Access Press - September 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:

“Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both.” — Abraham Flexner

Page 1, Article 1:

Tropic Thunder? Offense Taken!
Two very different movie premieres raise the curtain on disabilities, stereotypes

by Bret Hesla

The call to action was a offensive play title. The response was a movie. Now the call comes again—an offensive movie.

In the spring of 2007, when the Minneapolis theater company Brave New Workshop put on a show titled “The Rise of the Celebretards,” people with disabilities and their allies took action. They later made a documentary that shows their organized response to the play title and to the public use of the “R-word.” Ironically, just when that film, “Offense Taken”, was set to premiere, a similar thing happened —this time with the national release of a movie full of “retard” slurs.

The two August movie premieres reveal America’s deep chasm on the issue of respect for people with disabilities. On the one hand, popular culture can’t seem to let go of using demeaning disability words as “funny” put-downs. On the other hand, the disability rights movement is now at a place where the power of language is crashing up against the advancement of dignity and human rights. People with developmental disabilities want to be regular people and are tired of old hate speech that keeps them in a subhuman place.

On August 13th Kelly Lee and Brad Duncan of St. Paul-based Advocating Change Together (ACT) were among hundreds of disability rights activists participating in public awareness or protests across the country at opening night of the movie “Tropic Thunder” (released by DreamWorks). A coalition of groups, including Special Olympics and Arc, organized a national boycott of the comedy, which features dialogue drenched in ridiculing use of the R-word.

Lee and Duncan, along with ACT staff Rick Cardenas and Mary Kay Kennedy, handed out fliers to moviegoers at the Highland Theater in St. Paul, telling about the issue of disrespectful language and inviting people to the premiere of “Offense Taken”. Lee and Duncan told moviegoers that they have personally experienced name calling, and that the word “retard” is especially hurtful. “I got teased and called retard when I was a kid,” said Lee. “It hurt. My mom tells me now that names can’t hurt me. I kind of agree, but deep inside I know names do hurt.”

Many of the moviegoers were teenage boys or young men. One young man commented, “I use language worse than anything I’ll see in this movie,” and said he was not offended by the language. Duncan observed, however, that “almost everyone wanted to hear what we had to say.”

About 100 people turned out to Interact Theater for the August 21 premiere of “Offense Taken”. Interact was the site of the first community meeting that led to the film’s creation. The documentary was the result of 16 months of organizing by a coalition of local disability groups in response to a similar situation, when Brave New Workshop used “celebretard” in a show title. The documentary follows local self-advocates and allies through a year of planning and taking action, as they interview self-advocates, people on the street and family members, host a public forum, take part in a training, speak in classrooms, and set up a shredder at the state capitol for a rally where advocates brought in hate words and ran them through the machine to cheers and applause.

The film was produced by Self-Advocates Minnesota (SAM) and filmed and directed by Jerry Smith of the Institute on Community Integration. “What struck me about this project was how quickly and effectively individuals and groups came together,” said Sherry Gray, one of the many volunteers who worked to make the film a reality. A number of organizations were involved, including Advocating Change Together, the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota, Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, Arc Greater Twin Cities.

The film was proposed in the summer of 2007 as a way to extend the issues to the wider community, to help spread the word that this isn’t merely an issue of “politically correct” language. Rather, it is an issue that goes to the heart of whether persons with disabilities are fully credited – and honored – as part of their communities. And one cannot be a full member of a community when one comes with a derogatory, demeaning or distancing label.

After the premiere, a large group stayed to discuss the video and how to use it to launch a local public awareness and human rights campaign—in schools, churches and community groups. Wilbur Frank, of Arc Southwest, spoke about how she plans to use the video as a part of the play being produced by United We Stand players, a group of self-advocates from Mankato. Frank noted that her theater troupe, composed of self-advocates and allies, has been inspired by the year-long campaign already mounted by the coalition whose actions are documented in ”Offense Taken.” An excerpt of the movie will close out the group’s play, which will be performed at the statewide Arc convention, October 11 and 12 in Mankato.

The brainstorming extended to other media forms as well. Audience member Sally Koenecke from the Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission, urged folks to call their local community access station to get the film shown locally around the state. In the two weeks since the screening, several people have already begun to contact cable access to schedule the show in their area. Another audience member, Alexanda Bornstein, was motivated to start a Facebook group, “Offense Taken: Shredding the ‘R’ Word.” 

For more information, visit www.offensetaken.org

Bret Hesla is a former Access Press assistant editor. He was involved through ACT in the production of “Offense Taken.”

Page 1, Article 2:

Finding gainful employment, adaptive services among barriers
to disability community job-seekers
The next state forum will be held in September

by Nancy Sopkowiak

Improving Minnesota’s vocational and independent living services for individuals with disabilities is the topic of a forum set for Wednesday, September 24 in St. Cloud. The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), the Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) are hosting the forum.

“Hearing from the public about unmet needs and ideas for improving services for Minnesotans with disabilities is absolutely essential for the councils and the state to carry out their work,” said Kim Peck, director of DEED’s Rehabilitation Services (RS) and a member of the SILC and SRC councils.

The forum is 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the public is welcome at any time during the day. From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. a panel will discuss four recent projects where DEED and RS have teamed up with Minne-sota’s Centers for Independent Living to improve and expand services for the disability community.

Anyone may testify in the afternoon. The schedule includes an opportunity to respond to the morning discussion from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. and an open forum from 1:15 to 4:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to speak out about their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with Minnesota’s independent living and employment services for our community.

Registration is not required to attend. The forum will be held at the Radisson Suite Hotel, 404 West St. Germain St., St Cloud, MN 56301. Please contact Gail Lundeen from DEED Rehabilitative Services at 1-800-328-9095, 651-259-7364, or TTY at 1-800-657-3973 if you have questions or requests for accommodations. Real-time captioning and sign language interpreters will be available.

A forum this summer dealt with important vocational rehabilitation issues. A large crowd attended a state forum about employment services for people with disabilities at Golden Valley City Hall on June 25. The forum was hosted by the Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council (MSRC), DEED and the Golden Valley Human Rights Commission. The topics covered were employment disability discrimination, unmet needs for disability related employment services, and public satisfaction with the state services.
“At least 175,000 Minnesotans of working age experience significant difficulty finding or keeping employment due to long-lasting disabilities,” said Peck. Rehabilitation Services (RS) helps Minnesotans with disabilities to prepare for, find, or keep work. The MSRC advises the state on the performance of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs.

Many people testified, including vocational clients, experts and service providers. The issues they raised are wide-ranging and complex yet may only represent a fraction of the challenges the state faces in trying to provide services.

Carl Sauers, who is deaf, talked about his vocational experiences. Sauers has worked as a tool maker for 27 years. He praised his former employer DataCard Corp for accommodating his disability by hiring interpreters for meetings. Unfortunately, Sauers was recently laid off due to the slow economy. He described his current job search as very difficult due to what he perceives as disability discrimination.

Robyn McCree, who is also deaf, encouraged Vocational Rehab Services and the public libraries to install a VRI-VP system “so deaf people can have access to communicating with employers while looking for work.” The VRI-VP is a phone system that uses video enhanced communication with a sign language interpreter to facilitate communication between a deaf person and the hearing community. McCree explained that having the special phone system at home would cost about $200 per month, which is too expensive for a job seeker on a limited income.

Paul Deeming works as a case manager for Deaf Blind Services MN. He testified regarding the need for in-depth training on job-seeking skills. In his experience clients are often lacking knowledge about how to find work. He believes that this is a deficit in the system.

Don Lavin testified on behalf of the Minnesota Employment First Coalition, a change advocacy organization seeking to make integrative employment at competitive wages and benefits the first option for Minnesotans with disabilities. Lavin pointed out that there are too many people with disabilities in Minnesota who are not working, underemployed or working for sub-minimum wages. Also, too many employers don’t know how to hire or support workers with disabilities.

Lavin declared that while he is often critical of state agencies, “I want to publicly acknowledge and applaud the measurable progress made by Minnesota Rehabilitation Services.” Lavin pointed to a giant step forward. “We are pleased Minnesota RS has recently created a task force to examine better ways to deliver employment services to Minnesotans who are deaf or hard of hearing,” he said.

Lavin also proposed a statewide marketing campaign to bring business leaders into a partnership with VR Services. He pointed out that Minnesota has untapped labor resources in the disability community. In addition, Lavin stressed emphasizing people’s strengths and abilities, not their disabilities.

Kimberly Peck summed up the purpose of holding these forums with these thoughts: One of the challenges with VR, or any program, is that making a shift to do things differently requires the willingness to take a step back and say—how well do our current practices serve us and serve our customers?

For more information on the agencies mentioned above:
Employment First:
http://donlavin.blogspot. com/search?q=%22June+ 25%22;
Deaf Blind Services Minnesota: www.dbsm.org/
Minnesota State Independent Living Council: www.mnsilc. org/
Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council: www.deed.state. mn.us/rehab/councils/src/src.htm
State Rehabilitation Services: www.deed.state.mn.us/rehab/vr/main_vr.htm;
DEED: www.deed.state.mn. us/agency/index.htm

Page 2, Article 1: Editor's Column

by Tim Benjamin

The documentary, “Offense Taken,” is again highlighted in Access Press. The collaboration involved in creating and distributing this documentary has proven to be phenomenal. I think of myself as a pretty aware person with respect to recognizing discrimination. But “Offense Taken” opened my eyes to the hurtful language that I use in my communications. That’s one measure of the importance of this film—that even those of us who think of ourselves as pretty well-informed on what hurtful language is, get a wake-up call. I know that everyone who sees this documentary will re-examine their language and how they use it, and what thoughts lie behind it. But the other power I see in this film is how it demonstrates what a few people committed to create change can accomplish. Best of all, it was put together by folks “in our own backyard,” and many of you will recognize them. By next month, Access Press will offer a way for you to see the documentary on your own—it will change the way you think about a lot of things. I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in creating this documentary, and for allowing Access Press to be involved. Great job!

Also, don’t miss Access Press assistant editor, Jane McClure, whose article, “Hall of Shame,” appears in this issue. McClure has put together a summary of several prominent films that have reflected badly on the disability community. If you have any more films to add, or if you’d like to comment on any of the films that Jane writes about here, please send in your comments and your suggestions. Unfortunately, we expect that the Hall of Shame will expand.

