November 2020 Edition - Access Press

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Volume 31, Number 11

November 1, 2020

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Monitoring won’t go on in court case

MONITORING To page 3

Paul Wellstone

NEWS DIGEST

Even though rallies have been on hold since March, the message of more pay for staff was finally heard by state lawmakers.

FILE PHOTO

What may be a final salvo in a long and complex legal battle was filed October 22 in U.S. District Court. Judge Donovan Frank denied a motion by plaintiffs against the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and a number of state officials, in which monetary damages and ongoing monitoring were sought.

Court oversight in the case, which has had many implications for Minnesotans with disabilities, came to an end October 24. The case began in 2009 when three families sued over treatment of their children at Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO) in Cambridge.

What began with three families turned into a class action involving more than 300 people.

Use of restraints and placement of patients in seclusion at METO were at the heart of the lawsuit, filed by the Jensen, Jacobs and Allen-Brinker families. They contended their adult sons were subject to seclusion and restraint, and cruel treatment. The case brought changes to how practices of seclusion and restraint are handled at facilities including the AnokaMetro Regional Treatment Center and the St. Peter Forensic Mental Health Program. It also led to work on Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan, which outlines how the state will provide inclusion for people with disabilities.

In a recent court filing Frank urged state officials to continue working with disability right advocates to avoid further problems and potential litigation.

Plaintiffs’ counsel Shamus O’Meara filed a motion this fall for appointment of an independent review and sanctions against the state.

Frank denied that motion.

The plaintiffs sought sanctions, calling out state officials for decadeslong noncompliance that they said “severely delayed the administration of justice, endangered vulnerable citizens and caused the needless expenditure of several thousand hours by the court, consultants and plaintiffs to address DHS noncompliant conduct.”

They asked the court to sanction DHS for $500,000, dividing that amount five ways with $100,000 to the court’s Cy Pres fund to be used for access to justice and improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Another $100,000 would go to third party organizations selected by the court, unaffiliated with DHS, to promote the state-wide changes in the agreement including the Minnesota Olmstead Plan, Positive Supports Rule and best practices regarding the use of restraint and seclusion.

The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities would each have received $100,000 for their executive directors’ work as court consultants. Both requests cited the unprecedented ongoing noncompliance and delay caused by DHS, and for DHS lead counsel’s “contemptuous statements about

"We all do better when we all do better."

More hours, interim pay hike approved for state's PCAs Finally.

Long-awaited help for the personal care attendant (PCA) program was a highlight of the Minnesota Legislature’s October special session. The bonding bill Gov. Tim Walz signed into law October 21 includes needed dollars for the program.

Direct care for people with disabilities was in crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. A shortage of staff, due in large part to low pay, put many people with disabilities at risk. Many people struggled to fill all of their worker shifts, with some spending days in bed because they had no help.

The pandemic worsened those problems.

The measure Walz signed includes several key changes. One is an emergency 8.4 percent rate increase for PCA, Consumer

Directed Community Supports (CDCS), and the Consumer Support Grant (CSG).

This extends to February 7, 2021.

Another change that was approved allows parents, stepparents, and legal guardians of minors to provide PCA services through February 7, 2021. Also approved is a permanent increase to the monthly hourly cap from 275 to 310 hours.

Having the PCA finding and other needs addressed with the bonding bill is another atypical occurrence in what has been an atypical year for state lawmakers and those who closely follow public policy.

The pandemic sent committee and floor sessions online in March. Disability-focused groups and self-advocates found themselves following issues at a distance, learning to

Outstanding employers honored Page 9 The Arc turns 70 Page 2 Duluth marks gains Page 4 Empathy is focus Page 11

PCA To page 3

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November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 2

TIM’S DESK

Tim Benjamin I am writing this in the last week of October, and the trees outside my window are covered with snow. This early stuff will be gone in a day or two, but it won't be long before snow has covered the ground completely until March or April at least.

I'm not looking forward to the cold. I know plenty of people who love winter because of the chance to get outdoors for sports like hockey or skiing. I even watch those extreme wilderness types on YouTube who like to camp in the snow. But my shiver threshold is way too low for that. The weather has been so unpredictable, dry to the point of wildfires in the western states and severe flooding with hurricanes and tornadoes in the eastern states. But here in Minnesota, winter is dependably coming.

Well, the campaign messaging and advertisements are nearly over, and with any luck by the time you read this, we will

It really saddens me to see all the tents in the parks with people using walkers and wheelchairs to get from tent to public transportation — which is limited now also.

all know who our president will be for the next four years. I hope the candidate you voted for was the winner. As a first priority, I hope the new president and legislators will be able to turn down the pandemic and get the economy back in order. We have to get people back to work and move into a somewhat normal lifestyle again. Since this is a column, I can go ahead and tell you I voted for Joe Biden, not least because I think that he is best equipped to fight the pandemic. Whoever won, I am really concerned that we round the corner and solve this virus problem. There can’t be any solid improvement in the economy until we do.

While the rich are still getting richer, almost everybody else has to hope for a government stimulus. The extent of homelessness is unbelievable, and the food shelves have record-breaking usage and are running out of food. This is not a greater America.

Well, the campaign messaging and advertisements are nearly over, and with any luck by the time you read this, we will all know who our president will be for the next four years.

It seems odd to me that there hasn’t been more stimulus money to keep some of the hospitals afloat. M Health Fairview is going to shut down Bethesda Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital. St. Joe's won't be closed for a year or so, while it functions as Fairview’s leading COVID hospital, but Bethesda is closing down right away. Many of us have stayed at Bethesda hospital for transition from a major hospital stay before we were discharged to go home. It was just recently remodeled for the overflow of COVID-19 patients. Fairview must've lost a lot of money to have paid for the remodeling and then right away decide to close. Within a couple weeks Ramsey County announced that it would lease the Bethesda facility and use it as a homeless shelter. I would hope they could also use it as a medical facility for the homeless and disabled.

In the most recent special session to approve the governor’s continuance of the orders of a peacetime emergency, the legislature passed a bonding bill.

The bonding bill will increase funding for rebuilding state infrastructure like highways, bridges and many state facilities.

Along with the infrastructure funding, there were also some changes to the PCA program related to the COVID pandemic.

One change that we know of for sure is that the number of hours per month a PCA

can work has changed from 275 to 310.

The legislation also allows, temporarily until Feb 7, 2021, for parents and spouses to work as PCAs for their family members.

There is also a temporary increase, through February 7, 2021, in the reimbursement rate for PCA agencies.

It sure would be nice if all of this was retroactive going back to March and would continue indefinitely, as all our advocates were requesting. I believe this is coming too late, but better late than never. No question something needs to be done about increasing the availability of home care rather than hospitalization or institutionalization of people with disabilities who need help. Of course we also need low-income housing so people with disabilities can live independently in their own apartments or houses. It really saddens me to see all the tents in the parks with people using walkers and wheelchairs to get from tent to public transportation-which is limited now also.

Have a good month. I know we’ll have a lot more to talk about next month after the election. It'll be interesting to see how many changes there will be at the state and national levels. Will people once again choose to have “divided government” with opposing parties controlling the legislature and Congress? See you for post-election conversation on Facebook or Twitter.

Stay healthy and stay warm!

HISTORY NOTE

The Arc Minnesota marks 70 years of change and progress The Arc Minnesota is marking 70 years of service to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families this fall. Here are some highlights from that history.

Dr. Reynold Jensen, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, in 1947 challenged the prevailing practice of immediately separating children born with disabilities from their parents, counseling parents to delay the decision to place their child in an institution.

Jensen’s ideas spread and in September 1950 the National Association of Parents and Friends of the Mentally Retarded held its first-ever national convention of parents in Minneapolis. Five years later the Minnesota Association for Retarded Children incorporated to coordinate local, state, regional and national initiatives and provide leadership in government affairs.

Much focus over the next several years was to get laws passed, to mandate special education for educable students,

provide funding for teacher training, establish day activity center services, fund prenatal care services for high-risk women and support research into the causes of mental retardation. Many gains could be celebrated at 1960's 10th anniversary conference in Minneapolis.

President John F. Kennedy signed legislation in 1963 providing $355 million for a federal and state mental health and mental retardation program. The next year Minneapolis parents succeeded in establishing classes for students with disabilities in the Minneapolis Public Schools, 11 years before federal legislation mandated special education services.

