Access Press - August 10, 2008

Bringing News and Information to People with Disabilities Since 1990

This version of Access Press does not include graphics, photos, advertisements, Directory of Organizations, Friends of Access Press listing, hyperlinks or email links. It is laid out in the order that content appears in the print version on pages 1 through 16.

Monthly Quote: “Death is natural and necessary, but not just. It is a random force of nature; survival is equally accidental. Each loss is an occasion to remember that survival is a gift.” — Harriet McBryde Johnson

Page 1, Article 1: St. Paul skyway access
Exemptions to uniform hours include City Hall/Courthouse

by Jane McClure

Imagine having the sidewalk or even the street in front of your home closed for use at 7 p.m. or even earlier. That’s been the case with some of St. Paul’s skyways, which connect downtown buildings. Change has come with the adoption of consistent daily skyway hours of 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. but the process of allowing exemptions to some skyways has vexed advocates for the disability community and downtown residents.

Rick Cardenas, a downtown resident who uses a wheelchair, testified against several of the exemptions at a St. Paul City Council hearing in July. “Skyways are part of our passageways, part of our path,” he said. One of the most difficult challenges for persons with disabilities is that when a skyway is closed, it means navigating to an elevator to get to street level, then back to an open door and elevator elsewhere to get back to the skyway system. In some cases, elevators don’t work. In others, the access points to and from the skyway system aren’t clearly signed.

For years downtown residents, workers and visitors have questioned the lack of consistent hours skyways are open. Members of the disability community have lobbied long and hard for consistent skyway hours. The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce has also weighed in support of consistent hours.

But several companies that own and manage downtown buildings raised a number of concerns about security costs, safety of building occupants and practicability of keeping skyways open later. Some building owners offered to provide access cards for residents of neighboring buildings. Critics say that’s not enough.

Ward Two Council Member Dave Thune said there’s a need to make the skyway system accessible for as many people as possible. Yet Thune said there is also a need to be practical and realize that not every skyway needs to be open late. For example, the Macy’s skyways allow users to walk through the store’s open floors and merchandise. Other skyways lead to destinations that close and don’t connect to other buildings, such as the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

The city built much of the skyway system in the 1980s and 1990s, working with property owners to obtain easements into each building. But the costs of maintenance and security fall on the property owners, something some object to when it comes to expanded hours.

A series of exemptions granted July 23 by the St. Paul City Council allows Macy’s, Metro Square, Minnesota Children’s Museum, McCullough Companies, St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Courthouse, Sibley Square and the Warren E. Burger Federal Courthouse. But the Golden Rule Building, 85 E. 7th Place, was denied its request to close its skyway access at 7 p.m. The building, a department store converted years ago to office space, houses mainly state offices.

Pat Wolf, who has managed the Golden Rule Building for many years, raised some of the strongest objections to not getting an exemption. She said the building owners have spent more than $7 million restoring the Golden Rule and turning it into a “historic jewel.”

But members of the public and City Council members noted the Golden Rule provides a skyway connection to a public parking ramp and key downtown destinations. There have been complaints that visitors who park in the ramp and then return have had difficulty getting to their vehicles.

The exemptions can change over time. For example, if part of the downtown area is redeveloped and a later skyway link is needed, an exemption may be revisited. Building owners and managers go through a review with the Skyway Governance Committee, a committee of CapitolRiver Council, the district council representing the downtown area and a St. Paul City Council hearing.

Longtime downtown business owner and CapitolRiver Council Member John Mannillo said he views skyways to his property as an asset and that other building owners should do the same. Rod Halverson, a resident of downtown and member of CapitolRiver Council, agreed. “Building owners want the advantages of the skyway system but they don’t want the responsibility of being open after hours.”

One exemption is for the St. Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Courthouse, which will be allowed to close at 5 p.m. weekdays and be closed weekends. Halverson objected to the city seeking an exemption for its own building, calling it “ironic.” He had come to the building at 5:09 p.m. for the public hearing and found the skyway connection already closed. People were trying to get through the connection, without success. City Council hearings start at 5:30 p.m.

Halverson said that the city wants to dictate when skyways are open “and yet you want an exemption for your own building.” The City Council did agree to have a device installed that will allow skyway users to leave via skyway 30 minutes after public hearings end.

Page 1, Article 2: Another voting option
Avoid the crowds yet make your voice heard with absentee voting

With presidential, Congressional, state and local races on the ballot, there is likely to be tremendous turnout at this year’s general election, Nov. 4. Voting places are likely to be overwhelmed by voters. Further compounding the challenges faced by such turnout is that while voting places are required to accommodate disabled voters, they may not always have enough personnel or resources to keep the voting process moving at a desirable pace.

Fortunately, there is an easy solution to avoiding the expected hassle at voting places: absentee voting. It is a method of voting in the event that a voter is unable to reach the voting place on primary or general election day. The ability to vote on your own time is both convenient and nearly hassle-free, and persons with disabilities can take advantage of this service. If you have never absentee voted before, why not try it for the September 9 primary election?

Absentee voting may be done by mail. Or voters can go to designated voting places during the time period preceding the election. Voters vote in the county where they live, so contact the appropriate county offices. For the September 9 primary election, absentee voting began August 8 and ends September 8. Voters may download an application to receive an absentee ballot through the mail at www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/ab_application.doc. When at the site voters will be asked to save or open a document, and mark boxes by clicking on them. When the document is filled out, send it to the appropriate county auditor by email (with the document attached) or fax. The ballot will be mailed out when it is ready (as early as 30 days before election day). The completed absentee ballot must be received in the correct precinct by election day when the polls close, or it will not be counted, so be sure to send in your absentee ballot application early. The ballots are delivered by county staff to the precinct on the day of the election.

Hennepin and Ramsey counties election staff said that absentee voting increases the ability for people to vote. It gives people who would not normally be able to reach a polling place a chance to vote.

Voters can, in writing, authorize someone to deliver a completed absentee ballot if the voter is:
• a voter who would have difficulty getting to the polls because of incapacitating health reasons or who is disabled
• a patient in a healthcare facility (hospitals, residential treatment centers and nursing homes)
• a participant in a licensed residential program for adults
• a resident of a licensed shelter for battered women
• a resident of an assisted living facility

According to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, the following stipulations also apply: The voter must complete the Agent Delivery Designation Form www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/agent_request_form.pdf and the Absentee Ballot Application www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/ab_application.doc An agent (person dropping off the ballot on the voter’s behalf) must have a preexisting relationship with the voter. The agent will use the completed forms to pick up a ballot, bring the ballot to the voter, and return the voted ballot to the county auditor or city clerk. This activity may only occur the seven days preceding an election. Ballots can be picked up until 2 p.m. on election day, and voted ballots must be returned by 3 p.m. on election day.

Mistakes will mean your absentee ballot will not be counted. Some common mistakes made in absentee voting are not signing the application, not signing the voter’s certificate or not having it properly witnessed. Also, note that you cannot drop off an absentee ballot at a voting place on election day. Absentee voting ends the day before election day.

For more information, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website’s page on absentee voting at www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=211, or call your county’s elections office. Phone and fax numbers for each county are available at the end of the absentee ballot application. This information was compiled from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, and the Hennepin and Ramsey counties elections staff.

Page 2, Article 1: Editor's Column

by Tim Benjamin

Last month in this column, I mentioned that I was going to look into global positioning systems (GPS) and their use by—or on—people with disabilities. Recently, it seems like there’s been a lot in the media about people getting lost and, unable to find their way home, needing to be rescued. The more I looked into the topic, the more uncertain I became about its pros and cons. First of all, could the government force some people with disabilities (for example, those in institutions, or those determined to be “vulnerable” to becoming lost or disoriented) to be chipped with GPS systems? I’m pretty sure the answer to that is no.; Iit would be against the Fourth Amendment, especially since the government has no “probable cause” for chipping the general population. But if you’re a government employee, some say the government might have the authority to require you to be chipped. That sounds like something the government would not do, since it would be taking away the liberties of free movement and privacy of American citizens. But what about the benefits to a CIA agent, FBI agent or an undercover police officer who could be tracked to maintain their safety? Of course, they could also be tracked to make sure they’re not becoming counter-agents consorting with the enemy. If implanted GPS were used in the military, we might no longer have families lingering for years, wondering where a missing-in-action soldier might be. The Unknown Soldier could be a thing of the past.