Mai Thor is sharing with us her journey to parenthood. Mai is due to give birth to her and her partner’s first child. Many of you may know Mai, and those of you who do, will recognize her voice in her journal. If you don’t yet know Mai, I urge you to read her journal and get to know a pretty fabulous woman and her sharp wit and in-your-face attitude about life. I know you’ll enjoy reading about something that isn’t written about much: disability and pregnancy. I want to thank Mai Thor for sharing this intimate part of her life and we wish her and her child the greatest joy on his or her birth day.

Our Congressional survey responses are very interesting; please take the time to read them, as they were written for the readers of Access Press. As for any of the candidates who did not reply, you can contact them or the Secretary of State’s office to ask them what their responses are to your own questions (and maybe why they didn’t respond to the disability community newspaper). If we receive any late responses, we’ll post them on our web site. We appreciate very much the responsiveness of the candidates that replied: thank you!

In the middle of September, an International Code Convention (ICC) will be held in the Twin Cities. I know what you’re thinking: What’s the ICC? Well, read and you’ll see the proposed changes on the degree of slope being suggested for the residential ramps of the future. I was at a recent demonstration on the different angles of ramps, and I invited two of my good friends, Bill and Joen Overby. They’re a retired couple in very good health. Bill plays softball on a regular basis, and Joen is an avid walker. They both had a very difficult time pushing one another up and down these proposed new ramp slopes. Thanks to all the folks involved for bringing this to our attention.

As for the political conventions, all the fun is over and both major parties now have nominees. The Republican National Convention was held here in St. Paul and many journalists, including Amy Goodman from “Democracy Now,” were arrested. I don’t know how to defend the Police Department for the arrests. In fact, I don’t want to defend them. They were wrong! St Paul, Minneapolis, and Minnesota came off well in the eyes of the national media, and that’s a great thing. We do live in a wonderful place. But the media didn’t give enough attention to the ways in which people’s legal rights to demonstrate were quashed—from the planning phases right through to being rounded up on bridges and being arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We can do better than that.

Page 2, Article 2:

Institutions ‘grew’ gentlemen farmers

by Luther Granquist

In 1901, the Minnesota Legislature established the Board of Control to manage the state institutions and prisons and required the board to meet regularly with the superintendents and wardens to consider “in detail” methods to secure “economical management.” At quarterly conferences, they often discussed how best to manage the farms at their institutions. These “farming industries,” as Superintendent A.C. Rogers from the Faribault State School and Hospital referred to them in a paper he presented in 1914, provided needed support for the institutions and real work for some of the residents.

The reports of these conferences show that the psychiatrists and doctors who ran the institutions became gentlemen farmers with strong opinions about which cow was the better “milch cow” and whether oxen or horses should be used for hauling. In 1909, after presentations by university professors on how to get maximum milk yield from dairy herds, Dr. Harry Tomlinson, the superintendent of St. Peter State Hospital, responded that “cows must be studied individually, if we are going to deal with them intelligently.” He observed that some characteristics of cows indicate a “defect in the nervous system” that “may be aggravated by lack of intelligence on the part of the herdsman.” He discussed “the influence of the environment upon the health of the cow” and warned of the harm from having one hundred cows in a barn “without a supply of good air and sunshine.”

The institutions’ residents who worked on these farms did receive good air and sunshine, although usually without pay. Unfortunately, then, and for decades that followed, herd care in understaffed and overcrowded buildings was all that many institution residents received.

The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mnddc.org or www.mncdd.org and www.partnersinpolicymaking.com

Page 2, Article 3:

It’s time to promote understanding
Sept. 25, Ataxia Awareness Day

by Mike Chevrette

In our lives, we have all experienced barriers that get in the way of accomplishing what we want or need to achieve. The barrier may be as simple as the carts in the space at the grocery store you wanted to park in but couldn’t because somebody was too lazy to put the cart in the corral. Or, the wheelchair that you use does not currently have monster truck capabilities and therefore, you are not able to get from the sidewalk to the bus in the winter due to unplowed snow. Barriers can get in anyone’s way but rarely are they debilitating or unsolvable.

Health concerns can create other, more difficult barriers. Everyone may not have the anguish and challenges of dealing with cancer, HIV/AIDS, or multiple sclerosis but most people are somewhat familiar with them. But what about the barriers that are less well-known, barriers that when I say the word brings a polite and puzzled response?

My hope is to help raise awareness about a condition that affects the lives of approximately 150,000 Americans. The condition is ataxia and “it’s not a foreign cab” as the National Ataxia Foundation’s slogan states. The word “ataxia” means “without order or in coordination.” It is a neurological degenerative disorder that affects balance, coordination, and speech. Ataxia is most often a loss of functioning in the cerebellum, which controls coordination. It can occur at any age.

There are several types of ataxia. The type of ataxia that I have a connection with and have had the opportunity to learn the most about is Friedrich’s ataxia. It is the most common and affects almost 50,000 Americans. There are two individuals in my life that I am proud to know and care about who are affected by this disorder. I will call these brothers Allen and Rico. Friedrich’s ataxia is hereditary and neither had any idea that they would be affected by it. Nor had they even heard of it until their late teens. Researchers indicate that after symptoms begin to show it may be 15 to 20 years before a wheelchair is necessary for mobility. However, for the brothers it was less than that, only 10 years. Both men have utilized wheelchairs since their late 20s.

University of Minnesota researchers note that 1 in 100 people may be a carrier of the recessive gene but only one in 20,000 to 50,000 will have Friedrich’s ataxia. The statistics lead one to believe that it could not possibly happen twice in one family. These two brothers are struggling with a disorder that they should not even have—according to statistics.

Rico began to notice his first symptom of Friedrich’s ataxia at football practice, when he felt as though he could not keep his balance and began to fall a lot. He eventually had to drop out of football. Other symptoms he began to experience included muscle weakness, unsteady gait, no reflexes in the legs, scoliosis and slurred or abnormal speech. Rico said, “Ataxia impacts every aspect of your life. Simple tasks such as tying your shoes, getting ready in the morning or eating can be a struggle.” What Allen and Rico’s parents did not know is that they were both carrying the recessive gene that is necessary to produce Friedrich’s ataxia. This gene was identified in 1993. Genetic testing for the disorder is now available thanks to research conducted at the University of Minnesota. Allen and Rico are courageous men who have donated time to the University of Minnesota to help researchers and doctors find a cure or medication. Although there have been many discoveries made by researchers to attempt to solve the mystery of Ataxia in the last ten years, there is no cure for Friedrich’s ataxia or any other form of ataxia.

For the most part people with Friedrich’s ataxia can live their lives like anyone else. They work, go to baseball games, get groceries, get married, have children and go fishing. They just face more barriers along the way than persons without ataxia. It can be a tremendous struggle. September 25th is International Ataxia Awareness Day. Now that you have an idea what ataxia is and how it affects people, please take time to learn more about it. The National Ataxia Foundation’s website is an excellent resource and can be visited at www.ataxia.org 

Mike Chevrette is an employment support consultant for Goodwill/Easter Seals in St. Paul.

Page 3, Article 1:

Activists hold conference for all who care

by Clarence Schadegg

Open Doors and Open Hearts is an upcoming conference, put together by a dedicated group of socially active people of diverse faiths and backgrounds. Former prison inmates, people in recovery, government and community service professionals, and representatives from Twin Cities-based spiritual communities will cooperatively share viewpoints and ideas. The conference will be a time of reflection, meditation and growth. The conference is 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, October 11 at the Recovery Church, West Campus, Wesley United Methodist Church, 101 East Grant Street, Minneapolis, next to the Minneapolis Convention Center.

When people who are released from prison or those in recovery are made to feel invisible, one must ask, what more can be done to be a more inclusive and welcoming society and community? That is a question asked by Reverend John Hunter, an ordained minister who formed a ministry for ex-offenders in North Minneapolis. Hunter believes the conference is important for any community. “Why we need a conference like this is because it brings us all together, all of the resources, and it brings communities together to better serve inmates so inmates can be better servants to the home, community and church,” said Hunter, pastor at First Community Recovery Church.

“Should communities be concerned about felons coming out of prison?” said Lyle Wildes, a member of Men as Peacemakers and a former prison inmate. “We should be concerned about anyone moving into or living in our community who feels invisible and disconnected to it, felon or non-felon. I’ve heard drug dealers talk about those special people they wouldn’t sell drugs to. Why? They felt connected to them in some positive way.”

Through a process called “Open Space,” all conference participants will have an equal opportunity to be heard and to identify the issues and opportunities about which they are most passionate. These meaningful conversations, held in concurrent sessions during the day, will provide the basis for recommendations and next steps. While the specific results aren’t known, the process will generate interactive learning, inspirational visions, surprising partnerships, heart-felt community, and transformative outcomes.

“We do transformational workshops inside prisons and jails, and during re-entry,” said Alternatives to Violence Project Coordinator, Erika Thorne. Many felons have indicated that while housing, jobs and food are the most urgent concerns for recently-released inmates, the programs that provide them aren’t fully utilized by an individual without consistent spiritual support in some form.”

“We hear about prison and mental health reform,” said conference project director Vern Bloom. “I’m certainly in favor of that. We also need ’community reform.’ We need to be much more inclusive than we have been with these folks. And all of us need to be part of this effort!”

To show compassion to each other is one way to make our cities, streets and community safer places to live for all people. To force people into invisibility with guns or restrictive acts or disconnection or silence who’ve been released from prison and who are in recovery from treatment for mental illness only reinforces the negativity of punishment.

Everyone is invited to join us in this groundbreaking, highly interactive event for all those who care about more open and inclusive spiritual communities. The conference is free but you need to preregister. Space is limited, so please register early. Please use email if possible, oct11conference@aim. com or call: 651-644-5851. Be sure to include name, address, phone number, email, and organization (if any). For further information or questions: call or e-mail Cal Appleby at 612-929-0901, or lafscal@aol.com

Open Doors and Open Hearts conference

This conference is underwritten by the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation supporting contemplative practice among Christians and encouraging dialogue and cooperation among all contemplative traditions.

