More News and Stories
Medicare Part D Unraveled:
What Do You Need to Know
by Lolly Lijewski
Many people with disabilities
will be eligible for a new prescription drug benefit beginning January
1, 2006. This benefit is called The Medicare Prescription Drug Program,
or Medicare Part D ... read
more about medicare >
Response to March 22
Special Education Article
Dear Mr. Lonsberry:
Your March 22, 2005 article
on Special Education has generated a lot of reactions from concerned
people. I read the thumb up and thumb down responses from people
who reacted to your article ... read
more about the article >
Homeless. Please Help. God
Bless. Go Twins
by Pete Feigal
I read the sign as I pull
up to the stoplight. The “Go Twins” tag makes me smile.
A nice sales technique. Something new. But then it puzzles me, makes
me uncomfortable. An unexpected ... read
more about homeless people >
MN Transforming Mental
Health Services for Adults
by Kevin Goodno, Commissioner, MN Dept
of Human Services
As we observe Mental Health
Month this May, milestones are being reached in a remarkable transition
of Minnesota’s adult mental health services away from institutions
to community settings ... read
more about the services >
Metro Mobility Fare
Increases Approved
by Lance Hegland
After considering the harsh
reality of an approximately $60 million gap between transportation
funding and transportation costs over the next two years, the Metropolitan
Council has approved a “25-cent across-the-board fare increase
for Metro Transit and other regular-route providers” plus a
25-cent increase during non-rush hours and a 50-cent increase during
rush hours for Metro Mobility ... read
more on the increases >
Metro Council Chair Responds
I understand your concerns
about increasing fares and reducing service. It is the opposite of
what we would like to do as well. Our own long-range Transportation
Policy Plan adopted late last year calls for expanding the transit
system and doubling ridership by 2030 ... read
the response >
by Mike Cohn
I am certain that most people
experience headaches occasionally. These types of headaches most
often go away within an hour or so. Unfortunately, there are other
kinds of headaches such as migraines, allergy head-aches and stress
headaches, which can be disabling ... read
more about headaches >
Access Press in Review
1990
Access Press (AP), the first
newspaper for disability community, came into existence. The main
highlights for this issue were Calendar of Events, a Directory of
Organizations that runs throughout each year with an updated version.
The first Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) support group was founded
the same year. Access Press’s first political inquiry … Universal
Health Care ... read
more of the review >
National Headache Awareness
Week: June 5-11
National Headache Foundation
Offers 5 Tips to Stop Migraines Before They Stop You ... read
more about the tips >
Standard of Care for
Headache Diagnosis and Treatment
Established by the National
Headache Foundation and Updated for 2005
With 45 million headache
sufferers in the United States and many individual circumstances
to consider relative to the diagnosis and treatment of headache,
the National Headache Foundation (NHF) believes that it is critical
for healthcare providers to have specific guidelines for working
with headache and migraine sufferers ... read
more about the standards >
Diagnose/Treat Chronic
Pain
The Rehabilitation Institute
of Chicago www.ric.org has put together some helpful suggestions
to raise awareness around diagnosing and treating chronic pain
... read more about pain
treatment >
Silver Lining for Dethroned
Ms. Wheelchair
by Lance Hegland
I always enjoy finding
examples high lighting the potential treasure hidden within adversity—how,
in the end, we can fairly easily salvage some benefit among the
loss. Last month, we reported that 30-year-old math teacher, Ms.
Janeal Lee of Appleton WI, was asked to forfeit her crown and prizes
only months after being named Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin 2005 ... read
more about the silver lining >
A Tale of Two Kidneys
by Ashley
It was the best of times;
it was...Oh, cut the B.S…. My life had become H.S. It stunk,
and, according to others, so did I. That was the problem. Other
people were blaming my PCA for not doing a good enough job with
my bathing. I called in a “Public Nose,” my case manager
... read
more about this story >
Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week
by Bob Deaton
On June 27, 1880, Helen
Keller was born in Alabama, the daughter of a newspaper editor.
At the age of 19 months, she survived a high fever that left her
totally deaf and blind. Her struggle with and eventual triumph
over deaf-blindness is an inspiration to all of us. In celebration
of her life, the period of June 24-30, 2001 was declared Helen
Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week ...
read more about Helen Keller week >
ADA 15 Years Strong: Then, Now & Beyond
by Margot Imdelke-Cross
On July 26, 2005 take the
day off work, put aside other responsibilities and come together
with friends, colleagues and others to celebrate the most important
disability civil rights legislation in our nation’s history
... read
more on the celebration >
Arc Honors Local Disability Activists
by Pam Carlson
At its annual meeting and
awards ceremony on May 12, 2005, Arc recognized two local self-advocacy
activists. Arc Henne-pin-Carver presented its Dick Rothmund Memorial
Citizenship Award for 2004 to Richard Grimm, III, and presented its
highest honor, the Founders Award, to Cliff Poetz ... read
more about the honors >
2005 Election Information
by Mai Thor
Many people do not realize
that elections occur all the time. After all the media attention,
you might have taken a sigh of relief following last November’s
election. However, election officials will tell you that their jobs
don’t end after a presidential election ... read
more on elections >
New Technology for Sister
Kenny Rehab Services
by David Hadlich
Chosen as one of thirteen
sites across the country, Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Services
is now an outlet for one of the newest and most technologically
advanced wheelchairs available today ...
read more about new technology >
DSCC Wheelchair Soccer
by Bob San
University of Minnesota
senior Sam Lewis has dyslexia, a learning disability, but he has
a hard time convincing professors and fellow students he is disabled ...
read more about soccer >
Leadership Curriculum
A Hit At Coon Rapids High
by Bret Hesla
It’s often said that
today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. If so, I heard
self-advocacy’s future leaders in rare form earlier this
spring in Coon Rapids High School, as they made a recording of
a rap about leadership read
more about the curriculum >
Disability Provides
Insight into Device Development
What if you could take what
you know about your disability and leverage that knowledge to create
devices that might help others with the same disability? That’s
an opportunity Jason Fowler has as a Medtronic employee ... read
more about device development >
Scooters, Bikes, And Ramps, Oh
My!
by David Hadlich
Nestled in a quaint storefront
shop in downtown White Bear Lake is Freedom Cars. Clarke and Linda
McKinney started the business in 2001 when they recognized how
the ability to move around independently greatly enhanced life ... read
more about the freedom cars >
Design Elements in Adaptable
Living
by Ken Brown
In the first article in this
series on housing for persons with disabilities, I outlined design
elements that would make a residence visitable. This article will
outline Adaptable and Accessible design elements for residences ... read
more about design elements >
Is Your Disabled Child Transitioning
to Adulthood?
If you are the parent of a
child who is developmentally disabled and between the ages of 18
and 21, you may want to attend free information sessions that explain
''Transition Services " ... read
more about transition>
