July 2010 Edition - Access Press

www.accesspress.org History Note

Inside

“I try not to get too involved in things like sitting next to the President. I keep my eyes on the prize—people who need me.”

— Justin Dart

■ Great ideas–pg 5 ■ Directory of Organizations–pp 7-10 ■ Remembering–pg 14 Page 2

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Volume 21, Number 7

Minnesota’s Disability

Community Newspaper

July 10, 2010

ADA reaches a milestone 20 years of struggles and victories recalled

by Jane McClure

Leaping lizards!

Skydiver Kevin Burkart continued his tradition of 200 dives to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease. The annual event, held in Wisconsin, helps raise funds for a cure.

Read more about it on page 13.

Photo courtesy of 200 Perfect Jumps

Throughout the United States, people with disabilities are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Minnesota’s 20th Anniversary Celebration will spotlight increased opportunities experienced by people with disabilities. The statewide celebration is Monday July 26, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St., Minneapolis. The event is free and open to the public. The facility is air conditioned and fully enclosed.

The event will be held rain or shine.

Minnesota native and standup comic Josh Blue will be featured. Blue won the 2006 competition of “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. Since then Blue has used his act to deny stereotypes about disabilities and entertain people

as much as he educates them. Pathways to Employment and Another featured entertainer the Statewide Independent is American Sign Language Living Council.

(ASL) storyteller Nic Zapko.

A committee with representation from a number of stateFormer U.S. Sen. David wide disability organizations Durenberger, who represented has worked on the celebration Minnesota from 1978 to 1995 plans for several months. To and has been a national expert encourage greater statewide in health policy for three de- participation, limited transporcades, will also speak. He’ll tation reimbursement scholarbe joined by many other local ships will be available to Minelected officials. U.S. Sen. nesotans with disabilities livAmy Klobuchar will present a ing outside the seven-county video message.

Twin Cities area (Anoka, Also featured is Peter Berg, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, project coordinator for tech- Ramsey, Scott and Washingnical assistance and employer ton counties). To arrange outreach with DBTAC - Great transportation reimbursement Lakes ADA Center, Chicago. scholarships, call the MinneVisitors can see many ex- sota State Council on Disabilhibits and enjoy food and fel- ity at 1-800-945-8913 (V/ lowship. Event sponsors are TTY) by July 19 and ask for ADA Minnesota, Courage Sarah.

Center, DBTAC-Great Lakes Other accommodations for ADA Center, Minnesota De- people with disabilities will partment of Transportation, ADA - cont. on p. 3

Several developments in nursing home abuse case

by Jane McClure Claims of elder abuse at the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Albert Lea continue to make their way through the court systems. A civil lawsuit was filed in South Dakota in June against nursing home parent company Good Samaritan Society. It is the fourth civil lawsuit filed by families of the nursing home residents who were abused. The abuse, by six young women nursing assistants, allegedly occurred between January and May 2008.

Also, one of the young women aides accused of abuse requested that her upcoming criminal trial be moved out of Freeborn County, citing negative publicity in the Albert Lea Tribune newspaper. A judge granted that request July 2.

The lawyer representing Brianna Marie Broitzman, 20, asked for the move June 24.

Attorney Larry Maus cited “irresponsible, continuous and massive publication” by the newspaper, as well as negative reader comments posted online. He questioned how his client could find a fair jury pool in Freeborn County.

Broitzman and Ashton Michelle Larson, 20, along with four juveniles, faced criminal charges as the result of the abuse. Nursing home residents were emotionally, physically and sexually abused. The incidents have also brought civil court action against Good Samaritan Society, and allegations that the young nursing assistants weren’t properly supervised.

The Argus-Leader newspaper of Sioux Falls, S.D., reported in mid-June that another civil lawsuit has been filed against the nursing home parents company, the Evan-

gelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. The parent company is based in Sioux Falls.

The latest filing brings the number of civil lawsuits filed in South Dakota to four. The lawsuits seek compensation on behalf of five nursing home residents.

The latest civil case is similar to one filed by the law firm of Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum, & Carey in Freeborn County in January. One reason for the additional case filing is the difference in Minnesota and South Dakota civil case law. The South Dakota cases are similar to one filed on behalf of abuse victims and their families in Freeborn County in January. However, some victims in the case have died, and when victims in Minnesota die, liability goes away. But in South Dakota, family members can pursue

claims after someone passes away.

The Good Samaritan Society maintains in court filings it wasn’t aware of the abuse and that officials acted quickly to end the abuse once it was discovered. The nursing assistants were relieved of their duties.

Minnesota state officials did their own investigation and decided not to cite the nursing home, which Good Samaritan officials see as being in their favor.

Attorney James Carey, who represents victims in the civil court case, has described the situation in Albert Lea as “abuse bordering on torture.”

An aging population and difficult financial times have created the “potential for disaster,” Carey said. Hiring young nursing assistants and not providing proper training and supervision puts elderly people

and people with disabilities at great risk.

“This wasn’t just one incident that went on behind closed doors,” Carey said.

“This was multiple incidents, multiple times, in multiple locations around the nursing home.”

“You really have to ask, who was watching the store? Who was supervising these nursing assistants?”

Broitzman’s trial is to start July 12. She faces 11 counts, including three counts of fifth-degree assault, six counts of criminal abuse by a caregiver, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of mandatory failure to report suspected abuse.

Broitzman and Larson are charged as adults, while the other four have been charged as juveniles. Larson goes on

trial in Freeborn County in August.

According to the Tribune, Maus read online comments posted about the elder abuse articles in court and cited past coverage as reasons to move the case elsewhere. He is concerned that the case has turned into a “witch hunt”.

The Freeborn County Attorney, Craig Nelson, has taken a neutral position on the request to move the trial. But he has noted the inconvenience and expense of moving a trial.

Albert Lea Tribune Publisher Scott Schmeltzer issued the following statement: “I am saddened by the fact that Mr. Maus has decided to use the media as a scapegoat in his trial, as we are only the messenger. We did not make up the charges, but will report them as any news agency would.” ■

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July 10, 2010

Tim Benjamin, Editor America’s Independence Day, the Fourth of July, has passed. Hope you had a good one! Many in the disability community think of personal independence as a primary goal. Of course, I do, too. But I also think improved interdependence might be a much better goal for all. None of us can be truly independent, whether disabled or not. We are social beings and we need companionship. We need the guy who fixes our wheelchair, the woman who drives the

bus, the folks who run the grocery stores and our PCAs. We need the social services that our state and national governments offer, like snow removal, streetlights, and police and fire departments, as well as the human services programs for people with disabilities. Just recently we realized how interdependent we are as a society with the banking industry, Wall Street and the oil industry. That’s a good demonstration of our social interdependence. We look around the world and into its past and see how humankind has progressed for thousands of years.

That can make us see all of America’s history since the Revolution of only a couple hundred years ago quite differently. So, this Independence Day, I thought about interdependence as well as independence.

The ADA anniversary celebration is July 26. It’s hard to believe it was 20 years ago that we watched the ADA signed at the White House by

President George H.W. Bush, with Justin Dart and Evan Kemp Jr. sitting next to him.

Dart and Kemp made the day a reality.

The ADA covers: Title I - Employment: It asserts that employers couldn’t discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability in any employment practices. Later, some of this section or title was found unconstitutional. It was decided that it was unconstitutional to allow states to be sued by private citizens for financial damages.

Title II - Public Entities: The ADA prohibits disability discrimination by all public entities at the local and state level, including public transportation.

Title III - Public Accommodations (and commercial facilities): Individuals may not be discriminated against on the basis of disability with regards to the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of any place. “Public accommoda-

tions” include most places such as inns and hotels, recreation, transportation, education, and dining, along with stores, care providers, and places of public displays, among other things.

Title IV - Telecommunications: This section required that all telecommunications companies take steps to ensure functionally equivalent services for consumers with disabilities, notably those who are deaf or hard of hearing and those with speech impairments.

Title V – Miscellaneous: This section explains that nothing in the ADA overrides or cancels anything in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It also noted that individuals who exercise their rights under the ADA, or assist others in exercising their rights, are protected from retaliation or coercion, including threats, intimidation, or interference, is prohibited.

Employment was the first to be challenged and is still the

biggest problem for people with disabilities. Employment defines who we are in many situations. When introduced we often people are often asked what they do, and they answer, “I’m a teacher,” or “I’m an office manager.”

People with disabilities are not often asked that defining question, because we’re not expected to be employed. Or if we are, it’s not expected to be meaningful employment.

I’m one of the lucky ones with a job, but still people ask me, after they get over the news that I manage a newspaper, “Oh, do you go into an office?” It’s just assumed that I work at home where I’m sheltered from the hard realities of a real job. People expect that we who have disabilities shouldn’t have to go out into the elements to earn a living.

It’s hard for me to see light at the end of the unemployment tunnel for most people with disabilities. When will it be assumed that we are ca-

pable of meaningful employment? Those who are employed are often considered courageous souls who should be praised for something that most in our society routinely to do. We know people who have lost jobs during this recession have self-esteem problems or are depressed.

Marriages fall apart and lives are ruined due to job loss.

What about people with disabilities, who aren’t even expected to get a job, much less lose one? People with disabilities are losing services, and are seen as an economic drain or as a problem needing fixing. For many of us, all we want is a job. Gainful employment would be a really good start for most of us.

Thanks for reading and please fill out the reader survey. I hope you have a good summer. I'll see you on July 26 at the ADA celebration; don't forget to come and say hello. It’s an event to plan on, even if you have to take a day off from the job! ■

History Note

Before the ADA, activists fought for human rights

by Luther Granquist (First in a two-part series) In May 1973, 17 years before Congress passed the ADA, the Minnesota Legislature added persons with disabilities as a protected class under the state Human Rights Act. The vote was not close, 115-11 in the House and 53-1 in the Senate. Handi-Registration, a self-advocacy group which focused on the civil rights of persons with disabilities, played a major role in changing the law.

Handi-Registration had stated the case for legal protection against discrimination on the basis of disability in June 1972 before the Bill of Rights Committee of a legislative commission established to consider changes in the state

constitution. Charles Van Heuveln, a man with cerebral palsy and one of the founders of the organization, was the first of seven witnesses. It was time, he said, for physically impaired people to “be counted for and to be recognized as first class citizens.” He recommended an equal protection clause in the state constitution that provided equal rights for everyone, regardless of physical or mental handicap. Peter Benzian, an attorney with MPIRG (Minnesota Public Interest Research Group), followed Heuveln and presented such an amendment to the committee.

Rev. Robert Lovering, who had had polio, testified that his tax money was used to con-

struct buildings he could not enter and for a transportation system he could not use. He showed the committee slides of architectural barriers he faced. Lorraine Arvidson, from United Blind of Minnesota, reminded the committee that Illinois had already added a comparable provision to the state constitution. Robert Lindstrom of the Minnesota Epilepsy League explained the dilemmas people with epilepsy face when seeking employment. Rev. Barbara Andrews, a recently ordained Lutheran minister who had cerebral palsy, described the difficulties she encountered with taxicab companies to get from her home in Minneapolis to her church in Edina. Gene O’Neil,

Access Press Co-Founder/Publisher (1990-1996) .................................................. Wm. A. Smith, Jr. Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief (1990-2001) ....................... Charles F. Smith Board of Directors .............................. Brigid Alseth, Mike Chevrette, Kelly Matter, Anita Schermer, Carrie Selberg, Tom Squire and Kay Willshire Editor ......................................................................................................... Tim Benjamin Assistant Editor ......................................................................................... Jane McClure Business Manager/Webmaster ............................................................ Dawn Frederick Cartoonist ..................................................................................................... Scott Adams Production ...................................................... Ellen Houghton at Presentation Images Distribution ......................................................................................... S. C. Distribution Advertising Sales Manager ................................................................... Raymond Yates Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by Access Press, Ltd. Circulation is 10,000, distributed the 10th of each month through more than 200 locations statewide. Approximately 650 copies are mailed directly to individuals, including political, business, institutional and civic leaders. Subscriptions are available for $30/yr. Low-income, student and bulk subscriptions are available at discounted rates.

