June 2012 Edition - Access Press

She scores! Page 3

Volume 23, Number 6

www.accesspress.org

Greyhound settles complaint

Margot Imdieke Cross is the first, very deserving Charlie Smith award winner. Margot and Charlie shared very similar styles in lobbying for disability rights. Send us your nomination, soon, for the 2012 Charlie Smith award.

Read more about the awards on page 9.

by Jane McClure

Greyhound Lines, Inc. will make changes in the ways it trains employees to work with passengers with disabilities in Minnesota. The agreement for improved training is in response to a Minnesota Department of Human Rights complaint filed in November 2010.

Resolution of the complaint was announced May 22 at the Minnesota Disability Law Center. It typically takes a year for a human rights complaint to make its way to resolution.

On Nov. 2, 2010, Shoreview resident Mark Hughes filed a charge of discrimination with the MDHR alleging that Greyhound failed to accommodate his disability and provide him with equal access to its services in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. On Dec. 6, 2011, after conducting its investigation, human rights staff determined that there was probable cause to believe that Greyhound engaged in violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Hughes and Greyhound, the nation’s largest bus firm, based in Dallas, have agreed to settle this matter without Greyhound - p. 18

The 2012 session

What we gained, what remains Editor’s note: Access Press asked several disability community leaders to comment on the 2012 session of the Minnesota Legislature.

On many fronts, Minnesotans with disabilities and their families made gains, especially in light of the numerous cuts and changes made during the 2011 special session. But much work is ahead to preserve those gains and make some actions permanent. What We Gained, What Remains is a look back and a look forward.

June 10, 2012 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities. MN Permit No. 4766 Address Service Requested

“I was slightly brain damaged at birth, and I want people like me to see that they shouldn't let a disability get in the way. I want to raise awareness - I want to turn my disability into ability.”

— Susan Boyle

NEWS DIGEST

by Bruce Nelson

The Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota (ARRM) came into the 2012 legislative session with a long list of things to undo from last summer’s special session, a counter proposal to the Minnesota Department St. Paul resident Lori was among those at the state of Human Services’ (DHS) new payment meth- capitol this session.

Photo by Jane McClure odology legislation and a package of reforms. · Delaying forced bed delicensing in corporate In the end our gains mitigated a lot of the foster care in the Community Alternatives for special session damage and helped define what Disabled Individuals (CADI) and Brain Injury remains in the fast-changing disability service (BI) waivers. ARRM’s Blueprint for Reform system. provisions will help voluntarily close beds The issues successfully changed from spealong with a needs determination process to cial session included: identify adult foster care bed capacity.

• Delaying the 1.67 percent reduction that is · Reducing the 10 percent lower need congrecontingent on Center for Medicare and Medgate care reduction to five percent, contingent icaid (CMS) approval of Minnesota’s nursing on CMS’s approving nursing home level of home level of care waiver request. The cut— care request. if needed—was shifted into the next biennium by delaying the final year-end payments • Delaying the personal care attendant (PCA) relative care reduction to the next biennium. into the next biennium.

Gains . . . remains - p. 4

Willmar resident overcomes injury, wins award Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, a leader in statewide workforce development, presented its Participant of the Year award to a longtime Willmar resident. Kevin Haakenson accepted the prestigious award at Goodwill/Easter Seals’ 2012 Power of Work event May 17 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. The award recognizes exceptional effort and accomplishment by a Goodwill/ Easter Seals participant.

Haakenson joined two other Participants of the Year, Rafiq Muyahim and Shelly Smetana, in receiving the award.

“Kevin represents the dedication and perseverance we try to instill in each of the thousands of people we serve every year,” said Dr. Michael Wirth-Davis, D.P.A., President and CEO of Goodwill/Easter Seals. “We’re thrilled to give him this award, and we know he will inspire many others to succeed as he has.”

In the past, Haakenson struggled with maintaining steady employment because of the effects of a traumatic brain injury he suffered several years ago. He was injured in a motor vehicle accident, when a loose tool box flew and struck his head. Haakenson enrolled in Goodwill/Easter Seals’ Supported Employment Program, which assists people with barriers—such as a physical or mental disability or lack of education—in finding and obtaining good jobs. With help from Goodwill/Easter Seals, Haakenson found a job as a lot attendant at Willmar Home Depot, where he’s worked for almost two years.

In a video interview, Haakenson expressed appreciation for the training he received and for his job. He spoke of how holding a job has helped his sense of self-worth and how he takes pride in his Kevin Haakenson spoke at the Goodwill/Easter Seals Power of Work work. And while his injury has created challenges, “I think I have really grown because of it.” event.

Photo courtesy of Goodwill/Easter Seals Participants of the Year - p. 17

Self-advocate Roberta Blomster is one of the Arc Changemaker Award winners.

Page 9

VSA Minnesota must make cuts in response to a loss of funding at the national level.

Page 3

ApplyMN has been launched by the state.

Page 6

Bus riders, she wants to hear from you.

Page 12

Weigh in on personal care attendant (PCA) services.

Page 7

INSIDE Accessible Fun, pg 15 Events, pg 13 People & Places, pg 12 Radio Talking Book, pg 14 Regional News, pg 6

Pg 2 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

EDITOR’S DESK

Tim Benjamin On Wednesday, June 27, a public forum on disability disclosure in employment will be held at the Ramsey County Library in Roseville. It will give us an opportunity to get a better understanding of the laws concerning employment disclosure—what we as people with disabilities should disclose and what we should not. There’s a two-sided challenge: we don’t have to explain our disability to a potential employer, but we often do have to ask for accommodations. For the disability community as a whole, as well, non-disclosure presents a double-edged sword. If we don’t disclose our disabilities, society will never know how many people with disabilities are really working and we can’t know when we’ve reached the goals that have been set for employment. That holds true for job promotions and pay, too; are people with disabilities getting the same opportunities and pay as our peers?

We know, for instance, that women have the same rights as men to work at any job and to receive equal pay, and progress on those rights is trackable because sex is a known demographic characteristic. Check out this forum to find out what we need to disclose to ensure a protected work life and to make better employment opportunities for our brothers and sisters, holding our government to its commitments.

I hope we are not getting into a trend, but it’s worrying to see some long-time nonprofit organizations failing because of lack of funding. One survival response

has been merger, although it is not always a viable answer. It’s very hard for any organization to give up its autonomy in blending into a larger group. The risk is that an organization will lose its passion and drive in becoming just another program of a larger entity. As an example of another kind of merger, Goodwill/ EasterSeals and the Work Incentive Connection have joined together, and so far it looks as though this union will be successful and everyone will benefit.

Last month I told you about United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) and it’s worth bringing it to your attention again. It would be hard to imagine a disability rights movement without UCP; the camaraderie and support networks among parents of children with cerebral palsy led to many of the laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. UCP, since 1949, has been known as one of the largest and most effective nonprofit health organizations in the U.S. It’s one of the biggest fundraisers and has been one of the mainstays of the disability community from the beginning of the disability rights and self-advocacy movements. UCP was the first organization to push for the right for people with disabilities to vote and had considerable impact on getting the ADA passed. Yet our Minnesota affiliate could not keep its funding alive, and will have to close its doors on June 30 unless supporters can reverse the board’s decision to dissolve. You can contact them with your support at 651-646-7588 or phonedirector@ucpmn.org Now this month we are aware of funding problems at VSA Minnesota, the arts organization. VSA started out in 1974 as the National Committee—Arts for the Handicapped, then changed its name to Very Special Arts. In 2010, the organization just went with the acronym VSA. The organization was founded by Jean

Kennedy Smith, one of President John Kennedy’s sisters, and it receives support from the Kennedy Center’s Accessibility Office. There are 52 VSA arts affiliates around the world. They provide what the founders believed every child and adult with disabilities deserves: a high quality learning experience in the arts, complete access, and the fundamental right to the opportunity to develop their skills. Christina Pilli of Bryn Mawr College writes about the effects of art on the brains of underprivileged children. Her research has proven that children clearly benefit, and that they can advance their development of cognitive, social and motor abilities through creative activities like dancing or movement, drawing and music. Knowing this, we all can recognize the real travesty of losing this kind of programming for people with disabilities.

Former Secretary of State George Schultz said, “The minute you start talking about what you’re going to do if you lose, you have lost.” So we have to be optimistic and start considering how we can support this organization and the next, otherwise we have lost.

Call 651-332-3888 or write info@vsamn.org Those of you who have had to deal with some major or minor surgery will know how little I’m looking forward to a “simple laparoscopic procedure” to remove my gallbladder later this month. I’ve been wondering lately why we have body organs that we don’t need, like the appendix, gallbladder, tonsils, an extra kidney, an extra lung—and then we have only one of others that we absolutely have to have, like the heart and liver.

Why the backups on some organs, no backup on others, and some we just don’t need? But of course our maker did a pretty good job, all in all, in designing our bodies.

I’d have liked some better protection around the spinal cord and I’ve got friends who’d like to have a spare heart and frontal cortex, but we just don’t get answers for some of our questions. Like how come it so often rains on Saturday and so seldom on Monday? ■

HISTORY NOTE

Dr. Mattocks: an early advocate for Minnesota children

by Luther Granquist

There is a contemporary flavor to newspaper reports of the debate in the 1879 Minnesota Legislature about what to do about “idiot,” “imbecile,” or “feebleminded” children at the Hospital for the Insane in St.

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Peter. During the 1870s, about 50 children with those labels were committed there. The hospital administration and staff did not want them there, but acquiesced in admitting them because there was no help for them and their families even in the larger cities. The State Board of Health, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners and the Superintendent of the Academy for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind in Faribault urged the legislature to establish a school for them, but without success. In the meantime, some of these children died. A few went home to their families. About 20 remained in 1879, when three senators introduced somewhat differing bills to establish a new school for them attached to the Academy in Faribault.

Sen. Andrew McCrea of Perham, the chair of the insane asylum committee, summarized his bill for the members. He then called for expert testimony from Dr. Brewer Mattocks, a St. Paul physician who had served as an examining physician in commit-

ment cases since 1867. Mattocks had also been the St. Paul and the Ramsey County physician.

Both the Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Tribune reported that Mattocks had given a great deal of attention to the question of moving these children out of the Hospital for the Insane. Mattocks told the Senate that most of the children could be educated and gave examples from his personal experience with several of them. It was, he said, utterly incongruous and cruel for these children to be confined with adults at the hospital. He urged the state to take charge of them and bring them up to a proper standard of culture.

Dr. Charles Adams, a senator from Hastings, continued the expert testimony by explaining the character of mental diseases. He then argued for moving these children away from the adults at the Hospital for the Insane and experimenting with separate education for them at the academy.

Sen. Joseph Thacher of Zumbrota sought a broader provision. He contended that all the imbecile patients at the hospital should be taken care of, not just the children.

The debate showed a variety of opinions about the children, their levels of ability and how they should be treated. Sen. James Wheat of Lenora in Fillmore County, who was on the Senate Deaf and Dumb Committee, responded from the standpoint of the children at the academy in Faribault. He said bringing the children from the hospital into the academy would introduce “an element of evil.” Orin Page, a senator from Pleasant Grove in Olmsted History - p. 18

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

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VSA Minnesota faces national funding cutbacks

by Jane McClure

VSA Minnesota, which has served Minnesotans with disabilities since 1986, is making difficult cuts.