The technology is available, and in bracelet size is already being used in criminal justice for convicted felons on house arrest. The bracelets are also commonly used for individuals on probation. Functional battery technology for implant-sized GPS devices is not available now. But when the technology is available we might as a society be tempted to implant chips into convicted child abusers and sex offenders. We might argue that their loss of liberty is outweighed by our ability to know much sooner if abusers, rapists, or kidnappers are hanging around near playgrounds or schools. But who will monitor all these chips and what will it cost—in money and in our definitions of freedom?

In the disability community, we can imagine benefits for a person in a medical emergency. The chip could hold all of a person’s medical records. Confusion in the emergency room about how to treat a person, prescribed medications, allergies and pre-existing conditions would be known immediately by scanning the information on the chip (or the chip would have a reference number which would allow the retrieval of information from a specialized database). But of course, the information on such chips could increase a person’s vulnerability in other ways if a hacker could access the information or number steal or alter the information like social security numbers, insurance numbers, and credit card numbers.

I wonder what Harriet McBryde Johnson would say about this chip-implanting issue, with her legal background, her insight and ability to look at the big picture, while keeping her own biases out. As an advocate for the disability community, she would probably have been the first person I would have gone to to get a truly philosophical understanding of the implications of this issue for to the disability community. As we mourn her death, issues like this now and in the future will remind us of the huge loss her death is to our community. I never met Ms. Johnson, but Kathleen Hagen has, and has given us a wonderful tribute to Johnson’s life. Hagen was kind to Prof. Peter Singer in her article on the Johnson-Singer debate. The truth is that Harriet McBryde Johnson made Singer, who many have said is one of the most influential philosophers of our time, look naive. There were moments when Johnson rendered Singer speechless. But as Hagen points out, Johnson stayed detached and confident, while asking questions that showed Singer is not consistent in his philosophy or in his personal ethics.

Living an ethical life, consistent with our beliefs, is not easy for any of us. Let’s hope when we get around to big questions like “chip or no-chip,” we can think deeply about our beliefs and the kinds of ethics we need as individuals and as a society.

Page 2, Article 2: History Note
Report on ‘mentally defective’ children reflects past attitude

by Luther Granquist

In 1925, Frederick Kuhlmann, the widely respected Director of the Research Bureau of the Minnesota State Board of Control, wrote a lengthy report, Outline of Mental Deficiency for Social Workers, Teachers and Others in Minnesota. (The Board of Control was the equivalent of the Department of Human Services during that era.)

Kuhlmann included his estimates of the cost to the schools of Minnesota’s “mental defectives.” At that time about 20,000 “mental defectives” were in regular classes in Minnesota’s public schools at a cost he estimated as more than $1,500,000. Kuhlmann contended that “most of this is waste, because no useful returns are obtained.”

In his judgment, these children profited from regular school work “only in a limited measure, some not at all in any degree, none for the full period up to the age of 16 years.”  Kuhlmann’s estimate did not include the “custodial cases,” whom he described as “cases too low in intelligence, or handicapped by physical disabilities as paralysis” and thus incapable of receiving any “useful training.”  These children, he noted, never got into the schools.

In Kuhlmann’s view the disproportionate time and energy teachers had to spend on two or three “mentally defective” children in a regular class caused a greater expense, although he could not place a monetary value on it: “The chief cost lies in the diminished returns for the expenditures for normal children.” He concluded that providing segregated special classes for the “mental defectives” would actually be cost-effective because the number of normal children in a regular education class could be increased.

The language may differ, but many objections today to special education funding reflect Kuhlmann’s failure to value education and training for children with disabilities. His entire Outline is on the Developmental Disabilities Council web site at www.mncdd.org/past/pdf/25-OMD-Kuhl man.pdf.

Page 2, Article 3: On verge of dream
Wanting to teach, give back

by Harvey Meyer

Jason Lingard is closing in on his decade-long dream to teach in urban public schools.

“Becoming a teacher in an urban setting will probably be the happiest day of my life,” said Lingard, a North Minneapolis resident who has been wheelchair-bound with cerebral palsy for most of his life. “I’ve imagined it many times.”

After student teaching and securing a Minnesota teaching license, Lingard will pursue a teaching post, most likely in Minneapolis, St. Paul or surrounding suburbs. He graduated in May with an elementary education degree from Metropolitan State Univer-sity’s College of Professional Studies. He starts a student teaching assignment in August.

“Jason is an inspiration,” said Rosa Fagundes, his Metropolitan State academic advisor. “He projects resiliency and other positive characteristics. He has a great sense of humor and creativity. He knows how to listen. There is no doubt that Jason is an excellent role model.”

Lingard, 31, had planned to graduate from an Idaho university several years ago. But the institution’s elementary education department required him to complete physical and speech therapy before his senior year student teaching assignment. “They gave me an ultimatum,” said the Boise native. “But I thought it was very discriminatory. I was just being realistic. My disability comes with speech delays and that’s a problem that isn’t going to go away. The only way to deal with it is to do the very best I can. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t give me the benefit of the doubt.” Instead Lingard left school.

He arrived in Minnesota with his wife in 2003. Three years later he enrolled at Metropolitan State, where the Disability Services Office helped him with accommodations including providing him extra test time, note-taking help and other physical assistance.

As part of his Urban Teacher Program studies at Metropolitan State, he assisted urban children improve their reading for a Minneapolis after-school program. He also volunteered as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor for Hmong youth at a Minneapolis elementary school.

Lingard identifies with the challenges many inner-city kids confront. “Some people might see urban children from communities of color and automatically label them as having a learning disability because of the lack of opportunities arising from their circumstances,” he said. “With me, some see my wheelchair first and automatically make assumptions about my learning capabilities. It’s been a challenge…so I can relate to them and the difficult challenges they might face, although these challenges might not be the same.”

Lingard is grateful friends and family refused to let him use his disability as a crutch. “Rather than feeling sorry for myself and saying, ‘I can’t do this,’ I like to approach an obstacle and say, ‘I can do this. I may have to do it differently, but I can do it just like anybody else.’”

Lingard has a history of overcoming challenges. He graduated with honors from his Boise high school and sang in the choir. An active camper and downhill skier (he uses a mono-ski, which has a seat mounted atop one wider ski), he joined an organization whose disabled members enjoyed outdoor adventures. Lingard once testified before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee in Washington, D.C., advocating that persons with disabilities should have equal access to Idaho wilderness camping areas.

Lingard, who works part-time for the downtown Minneapolis Target Store, said he eagerly awaits an opportunity to teach in front of his first urban classroom. “I’ve always wanted to help others and give back,” he said. “Working with young children is a great place to start. I hope they can benefit from seeing my positive attitude and outlook on life and mold themselves into good people.”

Metropolitan State University, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, provides high-quality, affordable education programs for adults seeking baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees. It is the only state university in the Twin Cities metropolitan area besides the University of MN.

This article was submitted by Metropolitan State University.

Page 3, Article 1: Harriet McBryde Johnson
Beloved voice of the community remembered

by Kathleen Hagen

An acerbic and insightful voice for the disability community, who aimed her pen at targets ranging from euthanasia to the Jerry Lewis Telethon, will write no more. Harriet Mc-Bryde Johnson, 50, unexpectedly died in her sleep, June 4. She will be honored August 17 at a memorial service in her hometown of Charleston, S.C.

Johnson lived most of her life in Charleston where, according to the Charleston Post and Courier, she was loved and admired. The newspaper described her as a “tenacious, well-known Charleston disability and civil rights attorney.”

A New York Times obituary recognized Johnson for challenging a Princeton professor’s contention that severely disabled newborns could ethically be euthanized. The Times called Johnson “a feisty champion of the rights of the disabled.”

Until age 13, Johnson attended a special contained school for people with disabilities. She was “invited to leave” when she worked toward getting a particularly bad teacher fired. Her parents convinced a private high school to admit her and her academic career took off from there. She had a B.S. in history from Charleston Southern University, a Master’s in Public Administration from the College of Charleston, and her law degree (J.D.) from the University of South Carolina. For most of her legal career, she had a private law practice representing clients on benefits-related issues and also represented clients facing discrimination using the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

She came to my attention with “Unspeakable Conversations” in The New York Times in February 2003, her debate with Professor Peter Singer on disability and personhood. I was struck by her ability to view, what is a gut-wrenchingly emotional situation for most of us with disabilities, in a fairly detached way. She went to one of Singer’s lectures representing the “Not Dead Yet” disability consumers group, which argues against assisted suicides and euthanasia of persons with disabilities. She was invited to Princeton to debate Singer. Despite her strong feelings against his philosophic leanings, she believed he was in essence a nice man who was sensitive to her needs on stage, and with whom she exchanged a spirited e-mail correspondence, despite possible fallout from her friends in the disability community.