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the Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy of St. Paul, detailed employment practices that excluded persons with disabilities.

The Handi-Registration presentation persuaded the committee to recommend that the state constitution require the legislature to provide by law for protection of persons against discrimination on the basis physical or mental handicap in all of the areas included in the Human Rights Act — employment, housing, education, public accommodations, and public services. HandiRegistration members wrote to the full commission and urged them to adopt this recommendation. LeAnne Nelson (Dahl) wrote that “it was virtually impossible to get anywhere without depending on handicapped persons to drive me.” Charles Frahm described problems trying to use public transportation. Joan Ryan mentioned not having a check-

ing account because she had to be able to sign her name. The full Constitutional Study Commission recommended a general provision, that no person be denied the equal Handi-Registration Table: Joan protection of the laws, Ryan, LeAnne Nelson (now Dahl), without specifying any Chuck Frahm, and Chuck Van group of persons, but Heuvelen. (Seen also on page1.)

Photo by Jane Belau also recommended that the legislature pass laws drafted by the Human Rights to implement that provision Department did so, but only for persons with disabilities. for discrimination in employThe Minnesota Coalition of ment. and for Handicapped Persons, Handi-Registration memcomprised of more than 75 bers, as well as other organizaorganizations and government tions in the Coalition, told legagencies, including Handi- islative leaders that this proRegistration, organized the posal did not go far enough. first Governor’s Conference Mel Duncan, on behalf of on the Handicapped in Octo- Handi-Registration, proposed ber 1972. That conference amendments to the bill to promade many recommendations vide a remedy for disability for major changes in state law discrimination in housing, eduand policy, including amend- cation, public accommodations ing the Human Rights Act to and public service as well. The cover persons with disabili- House adopted these Handities. A bill subsequently History - cont. on p. 14

July 10, 2010

Letters to the Editor ‘Disability culture’ hurts Disability is a reference group, not a culture. People of a culture exhibit similar values and beliefs. This cannot be said for the disability community. We all value independence, but beyond that we are very diverse. Some value participation in the mainstream fabric of society. Others are more comfortable within the disability community. Some believe success is theirs for the taking, while others believe society is against them.

Disability is a reference group. A reference group is a group of people an individual, respects, identifies with, or aspires to join. People with disabilities can identify with one another, and often respect peers. So please stop using the term Disability Culture.

The term Disability Culture is hurting us. It sets us apart from society in the same way people who do not speak English are separated from our society. People snicker and say, “If you’re going to live here learn the language.” People have trouble getting needs met because of this pro-American attitude. If we assimilate into society like other immigrants and show we want to participate, we will be taken more seriously by society.

It seems like every legislative session programs for people with disabilities come under scrutiny, and in times of economic crisis are forced to endure budget cuts. The Personal Care Attendant program is an example. Legislators were debating requiring the need for assistance in two Activities of Daily Living to be eligible to receive services. This would have negatively impacted many people on the low end of the service continuum, and forced them to go without. By upholding the ideal of disability culture, we send a message to legislators that we are different from everybody which negatively impacts how our programs are viewed.

Lisa Baron New Hope MSW Student Augsburg College

Access is difficult I live on Park Avenue in Minneapolis in a HUD building where there are people in wheelchairs, like myself, also people with hearing loss. To catch a city bus, Route 5, we need to cross Park Avenue and Chicago Avenue, and it has heavy traffic. On Park Avenue there are signs for wheelchairs, but nobody stops or slows down. It’s the same on Chicago Avenue. They now have yellow flashing lights on the east side sidewalk but the button to activate them cannot be easily reached. Since you have to go into the dirt to reach the button and the dirt is very loose the chair will sink and get stuck.

A person is going to get killed here. It is just a matter of time.

Bernie Hernandez-Chavez Minneapolis

ADA -

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Cont. from p. 1

include ASL services; CART services (Communications Access Realtime Translation); limited PCA (personal care assistance) services; and audio descriptors. The deadline to request these services was July 5; however, call to see what services are still available. Call 651)-603-2015 (Twin Cities) 1-888)-630-9793 (Toll-Free), 1-888-206-6513 (TTY) or 1-866-635-0082 (VP).

For more information on the ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration, call Cindy Tarshish, ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration Committee Chair, at 1-888-630-9793 (toll-free) or e-mail cindyt@mcil-mn.org

A brief history of the ADA President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990. On signing the measure, George H. W. Bush said: I know there may have been concerns that the ADA may be too vague or too costly, or may lead endlessly to litigation. But I want to reassure you right now that my administration and the United States Con-

“How can we sleep at night if we don’t try?”

—Justin Dart gress have carefully crafted this Act. We’ve all been determined to ensure that it gives flexibility, particularly in terms of the timetable of implementation; and we’ve been committed to containing the costs that may be incurred . . . Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.

Disability is defined by the ADA as “a physical or mental

impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.”

The determination of whether any particular condition is considered a disability is made on a case by case basis.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was charged with interpreting the 1990 law with regard to discrimination in employment. Its regulations narrowed “substantially limits” to “significantly or severely restricts”.

The ADA has withstood many court challenges since 1990, but some modifications made to the law weren’t supported by the greater disability community. On Sept. 25, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). This was intended to give broader protections for disabled workers and “turn back the clock” on court rulings which Congress deemed too restrictive.

On Jan. 1, 2009, the ADAAA broadened the interpretations and added to the ADA examples of “major life activities”. The Act overturns a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court case which held that an employee was not disabled if the impairment could be corrected by mitigating measures; it specifically provides that such impairment must be determined without considering such ameliorative measures. Another court restriction overturned is the interpretation that an impairment that substantially limits one major life activity must also limit others to be considered a disability.

The ADA is unusual because more than 100 groups dedicated to disability rights, civil rights, and social justice worked together to ensure its

Josh Blue passage. The late Justin Dart was a major organizer for the ADA’s passage and is widely recognized as the father of the ADA At the time the ADA was making its way through

Congress, Dart was criticized for the idea of a civil rights law for people with disabilities.

Dart’s response was, “How will we sleep at night if we don’t try?” ■

Unemployment Insurance coverage denied

by Brigette Menger-Anderson Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provided Personal Care Attendant (PCA) services to “immediate family members,” starting July 01, 2010, will no longer be eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. A provision excluding a PCA/DSP who serves a family member from Unemployment Insurance coverage was added to Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) during a 2010 Conference Committee.

It is now the responsibility of each PCA provider agency to ensure that an immediate family relationship is determined and disclosed between its DSPs that are employed and the consumers receiving services through that agency.

Furthermore, if a DSP works for multiple consumers, the agency has the additional administrative burden of sepa-

rating and tracking wages and unemployment taxes so that only taxes are calculated from non-family provided services.

It is important to note that this new provision is for any DSP providing services to family members receiving PCA services, regardless if they live with the person receiving services or not.

Other discriminatory wage and hour labor exceptions included the 275 hour a month cap. This prohibits DSPs from working more than 275 hours per month, regardless of the number of consumers they support, the number of agencies they are employed by, regardless of the level of need they are providing, regardless if they are working a respite or intermittent shift which may allow for break and occasional paid rest time. ■ Brigette Menger-Anderson is an advocate for direct support professionals

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July 10, 2010

Investigation of attendant hours is questioned

by The Arc of Minnesota The issue of overbilling by personal care attendant (PCA) services in Minnesota continues to roil Minnesotans who rely on those services. The overbilling issues have been raised by a state investigation and this spring by the Star Tribune.

Steve Larson, The Arc of Minnesota’s Public Policy Director, responded to the investigation in a letter to the Star Tribune. He stated that while there should be accountability for billing errors and fraud, PCA services are essential to those who receive them,

and he cited reasons for the expansion of the program in recent years. “The number of people served—and as a result, the amount of money spent on it, increased dramatically . . . because many people with disabilities were on waiting lists for other services or needed to be moved out of more costly institutions,” Larson stated. “Other services that could have helped them were capped or cut to help balance the budget. PCA services have been essential in filling the gaps.”

David Hancox, Executive Director for the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, also wrote a response.

Hancox stated that the reporters were not giving the whole picture in the figures they cited.

The percentage of PCAs who were being investigated for working more hours than allowed by law was only .2% of all PCAs currently being employed. “If [PCAs] are guilty of fraudulent or criminal behavior they should be held accountable,” Hancox said, but “clearly, an overwhelming

majority of (PCAs) are honest and hard-working.” He also mentioned that the amount of money the state paid for PCAs who worked more hours than they were allowed was miniscule in comparison to the amount of money spent on the program as a whole (.007% of total program costs). “What the story lacks is perspective,” Hancox stated.

Kathy Sanders, a single parent of an adult daughter with significant behavior challenges, cautioned against an overreaction to any charges of

fraud and overbilling. “Until earlier this year, I received 13 hours of help daily from PCAs for my daughter Jenny,” Sanders said. “Jenny has significant disabilities and requires 24-hour care. “ Unfortunately, the changes made in 2009 in response to fraud accusations meant large service cuts for some families, including the Sanders. “We now get about half the staffing hours Jenny was receiving,” Sanders said.

“In addition, the day program Jenny attends may no longer be able to serve her because of

her behaviors and needs. If she can’t stay there, there are no other alternatives during the day, and I won’t have enough PCA hours each week to continue working full-time, myself. “If more changes are made to the PCA program,” Sanders said,” they should not hurt other families like last year’s changes have already hurt ours.” ■

Skyway access advocates lose case in district court

by Jane McClure Advocates for skyway access in downtown St. Paul were dealt a blow June 24 in Ramsey County District Court.

But what the ruling means for encroachment on skyway space at Cray (formerly Galtier) Plaza remains unclear.

Judge Robert Awsumb dismissed a civil complaint by the group Citizens for Skyway Integrity. The judge granted motions to discuss the case, which were filed by defendants

City of St. Paul and property owner NEA Galtier.

Citizens for Skyway Integrity consists of downtown residents and property owners John Mannillo, Rick Cardenas, Elizabeth Frederick and Jeanne Hall. The group took the city and NEA Galtier to court after renovation of office space along the skyway resulted in the physical loss of skyway space. The group alleged that the city failed to

properly maintain the skyway system and that NEA Galtier improperly reduced the width of the skyway to less than 12 feet in places. Another complaint is that the city and a prior property owner improperly closed a portion of the skyway concourse.

Members of the group testified in court earlier this year that the loss of skyway space made it less accessible for people with disabilities. Many

people with disabilities choose to live in downtown areas where skyway access is convenient to them.

The city has had skyway and skyway access policy on the books since 1980. One requirement the city has is that property owners along the skyway must maintain public easements. The easement agreement for Galtier/Cray Plaza has been in place since 1985.

In July 2009 the city issued building permits to NEA Galtier which allowed the skyway to be narrowed to accommodate new tenant leasing space. A previous tenant was allowed to close some nearby

skyway space more than a decade ago. At its narrowest point the skyway is now less than nine feet wide. At a hearing this spring Cárdenas and others testified about the difficulty people in wheelchairs had in getting through such a constructed space.

Citizens for Skyway Integrity sought an award of damages from the city and NEA Galtier, asking that the funds be set aside for skyway system upkeep.

Aswumb’s ruling was largely based on claims that Citizens for Skyway Integrity lacks legal standing to bring a complaint. Another issue he

raised in his ruling is that of discretionary planning and policy decisions. He indicated that the city skyway does allow for modifications and exceptions to the policy when necessary. “The social, political and economic decisions by the city in relation to the Galtier skyway should not be revisited by the courts,” the judge wrote. Such discretionary planning and policy decisions are shielded from liability.

