Award winner Dennis Davis, see Pg 12
Volume 25, Number 7
July 10, 2014
www.accesspress.org
Changes Charlie Smith Award winners come to recall it as a meaningful honor Metro Mobility by Access Press staff
by Jane McClure
Changes are coming, now and in the future, to Metro Mobility. Two service-related changes took effect July 1. These changes affect the “no show” practices and maximum ride times. A third change slated for later this year is a new automated phone system. A fourth change, to be implemented by spring 2015, will reduce the number of paratransit service providers from five to three. A request for proposals for provider restructuring will be issued in August, with contracts awarded in November 2014. Metro Mobility is a regional paratransit service for people with disabilities and provides more than 1.7 million rides each year. It is overseen by the Twin Cities’ regional government, Metropolitan Council. Some of the changes are tied to a 2013 audit by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Changes are coming - p. 15
Nominations for the 2014 Access Press Charlie Smith Award are due by 5 p.m. Friday, August 15. The award honors Minnesota individuals and organizations that provide outstanding service and show a commitment to Minnesotans with disabilities. Its namesake is the late Charlie Smith, longtime disability rights activist and founding editor of Access Press. Anyone thinking about submitting a nomination should consider what the award means to those who have won. “I feel so grateful and honored to be a Charlie Smith Award Recipient because I admired Charlie’s work so much. His founding and maintaining Access Press exemplified his very strong belief in the power of information; knowledge is power. His commitment to that principle has inspired me for many years,” said 2009 winner Anne Henry of the Minnesota Disability Law Center. “Working to share critical information with people who are so directly affected by changes in policies, laws and funding was hardwired into Charlie as was helping people get involved to shape those policies.” “As the recipient of the 2011 Charlie Smith Award, I was truly humbled to be nominated by Anne Henry and Steve Kuntz. Being recognized by my peers, meant a lot to me,” said activist Jeff Bangsberg. “More importantly, the award gave me a chance to thank all the people in my life who have supported me along the way.” Bangsberg said he will always remember the night he received the award. “During the ceremony, I was able to share what my father
Anne Henry, 2009 Access Press Charlie Smith Award winner, addressed the crowd at the awards banquet.
Photos courtesy of Metro Transit
“If the rain spoils our picnic, but saves a farmer’s crop, who are we to say it shouldn’t rain?”
NEWS DIGEST
File photo
taught me: ‘Always try to leave a place where you’ve been better off than it was before’.” Rick Cardenas, co-director of Advocating Change Together is another winner. “Receiving the Access Press Charlie Smith Award back in 2005 brought back memories of Charlie, and the beginnings of Access Press,” said Cardenas. “It was a huge pleasure to have most of my family there for the event. It also reminded me of all of the work that so many persons with disabilities have been occupying themselves with for years.” Cardenas said that the award is a reminder that despite gains for Minnesotans with disabilities, much work remains. “It’s even more Award winners recall - p. 11
Tower provides access to light rail line
Rick Cardenas, right, and St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune, left, listened as Metropolitan Council Member Richard Kramer, center, spoke at the tower dedication.
Address Service Requested
— Tom Barrett
Cardenas honored
Years of work ended June 5 when the new stairway-elevator tower connecting the St. Paul skyway to street-level transit at the METRO Green Line’s Central Station opened to the public. The tower, located near the Green Line’s Central Station, provides St. Paul commuters, downtown residents and visitors with a con-
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities. MN Permit No. 4766
venient link between the light-rail station and nearby bus waiting areas and businesses, offices and residences connected through the skyway. “This stairway-elevator tower builds on the excitement that is spreading throughout downtown St. Paul with the Green Line’s opening and reaffirms our commitment to making transit in the Twin Cities open and accessible to all individuals,” said Metropolitan Council Member Rich Kramer. He represents downtown St. Paul. People with disabilities lobbied for years to get the stairwayelevator tower built. Rick Cardenas, Co-Director of Advocating Change Together (ACT), was a strong advocate of the connection. On June 5 he was given the chance to be the first to enter and use the tower’s elevator. Cardenas lives in downtown St. Paul and will regularly board the Green Line at Central Station to commute to the ACT office at Fairview and University avenues. The tower is called the “Cardenas Connection” in his honor. “This elevator is going to make a big difference, especially during inclement weather,” Cardenas said. “Persons with mobility problems of any sort will utilize this option, making downtown St. Paul more viable for everyone.” Many elected officials, disability community activists and downtown business owners and residents gathered for the tower’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. Construction of the tower began in summer 2013. It opened just before the start of Green Line light rail service June 14. Tower - p. 3
An accessible playground is taking shape in Shoreview, thanks to dedicated volunteers. Page 12
Looking back at the Olmstead decision. Page 2
Recycling is a way to honor the earth. Anyone can do his or her part. Page 4
Read this month’s Directory of Organizations and learn about resources. Pages 7-10
Make plans to attend the ADA celebration. It is July 25 in St. Paul. Page 11
INSIDE Accessible Fun, pg 11 Events, pg 13 People & Places, pps 12 & 13 Radio Talking Book, pg 14 Regional News, pg 6
Pg 2 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
EDITOR’S DESK
Tim Benjamin I’m enjoying the summer, in between rainstorms. This past month has been the wettest in years throughout the state, and the Mississippi River was past flood stage in downtown St. Paul. There are discussions about calling a special session for flood relief for many rural Minnesota communities. Let’s all hope that crops aren’t choked out by rain and that we get a few more glorious days like the Fourth of July. News of changes in Metro Mobility policy don’t seem positive. A 30-mile trip might potentially take two and half hours (150 minutes), so you’d be wise to do what your mom said before you leave. It could be a long ride if you didn’t take a pre-trip bathroom break. Still, Metro Mobility is announcing that the average ride time will be shorter than previously. One of the ways they’re going to streamline service is to impose new rules on no-shows and requiring a call to cancel the return ride of a no-show.
It’s being said that on June 30 the Supreme Court dealt a blow to public employee unions in the ruling on Harris vs. Quinn, which concerned the unionization of healthcare workers. In this case, Pamela Harris, a Personal Assistant (PA), didn’t want union support, and didn’t want to pay the required “fair share dues” (also called “fair play fees”) required of all employees in a government employee union. So she claimed a First Amendment violation, saying she was being forced to pay union dues as a “quasi-government employee.” Justice Alito said that PAs like Harris, even though they are paid by the state, are not really government employees. Alito said that Harris was only paid through a state government program (Medicaid), and the client, a third-party, was the real employer. There is concern that other public employee unions, like public school teachers, firefighters, police and many other government employees will lose members and eventually will lose the ability to negotiate, with insufficient funding for negotiators. It’s another case where the local impact seems both positive and negative, especially with our home care workers not being unionized at this point. It does seem unfair for employees to reap the benefits of a union negotiation
without having to pay their “fair share” of union dues. And on the other side of the coin, what if union negotiating efforts don’t bring any pay increases or new benefits and you’ve been paying your union dues? We keep finding ourselves having public debates about individual rights vs. common public good. The past month has seen a couple moves forward on the Community First Service and Supports program. The Minnesota Department of Human Services is developing three sub-committees of stakeholders to develop procedures for informing the recipients of CFSS as well as healthcare agencies. The sub-committees will: 1) develop information for upcoming changes 2) decide on best ways to spread information 3) set up processes to ensure uninterrupted service. One of these groups also helped with two DHS requests for proposals, already released; one for Fiscal Managing Organizations that would manage the funds for clients who choose to employ and manage their own workers and other needs. The second will enlist five pilot vendors to help design and implement the new Consultation Services. After the five pilot vendors are up and running more consultation vendors would be expected to begin doing the services. Send in your nominations for the Charlie Smith Award. Remember to save the date of Nov.7 for the banquet. Have a great month and enjoy those hours of summer when they come along. ■
HISTORY NOTE
Olmstead anniversary is reminder of past struggles, gains The Olmstead decision is considered by many people to be the most important legal victory for people with disabilities. It celebrated its 15th anniversary last month. On June 22, 1999, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in the case of Olmstead v L.C. & E.W., that states violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when they “unnecessarily” institutionalize people with mental disabilities. Olmstead gets its name from Tommy Olmstead, then the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services. He was one of the central figures in the court case as a defendant. Lois Curtiss (L.C.) and Elaine Wilson (E.W.) were living in a Georgia institution. Both women had developmental disabilities and forms of mental illness. They had been treated in institutional and communitybased settings in Georgia. Following clinical assessments by state employees, both women were determined to be better suited for treatment in a community-based setting rather than in an institution. They sued the state of Georgia, as they no longer wanted to be inappropriately treated and housed in an institutional setting. The case was filed in 1995 in Georgia. It wound up before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1999. In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote, “states are required to place persons with mental disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions when the state’s
treatment professionals have determined that community placement is appropriate, the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the state and the needs of others with mental disabilities.” Then-President Bill Clinton followed the Olmstead decision with a directive to all state Medicaid programs to draw up plans to comply with the Olmstead ruling and the “integration mandate” of the ADA. The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities has interesting information and several video links related to the ADA on its website, at http://tinyurl.com/muw5yuq The evolution of disability rights litigation that led up to the ADA, and the subsequent Olmstead decision, is told in clips from a video interview with attorney David Ferleger. Ferleger argued five cases before the United States Supreme Court. He represented individuals and government agencies and wrote, lectured and consulted nationally. In the clips Ferleger reflects on how disability rights have developed over time with social workers such as Dorthea Dix. He discusses movements spawned by the civil rights movement, and community organizing by parents and selfadvocates. He also describes institution-related litigation in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. These legal ac-
Volume 25, Number 07 • Periodicals Imprint: Pending ISSN Advertising Sales Business Manager/Webmaster Michelle Hegarty Dawn Frederick 612-807-1078 Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Cartoonist Co-Founder/Publisher Wm. A. Smith, Jr. (1990-1996) Charles F. Smith (1990-2001)
Executive Director Tim Benjamin
Scott Adams
Board of Directors Production Brigid Alseth, Steve Anderson, John Clark, Ellen Houghton with Presentation Images Managing Editor Kristin Jorenby, Elin Ohlsson, Halle O'Falvey, Jane McClure Distribution Carrie Salberg, Cheryl Vander Linden, Walt S. C. Distribution Seibert and Kay Willshire Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material does not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press. Paid advertising is available at rates ranging from $12 to $28 per column inch, depending on size and frequency of run. Classified ads are $14, plus 65 cents per word over 12 words. News, display advertising and classified advertising deadline is routinely the 25th of the month. When the 25th falls on a weekend, deadline is the next Monday. Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by Access Press, Ltd. Circulation is 11,000, distributed the 10th of each month through more than 200 locations statewide. Approximately 450 copies are mailed directly to individuals, including political, business, institutional and civic leaders. Subscriptions are available for $30/yr. Low-income, student and bulk subscriptions are available at discounted rates. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at the St. Paul, MN 55121 facility. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Access Press at 161 St. Anthony Ave, Suite 901, St. Paul, MN 55103. Inquiries and address changes should be directed to: Access Press; care of The Kelly Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-644-2133; Fax: 651-644-2136; email: access@accesspress.org www.accesspress.org