Co-sponsoring organizations include: Minnesota Department of Corrections, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Governor’s Council on Faith and Community Services Initiatives, Minnesota Council of Churches, St. Paul Area Council of Churches, Justice Commission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet and Consociates, NAMI-Minnesota, Beverly White Prison Meditation Project, Clouds in Water Zen Center, Rivers Way Meditation Center, Common Ground Meditation Center, Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, Compassionate Ocean Dharma Center, The Meditation Center, Gyuot Wheel of Dharma Monastery, Dharma Field Meditation and Learning Center, Mindroads Center for Meditation, Shadhilliyya Sufi Center, Resources for Ecumenical Spirituality, First Community Recovery Church, Center for Restoration Justice and Peacemaking, Minneapolis Yoga Workshop, Yoga Center of Minneapolis, Correctional Transition Services, Inc., Friends for a NonViolent World, Alternatives to Violence Project, Amicus, City House, RS Eden, Kenwood Therapy Center and Pax Christi Twin Cities.

Page 3, Article 2:

Something unexpected
Imagine the reactions this pregnant lady gets

by Mai Thor

People with disabilities do a lot of regular things that elicit rather strange responses from the able-bodied world. For example, I often hear about how people with disabilities go out to eat at restaurants with friends or family and do not directly get asked questions by the waiter. Or how people get surprised to know when a person with a disability mentions that they have a job—a real one that is at an actual office, not just licking envelopes at home. 

Now, imagine what kinds of reactions a disabled woman who is pregnant would get. No, that wasn’t a typographical error you just read. I actually did say a disabled woman —using a wheelchair, no less—who is pregnant. Some of you might be thinking—is that even possible! How could that even happen? Well … news flash, it is possible, and it just did happen—to me. Yep, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve got a bun in the oven, I’m preggers, I’m knocked up. And guess what? I had sex in order for it to happen—gasp! But I’ll get to that part later.

First, let’s talk about the whole notion of being pregnant and disabled. Practically nobody seems to talk much about it. Heck, people don’t think it’s even possible. Can disabled women really get pregnant? Well, unless what I saw in my first ultrasound was stock footage of some random woman’s fetus, I am here to say that it can happen and I am proof. In fact, it happens all the time. Women with disabilities have been choosing to get pregnant and have children for years and years. Why not? After all, are we so different from our able-bodied counterparts that we don’t have the maternalistic desires to raise our own children, like our mothers and our mothers’ mothers did? We are women first, with all the normal female desires, wants and needs. No one has the right to tell any woman whether or not she should have children. It is a decision completely up to a woman to decide. I say do it just to prove people wrong.

In all seriousness, having a child should not be taken lightly. It’s a life changer. And, mine wasn’t exactly planned, although I am extremely excited (I can privately tell you about my recent lack of faith in the contraception industry). When I first found out last month that I am expecting, my first reaction was—OK, that explains a lot. Then I thought, WHOA. This is huge. Then I thought about questions any woman would have—how far along am I, when do I see my doctor for my first prenatal visit—all that stuff and much more. In the interest of my baby, I also started thinking about how my disability would affect my pregnancy. So, the other questions such as can I carry to full term, will I need a caesarian to deliver and how will my mobility be affected when I grow bigger, crossed my mind. Having polio from waist down, I thought my pelvis might be too small for natural birth. However, my doctors assure me that there’s no reason to worry about carrying to full term. And it’s exciting for me to hear that, especially since the development of the baby is so fascinating.

If you are a woman with a disability and you want to have a baby, start researching it now. My advice is to check with your doctor with all of your questions. Write them all down so you don’t forget. It’s great how many women with all kinds of disabilities throughout time have been able to have children. When your doctor has answered all your questions, there’s only one thing left to do—and that’s to do it. Have all the sex you want until that home pregnancy test turns the right color. If anything, have lots of sex just to dispel the myth that people with disabilities don’t have sex.

I’ll be checking in every month or so to tell Access Press readers how I’m doing. It’s important to talk about this subject because it rarely gets talked about. I’ll talk about the baby’s development and how I’m feeling (so far, so good). I’ll bring up issues such as how to move around in a wheelchair while pregnant, what kind of delivery I’ll have and how I plan on preparing for the baby after it’s born. Until next time, happy sex to all people with disabilities and I hope that at least some will result in a baby!

Page 4, Article 1:

Effective in October
Transit rate hike affects Metro Mobility

Hikes in transit fares, which take effect next month, will affect Metro Mobility riders as well as riders of Metro Transit buses and Hiawatha Corridor light rail. The rate hike was approved August 13 by the Metropolitan Council and will go into effect October 1. The increase is 50 cents for Metro Mobility service for persons with disabilities and 25 cents for regular-route service.

New cash fares will be $1.75, $2.25 or $3 depending on the type of service and time of day.  Metro Mobility fares will be $4 during weekday rush hours and $3 at other times.
The fare increase will be implemented by all service providers, including Metro Transit, the region’s largest provider of transit service, Metro Mobility, suburban transit providers, and dial-a-ride and other contacted service.

Metro Transit, the region’s largest provider of transit service, expects to provide 80 million rides in 2008. The need for a fare increase was announced in June, followed by public hearings and meetings in July.  More than 400 public comments were received from people who attended the public sessions or submitted comments by other means, including email, fax, phone messages and mail. Comments were received from riders with disabilities as well as those who ride regular Metro Transit routes and routes of suburban transit providers.

Among those commenting was Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who expressed opposition to the fare increase at one public hearing. Rybak said that fare increases are a step in the wrong direction. “At a time
of skyrocketing gas prices, traffic congestion and global warming, we have an historic opportunity to dramatically improve and increase transit use,” Rybak said. “At this rare moment, we have the opportunity to make the single greatest shift in transportation patterns in a generation. We should seize this opportunity, not ignore it.”

“More people than ever want to ride transit and Metro Transit should do everything possible to encourage people to use transit, not discourage them,” Rybak added. “Fare increases discourage transit ridership pure and simple and Metro Transit should delay this increase and explore other options to balance their budget.”

The Metropolitan Council also approved a second fare increase, if needed, to take effect sometime in 2009, adding up to another 50 cents to the cost of a bus, train or Metro Mobility ride, depending on the cost of fuel and other economic factors. Council officials have indicated there will be opportunity for additional public input in advance of a second increase, if another increase is deemed necessary.
The last fare increase took effect July 1, 2005.

The council, however, did not support extending the morning rush-hour by one-half hour, so that rush hour fares would have begun at 5:30 a.m. “The longer morning rush-hour was a sticking point among people who are transit dependent, and who felt it would impose particular hardship upon lower-income customers,” said Council Chair Peter Bell.  “We felt this was an area where we were able to exercise some flexibility.”

“No one particularly relishes the idea of higher fares, least of all the council—given growing transit ridership,” said Bell. “But it’s safe to say people understand what it means when we experience rising fuel costs and lower than expected revenues from the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MSTV).

“Under the circumstances, it’s an increase that’s pretty modest and fair,” Bell added.
The regional transit operating budget in FY2009 is $378.4 million. Transit services are struggling with increased fuel costs, as a time when ridership demand continuers to increase MVST revenues for FY2009 are forecasted to be $124 million, $16 million less than the Nov. 2007 forecast (in FY08, metro-area transit receives 24 percent of MVST revenues, and when the five-year phase-in is complete in 2012, metro-area transit will receive 36 percent of MVST revenues)

Even with the fare increase, agency officials say support from the Minnesota Legislature will be needed to close the gap on projected shortfalls in the future. The fare increase addresses about half the expected regional transit shortfall for 2009 of $15 million, a deficit that would have been higher without a $31 million infusion from the county sales tax the legislature approved this year. The fare increase will also help to lower an anticipated shortfall in 2010 and 2011, which combined, was projected to be closer to $70 million.

This information is from Metropolitan Council and City of Minneapolis.

Page 4, Article 2:

The Central Corridor and light rail stations
How accessible will the line be?

by Clarence Schadegg

Plans for Central Corridor won Metropolitan Council approval September 3, putting the project in contention for needed federal funding. Under the best-case scenario construction on the light rail line would start in 2010, with operations starting in 2014. The line will connect downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, and will connect to the Hiawatha light rail line.

Three public hearings were held in August to hear comments on the light rail plans and a supplemental draft environmental impact statement (SDEIS). One key concern is how accessible trains and light rail stations will be for persons with disabilities. Even though plans for the $892 million project have been submitted to the federal government public comments will continue to be requested and accepted through 2009, according to Laura Baenen, communications manager of the Central Corridor LRT Project. To access the Met Council website, go to www.centralcorridor. org Transportation community advisory committees are held monthly, and anybody can submit questions or comments. The comment line is 651-602 1645; the email is central corridor@metc.mn.us

The concerns for people with disabilities include how accessible the train itself will be to people who use wheelchairs, white canes, service animals and people who have ambulatory difficulties. It’s more then just to safely navigate on and off the cars and around all of the LRT stations. It’s also, just as important getting to and from the LRT stations and bus stops safely. Concerns that people with disabilities might have to climb over mounds of snow at bus stops, that’s a barrier to somebody who uses a wheelchair or has a difficulty with mobility and cannot board the bus at such a location. When asked about access to all parts of a station at all times as well as safe access to and from stations and bus stops, Baenen said that if “at all times means at all times that we can foresee and expect right now, then yes.”

More specific plans need to be done on station and street crossing plans. Currently there’s no mechanism for an audio device, although that is still being studied.

One safety measure will protect private use of user codes. Ticket vending machines will be fitted with a translucent green cover for privacy and safety to obscure the view of anybody who may attempt to watch the use of private codes.

For consistency, Baenen said the ticket vending machines will be in the similar locations at each station. Machines will be ADA compliant and should be accessible for all users. While the design of each station will not be identical, the location of ticket vending machines will be. The station design will benefit not only people with disabilities, but people who are elderly and people who are newcomers to the Twin Cities as well as infrequent LRT users.”

Baenen said transit police will patrol trains like at the Hiawatha stations. Security cameras and accessible emergency phones will be at each station; to satisfy safety and security issues.