Arc members continued to be active at the local, state and federal levels, on a wide range of issues. The 1970s and 1980s were a time where many more significant measures were passed at the state and federal level. Many changes were made to help people with disabilitiea and their families be effective advocates, find meaningful

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work and live in their own communities.

In 1980, the TapeMark Charity Golf Tournament began, benefiting Arc and other organizations that support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Arc’s Value Village Thrift Store opened in 1982 in Richfield to provide funding for the Arc. One big change affects the way people with intellectual and development disabilities are described. The Arc in Minnesota in 1990 stopped using the name “Association for Retarded Citizens” out of concern about the label “retarded.”

The national Arc changed its name a year later. The Arc is used as a noun and not as an acronym.

Much more public policy work continued through the 1990s, with a strong presence at the state capitol that continues today. It marked the rise in prominence of effective self-advocates. Conferences, educational opportunities and resources helped everyone have a voice. Sharing of

stories became an important communications tool. Many voices were needed at times when supports and services were threatened by state budget cuts.

The 2000s were a time of more growth and change. Arc members also focused on Get Out the Vote training, candidate forums and helping people get to the polls.

Efforts were stepped up to help people find meaningful work.

A big change was in January 2018, when seven chapters of The Arc across Minnesota merged as one organization to provide consistent and essential services to support more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

The History Note is a monthly column produced in cooperation with the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Past History Notes and other disability history may be found at www. mnddc.org

November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 3

Bonding package results are mixed for people with disabilities Disability-focused brick-and-mortar projects around Minnesota finally got answers from the 2020 Minnesota Legislature. Gov. Tim Walz signed the bonding bill into law October 21, ending more than a year’s wait for project contenders.

Work for more accessibility at Minnesota state parks and safety improvements for Minnesota State Academies were among the disability-related highlights in the bill.

Bonding was a key focus of the fifth legislative special session in mid-October. Bill passage wasn’t easy. The House debated the measure for 10 hours, indicative of the months of past conflict over the bill. It finally passed on a 100-34 vote.

House members then sent the bill to the Senate and adjourned, which left no option for Senate amendments. The Senate debated the bill for three hours before it passed, 64-3.

The October session was considered to be the last chance to pass a bonding package before the end of the year. It funds an array of projects statewide including college and university buildings, parks and trails, roads and bridges, state buildings, water and sewer projects, and a host of other needs.

Money was spread throughout the state, for a variety of programs. For example, housing efforts got more than $100 million. That’s a big win for disability advocacy groups that worked as part of the Homes for All coalition.

Metro transit gained $2 million, with Twin Cities metro area bus rapid transit projects gaining $55 million. The new Institute for Child Development at the University of Minnesota is tagged for $129 million.

The approved project list was winnowed down from submissions totaling more than $5.3 billion. That total is a state record.

Walz released his bonding recommendations in January and immediately met opposition from Senate Republicans, who said his proposal was too costly. The bonding bill failed to get through the Minnesota Legislature’s regular session and subsequent special sessions called as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and State Academy for the Blind, both in Faribault, had two of four requests approved. Academy leaders submitted four requests totaling $18.010 million. Walz recommended all projects.

The largest request, for safety and security needs, was funded at the full amount of $5.83 million. It is for a safety and security building corridor on the State Academy for the Deaf campus, and major renovations of interior space, restrooms, offices, classrooms, science and technology labs for Smith and Quinn halls on that campus. The corridor would provide for a central/main entrance and controlled access for

all three buildings for student arrivals, parents/guardians, visitors, vendors and contractors. The controlled access to the education directors’ office areas would include a waiting area and public restrooms.

The corridor will also improve accessibility for students and staff in wheelchairs and who use other mobility devices.

State academies also received $3.150 million for asset preservation, reduced from an ask of $5.73 million.

Requests for funding to renovate Pollard Hall on the deaf school campus and Kramer, Brandeen and Rode halls on the blind school campus weren’t approved. Nor was money for pre-design work to determine the feasibility of renovating existing spaces or establishing a student services/activities center on the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf campus.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had several requests funded including $3 million to improve access to state parks. A $10 million request was made, to provide comprehensive accessibility at William O’Brien State Park in Washington County and to design projects at Fort Snelling State Park. The work would build on planning dollars awarded in 2018.

Accessibility of capitol complex facilities was a focus for requests from the state’s Department of Administration.

While a request for $2 million for an ADA Accommodation Fund was turned down, the bonding package does earmark $100,000 for the state office building tunnel, which has areas that are hard to navigate with heavy doors, dated restrooms, lack of handrails and exterior ramps.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) sought $66.3 million in bonding requests and received $27.409 million. DHS obtained $8 million for asset preservation for facilities. Also approved is $1.794 million toward the second phase of work at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center. That is greatly reduced from a request for $18 million, to make the buildings usable for program operations for the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, and increase capacity for clients in community preparation services.

Other approved projects for DHS include $10 million toward regional mental health crisis centers, and a total of $5.865 million for facilities in St. Louis Park and St. Louis County.

PCA

Wilson, who uses a wheelchair. But relying on family isn’t everyone’s situation.

“I’ve never had a PCA whose only job was taking care of me,” said Wilson. “I am one person away from losing everything I have worked for.”

With the pandemic, “our fragile system is collapsing all around us,” said Jacqui Kelly. She described the challenges she faces as caregiver for her teen son, who has autism. Her son is coming into adulthood and will want independence, but that cannot happen without caregiver support.

How contract talks will fare is a huge unknown.

Minnesota has a looming state deficit, with projections for a $2.4 billion budget hole in the current two-year biennium. A $4.7 billion gap is anticipated in the two years after that.

use online meeting platforms and weighing in from afar.

The supplemental budget bill that was merged with the bonding bill is not only used for direct care and treatment services, but also corrections staff overtime and public safety funds for response to unrest around the Twin Cities.

The bill found itself caught in some of the session politics, with efforts to tie at least one Minneapolis capital project request to that city’s debate over defunding or reshaping its police department. The much-debated Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline also became a flash point. So did the civil unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul after the May murder of George Floyd, and Walz’s mandates for mask wearing and other measures.

Most debate in the House and Senate focused on bonding and the amount earmarked for capital projects, with less attention paid to the supplemental spending bill. The supplemental spending amounts to an additional $31.37 million in general fund spending for fiscal year 2021.

Funding came from agency savings and a 2021 general fund appropriation change to the Department of Human Services for Medical Assistance. The appropriation change results in a nearly $25.06 million savings, from increased federal reimbursements for Medical Assistance.

The spending provides more than $16 million to support Department of Human Services’ direct care and treatment services.

While the interim funding and added hours are welcomed, the SEIU Healthcare Workers union is making its case for a wage increase for workers in upcoming contract talks. Members met with Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan October 21 in a virtual meeting to discuss the challenges they face. SEIU is in the information-gathering stage, before formal talks begin.

Walz acknowledged the needs when speaking to the group, saying “There is much more to be done.”

Speakers at the virtual meeting described the hardships

MONITORING

From page 1 the Court and Court consultants.” The final $100,000 would have gone for plaintiffs’ counsel for thousands of hours spent addressing unprecedented ongoing DHS noncompliance and delay over 10 years.

Limits on which parties can receive sanctions and a 2105 agreement on sanctions were cited by Frank in rejecting that request. The judge also denied the request for ongoing monitoring.

But he scolded the defendants, noting that they “prioritized litigation tactics over making meaningful lasting improvements in the lives of people with disabilities.”

FILE PHOTO

From page 1

The need for additional pay has long been a focus of capitol rallies. they face as caregivers or as people needing care. They described not feeling safe in their current caregiving situations, and not in control of their own lives. Some have unfamiliar staff and the inability to fill some shifts at all. People have had to move back in with family members or go to transitional care, when they could be living on their own with adequate staff support.

“Investing in PCA pay is an investment in peoples’ lives," said self-advocate Lauren Thompson. Losing staff support means losing choices and options, She recently had to resign from the state’s Council on Disability due to her staffing situation.

“There is this perception that our families will be there all of the time to provide care,” said Brittanie

“Undoubtedly, the court has been troubled due to the failures of Defendants—government actors and public servants—in implementing the Agreement to protect vulnerable Minnesotans such that it required extensive monitoring and extension of the Court’s jurisdiction for nine additional years,” Frank wrote. But notwithstanding previous failure, the court has found that the defendants are finally in substantial compliance with the agreement.

