of MN, 612-332-3888 or http://mn.vsarts.org. Late Nite Catechism 2 ASL: Fri., March 3, 8:00 pm; AD: Sat., March 4, 2:00 pm; Run Dates: February 22 – May 21, 2006; Performed at: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts McKnight Theatre, 345 Washington, St. Paul; Tix: $20-$30; 651-224-4222, TTY 651-282-3100; www.ord way.org

Convenience AD & ASL: Sun., March 12, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: February 24 – March 19, 2006; Performed by: Mpls. Musical Theatre at Hennepin Stages, 824 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; Tix: $17 (reg. $24); 612-6730404; ASL/AD Hotline: 612373-5650; www.aboutmmt. org

Gotama: A Journey to the Buddha AD: Sun., March 5, 2:00 pm; ASL: Fri., March 24, 10:30 am & 7:30 pm; Run Dates: February 24 – March 26, 2006; Performed by: In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre, 1500 E. Lake St., Mpls; Tix: 612-721-2535, or info@hobt.org; www.hobt. org

Music by Lawrence Floyd Hendrickson AD: Sat., March 18, 1:00-3:00 pm; This blues singer & acoustic guitarist will perform, and the Lake Elmo Artists Exhibition will be described in the new Ramsey Center for Art, 3585 Laverne Avenue No; Lake Elmo; Tix: by donation: 651-256-1407; www.ramsey cfa.org

Stuart Little AD: Sat., March 11, 7:00 pm; ASL: upon request in advance. Run Dates: March 9-26, 2006; Performed by: Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre, 333 Fourth St. S., Fargo, ND; Tix: Reduced to $7.50, $6 senior, $4.50 student, $3 ages 3-12; 701-235-6778, 877-687-7469; www.fmct.org

Anna in the Tropics AD & ASL: Sat., March 18, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: March 3-26, 2006; Performed by: Park Square Theatre, 408 St. Peter St. (20 W. 7th Place), St. Paul; Tix: half-price; 651-2917005; www.parksquare theatre.org

Boychik AD: Sun., March 12, 2:00 pm; Run Dates: March 4-26, 2006; Performed by: Minnesota Jewish Theatre Co. at Hillcrest Center Theater, 1978 Ford Parkway, St. Paul; Tix: Reduced to $13 (reg. $20), 651647-4315; www.mnjewish theatre.org The Adventures of Hanuman, King of the Monkeys ASL: Sun., March 12, 2:00 pm; AD: Tues., March 14, 11:00 am; Run Dates: March 3-19, 2006; Performed by: SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development at Landmark Center, 75 W. 5th St., St. Paul; Tix: $9; 651-225-9265; www.steppingstone theatre.org

Golda’s Balcony ASL: Fri., March 24, 8:00 pm; AD: Sat., March 25, 2:00 pm; Run Dates: March 14-26, 2006; Performed at: the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Main Hall, 345 Washington, St. Paul; Tix: $33-$48; 651-224-4222, TTY 651-2823100; www.ordway.org The Madwoman of Chaillot ASL: Sat., March 25, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: March 23-26 & 29 – April 1, 2006; Performed by: College of Saint Benedict/ Saint John’s University Theater Dept. at Benedicta Arts Center, College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN; Tix: $12; 320-363-5700; subsidy for companion; dwolford@ csbsju.edu; www.csbsju.edu/ finearts

Annie ASL: Sun., March 26, 1:00 pm; Run Dates: March 2126, 2006; Touring show at Historic Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.; Tix: $23-68; 612-373-5639 or 5609; hotline 612-373-5650; TTY 612-373-5655; or accessible@orpheum.com; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof AD: Sat., March 18, 7:30 pm; www.hennepintheatredistrict. Run Dates: March 16 – April com/servicesd.asp 1, 2006; Performed by: Tin Mefistofele Roof Theatre Co. at Main Avenue Theatre, 716 Main ASL: Sun., March 26, 7:00 Ave., Fargo, ND; Tix: $8 (reg. pm; AD: Sun., April 23, 2:00 $15, student/senior $10); 701- pm; Run Dates: March 31 306-5843; www.tinroof May 21, 2006; Performed by: Theatre de la Jeune Lune, 105 theatre.com N. First St., Mpls; Tix: $13; Snapshots: Life in the City reg. $20; TicketWorks 612AD: Sun., March 19, 2:00 pm; 333-6200 or 612-332-3968 ASL: Sun., April 2, 2:00 pm; x100; www.jeunelune.org Run Dates: March 11 – April 9, 2006; Performed by: Great Esperanza Rising American History Theatre, 30 AD & ASL: Wed., March 29, E. 10th St., St. Paul; Tix: $15; 10:30 am; Fri., March 31, 7:30 651-292-4323; www.history pm; Run Dates: March 14 – theatre.com April 15, 2006; Performed by: Children’s Theatre Co., 2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls; Tix: Reduced; 612-874-0400; www. childrenstheatre.org