tions questioned both the purpose of institutions and the confinement of people in institutions. Ferleger also discusses the right to treatment and the Constitutional right to community services. The complete video interview with Ferleger is avail- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg able on the above link. The implementation of Olmstead is an ongoing struggle over rights and resources. Background, details and stories about the ongoing challenges can be found at http://tinyurl.com/lac3rbu On the 12th anniversary of the Olmstead decision, June 22, 2011, President Barack Obama reaffirmed the thrust of this landmark ruling and recommitted his administration to end all forms of discrimination. ■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mnddc.org or www.mncdd.org and www.partnersinpolicymaking.com
July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
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Green Line light rail launch draws huge crowds by Jane McClure
Photo courtesy of Metro Transit
Haigh and other speakers touted the rail line’s potential economic development benefits. Several speakers also took time to recognize the activists in the “Stops for Us” coalition who fought to have stations added at Hamline, Victoria and Western avenues. The 11-mile, $957 million Green Line is the Twin Cities’ second light rail line, opening a decade after Minneapolis’ Blue or Hiawatha Line began service. Several elected officials said the region cannot wait another decade before adding its third light rail line. Drenching rains and strong winds doomed many of the opening day activities planned along the line, with most groups folding up their tents by noon June 14. ADAPT was one of the groups at Central Station. Still, trains were packed, with waits of more than an hour at Union Depot and other stations. The 11-mile Green Line light rail line has 23 stations, including five stations shared with the Blue Line in downtown Minneapolis. Passengers pay for their trip while on station platforms, which saves time during boarding. Stations have real time displays of information on trains’ arrival times. Riders on trains hear information about connecting bus service at each station stop. Trains will run 24 hours and during most of the day will run every 10 minutes In a tour prior to the opening, Siqveland said there will be continuing education and outreach for train and bus riders. A number of connecting bus routes were changed to better link with the Green Line. A new service on Lexington Parkway had many riders at stops as its operations began. The line provides needed connections to destinations including retail areas and Como Park. Stations are designed to be fully accessible, as are rebuilt crosswalks and sidewalks. Stations and trains are announced so that people with visual impairments are informed. Audible pedestrian signals are at crossings along the rail route. “Real Time” information is provided on signs at stations. One challenge pointed out during a media tour of
Tower - from p. 1 The tower was paid for through an $800,000 federal grant provided to Metro Transit and $969,620 from the light rail project budget. The stairway-elevator tower project had a 15.5 percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal. PCL, the low bidder among five bidders, passed the DBE review. TKDA designed the structure. Last year the City of St. Paul and Metropolitan Council approved a maintenance agreement for the tower, which will cost each entity about $75,000 per year. The city and council also have agreements on nearby property redevelopment and bus passenger waiting improvements. The celebration June 5 was a long time coming for those who had sought a skyway-light rail connection. Advocates were frustrated that the cost of the connection wasn’t originally part of the light rail plans. City and state officials were lobbied to provide funding for the tower. “The opening of this connection is the beginning of many celebrations that will be happening along the
Green Line,” St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said. “The accessibility advocates and Metropolitan Council should be commended for getting this project completed. It will be a valuable asset for all those who connect to the regional transit system in downtown St. Paul.” St. Paul Ward Two Council Member Dave Thune worked with people with disabilities to get the tower built, and to name it after Cardenas. Thune said he is pleased that the tower is completed. “It was a struggle but it got built,” he said. “It was worth it.” He noted that the tower is near one of the busiest bus stops downtown and will provide needed access at a central point in the skyway system. The tower does have the drawback that users have to travel outdoors to get to the Central Station, or to the nearby bus stop. It also is in an area that is eyed by city officials for long-term redevelopment. That means the tower could either be replaced as part of a development or incorporated into a new building. ■ (Information from Metro Transit and Access Press staff was used to prepare this article.)
Forty years after planning began, Green Line light rail trains are gliding between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The launch of the Twin Cities’ second light rail line drew more than 100,000 riders during opening weekend, June 14-15 when rides were free. Metro Transit spokesperson John Siqveland said the line is expected to carry 27,500 riders per day by the end of 2015 and 40,000 by 2030. But thus far ridership is exceeding expectations. Before the ribbon was cut and the first trains rolled out from Union Depot June 14, local, state and federal officials hailed the project. Metropolitan Council Chairperson Susan Haigh called the project a “new beginning” for the region. The first train’s start was 10 minutes behind schedule, as officials’ speeches ran long.
Green Line light rail has accommodations for riders with disabilities.
PrairieCare to open new hospital PrairieCare has announced plans for a new child and adolescent psychiatric hospital located in Brooklyn Park. The new facility is expected to be open by fall of 2015 and will be PrairieCare’s sixth location in Minnesota. The state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital will be a privately-funded 72,000 square foot free-standing facility that will include 50 inpatient beds for children and adolescents, the largest of its kind in Minnesota. This new facility will have the capacity to treat more than 1,500 youth annually who currently struggle to find options for intensive and specialized care. PrairieCare currently operates a 25-bed hospital in Maple Grove that runs at capacity most of the year. Joel V. Oberstar, MD, CEO and Chief Medical Of-
ficer of PrairieCare said, “There are hundreds of youth in the Twin Cities in psychiatric emergencies who wait for hours in emergency departments or have to travel tremendous distances to get the care they need. The addition of these beds will greatly increase patients’ access to high quality, compassionate mental health care.” The new hospital will increase service capacity and complement PrairieCare’s existing continuum-of-care that includes outpatient clinic, intensive outpatient and partial hospital programs and inpatient services. PrairieCare has been recognized as a fast-growing provider of psychiatric services in the Twin Cities. The new location will create an additional 200 jobs. ■
A METRO Green Line Train at Capitol/Rice Street Station Photo courtesy of Metro Transit
the Green Line is that the disability seating has been changed from that in the region’s first light rail cars. Because the main disability area in each car is simply lined by rows of fold-up seats, there isn’t companion seating for personal care attendants, friends or family members traveling with people with disabilities. The lack of companion seating was raised as a concern by the Minnesota State Council on Disability and other groups. Metro Transit staff said that will be changed in future light rail vehicles. Another challenge that could take years to resolve is getting sidewalks to and from the stations rebuilt to meet accessibility standards. In some areas neighborhoods lack connecting sidewalks. That issue of neighborhood connectivity is something the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul will have to resolve. ■
Pg 4 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
15 years after Olmstead—our commitment to community living by Paulette Aniskoff
Fifteen years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities cannot be unnecessarily segregated and must receive services in the most integrated setting possible. That ruling, known as the Olmstead decision, sparked significant changes in how federal, state, and local agencies support people with disabilities and their families. The approach our administration put into place in 2009 to help those with disabilities is showing tremendous results, and improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. Fifteen years after the ruling, the Departments of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Justice, and Health and Human Services (HHS) continue to work together to make the promise of Olmstead real. For example at HHS, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) was established in April 2012, creating a single agency charged with developing policies and improving support for seniors and people with disabilities. ACL collaborates with entities across the Administration to promote the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act: to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. All indications are that we are heading in the right direction. We are working to address many of the most imposing barriers facing those who want to live on their own: finding affordable, accessible housing and improving access to quality support and services tailored to each person’s goals. Thousands of individuals have moved from nursing homes and institutions into affordable, accessible homes in the community. Working together, HHS and HUD have increased the coordination between supportive services and access to housing, as well as the number of accessible homes integrated in the community that are available for persons with disabilities. Stories of the success of this approach offer great hope. For example, Baltimore native James is a former trucker who found himself in a nursing home after his wife passed away, his diabetes worsened, and he experienced severe medical problems. Thanks to a clergyman who provided a computer, James began to do re-
search. He found a new doctor and identified a federal housing program that helped him move to his own apartment. He reports recovering confidence in making decisions for himself and says that returning to the community was “100%” what he had hoped it to be. Chrystal lived away from her children in a nursing home for two years and transitioned back home with help from Medicaid. As a mom, her favorite part of the day is meeting her children as they get off the school bus. She’s now taking college classes with the help of adaptive technology, and looks forward to a brighter future. Thanks to the recent HHS rules on home and community-based settings, states will be better able to define the best places for persons with disabilities to receive services, based on the person’s preferences, quality of life and access to the broader community. This will reduce isolation and segregation as well as protecting individual rights. States will need to consider many things — Can people eat food they like, when they want to? Choose their roommates? Have guests visit when they want? Come and go from their home as they please? Having appropriate housing and services and supports is critical, but it is not enough. The Olmstead decision requires that individuals receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs — including employment. Recently, the Department of Justice entered into a ground-breaking agreement with the State of Rhode Island. This settlement vindicates the civil rights of individuals with disabilities who have been unnecessarily segregated in sheltered workshops and facility-based day programs. More than 3,000 people will now get the support they need to work in integrated workplaces. That is a big win. The Olmstead decision and the work we are doing across the administration, reflect our nation’s commitment that all of our citizens have the right to live, work and play among their neighbors, in communities across our country, pursuing their American dream. ■ Paulette Aniskoff is Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Join the movement to help the environment by L.A. Reed
I live with a chronic pain condition, spinal damage, an auto-immune system problem and some brain damage. And I recycle. Yes, I do. I know some of you can’t. Or can’t do it easily.
