November 2014 Edition - Access Press

Kitchen crew, p 7

Volume 25, Number 11

Union work can move ahead

by Access Press staff

Efforts to unionize home health care workers can move ahead, as a federal judge refused an injunction requested by the National Right to Work Foundation. While that ruling can be appealed, it is another victory for union supporters and a disappointment for union foes.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Davis ruled October 22 against the foundation’s request for an expedited injunction. Davis’ 25-page ruling states it is unlikely that union opponents would win their case in court.

Davis’ ruling also indicates that the worker bargaining process has its benefits. “The public has a strong interest in improving the home care program by reducing turnover, attracting more qualified providers, and ultimately enabling better home-based care to individuals with disabilities and the elderly,” the judge stated.

Unionization - p. 3

November 10, 2014

www.accesspress.org You can’t get there from here

State capitol renovation work poses challenges this session

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

by Jane McClure

Attending a rally, speaking at a legislative hearing or visiting state lawmakers takes time and planning for members of Minnesota’s disability community. In 2015, it’s going to get a lot more complicated. Ongoing capitol renovations will cause plenty of headaches and confusion.

A $272.7 million comprehensive restoration is underway to restore and preserve the 1905 capitol building. Work began in fall of 2013 and will continue into 2017. An infrastructure update for the entire capitol complex is going on at the same time. Currently the capitol is clad in scaffolding.

While the capitol will remain open to the public, areas will be off-limits at times. Offices will also move to temporary quarters as the work continues. Everyone visiting needs to be ready for noise, dust and commotion.

Legislators will meet in regular session over the next few years. House and Senate chambers will be open. But only three rooms, on the ground and first floors, will be available for hearings this session. The three rooms are smaller than some of the rooms typically used.

Advocates as well as staff from disability community groups are urging everyone to plan ahead before paying a visit or scheduling a rally at the capitol this session.

“We may just recommend that they close the state capitol down,” said Joan Willshire, executive director of the Minnesota State

“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.”

— Rollo May

NEWS DIGEST

This activist and others like her will not be in the state capitol rotunda during the 2015 legislative session, as the space will be renovated.

Access Press file photo

Council on Disability (MNSCOD). MNSCOD is closely tracking the capitol renovation project. Willshire warned those at an October 18 Minnesota Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities (MN-CCD) meeting that access will be difficult.

Planning ahead is going to be essential, according to disability community leaders.

Capitol renovation - p. 3

2015 legislative issue

Medical Assistance campaign seeks equity

by Access Press staff

A massive stroke during surgery forced Brooklyn Center resident Layne to learn to walk, talk, read and write all over again. She only became eligible for Medical Assistance (MA) and waiver services after spending the entire 401K she’d built up from 30 years of working. She needed to pay medical bills but losing her financial security was “terrifying.”

“I used to love my large mocha latte at Caribou,” Layne said. “Now, for that same money, I buy a loaf of bread, gallon of milk and jar of peanut butter for a week’s worth of lunches.

Layne receives $1,195 per month from Social Security Disability Income but must pay $466 in medical bills every month before MA starts paying, as her spend-down to qualify for MA and waiver services.

She pays $500 per month in rent and has an arrangement with her landlord to do household and outdoor chores in exchange for utilities. After paying rent and MA spend-down, Layne has $229 to pay all of her other bills. “Most months I don’t have enough money to meet my basic needs. I went from a six-figure income to $14,000 per year and now feel like I am invisible.”

Rebecca, who lives in Hopkins, sustained a traumatic brain injury in December 2005 when a drunk driver hit her vehicle. She has given up her career and activities she enjoyed including bicycling, reading, playing piano and singing. She is working again and looking forward to qualifying for MA for Employed Persons or MA-EPD. After paying her $670 per month rent and a $450 spend-down, Rebecca has $59 left for groceries and other expenses. She goes to a food shelf to make ends meet. “I love my neighborhood and want to keep living there,” she said.

Forcing people into poverty so that they can retain some level of independence may seem counter-intuitive. That is the situation for more than 12,000 Minnesotans. Sharing of personal stories may be the key to success for the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) and its 2015 legislative campaign. The consortium’s focus for the upcoming legislaMA recipients have little money left after tive session is to increase the MA income standard, raise the asset limits and reduce spenda spend-down and struggle to pay bills. downs. If all goes well, people with disabilities and older adults can keep more of their income File photo MA campaign - p. 4

Roosevelt’s legacy is remembered in documentary.

Page 2

Rebuild Twin Cities crews made a Columbia Heights house into a home.

Page 4

Like parties? There’s a big celebration planned in 2015, and everyone’s help is needed.

Page 5

Area businesses saluted for providing jobs.

Page 10

We Love to Play marks 20 years.

Page 12

INSIDE Accessible Fun, pg 12 Events, pg 13 People & Places, pps 7 & 10-11 Radio Talking Book, pg 14 Regional News, pg 6

Pg 2 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

EDITOR’S DESK

Tim Benjamin This month we hosted the 12th annual Charlie Smith Award banquet and were joined by a couple hundred folks in the community for a wonderful evening. Thanks to all of you who came out to celebrate Christine Marble and Wendy DeVore from Career Ventures, Inc. for their hard work at helping people with vision and hearing loss. The time goes by quickly at this event, and I always wish that I could spend more time speaking with more of you one-on-one. I hope everyone had a great time and got to win something in either the silent auction or the raffle.

The best part every year, of course, is hearing about our Charlie Award winners and their successes.

As a reminder, Charlie Smith, founded Access Press almost 25 years ago, and was a strong disability community advocate. He had an influence on legislative initiatives that benefit all of us today. Charlie would

be very proud of the work of these and all the past award winners.

All the remodeling at the capitol is making visits to your legislator, or attending and testifying at committee meetings, extremely difficult. Planning ahead will be much more important throughout the next several years; the renovation is not scheduled to be complete until 2017. Before the legislature convenes in January, you might want to test out your strategy for parking and maneuvering around the capitol construction.

For those of us with mobility difficulties, we’ll need to check for access to relocated committee meeting rooms. And it’s going to be difficult for able-bodied people to attend session activities as well. I’ve been told that rallies and events that usually take place inside the rotunda will be held at other locations or outside on the capitol grounds. In the winter, outside locations may not be a good option for most of us.

One important reason to make it to the capitol all winter long is to lobby for Medical Assistance. Equity in income standards and assets is again on the top of the legislative priority list for most self-advocates and disability support organizations. Last session, the income eligibility levels were increased for most people needing state-provided healthcare. How-

ever, people with disabilities and senior citizens still face the disadvantage of a 25% difference in income eligibility requirements. This year, we must insist on equity in eligibility for all people in state-run health programs. The current inequity must be re-examined and removed so that across the board, all Minnesotans needing healthcare are treated equally. Making this happen will be an uphill battle; we have struggled with this issue for many years.

Last session, the disability community was successful on the 5% Campaign that gave PCAs a boost in wages, in large part because we spoke up and told our stories. This year we have to do the same, speaking directly to our legislators and telling them our stories of being required to stay in poverty in order to be eligible for health programs. No Minnesotan should be left with so little spending power that they cannot receive healthcare and purchase the other essentials of life.

Please contact us if you’re interested in learning more about how Charlie Smith and Access Press influenced the change in how media portrays the disability community. Access Press, along with UCare, produced a documentary, The Real Story that does a great job of telling this story. It’s available for $25 and is a great conversation-starter for many community events concerned with inclusion and diversity.

Stay safe in the cold weather, enjoy Thanksgiving, and we’ll talk next month. ■

HISTORY NOTE

FDR’s lasting legacy is one of triumph over polio

by Access Press staff

“People who are crippled take a long time to get to their feet – sometimes years,” said Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The president who got the United States back on its feet during the Great Depression and also served during World War II was in the spotlight again this fall in the PBS series The Roosevelts.

As the post-November election dust settles on months of political attack ads, it’s worth remembering how FDR and his supporters controlled his image as a strong, vibrant leader. Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921 at age 39. He couldn’t walk without leg braces or assistance from staff. Roosevelt often used a wheelchair in private, but seldom in public.

What might surprise people in today’s no-holdsbarred media world is that during Roosevelt’s presidency, most journalists cooperated in downplaying Roosevelt’s disability. Those who tried to do otherwise were shut out.

The PBS series was produced by noted documentarian Ken Burns and Roosevelt historian Geoffrey V. Ward. It is considered to be the first thorough examination of all of the efforts that FDR made to appear to walk during his initial run for president and his presidential years of 1933-1945. Roosevelt would

swing his body forward while holding someone’s arm, a move that took him years to perfect.

The man who used a wheelchair and couldn’t get to the bathroom on his own “made everyone believe he stood up to greet them,” Ward told the New York Times. “He was an absolute magician.”

Historians also note that FDR’s polio was wellknown. He was an active supporter of efforts to raise fund for research and for patient care. What the public didn’t know was the extent of his disability.

Roosevelt was able to convey that he had overcome polio. In crucial ways that shaped the country and world, he did so.

In 2013 rare footage was released of Roosevelt being pushed in his wheelchair, while visiting the U.S.S. Baltimore at Pearl Harbor in July 1944. Eight seconds of film show Roosevelt exiting a doorway on the ship and using what appears to be a ramp. A line of sailors screens the president, but he is shown gliding past the men at a lower level. The wheelchair isn’t visible but someone is seen pushing it. Ray Begovich, a journalism professor at Franklin College in Indiana, found the clip (http://bit.ly/12YW5Bp) while conducting unrelated research in the National Archives in College Park, Md.

Volume 25, Number 11 • 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 and advertising do 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

“This raw film clip may be the first motion picture images of the president in his wheelchair, and it was never meant to be shown to the world,” Begovich said. Officials at the Roosevelt library and the National Archives weren’t aware of other films.

