Working pays! Page 4
Volume 23, Number 9
Voters under guardianship win a round by Access Press staff
The rights of Minnesota voters with disabilities and the state’s election day registration program have won a round in U.S. District Court as Judge Donovan Frank on Aug. 17 dismissed a lawsuit led by the Minnesota Voters Alliance. The lawsuit raised significant challenges and was being watched closely by the state’s disability community, especially in light of challenge to voters who are under court-ordered guardianship. More than 22,000 Minnesotans are currently under guardianship. People with disabilities and their advocates are pleased that Frank ruled in their favor, yet their optimism may be short-lived. The plaintiffs have vowed to appeal Frank’s decision, in the hopes of getting a decision in their favor prior to the November election. An appeal would go to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. As of Access Press deadline no appeal had been filed. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs did not make a valid challenge to Minnesota’s law and legal decisions that protect the voting rights of persons under guardianship. The plaintiffs had challenged the Voters - p. 13
www.accesspress.org Never gives up
Commitment to social justice guides 2012 Charlie Smith Award winner Tenacity, a passion for social justice and a belief that people can make change are what guide the latest winner of the Access Press Charlie Smith Award. The Access Press Board of Directors and staff are very proud to announce that Charles “Chuck” Van Heuveln is the 2012 honoree. “Chuck Van Heuveln embodies so well the qualities of Charlie Smith, for whom this award is named,” said Anne Henry, a previous award winner and one of Van Heuveln’s nominators. “It was Chuck’s refusal to be put out to pasture, coupled with his stubborn and meticulous advocacy and belief that people can make change that gives him the qualities that Charlie Smith championed and why he would make the perfect Charlie Smith award recipient,” said veteran activist Mel Duncan, another of Charles Van Heuveln , the winner of the Charlie Smith award Van Heuveln’s nominators. Photo by Access Press Both Henry and Duncan are Access Press Executive Director Tim Benamong those who have worked with Van jamin praises Van Heuveln as a “fine man,” Heuveln on legislative issues. noting that he unselfishly works to better the Taking on injustice, be it in the polling lives of others. “Chuck is always busy but he place or in the workplace, is a longtime pasalways has time for a friend in need or anyone sion for Van Heuveln. “Chuck ushered in the that he sees unjustly discriminated. He has aldawn of the disability rights movement in ways been one of those guys that everyone Minnesota,“ said Duncan. “I well remember knows but is always in the back of the room how the indignities and barriers he witnessed avoiding the spotlight,” in registering voters for the 1972 election proVan Heuveln not only is a veteran activist, pelled him to seek changes in the 1973 legislative session.” Award winner - p. 11
A horse named Taco delivers food and smiles by Mollie Miller
Photo courtesy of Lutheran Social Services
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities. MN Permit No. 4766 Address Service Requested
by Tim Benjamin
Taco the horse and his co-worker, Al Heiraas, deliver meals in the Twin Valley area.
September 10, 2012
A group of seniors got a fun surprise when a horse named Taco showed up at their assisted living facility to deliver a buggy full of meals. The seniors were recipients of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota’s Meals on Wheels. Home-delivered meals help seniors maintain good health and remain in their own homes. The Meals-on-Wheels program provides a hot, nutritious meal for seniors age 60 and older who are homebound and unable to prepare their own meals. “We were told to go wait outside for a surprise,” said Harriett Huseby, one of the many individuals who rely on Senior Nutrition services for adequate meals. “No one expected to see a horse and buggy pulling up; it was really something.” Taco held a steady spot on an Amish farm for 14 years until his retirement four years ago. Now, a little older, but still ready to work, Taco has been dubbed an honorary Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) volunteer, doing what he can to help deliver meals to older adults living in Twin Valley. “We are so grateful for Taco,” said Amanda Ryan, site coordinator for LSS Senior Nutrition. “His presence has brought so much joy and happiness to the older adults we serve.” Taco's deliveries - p. 13
“In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.” — Thích Nhat Hanh
NEWS DIGEST
Highland Friendship Club members played in a really big game. Page 8
Few precautions were taken when children with disabilities traveled in the past. Page 2
Home health care workers are owed almost $275,000 in wages. Page 6
Flu season is coming and it’s time to get a shot. Page 7
Don’t miss an upcoming art show featuring artists with disabilities. Page 10
INSIDE Accessible Fun, pg 10 Events, pg 11 People & Places, pg 8-9 Radio Talking Book, pg 14 Regional News, pg 6
Pg 2 September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
EDITOR’S DESK
Tim Benjamin It’s past Labor Day and the close of the Minnesota State Fair, school has started and it all adds up to what most Minnesotans consider the end of the summer. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that we have more warm weather before we get overtaken with cold and snow. Seems to me that the end of every summer, we think we had a terribly hot summer and a light winter and at the end of the winter will say what a terrible winter we had and hope for the beautiful summer like we had last year. The weather is one of those things that we’re only satisfied with on the day after tomorrow about the day before yesterday. Across Minnesota, there is a lot of political conversation about the two constitutional amendments proposed for the November ballot. The marriage amendment and the voter ID amendment are controversial. An unnecessary part of the controversy is that the wording of the bills has made it difficult to understand which way to vote. The yard signs are saying “vote yes” or “vote no,” like the political commercials and short clips in the mass media. Few ads really explain what voting yes or no means: is yes for and no against? If I vote no on the marriage amendment, does
that mean I am against everyone having the same rights to marry? Does a yes vote on voter ID mean that I want people to have the same rights to vote? It’s confusing and the way I’ve resolved the confusion is to remember: each amendment is trying to change our constitution. I ask myself, do I think that those changes need to be made? I've said there are implications to these amendments (especially the voter ID amendment) for our community. Republican, Democrat, Green or none of the above—it doesn’t matter which party you’re aligned with, most of us don’t want to disenfranchise or take away the rights of our neighbors. I’m not advocating for anyone to vote yes or no, just encouraging you to consider carefully which way your vote goes. The national Republican and Democrat conventions are over, like summer, but the rest of the political season is guaranteed to be hotter. Mitt Romney and his vice presidential choice, Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc. became the Republican candidates. The Democrat convention confirmed President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as their candidates. I watched some of both conventions, and plan to keep listening to as many reports as I can from both presidential candidates. I hope you will too, using as many sources as you can find so that you understand each candidate and what they represent. It’s important for all Americans to stop being forced into one-sidedness and to cast votes that represent educated and ethically right choices for themselves in every election.
We’re excited to announce that Charles “Chuck” Van Heuveln will be awarded the Charlie Smith award this year on Nov. 2. The Access Press Board of Directors had a very challenging task in selecting the Charlie Smith award recipient from this year’s outstanding (and large) slate of nominees, and we’re all proud of their choice. Readers probably remember Chuck from the articles we wrote during the legislative session concerning his retirement and the age limitation on Medical Assistance for Unemployed People with Disabilities (MA”EPD). He lobbied and advocated and didn’t give up, and finally the legislature did make some appropriate changes in the age limitation. Read our front page article about Chuck’s many accomplishments over the years. Thanks to all of you who nominated a candidate for the award. The board received a record number of nominees, all of them incredibly worthy individuals. It’s very pleasing to know that so many people are recognizing Charlie Smith and the distinction of the Access Press award. If your nominee didn’t win this year, please nominate him or her again next year. There have been several winners who were nominated more than once, and each year highlights different aspects of an individual’s record. I hope each of you will be able to attend the award banquet to honor Chuck and the other nominees and join in on the celebration. It’s a great opportunity to meet and mingle with all of your friends and associates in the disability advocacy world. And of course there are some great treats in the silent auction and raffle that could be worth your time—and support the paper, too. See you all in November! ■
HISTORY NOTE
Travel arrangements would be unacceptable today by Luther Granquist
The Wright County Eagle for Friday, July 31, 1874 reported that Sheriff John Nugent had come through Delano the previous Tuesday while bringing sevenyear-old Henry Buri to the Hospital for the Insane in St. Peter. Henry, who lived south of what is now Annandale, had been committed in Wright County Probate Court the day before. His trip to St. Peter started with a stagecoach ride from Buffalo to Delano,
Volume 23, Number 9 • Periodicals Imprint: Pending ISSN Co-Founder/Publisher Wm. A. Smith, Jr. (1990-1996)
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Co-Founder/Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief Charles F. Smith (1990-2001)
Executive Director Tim Benjamin
Board of Directors Brigid Alseth Steve Anderson Kristin Jorenby Elin Ohlsson Halle O'Falvey Carrie Salberg Kay Willshire Cartoonist Scott Adams
Assistant Editor Jane McClure Business Manager/Webmaster Dawn Frederick Production Ellen Houghton with Presentation Images Distribution S. C. Distribution
Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material does not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press. Paid advertising is available at rates ranging from $12 to $28 per column inch, depending on size and frequency of run. Classified ads are $14, plus 65 cents per word over 12 words. Advertising and editorial deadlines are the last day of the month preceding publication, except for employment ads, which are due by the 25th. Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by Access Press, Ltd. Circulation is 11,000, distributed the 10th of each month through more than 200 locations statewide. Approximately 450 copies are mailed directly to individuals, including political, business, institutional and civic leaders. Subscriptions are available for $30/yr. Lowincome, student and bulk subscriptions are available at discounted rates. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at the St. Paul, MN 55121 facility. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Access Press at 161 St. Anthony Ave, Suite 901, St. Paul, MN 55103. Inquiries and address changes should be directed to: Access Press care of The Kelly Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-644-2133 Fax: 651-644-2136 email: access@accesspress.org www.accesspress.org
where he and the sheriff took the morning train to St. Paul. They would have taken the afternoon train from St. Paul to St. Peter. The expansion of railroads in the 1870s opened up rural Minnesota to settlers and trade. The railroad also placed the Hospital for the Insane in reach of families struggling to deal with children who were not insane but labeled “idiot,” or “imbecile,” or “feebleminded.” Probate courts committed these children and ordered the sheriff or some other person, often a stranger, to take them to St. Peter. More often than not they went by train. In a day and age when travel by children is carefully monitored and scrutinized, it is sobering to realize how seemingly casual the travel arrangements were made for children with disabilities. In September 1873, eight-year-old Nels Larson, committed by the Meeker County Probate Court, left Litchfield early in the morning for the hospital. The man who accompanied him knew only that his mother was a widow with eight other children. Johan Tobaben’s trip was longer. The eight-year-old boy from Elizabeth Township in Otter Tail County likely took the afternoon stagecoach from Fergus Falls to Campbell with the sheriff, stayed overnight there and