The plaintiffs indicated they have not determined their next steps. Mannillo planned to meet with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman as this issue of Access Press went to press. ■

July 10, 2010

5

Inventors display gadgets A wheelchair lift, an offroad wheelchair and a device that makes tying shoes easier were among the ideas on display at the 53rd annual Minnesota Inventors Congress (MIC) in June. The event was held in Redwood Falls. Visitors could see displays, a robotics show and the MIC Jump$tart competition.

“The 2010 Invention and Idea Show was a great success,” said Deb Hess, MIC Executive Director. “The unique aspect of our show is that inventions were exhibited in many industries - from sports and recreation, tools, consumer goods, and energy to transportation and medical and educational categories. Inventors shared stories with me about the feedback they received regarding their invention and how they met people who can help them get their products into the marketplace and make those reliable connections needed to advance their ideas.”

Some of the award-winning inventions serve people with disabilities. The invention chosen to receive the $1,000 MIC Jump$tart Competition first place award, sponsored by the

Malco Design and Deliver Group, was the Action Trackchair, an off-road wheelchair invented by Tim Swenson of Marshall. Swenson also won a gold medallion, a second place award for best overall invention, the Gordon Volkenant Award for Best Working Model and the Maynard Speece Peoples’ Choice award. Presentation of the Speece award marks the end of the annual MIC events.

Yet another award won by Swenson was first place in the Minnesota AgrAbility competition. The Minnesota AgrAbility Program helps farmers and other agricultural workers work despite disabilities, and is dedicated to helping them work safely and independently.

David Braaten of Sunburg won awards for his wheelchair helper, a device which lifts people safely out of wheelchairs. He won a gold medallion as well as a certificate for Best Health Care or Medical Invention. The latter prize included a $100 gift card.

Fred Pirkle of Westminster, PA won a silver medallion for his one-handed shoe-tying device, the no-bow shoe. He also

won the Professor Otto Schmidt Award for Most Innovative device. He also won a $100 gift card. Braaten also won a Minnesota AgrAbility second place award for his invention.

The invention chosen by the judges to receive the $ 1,000 F. Robert Starr Award (Grand Prize) was the BACKSAFE, invented by Jovan Palmieri of Elk River. Hundreds are killed by backing vehicles each year.

BackSafe saves lives and prevents backing accidents by revolutionizing communications between spotters and drivers of large vehicles.

Inventors came from all across the United States to participate in the MIC. Awards were also given for youngest and oldest inventor, the inventor who traveled the longest distance and in recognition of specific types of inventions.

Wide ranges of inventions were on display, including medical, agricultural, industrial, educational and recreational devices.

Information for this article came from the Minnesota Inventors Congress. ■ Tim Swenson’s invention is an off-road wheelchair.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Inventors Congress

People and Places

Fighting Lions ready to roar at state tournament

by Clarence Schadegg Beepball or beep baseball is making a noisy comeback in Minnesota. The revitalized Minnesota Lions will be playing the beepball World Series Aug. 3-7 in Rochester. It’s a success story for a team that was inactive only a few years ago.

The tournament is hosted by the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission and will be at the Fuad Mansour Soccer Complex in Rochester. Information can be found on the National Beep baseball Association Web site, at www.nbba. org or by calling the sports commission at 507-280-4701.

Twin Cities area residents can attend the next Minnesota Fighting Lions exhibition game Sunday, July 18th at

? g n vi o M

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Wolner Field in Mound, on County Road 15/110. The Lions will practice starting at 9 a.m. and will play 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. Celebrity ball players may take the field and the spectators are encouraged to learn more about the game.

The Lions are still roaring after their first tournament in several years. Minnesota Fighting Lions Coach Dennis Stern said, “You players made Minnesota and us coaches proud!”

The veteran coach was pleased with his team’s showing at the regional Bolingbook (Illinois) Bash in June. The team entered the tournament unranked but left with a fifth-

place finish among eight squads. For the Lions, a team that formed six years ago, it represents a comeback for Minnesota beepball squads. A Minnesota team hadn’t played in a regional tournament in 18 years.

Beepball is played like baseball, but with ball that “beeps” so that visually impaired athletes can hear it.

The Lions came into the tournament as a virtual unknown, but the Lions dug in and made a place for ourselves among more experienced teams. Team members range in age from 16-year-old Matt Mit-chell to 71-year-old Marilyn Highland.

The Lions roared back after practicing year-round, inside and outdoors. Players worked on batting and pitching exercises throughout the year.

Team members are encouraged to work out at home every day.

In the Illinois tournament’s first game the Lions fell to the Kansas All-Stars, 16-4. That loss, it turned out, did more to consolidate our team. Lions team captain Kevin Moldenhauer said that we should have won that second game, a 7-5 loss to the Boston Renegades.

The third and fourth game cemented our place as one of the top five tournament teams.

The Lions topped the Indy

Thunders, 7-6. The Thunder was the seventh-ranked team in the United States and ranked eighth in the world. The next day the Lions beat the Wichita Sonic, 6-3.

Much of the Lions success is due to the high quality of pitching by Bret Guerra.

Coach Kent Evans said, “Prior to the tournament I believed to win Guerra had to pitch an excellent game. I did think our defense would not be polished enough to hold any team to a low score. I

thought the defense needed much more work and that we would not be quick enough to spot the ball and pick it up to “out” their fast runners…and we were much quicker than I thought.”

Evans also praised the team’s defense and speed.

To know more about beep ball, contact Stern at dennis stern@comcast.net or call 612578-7985. ■ Clarence Schadegg is a beep baseball player.

6

July 10, 2010

Regional news in review . . .

Transit transition moving ahead With only a few regular bus routes in the White Bear Lake area, Jean Schaffhausen used to rely on her sister and a few friends to provide rides to such destinations as her frequent dentist appointments, to the nearby Workforce Center, or even to shop at the Maplewood Mall. Since March, Schaffhausen has been able to choose the Transit Link public dial-a-ride service for weekday trips, which has allowed her to plan without having to coordinate a ride with someone else.

“It’s a very nice service,” said Schaffhausen, who doesn’t drive. She said she appreciates how Transit Link allows her to have some independence, “so I don’t have to bother my sister.”

Schaffhausen is one of thousands of metropolitan area residents who now have access to transit as a result of the new Transit Link program, though they don’t live in an area served by regular routes.

Since early 2010, the Metropolitan Council has been reorganizing the region’s dial-a-ride transit service to streamline and lend consistency to the service throughout the seven-county metro area. Previously, as many as 20 providers received regional funding for dial-a-ride service, and each group operated under its own guidelines and within limited service areas.

As of May 1, the Transit Link system is fully implemented region-wide.

“The restructuring assures the availability of a public transit option for areas not served by regular transit routes,” said Gerri Sutton, assistant director in the council’s Metropolitan Transportation Services department. “Any time you have to meld so many different services into one it can be challenging, but the transition has gone well.”

Since February, the Council has been phasing in the Transit Link service in Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties—the four counties that chose to have the council administer service contracts. Anoka, Carver, and Scott counties manage their own dial-a-ride service.

[Source: Metropolitan Council]

return to school—after Wabasha County officials ordered the boy’s parents to seek treatment for his unexplained injuries and weakness.

The next day, local authorities sent an ambulance to the boy’s home and took him to a different hospital, where he was admitted for several days with what state investigators described as “severe malnutrition, starvation, bedsores and uncontrolled seizures.” The incident took place in March.

In June the Minnesota Department of Health cited Mayo Health System’s Lake City Medical Center for violating two federal rules on emergency room care. They concluded that a nurse at the hospital granted the father’s request that the boy not be examined but be sent home with a note. Lake City Police must decide whether the boy’s father should be charged with a crime.

Under federal rules, the hospital should have recorded the boy’s March visit to the emergency room and conducted a medical assessment to determine whether he required emergency treatment. The Health Department did not offer any identifying information about the boy, his family or any other individuals.

Hospital officials issued a statement saying that “our policies and protocols, designed to protect patients, were not fully followed.” The state citations won’t be appealed.

[Source: Star Tribune]

Residence faces money problems

Ramsey County’s Lake Owasso Residence in Shoreview serves 64 people who have mental disabilities, as well as behavioral or medical concerns. But the county-run facility, which is the only one of its kind left in the state, faces shortfalls of millions of dollars. County officials are scrambling to find ways to keep the home open.

“It’s starting to cost more money, a bit here and a bit there, and that starts adding up,” said County Commissioner Tony Bennett, whose district includes the facility. “If we can find a way to save it, I would love to see that happen.”

Treatment of disabled boy scrutinized The residence first opened in 1915 as a tuberculosis saniA severely disabled boy was wrongly sent home from a tarium. It became a state-operated home for people with hospital emergency room in Lake City, without an assessment developmental disabilities about 35 years later. When the state or treatment—but with a note saying he was well enough to decided to close it, Ramsey County took it over in 1976. In

1990, the County Board voted to close the facility, against the wishes of staff and residents’ families but to the satisfaction of advocates who pushed for de-institutionalization and smaller group homes in communities. A few years later, though, a different County Board rescinded the directive to close. The old buildings were torn down and eight townhouses with eight private rooms each replaced them.

The state reimburses the county for residents’ daily living expenses. But county taxpayers have contributed about $260,000 per year to operate the home. The facility is operating at a deficit, with a $713,000 shortfall eyed in 2010 and a $960,000 shortfall in 2011. The facility is expected to be out of cash by 2012 despite cuts.

County officials are discussing costs savings with worker union representatives. County Board members are reluctant to close Lake Owasso, as the residents would have to be housed elsewhere.

[Source: Star Tribune]

Family struggles with house A contractor is trying to help a Minneapolis woman, whose dream of a new home for her disabled son turned into a nightmare. Shamsho Abdi was desperately seeking a new home for her 15-year-old son, who is severely disabled and suffers from respiratory problems. Doctors said poor air circulation in the family’s cramped apartment was making him sicker, but the single mother of two didn’t know how she was going to afford something better.

Carlos Patino was trying to unload a condemned south Minneapolis home that he bought last summer for $26,000. The Minneapolis real estate investor, who has acquired at least 10 distressed properties in the past decade, had just been reprimanded by city officials for operating as an unlicensed contractor.

Abdi and Patino met only once, shortly after Patino signed papers in September transferring ownership of the house to Abdi’s sister for $55,000. But Abdi and her sister didn’t find out about the house’s troubled history for another six months.

