Print Friendly VersionAdvocacy Action News
Monthly News Bulletin Published by IndependenceFirst
May 2009, Issue 136
NATIONAL
STATE
LOCAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WEB RESOURCES
HENRY CLAYPOOL NAMED TOP DISABILITY ADVISER
A man who once relied on Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has been appointed to lead the office on disability at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the department announced recently. As director of the HHS Office on Disability, Henry Claypool will be the top disability adviser to the secretary of Health and Human Services. Claypool will also oversee all programs within HHS pertaining to individuals with disabilities. Claypool experienced a spinal cord injury 25 years ago. In the years following, he relied on government programs like SSI while he completed his college education.
His experience includes work at a center for independent living and as the director of the University of Colorado’s disability services office. More recently Claypool worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration.
Source: disabilityscoop.com
91 ARRESTED IN D.C. PROTEST
Ten members of ADAPT met with Obama Administration officials in the White House in April and came away disappointed at the lack of commitment from the administration on inclusion of long term services and supports in health care reform. The administration stated that its only commitment currently is to extend insurance to the people who are uninsured, and that the people in nursing homes and institutions would need to continue to wait until an unspecified time in the future when it is proven that the health care reform worked. Angered by that response, 500 ADAPT members immediately stretched out along the White House fence, using handcuffs and chains to secure themselves. The Capitol Police ultimately arrested 91 people.
"This is unequivocally a civil rights issue, and we thought we had a civil rights president," said Bruce Darling, ADAPT Organizer from Rochester, New York. "He took the oath of office on the Lincoln bible, and has spoken repeatedly about inclusion and integration. But after today, it seems clear that inclusion doesn't apply to us or to the thousands of people trapped for years behind institution and nursing home walls and those of us who are aging with nursing homes looming in our futures. Instead of the promised change' we are just getting more of the same old thing."
Source: http://www.adapt.org/
SSA’S HIRING PLANS FOR 2009
The Social Security Administration has recently received funding to hire a significant number of employees throughout the country. This hiring initiative offers a unique opportunity for individuals with disabilities who may want to get a job with SSA. These jobs will be at various skill levels including a number of entry-level positions.
What kinds of jobs is SSA offering?
SSA is recruiting employees to work in field offices and teleservice centers where they will assist the public by phone and in person with a wide variety of program related activities such as filing claims, applying for a new or replacement Social Security cards and other types of inquiries. SSA also is recruiting employees to work in claims processing centers and to work in hearings offices in legal and paralegal positions.
Where are these jobs located?
All across the United States; for example, some are in the local SSA field offices or SSA hearings offices, some in the 37 teleservice centers nationwide, some in SSA’s program service centers and some at SSA headquarters in the Baltimore area.
Contact SSA for More Information:
Kojuan Almond
Kojuan.Almond@ssa.gov
Social Security Administration
600 W. Madison 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60661
312-575-4006 (v/relay)
ALZHEIMER’S SPECIAL CARE STANDARDS (LRB-0656/3)
Cosponsored by Reps. Peggy Krusick, Jim Ott and Sandy Pasch, and Sens. Alberta Darling and Spencer Coggs
Current Law:
Nursing homes and residential care facilities can claim to provide specialized care and treatment for Alzheimer’s patients without meeting any standards for these special services, because no such standards currently exist or are required.
The Bill:
Requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish standards of care and treatment for people with Alzheimer’s or related dementia, including staff training requirements, staffing levels and standards for facility security. DHS must consult with aging advocates, providers and residents in establishing these standards.
Requires nursing homes and residential care facilities that claim to provide special services for people with Alzheimer’s or related dementia to satisfy the care and treatment standards established by DHS. Residential care facilities include: community based residential facilities (CBRFs), and adult family homes (AFHs).
Requires DHS to include in its annual nursing home consumer information reports a description of how each home satisfies the department’s Alzheimer’s care standards, if applicable.
Requires DHS to annually provide a consumer information report and one-page summary report to each residential care facility that includes information on violations by the facility and a description of how the facility satisfies the department’s Alzheimer’s care standards, if applicable.
Requires each residential care facility to provide a copy of its consumer information report to every resident and prospective resident.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Speak your mind – even if your voice shakes!” ~Maggie Kuhn
NEW HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEAD
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker named Lisa Jo Marks to head the county Department of Health and Human Services. Marks has been director of the county's Department of Child Support Enforcement for the past two years and has worked in other positions in the department since 1989. Health and Human Services is the county's largest department, with a $708 million budget this year.
Walker named her to the post held by Corey Hoze, who left for a private sector job with Associated Bank.
