September 2016 Edition - Access Press

New CEO, Page 10

Volume 27, Number 9

www.accesspress.org

Metro Transit must allow data access

2016 Honoree

Metro Transit must provide a bus passenger with disabilities and his attorney with access to data from a 2013 incident, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled August 24. The ruling is a win for bus passenger Robert Burks and the Minnesota Disability Law Center. The center and attorney Justin Page are assisting Burks in his quest to gain access to the data.

Burks is blind and has a complaint against Metro Transit that is based on access to a bus. He needs the data to validate his complaint. The bus on which the incident occurred is equipped with five cameras, to record activity with sound and images. It stores more than 300 hours of activity, which can be transferred to DVDs. Legal action was filed against the Metropolitan Council, which operates Metro Transit. The high court ruled that under state law, a passenger may access the video recording of an incident on a public bus when Court decision - p. 7

by Jane McClure

by Access Press staff

Cliff Poetz is remarkable for decades of community service A longtime advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is the 2016 Access Press Charlie Smith Award winner. Clifford Poetz has been a disability rights activist since the early 1970s, with many remarkable accomplishments to his credit. He will be the guest of honor at the Access Press banquet November 4 in Bloomington.

News of the award was a surprise to Poetz. “I was very humbled to learn that I am receiving the Charlie Smith Award,” he said. “I consider it to be quite an honor.” He knew Smith and is proud to accept an award given in Smith’s name.

“This award means a lot to me.”

Looking back on his work as a self-advocate, Poetz said 2016 Charlie Smith Award winner Cliff Poetz Courtesy photo he is driven by the desire for boards and committees, and his work at the everyone to have the best life possible and to University of Minnesota Institute on Commube part of the community. Poetz also gives nity Integration (ICI). He has been a steady and credit to the many people he has worked with consistent presence at the state capitol. He was over the years, adding that he couldn’t have the first person with a developmental disability accomplished as much alone. to testify before a Congressional subcommitPoetz had several nominations for the tee, back in 1973. award, in recognition of his many years of 2016 Charlie Smith Award winner - p. 15 volunteer advocacy, for his service on many

Minnesota sends 11

2016 Paralympics faced major challenges As 11 Minnesotans prepared to attend the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, news reports indicated that the games faced major challenges, budget

Rose Hollerman, Chuck Aoki and Ian Lynch are U.S. 2016 Paralympics Team members with strong ties to the Courage Kenny Institute.

Courtesy photo

cuts and the unexpected closure of facilities.

The International Paralympic Committee announced August 19 that the games would go ahead, but with changes. The Paralympics began September 7 and continue until September 18. Slower-than-expected ticket sales and a lack of sponsors have hurt the games.

“Never before in the 56 years of the Paralympic Games have we faced circumstances like this,” said Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Craven said the committee is doing all it can to address the potential problems, including seeking additional financing in Brazil.

The Paralympics Games reign as the world’s top competition for athletes with disabilities.

The cuts won’t change the number of events, but are expected to affect the number of workers available, how people get around and which sports venues are in use.

The wheelchair fencing event was moved to the Barra Olympic Park. Deodora Park, where it was originally to be held, was to be dismantled. Some media centers were shut down.

What is concerning were that some travel grants, which were to be paid in July, are past Paralympics- p. 5

September 10, 2016 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities. MN Permit No. 4766 Address Service Requested

“The system is making it so that in order to have our basic needs met, as employees we have to become less invested in the clients and in turn the quality of care provided declines.”

— S. Josephson

NEWS DIGEST

Plan ahead for the November election Page 3

Meet the Charlie Smith Award nominees Page 3

Is there a shortage of workers?

Check the numbers Page 4

Sponsor, prize and accommodations deadlines drawing near for the Access Press banquet Page 7

Miracle Field opens in St. Paul Page 10

Note the radio program change Page 14

INSIDE Regional News, pg 6 People & Places, pg 10 Events, pg 11 Enjoy!, pg 12 Radio Talking Book, pg 14

Pg 2 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

EDITOR’S DESK

Tim Benjamin As I started writing this month’s editorial, I knew I wanted to avoid starting out with my continuing concerns about the critical shortage of direct support staff (DSP) personal care attendants (PCAs) in the disability community. I’ll get to that, but lucky for me and you, we have happy news to focus on first: the Charlie Smith award banquet coming up on November 4. That’s always a pleasure to talk about, because the award puts a spotlight on people doing the hard and usually invisible work of advocating for people with disabilities.

Cliff Poetz is the winner of the Charlie Smith award this year. Cliff, a community liaison with the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota, has been at the center of the disability rights movement in Minnesota for decades. He was one of the first advocates who had himself spent time in Minnesota’s institutions for people with disabilities. Cliff has spoken out publicly—in the Minnesota Legislature, in the U.S. Senate, and in the Wall Street Journal—to provide first-hand examples of life in an institutional setting. He has helped many understand how degrading and dehumanizing the institutions were. Charlie would be very proud to know that we are bringing Cliff into the fold of Charlie Smith Award winners. Cliff represents exactly what the award is all about, and that is giving voice to those people with disabilities who are not able to speak up for themselves and tell their story to policymakers.

Read more about Cliff and this year’s other outstanding nominees in this month’s Access Press.

Reflecting on what life was like in the institutions described by Cliff and many others, I get scared that some of us may have to look at institutionalization as

the only option left, considering the lack of caregivers.

And that brings me back to my chief topic this year.

I’ve been reading about the psychological concepts of classical and operant conditioning in teaching and learning. Operant conditioning was developed by B.F. Skinner who was a professor at the University of Minnesota for many years. (His name is used in “The Simpsons” TV show as Principal Skinner. You know you’ve made it when you’ve been depicted as a character on “The Simpsons.”) It’s a reward-based approach to learning or training, where progress toward the goal is positively reinforced or rewarded.

Most of our careers are reward-based: you work hard, you learn what makes for success, and as you become more competent and efficient, you achieve goals and are rewarded. In most careers the reward is some sort of financial compensation. That doesn’t exist in the PCA program. In the PCA program, you peak at the highest wage within a very short time— and usually not for becoming more skilled, but just for showing up reliably. Too often, after reaching a “peak” wage of maybe $11.50/hour (or $23,000 per year, without sick leave, vacation, or other typical benefits), PCAs leave the field. They look for more rewarding careers with different responsibility, less medical stress, higher pay and a more progressive career path that will continue compensating them for increased skill and experience. The PCA path doesn’t offer any new goals, and it doesn’t offer adequate rewards even for a goal of stability.

Like their PCAs, agencies aren’t rewarded to achieve the state’s goals of providing assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities. An agency receives no financial reward from the state for teaching and nurturing employees in their jobs. When an agency places a newly hired PCA for on-the-job training with another PCA or with a supervising nurse, it can bill the state for only one individual’s work. It takes time, and it costs a lot to teach the ap-

propriate competencies or skills (but most “training” is completed in a shift or two at most). Obviously, it also costs agencies when there is any turnover in staff. In addition, advertising, recruiting and training—even at a minimum level—is very costly. Far too often, agencies can’t afford to follow all the rules.

As a result, they often do not train adequately or follow up with a “qualified professional” supervising the PCA at every required task.

Within the PCA program there are two completely different plans: Traditional PCA and PCA Choice.

With Traditional PCA, an agency recruits, hires, trains, schedules and terminates—and does all the administrative and financial side of running the plan. In PCA Choice, a client hires, manages and terminates employees as needed, while an agency does all the payroll administration and financial accounting. PCA Choice can often permit a client to offer higher wages and have more choice in choosing employee caregivers. It makes many clients more confident that they are in control and less likely to be institutionalized. For many people with disabilities, however, the number of hours it takes to run a choice program may not leave enough time to work in a chosen career.

Many don’t want to have their careers become solely running their own care agencies.

Because in PCA Choice the agency only does the administrative and financial end and the client does the other work, it’s more attractive to the agencies, and there are fewer and fewer agencies that offer Traditional PCA. The definition of choice is: an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. It’s becoming harder to find agencies that offer Traditional PCA, which ironically leaves little choice.

I’ve always used Traditional PCA. Next month I will try to find someone who can write more on the positive sides of PCA Choice. Maybe they will enlighten me on which program really offers the best options and the most independence.

Have a good month. September’s beautiful weather is usually a great reward for living in Minnesota! ■

HISTORY NOTE

Partners in Policymaking reached out during 1990s The following is excerpted from The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities series, Forty-Five Years of History 1971-2016.

Partners in Policymaking, since its inception in 1987, has been a consistently important focus for the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. During the first decade of the program, Partners demonstrated its success. Training session evaluations, six-month follow-up surveys and longitudinal studies showed that the basic design principles, the core values and competencies based on best practices that are the foundation of the Partners program were working. Minnesota had found an effective means to encourage continuing public policy advocacy by individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Volume 27, Number 9 Co-Founder/Publisher Wm. A. Smith, Jr. (1990-1996) Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Charles F. Smith (1990-2001)

Advertising Sales Michelle Hegarty 612-807-1078 Executive Director Tim Benjamin

The Partners approach to training was eyed by others across the United States. In 1990, the council worked with Ed Roberts at the World Institute on Disability to secure additional federal funding to teach other states how to replicate the program. A “Project of National Significance” grant provided the financial support to hold the first National Academy in California.

Twelve states were invited to attend. One year later, five of those states were operating a program.

In 1992 the Minnesota council worked with the Developmental Disabilities Council in Texas to cosponsor the second National Academy. It was attended by representatives from 24 states, 12 of the original states and 12 new states. The 1993 National Academy presented the program to representatives of 36 states.

The network of Partners graduates, more than 4,000

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Board of Directors Production Brigid Alseth, Steve Anderson, John Clark, Managing Editor Ellen Houghton with Presentation Images Kristin Jorenby, Halle O'Falvey, Jane McClure Distribution Carrie Salberg, Cheryl Vander Linden, Dick S. C. Distribution VanWagner and Mark Zangara 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 and advertising do not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press.

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by 1995, advocated for persons with developmental disabilities across the nation.

In 1992, the first National Summer Leadership Institute was held in Minnesota for Partners graduates.

The institute offered training on current issues, additional leadership skills, and networking opportunities.

National Institutes were also held in 1993, 1994, 1997 and 1998.

In the 1990s the focus also turned to that of developing local leadership among culturally diverse parents of children with developmental disabilities. It extremely important to creating inclusive, multicultural communities. A council survey found that “few parents in those communities knew that their children with disabilities had specific rights to education and History Note - p. 13

September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

Pg 3

Learn about candidates, issues and get ready to vote Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. It’s never too early to learn about candidates and make plans to vote. Minnesota disability advocacy and service groups offer information and resources for voters, as does the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

For people with disabilities who want to avoid long lines at the polls, casting a ballot by mail or before Election Day can be a huge help. Minnesota offers “no excuses” absentee or early voting. Ballots are available to be mailed or for early in-person voting 46 days before an election.

Recent changes to state law also offer permanent absentee voter status, which would result in an absentee ballot mailed to the voter before each election.

Voters who live in townships outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area can use Expanded Mail Balloting. Registered voters in these rural areas will be able to get their ballots directly in the mail and mail them back for counting. That will help people with disabilities and senior citizens in areas where otherwise individuals might have difficulty getting to the polling place.

Contact the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office at 1-877-600-VOTE or the county elections office to find out about absentee ballots and early voting. Or go to www.disabil ity.state.mn.us/resources/voting-information/ or www.mnvotes.org for information.