Contrary to city regulations, Patino failed to disclose the true condition of the Clinton Avenue house before he sold it. The Regional news - cont. on p. 15

July 10, 2010

7

Directory of Organizations Minnesota’s Disability Community Newspaper VOICE LINE ADVOCACY

Advocating Change Together (ACT) V-651-641-0297 Arc Greater Twin Cities V-952-920-0855 Arc of Minnesota V-651-523-0823x115 Assoc. of Residential Resources in MN V-651-291-1086 Courage Center V-763-520-0725 Hearing Loss Assoc. of America (HLAATC) V-763-537-7558 MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities V-651-523-0829x112 MN Developmental Achievement-Center Assoc V-651-647-9200 PACER Center V-952-838-9000 Telephone Equipment Distribution Program V-651-431-5945 (MN Dept of Human Services) TF-800-657-3663

ASSISTED-LIVING PROGRAMS Dungarvin, Inc. - Minnesota

COMMUNITY LIVING

Cooperating Community Programs DeafBlind Services Minnesota Dungarvin, Inc. - Minnesota Howry Residential Services Metro Work Center, Inc. Opportunity Partners Reach for Resources REM Minnesota S MN Independ. Living Enterprises/Services

TF-800-641-0059 F-952-920-1480 TF-800-582-5256 TTY-800-551-2211 TTY-763-520-0245 F-651-523-0829 F-651-647-9353 TTY-952-838-0190 F-651-431-7587 TTY-888-206-6555

E-MAIL/WEB SITE www.selfadvocacy.org www.arcgreatertwincities.org www.thearcofminnesota.org www.arrm.org www.CourageCenter.org www.hlaatc.org www.mnccd.org www.mndaca.org www.pacer.org www.tedprogram.org

TTY-651-695-5802

www.dungarvin.com

V-612-378-2742 V-763-520-0312 V-763-754-2505 V-763-754-2505 V-651-641-0491 V-612-869-3995

TTY-800-669-6442 TTY-763-520-0245 TF-888-255-6400 TF-888-255-6400 F-651-645-2780 V-651-457-4756

www.braininjurymn.org www.CourageCenter.org www.marytinc.com www.marytinc.com www.tandemresidential.com www.opportunitypartners.org

V/TTY-763-479-3555

F-763-479-2605

www.vinlandcenter.org

V-651-917-8322 V-612-362-8454 V-651-699-6050 V-651-917-9111 V/TTY-612-729-7381 V-952-938-5511 V-952-988-4177 V-952-945-4952 V/TTY-507-345-7139

F-651-917-8311 TTY-612-362-8422 TTY-651-695-5802 F-651-917-1018 F-612-729-7382 TTY-952-930-4293 F-952-988-6728 F-952-922-6885 TF-888-676-6498

www.theccpinc.com www.dbsm.org www.dungarvin.co www.howryinc.com www.metroworkcenter.org www.opportunitypartners.org www.reachforresources.org www.remminnesota.org www.smilescil.org

F-651-641-8623

www.ccpcdcs.com www.cipmn.org

Brain Injury Association of Minnesota Courage Center Mary T. Inc. Home Health Mary T. Inc. Supportive Living Tandem Residential TBI Metro Services - Richfield & W. St. Paul

Vinland National Center

www.accesspress.org

V-651-699-6050

BRAIN INJURY

CHEMICAL HEALTH

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SECOND LINE

CONSUMER-DIRECTED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS CCP Self Directed Services Community Involvement Programs

EDUCATION

Community Education Network on Disabilities Institute on Community Integration MRC - Minnesota Resource Center Upstream Arts

EMPLOYMENT/VOCATION

V-651-209-3350 V-612-362-4437

Kent’s Accounting Service, LLC Kent Fordyce

V-651-748-7436 V-612-624-6300 V-612-752-8100 V-612-331-4584

Assistive Technology of MN, DBA Equip A Life V-763-479-8239 CCP Works! (Cooperating Community Prog.) V-763-540-6833x305 Chrestomathy, Inc. V-952-974-0339 Community Connections Partnership V-763-540-6833x302 Community Involvement Programs V-763-559-0773 Cooperating Community Programs V-651-917-8322

V-507-494-0950 F-612-624-8279 TTY-612-752-8019 F-480-393-5587

V-320-529-6500 x6271 www.ici.umn.edu www.mrc-mn.org www.upstreamarts.org

TF-866-535-8239 www.atmn.org F-651-917-8311 www.theccpinc.com F-952-974-0307 www.chrestomathyinc.org www.communityconnectionspartnership.org V-952-851-6193 www.cipmn.org F-651-641-8623 www.theccpinc.com

Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor for: 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 612-889-2959 fordyce6@aol.com

Directory of Organizations - cont. on next page

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 Talmage Green Trinity Apartments Unity Place Vadnais Highlands Willow Apartments Woodland Court Apartments

Minneapolis Buffalo Minneapolis Hutchinson Anoka St. Paul Mahtomedi Minneapolis Eden Prairie Minneapolis Minneapolis Brooklyn Center Vadnais Heights Little Falls Park Rapids

(612) 824-6665 (763) 684-1907 (612) 338-3106 1-800-661-2501 (763) 427-7650 (651) 292-8497 (651) 653-0640 (612) 377-9015 (952) 941-5544 (612) 623-0247 (612) 721-2252 (763) 560-7563 (651) 653-0640 (320) 632-0980 1-888-332-9312

1 BR 2 BR 2 BR 1 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR 2 BR 1 BR 2 & 3 BR 2 BR 1 BR (sr) 2 BR 3 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR

(Please call each individual site for specific building information.

All listings are accessible.)

8

July 10, 2010

Dir ector y of Or ganiza tions Director ectory Org anizations Minnesota’s Disability Community Newspaper VOICE LINE EMPLOYMENT/VOCATION (CONTINUED)

Courage Center V-763-520-0564 East Suburban Resources V-651-351-0190 Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota V-651-379-5800 Kaposia Inc. V/TTY-651-224-6974 Lifetrack Resources - Minneapolis V-612-788-8855 Lifetrack Resources - St. Paul V-651-227-8471 Lifeworks Services, Inc. TF-866-454-2732 Merrick, Inc. V-651-789-6231 Metro Work Center, Inc. V/TTY-612-729-7381 Midway Training Services V-651-641-0709 Midwest Special Services, Inc. V-651-778-1000 Minnesota Diversified Industries V-651-999-8200 Minnesota Work Incentives Connection V-651-632-5113 MRC - Minnesota Resource Center V-612-752-8100 Opportunity Partners V-952-938-5511 Partnership Resources, Inc. V-952-925-1404 Partnership Resources, Inc. - Minneapolis V-612-331-2075 Partnership Resources, Inc. - Older Adults Program V-952-746-6206 ProAct Inc. V-651-686-0405 ProAct - Red Wing V-651-388-7108 Rise, Inc. V/TTY-763-786-8334 TBI Metro Services - Richfield & W. St. Paul V-612-869-3995 TSE, Inc. V-651-489-2595 University of Minnesota Disability Services V-612-626-1333

•

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SECOND LINE TTY-763-520-0245 F-651-379-5803 F-651-224-7249 F-612-788-8577 TTY-651-227-3779 TTY-651-365-3736 F-651-789-9960 F-612-729-7382 F-651-641-0976 F-651-999-8242 TF-800-976-6728 TTY-612-752-8019 TTY-952-930-4293 F-952-925-6055 F-612-331-2887 F-952-746-6209 F-651-686-0312 F-651-388-9223 F-763-786-0008 V-651-457-4756 F-651-489-0410 F-612-625-5572

GOVERNMENT

Minnesota State Council on Disability V/TTY-651-361-7800 TTY-800-945-8913 MN Gov. Council on Developmental Disabilities V-651-296-4018 TF-800-627-3529 Social Security Admin. & St. Paul PASS CadreTF-866-667-6032 x10661, x10674, or x10640 Telephone Equipment Distribution Program V-651-431-5945 F-651-431-7587 (MN Dept. of Human Services) TF-800-657-3663 TTY-888-206-6555

HEALTH CARE PLANS Cornerstone Solutions UCare

HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES Dungarvin, Inc.- Minnesota In Home Personal Care Mary T. Inc. Home Health Mary T. Inc. Hospice Services Mary T. Inc. Supportive Services

HOUSING-RENTAL

Accessible Space, Inc. HousingLink Mary T. Inc. National Handicap Housing Institute, Inc

V-651-699-6050 V-763-546-1000 V-763-754-2505 V-763-754-2505 V-763-754-2505

TTY-651-695-5802 www.dungarvin.com F-763-546-1018 www.inhomepersonalcare.com TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com

V-952-925-0301 V-612-978-1054 V-651-249-7751 V-612-872-7520

V-651-645-7271 V-612-522-2500 V-763-754-2505 V-651-639-9799

ADA Minnesota V-651-603-2015 Arc Greater Twin Cities V-952-920-0855 Assistive Technology of Minnesota V-763-479-8239 Minnesota State Council on Disability V/TTY-651-361-7800 National Multiple Sclerosis Society - MN Chapter V-612-335-7900 PACER Center, Inc. V-952-838-9000 United Cerebral Palsy of MN V-651-646-7588

MN Disability Law Center

MEDICAL SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENT Fairview Rehabilitation Services Fairview Seating and Wheeled Mobility Handi Medical Supply Key Medical Supply, Inc. Tamarack Habilitation Technology

MENTAL HEALTH

Community Involvement Programs Courage Center Howry Residential Services Lifetrack Resources - St. Paul National Alliance on Mental Illness of MN People Inc. Epilepsy & Mental Health Services

PHYSICIANS Courage Center

Directory of Organizations - cont. on next page

www.disability.state.mn.us www.mncdd.org www.socialsecurity.gov www.tedprogram.org

TTY-800-627-3529 www.cornerstone-solutions.org TTY-800-688-2534 www.ucare.org

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL RESOURCES

LEGAL

www.CourageCenter.org www.esrworks.org www.goodwilleasterseals.org www.kaposia.com www.lifetrackresources.org www.lifetrackresources.org www.lifeworks.org www.merrickinc.org www.metroworkcenter.org www.midwaytraining.org www.mwsservices.org www.mdi.org www.mnworkincentives.com www.mrc-mn.org www.opportunitypartners.org www.partnershipresources.org www.partnershipresources.org www.partnershipresources.org www.proactinc.org www.proactinc.org www.rise.org www.opportunitypartners.org www.tse-inc.org http://ds.umn.edu

TF-866-601-8962 V-800-707-1711

HOUSING-CONSTRUCTION/REMODELING Accessibility Design Accessible Homes, LLC. Equal Access Homes, Inc. Susan Lasoff & Associates

E-MAIL/WEB SITE

F-952-926-7712 F-651-554-3085 F-651-450-1330 F-612.338.2801

www.accessibilitydesign.com www.accessiblehomesllc.net www.EqualAccessHomes.com

TTY-800-466-7722 www.accessiblespace.org F-612-521-1577 www.housinglink.org TF-888-255-6400 www.marytinc.com F-651-639-9699 www.nhhiaccessiblehousing.com

TF-888-630-9793 F-952-920-1480 TF-866-535-8239 TTY-800-945-8913 TF-800-582-5296 TTY-952-838-0190 TF-877-528-5678

www.adaminnesota.org www.arcgreatertwincities.org www.atmn.org www.disability.state.mn.us www.mssociety.org www.pacer.org www.ucpmn.org

V-612-334-5970

TF-800-292-4150

www.mndlc.org

V-612-273-6228 V-612-273-5560 V-651-644-9770 V-651-792-3860 V-763-795-0057

TTY-800-824-1953 F-612-273-7360 F-651-644-0602 F-651-792-3867 TF-866-795-0057

www.fairview.org/rehab www.fairview.org/rehab www.handimedical.com www.keymedicalsupply.com www.tamarackhti.com

V-612-362-4449 V-763-520-0312 V-651-917-9111 V-651-227-8471 V-651-645-2948 V-651-338-9035

V-612-362-4452 TTY-763-520-0245 F-651-917-1018 TTY-651-227-3779 TF-888-NAMI-Helps TTY-651-338-1160

www.cipmn.org www.CourageCenter.org www.howryinc.com www.lifetrackresources.org www.namihelps.org www.peopleincorporated.org

V-763-520-0453

TTY-763-520-0245

www.CourageCenter.org

July 10, 2010

Dir ector y of Or ganiza tions Director ectory Org anizations Minnesota’s Disability Community Newspaper

•

www.accesspress.org

VOICE LINE SECOND LINE RECREATION-ADAPTIVE HOBBY/EXERCISE/SPORTS/ARTS Courage Center Mind Body Solutions VSA arts of Minnesota

E-MAIL/WEB SITE

V-763-520-0537 V-952-473-3700 V/TTY-612-332-3888

TTY-763-520-0245 TF-800-801-3883

www.CourageCenter.org www.mindbodysolutions.org www.vsaartsmn.org

V-507-724-2351 V-952-852-0101 V-952-852-0107 V-612-676-9400

F-507-724-3786 TF-800-450-8376 TF-866-692-7400 TF-800-728-0719

www.campwinnebago.org www.friendshipventures.org www.venturestravel.org www.wildernessinquiry.org

RECREATION-TRAVEL/CAMPING Camp Winnebago Friendship Ventures Ventures Travel, LLC Wilderness Inquiry