Point of Revue AD, ASL & Captioning: Fri., March 31, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: March 17 – April 9, 2006; Performed by: Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St., Mpls; Tix: $18; 612-338-6131 or boxoffice@mixedblood. com; www.mixedblood.com Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant AD: Sat., April 1, 3:00 pm; Run Dates: March 16 – April 9, 2006; Performed by: the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. at Howard Conn Fine Arts Center, 1900 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls; Tix: $14, children under 12 $7; GSVLOC Tickets, 1412 W. 47th St., Mpls; after Feb. 28: 651-255-6947; www.gsvloc. org Hamlet ASL: Sat., April 1, 7:30; Fri., April 14, 7:30 pm; AD: Sat., April 1, 1:00 pm; (free tactile tour 11:00); Fri., April 7, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: March 4 May 7, 2006; Performed by: Guthrie Theater, 725 Vineland, Mpls; Tix: Reduced to $16; 612-377-2224, TTY 612377-6626; www.guthrie theater.org No Foolin’ We’re 20! Silent Auction & Cabaret AD & ASL: Sun., April 2, 2:00-5:00 pm; Fundraiser for VSA arts of Minnesota, with performers Billy McLaughlin and Carei Thomas & Friends at Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power Street, Mpls; Tix: $30; low-income $20; 612-3323888 v/tty; or by mail from VSA arts of Minnesota; http:/ /mn.vsarts.org

Dancing with the Divine: Arts of India, Tibet, and Southeast Asia ASL: Sun., April 2, 2:00 pm; Interpreted tour of exhibit begins at the round bench in the lobby of the Mpls. Institute of Art, 2400 Third Ave. S; Tix: 612-870-3131 or TTY 612870-3132; www.artsmia.org John McCutcheon ASL: Fri., April 7, 7:30 pm; Wildwood Artist Series performance at Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, 8000 75th St. N., Mahtomedi; Tix: $9 (reg. $12); 651-426-3640 or 651-7629672; www.mahtomedi.k12. mn.us/WAS.html The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail AD: Sun., April 9, 2:00 pm; Run Dates: March 17 - April 9, 2006; Performed by: Theatre in the Round Players, 245 Cedar Ave., Mpls; Tix: $20; 612-333-3010; www.theatrein theround.org

Floyd Collins AD & ASL: Thurs., April 20, 8:00 pm; Run Dates: April 15 – May 21, 2006; Performed by: Theater Latte Da at Loring Playhouse, 1633 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls; Tix: $13 for AD/ASL patrons (reg. $20); 612-209-6689 TicketWorks; www.latteda.org or www. ticketworks.com A Murder Is Announced ASL: Fri., April 21, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: April 20 – May 7, 2006; Performed by: Bloomington Art Center Gallery Theater Co. at Bloomington Center for the Arts Black Box Theater, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd.; Tix: $10-12; 952-563-8587; www.bloom ingtonartcenter.com