Franklin D. Roosevelt “To me, the importance of this clip as historic media imagery is that it reminds all of us that this president fought the Great Depression and World War II from a wheelchair. I think it’s a tragedy that we haven’t had more candidates for national office who use a wheelchair, guide dog or sign language,” Begovich said. ■ 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

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

Capitol renovation - from p. 1 People should check to see where their representatives and senators will have offices this session, as some offices may have moved. Another factor to be mindful of is that it will likely take more time to get from one place to another.

Yet another bit of advice is to use a bathroom before setting out for hearings and meetings, in the event an accessible restroom cannot be found. There will be an accessible restroom on every floor of the capitol. By the Metro Mobility dropoff, plans call for an accessible portable toilet facility.

Staff from the Department of Administration said they know the public will be inconvenienced this legislative session. They also urge that visitors plan ahead before visiting. Curtis Yoakum, assistant commissioner for communications and planning and Wayne Waslaski, senior director for real estate and construction services, outlined the Be sure to plan ahead and remember, you might changes this session. not be able to get there from here.

“We’re asking everyone to bear with us,” Yoakum said. About two-thirds of the capitol will be closed this session.

“That really does confine our space.”

Many meetings and hearings are likely to move to the nearby State Office Building. That already-busy place is expected to be jam-packed during the legislative session. How that building’s space will be used won’t be finalized until after the November 4 election.

One of the biggest challenges will be for groups staging rallies. Disability Day at the Capitol always draws a huge crowd, as do disability or cause-specific gatherings. But the rotunda won’t be available for rallies this session. Nor can the capitol steps be used. Waslaski said groups could ask to use space on the upper and lower malls.

While some at the MN-CCD meeting joked about being hardy Minnesotans, others questioned the wisdom of asking people to be outside for rallies, which can last for an hour or more when setup and cleanup are factored in.

Instead, state officials are working with owners and managers of surrounding facilities, to see if rallies can be moved there. Possible venues include the Minnesota History Center, the state armory, area churches and the Capitol Ridge Inn

Unionization - from p. 1 The legal campaign is centered on a 2013 state law that allows home health care workers to unionize. The home health care workers are also known as direct support professionals or DSPs, personal care attendants or PCAs or home health aides. Their union would be focused only on workers who are state-subsidized.

The quest to form a union took years and was only decided after lengthy and at times emotional hearings and floor debate at the capitol. At the same time legislators also voted to allow child care workers to unionize.

After a high-profile organizing campaign over several months, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in August won an election to represent the 27,000 workers who are eligible to join the union. About 60 percent of the 5,800 workers who voted opted for unionization.

The National Right to Work Foundation is based in the state of Virginia. The foundation, which began in 1968, fights what it calls compulsory union organizing. The foundation could make its case to the Eighth District U.S. Court of Appeals but the foundation has not announced a decision yet. The foundation has publicly expressed concern about the number of employees who actually voted in support of unionization, as compared to the total number of potential union members.

The foundation contends that unionizing the workers violates the First Amendment rights of those who oppose unionization, and is a violation of the rights to free political expression and free association. It also tried unsuccessfully to block the August union election. At that time Davis ruled that the foundation’s actions were premature.

Davis’ latest ruling states that workers aren’t required to join the union or pay union dues. He disputed the notion that the union violates First Amendment rights or would cause harm. Davis also pointed out that state officials have a “rational basis” for wanting to negotiate with one entity representing the majority of workers.

The ruling also notes that the state law allowing the unionization effort was passed with full debate. Allowing the injunction would constitute a federal government and judicial intrusion into what is properly a state matter. He also said that the state has demonstrated a “rational basis” to negotiate with one entity (SEIU) to represent the workers.

As part of the state’s case, Deputy Human Services Commissioner Charles E. Johnson provided a sworn statement contending that the 2013 law and certification of SEIU would improve the programs for all home health care workers. ■

Pg 3

(formerly the Kelly Inn.) “There just isn’t going to be any space in the capitol building where rallies can be held,” said Yoakum.

Not having the rotunda available means that there will be changes to the annual “Faces of Disability” event at the capitol. Instead of a large display to spotlight key issues, smaller displays will be placed in front of legislators’ offices, said Alicia Munson of Opportunity Partners. She is a co-chair of MN-CCD’s Grassroots Advocacy Committee.

Some aspects of the legislative session will stay the same. Munson said that Tuesday at the Capitol and the Friday legislative updates will be held this session.

Check the MN-CCD website before attending meetings, in case those gatherings have to move, at http://mnccd.org/ One improvement people may notice is parking. Aurora Avenue in front of the capitol will have nine to 10 accessible spots. Ramp F, which is on Rice Street near the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) building, will have 10 public accessible spots and additional contract accessible spots. The ramp has a tunnel to the State Office Building. There are also four disability parking spaces are on John Ireland Boulevard to serve the MnDOT Building. Lot D still has 12 spaces for those currently needing to visit the State Office Building.

Lot B north of the capitol isn’t available for parking this session, as it is under construction. Once the new Senate offices are built, that structure will contain more accessible parking. The tunnel between that space and the capitol will reopen one year from now.

MNSCOD will post regular accessibility updates on its website, at www.dis ability.state.mn.us/ Click on the capitol renovation tab at the top of the home page.

The capitol renovations is taking place in four phases. In September 2013, demolition and other work began in the building’s basement. The second phase began in February with construction of mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure. In June the west wing’s ground and first floors were closed for repairs.

The entire east wing was closed at the same time. This work is still underway. In June 2015, the west wing’s second and third floors will be closed for work, along with the entire north wing.

The Department of Administration urges the public to call 651-201-2300 if there are questions. One link, which provides information on the project as well as parking and maps, is at mn.gov/admin/capitol-restoration Anyone needing to set up public events should go to http://mn.gov/admin/citizen/public-events/ ■

Clarification An October article about housing advocate Mike Bjerkesett stated he was allstate in football. He was all-Skyline Conference, at a time when an all-conference designation in Minnesota gave athletes automatic all-state designation. ■

Pg 4 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

Accessibility improvements made by volunteers

Workers did finishing touches on the house in late October.

Volunteers proudly stood in front of the accessible home.

Much of the house’s infrastructure needed work.

Photos courtesy of Rebuilding Together Twin Cities

A Columbia Heights home owner will have an accessible home, thanks to Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and a team of more than 40 Wells Fargo volunteers. The partners took part in the 2014 Healthy Housing Challenge this fall by refurbishing a home in Columbia Heights.

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities was one of eight Rebuilding Together affiliates across the country to participate in this year’s Healthy Housing Challenge, which is a joint project of the National Center for Healthy Housing and Rebuilding Together. The Healthy Housing Challenge provides tools, training and additional funds to help Rebuilding Together affiliates make repairs at no charge to correct health and safety hazards in the homes of low-income families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.

“The Healthy Housing Challenge gives us the expertise and extra financial resources we need to make homes healthier and safer for the families we work

with,” said Kathryn Greiner, executive director for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities.

When a Columbia Heights property was donated to Rebuilding Together, staff saw that a wheelchair-accessible ramp was already in place. That was the inspiration to remodel the home to be completely handicap-accessible. The Healthy Housing Challenge volunteer crew repaired and stained the wheelchair ramp, installed new window wells, finished interior demolition and framed interior walls to accommodate Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

“Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has a unique opportunity to create a truly accessible house that will also be affordable for someone who is living with a disability,” said Tony Sjogren, program director for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. “In addition, we will be making this a ‘Healthy House’ by applying the 22 goals as established by the National Center for Healthy Housing. This home will incorporate many

MA campaign - from p. 1 to live independently in the community.

“People have worked hard on this issue during recent legislative sessions,” said MN-CCD Executive Director Rebecca Covington. Some advocacy groups and selfadvocates have worked for reforms for more than a decade.

The legislative effort was discussed October 18 at the MN-CCD’s annual meeting in St. Paul. This will be the second year in a row that MA income standard reform is the coalition’s top priority. Efforts to make change fell short during the 2014 session.

What frustrates many Minnesotans with disabilities and advocacy groups is that

universal design features that will make it more livable for the future home owner. Working with the Wells Fargo team and the Wells Fargo Healthy House Challenge grant will bring this project to fruition.”

In addition to volunteer time, Wells Fargo provided a $15,000 grant for this project.

“I’m so proud to work for an organization that invests back in the community - this year Wells Fargo has donated $50,000 to Rebuilding Together Twin Cities,” said Julia Carlson, a Wells Fargo team member who organized the volunteer event. She pointed out that the group donated more than 300 hours’ time.

Upon its completion this fall, the Columbia Heights house will be a completely handicap-accessible one-story home.

To learn more or to apply for accessibility improvements to a home, contact homeowners@ rebuildingtogether-twincities.org or call 651-7764273. Applicants must meet income guidelines. ■

DHS Chart 7/1/13-6/30/14 Previous MA income limits thru 12/31/13 Pregnant women 275% FPG Infants (0-2) 280% FPG Children (2-18) 150% FPG Children (19-20) 100% FPG Parents 100% FPG Adult group 75% FPG Elderly & disabled 100% or 75% FPG Group

New MA income limits as of 1/1/14 275% FPG 280% FPG 275% FPG 138% FPG 138% FPG 138% FPG* 100% or 75% FPG

New MA asset limits None None None None None None $3,000

75% FPG = one person: $719/mo $8,628/yr; Couple: $971/mo $ll,652/yr 100% FPG = one person: $958/mo $ll,496/yr; Couple: $1,293/mo $15,516/yr 138% FPG = one person: $1,273/mo $15,281/yr; Couple: $1,719/mo $20,628/yr

a state law change that took effect January 1 raised the amount that low-income Minnesotans age 18 and over without disabilities are allowed to make each month and remain eligible for Minnesota’s Medicaid Program, which is known as MA or Medicaid Expansion. But the law change didn’t include Minnesotans with disabilities or senior citizens. Many advocacy groups and self-advocates question why people with disabilities and seniors should be forced to live in deeper poverty than others who have access to the same health program.