Elimination of its newsletter, arts access awards and hands-on community arts activities are a response to a loss of funding from the national VSA organization.

This spring, VSA Minnesota’s key funder, the national VSA organization in Washington, D.C., told state affiliates that they will no longer receive money from the national organization. This has a major impact on VSA Minnesota and the 30-plus national affiliates. In 2011, VSA Minnesota received $80,000 for programming from the national VSA organization.

Support for 2012 was reduced to $36,000. For the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2012, there will be no funding at all from national headquarters.

The cut is a huge blow to a three-person organization.

VSA Minnesota Executive Director Craig Dunn noted that in the past 18 months, about half a dozen other state affiliates have shut their doors. Some of those shutdowns have been a direct result of loss of funding.

According to John Dow, Press Director for the Kennedy Center, the National Organization on Arts and Disability, the cut to affiliates comes as the parent organization has itself sustained deep cuts. VSA is a program of the Kennedy Center’s education department. “The Kennedy Center has an ongoing commit-

ment to support the programs of VSA that have directly impacted people living with and without disabilities for more than three decades,” Dow said.

But last year, the Kennedy Center lost nearly $10 million in federal funding for its nationwide education programs, including VSA, because of Congress’s realignment of funding for programs of the Kennedy Center and many other national programs such as Teach for America and Reading is Fundamental. The federal funding represented the vast majority of VSA’s annual budget. “It was important for the Kennedy Center to maintain VSA’s core programming, including the Young Soloists Program and Playwright Discovery Program, and its network of state affiliates,” said Dow. “The Kennedy Center is currently working to rebuild financial support for VSA and all its education programs. However, because the loss was so large, it is expected to take several years to rebuild financial support to previous levels.”

In Minnesota, other potential cost savings and fundraising measures are being explored by the organization’s board of directors and staff. Office hours will be cut this summer to four days a week, said Dunn. In his two decades as VSA Minnesota director, this is the first time partial staff furloughs have been implemented. “There are a number of other strategies we’re looking at.” Those include more corporate

A young man enjoyed a 2010 Young Dance program funded by VSA Minnesota.

Photo courtesy of Young Dance

support and state grants. But it’s not likely much, if any, of that funding would come through until next year.

VSA cutbacks - p. 17

Prep athlete reaches pact with state high school league

by Access Press staff

Standout wheelchair athlete Rose Hollerman has settled her legal dispute with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). The settlement was announced in late May. In the lawsuit Hollerman, a Waterville-ElysianMorristown High School sophomore and Courage Center basketball star, asked that wheelchair athRose Hollerman letes be allowed to race alongside other track and field athletes where there is only one wheel-chair racer; score team points and participate in the same number of track and field events as other athletes.

Hollerman worked with the Minnesota Disability Law Center on the court case. They filed suit in December 2011 in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District.

In the lawsuit she alleged discrimination under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Changes were approved by the MSHSL Board in February and entered as a court settlement this spring.

With the settlement, changes are in place to how wheelchair athletes compete alongside able-bodied athletes. Six track and field events for wheelchair athletes were offered at the 2012 state meet, which was June 8-9 at Hamline University in St. Paul.

The approved changes were created to accommodate a single athlete in the wheelchair division so he or she didn’t have to compete alone in races. In the event a single wheelchair athlete competes in a race with able-bodied runners, buffers will be placed on the track to ensure safety. If more than one wheelchair athlete

is in a race, they compete in their own division. The rules apply to the 100-meter, 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races.

In field events of the shot put and discus throws, wheelchair athletes will be in the same flights as other athletes. Also, there will be team scoring opportunities for athletes in the wheelchair division.

Hollerman is a prominent wheelchair athlete at the state, national, and international levels. She was a member of the 2011 U.S. Women’s Basketball team that won a gold medal in the ParaOlympic Pan American Games. She has played on championship teams at Courage Center and has won all-tournament team honors. She wasn’t available for comment in late May because she was in Europe participating in preliminary basketball games for the ParaOlympics.

Hollerman competes in basketball, track and field, and sled hockey. She has used a wheelchair since

sustaining a spinal cord injury in a 2001 motor vehicle accident.

In spring 2011 Hollerman won the inaugural girls’ wheelchair 1,600 and 800 races at the state track and field meet. She was the only participant in the races.

Her family had worked to get the races and other events added.

The MSHSL declined an opportunity to comment. ■

Pg 4 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

State policy changes will improve Minnesotans’ lives Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) is a public policy coalition that works to influence state policies to improve the quality of life for Minnesotans with disabilities. Through our advocacy activities and in collaboration with other groups, MN-CCD was able to successfully pass a number of state policy changes to improve the lives of Minnesotans with disabilities during the 2012 legislative session, including: Improvements to the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) Program Changes made during the 2012 legislative session allow individuals to enroll in the program at any age and retain assets after turning 65. These changes are retroactive to April 1, 2012. The cost of these changes is $437,000.

A delay of the 20% Relative PCA Cut Changes made during the 2012 legislative session delay a 20% rate reduction for personal care assistants (PCAs) who provide care to a relative. This cut is now scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2013, although MN-CCD will work to repeal this cut during the 2013 legislative session. The cost of the delay is $5.9 million.

A delay of the 1.67% Disability Provider Rate Cut The 2011 health and human services omnibus bill cut rates to some disability service providers by 1.67% if Minnesota didn’t receive federal approval of a state waiver request. Changes made during the 2012 legislative session provide an additional delay of this cut.

The cost of this delay is $2.2 million.

Policy - p. 5

Nick Nelson, and his mother, Greta Photos by Jane McClure

Cuts reversed but the funding battles are far from over

by Steve Larson

We were pleased to see some of the cuts from 2011 reversed. We thank leaders from both parties who worked to roll back those cuts when the extra money from HMOs became available.

These are not permanent victories, however. The wage cuts to personal care attendants were only delayed until July 1, 2013. The 1.67% cut to disability service providers was delayed as well. The 10% cut to community services for 2,600 Minnesotans with disabilities was only reduced to 5%. Disability advocates will need to fight again next session to make these reversals permanent.

Other recurring struggles for self-advocates and families need to be revisited. Parental fees are still too high for too many families. There are still thousands of Minnesotans on the waiting list for waivered services. Parents of children with autism have been particularly vocal about the lack of services and options for their loved ones. The despera-

Gains . . . remains - from p. 1 ARRM and others helped define how Minnesota will approach what remains ARRM’s rate methodology bill became a coalition bill with advocates and day training and habilitation services providers as we worked out critical details before being introduced. The coalition bill differed significantly from DHS and, with the urging of Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) and Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), the parties negotiated the final bill.

The result was successful with implementation of new methodologies delayed, a specific list of issues of concern to be researched in the interim, protections and a transition period for individuals already being served, and a requirement that DHS propose specific legislation before any implementation of new rates.

tion they feel is very real and their concerns must be addressed.

Part of the solution to these problems is adding more state revenues. Advocates must also press for reforms in disability supports so we not only create better lives but get a better value for our public dollars. The Arc Minnesota, its local affiliated chapters, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services are already charting a path toward reform through Housing Access Services. This statewide effort has moved more than 420 people with disabilities who are ready to live in a home of their own, and it saves between $10,000 and $35,000 a year for each person who moves from traditional residential services.

Advocates also must urge the State of Minnesota to increase the control that parents and self-advocates can have over funding and staffing. For example, if the State of Minnesota is able to implement the Community First Choice Option, individuals and families can control and use state dollars for personal care ser-

vices more effectively and efficiently. In addition, advocates also need to push for cost-effective innovations in Medical Assistance funding, so people on the waiting list don’t have to rely solely on waivered services as their best shot to live in the community. Taking advantage of increased federal dollars to help move people from institutions, such as the Money Follows the Person initiative, will also help.

A big disappointment this session was passage of the Voter ID amendment. Disability advocates should oppose this proposal, join the Our Vote Our Future coalition in opposing it, and encourage their friends and families to vote against it in November. We don’t want to see barriers placed in front of people with disabilities when they go to the polls in future elections.

The Arc Minnesota has a fact sheet to help educate the public about the problems with Voter ID. ■ Steve Larson is senior public policy director for The Arc Minnesota.

Payment methodology issues will be on our agenda for years to come as we move from county-based methodologies to a statewide system.

ARRM’s Blueprint for Reform legislation included provisions that find savings and allow innovation (such as monitoring technology) within adult foster care and facilitate people’s choices to move into other community settings that meet their individual needs at a lower cost. Examples include: daily billing for independent living services in the CADI and BI waivers, allowing a higher concentration of people in multi-family settings with the provision that recipients would assume the lease, breaking down the barrier to get housing money in unlicensed setting through the shelter needy program and providing cost effective financial incentives for providers to help people move out of foster care.

Other policy provisions such as host county notification (rather than concurrence), background study and licensing changes and new 245D standards for unlicensed services create a new backdrop for further system change. Among those changes will be the incorporation of Quality Outcome Standards and the consolidation of duplicate standards now in 245B, 245D and the Supervised Living Facility rule—into a package that will help direct focuses standards on quality.

These gains helped set the stage to make what remains more focused on quality, individual choices and outcomes and savings in the system. ■ Bruce Nelson is executive director of ARRM.

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

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Group homes offer assurance to state’s families

by Sue Adberholden

Several laws were passed this year that impact children and adults with mental illnesses and their families. One of the most important ones was creating a voluntary certification process for corporate foster care homes, commonly known as group homes. If homes meet the requirements, it will be noted on their license and thus potential residents, their families, counties, hospitals and others will have some assurance that the home will be able to meet the needs of people with mental illnesses.

To meet the certification requirements the home will have to show that staff in the home have at least seven hours of training on a wide variety of topics related to mental illnesses. In addition, staff must have access to a mental health professional or practitioner for consultation and assistance and each home must have a plan and protocol in place to address a mental health crisis. Each resident’s placement agreement must identify who is providing clinical services and their contact information and each resident must have a crisis prevention and management plan.

Homes that meet the certification will not have to close their beds when someone moves out, and for the next year beds in homes won’t close when the license

Policy - from p. 4 Alternatives to the Mandatory Closure of Corporate Foster Care Beds/10% Congregate Low Need Cut The 2011 omnibus bill included mandatory closures of some foster care beds as well as a 10% congregate low need cut. MN-CCD worked closely with other advocacy groups on these two issues this past session.

Changes made during the 2012 legislative session delay the mandatory bed closures until after July 1, 2013 and put into place a needs determination process with the goal of voluntarily closing some corporate foster care beds instead of mandating their closure. Additional changes made direct the Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner to reduce the congregate low need cut from 10% to 5% if a waiver submitted by the state is approved by the federal government. The cost of the delay of the mandatory bed closures was $1.2 million.

