July 2016 Edition - Access Press

All-Stars, Pg 15

Volume 27, Number 7

www.accesspress.org

Deadline draws near Weigh in Worthy nominees are sought on new federal rule for 2016 Charlie Smith Award Minnesotans with disabilities, their family members and caregivers are urged to weigh in on a new federal rule for home and community-based services. This is an opportunity to provide feedback about choice, community integration and employment.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is hosting several meetings around the state to seek comments from people receiving services through the Brain Injury, Community Alternative Care, Community Access for Disability Inclusion and Developmental Disability waivers.

“We want to hear about individuals’ experiences in receiving services in their homes and elsewhere in the community,” said DHS Commissioner Emily Piper.

“We want to learn what it means to people with disabilities to be part of a community, to have meaningful relationships and to have the freedom to make choices.”

The federal government is allowing states until March 17, 2019, to come into full New disability rule - p. 4

July 10, 2016 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities. MN Permit No. 4766 Address Service Requested

by Access Press staff

Time is running out to honor Minnesotans and Minnesota organizations that provide outstanding service to the state’s disability community. Deadline for nominations for the 2016 Access Press Charlie Smith Award is 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 15. The newspaper’s board of directors is waiting for the nominations to start rolling in.

This year’s award will be presented Friday, November 4 at the newspaper’s annual banquet in Bloomington. Please save the date. The event has moved to a new, larger location, DoubleTree by Hilton, 7800 Normandale Blvd.

Information on the award can be found at www.accesspress.org under the “Charlie Awards” tab. Email access@accesspress.

Five years ago Jeff Bangsberg was the winner of the org for a form or call 651-644-2133 for as- Access Press Charlie Smith Award. Bangsberg is shown sistance. If assistance or accommodations here with his wife Anita Boucher.

File photo are needed to submit an award nomination, Access Press staff is glad to provide help. ago, Bangsberg cited the importance of the The Charlie Smith Award is named honor. He and Smith worked together on the in honor of the late Charlie Smith Jr., Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with founding editor of Access Press. He was a Disabilities (MA-EPD) program. well-known Minnesota disability rights advo“I view this award as a legacy for the things I cate and founded the paper as a way to prowas fortunate to be part of, from the days when vide information and organize the community I first became involved in Project Mobility; the around key issues. He was well-known for his days in the late 1970s when the personal care tenacious spirit, yet he was also someone who assistance program began; when I had the opquietly reached out to and helped people with portunity to chair the State Rehabilitation disabilities.

Council; and contracting with the Minnesota Many deserving Minnesotans have received Department of Health in evaluating health care the award. One is activist Jeff Bangsberg, homes as a consumer representative.” who won in 2011. In his speech five years Nominees sought - p. 3

Olmstead amendments address two areas

“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.”

— Vince Lombardi

NEWS DIGEST

Years of fundraising end with playground’s debut.

Page 15 What can we do that will make a difference?

Page 2 A court case, committee work and communications helped people find a place in the community.

Page 5

by Access Press staff

U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank, shown here at an ACT event, just issued an order on the Olmstead Plan.

File photo

Many proposals to address abuse and neglect, and provide more access to assistive technology, are included in the latest update to the state’s Olmstead Plan. U.S. District County Judge Donovan Frank issued his latest order on the plan June 21, in response to a June 6 biannual status conference. Frank approved the plan updates in the two areas, and also gave approval to reporting deadlines, approval of Olmstead Subcabinet goals and other technical measures.

Every state is required to have an Olmstead Plan, which outlines ways to full integrate people with disabilities into the community.

Minnesota’s current version of the plan has been in the works for almost five years, under the direction of the Olmstead Subcabinet appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton.

The conference was held for the court to hear updates on the plan, as well as its comprehensive plan of action and on the Jensen settlement agreement. The latter is a legal settlement ordered in response to alleged mistreatment of residents of the now-closed Minnesota Extended Treatment Options facility in Cambridge.

Frank’s order shows mixed reactions to Olmstead amendments - p. 3

Pull out and save our Directory of Organizations, and use it as a resource.

Pages 7-10 Attend the ADA anniversary celebration.

Page 12

INSIDE Around the Dial, pg 14 Enjoy!, pg 12 Events, pg 11 People & Places, pg 13 Radio Talking Book, pg 14 Regional News, pg 6

Pg 2 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

EDITOR’S DESK

Tim Benjamin This month I have two things to talk about. One is not surprising: a livable wage for personal care attendants. The other is related and timely: the celebration of the ADA’s anniversary.

America’s Independence Day has just passed. I value my country’s democratic freedoms, and the Fourth of July always provides a good reminder not to take them for granted. But the independence at the top of my list of concerns is the personal independence of people with disabilities. Many of us are wondering about our independence and whether or not we will be independent tomorrow, next week or next month. How long will we be living independently in our communities?

Independence Day commemorates the Declaration of Independence, and all that it says about our country’s valuing of human freedom. Many great philosophers, a few of them my favorites, wrote about ways to maintain civic independence years before the Declaration of Independence was written. Thomas Hobbes (1588– 1679), John Locke (1632– 1704) and Jean-Jacques

We deserve better

independence, requires society to understand our interdependence. The social contract is all about interdependence. For each of us to prosper we need caregivers; caregivers need jobs caring for us—and they need a livable wage. Our state healthcare systems are intended to join together people with disabilities and senior citizens with individuals who have the compassion, skills and the desire to help people. At a minimum, they do this to keep people out of costly institutional settings like hospitals and nursing homes. Well-trained PCAs can also keep us out of hospitals and prevent long-term and extremely expensive health conditions like pressure sores, pneumonia, bladder and kidney infections.

It’s likely that with good care we also use fewer medications for infections, stress and anxiety.

For the 25 years since the ADA was enacted, we have been fighting for fair wages for our caregivers. With attractive salaries, we can get reliability, stability and continuity; and with quality training, we can increase the professional competence of caregivers. Access Press was founded in 1991, and some of our first issues included articles about PCAs earning a livable wage with good work incentives. The state’s assistance program has never offered a livable wage. The government needs to step up and figure out a way to pay these incredible caregivers a livable wage, possibly on a ladder of skills that would offer more wages

PCAs

need support!

Watch this space

sustainability and their ability to employ good permanent caregivers. We have to organize. There are Facebook pages: one is PCA Connection Minnesota. It was set up for PCAs , PCA clients, and direct support providers. Join that group and help organize others.

Even while all of this is necessary, every one of these tactics has been used before. How can we put down our proverbial foot to make a statement that we are in a serious predicament and need our government’s help, now? Do we stand on the street stating our requests or demands? Do we need to gather at the capitol and park our wheelchairs on the front lawn, or in front of DHS? Should we park our wheelchairs in front of the governor’s mansion? Some of the actions used in the civil rights movement of the early 1960s were also useful in the disability rights movement that began in the 1970s. People with disabilities set a record for the longest sit-in in U.S. history when Judy Heumann led demonstrators for 28 days in the Federal Building in San Francisco, which led to passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A year later, Rev. Wade Blank and Mike Auberger in Colorado, along with 17 other people with disabilities, blocked Denver public transportation buses chanting “We Will Ride!” to make public transportation accessible. In 1988 at Gallaudet University students held a weeklong protest, the “Deaf President Now” protest. Also in 1988 in a one-man protest, Paul Long-more, an author and disability historian, burned a copy of his book because he

No cuts to services

We demand answers now!

Rousseau (1712–1778) talked, debated and wrote about the social contract. The idea is that we have to voluntarily give up some rights or natural freedoms to obtain protections by the government from crime and mistreatment in our society. The social contract limits our freedoms (we can’t, for instance, enslave others) and asks us to give up a portion of our income or wealth to support the government. In turn, the government makes and enforces laws to maintain our protections from victimization, neglect, theft, sexual assault or any vital threats to our independence. The government also commits to helping us achieve our common goals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Like most members of society, for me to pursue happiness I have to get out of bed in the morning and contribute to my family and community. But I cannot get out of bed without the help of society in the form of PCAs. As American citizens, people with disabilities have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The government must assure all people that they can enjoy these rights.

Our goal, guaranteed since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, has been independence and inclusion. As I’ve written before, for us to enjoy Volume 27, Number 7 Co-Founder/Publisher Wm. A. Smith, Jr. (1990-1996) Co-Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Charles F. Smith (1990-2001)

Advertising Sales Michelle Hegarty 612-807-1078 Executive Director Tim Benjamin

the higher up you go on that scale. These workers should get health insurance through the state like other state employees. We have to make personal care attendant a profession and not just an entrylevel, low-paying job in which very few people will make a career.

