February 2011 Edition - Access Press

www.accesspress.org

Inside: ■ HMO report challenged - pg 3 ■ Travel trouble - pg 5 ■ VSA award winners - pg 7

P E O P L E

P L A C E S

“The purpose of the ADA was to provide clear and comprehensive national standards to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities. As a result, individuals with disabilities are now able to live in their homes and have access to new careers.”

— Former Congressman Jim Ramstad

Pg 9

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

Volume 22, Number 2

Minnesota’s Disability

Community Newspaper

February 10, 2011

Minnesotans rally for services at Disability Day

by Mike Gude and Jane McClure Self-advocates with disabilities, their family members, support staff and other disability advocates are hoping that a crowded state capitol rotunda convinces state officials to support disability services. More than 330 people attended the January 25 Disability Matters Day at the Capitol rally. With massive state budget cuts looming, it was an early mobilizing event in what promises to be a very long and difficult legislative session.

Several attendees addressed the rally crowd to share how disability services make it possible for people with disabilities to live in and contribute to their communities. Betty Peterson, a self-advocate who lives with a brain injury, said she was “extremely inspired” to see so many people. “We need to put a face to our problems,” she said. The message to legislators should be about people, not “those people.”

“We know that independence for people with disabilities costs less than providing services in large institutions,”

said Jeff Nachbar, Public Policy Director of the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota. “We also know that Minnesotans overwhelmingly support those services that create greater independence. This day is a chance to remind our legislators of these facts.”

Nachbar fired up the rally crowd with a chant of “Independence — Costs Less! More Fullfilling!” Audience members, some of whom had to watch from the capitol’s second level, waved signs and cheered speakers.

“Without staff members who work with us on a daily basis, most of us wouldn’t be able to hold down our jobs and live independently,” said Rick Cardenas, Co-Director of Advocating Change Together and an advocate with physical disabilities. Cardenas brought a device called the “Wheel of Misfortune,” which he used to quiz legislators and advocates at the rally about the struggles people with disabilities faced in the past and the advances made in recent decades.

Pat Mellenthin, Executive Director of The Arc of Minnesota, said self-advocates need to be part of the solution to the state’s budget crisis, not part of the problem. She and others urged state officials to protect essential services that make daily life possible for people with disabilities.

“Many families we work with have great stories on how to create better lives for themselves at a better value to Minnesota taxpayers,” she said.

State lawmakers also urged the crowd to share their stories when speaking against cuts to services and programs. “It is more important than ever that (legislators) hear from you,” said Rep. Kim Norton, DFLRochester. “Those personal stories mean a lot.”

Sen. Al DeKruif, Republican-Madison Lake, has a son with disabilities. He relies on personal care attendant (PCA) and home health care services, and works. DeKruif said that while all must share in cuts to Jeff Nachbar of the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota was one of the speakers at balance the state’s budget, state Disability Matters Day. He is shown by the Wheel of Misfortune, which is used to depict Rally - cont. on p. 8 issues facing the community.

Photo by Jane McClure

Click on, comment on the Access Press Unbound blogs

by Access Press staff Access Press Unbound, a group of blogs by and for people with disabilities and senior citizens, launches in February with blogs about education and employment, service animals and arts. The blogs will be posted on the website www.accesspress.org The blogs are funded thanks to a grant from the Minneapolis Foundation.

More blog offerings will be added in the months ahead, according to Access Press Executive Editor Tim Benjamin. “We foresee a great opportunity for more interactive forums for all of us to speak out and tell our news in a more open environment with variety of communication skills.”

Blogs will be updated at least once a week. Some blog content will appear in the monthly

print edition of Access Press as well as online.

Readers will be highly encouraged to comment on the blog posts, within the civil and newspaper comment guidelines. Readers will also be encouraged to submit ideas, for the blog writers to consider and begin conversations online with other community members. Online conversations will be monitored by Access Press.

The writers selected for the first three blogs bring a wealth of experiences to Access Press.

Dave Wright will write A Better Life, a blog about employment and educational opportunities. Wright is a veteran Twin Cities community journalist.

He has worked for publications including the Villager newspaper. He is also a longtime Twin Cities sports announcer and a native of Detroit.

Through this blog, Wright will outline the challenges people with disabilities and senior citizens face in seeking employment and educational opportunities. People with disabilities have been grappling with an unemployment rate that is much higher than that for the population as a whole. Senior citizens who have seen their retirement savings and investments dwindle have been forced to return to the workforce. Wright will offer helpful advice and present information that is available on new programs and resources. He can also write first-hand about the challenges older workers face.

Roxanne Furlong will write Accessing the Arts, a blog about the many arts and cultural opportunities available in Minnesota. She has a long

resume of journalistic experience including work for Webb Publishing and New Mobility magazine. Furlong is also a crafter with her own blogs, www.roxpaperscissors.blog spot.com and www.your paperpantry.blogspot.com Furlong is a Twin Cities native and has a lifelong love of attending theater and musical performances, as well as visiting art galleries and exhibits throughout the region.

She will visit these venues with an eye toward the work of artists with disabilities and senior citizen artists. She will also look carefully at what accommodations are and aren’t provided, to better inform readers about their entertainment and cultural choices. As she noted, “I have learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to ‘accessibility’.”

Clarence Schadegg is a longtime Access Press contributing writer, covering issues ranging from traveling with a service dog to the difficulties facing immigrants with disabilities. He does extensive public speaking and volunteer work in the Twin Cities.

Schadegg will write Animals at Your Service, a blog about the many types of service animals that help people with disabilities every day.

Schadegg is legally blind, having lost all vision last year.

He has had a service dog since 1995. His first dog was Frisco and his current dog is Telly.

He and his service dogs have traveled extensively and he is well-versed in the many issues people with service animals and the animals themselves face on a day-to-day basis.

More blogs will be added in

the weeks ahead on the topics of health, children and families, and public policy. Those writers will be introduced soon.

Benjamin encourages blog readers to comment on and ask questions about the blogs.

One goal is for readers to share their own stories and get involved with the topics presented using different methods of communication, written, and audio. Posting of videos will be allowed soon.

Although the blogs have startup funding, the intent is for Access Press to find advertisers and foundation sponsors for each blog. Anyone interested in being a blog sponsor can contact Tim Benjamin at 651-644-2133 or tim@access press.org to discuss rates and levels of sponsorships. ■

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February 10, 2011 The 2011 legislative session is ramping up, and I have not been at the capitol nearly as much as I’ve wanted to be.

To keep up-to-date with what’s happening, it’s important to be there. Off the hill, things seem like they’re moving along slowly. But in the halls and meeting rooms of the capitol, it’s incredible how fast things can accelerate.

There have been several Tuesdays at the Capitol, with very large self advocate turnouts.

Our community’s visible presence at the capitol, so that legislators can see and talk with people, is vital. Really, just being there is an extraordinarily strong statement of the dedication to the real needs of our community. I urge you to participate in Tuesdays at the Capitol; it will help educate the new legislators about disability issues—and you’ll learn a lot about state law and policy. If you just want to get involved or learn more about

Tim Benjamin, Editor

the process, all you have to do is show up at the capitol on a Tuesday and find someone with a disability and ask if you can follow along with them, or have them introduce you to one of the lobbyists that you can follow. Most will be more than happy to help you learn the ropes and help you feel connected.

“Minnesota’s Healthcare Imperative” is a document that many of the state’s HMOs and insurance companies have submitted to the legislature presenting proposals to cut costs at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Unfortunately, the document seems to have been written by consultants who are unfamiliar with what Minnesota Health and Human Services has been doing for years and who didn’t even search the Health and Human Services website for facts. The report is extremely flawed and misleading.

With so many freshmen legislators, a document that is so misleading is bound to become a severe threat to many of the programs that people with disabilities rely on. For example, the document suggests that the state require prior authorization for PCA hours, although in fact prior authorization has always been required for any PCA services. The document states, “Total cost of care must be considered as the system looks to avoid ‘squeezing the balloon,’ saving one dollar through an initiative only to incur two dollars of cost somewhere else.” But then it goes on to suggest short-term savings without discussing longterm costs. For instance, it recommends that the state “eliminate all or some adult dental services.” We know that reducing dental services provided by a dental professional in a dental clinic causes higher cost in emergency room visits for dental problems—yet the

“Healthcare Imperative” proposes to reduce emergency room visits by 5%.

Speaking of emergency room visits, the document alleges, “Only 20 percent of emergency departments visits are true emergencies, and at least one-third of all visits are for non-urgent health problems.” I wonder how many of those visits are for things like dental problems?

“Minnesota’s Healthcare Imperative” is an insult to so many of our legislators who over years have worked hard to create strong, yet cost-effective health care programs.

There is no question that we need to find ways to cut expenses in health care in Minnesota but most of this document’s suggestions will disproportionately affect people with disabilities and will certainly cost more in the long term. I do not think Minnesota wants to back down on its commitment as a state that

provides needed services, much less to be out of compliance with the ADA and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision about unnecessary institutionalization. We want to maintain strong healthcare for our low-income, vulnerable citizens and people with disabilities.

At Access Press, we continue to make changes at our website so that we can stay in touch with the community throughout the month. We will be introducing you to some previews of blog sites this month. We are excited about them and how each of them will give us extra insights on a variety of topics while giving each of you an opportunity to take part in conversations. Let us know what you think.

Stay safe on these cold days; another long winter will soon be over! ■

History Note

Fears linger decades after abuse in state institutions

by Deborah Holtz This is an interview with my friend, J.J. He prefers to remain anonymous because “someone might find me and beat me up for saying things.”

J.J. was sent to live at Faribault State Hospital in 1934, when he was five years old. He will celebrate his 82nd birthday in a couple of months.

Many children were sent to state hospitals during the Great Depression. Some children didn’t have severe disabilities but had families that could not afford to care for them. J.J. most likely came from the latter.

J.J. lived in the state hospital until he was almost 50 years old. Since then he has lived in large group homes, smaller places, and his own apartment with support services.

This isn’t an article about the conditions of the state hos-

pital or a statement about any other systems. It is simply an interview about someone who has lived through many difficult challenges in his life, and is still lives. In 1955, at the height of the worst times, when J.J. still lived there Faribault State Hospital had a census of 3,355 residents.

He now lives with three other men in a house in a beautiful neighborhood, with staff through the home and a community-based waiver. The manager of this house is one of the best I have seen in my 30plus years of working in this field. By all accounts, this should be a success story. And in many ways it is. But if you listen closely, you will still hear the loneliness at times of J.J.’s life. He raises questions for us to think about in terms of what quality of life really means.

I met J.J. in 1983, and he soon became a part of our family, as he had done with a few other people. He agreed to be interviewed to give people an idea of what his life has been like for him, and the changes he has seen since 1934. Many of his answers made me think about the quality assurance system we think we are designing for people with developmental disabilities.

AP: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. You went to Faribault State Hospital a very long time ago. Do you remember how old you were when you were sent to the hospital?

JJ: I was 5 years old.

AP: That is very little. Do you remember things?

JJ: Yes, I do. I got beat up a lot. When I got older, I had to take care of the little kids. I

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, Anita Schermer, Carrie Salberg 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 .................................................................................. Cheryl D. Pfeifer 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.

Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material does not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press.

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had to do a lot of work. I still got beat up. I don’t know why.

Sometimes we got hosed down for showers. They didn’t treat me nice.

AP: What was life like for you?

JJ: Well, everybody told you when to do things. They told you when to eat and get up and go to bed. And you couldn’t see the girls. We lived in a different building. And they didn’t tell me things. I didn’t know my mom and dad died until I left the state hospital. Why didn’t they tell me?