Increased Reporting on Disability Services Required in Annual Long-Term Care Report Changes made during the 2012 legislative session re-

holder is a mental health center or clinic, or provides ACT, ARMHS, IRTS. A total of $3.683 million in bonding money was appropriated for predesign and design of the first phase of a two-phase project to remodel existing facilities and develop new residential programs on the upper campus of the Minnesota Security Hospital in St Peter. It’s a start to making the physical environment safe for its residents. Also in the bonding bill was $5 million for the Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis.

A child under the age three where maltreatment has been confirmed will be referred for screening under Minnesota’s early intervention program (called Part C under IDEA). Knowing that children who experience adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse and neglect, are at risk of developing a mental illness, this provision could help ensure that early intervention services are provided to the child.

School districts will be allowed to use prone restraints with children ages five and older for one more year. Prone restraints are now defined in the law as placing a child in a face down position. The law expands the definition of “physical holding” to specify that it must be “used to effectively gain control of a child in order to protect the child or other person from injury,” and it adds stricter provisions that prohibit schools from using physical holding that restricts or impairs a child’s ability to communicate distress; places pressure or weight on a child’s head, throat, neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen; or results in straddling a child’s torso. School districts must continue to report the use of prone restraints on a form provided by the Department of Education and the department will publish the data on a quarterly basis. Districts will now be required to submit by July 1, 2012 summary data on the use of all

restrictive procedures, including the number of incidents, total number of students on which the procedures were used, the number of resulting injuries, and relevant demographic data.

The Department of Education, in collaboration with stakeholders, must develop a statewide plan by February 1, 2013 to reduce school districts’ use of restrictive procedures and report to the legislature on measurable goals for doing so, along with what resources, training, technical assistance, mental health services and collaborative efforts are needed to significantly reduce school districts’ use of prone restraints.

The 10% rate cut to providers serving people who are “low needs” would be changed to 5% if the changes to the nursing facility level of care are approved by the federal government and if they authorize federal participation for the alternative care program.

The Board of Social Work, the Board of Psychology, the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy and the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy are continued until 2018 and the legislature cannot use the fees collected by the boards for other purposes.

Information about postpartum depression, including symptoms, potential impact on families and treatment resources, will now be made available at WIC program sites. ■ Sue Abderholden is executive director of NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) Minnesota.

quire increased focus on disability services in an annual report on the need for long-term services for older Minnesotans, people with disabilities, and people with mental illness.

Directing the Health Services Advisory Council to Review Autism Treatment Information Changes made during the 2012 legislative session direct the DHS Health Services Advisory Council to review currently available literature regarding the efficacy of various treatments for autism spectrum disorder.

Anyone wanting to hear a review of the session can attend a session 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, July 11 at Goodwill Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave. N,, St. Paul. MN-CCD policy experts will share their perspectives on what these changes will mean for the disability community and celebrate the positive legislative outcomes the disability advocacy community won. The event is free but attendees need to RSVP to Anni at anni.simons@mnccd.org or call 651 523 0823 ext. 112 for more information. ■

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Pg 6 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

REGIONAL NEWS ApplyMN is single online application for help Minnesota residents can now apply for public assistance through one application. Minnesotans in need of health care, nutrition assistance, child care assistance and emergency assistance can now apply online through applymn.dhs.mn.gov “ApplyMN is an easy, secure way for Minnesotans in need to apply for assistance from more than one program,” said Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. “This will streamline the application process, increase administrative efficiencies and is an important step in our effort to make government services easier to navigate.”

Every month more than 60,700 Minnesotans apply for health care and other human services programs.

ApplyMN is expected to improve access to various human services programs for low-income Minnesotans. It is a “smart application” that asks applicants questions based on the programs they apply for and answers they submit. ApplyMN is connected to a prescreening tool that applicants can use to check potential eligibility for various programs, as well as a user authentication tool that allows applicants to register and authenticate their identities, save and retrieve partially completed applications and see a list of previously completed applications. Applications can continue to be submitted on paper form. ■ [Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services]

Two incidents raise question

State facility is criticized for resident’s death

Prosecutors have charged a Minnesota Security Hospital patient with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his mother while on a pass at a nearby park.

Burton James Ewing Jr., 48, remains in the Nicollet County Jail.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports Ewing was in a transition program at the St. Peter hospital for adults classified as mentally ill and dangerous. He left on a pass with his mother May 8. He was arrested after sheriff’s deputies arrived at Seven Mile Regional Park and found him attacking his mother. She was hospitalized in critical condition. According to court documents, Ewing began beating his mother in the head with a bicycle seat while she was still in the driver’s seat of her car. He then attacked her with cooking tongs and a knife.

Ewing is committed to St. Peter because back in 1998 he murdered his sister in her Shoreview home by bludgeoning her with a hammer. He was found not guilty by reason of mental illness. State officials are now questioning why he was allowed out on a day pass.

The stabbing was one of two incidents that day tied to the St. Peter Regional Treatment Hospital. That same afternoon William Daniel Pfeffer Jr. escaped from the south side of the treatment center campus.

He escaped when left alone on his way to or from his work detail. Pfeffer was tracked just south of the campus to Seven Mile Regional Park. But by the time law enforcement was hot on his trail Ewing was stabbing his mother. ■ [Source: Minnesota Public Radio, KARE-11]

Neglect occurred at a state-run facility in Bloomington last year in a case that suggests a worker might not have provided CPR to an unresponsive resident. According to the Minnesota Department of Health and to a reports made public May 29, the incident occurred in September 2011 at the residential facility for people with disabilities. that is part of the Minnesota State Operated Community Services program.

The resident, who had diagnoses that included moderate mental retardation and chronic lung disease, was treated at an urgent-care center for a cough and congestion. In the next week or so, the resident received prescribed treatments as directed but started having trouble on the evening of Sept. 16. Staff cared for the resident at several points that evening and early the morning of Sept. 17 by providing medicine for the resident’s cough and shortness of breath.

At 6:30 a.m., a worker found the resident unresponsive. The worker told investigators that he called 911, grabbed a face mask for CPR and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. But a second facility worker interviewed by investigators claimed the first worker initially reported to her that he did not initiate CPR. The second worker stated that she looked at the CPR mask, and it was dusty, and did not appear to have been moved from its location in the kitchen, the report stated.

The Health Department found both the worker and facility were responsible for the neglect. The worker was trained in CPR, the report noted, and the facility has policies and procedures for staff to respond in an emergency. Human Services is reviewing the findings and will be taking additional corrective action as appropriate. The employee cited in the report is no longer employed at the site. ■ [Source: Pioneer Press]

Seclusion box use questioned A Waupun, Wisc. parent has pulled her autistic son out of school after teachers repeatedly used a seclusion box to discipline him. Mandy Rennhack met with special education teachers for her 9-year-old son, Ty, and told them to stop placing him in the 5-foot by 7foot plywood box when he was having discipline issues and that she would pick him up. Months later, Rennhack says she was dismayed to learn Ty had spent time in the box once again.

Waupun Interim District Administrator Donald Childs told the Fond du Lac Reporter placing a child whose behavior has the potential to cause harm to himself or others into a secluded padded room is an accepted practice in the state. A state education official will visit the school, Rock River Intermediate, to review the case. ■ [Source: Fond du Lace Reporter]

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Pg 7

Learn about disability disclosure/employment at forum

Chuck Ryan

There’s a gap in Chuck Ryan’s personal timeline.

His last conscious memory is of walking across a parking lot one evening in 1987 to his waiting motorcycle. He remembers nothing about the crash, only bits and pieces of information from what others have told him. He has no recollections until six weeks later when he woke up in the brain injury ward of a Twin Cities hospital.

To look at him today, you’d have no idea that he has a disability. A brain injury is invisible, one of many disabilities that are not immediately obvious.

Long-term illnesses including cancer or diabetes, mental illness like bipolar disorder and depression,

learning disabilities, and many others are also considered invisible disabilities. For Ryan and others with invisible disabilities the very nature of the disability raises an important question about disability and employment: What to disclose, and to whom?

Ryan’s injury prevented him from returning to his family-owned business. After working his way through management courses and earning an MBA at the University of St. Thomas, he felt he was ready to seek a teaching position at another institution. That’s when the disclosure issue emerged.

“One of the more challenging aspects of my recovery was the inability to control my emotions,” Ryan said. He describes a tendency to have “emotional outbursts” and “anger issues.” These in turn led to an incident that resulted in a guilty plea on a misdemeanor charge. That meant Ryan had both a disability and a criminal record, neither of which he disclosed when applying for a teaching position.

Not too surprisingly, a routine background check revealed his criminal record, and the institution declined to hire Ryan to teach. Ryan tells this story to illustrate a point. One of the most difficult decisions an individual with a non-obvious disability has to make is whether to inform people, particularly a prospective employer. How much information should you share? There are no hard rules and no easy answers—and for some, the very question is one that induces fear.

Ryan’s involvement with the criminal justice system added a layer of complexity to his job search issues. But he believes that his brain injury is the most

salient factor in his experience. Without the injury, the emotional outbursts would never have occurred. The two things are intertwined Public Forum to Explore Disclosure Issues Ryan will share his story publicly at a public forum, Disability Disclosure for Employment and Community Integra- Cindy Held Tarshish tion The forum is 16 p.m. Wednesday, June 27 at the Roseville Public Library, 2180 North Hamline Ave., Roseville.

Cindy Held Tarshish of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Minnesota is the keynote speaker. Her address will focus on ADA Title I. She will review many of the difficult legal, ethical and practical issues involving disability disclosure and employment.

“I hear from people about this topic every day,” Tarshish said. “People call me from their cars, on their way to an interview, wondering whether to disclose or not.”

Clearly there’s a lot of uncertainty, even fear, about Disclosure - p. 8

Independent living challenges to be scrutinized Minneapolis resident Lance Hegland will use a $75,000 Bush Foundation fellowship to study and address independent-living challenges in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The longtime disability advocate will spend the next four years studying ways to improve recruiting, screening and relationship-building between direct support professionals (DSPs) and the individuals, families and provider organizations DSPs work with.

Part of the study will include community meetings and project plans. Hegland is hoping for input on his study from people with disabilities, their families, friends, and DSPs to contribute toward improving DSP services in the Twin Cities and beyond. He hopes to develop tools that can also be used by DSP provider agencies.

During recent years, Hegland has been exploring new models and tools for delivering better direct support services. One project is IndependencePartners, which will bring individuals with disabilities, families, professionals, community leaders, and entrepreneurs together to build new independent-living tools.

The first tool he is working on is DSPMatch, offering quick, safe and individualized job matching and relationship-building tools for direct support consumers, families and professionals. The tool includes webbased job board and self-help resources.

“Nearly 70,000 Twin Cities’ residents with varying circumstances need assistance with selfcare tasks including bathing, dressing, and grooming,” said Hegland. “We struggle to connect and build longlasting relationships with the roughly 63,000 DSPs we work with. DSPs could be personal care assistants (PCAs), home health aides, homemakers, residential advisors, and job coaches that help to empower our independence. DSPs are critical factors in our health and safety. Plus, DSPs often help us to independently participate with our families, friends, communities, and employment.”