REHABILITATION (PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY THERAPISTS) Cooperating Community Prog. (Home-Based Support)V-651-379-9711 Courage Center V-763-588-0811 Courage Center - Burnsville V-952-898-5700 Courage Center - Forest Lake V-651-464-5235 Courage Center - St. Croix V-651-439-8283 DeafBlind Services Minnesota V-612-362-8454 Fairview Acute Rehabilitation Center V-612-273-8660 Fairview Balance Center V-612-273-6521 Fairview M.S. Achievement Center V-612-672-2815 Fairview Rehabilitation Services V-612-273-6228 Gillette Children s Specialty Healthcare V-651-291-2848 In Home Personal Care V-763-546-1000 Lifetrack Resources - St. Paul V-651-227-8471 Telephone Equipment Distribution Program V-651-431-5945 (MN Dept. of Human Services) TF-800-657-3663

RESIDENTIAL/GROUP HOME PROGRAMS

Capstone Services, LLC V-651-641-0042 x211 Community Involvement Programs V-612-362-4403 CCP Home-Based Support V-651-917-8322 Dungarvin, Inc. - Minnesota V-651-699-6050 Fraser V-612-861-1688 Howry Residential Services V-651-917-9111 Mary T. Inc. Supportive Services V-763-754-2505 Opportunity Partners V-952-938-5511 People Inc. Epilepsy & Mental Health Services V-651-338-9035

Directory of Organizations - cont. on next page

F-651-645-7350 ww.theccpinc.com TTY-763-520-0245 www.CourageCenter.org F-952-898-5757 www.CourageCenter.org F-651-464-3547 www.CourageCenter.org F-651-439-0576 www.CourageCenter.org TTY-612-362-8422 www.dbsm.org F-612-273-4706 www.fairview.org/arc F-612-273-7360 www.fairview.org/balance F-651-645-2254 www.fairview.org/msac TTY-800-824-1953 www.fairview.org/rehab TF-800-719-4040 www.gillettechildrens.org F-763-546-1018 www.inhomepersonalcare.com TTY-651-227-3779 www.lifetrackresources.org F-651-431-7587 www.tedprogram.org TTY-888-206-6555

F-651-645-2780 V-612-362-4417 F-651-641-8623 TTY-651-695-5802 F-612-861-6050 F-651-917-1018 TF-888-255-6400 TTY-952-930-4293 TTY-651-338-1160

www.capstoneservices.net www.cipmn.org ww.theccpinc.com www.dungarvin.com www.fraser.org www.howryinc.com www.marytinc.com www.opportunitypartners.org www.peopleincorporated.org

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VOICE LINE SECOND LINE RESIDENTIAL/GROUP HOME PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) Phoenix Residence Restart Inc.

SERVICE DOGS Can Do Canines Helping Paws, Inc.

SOCIAL SERVICES Restart Inc.

TECHNOLOGY

Assistive Technology of MN, DBA Equip A Life Fairview Assistive Technology Program Gillette Children s Specialty Healthcare PACER Center, Inc. STAR Program Tamarack Habilitation Technology Telephone Equipment Distribution Program (MN Dept. of Human Services)

V-651-227-7655 V-763-588-7633

F-651-227-6847 F-763-588-7613

www.phoenixresidence.org www.restartincmn.org

V-763-331-3000 V-952-988-9359

F-763-331-3009 F-952-988-9296

www.can-do-canines.org www.helpingpaws.org

V-763-588-7633

F-763-588-7613

www.restartincmn.org

V-763-479-8239 V-612-273-6830 V-651-291-2848 V-952-838-9000 V-651-201-2640 V-763-795-0057 V-651-431-5945 TF-800-657-3663

TRANSPORTATION RENTAL/SALES/MODIFICATION IMED Mobility

VISION IMPAIRMENT Vision Loss Resources

E-MAIL/WEB SITE

TF-866-535-8239 www.atmn.org F-612-273-7360 www.fairview.org/rehab TF-800-719-4040 www.gillettechildrens.org TTY-952-838-0190 www.pacer.org TF-888-234-1267 www.starprogram.state.mn.us TF-866-795-0057 www.tamarackhti.com F-651-431-7587 www.tedprogram.org TTY-888-206-6555

V-651-635-0655

TF-800-788-7479

www.imedmobility.com

V-612-871-2222

F-612-872-0189

www.visionlossresources.org

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Diamond Hill Townhomes We are currently accepting applications for our waiting list at Diamond Hill Townhomes, a great property located near the Minneapolis International Airport.

We have two and three bedroom townhomes that are HUD subsidized and rent is 30% of the total household's adjusted gross income.

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Upcoming events To list an event, email access@accesspress.org Help us Access Press survey Access Press is in the midst of a strategic planning process.

Help the newspaper in July by taking an online reader survey. Weigh in on which newspaper features you like or dislike, and what you would like to see that is missing. If you do not have Internet service or cannot use a computer, call the newspaper office at 651-6442133 and ask for an alternative format or assistance. The survey is at www.accesspress.org

Advocacy Give them a call Metro Center for Independent Living has set up a PCA “You Need to Hear Me” call-in line The purpose of this call-in line is to provide consumers, PCAs/DSPs, families, and interested others the chance to share anonymous comments, reactions and concerns with Department of Human Services and Minnesota Legislature regarding the impact of recent legislative changes which are affecting their lives.

How it works: Call 651-6032009 to connect to the “You need to hear me” message line.

The caller will hear a short pre-recorded message. The phone will not be answered, ensuring caller anonymity.

The callers may leave a short message describing the impact of these changes on their lives, or the lives of their family. The messages can be complaints, concerns, suggestions or general comments. Zip code will be asked for only so comments can be communicated to specific legislators.

Special events Solo scooter ride Lucia Ashburne, a disabled woman from southwest Michigan, speaks at 2 p.m. Sat, July 31at the Walker Art Center’s Open Field about her plans for a solo scooter ride across the Midwest as training for a larger ride next summer across France. Walker Art Center is at 1750 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.

Ashburne is riding across Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Minnesota, as well as parts of the Appalachian Mountains, in order to train for the much more challenging tour of France next summer. Her goal is to raise money for charity, while also raising awareness of hidden disabilities. Ashburne was disabled by illnesses and surgery. The talk is free and all are welcome. FFI: 612-375-7600, info@walkerart.org

Save the date Access Press hosts its annual Charlie Smith Award Banquet Fri, Nov. 5 at the Minneapolis Airport Marriot, 2020 E. America Blvd., Bloomington.

Save the date for an evening of fun and help Access Press honor the 2010 Charlie Smith Award winner. The newspaper is accepting donations for its silent auction and raffle.

Charlie Smith Award nominations are now being accepted.

FFI: 651-644-2133; dawn@ accesspress.org, or www. accesspress.org A slam dunk The Minnesota Lynx women’s basketball team hosts Opportunity Partners Night 7 p.m.

Sat, July 24 at Target Center, Mpls. Purchase of advance tickets helps Opportunity Partners’ employment, education and housing programs. Tickets start at $20. FFI: Carley Knox, 612-673-8408, knox@ lynxbasketball.com 20th anniversary ADA Celebration Celebrate the 20th anniversary of passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Comedian Josh Blue, Deaf actor Nic Zapko, former U.S. Senator David Durenberger, vendors, exhibits and food are part of the celebration 10 a.m.

– 2 p.m. Mon, July 26 at Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St., Mpls. The event is free and accommodations are offered. FFI: 651-603-2015, 1-888-630-9793; TTY 1-888206-6513 or Marie at 1-866635-0082 Jeans to Gems Opportunity Partners’ sixth annual benefit gala is Fri, Oct. 15 at Sofitel Minneapolis, Bloomington. This year’s theme, “Jeans to Gems,” celebrates style, fun, and the mission to help people with disabilities build independence and gain new skills through advanced learning, deep community supports and meaningful work. A gourmet dinner, entertainment and silent and live auctions are features. Tickets start at $100; sponsorships are available. FFI: Noel McCormick, 952-912-2494, www.OpportunityPartners.org or e-mail, nmccormick@ opportunities.org Mud run Get dirty for a good cause at the first-ever MS Mud Run Twin Cities, Sat. Sept. 11 at Trollhaugen Ski and Snowboard Resort in Dresser, Wis. The 10K race weaves through a military-style obstacle course made of mud and benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter.

FFI: 612-335-7971, MSsociety. org

Training program seeks applicants Applications are due July 23 for advocacy training for adults with developmental disabilities and parents, funded by the Minnesota Governor’s Council. This eight-month leadership training program for people with disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities is inviting applications for its sessions this fall. Now offered in almost every state and many foreign countries, Partners in Policymaking was created by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, 23 years ago.

“Many graduates credit this program for helping them gain self-confidence and a greater understanding of disability law and policies, enabling them to be better advocates for their needs. Many have stepped up to become leaders in their own communities and take on greater roles in speaking for people with

disabilities,” said Colleen Wieck, executive director of the Governor’s Council.

The class is limited to 40 participants, selected by a panel of Partners graduates and representatives of the Governor’s Council. The first session is scheduled for Sept.

17-18. Presenters include nationally recognized leaders in the disabilities area, as well as local experts.

All eight sessions will be held at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott in Bloomington.

Those selected to participate in the program are expected to attend all meetings and to complete homework assignments between the sessions. The history of the disability and selfadvocacy movements, inclusive education, supported living, and having an influence on county, state and federal legislative processes are among the topics covered in

Workshops, conferences

First Friday fun Upstream Arts will be at Minnesota Children’s Museum on the first Fridays of every month, 6-7 p.m. Local professional artists will be leading poetry, dance, music and visual arts activities for children of all abilities and their families. There is no cost beyond the museum admission fee.

The museum is at 10 West 7th St; St. Paul. FFI: 651-2256000

Adaptive technology classes Free adaptive technology classes are offered by Hennepin County Library, at the downtown Mpls library, 300 Nicollet Mall. Classes are free but you must pre-register for these classes for persons who are blind or have low vision.

In addition to classes there are often volunteers available to introduce patrons to the equipment and software available.

Volunteer hours vary, so it’s best to call ahead. The Blind and Low Vision Computer User group meets in Room N402 1-3 p.m. the second Saturday of each month, with a different speaker. Funding for Adaptive Technology classes is provided by a generous grant from the Hudson Family Foundation. FFI: 612-630-6469, www.hclib.org

For kids, families Special needs adoption Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota hosts a special needs adoption training workshop for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

The workshop is July 15-16, The Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Av., Mpls.

The workshop is the first step in preparing families to adopt and parent those special children. Hear from adoptive parents and children who have been recently adopted. FFI: Lynne Haggar, 612-879-5230, or 1-888-205-3769, www.min nesotaadoption.org

Support groups Mental illness The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota (NAMI-MN) sponsors free support groups for families who have a relative with a mental illness. NAMI has 23 family support groups, over 20 support groups for people living with a mental illness, 2 anxiety support groups, and Vet Connection groups for returning soldiers. Led by trained facilitators who also have a family member with mental illness, the support groups help families develop better coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences. A family support group meets in the St. Paul area at 6:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Wed. FFI: Anne Mae, 651-730-8434. A NAMI Connection peer support group for adults recovering from mental illness meets bi-weekly in Roseville. The free group is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota.

Trained facilitators who are also in recovery lead NAMI Connection groups. The group meets 6:30 p.m. 2nd and 4th

Program participants listened intently at the advocacy training. the training. The two-day meetings during the program year are all held on weekends, making it easier for people to participate.

Training is free for individuals selected for the Partners program. Costs are covered by a federal grant to the Minnesota Governor’s Council.

Child care, respite allowances and overnight accommodations are also provided for those who have to travel some distance to attend and mileage and meals are also covered by the grant.

“This program is based on the belief that systems change is best brought about through the efforts of those most affected by them, and we seek to arm them with the tools needed to be successful in the public policy arena,” said Wieck.