took the train all the next day to St. Paul. After another overnight stay, they arrived in St. Peter early in the afternoon on the Fourth of July 1875. Stina Aspaas, a young 11-years-old girl, traveled all day from Crookston to St. Paul, stayed the night and the next day went on to St. Peter with a “gentleman” who “knows little about her” and who she must have known little about, as well. Nels, Johan, and Stina were immigrant children, who likely traveled by train after reaching America. But traveling with their family would have been a vastly different experience than traveling to a state institution in the company of a stranger. For Henry the train was probably a new experience. The brief comment in the Wright County Eagle is the only account of such a trip. No record remains to tell how they reacted to being taken from home and to travelling with a stranger among strangers toward a destination they neither knew nor understood. These children had been difficult to deal with. Henry had “paroxysms of violence.” Nels was a restless boy, constantly running about. Johan could not speak. He also liked to throw things and make trouble. Stina had torn her clothing to pieces and mutilated her fingers with her teeth. No record remains to tell how their travelling companions, including other passengers, treated them. We will never know whether their trip was exciting, frightening or even terrifying. If the question was asked, by hospital staff when they got to St. Peter, the answer was not considered important enough to record. ■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mncdd.org and www.partnersinpolicy making.com
September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
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Nominees share a commitment to community service
Sue Abderholden
Julie Miller Jones
Kim Keprios
The field of candidate for the 2012 Charlie Smith Award was one of the strongest in the history of the honors. It was a very difficult choice for the Access Press Board of Directors. Here is a look at the finalists: Sue Abderholden “Sue Abderholden’s ability to balance being diplomatic with toughness and assertiveness makes her a particularly effective advocate,” her nomination stated. “She has the respect of legislators and government officials who are willing to listen to what she has to say. She is always well-informed and is able to explain the details of complex policy issues to a variety of audiences.” Abderholden has devoted her career to changing laws and attitudes that affect people with disabilities and their families. In her current role as executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota, she focuses on the stigma surrounding mental illness and the broken system of care for children and adults with mental illness. She is a frequent presence at the state capitol. Prior to her work with NAMI, Abderholden held leadership positions with The Arc of Minnesota and PACER Center. For seven years she was the deputy state director for U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. In that position she worked hard to make sure Minnesotans with disabilities could communicate their concerns to the senator. As president of the board of directors of the Work Incentive Connection, Abderholden led the development of the organization as an independent nonprofit. She also was instrumental in its merger with Goodwill/Easter Seals, Minnesota. She has spent countless hours advocating on a wide range of disability issues: health care reform, mental health parity, self-advocacy, caregiver support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employment, special education, transportation and housing. She believes strongly in the need for people with disabilities to tell their stories to policymakers. She understands the isolation that is caused by discrimination and stigma and has devoted herself to empowering people to come together to create change. Abderholden was on the White House lawn when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law 22 years ago. Abderholden holds a B.A. in political science from Macalester College and a master’s degree in public health administration from the University of Minnesota. Abderholden has received numerous awards for her advocacy in-
cluding the NASW Citizen of the Year, Excellence Award from the NAMI National Executive Directors Group, Paul Wellstone Advocacy Award from the Minnesota Psychiatric Society, the National Council of Executives for Arcs, the Marvelous Minnesota Woman Award from the Governor in 1991, Betty Hubbard Leadership Award from the Minnesota Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, Advocacy Award from Pacer Center and Leadership Award from the Minnesota S.I.L.S. Providers. She has also been a Girl Scout leader, a volunteer in Minneapolis public schools, host family for international students at Macalester College, and a volunteer in numerous political campaigns. She and her family have a foster care license and provide respite care to children with disabilities. Julie Miller Jones Eating right is important for everyone. However, following a proper diet can pose unique challenges for people with disabilities. For Julie Miller Jones, helping residents of Dakota Communities eat right is a rewarding part of her life’s work in food and nutrition. Jones is a professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, where she has twice won the Outstanding Professor of the Year Award. She also was honored with the Mysner Award, which is awarded by alumni in recognition of the professor who has most impacted their lives. In 2007 the university named Jones as a distinguished scholar and professor and as professor emerita in 2008. She has been involved with St. Catherine University for almost 40 years. Jones has given much of her time and talent to others. Her work with Dakota Communities is an outstanding example. Dakota Communities is a nonprofit organization that is based in West St. Paul. It houses people with disabilities in more than 30 residential settings throughout the Twin Cities. When approached by the staff of Dakota Communities to help plan menus for their residents, Jones wholeheartedly agreed to help. She brought her passion for healthly and delicious food, support for Dakota Communities and love of teaching college students to the table. She and five St. Catherine students embarked on a seasonal menu revision for Dakota Communities. They prepared recipes as well as shopping lists for staff, keeping in mind the desire for residents to enjoy ethnic foods they might not otherwise eat. Not only where the Dakota Communities residents and staff delighted with the new and improved menus, many of
the residents who needed to lose weight have done so by eating right. Collectively residents lost more than 600 pounds over several months. Weight reduction can have many positive health effects. Weight loss can help people reduce the amount of medication they have to take and can help control diabetes, among other conditions. Jones’ work was especially helpful to a group of people whose weight and weight-related health issues can be challenging. Jones has also been a keynote speaker at events around the world, and has given lectures locally and nationally. Her curriculum vitae lists includes than seven pages of presentations since 1996. She has also written articles and books about food safety and other food topics. She is considered to be an expert in carbohydrates, whole grains, dietary foods, food safety and other subjects. One indication of her stature in her field is that she is the 41st recipient of the Geddes Award, the highest award of the American Association of Cereal Chemists International. This award was given in honor of her scientific contributions. Kim Keprios Having a brother with significant disabilities has resulted in a lifelong avocation for Kim Keprios. Her accomplishments in the disability community span three decades. Her family ties are part of a lifelong commitment to her work and those she serves. Keprios is chief executive officer of The Arc Greater Twin Cities, which serves the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It is one of the largest chapters of The Arc in Minnesota. She has a strong interest and background in public policy, and spent a year in a fellowship at The Arc of the United States’ Government Affairs Office. Keprios is described as “an extraordinary champion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.” She has dedicated her life to the idea that people with disabilities can and should be part of the community, to live, learn, work and play as others do. She believes strongly that every life has value and that everyone is capable of making a contribution. She is a tremendous force for change and inspires others to be self-
Diana Kommer
advocates and use their own voices, talents and resources to make a difference. She has been a friend and mentor to many self-advocates. Her career as a disability service professional began with a degree in therapeutic creation. She joined Arc Hennepin County in 1982 as community services director, advancing to director in 1986. She led the chapter through successful mergers with Arc Carver County and Arc Three Rivers to form today’s organization. Under her leadership The Arc Greater Twin Cites has developed strong individual advocacy, self-advocacy and public policy initiatives focused on self-determination and community-building. The Lifetime Assistance Program helps people with future planning. Those in special education programs can benefit from GetSet! For special education success. GetSet! For Work is a work preparedness program. Abuse prevision and mentoring are other focuses for the organization. Keprios is a strong believer in the power of collaboration and is involved with many other community groups. She has served in a leadership capacity for years through Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she has served on the board of directors and executive committee. She has also chaired the United Way’s Council of Agency Executives. She currently serves on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund of Minnesota and on the University of Nominees - p. 5
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Employment programs do provide economic stimulus Employment of people with disabilities does have a positive economic stimulus effect and a strong return on investment. Cuts to such programs could be described as “pennywise and pound-foolish.” A recently released case study of Twin Cities-based Merrick, Inc. outlines the economic benefits and social dividend of employment programs. The study showed that public investment in day service programs at Merrick produce $3 of economic benefit for every dollar spent. When all of the benefits resulting from Merrick’s activities are added up, the $3.8 million program costs are outweighed by $10.9 million in economic benefits. Merrick, Inc., is a private, non-profit corporation, licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) as an adult day services, day training and habilitation and supported employment services provider, It is located in Vadnais Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. C. Ford Runge conducted the study. He is Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Applied Economics and Law at the University of Minnesota. The Stimulus Effects of Employment Programs for Minnesota’s Citizens with Disabilities: A Case Study of Merrick, Inc. is his study. Runge’s study, published by the Disability Studies Quarterly can be found online at: http://bit.ly/ ECSinDSQ Merrick serves more than 350 adult clients and employs 153 professional staff. The agency develops job sites, with more than 70 businesses. Approximately 180 clients work a day from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in a facility either receiving therapeutic services or working on various contracts outsourced to Merrick. About 130 people work on contract and the other 50 receive services. The other 170 clients are transported from the facility to employer-based work sites. Some of the current business partners include Accurate Components, De-
sign House Greeting Cards, MedTox, Kowalski’s Markets, Dodge Nature Center, University of Minnesota Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture Department and Warner’s Stellian. Merrick is always seeking more work sites. Merrick Executive Director John Wayne Barker said that in 2011 Merrick supported 42 clients hired directly by the employer at an average wage of $7.71 an hour and provided pre-vocational support to 289 clients on-site with an average hourly rate of $2.40 an hour. “Our primary focus on a day to day basis is finding meaningful work opportunities for clients in our program. Given a chance, we can provide you an employee that will not only help your bottom line but will improve your corporate culture and your involvement in your community beyond measure,” said Barker. In his study, Runge noted that throughout the United States, human services programs have been cut. He recounted the past several years of cuts in Minnesota as part of his study, as well as the overall climate of reduce support for Minnesotans with disabilities. Using Merrick, Inc. programs, Runge provided an alternative perspective to the cuts and described social dividends of employment in long-term care programs. “These extend well beyond the services provided to clients. Other dividends include wages to program staff, avoided costs of residential supervision, taxes paid by clients and staff and grants supplementing state taxpayer dollars,” Runge said. “Companies that employ people with disabilities through contracts with such programs do so because it makes good business sense.” Runge’s study indicates that there is a tangible stimulus such programs provide. It describes the social dividends of employment programs for people with developmental disabilities. These dividends extend well beyond the services provided to clients and their wages, transportation, and supervision. Other dividends include wages to program staff; avoided costs of residential supervision, taxes paid by clients and staff. Also, many programs seek to leverage state support by seeking grants supplementing state taxpayer dollars. Finally, the companies that employ people with disabilities through contracts with such programs do
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Merrick Executive Director John Wayne Barker is shown with a client, Alec M. Alec M. is working on a Smith Micro Tech contract. Photo courtesy of Merrick, Inc.
