Print Friendly VersionSeptember 2005, Issue 93
ADVOCACY ACTION NEWS
September 2005, Issue 93
• Healthy Aging Month
• National Sickle Cell Month
• Home and Sports Eye Safety Month
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness Month
• National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
• Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 4-10th
• National Rehabilitation Week, Sept. 18-24th
• America On the Move Day of Action – Sept. 28th
Monthly News Bulletin Published by IndependenceFirst
FEDERAL/NATIONAL
WISCONSIN
LOCAL
OTHER REGIONS
RESOURCE ON THE INTERNET
EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
LEADERSHIP IN THE DISABILITY
RIGHTS COMMUNITY
ANDREW J. IMPARATO
From the Justice For All Listserv (edited)
The United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) announced that Andrew J. Imparato has been named as one of the 2005 Ten Outstanding Young Americans. The presentation of the 67th annual black-tie awards ceremony will be held September 17, 2005, in the Boston, Massachusetts World Trade Center.
Imparato, 40, is the first full-time President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) a national non-profit membership organization for political and economic empowerment of all people with disabilities. With more than 115,000 members, AAPD is the largest cross-disability membership organization in the U.S.
In 2004, Imparato was appointed by Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council. In 2003, Imparato was appointed by Senators Daschle and Kennedy to serve as a Panel Member of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel to the Social Security Administration. Imparato was also elected in 2003 to serve on the Executive Committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nations oldest, largest, and most diverse coalition dedicated to promoting civil and human rights for all people.
Prior to joining AAPD, Imparato was general counsel and director of policy for the National Council on Disability, an attorney advisor with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy.
Imparato, whose perspective is informed by his experience with bipolar disorder, is frequently called upon to write, speak, or provide testimony about disability issues. He is also an advisor on disability market and accessibility issues for Microsoft, IBM, SAP, America Online, Verizon, and other leading businesses.
ADA NEWS
REVISIONS IN DISABILITIES ACT
After Tapan Banerjee was paralyzed from the waist down in a 2003 automobile accident, he vowed he wouldn't let it stop him from playing golf.But Mr. Banerjee, a retired U.S. foreign-service officer living in McLean, Va., found many golf courses didn't have single-rider golf carts, which allow paraplegics to ride up to the ball, swivel the seat and swing their clubs, all while sitting in the cart.
Mr. Banerjee wants all public golf courses to provide the special carts that the disabled can use, but some course owners say there just isn't enough demand to justify the amount of money they would have to spend.
The conflicting views underscore the balance that the Justice Department -- a primary enforcer of the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations -- must strike as it weighs proposed new rules against the potential costs for compliance, which could be burdensome for some small businesses.
The revisions have been proposed by the Access Board, the independent federal agency charged with creating the guidelines after the act was passed in 1990. At the time, the agency said it would review and revise them as needed, and a year ago, after nearly a decade of work, the board published a 300-page document with the suggested new rules.
The Justice Department is mulling the proposals in what would be the first sweeping revision of the landmark civil-rights law, designed to make public facilities and employment more accessible to the disabled.
The changes are being considered for several reasons. Some disabled people believe the original ADA rules didn't go far enough, and there are still many barriers to their use of public facilities. They cite stories about aisles being too narrow for wheelchairs, or automated-teller machines that are difficult to operate. Also, some potential solutions weren't included in the original rules because they weren't widely available in the early 1990s. One proposal would require ATMs to have audio capacity, a technology that now can be incorporated, which allows blind people to use the machines independently.
The Justice Department has said it plans to adopt new standards based on the access board's guidelines. It had sought public comment until May 31 on such issues as whether the standards should apply to existing facilities, particularly ones that are already in compliance with current ADA rules. After reviewing the comments on the proposals, the department will publish a notice of proposed rule making, followed by final rules, a spokesman says.
Source: Wall Street Journal
HHS MEDICAID COMMISSION ADOPTS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR $10 BILLION IN PROGRAM SAVINGS
From the Justice For All Listserv (edited)
On August 18, the Medicaid Commission, appointed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, unanimously adopted its short-term recommendations for $10 billion in savings in the Medicaid program over the next five years. The recommendations will be sent to Secretary Leavitt in a report by September 1 in order to allow consideration by Congress during the budget reconciliation process this fall. The Commission has 13 voting members and 15 non-voting members.