People with disabilities and seniors more than 65 years of age with income over 100% of the Federal Poverty Guideline are required to spend down to 75% of the guideline limit and only retain $3000 in assets to be eligible for the program. MNCCD is asking state lawmakers to raise MA Income Standards for persons with disabilities and the elderly to what is allowed for other groups under Medicaid Expansion, and also to ensure that there is a significant increase in asset limits.

The 2015 legislative session starts on January 6. The group working on the issue includes a storytelling team, to help those affected communicate with legislators.

The goal of MN-CCD is to get a personal story from at least one person in every legislative district.

MN-CCD has an MA Campaign resource page, with sign-up forms and information on telling one’s story.

Information is available for interviewers. Release forms are also online.

Agency participation in the campaign is also sought, with forms available at the same link. The page will get regular legislative updates, so check http://mnccd.org/ ?page_id=1281 for campaign information as well as needed forms and guides for storytelling. Anyone with questions may call project interns Thabiso Rowan or Ericka Otterson at 612-867-3669. ■

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

Pg 5

Get involved with ADA celebration activities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark in civil rights legislation, turns 25 years old on July 26, 2015. The Minnesota State Council on Disability (MNSCOD), in cooperation with a coalition of disability organizations, is planning several events and projects to celebrate this historic day. Not only is everyone invited to take part in the special events, volunteers are also needed to make the events a success. Some projects leading up to the event are currently underway, so don’t hesitate to get involved.

Save the dates for these events. An ADA Anniversary Kick-Off Event is Thursday, July 9. The event will feature national speakers and the debut of a Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) historical documentary about the ADA. MNSCOD and TPT plan to tell the history of the ADA using personal stories to demonstrate how life was before the ADA, how it became law and how it has evolved. The documentary will air at the July events and will continue to air after the anniversary date as passed.

MNSCOD also has exciting plans for Sunday, July 26, with the yearlong festivities culminating in a 25th ADA Anniversary Celebration at the Minnesota History Center. Everyone is invited to the party, which will include live music, an open mic, arts activities, and more. This event will be accessible as well as family-friendly.

One of MNSCOD’s current projects is the ADA Poster and Video Contests. Posters and videos sub-

— In Memoriam —

Biss was transportation advocate

Ron Biss, a leader in accessible transportation and health policy issues and in Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) activities, passed away October 30. He was 72 and lived in Bloomington. Services were held November 6 in Elbow Lake, where he was buried.

A Twin Cities service is planned but no date was set when Access Press went to press.

Biss volunteered at summer camps, the annual telethon and with the MDA Greater Twin Cities Advisory Council. He also served on the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Minnesota GO Steering Committee, MnDOT Americans with Disabilities Act Advisory Committee (ADAAC) and Metropolitan Council Transportation Accessibility Advisory Council (TAAC). He was currently serving as chairperson for the TAAC. Biss was also a member of the Minnesota Department of Health Home Care Provider Advisory Council.

mitted should creatively address the question: “What does the ADA mean to you?” The contest is open now, with submissions due by December 15. Winners will be honored at the 25th Anniversary of the ADA Celebration July 26.

MNSCOD is also preparing a survey to measure what people know about the ADA and how it has impacted employment opportunities for people with disabilities. People with disabilities who work or who are looking for work are urged to take part in this important survey. MNSCOD would also like to hear from employers about how the ADA has affected the hiring process. Please contact MNSCOD to participate in the survey.

Were you or your organization instrumental in the passing of the ADA? Do you know someone who was? How has the ADA positively impacted your life? Are you interested in supporting these exciting projects? Let MNSCOD know and consider volun-

teering with one of the anniversary committees and help plan the celebrations and other activities.

Contact David Shaw at david.a.shaw@state.mn.us for more information on contest entries, participation in the survey, attendance or volunteering opportunities or for any questions on the ADA celebration.

MNSCOD is posting information about the event on its website, www.disability.state.mn.us/ While visiting the website, don’t forget to sign up for MNSCOD’s weekly updates. Those include regular updates on the ADA activities.

MNSCOD has received funding through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund from the Legacy Amendment to help carry out the anniversary activities. For more information about the Legacy Fund visit www.legacy.leg.mn/. MNSCOD’s Legacy Funds are administered by the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Learn more about the Minnesota Humanities Center at www.minnesotahumanities.org/ ■

Pg 6 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

REGIONAL NEWS Action on transportation delayed Citing a need for more time to review comments and possible ordinance changes, the St. Paul City Council has delayed action on alternative transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft. The council hearing, which was set for October, has been postponed to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 19 at St. Paul City Hall.

The city currently has no regulations for such services. Disability community members as well as traditional taxicab companies have raised concerns about no regulation. Concerns about accessibility, as the services use drivers’ personal vehicles, insurance, driver training and driver background checks Minneapolis passed its alternative transportation company regulations earlier this year. One concern raised in that city was over easing accessibility regulations for traditional taxi companies, as a tradeoff of sorts for allowing the new companies to operate. ■ (Source: Access Press staff)

Board on Aging publishes guide The Minnesota Board on Aging has just published its 2015 edition of Health Care Choices for Minnesotans on Medicare booklet. Now in its sixth edition, the annual guide contains comprehensive information about Medicare health care plan options in Minnesota.

“Health Care Choices is a useful resource for older adults and family members making decisions during the Medicare open enrollment, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2014,” said Jean Wood, executive director of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “After December 7, a change can only be made in a few special circumstances so it is important to use this time to make the best decision possible. Any changes made will take effect Jananuary 1, 2015.”

Health Care Choices is available online, by calling the Senior LinkAge Line®: A One Stop Shop for Minnesota Seniors at 1-800-333-2433, or by visiting www.MinnesotaHelp.info and using the chat live feature or leaving an email after business hours. ■ (Source: Minnesota Board on Aging)

Monitor raises concerns about restraints

Changes in providers announced

Despite promises to end such practices, Minnesotans with disabilities continue to face harsh disciplinary techniques, including life-threatening prone restraints and seclusion. That was detailed in October in a 57-page report filed by a federal court monitor.

In response, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) pledged to eliminate the practice — except in emergency cases, such as danger of physical harm — at all state-licensed programs and facilities that care for people with disabilities.

The monitor’s report and the state response were detailed by the Star Tribune. The court monitor is involved in the ongoing court case that centered on practices at the now-closed Minnesota Extended Treatment Options facility in Cambridge.

State officials told the Star Tribune that the use of physical restraints has dropped sharply in the last year and that they are taking other steps to improve care for those with physical and mental disabilities. “This is a massive undertaking and a critical one,” said Lucinda Jesson, state commissioner of human services. She has ordered an investigation into at least one case.

The court monitor found that the practices still persist at community programs and group homes for the developmentally disabled. Statewide, a total of 963 people with disabilities were physically restrained between July 2013 and September of this year. In addition, 40 people were mechanically restrained and 70 were placed in seclusion rooms over the same period, according to his report.

At the same time, Jesson said, the state has made substantial progress toward phasing out use of mechanical restraints and seclusion. Incidents at statelicensed programs have dropped by about 80 percent between July 2013 and September, according to DHS. The agency has also launched an ambitious training effort, in which thousands of county and state employees and providers statewide have participated in workshops and online courses on how to provide positive care without the use of restraint and seclusion. Even so, large providers say it can take years to phase out the practices in group homes and programs that help disabled people live and work in the community. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)

Metro Mobility and Transit Link customers in Dakota County will change transportation providers beginning November 9. Metro Mobility, the regional transportation service for people with disabilities, is overseen by Metropolitan Council. It is operated by providers under contract with the council and riders must be certified.

Due to a contract change, Metro Mobility customers in Dakota County will transition from DARTS to either First Transit or Transit Team, depending on where they live in the county. DARTS, which began years ago as Dakota Area Rapid Transit, was found to have committed a number of violations and lost its longtime contract with Metropolitan Council recently.

First Transit will be the provider for customers living in Lilydale, West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Sunfish Lake, Inver Grove Heights, and the portion of Eagan north of Diffley Road. Transit Team will be the provider for customers living in Burnsville, Apple Valley, Rosemount, and the portion of Eagan south of Diffley Road.

The provider of Transit Link service will be Midwest Paratransit Services. Transit Link is a dial-a-ride bus service for the general public, serving locations where regular route service is not available.

“We will make every effort to make this transition as seamless and simple as possible for customers,” said Gerri Sutton, the Council’s assistant director of Metropolitan Transportation Services. “We have every confidence that customers will receive safe, reliable service, but we also ask for patience as we all adjust to some change.”

Metro Mobility customers who experience service issues during the transition, or at any time, are asked to contact Customer Services at 651-602-1111 (TTY 651-221-9886) between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Or, email the service at metromobility@metc.state.mn.us Transit Link customers who have questions or comments are encouraged to call the council at 651-602-5465 (option 9) or email transitlink@ metc.state.mn.us ■ (Source: Metropolitan Council)

Fired worker gets settlement A Minneapolis-area home health care provider will pay $30,000 under a consent decree entered here which resolves a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced recently.

The EEOC’s lawsuit charged that Baywood Home Care violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide Laurie Goodnough with a reasonable accommodation, and instead firing her as a home health aide. Goodnough has fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis that substantially limits her walking and bending.

John Rowe, director of the EEOC’s Chicago District, of which Minnesota is a part, managed the Regional News - p. 13

BDC Management Co. is now accepting applications for our accessible 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 Slater Square Apartments 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 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) 340-1264 (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 EFF & 1BR 2 BR 1 BR (sr) 2 BR 3 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

Pg 7

PEOPLE & PLACES It’s back to work, school in St. Cloud Going back to school takes on a different meaning for one Opportunity Services crew. For the work team at St. Cloud State University (SCSU), it means back to business in the dish room.