Questions center on getting to the stations, many of which will be in the middle of University Avenue. People will have to cross bus lanes to access the LRT stop at a signalized crossing with an audible device.

The risk for everyone is to cross any lanes of traffic at any time of day. I’m aware of only one audible pedestrian signal, at the intersection of Hampden and University avenues.

It is always a safety risk for anybody to cross at signal intersections and pedestrian walkways with the concentration of traffic on University ave. Many people with disabilities have been struck by motorists who didn’t see the pedestrian or wasn’t pay attention and violated the law. People on foot have the right of way by law to cross safely at signal intersections and crosswalks. And nobody should be at risk of injury or worse at a signal intersections. People with disabilities and older adults, because of the time limations are at a higher risk attempting to get to the opposite side of the street.

A stretch of the Central Corridor where there are questions about pedestrian safety is the proposed pedestrian mall between Pleasant Avenue, near the covered Washington Avenue Bridge, to Oak Street on the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota. In the July issue of Making Tracks, a publication of the Metropolitan Council, proposed changes to Washington Avenue were described. University of Minnesota president Robert Bruininks stated, “…Regents for the University of Minnesota have approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on $27 million in traffic mitigation, including $11.1 million for converting Washington Avenue into a transit/pedestrian mall. The MOU also includes $5.1 million for East Bank campus area street connections and funding for modifying some intersections.”

Another question that needs answers is the of loss of on-street parking allowing private motorist access to businesses, on the rail line. University Avenue will lose all but 195 of about 1,000 parking spaces. The City of St. Paul is working with businesses and the Metropolitan Council to resolve the issue.

Information on parking, street crossings and station designs can be found at www.central corridor.org or www.metro council.org The City of St. Paul web site provides parking information at www.st paul.gov/ Look for the link to Central Corridor. U-Plan, a program of the advocacy group University UNITED, has done its own versions of the Central Corridor University Avenue maps. Some users think those maps are clearer and easier to use than the ones provided by Met Council. Find them, by intersection, at www.u-plan.org

Page 5:

News at a Glance

Target settles lawsuit over web access

In a victory for visually impaired consumers, Target Corp. has agreed to settle a two-year-old class action lawsuit and pay a $6 million settlement. The settlement was announced August 26. Visually impaired web users contended that they were blocked from using the target.com web site because of technical issues. The plaintiffs alleged that Target could have fixed the web site but chose not to.

The federal lawsuit was filed in San Francisco by the National Federation of the Blind, a Baltimore-based group. The Federation filed on behalf of Target web customers who were unable to use elements of the web site. The basis of the lawsuit was that the lack of accessibility violated two California state laws. The court rejected a third claim, that Target was also violating federal law.

Visually impaired people can access websites by using keyboard controls to move to mouse or by listening to text-to-speech software that reads aloud site content. The software can identify web features including web links, drop-down menus and other items. The lawsuit alleged that customers could not use the target.com site because the checkout button could not be read by the software.

The settlement means the case won’t go to trial and that Target will complete accessibility improvements to the website by February 28, 2009. The settlement will be split by an undetermined number of blind consumers, who will have to submit sworn statements detailing their inability to use the Target web site. The maximum claim per person will be $7,000.

Source: Associated Press, Star Tribune

Autism case numbers among Somalis raise concerns

Fears about a possible surge in autism have swept Minnesota’s Somali community. Autism, a brain disorder that can cause disruptive and withdrawn behavior, has been rising rapidly throughout the country. The discovery of a cluster among Somalis, experts say, could help scientists shed light on why. Or, it could just be a statistical fluke.

In Minneapolis, fears have been fueled by some puzzling statistics. Last year, Somali children made up just fewer than 6 percent of the school population, but 17 percent of those in the early childhood autism programs (14 of 81 children). The numbers have been creeping up for several years, especially among young children.

”People are worried,” said Saeed Fahia, who heads a Somali community group. “Nobody remembers any autistic children in Somalia. I’m sure there must have been some, but there were not that many.” Somali children appear to have a more severe form of the condition, said Dr. Dan McLellan, a developmental pediatrician and autism specialist at Children’s Hospital. He estimates that 10 percent of his patients are Somali. “I do think there’s something up with this,” he said. “I don’t know what it is.”

As of July, 3.6 percent of Somali students were in autism-related programs in the Minneapolis Public Schools—about twice the district average.

For now, state and federal officials say they’re not sure whether Somalis in Minnesota are getting autism at an unusual rate or whether there’s another explanation. But they’re taking it seriously enough to look closer. ”We want to understand the numbers. That’s my goal,” said Judy Punyko, who is heading a study group for the Minnesota Department of Health.

Source: Star Tribune

Deaf activist, spouse file lawsuit against city, county

Douglas Bahl, a longtime deaf community activist, has filed suit in Ramsey County District Court against the city of St. Paul and Ramsey County sheriff’s office. The civil lawsuit was filed August 20, in connection with a traffic stop and Bahl’s subsequent incarceration in November, 2006.

The 57-year-old St. Paul resident was “seriously beaten, arrested and isolated in jail for three days with no adequate or effective means of communicating with jail staff or of communicating with his family or other people outside of the jail,” according to the lawsuit. The Minnesota Disability Law Center is representing Bahl, who has been a sign language trainer at St. Paul College for several years.

Bahl’s wife, Susan Kovacs-Bahl, is a co-defendant in the lawsuit. She was hospitalized at the time of his arrest and he was on his way to visit her when he was stopped by St. Paul Police for running a red light. Bahl gestured to the police officer that he wanted to write, but the officer wouldn’t communicate with him in that way. The lawsuit alleges that the officer pepper-sprayed Bahl, struck him and pulled him from the vehicle.

Bahl also alleges he was held in jail for three days without an American Sign Language interpreter to describe the charges against him, jail procedures and how he could be released. He was also given no special aids or way to reach his family.

At trial last year Bahl was convicted of misdemeanor obstructing legal process but acquitted of the more serious charge of obstructing legal process with force. He was sentenced to four days’ time served, a 60-day suspended sentence and one year’s probation. Police reports indicate that Bahl wouldn’t speak with officers at the traffic stop grabbed the officer’s jacket and punched and bit the officer.

In the lawsuit Bahl is alleges that the city and county violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act. He and Kovacs-Bahl are seeking more than $50,000 plus punitive damages. They also are trying to change the way police and jail personnel interact with deaf and hard-of-hearing persons in the future. The city has filed notice to move the lawsuit to federal court, saying that court has the authority to rule on ADA-related matters. The Bahls want the case to remain in Ramsey County District Court.

Source: Star Tribune, Pioneer Press

Redesign and reconstruction of two streets will alter the transit landscape downtown

Groundbreaking began in August on a $34 million transit project in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. This marks the start of an ambitious multi-year project that will reshape how people get into, out of and around downtown. It will include accessibility improvements.

A reconstruction of Marquette and Second avenues from First to 12th streets south, a project known as MARQ2, will dramatically increase bus capacity on those streets, letting those buses move more efficiently through downtown. It will also affect other major downtown streets, such as Hennepin Ave. and Nicollet Mall.

“Passengers will be spending a lot less time sitting, waiting on an express bus as it moves slowly through downtown,” said City Council Transportation and Public Works Committee Chair Sandy Colvin Roy.

“That will make using buses more attractive to thousands of commuters who work here and make our city more accessible than ever before.”

When the MARQ2 project is completed in late 2009, other changes will come to downtown streets. Express buses will no longer run on Nicollet Mall, opening it up to more bike traffic and reducing peak-hour bus traffic by 40 percent. Also, Hennepin Ave and First Ave North will be converted into two-way streets.

MARQ 2 is one of the major components of Access Minneapolis, the City’s comprehensive ten-year transportation action plan. This plan addresses a full range of transportation options and issues facing Minneapolis, including pedestrians, bicycles, transit, automobiles, and freight.

For more information on MARQ2, go to: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/public-works/marq2. For more information on Access Minneapolis, go to: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/public-works/trans-plan

Source: City of Minneapolis

Evergreene Digest seeks board members

Evergreene Digest, an on-line monthly journal, is seeking board members. The vision for Evergreene Digest is to be the preferred one-stop online source for people with disabilities, activists, women, communities of color, working people, veterans, pacifists, spiritual seekers, progressives, environmentalists, youth and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. These are groups ignored by the mainstream media as legitimate audiences, sources and subjects for the news.

Evergreene Digest provides links to more than 380 web sites of various groups and publications. More than 150 articles per month are highlighted. Original writing, photos and art are also presented. Until now the work of Evergreene Digest has been carried out by a small but extremely capable and dedicated informal group of volunteers. The journal’s success, however, is leading to organizing more formally as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. A board of directors is needed to set overall policy and direction of the organization. Its first job will be to review, approve, and submit the application for non-profit status the staff has prepared.

Prospective board members should be committed to the purpose of Evergreene Digest and be willing to commit two to five hours a month, Board members should live in or be able to periodically travel to the Twin Cities area.

Adaptability and dealing with ambiguity, ability to work with others as a team, and initiative and risk-taking are other attributes sought in board members.

Anyone interested in the board can contact Evergreene Digest at 952-253-1444, evergreenedigest@earthlink.net, or at the home page of Evergreene Digest www.evergreenedigest.org

Source: Evergreene Digest

Page 6 and 7:

Congressional survey responses

Access Press and the Minnesota Disability Law Center contacted Minnesota’s Congressional candidates to determine their positions on issues important to the disability community. Responses received prior to the September issue deadline are listed below. If you would like to know more about candidates, all have contact information listed on the Minnesota Secretary of State web site, at www.sos.mn.us. Candidates are arranged alphabetically by last name. Incumbents are starred, if one is in a race. Questionnaire responses received after Access Press went to press will be posted on the newspaper web site, www.accesspress.org Candidates were asked the following questions:

1) What you will work on if you are elected that will help improve the lives of people with disabilities?

2) So far, what has been your experience with the disability community?

3) Many feel the recent passage of the ADA Amendments Act will prove to be beneficial for the disability community. What are your thoughts on this?

4) How do you intend to improve the employment rate of people with disabilities?