Joe Goode Performance Group ASL: Sat., April 22, 7:30 pm; Dancer/choreographer Joe Goode and composer/performer Mikel Rouse at Benedicta Arts Center, College Singin’ in the Rain of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph; ASL: Sat., April 15, 8:00 pm; Tix: $18-22; 320-363-5700; Run Dates: April 7-30, 2006; www.csbsju.edu/finearts Performed by: Rochester Civic Theatre, 20 Civic Center Drive; Zooman and the Sign Tix: $17-20; 507-282-8481; ASL: Sat., April 22, 8:00 pm; www.rochestercivictheatre.org Run Dates: April 14 - May 7, 2006; Performed by: PenumAnon(ymous) bra Theatre at Martin Luther AD & ASL: Wed., April 19, King Center, 270 N. Kent St., 10:30 am; Fri., April 21, 8:00 St. Paul; Tix: 651-224-3180; pm; Run Dates: April 4-29, www.penumbratheatre.org 2006; Performed by: Children’s Theatre Co., 2400 Healing Women 3rd Ave. S., Mpls.; Tix: 612- ASL: Sat. April 22, 8:00 pm 874-0400; www.childrens (Free) at Metropolitan State theatre.org University, 700 E 7th St, St. Paul; ASL: Sun. April 23, 3:00 The House of Blue Leaves pm at Mayflower Church, 106 AD: Thurs., April 20, 7:30 E Diamond Lake Rd at 35W, pm; Run Dates: April 7 – May Mpls; Run Dates: April 22-23, 21, 2006; Performed by: 2006; Performed by: Calliope Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Women’s Chorus; Tix: (April Ave. S., Mpls; Tix: Reduced 23) $10 for ASL patrons; ($15 to $8, 612-822-7063; www. advance, $18 at door, $10 student/senior, $5 children). 612jungletheater.com 285-5835, calliopwc@aol. com or Amazon Bookstore, 4755 Chicago Ave. So., Mpls. Perform - cont. on p. 18

BDC Management Co. is now accepting applications for our waiting lists at the following affordable communities Albright Townhomes Buffalo Court Apartments Elliot Park Apartments Evergreen Apartments Franklin Lane Apartments Hanover Townhomes Lincoln Place Apartments Olson Towne Homes Prairie Meadows Raspberry Ridge Talmage Green Trinity Apartments Unity Place Vadnais Highlands Willow Apartments Woodland Court Apartments

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March 10, 2006

EVENTS - Cont. from p. 14 Day/Time: Saturday, 9 am to services/education/confer- PACER Center, Arc Greater Noon. ence/conference.php. Twin Cities, and the White Bear Lake Area Schools. For more Location: PACER Center, ❖❖❖❖ info, contact Colleen Timbers 8161 Normandale Blvd., at (651) 789-6230 or by e-mail Bloomington, MN; May 1, 2006 at colleent@merrickinc.org. One Stop Shopping for Cost: There is no cost, but Persons with Disabilities ❖❖❖❖ registration is required. For and Their Support more information or to regisNetwork May 6, 2006 ter call 952-838-9000, TTY- Participants will be able to do PACER Benefit – featuring 952-838-0190, or TF 800-537- “one stop shopping” on inforMichael Bolton 2237 or visit www.pacer.org. mation related to county ser- From pop hits to blue-eyed vices, health/wellness, rela- soul, singer-songwriter and ❖❖❖❖ tionships, jobs and job train- performer extraordinaire ing, leisure/recreation options, Michael Bolton brings the esApril 30 & May 1-2, 2006 guardianship, community in- sence of pop music to life and 2006 Child & Adolescent clusion, vacation planning, thrills audiences with his Mental Health Conference school transition, social secu- matchless interpretation of Networking with parents, rity, home and daily living beloved standards. With more caregivers, and professionals. ideas, residential services, self- than 53 million albums and Exhibits ranging from publish- advocacy, day program op- singles sold, Bolton’s musical ing and toy companies to uni- tions, augmentative commu- artistry is recognized worldversities, charter schools, and nication devices, respite pro- wide. His accolades include group homes. viders, aging, etc. two Grammys for best male vocalist and six American 78 Workshops: “Innovations Day/Time: Monday, 4:30 to Music Awards. Get your tickin treating child trauma;” “The 7:00 pm. ets now! For more informapower of mothering;” “Racial tion call 952-838-9000, TTYidentity development;” “Meth- Location: Merrick, Inc., 3210 952-838-0190, or TF 800-537its impact on a community;” Labore Road, Vadnais 2237 or visit www.pacer.org. “Pediatric bipolar disorder;” Heights, MN Special early childhood em❖❖❖❖ phasis workshops during each Cost: Free. There will be exMay 13, 2005 session. Parents, Caregivers, hibits from 4:30 – 6:00 pm and Being Creative with & Professionals -You need to breakout sessions from 6:00 – be here! Register by March 31 7:00 pm. A light dinner will be BuildAbility and Clicker 5 for a reduced rate. Visit our served from 5:30 – 6:00 pm. Gain hands-on experience with conference page on the web: two early childhood multimewww.macmh.org/programs_ Sponsors: Merrick, Inc., dia software programs that al-

low children to customize their own slide shows and write with whole words, phrases, or pictures.