Opportunity Services is a nonprofit organization helping adults with disabilities to find employment, and Sodexo is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations and campus dining provider to SCSU. They have been collaborating for almost 10 years.

When Sodexo took over the services at SCSU in July 2006, an Opportunity Services work team was only working at lunchtime. Within two years, Opportunity Services had expanded to two work teams at two different locations within the campus; Garvey Commons and Atwood Memorial Center. Over time, the Opportunity Services clients have become part an integral part of the team at Sodexo. The work team maintains the dish rooms in Garvey Commons and Atwood Memorial Center all day during the school year and limited hours in the summer.

“The university students didn’t enjoy working in the dish room, and we couldn’t keep re-hiring those positions,” said SCSU Resident Dining Manager Tim Ness. “Opportunity Services provided a work crew

The Opportunity Services kitchen crew took time out from their job duties at St. Cloud State University. The program has grown over the past eight years to include more workers and meal shifts.

Photo courtesy of Opportunity Services

that wanted to be there every day and was passionate about their responsibilities.”

Every member of the team has a specific responsibility, whether it’s controlling a part of the dish line, putting out clean silverware or collecting dirty dishes.

“To the Opportunity Services crew it’s more than making money and supporting themselves, they have a sense of belonging here at Sodexo and they truly are a part of the team,” said Ness.

Sodexo serves three quarters of a million meals during the school year. Roughly that’s about 20,000

meals per week, with all the dishes going through the dish rooms maintained by Opportunity Services. The dish room crew also works at summer events.

Opportunity Services prides itself in community integration. The collaboration with Sodexo is a perfect example of just that. The work team not only maintains the dish room, members get to know other staff members and students at the university. They look forward to coming to work every day because they find pride in their job and enjoy being members of the St. Cloud community. ■

Community long-term services and supports programs win grants Organizations that help older Minnesotans stay in their homes as they age are receiving more than $5.3 million in funds. The funds were appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton, and awarded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).

Projects funded through the department’s Community Service/Community Services Development Grants provide indoor and outdoor chore services, adult day services, grocery delivery, home repairs, alternative housing, support for informal caregivers and other services that allow older Minnesotans to remain in their homes rather than move to nursing homes or other more expensive settings.

“Efforts like these by many Minnesotans, including these grantees, are among reasons Minnesota has ranked No. 1 for two consecutive years on the national AARP scorecard for long-term services and supports for older adults and people with disabilities,” said DHS Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. “Minnesotans are committed and creative in providing core community services to help people stay in their homes as they

Behavioral clinic has expanded Aris Clinic, which serves clients from Hennepin, Washington, Dakota, Ramsey and Anoka counties, hosted an open house in October to unveil its expanded advanced treatment facility serving children and teens struggling with emotional and behavioral health issues. The clinic is at 7616 Currell Blvd., Suite 100, Woodbury.

“Expanding our clinic is a big step toward addressing the significant lack of mental health services currently available for children and teens in the Twin Cities, specifically the East Metro,” said Dr. Shalene Kennedy, clinic founder. “Aris provides outpatient clinic psychiatric services, as well as an intensive outpatient program; all are designed to help patients transition back to healthy, stable and productive lives in their homes and schools. “Our goal is to be the ‘last stop’ for kids and teens. We not only address their problems but provide clear diagnostic clarification and comprehensive care following discharge.”

Aris Clinic opened in 2011 as a private mental health facility offering services for patients from age 5 to 18 in a caring, private environment of professionals. The Aris team provides medication management; individual, group and family therapy; educational and psychological testing; case management, and school assistance services. ■

age. These include supports for family members and friends, who provide most of the care for older adults.”

Jesson announced the grants while helping deliver groceries in Anoka with Store To Door, a Rosevillebased nonprofit that provides grocery shopping and delivery for homebound older adults in the Twin Cities metro area. Store To Door received a grant last year to help bring more food to low-income seniors.

The nonprofit’s work has included expanding a food shelf delivery service to new areas in Ramsey and Anoka counties, and providing information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. “These grants provide low-cost, high-impact supports that make a big difference in older Minnesotans’ lives,” Jesson said. “For someone who wants to stay in their home but can’t shop on their own, not only does grocery delivery put nutritious foods directly in their hands, it also helps them remain healthy, as hungry seniors are twice as likely to report fair or poor general health.”

Projects receiving grants in state fiscal year 2015:

• Northwoods Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, received $151,677 to provide geriatric case management, caregiver support, companion services and expand other services for American Indians who want to remain in their own homes and their caregivers in Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard and Koochiching counties.

• CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio), received $125,500 to fund a culturally and linguistically specific Adult Day Program providing respite care to Latino elders and caregivers in Dakota and Ramsey counties in partnership with other community organizations.

• DARTS, received $126,874 to expand outdoor chore services for older adults in Dakota County and to update outdoor program equipment.

• Faith in Action for Cass County, received $97,936 to strengthen its services including transportation, meal delivery, and home repair including installing grab bars, railings and accessibility ramps for older adults in Cass County’s rural areas.

Grants - p. 15

Harding’s Hope grants $83,000 to MS Society Upper Midwest Chapter Programs Harding’s Hope announced that it will give the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upper Midwest Chapter $83,000 to help fund direct financial assistance programs for families affected by MS. Harding’s Hope is a nonprofit founded by Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding. It raises awareness and funds to support people living with MS. The four society programs chosen for funding include chore services, care partner relief, exercise and wellness and for daily living. All of the programs are designed to help people with MS stay strong, independent and remain in their homes and communities.

“This generous donation will make a tremendous impact in the lives of families struggling to cope with the financial burden of this lifelong disease,” said National MS Society, Upper Midwest Chapter President Holly Anderson. “We extend our deepest gratitude to Harding’s Hope for their dedication to helping people with MS live their best lives.”

MS Society members posted pictures and videos with the hashtag #thankyouhardingshope on social media to show appreciation for the grant. ■

Pg 8 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

Kent’s Accounting Service, LLC Kent Fordyce Certified QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor 2014 2005-2013 6371 Bartlett Blvd Mound, MN 55364

Fax: 952-472-1458

612-889-2959

fordyce6@aol.com

Pg 9

Buyers and sellers alike want someone with my expertise and contacts to search and list homes with accessibility.

Pg 10 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

Braun wins Junior Athlete of the Year title

PEOPLE & PLACES MN-CCD elects board members The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) has its board members in place for the 2014-2015 year. An election was held at the organization’s annual meeting October 18. Board members are elected to two-year terms, with half of the board up for election at a time.

Newly elected board members are Marnie Falk of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, Susan McGeehan of Medica, and Nicholas Wilkie of Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL). Christopher Bell of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, David Hancox of Accra Care (formerly MCIL), Gene Martinez of The Arc Greater Twin Cities, Alicia Munson of Opportunity Partners and Scott Schifsky of The Arc Minnesota.

Current board members whose terms end in December 2015 are Linda Orrben of Mains’l Services, Susie Schatz and Gayle Syrdal of Lutheran Social Services, Nikki Villavicencio of SEIU and Joan Willshire of the Minnesota State Council on Disability. Joel Ulland of UCare and Jeff Nachbar of the Brain Injury Alliance stepped down from the board.

Officers will be elected when the board meets in December. ■

Mark Braun’s life story has taken him from a trash can in an alley in Jamaica to Minnesota and a successful athletic career and many accomplishments as a volunteer. In October Sports n’ Spokes magazine honored Braun with its Junior Athlete of the Year title.

Braun’s birth mother left him in a trash can when she was no longer able to care for him. A police officer heard the boy’s cries. He wound up in an orphanage.

“He’s a child that we could see even from the first moment that we met him that he was inspirational, determined,” Mark’s mom, Claire Braun, told the magazine. “You know, as you look at each thing he accomplishes and each thing he participates in, he grows. And you know, as parents when you look at a child … you want your children to have the best chance for a future, and in Mark’s case that certainly was true right from the beginning.”

Born with spina bifida, Braun spent the first five years of his life crawling around on his hands. His desire to help his peers goes back to his days in the orphanage. He remembers two things from his childhood there: being hungry and never having a toy.

This has prompted him to make return trips to Jamaica and the orphanage. Once he and the Make-AWish Foundation threw a celebration of life party for the children there.

On another trip he advocated for children to be freed for adoption and sent to the United States for proper medical care. Braun met with the Jamaican prime minister to assist the children.

Braun’s accomplishments in the last year — 2014 national wheelchair basketball champion, gold and silver medalist at the 2014 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Junior Games on Team USA, first place in his class for every individual track event entered at the 2014 National Junior Disability Championships — just scratch the surface of all he’s done throughout his career. He is also a three-time national wheelchair basketball champion, wheelchair basketball world gold medalist, one of six pioneer athletes to participate in high school track and field in Minnesota’s first wheelchair division and IWAS World Junior Games competitor on Team USA two years running.

When Braun was seven years old, he went to Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute and was exposed to a wide variety of wheelchair sports, including floor hockey, soccer, softball, sled hockey, downhill skiing, archery, basketball and track and field.

Braun first pursued basketball but soon found that he had the most passion for track and field. Increased training brought positive results, record-breaking times and invitations to compete around the world.

Junior Athlete of the Year - p. 15

Businesses saluted for providing jobs for people with disabilities

Deb Ross, right, with Dianne’s Candles, receives the ProAct Employer of the Year Award for Community Employment from ProAct Employment Manager Catherine McCoy.

Allan Funk, right, owner of Eagan Hardware Hank, received an award from Heather Deutschlaender, ProAct employment manager. Hardware Hank won for the Vocational Partner category.