so both because of their civic concern and because it makes good business sense. Runge looked very broadly at benefits, including those to the Merrick clients, its professional staff, the savings in residential care costs when people are working, taxes, private sector benefits to employers and found support and charitable giving augmenting the public funding. Wages earned by Merrick clients are modest by any standards, but are still a source of economic support and a wage stimulus to the Minnesota economy. Total client earnings at Merrick in fiscal year 2010 were $536,750. Using the same multiplier calculation described for professional staff, such client wages generated $1,073,500 in final economic activity. In fact, the multiplier is probably higher because most are charged co-pays, have program fees or must “spend down” to remain Medicaid eligible so that a lower proportion of their earnings are saved. Additionally, if only 50% of these earnings are spent on items subject to the state sales tax, clients at Merrick pay $18,000 a year in sales. Beyond any monetary reward, wages earned by clients generate an incalculable but significant form of social capital: a sense of belonging and self-worth. Runge also extrapolated what the Merrick findings mean in the context of other similar Minnesota programs. The 295 programs served 16,235 clients. The calculated stimulus of the $10,925,314 at Merrick in aggregate benefits works out to $31,215 for each of its 350 clients. If this number is used to estimate the benefits to Minnesota’s 16,235 clients, the total for the state as a whole is $506,778,470. over half a billion dollars. Runge observed that this is “hardly a drag on the state’s economy.” ■
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Nominees - from p. 3
June Lacey
Steve Larson
Alan Peters
Joan Willshire
Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration advisory committee. She also served as a board member for the Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities. Keprios is active in NF Inc., a nonprofit that provides support and education to Minnesota families living with neurofibromatosis. Her son has the progressive condition, so Keprios and her husband John Everett founded the organization to help other families. Diana Kommer All artists enjoy the validation of their work that a public exhibition can bring. For artists with disabilities, who may have fewer venues to display their work, the sense of pride and accomplishment gained through an art show is beyond measure. One person who helps artists from around the world is Diana Kommer. She is instrumental in putting together the Sister Kenny International Art Show for People with Disabilities, held every spring in Minneapolis. Kommer has overseen the show for two years. She has worked for Allina Health for a decade and has spent the past seven years as an administrative assistant with Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Associates in the outpatient clinic. The art show is above and beyond her day-to-day work. Kommer is known for her outstanding dedication to the art show and for making it a good experience for all who participate—artists, their family members, art supporters and staff. Organizing the show is a large task, as more than 300 artists with disabilities from around the world participate in the show. Kommer and her son do a complete inventory of the art and prepare it for the judges to evaluate. The art show has taken place for 49 years but her nomination notes that Kommer’s work and dedication have made a great event even better. It is unusual for such an event to go on for so many years, and to have such significance for people with disabilities. The art show has the benefit of encouraging the capacity for creative expression by people with disabilities, and increases their sense of pride and personal identity. The show also gives artists a high-profile venue at which to exhibit their works. It also is essential to promoting the programs and services of the Sister Kenny Institute, and given the institute worldwide visibility. Artists participating set their own price for work. When a piece is sold, the artist receives 75 percent and 25 percent goes to support Sister Kenny Institute. Artists receive monetary prizes in six categories. The show wouldn’t happen without Kommer. Not only does she work carefully with every single entry, she’s also
arranges for the gala opening reception, transforming a gymnasium into a place where artists and their supporters can enjoy delicious hors d’ oeuvres to the accompaniment of musicians. All of the artists who can attend wear colorful indentifying ribbons. The event is wellattended and highly anticipated by the artists, their supporters, neighbors and Sister Kenny’s current and former clients. The artists enjoy their new-found celebrity and the time and care that goes into the reception, as well as the exhibit itself. June Lacey “Someone who always is thinking of others first” is an apt description of June Lacy. The Ashby resident doesn’t let osteoporosis, severe arthritis and scoliosis affect her abilities to contribute to her community. Even a stroke couldn’t slow her down. She finds a way to help others every day. While others would have given up, Lacey has chosen to uplift and help others. She always has a smile and a cheerful greeting for everyone she meets. Lacey is a lifelong community volunteer who helps individuals and organizations in many ways. Whether she is visiting nursing homes and care centers, collecting items for the needy or helping at community events, Lacey is always there for others. She has been known to hand her coat, gloves and hand them to a homeless person, so that person could stay warm. Lacey not only displays organizational skills and initiative in founding and helping to support events, she uses her talents of song, poetry and comedy to entertain and cheer up others. She loves to make other people happy. Her award nomination stated, “She is amazing!” Lacey, a longtime supporter of Courage Center, recently started a Midwest Walk and Roll event for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The foundation helps people with spinal cord injuries. The Walk and Roll has become very popular. She also founded Project Bear Hugs, which provides stuff animals to comfort people in a wide variety of settings. Bears delivered to shelters, nursing homes and hospitals provide great comfort to people who need cheer. Lacey noted that people who may not feel free to talk about their feelings to another person may be able to hug, talk to and be reassured through the presence of a stuffed animal. Lacey has helped raise funds and awareness for other organizations including the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Arthritis Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen
Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, the Salvation Army and the Disabled American Veterans. She has been a fixture at countless community events including the Minneapolis Aquatennial and St. Paul Winter Carnival. The events she has helped with also are a long list of fundraising walks, rummage sales, community festivals, bike rides, sports events and more. She was a key part of Ms. Minnesota Wheelchair activities. This longtime disability rights advocate has taken on a number of projects that have improved the lives of others. One project was to contact federal officials to make the case for a lift or ramp at the Mall of America, so that access could be improved for special events there. She is also known for her work to improve the lives of veterans with disabilities. Steve Larson With a broad and deep expertise in disability issues, Steve Larson is a strong advocate who has devoted his entire career to improving the lives of countless people. His work has had a statewide impact, through a long and varied career and his service with the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD). He has always worked to ensure that people with disabilities are fully integrated into the community. “Steve pursues his passion and dedication with a keen mind, a kind heart, and an uplifting sense of humor,” his nomination stated. “There are many Minnesotans with disabilities whose everyday lives have been impacted by the work of Steve Larson.” Larson’s career began in April 1974 when he and his wife Joan were hired as direct care workers at Mount Olivet Rolling Acres in Victoria. He became a program director at Bear Creek Services in Rochester in May 1976. Within four years, he became director of that community-based program for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. He went on to become Olmstead County Human Service, where he worked from 1987-1997, attaining the rank of program manager for developmental disabilities while
making major advances in community services for county residents. He then became the state of Minnesota’s director of disability services, where he worked until October 2001. There he was responsible for managing statewide programs, developing an annual budget and legislative agenda, and supervising 70-plus staff. One of his significant accomplishments involved opening up the developmental disabilities waiver program so thousands of Minnesotans with disabilities their families who had been waiting for services could secure them. Larson was hired as Executive Director for The Arc Minnesota in the fall of 2002. During that time, he was not only the administrator of the agency, but he served as chief lobbyist/ public policy director and the point person for local chapters as well. In 2007, he decided to focus solely on public policy and proposed that the agency hire a separate person to be administrator/Executive Director. Larson has served as senior policy director since February 2008. In this role he has worked on many issues including working to reverse the 20 percent relative personal care attendant cut passed during the 2011 legislative session. He is well-known at the local, state and federal levels of government, working as an effective advocate for people with disabilities. His expertise is sought by everyone from self-advocates and families to key policy makers. He also contributes much volunteer Nominees - p. 15
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REGIONAL NEWS Home health care workers owed wages The U.S. Department of Labor has found $274,884 in back wages due to 61 home health care workers in Elk River after an investigation of Accurate Home Care revealed overtime and minimum wage violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Accurate Home Care operates two residential nursing facilities in Elk River, where the company is based. It also has locations in Moline and Peoria, Ill. The company has agreed to comply with all areas of the federal regulations in the future. “Workers in the home health care industry provide an important service to the community. They deserve to be paid properly for all hours that they work,” said Karen Chaikin, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in the Midwest. “The resolution of this case should remind employers that the Labor Department will not hesitate to follow up if they deny workers their rightful pay.”
