Volume 37, Number 9
WWW.ACCESSPRESS.ORG
IN THIS ISSUE
Minnesota Olmstead goals fall short By Mai Thor The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says people with disabilities should have the same rights as everyone else. They should be able to live, work, learn, and be part of their communities instead of being placed in institutions. The Olmstead court decision says people should get services in regular community settings whenever possible. Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan is supposed to make sure this happens. The newest draft of the Olmstead Plan, released in April 2026, does not do a good job. The goals in many areas—like crisis services, education, jobs, housing, safety, transportation, and moving people out of institutions— are too small. Many goals aim to improve things by only 1–2% over five years. That means only a very small number of people will see any change. This does not match the serious problems Minnesotans with disabilities face. Employment Mai Thor, lifelong is a major issue, advocate and the but the plan only Chief Program aims to help 335 Officer of The Arc more people get jobs over five years. 85 of those would be people on Medicaid waivers receiving Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) and State Services for the Blind (SSB). Some goals don’t aim to make things better at all. For example, the number of housing units won’t meet the high need. One program may only help seven more households in four years. For abuse, neglect, and restrictive procedures, the goals focus on reducing the number of reports—not the amount of actual harm people experience. Many goals are unclear. For crisis services, it’s not clear whether the targets apply to a few dozen people or a few hundred. Transportation goals allow services to stay the same or get worse. In Greater Minnesota, agencies don’t have to improve their performance at all. Some goals measure steps or paperwork instead of real results for people. For example, training staff or following laws—without showing how people’s lives will actually improve. A major purpose of Olmstead is to help people move from institutions into the community. But many transition goals are too small. They help only a tiny number of people, even though thousands still live in institutions. Some goals don’t include certain types of settings. Overall, the plan’s goals are too small, unclear, and not focused on real change. They do not reflect the promise of the ADA or the Olmstead decision.
SEPTEMBER 2026
Join us for a community forum Page 2 Jake B. reflects on disability Page 4 Who is DJ Mike? Page 5 Olmstead threats Pages 1 and 9 Helping the next generation Page 10
Child uses assistive technology to interact with a room filled with toys and stuffed animals.
Technology makes back-to-school more accessible By John Kuziej For many, opening a textbook, taking notes, and asking questions are part of everyday classroom life. Those everyday tasks can be complicated for students with disabilities, but assistive technology is making learning more accessible. “It’s really hard for schools to stay up to date with things, and I think in general, schools are doing a really good job, but there’s always going to be gaps just because technology changes so quickly,” Paul Sanft, director of the PACER Simon Technology Center, said. Assistive technology includes devices, software, and other tools that help people communicate, read, write, hear, see, and move so they can participate more independently in the classroom. “We have technology in all those different areas that help people in different ways,” Jamis Wehrenberg, the assistive technology professional with the Minnesota STAR program, said. Sometimes the technology can be as simple as ear protectors or an alternative way to open a locker. “Assistive technology can be as small as a pencil grip. Right? So I think sometimes people hear that term and they think it has to be a massive piece of machinery, and that’s just not true,” Jamie O’Conner, the assistant executive director at Family Voices of Minnesota, said. Some of these devices can be simple; others can be expensive. The Minnesota STAR Program wants to make sure that, before you invest, the device works for you. “A young man came in who had had a stroke at a very early age and was looking
for ways to communicate. His biggest thing was just, as a young kid, being able to read texts from friends. That was just a huge struggle for him. I showed him some simple, built-in accessibility features in his iPhone. He could type out a text and have it spoken to him to make sure that it’s correct before he sent it. That simple little thing just changed his whole life,” Wehrenberg said.
How assistive technology can help students
The technology being used in schools helps open doors for students with disabilities, allowing them to get on an even playing field with their peers. “What could be frustrating to them in the past could now be doable in the present, and they have a lot of encouragement to be able to push through and finish school and learn more,” Wehrenberg said. Much of the focus is on helping kids take notes, communicate, and be more independent in the classroom, but there’s
one major part of school that families and teachers often overlook. School can be a stressful place for some students, and that anxiety can affect their ability to learn and enjoy school. Assistive technology can also help students manage stress and anxiety through tools designed to keep students calm. “Families and school teams really can expand their thinking about what assistive technology can provide to the student. It’s not all about reading and writing or using a calculator, for example. Those are important, but if kids are stressed out at school, having calming TECHNOLOGY To page 8
TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766
PAID
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
Assistive technology can help people with tasks like reading and writing.