April 2015 Edition - Access Press

Rate increase, P. 4

Volume 26, Number 4

Access to transit is the focus

by Jane McClure

Green Line light rail is a welcome transportation option for people with disabilities, with easy boarding of trains and plenty of space for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Getting to the trains from area neighborhoods still creates problems. That’s significant because about 9,050 people with disabilities live within a few blocks of the Green Line, which extends from downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis.

Studies from September 2014 showed that more than 1,000 people with disabilities use five of the stations, with 2,000 using Central Station in downtown St. Paul.

But cracked and potholeridden sidewalks, steep slopes and poorly placed light poles, fire hydrants and gas meters make travel to and from rail stations difficult. Some areas still lack north-south sidewalks. At the rail stations and gaps between rails can catch wheelchair, scooter wheels, walkers and cane tips. Until they were removed, tall plantings Transit access - p. 5

www.accesspress.org Notes a worry

Many priorities still in play as 2015 session continues

April 10, 2015 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities. MN Permit No. 4766 Address Service Requested

by Jane McClure

As the state’s biennial budget takes shape, Minnesotans with disabilities and dozens of advocacy groups are working to make sure their needs aren’t left out. But much was uncertain as the 2015 Minnesota Legislature returned April 7 from spring break. In the six weeks before the end of the session, difficult decisions must be made on state spending.

For the disability community there are three major spending issues: Medical Assistance (MA) reform in the way of income, asset or spend-down changes; repeal of an MA for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) premium increase and a five percent raise in compensation for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Money for these priorities wasn’t included The 5% Campaign’s logo was supersized for the March 10 rally at the in Gov. Mark Dayton’s March state armory.

17 supplemental budget. DayPhoto courtesy of ARRM ton adjusted his budget after an additional $1.87 billion state how that repeal would be covered has budget surplus was announced. implications. The costs aren’t covered in his While Dayton has indicated that he supproposed budget and will have to be hammered ports repealing the high MA-EPD premium increases that took effect in October 2014, Priorities still in play - p. 3

It will make your day

Interact Center for the Arts brings arts to St. Paul

by Margie O’Loughlin

A one-time St. Paul industrial building turned charter school has gone through yet another transformation. The Interact Center for Performing and Visual Arts has found a new home in the heart of the Midway area, at 1860 W. Minnehaha Ave. Interact is a licensed adult day program, which means that clients across the spectrum of disabilities come from all over the Twin Cities to participate in structured activities. At Interact, all of the activities center on making art in a multi-cultural, intergenerational environment.

Interact’s mission is to create art that challenges the perceptions of disabilities. The organization has been opening those doors for nearly 20 years, creating an atmosphere where both artists and audiences are challenged by what they see. That is the moment of interaction – when the idea of what is possible as human beings begins to change and grow.

Interact was founded by Executive Director Jeanne Calvit in 1996, and was housed in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis for 18 years.

Calvit is an accomplished actress and director herself, a graduate of the Lecoq School of Theatre in Paris and a veteran of acting on stages across Europe for more than a decade.

Calvit was trained in a type of acting called physical theatre, which is how the performing artists work at Interact. The actors on stage have a strong sense of physical presence, emphasized with hand gestures and body language. They are a combination of artists with and without disabilities, from mainstream and marginalized communities, Artists at work in the studio space in their new St. Paul location. whose stories and life experiences drive their enPhoto by Margie O’Loughlin Interact - p. 15

“It’s perplexing why state policymakers support education, rehabilitation and employment for people with disabilities but deny them the fruits of their labor when they retire”

— Jim Carlisle

NEWS DIGEST

While dying, Bruce Kramer showed us how to live.

Page 15 Two key protests helped shape the Americans with Disabilities Act. Page 2 Get involved in Olmstead Plan’s community engagement process.

Page 4 Use our Directory of Organizations to find services and organizations to help with daily life.

Pages 7-10 The Paralympics are coming to St. Paul.

Page 13

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

Pg 2 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

EDITOR’S DESK

Tim Benjamin I was certainly ready for spring, and during midMarch was thinking about putting away the winter blankets, the winter clothes and lounging in the nice sunny warmth. Why not? We had that great streak of June temps, even one day at 84°, and then “BANG,” we were reminded again that we live in Minnesota where cold temperatures are just a breath away. The next day it hardly made it to 40°. Hang on, spring.

I’m heading back indoors.

On March 13, the Minnesota Department of Human Services announced changes in its PCA programs for Personal Care Provider Organizations. The agency is introducing the “Participant Employment Option (PEO).” The Minnesota PCA Choice program and services similar to PCA Choice will also see changes soon. All self-directed PCA services that are covered by the Service Employees International Union collective-bargaining agreement will be altered. Apparently, it is important for these changes to occur this summer so that information necessary for self-directed workers to receive their benefits under the union agreement can be recorded and tracked.

The Community First Service and Support is a new program that DHS has been waiting to enact. CFSS incorporates the PCA program and the Consumer Support grant, and requires state and federal approval to begin. We’ve been waiting for the federal

government’s okay on the CFSS changes for well over a year. Instead of continuing to wait for approval, DHS has decided to enact PEO as a similar program to prepare us for CFSS when the federal okay is given. DHS believes that both new programs, PEO and CFSS, will offer recipients more control, flexibility and responsibility.

On March 20, a DHS spokesperson explained the changes to the PCA Choice program to a large crowd assembled at the Elmer L. Anderson building in downtown St. Paul.

The major changes coming with PEO include: 1) a financial management structure that is similar to CFSS’s financial structure; 2) An agency management structure; and 3) a budget management structure.

AMS and BMS are also the names DHS has given the new programs. It appears that the AMS is similar to the traditional PCA program, and the BMS is similar to PCA Choice. The major differences between PCA Choice and the traditional PCA program were the number of options and the amount of work being done by the recipient. With BMS, the recipient will eventually have a budget and a financial stipend rather than allocated service units for each activity of daily living. The recipient will also have more options for finding, hiring, training, scheduling and firing PCAs, as well as responsibilities for providing their own backup for their staff and creating their own care plan. The PEO that is replacing the PCA Choice program will eliminate the qualified professional role.

Within the traditional PCA program, the provider agency has been responsible for finding, hiring and training—and for most all of the items listed above for which BMS recipients will be responsible.

In my personal opinion, the control and flexibility are advantages that will not outweigh the challenges and added responsibility in the new programs. The state’s programs have given us incentives to become self-sufficient and to pay taxes by working with the assistance of PCAs, but running your own PEO, and eventually CFSS, program will require considerable work hours. A person will not be able to do both jobs well. I already know too much about what it’s like to have to forgo time at work when I have PCA staffing problems. If I have to run my own agency as well, I’m really worried about my ability to work this fulltime job.

I would rather see the government encouraging and incentivizing more job opportunities rather than creating new barriers to independent living. There needs to be a happy medium somewhere between the extremes of the two different management-structured programs. And while those get fixed, another major problem that needs fixing is low rates of reimbursement to providers.

DHS is hoping to enact its new PEO this summer, but is awaiting state legislation giving DHS the options to restructure the PCA program plans. It’s also still awaiting the federal government review and approval of the CFSS plan. Major pieces that are holding up the federal government’s okay on CFSS and the state’s next steps on the PEO plan are reporting and monitoring requirements and assurances on how to evaluate whether a person is safe and receiving the services due. Those aren’t easy measures to set up.

We’ll see how quickly any of these changes are introduced—and implemented.

Have a great month; stay safe and warm. Spring’s here, but winter hasn’t retreated yet. We’ll talk again next month. ■

HISTORY NOTE

Civil disobedience is part of the ADA’s history Protests marked the beginning and the end of the two year run-up to the passage of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Two history-making protests, the Ides of March to the ADA, occurred in the month of March – the Gallaudet student protest in March 1988 and the “Crawl Up” the U.S. Capitol steps in March 1990.

The Gallaudet protest marked the turning point of the public perception of people with disabilities as objects of pity and the beginning of a new public consciousness regarding people with disabilities. The “Capitol Crawl” is seen as helping to shape perceptions of people with disabilities, and promoting the view of disability as a civil rights issue.

The 1988 week-long protest by deaf students at Gallaudet University, calling for the appointment of a deaf university president, was a defining moment for the disability rights movement. This demonstration gave Americans a new consciousness about disability that grew out of a growing sense of oppression. It gave voice to anger bottled up over years of individuals being seen as pitiful and sick, and was reflected in news accounts.

The ADA was introduced two months after the

Gallaudet protest. Lex Frieden, then of the National Council on the Handicapped said, “It would not have happened without Gallaudet raising people’s consciousness.” It was a historical irony that deaf students, equating disability with civil rights, gave such a boost to the ADA movement when so many people who are deaf regard deafness as a culture but not as a disability.

