January 10, 2004
Inside
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“If you really know what things you want out of life, it’s amazing how opportunities will come to enable you to carry them out.”
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—John M. Goddard Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mpls. MN Permit No. 4766
Volume 16, Number 01
Minnesota’s Disability
Community Newspaper
January 10, 2005
2005 MN LEGISLATIVE SESSION: ANOTHER BUDGET DEFICIT by Anne L. Henry, MN Disability Law Center
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Costa Rica
ACCESSIBLE SAFARIS? YES! by Lance H. Hegland
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hen my friends talked of their outdoor adventures, I listened with envy. I imagined what it must be like to actually co-exist for a night, or a week, with the diverse creatures throughout nature’s paradise. Viewing beautiful cliff walls while canoeing the St. Croix. Hearing distant wolves sing campers to sleep. Waking to the call of loons. But, I dismissed the idea as too difficult because I rely upon a wheelchair for mobility. However, a local wilderness organization’s activities have proved me wrong. Wilderness Inquiry (WI), a nonprofit organization founded in 1978, provides opportunities that integrate people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities through outdoor education and experiences. From the beginning, they have designed adventures to inspire personal growth and instill confidence. They have served
over 80,000 people of all abilities on trips throughout the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Africa. As part of their cooperative outdoor adventures, participants canoe, sea-kayak, backpack, horsepack and dogsled, often with equipment specially adapted by WI staff. The organization operates on four fronts. First, they lead participants on integrated outdoor adventures and day events. Next, they offer training for outdoor recreation service providers regarding how to make their programs more accessible. One of their tools is the www.accessoutdoors.org website, a clearinghouse for accessible outdoor recreation resources. Third, they coordinate environmental learning experiences. And finally, they survey parks, trails and outdoor park facilities for accessibility features. As a result of their manypronged approach, WI has become an international
leader in the development and implementation of universally-designed outdoor adventure programs. “WI helped break down my belief that I will be sitting in my chair, watching others do what I no longer can do”, said Nancy, a 50-year-old woman experiencing paraplegia. She continued, “I was afraid before the trip that I was going to be the ‘disabled’ needing lots of help. No one on this trip ever made me feel anything like that.” WI realizes that “disability” is a very relative term. In fact, thousands of people with a wide variety of challenges have traveled with them. Each individual’s attitude and willingness to get out and explore is what matters most. If a participant has that, WI does whatever it takes to make trips accessible. The organization provides adapted equipment as needed,
he state budget deficit for the next biennium worsened with the announcement that the November Revenue Forecast shows a shortfall of $700 million, $1.4 billion counting inflation, for the next biennium. The budget deficit is much higher than the $300 million deficit projected last February. Because the Governor has recently stated that Minnesota has a “health care spending problem,” services for persons with disabilities may be especially at risk. The spotlight is definitely on the Department of Human Services with a growth rate from this biennium to the next biennium of 19.9 percent. There are a number of areas where disability services are expected to grow, including the number of people eligible for Medical Assistance due to disability and increases in the disability home and community waiver programs. In addition, health care costs are going up for everyone across the nation, an average of 11.6 percent last year. including but not limited to canoe and kayak seating, mobility aids, and accessible bathroom facilities. The gear helps people of all abilities participate, but it is not what makes WI so accessible. Rather, the organization’s attitude that everyone is equal, therefore can and should experience adventure, makes the difference. They team with participants to help figure out what needs to be done to maximize full participation in a straightforward, non-condescending manner. Actually, probably the most challenging hurdle for participants is figuring out where to go! Travel - cont. on p. 8
The new state budget deficit is even more troubling when one considers that painful cuts made during 2003 to close a $4.5 billion deficit have yet to be remedied because the Legislature did not pass a supplemental budget bill before adjournment last spring. Although both the House and the Senate passed a variety of proposals to reduce the harsh impact of the 2003 cuts such as co-payments, the $500 limit on dental care for adults on Medical Assistance and the sharp increase in parent fees, making progress on these matters during the 2005 Session is made much more difficult by the increased budget deficit. During the 2003 Session, the Legislature eliminated all new waiver slots for persons with developmental disabilities using the MR/RC waiver and limited caseload growth for those who would otherwise be in a nursing home under the 65 years of age (CADI) to 95 new people a month and the waiver for those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to 150 per year. The November 2004 forecast does project significant increases for these programs because the caseload limits are not in effect for the 200607 biennium. However, because increases are projected, the waiver programs are particularly vulnerable to be targeted for cuts in the Governor’s 2006-07 budget, which is expected in late January. Every increase in health care spending is at risk because of the Governor’s position of “no new taxes” and his commitment to increase funding for education. The money has to come from somewhere; the state constitution requires a balanced budget.
Nonetheless, disability groups are organizing to propose a comprehensive package of changes to improve Minnesota’s policies and services for persons with disabilities as Joel Ulland reported last month on these pages. The issue of raising taxes is being discussed by groups as divergent as the Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Medical Association and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Because of Minnesota’s dire revenue picture, any increases in spending will undoubtedly lead to discussions of increases in revenue: taxes. Persons with disabilities can stay connected to action at the Legislature by involvement with a disability advocacy group with an Action Alert capacity such as the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, the Arc of Minnesota, and National Alliance for the Mentally IllMinnesota, Multiple Sclerosis and PACER. Information about these organizations can be found at: www.c-c-d.org; www.arcminnesota.com; www.mn.nami.org; www. nationalmssociety.org; www. pacer.org. Because of the many cuts to health and human services needed by persons with disabilities during the 2003 Session, failure to pass a budget bill during 2004 and the daunting shortfall facing the 2005 Legislature, it is vitally important that persons with disabilities using publicly-funded services in Minnesota personally meet their state representative and state senator and keep in close contact with them during the 2005 Session. Information about your legislators and how to contact them can be found at www.leg.state. mn.us. ■