“The Disability Gulag” was another article published in The New York Times, in November 2003, on escaping the institutionalization that threatens so many people with disabilities. Johnson’s family had sufficient means to ensure she always had the resources needed to be as independent as she could be. She described the “gulag” to which persons with disabilities are consigned if institutionalized or placed in nursing homes. She dared to hope that this institutionalization would end in her lifetime.

Johnson weighed in on the Terri Schiavo debate in “Overlooked in the Shadows” in the Washington Post, in March 2005, where she pointed out that there wouldn’t have been support for Terri’s feeding tube to be removed if she wasn’t already considered disabled. She supported the intervention of Congress into the debate on behalf of Schiavo.

In “Wheelchair Unbound,” an April 2006, The New York Times article, Johnson writes about speaking at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“Alas for Tiny Tim, He Became a Christmas Cliché,” an article by Johnson in the in the December 25, 2006 The New York Times was filled with her delicious irony. She wrote that the crippled children’s school she attended as a teenager had considered staging a play based on Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” But who would be Tiny Tim? Johnson quoted directly from the Dickens book: “Alas for Tiny Tim, he bore a little crutch, and had his limbs supported by an iron frame!”

“Alas!” Johnson wrote. “A little crutch! An iron frame! In our world, the crutch-and-brace kids were the athletic elite. They picked up the stuff we hard-core crips dropped.”

Johnson’s “A Step-by-Step Guide to Organizing a Protest Against the Jerry Lewis Telethon” is a sensible down-to-earth guide for organizing any demonstration, especially demonstrations that might be unpopular with the public. Find this guide on disability activist and poet Laura Hershey’s web site: www.cripcommentary. com.

To get a sound bite of John-son’s humor and hear one of the last interviews she gave, you can listen to her interview on the program “ouch!, 13 Questions”. This program is geared toward British consumers with disabilities, in which the interviewer picks 13 questions to ask the interviewee. Check the BBC’s web site, www.bbc.co.uk, in the archived programs section, “Ouch!” on May 12, 2008

Fortunately, she gathered many of her writings into her 2005 memoir: “Too Late to Die Young: Almost True Tales of a Life.” The title comes from the first chapter in which she saw a Jerry Lewis telethon when she was very young. Lewis went on and on about finding a cure for muscular dystrophy, or his poster children, whom he referred to as “Jerry’s kids,” would die without reaching adulthood. She saw that they looked a lot like her, so she thought she probably would die soon. With each year that went by, Johnson would think: “Well at least I got to be a kindergartner before I die,” etc. She was a 30-year-old adult before she realized that everyone was eventually going to die. She came to the conclusion, an example of her acerbic wit, that since she was now more than 30, it was too late for her to die young.

The memoir includes the following events: attending a world-wide disability conference in Cuba, going to the 1996 Democratic National Convention as a delegate, being at the White House for the signing of the ADA legislation, trying an ADA case and her discussions with Singer.

I was fortunate enough to meet her when she was keynote speaker at a Minnesota Justice Foundation banquet soon after the Singer article appeared. Her voice was warm and she was a wonderful story teller. Johnson was a small woman, with a degenerative muscular disease with bones that could fracture easily and almost spontaneously. She had to be very careful about how long, and in what way, she was positioned in her chair. She weighed about 70 pounds. She needed help to perform almost all activities of daily living. She didn’t dwell on her own physical frailties and only spoke of them at this event to show how much she would have fit the profile of people Singer would have thought it appropriate to kill at birth. Her understated approach was more compelling than most emotion-laden debates.

Harriet McBryde Johnson touched the lives of thousands of people, both in person and through her writings. She will be missed but definitely not forgotten.

Memorial service for Harriet McBryde Johnson will be held in Charleston at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 17 at the ILA Hall 1142 Morrison Drive. Her family asks that memorials be sent to USC Law School for a scholarship in Harriet’s name. They hope to raise $100,000. Checks should be written to: USC Educational Foundation, “In Honor of Harriet McBryde Johnson” in the memo line. Mail to: Office of Alumni and Development, USC School of Law, 701 S. Main Street Suite 202, Columbia, SC 29208

The Gimp Parade, a very well-researched and up-to-date blog authored by Kay Johnson from Minnesota, has an index labeled “just for Johnson.” www.thegimpparade.blogspot.com.

Laura Hershey has set up a page on her web site for persons to remember Harriet and celebrate her life. It can be found at www.cripcommen tary.com.

Page 3, Article 2: Letter to the Editor

Rehabilitation Services’ policies inhibit the use of small providers I recently spoke to the State Rehabilitation Council on this issue. I have a small, private for-profit company that provides job placement services to persons with disabilities. We have been in business since February of 1988. Following is what happens with an individual or company wants to provide services:

To start, Rehab Services allows service provision under their “limited use provider” policies. With this system, an organization basically indicates that they are a legal entity, that they don’t discriminate, and that they adhere to appropriate ethics in the provision of services. However, once they receive $20,000 of authorizations, they are forced to become certified by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). This is very expensive and for small agencies, inappropriate, as CARF is designed for large, full-service, community rehabilitation providers. Following are the reasons this is a burden on small providers and a major burden on large providers.

• Currently, it costs $900 just to apply.
• They have updated standards manuals each year, which cost several hundred dollars.
• They charge $1,300 per surveyor, per day. They pay their surveyors $50 per day.
• They say they do “peer” reviews, which has never happened in the six surveys we have had at our organization, as we have non-profit administrators try to make sense applying nonprofit standards to a for-profit company. Needless to say, none of these people have ever provided direct job placement services.
• At least two people in Rehab Services administration are employees of CARF. To be a surveyor, they need to complete at least three surveys per year. This means that they are taking at least three out-of-state trips, to do surveys that may last from two to four days. This is a conflict of interest and I believe their time would be better spent surveying agencies in MN.

In my company, we have always received the highest level of accreditation, with numerous commendations. However, other than paying a lot of money to have someone tell us we’re doing a good job, we have not received any benefit from this process other than to be able to continue to provide services through MN Rehab Services. The last time we were surveyed, we had one surveyor for three days, and he was done in two days, yet we pay for the full three days. So at current rates, that’s $3,900 plus the $900 to apply, plus the costs of the standards manual, and not counting all the hours preparing for the survey and being available on the survey days to provide information and answer questions.

Minnesota currently has more than 40 community rehabilitation providers that are CARF accredited. The vast majority of these providers have multiple programs, multiple sites, and pay anywhere from $14,000 to more than $30,000 to have CARF survey them. Using an average of $20,000, this means CARF is receiving fees in excess of $800,000 from Minnesota in a three-year cycle. I believe this money could be better spent providing services to persons with disabilities, than paying someone from out-of-state to be certified.

Wayne Onken, MS., CRC, Job Placement Specialist at Complete Career Services, St. Cloud, MN.

Page 4: This Month’s Issue Sponsor
UCare Complete in the metro area, and the new UCare Connect
UCare programs complete the health care picture

Individuals with physical disabilities have health care needs that can be simple, complex, and immediate, often requiring specialized and highly skilled care.
And when the physical disabilities are accompanied by mental health issues or developmental disabilities, the stakes can be even higher.

Fortunately, there are two health plans for people with disabilities that eliminate obstacles often posed by fee-for-service health plans:
UCare Complete in the metro area, and the new UCare Connect in 34 Greater Minnesota counties.

UCare Complete

UCare Complete is a comprehensive health plan for people with physical disabilities. It was created by UCare and AXIS Healthcare to help this population enjoy quality, coordinated health care. It is offered through a program called Minnesota Disability Health Options (MnDHO), under the auspices of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Enrollment is voluntary.

Unlike other plans, UCare Complete combines the benefits and services of Medical Assistance, and Medicare Parts A, B, and D (Medicare prescription drug coverage). It offers health coordination and flexible benefits to eligible adults—with no monthly premiums. The plan provides coverage for a range of needed services, including medical equipment and supplies, adult day care and foster care, a wide range of home-based services, and more—together in one package.

To be eligible for UCare Complete, a person must:

• Have a certified primary physical disability.

• Be at least 18 years old and under age 65.

• Be on Medical Assistance, with or without Medicare Parts A and B.

• Reside in Hennepin, Ram-sey, Anoka, Dakota, Washington, Carver, or Scott counties.

