Charlie Smith Award Given
to MN-CCD
By Terri Ricci
The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD)
is earning their just rewards this year. They have won numerous awards
over the past year.
Co-Chairs Joel Ulland of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-MN
Chapter and John Tschida of the Courage Center have certainly established
the makings of a great pair. They joined forces and brought together
the disability community into one great force to be reckoned with.
The Charlie Smith Community
Award, given by the Access Press Board of Directors, recognizes
MN-CCD’s leadership in the following
four areas:
1) Legislative Change: educating elected and appointed officials
in advocating for changes in public policy at the national, state
and local level to remove barriers that prevent or delay successful
community integration for individuals with disabilities;
2) Administrative or Systems Change: Advocating and educating for
change within government agencies at all levels to ensure laws, ordinances,
and policies are implemented and administered in a way that is consistent;
3) Community Education: Informing organizations and individuals
within and outside the disability community on the need for policy
change and advance the needs and goals of Minnesotans with disabilities;
4) Consumer Education: Informing consumers of their rights and opportunities
to influence the policy-making process and providing them with information
regarding changes to programs and services that affect their daily
lives, with the goal of developing strong self-advocacy skills.
As John Tschida stated
in his August Access Press article Victories
and Concerns As Legislature (Finally) Adjourns, “Several
core components of the Minnesotans with Disabilities Act of 2005,
the comprehensive proposal championed by the Minnesota Consortium
for Citizens with Disabilities, were enacted into law, including
lower parental fees for parents of kids with disabilities, choice
of community provider for those leaving nursing homes, lower prescription
drug co-payments and an increase in the personal needs allowance.”
The MN-CCD has won other awards in 2005 including:
The Policy Award . . . from
the Department of Human Services for their demonstrated public policy
leadership, advocacy and education, all dedicated to improving the
lives of persons with disabilities. This Award was given at the Age
and Disability Odyssey Conference in Duluth;
A Special Award For Outstanding
Achievement . . . from the Minnesota State Council on Disability
for successfully enacting important provisions of the Minnesotans
with Disability Act during the 2005 legislative session;
The First Annual Luther Granquist
Systems Change Award . . . sponsored by Arc Minnesota recognizes
their advocacy efforts on behalf of people with developmental disabilities
and their families.
If you are not a member of
the MN-CCD, now is the time to join this great coalition of organizations
and help them to become stronger and more successful in the next
legislative session. For more information on the MN-CCD, please contact
John Tschida at the Courage
Center at 763-520-0533.
When you join, you’ll be among some of the best organizations
in Minnesota that are working for the disability community. MN-CCD
members include: Accessible Space, Inc., Access Press, Advocating
Change Together, Alliance Healthcare, Arc Great Rivers, Arc Hennepin-Carver,
The Arc of Minnesota, ARRM, Assis-tive Technology of Minnesota, AXIS
Healthcare, Brain Injury Association of Minnesota, Children’s
Mental Health Partnership, CILNM, Courage Center, Disability Services-Hamline
University, Fraser, Freedom Resource for Independent Living, Inc.,
Gillette Children’s Specialty Health-care, Hemophilia Foundation
of Minnesota, IAPSRS-MN, Independent Lifestyles, Inc., IPSII Inc.,
Lifetrack Resources, Mental Health Association of Minnesota, Mental
Health Legislative Network, Metro Work Center, Inc., Metropolitan
Center for Independent Living, Inc., MN Assoc. of Community Mental
Health Programs, MN Assoc. of Community Rehabilitation Organizations,
MN Assoc.–Self Help for Hard of Hearing, MN Disability Law
Center, MN Habilitation Coalition, MN HomeCare Association, NAMI-MN,
National Multiple Sclerosis Society-MN Chapter, PACER Center, State
Advisory Council on Mental Health, Southwestern Center for Independent
Living, STAR Program, United Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota.
MN-CCD—Thank you
for being a primary resource for all of the people that you serve!