I can, but only with help. Several years ago one of my PCAs called me the “Recycling Queen.” I am often able to physically remove the labeling off bottles. I can usually wash cans and bottles, and open the door below my sink, and throw the cans or bottles into the bag for recycling. My PCAs take those bags outside to the recycling bins, when they take out the garbage. Without PCAs, I could not do this. I love the earth. I love hearing birds sing. I love looking at the new leaves coming out on the trees after winter’s ending. I love even watching the snow fall or hearing the wind blow, even when sometimes it keeps me stuck indoors. Nature inspires me to live, to feel wonder about life. Watching butterflies soar on the air currents reminds me that I have a body, and that it, too, is a joy, no matter how I am feeling one day to the next. We are part of nature—all us human beings—whether disabled or not. And the birds or butterflies out there who sometimes get their wings bitten, and still keep fluttering in the breeze, or singing their songs don’t judge us for what we can’t quite do, either, as humans. We are all good, and we all matter. Which is why I encourage you, in whatever way you can, to consider yourselves part of a movement that is trying to save the environment. To keep the air and water clean. To eat healthy food, which we REALLY need with our more vulnerable bodies. Let me tell you something else about how I love nature. I watch those beautiful birds and butterflies with their wonderful antics do their thing out the window, when I can’t get out. It gives me hope. And I create art about them. Butterflies and bees bring us food and flowers. Without their existence, to pollinate plants, we don’t have as much food or all those wonderful flowers to smell. I like trees. Not only are they beautiful, and smell good like pine or spruce trees. Their leaves make beautiful sounds in the wind. We need the oxygen they make to breathe. We need to reduce our use of paper or we’ll lose the trees. Disabilities and the environment are very much related. Not only for the beauty of nature but for our well-being. Transportation is such an important issue for us, as is heat in the winter, and having electricity for light. So having more options for energy, natural gas and electric, and gasoline for cars, matters a whole lot to us. Knowing what is going on with these issues is very important to our well-being. We can do things like use compact florescent bulbs (CFLs—they cost more initially, but save money in the long run), to save energy. I spent a year changing out my regular bulbs for CFLs. Now my electricity bill is cheaper! We also need to recognize that we, as disabled people, have acquired very unique skills which other people can learn from. How to use less, rather than more. Understanding that there is no such thing as a throw-away: whether human beings or those bottles and cans. We all matter. We are all significant. So do your part if you can, and along with disability issues, pay attention to what all those legislative and political people are doing out there with our environment. OUR environment. Which is about our healthy living in the world. ■
July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
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Forum focuses on employment and mental illness Work is a vitally important part of recovery for people with mental illness. That was the clear message at a June 25 public forum in Duluth that focused on an innovative approach to supporting people with mental illnesses as they move toward employment and economic self-sufficiency. “It’s a hope machine,” one of the forum presenters said about the approach known as Individual Placement and Supports (IPS). Or, as another speaker said: “I love IPS. It’s my favorite model. When it was first rolled out, I was a little annoyed.… But I’m a convert, and I’m a zealot about it. And there’s no zealot like a convert.” The IPS approach to supported employment turns on its head the old idea that work is too stressful to handle for people with mental illness. Instead, the IPS approach draws on extensive evidence that suggests people with mental illness not only can be successful at work if they choose, but also that employment can help them in their recovery process. The approach rests on principles that aim to integrate employment services with mental health treatment services, assure client choice and consumer preferences, achieve com-
What is IPS? How can it help? Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is supported employment that helps people with severe mental illness work at regular jobs of their choosing. Although variations of supported employment exist, IPS refers to the evidence-based practice of supported employment. IPS supported employment practitioners focus on client strengths. Work can promote recovery and wellness. Practitioners work in collaboration with state vocational rehabilitation. It uses a multidisciplinary team approach. Services are individualized and long-lasting. The IPS approach changes the way mental health services are delivered. There is a focus on competitive employment. Agencies providing IPS services are committed to competitive employment as an attainable goal for clients with serious mental illness seeking employment. Clients are not excluded on the basis of readiness, diagnoses, symptoms, substance use history, psychiatric hospitalizations, level of disability, or legal system involvement. IPS programs are closely integrated with mental health treatment teams. Services are based on clients’ preferences and choices, rather than providers’ judgments. Employment specialists help clients obtain personalized, understandable, and accurate information about their Social Security, Medicaid, and other government entitlements. IPS programs use a rapid job search approach to help clients obtain jobs directly, rather than providing lengthy pre-employment assessment, training, and counseling. Employment specialists build an employer network based on clients’ interests, developing relationships with local employers by making systematic contacts. Follow-along supports are individualized and continued for as long as the client wants and needs the support. ■
Access Press welcomes your events Access Press welcomes news of charity walks, organization galas, fundraisers, art shows, theatrical productions and other special events for our Accessible Fun pages. Items must have a tie to the disability community and be accessible. Deadline is the 25th of the month, with publication on the 10th.
Call 651-644-2133 or email access@accesspress.org with questions.
petitive employment and provide continuous, ongoing job supports. The public forum featured individual speakers, a panel composed of IPS team members from northeastern Minnesota, and several individuals who told their own stories about how the IPS approach had change their lives. One of the forum speakers, an IPS client with a long history of mental illness, described her “road to recovery” as being long and hard and characterized by a deep sense of failure. She was frequently in and out of hospitals for treatment and found it impossible to hold on to a job. But the IPS approach – working with a team of counselors, mental health professionals, job placement specialists, and others – helped her find a job. And that helped her regain a sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Perhaps most importantly, it helped her realize that she did not have to be defined by her diagnosis, that she no longer needed to allow her actions to be dictated by her symptoms.
“I am not a mental illness,” she declared. “I am a person with a mental illness.” Then, in a statement that might serve as the theme for the day at the Duluth forum, the speaker said: “When a person with mental illness is employed, whether it’s full-time, part-time, or volunteer, your self-esteem goes up, your confidence goes up, and you get happy again. It’s a step to recovery. It might not be a recovery, but it’s a step to recovery.” About 75 people attended the Duluth public forum, which was sponsored by the Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council and Vocational Rehabilitation Services. For more information about employment and mental illness, and about the IPS approach to supported employment, contact Sue Abderholden at NAMI Minnesota, 651-645-2948 or namihelps@nami mn.org, or visit the website at www.namihelps.org ■
Pg 6 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
Arrests made at demonstration
REGIONAL NEWS Firing contested by EEOC A distributor violated federal civil rights law by not allowing an employee to return to work after he had a heart attack, and instead firing him because of his disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit. Timothy E. Collins worked for Baldwin Supply at its Hibbing location from April 2011 to July 2011 as a laborer, installing conveyor belts. EEOC Chicago District Office Director John Rowe, who managed the agency’s pre-suit administrative investigation, said Collins had a heart attack on July 21, 2011 and was released by his doctor to return to work with no restrictions on August 8 of that year. Collins provided his doctor’s note to Baldwin Supply and contacted the company by telephone to let it know he was available to work. “Our investigation indicated that the employer did not allow Collins to return to work, except for one or two days,” said Rowe. “Collins contacted the company’s managers on several occasions about returning to work, but the company did not contact him any further regarding returning to work. The EEOC asserts that Baldwin Supply’s reasons for not allowing Collins to work were a pretext for disability discrimination…the employer regarded him as disabled.” Baldwin Supply’s alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects employees from discrimination based on their actual or perceived disabilities. The EEOC seeks back pay and compensatory damages and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief. ■ (Source: EEOC)
Whoa to therapy horse program Although the future of Edina’s soon-to-close Fred Richards Golf Course is still up unknown, there won’t be horses there, and the 42-acre site will have multiple uses. The Edina City Council decided in June that “The Fred” cannot be taken over by the We Can Ride program. The program offers therapeutic riding to people with disabilities. City Manager Scott Neal said that the equine proposal was at odds with two council priorities: that something more financially sustainable than a golf course be on the site, and that it increase park access for ordinary Edina residents. City leaders have decided to close Fred Richards at season’s end. Losing the golf course has prompted protests. City officials said the course isn’t financially sustainable and other ideas are needed. We Can Ride mounted a lobbying campaign to convert the land into an equine center. Members proposed having two indoor arenas, space for jumping and dressage competitions, and family activities like hayrides. But foes said the golf course shouldn’t be converted for a specialized, private use and not a public use. (Source: Star Tribune)
A demonstration in support of low-wage workers who assist Delta Air Lines’ operations at MinneapolisSt. Paul (MSP) International Airport led to 13 arrests for blocking traffic. The protest was at a June 16 meeting of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), to focus on low employee wages, training and poor working conditions that make travel more difficult and potentially dangerous for elderly passengers and people with disabilities. Federal law requires airlines to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities while boarding and deplaning aircraft. Airlines also must train workers how to transfer and transport passengers with disabilities safely and to handle and still the wheelchairs in a safe manner. Airserv employees at MSP are working to organize a union with Local 26 of the Service Employees International Union. Airserv pays average wages of $8 with no benefits. “I’m embarrassed about the way we treat passengers and how long they have to wait for wheelchairs and electric carts,” said Darcy Landau, who works as a wheelchair agent serving Delta passengers. “Passengers get frustrated. It makes them feel like they’re not
important. It’s discrimination, and that’s not right.” Workers and their supporters, including several members of the disability-rights organization ADAPT, marched and wheeled themselves out of the MAC chambers, through the terminal and onto the road outside the ticketing area. Eight protesters sat down in the street, backed by three ADAPT members in wheelchairs and two more people standing behind them. The civil disobedience follows the release of a new report, “Able, But Not Willing,” that finds passengers with disabilities face continued problems at MSP— problems workers and ADAPT members pledged to work together to solve. ADAPT leader Darrell Paulsen, who was among those arrested, recalled watching workers drop his then-pregnant wife, Nikki, while transferring her from a wheelchair to her plane seat. Paulsen urged commissioners to consider whether their mission was to “make Delta millions of dollars in profits” or to ensure safety and dignity for all travelers. “If you believe in dignity, it is time for you to take action,” he said. ■ (Source: St. Paul Union Advocate)
Home care industry scrutinized A recent investigation by the Star Tribune newspaper details problems of regulating the home health care industry. The article focused on the collapse of Crystal Care, one of the largest home health care companies in Minnesota, which closed in March after months of turmoil. Employees went unpaid and clients were left with limited or no care. The situation is cited as reflecting the widespread problems that shadow the home health care industry as it grows explosively nationwide. Home health care companies now provide more than 100,000 personal care assistants in Minnesota, serving thousands of patients with varying degrees of disability. But they operate without the kind of oversight that is routinely given to licensed care facilities such as nursing homes. Workers are often low paid and poorly trained. Despite the industry’s rapid growth, most states have no minimum training requirements for personal care attendants. Minnesota
requires only that they take a 25-question, multiplechoice exam that can be completed in just a few minutes. A major problem is the industry is wracked by instability from the CEO to the hands-on care providers. Of the roughly 800 companies that employed personal care assistants in Minnesota in 2009, one-third have since closed their doors, according to a state database analyzed by the Star Tribune. State records also show that more than 100 home care companies have had more than $350,000 in unpaid-wages claims in the past five years. “The lack of oversight is a catastrophe,” said Dr. Robert Kane, chairman of long-term care and aging at the University Minnesota’s School of Public Health. “But the catastrophe has gone largely unnoticed because it’s happening in thousands of individual, isolated homes.” ■ (Source: Star Tribune)
Interpreter will be provided The YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities has agreed to provide an American Sign Language interpreter for deaf parents Jacob and Calena Lingle so they can fully participate in their daughter Aria’s swim classes at the Hastings facility. After negotiations failed, the family sued the YMCA this summer, alleging that its refusal to provide an adequate means for them to communicate violated state and federal laws. Jacob and Calena Lingle, 27 and 25 respectively, have been deaf since birth. Aria can hear; her first language is ASL. The family vacations in northern Minnesota and wanted Aria to be comfortable in the water so she could play with her cousins. A day after the lawsuit was filed in Hennepin
County District Court, the Lingles were told the YMCA would make an interpreter available, but only for the first of the seven-session classes. The Lingles’ attorney, Rick Macpherson, of the Minnesota Disability Law Center, said the organization had decided to provide an interpreter for all classes. While the lawsuit hasn’t been settled, Macpherson said the YMCA proposed putting the litigation on hold while it develops a new policy and resolves the other issues in the case. The Lingles will have a role in the policy. It must be acceptable to them before they decide to settle the lawsuit. Because the suit has been filed, a judge must approve a timetable for the negotiations. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)
BDC Management Co. is now accepting applications for our waiting lists at the following affordable communities Albright Townhomes Buffalo Court Apartments Elliot Park Apartments Evergreen Apartments Franklin Lane Apartments Hanover Townhomes Lincoln Place Apartments Olson Towne Homes Prairie Meadows Talmage Green Trinity Apartments Unity Place Vadnais Highlands Willow Apartments Woodland Court Apartments
Minneapolis Buffalo Minneapolis Hutchinson Anoka St. Paul Mahtomedi Minneapolis Eden Prairie Minneapolis Minneapolis Brooklyn Center Vadnais Heights Little Falls Park Rapids
(612) 824-6665 (763) 684-1907 (612) 338-3106 1-800-661-2501 (763) 427-7650 (651) 292-8497 (651) 653-0640 (612) 377-9015 (952) 941-5544 (612) 623-0247 (612) 721-2252 (763) 560-7563 (651) 653-0640 (320) 632-0980 1-888-332-9312
We are accepting applications for our large number of mobility impaired accessible units. Please call us for more information.