At some point, he said the defendants have to be trusted.

But the judge also wrote, “The court has not been shy about its frustrations with how this lawsuit digressed from a forward-looking and hopeful settlement to years of protracted feet-dragging in implementing that very same settlement.”

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FROM OUR COMMUNITY

November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 4

Duluth sees gains, but much remains with the ADA Much has happened in Duluth since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The ADA was enacted so that people with disabilities could live the lives they chose, living their dreams and experiencing connections in their communities. Duluth government and businesses, like most cities, have made many helpful changes, but much more remains to be done.

Roberta Cich, Chair of the Duluth Commission on Disabilities, noted, “When I started working as an advocate 20 some years ago, there was more of an adversarial process when lack of access was pointed out.” Today working to achieve accessibility is more collaborative. This is a significant development resulting from many people working to achieve the goals of the ADA by creating more awareness of the barriers people with disabilities confront.

Today we have more curb cuts, accessible parking spaces, and public accessible rest rooms in Duluth as a result of advocacy. The Duluth Transit Authority has accessible busses. The main post office became accessible after the passage of the ADA. People with disabilities and their advocates went to the city to get automatic door openers installed in the skyway system.

While we've made progress in Duluth, like the rest of the

country, we have further to go. We need greater accessibility to places of business, employment and recreation. Many of these can happen with foresight, seeking how to provide accessibility beforehand. Often, accessibility is an afterthought, which makes it more expensive.

Parking and sidewalks continue to be a challenge, particularly in winter months. Snow removal in the Duluth area is barely meeting general needs and often fails to adequately help people with disabilities.

Employment of people with disabilities continues to be a problem, at all times, but especially during a pandemic.

Many employers see the disability, not the ability. One area of particular concern is the need for accommodations for people with hidden/invisible disabilities.

With over 100,000 people in the greater Duluth area, many of the conditions and issues are similar to most cities. Advocates for ADA issues need to clearly and constantly press for change, but fortunately, the attitude of city and business leaders is progressive and generally willing to work towards solutions.

Thank you for assisting with this article: Laurie Berner, Executive Director, ArcNorthland; Roberta Cich, Chair, Duluth Council on Disabilities; Amanda Crosby, Independent Living Coordinator; Michelle McDonald, Executive Director, Lake County DAC; Sandy Moore, Legal Advocate, MN Disability Law Center.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

by Ann Roscoe

Fairview Hospital changes concern mental health advocates

by NAMI Minnesota NAMI Minnesota is deeply concerned with the changes being proposed by Fairview Health Services. The loss of 18 inpatient psychiatric beds at Fairview Southdale Hospital is not offset by opening an intensive mental health ER. While mental health ERs can triage and stabilize some people, there are far too many people already languishing in Emergency Departments who need inpatient psychiatric care – and this number continues to grow. If people are in need of hospital level of care, they need to be able to access it.

It is clear that the 100 inpatient psychiatric beds at St. Joseph’s Hospital will be closed in about one year. The loss of these beds will be devastating to the metro area and will greatly decrease access to inpatient psychiatric care across the state. Fairview has stated that they are looking for partners to build a new free-standing psychiatric hospital.

It’s important to note that the federal Medicaid law includes an “Institution for Mental Disease (IMD)” clause that prevents Medicaid funding being used in any facility with more than 16 beds where over half of the patients are being treated for a mental illness or substance use disorder.

Without Medicaid funding, the hospital cannot be built.

“NAMI Minnesota is not placated by promises to build

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: I did not think I would be forced to write a second letter on the availability of pool therapy. The situation is discouraging as I write this during early fall.

Now we are not dealing with the governor or the Minnesota Department of Health. We are dealing with individual pools. I have been struggling to get the Wasie Pool open at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

The two pools at Phillips Community Center remain closed. (Minneapolis pools are closed due to COVID-19.)

I have had three surgeries on my left leg and can have bad spasm without the chance to swim/exercise/relax the muscles. Are we going to be forced back to using opioids?

J. Rindels Haugen Minneapolis

Society’s broken moral compass This is a chain of events that the disability community of Minnesota, and frankly, disability communities everywhere else, is all too familiar with.

When PCAs can’t afford to pay their bills on low wages, they need leave their jobs, leave their clients. Then clients lose, lose the home they want to live in and go into a facility.

Then clients lose personal space, lose peace of mind, because they don’t know which staff is going to help them.

They lose time, because they don’t know when staff are actually coming to help them. They wait. They forfeit control in an attempt to have the care they need, but too often staff don’t have time to address clients by name, let alone, properly train.

Mistakes are made. Ultimately, clients lose the care anyway.

Clients are reduced into being submissive entities, to watched and washed, but only if, and when staff can manage.

They are lost, I know, because I am a former PCA client who now lives in a facility because all my PCAs quit. I have no control over how I live, or any power to my name. My name doesn’t matter, because I am just one of many people with disabilities in the state who is forced to live at the mercy of society’s broken moral compass, just waiting to be found.

Editor’s note: The writer’s name was withheld on request.

a new free standing psychiatric hospital – knowing that federal Medicaid law would prevent payments to care provided in a psychiatric only hospital and that there is little possibility of changing the law in the near future due to the enormous fiscal note,” said Sue Abderholden, NAMI Minnesota’s executive director. “Additionally, at a time when advocates, providers and health care systems are pushing for integrated care – between health and mental health – why would we support a psychiatric only hospital?”

Many psychiatrists report that the percentage of people in an inpatient psychiatric unit with serious medical comorbidities who require ongoing specialty medical consultation and management is steadily increasing.

While Fairview has stated that it’s the largest mental health provider in the Midwest, this is not a reason to decrease access to mental health treatment at a time when the pandemic has increased the need for mental health care. It doesn’t matter how big a provider you are, closing beds decreases access. NAMI Minnesota urges community members to speak up against these closures.

Editor’s note: Fairview Health; now M Health Fairview, has announced a dramatic downsizing of hospital and clinic operations on to stem financial losses, to prepare for a $250 million operating loss. This includes the shutdown of the 90-

bed Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul that had been previously converted to treat COVID-19 patients. Bethesda will become a Ramsey County homeless shelter.

St. Joseph’s Hospital will become Fairview’s new flagship for COVID-19 care. It will no longer be a general hospital, as its emergency room will close by year’s end. Specialties such as neurology and bariatrics will be relocated. Inpatient mental health care will continue at the downtown St. Paul hospital at least through 2021.

Sixteen clinics in Minnesota and western Wisconsin will close, and 900 jobs will be eliminated.

The announcement formalizes plans for the closures of Bethesda and St. Joseph’s that were raised in November 2019.

The fate of St. Joseph’s remains less clear, but it could be converted into permanent housing, outpatient clinics and potentially a psychiatric hospital that will maintain inpatient capacity. St. Joseph’s is Minnesota’s first hospital, which was converted from a school by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1853 to address a cholera epidemic.

Primary care clinics are closing in Columbia Heights, Farmington, Hugo, Lino Lakes, Milaca, Pine City, Roseville, Savage and Zimmerman in Minnesota, as well as select sites in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington. Clinics also will close in Ellsworth and Spring Valley in Wisconsin. Eleven of the 16 had temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

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November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 5

by Jane McClure Even a pandemic cannot keep Minnesotans from celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and 75 years of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Several of the state’s disability service organizations sponsored the virtual event, which was offered in accessible formats.

Typically the ADA anniversary is celebrated in July with performances, speeches, food and fellowship. But the event was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers hope to have a big public celebration as soon as it is safe to do so. But the virtual event drew positive reaction.

More than 400 attendees celebrated accomplishments of the past three decades and reviewed what is ahead, with a focus on continuing to move forward. They enjoyed performances by Twin Cities artist and activist Dupree and the disability artists’ ensemble Alice Sheppard and Kinetic Light, which will perform at Walker Art Center and the University of Minnesota later this year.

Gov. Tim Walz delivered a proclamation in honor of the event. Attendees also heard many inspiring words and a comprehensive legal update on the ADA’s three decades in the courts, and how workers with disabilities fought for their rights.

One highlight was an appearance by former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who spoke for full inclusion beyond accommodations.

Harkin served in the Senate between 1985 and 2015. He was asked by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) to craft legislation that became the ADA. Harkin now leads the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, and focuses much of his time and energy on disability rights and employment issues.