AP: Do you remember when you left the state hospital?

JJ: Yes I do. It was in 1986.

(Interviewer’s note—it was probably the late 1970s or very early 1980. The author met J.J. in 1983 when he was already living in the community in his own apartment with some support services.)

AP: What did it feel like the day you left the state hospital?

JJ: It was heaven. (The largest smile ever seen.)

AP: After your release from the state hospital, you lived in

The state hospital at Faribault was transferred to the Department of Corrections in 1994.

Photo courtesy of The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

many different places. You lived in a large group home, and then a smaller place, and then your own apartment with some supports, and then last year, you moved to a very small house with three other men, right?

JJ: Yes, but I don’t see you very much anymore!

AP: Is there anything more you want people to know about all the places you have lived?

JJ: Well, yes. You have to

make your own choices. I don’t want people to tell me what to do. But I get lonely and I wish more people would come to visit me. ■ Deborah Holtz is filling in for regular History Note writer Luther Granquist.

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

February 10, 2011

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Proposed health cuts denounced

by Jane McClure Prudent budget-cutting measures or irresponsible attack on the lives of people with disabilities? A report on proposed health care spending cuts is sparking intense debate throughout Minnesota, as sweeping changes are proposed to state programs.

The report, “Minnesota’s Healthcare Imperative,” contains specific proposals for potential cost savings from within Minnesota’s current public health care system in the face of the state’s $6.2 billion deficit. HealthPartners, Allina, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Fairview, Medica, Park Nicollet and UCare, outlined $1.8 billion savings in service cuts and tax increases in the report. Representatives of those organizations contend that a change is needed to hold down the costs of health care, starting with changes to state programs.

Some report recommendations are seen by disability advocates as threatening the ability for many Minnesotans with disabilities to live independently. The report was criticized at a January 31 press

conference hosted by a number of disability community groups. Representatives also met with Lt. Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and Minnesota Department of Health leaders in early February to discuss the report.

Representatives of the report’s authors haven’t contacted the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) or other groups to discuss the report, said Steve Larson, public policy director for The Arc of Minnesota and co-chair of MN-CCD. That is prompting much frustration.

The report sponsors contend their recommendations would hold down health care costs. But the lack of public participation, and that fact that the organizations would likely profit from the changes, upsets many.

“It is infuriating when decisions about our state health care system are being made about us, without us,” said Corbett Laubignat from the Minnesota Center for Independent Living (MCIL).

“This report is extremely

troubling,” said Larson. “It proposes cuts that currently help Minnesotans with disabilities live independently. It fails to provide factual data to back up the proposed savings it claims. It was developed under a closed process that didn’t involve the disability community and other affected stakeholders. And it seems to allow the HMOs to profit from its recommended budget cuts.”

Anne Henry, attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center, calls the report’s recommendations for disability services “nothing short of an irresponsible attack on persons with disabilities in our state.”

She said those recommendations in the report are full of mistakes and shoddily researched, with misinformation about services used in the Medical Assistance program.

“The fact that this report reflects such a poor understanding of the MA program for person with disabilities makes it all the more disturbing,” she said. “The arrogance of these misinformed recommendations is stunning and very troubling.” Henry also criticized a

suggestion that the state should require authorization of PCA services and limit hours people can obtain. “Anyone with a passing knowledge of Minnesota’s PCA services knows that all services must be prior authorized by a county nurse and the hours are strictly limited by a rigid assessment.”

In a written statement, a spokesperson for the seven report authors said, “We continue to support the public process that addresses the issue of health care and the budget shortfall. If better data can be found, it by all means should be considered.”

Others say the report lacks understanding of the issues people with disabilities face.

“It must be recognized that many persons with disabilities not only have complex medical conditions, but also need services and supports to live in the community and be contributing members of society,” said Randy Bachmann, Executive Director of AXIS Health Care. “If we’re only looking at the cost of care we are missing the bigger picture of the value these citizens bring to all of

From left, MN-CCD CoChair Steve Larson and advocates Cindy Johnson and Nichole Villavicencio described the effect of the proposed cuts.

Photo by Ali Hasan

us—some through employment, some through other types of engagement. If we think it is too expensive to provide people with disabilities with the supports they need to live at their homes, then are we willing to go back to institutionalization?”

Self-advocates, Nichole Villavicencio called the proposed cuts “frightening,” adding, “I’m tired of the legislature telling me to compromise my quality of life.”

Jenna Johnson and her mother, Cindy Johnson are already impacted by cuts to funding for Jenna’s care. Jenna

Johnson holds a job and has her own apartment but that could change. Cindy Johnson said their experience with managed care has been that it amounts to “rationing of care.”

One significant recommendation would move individuals with disabilities who currently access services through a fee-for-service model into a managed care model. There are also fears that could move people out of their home communities and back into institutions.

“The disability community is eager to engage in discusHMOs - cont. on p. 14

Get involved, be a self-advocate at the state capitol Speak for yourself, others at advocacy events Wanting to speak out about proposed state budget cuts?

Many opportunities are available for self-advocates, their families and friends during the 2011 legislative session. Here is a sampling of upcoming days at the capitol, meetings and rallies. More information can be found at www.mnccd.org Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) holds full membership meetings each Friday during the legislative session from noon - 1 p.m. in Room 500 N of the State Office Building. These one-hour meetings

are an opportunity for disability advocacy community members to learn and share up to date information on disability policy issues being discussed at the capitol.

MN-CCD also hosts ‘Tuesdays at the capitol’. Each Tuesday through May 10, MNCCD will be at the Capitol to help people share their stories about the importance of disability services with legislators and to ensure there is a disability community presence at the capitol. A briefing led

by MN-CCD grassroots leaders will be held in the cafeteria of State Office Building at 10 a.m. each Tuesday, followed

by meetings with legislators and opportunities to attend hearings. Please email asimons @arcmn.org if you are interested in attending a Tuesday at the capitol, and/or if your organization is interested in “hosting” a Tuesday at the Capitol.

More advocacy days are coming up. The MCIL/ MSCOD/DSPAM Day at the Capitol is Tuesday, February 22 and Courage Center Day at the Capitol is Thursday, March 10. Check the website www.state.mn.us/ for the February 22 event and www. couragecenter.org for details about March 10.

Oppose mental health cuts tive Network, an organization statewide organizations, will The Mental Health Legisla- composed of more than 20 Get Involved - cont. on p. 14

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February 10, 2011

Teen with autism beaten, robbed and shot in face

by Jane McClure A horrifying attack on a teenager with disabilities is a reminder that family members, friends and guardians must make extra efforts to keep young people safe.

Charges were filed last month in Ramsey County District Court against three adults and two teenagers who took part in an attack on the 16year-old young man. Charges include felony kidnapping and first-degree aggravated robbery. The victim of the attack, who is autistic, was beaten, robbed and shot twice in the face with a BB gun.

Columbia Heights residents Tiffany Ann Clock, 21, and Anthony Martin Ramos, 24, and Trenton Eugene Johnson, 22, of St. Paul, were jailed for the crime. They and the two juveniles had court appearances in January and early February. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is seeking felony robbery and felony aggravated kidnapping charges in connection with the assault.

If convicted, the adults could face up to 20 years in prison.

The incident occurred December 23 in St. Paul’s East Side, in the Conway neighborhood. The victim was walking to Cub Foods at Sun Ray Center in the area when one of the five suspects asked if he wanted to hang out with them.

Then the five took the teen to an isolated site behind the Sun Ray Branch of St. Paul Public Library, which is north of the shopping center. They then robbed him of a CD player, camera, cell phone and money, and even stole his bottle of ginger ale. The charges indicate that Ramos threatened the teen with the BB gun. Until he was hit with the BB, the victim thought he was being threatened with a real gun and that he would be killed.

Family members of the victim identified one of the suspects. The group was arrested in mid-January.

The youth isn’t identified in court documents and his family has not spoke out about the incidents. But Choi and advocates say the case illustrates the challenge of keeping vulnerable young people safe. The written charges didn’t indicate if the assailants knew the victim was autistic or if that was why he was targeted.

“This is rather difficult,” said Sherrie Kenny, executive director and CEO of the Autism Society of Minnesota. “What 16-year-old doesn’t want to have friends?” Kenny and others familiar with the case said it’s likely that the young man was in an area he has felt safe in before.

Choi calls the crime “ter-

rible.” “We are going to make sure that there are adequate consequences for these (five) people,” he said. “It was just an outrageous attack, considering the vulnerability of the victim.”

Ramsey County can seek enhanced penalties due to the vulnerability of the victim.

The written charges indicate that all five suspects admit some involvement in the crime.

Much attention in recent years has been focused on the bullying of children and youth people with disabilities. While advocates agree that the St. Paul case goes far beyond bullying, families face challenges when keeping their children with disabilities safe.

The Autism Society, Pacer Center and a number of organizations provide families with information on bullying and personal safety. One difficulty for many families is finding a balance. Young people especially want to be able to go out and do things their peers do, yet they may not recognize a threatening situation. Another difficulty is that this kind of incident can significantly set back a youngster’s progress.

“This young man obviously had some level of independence,” Kenny said. Children and youth with autistic are typically taught how to respond to bullying and threats but in this

case the victim was befriended.

That made the situation less clear.

Julie Hertzog, who oversees the teen anti-bullying program at Pacer Center, said more resources are being engaged to combat the problem of bullying against children and young people with disabilities. She said a key part of bullying prevention is to inform kids about why bullying is wrong and stop tell them how to respond when

they and others are being bullied. At her teenage son’s middle school, there has been success with a peer advocacy program.

“You not only want to protect kids with disability but you want to change the behavior and culture around them,” she said.

The St. Paul case is strikingly similar to one in Dakota County in fall 2008, when 27year-old was kidnapped on two

nights by a group of five people, one of whom had pretended to befriend him. The victim, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, was kicked, beaten and burns. All five people involved were sentenced to prison, the longest sentence being 10 years. ■

Anti-bullying resources: www.pacer.org www.ausm.org blog.autismspeaks.org

New ad salesperson at Access Press Access Press is pleased to announce that Cheryl D. Pfeifer has joined the newspaper as an advertising salesperson. “I am very happy that Cheryl is part of our team,” said Executive Editor Tim Benjamin. “Her sales skill, personality and knowledge of issues important to our readership is an asset to Access Press.”

Pfeifer lives in Minneapolis. She is looking forward to working with Access Press’ current advertisers and new clients as well. She can be reached at Cheryl@access press.org Pfeifer sells display ads for unions throughout Minnesota

and also raises funds for the Guthrie Theater. She has previous sales experience working for the Minnesota Twins and Timberwolves, and as president and co-owner of a company that focused on developing new FM radio stations in small mid-western markets. She also owned her own design firm and enjoys art and photography.

She attended the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State Mankato and Robbinsdale Cooper High School. Her educational experience also includes rehabilitation for vision loss at Minneapolis Society for the Blind (MSB).

Her many community ac-

Cheryl Pfeifer tivities include past service on the Board of Directors at Vision Loss Resource, public speaking and fundraising for MSB and creation of artwork for a promotional poster used for a joint fund-raiser involving MSB and Orchestra Hall.

■

February 10, 2011

5

Commentary

Misunderstanding caused her travel troubles

by Carrie Salberg I’ve traveled using a power wheelchair most of my life and with a ventilator since 2006. I have muscular dystrophy and the resulting muscle weakness is why I need a wheelchair and ventilator. I’ve been on 10 flights since 2006 without any problems.