When the ADA stalled in the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation (now the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure), people within the disability community became alarmed.

About 475 individuals, many in wheelchairs, gathered on the sidewalk in front of the White House to launch the “Wheels of Justice Campaign”. Sixty protesters with disabilities cast aside their wheelchairs, crutches and walkers to crawl or drag themselves, step by step, up the 78 marble stairs of at the capitol’s west front.

Other protesters watched and cheered them on.

The protest, which became known as the “Capitol Crawl”, was intended to openly illustrate the struggles that people in the disabilities communities faced and spurred Congress to pass the ADA. The

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late Michael Winter, former executive director of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, contributed his reflections on the protest to ADAPT’s 25th Anniversary “I Was There Series” of firsthand accounts: “Some people may have thought it was undignified for people in wheelchairs to crawl in that manner, but I Capitol Crawl felt that it was necessary to show the country what kinds of things people with disabilities have to face on a day-to-day basis. We had to be willing to fight for what we believed in.” ■ 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 This month’s History Note is taken from the series Moments in Disability History, which is also on the council’s website.

April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

Pg 3

Priorities still in play - from p. 1

Signs of all kinds could be seen at the ARRM/MOHR rally, including from this group.

out in negotiations with the House and Senate.

What ramped up the activity level at the capitol are House and Senate budget targets announced in March. House Republicans announced a goal of $2 billion in cuts. The budget puts the squeeze on spending, mainly in health and human services, where $1.2 billion would be slashed. Another goal is to slow state government growth. Proposed is an overall state budget just below $40 billion, or $3 billion less than what Dayton proposed.

Democrats in the Senate released a budget that would spend nearly $43 billion over the next two years and provide more than $200 million in cuts.

The Senate’s numbers more closely follow what Dayton proposed, and would put $250 million into the state’s rainy day account. The Senate and Dayton would increase the health and human services budget by $430 million.

Many self-advocates have been presenting testimony before House and Senate committes. Some of the most compelling testimony on the need for the MA-EPD premium rollback was West St. Paul resident Jim Carlisle, a 78-year-old tax accountant.

Carlisle told the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee, March 24 that he wants to retire without being forced into poverty.

He works under MA-EPD and has managed to set aside a small retirement fund, own an accessible home and an accessible vehicle. “Last year my MAEPD premiums jumped from $43 to $118 a month.

That was a 277% cost jump while my income stayed steady,” he said. “If these types of increases would be imposed on the general public, most people would be searching for lower insurance rates. People with disabilities usually do not have that option.”

The hefty increase means Carlisle must continue working or be driven into poverty by having to meet the strict income and asset limits of the MA program.

He would be forced to live at 75% of poverty level, or $730 per month and lose most of his assets. “If I retire, I would soon be living in public housing, riding on state subsidized Metro Mobility, and shopping with government food stamps,” he said. “It is perplexing to comprehend why state policymakers support education, rehabilitation and employment for people with disabilities but then deny them the fruits of their labor when they retire.”

Members of the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) and other groups said it will be an uphill battle to get needed dollars for the changes, but that the changes will save money for the state in the long run.

“Members of The 5% Campaign are stunned that Gov. Dayton’s supplemental budget includes funding for nursing homes, but no rate increase for Home and Community-Based Services,” said Bruce Nelson, ARRM CEO. “It’s really a matter of fairness. It’s important that caregivers in Home and CommunityBased Services are treated the same as their peers in nursing homes. They do essentially the same work.”

Even with the 5 percent rate increase Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) received last session, funding lags behind inflation. Between 2006 and 2015 provider rates that pay for caregiver wages increased 10.4 percent while inflation rose by 23.3 percent. HCBS funding is determined by state reimbursements rates, so providers cannot increase their employees’ pay as caregivers pay unless the reimbursements are increased by the state.

If caregiver wages and benefits are not addressed, advocates said it will mean a lower quality of care for older adults and people with disabilities who depend on services. “I work 50-plus hours a week and it’s still hard to support myself. The work we do is tough, it’s physically and emotionally demanding. I hope that I won’t have to start thinking about leaving the work I truly love behind,” said caregiver Tina Cielinksi of Mary T. Inc. Rallies draw crowds Capitol renovations this session forced many of the annual rallies to be canceled or to move elsewhere. A March 10 rally organized by ARRM and MOHR drew more than 1,000 people to the State Armory. Busload after busload of self-advocates from around Minnesota showed up. Several legislators promised the group that they won’t give up on the fight for the five percent rate increase. Many self-advocates then went to the capitol and state office building to meet with their legislators.

Another large group, this one of mental health advocates in the Mental Health Legislative Network, rallied March 12. This followed a March 10 press conference to express support for building on the foundation of Minnesota’s mental health system and ensure access to effective mental health care across the state.

Minnesota, key legislators from both sides of the aisle, health care and other mental health advocacy organizations came together at a press conference on March 10 to express support for building on the foundation of Minnesota’s mental health system to ensure access to effective mental health care across the state.

More than 30 bills on mental health issues have been in play this session.

In a statement, NAMI Minnesota executive director Sue Abderholden said, “Many say that we have a broken system of mental health care. Frankly, our mental health system was never built. We have spent the past ten years building the foundation for home

David Gaarder of Opportunity Partners and client Stephen made the case for a rate increase.

Photos by Jane McClure

and community-based services and supports, crisis services, and intensive services. We now know what works. We need to complete what we started and finish building our mental health system.”

Phantom fiscal notes a worry One issue that raised red flags for the disability community was seeing two unknown author fiscal notes pop up. Disability advocates are tracking the notes closely, as both have potentially huge implications for people with disabilities. Neither of the “phantom notes” has an author or a bill attached, the concern is that such a tactic doesn’t give disability community members and advocacy groups an easy way to respond. While fiscal notes can be used by policy makers to explore ideas, the lack of transparency for those affected is worrisome.

Dayton’s staff, House and Senate leadership were informed of the fiscal notes and what they could mean for people with disabilities. One note calls for a personal care attendant (PCA) eligibility cut which save $6.2 million for 2016-2017 and $8 million for 2018-2019. It would require dependencies in at least three activities of daily living instead of just one.

Such a change would force many people to lose PCA services that keep them living and working in their communities.

The other note would make cuts to Developmental Disabilities (DD) and Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals (CADI) waivers, which would also affect daily life for many Minnesotans with disabilities. Without CADI waivers, many people would have to leave their home communities and live in nursing facilities. The fiscal note suggests forecasted caseload cuts which would save $40 million for next biennium and $109 million for the subsequent biennium. It would also reduce DD from $300 to $180 per year and CADI from no caseload limits as of July 1, 2015 to $1,020 per year.

The notion of cuts to waiver programs is troubling to advocates because there are already about 3,500 people on the wait list for the DD waiver and another 1,450 waiting for the CADI waiver. ■

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Pg 4 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Community engagement will inform state’s Olmstead Plan

by Darlene Zangara

In the last nine months, I’ve traveled all over Minnesota talking with people about the Olmstead Plan. These conversations have ranged from formal legislative hearings to informal chats. During these discussions, I’ve answered many questions. But mostly I’ve listened to ideas, comments, complaints and concerns about what Olmstead means to each of us. What I’ve learned is that while viewpoints may vary, gathering together to connect and share those viewpoints is extremely valuable. These conversations are the key to affecting real change and bringing the Olmstead Plan to life in our state.

This is why I’m excited that Minnesota’s Olmstead Sub-Cabinet formally adopted a Community Engagement Plan (CE Plan) at its March 9 meeting. The CE Plan uses an engagement model that fosters shared problem solving, supportive partnerships and reciprocal relationships.

Olmstead is about transforming how our state delivers services to Minnesotans with disabilities. But real transformation isn’t about things. It’s about people. In fact, it’s about you – and the values,

dreams and desires that affect your daily life. It’s about how you live, work, travel and grow. And it’s about the needs we share as a community.

To successfully bring the Olmstead transformation to life, State agencies must engage with the people whose lives are most directly affected by it. You and every member of the disability community (individuals with a disability, family members and advocates) are an asset and have a valid and important point of view. That’s what our CE Plan is all about. It outlines how state agencies should engage with you, why we need to create opportunities to do so and how we’ll measure if we’re doing enough of it.

First and foremost, the CE Plan is focused on building long-term relationships that will help expand and improve upon Olmstead’s activities and goals. In doing so, it will increase meaningful participation with the Olmstead Plan at all levels – from planning to evaluation – on things that impact real people’s lives.