❖❖❖❖

August 5, 2006 September 16, 2006 The 3rd Annual Canoeing The 2nd Annual Event (SMILES-CIL) SMILES CIL and Day/Time: Saturday, 9 am to Folks of all ages and abilities Wheelin’ Sportsmen Noon are welcome! Bring the whole NWTF Fishing event family! Events that day will Folks of all ages and abilities Location: PACER Center, include: Adaptive Canoeing, are welcome! Bring the whole 8161 Normandale Blvd., Kayaking and a Hot Dog roas. family! Bloomington, MN Day/Time: all day Saturday Day/Time: Saturday; LocaCost: There is no cost, but tion: Fairmont. To receive a registration is required. For Location: Gomsrud Park, registration form and more inmore information or to regis- Fairmont. To receive a regis- formation on upcoming events, ter call 952-838-9000, TTY- tration form and more infor- contact Joanne at 507-345952-838-0190, or TF 800-537- mation on upcoming events, 7139. ■ 2237 or visit www.pacer.org. contact Joanne at 507-3457139. ❖❖❖❖ July 22, 2006 The 2nd Annual Great Outdoors Event (SMILES-CIL) Folks of all ages and abilities are welcome! Bring the whole family! Events that day will include: Adaptive Canoeing, Kayaking, Archery, Trap-shooting, ATV/Off road Vehicles, a Hog Roast, Bingo and More! Day/Time: all day Saturday Location: Nicollet Conservation Club, Nicollet, MN. To receive a registration form and more info on upcoming events, contact Joanne at 507-345-7139.

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March 10, 2006

Access To Employment Employment ads are $16-$17 per col. inch. March 32 is the deadline for the April 10 issue. Mail to: ACCESS PRESS, 1821 University Ave. #104S, St. Paul, MN 55104 FAX 651-644-2136 â&#x20AC;˘ E-mail: access@accesspress.org DISABILITY SERVICES COORDINATOR Metropolitan State seeks applications for a Coordinator for Disability Services. Qualifications: Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in vocational rehabilitation, counseling, human services or closely related field; three years of work experience providing and coordinating disability and/or rehabilitation services; knowledge of ADA and Section 504 requirements; knowledge of providing disability and accommodation services in an educational setting; demonstrated commitment to serving a culturally diverse student body; excellent communication skills; and, basic computer skills. For full consideration, application materials must be received by March 30.

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Route calls, maintain files, conduct phone/in-person interviews of potential clients, enter client info into database, messenger work, and other tasks as needed. Ex. commun. Skills, relate to low-income community, work well under pressure, computer skills req., valid driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license needed. For complete job description, qualifications and application Second lang. a plus. Phones+. process visit our Web site www.metrostate.edu/hr/jobs. cfm Up to $27,881 FTE DOE. or call 651-793-1525, TTY users 651- 772-7687. Excel benes. Start approx. 4/ 1/06. Appls accepted until job A member of the filled. Send resume, refs, & Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. cover letter to: An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Judy Hollie CMLS SUPERVISING ATTORNEY 430 1st Ave. N, #359, Mpls., MN 55401-1780. EOE. MDLC seeks attorney to supervise attorneys and advocates. No calls. Experience in disability law, special ed/youth pref. $44,624 $59,396 DOE and benefits. Send Ltr & resume by 3/20 to: Pam Cunningham, 430 1st Ave. N, #300 Mpls, MN 55401-1780. EOE. No calls.

PERFORM - Cont. from p. 16 Ten Percent of Marta Solano AD & ASL & Captioning: Thurs., April 27, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: April 21 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 14, 2006; Performed by: Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St., Mpls; Tix: Access tickets $18; 612-338-6131 or boxoffice@ mixedblood.com; www.mixed blood.com Art in Bloom ASL: Thurs., April 27, 7:00 pm; Fri., April 28, 11:30 am; Interpreted tour begins on second floor in the Dayton Rotunda of the Mpls. Institute of Art, 2400 Third Ave. S; Tix: 612-870-3131 or TTY 612870-3132, www.artsmia.org Little Women ASL: Fri., April 28, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: April 21 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 7, 2006; Performed by: Lyric Arts Company of Anoka at Main Street Stage, 420 E. Main St., Anoka; Tix: $12, $10 student/senior, 763-422-1838; www.lyricarts.org Cabaret ASL: Sat., April 29, 8:00 pm; Run Dates: April 20-29, 2006; Performed by: University of Minnesota Theatre at Rarig Center, 330 21st Ave. S., Mpls; Tix: $12-17, 612-624-2345 or utheatre@umn.edu; http:// theatre.umn.edu Constant Star AD & ASL: Sat., April 29, 7:30 pm; Run Dates: April 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 7, 2006; Performed by: Park Square Theatre, 408 Saint Peter St. (20 W. 7th Place), St. Paul; Tix: half-price; 651-291-7005; www.parksquaretheatre.org.