Winning for the Business Partner category was Noiseland Industries, and President Andrew Volna, right, was recognized by Greg Pechman, ProAct sales manager.

Photos courtesy of ProAct

Several employers who have seen the value of making people with disabilities part of their workforce have earned 2014 Employer of the Year honors from ProAct. Four winners were selected from the manufacturing, restaurant and retail sectors.

Honorees are Dianne’s Custom Candles of Burnsville, Eagan Hardware Hank, the McDonald’s restaurant near Eagan’s Twin Cities Premium Outlet Mall and Noiseland Industries of Minneapolis. They were recognized at ProAct’s 42nd Annual Awards Dinner, which drew more than 550 to the Prom Center in Oakdale.

Susie Jones of WCCO Radio served as banquet emcee.

“Our partnerships with employers are invaluable to the people with disabilities we serve, said ProAct President and CEO Steven Ditschler. “Besides wages, work provides a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction along with the opportunity to contribute something of value and be a part of.”

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.

Minneapolis-based Noiseland Industries, which distributes music for popular record labels and artists, was honored in the Business Partner category. ProAct has prepared and packaged more than 260,000 traditional vinyl albums for the company, said Greg Pechman, Noiseland’s sales manager. The nonprofit’s production facility has been able to meet the company’s tight deadlines and the increasing demand fueled by its growth.

Noiseland’s owner Andrew Volna said the music business had a lot of deadline pressure, much of it stemming from the street date when the product needs to be at the retailers. High-profile marketing campaigns are structured around street dates, as the artist may be appearing on popular television programs.

Demand for vinyl records continues to grow. Noiseland has produced 600 vinyl record titles to date. “What ProAct does is the last mile,” Volna said. Workers assemble the records for shipment. “They’re a real solid, dependable group.”

Winning recognition in the Community Employment category is Dianne’s Custom Candles, a candle manufacturer in Burnsville. The business recently added a second crew of ProAct workers and expanded their job duties, said Cathjerine McCoy, ProAct business development and support manager. Workers package ProAct - p. 15

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11 Pg 11

PEOPLE & PLACES

A Dive Too Deep is one man’s personal story

How deep is a dive too deep? That is the question raised by a Bloomington man’s autobiography. On July 25, 1964, Bob Peters took that dive too deep. He was swimming and playing with family members when the accident occurred. He was 24 years old and newly married.

The accident turned his and his wife Penny’s lives upside-down. Peters’ neurosurgeon was brutally honest, telling Peters a broken neck and crushed spinal cord had left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. “You’ll probably never get out of bed,” the neurosurgeon said. “If you do, you’ll never walk, and it’s not likely you’ll live much past 40.”

Peters’ first response was to think, “Why me?” He realized that opportunity often comes after a “Why Me” life-altering experience. He has not only survived, but thrived, retiring in 2004 from a 43-year career in the electronics field. He and Penny live in Bloomington, where he is involved in disability-related local, state, and national activities that seek to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Diversity awareness issues are also high on his agenda.

Peters’ book, A Dive Too Deep, describes his life after the accident and his lifelong efforts to live with quadriplegia. One reader said, ‘’A Dive Too Deep is exquisitely written. The carefully chosen words, tidbits of inner terror, popups herethere of the memorable moments that so needed their own humor, all resulted in a most moving read...”

“Your book touches on everything; fear, sadness, anger, humor, hope, and inspiration,” another reader said. “I found myself laughing out loud in parts of it...”

Peters is a nationally known freelance writer.

Since 2000 he has written about traveling with a disability. He has done disability awareness presentations since 2009. He is author of Easy Wheelin’ in Minnesota, which was published in 1976. He has also served as a guest columnist on disability-related issued for the Bloomington Sun-Current newspaper.

He has a long resume of community service, Bob Peters starting in his hometown. He was a City of Bloomington Human Rights Commission member from 2000 to 2007. He was a member of Bloomington’s Advisory Committee on Architectural Barriers and served as committee chairperson from 1976 to 1980. In 1981 and 1982, he chaired Bloomington’s 1981 International and National Year of Disabled Persons committees. He also was a member and chairperson of the city’s Disability Services Advisory Board.

He served on the Bloomington’s Community Education and Services Advisory Council, the Mall of America Accessibility Design Task Force, the Alternative A Dive Too Deep - p. 15

Companies honored for employment A Minneapolis-based manufacturer of textiles and a growing western Wisconsin recycling company were chosen as ProAct’s Employer of the Year honorees in Red Wing. The awards are given by the nonprofit for the exceptional role each company plays in employing people with disabilities. The top employers were honored at ProAct’s annual recognition banquet held at Treasure Island Resort and Casino. The banquet also honored accomplishments of individuals with disabilities in ProAct’s Red Wing, Zumbrota, and Hudson, Wis.-based programs.

Airtex Design Group, a worldwide production company based in Minneapolis, utilizes ProAct workers for material die cutting, assembly and packaging.

Products are bulk-shipped to the company’s customers, said Jurij Sarafanov of Airtex. It has worked with ProAct for a number of years and the vast majority of ProAct’s consumers are a good fit for the work.

Workers handle swatch cards, representations of drapes that come in various sizes which are die cut.

Headers and product stickers are attached, these are bagged and then shipped, said Sarafanov. “I have nothing but good things to say about ProAct,” he said. “It’s

a good company to work with, and we appreciate their professionalism and work that they do for us.”

Airtex, formerly known as Miller Bag Company, has been in business for 103 years.

The second winner, Paul’s Industrial Garage or P.I.G., employs seven individuals from ProAct at its materials recycling center in Diamond Bluff, Wis., just across the Mississippi River from Red Wing. The company hired a daily crew and supervisor in the spring of 2013 to help sort recyclable glass, plastic and aluminum collected from area homes.

The work can be dirty, but the ProAct crew and supervisor are drawing compliments for the opposite. “I have people stop by our building and they’re amazed at how clean it is,” said General Manager Dave Deml.

Since ProAct began here, recyclable material processing has increased by 25 percent. Deml gave the crew more responsibility and said they’ve handled it well.

The crew has stayed nearly the same since it began. Reliability was importasnt to Deml. ProAct Site Supervisor Pete Quist has helped the crew to do more than Deml originally thought possible, adding tasks such as material baling. ■

Live Well at Home mobile app receives national award A mobile app developed for the Minnesota Board on Aging’s Live Well at Home initiative with support from the Minnesota Department of Human Services has received a merit award in the 23rd annual National Mature Media Awards Program.

The app, available at no cost through the Apple Store and Google Play, features a seven-question quiz to help users identify their own risks or another’s risk of moving permanently from their home. The app is designed to support older Minnesotans to live successfully at home by increasing awareness of risk factors.

The app poses questions about such issues as need for help with everyday tasks, availability of family members and friends to help, whether the person lives alone, memory concerns and whether the person is

considering a move to assisted living or a nursing home to get more help.

“Using the Live Well at Home app and answering the quiz is a gateway to a wealth of information and tools on the Live Well at Home website,” said Jean Wood, executive director of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “We are pleased to receive national recognition for this part of our effort to help Minnesotans plan to stay at home as they age, if they wish and if possible.”

The National Mature Media Awards Program recognizes the nation’s best marketing, communications, educational materials and programs designed and produced for older adults. It is presented by Mature Market Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for the older adult market. ■

Deputy director is named Brianna Holeman is the new Deputy Director of Program Operations at State Services for the Blind. She was named to the post last month.

This position has many responsibilities including oversight of the Communication Center. The center is Brianna Holeman comprised of the Radio Talking Book, the Audio Services Section, the Braille Section, and Engineering — filling a position that had been vacant since 2009.

Holeman comes to States Services for the Blind from Health East Medical Transportation, where she was an operations manager. ■

Pg 12 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

ACCESSIBLE FUN Vision Loss Resources Centennial Gala The 100th anniversary of Vision Loss Resources celebrates its community of services, skills and support for people with vision loss, at Mpls. Marriott Northwest, Northland Ballroom, 7025 Northland Drive N., 6-11 p.m.

Sat, Nov.15. A silent auction and reception is followed by a dinner and program, featuring emcee/comedian Kristin Anderson; storyteller and playwright Leslye Orr; and dance following with the George Maurer Group.

Dress to celebrate (after 5 attire). Tickets $120. FFI: 612-843-3425, www.VisionLossResources.org/gala.

The Fetching Ball Can Do Canines hosts its Fetching Ball fundraiser Sat. Nov. 15 at Mpls Marriott City Center, 30 S. 7th St, Mpls. Celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary at the gala, which starts at 6 p.m. and includes a silent auction, dinner, program, live auction and entertainment. Ticket prices vary from $35 per person to $1,500 for a table. FFI: www.fetchingball.com

Simply Jane/Simply ArtAble benefit Join Simply Jane/Simply ArtAble for a night filled with stories, music, and laughter, 7:30-9 p.m. Sat, Nov. 15.

Special guests include Live Jazz featuring Gondwana and vocals by Barbara Meyer and renowned author, storyteller and NPR commentator Kevin Kling, Live Jazz featuring Gondwana and vocals by Barbara Meyer. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres provided. There will also be a raffle and a book signing. Tickets for the Opening Doors for Art Accessibility fundraiser are $40. The benefit is at the Simply Jane/Simply ArtAble Studio, 5411 Nicollet Ave., Mpls. FFI: http://simplyjanestudio.com/

The Clean House Normandale Department of Theatre presents a comedy about love and loss, class and status, at Normandale Community College, Fine Arts Building, 9700 France Ave. S., Bloomington. ASL show is 7:30 p.m.

Fri, Nov. 14. Tickets $10; $5 NCC student/staff/senior.