Two other focuses of the CE Plan are to provide leadership opportunities for people with disabilities and to increase opportunities for self-advocacy and peer supports. In short, the CE Plan will ensure there

will be “Nothing About Us, Without Us.” So how will we know if we’re engaging the community the right way, building the right relationships and providing the best opportunities? We built our CE Plan based on best practices learned Darlene Zangara, Executive from a similar plan Director Olmstead Impledrafted by the Metropoli- mentation Office tan Council that included collaboration with partners, both within the Twin Cities region and communities around the country. In addition, the CE Plan isn’t just focused on state agencies.

It provides resources and guidance for community collaboration with federal, state and local agencies and government as well. The goal is to expand overall understanding of successful community engagement.

It’s time for transformation in Minnesota. Together, we can bring it to life. I look forward to working with you as we implement this plan together. ■

TO THE EDITOR

Why our caregivers need five percent To the editor: To understand why a bi-partisan group of 10 state senators and 36 state representatives have coauthored 2015 legislation to grant another five percent rate increase for home and community-based services (HCBS) in Minnesota, you need to understand Beth and Daundre. They are like thousands of other people with disabilities and older adults who depend on these essential services statewide.

We supply six hours of support each week for Beth, who has lived in adult foster care in Cambridge for the last 13 years. Beth has an intellectual disability and uses a walker and cane, due to her arthritis.

Her direct support person Carol is with Beth every stroke of the way as she uses aquatherapy to relieve her arthritic pain, which enables her to work in her day program. As a result, Beth is more independent and can contribute to her community.

Daundre is another success story. In less than a year, since he came to stay at our Ashland Home in St. Paul, Daundre has lost 17 pounds and has reduced the dosage of two of his diabetes medications. Even

with his developmental disability Daundre holds down a job as a custodian at a nearby recreation center. A staff of 10 highly trained professionals cares for our four Ashland Home clients, around the clock.

Dollar for dollar, our state has achieved a far higher quality of care with HCBS services than with the institutional alternative. However, too many staff members who serve in these settings must supplement their income with second jobs. Sadly for Minnesota’s Beths and Daundres, many of these people will opt for a better paying job and resign from the field.

Equally distressing is the difficulty in attracting quality candidates to replace them. The work is often part time, during undesirable shifts (evenings, weekends, and holidays). It is unpredictable and difficult, physically and mentally.

We are fortunate to have dedicated care professionals like Carol and the staff at Ashland Home at each of the 13 homes we operate, all but two in greater Minnesota. They are among more than 90,000 similar professional staff in the state. Even with the recent increase, rates for HCBS remain far behind the pace of inflation.

Between state fiscal year 2006 and 2015, provider rates that pay for caregiver wages in- Beth is a success story. creased only 10.4% while inflation rose 23.3%.

We sincerely appreciate the legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton’s trust last session, with the increase that was granted. We understand the pressures our budget makers face as they carefully allocate Minnesota’s revenue surplus. Now is the time to ensure that quality community services for people with disabilities and older adults continue to be available, stable and sustainable.

Our organization joins more than 130 disability and senior community groups in urging the state legislature to close the remaining funding gap by supporting The 5% Campaign and adopting Senate Bill 646/647 or House Bill 564. ■ Paula Hart, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteers of America, Minnesota and Wisconsin

Don’t force us into poverty To the editor: My name is Rebecca Preston and I live in Hopkins.

I sustained a traumatic brain injury in December 2005 when a drunk driver hit my car.

Before my injury I held two administrative assistant jobs. I was an avid writer and loved to read, play piano and sing. Since my brain injury my short-term memory is poor, I can’t remember how a short story starts by the time I reach the ending. My left eye is now fixed and dilated so seeing at night is out of the question.

I am thankful for the CADI Waiver services

through Medical Assistance (MA) that I have been getting for the last nine years. They allow me to live independently with the help of my case manager, my ILS worker and homemaker. I also have a mental health worker who provides emotional support and helps me reach my goals, which included getting a job.

I just got a job for the first time since my accident; answering phones at an agency called Re-Start. I am now enrolled in MA for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) which means I no longer have to

pay a huge spend-down to get waiver services. I now pay a premium for those same services, which increased last fall, but that’s another story.

Here is what my financial situation was like for the last nine years on MA with a spend-down.

I lived on SSDI at $1,179/month. Since this income was above the federal poverty level. I was expected to pay $450 for my support services each month before MA would start paying. This is known as my “spend-down” to qualify for MA and waiver services.

I live in a market rate apartment and pay $670/mo in rent because the waiting list for Section 8 has been closed for nine years. I love where I live, and am an active part of that community. Last summer I helped plan our National Neighborhood Night Out. But after paying my rent & spend-down, I had $59/month left to pay a few bills. To make ends meet I go to the food shelf, which has mostly unhealthy food choices.

It seems counterintuitive that Medical Assistance forces people deep into poverty to get the help needed to remain independent.

It’s impossible for people with disabilities who can’t work to climb out of poverty. Please support legislation to increase the MA income, asset and spend-down standards. ■ Rebecca Preston, Hopkins

April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

Transit - from p. 1 blocked views of the tracks for anyone using a wheelchair or scooter.

Ways to address those concerns were outlined March 11 in a report released by the District Councils Collaborative (DCC) and in a video, The First: Last Mile. The video, which is available for showings to community groups, shows the difficulty of accessing some rail stations. Rick Cardenas and Thabiso Rowan use wheelchairs and took part in the video production. They were filmed in areas where access and sight lines were problems.

In the video, Rowan was shown trying to find a travel route that worked for him. “It’s like going on a safari,” he said.

The DCC, which is made up of St. Paul district councils and Minneapolis neighborhood organizations along the rail line, initially studied Green Line walkability in 2011-2012. The walkability studies covered north-south streets several blocks north and south of rail stations. Reports were done for each station area. DCC Executive Director Carol Swenson said that evolved into a more in-depth study focused on access for people with disabilities.

“We received sharp criticism from the disability community, that the (initial) studies hadn’t done enough to address access,” Swenson said. Additional studies were conducted, creating the report and video.

More than 40 people, including representatives of Metro Transit, the state’s Olmstead Plan office, the St. Paul Mayor’s Council on People with Disabilities and St. Paul City Council Member Dai Thao reviewed the report and saw the video March 11.

The federally mandated Olmstead Plan calls for full integration of people with disabilities into the community, on the statewide level. Access to transportation is one of its focuses, so the March 11 meeting provided a chance for plan staff and activists to meet on transit issues.

A focus for the study is to see if recommended changes on and around the Green Line can be used for other transit projects, including the planned Green Line extension into the Twin Cities’ southwestern suburbs. One idea raised is to ensure that transit improvements sought for people with disabilities are also made on the Snelling Avenue rapid bus or A Line, which is to start later this year. That will be the Twin Cities’ first arterial bus rapid transit line.

Self-advocate Kjensmo Walker was a community organizer for the study. She said access needs to be broadly understood and that meeting federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines “only scratches the surface” in terms of what accommodations are needed.

Walker said some barriers are as basic as gravel that spills from a landscaped area or planter and lands on the sidewalk. There’s also need to have simpler signage and to make sure that when audible pedestrian signals are installed, that those stay in good working order.

As part of the DCC’s work, additional studies were also done at Dale Street and Snelling Avenue. Those are two of the areas where access is most challenging, especially from the south. Those are also areas with opportunities for change. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is redecking the Snelling Bridge and doing mill and overlay work on the street this year, so accessibility improvements will be made at the same time. About 350 people took part in surveys and open houses to discuss the project there.

Dale Street is a Ramsey County road. County officials are working with MnDOT to seek funds to rebuild that freeway overpass and interchange. About 150 people were involved in accessibility discussions there.

Accessibility is an issue the DCC and other groups will continue to work on. One pressing need is skyway access. Cardenas lives downtown and works in the Midway. He was part of a group that worked to get a Green Line elevator connection in place, from

the downtown skyway system to Central Station.

The elevator access closes at 9 p.m. because of concerns about crime. That forces people with disabilities to travel long distances at night to reach their homes. “Where’s the justice in that?” Cardenas said.

He and others are working with St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune to get the skyway hours changed.

Pg 5

Another issue the DCC will work on is that of having a place where accessibility complaints can be made, so that those issues can be responded to quickly. Plans also call for tying into city, county and state plans for transportation and accessibility, and to work with Metro Transit on proposed transit and transit shelter improvements.

See the report, watch the video and read other DCC reports at http://dcc-stpaul-mpls.org/specialprojects/walk ■

Pg 6 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

Minnesota receives federal approval for new autism benefit

REGIONAL NEWS Group homes may close Dozens of state-run group homes and job training programs for people with disabilities may close or undergo drastic changes in an effort to slash millions of dollars in spending on Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). State officials contend that the services can be provided by the private sector at a significant savings. But the changes are raised concerns among people with disabilities and their family members. The move marks a historic shift away from an institutionalized model of care for hundreds of people with cognitive and other disabilities who are currently housed in state-operated group homes.