Hegland has muscular atrophy, a genetic neuromuscular disease that causes significant muscle weakness, which slowly worsens over time. He relies on assistance from PCAs to dress, prepare meals, shop, and run errands, among other daily activities. He obtains services through Minnesota’s PCA Choice program,

where participants are responsible for managing their own PCA support teams. Like other PCA Choice and Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) program participants, he is responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring his PCA team members, educating them, maintaining their work schedules and providing performance evaluations.

In a 2009 study of Minnesota’s PCA program it was stated, “PCA [participants] favored the PCA Choice program in terms of level of control and flexibility over the activities the PCA performed, but expressed challenges with their employer responsibilities and lack of support.” Even today, this remains a growing challenge for participants in both the PCA

Choice and Consumer Directed Community Supports program. Hegland has a long record of community service, recently joining the Minnesota Department of Human Services State Quality Assurance Council (SQAC). He also serves on the Minnesota Department of Human Services Health Services Advisory Council (HSAC) and the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) Healthcare Reform Steering Team, and the Citizens League Health and Medical Advancement Group.

Hegland received the 2011 Direct Support Professional (DSP) Advocate of the Year Award from the Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota (DSPAM). ■

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Pg 8 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

When disaster strikes, will nursing homes be ready?

In the event of a natural disaster, nursing homes are woefully unprepared to protect frail residents in a according to government investigators. A recent review of 24 nursing homes around the United States, including one in Minnesota, revealed the problems.

Emergency plans required by the government often lack specific steps such as coordinating with local authorities, notifying relatives or even pinning name tags and medication lists to residents in an evacuation, according to the review. It means the plans may not be worth the paper they’re written on.

Nearly seven years after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans exposed the vulnerability of nursing homes, serious shortcomings persist. Deaths in nursing homes during that disaster reached the 140person mark.

“We identified many of the same gaps in nursing home preparedness and response,” investigators from the inspector general’s office of the Health and Human Services Department wrote in the report released this spring. “Emergency plans lacked relevant information. Nursing homes faced challenges with unreliable transportation contracts, lack of collaboration with local emergency management, and residents who developed health problems.”

The report recommends that Medicare and Medicaid add specific emergency planning and training steps to the existing federal requirement that nursing homes have a disaster plan. Many such steps are now in nonbinding federal guidelines that investigators found were disregarded.

In a written response, Medicare chief Marilyn Tavenner agreed with the recommendation. But she gave no timetable for carrying it out.

We would like to acknowledge and thank The Arc™ Minnesota and UCare for their generous Issue Sponsorship.

Please consider joining as an Issue Sponsor.

Call: 651-644-2133

Nationally, more than three million people spent at least some time in a nursing home during 2009, according to the latest available data. Nearly 40 percent of them, 1.2 million, were in the top 10 disaster-prone states. The typical nursing home resident is a woman in her 80s or older, dealing with physical and mental limitations that leave her dependent on others for help with basic daily activities.

Investigators pursued a two-track approach to conduct the study. First they looked at the number of nursing homes that met federal regulations for emergency planning and training. Then they went into the field to test how solid those plans were, using a sample of homes drawn from 210 facilities substantially affected by floods, hurricanes and wildfires across seven states during 2007-2010.

On the surface, things appeared to be in good shape. Ninety-two percent of the nation’s 16,000 nursing homes met federal regulations for emergency planning, while 72 percent met the standards for emergency training.

A different story emerged when inspectors showed up at 24 selected nursing homes and started pulling files and interviewing staff.

The specific facilities examined in California, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas were not identified in the report. All had been affected by disasters. Of those, 14 were evacuated and the remainder sheltered in place.

A detailed, well-rehearsed emergency plan is a basic requirement for disaster preparedness. But at one home, the emergency plan was in several boxes. At another one, it was on a legal pad.

Of the 24 emergency plans, 23 did not describe how to handle a resident’s illness or death during an evacuation. Also, 15 had no information about specific medical needs of patients, such as feeding tubes and breathing equipment. Seven plans were silent on how to identify residents in an evacuation, such as by

attaching wristbands or name tags. Inspectors said 15 made no provision for including medication lists.

None of the nursing homes met a government recommendation for a seven-day supply of drinking water if residents had to shelter in place and their regular source of water was unsafe or unavailable.

Twenty-two had no backup plans to replace staff members unable to report for work during a disaster.

Transportation was another problem. None of the nursing homes had planned to ensure transportation of adequate food and water for evacuated residents, while 19 had no specific plan for transporting wheelchairs and similar equipment. Twenty-two of the plans did not describe how the nursing home would transport medications.

Seventeen had no specific plan for working with local emergency coordinators to decide whether to evacuate or shelter in place.

Not surprisingly, administrators and staff from 17 of the nursing homes told investigators they faced substantial challenges in responding to the disasters that hit their areas. A common problem was that transportation contracts were not honored after an evacuation was called. Four nursing homes that did evacuate said they had problems trying to keep track of residents and supplies, in some cases temporarily losing patients.

The vulnerability of nursing home patients became a national issue when 35 residents of St. Rita’s Nursing Home just outside New Orleans perished during Katrina. Some drowned in their beds. Prosecutors charged the owners of the facility with negligent homicide, saying they should have evacuated the home.

But a jury acquitted them of all charges. Some jurors said afterward that Louisiana authorities should have taken responsibility for the safety of nursing home residents ahead of the monster storm. ■ This article was compiled from information from the survey and Associated Press.

Disclosure - p. 7 whether to disclose a disability to an employer. But Tarshish said that in some ways there’s no cause for fear or uncertainty. The law is clear and unambiguous. From a legal and practical standpoint, there’s no obligation to disclose a disability during the interview process. There are only a few practical reasons to disclose during employment.

• If a workplace accommodation is needed to perform a job, the job applicant needs to disclose the impairment that makes the accommodation necessary.

• A job applicant may need to disclose if he or she have to explain some form of behavior caused by the disability.

• A job applicant may want to disclose a disability to an employer who offers additional benefits to employees who have disabilities.

• Another factor to consider is that some employers may ask employees to voluntarily disclose a disability in order to help them meet affirmative action goals.

Tarshish will also serve as moderator for a panel consisting of employers, employees, and job developers who have varying—and sometimes divergent— experiences with disclosure in the workplace.

The forum will also offer an opportunity for members of the public to share personal stories about disability disclosure, either as people with disabilities or as prospective employers who are in a position to offer jobs.

The forum is jointly sponsored by four statewide disability organizations: State Rehabilitation Council—General; Vocational Rehabilitation Services; State Rehabilitation Council—Blind; and Statewide Independent Living Council.

The event is free and all are welcome. Accommodations will be provided. The Roseville Library is on a bus line. Contact Metro Transit at 612-373-333 for information or visit www.metrotransit.org Questions about the forum can be directed to Gail Lundeen, 651-259-736, gail.lundeen@state.mn.us ■

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Pg 9

Nominations due Aug. 10

Nominate a deserving Charlie Smith Award recipient

by Access Press staff

Nominations for the 2012 Charlie Smith Award are being taken by Access Press, Minnesota’s disability community newspaper. The newspaper’s Board of Directors announced that the nomination period is underway. Nominations close Aug. 10.

The award is given to an individual or group, in recognition of outstanding service to Minnesota’s disability community. The nominee and finalists are honored in the September issue of Access Press. The winner is feted at the annual award banquet, which is Friday, Nov. 2 at the Minneapolis Airport Marriot 2020 E. American Blvd., Bloomington. That event includes a delicious meal, a silent auction and raffle, speeches and social time. The Marriott is fully accessible. Interpretation is offered for guests.

The nomination form is on the Access Press website, at www.accesspress.org and can be downloaded in .pdf and .docx formats. Anyone who needs accommodations to fill out the form, or needs the form in another format, can call the newspaper office at 651-644-2133.

Nominees can be from anywhere in Minnesota.

Past nominees can be nominated again. Nominations and questions about the nominations can be sent via email to CSAnominations@accesspress.org, via fax to 651-644-2136, or mail to Access Press, c/o Charlie Award Committee, 161 St. Anthony Avenue #910; St. Paul, MN 55103. If possible, send the newspaper office either a jpeg photo or an actual picture of the nominee, or be prepared to tell the editors where a picture can be obtained.

Pictures and bios of nominees will be published in the September issue of the newspaper and displayed at the banquet.

“Some community award winners are decided by a committee with no outside input,” said Access Press Board Chair Brigid Alseth, “The legacy of the Charlie

Smith Award, however, is that members of the disability community nominate and recognize ‘our own’. Continue the grassroots efforts embodied by Charlie Smith and nominate those whom you know to be outstanding and whose stories need to be told. After all, isn’t that a form of activism too?”

The Charlie Smith Award is named in honor of the late Charlie Smith, founding editor of Access Press.

He was a well-known Minnesota disability rights advocate. With the support of his family, Smith founded the newspaper in 1990. He died in 2001.

The first award ceremony was held in 2003. It began in St. Paul and has grown over the years, moving to Bloomington three years ago.

Previous winners of the Charlie Smith Award: 2011: Jeff Bangsberg, MN Department of Health 2010: Steve Kuntz, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) 2009: Anne Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center 2008: Pete Feigal, Co-Founder of Tilting at Windmills 2007: Jim and Claudia Carlisle, People Enhancing People 2006: John Smith, University of Minnesota 2005: Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) 2004: Rick Cardenas, Co-Director of Advocating Change Together (ACT) 2003: Margot Imdieke Cross, Minnesota State Council on Disability Access Press Business Manager Dawn Frederick is seeking banquet sponsors, as well as donations for the silent auction and raffle. Banquet sponsorships range in cost from $200 to $400. Prizes for the silent auction include new merchandise, gift certificates, theater and sports tickets, and other items. Some of the favorite prizes in recent years have been ice cream shop gift certificates, jewelry jars, hand-crafted items, toys and medical supply store gift certificates. Please contact Dawn at 651-644-2133 or dawn@accesspress.org

Margot Imdieke Cross received the first Charlie Smith award in 2003

if you would like to donate or have questions about donations.

Reservations can now be made for the Nov. 2 banquet, which starts at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and ceremony at 7 p.m. Cost is $45 per person if you register early, $50 per person at the door or $325 for an eightperson table. The table rate represents a savings of $35.

Registration can be made online, at www.access press.org. Look for the Charlie Awards tab at the top left corner of the home page.

Checks with the name and number of guests can be mailed to Access Press, Attn: Dawn, 161 St. Anthony Ave Ste 910, St. Paul, MN 55103. Please make checks payable to Access Press and note banquet in the notation line. Credit card transactions can be made over the phone by calling the office at 651-644-2133 and speaking with Dawn. ■

Arc Changemakers are honored

Girl Scouts lent a helping hand Photo courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

A couple whose legal action changed state policy and a troop of Girl Scouts are among the winners of The Arc Greater Twin Cities’ 2011 Changemaker Awards. The awards recognize individuals or organizations for making a difference for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The awards were presented May 5 at The Arc’s Annual Meeting and Volunteer Celebration at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville.

Changing Attitudes The Changing Attitudes category recognizes those who change public perceptions of people with disabilities.