1 BR 2 BR 2 BR 1 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR 2 BR 1 BR 2 & 3 BR 2 BR 1 BR (sr) 2 BR 3 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR
July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
Pg 7
ADVOCACY Advocating Change Together (ACT)
V-651-641-0297
TF-800-641-0059
www.selfadvocacy.org
Arc Greater Twin Cities
V-952-920-0855
F-952-920-1480
www.arcgreatertwincities.org
The Arc of Minnesota
V-651-523-0823x115
TF-800-582-5256
www.thearcofminnesota.org
Association of Residential Resources in MN
V-651-291-1086
TTY-800-551-2211
www.arrm.org
MCIL
V-651-646-8342
F-651-603-2066
www.mcil-mn.org
MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
V-952-818-8718
F-952-818-8719
www.mnccd.org
MN Developmental Achievement-Center Assoc
V-651-647-9200
F-651-647-9353
www.mndaca.org
PACER Center, Inc.
V-952-838-9000
TTY-952-838-0190
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
TF-855-282-3769
Take Back the Air
V-952-303-6218
www.pacer.org www.UnitedCareWorkersMN.org
F-952-303-6468
www.takebacktheair.com
ASSISTED-LIVING PROGRAMS Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI)
V-651-645-7271
TTY-800-466-7722
www.accessiblespace.org
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
TTY-651-695-5802
www.dungarvin.com
Mary T. Inc. Assisted Living
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
TTY-651-695-5802
www.dungarvin.com
Mary T. Inc. Human Service Programs
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
BRAIN INJURY
Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance
V-612-378-2742
TTY-800-669-6442
Tandem Residential
V-651-641-0491x315
F-651-645-2780
www.tandemresidential.com
www.braininjurymn.org
TBI Metro Services - Richfield & W. St. Paul
V-612-869-3995
V-651-457-4756
www.opportunitypartners.org
CHEMICAL HEALTH Vinland National Center
V/TTY-763-479-3555
F-763-479-2605
www.vinlandcenter.org
DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM)
V-612-362-8454
TTY-612-362-8422
www.dbsmllc.org
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
TTY-651-695-5802
www.dungarvin.com
Living Well Disability Services
V-651-688-8808
F-651-688-8892
www.livingwell.org
Mary T. Inc. Human Service Programs
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
COMMUNITY LIVING
MCIL
V-651-646-8342
F-651-603-2066
www.mcil-mn.org
Metro Work Center, Inc
V/TTY-612-729-7381
F-612-729-7382
www.metroworkcenter.org
Opportunity Partners
V-952-938-5511
TTY-952-930-4293
Reach for Resources
V-952-988-4177
F-952-988-6728
www.opportunitypartners.org www.reachforresources.org
REM Minnesota
V-952-945-4952
F-952-922-6885
www.remminnesota.org
S. MN Independent Living Enterprises & Services
V/TTY-507-345-7139
TF-888-676-6498
www.smilescil.org
CONSUMER-DIRECTED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS Community Involvement Programs (CIP)
V-612-362-4437
Lifeworks Services, Inc.
TF-866-454-2732
www.cipmn.org TTY-651-365-3736
www.lifeworks.org
EDUCATION Community Education Network on Disabilities
V-651-748-7436
V-507-494-0950
MRC - Minnesota Resource Center
V-612-752-8100
TTY-612-752-8019
V-320-529-6500 x6271
Upstream Arts
V-612-331-4584
F-612-353-6638
www.upstreamarts.org
www.mrc-mn.org
EMPLOYMENT/VOCATION Ally People Solutions
V-651-641-0709
F-651-641-0976
www.allypeoplesolutions.org
Chrestomathy, Inc.
V-952-974-0339
F-952-974-0307
www.chrestomathyinc.org
Community Involvement Programs (CIP)
V-612-353-4595x101
V-612-353-4595x102
Courage Kenny Rehabilition Institute
V-612-775-2569
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
East Suburban Resources, Inc.
V-651-351-0190
www.cipmn.org www.allinahealth.org/couragekenny
TTY-651-695-5802
www.dungarvin.com www.esrworks.org
CONTINUED
Your home, your independence . . . 763-546-1000 At In Home Personal Care, we pride ourselves not only on the help we provide, but also on our ability to listen. We understand that each of our clients has different needs at different times. Our quality home care services are formed around a plan that works for you and your individual situation. Serving Adults and Children with Long-Term Needs since 1991
8441 Wayzata Blvd; Suite 130 Golden Valley, MN 55426
“ I have been an In Home client for at least 20 years. During that time I have received excellent, reliable, consistent care from PCAs and HHA’s trained and supervised by In Home.” - Jean T (Client)
Next Directory in Oct. Issue. To advertise, call 651-644-2133!
Pg 8 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
EMPLOYMENT/VOCATION (continued) Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN)
V-763-479-8239
TF-866-535-8239
www.equipalife.org
Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota
V-651-379-5800
F-651-379-5803
www.goodwilleasterseals.org
Kaposia Inc.
V/TTY-651-224-6974
F-651-224-7249
www.kaposia.com
Lifetrack - Minneapolis
V-612-788-8855
F-612-788-8577
www.lifetrack-mn.org
Lifetrack - St. Paul
V-651-227-8471
TTY-651-227-3779
www.lifetrack-mn.org
Lifeworks Services, Inc.
TF-866-454-2732
TTY-651-365-3736
www.lifeworks.org
Merrick, Inc.
V-651-789-6231
F-651-789-9960
www.merrickinc.org
Metro Work Center, Inc.
V/TTY-612-729-7381
F-612-729-7382
www.metroworkcenter.org
Midwest Special Services, Inc.
V-651-778-1000
F-651-772-4352
www.mwsservices.org
Minnesota Diversified Industries (MDI)
V-651-999-8200
F-651-999-8242
www.mdi.org
Opportunity Partners
V-952-938-5511
TTY-952-930-4293
Partnership Resources, Inc.
V-952-925-1404
F-952-925-6055
www.partnershipresources.org
Partnership Resources, Inc. - Minneapolis
V-612-331-2075
F-612-331-2887
www.partnershipresources.org
Partnership Resources, Inc. - Older Adults Program V-952-746-6206
F-952-746-6209
www.partnershipresources.org
ProAct Inc.
V-651-686-0405
F-651-686-0312
www.proactinc.org
Rise, Inc.
V/TTY-763-786-8334
F-763-786-0008
www.rise.org
TBI Metro Services - Richfield & W. St. Paul
V-612-869-3995
V-651-457-4756
www.opportunitypartners.org
TSE, Inc.
V-651-489-2595
F-651-489-0410
www.tse-inc.org
Work Incentives Connection
V-651-632-5113
TF-800-976-6728
Minnesota State Council on Disability
V/TTY-651-361-7800
TTY-800-945-8913
MN Gov. Council on Developmental Disabilities
V-651-296-4018
TF-800-627-3529
www.mncdd.org
STAR Program
V-651-201-2640
TF-888-234-1267
www.starprogram.state.mn.us
www.opportunitypartners.org
www.mnworkincentives.com
GOVERNMENT www.disability.state.mn.us
HEALTH CARE COORDINATION AXIS Healthcare
V-651-556-0887
F-651-556-0880
www.axishealth.com
Cornerstone Solutions
TF-888-562-8000
TTY-800-627-3529
www.cornerstone-solutions.org
Medica
V-800-266-2157
TTY-800-855-2880
www.medica.com
UCare
V-800-707-1711
TTY-800-688-2534
www.ucare.org
V—763-502-1505
F-763-502-6777
www.breakthrucare.com www.inhomepersonalcare.com
HEALTH CARE PLANS
HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES Break-Thru Home Care, Inc. In Home Personal Care
V-763-546-1000
F-763-546-1018
Mary T. Inc. Home Health Care
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
People Enhancing People (PEP)
V-763-586-0049
F-651-234-0864
www.pepeople.org
Rolling Acres Home Health
V-952-474-5974
F-952-474-3652
www.rollingacreshomehealth.org
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
HOSPICE CARE Mary T. Inc. Human Services Programs
CONTINUED
www.marytinc.com
July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
Pg 9
HOUSING-CONSTRUCTION/REMODELING AccessAbility Options, Inc.