One of Harkin’s vivid childhood memories is of his brother Frank being sent halfway across the state to a school for the “deaf and dumb.” His brother responded by saying, “I may be deaf, but I’m not dumb.” That experience shaped Harkin’s lifelong quest for equal rights for people with disabilities, confronting pitying and patronizing attitudes and life limitations.

Harkin recalled that he gave his ADA bill speech on the Senate floor using American Sign Language (ASL) and then had to

repeat it verbally because no one there could interpret ASL. Another highlight was hearing from Kevin Lindsay, former Minnesota Commissioner of Human Rights and current executive director of the Minnesota Humanities Center. Lindsay was praised for his commitment to equal treatment for people with disabilities.

Lindsay and self-advocates Sherry “Bart” Bartholomew and Adonia Kyle spoke for the need for people with disabilities to keep moving forward in the quest for equal rights. Bartholomew and Kyle are artists with disabilities who spoke movingly of their life experiences and the need for inclusion.

Nationally prominent attorneys Barry Taylor and Rachel Weisberg reviewed three decades’ worth of legal cases based on the ADA. They outlined how courts at first very narrowly defined disability and disability rights until Congress was forced to step in with amendments to the ADA. Those amendments have helped people with disabilities as they seek the same right to work as others have. But the legal cases have been complex, with very different outcomes over the years.

Cases they discussed ranged from the early case Sutton versus American Airlines to cases involving telework or working remotely. A very recent case, Peeples versus U.S. Clinical Support Options, was called out as an example of what is happening in a changing legal and work landscape due to the pandemic.

In the latter case a worker who has moderate asthma asked to work from home when pandemic restrictions began. That was changed to in-office work after a couple months, with minimal accommodations The worker with asthma was so fearful of illness, that person only ate and drank while sitting in a vehicle.

When it was learned that other employees had been granted permission to continue working from home for reasons not related to disability, the employee sought and was again denied permission to do the same thing. A court granted a preliminary injunction so the employee could go back to working at home.

The event will be posted on the ADA30MN.com website. Pictures from the event will be featured on a slideshow at www.accesspress.org

∏∏f Swaiman was pediatric pioneer

Dr. Kenneth Swaiman is remembered as an expert in pediatric neurology and disability. Swaiman, 88, died earlier this fall. He lived in Minneapolis and Tucson.

Swaiman had his roots on Minneapolis’ North Side, hanging out at his father’s Plymouth Avenue barbershop.

He attended the University of Minnesota for college, medical school and training programs in pediatrics, neurology and pediatric neurology.

He was a pioneer in the field of pediatric neurology, helping children with disabilities and diseases of the brain around the world. For decades, he headed the Division of Child Neurology at the U of M, was a full professor of pediatrics and neurology, and ran a research lab. He created and edited the field's first journal Pediatric Neurology and a major textbook, now titled Swaiman's Pediatric Neurology: Principles and Practice.

He served as a consultant to the NIH and started several Minneapolis-based professional societies - most notably, the Child Neurology Society with more than 2,000 members in 22 countries.

Above all he put his young patients first. He treated children whose diseases were confounding to others.

Doctors worldwide came to rely on him to assist patients with brain disease and associated disabilities.

He was a Vikings and Twins fan, and enjoyed travel, tennis, short-story writing, the arts and following the news. He and his wife donated a sculpture at the entrance of the Walker Art Museum in memory of their parents.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Phyllis Kammerman Sher, children, grandchildren, a great-grandchild and a sister. Services have been held. Memorials preferred to the Child Neurology Foundation at 201 Chicago Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55415 or childneurologyfoundation.org

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

ADA anniversary, disability employment are focus of virtual celebration

Interpreter Laurissa Rector from Metropolitan State University demonstrated onscreen ASL.

Event producer Taylor Fischer monitored the musical presentation by Dupree Edwards.

In Memoriam f∏∏

she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy. She excelled at working with children with physical disabilities.

Upon graduation, she was offered a position at the U of M Rehabilitation Department and became a pediatric supervisor at the U of M Children's Rehab Center in occupational therapy. She later held a double appointment (half academic and half clinical) at the U of M Medical School and the School of Occupational Therapy. She also served a two-year term as president of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association.

Holt is remembered for not letting significant health

challenges slow her down. She stayed busy with her family, enjoyed travel, was proud of her Scandinavian roots, and did much volunteer work. She collected cookbooks and had an uncanny ability to taste a new food item and decipher its ingredients.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a son.

She is survived by her husband, David, a daughter, a son, grandchildren, sisters and a brother. Services have been held. Memorials preferred to Bethel Lutheran Church of Hudson, the University of Minnesota Occupational Therapy Program or Norway House.

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Holt was champion for children

Barbara Nelson Holt spent her career working with children with disabilities at the University of Minnesota. Holt died of cancer this fall. She was 75 and lived in Hudson, Wisc.

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November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 6

PEOPLE & PLACES Refugees who make a difference are honored Ten people who came to Minnesota as refugees were honored this fall for making a difference in their communities.

The fourth annual Outstanding Refugee Awards from the Minnesota Department of Human Services recognize refugees for civic engagement, entrepreneurship, young leadership and significant efforts during their first two years in the state.

“People who come to the United States as refugees endure great hardship in order to realize their hopes for a better life for themselves and their families,” said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “I’m so pleased to acknowledge the achievements of these individuals who have done so much to unify Minnesota and make Rufo Jiru our state a better place to live.”

In 2019, Minnesota welcomed 891 refugees from 13 countries, about half of them children and youth. The largest number of refugees were from Burma, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.

The Civic Engagement Award recognizes individuals who make their communities stronger through civic participation. One honoree is Rufo Jiru of Shakopee. Jiru is a chemist by training and profession, but humanitarian at heart. Jiru came to the U.S. as an Oromo refugee.

In 2016, she founded a nonprofit, Anole Sisters, that works to provide support and empowerment to Oromo women through community outreach, microloans, and short-term assistance to families in crisis. Jiru is a leader in helping parents of children with disabilities in multicultural communities, ever since witnessing the challenges faced by parents as a special education interpreter through the St. Paul Public Schools.

Jiru works tirelessly to connect families with services, provide emotional support and visit with them in their homes. She is an active member of the Disability Support International Advisory Working Group and the Minnesota Autism Council Working Group in St. Paul, and a board member of the Multicultural Autism Action Network and Minnesota International NonGovernmental Organization Network in Minneapolis.

Another civic engagement honoree is Dr. Obsa Abdulla Hassan of Spring Lake Park, a physician at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, founder of the Axis Family Clinic in northeast Minneapolis, and a volunteer at Hadi Medical Clinic, a free community clinic in Brooklyn Center.

So is Hani Haybe of Minneapolis, a nurse at Hennepin Healthcare and the founder of Street Soccer Twin Cities.

The other two winners for civic engagement are Farhiya Iman of St. Cloud, a social worker for Stearns County and owner of Nori Cafe and Creamery; and Novia Josiah-Isaac of Maplewood, a licensed social worker at the Center for Victims of Torture in St. Paul.

The Entrepreneurship Award goes to individuals who contribute to their communities in business, the arts or education. One honoree is True Thao, LICSW, of Cottage Grove. Thao established True Thao Counseling Services, where he and his staff provide bilingual and bicultural mental health services to adolescents and adults. He goes well beyond counseling, organizing food and clothing drives, when necessary, to meet people’s basic needs. Thao provides this capable, compassionate care for his own clients, but also shares his skills in mentoring others. In addition to promoting mental health, Thao values the history of his Minnesota community. He and his brother restored Cedarhurst

True Thao Mansion, out of love for this Minnesota treasure. Thao, who came to the U.S. as a Hmong refugee, has created jobs and added to the vibrancy of his community.

Another entrepreneur feted is Amran Abukar of Willmar, an author and cultural liaison at Kennedy Elementary School.

The Young Leader Award acknowledges the contributions of young people who have achieved great milestones and are making a difference in their communities. Those honored are Ku Mo, St. Paul, a University of Minnesota student and community supporter; and Oballa Oballa of Austin, a student at Riverland Community College, and an advocate and leader in the statewide LeadMN student organization.

The New Beginnings Award recognizes individuals who have been in the country two years or less and exemplify resilience and courage while rebuilding their well-being and making Minnesota home. This year’s winner is Bugondo (Blaise) Ntibonera of Minneapolis, a refugee resettlement case worker at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

The department canceled this year’s awards ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans to honor the 2020 award winners at an event next year.