I’ve done a lot of research on flying with all my medical equipment. Before every trip, I take every precaution when dealing with the airline. I have documentation showing my vent is approved for use inflight. I call the airline several times before the trip to make sure they are aware of and approve all equipment I will be bringing on board. I check and double-check everything to avoid any problems. I would never want to endanger anyone or myself.

But my most recent trip was a nightmare. It didn’t begin that way. On January 9, I flew from Minneapolis to New Orleans on Delta’s partner, Compass Airlines without any problems. An upgrade to first-class was much appreciated. For our return trip January 13, instead of getting first-class accommodations, we were forced off the plane minutes before departure. In December 2010, I

had called Delta and got everything approved. So what happened on my return trip was a shock.

On January 13, we boarded the plane for another direct Delta flight run by Compass Airlines. My nurses got me, my (heavy) medical carry-on bags, and my ventilator on the plane. They just needed to grab my vent battery from the back of my wheelchair. As my nurse was bringing the 12-volt dry gel-cell, battery on the plane, the flight attendant said the pilot wanted to see it. I assumed they were making sure it was not a wet-cell battery, as spillable batteries are not allowed on aircraft. We waited and waited for them to return the battery to us; meanwhile, the rest of the passengers boarded.

As we got closer to departure time, my nurse went up to check on the battery. The pilot said he was not done with his inspection. My nurse explained to him that I had flown with the battery/vent many times and it has never been an issue; He said that that did not matter. He called someone— we do not know who—and gave them the serial numbers and other information on the

battery. The pilot kept insisting to the person on the line that it “was just a regular 12volt battery.” Back in my seat, I was getting increasingly anxious and angry—knowing that this was not going to end well.

Eventually, the gate agent said that I could have the battery on the plane but could not use it – a completely unworkable situation since the internal battery on the vent was already low. At this point, I gave her the testing documentation that I had on the vent including the certificate which shows it is in full compliance of all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations for use in-flight (with battery power) on US commercial aircraft. She brought it to the pilot but returned minutes later, reiterating that the battery could not be used.

Whoever was on the phone with the pilot made the decision that I was not allowed to be on that flight. The flight attendant told us to gather our things and get off the aircraft.

I was a wreck. In the best of circumstances, getting on and off a plane is a grueling experience for me and the people with whom I travel. My nurses transferred me on and off the

aisle chair and had to once again carry off several heavy bags of medical equipment.

The experience of being taken off the flight as everyone on the plane was watching was extremely humiliating. I was panicked as it was not clear how or when we would get back to Minneapolis. We received no explanation as to what the problem was—the pilot never spoke to me. We never learned who he called or who told him to not allow the battery to be used on the plane.

In all of my research, I have never heard of airlines having issues with dry or gel cell batteries. I am always ready to counter objections to the vent since it is an electronic device and must pass compliance tests; this is why I bring the certificates and documentation showing it is safe. As far as I am aware, the battery should be a non-issue. In fact, Delta’s own website recommends the use of dry cell batteries when bringing ventilators on board.

After getting off the plane, we learned we had to fly to Atlanta on a Delta flight (instead of Compass Airlines) and then transfer planes to get back to Minneapolis. I would now be getting on and off of three planes

in one day. Our luggage (which held more medical equipment, including my vent battery charger) was sent directly to Minneapolis. I had two fully charged batteries with us on the plane but had we gotten stuck in Atlanta we would have had a serious problem.

The battery issues and the physical difficulties of getting on and off so many planes in a short time was not the only challenge I faced. Only one gate agent spoke to me, to explain that I had to get off of the plane. No one else offered that acknowledgement. Airline staff instead communicated though my nurses and not to me directly. Even though my voice was causing me trouble that day, I still could hear and could get my point across.

Also, it was virtually impossible for me to use a public restroom. I went nearly 14 hours without using a restroom and dramatically cut back on liquids to make it through the day. This incident therefore put me at risk for dehydration and an infection. By the time we got home, I was extremely uncomfortable and extremely angry over what had happened.

We were given $50 travel vouchers for our “inconve-

nience”—an insult considering the humiliation and physical hardship they put us through. The certificates didn’t even begin to make up for the money we had spent, let alone the inconvenience.

We still do not know why this happened. We were kicked off the plane without explanation despite following all of Delta’s rules. We told them about my medical equipment in December; they knew which flight, which plane, and which airline (Compass) we’d be on and they approved all of my equipment for use in-flight. I believe this incident came down to someone ignorant who was obstructively being determined to be right. But even if there was an issue with my equipment and the airplane, we should have been informed of it long before we were on the plane. All I know for sure is that this humiliating, nightmare should not have happened. ■ Salberg is a board member at Access Press. Access Press contacted Delta Airlines about the incident and didn’t get a response in time for the print issue deadline. Any response received will be posted with the online story.

Commentary

The Untold Story: High unemployment and hardship

by Steve Anderson I am a 47-year-old man with a college degree and —oh — I also happen to have a disability. I was born with cerebral palsy.

I worked as a professional for a St. Paul non-profit company for 13 years until I was let go. At the end of November, 2009 I joined the millions of unemployed in this country.

I worked for a company that works with adults with disabilities in the Twin Cities.

Thirteen years ago when I began my career I was hired into an entry-level position as program assistant. The person who hired me, (no longer with the company) did so based on my qualifications. He also saw potential for me to move into a higher level position. Within six months I was promoted to the position of case manager and was given a caseload of 20 adults with severe physical and developmental disabilities. I was responsible for developing their social and vocational skills.

During my 13-year tenure with the company I held the positions of community integration specialist and job developer. Also, I conducted disability and diversity training for the company’s staff and other companies and organizations throughout the Twin Cities. Additionally I

represented the company at various job fairs and for Chambers of Commerce throughout the metro area. I joined the Eagan Rotary.

I was a co-founder of the company’s first self-advocacy group, run by and for employees with disabilities.

During my final three years my position was became exclusively that of job developer, which had been about 1/3 of my past job description. During the final six months with this company, my job changed again. I took a 17% pay cut and was told that I had been reimbursed disproportionately and could make up the difference on commission. I was ultimately let go—terminated due to my inability to fill their new quota of jobs for the people we served.

This is not a new story. Our nation is in the throes of high unemployment and economic uncertainty. At the time I was let go the national unemployment rate was hovering right around 9.8%.

I’ve now been unemployed for more than a year. During this time, I have done and continue to do the things everyone who is unemployed does; connected with different agencies, networked with professional and personal contacts, filled out applications and had a

number of interviews. I also began volunteering at Gillette Children’s Hospital.

We have all heard stories on how our nation’s unemployment is affecting almost every minority group in our nation.

But I haven’t heard anything in mainstream media about how severely unemployment is affecting people with disabilities. It is a dramatic story of high numbers and hardships.

As of now, I believe the national unemployment rate is holding right around 9.4% with Minnesota’s rate right around 7%. While these are extremely high, we in the disability community know that unemployment rates for people with disabilities are much higher.

According to Minnesota Association for Persons in Supported Employment

(APSE)—Minnesota First, “A generally accepted estimate of the unemployment rate for working-age youth and adults with significant disabilities is 70% or higher—the highest unemployment rate of all minority populations.”

The 70% cited encompasses a wide range of people and disabilities. That rate varies greatly within the disability community. The end results however remains the same: the unemployment rate for people with disabilities continues to be much higher than the national average and rises along with the national rate, yet mainstream media remains silent on this issue.

People with disabilities have the same responsibilities as non-disabled people: mortgage, rent, food, car/transpor-

tation, childcare, taxes, etc.

People with disabilities have the same hopes and desires for good paying jobs that contribute to the communities in which we live.

Twenty years after passage of the ADA there still seems to

be a perception that people with disabilities can’t or have no real desire to be gainfully employed. Companies have policies, mission statements and vision statements that encourage and promote hiring Story - cont. on p. 14

6

February 10, 2011

Regional news in review . . .

New service helps emergency responders Time is of the essence in an emergency. Sometimes a few minutes can make the difference in whether a person lives or dies. For people with disabilities needing accessible and adapted emergency services, precious time is wasted if emergency responders do not have the information they need before they arrive at the scene.

To address this need, the St. Paul Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities and the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center have developed a form for use by Ramsey County residents with disabilities. This form allows a person with a disability living in Ramsey County to inform the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center of any special conditions, medications, and/or allergies that should be taken into account by emergency responders. It also informs the Emergency Communications Center of medical contacts and of trusted individuals that can assist police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency personnel in entering or securing the individual’s home during an emergency.

This form is now available and should be filled out as soon as possible, before an emergency ever occurs. If there is an emergency, the Emergency Communications Center will have the emergency response information available to assist with the emergency response.

The Residential Emergency Response Information Form can be found at: www.co.ramsey.mn.us/ecc/What_to_expect.htm.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Residential Emergency Response Information Form.”

[Source: Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office]

Try out new digital radios Radio Talking Book (RTB), a program of Minnesota State Services for the Blind, continues to implement its new digital radios. There are currently six transmission sites in Minnesota where listeners can use new digital radios: Thief River Falls, Warroad and Roseau, Bemidji, Moorhead, Saint Cloud, and Austin. Any customers of the Radio Talking Book who live in those areas should have received a new digital radio by now.

According to RTB staff, reports back are very positive. The next area to receive radios will most likely be International Falls.

The old analog radios eventually will not work so listeners should set up and turn on their new digital receivers as soon as they receive them. RTB has already removed the analog signal from Thief River Falls and the analog signal to Bemidji, Moorhead, Saint Cloud and Austin will be dropped soon.

The new digital radio has a different antenna than the old one.

The new antenna is a flexible wire antenna that needs to be plugged into the back of the radios and stretched out to resemble a large letter T. If that doesn’t happen, and the wire antenna drapes on the floor, there is the possibility that it will get caught up in a vacuum cleaner or cause problems in other ways. For customers in fringe listening areas, a rabbit ear style of antenna can be supplied which provides more signal reception and might make an otherwise intermittent signal solid.

If users have difficulties with their new radios, call Chris at 651-642-0885.

[Source: Radio Talking Book]

subject of media attention after he tracked down his own stolen bicycle despite near total paralysis from ALS, has died. The 44year-old died January 26. The story of the stolen bike might not have garnered much attention if it weren’t for what it revealed about Rogers, a man who lived with grace and humor while celebrating what he had rather than what he had lost.

When he learned in February 2007 that his aching left arm was the first manifestation of a fatal illness, it was a surprise, but one he did his best to accept. “I didn’t get mad about it,” he told the Star Tribune.

A group of friends known as “Brad’s Brigade” helped make his life easier, with a home renovation project. Rogers created a website to share news of his health and the family’s adjustment.

When his oldest daughter burst into the house on a Saturday morning last fall with news that his much-loved Italian bike had been stolen from the family’s back yard, Rogers went online and within minutes found it listed in the lost and found section of Craigslist. He wanted his kids to have the bike after he died, Man who tracked down bike dies Brad Rogers, a north Minneapolis man who became the Regional news - cont. on p. 15

St. Paul passes new sidewalk café ordinance Months of work ended as St. Paul’s much-debated new regulations on sidewalk cafes and other retail uses of sidewalks were unanimously adopted by the City Council Janury19. The council adopted the regulations after three public hearings.

Ward Two Council Member Dave Thune, who authored the ordinance, said although the process was difficult, the city is now in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ordinance requires a 48-inch clear zone for sidewalks, as well as passing zones, and regulations on placement of sidewalk tables, planters and other fixtures. It also includes a requirement that sidewalk seating plans be displayed in a business.

The ordinance as adopted dropped a requirement that would have forced sidewalk cafes at close at 10 p.m. Instead closing times will be set on a case-by-case basis. It also dropped a requirement that restaurants seek permits from city licensing and Public Works. Instead there will be just one permit.