V-763-571-6789
F-800-632-0798
www.accessoptionsmn.com
Accessibility Design
V-952-925-0301
F-952-926-7712
www.accessibilitydesign.com
Accessible Homes, LLC.
V-612-978-1054
F-651-554-3085
www.accessiblehomesllc.net
Equal Access Homes, Inc.
V-651-249-7751
F-651-450-1330
www.EqualAccessHomes.com
Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN)
V-763-479-8239
Hibbing-218-741-9134
www.equipalife.org
HOUSING-RENTAL Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI)
V-651-645-7271
TTY-800-466-7722
www.accessiblespace.org
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
TTY-651-695-5802
www.dungarvin.com
Ebenezer Park Apartments
V-612-879-2233
TTY-612-879-8889
www.fairviewebenezer.org
HousingLink
V-612-522-2500
F-612-521-1577
www.housinglink.org
National Handicap Housing Institute, Inc
V-651-639-9799
F-651-639-9699
www.nhhiaccessiblehousing.com
Villas and Townhomes by Mary T. Inc.
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
INFORMATION AND REFERRAL RESOURCES ADA Minnesota; a program within MCIL
V-651-603-2015
TF-888-630-9793
www.adaminnesota.org
Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN)
V-763-479-8239
TF-866-535-8239
www.equipalife.org
Minnesota State Council on Disability
V/TTY-651-361-7800
TTY-800-945-8913
www.disability.state.mn.us
PACER Center, Inc.
V-952-838-9000
TTY-952-838-0190
www.pacer.org
STAR Program
V-651-201-2640
TF-888-234-1267
www.starprogram.state.mn.us
V-651-294-0710
TF-800-886-7201
F-651-644-9137
ISSUE SPONSOR
INSURANCE Lee F. Murphy Insurance Group
LEGAL MN Disability Law Center
V-612-334-5970
TF-800-292-4150
www.mndlc.org
MEDICAL SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENT Handi Medical Supply
V-651-644-9770
F-651-644-0602
www.handimedical.com
HME Medical Shop
V-800-258-6313
F-800-258-6313
www.hmemedicalshop.com
Key Medical Supply
V-651-792-3860
F—651-792-3867
www.keymedicalsupply.com
Liberty Oxygen & Medical Equipment
V-952-920-0460
F-952-920-0480
www.libertyoxygen.com
Phoenix Medical Services Inc.
V-651-636-0848
F-651-636-5746
www.PhoenixMedical.org
Community Involvement Programs (CIP)
V-612-362-4434
V-612-362-4452
www.cipmn.org
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
TTY-651-695-5802
Fraser
V-612-861-1688
F-612-861-6050
Lifetrack Resources - St. Paul
V-651-227-8471
TTY-651-227-3779
National Alliance on Mental Illness of MN
V-651-645-2948
TF-888-NAMI-Helps
Vinland National Center
V/TTY-763-479-3555
F-763-479-2605
V-715-268-0175
TTY-715-268-0177
MENTAL HEALTH www.dungarvin.com www.fraser.org www.lifetrackresources.org www.namihelps.org www.vinlandcenter.org
PHYSICIANS Wound Healing Center
www.AmeryMedicalCenter.org
RECREATION-ADAPTIVE HOBBY/EXERCISE/SPORTS/ARTS Capable Partners Inc.
V-763-439-1038
www.capablepartners.org
Courage Kenny Rehabilition Institute
V-612-775-2277
Drama Interaction, 501(c)3
V-952-220-1676
www.cokartscenter.com/opportunitypartnersprog.html
Mind Body Solutions
V-952-473-3700
www.mindbodysolutions.org
Mixed Blood Theatre Company
V-612-338-6131
www.mixedblood.com
Simply ArtAble (formerly Simply Jane)
V-612-354-3961
www.simplyjanestudio.com
Upstream Arts
V-612-331-4584
218-726-4762
F-612-353-6638
CONTINUED
Do you want to make a major impact with our readers? Then consider being an Issue Sponsor for ANY issue of Access Press!
To be a Gold or Silver sponsor, call 651-644-2133 or email us at access@accesspress.org
www.allinahealth.org/couragekenny
www.upstreamarts.org
Diamond Hill Townhomes Diamond Hill Townhomes is a great property located near the Minneapolis International Airport. We have spacious two and three bedroom townhomes that are HUD subsidized and rent is 30% of the total household’s adjusted gross income. Our Three Bedroom waiting list is closed. We are only accepting applications for our Two Bedroom accessible units. We are always accepting applications for our large number of mobility impaired accessible units. Please contact us for more information.
We look forward to hearing from you! Please call (612) 726-9341.
Pg 10 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
Kent Fordyce
Kent’s Accounting Service, LLC
Certified QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor 2014 2005-2013 6371 Bartlett Blvd Mound, MN 55364
Fax: 952-472-1458
612-889-2959
fordyce6@aol.com
RECREATION-TRAVEL/CAMPING Camp Character
V-218-760-8442
info@familyfoundationsmn.com
Camp Winnebago
V-507-724-2351
F-507-724-3786
www.campwinnebago.org
Hammer Travel
V-952-277-2458
TF-877-345-8599
www.HammerTravel.org
True Friends
V-952-852-0101
TF-800-450-8376
www.truefriends.org
Ventures Travel
V-952-852-0107
TF-866-692-7400
www.venturestravel.org
Wilderness Inquiry
V-612-676-9400
TF-800-728-0719
www.wildernessinquiry.org
REHABILITATION (PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY THERAPISTS) Courage Kenny Rehabilition Institute
V-763-588-0811
V-612-262-7979
www.allinahealth.org/couragekenny
DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM)
V-612-362-8454
TTY-612-362-8422
www.dbsm.org
Fraser
V-612-861-1688
F-612-861-6050
www.fraser.org
Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
V-651-291-2848
TF-800-719-4040
www.gillettechildrens.org
In Home Personal Care
V-763-546-1000
F-763-546-1018
Lifetrack Resources - St. Paul
V-651-227-8471
TTY-651-227-3779
www.inhomepersonalcare.com www.lifetrackresources.org
RESIDENTIAL/GROUP HOME PROGRAMS Capstone Services, LLC
V-651-641-0042 x211
F-651-645-2780
www.capstoneservices.net
Community Involvement Programs (CIP)
V-612-362-4403
V-612-362-4417
www.cipmn.org
Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
V-651-699-6050
TTY-651-695-5802
www.dungarvin.com
Fraser
V-612-861-1688
F-612-861-6050
www.fraser.org
Living Well Disability Services
V-651-9688-8808
F-651-688-8892
www.dakotacommunities.org
Lutheran Social Service of MN - Brainerd
V-218-829-9214
F-218-829-9726
www.lssmn.org
Lutheran Social Service of MN - St. Paul
V-651-642-5990
TF-800-582-5260
www.lssmn.org
Mary T. Inc. Human Services Programs
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
Mt. Olivet Rolling Acres
V-952-474-5974
F-952-474-3652
www.mtolivetrollingacres.org
Opportunity Partners
V-952-938-5511
TTY-952-930-4293
www.opportunitypartners.org
Phoenix Residence
V-651-227-7655
F-651-227-6847
www.phoenixresidence.org
Restart, Inc.
V-952-767-3350
F-952-767-3351
www.restartincmn.org
Can Do Canines
V-763-331-3000
F-763-331-3009
www.can-do-canines.org
Helping Paws, Inc.
V-952-988-9359
SERVICE ANIMALS
Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs (PawPADs)
F-952-988-9296
www.helpingpaws.org
V-952-226-2063
www.PawPADS.org
www.welcov.com
SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES Bethel Healthcare Community
V-651-224-2368
F-651-224-1014
Ebenezer Care Center
V-612-879-2262
TTY-612-879-8889
Metro Meals On Wheels
V-612-623-3363
F-612-331-9401
www.meals-on-wheels.com
Restart, Inc.
V-952-767-3350
F-952-767-3351
www.restartincmn.org
Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN)
V-763-479-8239
TF-866-535-8239
www.equipalife.org
Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
V-651-291-2848
TF-800-719-4040
www.gillettechildrens.org
Marbesoft - Simtech
V-763-755-1402
TF-888-755-1402
www.marblesoft.com
Mary T. Assistive Technology
V-763-754-2505
TF-888-255-6400
www.marytinc.com
PACER Center, Inc.
V-952-838-9000
TTY-952-838-0190
STAR Program
V-651-201-2640
TF-888-234-1267
www.fairviewebenezer.org
SOCIAL SERVICES
TECHNOLOGY
Target Marketing At Its Finest! Advertise in Access Press and reach thousands of interested readers in the disability community. Please contact: Michelle Hegarty 612-807-1078 direct 651-644-2133 office
www.pacer.org www.starprogram.state.mn.us
TRANSPORTATION RENTAL/SALES/MODIFICATION IMED Mobility
V-651-635-0655
TF-800-788-7479
www.imedmobility.com
Vision Loss Resources
V-612-871-2222
F-612-872-0189
www.visionlossresources.org
Volunteer Braille Services
V-763-544-2880
F-763-544-3612
www.vbsmn.org
AXIS Healthcare
V-651-556-0887
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Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
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TTY-651-695-5802
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Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN)
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VISION IMPAIRMENT
WAIVER CASE MANAGEMENT
www.equipalife.org
July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7 Pg 11
ADA Celebration is July 15
ACCESSIBLE FUN Welcome to the Access Press Accessible Fun listings, a sampling of theater, music, arts, walks, runs, dances and gala events for our community. Readers looking for additional opportunities to enjoy the arts have these options: VSA Minnesota is at http://vsamn.org has a large calendar at in the upper right hand corner of its home page. VSA Minnesota would like feedback on the design, so users should weigh in on the site or at access@ vsamn.org or 612-332-3888 ext. 2. The new website is intended to be easier for volunteers to maintain and expand. Users of the site should change their bookmarks if they haven’t already done so. For information on galleries and theater performances around the state join the Access to Performing Arts email list at access@vsamn.org or call VSA Minnesota, 612-332-3888 or statewide 800-801-3883 (voice/TTY). To hear a weekly listing of accessible performances, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883. Another web events’ listing is http://c2net.org, which does most of the captioned shows across the country. Facebook is another way to connect with performances. Sign up to connect with Audio Description Across Minnesota (http://tinyurl.com/d34dzo2). Connect with ASL Interpreted and Captioned Performances across Minnesota on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/FBcaption Concert fundraiser The Summer Nights fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. Sat, July 19 benefits Independent Lifestyles’ Retreat Center for Veterans and People with Disabilities. The event is at VFW Post 428, 9 N. 18th Ave., St. Cloud. Tickets are $30. Enjoy a social hour and silent auction followed by a dueling pianos concert. FFI: 320-539-9000, www.independentlifestyles.org Opportunity Partners breakfast Opportunity Partners’ Committee of Advocacy and Leadership (C.O.A.L.) hosts a breakfast fundraising event 8-10 a.m., Sat, July 12 at Applebee’s Eden Prairie, 8241 Joiner Way. Cost is $10 per ticket. All funds raised will help C.O.A.L. members travel to the 2014 “Self Advocates Becoming Empowered” National Conference in Oklahoma City. Enjoy unlimited pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and juice, while contributing to a great cause. FFI: Alicia Munson, 952-930-7696, amunson@opportunities.org Art Show: Tara Innmon Vision Loss Resources, 1936 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. hosts a free art show by Tara Innmon. The show is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Fri. Born with congenital glaucoma, Innmon graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1972 and worked as an occupational therapist for a number of years. Most of her 188 visual artworks were created between 1988-92. Totally blind since 1994, she has turned her artistic focus toward writing, graduating from Hamline University in 2008 with an MFA in creative writing and working on her childhood memoir. FFI: VLR: 612-871-2222, VSA MN: 612-332-3888, http:// vsamn.org/art-show-tara-innmon.