I’ve gotten several phone calls over the last couple months about my columns, asking what people could do to help with the emergency in the disability community. Unfortunately, I don’t know the single best way! I know we’ve spent too much time and energy to give up now. We have to continue contacting our legislators; we have to request meetings with the governor; we have to continue writing our stories and sending the stories to policy-makers, to Access Press and to the advocacy organizations that we most identify with. Ask your care-provider agency to get involved; it’s their livelihood, too. Ask your company’s owner to contact their legislators concerning the reimbursement rate for home- and community-based services, and to write stories about how the reimbursement rate affects their Periodicals Imprint: Pending ISSN Business Manager/Webmaster Dawn Frederick Cartoonist Scott Adams

Board of Directors Production Brigid Alseth, Steve Anderson, John Clark, Managing Editor Ellen Houghton with Presentation Images Kristin Jorenby, Halle O'Falvey, Jane McClure Distribution Carrie Salberg, Cheryl Vander Linden and S. C. Distribution Mark Zangara Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material and advertising do not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press.

Paid advertising is available at rates ranging from $12 to $28 per column inch, depending on size and frequency of run. Classified ads are $14, plus 65 cents per word over 12 words. News, display advertising and classified advertising deadline is routinely the 25th of the month. When the 25th falls on a weekend, deadline is the next Monday.

Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons with disabilities by Access Press, Ltd. Circulation is 11,000, distributed the 10th of each month through more than 200 locations statewide. Approximately 450 copies are mailed directly to individuals, including political, business, institutional and civic leaders. Subscriptions are available for $30/yr. Low-income, student and bulk subscriptions are available at discounted rates.

Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at the St. Paul, MN 55121 facility. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Access Press at 161 St. Anthony Ave, Suite 901, St. Paul, MN 55103.

Inquiries and address changes should be directed to: Access Press; % The Capitol Ridge Inn Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; 651-644-2133; Fax: 651-644-2136; email: access@accesspress.org www.accesspress.org

could not receive payments without losing his benefits. More recently, in 2005, advocates with disabilities held a protest in the Tennessee governor’s office that lasted 75 days (replacing the record of the HEW take over in 1977), over the massive cuts to the state Medicaid system, Tenn-Care.

These actions worked. What does that tell us?

The ADA anniversary celebration is July 26. For my generation, it’s hard to believe it was 26 years ago that we watched the ADA being signed by President George H.W. Bush with Justin Dart and Evan Kamp sitting next to him, acknowledged by Bush as guiding him to make that day a reality. The ADA has five sections or titles, and every one of them describes key provisions of the social contract. If you haven’t read them lately, take a look. These are our rights: non-discrimination and accessibility in 1) employment; 2) public transportation and housing, 3) public accommodations and commercial facilities; 4) telecommunications; and 5) miscellaneous other areas, including the prohibition of retaliation.

See you at the Minnesota History Center on the 26th for the ADA celebration. Don’t forget to say hi! ■

July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

Nominees sought - from p. 1 “I remember when I dipped my toe into public policy the first time. Tom Haben and I would go down to the capitol to speak with legislators. I can’t even begin to tell you how scared we were. It was an intimidating experience! We would sit outside of their offices for what seemed to be hours. One day, Jim Ramstad, who was our state senator at the time, took the two of us into his office, sat us down and role- played with us until we felt comfortable. Then, he literally walked us to one of his colleagues’ offices and said, “Senator, these two gentleman would like to talk to you.” Well, there we were …”

Many people like Bangsberg and Smith are working in our community every day, to make life better. Organizations are doing this unsung work as well. The Charlie Smith Award is a chance to celebrate accomplishments. Nominees are needed to continue the award’s legacy.

Deaf community advocate Jessalyn Akerman-Frank was the 2015 award winner.

Past award winners are: 2014: Christine Marble & Wendy Devore, CareerVentures 2013: Cal Appleby, Augsburg College 2012: Charles “Chuck” Van Heuveln, St. Paul School District 2011: Jeff Bangsberg, MN Department of Health 2010: Steve Kuntz, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) 2009: Anne Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center 2008: Pete Feigal, Co-Founder of Tilting at Windmills 2007: Jim and Claudia Carlisle, People Enhancing People 2006: John Smith, University of Minnesota Olmstead amendments - from p. 1 progress on the measures, with the go-ahead to make changes to reporting deadlines and the subcabinet’s goal adoption deadlines. The judge is prodding for more work in some areas and for the status quo in other areas.

On the June plan updates, Frank wrote, “The Court is grateful to all those involved for diligently working to craft the plan and the initial goals that address the critical topics of assistive technology and prevention of abuse and neglect.

Assistive technology is an essential resource for ensuring that individuals with disabilities can live fully integrated lives within their communities, and successful integration of individuals with disabilities requires, above all that such individuals be protected from all forms of abuse and neglect.”

“These topics are essential for the state to responsibly ensure that the Olmstead Plan achieves its laudable purpose. With its new goals and strategies on these topics, the Subcabinet and DHS’s commitment to continued improvement in verification, and the continued amendment process built into the plan, the Court is hopeful that the updated Olmstead Plan will result in measurable improvements in the lives of individuals with disabilities throughout the state.” The two topic areas were set aside for more work last year, when the plan went for a court approval.

The 154-page plan now contains numerous measures, goals and timelines to address the abuse and neglect prevention concerns, as well as improving access to assistive technology. Changes drew on public comments as well as work by the Olmstead Subcabinet, a group with representatives from every state department. Five people commented at a public hearing this spring and another 25 submitted written comments. One complaint was that the comment period, of only a few days, was too short.

One of many ambitious goals tied to preventing abuse and neglect must be met

by September 30. By that date the Olmstead Subcabinet will approve a comprehensive abuse and neglect prevention plan, designed to educate people with disabilities and their families and guardians, all mandated reporters, and the general public on how to identify, report and prevent abuse of people with disabilities.

This plan will contain several elections, including information and training on the use of the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center. Recommendations regarding a “Stop Abuse” campaign and proposals regarding the feasibility for creating a system for reporting abuse of children are part of the plan. Another part of this plan calls for analysis of data to develop materials for public awareness and targeted prevention activities and a timetable for implementation of each element of the abuse prevention plan. Recommendations for developing common definitions and metrics related to maltreatment annual goals will be established based on the timetable set forth in the abuse prevention plan.

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Pg 3

2005: Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) 2004: Rick Cardenas, Co-Director of Advocating Change Together (ACT) 2003: Margot Imdieke Cross, Minnesota State Council on Disability The award winner is chosen by the newspaper’s board. The winner and finalists will be featured in the September issue of Access Press.

Any individual or group in Minnesota playing a role in Minnesota’s disability community is eligible for nomination. Provide as much information as possible about a nominee. That information is used by the newspaper board to evaluate the nominees. Links to newspaper, magazine or online articles, or television news stories are welcome.

People cannot nominate themselves.

Past nominees can be nominated again, but there are rules for repeat nominations. A person or organization can be nominated for two consecutive years, but has to wait one year before being nominated again. If there is a repeat nomination, a new person or group must make the nomination the second year.

Please send a high-resolution digital photo or an actual photo of the nominee.

Otherwise, be prepared to tell the editors where a high-resolution photo can be obtained. Pictures will be returned on request.

Completed nominations, with photos can be sent via email to CSAnominations@ accesspress.org, via fax to (651) 644-2136, or mail to Access Press, c/o Charlie Smith Award Committee, 161 St. Anthony Avenue #910; St. Paul, MN 55103.

The winner is the guest of honor at the annual award banquet. Guests enjoy a delicious meal, a fun silent auction and “pick your prize” raffle, speeches and time to socialize with friends. Family members and friends of the honoree are encouraged to attend. ■ Another goal, by January 31, 2020, is to decrease by 50 percent the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations of vulnerable adults due to abuse and neglect. This goal includes shorter-term goals to set a baseline and work gradually toward a reduction. Similar timelines are set to reduce repeated incidents of neglect or abuse, and to reduce incidents in schools identified to have had three or more investigations of alleged maltreatment of a student with a disability within the three preceding years One key change for assistive technology is a goal that by June 30, 2020, 80 percent of students in 31 target school districts will meet required protocols for effective consideration of assistive technology in the student’s individualized education program (IEP). Protocols will be based upon the “Special factors” requirement as described in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004.

The plan also contains shorter-term goals for assistive technology, for Minnesotans of all ages, in education, workplaces, homes and community settings. A key to improving access to assistive technology is to work closely through person-centered planning and transition services.

To see documents related to the Olmstead plan, go to http://tinyurl.com/n2b49pq ■

Pg 4 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

FROM OUR COMMUNITY Reform actions bring equity, access for people with disabilities

by Alexandra Bartolic

We at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recognize that all of us—individuals, families, providers, lead agencies, state workers, other stakeholders—are in the midst of significant change with many reform initiatives underway simultaneously. An opinion piece titled “Actions create the Perfect Storm” in the May issue of Access Press provides an opportunity to remind people of the benefits of two reform projects the article mentions: the new Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) and Rule 245D. These are critical system improvements intended to help individuals and ensure ongoing access to necessary services.

Regarding DWRS, in 2007 the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services directed Minnesota to replace its county-negotiated rate system with a statewide rate methodology. Failure to do so would risk access to nearly $3 billion in the home- and community-based services for about 30,000 Minnesotans.

Before implementation of the DWRS, lead agencies and service providers contracted for home- and community-based services for people with disabilities.