UCare and AXIS are experienced and knowledgeable health care organizations. UCare is an independent, nonprofit health plan offering income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, along with Medicare products, to more than 145,000 Minnesotans in every county. UCare handles the administrative side of UCare Complete, establishing the provider network, processing enrollments, paying claims, and communicating with members in many helpful ways. AXIS professionals conduct the initial assessment and provide the multi-disciplinary care coordination for all plan members. Personalized plans are developed to promote independent living, while building in the tight level of support. AXIS also has round-the-clock, on-call nurses to help triage issues that arise.

UCare Complete provider network was created using input from people with disabilities. It includes medical specialists, primary care physicians, dentists, and personal care attendants/assistants with the leading providers and care systems across the Greater Twin Cities area

UCare Connect

Introduced in January 2008, UCare Connect is an innovative and voluntary plan designed expressly for adult Minnesotans in 34 Greater Minnesota counties who have physical or developmental disabilities, and/or mental illness. The innovative plan offers a personal, coordinated, and case management approach that contributes significantly to the health and well-being of its members.

It’s also a new type of Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan that serves people who have been certified as having a disability, mental illness, or developmental disability. DHS classifies UCare Connect as a Special Needs BasicCare plan for Medicaid recipients in MN.

UCare Connect provides health care services focused on prevention, disease management, and management of chronic care needs to Minnesotans who:
• Are 18-64 years of age.
• Receive Medical Assistance without Medicare, or with Medicare Pans A and B.
• Have a certified physical disability or mental illness, or a developmental disability.
• Reside in Benton, Blue Earth, Carlton, Chippewa, Chisago, Cottonwood, Faribault, Fillmore, Houston, Isanti, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Pane, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Mille Lacs, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pine, Redwood, Rice, Rock, Sherburne. Steams, St. Louis, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, or Yellow Medicine County.

UCare partners with many of the 34 counties in the plan’s service area to provide increased coordination of health care and social service programs to UCare Connect members. UCare provides training and consultation in the form of clinical, administrative, and operational support, including utilization management. UCare and the counties work together to help inform and empower members to maximize available resources, while also making connections that will lead to sustained improvements in members’ health, UCare Connect members can take advantage of UCare’s See-A-Dentist Guarantee to schedule routine dental appointments within 30 days, and also can use the UCare Tooth Care mobile dental unit when it’s in their area. And there are no copays for office visits.

UCare Connect members enjoy care from the same, extensive provider network serving the approximately 45,000 member of UCare’s UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage plan. To learn more about membership in UCare Complete or UCare Connect, contact UCare at 612-676-3554, or 1-800-707-1711 (toll free). TTY: 612-676-6810 or 1-800-688-2534 (toll free). Or, visit http://www.ucare.org/visitors/healthplans.html.

About UCare

UCare (www.ucare.org) is an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health care and administrative services to more than 145,000 members.
UCare partners with health care providers, counties, community organizations, and other member-directed groups to create and deliver innovative health coverage plans for:
• Medicare-eligible individuals throughout Minnesota and in western Wisconsin.
• Individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such as MinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance Program.
• Adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions.
• Minnesotans dually eligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare.

UCare’s UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage plan ranked in the top 13 percent of health plans nationwide for outstanding performance.
UCare addresses health care disparities and care access issues through its UCare Fund grants and a broad array of community initiatives.

Page 5, Article 1: Happy 9th Anniversary for key court decision: Or is it?

by Steve Gold

Nine years after the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Olmstead decision, its impacts for persons with disabilities are decidedly mixed. The court ruled that “unjustified institutional isolation of persons with disabilities is a form of discrimination.” The Court rejected the State of Georgia’s argument that the Medicaid statute reflected a Congressional preference for “treatment in the institution over treatment in the community.”

The decision indicated that ending this discrimination wouldn’t occur immediately. In 1999, the high court permitted states to have “waiting lists” for community services as long as such lists “moved at a reasonable pace not controlled by the state’s endeavors to keep its institutions fully populated.”

For people with disabilities, this decision was a clarion call. Disability and elderly advocates believed people would no longer be institutionalized if they wanted to reside in the community. Obviously, where one resides should be one’s own choice.

We all know, however, that the availability and allocation of funds frequently determines the “choice.” Specifically, if you are on Supplemental Security Income, and/or your only source of income is either only Social Security Disability Income or Social Security Retirement, your “choice” may be limited to where your state spends its Medicaid funds—in nursing homes or in the community.

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) surveys indicate that more than 90% of older Americans don’t want to reside in nursing homes. According to Minimum Data Set (MDS) reports, the national percentages of people in nursing homes who want to live in the community continues to increase steadily year by year. This has increased nationally from 18.7% in 2003 to 22.8% in 2008. Check out your state at www.cms.hhs.gov/MDSPub QIandResRep Click on MDS Activity Report and then Q1a)

One might think that amount Medicaid expenditures going to nursing homes would reflect the implementation of the Olmstead decision, national surveys and MDS data. But that is not always the case. Compared to the rest of the nation, how has your state done?

Using FY 1999/Olmstead as a benchmark, we have calculated, by state, what was the percentage of Medicaid’s long-term care expenditures that were allocated to services in the nursing institution versus in the community.

Obviously, the greater the percentage of Medicaid funds expended in the nursing home, the lower the percentage in the community. It’s like a scale; as one side goes down, the other goes up. While the following data is provided in percentages, it is critical to remember there are billions of dollars involved and the ratio of expenditures significantly impacts whether one has a meaningful choice. That is, the more your state spends on nursing facilities, the less it will have to spend on the community.

We receive numerous inquiries from people who do not want to be institutionalized in nursing homes or who are in them and want to live in the community. The only way to achieve real “choice” is to provide people with Medicaid services where they want them. “Waiting lists” for services are not services. Living in fear of being institutionalized or living with fear because one is institutionalized is not the type of a “choice” the ADA or the Olmstead decision intended.

Whether the promise of Olmstead will be achieved depends on the elderly and disability and their advocates! Those states that have moved the percentages to greater equality between the community and the institution must have terrific, effective self-advocates and understanding of what is right, administrators and elected officials.

For some states it is “Olmstead, happy ninth anniversary!” For many others, it is not.

In comparing Medicaid Long-Term Care expenditures state-by-state, Minnesota’s funds were spent in FY 1999 at a rate of 79.9 percent in nursing homes and 20.1 percent in the community. That was consistent with the trend seen nationally, at 80.8 expenditures in nursing homes and 19.2 percent in the community.

In Minnesota's 2006 fiscal year, that dropped to 57 percent in nursing homes and 43 percent in the community. Nationally, the percentage of dollars spent on nursing home care was 71.4 percent. Spending in the community was at 28.6 percent. That’s a shift of 9.4 percent over seven years. The data for FY 2006 represents the most recent data available. The FY 2007 data will be available later this summer.

Using the data for each state, disability and elderly self-advocates and their advocates should ask whether the change between FY 1999 and FY 2006 is satisfactory, whether it reflects what the Supreme Court in the Olmstead decision intended, whether it provides elderly and disabled people in your state with a choice where they want to receive services, and what the self-advocates and advocates will do about the pace of change. n

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey, continues. Information Bulletins are available online at www.stevegoldada.com; to contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegold ada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.

Page 5, Article 2: Advocates urge response to the proposed changes to Title II and III of the ADA

by the Great Lakes ADA Center

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued major proposed revisions to its regulations implementing Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Some of DOJ’s changes are excellent, and urgently needed, according to the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF). Fund leaders believe it is important that the disability community laud these, to support DOJ against industry attack. Good proposals include adoption of the new 2004 ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), stronger hotel reservation and ticketing provisions, recognition of psychiatric service animals, additional companion seating in theaters and stadiums, and stronger provisions for effective communication for people with hearing, visual and speech disabilities. However, there are also many draconian changes that would radically reduce the rights of people with disabilities. For example, DOJ proposes: a significant weakening of the readily achievable barrier removal requirement for public accommodations, a significant reduction of elements required to be accessible in state and local government facilities, an exemption for all existing facilities from the new recreation and playground rules.

DOJ must receive many comments from the disability community in favor of a strong, comprehensive ADA. Comments must defend the principle of individual, case-by-case assessment, which DOJ is largely abandoning in favor of many blanket reductions. Fund leaders must remind DOJ that the ADA is already carefully crafted to take the needs of covered entities into account, and those reductions to our civil rights would be a devastating blow to our daily lives.