Twenty four years ago, people with disabilities officially gained the same rights and freedoms as other U.S. citizens when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Minnesota’s statewide ADA 24th Anniversary Celebration is 10 a.m. – noon Fri, July 25 at Rooms 2370-2380, Elmer L. Anderson Department of Human Services Building, 540 Cedar St., St. Paul. The event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required. Guest speakers include Darlene Zangara, new Director of Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan Implementation Office and wheelchair basketball star Rose Hollermann, 2012 Paralympic Games U.S. team member. Entertainers include St. Paul writer-storyteller Leslye Orr and musicians Tony Wentersdorf and Mary Parker. Light refresh-
ments will be provided by Lunds Byerly’s of Roseville. Accommodations for people with disabilities include ASL services, CART services and audio description. Anyone needing other disability-related accommodations must make requests by July 17 by contacting Cindy Tarshish at cindyt@mcil-mn.org or calling 651-603-2015 or 888-630-9793. Tarshish can also answer general questions about the event. Event sponsors are University of Minnesota Disability Services, ADA Minnesota, VSA Minnesota, Access Press, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Department of Human Services, State Services for the Blind, Minnesota State Council on Disability, Disability Viewpoints and the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living. ■
weeks prior to the show, then released to the general public. When ordering tickets, please indicate your need for seating in this section; if there are no reservations a week before the show, the interpretation will be canceled. Tickets are $13-26. FFI: 763-422-1838, boxoffice@lyricarts.org, www.lyricarts.org
7:30 p.m. Fri, July 25. Tickets are reduced to $17 for AD/ ASL (regular $24, $22 senior 62+, $19 age 25 & under). FFI: 952-563-8575; boxoffice@btacmn.org, www.btacmn.org
Fundraiser for the Crohn’s/Colitis Foundation of America Team Challenge is the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s (CCFA) endurance training program, which trains participants to run or walk a half-marathon while helping the Foundation raise funds to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, painful, unpredictable diseases that attack the digestive system. Jason Schommer, recently named “What’s Hot For 2013" by Campus Activities Magazine, is a stand-up comedian who has spent the past year and a half as the opening act for comedy legend Louie Anderson in Las Vegas. At JSB Tek Box, 528 Hennepin Ave., 2nd floor, Mpls. The fundraiser, starting with a silent auction, is at 7 p.m. Tue, July 15. Tickets are $16.52 for ticket and service fee, with supporters at $50 and super supporters at $100. FFI: Brown Paper Tickets, 800-838-3006, teamchallengefundraiser@gmail.com, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/734756. Hello, Dolly! Rosetown Playhouse presents the adventures of beloved matchmaker Dolly Levi, at Como Lakeside Pavilion, 1360 Lexington Parkway N., St. Paul. ASL show is 7 p.m. Thu, July 17. Tickets are $12, senior/student 13+ $10, student age 6-12: $8, child $5. FFI: 651-792-7414 ext. 2; tickets@rosetownplayhouse.org, www.rosetownplayhouse.org/tickets. My Fair Lady Guthrie Theater presents the story of Prof. Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, at the Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. AD shows are 7:30 p.m. Fri, July 18, and 1 p.m. Sat, July 26. The July 26 show includes a free sensory tour at 10:30 a.m. Captioning is 1 p.m. Wed, July 23, and 7:30 p.m. Fri, Aug. 15. ASL shows are 7:30 p.m. Fri, Aug. 1 and Thu, Aug. 7. Tickets are reduced to $20 for AD/ASL, $25 for Captioning (regular $34-85). FFI: 612-377-2224, TTY 612-377-6626, www.guthrietheater.org/visit/ access_services.
Rent Lyric Arts Company of Anoka presents the awardwinning musical about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today, at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, 420 E. Main Street, Anoka. ASL show is 2 p.m. Sun, July 13. Seats for ASL patrons are held in reserve until two
Death of a Salesman Bloomington Theatre and Art Center presents Arthur Miller’s classic tale, at Bloomington Center for the Arts, Black Box Theater, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Thu, July 24. AD show is
Award winners recall - from p. 1 surprising that even with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 that the work of many folks with disabilities need to keep their eyes on the programmatic and physical accessibility of private companies, contractors, and government. Hopefully Minnesota’s Olmstead Initiative will move our revolution along.” The award winner and finalists will be honored in the September issue of Access Press. The winner is the guests of honor at the annual award banquet, which is Friday, Nov. 7 at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott, 2020 E. American Blvd., Bloomington. Nominees can be from anywhere in Minnesota. The nomination form and rules are on the Access Press website, at www.accesspress.org and are available for download. Anyone who needs accommodations to complete the form or has any questions about the nominations can call the office at 651-644-2133. Completed nominations with a photograph of the
nominee can be sent via email to CSAnominations@ accesspress.org, via fax to 651-644-2136, or mail to Access Press, c/o Charlie Award Committee, 161 St. Anthony Avenue, Suite 910, St. Paul, MN 55103. Banquet tickets are now available. Reservations can now be made for the Nov. 7 banquet, which starts at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and ceremony at 7 p.m. Cost is $45 per person if you register early, $50 per person at the door or $325 for an eight-person table. The table rate represents a savings of $35. Registration can be made online, at www.accesspress.org Look for the Charlie Awards tab at the top left corner of the home page. Access Press is also seeking banquet sponsors as well as donors to the silent auction and pick your prize raffle. Please contact Dawn Frederick, newspaper business manager, at 651-644-2133 or dawn@accesspress.org if have questions about tickets, sponsorships or donations. ■
Meet Me In St. Louis The heartwarming musical is performed by Paradise Community Theater at Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave. N., Faribault. AD and ASL shows are 7:30 p.m. Thu, July 31. Tickets are $15, age 12 & under $10. FFI: 507-332-7372; email: info@paradisecenterforthe arts.org, www.paradisecenterforthearts.org/ Minnesota Fringe Festival – July 31 to Aug. 10 The 21st annual Minnesota Fringe Festival features 169 companies presenting 865 performances of theater, dance, performance art, storytelling and other theatrical entertainment at 19 Mpls venues, all accessible to people with mobility impairments. Shows last 60 minutes or less, and a new show starts every 90 minutes. Performing groups come from Minnesota as well as from across the country. This year’s festival features 14 audio described shows, 10 ASL-interpreted shows and eight shows featuring performers with disabilities. Buy tickets online or get at each venue. A $4 Fringe button is required of all attendees. Attend one show for $12, get a four-show punch pass for $44, a ten-show punch pass for $100, or an Ultra Pass for unlimited shows for $225. Punch cards are transferable and may be used by multiple people to attend one performance (as long as everyone has a button). Fringe box offices accept cash, checks and credit cards and open 30 minutes before each show time. Advance reservations ($1.75 fee) guarantee your seat. This reservation fee is waived for people using access services, with the code “access.” The 2014 Fringe Festival schedule with show descriptions will be searchable starting July 1 at www.fringefestival.org/2014/shows/access/ and available for printing at home. For a daily recording of shows presented with AD or ASL, call VSA Minnesota at 612-332-3888. FFI: www.fringefestival.org ■
Pg 12 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
American Red Cross honors heroes
PEOPLE & PLACES
The American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast honorees this year include three people with disabilities. The breakfast was held in June at the Minneapolis Hilton. Ground broken for new playground Kate Ross, a St. Paul resident and blood donation advocate, received a 2014 American Red Cross Give Life Award for her work promoting blood donation since being injured in a lifechanging car accident in 2009. The Give Life Award is sponsored by the American Red Cross North Central Blood Services Region and presented to an individual whose commitment to Kate Ross and Dennis Davis received their awards from national blood and platelet donation plays a significant American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern role in ensuring the health of patients in our local Photos courtesy of American Red Cross communities and throughout the country Volunteers were happy to break ground for the playground. Exhausted from being a full-time student and work- family further by helping them move after a house fire Photo courtesy of A Playground for Everyone ing full-time, Ross fell asleep at the wheel while driv- took their home. The family is grateful for their son’s survival and to have a friend in Linehan. ing. Her car hit a guardrail and her leg was severed. After the skiing incident, Linehan admitted that he Ross was trapped for an hour waiting for someone to A Shoreview elementary school is close to its had recently retired from his position as a deputy discover her. dream of a fully accessible playground. Groundsheriff due to issues associated with PTSD (post-trauIn spite of the trauma and loss of her leg, Ross is a breaking for the Turtle Lake Elementary School matic stress disorder). Conquering his fears in a crisis positive, energetic young woman who is determined project was June 6, with a large group of supporters situation has helped him to work toward self-healing. to give back the resource that helped her through 19 on hand. The “A Playground for Everyone” project Another award winner with PTSD is Dennis Davis surgeries—life-saving blood. She is now a regular was led by the Turtle Lake Elementary PTA Playof Anoka. Davis received a 2014 American Red Cross blood donor inspiring others to donate blood. Ross ground Leadership. Military Hero Award for his work improving the lives also works for amputees’ rights. The new playground replaces equipment that is 20 of military veterans. He is an example of using negaCottage Grove resident Shane Linehan received a years old. A community building project is planned tive experiences to improve the lives of many in a 2014 American Red Cross First Responder Hero for July 24-28. positive way. Award for his emergency response to a cardiac arrest The new equipment is designed for people of all The Military Award is sponsored by UnitedHealthages and physical abilities. The organizers spent more survivor. The First Responder Award is sponsored by than two years planning the project. They raised more St. Jude Medical Foundation and presented to an indi- care Military & Veterans and presented to an active, reserve or retired member of the Armed Forces or vidual or group of the public service community who than $170,000. Shoreview Mayor Sandy Martin gave ROTC who acts above and beyond the call of duty. the group a $5,000 check at the groundbreaking event. goes above and beyond the call of duty. A survivor of PTSD from his service at the While snow skiing, Linehan saw a young “I get to do a lot of groundbreakings and ribbon snowboarder fall to the ground after completing a run. military’s only mortuary facility, the still-active Air cuttings,” Martin told the Bulletin newspaper, “and Force Reserve captain was faced with unfair stereoLinehan quickly responded and, because of his emerthis is the best.” types that affect many of our service members as they gency training as a deputy sheriff, recognized the The playground will be ready for the start of the transition to life after military service. Determined to signs of cardiac arrest. After administrating CPR, 2014- 2015 school year. For information on how to eliminate negative associations of veterans in the Linehan used an AED device to resuscitate the 17volunteer to help build, visit http:// work place, Davis began consulting with veterans and year-old snowboarder. turtlelakeplayground.weebly. com, or email employers. His work connected veterans to jobs by In February, Linehan assisted the young victim’s turtlelakeplayground@gmail.com ■ translating the values they bring, such as integrity, excellence and honor, to potential employers. Davis has written two books about employment Securian Financial Group wins award for service matters and PTSD, has proposed legislation to improve hiring practices for veterans, and has worked to Beth Coppock, Lifeworks job coach. “We placed our Securian Financial Group’s long-standing practice ensure that military members are represented in the of helping Minnesotans with developmental disabiliclients in those positions, reducing the turn-over rate Minnesota Vikings’ football stadium construction. and bringing appreciation and enthusiasm to the job.” ties build careers earned the company the Employer This small-business owner and father of three is a One by one Securian hired them, providing salaries of the Year award from Lifeworks Services, a nongreat dad and provider to his young family. and full benefits. profit that matches its clients with disabilities with Three others also won awards. Former St. Paul City job openings throughout the Twin Cities and “At Securian, our Lifeworks associates enjoy not Council member Pat Harris received the Community just a job, but a career,” said Barbara Baumann, Mankato. The award was announced in June. Hero Award for his work with Serving Our Troops, Securian Financial Group, who chairs the Lifeworks “Our goal is to integrate people with disabilities an organization that sends a message of hope to board of directors. “Their work is solving a business into every facet of community life with an emphasis American soldiers. Duluth resident Zoran Pedisic reon meaningful work and independence,” said Judy problem for us, and it can lead to financial security ceived the Good Samaritan Hero Award for his couraLysne, president and CEO, Lifeworks Services, Inc. and independent living for them.” Lifeworks clients are matched with jobs at Securian geous actions that helped someone in need during a “It’s not just about jobs; it’s about careers. Securian drowning emergency in November 2013. Red Wing with full pay and benefits. On-site coaches help them has helped us realize that dream for our clients. As High School star athlete Sydney Book received the learn their jobs and all the other aspects of being emparents, it’s what we imagine for all of our kids.” Youth Good Samaritan Award for helping at an acci“When Lifeworks first began its partnership with ployed, such as travelling to and from work. Curdent scene. ■ rently, eight Lifeworks clients work in different areas Securian, the messenger position in Securian’s mail center was entry-level with a high turnover rate,” said of the company with an average tenure of 14 years. ■