Want to go to the polls on Election Day? Plan ahead. Unless a service materializes, no “rides to the polls” service will be offered in 2016. Voters should work with their regular paratransit providers, family members or friends to obtain transportation to the polls.

On Election Day voters with disabilities can seek accommodations at polling places.

Ask to obtain assistance in filling out a ballot. This should be done under the precinct head election judge’s supervision, with two judges from different parties. Voters may also bring a friend or family member to assist with voting. A third option is to ask to use the Automark ballot marking system available in many counties. The Automark is a ballot marking device for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Voting workshops and candidate forums are coming up. The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) offers the Exercise Your Right to Vote workshop, 6-7 p.m.

Thursday, September 22 at the AuSM office, 2380 Wycliff St. #102, St. Paul. The workshop is a time to educate individuals with autism and other learning differences on eligibility requirements, registering to vote, how voting works and accessibility.

Cindy Jarvi from the Minnesota Disability Law Center will lead the workshop.

Jarvi has extensive knowledge in special education, discipline and forms of dispute resolution. She trains parents, school staff, public defenders, and county services staff and also works on voting rights.

The workshop is free but participants should register. Got to www.ausm.org for details.

Best Life Alliance, ARRM and many partners have scheduled candidate forums throughout the state.

Attend, meet candidates for office Voters should prepare for Election Day File photo and learn about key issues. Forums are by Minnesota Senate district or Congressional district.

The District 42 forum is 6-8 p.m. Monday, October 3, Ramsey County Library, Roseville Library, 2180 N. Hamline Ave., Roseville. Cohosts are REM Ramsey, Northeast Residence and Living Well Disability Services.

District 19 forum is 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, October 4, Blue Earth County Library, 100 E. Main St., Mankato. Cohosts are MBW Company, Harry Meyering Center and Habilitative Services.

District 14 forum is 6-8 p.m. Thursday, October 6, St. Cloud Public Library- Mississippi Room, 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud. Cohosts are Mary T. Inc. and WACOSA. Districts 35 and 37 forum is 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, October 11 at Mary T. Inc. Margaret Place Senior Apartments, 1555 118th Lane NW, Coon Rapids. Cohosts are Mary T. Inc. and Opportunity Partners.

Districts 25 and 26 forum is 6-8 p.m. Monday, October 17 at Zumbro Lutheran Church- Kairos Room, 624 3rd Ave SW, Rochester. Cohosts are Cardinal of MN and Hiawatha Homes.

Congressional District 3 forum is 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, October 18 at Opportunity Partners- Koch Campus, 5500 Opportunity Court, Minnetonka. Cohosts are Arc Minnesota, Arc Greater Twin Cities, MOHR, Opportunity Partners, Mary T. Inc., Bethesda, Fraser, Reach for Resources, Mains’l and Hammer. ■

Meet the 2016 Charlie Smith Award nominees TRAIL blazes transportation path Accessible transportation is crucial to independence and life in the greater community. Eden Prairie-based Transportation Resource to Aid Independent Living, Inc. or TRAIL, has provided much-needed transportation services for adults for 25 years.

TRAIL’s mission is to provide transportation for adults with developmental disabilities in the Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina and Richfield areas. This needed transportation allows adults with disabilities to attend recreation and leisure programs offered by the Adaptive Recreation and Learning Exchange (AR&LE).

AR&LE is a cooperative of the four cities and the school districts that serve them.

The program includes bowling, golf, softball, water aerobics, dance, art classes and cooking classes. Many of the classes and programs wouldn’t meet their minimum participant number without TRAIL transportation.

TRAIL riders live independently or semi-independently. They rely on TRAIL to attend the programs. Passengers pay a modest fee of $3 per program, receiving door-to-door service to and from each event.

In 2015 TRAIL provided a record-setting 1,504 rides to AR&LE events. That year two TRAIL riders each attended 110 events. Rides are provided thanks to a partnership with Transit Team, a local Twin Cities transportation company. Transit Team provides the TRAIL drivers and buses.

Regular fundraising events help TRAIL sustainable and affordable, including “Give to the Max” Day and an annual “Bowling for Buses” event. Donations and sponsorships also supplement participation fees. The fundraising helps TRAIL subsidize 77 percent of every rider’s fare. Fares have not gone up in more than five years.

TRAIL is led by a volunteer board of directors, with members who are very dedicated to transportation issues. The board includes two riders’ representatives, giving riders a voice in operations and an active role in leadership.

Ann Jindra, recreation supervisor for the City of Richfield, nominated TRAIL. “Transportation is a service that is often overlooked and underserved to this population,” she said. “As a member of the AR&LE cooperative, I see how important transportation is in the lives of those we serve. Many of our participants live in group homes and they have staff and resources to get them to where they need to go. However, many who live independently don’t have those resources. That is why TRAIL is so important. It ensures that our participants have a safe ride to and from our programs, at an affordable price.” Jindra noted that TRAIL has been providing rides long before any other paratransit resources were available in the communities.

TRAIL makes it possible for adults with disabilities to be more social, independent and active. “Our riders feel empowered to attend more events and be more active in the community,” said Jindra. She said the ability to take transportation brings confidence, and pride in being TRAIL riders.

“Because all of our TRAIL riders live independently or semi-independently, they often lack efficient and reliable transportation resources,” said Jindra. “Because of TRAIL, those riders know that they will have a safe ride to and from the

program at an affordable price.” Without TRAIL, AR&LE participants would have to rely on family, friends or Metro Mobility for rides. “For some riders with2016 Charlie Smith Award nominees - p. 8

Pg 4 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

FROM OUR COMMUNITY By the numbers

Is there really a shortage of PCAs? Here's an analysis

by Dick VanWagner

Most of us who read Access Press have seen reports about a growing lack of personal care attendants (PCAs). Our Executive Director/Editor, Tim Benjamin, quite eloquently has written several compelling editorials about this apparent shortage of workers in PCA jobs in Minnesota labor market. He is not alone. Many others are voicing similar opinions. But are these reports and opinions accurate, reliable and credible? Are there fewer PCA workers available for the elderly and people with disabilities? Or is this perceived paucity something imagined by a vociferous few?

To answer these questions, let’s look at occupational data that is available from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Labor Market Information Division (LMI).

We will examine hourly wages, projected growth rates (2014-2024), projected number of job openings (2014-2024), and demand for PCAs. In short, we’ll be using up-to-date, available, highly reliable data to examine the supply and demand for workers in the PCA occupation. Not to confuse you but to clarify and expand your information, we’ll also briefly review United States occupational data that is available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an agency of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL).

The DEED LMI Division is one of many state agencies that compile occupational data for the BLS. Before getting into the substance I want you to know that for many years I performed work as a testifying vocational expert. I was asked what work people can perform and how much can they earn after injury after I evaluated and tested their skill. I conducted a lot of labor market research. What I’m about to describe and I hope explain clearly for you is work I comfortably performed and data upon which I testified for decades.

The USDOL uses the term PCAs, and gives this occupation a code using the standard occupational clas-

sification the department developed years ago. The USDOL coding system has become universal since many other countries use the same or similar codes for occupations. The code for PCAs is 39-9021.

Nationwide there are 1,369,230 PCA jobs. This doesn’t mean all these PCA jobs are occupied with workers; it means that many jobs exist. In Minnesota there are 65,740 PCA jobs. The median hourly wage (50th percentile) for PCAs in the United States is $10.09 as of May 2015. The median hourly wage for PCAs in Minnesota (updated to the first quarter 2016) is $11.26. (Minnesota uses a reliable formula to update wages every quarter).

DEED’s LMI Division performs more and deeper data analyses than just compiling and cataloguing hourly wages, which are known as occupational employment statistics. The heading for one of the most useful of these data analyses is occupations in demand, which ranks current demand for 498 occupations statewide and provides measures of long-term demand, growth rate and number of job openings, as well. Where does the occupation PCAs rank in these three categories?

• Current demand indicator: 4th of 498 occupations • Projected growth rate (as a per cent): 7th of 498 occupations • Projected job openings: 5th of 498 occupations What’s useful to know about these rankings for PCAs? No other of the 499 occupations ranks in the top ten in all three categories. None. What does that finding mean?

• There is a very high demand for PCA workers in Minnesota • Projected growth rate over the period 2014-2024 is very high (25.8 percent) • Projected number of job openings 2014-2024 is very high (21,700) If the current very high demand for PCAs remains very high (more than likely with the coming “Silver Tsunami” of aging Baby Boomers), and the projected

growth obtains in the near future, then we are going to see not just a shortage of PCAs but rather an extreme scarcity which, if no substantive action occurs, will result in a social calamity. Think about it. That is my finding, opinion based on data resources and forecast.

Now let’s ask ourselves – and for me – ask the data, why isn’t this very high demand for PCA workers being met? We know that there is not enough supply (of PCAs) to meet the current demand (demand = people who require the services of PCAs). Are we able to identify the variable or factor that appears to be stalling growth and shrinking the supply of workers in the PCA occupation? In the fourth paragraph above I cited the median (50th percentile) hourly wage of $11.26 for PCAs in Minnesota. The OID data also provides the 25th percentile hourly wage for the 498 occupations listed and below I’ve identified where PCAs rank among all 498 occupations identified in the occupations in demand data. The 25th percentile hourly wage is $10.32. The Median Hourly Wage (Minnesota) is 471st of 498 Occupations.

At this point, I don’t have data regarding the annual turnover rate for PCAs but I believe that hourly wages are the problem. I will assert here that based upon data examined to date, the entirety of anecdotal evidence I have seen, read and heard is accurate to wit: There exists in Minnesota now and likely into the near future an extreme shortage of PCAs to meet the current and future very high demand for these services. Moreover, it is more than likely that workers who could be trained to work as PCAs are choosing to not enter this occupation.

Comments are invited. The data cited can be viewed at mn.gov/deed/data/data tools. ■ Dick VanWagner is a member of the Access Press Board of Directors. He holds a master’s degree and is a diplomate, American Board of Vocational Experts.

Access Press invites readers to write something for us Access Press welcomes letters to the editor and commentary pieces from readers, on topics of interest to Minnesota’s disability community. Letters should be no more than 500 words, with 750 words per commentary. Ask the editors if more space is needed.

Letters and guest commentaries must be signed by the authors or authors. With letters, a writer’s hometown is published but not a street address. Please send contact information in case the editors have questions about a letter or commentary. Contact information isn’t published unless the writer specifically requests that the newspaper do so.

Pictures of the author can be published with a guest commentary but aren’t required.

Access Press asks that letters and guest commentaries be specifically written for the newspaper. Letters must have a focus on disability issues and ideally, a focus on those issues as they affect Minnesotans.

Form letters will not be published.

Because Access Press is a non-profit publication and must follow regulations on political partisanship, political endorsement letters are not published. That is true for candidates’ endorsements as well as for ballot questions.

Before making a submission writers are always encouraged to contact the newspaper to discuss ideas or to ask questions about From Our Community submissions, at 651-644-2133 or access@accesspress.org Let the newspaper staff know if accommodations are needed to submit a letter or commentary.

Letters and commentaries reflect the view of the authors and not the views of the staff and board of directors of Access Press.