Roe named to new post

Independent Lifestyles, Inc., A Center for Independent Living (ILICIL) of Sauk Rapids is has announced the promotion of Whitney Roe to VR Coordinator.

Roe, who joined the agency in 2016, will coordinate three programs working with area vocational rehabilitation services.

She will oversee the teams for the career counseling workforce Whitney Roe innovation and opportunity act, vocational rehabilitation independent living program, and preemployment transition services. She has implemented effective cost savings strategies, efficient production levels, and motivational strategies for individuals with disabilities to live their best lives through working on their goals and maximizing their independence.

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November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11

Pg 7

OPPORTUNITIES Remember winter paratransit tips Kent’s Accounting Kent Service, LLC Fordyce Certified ProAdvisor 2017 2005-2016 6371 Bartlett Blvd Mound, MN 55364

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763.479.3555 | VinlandCenter.org Where experiences & adventures are open to individuals of all abilities True Friends provides life-changing experiences to children and adults with disabilities through a variety of programs at five Minnesota locations.

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Winter decided to beat Halloween to the punch this year, with record snowfall in October. As the flakes start flying and the snow starts to pile up, take steps to be ready for your Metro Mobility ride.

Winter weather can cause delays in travel, even for Metro Mobility.

During bad weather, the number one goal is to keep customers and drivers safe. Prepare for scheduled rides with the following actions: Keep walkways clear of snow and ice. Metro Mobility drivers will not pick passengers up if there is not a clear pathway and safe access to get to the bus.

Be ready for delays. On winter weather days when roads and traffic are backed up, some delays are unavoidable. Be prepared for rides to arrive a little later than normal.

Dress for the weather. Although the ride will be warm, the trip to and from the bus may not be. Put on warm winter gear – even a short wait

can be dangerous for people not dressed for the weather.

Consider rescheduling a trip. When extreme winter conditions exist, it is always safest to stay put. If it’s not a necessary trip, consider making it another day when the weather improves.

Remember, for scheduling or

CONFERENCES

Mental health in challenging times NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) hosts a virtual state conference 9 am-4 pm Sat, Nov. 14. Features breakout sessions on pressing mental health issues for professionals, individuals living with mental illnesses, family members, advocates, and students. Three keynote speakers will also highlight the conference: Patrice Harris, M.D., a psychiatrist and the first African-American woman to be elected president of the American Medical Association; Thomas R. Insel, MD, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and co-founder of Humanest Care, an online stepped care solution for mental health; and Susan Bartlett Foote, author of Minnesota’s Crusade for Forgotten Souls: The Roots of Minnesota’s Pathbreaking Mental Health Advocacy. $10 (members), $20 (non-members) and $40 (people seeking the 4.5 CEUs). FFI: namimn.org, 651-645-2948.

APPOINTMENTS

Apply for state council The Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council (MNSILC) is seeking applicants to fill vacancies on the council. Anyone with an interest in the independent living philosophy is welcome to apply. Council leaders encourage parents, services providers or businesspeople and individuals with disabilities to apply. The council is interested in expanding council representation beyond those living in the 11 county metro area. MNSILC meets 10 times per year. For the foreseeable future, meetings will be held virtually. Captioning or a call-in option are available

rescheduling your rides, contact the Twin Cities Metro Mobility Trip Providers.

Questions? Want to learn more about Metro Mobility and how to schedule rides? Go to https:// metrocouncil.org/transportation/ services/Metro-Mobility-Home.aspx

for meetings. Visit the Secretary of State website, https:// www.sos.state.mn.us/boards-commissions/help-how-tos, for information about how to apply. Application should include a cover letter with information outlining the applicant’s interest in serving on the council. FFI: 612-518-1497, www. mnsilc.org, mnsilc1215@gmail.com.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

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 online at this time.

Advance registration is required for all workshops. At least 48 hours’ notice is needed for interpretation. Workshops are live-streamed. Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions designed for their needs.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI): First Steps is 1-2:30 p.m. Thu, Nov. 5. The workshop will provide basic information on applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for young adults at age 18. Participants will learn how SSI can help youth meet postsecondary education, training, employment, and independent living goals.

Off to College: What to Know Before They Go is 6:308 p.m. Tue, Nov. 10. The interactive workshop for families of youth who will attend post-secondary education programs provides essential information about changing rights, roles, and responsibilities, along with practical tips for student success.

OPPORTUNITIES To page 11

Locations

Camp Courage Maple Lake, MN

Camp Eden Wood Eden Prairie, MN

Camp Friendship Camp Courage North Annandale, MN

Lake George, MN

Plymouth Office Plymouth, MN

www.truefriends.org | 952.852.0101 | info@truefriends.org

Helping People Live The Life of Their Choosing Regardless of Age or Ability

651-247-7107

www.gtindependence.com

November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 8

REGIONAL NEWS Replacement sought for Kandi Works The Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners is continuing the process to close the Kandi Works Developmental Achievement Center. The board in October accepted a needs summary prepared by the county's Health and Human Services Department.

County officials will be making recommendations to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to help serve people displaced by the closure. Commissioners are also eyeing a number of details tied to the closing, from retaining client records to selling physical assets left by the closure.

The decision to close Kandi Works was made by its board of directors earlier this summer, with the Kandiyohi County Board approving it in September.

Kandi Works Developmental Achievement Center, a nonprofit agency that provided programming and services for individuals with developmental disabilities, was assisting approximately 80 people when the decision was made to close the facility recently.

There are worries about the future of entities like Kandi Works. The lack of adequate reimbursement from the state, transportation costs and legislative changes to the minimum wage laws are all major hurdles for day training and habilitation centers. The COVID-19 pandemic was a drippling if not fatal blow for programs everywhere.

Kandiyohi County officials’ main goal is to help find new opportunities for those who relied on Kandi Works for its services such as employment and habilitation programming.

“It is very important for those folks,” said Kandiyohi County Commissioner Rollie Nissen. “Just to have a place to go, to do something. The smiles on their faces, it was wonderful to see.”

In October commissioners accepted a needs assessment completed by Health and Human Services Supervisor Kathy Nelson. The assessment reported on what service needs would no longer be met for the clients of Kandi Works now that it is closing.

Woman faces charges in death

A 35-year-old central Minnesota woman is charged with murder in September after allegedly silencing the alarm on an oxygen-monitoring device. Charges allege she allowed her child, who had significant disabilities, to die.

Elise C. Nelson, of Paynesville, was charged in Stearns County District Court with second-degree intentional murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the child’s death in June.

The child, 13-year-old Kylie Larson, had medical problems including chronic respiratory failure and severe developmental delay from a loss of oxygen at birth, according to the criminal complaint. Autopsy results from the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, while attributing the death to complications during birth, also said Nelson “deprived care resulting in death,” the charges read.

Larson’s parents sued in 2008 on their daughter’s behalf alleging medical malpractice by Affiliated Community Medical Centers and Rice Memorial Hospital at the time of her birth. The family was awarded $23.2 million by a jury. The hospital and family later reached a settlement, the terms of which remain confidential.

However, the defendants filed motions with thenKandiyohi District Judge Donald Spilseth in opposition to that amount. The judge ordered both sides to mediation, and a settlement was reached. David Alsop, attorney for the defendants, said Thursday he could not disclose the terms of the settlement, which remains sealed eight years later.

The criminal complaint states that Nelson was alone with her daughter in June. She repeatedly silenced a

As part of the assessment, the county made two recommendations to DHS. The first was for the state department to approve an increase in the number of individuals West Central Industries in Willmar could serve.

Many of Kandi Works clients would like to join West Central Industries, but the facility's current license won't allow it. The Willmar facility also has a waiting list. Nelson said DHS would rely heavily on the county's recommendation when deciding whether to approve a new license for West Central Industries.

“DHS said as long as we had it recommended in our needs determination, they would have no problem going forward with that license,” Nelson said.

The county is also recommending the state allow a new entity to provide programming in the Kandi Works service area, such as day training, habilitation and adult day care. One is Divine House, which has shown interest in the past about expanding its day training and habilitation programming into Kandiyohi County.

While some of Kandi Works' clients have decided to find services elsewhere, others are waiting to make that call, Nelson said, hoping a new program will form in the Kandiyohi and Atwater areas, where Kandi Works was located. Many of those individuals are medically fragile or have other challenges that would make transportation to Willmar or another city difficult.