5) What is your plan to improve federal programs and funding in order to help people with disabilities to get quality healthcare and supports they need to live as independently as possible?

6) What’s your take on the proposed Community Choice Act?

U.S. Senate

James Niemackl, Constitution Party

1) My focus would be to increase the availability for employment and volunteer work for people with all types of disabilities. We are all looking for meaning and purpose in our lives and we often find that through work, whether that is a paid job or volunteering to work for a shared purpose.

2) My experience is that those who are disabled have the same desire for living life as those who are not disabled. Each person’s disability has caused them to adapt accordingly to their situation with the desire to accomplish the same tasks as those who are not disabled, but in a different way. I admire the ingenuity and determination that I often see among people who must conquer tasks that the rest of us take for granted.

3) The act was a good example of Congress clarifying the law so that the courts rule according to the intention of the law rather than redefining legislation as they see fit. By defining the intent Congress re-established individual rights that had been worn away by court rulings.

4) The key to finding jobs for those who are disabled is in organization. Organizing a network of caring people within organizations can serve to identify the strengths and limitations of each person to best match them with a job opening that they not only can do, but will enjoy. To streng-then this effort, we must rebuild our economy and the opportunity that is available.

5) Our healthcare system has become so expensive and such a burden that many people are excluded from benefits that they need to live a normal and healthy life. Much of this is due to excessive control of the industry by government. The constraints should be loosened to allow more flexibility to everyone, including those who are disabled. By reducing government restrictions and allowing direct access to healthcare services, we can reduce the cost and eventually eliminate the need for health insurance altogether. To combat raising costs and massive government debt, I would work to organize local and state governments with private organizations to establish a network of assistance and resources that the disabled community can benefit from immediately. The organizations are in place, but we have to bring them together for a common purpose. That purpose would be to improve the quality of life for those who are disabled.

6) The idea behind the act is very good. Rather than keeping our disabled family members in high-priced nursing homes and institutions, we should take steps to shift to a more versatile system and promote family living arrangements. To do this money would have to be shifted to provide the assistance needed for people with disabilities to enjoy more freedom without simply adding more to the nation’s economic burden. With a coordinated effort by government officials, private organizations, and the disabled community we can create more opportunity for a better life.

Ole’ Savior, DFL Party

1) More funding programs and better health care for everyone to improve their lives.

2) I have been involved with Hennepin County programs for the last five years already.

3) I am in favor of all amendments that help the disabled.

4) Many companies need to increase the work force in disability.

5) Many programs at state and federal level are being cut and my goal will be to restore all previous funding and also increase the programs in a fair manner to help the disabled in employment areas and raise the standard of living, health care and other needs they have.

6) No answer

Charles Aldrich, Libertarian Party
Kurt Michael Anderson, Independence Party
Dean Barkley, Independence Party
Norm Coleman, Republican Party*
Bill Dahn, Independence Party
Alve Erickson, DFL Party
Priscilla Lord Faris, DFL Party
Rob Fitzgerald, DFL Party
Al Franken, DFL Party
Richard “Dick” Franson, DFL Party
Bob Larson, DFL Party
Jack Shepard, Republican Party
Darryl Stanton, Independence Party
Jack Uldrich, Independence Party
Stephen Williams, Independence Party
Doug Williams, Independence Party

U.S. House

District 1
Brian J. Davis, Republican Party
Dick Day, Republican Party
Gregory Mikkelson, Independence Party
Tim Walz, DFL Party*

District 2
John Kline, Republican Party*
Steve Sarvi, DFL Party

District 3
(Incumbent Jim Ramstad chose to not seek re-election.)

David Dillon, Independence Party

1) Employment. There is a tremendous opportunity to both provide more employment prospects for people with disabilities and an opportunity to help our economy be more competitive and successful by taping into skills, abilities and energy of those with disabilities.

2) As a CEO, entrepreneur and family business owner we have found people with disabilities to be some of our strongest contributors.

3) This may well be true despite the fact that it may not have gone far enough and it is clear certain items (such as a provision for the importation of helper monkeys for quadriplegics) were missed altogether.

4) Today employers worry needlessly about health care cost liabilities with employees with disabilities. Health care reform that allows employers, particularly small employers to buy into the same cost risk pools of large employers and government employees will remove this impediment for employment for citizens with disabilities.

5) The two most important initiatives are the reform mentioned in number four above and passing the Community Choice Act

6) I strongly support the Community Choice Act. Like mental health parity, it is a matter both of fairness and good economics.

Erik Paulsen, Republican Party

1) I pledge to maintain the same strong commitment that was demonstrated by my friend and mentor, Rep. Jim Ramstad, to tearing down the barriers that prevent people with disabilities from living with dignity and independence. He has served with distinction as the co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus in Congress, and I pledge to be an active member of that important caucus and work in a bipartisan way to expand opportunities for people with disabilities.

2) As a legislative aide to Congressman Ramstad, I helped staff his own Disability Advisory Committee, where I learned firsthand about the many major issues facing people with disabilities.

I now work as a business analyst at Target Corporation, which has a long history of actively hiring people with disabilities through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program. This program has proven to be an important tool to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

And as a member of the Minnesota Legislature, I worked hard for policies to help people with disabilities, and I pledge to do the same if elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Also, I volunteer for The Learning Exchange, an organization that helps people with developmental disabilities.

3) I agree. I was appalled by the recent court decisions that had significantly eroded the important protections contained in the historic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and I was pleased the ADA Amendments Act passed the U.S. House. Among other things, the bill clarifies that those people with disabilities who use adaptive technology to cope with their disability will still receive the full protections of the ADA.

4) I strongly believe we need to make the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) permanent. I am pleased this important incentive was recently extended, but now Congress needs to take the next step and make it permanent.

We must also ensure that people with disabilities are fully informed about the opportunities to work without losing health benefits that are afforded by the Ticket to Work Act. Eliminating disincentives to work for people with disabilities is a matter of justice and basic civil rights.

I strongly believe we must maintain the protections of the ADA in the workplace and other areas.

I also believe we need to fully fund Vocational Rehabilitation programs, which are an important tool to give people with disabilities a meaningful opportunity to work.

5) I share the bipartisan opposition to the misguided Targeted Case Management regulations promulgated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would have decimated programs that help people with disabilities transition to independent living. I am pleased a one year moratorium was passed to block these regulations, and I will certainly continue to oppose them. 

I also strongly support the programs in the Assistive Technology Act.

6) I strongly agree with Senator Harkin that individuals should be able to choose the setting in which they live. People want real choices. It is a good idea to allow funding to follow the person, to not favor one setting over another, and to remove program disincentives that lower the number of choices available to individuals with disabilities.

Ashwin Madia, DFL Party
Steev Ramsdell, Independence Party

District 4

Betty McCollum, DFL Party*

1) I will continue to work with the disability community to fight discrimination and remove barriers. We need to ensure that all Americans have full access to our communities and the opportunity to live independently.

Medicare and Medicaid are critical safety net programs that must be preserved. Access to health care for many allows independence, the opportunity to work, and the critical care that one needs for a dignified, productive life. I voted against administration proposals to cut this critical funding and will continue to work to ensure these important programs exist for future generations. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will also continue to work to provide the funding necessary to eliminate the Social Security Disability backlog.

I have been a strong advocate of special education and have introduced H.R. 1896, the Achieving our IDEA Act, to provide full funding of Washington’s commitment to special education. Congress must finally make it a priority to live up to the promise that all children deserve a free and appropriate education. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I have been proud to support legislation that rejects cuts proposed by the administration and provides increases for special education. I will continue to fight for adequate funding to ensure that all children have access to a quality education.

Voting is the right and responsibility of every citizen and polling places must be accessible. If re-elected, I will continue to fight to ensure that all Americans can exercise their right to participate in our democracy.

2) Congress plays an important role in issues that directly impact persons with disabilities. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with many Minnesotans who share my goal of improved access to health care, education, and full participation in our government. The disability community has been an effective partner in passing important legislation such as the ADA Amendments Act. In addition, at home I have the opportunity to work directly with residents of the 4th District on casework involving Social Security and Medicare benefits.

On a personal level, I grew up with a father with a severe hearing disability. Like the majority of our families, I have many friends and relatives who face daily challenges with their disability.

3) I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3195, the ADA Amendments Act, which passed the House by a vote of 402-17 on June 25, 2008. This legislation restores the intent of the ADA and clarifies that the ADA provides broad coverage to protect anyone who faces discrimination because of a disability. The ADA Amendments Act restores the promise of this important civil rights law.

4) I will continue to fight to increase funding for IDEA to ensure a quality education for all students and to improve access to higher education. The Higher Education Opportunity Act is an important step in reducing barriers for students with disabilities. This legislation provides assistance to faculty and staff and improves access to college course materials. It also creates a system for gathering information about technical assistance so that we can continue to make improvements at higher education institutions across the country.

In addition, I will continue to work to ensure funding for critical job training and vocational rehabilitation programs. To remain competitive, we need to make sure that all our citizens have access to training for high-demand jobs and that we have the services in place to support work and self-sufficiency.

5) I believe health care should be a right for all Americans. We must invest in healthcare coverage to improve the health of all Americans. Access to health care for many allows independence, the opportunity to work, and the critical care that one needs for a dignified, productive life.

An important part of improving health care is to ensure that Medicare and Medicaid continue to provide adequate coverage for recipients and reimbursements for providers. This means we must fund Medicare and Medicaid adequately and make the changes necessary to provide quality care. I am a cosponsor of the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act which will raise the wages of these important providers to ensure that quality care remains available for persons with disabilities.

I also strongly support health care research, which can prevent and cure illness, allow for higher quality of life, and create jobs in our communities. As a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education subcommittee, I will continue to work for increased investment in research and prevention, as well as strengthening our public health system.

6) I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1621, the Community Choice Act. This bill will allow flexibility and choice for persons with disabilities and their families in how and where they receive services.