These contracts resulted in disparities across the state. Often, providers received the same negotiated rate for all individuals regardless of service needs, or, in other cases, wide variation in rates for services for people with similar needs. Contracts frequently contained varying guidelines for provider qualifications and standards.

With the implementation of DWRS in 2014, DHS established consistent, transparent statewide rate methodologies based on the needs of individuals.

Implementation of DWRS also satisfied federal requirements and assured continued access to critical home- and community-based waiver supports for Minnesotans.

Some themes in the May article call for additional background and clarification: • DWRS provides assurance that rates will keep pace with inflation. Updates will be based on values from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Price Index. Price rate updates will keep pace with inflation on a transparent schedule. The first adjustment is expected to take place on January 1, 2017.

• DWRS implementation will not reduce total spending on disability waiver services. Rather, we project that full implementation will result in a modest increase in statewide expenditures. Implementation

was to be cost neutral overall, which was why a transition period to give providers time to plan and adjust to future rate was authorized by the legislature.

• We have worked intensively with provider agencies since 2009 to document cost drivers that affect spending. We’ve used that information to establish standard cost framework publicly in the statute.

Overall the rate changes must balance each other, so that the net changes are financially cost neutral.

For some services and providers, the cost-driver documentation results in rate increases. For others, including many day training and habilitation (DTH) providers, the documentation does not support historical standards. Despite the overall reduction for DTH as a service category, rate increases are projected for about 33 percent of DTH providers whose rates were low historically.

• We welcome input on these methodologies. We have committed extraordinary resources over the past seven years to identify and refine the values that make up the framework. Beginning in 2009 work groups of service providers, advocates and lead agency representatives were actively engaged in this process, resulting in passage of enabling legislation in 2013. We continue to meet monthly with a stakeholder advisory committee to identify improvements and address concerns. We continue to conduct intensive research and analysis to assure that DWRS methodologies are sound, valid, and that changes proposed to the legislature where needed. We have expanded evaluation to provide a regional rate variance adjustment introduced earlier this year and to analyze “non-wage costs” to further inform and refine DWRS. • DHS shares concerns about a workforce crisis and recognizes that the labor force is not growing at the rate needed to meet rising demand. We are working New disability rule - from p. 1 compliance with the rule. All states, including Minnesota, submitted a transition plan to the federal government and are working to refine and agree to steps in the plan. The current version of Minnesota’s transition plan, as well as other information, can be found on the DHS website.

The Home and Community-Based Services Rule states that people receiving publicly paid long-term services and supports should be treated with respect; have the opportunity to be involved in the community, including living and working in integrated settings and coming and going where and when they want; and have enough information to make choices about their services and decisions about how, when and where they get those services.

The meetings are also a chance to offer feedback on standards for the new Home and Community-Based Services Rule. Anyone wanting to learn what the new rule means is also urged to attend. Meetings are planned into August.

To help DHS in planning, anyone planning to attend a meeting or meetings can email

with our partners and stakeholders on a Direct Care/ Support Workforce Summit this summer to explore innovative solutions and inform strategies moving forward.

• Gov. Mark Dayton proposed, but the 2016 legislature did not adopt provisions to address providers’ Alexandra Bartolic additional expenses resulting from the federal Department of Labor new regulation on staff compensation for overtime and travel costs.

• Legislation regarding licensing fees was proposed this year but not adopted. Licensing costs are a consideration in ongoing research we will conduct as part of the DWRS system analysis.

We are actively seeking and welcome any suggestions from any of our stakeholders during this time when many changes are converging. However, we may not be able to support ideas that jeopardize federal funding for home- and community-based services. DHS has an extensive analysis and reporting process outlined in the statute to ensure individuals continue to receive services. We also continue to be committed to a transparent process, sharing information and working with stakeholders throughout the implementation of initiatives and legislative changes.

■ Alexandra Bartolic is director of the Disability Services Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services.

HCBS.Settings@state.mn.us or call the DHS Disability Services Division Response Center at 651-4314300. Attendees should provide their names and the time, date and place of the meeting they’d like to attend. Anyone needing a reasonable accommodation can also use the email address or phone number to make such a request.

Anyone also wanting to read the state plans and other documentation of the federal rule transition process may go to http://tinyurl.com/HCBSMeetings Meetings kick off 10 a.m. to noon Friday, July 15 at Brooklyn Park Library, 8500 W. Broadway Ave., Brooklyn Park. Two meetings will be held Tuesday, July 19 at Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis. Meetings are 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in the library’s Mark E. Johnson Conference Room N-202 Brainerd area residents can go to the Brainerd Library, 416 S. 5th St., Brainerd, on Monday, July 25.

Meetings are 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the library conference room.

The Roseville Branch of Ramsey County Library hosts two meetings 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 28. The library is at 2180 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville. Go to the Community Room on the west side of the building.

The final Twin Cities area meeting is 10 a.m. to noon Monday, August 1 at the Ethel Barry Room, Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave. S., Edina.

Remaining meetings are in Greater Minnesota.

Bemidji area residents can attend one of two meetings Monday, August 8 at the Bemidji Library, 509 America Ave. N.W., Bemidji. Meetings are 2-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.

Duluth Library, Gold Room, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, hosts one meeting 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, August 12. Moorhead Library, 118 5th St, S., Moorhead, hosts two meetings Monday, August 15.

Meetings are 2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.

The final meeting is at the Rochester Public Utilities Building, Conference Room, 4000 E. River Road N.E., Rochester. That meeting is 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, August 17. ■ Minnesota DHS provided information for this article.

July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

Pg 5

HISTORY NOTE

Court case, CAIR, communication led to inclusion The following is excerpted from the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (MNCDD) series, Forty-Five Years of History 19712016. This month is a look the move toward community integration.

By the early 1970s laws and programs were in place to ensure that people with developmental disabilities received the same protections and rights as all citizens.

MNCDD, aided by a major court case and other measures, would make strides in the 1970s and 1980s to integrate people into daily community life.

In August 1972 Richard Welsch filed a complaint in federal court against the Minnesota Department of Public Welfare. Welsch’s daughter was a resident at Cambridge State Hospital. The complaint alleged that the poor physical conditions of the institution as well as the inadequate care and treatment of the residents failed to meet constitutional standards of due process.

U.S. District Court Judge Earl R. Larson ruled on the Welsch family’s behalf in February 1974. In his ruling Larson stated that “The evidence is overwhelming and convincing that a program of habilitation can work to improve the lives of Cambridge residents … Everyone, no matter the degree or severity of (their condition), is capable of growth and development if given adequate and suitable treatment.”

The case went back to court in 1980. The Welsch Consent Decree called for a decrease in the number of people in institutions by 1987 and continued improvement of conditions in regional centers. One of its far-reaching recommended centered on the determination of the future role of state hospitals. That included a phase-out schedule for use of buildings. Issues dealing with services and support programs for deinstitutionalization were addressed.

Another effort to transition people back into the community was Community Alternatives and Institutional Reform or CAIR, in the mid-1970s. Statewide planning efforts and a task force study focused on developing an individual-centered process to determine the needs of residents in state-operated facilities and service planning based on these needs.

Communication was the third piece. In 1976 the state council approved a grant proposal from Minneapolis Legal Aid Society, “… to provide comprehensive legal services and training throughout the state for persons with developmental disabilities.” The project funded two lawyers and two paralegals who worked on the Welsch case, a guardianship bill, a zoning bill for new group homes and other legal issues. A connection was established with the University of Minnesota Law School and advocates received training. An updated manual, Legal Rights of Developmental Disabled Citizens: An Advocacy Manual for Minnesota, included a guide for lay advocates,

overview of rights and enforcement procedures for persons with developmental disabilities, and “… a list of services, agencies, legal aid societies, day activity centers and state [institution] advocacy services.”

An early priority of the council was focused upon improving public perceptions and attitudes about the potential and abilities of people with disabilities. Initial grants supported positive public information messages about citizens with disabilities. This included expanded early support to several self-advocacy organizations. A public information committee led this work.

The court case and key projects helped more people

with developmental disabilities closer to inclusion and independent lives in the community. ■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mnddc.org or www.mncdd.org Judge Earl R. Larson and www.partnersinpolicy making.com

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Hospitals make plans for shorter-term housing

REGIONAL NEWS Help stop abuse of vulnerable adults Minnesotans are reminded that they can make the difference in stopping maltreatment of vulnerable adults. Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper launched a public awareness campaign promoting the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center, the state’s single toll-free hotline to report suspected maltreatment of vulnerable adults, including older adults and individuals with disabilities. The new center consolidates 169 county phone numbers into one toll-free number, 1-844-880-1574, that Minnesotans can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to report abuse.

“This single statewide hotline serves as an important line of defense against the abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of some of our most vulnerable neighbors, friends, and family members,” said Piper.

The public awareness campaign, “The Power of Could,” publicizes the hotline by depicting signs of possible maltreatment, prompting questions of whether the situation “could be nothing” or “could be maltreatment,” and highlighting how reporting abuse could make a big difference for a vulnerable adult.

Radio ads, videos, social media and print materials will carry the message. Examples are on the Adult Protection resources page.