Katie McDermott, North St. Paul is a person with a disability understands the power of perception of disabilities. Building her own advocacy skills, she also created her own position working with and mentoring self-advocates at Merrick, Inc. She also created her own mentoring business.

McDermott is committed to fighting abuse of people with disabilities and has played an important volunteer role in The Arc Greater Twin Cities’ abuse prevention initiative. She is active in Advocating Change Together and Self-Advocates Become Em-

powered. She completed the Partners in Policymaking program of the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and is on the Ramsey County Citizen Action Committee.

“Katie is an extraordinary force for positive change in the way the world perceives people with disabilities,” said Kim Keprios, chief executive officer of The Arc Greater Twin Cities. “She has the courage to use her voice and the passion to help others take the journey as self-advocates.”

Claire Hinrichs, Edina, volunteers with G. Alumni, retiree volunteers affiliated with General Mills. They assist with The Arc’s mailings that are crucial community connections.

Hinrichs distinguished herself by her dedication, energy and can-do spirit. She organizes and oversees group projects for The Arc. Even recuperating from surgery, Hinrichs helped lead until she returned.

Michele McAlister, Woodbury is dedicated to improving the way people with developmental disabilities are perceived and treated. The mother of a child with autism, she facilitates a parent networking group for The Arc in Woodbury and is a lifeline for parents Changemakers - p. 10

Your home, your independence . . . 763-546-1000 At In Home Personal Care, we pride ourselves not only on the help we provide, but also on our ability to listen. We understand that each of our clients has different needs at different times. Our quality home care services are formed around a plan that works for you and your individual situation.

Serving Adults and Children with Long-Term Needs since 1991

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“ I have been an In Home client for at least 20 years. During that time I have received excellent, reliable, consistent care from PCAs and HHA’s trained and supervised by In Home.” - Jean T (Client)

Pg 10 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Changemakers - from p. 9 who have children with autism. She helps parents connect for support and advice, obtain resources and learn to advocate for children. She allows college students to observe the group and learn about issues families face.

McAlister has served as a presenter and representative of The Arc Greater Twin Cities at events.

Changing Policies Changing Policies awards honored persons whose efforts have resulted in systems and policy changes that benefit individuals with disabilities and their families.

Chloette Haley, Stillwater, is the driving force behind Stepping Up Moving Forward, a Stillwater-based network for systems change and community-building for people with I/DD. Stepping Up Moving Forward works to effect change on many fronts, including a website resource; support of the Artworks! opportunity for adults with disabilities to express their creativity and parent events that help families connect.

Stepping Up Moving Forward works with existing resources to expand opportunities for people with I/ DD to be more active in community life.

“Chloette is a person who makes things happen, and Stepping Up Moving Forward is an exceptional achievement,” said Keprios. “Many people have been important to its success, but the heart of this remarkable grassroots network is Chloette. Her vision, pas-

sion and leadership make her a true changemaker, and lives are better because of her.”

Roberta Blomster, Vadnais Heights, is a powerful public policy advocate, working to ensure that legislators understand issues that affect people with disabilities. She first became involved in public policy in 2005, working to remove the “R” word from legislation. In 2009 she participated in the Capitol Fellowship Program and interned with Sen. David Tomassoni, (DFL-Chisholm). She is now fighting Minnesota’s proposed constitutional amendment to require voter ID. She attended The Arc’s national Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. in 2010 and 2012.

Pia Prenevost of Coon Rapids and Sheri Radoux of Blaine are mothers of children with autism. They work tirelessly to rally other parents to support legislation to secure intensive early intervention and ensure that these services are part of Minnesota’s essential benefits.

Changemakers - p. 11

Maurice Banks

Michele McAlister Photos courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Changemakers - from p. 10 After being flooded with calls from parents mustered by Prenevost and Radoux, the Director of Health Services for Children at the Department of Human Services announced a listening session to hear parents’ concerns. They also partnered to create a rally that drew more than 100 participants to the state capitol in February.

Changing Lives Changing Lives awards salute long-term or intensive efforts that positively affect the lives of people with disabilities.

Jim and Lorie Jensen, Little Canada, improved conditions for all residents of Minnesota’s state-run men-

The Jensen family

Pia Prenevost and Sheri Radoux are Changemaker Award winners.

Photos courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

tal health institutions by seeking better treatment for their son Brad. He was placed in Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO) and was subjected many times to improper restraint involving metal handcuffs and leg hobbles. Their story triggered a state investigation. METO closed in 2010.

They were lead plaintiffs in Jensen vs. Minnesota Department of Human Services, a class action suit representing about 300 former METO residents. The settlement was notable for curbing the state’s use of Changemakers - p. 12

Pg 11

Pg 12 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Changemakers - from p. 11 handcuffs and other restraints to deal with behavior challenges, and mandating staff training.

“Jim and Lorie Jensen are like the pebble that starts an avalanche of change,” said Keprios. “They truly changed the system through their courage, perseverance and love for their son, and they made a profound impact on both policy and lives. Because the Jensens spoke out, thousands of Minnesotans with disabilities now have a definitive right to more humane and respectful treatment.”

Nicole Limper, Rochester, came to The Arc in 2011 as a student intern. She initially tracked legislation about the abuse of people with I/DD and shared her knowledge with policymakers and classmates. She created a comprehensive abuse prevention information resource, which is available to the public. She co-facilitated abuse prevention trainings for women with I/DD. Six girls from River Valleys Girl Scout Troop 51429, Woodbury, worked on a community service project to benefit The Arc and earn the Girl Scouts bronze award. They organized a donation drive for Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores and Donation Centers and collected nearly 600 pounds of clothing and toys. A rainy collection day didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. They proved that one is never too young to make a difference.

Laurel Hirt, Katie Peacock, Monica Siems and staff of the Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) at the U of M work to connects The Arc with U of M students seeking internships that provide learning experiences. Interns offer valuable assistance with programs and services. They gain skills and knowledge in their chosen fields. Student projects include creating abuse prevention resources, updating PowerPoint presentations, providing childcare to parent networking groups and compiling evaluation results.

Business awards The Corporate Partnership Award went to UnitedHealth Group and Dorsey & Whitney, LLP. They conducted a free review of The Arc Greater Twin Cities’ policies and procedures in 2011. Eric

Nicole Limper

Brotten of OptumHealth, a UnitedHealth business, coordinated the project.

Jerry Wobschall, a Golden Valley resident won the Value Village Volunteer of the Year award.

Wobschall was honored as a member of the Arc’s Value Village 300 Club, for giving 300 hours of service or more a year. He focuses on testing and rearing donated electronics and has become the store’s “go-to guy” for electronics. In addition he removes hazardous parts before disposing of them.

The Thrift Business Partner of the Year is Blu Dot. The modern home furnishings company was selected for its support of Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores. In recent years, the company has donated new merchan-

Roberta Blomster Photos courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

dise valued at more than $41,000. Blu Dot founder Maurice Blanks has also supported The Arc’s marketing and business development efforts with business advice and expertise. ■

PEOPLE & PLACES Central Corridor comments sought Metro Transit is working on a plan to enhance bus routes that will interact with the new Central Corridor Light Rail, and feedback is important as they finalize this new plan. Metro Transit is specifically seeking comments from the disability community, seniors, and transit-dependent individuals to ensure the transit network serves all people. Disability community liaison Kjensmo Walker is available this summer to bring the plan to community members.

The Central Corridor Transit Service Study concept plan is now out for public comment and review. For more information see http://metrotransit.org/centraltransit-study.aspx. Over the spring, input was gathered and now there is a concept plan that represents what was heard from various communities in the Central Corridor Transit Service Area. Metro Transit is now accepting comments on this concept plan until July 9th so that staff can generate a final plan. The plan will be released in November.

That is why disability community, seniors, and transit-dependent individuals need to be heard. Walker wants more input on changes to bus routes in the area and hopes to meet with as many people as possible in the month of June. Please contact her at 952-215-5451 or kjensmo@dcc-stpaul-mpls.org for more information or to set up a time to see the new concept plan.

PACER Center is an E-chiever PACER Center Executive Director Paula Goldberg was presented with an “EChievement Award’ in May in recognition of PACER’s national bullying prevention efforts. The award is presented by the syndicated “e-Town” radio program People & places - p. 16

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

UPCOMING EVENTS Workshops, conferences Sign up for symposium PACER Center’s Mann Foundation Symposium is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon, Aug. 6 at DoubleTree Hotel, 7800 Normandale Blvd, Mpls. This is a learning opportunity for general education teachers, administrators and parents interested in mental health and learning disabilities in children and young adults. Understand the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and adolescents. $20 fee; space limited. FFI: http:// www.pacer.org/help/symposium/

Adult classes Independent living classes offered The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) offers free and accessible classes on living independently for people with disabilities. Most classes are held at 1600 University Ave., #16, the green tile building at University and Snelling, St. Paul, unless specified.

Summer fun is offered 1-4:30 p.m. Wed, June 20 at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls. for the “celebrate summer” social.

Plant flowers in a window box 10 a.m.-noon Thu, June 14.

Help yourself at assertiveness versus aggressiveness class, 1-3 p.m. Tue, June 19.

Meet at Como Park Zoo in St. Paul at 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Mon, June 25 to walk or roll around the park Discuss self-esteem and how to improve it 10 a.m.noon Tue, July 10.

Have fun with your food. Plan a healthy meal and learn portion sizes 10 a.m.-noon Thu, June 28.

Learn simple techniques, patterns and designs of knitting. Adaptive knitting equipment available; for all levels of knitters. Other crafts are welcome, 10 a.m.-noon Tue, June 19, 1-3 p.m. Mon, July 9 and 10 a.m.-noon Tue, July 24.

Weekenders outings are for those who are tired of sitting home all weekend. Meet other people who share similar interests and want to meet new people. Guests are welcome and encouraged. Outings recently have included museums, bowling and dinner out. June features community events. The Helping Paws Wag, Walk, Run event is 9 a.m-1 p.m. Sun, June 20. Please bring your spending money for events.

Events are free (with the exception of Weekenders outings), accessible and mostly scent-free. Please RSVP and give two weeks’ notice of needed accommodations.

FFI: Corbett Laubignat, 651-603-2028, corbettl@mcilmn.org, Cindy Langr, 651-603-2037, cindyl@mcilmn.org, 651-603-2037

Youth and families PACER offers workshops PACER Center offers useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with disabilities. Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified.

New to Special Education, a free workshop for parents of young children with disabilities is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thu, June 14. Get a head start on understanding the special education process, from evaluation to eligibility to determination of services. The workshop is designed specifically for parents of a child over the age of 3 who has recently been diagnosed with a disability or become eligible for special education services. Registration requested. FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237 (toll free), www.PACER.org

Support groups, meetings Mental health first aid course National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota hosts a free mental health first aid training course designed to teach the basic first aid skills needed to help a person who is experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. This two-day, 12-hour course will be held 9 a.m-4 p.m. June 14-15, Northwest Youth & Family Services, 2490 Lexington Ave. S., Shoreview. Participants should bring a lunch; receive a course manual and certificate. Registration required. FFI: 1-888-NAMI-Helps or 651-645-2948 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 incomebased 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 Mental Illness support groups 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 about two dozen family support groups, over 20 support groups for people living with a mental illness, anxiety support groups, groups for veterans and other groups.