Changes would be made over the next two years.

Forty-eight group homes around the state are likely to close or be converted to facilities for people with high needs who cannot be cared for in private settings, according to an internal DHS memo obtained by the Star Tribune. Some homes could become placement sites for people with mental illnesses, helping to alleviate the state’s severe shortage of psychiatric beds.

The closures come nearly six years after state lawmakers, hoping to rein in Medicaid spending, imposed a moratorium on new four-person group homes or corporate foster care. That created a shortage of group-home beds for disabled adults in some parts of the state. Families often wait months for placements.

But state-run group homes have come under fire because some are not seen as fully integrating residents into their communities. The high cost is also criticized as is the duplication of service provided by private home providers.

DHS officials say they can no longer afford to operate an expensive network of more than 120 group homes and vocational programs in the face of a daunting, $19 million shortfall in the state’s overall budget for vulnerable populations. A detailed plan has not been worked out, but the 48 targeted homes could be closed, transitioned to private owners or converted to new uses, DHS officials said.

“The system is not sustainable,” Deputy Human Services Commissioner Anne Barry said in an interview. “We are serving people who do not need a safety-net level of care, and that’s not acceptable.”

But family members worry that the state cuts will hurt their adult children. “We’re worried that our children will be forgotten,” said Elizabeth Taylor, 71, of Duluth, who has a daughter with Down syndrome living in a state-run group home in Hermantown.

Taylor said she fears her daughter might end up at another group home “hundreds of miles away,” making it impossible for her to visit once a week or go on regular outings for lunch and to the shopping mall.

“If I don’t have my Katie close to me, how am I going to keep a relationship with her?” Taylor asked. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)

Minnesota will soon provide early intensive intervention for children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently approved the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention benefit.

Autism spectrum disorder, with its complex symptoms and treatments, is an increasingly prevalent diagnosis. While Minnesota has provided supports in the past for children with autism spectrum disorder under Medical Assistance, the state’s Medicaid program, it has not offered a medically necessary intensive intervention benefit with early intervention services believed to be critical for children on the autism spectrum.

“Evidence shows that the earlier the intervention, the greater possibility for success,” said Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. “Currently in Minnesota, the average age of diagnosis is four years and up. We are excited to see this benefit move forward because it means we can get children, young adults and their families the help they need earlier so they have their best chance to thrive.”

Under the new benefit, covered services will be designed to improve social interaction, communication and behavioral regulation skills at a critical time in development, promoting fuller participation by children in their family, schools and community life.

Over time, services are expected to reduce the need for institutional placement and intensive interventions, and promote successful integration into adulthood. Development of the benefit took many months of planning.

It is expected to start in summer 2015. In the first year, the benefit will serve an estimated 325 individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related conditions from birth to age 21 who meet medical necessity for intensive developmental and behavioral treatment. The number served is expected to grow to about 1,000 per year as provider capacity is developed. The total first-year cost is expected to be $15 million split between the state and federal government. As more children are served, the annual cost will grow in proportion to the numbers served, with a continued state-federal match, however, these early investments are anticipated to reduce costs over an individual’s lifetime, as early interventions decrease the need for more intensive long-term supports.

DHS will continue to develop the details of the new benefit in coordination with other related services and in collaboration with the dedicated community of stakeholders as the projected implementation date nears.

More information is available on the DHS webpage about children with autism spectrum disorders. ■ (Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services)

Rights violations are alleged Minneapolis Public Schools’ Harrison Education Center has been accused of failing to provide adequate instruction to its students with disabilities, according to a complaint filed in March by the Community Justice Project at the University of St. Thomas.

The school is also accused of segregating the students with disabilities from students who don’t have disabilities. The complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

Harrison currently serves high school students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. The vast majority of students who attend the school are students of color. The complaint details the story of a 16-year-old boy who was sent to Harrison after he

was involved in a fight. Upon enrolling at Harrison, the boy, “J.G” observed frequent fights and said little was taught in the classroom.

“He also states that students are constantly disciplined with suspensions, both in-school and out of school,” the complaint stated. “Though Harrison punishes its students for minor infractions, J.G remembers a staff member hypocritically and openly recounted his drinking stories with minor students.”

“Our standard procedure when receiving complaints is to respond swiftly and cooperate thoroughly with the inquiring agency,” said Rachel Hicks, a school district spokeswoman. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)

Nursing home is cited A western Minnesota nursing home has been cited for neglect in the case of an elderly resident who died of pneumonia three days after he was rushed to a hospital “malnourished and dehydrated, with severe dry skin and multiple open sores.” A state investigation released last month said staff at Golden Living-Centers Meadow Lane in Benson relied on over-thecounter medications and supplemental oxygen to treat the man’s wild swings in body temperature and troubled breathing, but did not alert his doctor. The resident was hospitalized and died in October 2014, according to the Minnesota Health Department.

The health department’s investigation found that the man’s family wasn’t informed of the severity of his illness. Doctors at the hospital where he died raised concerns about his treatment.

According to state officials this is the eighth time since 2011 that the facility’s owner, Texas-based Golden LivingCenters, has been cited by the Minnesota Department of Health for incidents of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. A spokeswoman for the home’s national headquarters in suburban Dallas said Meadow Lane has submitted a plan of correction that was accepted by the Department of Health and [was] found to be in compliance with the regulatory guidelines. Staff has also had additional training.

Golden LivingCenters, operates 26 nursing homes in Minnesota and 294 nationally, has been cited before for neglect. Patient neglect has been report in recent years at facilities in Olivia and Golden Valley. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)

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April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

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April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

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CONTINUED

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Pg 10 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

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April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4 Pg 11

PEOPLE & PLACES

Two win fellowship awards

Two people with disabilities are among the 23 Bush Foundation’s 2015 Bush Fellows. Winners are chosen because they are seen as leaders with records of achievement and extraordinary potential to make significant contributions in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native nations that share the same geography.

This year’s fellows include Adam Perry and Alex Zeibot, both of Minneapolis. They were chosen from a field of more than 600 applicants.

The fellowship is unique because it provides a flexible opportunity for community leaders to say what they need to become a better leader. It also provides support to make that happen. Fellows receive up to $100,000 over one to two years to pursue learning experiences that help them develop leadership skills and attributes. The fellowship can be used for advanced education, extensive opportunities for networking, and access to leadership resources, workshops and trainings.

Even though Perry is living with a degenerative eye disease that has taken most of his usable sight, he believes he has never lost his vision. As a senior pro-

Walker is new committee leader The Metropolitan Council has appointed Kjensmo Walker to serve as chair of the Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC). Created by the Minnesota Legislature, the committee advises the council on management policies for public transportation services in the region by providing the perspective of riders with disabilities.

Walker, of St. Paul, was appointed in May 2012 to serve on TAAC by the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities. A daily transit user, Waller advocates for transportation solutions that work for all people. She works for the District Councils Collaborative of St. Paul and Minneapolis and also serves on the board of directors for St. Paul Smart Trips.

Walker will serve a two-year term, ending Jan. 1, 2017. Ron Biss, who served as the chair of the TAAC for many years, died in October 2014.

“This committee plays an important role in lifting up the voices in our communities and fulfilling the Council’s commitment to equity,” said Council Chair Adam Duininck. “The leadership Ms. Walker and this committee provide is essential to planning for a transportation system that works for all our region’s residents. I’m grateful to Ms. Walker and the other TAAC members for their work in advocating for accessibility in our transit and transportation system.”

The TAAC, which has 16 members, includes riders and advocates for senior citizens and the disability community, as well as representatives of service providers.

Seven of the members are chosen by disability and senior groups in the metropolitan area and eight others represent districts that are combinations of the Council’s 16 districts. At least half the members must be certified as paratransit eligible under the Americans with Disabilities Act and be active users of public transportation.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county metro area. It runs the regional bus and light-rail system, collects and treats wastewater and coordinates water resources preservation, plans regional parks, and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. ■

Upstream Arts selected for group Upstream Arts is among 16 organizations selected for Bush Foundation’s Community Creativity Cohort. The cohort is a one-time program designed to both recognize and learn from exemplary organizations that meaningfully engage people in the arts and integrate the arts into public life.

The organizations selected to participate in the Cohort will each receive an unrestricted grant of $100,000.

In addition, the cohort will work with the foundation over the next six months to articulate the challenges and opportunities associated with their work, particularly around efforts to engage the community, build Upstream Arts selected - p. 12

gram director at Arts Midwest, overseeing complex international initiatives with musicians, authors and filmmakers, he knows that his disability doesn’t disqualify him as a leader.