FFI: 952-358-8884, boxoffice@normandale.edu, www.normandale.edu/theatre

loveABLE Cabaret Artists with disabilities tell stories of how love comes in many forms. Sometimes the experience as a person with a disability may look different than someone without a disability. Or maybe it looks the same. This firsttime event by Patrick’s Cabaret, in partnership with VSA Minnesota, will include a different slate of performers each night – each with up to 15 minutes to tell the world about their exploration of the universal ability to love and be loved. Curator is Scott Artley. At Patrick’s Cabaret, 3010 Minnehaha Ave. S., Mpls. ASL/AD shows are 7:30 p.m. Fri-Sat, Nov. 14-15. Tickets sold in advance by performers $8, at the door $10 cash/check. FFI: 612-724-6273, www.patrickscabaret.org

Love to Play?

Get ready for fun and athletic competition as We Love to Play has announced its winter session starts Sat, Jan. 3, with 10 weeks of adapted floor hockey. Athletes will play through March 8.

We Love to Play is starting its 20th season. The program was established in 1995 as an outlet for adults with disabilities to be involved in recreational adapted sports. It began by offering a sport that many participants had played in school, adapted floor hockey.

As the number of participants grew, the program grew to add other sports including softball, football and soccer. We Love to Play offers participants the chance to enjoy these sports, which many played in school. As they graduate many of these individuals need an outlet for that competitive spirit and that’s Chad Schramm, 2014 Good Sport why We Love to Play exists. It gives everyone an opportunity to continue Award recipient playing the sports that they learned and still enjoy.

We Love to Play is a low-cost program, with fees being no more than $65 for all of the seasonal sessions.

Throughout the year the program offers 26 weeks of weekly activity. Because everyone should have the opportunity to play, fees may be waived for those unable to pay.

A cornerstone of the program is that everyone plays, regardless of skill level or disability. That means that anyone that comes to the gym is more that welcome to participate. Anyone interested may attend a game day between 3:30-5:30 p.m. Saturdays at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley. FFI: 612-7304968, www.welovetoplay.org, info@welovetoplay.org ■

The Game’s Afoot

Dead Man’s Cell Phone

Rochester Repertory Theatre, 103 Seventh St NE, Rochester, presents a 1936 Christmas mystery, featuring a theater company’s holiday celebration that turns into a Sherlock Homes cases. ASL show is 8 p.m. Sat, Nov.15. Tickets $20 student/senior $18. FFI: 507-289-1737, boxoffice@rochesterrep.org, www.rochesterrep.org

Normandale Community College, Department of Theater presents an oddball comedy about staying “connected,” at the college’s Fine Arts Building, 9700 France Ave. S, Bloomington. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Fri, Nov. 21. Tickets $10; $5 NCC student/staff/senior.

FFI: 952-358-8884, boxoffice@normandale.edu, www.normandale.edu/theatre

The Mystery of Edwin Drood Lakeshore Players Theatre presents a musical murder mystery/comedy that is part Charles Dickens and part Agatha Christie, at Lakeshore Players Theatre, 4820 Stewart Ave., White Bear Lake. ASL show is 2 p.m. Sun, Nov. 16. If no ASL seats are reserved within two weeks of the performance, the ASL-interpretation will be cancelled. Tickets reduced to $10 for ASL patrons (reg. $23, senior $21, student $18. FFI: 651-429-5674; tickets@ lakeshoreplayers.com, www.lakeshoreplayers.com

The Peculiar Patriot Penumbra Theatre Company presents the story of a woman who visits friends in prison and shares her thoughts on the criminal justice system, at Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul. ASL show is 2 p.m.

Sun, Nov. 16. Tickets $25, senior $20, student $15; dinner packages available. FFI: 651-224-3180; boxoffice@penumbratheatre.org, http:// penumbratheatre.org/

On Golden Pond Jungle Theater presents the story of the Thayers and their extended family, at their cabin on Golden Pond.

Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.AD show is 7:30 p.m. Thu, Nov. 20. Assistive Listening Devices available. Tickets reduced to $14 (regular $25-43).

FFI: 612-822-7063; boxoffice@jungletheater.com, www.jungletheater.com

A Christmas Carol — A Ghost Story of Christmas Lyric Arts Company of Anoka presents the Dickens family favorite, at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, 420 E. Main Street, Anoka. ASL show is 2 p.m. Sun, Nov. 23.

Tickets $16-26; $5 discount for ASL seats; Seats for ASL patrons are held in reserve until two 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. FFI: 763-422-1838; boxoffice@lyricarts.org, www.lyricarts.org

Ghost Sonata Nimbus Theatre Company presents a tale of desire and disillusionment, at Nimbus Theatre, 1517 Central Avenue, Mpls. Note that Central Avenue is closed just south of the theater. Visit website for detour information. AD show is 3 p.m. Sun, Nov. 23. Tickets reduced to $8 (reg. $15 Fri.-Sat., $10 Thurs, Sun). FFI: 612-548-1380, info@nimbustheatre.com, www.nimbustheatre.com

A Hunting Shack Christmas Yellow Tree Theatre presents a holiday comedy, at Yellow Tree Theatre, 320 5th Ave. SE, Osseo. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Wed, Nov. 26. tickets pay-what-youcan (regular $18-25). FFI: 763-493-8733; boxoffice@yellowtreetheatre.com, www.yellowtreetheatre.com

A Christmas Carol Guthrie Theater presents its 40th staging of the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol at Guthrie Theater’s Wurtele Thrust Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. AD/ASL shows are 1 p.m. Sat, Nov. 29 and 7:30 p.m. Wed, Dec, 3. Captioning is 1 p.m. Sun, Nov. 30. (Captioning by c2 inc.) Tickets 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

A Christmas Carol – The Musical Chaska Valley Family Theatre presents a musical rendition of the Christmas classic, at Chaska High School Theater, 545 Pioneer Trail, Chaska. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Sat, Nov. 29. Tickets $17 (student to age 17: $12). FFI: 952-250-7206 or www.cvft.org

More events information VSA Minnesota is at http://vsamn.org The website has a large calendar at in the upper right hand corner of its home page. For information on galleries and theater performances around the state join the Access to Performing Arts email list at access@vsamn.org or call VSA Minnesota, 612-332-3888 or statewide 800-801-3883 (voice/TTY). To hear a weekly listing of accessible performances, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883.

Another web events listing is http://c2net.org (c2: caption coalition, inc.), which does most of the captioned shows across the country. Facebook is another way to connect with performances. Sign up to connect with Audio Description Across Minnesota (http://tinyurl.com/d34dzo2). Connect with ASL Interpreted and Captioned Performances across Minnesota on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/FBcaption ■

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11 Pg 13

UPCOMING EVENTS Advocacy Attend session preview Join the Minnesota State Council on Disability at its annual legislative forum, and get a preview of issues coming up in the 2015 session. A number of disability organizations will be on hand. The event is 10 a.m. - noon Fri, Dec. 5 at the Minnesota Dept. of Human Services, 444 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul.

Please make accommodation requests when registering.

Watch the MNSCOD website for details about the event.

FFI: 651-361-7800, 1-800-945-8913, www.disability.state.mn.us Learn about transportation East metro residents are invited to explore ways to improve mobility for the disability community at Getting There: A Forum on the Future of Public Transportation for Persons with Disabilities, 6-8 p.m. Mon, Nov. 17 at Globe University, 8147 Globe Drive, Woodbury. Learn about new and upcoming Metro Mobility changes, how the Olmstead Plan will affect transit options, and efforts

by Move MN to pass a transit reform bill. Hear a panel discussion and ask questions. The forum is presented by the Self-Advocacy Advisory Committee of The Arc Greater Twin Cities and is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living and Move MN. The forum is free but participants need to preregister by Fri, Nov. 14. FFI: 952-920-0855, peterfricke@thearcgtc.org

Youth and families AuSM hosts skillshops Parents, family members, caregivers, support staff, educators, therapists, individuals with autism, and anyone touched by autism can participate in the monthly 2014-2015 AuSM Skillshop. Learn about housing options, obtain nutrition strategies, learn how to reduce anxiety, get lavatory training tips and much more. Cost for workshops ranges from $10 to $40. Join AuSM and save on fees. Participants must preregister. FFI: 651-647-1083, www.ausm.org 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 the bimonthly newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions catered to their needs. Dynamic national speaker Jonathan Mooney presents “Don’t Eat the Marshmallow,” a free workshop 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thu, Nov. 13. Everyone wants students who have disabilities, such as autism, a learning disability, or ADHD, to thrive and be successful in life but what does it take? New research shows the importance of resiliency, perseverance, and hope – not just academic skills and cognitive ability. Mooney will bring this dynamic topic to life and explore concrete ways parents, professionals and educators can build these important life skills. One upcoming free workshop is “Families Are Important: Understanding the Early Intervention Process in Minnesota,” 9 - 11 a.m. Sat, Nov., 15. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act recognizes the important role families play in their children’s lives. Families know their child’s strengths, interests, and frustrations, and they must be included in the evaluation process and in developing outcomes for their child. This free workshop will help parents understand the early intervention process in Minnesota. FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237 (toll free), www.PACER.org

Information and assistance 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 MCIL offers classes, more The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living offers many life skills classes as well as fun outings and activities for people with disabilities. MCIL is located at 530 N. Robert Street. St Paul and most activities are there or start there. Classes and events are listed on the website, www.mcil-mn.org Click on “Classes Groups and Sessions” for updated information or to print this calendar.

Please give two weeks’ notice if alternative format or other accommodations are needed. Events are free, accessible and mostly scent-free. FFI: 651-603-2030

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. 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 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, 651-7881920, 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

Regional News - from p. 6 agency’s administrative investigation which preceded the lawsuit. Rowe said that the EEOC’s suit had alleged that two supervisors observed Goodnough walking with a cane, contacted Baywood Home Care’s owner and complained about it. The EEOC alleged that Baywood Home Care then fired Goodnough because of her disability and failed to engage in the interactive process to determine and provide her with a reasonable accommodation.