The final recommendations include a provision to allow states to charge beneficiaries increased co-payments for certain non-preferred prescription drugs in order to encourage beneficiaries to use the least costly effective prescriptions. Although several of the non-voting members of the Commission spoke vigorously against this proposal, Gwen Gillenwater was the only voting Commissioner to oppose this provision.
Gillenwater is with the American Association of People with Disabilities and had proposed an amendment to replace this co-payment proposal. Her amendment failed. The co-payment provision is expected to save $2 billion over 5 years.
Two additional provisions in the Commission's recommendations will have a direct impact on Medicaid beneficiaries or applicants through increasing penalties for people who transfer assets to qualify for Medicaid long term care (changing the starting date of the penalty period and increasing the look-back period from 3 to 5 years).
Other provisions included in the Commission's final recommendations address complex reimbursement issues: prescription drug reimbursement formula reform; extension of the Medicaid drug rebate program to Medicaid managed care; and reform of the Medicaid managed care organization provider tax requirement. The total package of recommendations would save between $10.3 to 11.1 billion over 5 years (2006-2010). More details on the provisions will be provided when they become available.
HUD STUDY SHOWS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FACE DISCRIMINATION IN UP TO 1/2 OF RENTAL INQUIRIES
From HUD.GOV (edited)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a groundbreaking study, Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities - Barriers at Every Step, that showed people with disabilities are often discriminated against when trying to rent apartments. In the Chicago-based study, deaf people were discriminated against approximately 50 percent of the time when using a telephone-operator relay to search for rentals. People using wheelchairs faced discrimination about a third of the time when they visited rental properties.
The study, conducted for HUD by The Urban Institute, is the most comprehensive effort to date to measure the extent of housing discrimination in the United States against people with disabilities.
Copies of the study are available as a free download on the HUDUSER.org website at http://www.huduser.org/publications/hsgspec/dds.html or in printed form for a nominal charge by calling 1 (800) 245-2691 (V/Relay).
DIRECT SUPPORT WORKER BILL
From the Justice For All Listserv (edited)
Earlier this year, Representatives Lee Terry (R-NE) and Lois Capps (D-CA) introduced the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2005 (H.R. 1264). Reps. Terry and Capps recognize the inadequate wages paid to hundreds of thousands of direct support professionals who struggle daily to enhance the lives of people with disabilities while at the same time struggling to provide income security for their own families. For millions of people with disabilities of all ages, direct support professionals are the key to living successfully in their home communities. Direct support professionals are often personal care assistants or home care aides who assist people with severe disabilities with medications, preparing and eating meals, dressing, mobility, personal hygiene and handling daily affairs.
The direct support worker bill would amend the Medicaid program (Title XIX of the Social Security Act) to provide funds to States to enable them to increase the wages paid to targeted direct support professionals in providing services to individuals with disabilities. The program is designed as an option to states and would provide enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for five years to states to increase wages. It is designed to increase wages and eliminate the gap between wages paid to private employees and wages paid to public employees in the state.
In order to receive the enhanced FMAP, states would be required to submit a five-year plan and must assure continuation of the increased wage rate after the five-year period. The state plan must be developed in conjunction with individuals with disabilities and family members, private providers, and direct support professionals.
The bill targets the increased FMAP to cover direct support professionals working for private employers who provide supports and services to people with disabilities who are eligible for and receiving Medicaid under the following state plan services: personal care option for personal assistance; rehabilitation option for rehabilitation or habilitation; home health services; home and community-based services under Section 1915(c) or Section 1115 waivers; and intermediate care facility services for persons with mental retardation and related conditions (ICFs/MR).
Currently, in Wisconsin, only U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1264. Please contact your Representative to let him or her know what you think of this bill!
FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION NEWS
From the Paralyzed Veteran’s of America
After twelve extensions, Congress has passed HR 3, the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - a Legacy for Users" or SAFETEA-LU on Friday evening, July 29. The bill is over 1600 pages long and filled with earmarks. But - Section 3019 creates a separate New Freedom program with some money and flexibility. Authorized funding rises from $78 million/FY 06 to $92.5 m/FY 09. New Freedom projects will have to be coordinated with other transportation program activities and part of a local public transportation/human service transportation plan. Also, Section 5310 funding is authorized at $94.5m in FY 05, rising to $133.5 million in FY 09.
With the passage of the ADA, it has become a civil rights violation to deny access to persons with disabilities to public transportation. The New Freedom formula grant program was proposed by the administration and has been included in this legislation to provide additional tools to overcome existing barriers facing Americans with disabilities seeking integration into the work force and full participation in society. Lack of adequate transportation is a primary barrier to work for people with disabilities. The 2000 Census showed that only 60 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 64 with disabilities are employed. The New Freedom formula grant program will expand the transportation mobility options available to persons with disabilities beyond the requirements of the ADA.
Call or write if you have any questions.
Maureen McCloskey, National Advocacy Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America
801 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
202-416-7696 (V/Relay)
202-416-7706 (fax)
maureenm@pva.org
KENNEDY, ROBERTS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO CREATE MORE JOBS FOR PEOPLE W/DISABILITIES
To mark the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) unveiled legislation aimed at reducing the high unemployment rate for people with severe disabilities.
Severely disabled people across this country want and need the opportunity to earn an honest days pay for an honest days work, said Senator Roberts. Yet despite the tremendous progress disabled people have made in the last fifteen years, nearly 78 percent of all severely disabled people in the U.S. today are unemployed.
Government and the private sector must work together to provide all Americans with the opportunity to achieve personal and economic self-sufficiency. Individuals with disabilities deserve the dignity and satisfaction that comes from earning a living wage, said Senator Kennedy. This legislation encourages companies that do business with the federal government to truly open their doors and employ these individuals.
The Employer Work Incentive Act for Individuals with Severe Disabilities will offer eligible businesses that competitively employ people with severe disabilities the opportunity to participate in the performance of federal contracts and receive a procurement advantage.
More than 9.4 million Americans have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits their life activities (e.g., mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, work tolerance or work skills). The legislation will expand competitive employment opportunities for those individuals by offering businesses an incentive to employ severely disabled individuals and offer them a both competitive salary and good health care benefits.
In addition to providing greater employment opportunities to the severely disabled, the legislation will also save taxpayer dollars. If just 94,000or one percent of severely disabled people now receiving federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments and related health benefits were to become gainfully and competitively employed, the projected ten-year cost savings to the federal treasury would be more than $45 billion.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them -- and then, the opportunity to choose." —C. Wright Mills
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
From DAWN Listserv (edited)
Gov. Doyle signed the 2005-2007 State Budget on July 25, 2005. He vetoed 139 items from the budget that was sent to him from the Republican-controlled legislature. Details of the budget pertaining to disability issues are still being examined. What is known at this time are the following:
- Maintains current eligibility and benefits for Medicaid;
- Maintains current co-payment for generic drugs under Medicaid at $1;
- Provides $6 million for accessible transportation;
- Contains a community relocation initiative to assist elderly and disabled to move from nursing homes into the community and vetoes the 100 day residency requirement;
- Maintains the current HIRSP insurance program;
- Cuts $10 million for home health, personal care and private duty nursing from Medicaid and instructs DHFS to spread an additional $6.8 million of cuts over the entire Medicaid budget;
- Vetoes the mental health drug language, continues to allow DHFS to set limits for reimbursement under Medicaid;
- Instructs DHFS to find innovative solutions to the long-term care system;
- Instructs DHFS to find ways to implement a transportation brokerage system under Medicaid;
- Raises the cap of group living arrangements under Medicaid waiver programs from 4 to 8 beds.
The early assessment of the budget for people with disabilities appears to be very favorable. The governor and the legislature were in agreement to basically maintain Medicaid at a time when many other states are cutting services or changing eligibility requirements.