But Perry also recognizes that much of the world does not necessarily have the same understanding about people with disabilities. With his Bush Fellowship, he will grow his competency in cross-cultural communications and nonprofit management to continue his transition from “operator” to “leader.”

Language is the key to Zeibot’s universe. Born deaf in Riga, Latvia, and initially only exposed to language through text, he attended a deaf school in Leningrad, Russia, where his life changed when he was introduced to a “manual” language. His journey brought him to the U.S. where he earned a bachelor’s degree from Gallaudet University and a master’s in deaf education from the University of Minnesota.

Recognizing that deaf students who graduate from high school have a median reading level eight years below their hearing peers—and that deaf and hearing students learn literacy skills through entirely differences brain processes—Alex seeks to develop an effective curriculum that helps deaf children overcome the literacy gap. He will use his Bush Fellowship to earn his PhD. More than 2,200 people have taken advantage of the fellowship to become better leaders through a

Adam Perry

Alex Zeibot Photos courtesy of Bush Foundation

self-designed learning experience, academic program or travel across the country to build connections with thought leaders on topics critical to their community.

The Bush Fellowship counts among its alumni former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson and Fond Du Lac Tribal Chairwoman Karen Diver.

“We are thrilled to invest in this extraordinary group of leaders,” said Bush Foundation President Jennifer Ford Reedy. “Bush Fellows have a unique opportunity to pursue the knowledge, connections and experiences that they believe are necessary to become more effective leaders. Investing in individual leadership is investing in the future well-being of our region. The extraordinary accomplishments of Fellows over the last 50 years are a testament to that.” ■

Robins, Hawks win state titles The bird was the word as the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) crowned its 2015 champions in adapted floor hockey, following a weekend of tournament play March 13-14 at Bloomington Jefferson High School. The Robins of Robbinsdale/ Hopkins/Mound Westonka won a fifth straight title in the PI Division, for athletes with physical disabilities.

The Hawks of Dakotas United are the 2015 CI Division champs, for athletes with cognitive disabilities.

The Hawks, with 12 seniors on the roster, upset a strong North Suburban team, 4-2, in the title game.

North Suburban had had an unbeaten season until facing the Hawks in the state final. Dakota United defeated teams from St. Cloud Area and AnokaHennepin to advance the title game, while North Suburban topped South Washington County and New Prague area schools. Anoka-Hennepin won the third place game over New Prague. Maple Grove beat Owatonna for the consolation title. The New Prague/ Tri-City United (TCU)/LeSueur Henderson (LSH)/ Belle Plain/Jordan came in as the defending champion.

The PI champion Robins defeated AnokaHennepin Mustangs 4-3, in a game that was tied after the first two periods. The Robins topped Dakota United and Rochester to advance to the title game.

The Mustangs defeated South Suburban and Brainerd/ Pillager en route to the title match. Brainerd/Pillar beat Rochester to take first place. Dakota United beat South Suburban for the consolation title. The eighth team in the tournament was St. Paul Highland Park.

Wells Fargo and the MSHSL honored all-tournament teams. Teams are selected by the coaches at the tournaments. The 2015 CI Division Adapted Floor Hockey All-Tournament Team includes Dakota United athletes Carl Fagre, Bryce Jahnke and Blake St. Mane; North Suburban athletes Anthony Bengtson, Josh Hamann and Nick Powers; AnokaHennepin’s Jaden Chamberlain and Cole Denny; New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plain/Jordan’s Jacob Malecha and Matthew Schoenbauer; Maple Grove’s Mark Bazile and Owatonna’s Zach Sencer.

The 2015 PI Division Adapted Floor Hockey AllTournament Team includes Robbinsdale/Hopkins/ Mound Westonka’s Andy Hanson, Chaun Johnson and Jeremy Jost; Anoka-Hennepin’s Kai France, Joey Manion and Ben Schmitz; Brainerd/Pillager’s Zachary Denny and Brock Saatzer; Rochester’s Calvin Gerdt and Sean Healy; Dakota United’s Nick Kuefler and South Suburban’s Alexei Dickinson. ■

Pg 12 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4 Crosby, Stills and Nash

ACCESSIBLE FUN Arc Public Policy Dinner The Arc Minnesota will honor U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank at the annual public policy dinner, 6 p.m.

Tue, May 26 at Midland Hills Country Club, 2001 Fulham St., Roseville. Cost is $50 per person. RSVP by Mon, May 11. Frank has worked for many years to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are recognized in the legal system and is heavily involved in work on Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan. FFI: Wendy, 651-604-8070, www.thearcofminnesota.org

More than four decades since Crosby, Stills and Nash first harmonized in Southern California, its members continue a creative partnership that is one of the most influential and enduring in music. David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They will perform live at PACER Center’s 33rd Annual Benefit at the Mpls Convention Center on Sat, May 2, presented by Whitebox Mutual Funds. Benefit tickets include the performance by Crosby, Stills and Nash, as well as a silent auction with more than 1,000 unique items, and a live auction of rare, priceless opportunities. The evening begins at 6 p.m., and tickets start at $70. FFI: 952-838-9000; www.PACER

Pups and circumstance

Upstream Arts fundraiser

This spring more than 20 teams from Minnesota and throughout the upper Midwest will receive diplomas in recognition of graduating from Can Do Canines assistance dog program The graduation ceremony represents the culmination of a long journey for the assistance dogs and their partners. Beginning with puppy raisers, either in the homes of volunteers or at one of four Minnesota prisons, the dogs are reared and taught basic obedience and early assistance dog skills. After 18 months, they are returned to Can Do Canines for final training and to begin their new life with a person in need, free of charge.

The graduation ceremony is 1 p.m. Sat, April 25 at Can Do Canines facility. The ceremony is free and open to the public, at 9440 Science Center Dr., New Hope.

FFI: 763-331-3000, http://can-do-canines.org/

Upstream Arts’ 2nd Annual Meeting and Fundraiser is 69 p.m. Mon, May 11 at Bloomington Center for the Arts, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington. Enjoy art, performances, and delicious things to eat and drink at a family-friendly gathering. Free. Get an early look at plans for the group’s 10th anniversary as an arts organization serving people with disabilities at every stage of life. FFI: http://tinyurl.com/up-the-stream

Upstream Arts selected - from p. 11 and support leadership, and advance racial and economic equity. The insights from this effort will help inform the foundation’s future work in the arts.

“The arts can inspire communities to think bigger and differently about how to address tough challenges. But organizations that work in the arts wrestle with tough challenges of their own,” said Bush Foundation Strategy and Learning Vice President Allison Barmann. “The Community Creativity Cohort will help us better understand both the challenges and opportunities these organizations face. This knowledge will strengthen our ability to support efforts to engage people in the arts and integrate the arts into public life.”

The Community Creativity Cohort, which includes organizations from Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, will meet twice over the next six months. Each meeting will feature guest presenters who will inspire and inform the Cohort on issues related to community engagement, leadership development and equity. The organizations that participate in the cohort will also share lessons learned from their experience working on these issues in their own communities.

“The Community Creativity Cohort will advance our legacy of support for the arts and align it with our work to inspire and support leadership and community innovation,” Barmann said. ■

Interactive puppet workshops Children’s Theatre Company and the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) host a series of four interactive family workshops modeling art-based strategies. Early Childhood and Autism: Expression Through Storytelling, Puppetry, Movement and Music are designed for parents and/or caregivers with a child or children ages 3-5 with autism spectrum disorder and their siblings. Each workshop will explore theater activities that facilitate self-expression, creativity and imagination-play.

Workshops will include a unique lesson to support the social and imaginative development of each child and his or her family. As sessions will focus on different methods of expression, families have the option to register for single sessions or to sign up for all four. Each registered family will receive one complimentary child’s ticket to an upcoming sensory-friendly performance at Children’s Theatre Company. Workshops are at CTC, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls. per-workshop cost $25 AuSM member/ CTC season ticker holders or $50 for nonmembers.

Storytelling is 2-4 p.m. Sun, April19, puppetry is 2-4 p.m.