Deadline for the print edition of the newspaper is the 25th of each month, with publication the following month. ■

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September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

Pg 5

Paralympics - from p. 1 due. Craven said August 18 that about several countries would struggle to pay for their athletes’ fares to Rio, even if the grants are paid. About 156 countries are expected to compete in the games.

Another concern is lackluster ticket sales. As of mid-August only 12 percent of 2.5 million tickets had been sold. Most tickets were only $3 each.

That’s in stark contrast to the 2012 games in London, which were the most successful ever.

Events sold out, as 2.72 million tickets were sold. It was the third-largest sporting event ever in terms of ticket sales, behind the Olympics and FIFA World Cup. It was broadcast to more people in more countries than ever before.

Craven and other officials have remained positive.

They contend that the games will be a positive force for social change in Brazil and the rest of Latin America, and will help change global attitudes toward people with disabilities.

Minnesota has 11 athletes that are part of Team USA. Two are swimmers. The rest are competing in nine other sports. They are: Chuck Aoki, Minneapolis, wheelchair rugby. After 11 years playing wheelchair basketball, Aoki was inspired by the movie Murderball to give wheelchair rugby a try. He is a graduate of Southwest Minneapolis High School and Metropolitan State University.

He is a member of the Minneapolis Wheelchair Rugby Club.

Aoki played on the U.S. rugby team that won bronze in London in 2012. He was also on the U.S. National Team in 2009. He’s won awards for his rugby play and will be blogging during the 2016 games.

Sean Boyle, Minneapolis, soccer. He is a member of the San Jose Spartans soccer team and attends San Jose State University. He hopes to complete college in 2018.

Boyle is a graduate of Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School in Faribault. These are his first Paralympics Games.

Ben Goodrich, St. Paul, judo. Goodrich is competing in his first Paralympics and has many regional, national and international judo crowns for visually impaired athletes to his credit. He also played on a beep ball team that made it to the Beep Baseball World Series.

Goodrich works for Merrill Corporation and is completing a degree in finance and accounting at the University of Minnesota.

Rose Hollerman, Elysian, wheelchair basketball.

Hollerman is one of the women veterans of the Minnesota delegation, participating in the 2012 games in London. That team finished fourth. She’s been active in national and international competition for several years and has played on many championship teams.

As a prep athlete in Minnesota, Hollerman also excelled in track and field events.

Ian Lynch, Brooklyn Park, wheelchair basketball.

Lynch has played in two Paralympics, taking home a bronze medal in 2012 and being part of a fourth-place team in 2008. He’s played on many prep and collegiate championship wheelchair basketball teams and is active in national and international competition.

Lynch is a graduate of the University of WisconsinWhitewater and has a degree in education.Aaron Pike, Park Rapids, track and field. Pike is a winter and summer competitor, and at age 40 is the oldest member of Minnesota’s delegation. His track and field career began during his college days at the University of Illinois-Champaign. He’s been a place winner in the Twin Cities, Boston and Los Angeles marathons, and was part of Team USA at the 2011 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships and the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Pike made the switch to winter sports after the London Games, and in his debut season, he earned three top-15 finishes in world cup competition.

Jon Rydberg, Woodbury, wheelchair tennis. The Pine City High School and University of Texas-Arlington graduate is now tennis coach at East Ridge High School in Woodbury. He’s competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 games, and has competed at the national and international level for many years. His resume includes several years on the U.S. World Cup team.

Rydberg played wheelchair basketball and was part of a national championship team in Texas.

Lexi Shifflett, Waseca, sitting volleyball. 2016 is Shifflett’s first trip to the games, but she has played at the international level for the past few years. She won a Wilma Rudolph Award as part of the 2016 Minnesota National Women and Girls in Sports Day. Shifflett is a graduate of Winona High School, where she played softball and volleyball all four years.

Natalie Sims, Edina, swimming. Sims is a 2016 graduate of Edina High School. She took up swimming at age 13 through the Minneapolis Otters YWCA team. She took to the sport and quickly began winning races. She soon found a spot on an emerging team.

In 2015 Sims won a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the CanAm Para-Swimming Championships.

Shaun Tichenor, shooting. One of the four athletes on Team USA serving on active-duty in the United States Army, Staff Sergeant Tichenor was born in Brainerd. In 2011, he stepped on a pressure plate IED

while serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan causing his heel bone to shatter. Tichenor’s injuries meant he would be unable to run again. In response, he made the decision to have his right leg amputated below the knee. Tichenor joined a Marksmanship Unit in order to continue his active duty service. This is his first Paralympic Games.

Mallory Weggemann, Eagan, swimming. The holder of 15 world records and 34 American records, Weggemann may be the most decorated of Minnesota athletes. In the 2012 games, she won a gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle and bronze as part of the 4x100 meter medley team. Weggemann also has medaled at many other competitions including the 2015 Parapan American Games, 2009 IPC Swimming World Championships, 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships and other championship meets.

She has been honored with many other awards, including the 2011 ESPN ESPY winner of Best Female Athlete with a Disability. ■

Pg 6 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

REGIONAL NEWS New Olmstead web page and email news service Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan now has a home on the Department of Human Services website. The plan lays out how people with disabilities will be fully integrated into their home communities, in every aspect of their lives.

The “Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Olmstead Plan” page contains DHS-specific news, information and materials about the plan, including successes, fact sheets, and other materials of interest to a wide range of audiences. The page was created to focus specifically on DHS activities, while the Olmstead Implementation Office’s website continues to be the home for the entire state.

The page is also the home to a new email news list.

People can simply enter their emails and start receiving news updates about the Olmstead Plan. The website page can be found at mn.gov/dhs/op ■ (Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services)

Missing teen puts focus on facility The Avanti Center for Girls in Blaine is under scrutiny by state officials and advocates after a 15-yearold girl disappeared more than two months ago. The 24-bed residential facility provides residential treatment services for girls ages 13 to 18 who live with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, among other mental health disorders.

The girl left the center in July with a person who was unknown to facility staff. Staff didn’t check the person’s identification and her disappearance wasn’t reported until hours later.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services, which licenses children’s treatment centers, cited a single staff member at Avanti for neglect and ordered the facility to take measures to ensure proper training.

The staff member no longer works at Avanti.

“This is serious,” said Roberta Opheim, the state ombudsman for mental health and developmental disabilities. “She is a vulnerable child, and we had an obligation as a state to protect her from harm. Now we don’t even know if she has food, shelter or is being exploited.”

Teresa Lhotka, executive director of Missing Children Minnesota, a nonprofit that supports families of missing children, said the urgency in finding the girl is “extreme,” noting that young people who are in treatment are at a much higher risk of exploitation.

The Avanti Center is owned and operated by Volunteers of America of Minnesota, a nonprofit that provides residential treatment for more than 230 children and young people at four residential treatment centers in the Twin Cities area. Center staff said they are confident that they have the right procedures in place. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)

Rules to be enforced Paying people with disabilities less than the minimum wage will be more difficult in Minnesota.

More than 15,000 Minnesotans with disabilities work for employers who take advantage of a loophole in federal labor law that allows them to pay below the minimum wage. This is often done in sheltered workshops. Some workers have been paid as little as 50 cents per hour. A recent Star Tribune investigation detailed the practice.

The employers now must satisfy a series of new federal rules before paying these workers less than the minimum wage. The rules, which took effect in late July, have a number of steps that must be followed.

Workers with disabilities who are younger than 24 must go through an assessment process before they are eligible for a job at less than the minimum wage at a sheltered workshop or similar workplace. Those who already work for subminimum wages must be provided with regular career counseling and information about more integrated work options in the community.

“This has the potential to be transformational,” said Kim Peck, director of vocational rehabilitation ser-

vices at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, which is charged with enforcing the new regulations.

Many of the affected jobs are overseen by disability service providers. The providers have special certificates from the U.S. Department of Labor that exempt them from the federal minimum wage and allow them to pay workers with disabilities based on productivity, instead of a fixed hourly rate. Workers often feel trapped in the jobs, and feel they aren’t given a chance to succeed outside of sheltered workshops.

The rules affect about 15,400 workers statewide, in about 120 sheltered workshops, day treatment centers and other employers. State officials estimate that making contact with the workers will cost more than $1 million alone, and that it will cost millions more to provide services so that people can work independently in the community. Yet the state agency received no extra funding and may be forced to limit vocational services for others to implement the new rules.

■ (Source: Star Tribune)

Agent Orange effects are eyed Retired Spring Valley teacher and Vietnam veteran Pat Neville has come to believe that his military service entailed a sacrifice that reached beyond his own life and exacted a toll on his descendants. Neville, 73, said his prostate cancer and disability are due to his exposure to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange in Vietnam.

Neville and many other veterans contend that Agent Orange can be linked to the dsabilities of the children and grandchildren of those who served in Vietnam. He and about 60 other veterans and their family members gathered recently in Kasson to discuss the use of Agent Orange and the impacts it has on families.

“I have no doubt about it,” Neville said. “I have friends who have been through the same situation.”

Written testimonials are being gathered to build support for legislation that would mandate an investigation into the possible link between veterans’ exposure to toxic substances and the effect it had on their descendants. It also includes veterans of more recent wars, including Iraq. One challenge to those supporting the bill is that Vietnam veterans are dying, at a rate of about 350 people each day. One worry is that as veterans pass away, advocacy for more scrutiny of Agent Orange is diminished as well.

Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide, was used extensively by the U.S. during the war to clear foliage and jungles. ■ (Source: Rochester Post-Bulletin)

New service providers authorized The Minnesota Department of Human Services recently certified 13 providers to deliver behavioral health home services to better coordinate care for people with serious mental illness. The behavioral health home model offers a coordinated approach to health care, serving the whole person across all areas of health and wellness, from primary care to social services.

Another eight providers are finalizing their certification process to become behavioral health homes.

As of July 1, behavioral health home services are covered by Medical Assistance, Minnesota’s Medicaid program.

“People with serious mental illness often experience barriers to health care access, multiple chronic health conditions and sadly, early mortality,” said Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper. “The behavioral health home model gives providers the opportunity to build a person-centered system of care

that really focuses in on what that person needs to be healthy, and in turn improves outcomes for people and reduces health care costs.”

Certified providers will deliver behavioral health home services using a strength-based approach, assessing and employing the cultural values and practices of the individual and their family in supporting their health goals. They will also provide six core services that are required by the federal government for behavioral health homes to ensure they meet comprehensive health care needs. They are care management, care coordination, health promotion and wellness, transitional care, patient and family support, and referral to community and social support services.

More information about behavioral health home services is available on the DHS website, at http:// tinyurl.com/zztf3wo ■ (Source: Minnesota DHS)

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September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

Pg 7

Deadlines are approaching

Access Press banquet sponsors, prize donors needed The clock is ticking toward the annual Access Press Charlie Smith Award Banquet, Friday, November 4 at DoubleTree by Hilton, 7800 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington. Join Minnesota’s disability news source at a new venue as we honor the 2016 Charlie Smith Award winner and enjoy an evening of good food and fellowship.

This year’s event starts at 5:30 p.m. with the silent auction/raffle and social hour. The dinner and award winner honors start at 7 p.m. It is always a fun evening and a chance for everyone in Minnesota’s disability community to celebrate accomplishments.

Like any good newspaper, Access Press sets deadlines. Important deadlines are coming up for community members wishing to be banquet sponsors or silent auction/pick a prize raffle donors. The deadline for requests for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is coming up, too.