FFI: Carol Schoeneck, Government Training Services, 1800-0569-6878, ext. 205, or 651-222-7409, ext. 205, e-mail cschoeneck@mngts.org, www.mngts.org/partnersin policymaking

Wed at Centennial Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 W., Roseville. FFI: Will, 651-5783364, www.namihelps.org July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mental illness affects one in four American families and people in diverse communities are no exception.

Caregivers Support Group is sponsored by Arc Greater Twin Cities and the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Regional Network. FFI: Janet Salo, 952-920-0855

Anxiety support group The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota (NAMI-MN) sponsors free support groups for persons with anxiety disorders. The groups help individuals develop better coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences. An Open Door Anxiety and Panic support group meets in St. Paul at 6:30 p.m., first and third Thu, at Gloria Dei Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S. St. Paul. FFI: NAMI at 651-645-2948 Caregivers support group Parents and caregivers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can join a caregiver’s support group organized by The Arc Greater Twin Cities. The free group meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at Arc Greater Twin Cities, 2446 University Ave. W., Suite 110, St. Paul and at 6-8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St., Mpls. The group is an opportunity for participants to support one another, share successful parenting techniques, discuss the challenges and hopes of raising a child with FASD, and become better educated about the disorder. The FASD Relative

Volunteer Tutor a Child, Change a Future Volunteers are needed to tutor elementary students in the St. Paul Public schools in reading and math. Under the guidance of a classroom teacher, volunteers assist students one-onone or in small groups determined by classroom need. By contributing as little as two hours per week, you can give a struggling student the extra attention needed to help them succeed. Volunteers age 55 and older are eligible to receive free supplemental insurance, mileage reimbursement and other benefits through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) sponsored

by Volunteers of America of Minnesota. FFI: Connie at 612-617-7807 or e-mail cerick son @voamn.org Be a literacy volunteer Last year, Minnesota Literacy Council volunteers helped more than 24,000 adults achieve their learning goals. Tutor immigrants, refugees and life-long Minnesotans in reading, writing and English. Tutor one-to-one, in a small group or as a classroom assistant. Training, ongoing support provided. Opportunities are available throughout Minnesota. FFI: 651-645-2277, ext 219, or email volunteer@theMLC.org ■

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July 10, 2010

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. Selected performances offer reduced admission prices for the patron and one companion. When calling a box office, confirm the service (ASL or AD), date, time, ticket price and anything else needed, e.g. length of performance, etc. If you attend a show, please share your feedback with the performing organization, interpreter, and VSA arts of Minnesota.

Accessible performance information is compiled by VSA arts of Minnesota, 612-332-3888 or www.vsaartsmn.org

See www.accesspress.org for complete listing and for Accessible Movie Theaters A Midsummer Night’s Dream July 10 - Aug. 1 The Strange Capers at Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Ave S, Mpls. AD & ASL: Sat., July 31, 2 p.m., sensory tour 12:30 p.m. Tix: Free. Web: www.the strangecapers.com

Annie July 15-18 Stillwater Area High Theatre, 5701 Stillwater Blvd N. ASL: Sun., July 18, 2 p.m. Tix: $12; senior $7, student/child $5.

Web: http://ce.stillwater.k12. mn.us/Community_Theatre. html

Until Now: Collecting the New (1960-2010) July 11 Mpls Institute of Arts, 2400 Third Ave. S. ASL: Sun., July 11, 1 p.m. Tix: Special exhibition admission charge. Phone: 612-870-3131 or TTY 612870-3132; E-mail: dhegstrom @artsmia.org Web: www.arts mia.org

Guys and Dolls July 16 - Aug. 1 Mounds View Community Theatre at Irondale High School, 2425 Long Lake Road, New Brighton. ASL: Sat., July 24, 2 p.m. on request two weeks in advance. Tix: Reduced to $9 (reg. $16, $12 senior & student, $8 child under 12); Phone: 651-638-2139; Email: goseemvct@aol.com; Web: http://www.mvct.org

Anything Goes July 14 - Aug. 1 Trollwood Performing Arts School at IMAGINE Amphitheater, 801 50 th Ave. S., Moorhead. AD: Fri., July 16, 8:30 p.m. ASL: Fri., July 23, 8:30 p.m. Tix: $10 general admission, $17-25 reserved; Phone: 218-477-6502; Email: Trollwood@fargo. k12.nd.us Web: www.troll wood.org

The Music Man July 22 - Aug. 7 Off Broadway Musical Theatre at New Hope Outdoor Theatre, 4401 Xylon Ave. N., New Hope ASL: Fri., July 28, 8 p.m. (July 30, 9 p.m. rain make-up) Tix: Free; Phone: 763-531-5151; TTY 763-5315109; E-mail: srader@ci.new -hope.mn.us; Web: http:// www.ci.new-hope.mn.us

Mpls. AD: Fri., July 16, 7 p.m.; Sensory tour 90 minutes before show on request.

Tix: Reduced to $10 (reg. $1215/pay what you can, $10 Fringe Button Holders); Phone: 612-825-8949. Web: www.theflowershopproject.com The Scottsboro Boys July 31 – Sept. 25 Guthrie Theater, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. Captioning: Sat., Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m. AD: Sat., Aug. 21, 1 p.m., sensory tour 10:30 a.m.; also Fri., Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m. ASL: Thurs., Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Tix: Reduced to $20 for AD/ ASL (reg. $29-65); Captioning $25; Phone: 612-3772224, TTY 612-377-6626.

Web: www.Guthrietheater. org

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

July 23 - Aug. 1 Cross Community Players at Osseo Senior High, 317 2nd Ave. NW, Osseo. ASL: Fri., July 30, 7:30 p.m. AD: Sat., July 31, 7:30 p.m. Tix: Halfprice for ASL; AD patrons receive 2 complimentary tix for July 31 if you call by July Joseph and the Amazing 26 (reg. $16, $14 senior 62+, Technicolor Dreamcoat $10 student/child); Phone: Off the Wall: July 21-25 763-391-2787; E-mail: mail@ Sculpture at the MIA District 622 Summer Theatre crossplayers.org Web: www.

August 1 at North High School, 2416 E. crossplayers.org Mpls. Institute of Arts, 2400 11th Ave., North St. Paul.

Third Ave. S. ASL: Sun., Aug. ASL: Sat., July 24, 2:30 p.m. River of PassionThrough 1, 1 p.m. Tix: Phone: 612Tix: $8 at the door (student/ July 30 870-3131 or TTY 612-870senior $6); Phone: 651-748- The Flower Shop Project at 3132; E-mail: dhegstro@arts 6090. Web: www.northhigh Bryant-Lake Bowl Cabaret mia.org. Web: www.arts theatre.org Theater, 810 W. Lake St., mia.org All Shook Up Through Aug. 1 Lyric Arts Company of Anoka at Main St. Stage, 420 E. Main St., Anoka. ASL: Sat., July 10, 7:30 p.m. Tix: Reduced to $13 (reg. $18, $16 student/ senior), $20 box seats; Phone: 763-422-1838. Web: www. lyricarts.org Come Blow Your Horn Through Aug. 1 Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave., Mpls. AD: Sun., July 25, 2 p.m. Tactile tour 1 p.m. on request. Tix: $20, senior $18, student $10 (Sun. prices); Phone: 612-3333010. Web: www.theatreinthe round.org

The Stinky Cheese Man Through Aug. 1 SteppingStone Theatre, 55 Victoria St. N., St. Paul. ASL: Sun., July 18, 3 p.m. AD: Fri., July 23, 7 p.m. Tix: Reduced to $6 access rate (reg. $11; child/senior $9); Phone: 651225-9265; E-mail: info@step pingstonetheatre.org. Web: www.steppingstonetheatre.org.

$50; 10-show punch pass $100; Ultra Pass $225. Advance reservations ($2 fee) guarantee seat; fee waived for people using access services, with the code “access”: 866811-4111 or Web: www.fringe festival.org. Phone: daily recording of accessible shows: 612-706-1456, box 4. E-mail: robin@fringefestival. org.

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Through Aug. 1 Stages Theatre Company at Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Main St., Hopkins. ASL: Sun., July 11, 2 p.m.; Thurs., July 22, 10 a.m. AD: on request. Tix: $15, $11 age 2-17 & 60+; Phone: 952-979-1111.

Web: www.stagestheatre.org

Triumph of Love Through Aug. 28 University of Minnesota Showboat Players at Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul.

AD: Thurs., July 15, 2:30 p.m.

ASL: Fri., Aug. 13, 8 p.m.

Tix: $20; E-mail: showboat@ umn.edu; Phone: 651-2271100. Web: www.riverrides. com

Sample Night Live Aug. 4, Sept. 1 Numerous performing artists at History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul. ASL: Wed., , Aug. 4, Sept. 1, 7-10:30 p.m.

Tix: Reduced to $10 (reg. $20); Online enter coupon code ASL. Phone: 612-2014000. Web: www.sample nightlive.com

Wicked Aug. 11 – Sept. 19 Touring company at Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL: Sun., Aug. 15, 1 p.m.; Tues., Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m. AD: to request, call. Tix: Reduced to $38 for ASL; discounted tickets re limited to a pair for each patron requiring ASL plus a companion; reg. $38 - 143.50; Phone: 612-3397007or 612-373-5639; hotline 612-373-5650; TTY 612-3735655; E-mail: accessible@ broadwayacrossamerica. com. Web: www.hennepin theatretrust.org/accessible

The Gospel at Colonus Aug. 5-11 Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington, St. Paul. ASL & AD: Sat., Aug. 7, 2 p.m. Tix: $27 to $80; Phone: 651-224-4222, TTY 651-282-3100 Web: www.ord way.org/accessibility or www.

A Streetcar Named ordway.org/festival/perfor DesireThrough Aug. 29 mances Guthrie Theater, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. AD: Sat., July 24, 1 p.m., Minnesota Fringe Festival sensory tour 10:30 a.m.; and Aug. 5-15 Fri., July 30, 7:30 p.m. ASL: 23 Audio Described shows, Fri., Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m.; Thurs., 14 ASL-interpreted shows, 6 Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. Capdisability-theme shows at 19 tioning: Fri., Aug. 13, 7:30 accessible venues in Mpls. and p.m. Tix: Reduced to $20 for St. Paul. Shows last less than AD/ASL (reg. $15-40); one hour. Tix: $4 Fringe but- Captioning $25; Phone: 612ton is required. One show $12 377-2224, TTY 612-377($10 senior, student, MPR 6626. Web: www.Guthrie member); 5-show punch pass theater.org ■

Desktop Publishing: Advertisements Brochures Catalogs Flyers Newsletters Newspapers Project Mgmt Scanning ... & More!

Ellen Houghton 952-404-9981 presentationimages@ comcast.net

July 10, 2010

13

People and places

News about people in our community Skydiver jumps for Parkinson’s Skydiver Kevin Burkart has raised more than $65,000 toward a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. Burkart had a goal of completing 200 jumps on June 14. He got most of those jumps completed before nightfall; the event had been delayed due to heavy fog that morning. The event was held at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin, Wis. In 2008, Burkart staged the event, 100 Perfect Jumps for Parkinson’s disease. He increased the goal to 200 this year. His motivation is his father, Gary, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1999.

Burkart was pleased with the total raised and thanked all who donated.

The Burkart family’s journey with Parkinson Disease has been long and difficult. The family has dealt with medications, side effects, frustrations, life style changes and depression.

Gary Burkart has been treated at the Struthers Parkinson Center in Golden Valley. The family is involved with the Parkinson Association of Minnesota (PAM) and the National Parkinson Foundation, and attends many conferences and seminars to stay current on research and development.

Kevin Burkart served on the PAM board from 2005 – 2007.

His goal for the 2010 event was to raise $60,000, to be split between PAM and the National Parkinson Foundation. He has about 1,000 skydives to his credit, and placed seventh at the US Nationals in 2006 as a member of Fast Forward, a four-way formation skydiving team that won the Open Division of the Northern Plains Skydiving League.

