www.accesspress.org History Note
Inside ■ Darcy Pohland–pg 3 ■ Arc outlines cuts–pg 5 ■ Directory of Organizations–pp 7-10
“It is unnatural for a majority to rule, for a majority can seldom be organized and united for specific action, and a minority can.” – Jean- Jacque Rousseau
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Volume 21, Number 4
Minnesota’s Disability
Community Newspaper
April 10, 2010
In third Paralympics
Minnesota Kelly Underkofler skies, shoots her way to Vancouver competition by Brian Johnson Kelly Underkofler was born with what most people would consider a disability—she is missing the lower part of her left arm. But the 25-year-old St. Paul Highland Park High School graduate has never looked at it that way. “Growing up, I never heard the word ‘disabled,’” she said. “It was never part of my vocabulary.” Underkofler’s can-do attitude has taken her a long way. She competed in cross country skiing and biathlon events for the U.S. team at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games on March 12-21 in Vancouver, British Columbia. She placed eighth in the 15 kilometer free event, 10th in the five kilometer classic event and 13th in the one kilometer spring classic. All of her events were standing events; there are also events for skiers who compete in a seated position. International competition is nothing foreign to Underkofler, who first competed
fresh out of high school in the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. At the 2006 Paralympics in Torino, Italy, she had six top10 finishes, including fourth place in the long-distance biathlon. Underkofler has competed across the globe. Her career highlights include a number three world ranking in the biathlon during the 2006-07 seasons, and a second-place finish in the 12.5K biathlon at the World Cup in Mount Washington, British Columbia, in 2007. Still, the Torino games stand out as one of Underkofler’s most memorable athletic experiences. She recalled competing on one particularly sparkling winter day—a snapshot in time that will live with her forever. “I had my first biathlon race there and ended up with a fourth-place finish,” she said. “It was a beautiful day. I shot well and skied really well.
Everything came together for me.” This winter, Underkofler has been training in New York and Utah in preparation for the Paralympic Winter Games, which featured international competition in Alpine and Nordic skiing, the biathlon, wheelchair curling and sled hockey. Underkofler said she has had a good training camp, with a strong focus on the biathlon. She has taken advantage of world-class coaching and has worked out with the U.S. women’s biathlon team. “Having the opportunity to train with the able-bodied women—it gives me something to push myself toward,” she said. Underkofler has been working especially hard on shooting. For biathlon competitors— able-bodied or otherwise—one of the biggest challenges is to keep their aim steady despite the heavy Skiing - cont. on p. 15
Minnesotan Kelly Underkofler competed in the Paralympics in Vancouver.
Tough decisions loom as legislative session goes on by Access Press staff Tough decisions lie ahead as the Minnesota Legislature heads into its final weeks. While a compromise has been reached to preserve at least part of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), action is expected soon on the potentially most difficult and contentious cuts, those to health and human services and K-12 education. By state law the session must end by May 18. Numerous bills affecting the disability community are still in play, including proposals that will affect areas ranging from personal care attendant (PCA) programs to transportation. Disability community members and advocacy groups will be watching closely and are
planning a stepped-up presence at the capitol. Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities continues its regular Tuesdays at the capitol, encouraging self-advocates to tell their stories and make their issues known. One of the biggest issues of the session was resolved in early March when Gov. Tim Pawlenty and state lawmakers reached agreement on General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). The compromise GAMC program will provide stripped-down services to fewer clients. The program budget was slashed from $400 million to $132 million. While most advocates say it’s not the solution they wanted, it is what they will have to live with.
The new GAMC program not only means fewer people will be served, it also meant reductions in payments to hospitals and other health care providers, cutbacks to county mental health funding, and other service changes. GAMC serves Minnesota’s poorest and most chronically ill residents, many with disabilities. Ending the programs entirely, as Pawlenty had proposed, brought protests from advocates and the health care community. Some current GAMC recipients will be moved to MinnesotaCare, but some may not even be able to afford that program. What could affect GAMC is if state lawmakers decide to opt in to federal Medicaid
funds, which would require additional state funds to match the federal dollars. That is something Minnesota’s counties are watching closely. More budget battles are ahead. One proposal calls for eliminating General Assistance (GA) and cutting state assistance for low-income families with disabled children, substituting one-time emergency assistance. GA gives $203 per month to about 19,000 adults with disabilities or serious illness. This would only allow these individuals to receive emergency funds once a year. About 4,500 families with children would lose their income through Minnesota Family Investment Program or
MFIP. This cut would force families to live on the small amount their children receive from Social Security. What is driving all of these cuts is the state’s budget deficit. Pawlenty and legislators continue to struggle with a budget deficit that is at about $994 million for the biennium. About one-third of that amount was addressed in late March as the governor signed budget bills that will reduce the state’s nearly $1 billion budget deficit by $312 million in fiscal year 2010-11 and $419 million in fiscal year 2012-13. Those bills covered issues including courts, local government aid, and aid to counties, higher education, housing, corrections and natural re-
sources. The cuts to these programs totaled about $312 million, leaving $682 million yet to cut. As of early April it wasn’t clear how the agreed-upon cuts would affect the disability community. One of the areas that has to be weighed is that of funding for Minnesota’s counties, which deliver many health and human services programs. Counties use county program aid dollars to deliver these services. How services would be affected won’t be know for some time and will vary by county. The cuts ahead Lawmakers returned to the capitol April 6 with the intent on focusing on the rest of the Decisions - cont. on p. 4