Contact Access Press Business Manager Dawn Frederick at 651-644-2133 or dawn@accesspress.org to be a banquet sponsor, silent auction/raffle donor or for ASL accommodations. Following the deadlines helps our event run more smoothly. Here are 2016 deadlines: Saturday, October 1 is the deadline to be a banquet sponsor.

Sponsorship level names reflect past and present newsroom titles. AXIS, In Home Personal Care, Minnesota Center for Independent Living, ADA Minnesota and NHHI are the 2016 Editor-in-Chief level. AccraCare and True Friends are Proofreader sponsors.

There’s still time to join in at any level of sponsorship.

Keyliners Level: The first level is the Keyliners Level, at $300. In the pre-desktop publishing days, keyliners put the paper together. The sponsor logo will be displayed on table signs, and the organization/company name will be listed in the 2016 Charlie Smith Award Banquet program. The sponsoring organization/company will

be recognized in the November and December 2016 issues of Access Press with an ad. Sponsors will receive one free website ad during the month of choice, a value of $100.

Proofreaders Level: The second level is the Proofreaders Level, at $400.

Proofreaders make sure all of the copy is correct before the newspaper goes to press. The sponsor logo will be displayed on table signs, and the organization/ company name will be listed in the 2016 Charlie Smith Award Banquet program. The sponsoring organization/ company will be recognized in the November and December 2016 issues of Access Press. Sponsors will receive two free rotating website ads during the months of choice, a value of $200. Proofreader sponsors will be listed on a special banner displayed at the banquet.

Editor-in-Chief Level The third level for sponsors is the Editor-in-Chief Level, at $500. This title reflects the highest position in a newsroom. The sponsor logo will be displayed on table signs, and the organization/company name will be listed in the 2016 Charlie Smith Award Banquet program. The sponsoring organization/company will be recognized in the November and December 2016 issues of Access Press. Sponsors will receive two free rotating website ads during the months of choice, a value of $200. Editor-in-Chief sponsors will be listed on a special banner displayed at the banquet. The sponsoring organization/company will be recognized by the emcee during the banquet. A table will be named in the sponsor’s honor the evening of the event.

This sponsoring level also includes a free Access Press subscription, a value of $30 and one Directory of Organizations listing, good for one year, a value of $60.

Saturday, October 15 is the deadline to request ASL interpretation. It is also the deadline for silent auction and pick-a-prize raffle donations.

One of the liveliest parts of the Access Press Charlie

Court decision - from p. 1 he or she is an individual subject of the data. The court decision affirms earlier decisions by the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Ramsey County District Court.

Page said the next step for his client will be to obtain and review the data. As Access Press went to press, Page and Burks were still waiting to conduct their review.

In the case the Minnesota Supreme Court was asked to determine whether, under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, a transit passenger has the right to access data in Metro Transit’s possession that depicts the passenger.

Burks had requested access to a recording of a verbal exchange he had with a Metro Transit bus driver.

Burks had argued with the bus driver on November 15, 2013, after he had difficulty boarding a bus. Various objects were in Burks’ way when he was trying to get on board. Burks and the bus driver had an argument and the driver called Metro Transit police officers. Two officers escorted Burks off of the bus.

Burks wasn’t issued a ticket or charged with a crime. After a brief delay he was allowed to board the next bus along his route. He called the Metro Transit complaint line that same day and registered his concerns. Metro Transit never responded to that complaint.

In December 2013, Burks made a request for data of the incident. That request was denied by Metro Transit in January 2014. Metro Transit officials indicated they couldn’t release the data because it contained private personnel data about the driver.

Burks took his case to district court, then the court of appeals and then the state’s highest court. Each ruled that Burks is entitled to have the data.

Minnesota Supreme Court judges said that Metro Transit, as a division of Metropolitan Council, must comply with the requirements of the Data Practices Act. “One requirement imposed by the Data Practices Act is that government entities, including Metro

Transit, have a statutory obligation to provide copies of ‘private or public data upon request by the individual subject of the data,’” the ruling stated. “In addition to the duty imposed on the government entity to provide copies, the Data Practices Act also creates an explicit right of access in favor of the individual subject of the data.”

The same day as the Burks ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on a similar case between KSTP-TV and Metropolitan County and Metro Transit. KSTP-TV is seeking data from two incidents involving Metro Transit drivers and passengers, under the data practices act. Both incidents occurred in 2013. One was a bus crash and another was an altercation between a bus driver and a bicyclist.

KSTP-TV contends the data is public; Metro Transit contends the data is private employee data. An administrative law judge ruled that KSTP-TV should be able to see the data, under the data practices act. The court of appeals affirmed that decision.

But the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed and remanded that decision, and sent the case back to the Office of Administrative Hearings for further proceedings. The high court ruled that data from public buses is “personnel data” under state law only if it is “maintained” exclusively because an individual subject of the data is a government employee. To determine whether particular data is “personnel data” under the data privacy act, a government entity must classify the data at the time a request for access to the data is made. The majority of judges indicated that because once the data was downloaded and placed on DVDs as part of personnel investigations, it became private data.

One legal publication asked if the Minnesota Supreme Court had thrown the state’s freedom of information law under the bus. The issue is for whom the information is maintained and when the request was made.

In Burks’ case, because he requested the data and he is subject of the information, his request was upheld.

■

At left, Carol Fury of Equip A Life places a bid during the silent auction File photo

Smith Award Banquet is the silent auction and pick-aprize raffle. Bidding starts during the dinner’s social hour and continues as the meal is served. It can be fun as friends make spirited bids against each other.

Equally enjoyable is the pick-a-prize raffle. Items are lined up, with jars for raffle tickets. Buy a ticket for 50 cents and out it in the corresponding jar. For just a little money, the winner can take home a nice prize.

Donations of all kinds are sought for the silent auction and raffle. It’s a great way to show off one’s handiwork, give publicity for business or show individual, nonprofit or business support for Access Press. Past prizes have included handmade items, jewelry, accessible vacations, food and drink, sports and theater tickets, original art, electronics, sports memorabilia and more.

And of course, everyone is urged to get reservations in for the November 4 banquet. Tickets are $50 per person or $350 for an eight-person table. Three menu choices are available. Enjoy beef pot roast, slow-cooked, with pan gravy and whipped potatoes.

Or have Minnesota Chicken Roulade, a wild ricestuffed breast of chicken with sage cream and roasted potato. The third choice is lemon and tomato-tossed tagliatelle, a vegan, dairy and gluten-free pasta tossed with garlic-infused oil, roma tomatoes, olives, lemon zest and basil, served with a gluten-free breadstick.

Dinners also include dessert and beverages.

Guests can register in several ways. Go online to www.accesspress.org/the-charlie-smith-award/ and register via the newspaper website. Or mail a check or checks to: Access Press, Attn: Dawn, 161 St. Anthony Ave Suite 910, St. Paul, MN 55103. A third option is to call the newspaper office at 651-644-2133 and register by phone. ■

Pg 8 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9 2016 Charlie Smith award nominees- from p. 3

Happy TRAIL riders get ready to hit the road

out family or friends nearby, they simply wouldn’t have the social life or education opportunities that they do with access to TRAIL.”

Schmitt is champion for mentally ill Grace Tangjerd Schmitt has served as president of Guild Incorporated since the organization’s founding in 1990. Guild is a not-for-profit group with a mission of helping people with mental illness lead quality lives. In addition to leading the team, Schmitt is active in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Minnesota, the Mental Health Legislative Network and the Minnesota Association of Commu-

nity Mental Health Programs. She has also served on a number of advisory task forces to the Department of Human Services. She is a founding member and chair of the Board of Minnesota Community Healthcare Network, a specialty provider network of collaborating community mental health providers.

Schmitt has devoted her career to developing quality, integrated services based on clients’ desires and goals. She has a reputation for listening – to consumers and families, to the community, to other providers, and to stakeholders. “If someone wasn’t having a good experience at Guild – it might not be anyone’s fault – Grace has always listened,” said Sue

Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota. “She was never defensive. She wanted people to have the best experience and provide excellent services.”

Schmitt’s early career included work as a mental health counselor and social worker in the psychiatric unit at Brainerd State Hospital Grace Tangjerd Schmitt and county social services. Those experiences created the foundation for her strong belief in providing community-based services focused on individuals’ preferences. She’s used that belief for decisions about organizational strategy including service offerings, approach to marketing, and the pursuit of partnerships and collaborations.

Under her leadership, Guild Incorporated implemented significant changes in mental health care, Guild shifted from an institutional to a “housing first” approach in the early 1990s, at a time when people with mental illness were often “placed” in institutions and hospitals as the only available options. She led the organization through transitioning from individual caseloads to multi-disciplinary teams (integrating Ramsey County Public Health nurses at first). She is also known for pioneering and growing supported employment services; customizing assertive community treatment for transition-age youth; and most recently facilitating “whole health care” through behavioral health home services.

“I appreciate Grace’s leadership and building of this organization, and I see her philosophies and values trickling down to the people employed. She inspires me,” said a Guild staff member. From another employee: “I feel Grace is a true leader and understands people.”

Schmitt has been instrumental in leading innovations and collaborations in mental health services to reflect what individuals served desire, best practices, and community and stakeholder needs. Guild Incorporated has a long list of accomplishments throughout the eastern Twin Cities metropolitan area, thanks to her work.

She also has served on a number of advisory task forces to the Department of Human Services and has been responsive to requests for individuals to testify before the legislature to help them gain an understanding of what is and isn’t working for people.

Without her passion for and commitment to local mental health services, it’s likely that fewer people 2016 Charlie Smith Award nominees - p. 9

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The mission of Minnesota Disability Law Center is to advance the dignity, self-determination and equality of individuals with disabilities.

MDLC works to promote, expand and protect the human and legal rights of persons with disabilities through advice and education, and representation in court, administrative, and legislative proceedings. MDLC serves persons with disabilities on legal issues that arise out of their disabilities.

There are seven legal projects within MDLC: Legal Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities; Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness; the Client Assistance Project; Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR); Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury; Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security and Protective and Advocacy for Assistive Technology.

September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

2016 Charlie Smith award nominees- from p. 8

is important. It helps everyone be involved. The club is very visible in the St. Paul area and gives a positive impression of people with disabilities.

But without the work of two parents, HFC would never have started. Young people with disabilities in the St. Paul area would have to sit at home while their peers got to do the typical things that teenagers do. Most young people take for grant that they can be in a club or play a sport. Many young people with disabilities don’t get the opportunity to do these things. It’s hard for parents to explain to their children why opportunities are not available to all. HFC makes opportunities available to all and lets young people be young people.

HFC Member Kirsten said, “I love Highland Friendship Club. I have been a member for 13 years, and I have friends at HFC. I get to do lots of fun things like Glee Club, Move and Groove, Open Mic, Swimming, and Girl’s Night Out. The staff is very patient and tries to help me participate. Highland Friendship Club is awesome!”

Highland Friendship Club members make movies Courtesy photos

with mental illness would’ve had the ability to live in their own apartments in the community. It’s also quite possible that fewer individuals would have competitive community employment in the community. She’s also had an impact on policy, testifying before elected officials. She was nominated by Kristi Hamilton of Guild, Incorporated.

Highland Friendship Club provides fun Founded in 2002, Highland Friendship Club has helped hundreds of young people with disabilities find friendship, support and fun activities. The organization now has more than 200 members and offers a broad range of programs and activities, everything from cooking and craft classes to dances and the ability to act and work on the crew of movies. The program has grown to offer about 1,500 program hours of activities each year. HFC has a full-time executive director and program director, and 16 part-time staff members.