(Source: West Central Tribune) medical device twice and later turned it off, so there was nothing to monitor the child’s oxygen saturation levels or pulse rates. Nelson eventually called 911 and her child was declared at a hospital.

(Source: Star Tribune)

Police seek ways to help

A recent social media post by Mendota Heights Police Chief Kelly McCarthy is gaining attention.

McCarthy posted on the department’s Facebook page about a meeting she’d like to have with caregivers of those with family members on the autism spectrum or a neurodiverse relative. The chief wants to know if there is interest in starting a support group as an alternative to calling 911 for help in certain situations.

“As you look at instances around the country of police officers using force on people on the autism spectrum or who are neurodiverse —there's a lot of consternation — rightfully so about the way police departments apply force,” said McCarthy.

McCarthy planned a virtual meeting with those who signed up to discuss possible options to create a new support group. The goal is to help those experiencing stressful situations in the home.

“We're in the really early stages of maybe getting a network of caregivers — who could be that first line of support for one another,” McCarthy said. “We're just looking at ways to ease that burden in our community.”

“Having an option and having resources for families dealing with neurodiversity that doesn't involve calling 911 is one of the most vital steps we can take to supporting families,” said Jillian Nelson, a community

resource and policy advocate with the Autism Society of Minnesota.

Nelson said families with loved ones on the spectrum often struggle about calling authorities in certain situations out of concern about the encounter, what neighbors might think or the emotional stress on their loved one.

That's why Nelson supports communities having discussions about trying to find more ways to help families in need.

“I don't know how it's going to shake out,” McCarthy said. “I do just want to hear from the community on what those options could look like.”

Anyone wanting to be involved in the community discussion with McCarthy, email kellym@mendotaheights.com.

(Source: KSTP-TV)

Jobs program is praised

Makenna Johnson’s new favorite job is shredding paper. The 18-year-old Mankato East High School graduate is among five young adults with disabilities getting some unique help transitioning to the next phase of their lives.

Mankato Area Public Schools recently launched INSITE, a new program designed especially for 18- to 21-year-old students with disabilities. INSITE stands for Individuals Navigating Skills for Independence, Transition and Employment.

Mankato Area Public Schools is the first in the region to develop a specialized program for its older students.

Some school districts in the Twin Cities have programs, which Mankato leaders used as models.

The young adults are learning skills that will help them gain and maintain employment and live independently. They take on tasks ranging from laundry and doing dishes to learning future work skills. Another focus is on hobbies and ways to spend free time.

The pandemic is for now forcing the students and staff to spend most of their time in their new space at 50 Navaho Ave. But the plan is to venture out more into the community for work and for fun, said Samantha Steinman, assistant director of secondary special education for Mankato Area Public Schools.

INSITE is looking for businesses partners to provide students with unpaid work experiences in the future.

Students who receive special education services can continue attending a public school through the school year in which they turn 21. Until this year, Mankato area 18- to 21-year-olds continued their education at the high schools.

Once INSITE has been up and running smoothly for a while, Supt. Paul Peterson said the district will look at opening it up to students from surrounding districts.

(Source: Free Press of Mankato)

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November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 9

Unidine-The Glenn Minnetonka

Activar, Inc.

Target

State's outstanding disability employers are commended for their efforts Eight outstanding disability employers, who go above and beyond for people with disabilities, were honored this fall by MOHR. Five winners are from the Twin Cities area, and with one each from Fairmont, Duluth and Buffalo.

Awards coincide with the national celebration of disability employment in October.

“Employers tap into this great talent pool and give people with disabilities an opportunity,” said Julie Johnson, president of MOHR. “Organizations will be stronger if they hire these talented and dedicated people. They will quickly see the benefits of an inclusive workforce."

MOHR represents more than 100 disability service providers across the state.

Employers help people with disabilities to pursue their goals, earn decent wages and contribute to the economy as part of their communities. “Supporting people to live a community connected life is a large part of what MOHR providers do for the people they support.”

Winners are nominated by MOHR members.

Activar, Inc. of Bloomington was nominated by Rise. Activar is a manufacturing and distribution company engaging in construction, plastic, technical and industrial products and services.

As many as 10 individuals from Rise work at the large Bloomington plant. They produce metal wall cabinets used by businesses around the world.

The work is fast paced, and the Rise team is tasked with the finishing steps. They bring in parts from the warehouse, assemble them, do quality checks, package and palletize completed cabinets to be sent back to the shipping department, said Keith Hovland, Rise Director of CBTE and Support Services.

Cub Foods-Buffalo, was nominated by Functional Industries. Cub utilizes people with disabilities in a variety of positions within the store. Individuals work in the deli, on the cleaning team and on the sales floor.

“The management team at Cub Foods does a fantastic job of allowing individuals to ‘move around’ and explore different jobs in different departments to find the best fit, one that makes the individual the most happy,” said Ashley Nordlie, placement services manager for Functional Industries.

Ferlic Filter LLC, was nominated by Merrick, Inc. Ferlic Filter, a medical supply company, uses Merrick workers to handle X-ray cassette covers and filters used by hospitals and diagnostic centers across the United States. These are bundled and packaged using specially designed bags of different sizes.

Ferlic Filter owner Carly Nelson visits with Merrick clients regularly to build and maintain relationships with the crew, said Karen Herrera, development and communications director for Merrick. There are team-building activities and pizza parties, complete with drawings for prizes and gift cards to celebrate the great work of the crew.

Lakeview Methodist Health Services, was nominated by STEP Inc. Employees with disabilities at Lakeview Methodist Health Services, a long-term care facility in Fairmont, stepped up their efforts when COVID-19 hit.

STEP, Inc. supports eight individuals. Staff work in laundry, foodservice and custodial operations.

“The biggest responsibility for our job coaches is to set up the employee for success, not to fail,” said Dominique Berg, employment service manager for STEP. Cooperation and communication with Lakeview have been strong, and important to the success of each employee.

Lunds & Byerlys was nominated by Opportunity Partners. Tres Lunds, president and CEO of Lunds & Byerlys, praised the employees.

“We are so remarkably proud of our entire family of Lunds & Byerlys employees for the way in which they have delivered an added level of care and comfort to our customers during these uncertain times,” he said.

Opportunity Partners typically works with six or more Lunds & Byerlys stores, making site visits to coach employees, check on their progress and meet with managers, said Cara Buettner, an Cub Foods-Buffalo employment specialist with the Minnetonkabased organization.

Target-Duluth was nominated by Trillium Works! Target creates customized job positions for people with disabilities and instills a sense of independence and pride. “Target has employed several people we support over the years, and has looked at each individual for the strengths they have, and the contributions they can bring to Target; not the tasks they cannot do,” said Liz Glesner, a program supervisor with Trillium Works!

Trillium provides job coaching, transportation and weekly check-ins to Target employees. The service is flexible, depending on the independence level and comfort of the individual team member.

Unidine-The Glenn Minnetonka, was nominated by Chrestomathy, Inc. An elegant senior dining facility in Minnetonka and its foodservice provider, Unidine, are an excellent, Westwood Early Childhood Center MOHR AWARDS To page 11

Lunds & Byerly's

Ferlic Filter LLC

November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 10

RADIO TALKING BOOK Take advantage of change Radio Talking Book listeners are reminded that there are innovative and upgraded listening options. Use the Internet, the RTB apps for iOS and Android, or a digital assistant like an Alexa-enabled smart speaker. The innovations provide listeners an improved listening experience, while keeping Radio Talking Book accessible for years to come.

Changes are being made to how Greater Minnesota newspapers are presented.

The programs have been or soon will be added to the Android and iOS apps. Not all newscasts will be available right away, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To find out more call toll-free at 1-800652-9000, or email at ssb.info@state.mn.us.

There’s an app for that Access Radio Talking Book anytime and anywhere on a hand-held mobile device, for either iOS or Android. Just visit the Apple App Store for iOS, or Google Play for Android, and download the Minnesota Radio Talking Book app. It’s quick, it’s easy, and provides a convenient way to tune into RTB wherever and whenever.

Books available through library services Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available for loan through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. The catalog is online at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog.

Call the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library at 800-722-0550, MondayFriday, 9am-4pm CST for details. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.

Learn more To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site, Minnesota Radio Talking Book. Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newsline.