Extensive draft comments, by topic, are available on the DREDF website to help you write your own comments. The list of topics is in the gray box at the right.

The website also has information about how to file your comments, as well as tips on commenting and a link to the proposed regulations.

Comments will have the most impact if writers revise the web site drafts to add their own thoughts, and especially their own personal experiences or those of friends, family, colleagues or clients with disabilities.

Topics in the DOJ proposals include Safe Harbor:

One-percent (1%) safe harbor for barrier removal in existing facilities for qualified small businesses,
“Reasonable number but at least one” in program access under Title II, Exemption for facilities that allegedly comply with the 1991 ADAAG, Path of travel, Definition of “existing facility,” Comments on the Regulatory Impact Analysis, Title II Complaint Process, communications; auxiliary aids and services, service animals, hotel reservations policies, seating and ticketing in assembly areas, medical care facilities, wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices, prisons, jails and the Prison Litigation Reform Act, social service agencies, residential facilities, transient lodging, and dormitories, recreation facilities and play areas, recreation facilities and play areas saunas and steam rooms, swimming pools, exercise equipment, team player and seating areas, areas of sport activity, boating and fishing, golf, miniature golf

For more articles regarding the ADA go to our “ADA In the Headlines” at: www.adagreatlakes.org/Headlines/ The deadline for comments is August 18.  To see draft comments, visit www.dredf.org/DOJ_NPRM
[Source] DBTAC-Great Lakes ADA Center www.adagreatlakes.org

Page 6, Article 1: Inaugural award is given
Sara Chute is honored by the DIA

by Clarence Schadegg

Sara Chute, a staff member with the Minnesota Department of Health and community volunteer, was the chosen recipient of an award of appreciation from members of the Disabled Immigrant Association (DIA). Sara received this first-time award at a special dinner because of her dedicated support and her year-long volunteer activity with DIA.

The Disabled Immigrant Association’s office is strategically located to provide the most efficient support to disabled immigrants who live within the inner city of Minneapolis. Most of the clients served are immigrants from Somalia who live with physical or mental disabilities, or both. Language is a major barrier to immigrants with disabilities along with prejudice based on race, religion, eth-nicity, culture, and disability. About 80,000 Somali residents live in Minnesota; most live in the Twin Cities. Approximately 14 to 20 percent of this population consists of people with either one type or a combination of physical and mental disabilities. Some of the disabilities were the result of war and ethnic cleansing in Somalia.

DIA has an important mission, one which it has taken on with enthusiasm, courage and determination. Volunteers devote many hours a week to make life better for fellow immigrants with disabilities.

Most of the people served by DIA get help with finding employment, instruction of English as a second language, support to fill out complicated application forms, assistance with food and nutrition and assistance with transportation. It is the transportation program that carries these other DIA activities. An average of 10 rides per day is given to clients at a fee of $20 per ride. Much more needs to be done as this population is sometimes isolated and ignored.

According to Chute, “For me, everyone at DIA is deserving of this award. From its incredible co-founders Sharif and Abdul to its outstanding executive director Mahad, and to its dedicated staff, that works hard every day to help serve this often forgotten and vulnerable population. It is an honor to be a part of such a unique organization that is truly out there making a difference every day for those who most need assistance.”

Mahad Abdi, DIA’s executive director, introduced Chute as the DIA Board of Directors choice and best candidate to receive this award for outstanding contributions to the organization.

The dinner and volunteer award will be an ongoing activity. Like Chute, future award candidates will be selected and recognized for providing DIA staff or clients with help and guidance for even greater community interaction and support.

To know how you can support DIA and to learn more, access the DIA website at www.dialink.org. Or e-mail Mahad and other DIA volunteers at info@dialink.org. To visit or contact by phone the DIA office, go to or call 3033 - 2nd Ave S. Mpls, (612) 824-7075.

Page 6, Article 2: The light that failed

by Pete Feigal

Editor’s note: Writer and artist Pete Feigal shares a life-changing moment.

I haven’t been writing for Access Press lately because I’ve been struggling with my eyesight. I can’t even say the word “blindness.” I had been getting ready for it for some time as my multiple sclerosis has been progressing, but nothing can truly prepare you for the reality of it once it finally happens. I’m afraid that I’m not doing very well at it. I’m angry, even full of rage. I’m afraid, sometimes to the point of panic. I’m frustrated and disappointed and bitter. It’s still relatively new and I know I have to work through the grief and drastic changes, but it’s been hard. So hard. 

I’m approaching the one-year anniversary of The Day I Went Blind. That day last year, July 29, 2007 was the day the “light went out.” We all have days in our lives that mark anniversaries or important events or even disasters or tragedies. And July 29th at 12:33 p.m. is the moment my right eye, my “good” eye stopped working. The left eye had stopped working about five years ago, and it was amazing how well my body had reacted, come to my aid, and how my “good” eye kept compensating, right up till the end against the double vision that finally barred out entirely.

On that day, I was at my drawing table working on a drawing in progress at the Oshkosh air show, when it happened. I was talking to a group of kids about art, about finding your passion. For a dozen years I had run a booth at the air show selling my aviation drawings, drawings I had had the time to develop after my first MS attack some years before, a true case of “one door shuts and two doors open.” When the loss of vision happened I was able to keep my cool, and calmly called out for Melanie. I told her to, without making a fuss, help me to reach the big chairs across the aisle from our booth and then quietly inform the rest of the team what had happened.

And sitting in that chair, with the incredible roar of classic World War II aircraft performing above me, with the voices of excited kids and old friends and customers, and the general din of the exhibition hall around me, I realized two things. One was that I wished I had just stepped outside the building to see the planes that I loved, planes that I would probably never see again. The other was that I was at one of those moments in life that, in many ways, other moments would be compared against. It was a moment when your life has taken a step in a direction and suddenly you don’t have the same options to choose from, or at least you are faced with an entirely new set of options. These moments come to us all, with car accidents, with vows of “I do,” with the call that comes in the middle of the night, with looking into the eyes of a newborn child, with a coughing fit or a first bitter taste of liquor, or an exchanged smile across a crowded dance floor. Sometimes we know the moment for what it is, but most times we don’t. Later we realize it, but not then, not at the exact moment. 

That’s what the moment of my blindness meant to me: a change that I could never come back from, even if I regained my eyesight. It was in some ways a wonderful moment. How often is it in our own lives that we realize those moments of destiny?  I sat there, working on keeping my fear in check, focusing on my breathing and the sounds around me while Melanie and my team, far more excited, were making plans to get me home or to a hospital. The moment was so certain, the knowledge was so clear that my life had just changed forever that I remember that I actually spoke to my old self, my old life, now instantly changed and fading away.

I said out loud, “Goodbye.” I had the tiniest smile on my face. “Goodbye.  Goodbye.”

Pete Feigal can be contacted at PFeigal@aol.com

Page 7: At A Glance

New Web site makes finding affordable housing easier

For people struggling to put a roof over their head, HousingLink introduces the newest way to find affordable housing in Minnesota – hList. With hList, anyone with Internet access can search for affordable rentals by location, rent amount and bedroom size. Key features include: listing properties with accessible units, free access, and easy-to-sort, easy-to-print results. Before hList, HousingLink offered two ways to find affordable housing online: the Private Market Vacancy Report (PMVR) and Online Directory of Affordable Rental Housing. hList integrates the best of both resources to create a powerful and intuitive new search tool.

“We went to great lengths to gather feedback from our users to determine the design of the hList,” said Ben Van Hunnik, marketing manager with HousingLink. “I met with renters, service providers and property owners to see what they wanted in a new search tool. Their feedback helped us develop an easier, more effective resource for people in need of affordable housing.” [Source: www.housinglink.org]

Medicare bill survives presidential veto

Key measures on Medicare payments and equipment have cleared both houses of Congress. On July 9 the Senate passed the Medicare bill (HR 6331) by a veto-proof majority (69 – 30).  The House passed the legislation in June, 355-59. That vote that is also comfortably more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto. President George W. Bush vetoed the measure July 15, but Congress quickly overrode the veto.

The legislation was seen by many as a battle between health insurers against physicians. The new law halts a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, which was part of a cost-saving schedule set to be implemented July 1. The American Medical Association lobbied for the legislation, saying its members might have to cut back on seeing Medicare patients if the cuts went into effect. The legislation will make cuts to Medicare Advantage, an alternate program that private insurers participate in. It also affects a number of other programs, including purchase of equipment. The legislation doesn’t make any changes to the current first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs.
[This article was compiled from online news accounts in the Washington Post and Associated Press.]