Ed Matthews, Republican Party

District 5

Keith Ellison, DFL Party*

1. The ADA prohibits employment discrimination and requires accommodations that make it possible for people with disabilities to work, travel, and recreate independently. Unfortunately, recent court decisions have incorrectly interpreted the ADA narrowly, causing a surge in employment discrimination. That’s why I’m proud to have co-sponsored and voted for the ADA Amendments Act, which clarifies the ADA’s intent to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. If re-elected I will continue to be vigilant in making sure the ADA lives up to its promise.

Navigating and patching our broken health care system is time-consuming and diverts resources from long-term solutions. That’s why I will continue to push for universal, single-payer health care. Single-payer health care will free all Americans, and especially people with disabilities, from the expense and uncertainty of our HMO-dominated health care system. By providing universal care, we free people with disabilities from the confining fear of losing their health care and we ensure people with disabilities can make employment and health care choices that maximize their independence.
Protecting Voting Rights. Voting is the most fundamental sign of inclusion in our society. But people with disabilities often encounter physical and institutional barriers to voting. My campaign and Congressional office work hard to make sure people with disabilities are aware of and can exercise their full voting rights. I will continue to raise this issue and work to educate the public and election officials about the need to ensure full access to voting.

2) Since the beginning of my public service, I’ve been blessed with the advice and friendship of extraordinarily gifted and insightful people with disabilities. They’ve made me more aware of the diversity of challenges and opportunities facing their community. Through those relationships, I’ve reached a deeper understanding of the how much more our society can and should do to foster greater access for people with disabilities. My campaign has held two forums on how to engage more people with disabilities in the political process. The forums led my campaign to adapt our campaign practices to allow people with disabilities to participate in important voter outreach, including generating Braille voter education lists for visually impaired volunteers. In order to help more people with disabilities find their political voice, the campaign has hired a long-time friend and colleague of mine, Michael Cohn. Mike, who is the chair of the DFL Disability Caucus, will serve as our Disability Outreach Organizer. Mike will work hard to open further paths for people with disabilities to work on this and other campaigns, and also help ensure that the voting rights of people with disabilities are respected and enforced in the upcoming elections.

3) The motto of my campaign is “Everybody Counts, Everybody Matters.” I believe the ADA Amendments Act, which I co-sponsored and voted for; helps bring that motto to life for people with disabilities. The ADA Amendments Act provides much needed clarity to the ADA. It makes clear that Congress intended the ADA’s coverage to be broad, to cover anyone who faces unfair discrimination because of a disability, or because of the perception he or she might be disabled. The ADA Amendments Act also overturns recent court decisions to make sure people with disabilities will not lose their coverage under the ADA because their condition can be treated with medication or can be addressed with assistive technology. These narrow, incorrect court interpretations have restricted ADA coverage for people with diabetes, epilepsy, serious heart conditions, mental disabilities and even cancer. Correcting such judicial mistakes and clarifying the full coverage of the ADA are important steps toward realizing the true promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

4) Nationwide, people with disabilities have 20% less employment than people without disabilities. Such underemployment limits people with disabilities’ their financial independence and decreases their access to the health care they need. Social service organizations, non-profits, and government agencies serving people with disabilities should make closing the employment gaps one of their primary goals.
For government policy to properly address the employment issues facing people with disabilities, we must first be willing to admit areas where government helps cause the problem. SSI benefits decline or stop after a recipient rises above a certain income level—the income cap provides a disincentive to work. We need to reexamine the income cap and make adjustments to ensure we’re not driving people with disabilities away from the workplace.

Access is another issue—we need to keep up the pressure on the US Senate to pass the ADA Amendments Act, just as the House did earlier this year. When we remove discrimination from our workplaces and providing the accommodation people with disabilities need, we’ll have taken critical steps toward fuller employment. Finally, we need to push for universal, single-payer health care. As with all Americans, when people with disabilities have guaranteed health care independent of their employers, they’ll have the freedom to choose from far more jobs, rather than remain unemployed for fear of losing government benefits.

5) Passing the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act, which I co-sponsored, voted, and fought for, will be a huge step toward inclusion of people with disabilities. H.R.1424 provides the same care and benefits to those who suffer from mental illness or addiction as for any other ailment. The bill will be of particular benefit to those with intellectual disabilities and their families, who will no longer have to fight with insurance companies to get the care they deserve. I have also worked to enforce the federal requirement that special education programs receive the full reimbursement specified in the law. Providing that funding will encourage state, local, and non-profit investment in programs designed to help people with disabilities achieve independence. I also worked closely with Congressional leadership, authoring a provision to save Minnesotans between $40 and $50 million in cuts to Medicaid. The provision I authored saves Medicaid coverage for targeted case management, services essential to the care of people with special needs, many of whom are people with disabilities.

From just these few examples, we see how much we have to exert ourselves to secure health care and independence for people with disabilities. I’m proud to pass these measures, but we need a comprehensive solution. That’s why I continue to advocate for universal, single-payer health care. Single-payer health care will eliminate the endless need to patch our broken health care system and allow us to focus our resources on providing people the care they need to live independent, fulfilling lives.

6) Fostering independent living is a key goal of advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities into society. That is why I plan to co-sponsor the Community Choice Act, which requires Medicaid to reimburse people with disabilities for a variety of community-based living arrangements, rather than confining people with disabilities to large, institutional care centers that may isolate them from the larger world. By funding community-based living, we allow people with disabilities a much wider range of housing options and community choices, giving them more independent access to grocery stories, libraries, schools, and social services. By fostering a deeper connection to society, we put people with disabilities in contact with the economic, political, and social life of the nation, and the networks vital to individual prosperity. We also demonstrate to the temporarily able-bodied that people with disabilities are fully capable of participating in civic and economic life, thus enriching all communities.

Gregg A. Iverson, DFL Party

1) Better medical care.

2) Have worked with disabled people.

3) I will support any help that people need.

4) They can do the job! They should be hired.

5) Work for funding for the program.

6) No opinion.

Bill McCaughey, Independence Party

I have looked over your questions and decided that I am not sufficiently well informed to give intelligent answers. My campaign is devoted to bringing economic issues to the fore. We must be concerned with the declining job opportunities for future generations and environmental degradation that threatens everyone’s quality of life.

Barb Davis White, Republican Party

District 6

Aubrey Immelman, Republican Party

The candidate chose not to respond to the questions, citing time commitments.

Bob Anderson, Independence Party
Michele Bachmann,Republican Party*
El Tinklenberg, DFL Party

District 7

Glen Menze, Republican Party
Collin C. Peterson, DFL Party*
Alan Roebke, Republican Party

District 8

Michael Cummins, Republican Party

1) I do not know how to answer this as there are so many ways to answer this. Job opportunities, tax credits for companies who hire people with disabilities, access, health care, long term disabilities, tax credits to families who care for their family members at home, financial assistance for family care givers. I think that there are a number of opportunities to be there for families who care for family members who need help.

2) I have been the project manager on homes that are built for those in wheelchairs and have done work on homes that we have had to build to ADA specification. I have also volunteered with the Special Olympics and have taken those with disabilities fishing from local group homes.

3) To be honest I have not had an opportunity to read them.

4) We need to create tax incentives to companies who employ those with disabilities and help companies with creating better access to older buildings that were built before current laws were in effect.

5) I am not a believer in federal programs. I would help by creating tax incentives to health care providers who provide services to the community.

6) I was visiting with someone at the Minnesota State Fair who sells equipment to house- holds who choose to provide care in the home. Any time we can provide care in the home this is far better then providing care outside the home. There are always going to be times when this is not possible, but when it is, we need to encourage this.

James L. Oberstar, DFL Party*

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12 to one or 8 to one; that is the question
International Residential Code changes are controversial

by Access Press staff

Anyone who has ever tried to navigate a too-steep ramp will want to weigh in proposed building code changes that will be voted on September 21. A lobbying and public education effort is underway to make sure the changes aren’t implemented.

The International Residential Code (IRC) is the building code that governs construction involving one and two-family homes in 46 states, including Minnesota. A proposal has been made by Rick Davidson, director of Building Inspection Services for the city of Maple Grove, to change the language in this code to allow wheelchair ramps that are too steep to be safe for the large majority of mobility device users. The change is being proposed as both a cost-savings measure and as a way to clear up ambiguity in the current code language. But disability advocates are worried that the change could create barriers to ramp users. If the change is adopted it could become a standard throughout the United States. Individuals would be getting advice from contractors that are just following the code, not the ability and safety to use the ramp.

The decision to approve or disapprove this change will be made September 21 at the International Code Council (ICC) annual meeting in Minneapolis. Several advocates and people with disabilities will provide testimony to the ICC members who will be voting to approve or disapprove the new language. The advocates hope to persuade the council to keep the standard for the slope of ramps for homes at 1 to 12. The ICC is a non-profit organization that develops the various codes used around the country.

Davidson’s proposal deals with the maximum or steepest slope allowed for ramps for access to single-family homes and duplexes. It would change the current code language that requires a 1 to 12 in most cases to code language that states “Ramps shall have a maximum slope of one unit vertical in eight horizontal.” Slope is determined by how many inches or feet of sloped surface (also called run) there are for each unit of height. For example, if the entrance to a home is 1 foot above the ground, an 8 foot long ramp creates a 1 to 8 slope and a 12 foot long ramp creates a 1 to 12 slope. The math also works by measuring both height and run in inches. It is important to remember that more units of run create a more gradual ramp and fewer units make the ramp steeper.

Jim Williams of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) and Bob Zimmerman of the Minnesota Rehabilitation Services Independent Living section are coordinating efforts to block the Davidson proposal. The Statewide Council for Independent Living, the Minnesota Association of Independent Living Centers, the South Eastern Minnesota CIL and MCIL are co-sponsoring a booth at the ICC meeting. The booth will provide information regarding proper slopes for ramps.

Much of the public education efforts centers on a video, produced August 23 with the help of about a dozen volunteers. The video will provide powerful testimony about the problems and potential dangers caused by steep ramps. The volunteers, using a variety of mobility devices, were filmed using both a 1 to 8 and 1 to 12 ramp. All agreed using the steeper ramp was more difficult. In some cases, volunteers said the steeper ramp was even scary. Comments like “I had no idea pushing a wheelchair up a ramp could that hard” and “It’s really hard to maintain control going down this ramp” were common. The sound of wheelchair footrests scraping the floor when getting on or off the 1 to 8 ramp was often heard, with no similar occurrence on the 1 to 12 ramp.

