News at a Glance
150 Years of Minneapolis Health Care
shown at exhibit
The Hennepin County Medical Center
History Museum and Metropolitan Medical Center Historical Library
have opened an exhibit to celebrate Minnesota’s 150th birthday. The exhibit, “Hospital
Stories: 150 Years of Minneapolis Health Care,” began running
in May and will go until the end of June at four locations around
the hospital. The exhibit is a look at the past 150 years of health
care in Minneapolis, focusing on Hennepin County Medical Center
and Metropolitan Medical Center but also encompassing changes in
hospital care across the city. The exhibit was made possible by
a grant from the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission.
Hennepin County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level
1 Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota.
The comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital
includes a 424-bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty
clinics located in downtown Minneapolis, and four primary care
clinics in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County.
Improvements announced for
Ticket to Work Program
The Social Security Administration
(SSA) recently issued final rules designed to improve the Ticket
to Work program, improving the program’s effectiveness in assisting beneficiaries
with disabilities who want to work. The new Ticket to Work program
rules include: more beneficiaries under the program, with eligible
individuals expanded to include beneficiaries who are expected
to medically improve; increased incentive payments for Employment
Networks (ENs); an increase in the value of the ticket, with rules
to enable beneficiaries with disabilities to take advantage of
a combination of services; and synergized efforts overall, promoting
better alignment of the Ticket to Work Program, the Work Incentives
Planning and Assistance Program, the Protection and Advocacy for
Beneficiaries of Social Security Program, and other SSA work incentive
initiatives.
“Thus far, the results of the Ticket to Work Program have
been less than everyone expected and clearly less than Congress
intended,” Commissioner Michael Astrue said. “We need
to monitor the results of today’s regulation closely, but
it is highly likely that Congress will need to revisit the statute
in the next few years in order to achieve the goals that Congress
intended.”
In preparation, SSA is attempting
to increase the number of organizations functioning as ENs, as
well as initiating targeted outreach to promote the Program to
more beneficiaries and to encourage their participation. In addition,
SSA is presenting at national and state conferences and bringing
beneficiaries and ENs together at local Work Incentives Seminars
(WISE events) throughout the country. The Ticket to Work and
Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 established the Ticket
to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program. Its purpose is to expand
the universe of service providers available to beneficiaries
with disabilities who are seeking vocational rehabilitation,
employment and related support services. These service providers
are available to assist beneficiaries in obtaining, regaining and
maintaining self-supporting employment. The final rule can
be accessed through the Federal Register online at www.regulations.gov. ![end of article bullet]()
Source: www.socialsecurity.gov/work
Prison program with service dogs a success
Hearing and Service
Dogs of Minnesota (HSDM) and the Minnesota Correctional Facility-
Faribault are celebrating their three-year partnership this spring.
During 2005, a dog-training program was initiated at the prison.
The program began by placing shelter dogs at the facility and
having teams of two teach the dogs skills required to become
a Hearing or Service Dog. Since then, more than 30 dogs have
been trained at the facility. The program participants enjoy
teaching the dogs new skills—and they say the dogs
have taught them a few things as well. “What surprised
me most is how much I’ve gotten out of working with the
dogs,” said Brent, who’s working with a dog in the
program. “When I’m with the dog, I’m more aware
of my tone of voice and what I say. The dogs have taught me to
work better with people. It’s really helped me a lot.” HSDM
and the correctional facility at Faribault will continue their
partnership in training and providing dogs for people who have
disabilities. “It feels good, knowing that a little bit
of difference on our end can make all the difference to someone
in need,” said one of the inmates. ![end of article bullet]()
Source:
Tails from Minnesota, a newsletter of the Hearing and Service
Dogs of MN
Court says money discriminates against blind people
The U.S. discriminates against
blind people by printing paper money that makes it impossible
for them to distinguish among the bills’ varying
values, a federal appeals court ruled in May. The ruling could
force the Treasury Department to redesign its money. Suggested
changes have ranged from making bills different sizes to printing
them with raised markings. The American Council for the Blind
sued for such changes but the Treasury Department has been fighting
the case for about six years.
The U.S. acknowledges the
design hinders blind people but it argued that blind people have
adapted. Some relied on store clerks to help them, some used credit
cards and others folded certain corners to help distinguish between
bills. The court ruled 2-1 that such adaptations were insufficient.
The government might as well argue that, since handicapped people
can crawl on all fours or ask for help from strangers, there’s
no need to make buildings wheelchair accessible, the court said.
The Treasury Department has redesigned its currency several times
in recent years, and adding features to aid the blind would come
at a relatively small cost, the court found.
Not all blind people agreed
the money needed to be changed. The National Federation of the Blind
sided with the government and told the appeals court that no
changes were needed. Charlie Richardson, the legally blind manager
of Charlie’s Express Stop inside
the Capitol in Albany, N.Y., said he doesn’t oppose changing
the money but disagrees with the ruling.
“To actually be discriminated
against is to have something denied to you,” Richardson said. “We’re
not denied the use of money.” ![end of article bullet]()
Source: news.yahoo.com