The program involves the participants’ families and caregivers, as well as a cadre of community volunteers.

A “big” softball game is the highlight of the summer.

Participants also do community service projects, participate in health and wellness programs, receive help with jobs skills and job-seeking, and much more.

HFC is a unique organization and provides a wide range of programs and activities for teenagers and young adults with disabilities. It is considered to be a model for other programs. “Every community could benefit from having an organization like HFC,” said

Pg 9

nominator Erik Hare. “Young people with disabilities deserve to enjoy the same types of activities that their peers do, and HFC gives them a chance to do this.”

Hare gave a special mention to Dusty Thune, who is part of HFC’s staff. Thune leads the young people in producing movies. The films, which include red carpet premieres, give kids a chance to act, direct or be on crews. One of the movies was shown on a regional tour this summer. The movies are fun for the public to see, in production and on the silver screen.

It’s not unusual to see pirates on the streets and in the parks of St. Paul when the movies are in production.

When asked what relevance and important the club’s work has in the community, Hare said that HFC has not only provided a wide range of fun activities for young people with disabilities, its programs, and its volunteer opportunities help raise awareness that people with disabilities are the same as everyone else. HFC’s work also involves the families and caregivers of people with disabilities, which

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Davis helps Wingspan take flight Therese Davis has been executive director of Wingspan Life Resources since January 2016. But her career with the St. Paul-based nonprofit dates back to 1977. She has been an Therese Davis integral part of the organization’s growth and programming expansion in service to adults with disabilities. She has served as chief operations officer, care counselor, program developer and director of residential services, and has capably handled many programs. Her responsibilities have included direction of oversight for 24 homes in the group home program, the in-home program for 2016 Charlie Smith Award nominees - p. 13

Pg 10 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

PEOPLE & PLACES

ARRM selects new leader

Cheryl Pray is the new chief executive officer for ARRM, succeeding longtime leader Bruce Nelson.

Pray took the helm September 6.

Pray is a 20-year veteran in nonprofit management whose career is rooted in advocating for people with disabilities and those who support them. She began as a case counselor in a residential facility for people with disabilities, helped shape the Americans with Disabilities Act, and most recently as the state director for March of Dimes successfully advocated for the passage of newborn screening legislation in Minnesota.

She is a board member for Self-Driving US, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that autonomous vehicle technology delivers accessible, equitable and affordable transportation to people with disabilities. Pray is also an American Sign Language interpreter.

“Now more than ever the critical issues facing ARRM members demand a strong voice to ensure people with disabilities in Minnesota are living, learning, working and enjoying life in the most integrated and independent setting. I have to provide the leadership and vision to promote the extraordinary care and services provided to people with disabilities

by ARRM members,” Pray said.

As a new leader is welcomed, everyone at ARRM expressed thanks for Nelson’s many years of service. During his tenure, Nelson oversaw several successful efforts to improve the support for people with disabilities and their families Cheryl Pray while at ARRM. He is happily retiring to California to pursue new passions.

He will remain in an advisory role for a short time to assist with the leadership transition as ARRM prepares for an active 2017 legislative session.

“I am forever grateful to have been part of major reforms and many rate increases over the past 21 years,” Nelson said. “To be honest, the brain power and much of the hard work came from our staff and many, many members who volunteered thousands of hours and designed reforms that have improved the quality of life for Minnesotans with disabilities.”

A farewell for Nelson is planned for September 15.

Check www.arrm.org for details. ■

Miracle Field is dedicated The Paul Adelman Miracle Field, located at Bridge View and Focus Beyond public schools at 360 Colborne St. in St. Paul, was dedicated this summer.

The field is the 11th Minnesota Miracle League. It gives young baseball players with special needs a chance to play baseball, according to the Miracle League. Bridge View and Focus Beyond have about 400 students with special needs.

Work on the field began several months ago.

Miracle League fields are custom-designed to accommodate wheelchairs and walking devices while preventing injuries. It will provide young athletes from St. Paul and surrounding areas to have a home field for their games and tournaments.

The Paul Adelman Foundation provided a generous donation for the field. Other donors included the Finish Line Youth Foundation, Unilever, North St. Paul Suburban Kiwanis Club, Matrix Communication, Minnesota Twins Community Fund, Network Design, and TCI – Architects, Engineers, Contractor.

The Miracle League of Minnesota is a non-profit organization that provides “Every child the opportunity to play baseball.” For more information, visit www.MiracleLeagueMN.com ■

Golf tournament benefits ProAct

Guild names board members Guild Incorporated, a provider of services for people with mental illness, has appointed three new board members. Tom Halverson, chief financial officer for QualiTech, Sarah Kottke, lead physician for geriatric psychiatry at United Hospital at Allina Health, and Bjorn Westgard, a practicing emergency physician, medical anthropologist and researcher, are the new board members.

Halverson brings extensive experience in financial leadership, strategy, and management as well as collaborative relationship building. After relocating from Chicago in 2009, Halverson had the “good fortune” to meet George Broostin, Guild’s development director. He’s been active as a Guild ambassador ever since. With upcoming plans to retire next year, it was the perfect time to increase his involvement.

Kottke provides inpatient geriatric psychiatry care in addition to psychiatric consultation for both adult inpatient psychiatry and a partial hospitalization program. She has worked with Guild throughout her training as a psychiatrist as well as a psychiatric provider at United Hospital.

Westgard is a practicing emergency physician, medical anthropologist, and researcher at Regions Hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center, and the HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research.

Westgard is also studying healthcare disparities and how they manifest in the emergency department to develop ways of working with patients, community members and providers to improve care and costs. ■

ProAct President and CEO Steven Ditschler at left, tournament planner Rich Bordas at right congratulated the ProAct Golf Classic winners second from left, Dalton Anderson, Mike Murzyn and Brian Erickson.

With a team score of 58 and 13 under par, the winners are, from left, Dane Petersen, Mike Murzyn, Dalton Anderson and Brian Erickson.

Courtesy photos

ProAct’s 2016 Golf Classic tournament was held in August at Southview Country Club in the Twin Cities.

The winning team was from InBoxDollars of Mendota Heights.

The tournament supports people with disabilities served by the nonprofit based in Eagan. ■

————— In Memoriam ————— Founding Interact artist remembered Donovan Durham is remembered as a visual artist who overcame many obstacles. He died in July while visiting family members in North Carolina. A memorial service was held August 26 in St. Paul.

Durham, 55, was one of the founding artists at Interact Center for the Arts and was nearing his 18-year anniversary at Interact. A special exhibition of his work was on display this summer. All proceeds went to his family. He created portraits, landscapes remem-

bered from his youth in the south, places he wanted to visit and cartoon storybooks about a character named Dobby.

Durham liked working in a wide range of media. “I like to do backgrounds, design, shadow and shade and I do paintings, too ... Paintings with color, lakes and trees and water and everything ... everything” he said in an interview.

He lived with paranoid schizophrenia and sickle cell anemia. He began drawing as a child, encouraged by a doctor who believed that drawing would help him share his feelings. But after his work was shown and won high praise, his parents objected for religious reasons. His parents destroyed much of his work. His doctor kept several drawings and is believed to have sold them later. One piece turned up at a show curated in Florida in 1993.

Almost 20 years ago, Durham came to the Twin Cities. He soon came to Interact and plunged into his art.

He worked extensively at Interact and with other arts groups. One bright spot was a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and a chance to make prints at Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis.

Some of his prints were shown in New York. His work was also featured in local galleries and on TPT. Minnesota Public Radio featured Durham and a 2005 art show of his prints.

Durham was also active at Pilgrim Baptist Church in St. Paul. He is survived by family members and friends. ■

September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9 Pg 11

UPCOMING EVENTS Advocacy NAMI’s advocacy history Mental health advocate Sue Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota, will present a free public education program on building Minnesota’s mental health system. Attend 40 Years of Change noon-1:30 p.m. Mon, Sept. 19 at FamilyMeans, 1875 Northwestern Ave. S., Stillwater. The program is part of a 40-city tour celebrating NAMI Minnesota’s 40th anniversary and its advocacy work to improve mental health services. Learn about the impact of mental health advocacy past and present and help create a vision for the future by sharing what the community needs to better support the needs of children and adults living with a mental illness and their families. All voices are needed as NAMI continues to work for positive change. Families, professionals, persons living with a mental illness and the general public are invited to attend. FFI: 651-645-2948, namihelps.org An Aspie’s Guide to Life Professor Tony Attwood presents An Aspie’s Guide to Life’s Challenges, 8:30 a.m-4 p.m., Wed, Oct. 19, at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, 1000 Lasalle Ave., Mpls. Tickets range from $65 to $114, and groups are available. Tickets include lunch. Attwood will speak on topics including managing feelings, cognitive affective training, teens with Asperger’s Syndrome and Asperger’s Syndrome, employment and relationships.

Hosted by Autism Society of Minnesota. FFI: 651-6471083, www.ausm.org

Assistance Help from LSS Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota offers Neighbor to Neighbor Companions. Trained advocates and friendly visitors provide support specifically tailored to the needs of older adults. It is patterned after the Senior Companion Program that has been around for more than 40 years in Minnesota. Its goal is to promote health and independence – particularly for adults over the age of 55. With rapidly aging communities, particularly in rural Minnesota, Neighbor to Neighbor Companions allows these services to become more widely available.

Companions serve as friendly visitors each week and offer specific support needed by older adults that may include transportation to appointments, grocery shopping, errands or simple household tasks. They can also serve as an important social connection by being a companion for lunch or providing a safety check on more isolated older adults. Companions are carefully selected and matched with older adults. Each companion receives a background check, training and a motor vehicle records check. Matches also aim to bring together shared interests between companions and older adults. The volunteers are managed by LSS staff. FFI: 877-540-9443. neighbortoneighbor@lssmn.org Independent living technology Senior Community Services, a statewide nonprofit that helps older adults and caregivers live independently for as long as possible, hosts an independent living technology conference on new advancements in assistive-technology to enhance life for the state’s growing population of older adults. The conference is 1-5 p.m. Fri, Oct. 14 at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. in Minnetonka. Caregivers, seniors, city officials, health professionals and others will gather to discover the latest advancements in assistive- technology to help older adults remain independent at home. The keynote address, about innovations in senior housing, will be presented by John Louiselle, CEO of NextDoor Housing. NextDoor has developed a new, portable senior housing option. See innovative products and websites.

FFI: 952-541-1019, www.seniorcommunity.org

Help with hearing loss New devices that help people who are deaf and hard of hearing in their daily lives are now available to be tested at offices of the Minnesota Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division.

DHS doesn’t sell the technology but can demonstrate it and allow individuals to test it on-site by appointment.