The mayor’s office had raised concerns about the ordinance, so Thune set up a meeting with mayoral cultural advisor Joe

Spencer and members of the disability community to discuss concerns raised by business and people with disabilities.

The ordinance was supported by the Mayor’s Advisory Council on People with Disabilities but raised concerns among restaurant owners. Some restaurants owners have tables and fixtures designed for the 36-inch distance requirement, not 48 inches. Others are in areas where sidewalks are narrow.

Thune said city officials will do what they can to work with restaurants owners who have space issues, but also added that the city cannot continue to ignore federal law. Businesses will be informed of the new regulations starting this spring when they apply for permits to have tables and chairs on the sidewalks.

The city’s review process may not be over. Pending federal regulations on sidewalk access could also add additional requirements during 2011, including the erection of fences to separate diners and sidewalk users. Federal ROWAG or rightof-way access guidelines are still being developed. ■ [Source: Access Press staff]

February 10, 2011

7

Emerging artists awarded VSA Minnesota grants Seven Minnesota artists won grants of $1,500 each through the VSA Minnesota Project Grants for Emerging Artists with Disabilities Program. The 15th annual competitive grant, funded by the Jerome Foundation, recognizes excellence by artists with disabilities. The grants were awarded following a jury process conducted by individuals with extensive backgrounds in the written, visual and performing arts.

Anne Krocak, Prior Lake, works with communities to create large, interactive, abstract, yet functional concrete sculptures, such as benches or wall hangings. Mosaic designs made of glass and commercial and handmade ceramic tiles are then attached to the surface of sculptures. Working with individual groups from a community allows her and the work group to become catalysts for change. Krocak has exhibited at numerous Twin Cities venues.“I do not remember a time when my life didn’t flow around art. . . Art is an

expression of our deepest emotions and expresses our feelings to others. As an artist with a disability, I want to communicate my feelings with people, including others like me, with disabilities,” said Krocak Puppeteer Anne SawyerAitch, Minneapolis, has always been fascinated by shadow, light and color. She is fond of storytelling, has a puppet show, a play, or a short story. “I like to think that my shows help send children and adults back into a world before television when the people might sit and watch the shadow puppeteer to learn about their history, their religion, their culture. A contemporary shadow puppet audience will share that experience in common with the armies of Genghis Khan and street urchins of Dickens’ London; with emperors and peasants, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. There is a magic to the form that has captivated me since I first saw it,” said Sawyer-Aitch.

John Lee Clark, Maplewood, finds that traveling— leaving his abode, his daily routine, and the same old tasks—stirs his imagination, inspiring him to write poetry.

He is especially interested in encounters with nature and natural wonders. Clark has edited a book of poetry, Deaf American Poetry: an Anthology and published a chapbook, Suddenly Slow: Poems.

He also won a VSA Artist Recognition Grant in 2003.“Ever since I began reading Braille full-time five

years ago, my poetry has undergone a dramatic change.

Part of the change is due to my continued maturing as a writer, but there are some fundamental reasons why my poems no longer have stanzas and tend to be short. Reading Braille, I am aware of only the line I am reading at that moment,” said Clark.

Adrean Clark, Maplewood, hopes that her comics help promote a positive view of people with disabilities. She doesn’t believe in hitting readers over the head with moral

points and instead shows situations that allow them to figure things out without insulting their intelligence. She is a cartoonist at Adreanaline.com and has published a book, The Census Taker and Other Deaf Humor; and a comic book, 8 Ways to be Deaf. “As a deaf comic artist, my goal is to open windows into a culture otherwise inaccessible to the hearing mainstream . . . the power of visuals . . . is what I harness with my comics. Humor is also an equalizer, and one of the tools I use to help

hearing people connect with deaf people,” said Clark.

Visual artist Pamela Kirton, Bursnville, turned humble observation into a very successful artistic venture. The birds that cluster daily at her window feeder have become friends. Soon they became beautiful, she said, like they had been hatched from Faberge eggs. It became her mission to honor birds by showing them through that vision. “When you see my birds at first or from a slight distance, they appear Artists - cont. on p. 15

One of the Emerging Artist winners, Adrean Clark, is a cartoonist with her own website. Her cartoons about the deaf have appeared in SignNews and the website adreanaline.com

McCarthy Builders earns State DBE certification McCarthy Builders, Inc. now carries one of the most recognized and respected certifications in the nation: the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification by the State of Minnesota.

Owner and President, Brian McCarthy, has been at the forefront of establishing McCarthy Builders, Inc. as a reputable company in the Twin Cities area. McCarthy underwent a lengthy, in-depth process to achieve TG/ED (Targeted Groups/Economically Disadvantaged) and SBE (Small Business Enterprise) Certifications and is proud to add the DBE certification to his company’s list of accomplishments.

The DBE program seeks to increase participation of firms owned by disadvantaged individuals in all federal-aid transportation contracts. A DBE is a small business, which is at least 51 percent, owned by one

or more socially and economically disadvantaged persons.

McCarthy Construction has been in business for more than 17 years. The company recently has been awarded contracts with Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and People Serving People Organization for numerous multifamily renovations.

Acquiring DBE status was is a significant achievement for McCarthy Builders, Inc. Many publicly funded projects at the federal, state, and local levels, require a percentage of work to be performed by firms with specific certifications in order to adhere to diversity guidelines. To qualify for the DBE designation, a firm must be at least 51% owned by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals.

Specializing in remodeling and new construction of commercial property, single and multi-family residential build-

ings, and barrier-free construction, McCarthy Builders, Inc. has been a preferred contractor with Hennepin County since 2009. McCarthy Builders, Inc. holds several other business certifications including Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, TG/ED certification, and Small Business Enterprise certification, under the Central Certification Program. The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as both Hennepin and Ramsey Counties use the Central Certification Program to designate small and underutilized businesses.

McCarthy was a 2009 finalist for the Access Press Charlie Smith Award, for outstanding service to Minnesota’s disability community. He is also known for his work with universal design and accessible housing, enabling hundreds of community members to enjoy their own homes. Through installation of ramps, lifts, roll-

in shower, lower countertops and other improvements, McCarthy and his firm have had a positive impact on many lives.

His extensive record of volunteer service includes Fishing for Life, which helps inner city youth learn to fish; the Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota

Society, the MS Society and Boy Scouts of America. Brian McCarthy has lived with cerebral palsy his entire life. ■

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8

February 10, 2011

RALLY -

Cont. from p. 1

Marco Olivanti traveled from Minnesota’s Iron Range to A group of advocates from Merrick Community Services and PRI attended the rally. attend Disability Day at the Capitol January 25. He is one of Photo by Mike Gude and Jane McClure countless Minnesotans whose life will be dramatically changed if threatened state budget cuts are adopted. lawmakers “must protect those won’t go away, either said Olivanti, now 29, was accidentally shot in the head as a who cannot protect them- Mellentin. “Don’t be strangteenager. “I spent my 18th birthday in the hospital,” he said. ers. Come back again and again selves.”

His road to recovery has taken years and has required much Rep. Jim Abeler, who chairs and again.” support from friends and family. He has benefitted greatly The advocacy day was cothe House Health and Human from physical and vocational rehabilitation. He has regained sponsored

by Advocating Services Finance Committee, his sight and is able to stay physically fit. He has attended Change Together, Brain Intold the crowd he wants budcommunity college and is currently looking for a job. He is a jury Association of Minnesota, get decisions “to fall as far volunteer with the Brain Injury of Minnesota Association. away from you as possible.” People First of Minnesota, But without rehabilitation services, Olivanti and others He warned that with a $6.2 Self-Advocates Minnesota, like him run the risk of losing their gains. billion state deficit, it will be a and The Arc of Minnesota. ■ Olivanti said state lawmakers should think of rehabilitatough session. But even with tion programs as preventative care. “Keeping active has Mike Gude works for The the state’s budget challenges, helped me heal,” he said. Rehabilitation should be thought of Arc of Minnesota. Jane “some of your challenges are as a way to keep people active in their communities and out McClure is assistant editor of never going to go away.”

A sign was left behind after the rally. of nursing homes.

Access Press.

People with disabilities

State Sen. Chuck Wiger (left) and TSE, Inc. staffer Kelly Ligday (center), talk with self- Sen. John Marty addressed the rally crowd before spinning the Wheel of Misfortune. advocate Sean C. about his dreams and goals for finding a job during a meeting at Disability Matters Day at the Capitol.

Be our friend! Join our cause!

Access Press is on facebook Link up with us. Join in on discussions Donate to Minnesota’s disability community newspaper

www.facebook.com Facebook is a free social networking Web site that allows people to connect with friends, share ideas and support issues and causes. Sign up and search for Access Press

February 10, 2011

9

People and places

People in our community Independent living proponent is honored and doesn’t want to use it,” said Nate Gautsch, coach of the Brooklyn Center/Concordia Academy team.

A wrestler since fourth grade, Goodrich found the sport satisfied his competitive nature without putting him at the disadvantage he experienced playing sports like T-ball. “You’re in close and there is almost always contact,” Goodrich said.

“You know where you are pretty much the whole time so your eyes don’t come into play as much.”

Wrestling allowed Goodrich to be just one of the guys. And he strives to keep it that way. Matches involving wrestlers with vision impairPresident Clinton and Ed Roberts, a pioneering leader of the disability rights movement. ments can be paused and rePicture courtesy of The Minnesota Governor’ Council on Developmental Disabilities. started when the wrestlers lose eye contact. Goodrich never reThe late Ed Roberts, who is considered by many to be the quests this provision because he wants “to do the best I can and father of independent living, has been honored by the Minne- not give anyone something to say against me.” sota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. The He has 20/200 vision in his right eye, 20/300 vision in his left. council, in line with its commitment to excellence in Disability When using a monocular on his right eye, Goodrich can read Policy, has created a web presentation about Roberts. The street signs and the numbers on a bus — things that will help presentation can be seen at http://www.mnddc.org/ed-roberts/ him navigate the University of Minnesota campus beginning index.html next fall. Goodrich was accepted into the Carlson School of Roberts was honored in California with Ed Roberts Day on Management.

January 23. A bill has been introduced into Congress to have a national Ed Roberts Day. He was well-known as the first Veteran visits Oprah person with a significant disability to head the then world’s Can Do Canines’ recent graduate, Sergeant Corey Briest and largest vocational rehabilitation program, the California De- his wife, Jenny, were on a special edition of the Oprah Winfrey partment of Rehabilitation. He was honored with a MacArthur Show January 27. The show was titled “The Bravest Families Fellowship for his achievements in changing disability policy in America” with First Lady Michelle Obama, Tom Brokaw and changing the way people with disabilities look at them- and Bob Woodward. selves. He was also one of the founders of the first Independent Briest and his mobility assist dog Baker graduated in NoLiving Center in Berkeley, California which grew to a world- vember 2010. This is the first wide movement of, by and for people with disabilities Can Do Canines’ pairing of a Roberts is remembered by many in Minnesota for his lead- disabled Iraq veteran and one ership. He led the way in the development of the independent of the program’s assistance living philosophy that has changed disability policy and atti- dogs. tudes about living with a disability worldwide. His vision The show was filmed at the opened the American dream to many of the more than 50 Briests’ family home in million Americans living with disabilities.