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

The NFB-NEWSLINE service provides access to more than 500 magazines and newspapers, plus information on COVID-19 in the “Breaking News” section. To learn more, visit www.nfb.org/

programs-services/nfb-newsline.

The sampling published monthly in Access Press doesn’t represent the full array of programming. Many more programs and books are available.

Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate Listen to RTB’s live or archived programs online at www.mnssb.org/rtb Chautauqua* Monday – Friday 6 a.m.

Volume Control, nonfiction by David Owen, 2019. An estimated 37 million Americans have lost some hearing. Fortunately, there is no better time than now to be a person with hearing loss. Read by Roger Sheldon.

10 broadcasts; begins Mon, Nov. 9.

Physical Intelligence, nonfiction by Scott Grafton, 2020. Neuroscientist Scott Grafton explains that our bodies have the ability to translate signals about distance, materiality, kinesthesia, and other matters.

Read by Lannois Neely. 10 broadcasts; begins Mon, Nov. 23.

Past is Prologue* Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

Lincoln’s Spies, nonfiction by Douglas Waller, 2019. A look at President Abraham Lincoln’s intelligence network, and how it helped defeat the Confederacy. Read by Mike Casper. 17 broadcasts; begins Wed, Nov. 11.

Bookworm* Monday – Friday noon The Beantown Girls, fiction by Jane Healey, 2019. Fiona, Dottie, and Viv volunteer as World War II Red Cross Clubmobile Girls.

They soon discover their courage, and the importance of their friendship. Read by Pat Muir. 14 broadcasts; begins Tue, Nov. 17.

The Writer’s Voice* Monday – Friday 1 p.m.

Prince: The Last Interview, nonfiction by various writers. 2019. The first, last, and best interviews with music legend Prince across his nearly 40-year career. Read

by Michelle Juntunen. Three broadcasts; begins Mon, Nov. 16. – L

Choice Reading* Monday – Friday 2 p.m.

Ivory Lust, fiction by Colin T. Nelson, 2019.

A detective and his daughter uncover an international ivory-trafficking network, placing both of their lives in jeopardy. Read

by Yelva Lynfield. 15 broadcasts; begins Mon, Nov. 16. – V

Good Night Owl* Monday – Friday 10 p.m.

Sting-Ray Afternoons, nonfiction by Steve Rushin, 2017. Sportswriter and Minnesotan Steve Rushin tells of growing up in a Minneapolis suburb in the 1970s. Read by Glenn Miller. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Nov. 17.

Afternoon Report* Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

The Guarded Gate, nonfiction by Daniel Okrent, 2018. As the 20th century began, American leaders fanned the flames of anti-immigration prejudice. Read by Judy Woodward. 17 broadcasts; begins Thu, Nov. 19.

RTB After Hours* Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Daisy Jones and the Six, fiction by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2019. An iconic rock band fronted by an electrifying, provocative lead singer conquered the 1970s music scene.

So why would they suddenly part ways?

Read by Jodi Lindskog. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Nov. 17. – L, S

Night Journey* Monday – Friday 7 p.m.

Like Lions, fiction by Brian Panowich, 2018. Sheriff Clayton Burroughs’s history involved drugs and moonshine. But when a mob muscles into his Georgia town, he must choose between protecting his family or his heritage. Read by Neil Bright.

10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Nov. 17. –V, L Off the Shelf* Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Courting Mr. Lincoln, fiction by Louis Bayard, 2019. Mary Todd moves to Illinois and meets the awkward but principled Abe Lincoln. His urbane friend Joshua Speed guides Lincoln on the path to romance. Read by Carol McPherson. 16 broadcasts; begins Mon, Nov. 23.

Potpourri* Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

The Intelligence Trap, nonfiction by David Robson, 2019. Journalist David Robson explains how general intelligence and other traits are crucial to thinking clearly.

Read by Jack Rossmann. 11 broadcasts; begins Mon, Nov. 23.

Gray Day, nonfiction by Eric O’Neill, 2019.

As an FBI agent, cybersecurity expert Eric O’Neill helped capture infamous Russian mole Robert Hanssen. Read by Don Lee. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, Nov. 19. - L

J. Martin (Marty) Carlson Janice Chevrette Dean Doering & Lisa Scribner Jim Gerlich Kathy & Hazen Graves Jane Larson Ronna Linroth Lynda Milne Paul Mueller John Schatzlein (In Memory of) Kay Willshire Ghita & Bill Worcester The Benevity Fund Central MN Community Foundation GHR Foundation Handi Medical Supply In Home Personal Care MN Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities MRCI Client-Directed Services Tamarack Prosthetics UCare

Debra Shriver Dick Van Wagner (in honor of) Natl. Handicapped Housing Institute Tamarack Habilitation Technologies US Bank Employee Matching Program

Rick & Susie Macpherson Dorothy McCoy Andrea McKee Lisa & Jimmy Michaels Jean Larson Mineart Brandon Miller Manley & Ann Olson Anne Henry & Jerry Peterson David Sherwood-Gabrielson

Stephen Grams Mike Gude Pam Hochrein Joe & Cindy Johns-Giesen Sandi Lane

John B. Smith Linda Wolford Advocating Change Together Companion Housing Program Courage Kenny Institute Institute on Comm. Integration Just-Comfort Inc. The Minneapolis Foundation MCIL

Steve Anderson (in honor of) Arlys Arnold Larry Burkum Yoshiko Dart Mel & Georgia Duncan JoAnn & Steve Erbes Nancy Eustis Burl Gilyard Luther Granquist & Anita Schermer Ann Griffith

Robert Groven Martha Hage Marjorie Huebner Dale Janiszeski Gene Martinez Sue Norman Lori Schluttenhofer Virginia Schwartzbauer David Sherwood-Gabrielson Diane Sprague

Abbreviations V – violent content, R – racial epithets, L – strong language, G – gory descriptions, S – sexual situation

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November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 11

ENJOY! Less to Enjoy!

Learn what holds us together

Many of the museums, arts and theater groups that typically have listings in the Access Press Enjoy! calendar have suspended activities, moved to online services or are offering limited in-person services with social distancing and safety measures. Please check with a venue or organization before heading out.

Check to see what is available through the Minnesota Access Alliance and its calendar, at https://mnaccess.org/

The Empathy Project is a play by Stephanie Lein Walseth, which will be available online in November.

Based on interviews of 20 Minnesotans across the state, the Empathy Project helps us remember what holds us together amidst the national polarization that threatens to pull us apart. It is presented by Full Circle Theater in partnership with Yes! House in Granite Falls, Department of Public Transformation and Dreamland Arts, St. Paul. Dreamland is a theater company with a focus on disability.

Performances are November 20-22. Reservations required for this free event. FFI: https://forms.gle/ EfBRoyGzX9jGD9mw8

Open Flow Forum

The Artists with Disabilities Alliance meets via Zoom 7-9 p.m. the first Thu of the month. Upcoming dates Thu, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4. Virtually join artists with disabilities and supporters to share visual art, writing, music, theater and artistic efforts or disability concerns. Facilitators are Tara Innmon, Kip Shane and Springboard for the Arts. The gatherings are fully accessible. Anyone needing special accommodations should contact Andy at host organization Springboard for the Arts. FFI: 651-294-0907, resources@ springboardforthearts.org

Cast of The Empathy Project

PACER benefit is virtual

The annual PACER Center benefit is virtual, at 7:30 p.m.

Sat, Nov. 14. Enjoy a virtual performance by Motown legend Smokey Robinson. Tickets are still available. Tickets purchased for the event planned for earlier this year will still be honored. The event starts with a brief program and live auction, to support PACER’s work on behalf of families of children with disabilities and all students who are bullied.

FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237, www.pacer.org

Dickens’ holiday classic available on demand The Guthrie Theater will present Dickens’ Holiday Classic, a virtual telling of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ festive public readings of his cherished novella.

It will be available to stream on demand December 19–31.

One of Dickens’ favorite ways to spread holiday cheer was to perform dramatic readings of his beloved ghost story

for audiences near and far. Drawing inspiration from this centuries-old tradition, the Guthrie’s special virtual event features four actors who will each deliver one of Dickens’ hand-curated chapters and reimagine the classic for a global audience to enjoy To request free streaming access for a K–12 school, visit guthrietheater.org. Otherwise tickets are $10 per household. FFI: 612-377-2224, www.guthrietheater.org

OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES From page 7

What Inclusion Means for My Child is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mon, Nov. 16. Parents of children with disabilities ages 3 to 5 will receive an introduction to Least Restrictive Environment and the principles of inclusion. They will then listen to a panel of parents discuss their experiences with preschool inclusion.