Ask if demonstrations of some technology can also be offered to groups off-site. The largest technology lab is at the metro Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services office, 85 E. 7th Place, Suite 105, St. Paul. Equipment is also available at offices in Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead and St. Cloud. Ask about assistive listening devices for the television; flashing alarms for doorbells, smoke alarms and alarm clocks; amplified and captioned telephones and vibrating devices to alert people who are deafblind. DHS loans at no cost a variety of telecommunications devices to people who meet eligibility guidelines through its Telephone Equipment Distribution program. FFI: 651-431-5957, mary.bauer@state.mn.us (metro area), dhhs.duluth@ state.mn.us, dhhs.mankato@state.mn.us, dhhs.moor head@state.mn.us, dhhs.stcloud@state.mn.us in Greater Minnesota. For technology for individuals who are deafblind or experience dual vision/hearing loss, FFI: 612-284-3170, sara.kreiling@state.mn.us Senior Linkage Line help Non-English speaking Minnesotans now have a new resource to find the critical assistance they may need. A video “What is Senior LinkAge Line?” has been created in Hmong, Somali, Spanish and Russian in addition to English to inform Minnesota’s older non-English speaking residents and their families about the service. Videos were created in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging and ECHO, a non-profit organization that helps bridge the communications gap for Minnesota immigrants and refugees. Senior LinkAge Line offers free, objective guidance for older adults and their families to find community services and plan for their future.

By calling 1-800-333-2433, Minnesotans can get information on Medicare, insurance, housing choices and find out how to volunteer in their community, among other age-related topics. All versions of the video are available on ECHO Minnesota’s YouTube page. FFI: English, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgvhfEzv6Lo; Hmong, www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1otxfBN-18; Somali, www.youtube.com/watch?v=boruEGuGJ3c; Spanish, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKdztIBz8o; Russian, www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-CoYGpaweg

Children and families Free youth mental health first aid course NAMI-Minnesota offers a free Youth Mental Health First Aid training course 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri, Sept. 16 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Avenue S., St. Paul. Learn the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, build understanding of the importance of early intervention, and learn how to help a youth in crisis or experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Participants will also learn a five-step action plan to support an adolescent developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or emotional crisis. Preregistration required, FFI: 651-645-2948, namihelps.org PACER offers workshops PACER Center offers many useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with any disabilities. Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified.

Workshops are offered throughout the state. Advance registration is required for all workshops. How Parents Can Effectively Communicate with the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tue, Sept. 20 in Elk River. This new and fun workshop to help parents advocate for their child within the special education process. Parents will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive problem-solving session, and receive tips and tools to help them become more effective communicators as members of their child’s IEP team.

Participate in PACER’s Fun Day and Tech Expo Fun Day and Tech Expo is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sat, Sept. 17 at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Mpls. Learn about resources for professionals, individuals, and families. Participate in hands-on, do-it-yourself projects. View a variety of technology for all ages.

The event is free but preregistration is requested.

FFI: 952-838-9000, www.PACER.org What Do I Need to Know About IFSPs and IEPs? Is 6-8 p.m. Thu, Sept. 29 in Oklee. Parents of young children, ages birth to five, need to understand the essential components of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Participants will learn about the difference in the criteria for early intervention and preschool special education services, timelines for the evaluation process, services in the least restrictive environment, families’ rights within the special education process, and resolving differences.

New Technologies, New Opportunities: The Changing World of Assistive Technology - A Focus on Wearables is 6-8 p.m. Tue, Sept. 20 at PACER Center. Learn about wearable technology and the ways this technology trend helps youth with disabilities. They will learn about technology to help monitor health, behavior and more.

Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions catered to their needs. FFI: PACER, 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237, www.pacer.org Free family course NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is offering a free educational course that helps families gain a greater understanding of mental illness, discuss resources, build communication skills, reduce stress and find support. More than 4,000 Minnesota families have benefited from this course. Join others for this 12-week course taught by family members who have walked the walk. The Family-to-Family course will meet weekly in Oakdale 6:30-9 p.m. Thursdays, starting Sept. 15, at Canvas Health, 7066 Stillwater Blvd., in the community room.

Preregistration required. FFI: Marilyn, 651-497-6858

Information and assistance Mental health support offered NAMI of Minnesota offers more than 300 free educational classes statewide each year, along with help in navigating the mental health system. NAMI also has more than 60 free support groups living with a mental illness and their families. In the Twin Cities NAMI has about two dozen family support groups, more than 20 support groups for people living with a mental illness, anxiety support groups, groups for veterans and other groups. Led by trained facilitators, groups provide help and support. Parent resource groups are facilitated by a parent who has a child with a mental illness and who

Events - p. 13

Pg 12 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9 RiteCare Gala planned

ENJOY! Challenge Walk nears Challenge Walk MS Twin Cities 2016 is Sept. 23-25, starting and ending in St. Louis Park. Gather pledges, walk with friends and raise money for the Upper Midwest Chapter of the MS Society. Registration fee is $55, and fundraising minimums are $750 to $1,500. FFI: 855-372-1331, FundraisingSupport@nmss.org

NAMIWalks Minnesota More than 4,000 people from around the state are expected to join in NAMIWalks Minnesota, a 5K walk to raise awareness about mental illnesses and celebrate hope on Sat, Sept. 24 starting at 11:30 a.m. at Minnehaha Park, Mpls. and Community & Technical College, Rochester.

There will be live music, picnics, speakers, resource tables, a kid’s tent, a tree of hope, a t-shirt contest and more. The walk supports the efforts of NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to provide education, support and advocacy for children and adults with mental illnesses and their families. FFI: 651-645-2948, namihelps.org

PACER Run Walk Roll set PACER Center’s National Bullying Prevention Center hosts its Run Walk Roll Against Bullying Sat, Oct. 1 at Normandale Lake, Bloomington. Registration is $20 for people ages 16 and older, $10 for persons ages 7-15 and free for younger children. Form a team, gather pledges and raise money for anti-bullying efforts. FFI: www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/runwalkroll/

Celebrate RISE The fifth annual Celebrate Rise Fundraising Gala is 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thu, Oct. 6 at Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Drive North in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Register by Sun, Sept. 24 and celebrate Rise’s 45th anniversary of pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons. Kate Raddatz, WCCO-TV, will emcee. The gala includes a social hour, games, cash bar, dinner, awards program, live auction and Fund-A-Need for Innovation Solutions. Lots of great prizes are offered. Menu and ticket prices are posted online. FFI: 763-786-8334, www.rise.org

Extra-Ordinary Art Show The Extra-Ordinary Art Show is part of this year’s Sprout Touring Film Festival in Duluth. Events start at 3:30 p.m. Thu, Oct. 6. Films start at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., at Zinema Theater, 222 E. Superior St. The festival includes independent films that either star or are created by individuals with developmental disabilities. People with developmental disabilities as subjects and performers remain marginalized in the media. Films have been selected by self-advocates and allies and will be shown in two screenings at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each with a different selection of films. Tickets are $7 for each screening and $10 if tickets are purchased for both the 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. programs. ASL offered. FFI: Roberta Cich, 218-726-4860

RiteCare of Minneapolis-St. Paul holds its annual fundraising gala 6-10 p.m. Sat, Oct. 15 at Lost Spur Golf Course, 2750 Sibley Memorial Highway, St. Paul. Tickets are $50. Enjoy a meal, a Monte Carlo night, entertainment and fun in support of a great cause. RiteCare works to give children with speech and language disorders the opportunity to reach their full potential by providing financial grants for treatment. FFI: 612-584-9803, http://ritecaremsp.org/

Attend the Access Press banquet Friday, November 4th Charlie Smith would want everyone there.

See page 7 for details.

The River

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure

Walking Shadow Theatre Company presents a story of ghosts from the past, at Open Eye Figure Theatre, 506 E. 24th St., Mpls. AD offered 7:30 p.m. Mon, Sept.

12 and Fri, Sept. 16. Tactile tour one hour before show on request by email. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, Sept.

15. Tickets reduced to $10 for AD/ASL (regular: $2430); Brown Paper Tickets online or phone: 1-800-8383006. To request a seating accommodation, add a note in the box on the checkout page or email the box office.

FFI: 612-375-0300, www.walkingshadowcompany.org

Lakeshore Players Theatre presents a tale of the famous detective, at Lakeshore Players Theatre, 4820 Stewart Ave., White Bear Lake. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, Sept. 25. If no ASL seats are reserved within two weeks of the performance, the ASL-interpretation will be cancelled.

Assisted listening devices available. Tickets reduced to $10 for ASL patrons (regular $25, senior $23, student $20). FFI: 651-429-5674, http://tinyurl.com/jt9h2t2

Exploring Dakota Cultural Identity Minnesota History Center hosts Minnesota Historical Society American Indian Community Liaison, Kate Beane as she explores the Indigenous perspective of her tribal history, as well as the ongoing efforts to retain and strengthen ties to both the Minnesota homeland and Dakota language, at the center at 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. OC offered 10:30 a.m. Tue, Sept. 13.

CART services provided by Paradigm. Tickets $2. FFI: 651-259-3015, www.minnesotahistorycenter.org

Out of the Firehouse & Into the Fire: a Becoming-Out Party Enjoy performances by Patrick’s Cabaret artists, a summary of recent Sustaining Creative Resources conversations, the fall program announcement and opportunities to get in on the ground floor of an organization ripe for reinvention, at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. ASL offered 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tue, Sept.

13. FFI: 612-724-6273, info@patrickscabaret.org

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Theatre in the Round Players presents the story of a man with two personalities, at Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave., Mpls. AD offered 2 p.m. Sun, Sept. 25. Tickets $22. Discounts available Fri/Sun for senior 62 and older, ($18) and student with ID ($15). Tactile tour at 1 p.m. upon request based on reservations. Large-print programs and assisted-listening devices available at every performance. FFI: 612-333-3010, http://tinyurl.com/gp7g83x

An Evening with Sigur Rós The Icelandic band Sigur Rós returns with a brand new show, drawing on its illustrious seven-album career, at Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

ASL offered 8:30 p.m. Thu, Sept. 29. Tickets $53.50 to $83.50. Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. FFI: 612-339-7007, http://tinyurl.com/z55azwj

Celtic Thunder Legacy Talking Volumes Talking Volumes, a partnership of Minnesota Public Radio and Star Tribune, in collaboration with the Loft Literary Center, spotlights books with feature articles, live broadcasts with authors, in-person readings and discussions, and more. This season with host Kerri Miller offers conversations with authors at Fitzgerald Theatre, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul.

OC offered. Tickets $23-50 (regular, MPR/Star Tribune rate, VIP Ovation box seats, accessible seats). To reserve tickets in the captioned section (limited number of seats available), call the ticket office at 651-290-1200. The series starts at 7 p.m. Thu, Sept. 15 with poet Elizabeth Miller and musical guest Mina Moore. A limited number of captioned area seats are available. The series continues through Nov. 3 and includes authors Carl Hiassen, Ann Patchett and Colson Whitehead. FFI: http://tinyurl.com/jg63jzq

Rock of Ages Rochester Civic Theatre presents a “big hair” musical, at Rochester Civic Theatre, 20 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester. ASL offered 7 p.m. Fri, Sept. 23. Please indicate ASL seating when booking tickets. Tickets $31; senior $26; student $21. Recommended for mature audiences. FFI: 507-282-8481, http://tinyurl.com/z7tqals

The Liar Park Square Theatre presents the area premiere of a story of lies and truth, at Park Square Theatre, Proscenium Stage, 20 W. 7th Place, St. Paul. AD offered 7:30 p.m.