DAWN will continue to follow the budget and keep you informed of disability related issues as they become available. If you are not a member of DAWN, you can sign up at http://www.dawninfo.org WISCONSIN'S SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI) EMPLOYMENT PILOT
The Wisconsin Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Employment Pilot is a research and demonstration project that will address one of the major barriers affecting individuals with disabilities who want to work.
Currently, SSDI beneficiaries who want to test their ability to work and earn at higher levels are often prohibited from doing so by the all or nothing "cash cliff" imposed through existing policy. This pilot directly eliminates the current "cash cliff" by allowing SSDI beneficiaries to work and earn above Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level. The SGA level is $830 a month in 2005.
Rather than an immediate end to the benefit, participants will experience a gradual decline in their SSDI cash payment as their earnings increase. For every $1 earned above SGA, participants will experience a $.50 decrease in their SSDI payment rather than losing their entire cash benefit. This is critical for individuals with disabilities who want to work more but cannot afford to immediately lose their entire cash benefit.
To be eligible for the pilot, individuals must receive only Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and be between the ages of 18–64.
Once enrolled, individuals will be placed in one of two groups. One group will test a "cash benefit offset" in addition to being eligible to receive benefits counseling and employment service coordination. The other group will have access only to benefits counseling and employment service coordination.
For more information about the Wisconsin's Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Employment Pilot contact Kathleen Meisner-Altman at IndependenceFirst, 414-291-7520 V/TTY or toll free 1-877-463-3778 V/TTY.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY SCRAMBLES TO AVERT DEFICIT $10.8 MILLION IN CUTS SOUGHT TO AVOID ENDING YEAR IN THE RED, From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (edited)
Hoping to avert a third straight year-end budget deficit, Milwaukee County is poised to trim $10.8 million in spending before the end of 2005 using a hiring freeze and a broad 5% cutback affecting many departments.
The latest cuts come on the heels of confirmation that the county's 2004 budget - with its hotly debated property tax freeze - ended $1.5 million in the red, a deficit that has to be covered in the already wobbly 2006 budget cycle.
The previous year, 2003, wound up $3.5 million in the hole despite midyear emergency layoffs that summer that cut front-line parks maintenance, shortened employee workweeks and prompted early closing of pools and some parks buildings.
The end-of-year deficits are small compared with the $1.18 billion county budget, but are unusual. Until 2003, no county budget had closed in the red since 1990. The county's tax levy this year is $225.8 million.
Some of the Band-Aid approaches used in recent years to keep taxes down and avoid major service cuts already are circling around to bite county officials. Next year, general debt service payments are expected to jump by $15 million, thanks in part to a controversial roller-coaster debt-restructuring deal approved in 2003 that dropped payments in the short term but now is ramping up. Last September, three quarters into the 2004 budget year, Walker predicted a comfortable surplus for the year. It was not until March this year - well after anything could be done about 2004's books - that new multimillion-dollar deficits emerged in the county's Family Care program for seniors. Other departments also discovered or reported problems after the year was over.
Family Care is expecting a $1 million surplus for 2005, but employee health care costs are much higher than expected. Likely payouts to retirees who won a lawsuit over sick-leave benefits are helping create a major hole, county records show.
The projected 2005 deficit is $6.9 million. But to net that amount, and cover revenue shortfalls, county officials say they will need to make $10.8 million in cuts.
In addition to sparing parks, bus service and the courts, the 5% cutback plan exempts county health programs and the county's Office for Persons with Disabilities.
Looking ahead to 2006 in a recent interview, Walker reiterated his promise to propose a fourth straight budget without seeking a property tax levy increase.
Everything is on the table for potential elimination or re-evaluation, including the county's medical assistance program for the poor and the county-managed paramedic service, Walker said.
AFFORDABLE HOMES AREN'T NEEDED, BROOKFIELD ALDERMAN SAYS
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (edited)
Saying that Brookfield doesn't need to provide affordable housing, an alderman wants to scale back the density of future construction of apartments and condominiums in the city.
"I personally see no need to provide affordable housing," Heinrich wrote in a July 11th letter to aldermen and plan commissioners seeking a formal review of the need for more multifamily housing.
"Is it a crime to live in an area that college and high school graduates cannot afford? We cannot be everything to everybody.