“Older adults and people with disabilities are at a higher risk of abuse than the general adult population, and maltreatment of these individuals is underreported,” Piper said. “Data collected by the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center over time will help focus future prevention efforts to improve safety and quality of life for people with disabilities and older adults.” ■ (Source: Minnesota DHS)

Three of Minnesota’s largest hospitals are helping adults with psychiatric illnesses find short-term housing, after staff became frustrated with the constant bottlenecks in the state mental health system. Mayo Clinic and Hennepin County Medical Center have made plans to develop short-term housing for adults who may be ready for hospital discharge, but need more therapy before returning home. Regions Hospital in St. Paul is developing plans to create a 16-bed residential treatment center to help psychiatric patents after they are discharged.

The recovery homes would serve more than 400 adults with mental illness each year. They would relieve pressure on hospital emergency departments, which struggle with a surge of people undergoing

mental health crises. They would also signal a change as hospitals transition from a shorter-term to longerterm care role. The shortage of psychiatric beds, more demand for service and dangerous overcrowding at hospital emergency rooms are driving the change.

Because the state doesn’t have enough recovery homes, patients who are clinically stable get stuck in hospitals for long periods of time with nowhere to go.

Others then must wait for care.

“The whole system is backed up, and hospitals have realized they want to have more control over the process,” Joel Oberstar, president of the Minnesota Psychiatric Society, told the Star Tribune. ■ (Source: Star Tribune)

Clinics seek behavioral health certification Clinics across the state are working to be Minnesota’s first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, a new model that improves and integrates care for people with mental illness and substance use disorder, through grants announced by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).

“Finding the care you need for a mental illness or substance use disorder can be difficult,” said DHS Commissioner Emily Piper. “Typically, a person with a mental illness will need to contact several different agencies to obtain various services, and rarely can someone obtain both mental health and substance use disorder treatment through the same agency.”

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are designed to change that. By offering a high level of coordination between primary care providers, chemical health providers, social services agencies, counties, tribes, veterans’ programs and other key partners, the clinics are expected serve as a “one-stop-shop” and help people before facing a crisis. As a result, families will be more likely to avoid the emergency room and less likely to involve law enforcement.

More than $425,000 in grants will support the planning and development. Six clinics will now start planning to be eligible to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. These are Northern Pines Mental Health Center in north-central Minnesota; Northwestern Mental Health Center serving seven northwest counties; Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center in Olmsted and Fillmore Counties in the southeast and Twin Cities providers Wilder Children and Family Services, People Incorporated and Ramsey County Mental Health Center.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are a new demonstration program from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Minnesota is one of 24 states receiving funding for planning. Minnesota has until October 2016 to complete the planning process and certify at least two clinics, one urban and one rural. In January 2017 the federal government will select approximately eight demonstration states to begin providing services in July 2017. ■ (Source: DHS)

Attorney General sues group

Pilot program promotes healthy living

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson in June filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County against two Michigan companies. Swanson contends that the companies have misled donors in soliciting money for a veterans’ charity. Part of the groups’ solicitation notes that donations help disabled veterans. But very little money goes to veterans.

The state of Minnesota is suing Associated Community Services and its affiliate, Central Processing Services. The groups solicit donations for Foundation of American Veterans. According the lawsuit, Associated Community Services made fundraising calls to potential donors and then sent “pledge reminders” that falsely indicated that people had pledged to donate when they hadn’t. Many of the people who received fake pledge reminders were senior citizens, some on fixed incomes.

According to KMSP-TV, one Minnesota woman reported that Associated Community Services asked her for a donation and, when she refused, questioned whether she was “grateful for the sacrifices that disabled veterans have made for our country.” She asked to be put on a do not call list and the caller hung up. She was then told to donate if she wanted the calls to stop. Another Minnesota couple received a false claim they had pledged to donate $20 to the foundation, then received two pledge reminders in the mail and got many phone calls. ■ (Source: KMSP-TV)

St. Paul’s Highland Friendship Club, which creates social opportunities for teens and adults with disabilities, is now promoting healthy lifestyles. The pilot program began after club co-founder Pat Leseman saw group home staff in a dollar store, with a shopping cart full of macaroni and cheese.

“I’ve watched the majority of our clients over the last 14 years just not taking care of themselves fitness-wise, diet-wise. … It’s something we’ve known but it just really hit me in a different way when I saw that cart,” Leseman said. “I just thought ‘What in the hell are we doing?’ ” “Get Up and Eat Healthy” is a program meant to raise awareness about the issue and ultimately change behaviors and health for Twin Cities adults living with disabilities. The club obtained a small grant to set the plan in motion and is working with the St. Paul Jewish Community Center, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and MFT Inc., a group home operator. Ten group home residents are participating and staff members said the results are positive.

Leseman said the project is going well and is likely to be expanded.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that obesity rates for adults with disabilities are 58 percent higher than adults without disabilities. A lack of healthy food choices, resources, physical limitations, low energy and medications that can cause weight gain are among the factors. ■ (Source: Pioneer Press)

BDC Management Co. may be accepting applications for our accessible waiting lists at the following affordable communities Albright Townhomes Minneapolis (612) 824-6665 Buffalo Court Apartments Buffalo (763) 684-1907 Elliot Park Apartments Minneapolis (612) 338-3106 Evergreen Apartments Hutchinson 1-800-661-2501 Franklin Lane Apartments Anoka (763) 427-7650 Hanover Townhomes St. Paul (651) 292-8497 Lincoln Place Apartments Mahtomedi (651) 653-0640 Olson Towne Homes Minneapolis (612) 377-9015 Prairie Meadows Eden Prairie (952) 941-5544 Raspberry Ridge Hopkins (952) 933-3260 Slater Square Apartments Minneapolis (612) 340-1264 Talmage Green Minneapolis (612) 623-0247 Trinity Apartments Minneapolis (612) 721-2252 Unity Place Brooklyn Center (763) 560-7563 Vadnais Highlands Vadnais Heights (651) 653-0640 Willow Apartments Little Falls (320) 632-0980 Woodland Court Apartments Park Rapids 1-888-332-9312 We may be accepting applications for our large number of mobility impaired accessible units.

Please call us for more information.

1 BR 2 BR 2 BR 1 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR 2 BR 1 BR 2 & 3 BR 1 BR EFF & 1BR 2 BR 1 BR (sr) 2 BR 3 BR 1 & 2 BR 1 BR

July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

ADVOCACY Advocating Change Together (ACT) Arc Greater Twin Cities The Arc of Minnesota Association of Residential Resources in MN MCIL MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Opportunity Partners PACER Center, Inc. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota United Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota

V-651-641-0297 V-952-920-0855 V-651-523-0823x115 V-651-291-1086 V-651-646-8342 V-952-818-8718 V-952-930-7696 V-952-838-9000 TF-855-282-3769 V-651-265-7361

TF-800-641-0059 F-952-920-1480 F-651-523-0829 TTY-800-551-2211 F-651-603-2066 F-952-818-8719 policy@opportunities.org TTY-952-838-0190

V-651-645-7271 V-651-699-6050 V-763-754-2505

TTY-800-466-7722 TTY-651-695-5802 TF-888-255-6400

www.accessiblespace.org www.dungarvin.com www.marytinc.com

V-651-699-6050 V-763-754-2505 V-612-378-2742 V-651-306-2868

F-651-699-7265 TF-888-255-6400 TTY-800-669-6442 V-952-500-8572

www.dungarvin.com www.marytinc.com www.braininjurymn.org www.opportunities.org

V/TTY-763-479-3555

F-763-479-2605

www.vinlandcenter.org

V-612-362-8454 V-651-699-6050 V-651-688-8808 V-763-754-2505 V-651-646-8342 V/TTY-612-729-7381 V-952-200-3030 V/TTY-507-345-7139

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F-651-628-4484

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ASSISTED-LIVING PROGRAMS Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI) Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Mary T. Inc. Assisted Living

BRAIN INJURY Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Mary T. Inc. Human Service Programs Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance Opportunity Partners/TBI Metro Services

CHEMICAL HEALTH Vinland National Center

COMMUNITY LIVING DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM) Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Living Well Disability Services Mary T. Inc. Human Service Programs MCIL Metro Work Center, Inc Reach for Resources S. MN Independent Living Enterprises & Services

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CONSUMER-DIRECTED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS Accra Community Involvement Programs (CIP) Lifeworks Services, Inc.

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CONTINUED

TF-866-935-3515 TTY-866-454-2732

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Pg 7

Pg 8 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

CONSUMER-DIRECTED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS (CONTINUED) MRCI-Client Directed Services

V-507-386-5704

TF-800-829-7110

V-612-752-8100 V-612-331-4584

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EDUCATION MRC - Minnesota Resource Center Upstream Arts

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EMPLOYMENT/VOCATION

Kent Fordyce

Kent’s Accounting Service, LLC

Certified QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor 2016 2005-2015 6371 Bartlett Blvd Mound, MN 55364

Fax: 952-472-1458

612-889-2959

fordyce6@aol.com

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GOVERNMENT Minnesota State Council on Disability MN Gov. Council on Developmental Disabilities STAR Program

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HEALTH CARE COORDINATION AXIS Healthcare

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HOUSING-RENTAL Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI) Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Ebenezer Park Apartments HousingLink National Handicap Housing Institute, Inc Villas and Townhomes by Mary T. Inc.