Fri, Sept. 23. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, Sept. 25. Open Captioning offered 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Fri.-Sat., Sept. 29Oct. 1, and 2 p.m. Sun, Oct. 2. Assistive listening devices available. ASL/AD/OC single ticket discount is half-price for patron and one guest with code ACC (regular $40-60, previews $27, $37); age 30 and under $21; senior age 62 and older $5 off; rush tickets $24 cash only, available one hour before performance and subject to availability. FFI: 651-291-7005, http://tinyurl.com/zyqmllu

SOLO McKnight Dancer 2014-2015 fellows Kenna Camara Cottman, Brian J. Evans, Kaleena Miller, Alanna MorrisVan Tassel, Sally Rousse and Max Wirsing present six world premiere dances, at Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, 528 Hennepin Ave., Mpls. ASL offered 8 p.m. Sat, Sept. 24, by request. Deadline for request is Sat, Sept. 17 through the box office. Tickets $25. FFI: 612-206-3600, http://tinyurl.com/hnc4jxw

Broadway Songbook – Rebels! on Broadway A touring company explores the way Broadway productions have been rebellious and subversive, at Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington, St. Paul. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, Sept. 25. Tickets $37-$42. If using ASL, request seating in that area. FFI: 651-224-4222, http://tinyurl.com/he5dss2

The Dublin-based musical and theatrical ensemble performs at the Historic State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL offered 8 p.m. Fri, Sept. 30. Tickets $43.50 to $63.50. Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. FFI: 612-339-7007, http://tinyurl.com/zwy59aw

Magic Tree House: A Night in New Orleans Stages Theatre Company presents a Mary Pope Osborne story, at Hopkins Center for the Arts Mainstage, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. ASL and AD offered 1 p.m. Sat, Oct, 1. Tickets reduced to $11, child/senior 60 and older $9 (regular $15 and $12). Sensory friendly show 10 a.m.

Sat, Oct. 8. All tickets to sensory friendly performances are $10 (not available online); Call 952-979-1111, opt. 4 to reserve. FFI: 952-979-1111, http://tinyurl.com/guap74f

The Children Pillsbury House Theatre presents the area premiere of a story of hope and survival, at Pillsbury House Theatre, 3501 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, Oct. 1. AD offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, Oct. 8. Tickets are pay-as-one-can, regular $25, Tix: Pay-What-You-Want (regular $25). FFI: 612-825-0459, http://tinyurl.com/jtv7pk8

Ragtime Theater Latte Da presents the Tony Award-winning show, at Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE, Mpls. AD and ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, Oct. 6. Tickets reduced to $17.50 for ASL/AD patrons and one guest. FFI: 612-339-3003, info@latteda.org

Open Flow Forum The Artists with Disabilities Alliance event has returned to a familiar location, at Walker Community Church, 3104 16th Ave. S., Mpls. On the first Thu of each month artists with disabilities and supporters enjoy a free opportunity to share visual art, writing, music, theatre and other artistic efforts with each other in an informal, fragrance-free setting. Refreshments are served. Facilitators are Tara Innmon and Dan Reiva. Anyone needing special accommodations should contact Jon at VSA Minnesota, 612332-3888, jon@vsamn.org FFI: http://tinyurl.com/gwt32pw

Art Show: Quilts by Halle O’Falvey Vision Loss Resources, 1936 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. hosts a display of original quilts by St. Paul artist Halle O’Falvey in this exhibit, part of a rotating series of exhibits coordinated by VSA Minnesota. On display through September 2016. Lobby hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m., MonFri. Free. FFI: 612-871-2222, 612-332-3888, www.vsamn.org

Events - p. 13

September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9 Pg 13

ENJOY!

More events information Continued from p. 12 Geoffrey Mikol exhibit

The Institute on Community Integration’s Changing Landscapes Arts initiative offers the art of Illinois artist Geoffrey Mikol. The display is up through December. Mikol was born with Downs syndrome and has found a special connection with fine art photography as a means of expressing himself.

He recently graduated from Harper College and is self-employed through his fine art photography. The exhibit is at 102 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Mpls. FFI: ici@umn.edu

People Incorporated’s Artability Art Show & Sale People Incorporated hosts the annual show 5-9 p.m. Fri, Oct. 28 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat, Oct. 29 at the Great Hall, 180 E. 5th St., St. Paul. Free. Pre-register at http://tinyurl.com/ hbroj45 and receive a free calendar magnet featuring this year’s poster winning art by Molly Corrick. Artability is a program of People Incorporated, whose mission is to help individuals living with mental illnesses to work toward achieving their goals related to living independent and enriched lives. Annually celebrating the creativity and contributions of people with mental illnesses to the community, the show will feature 300 artworks, from landscapes and nature photography to anime and abstracts. More than 100 artists not only explore their interests, share their love of art and gain confidence in their skills, but if they sell their work they keep 80 percent of the sales price, with the remaining 20 percent going back into the Artability program. Writers also contribute their creative work to an anthology available for sale at the show. FFI: 651-774-0011, http://tinyurl.com/zf2gdzp

UPCOMING EVENTS Continued from p. 11 has been trained to lead support groups. A group meets 6:30-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday at Eagle Brook Church, 2401 East Buffalo St., White Bear Lake.

FFI: Jody Lyons 651-645-2948 x109.

Family support groups help families who have a relative with a mental illness. A group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wed at Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 West, Roseville. FFI: Anne Mae. 651-484-0599.

Open Door Anxiety and Panic support groups help people cope with anxiety disorders. One group meets 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. the second and fourth Thu in Room 104, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul. The group used to meet at Goodwill/Easter Seals. Another group meets 6:30-8 p.m. the first and third Thu at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul.

Young Adult NAMI Connection is a free support group for persons ages 16-20. A group meets 7-8:30 the first and third Thu at Friends Meeting House, 1725 Grand Ave., St. Paul. The group is facilitated by young adults

VSA Minnesota VSA Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit organization that works to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts, at http://vsamn.org. The website has a comprehensive calendar at the upper right-hand corner of its home page. 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.

Access Press only publishes performance dates when accommodations are offered. Contact the venue to find out the entire run of a particular production.

Additional resources Another web events listing is http://c2net.org (c2: caption coalition, inc., which does most of the captioned shows across the country. Facebook is another way to connect with performances. Sign up to connect with Audio Description across Minnesota HTTP:// tinyurl.com/d34dzo2. Connect with ASL interpreted and captioned performances across Minnesota on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/FBcaption. Another resource is Minnesota Playlist, with a recently updated website calendar with all the ASL-interpreted, audio-described, captioned, pay-what-you-can shows and other features. Go to http://minnesotaplaylist.com/calendar Arts festivals are held throughout the state. Check www.exploreminnesota.com/index.aspx, http://festival net.com/state/minnesota/mn.html, www.fairsandfestivals.net/states/MN/ ■

who live with mental illnesses and are doing well in recovery. A full calendar of all events is offered online.

FFI: 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org Vision loss group offers activities Vision Loss Resources provides free and low-cost activities in the Twin Cities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Life skills classes for those with low vision; card games, craft classes, book clubs, walking groups, dinners out, special outings and technology classes are among the offerings. Participants need to RVSP to participate. FFI: RSVP hotline 612-843-3439; activity phone 612-253-5155, www.visionlossresources.org MCIL offers classes and activities The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living provides many life skills classes as well as fun outings and events for people with disabilities. MCIL is at 530 N. Robert Street, St Paul and most activities are there or start there. Classes and events are listed on the website, www.mcil-mn.org Click on “Classes Groups and Sessions” for updated information or to print their calendar. Please give two weeks’ notice if the alternative format or other accommodations are needed.

2016 Charlie Smith award nominees- from p. 9 clients living with family or in their own homes, and the Three Directions Program for adults looking for work, volunteer opportunities or social interaction.

Her duties have included responsibility for finance, resource development, board recruitment and new business development at Wingspan.

Davis has championed group activities for adults with disabilities including the All Hands on Deck group for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, the Wingspan Glee Club offered with McPhail Center for Music and the Rainbow Support Group for LGBT adults. A unique Wingspan program she started in 2001 is Tsev Laus Kaj Siab, a pioneering culturallyspecific day care for Hmong adults. The program is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

Wingspan’s mission is to “help those challenged by age, ability or health to realize their unique gifts, talents and dreams.”

Davis and others helped develop and implement the person-centered support philosophy. She has influenced Wingspan’s culture to promote such supports and has been a guiding light to influence other organizations. “Her passion for the intellectual/developmental disability community runs deep and she has been at the forefront of issues influencing the community,” said nominator Darolyn Gray. “Advocacy is a continuous process and without Therese joining with others to raise awareness to influence positive action, silence and inertia would have resulted in

HISTORY NOTE Continued from p. 2 other services and supports.” The Cultural Outreach Program was created to provide immediate information on services available and how to access them and education and training to build beginning leadership and advocacy skills, and help parents communicate with educators and support providers.

In 1992, to encourage participation of parents of children with developmental disabilities in racial and ethnic minority communities in the Partners program, the council began to fund an outreach and leadership training program in the African American community. In subsequent years, council funds were allocated to outreach programs in the Native American community from 1995 through 2003; in the Hispanic community from 2000 to 2013; and in the Asian community from 2004 to 2006.

The cultural outreach programs continue and are intended as the first step to the Partners program for adults with disabilities and parents with children with developmental disabilities who are also members of minority communities. The programs offer outreach services and personal support in addition to leadership training and introduce the concepts of the Partners program. ■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mnddc.org or www.mncdd.org and www.partnersinpolicymaking.com Events are free, accessible and mostly scent-free. FFI: 651-603-2030 Vision rehabilitation offered Vision Loss Resources is offering a full menu of vision rehabilitation services, available in clients’ home or onsite at VLR. An affordable individualized service plan will be offered to each participant. The rehabilitation services are geared to provide participants the practical skills they need to remain independent and at safe at home. Services are offered as part of an affordable service plan. Sliding fee scale options are available and a grant from United Way will help continue to serve those who cannot afford to pay for services. The support groups, peer counseling, and volunteer services will continue to be offered without charge. FFI: 612-843-3411 Adult support groups offered AuSM offers free support groups for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Groups include those for adult family members, women with autism spectrum disorders and independent adults with autism. Check the website for upcoming groups. Groups meet at the AuSM offices at 2380 Wycliff St. FFI: 651-647-1083 ext. 10, www.ausm.org ■

minimal changes and supports throughout the years.”

It is Davis’ one-on-one experience in serving adults with disabilities, combined with her connection to families, case managers, social workers and therapists that makes her one of the community’s most ardent advocates. She works both for clients and for direct support professionals. She is a past winner of the Sullivan Ballou Award, given to those who act from the heart.

One testimonial for that award stated, “Therese combines the unusual qualities for a warrior and a healer.

She shows up fully spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and physically. She is able to pay attention to what has heart and meaning to people. This is an exceptional combination of qualities in pone person that makes for outstanding contributions to Wingspan.”

Davis has had a strong influence as a member of ARRM, working with other community-based service providers on ARRM groups including its conference committee and public policy committee. She has also been a field team district captain for the Best Life Alliance. She is a fixture at legislative lobbying days and works frequently with legislators to promote disability community issues. Davis is a strong advocate for optimization of support, nurturing well-being and independence, and expanding caregiver services and family respite care services.

She is also an active volunteer at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in St. Paul, helping for 12 years when the church offers shelter to the homeless. ■

Pg 14 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9

Radio Talking Book September Sampling ‘Mediality’ makes debut News and entertainment comes to audiences in a variety of ways. Television, the Internet, podcasts, and smartphones provide a wealth of information that can be challenging to wade through. What’s good? What’s not? And who is responsible for it? In an effort to broaden the scope of TV-Ality from merely highlighting what’s on TV, the 4 p.m. Sunday program is being redesigned to be more substantive. It will incorporate media criticism and how news and entertainment are produced. To reflect this broader range the new name of this program will be changed from TV-Ality to Mediality.