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FOR SALE Power Wheelchair: Invacare Pronto M71. Never used. Only $2,100. Call Denn at 612-220FT legal secretary for Mpls 6788. office. WORD+. Second language+ Sal: DOE up to Minnesota Mobility: We $27,881, family hlth ins, gen- specialize in affordable wheelerous vacation/sick. Casual chair vans. Contact us at 952and friendly work environ. 746-1800. Appls accepted until filled), specifying interest & skills 2004 Ranger 4 wheel drive Send resume, refs, & cover heavy duty solo scooter. Never letter by 3/17/06 to: used. Price $2,500. Call 651Judy Hollie: 225-8956 on Sat and Sun only. CMLS 430 1st Ave N, #359, Mpls, Townhome for Sale MN 55401-1780. One level townhome with 2 EOE bedrooms and one full bath in No calls. Coon Rapids. The Master Bedroom has a half bath. This bathroom is roughed in and ready for roll-in shower. Close to NorthTown and freeway. Contact Terri Ricci at 763438-3692.

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Room For Rent: $300.00 all utilities, includes phone, but not long-distance, Private Bedroom, shared bath and kitchen. Located in Eagan, contact Dale at 651-686-8742. Lewis Park Apartments: Barrier-free housing with wheelchair users in mind. Section 8 subsidized. One- and two- bedroom units. For more information on availability call (651) 488-9923. St. Paul, MN. Equal Opportunity Housing. Holmes-Greenway Housing: One and two bedroom wheelchair accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient SE Minneapolis location. Call (612)378-0331 for availability information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Seward Square Apartments: We are currently accepting apTotally Accessible Home plications for our waiting list See page 6 for more details on for barrier-free housing, in this home or call Ability Solu- Minneapolis, that is federally tions at 612-253-5438. subsidized. For an application, please call (612) 338-2680. FOR RENT Equal Opportunity Housing. The Best in Senior Living: Palmer Drive Apartments Franklyn Park Apartments: 2287 Palmer Drive in New We are currently accepting Brighton. Attractive Afford- applications for 1 & 2 BR, able Apartment Community Section 8 apts. at Franklyn Park for Person 62 and Older. Im- Apts. in North St. Paul, a buildmediate Openings. Two bed- ing designed for seniors and rooms and one bedroom handi- persons with disabilities. capped access available now. Please call 651-770-1504 for Accepting applications for one an application. bedroom apartments. Rental assistance available. Call now Ideal Family Home for appointment 651-631- Wheelchair accessible, 5BR, 2035. Metroplex Management 2BA, Rambler 3+ Car attached Corporation Equal housing op- garage. 1.5 acre corner lot. portunity. *Income limits ap- Large family room plus office. ply. Ham Lake area. $424,900. Call Charlie at 651-982-1256. ERA Oak Park Village: Muske Co. Real Estate. One Bedroom wheelchair accessible apartments. Section 8 MISCELLANEOUS subsidized. Convenient St. Send Out Greeting Cards from Louis Park location. Call 952- home using your computer. 935-9125 for availability in- Make someone smile. Send a formation. Equal Opportunity card today! www.jansfree Housing. card4u.com

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March 10, 2006

News At A Glance . . . Cont. from p. 12 Part D offers a variety of prescription plan choices, some providing a better ‘fit’ for your individual needs and some that don’t, much different from a traditional, one-plan-fits-all. A friend’s recommendation isn’t likely to be the best choice for you unless they take the very same medications you do and live in your neighborhood. Instead, in about an hour, you can identify plans that best meet your individual prescription and economic needs without touching a keyboard or hearing a sales presentation.

each step. You will get the total estimated annual costs you will need to make an informed choice for your ‘individual’ prescription plan. You can enroll in the plan of your choice during the session or get information printed out to study at your convenience. The initial 2006 enrollment period continues until May 15, 2006.