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL RESOURCES ADA Minnesota; a program within MCIL Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN) Minnesota State Council on Disability PACER Center, Inc. STAR Program United Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota

INSURANCE Lee F. Murphy Insurance Group

CONTINUED

F-651-644-9137

July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

Pg 9

LEGAL MN Disability Law Center

V-612-334-5970

TF-800-292-4150

www.mndlc.org

MEDICAL SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENT Handi Medical Supply HME Medical Shop Phoenix Medical Services Inc.

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MENTAL HEALTH Community Involvement Programs (CIP) Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Fraser Lifetrack - St. Paul Mt. Olivet Rolling Acres National Alliance on Mental Illness of MN Reach for Resources Vinland National Center

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PHYSICIANS Wound Healing Center

www.AmeryMedicalCenter.org

RECREATION-ADAPTIVE HOBBY/EXERCISE/SPORTS/ARTS Capable Partners Inc. Community Education Network on Disabilities Courage Kenny Rehabilition Institute Drama Interaction, 501(c)3 Mind Body Solutions Mixed Blood Theatre Company Reach for Resources Simply ArtAble (formerly Simply Jane) Upstream Arts

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RECREATION-TRAVEL/CAMPING Camp Winnebago Hammer Travel True Friends Ventures Travel Wilderness Inquiry

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REHABILITATION (PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY THERAPISTS) Courage Kenny Rehabilition Institute

V-763-588-0811

V-612-262-7979

CONTINUED

www.allinahealth.org/couragekenny

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Accessible Homes LLC Accessible Space AccessAbility Design Accessibility Options, Inc. Accra ADA Minnesota Advocating Change Together AgStar Ally People Solutions Amery Wound Caring Center AmRamp The ARC Greater Twin Cities The ARC of Minnesota ARRM At Home Apartments Autism Works Axis Healthcare Bethel Healthcare Community BDC Management Blue Cross/Blue Shield Break–Thru Home Care Calvary Center Apartments Camp Winnebago Capable Partners CAPSH Chrestomathy Community Education Network on Disabilities Comm. Involvement Programs Cornerstone Solutions Courage Kenny DeafBlind Services Dept of Human Services Diamond Hill Townhomes Drama Interaction, Inc. Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC ESR Ebenezer Care Center Ebenezer Park Apartments Enrich, Inc. Equal Access Homes EquipALife Fraser Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare Goodwill/Easter Seals MN Guthrie Theater Hammer Travel Handi Medical Supply Helping Paws, Inc. History Theatre Holmes-Greenway Apartments IMED Mobility In Home Personal Care Interact Center for the Arts Kaposia Inc. Key Medical Supply Lee F. Murphy Insurance Group Lewis Park Apartments Lifetrack Lifeworks Services Living Well Disability Services Luther Social Services of MN Mark Knutson Mary T Inc. Medica Metropolitan Center for Independent Living

Merrick, Inc. Metro Work Center, Inc. Metropolitan Council – St. Paul Midwest Special Services, Inc. Mind Body Solutions Mixed Blood Theatre MN Brain Injury Alliance MN-CCD MN DEED MN Disability Law Center MN Diversified Industries MN-DOT MN Governor’s Council on Development Disabilities MN Office of Higher Education MN Resource Center (MRC) MN River Area Agency on Aging, Inc. MN State Council on Disability MN Work Incentives Connection MRCI –Client Directed Services Mt. Olivet Rolling Acres NAMI-MN National Handicap Housing Institute Oak Glenn of Edina Opportunity Partners Opportunity Services Pacer Center, Inc. Partnership Resources PAWsensitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs People Enhancing People Phoenix Medical Services Phoenix Residence Pro-Act, Inc. Reach for Resources Reliable Medical Supply, Inc REM Minnesota Restart, Inc. Rise, Inc. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota SEMCIL Simply ArtAble Southern MN Independent Living Enterprises & Services St. Paul Saints STAR Program Tamarack Habilitation Tech.

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Pg 10 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

REHABILITATION (PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY THERAPISTS) CONTINUED DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM) Fraser Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare In Home Personal Care Lifetrack - St. Paul

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RESIDENTIAL/GROUP HOME PROGRAMS Community Involvement Programs (CIP) Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Enrich inc.

Fraser Living Well Disability Services Lutheran Social Service of MN - Statewide Mary T. Inc. Human Services Programs Mt. Olivet Rolling Acres Opportunity Partners Phoenix Residence REM Minnesota Restart, Inc. Wingspan Life Resources

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SERVICE ANIMALS Can Do Canines V-763-331-3000 Helping Paws, Inc. V-952-988-9359 Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs (PawPADs)

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SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES Bethel Healthcare Community Ebenezer Care Center

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VISION IMPAIRMENT Vision Loss Resources Volunteer Braille Services

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WAIVER CASE MANAGEMENT AXIS Healthcare Dungarvin Minnesota, LLC Equip A Life (formerly Assistive Techology of MN) Fraser

www.axishealth.com www.dungarvin.com www.equipalife.org www.fraser.org

July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7 Pg 11

UPCOMING EVENTS Honors Award nominations due The Arc Minnesota every year celebrates the work of those who help Minnesota’s disability community. Nominate an outstanding Minnesotan or Minnesota organization who is working to ensure that all our citizens with disabilities are respected, included, and participating members of their communities. Awards nominations materials and a list of categories are online as are nomination forms. Deadline for submitting nominees is Mon, July 11. FFI Mike Gude, 651-604-8066, mikeg@arcmn.org or www.arcmn.org

Youth and families Tony Attwood to present Autism Society of Minnesota hosts Tony Attwood and his presentation An Aspie’s Guide to Life’s Challenges Fri, Oct 19 at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, 1000 LaSalle Ave., Mpls. This is Attwood’s first presentation in Minnesota in several years. He will speak on topics including teens with Asperger’s Syndrome, affectivecognitive training and managing feelings. Tickets are $85 for Autism Society of Minnesota members, $115 for non-members, $75 for students and $65 for individuals with ASD. Ask about group rates. The talk will sell out quickly so call soon. Sponsorships available FFI: 651647-1084, www.ausm.org Navigate food issues The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) will offer an AuSM Skillshop 7-9 p.m. Tue, Aug. 30 to help families address food issues in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The two-hour workshop, Food Fight!

Nutritional Strategies for Children with ASD and Their Families, will be held at West Metro Learning Connections in Edina. Research has proven that children with ASD have numerous nutrient deficiencies and gastrointestinal disorders that contribute to poor health and behavioral symptoms. Sensory issues, food refusal, and peculiar cravings affect many children with ASD, making it difficult to introduce healthier foods. Presenter Anne Kelly will share information on the use of whole food powders to make nutrient-rich shakes that are affordable, dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. She also will offer strategies for simplifying nutrition routines for the whole family. Preregister as space may fill quickly. FFI: www.ausm.org PACER offers workshops PACER Center offers many useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with any disabilities. Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified.

Advance registration is required for all workshops.

Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and

choose sessions catered to their needs. Apps for Little Tikes is 6-8 p.m. Thu, July 21 at PACER Center. Apps for learning have become a large part of our lives. In this presentation we’ll explore apps and their appropriate use for children with disabilities ages birth to 5. Everything You Need to Learn Before Your Child Turns Three is 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, July 25 at PACER Center. The workshop will help families understand the transition process from Part C early intervention services to Part B preschool services or other community options.

Topics include transition requirements, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), inclusion, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and objectives. Sponsored by PACER’s Family Information and Resources Project.

Funding for this workshop is made possible with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education.

The source of the funds is from federal awards, Special Education Part C. FFI: PACER, 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237, www.pacer.org

Information and assistance Mental health support offered NAMI of Minnesota offers more than 300 free educational classes statewide each year, along with help in navigating the mental health system. NAMI also has more than 60 free support groups living with a mental illness and their families. In the Twin Cities 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. Parent resource groups are facilitated by a parent who has a child with a mental illness and who has been trained to lead support groups. A group meets 6:30-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday at Eagle Brook Church, 2401 East Buffalo St., White Bear Lake.

FFI: Jody Lyons, 651-645-2948 x109.

Family support groups help families who have a relative with a mental illness. A group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wed at Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 West, Roseville. FFI: Anne Mae, 651-484-0599.

Open Door Anxiety and Panic support groups help people cope with anxiety disorders. One group meets 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. the second and fourth Thu in Room 104, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul. The group used to meet at Goodwill/Easter Seals.

Another group meets 6:30-8 p.m. the first and third Thu at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul.

Young Adult NAMI Connection is a free support group for persons ages 16-20. A group meets 7-8:30 the first and third Thu at Friends Meeting House, 1725 Grand Ave., St. Paul. The group is facilitated by young adults who live with mental illnesses and are doing well in recovery. A full calendar of all events is offered online.