FAMILY CARE/SELF-DIRECTED SERVICES TRAINING
IndependenceFirst, ARC-Milwaukee, Disability Rights Wisconsin, and the Survival Coalition are planning to hold a series of educational trainings this summer to help consumers and family members better understand the expansion of Family Care in Milwaukee to persons with disabilities under 60. Please watch for more information or you can contact Karen Avery if you would like to get on a list to receive information about these sessions (kavery@independencefirst.org or 414-291-7520 v/tty)
SURVEY
Roger Smith and the Rehabilitation Research Design and Disability Center (R2D2 Center) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are currently looking for participants for a research project. They developed a new prototype website called Got-it?, which is a central place to enter your opinions about different assistive technologies. They are looking for people to use and evaluate this website.
For the study, they're asking people to use the new website and then fill out a brief online survey. You can participate in the survey from wherever you have Internet access, and they estimate it will take about an hour to complete the whole process.
They are especially interested in obtaining feedback from people with disabilities and older adults. Anyone who is 18 or over and has used the Internet before can click here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/120949/got-it-accessibility-and-usability to be directed to a site for more instructions and the survey. The Got-it? website can be found at: http://pitu.r2d2.uwm.edu:8080/.
If you have any questions about the study, please contact them at: lemkem@uwm.edu or 414-229-3310 (v/relay).
2009 Mental Health Consumer Conference: United We Stand
“Creating the Future of Mental Health”
A Conference to Create and Support A Statewide Mental Health Consumer Network
Keynote Speaker: Daniel Fisher Noted Psychiatrist, Advocate and Consumer
June 29th and 30th 2009
Chula Vista Resort
Wisconsin Dells, WI
If you have questions, please contact:
Grassroots Empowerment Project
P.O. Box 8683, Madison, WI 53708
1-800-770-0588 (v/relay)
mollycisco@msn.com
COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
http://www.going-to-college.org
This new website has been developed to help high school students learn about living college life with a disability. The site provides video clips, activities, and resources that can help students get a head start in planning for college. Video interviews with college students with disabilities offer a way to hear firsthand from students with disabilities who have been successful. Modules include activities that will help students explore more about themselves, learn what to expect from college, and equip them with important considerations and tasks to complete when planning for college.
BIRTH DEFECTS & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WEB SITE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities has launched a redesigned web site. The updated website serves as a resource for further information on child development, disability and a variety of related issues. The Center's mission is to promote the health of babies, children and adults and enhance the potential for full, productive living. See:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/index.html
FREE DISABILITY LAW HANDBOOK
The Southwest Disability Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) announced that the Disability Law Handbook is available on their website at: http://www.swdbtac.org/html/publications/dlh/index.html. You can download and print as many copies as you would like. (The book will also be available in Spanish.) Written in an FAQ format, the Disability Law Handbook answers questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Social Security, the Air Carrier Access Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Fair Housing Act Amendments. Questions should be directed to the Southwest DBTAC, web site www.swdbtac.org.
DOJ PUBLICATION ONLINE
The US Department of Justice has issued a new publication titled “Maintaining Accessibility in Museums”. This document is available on-line at: http://www.ada.gov/business/museum_access.htm
NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR PARTICIPANT (SELF)-DIRECTED SERVICES
The NRCPDS has a team of subject matter experts ready to help you develop and improve your participant (self)-directed programs. An array of services are offered, including program consulting, membership benefits, training, and research. Multiple resources are available on the website.
2009 POWER LUNCH
We are pleased to have Amy Roloff from TLC’s reality show Little People, Big World as the keynote speaker at this year’s event. Mrs. Roloff will share her successes and challenges as a little person who has overcome obstacles and perceptions in her workplace and community.
When: June 16, 2009, 12pm-1:30pm
Where: Midwest Airlines Center
Cost: $50/person
For reservations, call 414-291-7520 (v/tty) or email POWERLUNCH @independencefirst.org
Advocacy Action News is published by IndependenceFirst on or about the 1st of each month. Submissions of articles are due by the 15th of each month prior to publication. For consideration, send your articles or announcements to the Editor, Karen Avery, via e-mail to kavery@independencefirst.org.
Advocacy Action News is available by request in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, on disk or audiotape. It is also made available via our website.
You may also receive Advocacy Action News via email instead of print copy. Contact Karen at 414-291-7520 (V/TTY) or kavery@independencefirst.org.
If you do not have access to the internet, and would like assistance in obtaining any of the internet-based items described in this news bulletin, please contact Karen at 414-291-7520 (V/TTY).
IndependenceFirst
The Resource for People with Disabilities…
540 South 1st Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
414-291-7520 (V/TTY)
414-291-7525 (FAX)
www.independencefirst.org