The Web site for the event is www.perfectjumps.com [Source: Perfect Jumps]

UCare for seniors extends programs UCare’s community benefit program has awarded $100,000 in funding to the Senior Companion Program offered by Lutheran Social Service (LSS), based in St. Paul. UCare also is actively offering the program to UCare for Seniors members in four of Minnesota’s largest metropolitan areas. The UCare grant will support LSS’s senior outreach program, which recruits and engages volunteers to serve lonely and/or isolated adults who need support when other family members cannot be there; caregivers in need of respite; mentally or physically impaired individuals; or people recovering from an illness.

Eligible seniors and other adults must live in their own residences but require assistance, companionship, and support from volunteers to remain independent. Four hundred Senior Companion volunteers current engage more than 1,800 homebound elderly adults in Minnesota.

UCare’s new partnership with LSS actively offers the Senior Companion program to UCare for Seniors members who live in the Twin Cities metro area, Brainerd lakes area, Duluth, and Stillwater. UCare for Seniors members age 55 and older will be matched with a volunteer, also aged 55 and older, who provides basic companionship activities. Senior Companion volunteers make home visits to clients about once a week for 3-4 hours.

Volunteers can assist with light household tasks and provide transportation for medical appointments, grocery shopping, and other errands; however, volunteers cannot provide medical or home health care services or help with heavy chores or cleaning.

“As a nonprofit organization, UCare actively supports our community shareholders through our community benefit program grants,” said Nancy Feldman, President and CEO, UCare.

“Our contributions to Lutheran Social Service’s Senior Companion program will help this low-cost, high-impact program reach and serve more senior Minnesotans, while encouraging others to experience the joy of volunteering.”

[Source: UCare]

Groundbreaking for veterans’ home Ground was broken June 14 at the Minneapolis Veterans Home for a new 100-bed skilled nursing facility. This building will replace Building 9, which was demolished in 2009 at the same location. Residents were moved from the building in November 2007 after structural problems were discovered.

Construction for the new facility is scheduled to be complete by the spring of 2012.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is funding 65 percent or $19.2 million of the project. The state portion is 35 percent, or $10.1 million, and was appropriated in 2008.

The new facility is based on the state-of-the-art community or neighborhood person-centered care concept. In addition to single occupancy rooms with private bathrooms, the décor will be designed to bring in the look and feel of home. There will also be a central town center that incorporates nostalgic look featuring a coffee shop, beauty parlor, barbershop, theater and museum.

“The Minneapolis Veterans Home has made tremendous progress since early 2008, and this project is yet another example of our forward momentum. We are looking forward to using this new facility to continue to provide high quality care for our nation’s heroes,” said Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Michael Pugliese.

In an effort to preserve some of the historical elements from the old structure, a number of original features and décor were preserved and will be incorporated and displayed in the new building, including the cornerstone, dated at the start of construction from the original building Nov. 11, 1934.

[Source: Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs]

UCare’s Nancy Feldman honored Nancy Feldman, President and CEO, UCare, received two honors from Minnesota’s health care and business communities that recognize her leadership role and longtime career in the state’s health care public service and nonprofit sectors. Feldman was honored by the Women’s Health Leadership Trust (WHLT) with its first Trusted Senior Leader Award. She received the honor this spring at WHLT’s Annual Forum, held at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley.

Feldman also was one of 25 businesswomen selected by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as “Industry Leaders” in the Twin Cities business community. The award describes the group of “Industry Leaders” as being “at the forefront of their industries.” The recognition was part of the Business Journal’s 13th Annual Women in Business event, held May 20 in Minneapolis.

“Nancy Feldman has led her organization in achieving major growth in enrollment .. . . community leadership, and UCare’s contributions to sound health care policymaking at the state and federal levels,” said Lorena Weaver, Vice President, Central Project Office, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, and active WHLT member. “Nancy stays focused on improving the health of individuals and communities while developing innovative products which have brought coordinated care and services to the disabled, seniors with chronic conditions, and individuals from diverse ethnic communities and backgrounds.”

Since 1995, Feldman has led UCare, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit health plan, and overseen its major growth in enrollment, revenues, and community leadership UCare milestones under Feldman’s guidance include membership growth from just more than 35,000 individuals in 1995 to 200,000 members today who are enrolled in Minnesota Health Care Programs and the UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage plan in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. She has also overseen revenue growth from $88 million in 1995 to more than $1.6 billion in 2010.

Feldman previously was Director of State Public Programs for Medica. Her health-related positions with Minnesota state government included three years’ service as Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, and responsibilities at the Minnesota Department of Finance.

She spent 10 years at the Min-

nesota Department of Human Services, handling many aspects of the state’s Medical Assistance Program, including development of Minnesota’s Medicaid managed care program.

[Source: UCare]

Disability Viewpoints wins award Disability Viewpoints has won a 2010 ACM Hometown Video award. The cable television program has been coproduced by Mark Hughes and CTV North Suburbs for more than 11 years. The program’s focus is to give people and organizations an opportunity to promote the products and services they provide to people with disabilities and health issues.

The award was given in the Access-Able Professional category, for the December 2009 episode. The program has also won awards in 2003, 2005 and 2009.

The Hometown Video Awards are given through the Alliance for Community Media, a non-profit, national membership organization of more than 3,000 public, educational and government access organizations and community media center.

Disability Viewpoints can be seen statewide, from Hibbing to Rochester. Thirteen episodes were shown on TPT Minnesota Channel.

[Source: North Suburban Communications Commission] ■

14

July 10, 2010

People & places

Getting involved

by Clarence Schadegg John Hemp has a particular interest in improved public safety because he is blind. As Hemp walked to a neighborhood bus stop a couple of years ago, a man attacked him. He was knocked to the ground, lost his white cane, glasses and sustained a bloody nose. His assailant then helped Hemp to his feet saying, ‘You really are blind,’” Hemp recalled.

Hemp was also the victim of identity theft. His credit card number was copied and used illegally by a cashier at a supermarket in his neighborhood.

Hemp serves on the McKinley Corporation Board, a neighborhood improvement organization that works to improve conditions for residents of north Minneapolis’ McKinley neighborhood. Like many communities, crime and public safety are key issues the board works on. Hemp is the board’s treasurer and was elected to the board two years ago.

Hemp has pursued his goals for improved public safety for McKinley residents who are aging and who have disabilities. As a leader of his community, Hemp has identified two key areas that need improvement.

One concern is removal of mounds of snow at bus stops, curb sides and curb cuts and removal of ice and snow on sidewalks. His second issue is to seek modifications to the design and implementation of speed bumps in alleyways and roadways. Obstructions on sidewalks and in streets and alleys can cause falls and injuries.

“When the snow plows come through to clean the streets…

I know that they can lift their thrower at any time to not drop snow on a spot,” said Hemp.

He would like Minneapolis Public Works to require plow drivers to lift blades and keep corners clear for pedestrians.

Snow ridges can cause a tripping hazard.

“As for the sidewalks for those who prefer to be negligent, the city should fine them and use the money to hire people in the neighborhood to clean up the sidewalks,” Hemp

HISTORY -

said. He’d like to see more enforcement to keep sidewalks clear year-round.

One public safety issue that can generate debate is that of speed bumps on streets. Some people believe speed bumps will slow traffic and want them installed on streets and alleyways. Hemp said, “As for the speed bumps issue, I want speed bumps put away from carriage walks. In other words, when one comes out of their house and goes to step onto and off of their carriage walk to get into a car, and or to step into the street because the corners haven’t been plowed yet, they don’t need to trip over a speed bump and possibly sprain or break an ankle.” He wouldn’t oppose speed bumps if they are placed on streets and alleys in ways that don’t conflict with foot traffic.

Despite ongoing struggles to convince fellow board members of these and other much needed safety measures, Hemp remains undeterred and is more determined than ever to see that the McKinley Community Board holds up its responsibility to make the streets and sidewalks safer.

How can you work on similar issues in your neighborhood or community? In Minneapolis, St. Paul and other larger cities and suburbs, city government works closely with neighborhood groups. St. Paul has district councils. Minneapolis and other cities have neighborhood associations or homeowners’ associations.

Contact your city government to find out what type of group represents your neighborhood.

These groups usually elect their members and residents are welcome to seek seats on a board or committee. In some communities business owners or people who work in the community can also serve on the board or committee.

Many if these groups have separate subcommittees that work on crime and public safety issues. With hard work and determination, maybe neighborhoods of the future will be safe places to walk where folks didn’t need to fear being victims of crime or injury. ■

Cont. from p. 2

Registration proposals, but also provisions stating there was no requirement for special services or reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. The Senate further amended the bill to exclude coverage in public services and to limit coverage in public accommodations to discrimination by taxicab companies.

These gaps in the law remained to be dealt with in subsequent sessions.

Handi-Registration did not act alone, but these self advo-

cates laid much of the ground work for changes in the Human Rights Act in the 1970s.

While we celebrate the signing of the ADA, we should also celebrate this work done years earlier by persons with disabilities and their advocates.

The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mncdd.org and www. partnersinpolicymaking.com

We remember Nicholas Olson Nicholas Olson, who served as a goodwill ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, died June 10 at age 21.

The young man from Pine City was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia in 1995, as was his sister Aubrey. In 1998 and 1999, Nick and Aubrey, now 23, were named MDA National Goodwill Ambassadors. They were the first siblings to be named MDA Ambassadors since 1964.

MDA President and CEO Gerald C. Weinberg said, “They both won my heart the minute I met them. Nick was delightful and charming. Nick’s playful attitude and happy smile will be dearly missed.” The brother-sister team traveled extensively across America, representing MDA and the families it serves.

A tribute to this young man is posted at www.mda.org/ Friedreich’s ataxia is a degenerative neuromuscular disease.

Olson was in wheelchair by fourth grade. As a 14-year-old, he was struck and injured by a motor vehicle. But Olson didn’t let that stop him from living an active life, doing everything from participating in health research studies for the National Institute of Health to winning Eagle Scout honors for building a handicapped-accessible ramp for the pavilion at Robinson Park in Pine City.

He was elected the 2007 homecoming king at Pine City High School. He attended technical school after graduation from high school. He loved to travel and follow current events.

After his death, family members recalled Olson’s friendly nature and caring for other people. He and his service dog, Henry, would visit nursing homes. He is survived by his parents, two sisters and his grandparents.

Arthur E. Noot Arthur E. Noot, 77, died of complications of cancer June 6 in Stillwater. He spent his career in social services, eventually serving as state welfare commissioner under Gov. Al Quie.

Even in years of drastic state budget years, Noot fought to protect programs for the poor and mentally ill, Quie told the Star Tribune.

Kevin Kenney, a deputy commissioner for Noot, said he and Noot drafted a bill that eventually passed to help pay for increased welfare grants and mental health programs. He said Noot supported the bill, but was impatient with the Legislature.

“He simply couldn’t deal with their indecisiveness,” Kenney said.

Quie said he chose Noot, who was then deputy welfare director for Ramsey County, for his administrative experience, honesty and knowledge of social services. “He understood what was happening in the community,” Quie said. “He was easy to talk to. ... He never beat around the bush. I knew exactly where he stood.”

Noot grew up during the Depression years, which friends said shaped his attitudes toward the poor. But he served the state during years of extreme and unpopular budget cuts. Some of most drastic budget cuts in state history had to be made in 1981. At that time Noot said the cuts were forced by a recession and inflation, not by social services clients. He often felt the program clients were used a scapegoats.

Noot volunteered as a Big Brother and as a reader for the blind, He is survived by his wife, son, two daughters and seven grandchildren.

Radio Talking Book • July Sampling Books Available Through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault, MN. Their phone is 1-800-7220550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Their catalog is also online, and you can access it by going to the main website, http://education.state.mn.us, and then clicking on the link. If you live outside of Minnesota, you may obtain copies of books by contacting your own state’s Network Library for the National Library Service. Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/ rtb. Call the staff at the Radio for your password to the site.