Wheelchair athletes shine at state meet Several wheelchair athletes from around Minnesota competed June 6-7 at the Minnesota State High School League track and field meet at Hamline University in St. Paul. As the league has made changes to allow wheelchair competition, more athletes are representing their schools. Athletes competed in rain during part of the meet. No new state records were set. In the boys’ Class A shot put competition, Blake Collier of St. James Area High School won the title. Collier also won the discus throw. All-time records in this sport were set in 2012, by Irondale’s Mark Braun. In girls’ Class AA competition, Marissa Bartels of Delano High School had a strong state meet. Bartels won the girls’ discus throw, shot put throw, 100 meter dash and 800 meter dash. Stacy Bates of Andover won the 200 meter dash wheelchair race in Class AA. Bates holds the state record in the 100 meter wheelchair dash and was the defending state champion, but finished second to Bartels. Bartels also defeated state record holder and defending champion Jolyne Super of Spring Lake Park High School to win the 800 meter crown. Super finished second. Bartels is a junior, so fans will see her compete in 2015. ■
July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7 Pg 13
Summer update for MN-CCD
UPCOMING EVENTS Advocacy PACER hosts symposium More than 1,000 teachers, parents, and school administrators will attend the Ninth Annual PACER National Symposium about Children and Young Adults with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Thu, Aug. 7 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The symposium is designed to enhance awareness and identify strategies for responding to mental health and learning disabilities in children and young adults from the perspective of teachers and parents. It features excellent nationally known keynote speakers and breakout workshop presenters, including Larry Wexler, Division Director for the Research to Practice Division of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs will discuss seclusion and restraint, suspension, and disproportionality. Advance registration is required. $25 fee and includes lunch. FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237 (toll free), www.PACER.org Olmstead listening sessions Opportunities to comment on Minnesota’s draft Olmstead Plan continue. The plan, which is the state’s guide to improving services to people with disabilities, is awaiting community input. The Olmstead Sub-Cabinet, a group with representatives from several state departments and agencies, will hear comments. The final listening session is Mon, Aug. 11, but no location has been determined. FFI: http://tinyurl.com/m88uh4n
Youth and families PACER offers workshops PACER Center offers many useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with any kind of disabilities. Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified. Advance registration is required for all workshops. Check out PACER’s website and link to a bimonthly newsletter of workshops statewide that allows participants to pick and choose sessions catered to their needs. One upcoming free workshop is Individualized Education Program: Is your child’s IEP appropriate for their needs? At 6:30 p.m. Tue, July 22. This workshop will help parents understand how to use the valuable information in their child’s special education evaluation report to determine how well the child’s program is addressing his or her unique needs. PACER Advocates and PACER-trained parent leaders will guide participants through the process of connecting the child’s strengths and needs as documented in the evaluation report with the goals, services, and supports in the student’s IEP. Parents will need to bring a copy of their child’s most recent school special education evaluation report, and a copy of the child’s IEP. FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237 (toll free), www.PACER.org
The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) hosts an important membership meeting 2-4 p.m. Tue, July 15 at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Conference Room 1C, 2485 Como Ave, St. Paul. Learn about the events and activities that MN-CCD has in the works for the summer and fall months. The Policy Committee will be presenting the results of the May’s policy survey, which sought member insights and input in identifying MN-CCD’s lead policy priority for the 2015 Legislative Session. The Grassroots and Communications Committee will be discussing candidate forum and town hall forum Steve Larson of The Arc Minnesota and activities for the late summer and fall. Hear about the strategic Gov. Mark Dayton celebrate the successful planning teams and their progress. A detailed agenda will be released 5 Percent Campaign. soon. Email rebecca@mnccd.org with questions and watch for call-in Photo courtesy of Amy Wartick details. ■ Adult support groups offered Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) offers free support groups for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Groups include those for adult family members, women with autism spectrum disorders and independent adults with autism. Groups meet monthly throughout 2014. Groups meet monthly at the AuSM offices at 2380 Wycliff St, St Paul. FFI: 651-647-1083 ext. 10, www.ausm.org UCare meetings UCare hosts informational meetings about its UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage plan, as well as informational meetings about the UCare’s new UCare Choices and Fairview UCare Choices health plans available on MNsure, Minnesota’s health insurance marketplace. Learn about the various plans, as well as key dates and penalties associated with health care reform. Meetings are held all over the region. UCare for Seniors has more than 75,000 members across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. UCare serves Medicare-eligible individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such as Minnesota Care and Prepaid Medical Assistance Program; adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions and Minnesotans dually eligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare FFI: 1-877-523-1518, www.ucare.org
win softball titles PEOPLE & PLACES Robins,7-5.Thunderbolts Wayzata-Minnetonka won the consolation title The Robins of Robbinsdale/Hopkins/MoundWestonka had the hot bats at the Minnesota State High School League’s PI Division state softball tournament championship game this spring. The Robins beat Dakota United, 8-3. The win is the Robins’ seventh softball title in eight years. It also capped a 14-0 season, in which they defeated several teams by wide margins. The Robins defeated South Suburban 9-0 and Rochester 9-2 to get to the title game. Dakota United, which represents schools in Dakota County, topped Minneapolis South 14-4 and Anoka-Hennepin 11-10 to reach the title game. The Anoka-Hennepin game went into extra innings. Rochester won third place over Anoka-Hennepin,
Information and assistance Help with estate planning Goodwill Easter Seals, Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, St. David’s Center and the law firm of Maser, Amundson, Boggio & Hendricks host a free meeting on estate planning at 5:30 p.m. Thu, Aug. 14 at the Gramercy Room, Gramercy Park Cooperative, 6711 Lake Shore Dr., Richfield. Free parking is available in the ramp at the back of the building and additional parking across the street at the Woodlake Centre Building. One CEU ethics credit is available for social workers. Participants must preregister by Aug. 12. RSVP via email to JSchneider@stdavidscenter.org and put ESTATE in the subject line. Vet Connection Group meets in Minneapolis NAMI Vet Connection gives veterans the opportunity to talk with other veterans and share their experiences, and the successes and hardships of the reintegration process. The group meets 2:15-3:45 p.m. Mondays at the Mpls VA, 1 Veterans Drive, in Room 1B-102 (1st floor). FFI: Rebecca, 612-801-7415 or Brian, 651-645-2948 x116 Vision loss group offers activities Vision Loss Resources offers free and low-cost activities in the Twin Cities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Life skills classes for people with low vision, card games, craft classes, book clubs, walking groups, dinners out, special outings and technology classes are among the offerings. Participants need to RVSP to participate. FFI: RSVP hotline 612-843-3439; activity phone 612-253-5155, www.visionlossresources.org
Mental health support offered NAMI Minnesota offers free support groups for families who have a relative with a mental illness. NAMI has about two dozen family support groups, more than 20 support groups for people living with a mental illness, anxiety support groups, groups for veterans and other groups. Led by trained facilitators, groups provide help and support. FFI: 651-645-2948. A full calendar of all events is offered online. Partners and Spouses support group meets 6:45 p.m. the first Tue of each month at Falcon Heights United Church of Christ, 1795 Holton St. FFI: Lois, 651-788-1920, or Donna, 651-645-2948 ext. 101. Open Door Anxiety and Panic support, meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Thu at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul and 6:30-6 p.m. on the second and fourth Thu at Goodwill-Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave. N., St. Paul. FFI: 651-645-2948 A family support group meets in St. Paul on the second Wednesday of each month from at 6-7:30 p.m., at Goodwill-Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave. N., St. Paul, in room 123. FFI: Sonja, 651-357-2077. A family support group meets in Oakdale on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., at Canvas Health, 7066 Stillwater Blvd., in the community room. FFI: Dan, 651-341-8918. ■
with a 14-9 win over South. St. Paul Humboldt was the eighth team in the tournament. South Washington County captured its first CI Division since 2006, topping Dakota United 12-2 in five innings. The Thunderbolts defeated Chaska/ Chanhassen/Prior Lake/Shakopee 11-2 and North Suburban 12-2 to get to the title game. Dakota United defeated Anoka-Hennepin 17-9 and Osseo 19-6 to reach the title game. Osseo won the third place crown, 19-14, over North Suburban. Chaska/Chanhassen/Prior Lake/ Shakopee won the consolation title with an 11-4 win over Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville. Minneapolis Roosevelt was the eighth team in the tournament. ■
Do you enjoy reading Access Press? Advertisers make it possible for Access Press to bring you news by and for Minnesota’s disability community. Please support our advertisers through your patronage of their businesses, organizations and events. Accessible Homes LLC Accessible Space AccessAbility Design Accessibility Options, Inc. ADA Minnesota Advocating Change Together AgStar Ally People Solutions Amery Regional Med. Center American Ramp ARC Greater Twin Cities The ARC of Minnesota Assoc. of Residential Resources Axis Healthcare Bethel Healthcare Community BDC Management Blue Cross/Blue Shield Break–Thru Home Care Calvary Center Apartments Camp Winnebago Capable Partners Commonbond Communities Comm. Ed. Netwk on Disabilities Comm. Involvement Programs Cornerstone Solutions Courage Kenny Institute DeafBlind Services Department of Human Services Diamond Hill Townhomes Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC
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Pg 14 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7
July Sampling
Radio Talking Book Note program change this month As of July 3, two periodical programs have traded times. Career Corner, which is designed for people who are either looking for work or who are looking at employment issues, is now on at 10:20 a.m. Thursdays. Design Today, a program that looks at all aspects of design, was in that time slot. It is now on at 6:15 a.m. Career Corner is the source for many new podcasts being produced by Radio Talking Book for blind and visually impaired Minnesotans who are looking for work. They are on the website for State Services for the Blind, in the area entitled Employment and Career Services. Access that site at http://mn.gov/ deed/job-seekers/blind-visual-impaired/employment/
Books available through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault Call 1-800-722-0550, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The catalog is online at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service. Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs from the previous week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site at http://tinyurl.com/ RadioTalkBook. Audio information about the daily book listings is also on NFB Newslines. Register for NFB Newslines by calling 651-539-1424. Access Press is one of the publications featured at 9 p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference.