FFI: 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org Vision loss group offers activities Vision Loss Resources provides free and low-cost activities in the Twin Cities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Life skills classes for those with low vi-

sion; 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 provides many life skills classes as well as fun outings and events for people with disabilities. MCIL 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 their calendar. Please give two weeks’ notice if the alternative format or other accommodations are needed.

Events are free, accessible and mostly scent-free.

FFI: 651-603-2030 Vision rehabilitation offered Vision Loss Resources is offering a full menu of vision rehabilitation services, available in clients’ home or onsite at VLR. An affordable individualized service plan will be offered to each participant. The rehabilitation services are geared to provide participants the practical skills they need to remain independent and at safe at home. Services are offered as part of an affordable service plan. Sliding fee scale options are available and a grant from United Way will help continue to serve those who cannot afford to pay for services. The support groups, peer counseling, and volunteer services will continue to be offered without charge. FFI: 612-8433411 Adult support groups offered 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 website 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 Choices and Fairview UCare Choices health plans available on MNSure, Minnesota’s health insurance marketplace.

Learn about the various programs, 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 joined 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 ■

Pg 12 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

ENJOY! Tuesday Talks: Animation Phil Anderson, professor emeritus of Minneapolis College of Art and Design presents an overview of the history of animation including the major studios and animators that brought the art form into the modern age. This talk is in conjunction with the exhibit “What’s Up Doc?” At Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Open captioning offered 10:30 a.m. Tue, July 12.

Tickets $2: FFI: 651-259-3015, www.mnhs.org/calendar

South Pacific Guthrie Theater presents the beloved musical, at Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage, 818 2nd St. S., Mpls. AD offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, July 15, 1 p.m. Sat, July 23. Open captioning offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, July 15, 1 p.m. Sat, July 16 and Wed, July 20. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, July 22, 1 p.m. Sat, July 23. Free sensory tour at 10:30 a.m. Sat, July 23. Tickets reduced to $20 for AD/ASL, $25 for captioning (regular $34-85). FFI: 612377-2224, www.guthrietheater.org/visit/access_services

ADA Celebration is July 26 A diversity theme highlights Minnesota’s celebration of the 26th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The 2016 celebration starts at 3 p.m. Tue, July 26 at the Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. All are welcome to see the rich variety of communities, ethnicities and identities that make up the disability community. A coalition of disability service organizations is sponsoring the event.

A keynote address by Ken Rodgers, chair of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, is at 3 p.m. in the center’s 3M Auditorium. Following is a panel discussion on the joys and challenges of living with a disability in a culturally diverse community.

Panelists include Carlos Vazquez, SMG; Mai Thor, Metropolitan Council; Char Coal, artist and disability advocate; and Fardowsa Ali, Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community. Kenneth Brown, a disability and civil rights advocate will moderate the panel discussion, which ends at 5 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m. enjoy a free outdoor performance and lessons as part of the history center series Nine Nights

of Music. Angelique Lele, 2015 Miss Wheelchair Minnesota, and Young Dance will perform and provide dance instruction for dancers of all abilities. Lele is a Last year's ADA celebration yoga teacher, actor and dancer, specializing in integrative dance. Young Dance brings together youth of all abilities with professional artists to forge an inclusive, creative community.

At 7 p.m., Tamarak, a driving, no-holds-barred, classic rock-n-roll band, will performance. The band’s drummer, Curt Jones, is blind.

The event is free and open to the public. ASL interpreters, audio description and CART captioning will be provided. Food will be available for purchase. Request accommodations by Tue, July 12. FFI: Minnesota State Council on Disability, 651-361-7800, toll-free 1-800-945-8913, www.disability.state.mn.us ■

their contributions. In the afternoon enjoy an arts showcase. Try make and take art activities for all ages including clay animals, polymer clay beads, botanical and animal prints, double drums, origami, and marbling notecards. Entertainment by Ukulele Drive, OboeBass!, Alive & Kickin’, HealthRHYTHMS Drumming, and more.

Food and beverages. Games for children. During the evening enjoy live music and dancing under the Big Tent with MacPhail Jazz Quartet and dance enthusiast Christopher Yaeger. Free. At Lyngblomsten campus (courtyard), 1415 Almond Ave., St. Paul. ASL offered.

FFI: 651-646-2941, www.CelebrateMSF.com

make AD reservations at least one week in advance, noting if a tactile tour is desired. Two-week notice requested for a Braille program. Five-week notice requested for ASL interpreting. Assistive listening devices available at the box office; special seating available for persons with mobility issues. Tickets reduced to $15 for AD/ASL patrons (regular $35; student $15). FFI: 507467-2525 or 800-657-7025, www.commonwealtheatre.org

Feathers and Strings Hunter Marionettes and In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre presents a show for all ages, at Calhoun Square, 3001 Hennepin Ave. S. at Lake St., Mpls. ASL offered 10 a.m. Sat, July 16. Free. FFI: 612721-2535 ext. 23, www.hobt.org

Glensheen History Theatre presents a true Minnesota tale of murder and intrigue, at History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul. Open captioning offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, July 16, 2 p.m. Sun, July 17. ASL and AD offered 7:30 p.m.

Thu, July 21. The accessible entrance is on the east side of the building off Cedar Street; the theatre has six spaces for wheelchairs plus companion seats. Hearing enhancement devices and Braille or large print playbills are available. Tickets $20 for ASL/AD/OC patrons (regular $26-50, student $15). FFI: 651-292-4323, www.historytheatre.com/2015-2016/glensheen

Talley’s Folly Artistry presents a Pulitzer Prize-winning romance, at Bloomington Center for the Arts, Black Box, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington. AD offered 2 p.m. Sun, July 17. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, July 21. Tickets reduced to $21 for AD/ASL (regular $30, senior $26, age 25 and younger $21, Wed-Thu $2 less, student rush $10, pay what you can July 18). FFI: 952-563-8575, www.artistrymn.org

Disney’s The Little Mermaid Trollwood Performing Arts School presents the story of a mermaid’s adventures, at Bluestem Center for the Arts, IMAGINE Amphitheater, 801 50th Ave. S., Moorhead. AD/ASL offered 8:30 p.m. Fri, July 22. General admission $15; senior/student $13; child 4-10 $10; age 3 and younger free. Reserved $20, $25 and $30.

Group discounts available. FFI: 218-477-6502, www.trollwood.org/shows-events/concerts/

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Lyngblomsten Mid-Summer Festival

Public Domain Productions presents the retelling of a Classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre. At Calhoun Square, 3001 Hennepin Ave. S, Mpls.

ASL offered 10 a.m. Sat, July 23. Free. FFI: 612-7212535, ext. 23, www.hobt.org

The Lyngblomsten Mid-Summer Festival, 2-8 p.m. Fri, July 22, celebrates the variety of life-enriching experiences that promote artistic exploration and lifelong learning for all ages. Older adults will showcase the continuing capacity to be purposeful and engaged, and have the community learn about, support and celebrate

Commonweal Theatre Company presents the true story of an eccentric socialite and her singing career, at Commonweal Theatre, 208 Parkway Ave. N., Lanesboro. AD offered 1:30 p.m. Sat, July 23. Please

Souvenir

Annie Jr. Stages Theatre Company presents the story of a plucky orphan, at Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. AD and ASL offered 7 p.m. Sat, July 23. Sensory-friendly show offered 10 a.m. Sat, July 30. Tickets $12, $10.50 senior age 60 and older, $9 student/ FFI: 952-979-1111, option 4; ask for accessibility pricing, www.stagestheatre.org

The 39 Steps Rochester Civic Theatre presents a theatrical riff on a Hitchcock film, at 20 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester.

ASL offered 7 p.m. Sat, July 23. Please indicate ASL seating when booking tickets. Tickets $24, senior $19, student $17. FFI: 507-282-8481, www.rochestercivictheatre.org

Under the Gaslight University of Minnesota Theatre’s farewell season for its Centennial Showboat features a tale of good and evil, at Minnesota Centennial Showboat, 100 Yacht Club Rd. W., St. Paul (Harriet Island Road and Wabasha St. S.) ASL offered 2:30 p.m. Wed, July 27.

AD offered 2:30 p.m. Sat, Aug. 13/ Tickets $20-25, discounts for students, seniors, groups and Family Fun specials. FFI: 651-227-1100; https://theatre.umn.edu/ showboat/

Whodunit?

BOLD-choice Theatre Company presents a complex mystery, at UMD Marshall Performing Arts Center, 1215 Ordean Court, Duluth. BOLD stands for Battling Obstacles Living with Disabilities and its programs show audiences the talents of individuals with disabilities.