The investigation determined that the company violated minimum wage regulations by requiring employees to work without pay in order to make up hours from previous weeks. The investigation also disclosed overtime violations when licensed practical nurses were paid “straight time” rates, without an overtime premium, for hours worked over 40 in a week. For some licensed practical nurses, the employer banked “comp time” hours at straight time rates, providing time off in subsequent workweeks, rather than paying the required time-and-one-half for the overtime hours. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. In general, “hours worked” includes all time an employee must be on duty, or on the employer’s premises or at any other prescribed place of work, from the beginning of the first principal work activity to the end of the last principal activity of the workday. Additionally, the law requires that accurate records of employees’ wages, hours and other conditions of employment be maintained. ■ [Source: U.S. Department of Labor]
MN-CCD eyeing changes The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) will hold two meetings this fall that will shape the future of the organization. The first meeting is 1-3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24 at Goodwill Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave. N., St. Paul. For more than a year, changes to MN-CCD structure and bylaws have been studied. The organization is considering restricting and is weighing changes to its bylaws. Organizations that belong to MN-CCD are asked to review the bylaws. Any additional changes are due Sept. 10. The full set of proposed bylaw changes will be presented Sept. 24 and then voted on at the MN-CCD annual meeting, which will be held Monday, Oct. 29 at Goodwill Easter Seals. The September meeting will also be a time to hear updates from policy work groups and plans for the
2013 legislative session, as well as an update on restructuring. The October annual meeting board elections will also be discussed, along with any other disability policy issues. MN-CCD is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 organizations representing persons with disabilities, providers and advocates, dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities. The organization addresses public policy issues that affect people with disabilities by collaborating with others, advocating, educating, influencing change and creating awareness for understanding. Visit www.mnccd.org to learn more about the organization and review the bylaw changes, or to obtain more information about joining MN-CCD. ■ [Source: MN-CCD]
iCanConnect campaign underway Many thousands of Americans who have combined loss of hearing and vision may soon connect with family, friends, and community thanks to the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. Mandated by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established this new program to provide support for the local distribution of a wide array of accessible communications technology. The FCC is also funding a national outreach campaign to educate the public about this new program. The iCanConnect campaign will be conducted jointly by Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA, the Helen Keller National Center in New York City, NY, and FableVision of Boston, MA. iCanConnect wants everyone to know about the free communications technology and training that is now available to low-income individuals with combined hearing and vision loss. From screen enlargement software and video phones, to off-the shelf products that are accessible or adaptable, this technology can vastly improve their quality of life. iCanConnect seeks to educate people about the availability of communications technology for this underserved population so they can remain safe and healthy, hold a job, manage a household, and contribute to the economy and the community. Information about the new equipment distribution program will be available online at www.iCanConnect.org or by phone at 1-800-825-4595. Additional information is available through the FCC at www.fcc.gov/NDBEDP [Source: Federal Communications Commission]
Veteran sues over job loss An Iraq war veteran is suing the city of Rochester claiming disability discrimination after he wasn’t allow to return to his job with the police department. Jeremy Peterson is the son of Rochester’s police chief. He worked as a community service officer in the police department and was later promoted to police officer. In a complaint filed in Olmsted County District Regional News. - p. 12
September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
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HEALTH NOTE
Who should get vaccinated against influenza? by Dayna L. Wolfe, M.D. (physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist)
If you are an individual with a physical disability associated with chronic immunosuppression, you are at higher risk for catching the “flu”. The “flu” is an abbreviated term for influenza, which is an illness described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Many people use this term “flu” interchanged with “cold” but the flu is not the same illness as a common cold. Influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. The CDC publishes a comprehensive list of groups of people recommended to receive the influenza vaccination, which is administered by shot or nasal spray. The list is populated based upon up-to-date CDC database information. Vaccine
supplies are often limited, which varies from year to year, and the time of year can have an influence on availability. When supplies are limited, health care providers select the patients at higher risk for obtaining influenza for vaccination. For comprehensive information about influenza and the list of individuals who should have priority for vaccination when supplies are limited you may either contact the CDC at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - cdcinfo@cdc.gov or visit the following web site: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm ■ Wolfe is a physiatrist or rehabilitation physician. Rehabilitation physicians are medical doctors who have completed training in the medical specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation. She is licensed to practice medicine and surgery in Minnesota. She is a Board Certified Independent Medical Examiner (disability medicine expert).
Field scores a home run for Courage Center teams A 30-year dream came true Aug. 9 when Courage Center welcomed the public to the new Todd Anderson Field in Brooklyn Park. Members of Courage Center’s wheelchair softball teams—the Jr. Rolling Twins and the 2011 National Champion Adult Rolling Twins, Courage Center’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Research, John Tschida was among the Courage Center leaders on hand welcoming guests who included Brooklyn Park Mayor Jeffrey Lunde and City Council members; Dawnette Synder, regional market manager from Pepsi; Minnesota Twins’ President Dave St. Peter, Community Relations Director Bryan Donaldson and emcee Tim Laudner; Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin; Brad Ruhl, president and CEO of Ottobock; representatives from Minnesota Amateur Sports, Courage Center staff and volunteers, and many friends who came to the ribbon cutting and demonstration softball game. The new field, Minnesota’s first softball field for competitive wheelchair play, was made possible in part by winning a $200,000 grant through the Major League Baseball/Pepsi Refresh Project. In 2010, Courage Center was chosen by the Minnesota Twins to be the charity partner for the Major League Baseball/Pepsi Refresh Grant contest. The Twins competed against and were eventually victorious in the vote-getting campaign over 14 other MLB teams. More than two million votes were cast. The Minnesota Twins won the Pepsi Refresh Project by 60,000 votes. The ball field’s namesake, Todd Anderson, was an internationally-recognized expert and innovator in the design of artificial limbs and an inspiration in the adapted sports community. After a motorcycle accident left him as a single-leg amputee, he went back to school to become a prosthesis maker. He became active in adaptive sports, particularly wheelchair softball, in which he went on to help win national championships for Courage Center teams. He was a longtime employee of Ottobock. He passed away at age 50. The new field is at Northwoods Park in Brooklyn Park, at the intersection of 107th Ave. and Winnetka Ave. N. The field dedication was just one honor given to Courage Center in August. In conjunction with the field opening, Courage Center received the State Farm Go to Bat Award on Aug. 5 during the Twins’ pregame program. State Farm recognized Courage Center for its outstanding commitment and support of the local community. Members of the national champion Jr. Rolling Twins stood at home plate at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis to receive the award. Courage Center is a nonprofit rehabilitation and resource center that advances the lives of children and adults experiencing barriers to health and independence. There are two wheelchair softball teams managed through Courage Center, the Rolling Twins and the Jr. Rolling Twins. The youth team features players ages 618. The players learn fundamental softball skills like batting, fielding and base running in addition to the competition of games, some on a national level. The adult team competes both regionally and nationally. Baseball is just one of many sports and recreation opportunities offered by Courage Center. For more information on these programs, visit www.couragecenter.org/ ContentPages/ sportsandrec.aspx ■
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
TC Bear and friends celebrate the opening of the new baseball field. Photo courtesy of Courage Center
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PEOPLE & PLACES
Neighborhood Restaurant and Bar, Minnesota Label, Central Minnesota Westwind Enterprises, D&J Glove Repair, General Sports, Mark and Heidi Wingerd, Mark and Diane Rachac, Mike and Beth Domler, and several anonymous donors. The Highland Friendship Club supports young adults with disabilities by helping them make new friends, learn new skills and have fun too. Learn more and consider donating to their worthwhile organization at www.highlandfriendshipclub.org ■
Minneapolis Veterans Home holds grand opening and dedication Highland Friendship Club members enjoyed a baseball game in St. Paul. Photo courtesy of Highland Friendship Club
Friendship Club members play a Really Big Game The Highland Friendship Club, a group for people with disabilities, enjoyed The Really Big Game at the Highland Park Little League Fields in St. Paul Aug. 9. The baseball game spectacular for teens and adults with disabilities not only gave club members a chance to play on a real baseball field, they also received baseball jerseys and hats. It was a chance for 21 club members to participate in a team sport and perhaps gain some inspiration to try out for a future Special Olympics competition. More than 70 volunteers from the Highland area, signed on to assist with the needs to pull this event off. The St. Paul Saints baseball organization provided entertainment and Walser Toyota served free hot dogs. Additional sponsorship for The Really Big Game was provided by Target Corporation, Plum’s
Gov. Mark Dayton, federal and state leaders gathered Aug. 15 to for the grand opening and dedication of a multi-phase project at the Minneapolis Veterans Home. The event for Building 19 and the adult day center marks the first milestone of a major renovation and construction project to modernize facilities and meet the new industry standard of resident-centered care for Minnesota’s veterans. Building 19 is a state-of-the-art skilled nursing care facility that incorporates the latest technology and modern amenities to enhance care. This building has 100 private rooms designed around “neighborhoods” to offer care in a home-style atmosphere. This facility includes a greenhouse, barber and beauty shops, common areas with natural light and greenery and a town square. The adult day center is the second in the country to offer day services in a veteran-specific model of care operated by a state Veterans Affairs Department. This day program allows participants maintain their highest level of independence and physical and mental well-being while remaining at home. The adult day concept also provides care and respite for caregivers, helping ease the strain of caring for a loved one or family member. The Minneapolis Veterans Home opened in 1887 and is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. The Aug. 15 event featured a patriotic program with remarks by Dayton and other officials, special music and tours of the new and renovated buildings. ■