Led by trained facilitators, the various groups provide help and support. FFI: 651-645-2948 Open Door Anxiety and Panic support, meets at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul. It meets at 6:30 p.m., on the first and third Thu. FFI: NAMI at 651645-2948, www.namihelps.org NAMI Connection peer support group for adults are led by trained facilitators who are also in recovery lead NAMI Connection groups. One group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tue, at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,

Pg 13

285 Dale St. N., St. Paul. FFI: Shelley, 651-228-1645.

NAMI has a support group for those living in the GLBTQ community and their allies. The group meets 1-2:30 p.m. Sat, at Minnehaha Spirit of the Lakes Church, 4001 38th Ave. S., Mpls. The support group will be a safe place to confront the challenges that many members of the GLBTQ communities face including low self-esteem, social isolation, stigma, discrimination, anxiety and depression. FFI: Kim 763-267-5881, Gabi 314-800-4134.

Volunteer, Donate Teach English or be a classroom tutor Help adult refugees and immigrants learn the reading, writing and speaking skills needed to thrive in the U.S. Morning, afternoon or evening classes are available throughout the Twin Cities through the Minnesota Literacy Council. The council has many opportunities that are accessible to volunteers with disabilities, and makes accommodations whenever possible. The literacy council provides training and support. FFI: Allison, 651-2519110, volunteer@mnliteracy.org, mnliteracy.org/volunteers/opportunities/adults

Events - p. 14

Pg 14 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Radio Talking Book June sampling Books available through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Phone is 1800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The catalog is 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 for your password to the site. See more information about events on the Facebook site for the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network. Facebook is a fee social networking web site. Register at www.facebook.com Access Press is one of the publications featured at 9 p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference.

Weekend Program Books Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing Healing at the Speed of Sound, by Don Campbell and Alex Doman, and 10 Mindful Minutes, by Goldie Hawn; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing Ghost Knight, by Cornelia Funke; Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing The Book of Ten, by Susan Wood; The U.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing North Country,

by Mary Lethert Wingerd.

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

The Swerve, Nonfiction by Stephen Greenblatt, 2011.

In 1417, Poggio Bracciolini found a manuscript that had been lost for more than a thousand years. It shaped the thoughts of Galileo, Freud, Darwin, and Einstein, and left its trace on the Declaration of Independence. It changed the world. Read by June Prange. Nine broadcasts. Begins June 20.

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

The Floor of Heaven, Nonfiction by Howard Blum, 2011.

The discovery of gold, in nineteenth century Alaska, set off a stampede of greed and lust for adventure. Fleeing the depths of a worldwide economic depression and driven by starry eyed visions of vast wealth, tens of thousands rushed northward. Read by John Potts. 14 broadcasts. Begins June 12.

Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

Mr. Chartwell, Fiction by Rebecca Hunt, 2011. When Esther Hammerhans opens the door to a new renter, it is a huge, talking black dog. She soon learns that when he leaves the house, it is to torture Winston Churchill as the lingering presence of his depression. He has come to Esther to torment her as he did her late husband. Read

by Edy Elliott. Nine broadcasts. Begins June 20.

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

Man Seeks God, Nonfiction by Eric Weiner, 2011. When a health scare puts him in the hospital, agnostic Weiner gets the unexpected question, “Have you found your God yet?” And so, Weiner begins a worldwide exploration of religions, hoping to come to a personal understanding of the divine. Read by Don Lee. 13 broadcasts.

Begins June 11.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

Gillespie and I, Fiction by Jane Harris, 2011. Elderly Harriet Baxter relates the story of her friendship with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who took his own life decades before, never having achieved the fame Harriet thought he deserved. She had arrived in Glasgow in 1888 and befriended the Gillespie family. She became a fixture in their lives; but when tragedy struck in the form of a kidnapping and trial, the promise of her new world spiraled into mystery and deception. Read by Eileen Barratt. 18 broadcasts. Begins June 25.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse, Nonfiction

by Suraya Sadeed, 2011. From her first visit to Afghanistan in 1994, Suraya Sadeed has been delivering relief and hope to Afghan orphans and refugees, to women and girls in situations too dangerous for other aid workers or journalists. Read by Jan Anderson. 10 broadcasts. Begins June 25.

Events - from p. 14

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

The Preacher, Fiction by Camilla Läckberg, 2011. In the fishing community of Fjällbacka, life, though peaceful, for some is tragically short. Foul play was always suspected when two young people disappeared twenty years ago.

Now their remains, found with a fresh victim, send the town into shock. L - Read by Bonita Sindelir. 14 broadcasts. Begins June 12.

Off the Shelf • Monday – Friday 10 p.m.

The Leftovers, Fiction by Tom Perotta, 2011. What would happen if a number of people in your town just vanished? That’s what happened in Mapleton and nothing has been the same since, not marriages, friendships, or relationships with children. L,S - Read by Judy Woodward. 12 broadcasts. Begins June 18.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

High on the Hog, Nonfiction by Jessica B. Harris, 2011.

This book takes the reader through the history of African American foods from the perspective of the African American experience. This story is set in the broader context of U.S. and even world history. Read by Alletta Jervey. 12 broadcasts. Begins June 14.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Primacy, Fiction by J.E. Fishman, 2011. Researcher Liane Vinson works at a primate lab at the world’s most secretive animal testing facility. Then one of her favorite animals, a bonobo she calls Bea, shocks Liane by demonstrating the ability to speak. L - Read by Dave Schliep.

14 broadcasts. Begins June 14.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

The Revisionists, Fiction by Thomas Mullen, 2011. Zed is an agent from the future when all the world’s problems have been solved—there is no hunger, no war, and no despair. His mission is to keep it that way which means ensuring that every cataclysm throughout history runs its course. L - Read by Charles Torrey. 20 broadcasts. Begins June 12.

Abbreviations: V - violence, L – offensive language, S - sexual situations.

Be ready to vote

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. Within the seven-county metro area, Autos for Arc can arrange to have a vehicle towed free of charge.

Call the toll-free Autos for Arc hotline, 1-877-778-7709, to arrange a pickup. Or drop off vehicles at a Value Village location. FFI: 1-877-778-7709, www.autosforarc.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: 612-617-7821. ■

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

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

Be ready to vote in 2012 and attend a workshop 67 p.m. Tue, June 19 at Goodwill Easter Seals cafeteria, 553 Fairview Ave. N, St. Paul. The St. Paul Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Claire Wilson from the Secretary of State’s Office, and Christian Knights, Public Affairs Associate with the Courage Center will present voter outreach and education information tailored to people with disabilities. The event is free and fully accessible; all are welcome.

Learn what is needed to vote in 2012 elections with the different accessibility tools available prior to and on election day including the automark machine, curbside voting, absentee voting and election judging Wilson will present on accessible voter registration and voting, and will demonstration the automark machine. This device is designed to assist voters who have visual or dexterity impairments. Knights will discuss the “Rides to the Polls” program and provide information on how to get involved as a volunteer or participant.

Miss St. Paul, Elizabeth Scipioni, who is also a Special Olympics Coach will be there to welcome attendees, as will Coleman.

The center is two blocks north of University and Fairview and is open during Central Corridor light rail construction. Access is open during light rail construction. Metro Transit Bus Routes 16 and 50 stop at University and Fairview. Bus Route Bus 67 stops directly in front of the Goodwill/Easter Seals Building.

Do you want to make a major impact with our readers?

Then consider being an Issue Sponsor for any issue of Access Press!

To be a full or partial sponsor, call 651-644-2133 or email us at Access@AccessPress.org

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

ACCESSIBLE FUN

Pg 15

at several Twin Cities locations. FFI: Sheila Johnson, 612-708-0591, sheila@pauladelmanendowmentfund. com to register for golf and/or Paul’s Party; Floyd Adelman for sponsorship opportunities at 952.935.5801 or floyd@pauladelmanendowmentfund.com.

Enjoy a barbeque For information on galleries and theater performances around the state, join the Access to Performing Arts email list at access@vsamn.org or call VSA Minnesota, 612-332-3888 or statewide 800-801-3883 (voice/TTY).

To hear a weekly listing of accessible performances, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883. On the web accessible performance listings are found at www.vsamn.org/ calendar.html, www.mrid.org, www.accesspress.org, or http://c2net.org (c2: caption coalition, inc.), which does most of the captioned shows in Minnesota and across the country.

Connect with performances on Facebook. Sign up to connect with Audio Description Across Minnesota on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Audio-DescriptionAcross-Minnesota/202035772468). Sign up to connect with ASL Interpreted and Captioned Performances Across Minnesota on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ pages/ASL-Interpreted-and-Captioned-PerformancesAcross-Minnesota/257263087700814.

Jane Pauley to speak Jane Pauley, a familiar presence on TV for almost 30 years, will deliver the keynote address at People Incorporated Mental Health Services’ 43nd Annual Luncheon 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Thu, June 14, Crowne Plaza St. Paul – Riverfront Hotel, 11 Kellogg Blvd E. Pauley will speak about her inspiring, best-selling memoir, Skywriting: A Life out of the Blue, which details her personal struggle with bipolar disorder. Tickets are $40 per person and include parking. Table sponsorships are available. FFI: Leslie DeBoer, 651-288-3508, Leslie.DeBoer@PeopleIncorporated.org

Kids who stutter Kids who stutter have a lot to say in Stuttering: For Kids

By Kids, a new DVD starring real children who stutter.

Check it out free at area libraries. Many children who stutter have never met anyone else who struggles with the same disability. In this DVD from the Stuttering Foundation, they meet other children who recount how they handle challenges such as teasing, speaking out in class, and teaching others about stuttering. Swish, a lively and engaging animated basketball character designed by students at Purdue University, narrates the DVD. The children, who range in age from first-graders to high school students, offer frank and sometimes differing views of stuttering. “All those interested in helping kids learn more about stuttering will want to see this tape,” said speech-language pathologist Bill Murphy of Purdue University. “The children featured are a perfect example of how to openly and honestly handle stuttering. FFI: 1-800-992-9392, info@stutteringhelp.org or visit www.stutteringhelp.org or www.tartamudez.org.

Laugh out loud Celebrated comedian and actor, Martin Short, headlines the inaugural Laugh Out Loud Twin Cities fundraiser for Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. It is Sat, Sept. 29 at the Marriott City Center, 30 S, 7th St,, Mpls.

Tickets went on sale June 4 for the event, which includes a VIP cocktail hour, dinner, live auction and comedy show. Tickets range from $250 per person for the VIP event and Dinner, Pre-Show Reception and Show to $100 to attend the pre-show reception and comedy show. FFI: www.LOLTwinCities.org

Minds Interrupted Minds Interrupted—Stories of Lives Affected by Mental Illness is 7 p.m. Mon,. June 18 at the History Theatre, 30 East 10th St., St. Paul. It’s a dynamic series of monologues by seven people from the Twin Cities area who will share from their own, or their loved one’s experiences with a mental illness. This unique program helps to break the silence surrounding mental illnesses, and shed light on the dedication and courage of those who live with them day in and day out. Minds Interrupted is a co-production of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota and the Compassionate Touch Network, an organization dedicated to promoting community health through education, healing, and the arts.