Registration will close at 9 a.m. on Nov. 16. Webinar access information will be emailed prior to the event.

Tips for IEP Teams to Help Students and Families Prepare for Inclusive Postsecondary Education is 6:30-8 p.m. Tue, Nov. 17. Families of high school students and the professionals who work with them will learn strategies to guide in the selection of transition goals and activities that build the skills needed for college success. FFI: PACER, 952-838-9000, 800537-2237, www.pacer.org

INFO & ASSISTANCE

Developing a voice A webinar with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), speech language pathologists and assistive technology experts from across the state will teach participants about augmentative alternative communication (AAC) is and how it is used to help individuals develop their own voices. The webinar is 9-10:30 a.m. Thu, Nov. 5 DHS and MN STAR staff will discuss the process for how services are approved and what steps go into finding the best solution to fit a person’s specific needs. After the presentation, the experts will have time for questions. The event will have CART Captioning and is on Zoom. FFI: https://zoom.us/j/99111971627#success Learn about assistance dogs Can Do Canines is hosting its Tails to Tell presentations virtually, to share information its assistance dogs program.

Upcoming dates include 11 a.m. Sat, Nov. 7; Thu, Nov. 19; Thu, Dec. 10; and Sat, Dec. 19.

Each presentation will be led by a Can Do Canines staff member and will include testimonials from an assistance dog team and a puppy raiser, a photo tour of the facility and more.

Attendees will also have the chance to ask questions. Preregister.

FFI: 763-331-3000, ext. 152, tailstotell.can-do-canines.org Helping employees live in a pandemic NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has developed an online mental health program for employers to offer their employees to help them manage their stress, coping skills and resiliency during this unprecedented time. The new program is called HELP – Helping Employees Live in a Pandemic.

HELP program classes include: Minding Your Mental Health During COVID-19, Keeping in Touch: Staying Connected During COVID-19, Coping with Kids, Self-Care and Mindfulness, Physical Activity, Nutrition, Positive Psychology, and Question, Persuade and Refer, which teaches the three

MOHR

From page 9 supportive workplace for people with disabilities.

Unidine is part of the Compass Group North America company, which has other service providers with which Chrestomathy has established a working relationship, said Kara Townsend, vocational director for Chrestomathy.

“Chrestomathy has worked with several managers at their company locations, and the managers have made it clear that this is a ‘partnership’ with us in helping the

steps anyone can take to help prevent a suicide.

Classes are one hour long. Employers can choose one or all of the classes to be offered through Zoom or another online platform. NAMI Minnesota appreciates, but does not require, an honorarium for delivering the classes. Contact NAMI to schedule a class or classes. FFI: namihelps@namimn.org Training on self-care NAMI Minnesota in collaboration with McCubbin Training and LeadingAge Minnesota has created a free, online training on Self-Care for Senior Workers During COVID-19. The training helps caregivers develop personal strategies for managing stress and practicing self-care as they continue to provide care for others. The training is targeted for caregivers of older adults living in care centers, assisted living, their own home and adult foster care settings. It is about 20 minutes long and can be viewed on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

To access the training go to namimn.org and see “Self-Care Training for Senior Workers.” FFI: 651-645-2948.

Minnesota STAR program Program staff is working to provide services and keep clients safe. The equipment lending library has specific procedures and only no-contact loans are offered. All equipment is tested and sanitized prior to shipping. STAR staff wears proper PPE (personal protective equipment) during the process. Device loans continue to be for 30 days. After equipment is returned to STAR it is quarantine for five days. After the quarantine period equipment is once again sanitized, inspected and tested. Virtual demonstrations are done on as needed.

Information and assistance services continue as usual. FFI: 651-201-2640, star.program@state.mn.us Online mental health support NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers a variety of free online peer support groups for adults and young adults living with a mental illness, their families, friends, spouses/partners, as well as parents of children and teens.

Led by trained peer facilitators, the support groups help individuals and families learn coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences. The groups are specifically for those individuals suggested by the group’s title. For example, Family Support Group is only for family members and NAMI Connection is only for those who live with a mental illness and are over 18 years old, etc. Find a complete listing of group meetings and how to join in by going to namimn.org and clicking on “Support Groups”. FFI: https://namimn.org/ support/nami-minnesota-support-groups/.

MCIL is online The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living provides classes and activities, currently in a virtual format. MCIL is at 530 N. Robert Street, St. Paul and most activities are there or start there. Check the website to see what and events are listed on the website, www.mcil-mn.org. Click on “Classes Groups and Sessions” for classes updated information or individuals we support to be successful at their work,” she said.

Westwood Early Childhood Center was nominated by Partnership Resources, Inc. Westwood Early Childhood Center has hired individuals through Partnership Resources, PRI, to support its kitchen operations. PRI supports these individuals on the job to help make them successful, said PRI Program Director Marijane Oquin.

“WECC has gone above and beyond to support our client, Allie Henley, in her role as a kitchen aide,” she said.

The center updated a list of duties, created a new checklist and provided an embroidered apron for her, Oquin said.

to print their calendar. Please give two weeks’ notice if the alternative format or other accommodations are needed.

Events are free, accessible and mostly scent-free. The People of Color with disabilities group meets 5:30-8 p.m. the third Thu of each month. FFI: 651-603-2030 Centers for independent living statewide Minnesota centers for independent living statewide have gone to a mix of operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically centers offer an array of classes, training programs and other services tied to independent living. Centers that proving PCA, homemaker and other staffing for clients continue to do that in person. But most services aren’t provide at facilities. Facilities aren’t open to the public at all or on a limited basis, varying by center. Check with a local center before going in. FFI: www.macil.org/ Vision loss group offers activities Vision Loss Resources has opened with safety protocols in place. Some services are offered virtually. Low vision assessments are available by phone. Ask about virtual support groups, distance learning, and no-contact grocery shopping and reading support. Events and activities are offered virtually through the community center. The rehabilitation center is open for vision rehabilitation training, both in-person and remotely. DeafBlind Services Minnesota provides one-toone services to adults and children with deafblindness. No deafblind community activities are scheduled at this time. FFI: 612-871-2222, info@visionlossresources.org

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Mail to: Access Press, PO Box 40006, Industrial Station, St. Paul, MN 551045485; Phone: 651-644-2133; Email: access@accesspress.org

November 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 11 Pg 12

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People and service dogs lined up during for public testimony.

The Bell Museum brings together science, art, and the environment with a unique Minnesota perspective. Our high-tech exhibits, famous wildlife dioramas, and outdoor learning experiences are ready to welcome you back!

Open Thursdays – Sundays weekly Advance reservations required Health and safety measures in place

bellmuseum.umn.edu Access initiatives at the Bell Museum are funded in part by

Planetarium Shows

Audio Tour with Text and Audio Description

The Bell offers scheduled shows with open captioning and/or ASL interpretation once a month. Both ASL and captioning is also available upon request. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are available for presentations, planetarium shows, and tours at the Bell Museum every day.

We are pleased to offer a new pocketsized audio guide to the museum’s permanent exhibits.

Out of this World!

Saturday, November 21 at 1:00 pm Out of this World!

Sunday, November 22 at 1:00 pm Out of this World!

Saturday, December 19 at 10:15 am Out of this World!

Sunday, December 20 at 10:15 am

The tour’s vivid description and delightful imagery will guide you through space and time, from the origins of the universe, through the diversification of life on Earth, to Minnesota’s own unique environments, as seen in our open glacial diorama (and life size mammoth recreation!) and in our renowned wildlife dioramas.

The guide is free to visitors and available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, and English with audio description.

Statewide Star Party: Celebrating our Dark Skies November 9–14, FREE

When you look up at the night sky, do you ever wonder how different it would look under really dark skies?

What others across the state can see compared to what you see in your town? We are planning a week of virtual events, where night sky experts from across the state can participate and share their experiences and efforts to celebrate and protect our night sky.

Together, you and your community will join others across the state in observing stars, planets and other astronomical objects, considering what it means to have dark skies, and understanding how light pollution affects our view (and what we can do about that).

Special thank you to Ruth and John Huss for their generous support.

For additional information or to request an accommodation, please contact the accessibility office at 612-626-9660 or bellaccess@umn.edu.