Yankton, S.D. and then in ChiHe had a longtime involvement with the Minnesota Governor’s cago. About 14 minutes of the Council on Developmental Disabilities. He was a key presenter show focused on the family. at Partners in Policymaking. He helped Partners in Policy- Little if any video of Baker made making expand from Minnesota to an international model it on air because the focus was of teaching people with all kinds of disabilities, families and on military families coping with ultimately communities to advocate for a better quality of life. the wounds of war. Read more about Baker and the Briests at Legally blind wrestler excels www.candocanines.org Ben Goodrich is winding up a successful prep wrestling career despite being legally blind. The Star Tribune featured Ben Goodrich, a Brooklyn Center/Concordia Academy of Roseville co-op team wrestler. Goodrich has built a 23-2 record so far this season on a philosophy of attacking rather than Desktop reacting.

Publishing: “A lot of heavyweights are not expecting you to come out strong,” said Goodrich. “They like to wait, so striking early Advertisements gives me an advantage because I catch them off guard.”

Brochures Born without irises to help his pupils focus and with a Catalogs condition called nystagmus that causes involuntary eye moveFlyers ment, Goodrich sees a world of blurred colors and shapes. He Newsletters/papers competes in football, wrestling and track and field while mainProject Mgmt taining a 3.92 grade-point average at Concordia Academy.

Scanning ...

The Guillotine wrestling magazine lists Goodrich ninth & More! among heavyweights in Class 2A, and he is set on reaching the state tournament.

Ellen Houghton If he gets there, he will have a hard time seeing fans from the 952-404-9981 presentationimages@ Xcel Energy Center competition floor. comcast.net “He has an excuse to not be successful, but he doesn’t use it

New services for deaf patients Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) sees nearly 60 to 80 deaf patients each month, including patients who do not speak English. Having a language barrier as well as hearing loss can make communication challenging in any setting, and explaining health information requires special attention.

HCMC has repurposed “Easy Street,” an interactive area that features simulations of real life situations where patients can practice skills like shopping and getting in and out of cars and buses. With the help of Deaf Community Health Workers Anita Buel and Mary Edwards, Easy Street now houses the Deaf Immigrant Center for Education (DICE), funded by the Hennepin Health Foundation. HCMC patients, the Adult Bilingual Education program in St. Paul, as well as local high schools with deaf-centered curriculums come for education and safety training Hennepin County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level 1 Adult Trauma Center and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota

St. Paul teen is competitor Amber Hougo, 19, of St. Paul, will represent Minnesota in the 2011 Young Soloist Competition, sponsored by VSA: The International Organization on Arts and Disability.

Hougo’s entry, which was selected as Minnesota’s senior division and overall winner, features her as both vocalist and guitarist performing three original compositions. Hougo is now being considered nationally along with applicants from all of the states and U.S. territories. She hopes to be one of four applicants (two national and two international) to be chosen to receive cash prizes and to perform this summer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Rachel Hastings, 18, of Plymouth was chosen as Minnesota’s junior division Young Soloist winner. Hastings submitted three pieces on piano, including Debussy’s Claire de Lune and Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. Both young women were surprised and excited when they learned they had been chosen as division winners. Each will receive a $100 gift card from Schmitt Music.

People - cont. on p. 14

10

February 10, 2011

Pete’s Reflections

For many of us, it’s awful damn dark in the hall

by Pete Feigal

So you want to know what it is like to have full on, straightto-the-bottom, clinical depression. You have a family member or a friend who is suffering and you would like to know what they’re going through to better help and comfort them.

First, you start to lose things including your sense of wellbeing and your regular aches and pains. You have so many new “illnesses” you start to feel like a hypochondriac.

“General malaise” is what the doctors call it and it is real. It’s what most of us first approach a doctor with, and that doctor is not a psychiatrist, but your regular general practitioner.

Your body is starting to react to the changes in the neurotransmitters in your brain,

and that’s why we need to know these symptoms.

You start to lose other things like sleep; I don’t mean you toss and turn a few nights.

Night after night after night you stare at the dark ceiling of your bedroom thinking bleak thoughts and feeling hopeless feelings. Your body, in desperation, starts taking catnaps other times; at school, at work and with loved ones. Sometimes it goes the opposite direction and all you can do is sleep. You sleep all the time and injure your natural circadian sleep patterns, until day and night are switched. You live alone while everyone else gets their sleep. You know how to really torture someone, to drive someone to the point of psychosis? Deprive them of sleep.

And you lose your appetite.

You may just wake up one day and it’s gone. Or it may leave over a couple of weeks. Your favorite food, your chocolate cake/sirloin steak/lobster/ shrimp, all taste like ash and iron in your mouth. Give it a try. Taste iron and ash and that’s what it’s like.

All the essential ingredients that keep a human being alive stop coming in, making you weaker and sicker, more prone and less defended against the neurological mess that’s happening in your brain.

Or your body goes the opposite direction and all you can do is eat. Cookies, peanut butter from the jar, anything you can put in your mouth goes in. There’s a growing feeling of emptiness in your center

and you become desperate to fill that emptiness. This is in addition to the mental illnesses that may come later as bulimia and anorexia nervosa.

You lose any strength in your “batteries,” your inner reserves, your physical and emotional power sources that you may have depended and trusted your whole life. That alone can be horrifying, that sense that “you’re losing your mind,” because in this case, you are.

And can you think of anything more terrifying than that sense of losing yourself. Put the things you fear all together and they pale in regards to feeling that you are losing your mind and there is no hope.

You lose your sense of direction. You’re fumbling

around in this nasty dark room, where everything is set to hit you in the face or kneecaps, and you have no bearings, your life’s “radar system” which usually is pretty good is now totally ineffective. You can’t seem to find a door, not even a window, and it’s getting pretty claustrophobic in there. You can even lose your Higher Power in those pitch-dark places.

You go to extremes, finding different drugs you become addicted to, to try and hold off the pain, to give you respite for even a moment.

And your addictions start to take the place of your life, take up our time, again in desperation when we feel we have NO LIFE. And when you finally

reach bottom and feel so alone and afraid and broken and useless and worthless, we can even become addicted to Pain. To Grief. To Loneliness. To Hopelessness. To Death. We can find no maps in this mapless world to help turn our desperate wanderings back into some kind of a journey.

There IS hope, oh, yes, thank God, there is HOPE from doctors, medications, spirituality and loved ones, but that’s for the next part of the story. So, while the old adage from the movie, ”The Sound of Music”, “For every door he closes, somewhere God opens a window,” may be true, let me tell you, it’s still awful damn dark in the hall. ■

Seven feted for outstanding service to children’s mental health The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH) has given its 2010 Outstanding Service Awards to seven Minnesotans. The Award Recipients are Jessica Croatt Niemi, Steve Moen and Mary Moen, Terrie Rose, Solome Tibebu, and Bob Zajac and special recognition was given to Cynthia Packer.

The award recipients will be honored at MACMH’s Fine Art and Award Celebration event February 11 at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul.

The winners were nominated by the public and selected by the MACMH Board of Directors. MACMH annually recognizes individuals who have shown extraordinary achievement and/or leadership in the field of children’s mental health. The Outstanding Service Award is open to educators, social workers, physicians, juvenile justice professionals, administrators, parents, youth and other public servants.

Jessica Croatt Niemi, MSSW, LICSW, IMH-E® is a skilled and compassionate therapist in infant and early childhood mental health. She uses innovation to develop effective new programs, collaborates for improved service to families and better use of scarce rural resources. Her work has expanded the field of infant and early childhood mental health in her multicounty, rural region. She is based in Bemidji and has effectively worked with local organizations in helping to tailor programs and services which meet the specific needs of the clients served by that organization.

Niemi developed the Family Toybox, a family skills therapy group to deliver services in a manner that is respectful, enjoyable and encourages parents to become partners in helping their children. Her caring, respectful approach breaks down the bar-

riers families might perceive in seeking help. Niemi has also used her skills to mentor, coach and train others. As a part of the early cohort of clinicians trained in early childhood mental health, she has been in the forefront of regional and state collaborations working to raise awareness of the importance of early identification of emotional and behavioral issues.

Niemi was among the early leaders supporting the creation of the Minnesota Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, actively participating in strategic planning and the first advisory board.

Steve Moen, M.D. and Mary Moen, from the Twin Cities. have a 10-year-old son, Max, who has high-functioning autism. Together, the Moens have demonstrated commitment and dedication to create a better life for not only their son but for all children with special needs. The Moen family went

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We have a large number of mobility impaired accessible units.

To check for future waiting list openings please call (612) 726-9341.

to Washington, D.C. this past summer to participate in a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on children’s health that focused on autism research and the environment. At the hearing, Mary Moen testified about her son’s diagnosis and treatment, and the effects of autism on her family. Her mission is to make government officials aware of the importance of research in this area. She is also an active participant on the Fraser Autism Advisory Committee. Together the Moens have demonstrated a willingness to think outside the box, bring and act on new ideas, and are dedicated to Fraser and the special needs community.

Terrie Rose PhD, LP is the founder of Baby’s Space, a child psychologist, and a longtime leader in the field of early childhood development and mental health. Rose developed Baby’s Space, a babycentered model to address the issues of children born into poverty that are at high-risk of toxic stress, abuse, neglect and other factors leading to developmental delays, social and emotional difficulties.

She has dedicated and focused her time to the persistent, generational poverty on the local Little Earth Indian reservation, responding to the cultures, values, and needs of local families by linking quality childcare and education to family services and parent education. Rose is promoting a network of these state of the art childcare centers as well as training policymakers and professionals. For her pioneering work in creating a high-impact early intervention Service - cont. on p. 15

February 10, 2011

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Upcoming events To list an event, email access@accesspress.org Special events Winter Walkabout Vinland Center hosts the Second Annual Winter Walkabout Sat, Feb. 19. A 3k snowshoe course is added to the event.

Skålmusik will perform inside the heated tent. Skålmusik is a Scandinavian ensemble who have performed for the King and Queen of Sweden and appeared on A Prairie Home Companion. Gather pledges, have fun and support Vinland.

Individual need to raise at least $25 and families of three or more $60. FFI: WinterWalk about.org Research dinner National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota (NAMI) and University of Minnesota host the 9th Annual Research Dinner 5:30 p.m. Tue, Feb. 22, at Eagan Community Center, 1501 N. Central Parkway.

The event will feature Judith Warner, journalist and author of “We’ve Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication.” Warner will discuss the difficult journey parents face in trying to make the right decisions in getting help for their children with diagnosis, treatment, medications and support. Other key speakers include four of Minnesota’s leading psychiatric researchers providing the latest information on their studies: Gerald August, Ph.D.; Michael Miller, Ph.D; Kathryn Cullen, M.D., and S. Charles Schulz, M.D. FFI: 651-645-2948 or 1-888NAMI-Helps, www.nami helps.org The Boys Next Door Northwestern College Theatre presents “The Boys Next Door,” 7 p.m. Feb. 16-19 at Marantha Hall on the campus in Roseville. The play in two acts written by Tom Griffin.

Jack, a burned out social worker, supervises the comings and goings of four housemates with disabilities, one of whom is a self-advocate, preparing to appear before the state senate. Jack is there trying to help them live regular lives, but is torn between his love for his “boys” and his desire to move on with his life. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children.

FFI: 651-631-5151, www.nwc. edu/tickets

walk Sat. March 26 at Mall of America, Raise money for outreach programs and increase food allergy awareness in the community. Same-day registration is at 7 a.m., followed by entertainment, walking at 8 a.m. and conclusion by 9 a.m. FFI: www.minnesota foodallergy.org

Workshops, conferences Gain control, flexibility Disabled? Want more control, flexibility and responsibility for your care? A free session about the Consumer Support Grant is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wed, Feb. 16, Hennepin County Library, 620 Rice St. Wayzata, To be eligible for the CSG, you cannot be on a Medical Assistance waiver. Sponsored by Hennepin County’s Human Services and Public Health Department, the session will answer questions such as “How do I receive funding through this grant?” “What types of services may I buy?”