Social Security Administration makes Web site more user-friendly

The Social Security Administration is interested in providing the most efficient and effective website possible. The agency has unveiled a redesigned home page, meant to be more user-friendly. The new look follows the standard for design principles in the industry by reducing clutter, improving navigation, making better use of graphics, reducing the need to scroll down and prioritizing items on the page. 

Some of the major changes include the placement of prominent links to Filing Online for Retirement Benefits, Applying for Disability Benefits and Requesting a Social Security Card to help reduce the number of unnecessary trips to a local Social Security office; the creation of a brief video greeting which will help many people, including those with certain visual disabilities; and the consolidation of information, services and schedules of payments for people already receiving benefits. Before launching this redesign, staff consulted with the Social Security Advisory Board, Congressional staff, external stakeholders and web design experts.  Focus groups were conducted with members of the public. The site was tested for usability and Section 508 compliance to ensure that those with disabilities could easily navigate it. Comments on the newly designed home page are sought. A link has been created for the submission of feedback. [Source: www.socialsecurity.gov]

Republican National Convention Accessibility options

Metro Transit buses will not be used to take guests of the upcoming Republican National Convention back and forth between the Xcel Energy Center and their hotels, making guaranteed accessibility uncertain. In their place, charter companies from around the state will be providing transportation. Some of those buses will not be accessible. However, a spokesperson for the disability office of the convention said accessible vans to meet special needs will be available on an on-call basis. The vans will be limited to convention delegates, alternates, media personnel and guests who have credentials.

In addition, wheelchairs will be provided by the convention if needed. The convention itself will be ASL interpreted, by a contracted local company. Finally, large print material and listening devices will be available by request. [Source: Roger Fuller]

Medical center to pay $195,000 to settle in EEOC lawsuit

Virginia Mason Medical Center has agreed to provide $195,000 and other relief to settle a federal lawsuit charging that the Seattle nonprofit health organization unlawfully fired CaTina White due to a back injury. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit, surgical technician White had worked at Virginia Mason’s facility in Seattle for more than three years when she sustained an on-the-job injury to her back and took medical leave. When she returned to work with a medical release that restricted her from heavy lifting and prolonged standing, Virginia Mason informed her that she could no longer perform her job under those restrictions. The EEOC charged that the center failed to reassign White to vacate equivalent positions for which she was qualified and could perform, and unlawfully terminated her due to her disability.

Disability discrimination violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees’ disabilities as long as this does not pose an undue hardship on the business. The EEOC filed the lawsuit after first attempting to reach a voluntary agreement. The settlement allowed Virginia Mason to deny any wrongdoing but they did agree to pay White monetary damages. In addition, the center will review its anti-discrimination policies regarding disability and commits to allowing up to six months to reassign employees with disabilities to a vacant position for which they are qualified. Virginia Mason will also train supervisors to ensure that they fully understand their legal obligations under the ADA to applicants and employees.
[Source: EEOC News]

New guide makes buying toys for differently-abled kids easier

When selecting a gift for a child with special needs, family and friends often have trouble choosing the right toy.  Mostly, they want the child to receive everyday playthings that are fun, new and appropriate to their abilities.  To help these loved ones find the perfect gift, Toys“R”Us has again partnered with National Lekotek Center to create the 2008 Toys“R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids. The guide is released in September and available throughout the year. Each year, this easy-to-use resource helps parents, family, friends and professionals in finding toys that cater to—or help develop—a child’s particular abilities. Many partnering disabilities organizations, including the National Muscular Association and National Down Syndrome Society distribute the Guide to their members. The free, one-of-a-kind toy guide speaks to a child’s individual needs and offers qualified toy recommendations based on research from National Lekotek Center, an independent, non-profit organization that handpicks and tests the toys featured in the Guide. 

The Guide is also available at www.toysrus.com/differently abled. An updated, colorful and easy-to-use online version of the Guide, it now includes the same recognizable symbols from the print edition, assigned to each item so parents can find toys that cater to their child’s skills and needs, and promotes development in areas of auditory, language, social skills, creativity and more (also, now available online in Spanish). [Source: Toys”R”Us]

Page 8, Article 1: Soldiers support soldiers
TRI-N-HELP wounded/challenged athletes

by Major Brian Musselman

Golden rays of sunlight splashed over the Iraqi desert as I turned the corner for my last two-mile lap on my road bike. This stretch of road was the only adequate asphalt for me to ride on in Iraq. I was on day 145 of my 180-day deployment and I found myself right in the middle of what I would soon find to be a great passion of mine…cycling. I had never been much of a rider, but my friend and colleague, Capt. Rich Farley, has ridden bikes for years. As a combat search and rescue team member, he realized the value of not only fitness but personal contact with others while at a deployed location. He often e-mailed me and would frequently discuss how his latest fitness adventure was progressing. Farley had recently started training to compete in triathlons. I had been a runner since college and always wanted to start cycling. Tri-athlons seemed like a challenging, yet fun adventure where I could start riding. Farley had convinced me that riding was the next logical fitness routine I should try and as luck would have it, I met another deployed member who had been cycling for 20 years. I purchased a bike, (believe or not, one can purchase a bicycle in Iraq) and this new friend helped me assemble and tune the bike for optimum performance. Now I was ready to go!

In Iraq I would wake up early to start training mainly because the summers in Iraq are akin to the summers in my hometown of Phoenix…ridiculously hot! Outside exercise is best conducted in the cool desert morning rather than the hot, dry 130-degree afternoon. My one-mile stretch of road ended at the base entry gate. I would frequently see soldiers heading to and from patrol outside the perimeter and often thought of how the unit was affected when one of their brothers in arms was injured or did not return. What kind of impact would that have on their family and community back home? How would they make it after such a devastating event had occurred to them? It was during these morning rides that I realized how fortunate I was to have the ability to start a new sport.

I was scheduled to return from Iraq in mid-August, 2007. Farley was scheduled to race a Sprint Triathlon in early September so we agreed this might be a great reunion opportunity where we could both participate in the triathlon. What a rush! The excitement of completing this event was unexplainable. As a runner I would frequently participate in a 5K or 10K run in support of fund-raising initiatives. The feeling of accomplishment after completing the triathlon towered over running events. Throughout the weekend, Farley and I discussed how unfortunate it was for people who did not have the ability to participate in sporting events and how there are thousands of military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are injured and are no longer able to participate in an active lifestyle. As we watched a rerun of the 2007 Kona Ironman in preparation for our Sprint Triathlon (400 meter swim, 14 mile bike, 5K run), we saw the remarkable story of U.S. Army Major David Rozelle.

While in Iraq commanding 140 troops of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Rozelle lost part of his right leg when a land mine exploded under his Humvee. Rozelle’s experiences could be easily compared to your worst nightmare following the incident. He was in excruciating pain, depressed, physically challenged and not knowing what his future held. Tenacity saved his life! Rozelle remembered what it was like to participate in sports and strongly believed in the healing power of sports to help accomplish his new mission…get back into action! He became involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation and competed in several triathlons. Driven to conquer the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, he was dedicated to prove that he’s not only “back in action,” but back with a purpose. In Hawaii, he completed the race an hour faster than his qualifying time, finishing in 12:46:26. (As a point of reference, an Ironman Triathlon is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.)

After many months of rehabilitation, training and sheer determination, Rozelle returned to active duty and subsequently to the same battlefield where he was originally wounded—the first American soldier to do so in modern times. (www.challengedath letes.org/athletes_stories/David_Rozelle.htm) Rozelle’s story inspired me and Farley to make a difference for athletes with physical challenges all over the world. We co-founded the Triathlon Team TRI-N-HELP as our contribution to this noble cause. Race for a Reason under the guise of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) was established in 1997. The CAF is a unique organization that recognizes the athletic greatness inherent in all people with physical challenges and supports their athletic endeavors by providing grants for training, competition and equipment needs. The mission of TRI-N-HELP is to raise money to support challenged athletes while increasing awareness of exercise and nutrition. TRI-N-HELP believes fitness increases quality of life. Our goals are to raise $2,500 in the first year, increase awareness of injured/wounded U.S. Military members.