"While it might not seem politically correct, I take some pride in the fact that it took me several years of working after my graduate degree to afford to move into Brookfield."
In an interview Monday, Heinrich stressed that he was not against multifamily housing or trying to ban it entirely. But he said he was concerned that the city was earmarking too much land for future multifamily development, and that there was no longer a great demand for such housing. "Is it possible that the quality of residents will deteriorate with the housing?" Heinrich asked.
Heinrich said that he has had positive feedback from seven residents and received two negative e-mails. One condo owner, he said, called him elitist and discriminatory, writing, "Our trailer park residents are good enough to shop in Brookfield."
Heinrich said he was not aware of problems with existing apartment complexes but that in other communities, apartments have turned into "slums."
"You're not going to have problems with apartments if you don't have apartments," he said.
ILLINOIS BECOMES LATEST STATE TO ADOPT MENTAL HEALTH PARITY
From Dan Zimmerman, WI Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Rep. Lou Lang and Rep. Patricia Bellock sponsored HB 59, which requires health insurers that provide medical benefits to cover mental illness in an equivalent manner. Thirty-five states already have some type of mental health parity law in place. The Center for Policy Alternatives has a policy brief that lists the states that have enacted such legislation: http://capwiz.com/wccf/utr/1/HTSQEYSJJM/GYUDEYSJLM/
[Editor Note: Wisconsin is *not* one of these states, despite many advocacy efforts! If you are interested in working on this issue, please email or phone Karen Avery at kavery@independencefirst.org or 414-291-7520 (V/TTY).]
DOT LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE TO ASSIST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
From the U.S. Depart of Transportation
The U.S. Department of Transportation launched a new website containing information to help ensure safe and secure transportation for persons with disabilities in the event of a disaster or emergency.
The new site includes advice on emergency preparedness, transportation accessibility, and evacuation methods for certain modes of transportation, such as rail and transit systems. Disabled individuals can learn how to react in situations ranging from evacuations of mass transit systems to being trapped in a car during a blizzard or hurricane.
The site also includes links to Department of Homeland Security web pages that provide information on preparing for specific emergencies, including natural disasters such as severe weather, fire and earthquakes, as well as man-made disasters such as spills of hazardous materials. In addition, the site also provides information for transportation providers on how to respond to the unique needs of people with disabilities during an emergency.
The web address for the new site is http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/emergencyprep.asp.
For more information, contact: Bill Mosley, Tel.: (202) 366-4570 (V/Relay)
YELLOW PAGES FOR KIDS W/ DISABILITIES
At this site, you will find educational consultants, psychologists, diagnosticians, health care specialists, academic tutors, speech language therapists, advocates, and attorneys. You will also find government programs, grassroots organizations, special education schools, and parent support groups.
http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/wi.htm
CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS STANDARD AVAILABLE FREE FROM ASA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA), in partnership with several industry supporters, is making design standards for classroom acoustics available free through its website. The American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools (ANSI S12.60-2002) provides criteria that benefit all classroom users, including students with hearing loss. ASA developed the standard through a working group with input and sponsorship from the Board. Several states have adopted the standard which is voluntary unless referenced by a code, ordinance, or regulation. Previously published for sale, the standard can now be downloaded free through ASA’s online store at http://asastore.aip.org/.
DISABILITY RIGHTS ONLINE NEWS
Disability Rights Online News is a bi-monthly update about the Civil Rights Divisions activities in the area of disability rights. The Division enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on disability in employment, housing, access to businesses serving the public, access to government programs and services including voting and public transportation, and unconstitutional conditions in institutions of confinement.
To view the Online news visit: http://www.ada.gov/newsltr0805.htm
Source: U.S. Department of Justice www.ada.gov
DISABILITY BROADCASTING CO.
On July 26th, the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the People With disabilities Broadcasting Corporation (PWdBC) announced the formal launch of a website and the initial stage of creating and maintaining a powerful new disability media presence.
Central to PWdBC's mission is the creation of the first 24-hour TV channel "of, by and for people with disabilities . . . and everyone else", to include comedies, dramas, reality, sports, information and news programs. PWdBC is in exploratory conversations with a number of media companies to make this channel a reality.