The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The consent decree settling the suit, signed by U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery on October 28, provides $30,000 in monetary relief to Goodnough. It also requires Baywood Home Care to train its management personnel and employees involved in hiring on the ADA, including reasonable

Town Hall forums set The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is hosting a series of town hall forums. The forums are open to everyone to attend, learn about issues important to the disability community and share their stories with policymakers.

Events are: Tue, Dec. 2, 6-8 p.m. Opportunity Partners Koch Campus, 5500 Opportunity Court, Minnetonka Thu, Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m. Independent Lifestyles, 215 N Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids Tue, Dec. 9, 6-8 p.m. TBI Residential and Community Services, 2016 W. Superior St., Duluth Thu, Dec. 11, 6-8 p.m. Cardinal of Minnesota, 3008 Wellner Drive NE, Rochester Sat, Jan. 15, 10:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m. Blue Earth County Library, 100 E. Main St., Mankato Learn about the Medical Assistance Reform Campaign’s effort to increase MA income and asset limits, and The 5% Campaign’s renewed request for a five percent rate increase. The second half of each forum provides a chance to share personal stories with invited legislators.

Support for the Duluth, Rochester and St. Cloud forums has been provided by a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation. The forums are free but participants should pre-register. Requests for ASL interpretation on a specific date need to be made in advance. FFI: Jo, 952-818-8719, jo@mnccd.org ■ Health, 7066 Stillwater Blvd., in the community room.

FFI: Dan, 651-341-8918. Another family support group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wed at Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 West, Roseville. FFI: Anne Mae at 651-484-0599.

Volunteer, Donate Share a smile Brighten the day of a senior citizen in north or southwest Minneapolis. One-time or ongoing opportunities through the NIP Senior Program. FFI: Jeanne, 612-746-8549, srvolunteer@ neighbor hoodinvolve.org or www.neighborhoodinvolve.org Open the Door to Education Help adults reach their educational goals and earn their GED. The literacy council provides training, support and accommodations for volunteers with disabilities. FFI: Allison, 651-251-9110, volunteer@mnliteracy.org, www.mnliteracy.org/volunteers/opportunities/adults ■

accommodation, and the interactive process. The decree also requires Baywood Home Care to revise its performance evaluation criteria to hold managers and supervisors accountable for failing to report, take appropriate action or engage in the interactive process with respect to disability discrimination complaints or requests for accommodation. Finally, Baywood Home Care must report complaints of disability discrimination to the EEOC during the decree’s threeyear term. ■ (Source: EEOC)

Pg 14 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11

November Sampling

Radio Talking Book Books available through Faribault

Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault Call 1-800722-0550, 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.

Weekend Program Books Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing Recover to Live, by Christopher Kennedy Lawford; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing A Hero for Wondla, by Tony DiTerlizzi; Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing Aimless Love, by Billy Collins; The U.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Potluck Supper with Meeting to Follow, by Andy Sturdevant, and Leaving Rollingstone, by Kevin Fenton.

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

Gulp, Nonfiction by Mary Roach, 2014. Nine broadcasts. Begins Nov. 13. Science writer Mary Roach explores the alimentary canal asking questions like: Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? L – Read by Esmé Evans.

Think Like a Freak, Nonfiction by Steve D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, 2014. Seven broadcasts. Begins Nov. 26. Levitt and Dubner offer a blueprint for a new way to solve problems. No topic is off limits as you learn to think more productively, more creatively, more rationally. Read by Stevie Ray. Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m.

The Dog Who Could Fly, Nonfiction by Damien Lewis, 2014. 10 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 24. In the winter of 1939, two survivors met and became lifelong friends: an abandoned puppy and a Czech airman who had been shot down over enemy lines. In the following months, the two saved each other’s lives countless times flying over Germany. Read by Scott Long.

Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

A Triple Knot, Fiction by Emma Campion, 2014. 18 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 24. Joan of Kent, niece of King Edward III and daughter of a traitor, gets secretly married to escape royal constraints, and hides it as she is married off to another man. When her first husband dies, she begins an affair with the heir to the throne, Prince Edward, and discovers that a royal life comes with potentially tragic costs. Read by Connie Jamison.

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

Retail Schmetail, Nonfiction by Sanford Stein, 2014.

12 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 24. Sandy Stein’s family got into retail 100 years ago with a store that resembled a garage sale. They had no formal education. But they had ingenuity, drive, and humor. Read by Alvin Apple.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

The Steady Running of the Hour, Fiction by Justin Go, 2014. 20 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 17. Ashley Walsingham died on Mount Everest, leaving a fortune to his former lover who could not be found. Eighty years later, the solicitors find American Tristan Campbell, who could be her descendant. Read by Arlan Dohrenburg.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

America’s Great Game, Nonfiction by Hugh Wilford, 2013. 15 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 18. Though it seems the CIA makes relations between the U.S. and the Middle East troublesome, it wasn’t always that way. The earliest generation of CIA operatives was actually the region’s staunchest western ally. Read by Leila Poullada.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

The Hidden Child, Fiction by Camilla Läckberg, 2014.

19 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 13. When Erica Falck discovers a Nazi medal in her mother’s possessions, she resolves to find out why. When she questions one of her mother’s friends from that era, he gives evasive an-

swers and two days later, meets a violent death. L Read by Kristi Sullivan.

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

All That Is Solid Melts Into Air, Fiction by Darragh McKeon, 2014. 13 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 24. Life in Russia seems to be business as usual, but next door in the Ukraine, a teenage boy wakes to a sky of deep crimson. In the fields, the cattle’s ears are dripping blood.

Ten miles away, at the Chernobyl Power Plant, something unimaginable has happened. Read by Tom Speich.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Careless People, Nonfiction by Sarah Churchwell, 2014. 13 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 13. In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald had just finished his fourth book. Living in New York, he lived among the glamorous and reckless.

The city was bursting with an expanding economy and growing ambitions. It was also a year known for a horrific murder. L - Read by Ann Hoedeman.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Cataract City, Fiction by Craig Davidson, 2014. 12 Br. Begins Nov. 24. Owen Stuckey and Duncan Diggs long to escape Niagara Falls, but are caught in their competing love for one woman. When Duncan descends into a world of greyhound races, bare-knuckle brawls, and smuggling, both men must survive the wilderness beyond the city. L - Read by Greg Olson.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

House of Secrets, Fiction by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini, 2013. 13 broadcasts. Begins Nov. 13.

Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker saw their lives change when the family moved into a house once the home of occult novelist Denver Kristoff. By the time they realize there were sinister plans, they are banished to a primeval forest off the grid. Read by Don Gerlach. ■

Abbreviations: V - violence, L - offensive language, S - sexual situations

Project Walk holds open house Project Walk opened its Twin Cities center October 10. The center is at 5929 Baker Road, Suite 440, Minnetonka. Kelsey Peterson, Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota, was one of the guests at the grand opening.

About 80 people attended the open house.

The Minnetonka location is the seventh for Project Walk, which is based in California. Project Walk is a fitness and recovery center for Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota Kelsy people who have paralysis from spi- Peterson spoke at the grand opening.

nal cord injury and other neurological disorders. The program employs an aggressive form of activity based therapy that is focused on placing demands, such as gravity, weight bearing and guided movement and stimulation, on the body. The program is self-pay and has established a foundation to raising funds to help offset the costs with scholarships.

Anyone seeking more information can call 612-866-5262 or go to www.projectwalk.com ■

Thanks to all of you for supporting Access Press FRIEND SPONSOR ($50 and above)

BRONZE SPONSOR ($75 and above)

Monte Blair (in memoriam) Brigid Alseth Ellen Boucher Fred Benjamin Susan Bulger Rick Cardenas Yoshiko Dart Stephanie Cunningham Teresa Dock Christopher Duff Steve & JoAnn Erbes Nancy Eustis Lee Ann Erickson Anne Henry Claudia Fuglie Mary Kay Kennedy Marjorie Goldberg Dianna Krogstad Stephan Grams Lisa & Jimmy Michaels Pamela Hochrein Scott Neamy Laurie Jarvis Donn Poll & Eric Nelson Sandi Lane Mark & Mary Payette Gene Martinez Walt Seibert Christopher Meyer CAPSS - Northwestern Twyla Misselhorn Hennepin County Library Lee Ohnesorge Lutheran Social Services William & Joen Overby GOLD SPONSOR Linda Paulson ($500 and above) Kelly Rathcke Virginia Schwartzbauer Phyllis A. Benjamin John Sherman (In Memoriam) Amanda & Mark Tempel Michael Bjerkesett Hammer Residences Mel & Georgia Duncan MBW Company Debra Shriver MN Governor’s Council on Developemental Disabilities Natl. Handicapped Housing Institute Tamarack Habilitation Technologies Donate at your work place through Community Shares: www.communitysharesmn.org

SILVER SPONSOR ($150 and above) Jeff Bangsberg & Anita Boucher Bill & Alex Bartolic Robert Paul Gregory Kathleen Hagen Ellen & Skip Houghton Richard & Vicki Dalle Molle Elin Ohlsson Manley and Ann Olson John G. Smith Associated Bank Courage Kenny Institute Handi Medical Supply IMED Mobility Institute on Comm. Integration LOTTSA Tax & Accting Services Medica Minnesota Diversified Industries People Enhancing People Rise, Inc. Vinland National Center

BENEFACTOR SPONSOR ($1000 and above) In Home Personal Care Ronna Linroth Lynda Milne Paul Mueller The Otto Bremer Foundation UCare

I would like to…

Subscribe & Support Access Press*

     

Subscriber $30 Friend $50+ Bronze $75+ Silver $150+ Gold $500+ Benefactor $1000+

Please mail your sponsorship/subscription to:

Access Press, LTD. %The Kelly Inn Offices 161 St. Anthony Ave, Suite 910 St. Paul, MN 55103

Date:___________________ Amt. Enclosed $__________________ Name__________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________________________________ Phone__________________________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________________________________ *In addition to receiving your one-year subscription, all support over $30 per year is tax-deductible.