CLASSIFIEDS
Weekend Program Books Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing Travels with Louis by Mick Carlon; Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing Paragon Park by Mark Doty, and Aimless Love, by Billy Collins; The U.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Vikings Across the Atlantic by Daron W. Olson. Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m. The Cure in the Code, Nonfiction by Peter W. Huber, 2013. 16 broadcasts. Begins July 24. The biochemical and digital revolutions have given us great potential to save and prolong human life. But Washington stands in the way. Read by Yelva Lynfield. Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m. The Aviators, Nonfiction by Winston Groom, 2014. 20 broadcasts. Begins July 14. In the early twentieth century, three men became legends in aviation: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, and Charles Lindbergh. They were more than pilots; they were daredevils, visionaries and heroes. Read by John Potts. Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m. The House on the Cliff, Fiction by Charlotte Williams, 2014. Nine broadcasts. Begins July 23. Therapist Jessica Mayhew makes a house call when her client is suicidal and becomes ensnared in his family’s mystery. Read by Janelle Mattson. The Writer’s Voice • Monday – Friday 2 p.m. The Dark Path, Nonfiction by David Schickler, 2013. Nine broadcasts. Begins July 21. Since childhood, Schickler has been torn between his desire to become a Catholic priest and his love of women. He first started conversing with God along “the dark path” through the woods behind his childhood home. Read by Tom Price.
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Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m. Swimming in the Moon, Fiction by Pamela Schoenewaldt, 2013. 13 broadcasts. Begins July 15. Raised to be a servant in Naples, Lucia is still young when she and her mother immigrate to America. With a beautiful voice, her mother Teresa transforms herself to the Naples Nightingale on the vaudeville circuit. But that success isn’t long lasting. Read by Isla Hejny. PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m. The Rise of the Warrior Cop, Nonfiction by Radley Balko, 2014. 14 broadcasts. Begins July 22. In early America, we understood that soldiers in the streets bring conflict and tyranny. As a result, our country has generally worked to keep the military out of law enforcement. But over the last several decades, this has changed. Read by John Demma. Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m. The Cairo Affair, Fiction by Olen Steinhauer, 2014. 16 broadcasts. Begins July 14. Minutes after Sophie tells her diplomat husband that she has had an affair, he is assassinated. She calls Stan Bertolli, Cairo-based CIA agent, to ask why. She is the only woman he ever truly loved. L - Read by Neil Bright. Off the Shelf • Monday – Friday 10 p.m. Stoker’s Manuscript, Fiction by Royce Prouty, 2013. 11 broadcasts. Begins July 28. Hired to authenticate the original draft and notes for Dracula, Joseph Barkeley finds himself a prisoner of the son of Vlad Dracul in Bran Castle. L - Read by Mike Piscitelli. Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m. My Age of Anxiety, Nonfiction by Scott Stossell, 2014. 16 broadcasts. Begins July 14. Thirty years ago, anxiety did not exist as a diagnostic category; today it’s the most common form of mental illness. Drawing on his lifelong battle with it, Stossell gives us an understanding of it from both the medical and experiential perspectives. Read by Denny Laufenburger. Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight The Swan Gondola, Fiction by Timothy Schaffert, 2014. 15 broadcasts. Begins July 14. Ventriloquist and con man Ferret Skerrit wonders what the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair will bring. But when he crosses paths with the beautiful and enigmatic Cecily, his whole purpose shifts and the fair becomes the backdrop for their love affair. L - Read by John Holden. After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m. The Twistrose Key, Fiction by Tone Almhjell, 2013. 10 broadcasts. Begins July 30. Something is wrong in the house that Lin’s family has rented; she’s sure of it. When a secret key marked “Twistrose” arrives for Lin, she finds a crack in the cellar, a gate to the world of Sylver, which is the home of every dead animal that ever loved a child. Read by Don Gerlach. ■ Abbreviations: V – violence, L – offensive language, S – sexual situations
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July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7 Pg 15
Changes are coming - from p. 1 Ron Biss, chair of the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC) said the current and future changes should be seen as positive developments for Metro Mobility riders. The TAAC advises the council from the perspective of riders with disabilities the council on management policies for public transportation services in the region. “The upcoming change in providers, the new phone service and the rule changes slated for July 1 are good steps for Metro Mobility riders,” Biss said. He said the TAAC has discussed the various changes and will monitor them closely. The biggest change isn’t likely to be seen until spring 2015, when service providers change. Currently the two main or core provider spots are competitively bid. The three smaller contracts are solesourced. Scott County Transit or SmartLink serves Scott County. DARTS serves Dakota County. Anoka County Traveler serves Anoka County. The two larger providers are First Transit, which serves St. Paul and surrounding communities, Washington County and part of Minneapolis; and Transit Team, which serves Minneapolis and surrounding communities. For a number of reasons, including efficiency, federal compliance and improved customer service, the council will reduce the number of providers from five to three and all contracts will be competitively bid. One of the key benefits for riders is that transfers between contractor zones will be eliminated. Metropolitan Council spokesperson Bonnie Kollodge said it’s possible that current customers will be served by a new provider. The council is working to make any changes be as seamless as possible. The restructuring is considered to be an administrative change and doesn’t require council approval, according to Kollodge. Beginning July 1, Metro Mobility will no longer automatically cancel the return ride if the rider does a “No Show” on the first trip of the day. For the past 30 years, Metro Mobility has automatically cancelled all return rides for “No Shows” unless staff heard from the rider. Now Metro Mobility need to hear from the rider before the return ride is canceled. If the rider doesn’t contact Metro Mobility, and the rider doesn’t take the return ride after a “No Show” on the first ride, the return ride will result in a second “No Show.” Customers may be suspended from service if they accumulate four “No Shows” and if the “No Shows” total 4% or more of their rides in a month. This change forces riders to be more vigilant about canceling rides they do not need. Riders are required to contact their Mobility provider at least one hour before the ride to cancel. A “No Show” occurs when a rider cancels a ride less than one hour before the pickup time, is not at the pickup location when the vehicle arrives within the 30-minute pickup window or doesn’t board the bus within five minutes after the vehicle arrives within the 30-minute pickup window The change is being made at the behest of the FTA, which ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The FTA has told the council that every trip must be considered separately. In order to protect riders’ rights, Metro Mobility can only cancel rides when and if riders tell Metro Mobility that the service isn’t needed. Biss said the change does require riders to be more mindful of cancelling unneeded rides. He also said there is a process through which riders can appeal a suspension. The other change is the maximum ride time change, which also took effect July 1. The maximum ride time is based on trip distance. This change replaces Metro Mobility’s long standing 90-minute maximum time for all trips regardless of distance. According to Metro Mobility staff, this change means that customers should see an improvement for more than 90% of trips. All trips less than 15 miles will have a shorter maximum on-board time than the trips had before. For longer trips the maximum allowable on-board time will increase. The maximum on
board time for trips over 30 miles will be 150 minutes regardless of distance This change is also being made to comply with federal requirements, so that Metro Mobility is providing service that is comparable to regular-route bus service. That means paratransit travel times cannot be significantly longer than a comparable regular-route bus service. A detailed breakdown of ride times is at http:// tinyurl.com/ridesonbuses Another future change, set for later this year, is a new automated phone system that will allow riders to access ride information 24 hours a day. The automated system will give riders the ability to review and cancel rides 24 hours a day without talking to a reservationist or dispatcher. Riders will have the option to speak with a live reservationists and dispatchers during business hours. The phone system can remind riders about rides, if the rider scheduled the trip with a reservationist. Calls and emails can be made between 5-9 p.m. Riders can
also get a call on the day of service when the bus is 10 minutes away. Automatic calls and emails will not be generated for standing order trips. ■
Pg 16 July 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 7