We completed the Desert Classic Duathlon in February (3.5-mile run, 21-mile bike ride and 2.7-mile run). Our teammate Dave Neal (a dental student in Mesa, AZ and former US Air Force Para-recueman), achieved an awesome accomplishment by finishing the Ford Ironman in Tempe, AZ in early April. I recently completed the Mountain Man Olympic Distance Triathlon in Flagstaff, AZ (.93-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike and 6.2-mile run). We will continue to race and raise money to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation because we know the money we raise will support athletes who cannot always get to the starting line: swimmers missing limbs, paraplegics who use hand cycles to bike and runners who race using artificial limbs. High-tech running prosthetics are very expensive and learning to swim without a limb (or limbs) requires special coaching. These challenged athletes want to participate in athletics and feel the rush of competition, just like us. In May of 2008, the Challenged Athletes Foundation distributed more than $1 million in grants to 625 athletes. It is a wonderful thing to witness firsthand the diversity and impact of sports supported by the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

We are confident with our help, challenged athletes will be able to continue to bridge the financial gap and overcome funding obstacles that block their path to athletic achievement. If you would like to donate in support of Team TRI-N-HELP please visit www.trin help.org or http://racefora reason.kintera.org/trinhelp. n

Major Brian Musselman and Captain Rich Farley are both Active Duty Officers serving in the United States Air Force and co-founders of the Triathlon Team TRI-N-HELP. www.trinhelp.org/Trinhelp/Trinhelp.html

Page 8, Article 2: Fun in the sun
UCP Golf Scramble 2008 a big success

Golfers got into the swing at United Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota’s (UCPM) 12th Annual Golf Scramble July 21, at the Oak Marsh Golf Course in Oakdale. While having fun in the hot sun the participants raised money to help people with Cerebral Palsy (CP), and the weather cooperated with sunny skies. UCPM supporters have declared the event a resounding success.

Cerebral Palsy is a lifelong condition caused by a trauma to the brain generally occurring prior to, during or shortly after birth. It is not a disease. Therapy and/or medical interventions and assistive technology may help improve an individual’s quality of life. This information is from the UCPM website: www.ucpmn. org. The theme on the United Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota website is “Life without limits for people with disabilities.”

The golfing commenced at noon with a shotgun start. Each golf team began the tournament with a pink golf ball, called a pink lady. Golfers were supposed to keep the pink lady in play as long as possible. Debby Gustafson confessed that her team lost their pink lady on the first hole. Despite that loss, Gustafson said she always has fun at the scramble, adding “How can you go wrong with golf?” Gustafson and her company, Twin Cities Metro CDC, have sponsored the UCPM event for five years.
Gustafson also won a golf shirt at the Access Press golf hole, because she had the closest guess for how many pieces of candy were in a bowl. (She guessed 63 pieces and there were 64.) Each golf hole had a fun activity and there were contests and awards for longest drive, closest to pin and longest putt. First, second and third place teams received awards. Golfers also enjoyed a silent auction which featured sports memorabilia. Dale Findlay, an individual with CP, has volunteered on the course games for 12 years.

About 70 golfers participated in this year’s event. UCPM Board Member Tim Hanson played on a team with his wife Darcy. Their son Adam, who has CP, enjoyed watching the tournament from his front-row seat in the golf cart.

Hala Sonbol was a hostess at the Access Press golf hole. She has CP, and this was her first UCPM event. Sonbol enjoyed the day, although she felt disappointed that she didn’t see any golfers with disabilities.
A UCPM spokesperson said they welcome all golfers; in fact they would love to see more people participating. The UCPM organizers invited the Sister Kenny golf program for people with disabilities, but haven’t gotten any responders yet.

In the evening UCPM held a banquet at the Oak Marsh facility. The guests enjoyed an Italian buffet dinner. A couple of UCPM Board members made brief comments at the banquet. Tim Hanson spoke about what CP is and how it affects people.

Mike Stephenson, UPCM Board member and Chair of the Golf Committee, thanked everyone for coming. Stephen-son has been on the UCPM Board for five years. He has CP and uses a communication device. Stephenson says about the golf tournament. “I think the number one thing we did that day was to raise money to help people with CP.” For example, the UCP Minnesota Assistive Technology Loan Network (MATLN) lends communication devices to anyone who is nonverbal.

To learn more about United Cerebral Palsy and the Golf Scramble: www.ucpmn.org.

Page 9: Advertisement

Page 10: AutoMARK demonstrations

by Access Press staff

Voters with disabilities have an option besides asking an election judge for help or bringing a helper to the polls. At the polling place, the AutoMark ballot-marking equipment is meant to provide voters with additional accessibility.

The AutoMARK is intended to assist voters with disabilities to vote independently and privately. It provides a number of accessibility options for voters. Its use isn’t restricted to voters with disabilities. All voters may use the Auto-MARK.

Here’s how the machines work: A voter gets a paper ballot and then takes it to the AutoMARK. She can then use a screen to enlarge the text for easier viewing. Type can be enlarged or the voter can use a high-contrast display of the ballot. There are headphones to allow a voter to listen privately to an audio version of the ballot. The AutoMARK also has an additional connection for other accessibility devices.

Voters using an AutoMARK can choose candidates by either touching the screen, using a key pad or using an external accessibility device. The machine reads the voter’s choices and completes the ballot for the selection made. The voter than takes his ballot, places it in a privacy sleeve and places it in the ballot box or counter.

Voters with disabilities are not required to use the Auto-MARK. If a voter is more comfortable asking for assistance, that is still an available option. Two election judges, each from a different political party, can accompany a voter to a voting booth and help the voter fill out a ballot. Ask for help when you register at your polling place. A voter may also bring a friend or family member to help mark their ballot. It’s always best to let the head election judge or a registration judge know right away if you have a helper.

If your organization would like to know more about the Auto-MARK, counties can provide demonstrations prior to an election. Contact Jodi Nelson, Voter Outreach Coordinator, Minnesota Secretary of State, if your group would like an AutoMARK demonstration. Nelson is at 651-201-1336 or jodi.nelson@state.mn.us

Another way to see and try to AutoMARK prior to the primary is to visit demonstrations announced by the Secretary of State’s office. The Auto-MARK will be available at the Minnesota State Fair’s Education Building, August 21-September 1. The AutoMARK will also be available in Duluth at the Age and Disabilities Odyssey, August 18-19.

The AutoMARKs are also made available for in-person absentee voting, when counties have open hours for voting prior to Election Day. Absentee voting for the primary starts Friday, August 8 and ends September 8.

Page 11: Advertisments, etc.

Page 12: Upcoming Events

 

Adaptive technology classes
August-October

The Minneapolis Central Library will once again be hosting a variety of free classes for blind, low vision and computer users with disabilities. Classes include tutorials on beginner and advanced Magic (screen magnifier), e-mail using adaptive software, JAWS (screen reader) and general internet usage. Four to five sessions for each class. Details: Dates and times vary. Adaptive Technology Lab, Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis. FFI: 612-630-6469.

Remembering with Dignity meeting
August 15

Remembering with Dignity is honoring those who lived and died in Minnesota’s state institutions by telling their stories and preserving our dignity. This will be an informational meeting regarding the placement of named headstones and grounds improvements at the St. Peter State Hospital Cemetery. Self advocates, consumers, relatives of former residents and community members are encouraged to attend. There will be a ceremony held at the St. Peter State Hospital Cemetery 2-45 p.m. Saturday, September 27, 2008 for the laying of the new gravestones. Details: Power-Up Club House, St Peter. FFI: 651-641-0297

Wings Appreciation Picnic
August 15

Wings is a Christian-centered nonprofit organization for adults with disabilities. They are hosting an appreciation picnic, which will feature roasted chicken, potato salad, ice cream, singing and a gift giveaway. Details: $375. 6-9 p.m. Lake Nokomis Pavilion, Minneapolis. FFI: Dale at 651-402-6277 or Maynard at 507-252-8553.

Anxiety support group
August 21

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota sponsors free support groups for persons with anxiety disorders. The groups help individuals develop better coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences. An Open Door Anxiety/Panic support group meets on the first and third Thursday of the month. Details: 6:30 p.m. Gloria Del Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S. FFI: Wade at 763-772-2379 or www.namimn.org.

Minnesota State Fair
August 21-September 1

The State Fair is once again offering a variety of accessibility options to ensure that all Minnesotans can enjoy the fun. Wheelchair and electric scooter rentals are available from Vista Mobility, at four fairground locations. In addition, the care and assistance center will feature services such as wheelchair battery recharging. Senior Days and a variety of other programs and discounts for senior citizens will also be included. Details: Minnesota State Fairgrounds. FFI: www.mnstatefair.org or 651-288-4448.