Sun, July 19, creative movement is Sun, Sept. 20 and music and sound is 2-4 p.m. Sun, Nov. 8. Workshops are made possible by a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Preregistration required. FFI: www.ausm.org

Merry Music Makers Spring Concert The Project Power group of performers with disabilities takes the stage for a free show 7 p.m. Wed, April 15 at Champlin Park High School, 6025 109th Ave NE, Champlin. Enjoy the Merry Music makes choir, dancer, a rhythm and bells group and a talent show. Performers are from Anoka-Hennepin Community Education. FFI: 763-506-1279, www.anoka.k12.mn.us/communityeducation

Violet North Hennepin Community College Theatre presents the story of a young woman whose disfigurement affects her life. She vows on day to be healed by a televangelist, but her journey toward healing takes some unexpected

turns. At North Hennepin Community College Fine Arts Center Theatre, 7411 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Entrance is off West Broadway, just south of 85th Ave. N.; the Fine Arts building is at left at the parking lot entrance. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Fri, April 17. Tickets are $10; senior, children, matinees $7. FFI: 763-493-0543, www.nhcc.edu/theatre

The Other Place Park Square Theatre presents a story about an Alzheimer’s researcher and her family’s struggles, at Park Square Theatre, Boss Stage, 20 W. 7th Place, St. Paul. AD show is 7:30 p.m. Fri, April 17. Captioning is 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sat., April 18, and 2 p.m. Sun., April 19. ASL is arranged upon request. Assistive listening devices available. ASL/AD/OC single ticket discount is half-price for patron and one guest (regular $38-58); age 30 and under $21; senior age 62+: $38; rush tickets: $22 cash only, available 10 minutes before performance and subject to availability. FFI: 651-291-7005, www.parksquaretheatre.org

Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play Guthrie Theater presents the story of the apocalypse, at the McGuire Proscenium Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls.

AD show is 7:30 p.m. Fri, April 17 and 1 p.m. Sat, April 25.

ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Fri, April 24 and 1 p.m. Sat, April 25.

Captioning is 7:30 p.m. Fri, April 24; 1 p.m. Sat, May 2; and 1 p.m. Wed, May 6. Tickets reduced to $20 for AD/ ASL, $25 for captioning (regular $34-85). FFI: 612-3772224, www.guthrietheater.org/visit/access_services

One Dog Canoe Stages Theatre Company presents the world premiere of a play about a canoe trip, at Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. Features music by the Okee Dokee Brothers. Sensory friendly show is 10 a.m. Sat, April 18. ASL show is 2 p.m. Sun, April 26.

Tickets are $16, $14 senior 60+, $12 student. FFI: 952-979-1111, option 4, www.stagestheatre.org

Will you still love me, tomorrow Red Eye Theater presents a theatrical meditation non fear and loathing, at Red Eye Theater, 15 W. 14th St., Mpls. AD show is 7 p.m. Mon, April 20. Tickets are pay as able (regular $10-20, $8 student online); pre-paid $10 tickets also available. FFI: 612-870-0309 ext. 1, www.redeyetheater.org

Next to Normal A Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about life with bipolar disorder is presented by Yellow Tree Theatre, at Yellow Tree Theatre, 320 5th Ave. SE, Osseo. ASL show is 7:30 p.m. Wed, April 22. Tickets are pay-what-you-can (regular $18-25). FFI: 763-493-8733; www.yellowtreetheatre.com

Deaf Awareness Day Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens hosts the free annual awareness day 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat, April 25 at White Bear Lake High School - S. Campus, 3551 McKnight Rd, White Bear Lake. Interact with people from diverse fields of education, human services, arts, government, business, health care, religion, interpreting services, and more! Fun for businesses and families! 40+ vendors, product demonstrations, supervised children’s activities, concessions and Coffee Chat. Metro Mobility-accessible, bus line nearby, free parking. FFI: www.minndeaf.org

Pussy Valley Mixed Blood Theatre presents the world premiere of a play about a rural Mississippi strip club, at Alan Page Auditorium at Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St., Mpls. ASL and AD shows are 7:30 p.m. Sat, April 25. All shows have subtitles.

Choose between first-come, first-served, no-cost admission under Mixed Blood’s Radical Hospitality program, or guarantee admission ($20). Any patron that self-identifies as having a disability is eligible for a no-cost advance guaranteed reservation and for a free cab ride to and from the theatre. Call the box office for more information and to reserve these services.

FFI: 612-338-6131, www.mixedblood.com

For the Loyal Illusion Theater represents the world premiere of a play about family, honesty and loyalty, at Illusion Theater, 528 Hennepin Ave, 8th floor, Mpls. AD show is 2 p.m. Sun, April 26. ASL show is 8 p.m. Sat, May 2. Assisted listening devices are available. Tickets are $20-35; senior/student/ group discounts; ASL/AD patrons: use the code DISCTV for 40% off tickets. FFI: 612-339-4944, www.illusiontheater.org

The Crucible Guthrie Theatre performs Arthur Miller’s masterpiece of good and evil, at Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. Captioning is 1 p.m. Wed, April 29; 7:30 p.m.

Fri, May 15; and 1 p.m. Sat, May 16. ASL shows are 7:30 p.m.

Fri, May 8; and 1 p.m. Sat, May 9. AD shows are 1 p.m. Sat, May 9 and 7:30 p.m. Fri, May 15. Tickets reduced to $20 for AD/ASL, $25 for Captioning (regular $34-85). FFI: 612-377-2224, www.guthrietheater.org/visit/access_services

Plotholes: A Fool’s Foibles Interact Center presents a newly created history of clowns, misfits and fools, at Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, 1860 Minnehaha Ave. W., St. Paul. Performers with disabilities will take the stage at

Accessible Fun - p. 15

April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4 Pg 13

Paralympics track and field to St. Paul

UPCOMING EVENTS Advocacy Autism conference marks 20 years The 20th Annual Minnesota Autism Conference, presented by the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM), is April 29 - May 2 at the DoubleTree Hilton by Mpls Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd., Mpls. The four-day conference includes guest speakers, workshops and breakout sessions. Visit exhibits and a book store. The final day of the conference will focus on autism transition, employment and life skills. AuSM will host a gala 6-10 p.m. Fri, May 1 with food, entertainment and live and silent auctions. Gala tickets start at $75; conference fees start at $105 per day. The full schedule is online. FFI: 651-647-1083; www.ausm.org Dyslexia conference set The International Dyslexia Association, Upper Midwest Branch, hosts its annual conference Sat, April 11 at Groves Academy in St. Louis Park. The theme is Improving Outcomes for Children in Reading. Keynote speaker is Emerson Dickman, who will also provide one of the conference’s 12 break-out sessions. Dickman is a renowned advocate for individuals with disabilities and an adult dyslexic. The day-long event will provide parents, educators and individuals with language-based learning disabilities answers to questions ranging from how to navigate the special education process to proven strategies to teach dyslexic children reading and spelling skills. Information on costs and schedules and registration forms are available online. FFI: 612-486-4242, www.ida-umb.org/conference.html Elders’ conference set Elders are invited to attend the 39th Minnesota Gerontological Society Annual Conference, The theme is Designing Our Destiny: Aging Ain’t for Sissies: Challenges, Opportunities, and Affordability. The event is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri, April 24 at Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Park.

Doors open at 7 a.m. for registration and social time. $45 covers all sessions, coffee, lunch, a post-session reception and prize drawing. FFI: 952-829-5937; www.mngero.org

Youth and families Get excited about EX.I.T.E. Camp EXploring Interests in Technology and Engineering or EXCITE Camp is a five-day camp for middle school girls with disabilities. The day camp is free and is held in August at PACER Center in Bloomington. All participants need is transportation and a box lunch each day. Do amazing experiments, make friends that will last a lifetime, discover how science, technology, engineering and math can be cool and exciting. Apply now as space fills quickly.

FFI: Meghan Kunz, 952-838-9000, stc@pacer.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. This spring many workshops are in Greater Minnesota. Advance registration is required for all workshops. Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions catered to their needs. One upcoming workshop for parents is “Work is Possible: Understanding the Emerging Landscape of Employment, 6-9 p.m. Thu, April 23 at PACER Center.

This is for parents of transition-age youth (10th grade and older) with disabilities and will offer information on employment opportunities, services and supports. It is conducted by a partnership of PACER, Minnesota APSE, NAMI Minnesota, Arc Minnesota, Arc Greater Twin Cities, The Autism Society of Minnesota, and Minnesota’s Employment First Coalition.

A workshop series is on life planning for people with disabilities, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tue, April 28 and Thu, May 7 at PACER Center. Plan to attend both and learn about guardianship, power of attorney, probate, trusts and wills. Each family that attends is invited to receive a free, one-hour consultation from Special Needs Planners to discuss how a comprehensive life plan would benefit their family. To register for the workshops, call PACER at 952-838-9000. In Greater Minnesota, call 800-537-2237 (toll free) or visit www.PACER.org

Information and assistance Free eye exams for service animals Ophthalmologists from Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners offer free eye exams for service animals in May. Registration for the free eye exams must be completed

St. Paul’s Hamline University is the host site for the 2015 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, June 19-21. This is the first time the event will be held in Minnesota. It is the selection event for athletes competing at the 2015 Parapan American Games this summer and 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in the fall. International classification will take place from June 17-18.