ASL offered 7 p.m. Fri, July 29. Tickets $7 presale, $10 at the door. FFI: 218-724-5869, www.choiceunlimited.org/bold-choice-theatre.html

The Way of the Monarch In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre presents a tale of the beautiful butterfly, at Calhoun Square, 3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL offered 10 a.m. Sat, July 30/ Free. FFI: 612-721-2535, ext. 23, www.hobt.org

Wonderland The youth circus Circus Juventas presents a story that just gets curiouser and curiouser, at Circus Juventas, 1270 Montreal Ave., St. Paul. ASL and AD offered 1 p.m. Sat, July 30. Tickets $17.50-$40. Ask for seats in Section A for best viewing of the ASL interpreter. FFI: TicketWorks 612-343-3390, 651-699-8229, circusjuventas.org/wonderland-summer-show/

Art Show: Quilts by Halle O’Falvey Vision Loss Resources, 1936 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. hosts a display of original quilts by St. Paul artist Halle O’Falvey in this exhibit, part of a rotating series of exhibits coordinated by VSA Minnesota. On display through September 2016. Lobby hours are 8 a.m.4 p.m., Mon-Fri. Free. FFI: 612-871-2222, 612-3323888, www.vsamn.org ■

July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7 Pg 13

Service providers are honored

PEOPLE & PLACES

The honorees were given plaques

Mike Burke, Sue Krause

Nancy Grayson

Mike Burke, Julie Clarke Ashley Nordie

Burke and Ebony Johnson Photos courtesy of Wallace Group

The Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation (MOHR), which represents more than 100 provider organizations across the state, has honored five top professionals of 2016. Mike Burke, president of MOHR, and Lynne Megan, chair of the awards committee, presented the honors at a recent ceremony.

Two honored support professionals, Sue Krause and Ebony Johnson, are from

Rise, Inc., Rise has 26 locations in the greater Twin Cities area. Colleagues from Rise, Inc. turned out to applaud the two women.

Other award winners include Julie Clarke of the Polk County Development Achievement Center, Crookston and East Grand Forks; Ashley Nordlie of Functional Industries, Buffalo and Nancy Grayson of Opportunity Partners, Eden Prairie. ■

Wilson will lead Community Supports Administration A mental health advocate with two decades of experience in public policy and related issues will lead the Community Supports Administration at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Commissioner Emily Piper has appointed Claire E. Wilson to the position of assistant commissioner. Wilson’s first day at DHS was June 13.

Most recently Wilson served as executive director of the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs. In that role she provided strategic and administrative leadership, creating coalitions of stakeholders to advance improvements in mental health. She has also served in a leadership role for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, where her

work included outreach to underserved communities.

“Claire’s expertise will be especially valuable as we work to improve the mental health system in Minnesota through Gov. Mark Dayton’s new task force, as we continue to address growing issues around prescription medications and heroin, and as we work to advance Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan for people with disabilities,” Piper said. “Progress on each of these issues will require the consensus building skills Claire is known for.”

The Community Supports Administration develops statewide policy direction for mental health, disability services, alcohol and drug abuse, housing and support services, and deaf and hard of hearing services. ■

VSA Minnesota awards access grants Eight Twin Cities arts organizations have been awarded ADA Access Improvement Grants by VSA Minnesota. Grants totaling $100,705 will help make arts programs more accessible to people with disabilities.

Mixed Blood Theatre, Minneapolis, will hire and retain a supertitle operator and a staff member to organize its disability advisory committee, and provide improved supertitle and audio description equipment.

The grant award is $15,000.

The Somali Museum, Minneapolis, will address its limited visual and auditory accessibility by creating a digital museum tour featuring video content with audio description and subtitling/ transcripts for 24 pieces in its collection, as well as installing wallmounted artifact labels. The grant award is $10,833.

Park Square Theatre, St. Paul, will support its service to deaf and hard of hearing patrons by making several improvements. One is to purchase equipment for open captioning. Another is to create welcome signs and videos to affirm and inform those using access services. Park Square will also retrofit the proscenium lobby to show video and continue training front-of-house staff in basic American Sign Language (ASL) signs to supplement use of volunteer ASL ushers. The grant award is $15,000.

— In Memoriam — Phillips are remembered

Paul and Mary Phillips of Long Lake were remembered in June for their dedication to their developmentally disabled daughter Joan and other adults with developmental disabilities. Paul Phillips, 90, died in January 2015. Mary Phillips, 91, died in January 2016. A memorial service was held June 11 at Wayzata Community Church, with interment at Parkers Lake Cemetery.

The couple moved to Minnesota in the 1940s. Paul Phillips had a long and successful career in advertising and as president of Art Instruction Schools. Mary was a registered nurse and later a homemaker. They developed Orono Woodlands, a non-profit group home in Long Lake. It serves adults with developmental disabilities.

The couple is survived by three children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorials are preferred to Orono Woodlands, P.O. Box 507, Long Lake, MN 55356. ■

After a year in its new St. Paul Midway facility and surveying their artists with disabilities to assess needs to better serve their physical-space experiences in creating art, Interact Center for the Arts will install automatic door opener panels on the restroom doors, as well as sound dampening panels in its studio and backstage areas. The grant award is $11,415.

Midway Contemporary Art will install an accessible/family bathroom and make other accessibility improvements, including fixing surfaces at its entrance and library and acoustics in its Minneapolis public presentation space. The grant award is $15,000.

Upstream Arts, Minneapolis, will hold specialized trainings and curriculum development sessions, led by experts from the disability community. This will allow Upstream Arts to increase its organizational capacity and the capacity of its teaching artists to provide accessible instruction to individuals with disabilities in the shifting contexts in which they receive education and social services, and to address the diversity of individuals with disabilities in these contexts. The grant award is $15,000.

Coffee House Press, Minneapolis, will format its remaining 2016 titles, its 2017 titles, and select backlist for use with screen reading software. They will be added to the 80 titles already released online for readers with vision loss. They will collect feedback on reader experience, deepen community relationships, improve the project as it moves forward, and hold trainings for the board and staff. The grant is $4,288.

VSA awards - p. 15

Holland ends leadership role Minnesota Radio Talking Book Manager Stuart Holland has completed a four-year term as president of the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS). The association works to promote equal access to all forms of information available to the general public. Members serve people with visual, physical or cognitive disabilities.

IAAIS is a volunteer-driven membership organization of services that turn text into speech for people who cannot see, hold or comprehend the printed word and who may be unable to access information due to a disability or health condition. It was founded in 1977.

IAAIS currently represents about 140 services. Member services can be found throughout the United States and in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa. Many IAAIS members in the United States are associated with public radio stations, colleges, universities or libraries.

Holland will continue to promote IAAIS and its work as the organization’s international outreach coordinator, after steeping down in June as president. ■

NAMI honors two Two University of Minnesota psychiatrists, Judith Kashtan and Gary Christenson, have been selected by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to receive 2016 Exemplary Psychiatrist awards. The awards go to psychiatrists who go the extra mile for mental health care and who actively support NAMI at the local or state level. Both psychiatrists were nominated by NAMI Minnesota.

Kashtan is a Harvard trained, board certified psychiatrist, rated one of the top doctors in the Twin Cities by Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine and a top doctor for women by Minnesota Monthly magazine. She has been in solo private practice in downtown Minneapolis for more than 25 years and is a clinical professor at the University of Minnesota.

Christenson is the chief medical officer at Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota, and an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry. He has been an incredible advocate for improving access to mental health services to students. For several years he has held a Cirque de Stress event on campus to help students deal with stress. NAMI Minnesota has always been a part of this event and has seen firsthand how beneficial it is to students. More than 3,000 students and faculty attend every year. ■

— Find more People & Places on p.15 —

Pg 14 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7

Radio Talking Book July Sampling Books available through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Call 1-800722-0550, 9 a.m. to 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 our books via an 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 last 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/ facebookMTBN Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newline.

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

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

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

How the Internet Became Commercial, Nonfiction by Shane Greenstein, 2015. 21 broadcasts. Begins July 12. In less than a decade, the Internet went from being a series of loosely connected networks used by universities and the military to the powerful commercial engine of today. There were many key innovations that made it possible, but they came from people outside the mainstream. Read by Michael Piscitelli.

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

Eisenhower’s Armies, Nonfiction by Niall Barr, 2015.

21 broadcasts. Begins July 26. Constant tensions and disagreements threatened the Anglo-American relationship during World War II. Two very different armies had to learn to live, work and fight together even in the face of those disagreements. Read by John Potts.

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

White Dresses, Nonfiction by Mary Pflum Peterson, 2015. 13 broadcasts. Begins July 13. Mary Pflum Peterson’s childhood was complicated, as her brilliant but emotionally vulnerable mother deteriorated. But the one thing that always brought them together was their love of white dresses. S - Read by Natasha DeVoe.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

Orphan #8, Fiction by Kim van Alkemade, 2015. 12 broadcasts. Begins July 18. When she was four years old, Rachel was experimented on by Dr. Mildred Solomon. Now 35 years later, Rachel is the hospice nurse for Dr. Solomon and free to experiment on the doctor - unless she forgives her. S, RE – Read by Susan Niefeld.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Showdown, Nonfiction by Wil Haygood, 2015. 11 broadcasts. Begins July 25. As the first African-American Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall changed the racial politics of our nation. He brought down the separate-but-equal doctrine, integrated schools, and not only fought for human rights and human dignity but also made them impossible to deny in the courts and in the streets. Read by Art Nyhus.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

One Man’s Flag, Fiction by David Downing, 2015. 13 broadcasts. Begins July 25. In 1915, Jack McColl is stationed in India, charged with defending the Empire against Bengali terrorists and their German allies. In England, McColl’s ex-lover, Caitlin Hanley, is rebuilding her life after her IRA sympathizer brother’s execution. L - Read by John Gunter.