March for Our Lives
September 2

The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign calls for you to join them as they fill the streets of St. Paul in a powerful, peaceful demonstration for the right to health care, housing and all economic human rights. This September they will bring together poor and homeless people of every race, background and age, students, social workers, union members, lawyers, religious leaders, artists and everyone who stands for social and economic justice to march on the Republican National Convention. FFI: www.economic humanrights.org or 612-821-2364.

Abilities Expo
September 12-14

The Abilities Expo, a comprehensive expo and conference for independent and assisted living products and services, is back in Minneapolis next month. It is designed for persons with disabilities, family members, seniors, caregivers, physical and occupational therapists, and education and rehabilitation professionals. It will feature exhibits of hundreds of products, free workshops and special events such as sports exhibitions and fashion shows. Details: Minneapolis Convention Center. FFI: www.abilitiesexpo.com, or 800-388-8146.

Helping Paws dinner
September 13

The 10th Annual Helping Paws Tail Waggin’ Dinner will celebrate Two Decades of Dogs. The evening will include a silent auction, plated dinner, program and live auction.  Cost is $75 for adults, $20 for children 12 and under. Service dogs, service dogs-in-training and our most recent puppies will be attending. Come enjoy the festivities and learn about Helping Paws service dogs and how they change lives. All proceeds from this event benefit Helping Paws. Details: Minneapolis Marriott Southwest. FFI:  www.helpingpaws.org.

Heel and Wheel walk
September 14

In support of Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, this annual fundraiser will include a one or three mile walk, for participants who have raised pledges in the preceding months. Both individuals and teams are encouraged to raise funds. The day will also include prizes for donations of various sizes, a random prize drawing, and entertainment including music and games for all ages. Details: Phalen Park, St Paul. 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. FFI: www.hsdm.org or 612-729-5986.

Reason for Hope retreat
October 24-25

Reason for Hope is an annual weekend retreat for parents and caregivers who have a child or adult with any type of disability or healthcare need. Attendees participate in support group meetings and workshops, and attend a keynote address, as well as having time to relax and socialize. The keynote speakers this year will be mother-son combo Martha and Jeff Smith, who will present a show involving magic, comedy and discussions on family life. Details: $50 per person (includes overnight accommodations, meals, workshops and meetings). Americanna Inn, St. Cloud. FFI: www.reasonfor hoperetreat.org, or 320-393-4906.

Visible Child conference
October 28-29

The Visible Child conference will seek to elevate the developmental needs of children and youth who have experienced homelessness. Workshops will be offered by local and national experts on homelessness and child development. Providing training and networking opportunities for organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless youth, including housing and mental health providers, educators and child development staff, the conference will feature keynote speakers Antwone Fisher and Ralph Nunez. Details: The Depot, Minneapolis. FFI: www.fhfund.org/visiblechild/

Page 13: Accessible Performances and Movie Theaters

Page 14: Web sightings
Five web favorites from Access Press‘s Jane McClure

Anyone who battles chronic breathing problems, which can be aggravated by allergies
and asthma, knows how hard it can be to get through the summer. These favorite video
clips might bring a smile between sneezes. August’s picks were compiled by Access Press Assistant Editor Jane McClure, who will be glad when the first frost arrives.PS: Join in! Send us your top five, with comments, to access@accesspress.org

“Rent: The Allergy Season”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kbyUO6hTYE

This parody of the Broadway musical and movie is set in Upstate New York, instead of New York City. The characters suffer from allergies, not AIDS. The bit with the citronella candle is especially humorous. [Forward to: people who can’t stop singing show tunes]

“Proxy Pet Love Service”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KsTXwyhI0

If you are allergic to Fido or Fluffy, here is your solution. It’s a toss-up as to which is funnier – the expression on the wary black cat’s face or the very hyper commercial pitchman. [Forward to: a pet lover]

“Sneezing Panda”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybRcqcNU_A

YouTube has two sneezing panda videos, which have been posted multiple times. There are even videos of people watching and reacting to the sneezing panda. Will someone hand him a tissue? [Forward to: anyone who enjoys visiting the zoo]

“Ed and Oucho”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYmla1bk7s

Ed and Oucho the Cactus are CBBC characters, featured in many YouTube clips. (The CBBC is the British Broadcasting Corporation’s channel for children.) In this clip Ed is battling hay fever, much to Oucho’s dismay. The pile of wadded-up tissues in front of them just keeps growing. [Forward to: Anyone who enjoys a British sense of humor]

“Allergies be Gone”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=duX14bi2wuQ

A boy has a super allergy multiplier quantum destroyer. Alas, he blows himself up trying to open the thing. The facial expressions are great and the young actor does a great job with different voices. [Forward to: anyone who has ever accidentally sprayed himself or herself in the face with an inhaler]

Without reader input we cannot continue this feature. Send us your favorite videos! 

Page 15: Access to Employment and Classified Ads

Employment

Employment ads are $20-$22 per column inch. The deadline for ads submissions being posted in the next month's issue is on last business day on or before the 25th of the month. Mail to: Access Press, 1821 University Ave. #104S , St. Paul , MN 55104 Fax: 651-644-2136. E-mail: advertising@accesspress.org

Utility Financial Analyst 3

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission seeks candidates for Financial Analyst 3 position who have accounting and financial analysis experience preferably in the electricity or natural gas industry and the skills and knowledge to direct and conduct investigations of financial matters involving utility companies. Financial analysts examine and interpret complex utility company financial statements and prepare reports regarding the appropriateness of rate base, income statements, and revenue requirements. The incumbent would be responsible for evaluating regulatory matters, clarifying record evidence to ensure completeness, preparing reports based on record information to assist Commission decision-making, as well as monitoring and, at times, participating in regional and national forums on energy issues.

In addition to industry experience, candidates should hold a degree in accounting; additional professional certification would be significant.

Candidates must apply online at www.doer.state.mn.us (click on “Employee Relations,” click on “Employment Information”; “Search for a job” (left margin); under “Dept” choose “Public Utilities Comm”). Please submit information by September 8, 2008.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with the ADA.

Chief Operating Officer

Aeon (formerly: Central Community Housing Trust) seeks Chief Operating Officer. Reports to President/CEO. Manage $15M budget. Responsible for property operations and management, resident connections, human resources, and general administration. 2,700 residents in 1,500 housing units and growing.

Requirements: at least 10 years of overall experience with progressive leadership responsibility in addition to a degree in Business or Public Administration. Past experience in property management in either the private- or non-profit sector will be a plus.

For more information, please visit www.aeonhomes.org. E-mail resumes no later than August 25th to Fred Marx, Vice President, KeyStone Search at fredm@keystonesearch.com.

Director of Disability Services

The Office of the Vice President and Vice Provost for Equity and Diversity at the University of Minnesota is seeking a highly qualified, motivated and creative leader for its Disability Services office. Considered to be one of the nation’s leaders in providing progressive services to people with disabilities, the Disability Services office is a catalyst for ensuring equal learning and working opportunities for students, faculty, staff and guests with disabilities. The office is within an organizational structure that provides exciting opportunities for collaboration with units with consistent and complementary missions as well as opportunities to work with academic and administrative units on all campuses throughout the U of M system. More information about the position and the application process can be found at https://employment.umn.edu/. The requisition number is: 156635.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Classified Ads

Reach 11,000 active, interested readers with Access Press Classifieds. $13 up to 12 words, 60¢ per word thereafter. Must be prepaid. Mail with check to: Access Press, 1821 University Ave W, #104S , St. Paul , MN 55104 Voice: 651-644-2133, Fax: 651-644-2136, E-mail: advertising@accesspress.org

For Rent

Oak Park Village: One Bedroom wheelchair-accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient St. Louis Park location. Call 952-935-9125, availability information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Lewis Park Apartments: Barrier-free housing with wheelchair users in mind. Section 8 subsidized. One- and two- bedroom units. For more information on availability call 651-488-9923. St. Paul , MN . Equal Opportunity Housing.

Seward Square Apartments: We are currently accepting applications for our waiting list for barrier-free housing, in Minneapolis , that is federally subsidized. For an application, please call 612-338-2680. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Holmes-Greenway Housing: One and two bedroom wheelchair-accessible apartments. Section 8 subsidized. Convenient SE Minneapolis location. Call 612-378-0331 for availability information. Equal Opportunity Housing.

Page 16: Advertisements and Friends of Access Press Listing