M Report Monday – Friday • 8 p.m.

The Unlikely Disciple, Nonfiction by Kevin Roose, 2009.

Students often spend a semester studying elsewhere to broaden their education. Quaker Kevin Roose enrolled in Jerry Falwell’s evangelical Liberty University. Read by John Beal. 14 broadcasts. Begins July 22.

Night Journey Monday – Friday • 9 p.m.

Heaven’s Keep, Fiction by William Kent Krueger, 2009.A plane carrying Cork O’Connor’s wife goes missing. Later evidence shows the pilot was not who he claimed to be. Cork travels to Wyoming where he battles local law enforcement and Natives. L – Read by Charlie Boone. 10 broadcasts. Begins July 12.

Chautauqua Tuesday – Saturday • 4 a.m.

Cheap, Nonfiction by Ellen Ruppel Shell, 2009. America has Off the Shelf been transformed by its fixation on low price. This obsession Monday – Friday • 10 p.m. is the most powerful and devastating market force of our time.

The Scarecrow, Fiction by Michael Connelly, 2009. Crime Read by Sally Browne. 14 broadcasts. Begins July 30. reporter Jack McEvoy is being laid off and decides to write the crime story of his career. But he finds the killer he’s following Past is Prologue may be innocent and his investigation begins to be dangerous.

Monday – Friday • 9 a.m.

Darwin’s Sacred Cause, Nonfiction by Adrian Desmond and L - Read by Dennis Laufenburger.

James Moore, 2009. Darwin’s abolitionism had deep roots but 12 broadcasts. Begins July 22. was reinforced by his voyage on the Beagle and by events in Potpourri America. His hatred of slavery propelled him to his shattering Monday – Friday • 11 p.m. theories about human origins.

The Last Goodnights, Nonfiction by John West, 2009. John Read by Andrea Bell. 20 broadcasts. Begins July 14.

West’s parents were both medical professionals. When they realized how ill they were, they asked their son to help end their Bookworm lives. It was the ultimate act of love. Read by Dan Monday – Friday • 11 a.m.

True Confections, Fiction by Katherine Weber, 2009. Zip Kuechenmeister. Eight broadcasts. Begins July 22.

Candies is now in crisis, and nobody is more devoted to the Good Night Owl business than Alice Tatnall Ziplinsky, whose marriage into the Monday – Friday • midnight family was not universally celebrated. Zip Candies is much South of Broad, Fiction by Pat Conroy, 2009. Leopold grew up more to her than a candy factory. Read by Jenny O’Brien. in South Carolina, an area divided by racism and class. Lonely 9 broadcasts. Begins July 27. and isolated after his brother’s suicide, he turned to his circle of friends to sustain him. V,L,S – Read by Bill Joyce. 23 The Writer’s Voice broadcasts. Began July 7.

Monday – Friday • 2 p.m.

Perfect Rigor, Nonfiction by Masha Gessen, 2009. The Clay After Midnight Mathematics Institute named seven great unsolved problems Tuesday – Saturday • 1 a.m. in 2000, including the Poincaré Conjecture. In 2006, Grigory Perelman solved it. Read by Jeanne Burns. Eight broadcasts. The Vast Fields of Ordinary, Fiction by Nick Burd, 2009. Dade is having a horrible last summer before college. Then Alex Begins July 26. appears and things change. L,S – Read by Scott Brush. 10 broadcasts. Begins July 14.

Choice Reading Monday – Friday • 4 p.m.

Abbreviations Girl in a Blue Dress, Fiction by Gaynor Arnold, 2009. Dorothea was doomed to live in the shadow of her husband, the most V ” violence, L – offensive language, S “ sexual situations. celebrated author in the Victorian world. But too many children sapped her vitality and she was chased out of his life. Read

by Eileen Barratt. 16 broadcasts. Begins July 12.

July 10, 2010

15

Pete’s Reflections

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday, Hello Black Flash

by Pete Feigal

I’ve ridden motorcycles since 1972: Kawasaki H2Triples and Z1s, Norton Commandos, Triumph Bonnevilles, Suzuki GS1100Es, Harley Sportsters, Panheads, and Softails.

Twenty-eight separate love affairs, whether it was a $500 beater or a $25,000 show bike.

My latest and greatest is my 2000 Harley Softail Heritage Classic, blood-red metal flake, stripped down and looking like a classic ‘50’s Panhead. She’s called “Ruby” from the Stones’ classic, “Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday.”

I have always been a biker.

I’ve ridden and owned bikes even when in mental hospitals, homeless on the street and didn’t have a penny to my name. Bikes have given me a whole lore, a personal mythology, a kind of legend. I’ve ridden from Northern Canada, where you couldn’t go any further North without a canoe, all the way to Southern Mexico

where the people are so beautiful and kind.

I once was pushing hard, riding all night through Eastern Montana and about 3:30 a.m. ran into a flash downpour. I was totally soaked within 90 seconds. It was a cool night, combined with no windshield, soaking wet clothes, and the windchill at 80 mph. I was recognizing the symptoms of hypothermia and knew I had to get warm fast. There was a little town out in the middle of nowhere. Everything was closed but an all night Laundromat. I was low on cash but thankfully had a couple of quarters in my jean pockets. I threw all my wet clothes into the big dryer, including my skivvies, cranked it up to HOT and stood there naked, jumping up and down rubbing myself ‘till the quarters ran out and clothes and I was warm and dry. My only fear was some cop driving by the Laundromat seeing a naked

NEWS IN REVIEW -

man jumping up and down, with a beat-up old Harley parked outside.

Owning a bike does something to you inside. Maybe it’s a guy thing. But guys seem to need something special to make them feel different, to put a swagger in their step. It’s like when things go bad at work, he can still say, “I’ve got a ‘68 Ford Mustang waiting at home.” Or “I’ve got my Harley that I built with my own hands, waiting!” They are our own black stallion, rocket ship, P38 Lightning, metal-fleck and chromed thunderbolt, ready to take us away!

We all mentally carry an imaginary Paladin business card: “Have Bike, Have Love/ Will Travel.”

People ask if I ever got hurt riding and racing motorcycles.

This is like asking a professional swimmer if he ever got wet. Yes, bikes are probably the most perilous form of transportation you could ever chose except riding a horse I can count my surgeries, that’s part

of the myth, the lore. (And here’s a secret, ladies about men: when a guy gets hurt, if it isn’t going to kill him, he LOVES his wounds. He gets to feel like he’s done something significant, something important.)

When the MS first started to hit me and started taking the strength from my legs so that I walked like Frankenstein’s Monster, when I’d get on Ruby, I was a ballet dancer in the saddle of a bike. That is how I moved with grace through the world. When my eyesight was finally taken three years ago, I’d go out to my garage, fire Ruby up and just sit and rev her up! (My neighbors loved me!) But even just sitting on my girl, hearing and feeling the vibrations in the garage, I wasn’t disabled, “crippled”, broken. Even though I couldn’t ride anymore, I was still PETE, still a biker ready to (deep breath) take on anything.

Now MS has accelerated and it’s tiring to my body and perhaps my brain. My partner

was sick and hospitalized much of last year. I was bedridden for months with a colon tumor and lack of insurance, that almost took my life. Even though I will always be a biker, my family has been too devastated by illness and now poverty to afford to keep that racehorse stabled, motionless in my garage. I need the money, and she needs to run, to get back out on the road.

So, she’s soon to be somebody else’s baby, though secretly she’ll always be mine.

The day finally came when I knew Ruby needed a new rider, and if I didn’t act soon, I wouldn’t be able to do what I needed to do at all, and it would break my heart even more.

Last week Ruby went on Craigslist. I’m getting calls, but picking and choosing very carefully. Not for the right money, but for the right dashing outlaw who’ll team up with Ruby and have a wonderful

romance with her like the one she and I had for the last eight years. It’s not the end. I could go into remission with my MS tomorrow and I could come back physically, mentally and financially, and “The Laundromat Kid” could ride again!

To add irony (and perhaps serendipity) to the whole event, the day that Ruby went up for sale, the MS Society delivered me a wheelchair, a used, jetblack loaner. It too has seen many miles and it too has opened up other’s worlds in ways I’ll never know, until our relationship begins.

Time to take my new baby for her first test ride out on the road, and hopefully it will be as Bogie said in “Casablanca,” “Louie, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

For now it’s Hello, “Black Flash,” “Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday.” ■

Employment

Employment ads are $22-$25 per col. inch. July 31 is the deadline for the Aug. 10 issue. Mail to: Access Press, find each other for appropriate and efficient employment 1821 University Ave. #104S, St. Paul, MN 55104 matches.

FAX 651-644-2136 • Email: access@accesspress.org “Robust, public matching service registries can alleviate PCL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. some of the challenges that both consumers and workers face.

They can reduce unmet need due to difficulties that consumers encounter trying to locate independent providers. And for Central Corridor Light Rail Transit - Civil West Construction workers, they can play a valuable role in stabilizing employment and providing access points for training and other re- Bid Amount: $140,000,000.00 Bid Date: July 27, 2010 @ 2:00 PM CST sources,” Seavey said.

Public “matching service registries” are interactive elec- (Sub-bids requested by July 22, 2:00 PM) tronic databases that typically provide up-to-date detailed information about the consumer’s needs and preferences and Owner – Metropolitan Council the worker’s availability, skills and preferences. They may Design – AECOM Design Team offer additional services such as worker screening and orientation, access to consumer and worker training, and recruitment PCL encourages all DBE subcontractors and suppliers to submit bids for this project. We also recommend all bidding and outreach to potential workers.

PHI’s state-by-state survey on public “matching services subcontractors expend equal effort to achieve maximum parregistries” found that 16 states had statewide matching ser- ticipation by DBE’s. vices, five states had regional matching services, two states had matching services under consideration or development, and 28 Plans are available for download for $10 at www.questcdn.com, states had no statewide or regional matching service. Minne- eBidDoc #: 1205944. sota has no statewide or regional matching service. ■ Plans are available for viewing at: Minneapolis Builders Exchange, St. Paul Builders Exchange, and PCL’s Burnsville Office.

Cont from p. 6

property was condemned in 2007 after inspectors found it vacant and boarded up. It subsequently flunked a code inspection when regulators found numerous violations, including asbestos contamination, hazardous heating and cooling systems and a buckling foundation.

Patino was supposed to fix the problems and have the house reinspected before he sold it, but he never did.

To make matters worse, the contractor hired to renovate the house allegedly abandoned the job after she was paid $46,000.

City inspectors said much of the work she did was not up to code. The family is unable to move into the house but a contractor and other volunteers are trying to help them.

[Source: Star Tribune]

Registries are lacking A national survey conducted by PHI to assess whether states have a public “matching services registry” to facilitate connections between consumers who receive self-directed care in their homes—and independent direct-care workers who provide that care—found that only one-third of the states have developed this type of registry. Self-directed care allows elders and people with disabilities, or their families, to directly hire and supervise independent caregivers who provide personal care services and supports.

“Consumer-directed care is the fastest growing service delivery option,” said PHI Director of Policy Research Dorie Seavey, Ph.D., who conducted the survey, “yet there is little public infrastructure in place to help consumers and providers

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Scope includes: relocation of underground utilities, demolition of roadway paving and equipment, environmental remediation, underground public utilities, drainage, street lighting, light rail track, bridge and retaining wall structures, light rail stations, adjustments to areaways, underground communications, signal and traction power ducts, pull boxes, above and below-grade traffic signal facilities, catenary pole foundations, sidewalks and roadway pavements.

PCL Construction Services, Inc. Attn: Mike Weinmann 12200 Nicollet Avenue South Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 952-882-9600 • FAX: 952-882-9900 An Equal Opportunity Employer • M/F/D/V Attorney or Advocate MN Disability Law Ctr seeks FT atty or legal advocate in NW MN to assist persons w/mental health & other disabilities. See www.mylegalaid.org/jobs

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