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. Call 1-800722-0550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The catalog is online at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of our books via an inter-library loan 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 Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site at: http://tinyurl.com/ facebookMTBN Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newline.

Register for the NFB Newline by calling 651-539-1424.

Access Press is featured at 9 p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference.

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

The War on Alcohol, Nonfiction by Lisa McGirr, 2016. 14 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 22. Prohibition has been portrayed as a noble experiment that failed. But it was the seedbed for a pivotal expansion of our federal government, the genesis of our contemporary penal state. Read by Bonnie Smith-Yackel.

Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse, Fiction by Faith Sullivan, 2015. 11 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 27. Nell is a penniless, widowed mother of a baby - who finds strength in friendships and a rich inner life from the novels she reads. Read by Judy Woodward.

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

Boy Erased, Nonfiction by Garrard Conley, 2016. 11 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 12. The son of a pastor, Garrard was terrified and conflicted about his sexuality.

Outed to his parents, he was forced into conversion therapy. L, S - Read by Michael Piscitelli.

Model Woman, Nonfiction by Robert Lacey, 2015. 14 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 27. Eileen Ford and her husband created the 20th century’s largest and most successful modeling agency, turning modeling into a glamourous career. Read by Nancy Bader.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

The Truth and Other Lies, Fiction by Sascha Arango, 2015. 10 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 26. Best-selling author Henry Hayden seems like someone to admire or have as a friend. A loving husband, a generous and considerate neighbor. Only he and his wife know that she is the actual author of the books that made him famous. When his hidden-in-plain-sight mistress becomes pregnant, it seems his façade is about to crumble. L Read by Scott Brush.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Winter Is Coming, Nonfiction by Garry Kasparov, 2015. 14 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 19. The ascension of Vladimir Putin to the presidency of Russia in 1999 was a strong signal that the country was headed away from democracy. Putin is at the center of a worldwide assault on political liberty and the modern world order.

Read by John Mandeville.

Speakers of the Dead, Fiction by J. Aaron Sanders, 2016. Seven broadcasts. Begins Sept. 29. In 1843, Walt Whitman’s friend Lena Stowe is hanged for the murder of her husband, Abraham. Walt vows to exonerate her.

When Walt’s estranged boyfriend, Henry, returns to New York, the two of them uncover a link between body snatching and Abraham’s murder. Read by Laura Young.

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

Along the Infinite Sea, Fiction by Beatriz Williams, 2015. 15 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 12. Each of the Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but Pepper Schuyler’s problems are in a class of their own.

Pregnant by a well-known, married politician, she finds a way to take care of herself by fixing up a rare vintage Mercedes. Read by Pat Lelich.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Fortunate Son, Nonfiction by John Fogarty, 2015. 15 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 15. Stories of hardship in music are common, but few have risen from the ashes of personal struggle like John Fogerty. Early success was followed by disputes and betrayals and leaving the music industry. Read by John Marsicano.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Blackass, Fiction by A. Igoni Barrett, 2016. 10 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 19. Furo Wariboko wakes on the morning of a job interview to discover he’s turned into a white man with red hair, green eyes, and pale skin. In this condition, he plunges into the bustle of Lagos to make his fortune. L, S - Read by Dan Sadoff.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

Aurora, Fiction by Kim Stanley Robinson, 2015. 15 broadcasts. Begins Sept. 13. The first voyage of humans leaving Earth to find a new home began generations ago. Now, they are approaching that new home.

But the new planet will be unlike the ship and unlike Earth in many ways. Read by Greg Olson.

Weekend Program Books Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing Wake Up Happy by Michael Strahan and The QuarterLife Break-Through by Adam Smiley Poswolsky. For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing Run by Glenn Haggerty. Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing May Day by Gretchen Marquette, and Window Left Open by Jennifer Grotz; The Great North (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Portage, by Sue Leaf, and In Winter’s Kitchen, by Beth Dooley. ■

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

The Smartest Places on Earth, Nonfiction by Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakekr, 2016. Nine broadcasts.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

Begins Sept. 16. Rustbelt cities are becoming the Splinter the Silence, Fiction by Val McDermid, 2015. 12 hotspots of global innovation. Sharing brainpower and broadcasts. Begins Sept. 12. Several women have died making things smarter is turning globalization on its who were the victims of cyberbullying, but is it violence if it head. Read by Pat Muir. is virtual? The outspoken women targeted by increasingly The Death of Cancer, Nonfiction by Vincent T. cruel Internet bullies would say so. For some, the threats DeVita, M.D., and Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn, 2015. 15 prove too much and they have begun to silence thembroadcasts. Begins Sept. 29. DeVita contends that the selves by suicide. Or did they? L - Read by Isla Hejny. war on cancer is winnable, but there are things we need to change to get there. Read by Carol McPherson.

Abbreviations: V – violence, L – offensive language, S - sexual situations, RE – racial epithets

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September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9 Pg 15

2016 Charlie Smith Award winner - from p. 1 “It is hard to overemphasize the courage and commitment that Cliff has shown groups including People First Minnesota, United Handicapped Federation and Adin more than 45 years of community advocacy and leadership,” said nominator vocating Change Together (ACT). Poetz soon assumed leadership roles in public Charlie Lakin. “Cliff has never relented in his commitment to stand up to injustice policy reform and leadership development. He worked on legislative agendas to and to make life better for people with disabilities. Cliff has given enormously in put people first, and spoke with authority on issues affecting people with all types time and effort to support full citizenship and equal opportunity for people with of disabilities. He helped organize one of the first self-advocacy conferences in developmental disabilities.”

Minnesota. The start of Metro Mobility, work on voting rights, work to establish Lakin added that even though Poetz’s mobility has been restricted in recent smaller group homes and get people out of larger institutions and many more isyears, he still finds the resolve to attend meetings and events to promote accepsues were part of Poetz’s early work. tance, inclusion and well-being of people with disabilities.

He was among the founders of Remembering With Dignity, the project that pro“Cliff’s advocacy has helped build the self-advocacy movement, bringing hunvides proper headstones in cemeteries at state institutions. He performed in the dreds of people into the decision-making process regarding disability services on play “Let Heaven and Nature Sing” at the Minnesota Historic Center. The play is local, state and national levels,” said nominator Jerry Smith. about life in the state hospital at Faribault in the 1940s.

Noting his lifelong dedication to disability rights, nominator John G. Smith said, Arc chapters in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and United States have benefitted “I think it is important to recognize Cliff to encourage others to keep up the fight from his service on their boards. He served on the Minnesota State Council on over the long pull … I know of no one who has a better understanding of how Disability, co-chaired the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals and politics enters into decisions at all levels, and has the interest and patience to get the ICI Consumer Advisory Council. He has been involved with Interact Center involved and stick around until his voice is heard.” and served on its board. He has played a number of advisory roles, ranging from “Cliff’s work has made a difference in the lives of people with disabilities in the work with the University of Illinois/Chicago’s Research and Training Center on community, including those Aging and Developmental Diswithout a choice and those who abilities to working with Headwere not valued enough to rewaters Foundation.

2015 – Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, Minnesota Commission for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing ceive a gravestone,” said nomiHis many awards include the 2014 – Christine Marble & Wendy Devore, CareerVentures nator Renata Ticha. “Cliff as a Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation person with a disability himself 2013 – Cal Appleby, Augsburg College International Award for Selfunderstands exactly what the is- 2012 – Charles “Chuck” Van Heuveln, St. Paul Public Schools Empowerment in 2000. Poetz is sues are for others with disabili- 2011 – Jeff Bangsberg, Minnesota Department of Health just one of four people to reties, including difficult in being 2010 – Steve Kuntz, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) ceive that award. His many 2009 – Anne Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center able to live independently and other honors include the 2008 – Pete Feigal, Co-Founder of Tilting at Windmills have a job. Without Cliff’s adFounders’ Award from the Arc 2007 – Jim and Claudia Carlisle, People Enhancing People vocacy at the local, state and Greater Twin Cities, Hero of the 2006 – John Smith, University of Minnesota national label, people with inArc Award and the very first 2005 – Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) tellectual and developmental Governor’s Award from 2004 – Rick Cardenas, Co-Director of Advocating Change Together (ACT) disabilities would not be where MSCOD. For the 20-year anni2003 – Margot Imdieke Cross, Minnesota State Council on Disability they are now.” versary of the Americans with Poetz’s nominators agree that Disabilities Act, Poetz was inwhile positive change for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities terviewed by Minnesota Public Radio. would have come eventually, Poetz was a driving force in spurring that change The Arc Minnesota, the Minnesota chapter of the American Association on Inalong and making it happen more quickly. tellectual and Development Disabilities and ICI give leadership awards in Poetz’s At the time Poetz became an activist, about 200,000 Minnesotans were still livname to recognize his life’s work and to encourage others. Nominators said those ing in institutions. “Cliff has always been a front-edge dreamer of and catalyst for awards show the great level of respect for Poetz’s career and his work. change,” said Lakin.

Access Press is also proud to honor Poetz. “Cliff is one of the true pioneers of A native of Watertown, Poetz was placed in Minneapolis’ Portland Residence the self-advocacy movement and we are pleased and proud to recognize his many congregative living facility when he was young. Self-advocacy was all but unyears of service,” said Executive Director/Editor Tim Benjamin. “Some of the heard of in the 1970s. Poetz soon organized his fellow Portland Residence resinominations said it best when they noted that the self-advocacy movement would dents to improve services and make residents’ voices heard. not be where it is today without Cliff’s years of work.”

Poetz left Portland Residence to live independently in the community, with few “This time of year is always exciting as we, the board of directors, get to recommunity supports available. He also left employment at a sheltered workshop to view all of the nominees for the Charlie Smith Award. Although this year’s pool advocate as a volunteer, at times living in dire poverty before being hired at ICI. was a bit smaller the nominees were all very worthy and represented a wide array The early days of the self-advocacy movement were at a time of dealing with exof work,” said Access Press Board President Kristin Jorenby. “We had a difficult treme prejudice, said Lakin. Families were often ashamed to have a member with a decision to make as these were all outstanding individuals and groups. Cliff has developmental disability. “It took incredible courage for Cliff to stand up to such been part of the foundation of advocacy for our community and those of us that prejudice and discrimination to become one of the very earliest self-advocates for are following can learn a great deal from him and others. I want to encourage rights and opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities,” said Lakin. those that are emerging leaders to learn from those that have paved the way for us, In 1970 Poetz and others founded a group calling “Telling It Like It Is.” The like Cliff, but to also blaze new paths that will set the stage for those yet to come. group traveled the Upper Midwest educating Arc chapters and other audiences I look forward to having Cliff’s continued support and voice as a part of our Acabout the experiences of living in congregate care settings, and the pain and discess Press family. “ semination from being labeled as “retarded.”

Details about the banquet, including ticket information, are on page seven. ■ The group’s work was highlighted in a 1972 Minneapolis Star article, and drew the attention of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy. Kennedy invited Poetz to testify on the Developmental Disabilities Act. Poetz spoke to a Senate subcommittee.

His early work led to the development of the first organized self-advocacy efEMPLOYMENT forts across Minnesota. Poetz is recognized for his involvement in the start of Employment ads are $22-$25 per col. inch.

Honor Roll of Charlie Smith Award winners

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Pg 16 September 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 9