The code current code language and the proposed change both establish the steepest allowable slope and do not prevent anyone from building a more gently sloped ramp if desired. According to Zim-merman, who has designed more than 3,000 ramps in the Twin Cities area since 1992, “a ramp with a 1 to 8 slope is so steep it will be difficult or dangerous for most people to just walk up and down. Changing the code language as proposed by Davidson will create the false impression that a 1 to 8 ramp is the right ramp to build because it is the code.”

Advocates note that building code officials are seen as sources of reliable information and many people confronted with the need to install a ramp at their home will contact their local code official to find out what to build. The official will tell them what the code is and many people take that to mean a 1 to 8 slope is what they should build. They will only find out it is too steep for them after it has been built.

The web site www.iccsafe.org has complete information about the International Code Council and how it develops the codes. Anyone can submit a code change proposal. The proposal is then reviewed by a committee and members of the organization vote to accept or reject the proposal. David-son’s proposal and 20 public comments requesting that it be disapproved can be found by going to the ICC website. In the drop down menu for Codes and Standards choose Code Development then choose 2007/2008 Code Development Cycle and scroll down to and select “Final Action Agenda”, scroll down to IRC residential code and click on RB2 – RB105 and in this section scroll down to RB 57.

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Access Press movie Hall of Shame

by Jane McClure

The controversy over “Tropic Thunder” brings to mind other recent movies that have sparked controversy about portrayals of persons with disabilities. Here is our list for the Hall of Shame, listed in order of year of release.

“The Ringer” (2005)

Our Hall of Shame would be much larger if Access Press had included the genre some of us know as teenage horror/gross-out films. Those seem to pile stereotype upon stereotype, with no group left unscathed.

And that’s the difficulty with movies for younger viewers, such as the crowd “Tropic Thunder” is drawing in. It’s what these viewers take away from a movie that can shape attitudes for the rest of their lives. Any movie with MTV star Johnny Knoxville as a star and the Farrelly brothers as producers is certain to draw the youthful movie crowd. “The Ringer” is the story of a young man who poses as a disabled athlete so that he can compete in the Special Olympics and help win an obviously rigged bet. Knoxville is Steve, the young man who is part of this twisted scheme.

What surprised many people about “The Ringer” is how it was embraced by the Special Olympics and the National Down Syndrome Society. Both groups had quite a say in the making of the film, which provided work for more than 150 actors with disabilities.

The reviews and blog postings about the film were very mixed, with some hailing the portrayal of athletes with disabilities and others saying the movie only would perpetuate stereotypes. This article from The New York Times describes the involvement of disabled actors and how the experience was positive for them and for groups that advocate for them: www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/movies/11bauer.html?_r= 1&oref=slogin

Ragged Edge had a much different take, at: www.raggeded gemagazine.com/blogs/edgecentric/archives/2005/12/can_movies_disp.html

What made me uncomfortable about this film was what message young movie goers, disabled or not, would take away from it. My concern was that it still perpetuated stereotypes on some ways. Some of the reactions on the Internet Movie Database were compelling to read, especially one from the mother of youngster with developmental disabilities who explained why she would not take her son to see “The Ringer,” “Forrest Gump” and other films with a similar message. She too was concerned with what he would take away from seeing these films.

Anyone interested in reactions to movies, regardless of the movie topic or message, should check out the Internet Movie Database, at www.imdb.com What’s great about this web site is that it includes message boards about each movie, as well as a parent’s guide. The comments on movies, especially movies involving persons with disabilities, are usually as varied as they are thought-provoking.

“Million Dollar Baby” (2004)

This Clint Eastwood movie, which also starred Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank, drew rave reviews and many honors for individual portrayals and the film itself. Swank’s portrayal of Maggie, a young woman boxer trained by Eastwood, netted her second Academy Award.

Yet “Million Dollar Baby” was assailed by the disability community for its ending (spoiler alert!) which centered on the assisted suicide of a disabled main character. The character’s transformation and the attitudes surrounding that transformation were ridiculous. It was as if we weren’t even dealing with the same character.

In his review on the Ragged Edge web site, Steve Drake of Not Dead Yet describes “Million Dollar Baby” as a “corny, melodramatic assault on people with disabilities.” Drake dissects the movie’s ending, point by point, to explain how illogical it is. One would have to know nothing about modern medical care, accommodations or services for persons with disabilities or event basic nursing home security to believe any of it.

Other movie characters’ disabilities were also criticized by advocates as unrealistic, stereotyped or lacking in perspective. One character is partially blind. Another is developmentally disabled. Read Drake’s review at: www.rag ged-edge-mag.com/reviews/drakemillionbaby.html

“In Her Shoes” (2002)

A movie featuring a trio of very talented female stars, Shirley Mac-laine, Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, “In Her Shoes” was marketed mainly to women. Diaz and Collette are sisters and total opposites, with one a fun-loving, irresponsible party girl and the other a hard-working, dour attorney. The sisters have all kinds of issues—a mother’s death, a (stereotypically) mean stepmother, jealousy, sibling rivalry, etc. The title’s shoe reference is to a closet of shoes owned but seldom worn by Collette’s character. Of course, they fit Diaz’ character perfectly, which causes another source of friction between the siblings.

The sisters live together until having a huge falling-out over (what else?) a man. Diaz then goes to live with their grandmother, portrayed by Mac-laine.

During the course of the film it’s revealed that Maggie has dyslexia, which has cost her all kinds of work and personal opportunities over the years. Although most movie-goers would develop a sense of empathy for Maggie’s plight, the movie portrays learning disabilities as easily overcome by the love of one’s family and friends. Anyone who has ever coped with a learning disability, or had a friend or family member with a learning disability, will no doubt cringe at the ending.

Most reviews were not terribly excited about “In Her Shoes,” although few savaged the movie. Most reviews glossed over the dyslexia issues and the improbable ending. My favorite comments came from WBAI, which had this review: http://wbai.org/index.php?option=com_content &task=view&id=7223&Item id=2

“Pumpkin” (2002)

A movie starring Christina Ricci, “Pumpkin” centers on a young woman named Carolyn whose sorority takes on the community service project of coaching athletes who are disabled.

Ricci also produced the movie. Her character starts out as the typical blonde, vapid, privileged young sorority sister stereotype (which itself is unfair to sorority members everywhere). Through the sorority’s community service project, she falls in love with a young, developmentally disabled man nicknamed Pumpkin. Of course this turn of events changes her life and makes her a better and noble person, but it brings disruption to the lives of all others around her. (Again we have a disabled person with a stereotypically overprotective mother, a stock character in many movies as you’ll see in another review.)

Like our other Hall of Shame contenders, this movie had its staunch defenders and detractors. Some critics liked Pumpkin; others consigned it to the movie compost bin. Ann Hornaday’s review in the Washington Post notes that “disability, whether mental or physical, has become the new blackface—an acceptable foil for cruelty, base humor and false piety in an industry that prides itself as progressive and humanists.”

Hornaday also describes “Pumpkin” as a movie that cannot decide which type of message it is trying to convey. Is it supposed to be meaningful? Irreverent? It’s hard to decide.

Read Hornaday’s review at:
www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26351-2002Jul4

“The Other Sister” (1999)

This movie received decidedly mixed reviews for its portrayal of a young woman, with a developmental disability making her way in the world after years away from her family at a school for persons with disabilities.

Juliette Lewis stars as Carla, the main character and the other sister referred to in the title. Carla’s homecoming is an uneasy one. Her father (Tom Skerritt) encourages Carla to follow her dreams of going to school, getting an apartment, making new friends and becoming a veterinary assistant. Her overprotective mother (Diane Keaton) is much more skeptical and fearful about her daughter’s abilities. The family dynamic of members who are supportive and members who are embarrassed by Carla would ring true for many families, but the way the movie makes its points is about as subtle as a slap in the face at times.

Spoiler alert! There are the predictable scenes centered on Carla causing a commotion at public events, including a dog show/benefit where mutts are let out of their cages. The part of the movie in which she and her new boyfriend explore sex is just too cutesy for words.

Film critic Roger Ebert criticized “The Other Sister” for having “no serious knowledge of developmental disabilities and no interest in learning and teaching” and for using mental retardation as a “gimmick” and a “plot device.”

Read Ebert’s review at:http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990226/REVIEWS/902260306/1023.

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Intellectual disability is NOT funny

by Pam Carlson

Arc works very hard to change attitudes and policies to improve the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have learned from the people we serve and their families that language does matter—it can cut human beings down, or it can build them up.

That’s why Arc responded when “Tropic Thunder,” opened August 13 in theaters across the country. The president of the Arc of the United States, along with representatives of Special Olympics, the Down Syndrome Congress and other disability organizations, met with DreamWorks studios and Paramount Pictures early in August. They voiced concern about the movie’s depiction of a character called Simple Jack and the film’s frequent use of the word “retard” and other insulting terms used to describe this character. DreamWorks and Paramount pulled an offensive website and other promotional pieces, but refused to make any changes to the film.

Locally, the Arc of Minnesota and its chapters suggested the public boycott the film to protest its use of language that demeans people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and decreases the quality of their lives by making them the focal point of attempted humor.

Jean Bender, president of the Arc of Minnesota Board of Directors, said, “As representatives of Minnesota organizations promoting the rights and human acceptance of persons with disabilities, we take these degrading depictions of people with intellectual disabilities to heart.

“My son David has significant cognitive and medical disabilities, and he requires assistance for activities most of us consider routine. And yet, he is as involved and included in his community as his neighbors, friends and family.
“David walks the neighbors’ puppy every day, and assists several neighbors with their recycling. His circle of friends is large; he had more pals attend his graduation party this spring than his sister did at hers. This fall David plans to begin volunteering at our local Humane Society and our neighborhood community center.

“David works harder than his siblings (and most adults) every day to improve his level of independence. To make fun of his challenges when he works so hard to contribute to his family, neighbors, and community is offensive and inexcusable.”