“How do I receive this grant?” and “What is my responsibility?” Preregistration required: FFI: 612-596-6631, www.hen nepin.us/adsinfo 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. Funding for Adaptive Technology classes is provided by a generous grant from the Hudson Family Foundation. FFI: 612-630-6469, www.hclib.org Dyslexia teachers’ workshop Minnesota Learning Resource Center (MLRC) hosts a workshop of teachers, social workers, parents and education professionals. Introduction to Dyslexia Program Teaching workshop at A Chance To Grow Feb. 16-17 in Minneapolis. This highly informative event features Dr. Garth Christenson, a developmental optometrist and vision specialist who has established his own practice, Christenson Vision Care, in Hudson. He has also coauthored a textbook on dyslexia and helped create the Dyslexia Screener. FFI: Nancy Farnham or Amy Deden at 612706-5549, www.themlrc.org/

available to arts organizations in the seven-county metro area to make facilities or programs more accessible to people with disabilities. VSA Minnesota administers this grant opportunity, using funds from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Seventeen groups have received grants; are you next? Deadline: April 29. For more info: 612-3323888 v/tty or www.vsamn.org

Youth and families PACER offers services PACER Center offers useful free and low-cost workshops for families of children with disabilities. Register in advance for workshops. All workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified.

Here is a sampling of upcoming workshops: Understanding and Addressing Challenging Behaviors in Your Young Child, 1-3 p.m.

Thu, Feb. 17 at Diamond Head Education Center, Upper Level Conference Room, 200 W. Burnsville Parkway, Burnsville. Learn about brain development and behavior, stages of development and more.

Tips for Talking to School Staff. 7-9 p.m. Thu, 24, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 500 W. 3rd St., Northfield. Parents will gain easy-to-use, practical tips for communicating with school staff and resolving differences in effective ways.

Housing Eligibility and Funding,” for parents of teenagers and young adults with disabilities, 7-9 p.m. Tue, Feb. 22 at PACER Center. Parents will learn the requirements for housing funding from federal, state and local governments, and more. The workshop will discuss eligibility for housing services and supports. Participants will also receive information on individual, provider and developer requirements for various housing options. It is the second of three workshops that conclude March 16.

FFI: PACER at 952-838-9000 or 800-537-2237 (toll free), or visit the PACER website at www.PACER.org

Support groups, meetings

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, Food allergy walk Opportunities anxiety support groups, and Register now for the AnaphyVet Connection groups for relaxis and Food Allergy AssoBe more accessible turning soldiers. Led by trained ciation of Minnesota (AFAA) More than $220,000 will be facilitators who also have a Volunteer fair Hands On Twin Cities hosts a volunteer fair 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Feb. 19 at Mall of America, Bloomington. Learn about volunteer opportunities at this free fair. FFI: 612-379-4900, www.handsontwincities.org

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. 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, 651-645-2948Trained facilitators who are also in recovery lead NAMI Connection groups. The group meets 6:30 p.m. 2nd and 4th Wed at Centennial Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 W., Roseville. FFI: Will, 651-578-3364, A family support group meets in St. Paul at 6:30 p.m., on the fourth Tues, at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 285 North Dale St. FFI: Hilary, 651-222-4323. Another family support group meets 5:457 p.m. on the second Tues at Bandana Square, Room 216, 1021 Bandana Bvld. E., St. Paul. FFI: Sonja, 651-3572077, www.namihelps.org UCare meetings UCare hosts informational meetings about its UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage plan. Meetings are held all over the region. UCare for Seniors has more than 75,000 members across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. UCare (is an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health care and administrative services to more than 185,000 members. UCare serves Medicare-eligible individuals throughout Minnesota and in western Wisconsin; individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such as MinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance Program;

adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions. And Minnesotans dually eligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare FFI: 1-877-523-1518 (toll free), www.ucare.org

Volunteer, Donate Give away that car Autos for Arc™ can take old vehicles off your hands, give you a tax deduction and say “Thank you!” for helping change the lives of people with disabilities. Autos for Arc accepts cars and trucks of any model and condition and other vehicles including boats (with trailers), RVs, ATVs, golf carts, personal watercraft, motorcycles and snowmobiles.

Revenue from the sale of donated items helps fund Arc Greater Twin Cities’ programs for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Within the seven-county metro area, Autos for Arc can arrange to have a vehicle towed free of charge. Call the tollfree Autos for Arc hotline, 1877-778-7709, to arrange a pickup. Or drop off vehicles at a Value Village location. FFI: 1-877-778-7709, www.autos forarc.org

Volunteer with RSVP 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. RSVP/Volunteers of America of Minnesota and AARP Foundation need volunteers with good budgeting and organizational skills to help manage finances of older or disabled low-income individuals. Have a few hours a month to volunteer? Money Management Program staff will train and match you with someone in the community.

FFI: Money Management Program Coordinator, 612-6177821 Be a reading tutor Encouraging, enthusiastic volunteers needed to help adults learn to read! Spark a love of literature and partner with someone new by tutoring at one of the many convenient locations throughout the metro area. Ongoing training and support is provided by the Minnesota Literacy Council.

FFI: Allison, 651-645-2277 x219 or email volunteer@themlc. org, or visit www.themlc.org

Kent’s Accounting Service, LLC Kent Fordyce 612-889-2959 • fordyce6@aol.com Fax: 952-472-1458 6371 Bartlett Blvd, Mound, MN 55364 Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 & 2005

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February 10, 2011

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 Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 Through Feb. 27 SteppingStone Theatre, 55 Victoria St. N., St. Paul. AD: Fri., Feb. 11, 7 p.m. ASL: Sun., Feb. 13, 3 p.m. Tix: $8 access rate (reg. $14; youth/senior 55+ $10; groups 20+ $7); Phone: 651-2259265; E-mail: info@stepping stonetheatre.org. Web: www. steppingstonetheatre.org.

Babe, the Sheep Pig Through Feb. 27 Children’s Theatre Co., 2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls. ASL & AD: Fri., Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. Tix: Ask about special price rates (reg. $16-40); Phone: 612874-0400; E-mail: tickets @childrenstheatre.org. Web: www.childrenstheatre.org Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Though March 13 Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, 420 E. Main St., Anoka. ASL: Sat., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tix: $10-18 each for ASL patron and companion; Phone: 763422-1838; E-mail: jessica@ lyricarts.org. Reserve by two weeks before show. Web: www.lyricarts.org

Utopia in Four Movements Feb. 12 “Live documentary” by Sam Green & Dave Cerf at Walker Art Center Cinema, 1750 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. AD: Sat., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tix: $15 ($12 member). Phone: 612-3757600. Web: www.calendar.walk er art.org/event.wac?id=5785 Adrift on the Mississippi Feb. 10-27 The History Theatre, in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance at Concordia University at Concordia College, E.M. Pearson Theatre, 312 Hamline Ave., St. Paul. ASL: Sat., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. & Sun., Feb. 20, 2 p.m. AD: Sun., Feb. 20, 2 p.m.

Tix: Reduced to $15 (reg. $32); Phone: 651-292-4323; E-mail: boxofc@historythe atre.com. Web: www.his torytheatre.com The Winter’s Tale Feb. 11-19 University of Minnesota Theatre Arts at Rarig Center, 330 21st Ave. S., Mpls. AD: Sun., Feb. 13, 2 p.m. ASL: Sat., Feb. 19, 8 p.m. Tix: Reduced to $10 (use code ASLAD; reg.

$10-18); Phone: 612-624Shirley Valentine 2345. Web www.theatre.umn.

Through March 20 edu/utheatredance/ Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. AD: Thurs., Doubt Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. Tix: ReFeb. 11 - March 6 duced to $10 (reg. $20-35); Ten Thousand Things Theater Phone: 612-822-7063. Web: at Open Book, 1011 Washing- www.jungletheater.com ton Ave. S., Mpls. AD: Sun., Feb. 13, 4 p.m. Tix: $18 (reg.

The Drowsy Chaperone $25; students on Sun. $15), Feb. 11-20 Phone: 612-203-9502. Web: Fargo-Moorhead Community www.tenthousand things.org Theatre, 333 Fourth St. S., Fargo. AD: Fri., Feb. 11, 7:30 Little Eyes p.m. Tix: Reduced to $8 (reg.

Through Feb. 20 $20, senior/student $14, child Workhaus Collective at Guth- $8); Phone: 701-235-6778. rie Theater’s Dowling Studio, Web: www.fmct.org.

818 2nd St. S., Mpls. ASL & AD: The Curious Savage Thurs., Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. Tix: Feb. 11-20 $20 (reg. $18-30); Phone: 612377-2224, TTY 612-377-6626. Northfield Arts Guild Theatre, Web: www.Guthrietheater.org 411 W. 3rd St., Northfield.

AD, ASL: Fri., Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Tix: $15, $10 student/ Mother Courage & senior; Phone: 507-645-8877.

Her Children Web: www.northfieldarts Through Feb. 20 Bricklayers Theatre & Collec- guild.org tif Masque at The Lab Theater, 700 First St. N., Mpls.

The Adding Machine AD: Fri., Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 18-27 sensory tour 6:30 Tix: $12- Anoka Middle School for the 20. Phone: 800-838-3006. Arts, 1523 Fifth Ave NW, Web: www.brownpapertic Coon Rapids. ASL: Fri., Feb. kets.com/event/129933 or 18, 7:30 p.m. Tix/Phone: 763www.bricklayerstheatre.org 506-3667. Web: www.anoka. k12.mn.us/amsa Snow Bound! A Journey from Autumn to Spring Feb. 17-20 Collaboration of Mad Munchkin Productions, Eclectic Edge Ensemble and local composers at Ritz Theatre, 345 13th Ave. NE, Mpls. ASL: Sat., Feb. 19, 3 p.m.–post-show discussion; AD: Sun., Feb. 20, 3 p.m.–pre-show tactile event; Tix: $15 in advance, $17 at door; Phone: 612-436-1129.

Web: www.ritzdolls.com or https://sites.google.com/site/ madmunchkinproductions/ Leave Feb. 11-26 Urban Samurai Productions at Sabes Jewish Community Center, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Rd., St. Louis Park. ASL: Sat., Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. Tix: $16, student/senior/Fringe button $12; online $2 discount; Monday: pay what you can. Phone: 612396-2025; E-mail: tickets@ urbansamurai.org by noon the day before the show. Web: www.urbansamurai.org.

Drakul Feb. 11-26 Walking Shadow Theatre Co. at Red Eye Theater, 15 W. 14th St., Mpls. AD: Sat., Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. ASL: Fri., Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. Tix: $15-18; Reduced to $5; Phone: 612375-0300; E-mail: boxoffice @walkingshadowcompany.org.

Web: www.walkingshadowc ompany.org

Almost, Maine Feb. 23-26 & March 2-5 Normandale Community College Theatre, Fine Arts Building Black Box, 9700 France Ave. S., Bloomington. ASL: Fri., Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. Tix: $10; ($5 NCC student/staff/ senior); Phone: 952-4877462. Web: www.norman daletheatre.org

5463. Web: www.GreatThe atre.org

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown Feb. 18 - March 6 Cross Community Players at Crosswinds United Methodist Church, 15051 Weaver Lake Road, Maple Grove. ASL: Fri., March 4, 7:30 p.m. Tix: Reduced to $4.00-6.50 (reg. $8The Winter’s Tale 13); Phone: 763-391-2787; EThrough March 27 mail: mail@crossplayers.org; Guthrie Theater, 818 2nd St. Web: www.crossplayers.org S., Mpls. AD: Fri., Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 26, 1 p.m.; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Sensory Tour 10:30 a.m. ASL: Feb. 10 - March 6 Fri., March 4, 7:30 p.m.; Penumbra Theatre at Guthrie Thurs., March 10, 7:30 p.m. Theater, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls.