Reduced subscription rates are available upon request for individuals with fixed incomes.

*Receive 12 issues per year in the mail

Moving?

Please share your new address with Access Press so you don’t miss a single issue!

Phone: 651-644-2133 or Email: access@accesspress.org

November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11 Pg 15

A Dive Too Deep - from p. 11 Transportation Task Force, the Disability Employment and Awareness Committee and the Architectural Barriers Removal Committee. He has advised the city’s human services division. He served on the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Breaking Barriers Committee.

Peters has also been active with Bloomington School District and current serves on Bloomington Jefferson High School’s Diversity Committee. He also served on the Bloomington School District’s K-6 Disability Awareness Committee.

Regionally Peters served as a member of the Courage Center’s Legislative and Regulations Advisory Committee and the Sister Kenny Institute’s Patient Care Committee. He is a past president of the Twin Cities Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association and a past member of the Minnesota Office of Tourism Task Force on Accessibility. He also served on Seagate Technology’s Diversity Action Council.

Grants - from p. 7 • NextDoor Inc. received two grants totaling $342,403 to pilot an accessory dwelling unit in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that will provide temporary, affordable housing as an alternative to keep older adults independent in their communities while close to family and friends who can help them.

• Sustainable Resources Center, Inc. received $252,000 to improve 120 suburban Hennepin County homes to help create safer and healthier home environments for aging occupants.

• Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, Minneapolis, received $31,756 to provide comprehensive accessibility services to six homeowners.

• ACE of Southwest Minnesota, received $50,000 for evidence-based health promotion programs including memory care consultant services in Lincoln, Lyon, Nobles and Redwood counties.

• Lakewood Health System, Staples, received $330,609 to expand its dementia health care home.

• Great River Area Faith in Action, received $262,450 to expand its service area and volunteer network in Benton, Mille Lacs, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright counties, increase capacity by partnering with parish nurses, and pilot a transitional care model with a long-term care facility.

• Assumption Community Services, on behalf of the Rural Stearns Live Well at Home Coalition, received $110,369 to help with care transitions between health care and home and community-based providers in southwestern Stearns County.

• CommonBond Communities, St. Paul, received $249,927 to enhance and sustain its Twin Cities wellness and health promotion programs, which include evidence-based classes on falls prevention, chronic disease self-management and physical activity.

• Senior Community Services, received $52,601 is expanding its Household and Outside Maintenance for the Elderly HOME program to 11 unserved communities adjacent to its current west metro suburban service area. New communities to be served are Woodland, Deephaven, Excelsior, Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Minnetonka Beach, Orono, Long Lake, Spring Park, Mound and Greenwood.

• ElderCircle, Grand Rapids, received $219,895 for its joint venture with the City of Grand Rapids, Itasca County Family YMCA, Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital to expand the local YMCA and enhance it with an active living center catering to retirees, the aging population and caregivers.

• Dellwood Gardens, St. Paul, received $255,000 to develop wheelchair-accessible gardens and exercise programs that incorporate gardening, balance and strength conditioning; to create an interior gardening room and make other improvements for elders of different cultural and economic backgrounds in St. Paul’s East Side neighborhood.

• Washington County HRA, received $162,100 to implement a falls prevention strategy to help older adults in HRA-owned affordable rental housing live independently and safely.

• Community Memorial Home, Osakis, received $162,661 to purchase exercise equipment and de-

Peters is grateful to have won many awards, including seven certificates of appreciation from the City of Bloomington and the city’s 2002 “You Make a Difference” Award. He won the Bloomington Community Foundation’s Legacy Award in 2006 and the Bloomington Human Rights Commissions Omar Bonderud Award in 2012. He was the Bloomington Sun-Current Volunteer of the Year in 1985.

He won the Courage Center Jay and Rose Phillips Award in 1981 and was a WCCO Radio Good Neighbor Award winner that same year.

He won the League of Human Rights Commissions Minnesota Human Rights Award in 1993. Also in 1993, he was given a certificate of appreciate from Congress. He has also been honored by Hennepin County’s Voluntary Action Center, the Regional Transit Board, Minnesota Office of Volunteer Services. To learn more about A Dive Too Deep and to order a copy, visit: www.adivetoodeep.com ■ velop and implement programs such as Tai Chi as part of moving from reliance on the traditional medical model of care to one better balanced with empowering wellness and prevention opportunities.

• Perham Living, received $170,072 to develop adult day services in Otter Tail, Becker, Hubbard and Wadena counties.

• Volunteer Services of Carlton County, received $260,674 for its Communities Called to Care volunteer-based program focusing on delivery of chore, transportation, homemaker, caregiver respite and caregiver counseling services.

• Lakes Area Interfaith Caregivers, received $99,999 for its volunteer-based services in Crow Wing County, which include transportation, chore services, companion visits, ramp building and grab bar installation.

• Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Center, received $70,560 to develop a volunteer in-home respite service, education on senior nutrition, selfmanagement of chronic diseases, caregiver self-care and care and fall prevention for older adults and caregivers in Waseca County.

• Horizon Health Faith in Action, received $66,700 to provide core home- and community-based services across Morrison County.

• West Central Minnesota Communities Action, received $199,879 to work with partners to provide grocery and prescription delivery as well as transportation and other services for older adults in Traverse, Douglas, Stevens, Grant and Pope counties.

• Faith In Action In Red Wing received $24,582 to provide transportation; help with shopping, reading and bill paying; minor home repairs; friendly visits; and respite care for family caregivers..

• St. Olaf Community Center, Minneapolis, received $255,000 to repurpose space for a North Minneapolis community center with exercise equipment, a library and other resources for older adults.

• VINE Faith in Action, Mankato received two grants totaling $498,355 for evidence-based health and wellness programs, a warm water exercise pool and locker rooms at its Adult Community Center.

• Adult Day Services, Inc. received $255,000 to expand its adult day services in Bemidji.

• Whitney Senior Center, St. Cloud, received $184,931 to partner with satellite sites in rural areas of Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties to provide health, fitness and consumer protection courses using evidence-based health promotion programming.

• Center for Active Living, Worthington, received $70,261 to expand its health and wellness programs and to provide instruction in how to use a computer, Skype, the internet and social media.

• Minnesota Network of Hospice & Palliative Care, received $179,262 to collaborate with Minnesota’s Area Agencies on Aging to provide end-of- life care resources, including culturally appropriate information on advance care planning, palliative care, hospice and veterans’ end-of-life benefits, to home- and community-based service providers statewide. ■ More information about the grants is available on the DHS website, www.dhs.state.mn.us/cssd

ProAct - from p. 10 and unpackage glass items. They also work with mailings and cleaning.

“They always ask what they can do to help us, and for what’s needed,” said Mia Miller, production manager.

Vocational Partner category winner is Eagan Hardware Hank. For more than a decade, people with disabilities have had work experiences at the store.

Some have been hired independently. “Hardware Hank has gone above and beyond to remain flexible, enthusiastic and friendly,” said ProAct Employment Manager Heather Deutschlaender. She cited Hardware Hank’s positive work environment.

Eagan Hardware Hank can tailor a job to determine how an individual works. Workers can then advance to other tasks, said store owner Allan Funk. He believes that bringing people with disabilities in is one way to help the community.

“We’re a small store, and hardware is not a profitable, millionaire business, so how can we contribute and help? You hear that you can give money, but you might do better helping people to help themselves,” Funk said.

McDonald’s on Silver Bell Road in Eagan received honors in the Supported Employment category. ProAct provides support for three restaurant employees. “I like the fact they come in and they check in with me so there’s no misunderstanding or miscommunications,” said Olga Tsybulskaya, restaurant general manager. “It helps everybody to be on the same page.” One McDonald’s employee has been on staff for 11 years.

“It makes me happy, knowing I can give them that opportunity that they can be independent, and live their life just like everybody else does,” Tsybulskaya said.

ProAct is headquartered in Eagan and has additional operations in Red Wing, Zumbrota and in Hudson, Wis. Its mission is to serve individuals experiencing barriers to employment and self-sufficiency due to intellectual and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health issues, traumatic brain injuries, and other challenges. ■ Junior Athlete of the Year - from p. 10 “I started coaching him when he was a little boy and right away we saw that he had talent and he was a hard worker on the track always,” said Paul Van Winkel, Braun’s coach.

Braun is also dedicated to helping others, at international competitions and at his high school, Irondale.

Braun recently coached another wheelchair athlete at the New Brighton school. He also serves as vice president of We Love to Play, an organization that brings together disabled athletes after they’ve grown out of high school sports programs. They to continue playing sports together just for fun. ■

CLASSIFIEDS Access Press Classifieds are $14 for the first 12 and 65¢ per word thereafter. They must be prepaid.

Mail to: Access Press care of The Kelly Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-644-2133 • FAX 651-644-2136 Email: access@accesspress.org

FOR RENT Lewis Park Apartments: Barrier-free housing with wheelchair users in mind. Section 8 subsidized. Oneand two-bedroom units. For more information on availability call 651-488-9923. St. Paul, MN. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Oak Park Village: We are accepting applications for the waiting list for one-bedroom wheelchair accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient St. Louis Park location. Call 952-935-9125 for information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Calvary Center Apts: 7650 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN. A Section 8 building now accepting applications for our waiting list. Call 9 am to 4 pm, Mon – Fri 763-546-4988 for an application.

Equal Opportunity Housing.

Holmes-Greenway Housing: One- and two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient SE Minneapolis location.

Call 612-378-0331 for availability information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Pg 16 November 10, 2014 Volume 25, Number 11