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

The Insider Threat, Fiction by Brad Taylor, 2015. 16 broadcasts. Begins July 18. The counterterrorist unit known as the Taskforce has averted countless attacks from terrorist groups. But now a more insidious evil is about to shatter the false sense of safety for civilized nations. L - Read by John Mandeville.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Bread, Wine, Chocolate, Nonfiction by Simran Sethi, 2015. 11 broadcasts. Begins July 11. In the last cen-

tury, we have lived through the most dramatic shifts ever experienced in food and agriculture. Food is beginning to look at taste the same. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Read by June Prange.

He Wanted the Moon, Nonfiction by Mimi Baird, 2015.

Six broadcasts. Begins July 26. Harvard-educated Dr. Parry Baird was a researcher into manic depression. By the time his experiments were published, he had been institutionalized multiple times, his medical license revoked, and his wife and daughters estranged. Read by Barbara Lindgren.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Shame and the Captives, Fiction by Thomas Keneally, 2015. 15 broadcasts. Begins July 25. Alice lives on her father-in-law’s Australian farm while her husband is held prisoner in Europe. When Giancarlo, an Italian prisoner-of-war, is assigned to work on the farm, she hopes that being kind to him will influence her husband’s treatment. Read by Michael Piscitelli.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.

The Heart Goes Last, Fiction by Margaret Atwood, 2015. 11 broadcasts. Begins July 26. In an effort to stay afloat, Stan and Charmaine agree to be inmates in the Positron prison system six months out of the year. But eventually, the system looks less like a prayer answered than a chilling prophecy fulfilled. L – Read by Philip Habeeb.

Weekend Program Books Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing The Fear Cure by Lissa Rankin, M.D.; For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown; Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) is airing Turning into Dwelling by Christopher Gilbert; The Great North (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing Portage by Sue Leaf. ■

Abbreviations: V – violence, L – offensive language, S - sexual situations, RE – racial epithets

Around the Dial

Disability Viewpoints

Disabled and Proud Disabled and Proud is aired on KFAI Radio, 6:30-7 p.m.

Thursday. Host Sam Jasmine and her guests explore a wide range of topics that are important to people with disabilities. KFAI is at 90.3 FM in Minneapolis and 106.7FM in St. Paul. Listeners outside of the Twin Cities, or those looking for a past show, will find the show’s archives online at www.kfai.org/disabledandproud To be added to the show’s email list, contact disabledandproud@tcq.net.

Disability Viewpoints is a public access television show by and for people with disabilities. Mark Hughes and his team of co-hosts feature current news, interesting people and groups, and events in Minnesota’s disability community. The show is produced by volunteers at CTV North Suburbs in the Twin Cities. The show has a Facebook page, and a web page at www.ctv15.org/ programs/local/dv ■ Access Press would be interested in listing other regularly scheduled broadcast, cablecast or podcast programs by and for people with disabilities. Anyone with questions can contact jane@accesspress.org

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July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7 Pg 15

Dayton announces latest appointees

PEOPLE & PLACES Innovative playground now open

Woodbury’s Madison’s Place universal playground opened in June. The 16,000 square foot playground cost $830,000 and took years to plan and get built. It honors Madison Claire Millington, who died at age two from complications of spinal muscular atrophy.

Courtesy photo

VSA awards - from p. 13 Springboard for the Arts, St. Paul, will adapt and expand its 12-part Work of Art professional development tool kit to be accessible to deaf artists. They will work with artists in the deaf community to assess, adapt and expand the workshops and video components to address learning styles specific to the deaf community.

Artists and examples will feature artists with disabilities. The completed tool kit will be available in digital, print and Braille formats. The grant is $15,000.

Since 2010, 115 projects by 65 different organizations have been funded, totaling $1,343,744. VSA Minnesota has administered the ADA Access Improvement Grant program for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Funds come from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The purpose is to enable nonprofit arts organizations in the sevencounty Twin Cities area to improve their programs, projects, equipment, or facilities in ways that have the potential for significant or long-term impact in involving more people with disabilities as participants or patrons in arts programs.

Applications were read, discussed and scored by a panel of persons active in arts and disability communities. VSA Minnesota’s board then approved the panel’s recommendations. Panelists were Julia Anderson, Walker Art Center coordinator of education and public programs; Kathleen Conroy, Z Puppets Rosenschnoz managing director, caption operator; Stephanie Cunningham, accessibility consultant, past VSA MN board member; Scottie Hall, Ted Mann Concert Hall staff, audio describer; Dana Munson, Cowles Center for Dance marketing director; Christian Novak, American Craft Council membership director, VSA MN board member; Ken Rodgers, Minnesota Department of Transportation Disability Programs Coordinator, American Council for the Blind Minnesota board and Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities chairman; and Susan Warner, Courage Kenny staff and past VSA MN board member. The next application deadlines will be in late 2016 and spring 2017. ■

Gov. Mark Dayton has announced a number of appointments and reappointments to state boards, commissions and committees. Several of the groups serve Minnesotans with disabilities. Many of the appointees to the groups represent specific interests, to bring expertise and a specific point of view. Some are new members, while others are reappointments.

One group gaining new members is the Minnesota Assistive Technology Advisory Council. John Bredehoft of Burnsville will be a vocational rehabilitation services representative. Sheri Cooke of Duluth will be the center for independent living representative. She will complete Shelly Anderson’s term. Harmony Sue Kuller of Minneapolis is a new public member, replacing Paul Wessel.

Alex Caddy of Faribault was appointed to the Board of the Minnesota State Academies, Caddy, who replaces Gary Lazarz, is a general public representative with business, administrative or financial expertise.

Several people were reappointed to the State Advisory Council on Mental Health. Kenneth Moorman of Baudette will represent rural county commissioners.

Stephen Palmer of West St. Paul will represent marriage and family therapist practitioners. Patricia Siebert of Minneapolis will represent the Minnesota Disability Law Center. John Yanish of Stillwater will represent NAMI-MN. Steve Hansberry of Mora will serve as representative of family members of an adult with a mental illness. Melissa Balitz of Hastings will be a representative of family members. Jode Freyholtz-London of Verndale will be a consumer representative. Allison Stolz of Minnetonka will represent family physicians.

Several people were appointed to complete unexpired terms on the mental health council. Joseph DeBoer of Cottage Grove will be a consumer representative, replacing Leann Dorr. Amoke Kubat of Minneapolis will represent family members, replacing Patty Holycross. Mary Kjolsing of Hopkins will

represent parents, replacing Kevin Belker.

Emmanuel Oppong of St. Cloud will represent professional clinical counselors, replacing Steve Gatton.

Ken Ujifusa of Minnetonka will represent psychologists, replacing Harriet Haynes. Tarloh Quiwonkpa of Maplewood will represent registered nurses, replacing Karalee LaBreche. Shannah Mulvihill of St. Paul will represent Mental Health Minnesota, replacing Thomas Johnson.

Dayton also made several appointments to the Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD). Amber Madoll of Duluth will replace Kim Tyler. Theodore Stamp of Marshall will replace Christine Versaevel.

Shaneen Moore of St. Paul will replace Bryce Samuelson. Lauren Thompson of Champlin will replace Robert Johnson.

Members reappointed are Nate Aalgaard of Moorhead, Brian Bonte of Hutchinson, Jim Thalhuber of Blaine, Hillary Hauser of New Hope and Dean Ascheman of Rosemount.

Appointments were also made to the Commission of Dead, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans. Mak DeRuiter of Eagan was reappointed as an at-large member. James Taylor of Maplewood was appointed as an at-large member, replacing John Clark.

The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy has one reappointment and two people filling out terms.

Reappointee Walter Roberts of North Mankato will represent licensed professional counselors. Sherman Lightfoot of St. Paul will fill a licensed alcohol and drug counselor seat, replacing Duane Reynolds, Carrie Lindberg of Minneapolis will serve as a public member, replacing Douglas Frisk.

Two replacement members were appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council. Brian Paulson of East Bethel will serve as a representative of business, industry or labor, replacing Scott Berscheid. Daniel Plantenberg of Burnsville will serve as a vocational rehabilitation services representative, replacing Anita Olson. ■

They are the All-Stars

Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities honored its legislative all-stars in June, after the 2016 session ended. The honors are given to hard-working self-advocates who go above and beyond the call of duty to advance disability issues at the state capitol. This year’s honors were given during a program at the Minnesota Department of Transportation building. From left to right are Pam Gonnella, Sara Gonnella, Kelly Kausel, Nicole Laufers, Erik Fearing, Jay Schamber, Dave Spragg, Jacob Johnson, Tom McCheseny, Judy Cranahan and Janice Weinmeyer.

Photo courtesy of MN-CCD

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 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.

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.

Pg 16 July 10, 2016 Volume 27, Number 7