Tickets are $10. FFI: NAMI, 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org, www.mindsinterrupted.com.

Golf tournament The 17th Annual Paul Adelman Children with Disabilities Golf Classic & Paul’s Party are Mon, July 23 at Oak Ridge Country Club, Minnetonka. Events start at 11 a.m., including golf, hors d’oeuvres, silent and live auctions, a wine wall raffle, and lots of fun. WCCO’s Aristea Brady is emcee. Proceeds help children with disabilities

Members of the paralysis/spinal cord injury community and U2FP (Unite To Fight Paralysis) host a barbeque 3-5 p.m. Sat, June 30 at Bethel Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave. S., Mpls. Anyone impacted by the effects of paralysis is invited. Meet new friends, advocate for new legislation, and learn about new research and fitness opportunities, The volunteer organization is interested in curative therapies. Enjoy food, music and raffles. FFI: Carolyn Bredeson Matthew Rodreick, 612616-6763, 612-834-5472, carolynbredeson@gmail.com, roadreck77@gmail.com, http://unite2fightparalysis.org

Blue Man Group The Blue Man Group performs at the Historic Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Sun, June 17. Tickets are $35-85. Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting or Captioning services on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. Audio Description receivers may be used in any price level in the theatres. FFI: 612-339-7007, 612-373-5650, accessible@broadwayacrossamerica.com

Noises Off Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls, presents the theater company farce at its Mpls. theater. AD performance is 7:30 p.m. Thu, June 21. Tickets are reduced to $10 (regular $20-38)FFI: 612-822-7063, www.jungletheater.com

They Sang to Me Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus presents its Pride weekend concert at Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 4th St. S., Mpls. It is Dr. Stan Hill’s final concert as the Artistic Director of Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. ASL show is 8 p.m. Fri, June 22. Tickets are reduced to half-price for ASL patrons (regular $18-35, Sat $21-40, includes box office & facility fees) FFI: 612-624-2345; nto@umn.edu, www.tcgmc.org or www.tickets.umn.edu/Online/

Roman Holiday The Cole Porter/Paul Blake romantic comedy is presented by the Guthrie Theater on the company’s McGuire Proscenium Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. AD show is 1 p.m. Sat, June 30 with a sensory tour 10:30 a.m. There is another AD show at 7:30 p.m. Fri, July 6, ASL shows are 7:30 p.m.

Fri, July 13 and Thu, July 19. Captioning is 1 p.m.

Wed, July 18, and 7:30 p.m.

Fri, July 20. Tickets are reduced to $20 for AD/ASL, $25 for Captioning (regular $29-67) FFI: 612-377-2224, TTY 612-377-6626, www.guthrietheater.org

Measure for Measure Northfield Arts Guild presents one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies outdoors in Central Park, Winona and 3rd Streets, Northfield. AD show is 7 p.m. Sat, June 30, Tickets are $15, $10 student/ senior; FFI: 507-645-8877, www.northfieldartsguild.org

Enjoy a movie tonight Several theaters around the state offer accommodations for movie-goers, such as captioning or descriptive services. www.captionfish. com lists cinemas with access (AD/CC) features. Find theaters in your area by typing in your zip code. MoPixequipped Rear Window Captioned Films are listed at cam.wgbh.org/mopix/ nowshowing.html#mn.

Artist Kari Wagner Photo courtesy of Kari Wagner

Expressions of Faith is Landmark exhibit Local artist Kari Wagner brings her art to St. Paul’s Landmark Center in July. Wagner’s work will be displayed in the North Gallery of Landmark Center July 529, noon-3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Based in the Twin Cities, Wagner is known for her paintings of landscapes and seascapes, but, most of all for her wonderful flowers. Because of her cerebral palsy, she is non-verbal and unable to hold a paint brush in her hand. Wagner creates her unique artwork through the use of an adaptive headgear that holds her paint brush. Her head movements then dictate her brushstrokes.

Wagner expressed an interest in art as a very young child, coloring for hours. With the assistance of art therapists, she has explored a variety of art mediums, from ceramics to painting, as a means of expressing her feelings and her faith. She especially enjoys painting using watercolor or acrylic paints. Her artwork has been featured in art shows, on holiday greeting cards, on wedding invitations and on the walls of homes and offices of family and friends.

Anyone who would like an opportunity to meet the artist can visit Landmark Center noon-3 p.m. July 6, 7, 8, and 21. Wagner is excited to share her art with the community through her Expressions of Faith exhibit at Landmark Center. To find out more about her work, visit: www.kariwagner-artwork.com or www.landmark center. org/kari.html for more information about the exhibit.

Landmark Center, owned and sponsored by Ramsey County, is located in downtown St. Paul at 75 West 5th Street, facing Rice Park, next to the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and The Saint Paul Hotel. Landmark Center is fully accessible. Parking is available on street and in nearby Macy’s, Lawson, Science Museum and RiverCentre ramps. ■

Pg 16 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Marking 22 years

Celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act July 26 Celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at 1-3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26 at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center, 2001 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis. The event is free and all are welcome. Entertainment is also planned.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys Bahram Samie and Ana H. Voss will provide an update on 2010 regulations and current implementation.

The opening performance by Mark Erickson, an Anishinaabe drummer and storyteller who lives in Minneapolis and is blind. The Ole Olson Onstage Ensemble & Entourage from VSA Minnesota, will perform “See Me Hear Me” and “An Attitude toward Ac-

cessible Arts.” Performers with and without disabilities include Sam Jasmine, Juliette Silvers, Kaitlyn Mielke and Jon Skaalen.

Kaitlyn Mielke of Victoria will perform “Defying Gravity” from the musical WICKED in ASL as the closing performance.

She served as Miss Deaf Minnesota from 2009-2011 and is a summer intern at VSA Minnesota as part of course work for a master’s program at the University of Minnesota.

Performances will be ASL-interpreted, audio described and captioned. Light refreshments will be served. Sign language interpreters, CART, assistive

We remember

People & places - from p. 12

Caryl Barnet worked for arts access Caryl Barnett, a prominent social worker and activist for the blind, died at her home May 9. She was 78 and lived in St. Paul. Friends and family remembered her last month as a woman of great strength and resilience, whose own blindness didn’t stop her from leading a full life.

Barnett was a native of New York State. She and her family lived in Albany, N.Y. for many years. She moved to the Twin Cities in 1975.

Blind for more than 50 years, Barnett regularly spoke to groups about mental health topics as well as visual impairment and blindness. She is praised for helping to make the arts in the Twin Cities more accessible to individuals with visual impairment. She is remembered for training and assisting the “Touch Tour” docents at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts and the Walker Arts Center and the audio-describers at the Guthrie Theater.

In 2009, VSA Minnesota recognized her efforts with an award for Outstanding Promotion of Access to the Arts for People with Disabilities.

After receiving her MSW from Syracuse University, Barnett worked as a clinical social worker for 40 years. She held positions at Lutheran Social Service in Minneapolis and Jewish Family Service of St. Paul, retiring in 2001. She was also on the teaching faculty of the Gestalt Institute of the Twin Cities and was an active volunteer with many organizations, including the Walk-In Counseling Center and Jewish Family and Children Services.

listening devices and auto description will be provided. Other disability-related accommodations requests should be made by July 9.

This event is sponsored by the University of Minnesota Office on Disability, ADA Minnesota, VSA Minnesota, Access Press, Deaf and Hard or Hearing Services, State Services for the Blind, the Minnesota State Council on Disability and the Metro Center for Independent Living!

For more information, contact Cindy Tarshish, ADA Minnesota, 651-603-2015 or cindyt@mcilmn.org ■

In 2009 Jon Skaalen of VSA presented Caryl Barnett with an award for her arts access work. Barnett passed away this spring.

Photo Photo courtesy of VSA

She was well-known in her St. Paul neighborhood where she enjoyed walks with her dog guide.

Barnett learned to cross-country ski after losing her sight. The annual Ski for Light trips were among the highlights of her life.

Faith was important to Barnett as she was a very active member of Shir Tikvah, where she helped to establish the Caring Community (“Yad b’Yad”) committee. She advocated for people with disabilities within the synagogue. Services were held at the synagogue May 24. Donations may be made to Shir Tikvah in her honor, at www.shirtikvah.net She is survived by her son and daughter and their families, a sister, many nieces and nephews, and many friends. ■

based in Boulder, Colo. The program educates, entertains, and inspires its audience through live music and conversation. Nominated by listeners, winners are cited for making a positive difference in their communities and beyond. The pre-recorded episode featured the award presentation aired May 16-22 on 300 stations across North America.

Goldberg is a founder of PACER Center in Minneapolis, a national parent center that has been serving families of children and young adults with any disability since 1978. PACER provides individual assistance, workshops, publications, and other resources to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child or young adult with disabilities.

Founded in 2006, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center serves all children, including those with disabilities. It unites, engages, and educates communities nationwide to address bullying through creative, relevant, interactive resources. In 2006, PACER also developed National Bullying Prevention Month in October. The center’s award-winning websites each serve a specific audience: Information on the “e-Town” broadcast, and a list of stations that will carry it, is available at etown.org.

Benson’s leadership brought stability After 38 years of state service, Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) Executive Director Dennis Benson retired June 5.

“I am proud to have been part of a group of people who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Benson. “People who want to change can change. I am grateful to have been part of two organizations that genuinely care about marginalized populations. The work that goes on here is both noble and necessary.”

Benson began his state service career in 1974 as a correctional officer. He went on to serve as a casePeople & Places - p. 19

Diamond Hill Townhomes Diamond Hill Townhomes is a great property located near the Minneapolis International Airport. We have spacious two and three bedroom townhomes that are HUD subsidized and rent is 30% of the total household’s adjusted gross income.

Our Three Bedroom waiting list is now open and we are currently accepting applications. Our non-accessible Two Bedroom waiting list remains closed.

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2012

We are always accepting applications for our large number of mobility impaired accessible units. Please contact us for more information.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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612-889-2959

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June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Pg 17

Participants of the Year - from p. 1

Kevin Haakenson and his wife Carol were among the guests at the banquet.

Photo courtesy of Goodwill/Easter Seals

VSA cutbacks - from p. 3 “We’ve been an independent organization since 1986,” Dunn said. “One question is, do we stay independent, or do we talk to other groups about collaborating?” It is possible VSA Minnesota could work with another arts, education or disability community group about working together, be it a merger, a shared office or shared staff.

Another question is whether the group keeps everything in its current mix of programs, including work with individual artists, arts education and arts accessibility grants, programs and services.

VSA Minnesota recently notified grant recipients and winners and creators of its Jaehny Award of the loss of national funding. That has resulted in an outpouring of empathy but no donations. The loss of national funding will be emphasized in an upcoming fund drive, Dunn said.

VSA was founded by Jean Kennedy Smith, one of five sisters of President John F. Kennedy. The Kennedys have a longstanding commitment to people with disabilities as their late sister Rosemary was disabled. Another sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, helped found the Special Olympics.