Open Captioning: Fri., March AD, ASL, Captioning: Sat., 11, 7:30 p.m. Tix: Reduced to March 5, 1 p.m.; Sensory Tour $20 (reg. $24-64); Phone: 10:30 a.m. Tix: Reduced to 612-377-2224, TTY 612-377- $20 (reg. $24-60); Phone: 6126626. Web: www.guthriet 377-2224, TTY 612-377-6626. heater.org Web: www.guthrietheater.org or www.penumbratheatre.org.

Bill W. & Dr. Bob Through March 6 Monthly Interpreted Illusion Theater, 528 HenneGallery Tour pin Ave (8th Floor), Mpls. AD: Walker Art Center, 725 Fri., Feb. 25, 8 p.m. ASL: Vineland Place, Mpls. Gather TBA. Tix: $18-30; Phone: in the Bazinet Garden Lobby 612-339-4944. Assisted listen- for a one-hour tour the first ing devices available. Web: Sat. of each month. DeafBlind www.illusion theater.org ASL can be arranged with two weeks’ advance notice. ASL: Picnic Sat., March 5, 2 p.m. Tix: free, Feb. 24 - March 6 Phone: 612-375-7564; E-mail: Tin Roof Theatre Co. at Fargo- access@walkerart.org; Web: Moorhead Community The- http://info.walkerart.org/visit/ atre, 333 Fourth St. S., Fargo. directions.wac#Directions.

AD: Fri, March 4, 7:30 p.m.; pre-show description at 7:10 Titian & the Golden Age of p.m. Tix: Reduced to $8 (reg.

Venetian Painting $15, student/senior $10); Feb. 6 - May 1 Phone: Tin Roof: 701-205- Mpls. Institute of Arts, 2400 5788, or FMCT: 701-235- Third Ave. S., Target Gallery.

6778. Web: www.tinroofthe ASL: Sun., March 6, 1 p.m. atre.org or www.fmct.org Tix: special exhibition admission charged; Phone: 612Mean 870-3131 or TTY 612-870Feb. 10-27 3132; E-mail: dhegstro@ Youth Performance Co. at artsmia.org; Web: www.arts Howard Conn Fine Arts Cen- mia.org ter, 1900 Nicollet Ave., Mpls.

AD, ASL: Sun., Feb. 27, 2 Ring Round the Moon p.m. Tix: Reduced to halfFeb. 11 - March 6 price (reg. $12, student or se- Theatre in the Round, 245 nior $10); Phone: 612-623- Cedar Ave., Mpls. AD: Sun., 9080. Web: www.youthper March 6, 2 p.m. Tactile tour 1 formanceco.com p.m. on request. Tix: $20, senior $18, student with ID $10 Agnes Under the Big Top, (Sun. prices); Phone: 612-333a tall tale 3010. Web: www.theatreinthe Feb. 18 - March 6 round.org Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4 th St, Mpls. AD, ASL, La Traviata Captioning: Thurs., March 3, March 5-6, 8-13 7:30 p.m. Tix: Reduced to $12 Sung in Italian with English access rate (reg. $22, $19 stu- captions projected above the dent/senior, $16-18 group); stage. Minnesota Opera at Phone: 612-338-6131. Web: Ordway Center for Performwww.mixedblood.com ing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. AD: Sun., March 6, 2 Oliver! p.m.; pre-opera discussion at Feb. 25 - March 6 1 p.m. Tix: Reduced to halfGREAT Theatre at Paramount price for AD patrons (reg. $20Theatre, 913 W. St. Germain, 200); Phone: 612-333-6669; St. Cloud. ASL: Fri., March 4, TTY 651-282-3099. Web: 7:30 p.m. Tix: $22, senior/ www.mnopera.org ■ student $18; Phone: 320-259-

February 10, 2011

Radio Talking Book • Feb. 2011 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. Phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mon. through Fri. The catalog is also online, and can be accessed by going to the main website, http://education.state.mn.us, and then clicking on the link. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.

Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the staff at the Radio for your password to the site.

See more information about RTB events on the Facebook site for the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network. Register for Facebook at www.facebook.com. Access Press is one of the publications featured on It Makes a Difference at 9 p.m. Sundays.

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

Made for Goodness, Nonfiction by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu, 2010. Archbishop Tutu has witnessed some of the world’s most sinister moments and chosen to be an ambassador of reconciliation. Read by June Prange. Six broadcasts. Begins Feb. 22.

Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m.

The State of Jones, Nonfiction by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer, 2009. From 1863 to 1865, residents of Jones County, Mississippi, engaged in an insurrection against the Confederacy. Read by Barbara Struyk. 13 broadcasts.

Begins Feb. 23.

Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fiction by Helen Simonson, 2010. Major Pettigrew is the quintessential Englishman in Edgecombe St. Mary.

But he has fallen in love with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper who the locals regard as a permanent foreigner. Read by Anne Obst.

13 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 14.

The Writer’s Voice • Monday – Friday 2 p.m.

A Mountain of Crumbs, Nonfiction by Elena Gorokhova, 2010. Elena was born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders and found passion in the English language. But in 1960s Soviet Union, that was verging on subversive. Read by Jodi Furness. 13 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 14.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

Model Home, Fiction by Eric Puchner, 2010.

Warren Ziller moved his family to California in search of a charmed life. But unknown to all, he has also squandered the family’s money on a failing real estate venture. When tragedy strikes, the family needs to move into a house

in his abandoned development. L - Read by John Beal. 15 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 14.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Bomb Power, Nonfiction by Garry Wills, 2010.

The atomic bomb transformed our nation down to its deepest constitutional roots in ways still felt today. It dramatically increased the power of the modern presidency and redefined the government as a National Security State. Read by Wally Vavrosky. Nine broadcasts. Begins Feb. 22.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

The Executor, Fiction by Jesse Kellerman, 2010. Joseph Geist sees an ad seeking a conversationalist. His new elderly employer and her house seem ideal and he would do anything to stay there forever. V,L - Read by Dan Sadoff. 11 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 21.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Happy, Nonfiction by Alex Lemon, 2009. Alex was a fun-loving, hard-partying kid who everyone called Happy. Then he had his first stroke.

That was followed by alcohol and drug abuse and more brain bleeds. It was his mother who nursed him back to health after brain surgery.

L - Read by Jeff Weihe. Seven broadcasts.

Begins Feb. 14.

The Ninth, Nonfiction by Harvey Sachs, 2010.

The Ninth Symphony was Beethoven’s mightiest attempt to help humanity find its way from darkness to light. Yet the work was born in a repressive era, with the premiere of this hymn to universal brotherhood taking place in Vienna, the capital of a nation being turned into a police state. Read by Ilze Mueller. Nine broadcasts.

Begins Feb. 23.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight A Reliable Wife, Fiction by Robert Goolrick, 2010. Wealthy Ralph Truitt was looking for a wife to live with him in his Wisconsin mansion, so he placed an ad in a Chicago newspaper.

Catherine Land answered the ad knowing that she intended to kill her future husband leaving herself a wealthy widow. But she didn’t know that the future husband had a plan of his own. L - Read

by Bob Malos. 11 broadcasts. Begins Feb. 21.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

In the Heart of the Canyon, Fiction by Elisabeth Hyde, 2009. A group of mismatched tourists and adventurers spends thirteen days rafting down the Grand Canyon. Guiding them is J.T. Maroney, who loves the river and who thinks he has seen everything. But on the first night, a stray dog upsets the tentative equilibrium of the makeshift family. Sometimes the most daunting adventures on a river trip have nothing to do with white-water rapids. L - Read by Carolyn Light Bell. Nine broadcasts. Begins Feb. 18. ■ Abbreviations: V–violence, L–offensive language, S–sexual situations.

Across the Airwaves Access for All is a radio program that focuses on topics and issues that Minnesotans with disabilities face. The program takes a non-biased approach to discussing the true barriers for all citizens to be a full part of society. Access for All is a weekly radio program hosted by Mike Chevrette airing Sundays at 2-3 p.m. on KTNF AM 930 , www.am950 ktnf.com/listen and www.accessminnesota.org Disabled and Proud is the radio show that brings you insights into, ideas about and discussions of disability culture. Disabled and Proud is a weekly radio show hosted by Sam Jasmine and airs 6:30-7 p.m. Thursdays. KFAI is a non-commercial FM radio station operating on 90.3 MHz in Minneapolis and 106.7 MHz in St Paul.

KFAI exists to broadcast information, arts and entertainment programming for an audience of diverse racial, social and economic backgrounds. By providing a voice for people ignored or misrepresented by mainstream me-

dia, KFAI increases understanding between peoples and communities, while fostering the values of democracy and social justice.

Disability Viewpoints is a cable television program that spotlights disability issues, organizations and community members. It is hosted

by Mark Hughes and includes Living Forward segments hosted by Sheri Melander-Smith. The program airs on CTV Channel 15 7:30 p.m.

Mondays, 3:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Tuesdays and 1 a.m., and 9 a.m. Wednesdays.

Disability Viewpoints is also airing this winter on TPT’S Minnesota Channel. On the air the channel is 2.2; check your cable provider for the channel setting.

CTV is a non-profit organization operated by the North Suburban Access Corporation.

The ten commission members represent the cities of Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, St. Anthony and Shoreview. ■

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sions with HMO leaders about ideas for saving money on our health care and long-term support programs – ideas on which the disability community is working diligently,” said Larson. “We have no illusions about the size of the deficit that Minnesota currently faces.

But our ideas for changing disability services could achieve cost savings without undermining the services that help make [community] life possible for people with disabilities and their families, and which Minnesota has worked so hard to establish.”

Changing to more managed care would save the state about $300 million, according to the

report. CCD’s argument is that that Minnesota hasn’t yet perfected the technique of matching provider payments with needs of complex individuals.

One example is that of the financial collapse of Minnesota Disability Healthcare Option or MnDHO, a managed care program for Minnesotans with disabilities.

Bachman cites the end of MnDHO as a lesson. “Persons with disabilities currently have a choice to enrolled in managed care or be on fee for service Medicaid,” he said.

“Many choose to enroll in managed care to have the care coordination that AXIS Healthcare provides. However

GET INVOLVED hold a Mental Health Rally and Day at the Capitol at noon, Tuesday, March 8, at noon in the capitol rotunda. Speakers include legislators, advocates, families and persons living with a mental illness. Issues include ensuring access to community mental health services, housing, crisis services and medical care, and preventing further budget cuts to these and other critically important mental health services for children and adults. Anyone interested in improving the mental

with the closure of the MnDHO program, people have experienced a disintegration of the integrated experience they had under MnDHO. If health plans propose to expand their services to all persons with disabilities through mandatory enrollment, they and DHS must ask themselves why MnDHO went away and what were the lessons learned? Otherwise, history will repeat itself.”

“The key is consumer choice and self direction,” Bachmann added. “Consumer-directed services can be efficient and effective if properly managed, regardless of the payment mechanism. To force every-

one into a one size fits all program is counter to the principles of self-determination.”

Another proposal in the report would reduce spending on a specific disability program called “waivered services” by five percent—despite the fact that there is no evidence to support the report’s claim that reducing up-front costs in these programs will save costs in the long-term. An additional proposal to cut dental and rehabilitation therapy benefits for Minnesotans with disabilities left disability advocates baffled, saying it won’t create long-term savings. ■

Give them a call Metro Center for Independent Living has set up a PCA “You Need to Hear Me” callin 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 651-603-2009 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.