Friends and family members are welcome to come along. Sessions are held across from Wal-Mart at the Wright Technical Center, 1400 Hwy. 25 N. in Buffalo on Thursdays through May 11, 2006. Morning, afternoon and evening times are available.

This is a cooperative, community effort between Community Education, Wright Technical Center, Buffalo Community Center, Senior Linkage, Buffalo Ministerial Association, Congressman Mark Kennedy’s staff, local pharmacists, community members, and volunteers.

Experience shows that people do save money by choosing a plan that meets their individual needs, even if you buy medications from Canada or don’t take many medications. The Call Buffalo, Hanover, Montrose Community Education at diversity of available plans reflects the unique needs of the (763) 682-8770; advance sign up is needed. If you need people who are eligible, allowing each individual to choose a plan that best meets their own needs. transportation, let the Community Education staff know.

All sessions are free. Volunteer operators, supported by If you would like more information or would like to volunteer, pharmacists and Senior Linkage Line healthcare insurance please contact: Dave Strait, dave@1man.org, or call (612) consultants, will do all the computer entry for you and explain 245-1268. ■

CANARIES - Cont. from p. 7 and their general medical practitioner typically can’t help. The recovery process can be a long journey of seeing different physicians and alternative practitioners, trying various dietary regimens, eliminating household products and buying less toxic ones, and substituting new and unusual foods for familiar foods. Dietary changes typically involve shopping and cooking differently than other family members to cut out foods to which they are allergic. Restaurant outings are drastically reduced.

Frequently moving from place to place in order to find an environmentally safe house or apartment is a challenge to their psyche and their already overburdened financial situations. Some severely debilitated individuals move away from family and friends in order to live in a residence (which might mean their car!) that gives them some amount of safety and a sense of security.

thy, vitamin/mineral supplementation, massage therapy, chiropractic treatments, detox baths, and visits to steam rooms/saunas become commonplace. Exercise, fresh air, and support groups also play a part in the recovery and maintenance program. Steps to eliminate mold and toxic chemical products from the home are taken to provide internal symptomatic relief.

Measures to Mitigate Effects In addition to altering their diets, detoxification measures using juicing, herbs, homeopa-

Since MCS individuals are also sensitive to electromagnetic and/or electrical fields (EMFs), electrically changing

their external environment becomes an additional priority. Reducing magnetic fields and unplugging lamps and other electrical appliances near one’s bed at night helps lower the impact of EMF fields and provide a safer environment in which the person can heal. Making a Difference During the Sweet Honey in the Rock documentary, a 30-year veteran encouraged viewers to become social justice activists, “You’re going to die anyway . . . make a difference!” For many MCS/EI individu-

THEIS - Cont. from p. 5 quite nicely. He is eating almost independently. He is able to drink from a cup with little assistance and is learning to drink from a straw. He is using the potty-chair by telling us via sign language. He can scoot down stairs on his tummy all by himself. He can stand against a wall for hours if he wants! He can throw a ball. He is learning to play Max Theis games with others and to sowe can celebrate the many succialize with other children. cesses, big and small, that we Finally, he learned object idensee as he develops and grows. tification, colors, shapes, the — Andrea and Greg Theis alphabet, numbers, and, most Apple Valley, Minnesota importantly, other daily-living and age-appropriate skills. Provided by The Arc of MinCurrently, Max is enrolled in a nesota; 770 Transfer Road, regular kindergarten class. He Suite 26; St. Paul, MN; 55114 has made some wonderful 651-523-0823 or 1-800-582friends, and we have a wonder- 5256; Web site: www.TheArc ful support team. We know life OfMinnesota.com; e-mail: for Max will not be easy, but mail@arcmn.org als, wanting to die and/or committing suicide can become commonplace. And that’s why the ESHI “singing canaries,” despite their many challenges, came together in the hopes of making a difference so that they and other victims could have hope of living richer, fuller and more productive lives. They envision creating housing that’s environmentally safe and sustainable, one home at a time. If you’d like to help make their vision a reality, call Paul Halvorson at Third Way Net-

work at 612-332-1311, ext 22 or log onto www.thirdwaynetwork. org/localgroups and find out how you can lend a hand. ■ NEXT MONTH: Dorothea and her autistic son Nick’s experience with electrical fields. Mary Tellers is an ESHI member who has dealt with environmental illness for over 20 years. She has done copyediting and proofreading for Access Press since April 2005 You may contact her at mtellers@ yahoo.com for a list of sources used in this article.

March 10, 2006

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