An estimated 54 million Americans identify themselves as having a disability, while the worldwide population of people with disabilities is estimated at over 600 million. The unique perspectives of this powerful, creative minority are largely missing from the mainstream media, and therefore, society as a whole. Few characters with disabilities appear in television and film. Actors with disabilities portray just a handful of these. Perhaps more importantly, people with disabilities are not represented in the creative processes behind the camera, making realistic, accurate portrayals of people with disabilities rare.
For more information, or to submit resumes and demos, contact:
Howard Renensland, Founder & President
PWdBC, People With disabilities Broadcasting Corporation
203-216-1300 (V/Relay)
howard@pwdbc.org
www.pwdbc.org
THE WELCOME BACK AWARDS
Seven years ago, Eli Lilly and Company launched The Welcome Back Awards to fight the stigma associated with depression and promote the understanding that depression is treatable. Each year, an independent committee of national mental health leaders selects honorees in the following categories: lifetime achievement, community service, destigmatization, primary care and psychiatry. These individuals serve as guiding lights for the depression community - people who, through determination and commitment, have made a difference.
Nominations for the 2006 Welcome Back Awards can be submitted by anyone wishing to recognize an individual for outstanding contributions to the depression community. Anyone may be nominated, including mental health consumers, advocates, physicians, research scientists and employees of corporate, civic or academic institutions. To learn more about the WBA program to request a nomination kit, call 1-800-463-6440. A nomination form is available for you to print and complete. You may fax the form to 1-212-884-0628, attention WBA Committee or mail to Welcome Back Awards, P.O. Box 845, New York, NY 10268-0845. Or visit: http://www.lilly.com/about/awards/wba/index.html
BEHAVIOR AND INCLUSION STRATEGIES FOR HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITYEau Claire, WI September 27-28, 2005
September 27 - Dr. Paula Kluth: Inclusion- Participants will learn practical ways of supporting students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) & other significant disabilities. Topics addressed include defining ASD, differentiating instruction in the diverse classroom, encouraging literacy development, making the classroom comfortable for all learners, and supporting behaviors and bodies of students with a range of needs. This interactive presentation will focus on the importance of pushing beyond participation and inclusion to asking schools to understand every student as a complex and capable learner.
September 28 - Maria Bird-West Wheeler: Behavioral Strategies- Increase understanding of the characteristics of ASD that impact behavior and can foster communication breakdowns and feelings of being overwhelmed. How to address both the social and sensory needs of an individual.
For information and registration, see the Conferences page at:
http://www.spectrumtrainingsystemsinc.com. Price for professionals: $130.00 for one day, $195.00 for both days.
Price for parents: $95.00 for one day, $160.00 for both days.
SPRINT OFFERS FREE VOICE-DIALING SERVICES
Sprint has announced that its voice-dialing service, Sprint PCS Voice Command(SM), is available for free to customers who are blind, visually impaired or physically disabled. The free service, which allows calls to be dialed by speaking the desired contact or phone number, also includes 10 free directory assistance calls per month. Sprint PCS Voice Command is currently available to Sprint customers for $5 a month.
To take advantage of this program, customers should contact Sprint to obtain an application form. The form requests basic customer information; in addition, customers are asked to have their doctor or ophthalmologist sign the form certifying the customer's eligibility. For more details about this offer, please visit http://www.sprint.com/accessibility , or to obtain an application, contact Customer Solutions at (888) 211-4727.
Source: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Jun/1159886.htm
"KNOWLEDGE IS POWER"
September 29th & October 27th
10:00am to 12:00pm
These workshops address weatherization,telecommunications, budgeting, payment plans, landlord/tenant issues and much more. Sponsored by Community Advocates and held at the Hmong American Friendship Association at 3824 West Vliet Street, you can make reservations by calling 414-449-4777 (V/Relay).
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 Alie at 414-291-7520 (V/TTY) or akriofske@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 Alie at 414-291-7520 (V/TTY).
IndependenceFirst
The Resource for People with Disabilities…
600 W. Virginia Street, 4th Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53204
414-291-7520 (V/TTY)
414-291-7525 (FAX)
www.independencefirst.org