Cont. from p. 3

health system is encouraged to attend, and free buses are being provided from southern and northern Minnesota. A legislative briefing session, also open to everyone, will be held prior to the rally, at 10a.m., at Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Ave. W. (across the street from the capitol). FFI: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota at 651-6452948, 1-888-NAMI-Helps or go to www.namihelps.org.

PCA survey Courage Center is conducting a research study examining the effects of recent changes to the PCA program in an effort to inform future policy decisions pertinent to Personal Care Assistance. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effects of loss or reductions in PCA hours or services. Adults are eligible to complete the survey about themselves or any person they know who has been receiving PCA services in Minnesota under Medicare or County Waiver. The study questionnaire will take approximately 5 minutes of your time. This survey may be completed online or printed and mailed. FFI: Leslie Nordgren 763-520-0440, leslie.nord gren@couragecenter.org ■

Cont. from p. 9

The VSA International Young Soloists Award annually recognizes outstanding young musicians with disabilities. The Award supports and encourages them in their pursuit of a career. Minnesota has been the home of two past national winners: Aria Stiles in 2010 and Stephanie Dawn Stomberg in 1995. Stiles, currently a junior at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, performed on violin at the Kennedy Center in June 2010 as part of the VSA International Festival. Stomberg still performs as a vocalist and currently resides in Texas with her family.

Doug Schmitt and Schmitt Music in Brooklyn Park have sponsored the state’s Young Soloist Competition for the past three years. This year’s judges for the state competition were Dr. Michael Silverman and Todd Schwartzberg of the Music Therapy Department staff at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music.

Pro Bono Publico awards The Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA) annually recognizes three attorneys who have made a significant contribution through pro bono service. The awards are presented in recognition of the time, knowledge, and devotion given utilizing legal skills for the good of the community.

The 2011 recipients will be Rick Macpherson honored at the 31st annual Bar Benefit on March 8.

Three distinct award categories honor the dedication of volunteer services. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual for career-long volunteer work on behalf of the community and the two Excellence Awards recognize current or recent excellence in service by individuals–one from the private sector and one from the public/judicial sector.

Macpherson received the Public/Judicial Sector Pro Bono Excellence Award. Macpherson has been a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis and has championed the rights of people with disabilities since 1994, earning a national reputation. As a result of his advocacy, deaf people now have improved access to medical care in our state. In addition to his advocacy, Macpherson has trained hundreds of attorneys and mediators on disability discrimination law, and trained new state court judges on communication access in the courts.

Macpherson has not only made a significant difference in lives of individuals, but has also helped to reshape the systems of justice in Minnesota.

Tinkham, recipient of The Distinguished Service Award, is of counsel at Dorsey and Whitney, where he formerly served as chair of the commercial litigation practice group. Tinkham led efforts to improve access to the judicial system by low-income people and to increase pro bono service in the profession.

Moheban will be recognized with the Private Sector Pro Bono Excellence Award. Moheban, a shareholder with Leonard Street and Deinard, co-chaired the firm’s Pro Bono Committee from 1995 until 2007. ■

STORY -

Cont. from p. 5

people with disabilities. Many companies in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota do actually put these policies into action. However, there are still many companies, (for profit companies and non-profit companies) for which those policies, mission and vision statements are merely words.

When I was let go, I was the only staffer with a significant disability. Surely one doesn’t miss the irony that this is a company with a primary mission to “assist people with disabilities reach their personal goals and potential.” I was let go because I was no longer “the right fit” for the position.

I applied, but was not considered for a different position, (case manager) within the company, for which I was qualified—and in fact had held at one time. At the time, I was told it was because they were “moving in a different direction.” And in this context, I’m still not sure what that means.

The direction we in the disability community need to continue to move, with respect to employment, or lack thereof, is in making it clear to employers of the significant contributions we make, economically and socially to our communities, our state and our nation.

The ADA is more than just words. That reasonable accommodation requires only that: reasonable accommodation.

Like many others, I’m actively pursuing employment. I look forward to my next opportunity to do meaningful work, to use my many skills, to support my modest life-style and to contribute to a greater good.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. ■

February 10, 2011

15

REGIONAL NEWS-Cont. from p. 6 and he was happy to get it back.

Rogers passed away from what was believed to be a stroke.

Donations for the family can go to their church. Please send to Rogers Family, c/o St. Bridget’s Outreach Fund, 3811 Emerson Av. N., Minneapolis, MN, 55412.

[Source: Star Tribune]

Mother charged with neglect A St. Paul woman has been charged with a gross misdemeanor neglect of a vulnerable adult, after ignoring her disabled son’s medical needs. Christine Ruth Nelson, 61, had resisted medical professionals’ recommendations that her son be hospitalized for treatment. Her son had severely burned his foot.

Nelson’s son, who is not publicly identified, is 35 years old.

He is autistic and has developmental delays. He can’t speak but can communicate a little by pointing to letters and making some sounds. His parents were his conservators, and therefore had the legal right to make his medical decisions.

The son stepped on something July 2 while walking barefoot

SERVICE-

“Unfortunately in Minnesota, neglect of a vulnerable adult is just a gross misdemeanor. It’s something we’re working on for this legislative session.” The City Attorney’s office is also looking into why the apparent neglect was not reported by medical professionals until November 2010. Nelson is to appear in court Feb. 17.

[Source: Star Tribune] ■

Cont. from p. 10

and providing at-risk babies and toddlers a strong start, she is one of 21 American social entrepreneurs to be selected in 2008 as an Ashoka Fellow.

Formerly the Associate Director of Training for Infant and Toddler Development at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, Rose has co-authored numerous articles on the impact of maltreatment and poverty on early childhood development, and has trained thousands of early childhood professionals and physicians in the diagnosis of mental illness in young children. She is from the Twin Cities.

Solome Tibebu, from the Twin Cities is the 21-year-old founder of Anxiety In Teens.

She has been a courageous advocate for youth with anxiety disorders. Beginning in the seventh grade, Tibebu was diagnosed with severe panic disorder and then later with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

She was frustrated with the

ARTISTS -

outside with his mother but his mother didn’t take him to a doctor until July 29. Nelson refused to have her son hospitalized and instead took him to medical clinics and emergency rooms five times between August 5 and October 11. Each time, the wound got worse. A home health care nurse visited the Nelson home nine times between Aug. 21 and Sept. 16. The nurse also told Nelson her son should be in the hospital.

The wound was found to be gangrenous during an emergency room trip October 26. Nelson’s son was found to be malnourished, dehydrated and moaning in apparent distress. He underwent emergency surgery and had his right leg amputated to the knee. After weeks in the hospital, he was transferred to an adult care facility. He has a new guardian.

Court documents said Nelson refused treatment for her son, saying he “doesn’t like the hospital.” Last fall, more than three months after the initial injury, doctors were forced to amputate Nelson’s son’s leg.

“This is a case where the charges are unbelievably serious,” said St. Paul City Attorney Sara Grewing told the Star Tribune.

lack of online resources available to anxious young people and decided to create a website for youth struggling with anxiety, equipped with advice, inspiration and community: www.AnxietyInTeens.com.

She has spoken to students and parent groups alike and currently manages 10 college interns in the AT Minneapolis office. She has organized and directed campus events, such as the University of St. Thomas Stress Relief/Anxiety Awareness Event. Most recently Tibebu is a finalist and scholarship recipient at the Ron Fowler Business Concept Challenge for a mental health application she is currently developing. Tibebu is being given the Outstanding Service Youth Award..

Bob Zajac, MD is a pediatrician who spearheaded the formation of Project Harmony—Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Clinic at Glencoe Regional Health Services. The clinic

provided a thorough assessment of children who may have been exposed prenatally to alcohol. Without his commitment to serving children and families in rural Minnesota, the clinic would not have existed. Zajac has also served as the participating pediatrician at the MCSHN clinic in Willmar. This clinic provided a thorough evaluation of children who have multiple issues or needs. Zajac currently serves on the local child protection team and sits on a number of committees at Glencoe Regional Health Services. He is seen as an effective collaborator working with other professionals and organizations that serve children. Zajac has strong rapport with children and families as they look to him for support and guidance, as do the many professionals he works with. He is a physician who knows and understands the importance of community resources. Familiar with his community options,

Cont. from p. 7

natural. On closer inspection you will see just how extraordinary they are. The more I drew different birds, the more birds I have become compelled to draw. Being trapped in a wheelchair for so long led me to see my birds as a metaphor in life. As a disabled artist my body may be clumsy on land, but in my mind I fly in creative skies,” said Kirton.

Lisa Dietz’s artwork that is primarily created from recycled materials. Her recycled, re-purposed usage has become an integral part of her passion.

After seeing a PBS program about Mark Rothko, the Golden Valley resident gained a sense of purpose about her work. She studied Expressionists and Abstract Expressionist movements. What she internalized was the desire to elicit emotional response from viewers. Now she intentionally distorts the realistic aspects of her work because she doesn’t want viewers to get caught up in what a particular image “looks like.” She has been in many exhibits. “I am a disabled artist and my art rose from my disability . . . I would like to use my artistic abilities to reflect my enthusiasm for

helping people with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) using DBT (Dialectic Behavior Therapy),” said Dietz.

Barbara Harman, Minneapolis, is a visual artist. Twenty years ago she and her sister revisited childhood memories.

Harman was astonished by how seldom they recalled the same events or, even when they did, how difficult it was to agree on most, if not all details. Since then, viewpoint has

emerged as an underlying theme in Harman’s artwork.

Journaling, poetry, site notes from the environments she visits, and readings support and illuminate her thinking and discovery. Work in a series can include paintings, prints, artist books, printed and stitched fabric, and poetry or other original writing. She has exhibited works since the early 1990s.

“My life has often traveled

Zajac often refers patients/ families to children’s mental health workers at the county level, psychologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and school social workers, to name a few. Zajac has spent many of his evenings presenting educational workshops on ADHD, ASD, sleep disorders, asthma, and others, to parents, professionals, and other community members.

Cynthia Packer MS, received the Outstanding Service Award from MACMH in 2004. In 2010 she was nominated again. It is clear by her nomination that Packer’s service to children’s mental health has continued to grow and inspire others. The MACMH Board of Directors unanimously felt that Packer deserved special recognition for her continued dedication and exceptional work.

The MACMH website has more information about the winners. Read about them at www.macmh.org ■

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Mail to: Access Press, 1821 University Ave. #104S, St. Paul, MN 55104 FAX 651-644-2136 • Email: access@accesspress.org Attorney: Lead Attorney: SMRLS SE Region Family Law. Spanish or Somali language skills pref’d.

Salary DOE. Resumes to: Brian N. Lipford, SMRLS, 903 W. Center St., #130, Rochester, MN 55902. EO/AAE

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Computer exp. req’d. Salary EOE, AAE, M/F/D/V DOE. Resumes to: Maria Luisa Giese, SMRLS, 450 on a current of loss in which Syndicate Street, #285, St. only the passing landscape Paul, MN 55104. EO/AAE offers permanence and serenity. My artwork forges a relationship between that empirical landscape and my emotional landscape. In the search Reach 11,000 Active, Interested Readers with for ways to express their conAccess Press Classifieds. $13 up to 12 words, 60¢/word nection, I have developed a thereafter. Must be prepaid. Mail with check to: symbolic language of objects Access Press, 1821 University Ave W, #104S, —trees, houses, birds, water, St. Paul, MN 55104 • 651-644-2133 leaves—that repeat, overlap, and relate,” said Harman. ■ FOR RENT

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February 10, 2011

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