Hamline University and Meet Minneapolis will cooperatively host the championships with approximately 200 top U.S. athletes expected to compete. Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Maryland), who became the first woman to win an unprecedented six events at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, is anticipated to highlight a talented roster at this year’s trials. McFadden, an 11time Paralympic medalist, set new world records in the 1,500m and 5,000m T54 races and won her secondstraight marathon grand slam in 2014. Potentially joining McFadden at the meet is Raymond Martin (Jersey City, New Jersey), the first man to win five individual titles in

the 2013 world championships. Martin bested his own 200m T52 world record at the 2014 Desert Challenge Games in Mesa, Arizona and took gold in the 100m, 800m and 1500m events at the same meet. Other reigning world champions anticipated to compete at nationals include Richard Browne (Jackson, Mississippi), men’s 100m and 200m T44; Jarryd Wallace (Athens, Georgia), men’s 200m T44; Joshua George (Herndon, Virginia), men’s 800m T53; Jeremy Campbell (Perryton, Texas), men’s discus F44; Lex Gillette (Raleigh, North Carolina), men’s long jump T11; Cassie Mitchell (Atlanta, Georgia), women’s shot put F52/53; Browne, Jerome Singleton (Irmo, South Carolina.), Blake Leeper (Kingsport, Tennessee) and Wallace also won the men’s 4x100m relay T42-46 title. For more information about the event, including tickets, visit www.paralympic.org/

by service animal owners or handlers at ACVOeyeexam. org by April 30. To qualify, animals must be “active working animals” that were certified by a formal training program or organization or are currently enrolled in a formal training program. The certifying organization can be national, regional or local in nature. Once registered online, the owner/agent will receive a registration number and will be allowed access to a list of participating ophthalmologists in their area. Then they may contact a specialist to schedule an appointment. Appointments will take place during the month of May and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. FFI: ACVOeyeexam.org

ings and activities for people with disabilities. MCIL’s new location is at 530 N. Robert Street, St Paul and most activities are there or start there. Classes and events are listed on the website, www.mcil-mn.org Click on “Classes Groups and Sessions” for updated information or to print 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

Hope for Recovery Workshop in St. Paul The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota (NAMI Minnesota) hosts a free, six-hour interactive workshop that provides families and individuals with information on mental illnesses, practical coping strategies, and hope for recovery, at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat, April 18 at Regions Hospital, North Oaks Room, 640 Jackson St., St. Paul, Preregistration needed. FFI: 651-645-2948, namihelps.org Healthy Relationship Project offered The Healthy Relationship Project invites west metro families of children who have or are suspected of having Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to have fun, connect and learn about safe social connections at a three-part event for the entire family. This free event will be at the Northwest YMCA, 7601 42nd Ave. N., New Hope. It will be offered Saturday afternoons, April 18, May 30 and June 27.

Children ages 2 - 7 will participate in structured play through the Special Olympics Young Athletes program. Youth ages 8 - 15 will engage in activities while learning about friendships, safety and bullying. While kids are at play, parents will connect with an experienced parent to share resources, tools and tips for keeping their child safe in the community.

Each session will cover different topics. Families are encouraged to attend all three sessions, but it is not required.

Pre-registration required. The Healthy Relationship Project is a collaboration of The Arc Greater Twin Cities, the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS), the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), Special Olympics Minnesota and the YMCA. FFI: www.arc greatertwincities.org, debreisner@arcgreatertwincities.org 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 those with low vision; card games, craft classes, book clubs, walking groups, dinners out, special outings and technology classes are among the offerings. Participants need to RVSP to participate. FFI: RSVP hotline 612-843-3439; activity phone 612-253-5155, www.visionlossresources.org MCIL offers classes and activities The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) offers many life skills classes as well as fun out-

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. Check the web site for upcoming groups.

Groups meet 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.

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 on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., at Canvas Health, 7066 Stillwater Blvd., Oakdale. FFI: Dan, 651-341-8918. ■

Pg 14 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

Radio Talking Book

April Sampling

New toll-free number for Dial-In News Minnesota’s Dial-In News began in the 1980s, as a way for people to access the local newspapers at any time, via a touch-tone telephone. It is a free service of the Communication Center and State Services for the Blind. Initially, Dial-In News included the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Gradually more news sources were added including the Brainerd Dispatch. Dial-In News now has a toll-free number, 1-844-4963346. The longtime Twin Cities number will remain, at 651-643-3500. To register for Dial-In News, call the Communication Center’s equipment desk at 651-539-2363.

Outside of the Twin Cities, call 1-800-652-9000 and ask for the equipment desk.

Books available through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Call 1-800-722-0550, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The catalog is online at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.

Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs from the previous week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb Call the Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site at http://tinyurl.com/ RadioTalkBook. Audio information about the daily book listings is also on NFB Newslines. Register for NFB Newslines by calling 651-539-1424.

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

Weekend Program Books Several programs air on weekends. Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing Rewire by Richard O’Connor, PhD. For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing The Peculiar, by Stephan Bachmann. Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing The Overhaul, by Kathleen Jamie, and Station Zed, by Tom Sleigh. The U.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing On Stage with Kevin Kling, by Kevin Kling, and Minneapolis Madams, by Penny A. Petersen.

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

The Most Dangerous Book, Nonfiction by Kevin Birmingham, 2014. 19 broadcasts.

Begins April 15. James Joyce’s book, Ulysses, ushered in the modernist era and changed the novel for all time. But for more than a decade, the book literary critics call the most important novel in English was illegal to own, sell, advertise, or purchase in the United States. L - Read by Nancy Bader.

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

Nature’s God, Nonfiction by Matthew Stewart, 2014. 22 broadcasts. Begins April 23.

Derided as infidels and atheists at the time, the radicals who founded America set their sights on a revolution of the mind. They wanted to liberate us not just from one king, but from the tyranny of supernatural religion. The ideas that inspired them weren’t British nor Christian, but largely ancient, pagan and continental. Read by Stevie Ray.

Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

Butternut Summer, Fiction by Mary McNear, 2014. 11 broadcasts. Begins April 21.

When Caroline’s ex, Jack, comes to town, her life is turned upside down. He seems changed and determined to make amends. But can she trust that? Or is he the same charming but irresponsible man of eighteen years before? Read by Carol Lewis.

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

Where Nobody Knows Your Name, Nonfiction by John Feinstein, 2014. 12 broadcasts. Begins April 27. Baseball’s minor leagues are both a launching pad for careers, and a crash-pad for stars that have fallen. It is a gritty, no-frills, high-stakes world that is the proving ground of America’s national pastime. Read by Phil Rosenbaum.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

A God in Every Stone, Fiction by Kamila Shamsie, 2014. 12 broadcasts. Begins April 20. In the summer of 1914, Vivian Rose Spencer joins a dig in Turkey and falls in love with archaeologist Tahsin Bey. The outbreak of war brings her adventure to an end and turns her friends into her nation’s enemies, and begins a new adventure for her lasting many years. Read by Kathy Stults.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Silent Revolution, Nonfiction by Barry Rubin, 2014. 12 broadcasts. Begins April 27. Over the past fifty years, an ideological revolution created a brand of radical leftism that now dominates the liberal movement in the U.S. It culminated in 2008, when Americans elected the most radical left-wing government in the nation’s history. Read by John Gunter.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

Stone Cold, Fiction by C.J. Box, 2014. 13 broadcasts. Begins April 15. Everything about the man is a mystery: the massive ranch in the remote Black Hills that nobody ever visits, the women who live with him, the secret philanthropies, the private airstrip, the sudden disappearances. And especially the rumors that the man’s wealth comes from killing people. L - Read by Neil Bright.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Twenty Poems That Could Save America, Nonfiction by Tony Hoagland, 2014.

Seven broadcasts. Begins April 14. One of the country’s most provocative poets, Tony Hoagland’s essays always unravel fresh dimensions of the craft of poetry. In Twenty Poems That Could Save America, he presses for a serious conversation about the role of poetry in contemporary culture. Read by June Prange.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Glorious, Fiction by Jeff Guinn, 2014. 15 broadcasts. Begins April 13. When tragedy destroys Cash’s options for financial security, he leaves St. Louis, ending up in a mining town named Glorious. There he discovers a new way of life at the edge of the frontier. But he can’t outrun his past forever. L, S - Read by Jack Rossmann.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

The Secrets of Life and Death, Fiction by Rebecca Alexander, 2014. 12 broadcasts. Begins April 21. Jackdaw Hammond would be dead if it weren’t for the symbols on her skin. Now someone is hunting her, determined to get that ancient magic. But the answer is in a diary that is hundreds of years old. Read by Michele Potts. ■ Abbreviations: V - violence, L – offensive language, S - sexual situations

Section 8 Waiting List Boardwalk Apartments in Wayzata, MN is always accepting applications for our Section 8 waiting list.