Concussion prevention emphasized Head injuries and concussions caused by sports are in the spotlight, with recent law changes in Minnesota
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meant to protect young athletes. Good Sports, a nationwide non-profit group, and Riddell Sports are bringing smiles to thousands of kids across the country with their donation of new Riddell Revolution Speed football helmets. Nearly 2,000 youth will benefit from this initiative including programs in Minnesota, Arkansas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas and West Virginia. The donation is part of Riddell’s commitment to protecting athletes through innovative technology. Riddell provides the helmets for the National Football League (NFL). Across the country, many youth football programs are struggling to provide proper equipment to the children who participate in their programs. Some have too many kids to support while others have financial constraints. Riddell’s football helmet donation will benefit a dozen programs nationwide. All helmets being donated are Riddell Revolution Speed helmets—one of the company’s most technologically-advanced helmets. The donation will help recipient organizations get one step closer to outfitting their players this season. “Thanks to generous partners like Riddell we are able to provide disadvantaged youth with opportunities to participate in athletic activities with the proper equipment—a critical component of supporting healthy, active lifestyles for young people,” said Melissa Harper, Good Sports’ chief executive officer. “This is especially important in football, where properly equipping a team can be too costly for all kids to be able to play.” ■
DHS hospitals celebrate anniversaries, new leader Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) hospitals in St. Peter and Rochester are celebrating milestones. Now in their sixth year of providing mental health care to area residents, the two community behavioral health hospitals also have a new leader. Anthony Walters began as administrator of the facilities in June. He replaced Carol Olson, who this spring became chief executive officer at the state-operated Minnesota Security Hospital. Walters was previously administrator of the community behavioral health hospital in Bemidji, leading it from January 2007 to June 2009. DHS began opening the hospitals in 2006 as part of a redesign of mental health services to replace large regional treatment centers with several communitybased programs. The 16-bed facilities provide shortterm, inpatient psychiatric care to adults until they can return home or transfer to a less intensive environment. The smaller setting within the community allows individuals to remain close to their homes, and support of family and friends, during treatment. Walters, who has 18 years of behavioral health care experience at government, non-profit and private organizations, said he is excited to be back with DHS. Most recently he was chief executive officer of Universal Health Services, Inc., in Arkansas. “I think the community behavioral health model does tremendous good,” said Walters. “For a patient, receiving evidence-based care in a humane way is extremely important. The model is very effective at determining what patients need and seeking to partner with individuals so they can achieve recovery.” The St. Peter hospital opened in May 2006, followed by the Rochester hospital in July 2006. In its first six years, St. Peter served nearly 1,300 people, and Rochester served approximately 1,000. The average length of stay across all community behavioral health hospitals in Minnesota is less than 20 days People & Places - p. 9
September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
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In Memoriam
PEOPLE & PLACESfrom p. 8 compared to 45-50 days at regional treatment center campuses. Less than 10 percent of patients are readmitted within 30 days of their discharge. Olson, who led the St. Peter hospital for its first six years and in 2012 also took over Rochester, credited the communities for helping in the hospitals’ success. “We work very closely with support systems in the community for when our patients no longer need hospital level of care,” Olson said. “We serve people close to home so that local support services, counties, families and their loved ones could continue that social connection to them, which is really important in recovery.” DHS State Operated Services currently operates seven community behavioral health hospitals across Minnesota in Alexandria, Annandale, Bemidji, Baxter, Fergus Falls, Rochester and St. Peter. ■
Lifetrack Resources to expand services with addition of WFRC Lifetrack Resources has announced the acquisition of Working Family Resource Center (WFRC) as a program effective Aug. 1. This will help both agencies better serve their clients. “Being able to move the collaboration between Lifetrack Resources and Working Family Resource Center to this level of integration will allow more parents and their children to benefit from WFRC’s high quality programming while enhancing Lifetrack’s work with families and individuals,” said TrixieAnn Girtz Golberg, President of Lifetrack Resources. This is a strategic decision to bring together complementary services and resources to the community, allowing families to access a greater spectrum of services including work-life education while collectively minimizing administrative expenses. Working Family Resource Center educates and supports employees to effectively manage the demands of work and family. For more than 25 years, WFRC has provided quality educational seminars at the worksite, in-person and online, in order to strengthen individuals, families and communities. Lifetrack Resources is a non-profit human services organization with a mission to work together to develop the strengths within children, families and adults facing the greatest life challenges so that all families and individuals are strong, healthy and productive members of the community. ■
Dick Endres founded Confidence Learning Center Dick Endres, a longtime state employee and founder of Confidence Learning Center, died Aug. 13. He was 84 years old and lived in Brainerd. Endres’ wife Jeanne died in July and he recently made the decision to end kidney dialysis. The Brainerd Dispatch interviewed him prior to his death. He also made one last trip to the camp in early August with some of his children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. He said that as he looked back on the progress that was made at Confidence Learning Center he wasn’t really surprised at all. “I always felt the camp could grow to this point,” he said. Endres’ career spanned a time when people with developmental disabilities were described as “inmates.” He began his career at Faribault State Hospital in 1960. In the interview with the Dispatch, Endres credited Gov. Luther Youngdahl’s administration with encouraging new staff methods that kept residents active with songs, games, marching and outdoor activities. In 1967 Endres and a group of friends formed a nonprofit corporation that bought 140 acres on Sylvan Lake. The land was cleared in 1969. Tents were used in the early years to house Camp Confidence, later Confidence Learning Center. For its first 25 years it was the state’s only year-round, free recreational camp for people with developmental disabilities. The center grew and expanded thanks to many donations and many fundraisers. Family members and friends helped out at the camp in the early years, so that counselors didn’t have to be hired. Camp activities included fishing, canoeing and beach activities in the summer. In the winter campers took part in cross-country skiing, tubing and ice skating. Endres said his philosophy was to emphasize the campers’ abilities not their disabilities. Endres worked for many years as camp director, while he still worked for the state. By encouraging family members and visiting staff to participate with the campers and to bring their own food, Confidence Learning Center was able to operate without the expense of hiring counselors. Endres received the Crow Wing County Human Rights Award in 2009 and was Brainerd’s Citizen of the Year in 1991. Services have been held. ■
Miracle-Ear founder is remembered Miracle-Ear founder Kenneth H. Dahlberg was remembered at a moving ceremony in late July at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. Dahlberg not only was founder of Minneapolis-based Miracle-Ear Inc., he also was a decorated World War II flying ace. Dahlberg passed away in October 2011 passed away at the age of 94. Close family members and friends gathered for an intimate service that included a military tribute and flag folding ceremony. Select Miracle-Ear franchisees attended as well to pay tribute to someone who they respected and admired. Dahlberg touched the lives of many throughout his years, but his impact on the hearing industry leaves many Miracle-Ear franchise owners remembering a man of great talent and character. In 1948, his entrepreneurial drive led him to create Dahlberg Electronics, a hearing aid manufacturer. By 1955 Dahlberg Electronics introduced a revolutionary product and is accredited for the development of the industry’s first all-in-the-ear hearing aid. Dahlberg Electronics evolved throughout the decades and today is identified as Miracle-Ear Inc., a franchised hearing solutions retailer. More than 60 years later, his entrepreneurial spirit is still present among the 180-plus nationwide Miracle-Ear franchisees who work day in and day out to share the gift of hearing with others. “Kenneth made an impact on many and his passion for hearing innovation has changed the world around him,” said Diana Beaufils, Senior Vice President of Miracle-Ear. “Speaking on behalf of the entire Miracle-Ear system, we honor the man who evolved the hearing industry into what it is today. He will continue to inspire us to make a difference in the lives of the hearing impaired.” Miracle-Ear uses state-of-the-art technology to remove the barriers of hearing loss. The PlymouthIn Memoriam - p. 12
Pg 10 September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9 Facing the Past exhibit
ACCESSIBLE FUN Welcome to the Access Press Accessible Fun listings. Readers looking for additional opportunities to enjoy the arts have these options: 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.
Artability show and sale More than 90 artists are involved in the 18th annual People Incorporated Mental Health Services Artability Art Show and Sale. It includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and writings from artists throughout the Twin Cities metro area. The three-day event is free and open to the public. The show will be held Sept. 27-29 at Historic Mounds Theatre, 1029 Hudson Rd, St. Paul. An opening reception will be held 6 p.m. Thu, Sept. 27. Weekend hours are 2-8 p.m. Fri, Sept. 28 and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat, Sept. 29. Artability is made possible in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, the Boss Foundation, Tapemark, and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. FFI: www.PeopleIncorporated.org.
One step at a time NAMI Walks, Changing Minds One Step at a Time, is a 5K walk to increase public awareness of mental illnesses, fight stigma, and raise funds for NAMI, the Na-
Facing the Past uses art to tell the story of people with disabilities who were institutionalized in Minnesota state hospitals. Between 1866 and 1997 more than13,000 people with disabilities, in 11 different state hospitals, were buried in state hospital cemeteries with numbered or unmarked graves. These forgotten and discarded lives serve as a stark reminder of a system that separated people with disabilities from the community and denied them basic human rights and dignity. The show can be seen through September at Claddaugh’ Coffee Shop, 450 W 7th Street, St Paul The emerging artists involved in this project are people with disabilities. Most are members of human rights organizations including Remembering With Dignity (RWD), Advocating Change Together (ACT) and SelfAdvocates Minnesota (SAM) One of the emerging artists, Kelly Lee, said, “It’s just plain fun. I keep learning and learning. And I gotta keep practicing. “ Facing The Past came out of another project, See Their Faces. Both projects were about process, not product. Artists wanted to know what their subjects may tional Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota. The walk is 1 p.m. Sat, Sept. 22 at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis and Whitney Memorial Park in St. Cloud. More than 150 walk teams and more than 3,000 people from all around the state are expected to participate. NAMI provides educational classes, support groups and advocacy for children and adults with mental illnesses and their families. FFI: 651-645-2948 ext. 112, 1-888-NAMIHelps, or go to namihelps.org and click on the NAMIWalks logo.