When founded in 1974, the organization was named the National Committee—Arts for the Handi-

“Kevin has overcome a lot of obstacles,” said Bill Struzyk, Haakenson’s case manager at Goodwill/Easter Seals. “His determination is incredible. He puts his heart and soul into his job. Every day he does whatever it takes to be the best he can be.”

Willmar Home Depot Manager Matt Austin said Haakenson deserves the award because he’s an exemplary employee and “because as a person, he’s the epitome of doing the right thing. For Kevin, no hurdle is too high, no goal is unreachable.”

Two other award winners were honored. Smetana is a single mother who overcame homeless and chemical dependency. Muyahim left prison after more than two decades and overcame depression and other obstacles. Both are now employed, productive community members.

More than 300 people gathered to honor the award winners and celebrate a year of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota changing lives and building stronger communities.

Wirth-Davis said, “Our service approach has always been to recognize the dignity and build on the strengths of the people we serve. As a result, we have programs today that are considered models for the rest of the country. For example, we have a program that

helps non-custodial dads become better parents; another program pairs people with criminal backgrounds with mentors; a third program helps families move out of poverty by combining employment with mental health services. As you can see, our mission programs don’t just stand the test of time, they also grow stronger.”

Goodwill/Easter Seals also recognized its four Partners of the Year, Array Services Group of St. Cloud, Chipotle at Seven Corners, Urban Homeworks and Bremer Bank, for their ongoing support. The event was underwritten by Presenting Partners Marsden Holding, L.L.C., and Oppidan Investment Company, as well as other members of the business community.

More than $150,000 was raised at the event, to help the agency’s jobs training programs.

The evening also saw the announcement of the Fendler Paterson Skills Training Scholarship, which will give people with barriers to employment the opportunity to enroll in one of Goodwill/Easter Seals’ seven skills-training programs. Fendler Patterson, a long-time supporter of Goodwill/Easter Seals, provided the lead gift and generated further support from their industry colleagues.

This article was compiled from a media release and video from Goodwill/Easter Seals. ■

capped. In 1985 the name changed to Very Special Arts and in 2010 it became VSA. In 2011, VSA merged with the Kennedy Center’s Office on Accessibility to become the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

VSA’s mission is to provide arts and education op-

portunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all. It is active worldwide. The national website indicates that about 7 million people of all ages and abilities participate in VSA programs around the world. This participation is in every aspect of the arts—from visual arts, performing arts, to the literary arts. ■

Young Dance is one of many VSA-supported programs.

CREDIT Photo courtesy of Young Dance

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Greyhound - from p. 1 resorting to litigation in court. The settlement includes training and $4,000 from Greyhound, with $3,000 to Hughes and $1,000 to his legal counsel, the Minnesota Disability Law Center.

“It’s not so much about the funds as it is about how now we have disability sensitivity training for Greyhound in the State of Minnesota,” Hughes said.

The type of complaint Hughes made is similar to other intercity bus company complaints around the country, said Justin Page, an attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center. “We hope this raises awareness of the problem and makes Greyhound more accountable.” He said the required employee training is a good settlement.

The settlement is specific to Minnesota Greyhound employees, Page added. Hughes wanted injunctive relief, in the form of better employee training. If the disagreement hadn’t been settled, the matter would have gone to court, which Hughes wanted to avoid.

Hughes had booked an overnight business trip on Greyhound from Minneapolis to Chicago. Hughes, who uses a wheelchair, let Greyhound know the bus would need to have a lift. But when the bus arrived, the lift was broken. Nor did its key work. Hughes was given a refund for his ticket, “but the more I thought about it, I thought, hey, this is a disability rights issue.”

Greyhound and other intercity bus service providers specify in their ticketing information that passengers with disabilities should contact them in advance.

Greyhound’s website indicates a minimum 48-hour notice for a bus with a wheelchair lift. The website states, “ If you do not provide this notice, we will make every reasonable effort to help you if such an accommodation will not delay departure of the sched-

ule on which you wish to travel.” The combined weight of a passenger and a mobility aid cannot exceed 600 pounds, and the aid itself cannot be more than 30 inches wide and 48 inches high. Hughes said he made his reservation well in advance of the 48hour period.

“Mark didn’t even get a phone call saying the lift wasn’t working,” said Page.

Under the agreement with the state, Greyhound denied violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The agreement also indicates that the settlement doesn’t constitute an admission of discrimination by Greyhound.

Under the agreement, Greyhound employees who provide customer service to passengers shall participate in at least one hour of training on the public accommodations portions of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The training shall include policies toward accommodating individuals with disabilities, specifically, individuals with disabilities that affect mobility.

The training shall include education on the operation and testing of equipment that assists people with disabilities, on procedures to use if such equipment malfunctions, on reporting and documenting problems with equipment and on communicating with customers who request accommodations, to the extent that such employees’ job duties encompass such responsibilities. Within 60 days of the agreement’s approval, Greyhound will give state human rights officials the proposed content of the training. Verification that employees underwent training will also be submitted.

Refresher training will be conducted within two years.

The training will include education on the operation and testing of equipment used by Greyhound Lines Inc. Page said “The Disability Law Center does receive

She left legacy for children

by Access Press staff

Katie Beckett, who was featured in the November 2011 Access Press History Note, died May 18 in Cedar Rapids, IA. She died at St. Luke’s Methodist Hospital, the same hospital where she made history. She was 34 years old.

Katie Beckett and her mother, Julie Beckett, were longtime advocates for children with disabilities. Julie Beckett is a co-founder of National Family Voices, a national group that advocates for children. Katie Beckett worked as a writer and public speaker.

In November of 1981, when Katie Beckett was three, President Ronald Reagan allowed her to go home in time for Christmas and receive her Medicaidfunded treatment at home. At a press conference, Reagan explained how the child was being kept in the

hospital because of Medicaid rules which forbade paying for her home care. That was even though the cost to the government would have been one-fifth of the $10,000-$12,000 the hospital charged per month.

Her family worked tirelessly to get her to come home.

Presidential intervention made that possible.

“When we see a case of this kind,” Reagan said, “it reveals that hidebound regulations can be a tremendous expense to the taxpayers and do no good for the patient.” The president’s actions set a new precedent.

Not long after that, exceptions allowed parents like the Becketts, who made too much money to qualify for Medicaid, to receive at-home coverage of extreme medical costs for their children. This provision became known as the “Katie Beckett Waiver.”

In the three decades since, more than a half million children have received waivers to get their care at home, according to the Family Voices website.

In the fall of 2002, Katie wrote: “I started my advocacy career at age 10. It was not my choice but rather a path chosen for me. It was not until I was 12 or 13 that I realized the important work I was able to do because I was who I was, and how much this worked helped other kids. I realized that this was something I was born to do, so I was willing to take on the extra attention given to me by other students and teachers when I returned home even if it was embarrassing at times. Being singled out even for doing something so rewarding is uncomfortable and can create tension with other students. It made it difficult sometimes to fit in and just be normal.”

Dr. Sophie Arao-Nguyen, Executive Director of National Family Voices, said, “Katie was a great role model and quiet warrior whose work helped countless children across the United States.”

Federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, “Katie Beckett was a quiet hero and an inadvertent pioneer in the civil rights movement for people with disabilities. . . Over the past 30 years, the “Katie Beckett Waiver,” a Medicaid program, has provided over a half million children with disabilities the chance to live at home with their families and participate in their communities instead of living in hospitals and institutions.” ■

other transportation-related complaints. Airlines, bus companies and taxis generate complaints about lack of accommodations.”

Greyhound didn’t respond to a request for comment, indicating that the company typically doesn’t comment on legal issues.

Nationally, Greyhound has been the subject of several ADA-related complaints from riders. In 1999, Greyhound agreed to improve service for passengers with disabilities, resolving complaints that its drivers and other employees violated antidiscrimination law.

That out-of-court settlement was reached with the U.S. Department of Justice. At that time, Greyhound faced allegations that it denied boarding assistance to passengers with disabilities and that some of its facilities were not accessible.

Passengers with disabilities complained that they faced verbal harassment, or in some cases, were injured when they were physically carried off and onto buses. Sometimes other passengers tried to help when Greyhound staff refused to do so. At least one passenger was dropped. In another case, a passenger with a service animal wasn’t allowed to board a bus. In all, there were 14 complaints, based on incidents in about a dozen states.

At that time, Greyhound agreed to pay more than $17,500 in damages, including individual payments to 14 people who brought complaints, the Justice Department said. That agreement also requires Greyhound to make reasonable efforts to provide accessible bus service at all of the 2,600 destinations it serves when given 48 hours’ notice. That agreement also phased in accessible bus service in three stages.

At that time, lift-equipped service wasn’t required by the federal Department of Transportation (DOT). Use of lift-equipped service wasn’t required until 2001. ■

History - from p. 2 County, thought it was a difficult matter to determine just who was insane or feebleminded. He said that the feebleminded persons at the hospital should be sent to their respective homes to be supported by their parents and friends. Sen. Calvin Powers from Fountain in Fillmore County took a more extreme position. He proclaimed that he had no sympathy to waste on the parents of these imbecile and idiotic children. His sympathies, he said, were in favor of the unfortunate taxpayers, and he would oppose creation of another state institution as a means of spending the people’s money.

The Senate appointed the three senators who introduced these bills to a special committee to work out their differences. They compromised by proposing a new bill that met some of the issues raised in the debate. It provided that three doctors would determine which children from the hospital would be proper subjects for training and instruction and transfer them to the new school at Faribault. The school had to be in a separate building from the academy. Children who could not benefit from instruction and training could be sent home to their parents. And nothing in the bill was to be construed as creating a permanent institution.

This bill passed the Senate 25 to 4, with Page and Powers among the four who voted no. The bill then passed the House unanimously and was signed by Gov. John S. Pillsbury. The children moved to Faribault at the end of July 1879. The long-term issue of which of these children should be trained or educated was put off for another day.

Mattocks was from St. Paul, with a long history of service to children and education. His father, the Rev. John Mattocks, was a pioneer member of the St. Paul school board and an early superintendent of schools.

Mattocks School and Mattocks Park are named for him. ■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mncdd. org and www.partners inpolicymaking.com

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Pg 19

People & places - from p. 16 worker, unit director, associate warden, and warden of the Department of Correction’s (DOC) Oak Park Heights and Stillwater facilities. Benson also served as DOC deputy commissioner for the Facility Services Division for 12 years.

In 2008, he joined the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) as executive director of MSOP. Upon arriving at DHS, Benson was charged with helping separate MSOP from DHS’ State Operated Services, which serves people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, chemical dependency and traumatic brain injury. During his time with MSOP, the program has opened a new 400bed unit in Moose Lake, brought down the cost of the program and paid off a $16 million program deficit. Under Benson’s leadership, MSOP sought greater transparency and public awareness of the program. In addition, MSOP also saw the provisional discharge of its first client in a number of years.

Benson was a member of the National Deputy Directors’ Association and serves on the board of directors of Amicus.

Nancy Johnston, facility director at MSOP in St. Peter, will serve as interim director while DHS seeks a permanent replacement. ■

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Pg 20 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6