Tom Judd, chairman of the board of directors for Arc Greater Twin Cities, wrote a letter to the editor to the Star Tribune published August 14, 2008. He said “Use of the term ‘retard’ in the film is intolerant, disrespectful and insensitive and every bit as offensive as an ethnic or racial slur…we would encourage DreamWorks and the movie industry to establish a social responsibility review board to use the power of filmmaking to not only entertain, but also to increase awareness and sensitivity. It is possible. Remember ‘Rain Man’ and ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’ Quality films are not made at the expense of vulnerable people.”

“As a Native American and a person with a disability, I’ve been the brunt of racial slurs as well as having been called a ‘retard’. Neither feels good,” said Hunter Sargent, a self-advocate and board member for the Arc of Minnesota. “I hate the label ‘retard’ because it puts me down rather than emphasizing what I can do in spite of my disability. I have a disability—my disability doesn’t have me, my grandmother always used to say.

“Arc Greater Twin Cities and the Arc of Minnesota have been a huge part of my life, helping me learn how to be an effective self-advocate. Arc changed its name nearly two decades ago to eliminate the term ‘retarded’ because it is so offensive. When is the rest of the world going to catch up?” Sargent said.

Comments on the blogosphere, however, have suggested people who are outraged should “lighten up” and are taking the movie too seriously.

“Movies and media that continue to use offensive terms and portrayals counteract the positive work being done to make this world a more welcoming place for persons with intellectual disabilities,” said Bender. “People with disabilities have been the brunt of tasteless jokes and stereotypes for too long, and it must stop. If more people knew the truth about those with intellectual disabilities, they would not find this movie funny at all.”

Pam Carlson is the director of community relations for Arc of the Greater Twin Cities.

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Articles continued from other pages in print edition

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Hope for recovery workshop

Sept. 13

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of MN (NAMI-MN) will hold a free, one-day workshop to provide families and individuals with information on mental illnesses, practical coping strategies and hope for recovery. The workshop is 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat, Sept 13 at NAMI MN, 800 Transfer Rd, Suite 31, St. Paul. Registration. is required.

FFI: 651-645-2948

Artists with Disabilities Alliance gathering

Sept. 17

The Artists With Disabilities Alliance (AWDA) meets 6-8 p.m. Wed, Sept 17 at the Mpls College of Art & Design Confr Rm, 2501 Stevens Ave. S., Mpls. Free parking ramp is offered off of 3rd Ave. S. Writers, visual artists/performers are welcomed. This is an opportunity to share your talents and network with others. Dan Reiva, Facilitator.

FFI: 612-332-3888 x4, jon@vsaartsmn.org; www.vsaartsmn.org

Make Mpls. walkable/accessible

Sept. 18

The City of Mpls is working on a pedestrian master plan, top make the city more walk-able and accessible. Hear more about a proposed pedestrian master plan and share your thoughts and ideas at an upcoming public meeting. The meeting is 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thur, Sept 18, with a plan presentation at 6 p.m. The meeting is at the Mpls Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. This is the second meeting on the plan. The first, in March drew more than 100 people.

The plan is to be completed by year’s end and will include re-commendations on policies, projects and procedures related to pedestrian facilities/programs. A key focus of the plan is accessibility and is funded by a federal grant and by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The meeting is wheelchair-accessible and other accommodations, such as materials in a different format/sign language interpreter, are avail. Call by Sept 11.

FFI: Shaun Murphy, 612-673-2335; www.ci.Mpls.mn.us/pedestrian

Benefit concert

Oct. 5

Rick DellaRatta and Jazz for Peace will perform at a benefit concert for next spring’s MN Self-Advocacy Conference The concert is 3 p.m. Sun, Oct 5 at The Artists’ Quarter, 408 St. Peter St. Tickets are $35, with all proceeds used to help self-advocates attend the Conference in St. Paul in April 2009. Della-Ratta is an international jazz pianist, vocalist and composer. Jazz for Peace is a band with members from around the world. The group gathers to hold benefit concerts and has helped raise funds for hundreds of groups.

FFI: Kathy, ACT, 651-641-0297

Candidate Forums

Sept. - Oct.

The MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) has announced its schedule of candidate forums. These forums feature candidates for MN House and U.S. House candidates. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Candidates for Congressional Distr 6 forum is 6-7:30 p.m. at Thur, Sept 18 at Whitney Senior Ctr, 1527 Norway Dr, St. Cloud.

FFI: Christian Knights, Courage Ctr, christian.knights@courage.org or Deanna Guilford, Goodwill/Easter Seals at dguilford@goodwilleasterseals.org

Candidates for House Distr 56A forum is 6-7:30 p.m. Tue, Sept 30 at Bayport Sr Ctr, 263 3rd St. N., Bayport. “Realize Your Power: Voting Your Values” is at 5-6 p.m.

FFI: christian.knights@courage.org

Candidates for House Distr 9A and 9B (Moorhead area) forum is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tues, Sept 30 at Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Ctr, 202 1st Ave. N, Moorhead.

FFI: Mary Tintes, Freedom CIL, mctintes@freedomrc.org

Candidates for MN House Distrs 26-31 (Rochester area) forum is 6-8:30 p.m. Thur, Oct 2 at Rochester Intern'l Events Ctr, 7333 Airport View Dr SW, Rochester. A voter participation for self-advocate session precedes the forum, at 4-6 p.m.

FFI: Karen Larson, Region 10, at Oakaren@msn.com

Candidates for MN House Distrs 25A and 25B (LeCtr area) forum is 7-8:30 p.m. Wed, Oct 8 at American Legion Post 108, 97 S Park Ave., LeCtr. Advocacy training precedes the event at 6-7 p.m.

FFI: Jeff Nachbar, BIA, jeffn@braininjurymn.org

Candidates for MN House Distrs 47A and 47B (Coon Rapids area) forum is 7-8 p.m. Tue, Oct 14 at Mercy Hospital Heart Ctr ClassRms A & B (second floor), 4050 Coon Rapids Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids. Advocacy training precedes the event at 6-7 p.m.

FFI: Jeff Nachbar, BIA, jeffn@braininjurymn.org

Candidates for Congressional Distr 3 forum is 6:30-8 p.m. Thur, Oct 16 at Mntka Community Ctr, 14600 Mntka Blvd., Mntka . At 5-6 p.m. is a session on Realize Your Power: Voting Your Values.

FFI: Ann Roscoe, MCIL, annr@mcil-mn.org

Candidates for MN House Distrs 42A and 42B (Eden Prairie area) forum is Mon, Oct 20 at Eden Prairie City Council Chambers, 808 Mitchell Rd, E.P. “Realize Your Power: Voting Your Values” at 6-7 p.m.

FFI: Gene Martinez, Arc GTC, genemartinez@arcgreatertwincities.org

Candidates for Congressional Distr 1 forum is 6-8:30 p.m. Thur, Oct 30 at Old Main Village, 301 S. 5th St., Mankato. A voter participation for self-advocates session precedes the forum at 4-6 p.m.

FFI: Karen Larson, Region 10, Oakaren@msn.com

A session for MN House Distr 21A (Marshall area) is also planned but no date has been set.

FFI: Steve Thovson, SWCIL, steve@swcil.com Other debates may be scheduled: FFI: www.mnccd.org

3rd Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week

Oct 5 - 10

It takes a community to prevent bullying of children. The 3rd Annual Nat'l Bullying Prevention Awareness Wk, Oct 5-11 encourages communities nationwide to work together to increase awareness of the prevalence/impact of bullying on all children. The week is sponsored by PACER Ctr’s Nat'l Ctr for Bullying Prevention and cosponsored by the American Fed. for Teachers, Nat'l Coalition for Parent Involvement in Ed, Nat'l Ed Assoc., Nat'l PTA, and School Social Work Assoc. of America. “When 160,000 children in the US miss school each day as a result of being bullied, it’s time to take action,” said Paula F. Goldberg, executive dir of PACER, a nat'l parent Ctr located in MN. “Teachers, parents, students and adults throughout each community must work together to create a climate that doesn’t accept bullying.” Families, students, schools, org. and other grps can unite/partner with PACER to prevent bullying by contacting bullying411@pacer.org. Partnering orgs are asked to share their bullying prevention activities and will be listed as a link on PACER’s bullying prevention Web site.
Grps can wrk to stop bullying in several ways. Activities and materials such as contests, toolkits and online bullying prevention training are avail. on www.pacer.org and the interactive Web site for ele. school students www.pacer kidsagainstbullying.org to help reduce bullying in schools, rec’l progs, and community orgs.

FFI: www.pacer.org, its numbers are 952-838-9000; Toll free: 800-53-PACER (MN); 888-248-0822.

Artability Art Show

Oct. 2 - 4

The 14th annual People Incorporated Artability (PIA) art show highlights the many contributions and amazing talents of people with mental illness. This year’s theme, Café des Arts, evokes the milieu of a Parisian coffee shop, filled with artists exchanging ideas and perspectives. Almost 100 artists will participate, displaying 350 pieces of art. Artists receive 90 percent of the profits when items are sold. The PIA art show will be held Oct 2-4 at Redeemer Arms lower level, 313 N Dale St., St. Paul. Viewing times are Thur, Oct 2, 6-8:30 p.m.; Fri, Oct 3, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 4, 12-5 p.m.

FFI: 651-227-6321, www.PeopleIncorporated.org

Help others manage finances

RSVP/Volunteers of America of MN in collaboration with the AARP Foundation is looking for volunteers with good budgeting, organizational, and supporting skills to help manage the finances of older or disabled low-income individuals who want assistance. If you have a few hours a month to volunteer this fall, the organizations’ Money Management Program staff will train and match you with someone in the community who needs help.

FFI: Money Management Program Coordinator, 612-617-7821.

Moving Self-Advocacy Forward

Apr. 17 - 18, 2009

Save the dates of April 17-18, 2009 for the 2009 MN Self-Advocacy Confr, Moving Self-Advocacy Forward. The Confr will be held at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel, 11 E. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Advocating Change Together, Arc Greater Twin Cities, Dakota Communities, Hammer Residences, Life-works, Mains’l Services, Merrick Inc., Metro Ctr for Independent Living and People First MN are sponsors.

FFI: Kathy Sanders, ACT, 651-641-0297, act@selfadvocacy.org