Emerging Artists reception Seven recipients of VSA Minnesota’s 2011 Emerging Artists Grant will have their work exhibited Sept. 13-29 at Homewood Studios Gallery, 2400 Plymouth Ave. N., Mpls. Each artist received a $1,500 grant earlier this year, funded by the Jerome Foundation, to help them create new work. Artists include Steven Accola, visual art, Mpls; Ethan Heidlebaugh, visual art, Mpls; Lane McKiernan, writing, Mpls; Tracy Gulliver, writing, Chisago City; Nancy Miller, visual art, Eveleth; Andrea T. Langworthy, writing, Rosemount; and James Van Amber, writing, Mankato. Opening reception is 6-8 p.m. Fri, Sept. 14. A reading is 6-8 p.m. Tue, Sept. 18. Refreshments will be available, work is for sale, and ASL interpreting and Audio Description are available if requested a week in advance from VSA Minnesota. Please refrain from wearing scented products. FFI: Homewood Gallery, 612-587-0230, www.home
have looked like, so they used portraits of former residents of the state hospital institutions that were buried with a numbered gravemarker. In some cases they also used photographs from family members in search of their lost relatives. The artists also drew on genealogy, which is generally sparse, as well as information about the subjects’ occupation and the time period they lived in. In Facing The Past artists continued their studies of drawing, investigated collage and researched what the life of an artist entails. They visited galleries, museums, artist studios and worked with artists in their studios. They also attended artists’ talks and sketch-outs sessions. They also attended meeting for artists with disabilities, and practiced their craft, developing their own style of drawing and painting. ■
woodstudios.com; VSA Minnesota, 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883 voice/tty, www.vsamn.org
Dave Ryan’s run for Special Olympics Hundreds of runners and walkers will participate in the annual Dave Ryan’s 5K &10K for Special Olympics Minnesota. The race is 9 a.m. Sat, Sept. 29 at Theodore Wirth Park, 1339 Theodore Wirth Parkway in Minneapolis. Last year’s event raised more than $45,000 for Special Olympics Minnesota. The event is presented by KDWB with support from the Minneapolis Park Police, the Minnesota Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. Cost is $30 for the 5K and $35 for the 10K prior to race day. Same-day registration is $35 for the 5K and $40 for the 10K. FFI: Alyssa Siech, 800-738-7732, ext. 255 or alyssa.siech@somn.org, http://daveryan5k.kintera.org.
Dignity Center fundraiser Philip Brunelle, choirmaster at Plymouth Congregational Church and artistic director of VocalEssence, has assembled a group of award-winning Twin Cities performers to support the Dignity Center, a stability program for the metro area’s homeless. The Center’s 10th annual benefit concert, Dignity for All, is 7:30 to 9 p.m., Mon, Sept. 24 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Ave., Mpls. Tickets are $35 per person or $30 per person when ordering 10 or more together and include parking. This event is open to the public. The Dignity Center, an outreach ministry of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church (HAUMC), supports homeless clients on their path to self-sufficiency. In 2011, the Center served over 4,500 clients; nearly 1,000 were new guests. FFI: 612-871-5303, theDignityCenter.org ■
September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9 Pg 11
UPCOMING EVENTS Advocacy Voter education offered Minnesota’s general election is Nov. 6. The Secretary of State Voter Education and Outreach staff and Disability Law Center are eager to connect with groups with disabilities that are interested in free voter education workshops and training—which can be catered specifically to the groups’ request. Information is also available at www.mnvotes.org. FFI: Pamela Hoopes, Minnesota Disability Law Center, 612-746-3711, phoopes@mylegalaid. org; Claire Wilson, Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State , 651-201-1339, claire.wilson@state.mn.us
Conferences Attend Arc conference "A New Vision in Action” is the theme for The Arc Minnesota State Conference, Nov. 16-17 at Crowne Plaza Suites Airport, Mall of America, Bloomington. This annual conference can help provide a new way of looking at disability supports and services in the years ahead. Hear about successes and best practices from parents, self-advocates, and people employed in the field who are creating visions of what is possible and how to get there. Hear from prominent leaders who are advancing disability rights and new futures for people with disabilities, including Judge Don-ovan Frank of the U.S. District Court in St. Paul, and Deputy Commissioner of Human Services Anne Barry. Hotel rooms are $99/night. Reduced conference fees for members of The Arc. Register by Sept. 29, and save $20 more. FFI: 1-800-5825256, ext. 113, www.arcmn.org
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. A series of classes starts 10 a.m.-noon Tue, Sept. 11 with Wise Personal Management. It is followed by Emotional Management and Time Management, Oct. 9 and 16. How to Turn Disability into Feistiness is 10 a.m.noon Mon, Sept. 17. Budgeting class is offered 10 a.m.noon Tue, Sept. 18 and Mon, Oct. 15. Bus training is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wed, Sept. 26 and Oct. 10. Farmers’ market trips including lunch are 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thu, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18. 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 Mon, Sept, 10 and 1-3 p.m. Mon, Sept. 24. Wii fun is back 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thu, Sept. 27. Cooking is 1-6 p.m. Tue, Sept. 25 and Oct. 30. 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. Dine at The Egg and I restaurant Sat, Sept. 22 and Oct. 20 at Modern Café. Please bring 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@mcil-mn.org, Cindy, 651-603-2037, cindyl@mcil-mn.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. IDEA: Blueprint for Special Education, a free workshop for parents of children with disabilities and for professionals, is 6:309 p.m. Thu, Sept. 13. This workshop will address how to use the building blocks of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to develop appropriate services for students. Registration requested. FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237 (toll free), www.PACER.org Parents with disabilities group MCIL offers a support group for parents with disabilities, Learn from and grow with others who are dealing with the intricacies of disability and parenting responsibilities. Everyone’s experience is valuable and questions are important. The group meets 5-7 pm. Mon, Sept. 24 and Oct. 29 at MCIL 1600 University Ave. W. St. Paul. Preregistration requested. RSVP: Corbett, 651-603-2028, corbettl@mcil-mn.org
Information and support 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 serves Medicare-eligible individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such as Minnesota Care 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) 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 Family support group meets in Roseville at 6:30 p.m., at Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 West, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. FFI: Anne Mae. 651-730-8434. Partners and Spouses support group meets 6:45 p.m. the first Tue of
each month at Falcon Heights United Church of Christ, 1795 Holton St. FFI: Lois, 651-788-1920, or Donna, 651-645-2948 ext. 101. 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, 285 Dale St. N., St. Paul. FFI: Shelley, 651-228-1645. Open Door Anxiety and Panic support, meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Thu 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 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org Family courses on mental illnesses Is a family member living with a mental illness? NAMIMN offers free educational courses that helps families gain a greater understanding of mental illness, discuss resources, build communication skills, reduce stress and find support. The Family-to-Family course will meet weekly on Tuesdays for 12 weeks. The course starts 6:30-9 p.m. Tue, Sept. 11, at North Heights Lutheran Church, 2701 Rice St., Roseville, Registration required. FFI: Stacia, 651-330-1730; Anne, 651-653-5116. A 12week borderline personality class is Personality Disorder Class for Families provides the most current information on Borderline Personality Disorder, teaches coping skills based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and helps families develop a support network. The class starts 6-8:30 p.m. Tue, Sept. 11, United Hospital, 333 N. Smith Ave., St. Paul. Registration required. FFI: Jennie, 651-6452948 Chronic pain support group MCIL offers a peer support group for people who live with chronic pain. The group will start meeting 6:30-8 p.m. Thu, Sept. 13 at MCIL, 1600 University Ave. #16, St. Paul. Group members will discuss what chronic pain is and how it affects people. FFI: Cindy Langr, 651-6032037, cindyl@mcil-mn.org
Volunteer, Donate Open the Door to Education Help adults reach their educational goals and earn their GED. Tutor, teach or assist in a classroom with the Minnesota Literacy Council. Give just 2-3 hours a week and help people expand their opportunities and change their lives through education. The literacy council provides training and support. Accommodations for volunteers with disabilities. FFI: Allison, 651-251-9110, volunteer@mnliteracy.org, www.mnliteracy.org/volunteers/opportunities/adults. 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 ■
Award winner- from p. 1 he has always worked and created an independent life for himself. He worked, as an accountant and then for St. Paul Public Schools. For 20 years he has worked with students with disabilities, helping them make the transition from school to work. “Now, 40 years later, he once again meets the indignities of an inaccessible community with the same courageous activist spirit,” said Duncan Van Heuveln was caught in a bureaucratic dilemma that could have resulted in the loss of his home and other assets. During the 2012 legislative session he led the fight for changes to Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD). MA-EPD is a program that permits people with disabilities to pay a percentage of their earnings, as an insurance premium toward medical expenses to county human services. Van Heuveln needs services to cover his personal care attendant needs, which are not covered under his employment insurance. But under state rules, he would be cut off at age 65 and placed on Medical Assistance, even though he wanted to continue working. He would have lost his job and most financial assets, and ultimately his home due to income restrictions that
would have made it impossible to continue to pay his mortgage. Undeterred he pushed for changes to state law to allow MA-EPD recipients to keep working, taking his case to the news media and raising awareness of this important issue. In many ways he became the face of working Minnesotans with disabilities who want to work and want to continue to contribute to society. He finally succeeded in making his case and getting the law changed. This will help many Minnesotans with disabilities continue to work and contribute to our tax base. He is no stranger to the state capitol and issues important to the disability community. Van Heuveln worked on several major bills in the 1970s. He was a leader in the effort to get all Minnesota public buildings built after 1972 to be accessible to everyone. This was years before the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. Another key piece of state legislation Van Heuveln was closely involved in was to add the word “disability” to state human rights law; removing demeaning language from much legislation. He led efforts to make all Minnesota polling places barrier-free and worked on grassroots voter registra-
tion activities. He was involved in efforts to change a past practice that had required that all absentee ballots be notarized before submission, a rule that made it difficult for many people to vote. He also led the push to ensure that public transportation and transit would be accessible to people with disabilities. Many people may not remember that Van Heuveln was instrumental in efforts to pass the signature stamp bill, making a rubber stamp a legal signature. That has helped many people who otherwise couldn’t sign for themselves. ■
Pg 12 September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
A Healthier U expo was a success
Regional News - from p. 6 Court in August, Peterson stated that he suffered hearing loss caused by multiple explosions during his service with the Army in Iraq. KTTC-TV reported that the complaint alleges the city of Rochester discriminated against Peterson by failing to allow him to return to his job as a community service officer when he couldn’t complete requirements to become a police officer. The city of Rochester hasn’t filed a response yet in the case. ■ [Source: Rochester Post-Bulletin, KTTC-TV]
MDI diversifies its clientele
About 40 exhibitors shared information about their programs and services for people with disabilities at the A Healthier U 2012 expo.
Renowned chef and restaurateur Brenda Langton is shown with Tony Becker, Community Relations Manager, UCare.