Please call 952-473-0502 or send email to: boardwalk@metesbounds.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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. One- and 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 onebedroom 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.

Find your new home with At Home Apartments. Call 651-224-1234 or visit AtHomeApartments.com for an apartment or town home. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Stonehouse Square Apartments We are accepting applications for the waiting list for one-bedroom wheelchair accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized.

Convenient NE Minneapolis location. FMI: 612-378-3945. Equal Opportunity Housing.

April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4 Pg 15

Interact - from p. 1

Performing arts are a hit at Interact.

semble-generated work. The artists start with improvisation, trial and error. Even within that final form, every performance is slightly different – keeping the work fresh and alive.

Calvit and the other staff are excited about their new space in the Midway neighborhood. While they miss the “buzz” of downtown Minneapolis, the tradeoff has been well worth it. The search for this space was difficult but, according to Calvit, “we knew we would thrive here as soon as saw it.” The many amenities include larger classrooms, huge windows, a community/lunch room, storage space, free parking and, best of all, everything is on one level.

Interact has two components: performing and visual arts. The performing arts department puts on two full shows annually, with opportunities for all involved to sing, dance, act and create with a conta-

gious spirit of joy. This year’s spring show, called “Fool’s Cap World Map,” will run April 23 - May 16.

As in every show, the performing arts staff (all of whom are practicing artists themselves) will perform alongside Interact artists, showcasing the organization’s mission of radical inclusion.

The visual arts department recently moved into its new space with ease. On any given day, there are between 30-35 artists seated at tables painting, drawing, working with clay, weaving and making jewelry. The four staff members, led by studio and gallery manager Kathleen Richert, offer suggestions when asked, pulling from their own professional disciplines. The studio artists have two gallery shows each year and their hand-crafted artwork is available for purchase in the Interact Gallery during regular hours of operation.

Lori Leavitt, director of marketing and communications, is quick to point out that Interact is not an art school, but is a base for creating art on a professional level. All performing and visual artists are paid for their performance time or sale of their work through the Interact Gallery and private commissions. This model goes a long way toward giving artists with disabilities a sense of identity and stronger self-confidence. While artists do not need to have previous training in the arts to join Interact, they do need to have a professional work ethic and an earnest desire to work and live as an artist.

“Our goal is that each client feels happy, healthy and fulfilled as an artist and as a human being,” Leavitt said about the expectations of Interact artists.

Each of Interact’s 115 artists is paired with an artist mentor in their area of performing or visual arts – one of the professional artists they work with who sees them

every day they’re there. In addition, each artist has a client care coordinator who serves as their case manager.

“Clients and staff alike come here and stay for a very long time,” Calvit said.

Karen Prince, client care coordinator for performing arts, has a rich background in social services and theatre.

When she takes off her case manager hat, she works on every show backstage. “There’s a whole lot of choreography going on back there too: the timing of props and costume changes, helping people to get in their places on cue,” she said. “It’s an exciting place to be.”

The new building offers ample space for artists.

Photos by of Margie O'Loughlin

The only requirements for placement at Interact are to fit somewhere in the spectrum of disabilities, be over 18 years old, have an interest in the arts and be willing to do your best work. If you or someone you know would like to explore the options for adult day placement at Interact, call 651-209-3575 to arrange an “experience day.” ■ (A version of this article recently appeared in the Midway-Como Monitor newspaper.)

————— In Memoriam —————

Kramer reached out to educate others

Educator Bruce Kramer, who chronicled his life with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a blog, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) series and in his memoir, We Know How This Ends: Living While Dying, died March 23 at his home in Hopkins. He was 59 years old.

Bruce Kramer Kramer died just days before a packed house attended the launch event for his book, which he wrote with MPR “Morning Edition” host Cathy Wurzer. The book describes Kramer’s life with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, and how he learned to live fully despite life changes and loss.

Kramer, a faculty member at University of St. Thomas (UST) since 1996, most recently served as dean of St. Thomas’ College of Education, Leadership and Counseling. He took a leave of absence in October 2012, almost two years after his ALS was diagnosed.

Accessible Fun - from p. 12 Interact’s new location. Contains mature themes and language. The 11:30 a.m. Wed, April 29 performance is specifically for the disability community. To use the Dis/Cover $5 ticket price for this performance, contact carley@inter actcenter.com ASL shows are 7 p.m. Fri, May 1 and Wed, May 6. Tickets regularly $20, Wed shows are reduced to $5 for everyone. Dis/Cover the Arts $5 tickets, plus a $2.50 transportation subsidy, available to people with disabilities plus one companion per person. At the performance, tell the box office the name of your transportation provider to receive $2.50 reimbursement. Tickets are limited, so reservations are encouraged. FFI: Brown Paper Tickets, 800-838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1322309 Select DIS/Cover ticket price option. Interact info: 651-209-3575. www.interactcenter.com

Open Flow Forum The Artists with Disabilities Alliance and supporters gather on the first Thu of each month for a free opportunity to share visual art, writing, music, theatre and other artistic efforts with each other in an informal, fragrancefree setting, at Carleton Artists’ Lofts community room, 2285 University Ave. W., St. Paul. Refreshments served.

Enter on the north side of the building (not the light rail side). The meeting room is directly opposite the security entrance. Facilitators are Pamela Veeder, Mike Price

“On behalf of the St. Thomas community, I want to offer our condolences to Bruce’s family,” UST President Julie Sullivan said. “Bruce was an exceptional faculty member and dean, and the lessons he taught us in how to handle a terminal illness with perseverance, wisdom and grace will long serve as an inspiration to all of us.”

Kramer’s Dis Ease Diary was his blog. He and his wife Evelyn shared thoughts about life with ALS and disability. The blog was meant to teach about ALS and share the emotions about the life changes he and his family faced. “By focusing on Dis Ease, and the disease of ALS,” he told St. Thomas magazine, “it would be very easy for the reader to say, ‘Poor bastard, there but by the grace of God go I.’ Well, you’re there, too – you’re just not (dying) as quickly as I am.

Maybe I can offer you some insights as I deal with these things.”

In the first of his 117 blog posts, Kramer wrote, “The idea here is that, even as the motor neurons come unconnected, the love, life, light and joy in all of us, even in the darkest times, becomes unified. I

and Dan Reiva. Upcoming gatherings are 7-9 p.m. May 7 and June 4. Ask about accommodations. FFI: Jon, 612-332-3888 or jon@vsamn.org, www.carletonartist lofts.com/ or http://vsamn.org/artists-disabilities/

Tony Pappas art show Tony Pappas, who has been in Ally People Solutions’ Artful Employment Project in 2014, has painted and drawn since he was three years old. He is currently exploring his medium more deeply. His exhibit is part of a rotating series of exhibits coordinated by VSA Minnesota and is hosted by Vision Loss Resources, 1936 Lyndale Ave. S. (at Franklin), Mpls. The exhibit is free and will be on display through April, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon through Fri. FFI: 612-871-2222; 612-332-3888, http://tinyurl.com/n8p2tdz

ANCIA Saxophone Quartet ANCIA Saxophone Quarter has two upcoming shows, at 7:30 p.m. Sat, May 9 at Studio Z, 275 E. 4th St. Suite 200, St. Paul and 4 p.m. Sun, May 10 at the Weisman Art Museum, 333 E River Parkway, Mpls, on Sun, May 10 at music at, on May 9 at 7:30 p.m. Enjoy contemporary music by the nationally-known group, in accessible settings. Large-print programs available. The Weisman show is free. For the St. Paul show, tickets are $5 in advance and students, $10 at the door. Ask about free tickets for patrons on SSI, SSDI or other assistance programs. FFI: www.studiozstpaul.com/

admit this is very selfish, for I find that in the notes, letters, cards and just chance meetings since my diagnosis, I am strengthened and energized for the days ahead. That is what love can do for us.”

He also worked with the ALS Center of Excellence at Hennepin County Medical Center on classes and information to help people with ALS and their families. He spoke about ALS at events. Kramer also participated, via Skype, in an ALS ice bucket challenge in September 2014. That event involved more than 200 UST students, staff and facility.

Kramer was a native of Missouri and began his career as a high school music teacher. He and his family lived all over the world before he came to the Twin Cities in 1996. He was highly regarded at St. Thomas, winning its 2011 Diversity Leadership Award for his efforts to recruit faculty and students of color.

Kramer is survived by his wife Evelyn, two sons and many other family members and friends. A memorial service is 10:30 a.m. April 11 at Christ Presbyterian Church, 6901 Normandale Road, Edina. ■

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 800-8013883 (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 ■

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Pg 16 April 10, 2015 Volume 26, Number 4

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