An Iron Range nonprofit organization says it’s successfully weaned itself from its dependence on the U.S. Postal Service. Minnesota Diversified Industries (MDI), which has its home base in the Twin Cities, employs disabled and disadvantaged workers in Grand Rapids and Hibbing. The Iron Range MDI operations relied on the United States Postal Service for work. But as the Postal Service has struggled, MDI has had to diversify its clients. MDI Vice President Barbara Majerus says diversifying and increasing its customer base, as well as controlling costs has helped reduce its debt by $6 million. Majerus says MDI has nearly tripled its workforce since the end of last year and now employs 425. Workers make a variety of corrugated plastic containers, kits and other packaging for business, including plastic mail trays and totes for the postal service, But Majerus told the Duluth News Tribune revenue is projected to double this year, from nearly $13 million in 2011 to $25 million. Majerus said several new $1 million-plus contracts with new and existing customers have boosted revenue. ■ [Source: Duluth News-Tribune, KSTP-TV]
Medicaid changes are announced
A Mind Body Solutions yoga instructor leads an adaptive yoga session at the A Healthier U 2012 expo for people with disabilities. Matthew Sanford of Mind Body Solutions was keynote speaker. Photos courtesy of Ucare
In Memoriam - from p.9 based company specializes in customizable hearing solutions that feature discreet, comfortable products designed to meet each individual’s hearing loss needs.
Wayne Brown championed the mentally ill Wayne R. “Bumps” Brown, founder of Brown Printing Company, Waseca, and a pioneer of web offset printing, died of complications of a stroke at his home in Indian Wells, CA on July 23. He was 87. The Waseca native went to work for his family’s printing company after college. He led the growth of
Brown Printing Company. The company is now the third largest magazine printer and fifth largest catalog printer in the US. Brown employs more than 2,200 employees in three web offset printing facilities that produce over 1,000 different magazines and catalogs, including Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Elle, Esquire, PC World and MAC World. Brown donated much time and effort to the Minnesota mental health community. One of his sons was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1971, and Brown served on the board of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Minnesota (NAMI-MN) and helped with their publications for many years. His family would like memorials to go to NAMIMN, 800 Transfer Road, #31, St. Paul, MN 55114. Services have been held. ■
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The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced federal approval to implement changes to the way it pays health care providers under the state’s Medicaid program. These changes place increased emphasis on quality of care, health care cost and overall value. The changes were announced Aug. 9. The Health Care Delivery System (HCDS) demonstration, approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is another step by Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration to improve the way health care is purchased for Medicaid in Minnesota. “Minnesota is moving full steam ahead when it comes to reforming our health system so that we pay for quality of care and outcomes for our clients, not just the quantity of procedures,” said Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. “I’d like to thank our federal partners for their cooperation and support in this effort to provide better care for Minnesotans and greater savings to taxpayers.” Historically, publicly-funded health care programs in Minnesota have been either fee-for-service (paying providers per procedure) or managed care (paying a health insurance company to provide coverage). The HCDS demonstration projects will contract directly with providers in a new way that allows them to share in savings for improving quality of care and patient experience and reducing the total cost of care for Medicaid enrollees. In this new model, people enrolled in Minnesota Health Care Programs will receive more coordinated care to improve their overall health, and health care providers will be paid based on the quality of care they provide to their patients and their ability to reduce the cost of care. This encourages providers to be innovative in how they provide care and allows them to focus on the quality of care versus the amount of care they provide. “A key factor in reforming our health care system is working with doctors, hospitals and other providers to better coordinate care for patients. We need to look at patient care as a team effort with one overall shared goal of a healthy patient outcome,” said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. The department expects implementation of the initial demonstration projects later this year. They would include up to 150,000 enrollees in Minnesota Health Care Programs from both managed care and fee-forservice. Department staff is working on final negotiations with the first group of nine providers. ■ [Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services]
September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9 Pg 13
Voter - from p. 1 constitutionality of the guardianship statue as it pertains to voting. In his ruling Frank indicated that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to make their claims related to voters under guardianship. The judge did review the constitutional questions they raised and indicated that current state law needs to prevail. Under state law persons under guardianship only lose their right to vote if a judge takes away that right. “The constitutional prohibition against voting based on guardianship status applies only when there has been an individualized judicial finding of incapacity to vote,” Frank stated. The Minnesota Disability Law Center and The Arc Minnesota filed an amicus or “friend of the court” brief with Frank during the court proceeding. The brief cited the legal and legislative basis for the presumption that people with disabilities under guardianship have the right to vote. Frank said the brief provided a “comprehensive overview and history of Minnesota guardianship law.” Frank also stated, “The amicus brief also discusses the history relating to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990) as well as the Voting Rights Act. (See id.) In passing the ADA, Congress acknowledged that society has historically isolated and segregated individuals with disabilities and that discrimination against individuals with disabilities continues to persist in many critical areas, including voting. See 42 U.S.C. § 1210(a)(2-3). Also, the Voting Rights Act states that “[a]ny voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter’s union.” “Judge Frank’s decision is a victory for people with disabilities,” said Justin Page, Advocate and staff at-
Taco’s deliveries - from p. 1 Last summer, the small town of Twin Valley celebrated its 125th anniversary with a parade. After spending all his life in town, Al Heiraas wanted to do something special for his hometown. “My niece had just bought a horse from an Amish family and I knew he’d be perfect to march alongside in the parade,” Al said. “Taco is a beautiful animal and he was great on display but I could tell he was itching for more.” Al’s wife, Donna, knew of the perfect job for Taco. As site manager for LSS Senior Nutrition in Twin Valley, she is always looking for drivers to deliver meals to homebound seniors; she thought Taco would be a great addition to the team. “My husband told me about Taco so I knew he was a special animal,” Donna said. “I had been feeling like the seniors who are homebound were in need of some excitement and change to their daily routine, and I knew bringing Taco around would do that.” After borrowing a buggy from a neighbor and loading up 15 meals, Al and Taco went on their first delivery run last June. “I grew up on a farm with lots of horses and sometimes a buggy was our only mode of transportation,” Al said. “Spending time with Taco brought back so many wonderful memories for me.” Al got to relive his farm days again last month when he helped Taco strap on his buggy for a second time. With help from four other volunteers, Taco and Al successfully delivered 12 meals to unsuspecting seniors. “Seeing Taco and being able to touch him and talk to him brought me back to a simpler time,” one senior said. “What a unique experience to have a piece of your childhood come back to you.” “It’s all about the appreciation from the people,” Al said of volunteering. “I feel lucky to be able to bring smiles to their faces and make them happy.” When asked if Taco would continue his volunteer duties next summer, Al simply replied, “God only knows.”■ Miller is a writer for Lutheran Social Services. This article was also shared with the Twin Valley Times.
torney for the Minnesota Disability Law Center. “The court rightly recognized that under Minnesota law, people with disabilities who have guardians still have the right to vote, unless a court specifically takes it away.” The Minnesota Disability Law Center is the statewide federally mandated protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities. Its purpose is to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. “This decision means that the voice of people with disabilities can still be heard at their polling places in this election year,” said Steve Larson, The Arc Minnesota senior policy director. “Minnesota law recognizes the right of people with disabilities to have a say in decisions that affect their daily lives, including whom their elected officials will be. The lawsuit made inaccurate assumptions about the capabilities of people with disabilities to have a voice at the ballot box. We are extremely pleased with the court’s ruling.” Minnesota law presumes that individuals under guardianship have the right to vote and provides that individuals under guardianship have the right to vote unless a court specifically revokes that right. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs sought change the legal presumption and make it more difficult for individuals under guardianship to vote. They used examples from around the state, with most in Crow Wing County, to allege that people with disabilities should not have been allowed to vote in past elections. Their descriptions of voters angered many in the disability community. Frank rejected the challenge because the plaintiffs failed “to allege a valid constitutional harm with respect to Minnesota’s voter eligibility provisions for persons under guardianship.” Another issue that affects voters with disabilities was the challenge to same-day registration, which Frank also rejected. In the disability community same-day registration is used by people who have moved and by people who may be in a group home or nursing home. More than 540,000 voters used same day registration in the 2008 presidential election. Similar or higher num-
bers are expected Nov. 6. The Minnesota Voters Alliance, state Rep. Sondra Erickson R-Princeton and other groups challenged same-day registration because they don’t want votes counted before voters’ eligibility is confirmed. With close elections including the U.S. Senate Franken-Coleman race, the plaintiffs contended that counting ineligible votes dilutes the rights of eligible voters. Voters who register on election day must bring specific documents to provide identity and residency, or they can have someone who lives in the precinct vouch for them. State and county officials had contended that they shouldn’t have to do more than what is currently required to provide eligibility. Frank agreed, saying it is an “erroneous premise” that election officials must check eligibility before actually counting votes. “Under Minnesota election statutes, voters themselves certify their eligibility to vote, under threat of criminal prosecution if they do so falsely,” the judge stated. “This decision today means that the half-million Minnesotans who were relying on election day registration to update their registration, or because they just turned 18, this means they will be able to vote smoothly,” said Secretary of State Mark Ritchie in a statement. Ritchie and other state and county election officials were defendants in the lawsuit. ■
Pg 14 September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
Radio Talking Book Books available through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. - 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
Weekend Program Books Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing The Prosperous Heart, by Julia Cameron; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing Wolf Storm, by Dee Garretson; Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing Double Truth, by Chard deNiord, and That Said, by Jane Shore; The U.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Keeping Watch, by Kathryn A. Sletto, and The Assassination of Hole-in-the-Day, by Anton Treuer. Access Press is one of the publications featured at 9 p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference.
Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m. The Power of Habit, Nonfiction by Charles Duhigg, 2012. Reporter Duhigg shares discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death. Read by June Prange. 10 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 19. Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m. 1493, Nonfiction by Charles C. Mann, 2011. When Columbus landed in the Americas, he set off an ecological convulsion as European vessels carried thousands of species across the oceans. Read by Malcolm McLean. 19 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 25. Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m. The Lost Saints of Tennessee, Fiction by Amy FranklinWillis, 2012. When Zeke Cooper loses his twin brother in a drowning and his wife to divorce, he skips town to escape his grief. He leaves behind two adolescent daughters and his estranged mother. Read by Alletta Jervey. 10 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 17. The Writer’s Voice • Monday – Friday 2 p.m. Hot Cripple, Nonfiction by Hogan Gorman, 2012. Exmodel Hogan Gorman lived the typical New York working actor’s life, auditions and classes at day, waitressing at night, until she was hit by a car traveling at 40 miles per hour. With no insurance and with debilitating injuries, she was forced to deal with the system. L,S - Read by Lynda Kayser. Nine broadcasts. Begins Sept. 19. Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m. The Golden Hour, Fiction by Margaret Wurtele, 2011. Giovanna has just turned seventeen. The Second World
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War bears down on her village as the Italians sign a peace with the Allies. When her brother joins the Resistance, he asks Giovanna to hide a wounded fighter who is Jewish. Read by Anne Obst. 11 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 24. PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m. Don’t Shoot, Nonfiction by David M. Kennedy, 2011. Gang and drug-related inner-city violence is the defining crime problem in our country. But self-taught criminologist David Kennedy engineered the “Boston Miracle” in the 1990s and pointed toward a solution. Read by Hugh Jones. 15 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 25. Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m. The Lost Women of Lost Lake, Fiction by Ellen Hart, 2011. Jane’s friend Tess is being harangued by a man claiming to be a journalist who keeps asking questions about events decades ago. Tess’s friends are being very protective. Jane decides that the best way to protect her friends from secrets is to uncover the truth before anyone else can. Read by Constance Crane. 10 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 24. Off the Shelf • Monday – Friday 10 p.m. As Though She Were Sleeping, Fiction by Elia Khoury, 2012. Milia’s response to her new husband Mansour and to the Middle East of 1947 is to close her eyes and drift into parallel worlds where identities shift, where she can converse with the dead and foresee the future. Read by Jim Gregorich. 14 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 11. Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m. The Perfect Gentleman, Nonfiction by Imran Ahmad, 2012. Imran Ahmad was born in Pakistan, but his parents moved to London when he was a boy. Growing up as a Muslim in London was very confusing for him. He was completely confused about most things, including religion. Read by Bill Studer. 14 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 11. Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Red Plenty, Fiction by Francis Spufford, 2012. The USSR was founded on 20th century magic called “the planned economy” which was going to have an abundance of good things that capitalism could never match. For a little while, in the 1950s, the magic seemed to be working. Read by Bob Malos. 15 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 25. After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m. The Marriage Plot, Fiction by Jeffrey Eugenides, 2012. Madeleine cannot understand why other students think reading literature about love is so passé. And then she becomes involved in a love triangle the effects of which carry on beyond graduation. S – Read by Arlan Dohrenburg. 21 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 18. Abbreviations: V - violence, L – offensive language, S - sexual situations.
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September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9 Pg 15
Nominees - from p. 5 time to the disability community, serving for many years as district chairman for the Polaris District of Boy Scouts. The district is specifically focused on special needs scouting. Larson’s work with the district opened up many opportunities for young people. Alan Peters People and dogs in need find each other thanks to Alan Peters, founder and executive director of Can Do Canines. What Peters started as a program to train homeless dogs to become the “ears” for people who are deaf or profoundly hard of hearing has expanded to serve people with many other disabilities. Today, Can Do Canines trains dogs to assist people with physical disabilities, diabetes, seizure disorders and autism. For more than 23 years Peters has worked to improve and expand Minnesota’s assistance dog program by developing the highest standards in training and graduating almost 400 assistance dog teams. Peters serves as an ambassador to civic and professional groups to raise awareness of the positive affect assistance dogs can have on an individual, families and the community at large. This work provides society with a better understanding of disabilities and opportunities to help every person lead a more independent life, thanks to a specially trained dog. Prior to the founding of Can Do Canines, it was much more difficult for area residents to obtain an assistance dog. Many programs charged for their services or only trained dogs for a limited number of disabilities. Can Do Canines has grown to become the largest organization accredited by Assistance Dogs International in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. A passion for work with assistance dogs prompted Peters to leave a successful private business career. He not only followed his dream, he and everyone else at Can Do Canines work hard to reach new milestones each year. Whether it’s an individual turned away by other programs or a dog abandoned at a shelter, Peters works tirelessly to find a positive result. He also makes sure that all clients, regardless of ability to pay, can have an assistance dog. His unwavering dedication to the assistance dog industry has resulted in a $4 million capital campaign and a permanent home for Can Do Canines. This effort will make it possible for the organization to continue to grow and service clients in the future, and to help the organization generate needed revenues. The work of Can Do Canines and Peters has not only changed the lives of those who receive assistance dogs, that work has also had a positive impact the lives of the dog recipients’ friends and family members. Not only do program graduates get a sense of freedom and independence, their family members and friends know there is a safety net for their loved one. A parent of a child who received an autism assistance dog wrote, “I never in a million years dreamed that a dog could make such a difference in my son’s life and ours.”
Joan Willshire When it comes to addressing and resolving many issues that face Minnesota’s disability community, Joan Willshire is described as “relentless.” Her leadership and passion, as head of the Minnesota State Council on Disability (MnSCOD) and as a volunteer, is widely admired. Even after her husband’s death from oral cancer, Willshire became more energized to help others and draw attention to this health issue. Willshire has dedicated her adult life, both professionally and personally, to improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. When not directing the MnSCOD staff, coordinating board activities or working on legislative issues, she is a dedicated volunteer. She has been a member of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities for more than 20 years. Willshire served for several years as chairperson and was instrumental in the committee receiving national recognition for its work on access and inclusion. Since 1986 she has been an active and contributing volunteer at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society MN Chapter, working on numerous projects and committees. She has spearheaded fundraisers for oral cancer, and has been a tireless advocate for oral cancer education and research since her husband’s death. She works with the Oral Cancer Foundation and raising thousands of dollars to promote awareness and find a cure. Professionally, Willshire has been the executive director of the Minnesota State Council on Disability since 2003. She has worked at Courage Center in the medical supplies field. In her work at MnSCOD she has outpaced other previous directors in her involvement and leadership on disability issues. She established regular statewide town hall meetings where disability issues could be discussed. She was instrumental in establishing partnerships with other state agencies that leveraged funds to address and resolve disability issues. In these partnerships, employment issues were addressed, emergency preparedness material was developed and distributed and critical transportation policy was created that ultimately provided services in additional rural counties. She is an effective and hard-working legislative liaison, meeting with and discussing disability issues with most every legislator in office. She doesn’t hesitate to provide leadership and support on critical issues at the legislature or in the community. Her personal disability experiences give her insight and passion that other leaders in state government often lack. She also makes it a priority to network with other disability organizations throughout the state. In 2007 when her uncle died in a veterans nursing home due to neglect, Willshire made it her personal crusade to fight for improvements. She testified in front of several legislative committees, met with legislators, advocates and reporters and was successful in her fight for a better quality of life for disabled and senior veterans. ■
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FOR RENT Lewis Park Apartments: Barrier-free housing with wheelchair users in mind. Section 8 subsidized. One- and two-bedroom units. For more information on availability call 651-488-9923. St. Paul, MN. Equal Opportunity Housing. Oak Park Village: We are accepting applications for the waiting list for one-bedroom wheelchair accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient St. Louis Park location. Call 952-9359125 for information. Equal Opportunity Housing. Calvary Center Apts: 7650 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN. A Section 8 building now accepting applications for our waiting list. Call 9 am to 4 pm, Mon – Fri 763-546-4988 for an application. Equal Opportunity Housing. Holmes-Greenway Housing: One- and two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient SE Minneapolis location. Call 612-378-0331 for availability information. Equal Opportunity Housing.
EMPLOYMENT Employment ads are $22-$25 per col. inch. Mail to: Access Press care of The Kelly Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-644-2133 • FAX 651-644-2136 Email: access@accesspress.org
SEMCIL – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEMCIL is seeking a dynamic individual to provide visionary leadership and direction to the operation of our programs. Responsibilities include oversight of daily operations, directing and adapting to the changing health and human services environment, budget preparation & monitoring, grant writing, compliance with local, state and federal rules and regulations, fund raising, and collaboration with the mgmt team. Req. a minimum of a B.S. degree, M.S. preferred, in administration, health and human services or a related field, a min. 5 years exper. in upper level management and working with individuals with disabilities, a passion for the non-profit sector, compassion for those served, a confident and natural communicator, proven fundraising skills & financial savvy, experience in home care management and Medicare and Medical Assistance regulations. Any qualified candidates must submit their résumé by email, with salary requirements to SEMCIL: SEMCIL & Choice Home Care; Attn: HR Manager 2200 2nd Street SW; Rochester, MN 55902 andya@semcil.org EOE
BDC Management Co. is now accepting applications for our waiting lists at the following affordable communities Albright Townhomes Buffalo Court Apartments Elliot Park Apartments Evergreen Apartments Franklin Lane Apartments Hanover Townhomes Lincoln Place Apartments Olson Towne Homes Prairie Meadows Talmage Green Trinity Apartments Unity Place Vadnais Highlands Willow Apartments Woodland Court Apartments
Minneapolis Buffalo Minneapolis Hutchinson Anoka St. Paul Mahtomedi Minneapolis Eden Prairie Minneapolis Minneapolis Brooklyn Center Vadnais Heights Little Falls Park Rapids
(612) 824-6665 (763) 684-1907 (612) 338-3106 1-800-661-2501 (763) 427-7650 (651) 292-8497 (651) 653-0640 (612) 377-9015 (952) 941-5544 (612) 623-0247 (612) 721-2252 (763) 560-7563 (651) 653-0640 (320) 632-0980 1-888-332-9312
We are accepting applications for our large number of mobility impaired accessible units. Please call us for more information.
1 BR 2 BR 2 BR 1 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR 2 BR 1 BR 2 & 3 BR 2 BR 1 BR (sr) 2 BR 3 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR
Pg 16 September 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 9
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