Print Friendly VersionADVOCACY ACTION NEWS
July 2006, Issue 103
FEDERAL/NATIONAL
WISCONSIN
LOCAL
ON THE WEB
EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
July 26th, 2006, is the 16th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act-
CELEBRATE IT! PROTECT IT! ENFORCE IT! It’s our civil rights law!
Monthly News Bulletin Published by IndependenceFirst
Claudia Gordon—
National disability rights advocate 
“Attitude is the biggest disability.”
Claudia Gordon is the first female, African American, deaf attorney in the United States. She is the vice president of the National Black Deaf Advocates and has practiced law with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law Center.
Born in Jamaica, at the age of eight, Claudia experienced some severe pain in her middle ear. She was taken to a clinic where there was no doctor and the nurse did not know what to do. Shortly after, Claudia was told that she had lost her hearing. Her mother, living in New York, had Claudia move to the city to get an education. She attended the Lexington School for the Deaf where she learned American Sign Language, became an avid volleyball and basketball player, and involved herself with the student government. Claudia decided then that she wanted to become a lawyer. Though many adults in her life believed that this dream would not be possible for Claudia, she achieved it, despite their doubts.
Today her message to other deaf people is, “If you are a prisoner of other people’s expectations, you can escape.”
In 2002, she received the Paul G. Hearne Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. She was given the award for her leadership and nationwide advocacy efforts on behalf of persons with disabilities. She consults independently to the National Council on Disabilities (NCD); she has chaired in several disability-related committees and her work on disability policy has been published nationwide.
She is working now to establish a foundation to provide services to the underserved and unserved persons in America’s deaf community. At a March for Justice at the Supreme Court in 2001, she and some ASL interpreters stood atop trashcans to sign for the deaf marchers. Accosted by police officers, she came down and explained to them which parts of the ADA they were violating. She has been an advocate for persons with disabilities since she was a young high school student and still provides advocacy and strong leadership today.
Source: Information for this article was taken from the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. The entire article can be found at http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/WORLDAROUNDYOU/sep-oct2001/claudia-gordon.html
FEDERAL/NATIONAL
NCIL Conference
In May, more than 700 Independent Living advocates from across the country met in Washington D.C. for the 2006 National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Annual Conference to “End the Institutional Bias.” (Editor’s note: IndependenceFirst sent approximately 30 persons to this year’s conference.)
An important part of the conference, NCIL’s “Day on the Hill,” was one of the most successful ever! Following a tremendous demonstration where over 600 advocates marched to the Capitol carrying signs and cheering in unison demanding an “End to the Institutional Bias,” advocates descended on Capitol Hill to meet with their elected officials and discuss key pieces of legislation essential to ensuring people with disabilities can have access to the services they need in the community.
NCIL advocates obtained more than 30 commitments from legislators in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to sign on to legislation highlighted in NCIL’s 2006 Legislative Priorities!!! Special congratulations are in order for advocates from Mississippi and West Virginia. The group from Mississippi distinguished themselves by persuading former Majority Leader Trent Lott to become the first Republican cosponsor of HR 2124, the Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals with Disabilities Act. Advocates from West Virginia persuaded Senator Robert Byrd to agree to introduce Disability History Month Legislation! Since Senator Byrd was using Senate Rules to keep a staffer, Moira Shea from bringing her service dog onto the Senate floor only a decade ago, this is quite an accomplishment!
KEEP UP THE GREAT ADVOCACY!!!
(Source: NCIL’s Newsletter, WHAM!)
WISCONSIN
Update on Initiatives of the Division of Disability and Elder Services Prepared for the Independent Living Council of Wisconsin (edited)
Expanding Managed Care. Wisconsin's Managed Long-Term Care Expansion is underway. The Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) is currently engaged with 10 different consortia to plan for managed LTC expansion over the course of the next 18 months. These planning consortia have been awarded grants totaling $1.4 million to intensively plan. Some of these consortia anticipate being in a position to compete for contracts with the Department to become managed care organizations within the current state fiscal biennium. All but 10 counties are part of this planning effort.
These planning consortia consist of county agencies, private non-profit and private for-profit agencies. These entities are working together to plan for their governance, funding, business systems, risk management, etc. The expectation for each is that they plan for a degree of managed LTC that is similar to that found in the current Family Care program, with fully operational Aging and Disability Resource Centers. However, the Department is also eager to see programs develop that integrate long-term care with acute and primary care.
The Department has established a website for information about this initiative:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/ManagedLTC.
ICF-MR Rebalancing Update. As of mid-April, 365 individuals have relocated from institutions to the community as part of the ICF-MR Restructuring Initiative. There are currently 900 individuals with developmental disabilities remaining in the developmental disability centers. If this trend continues, it is estimated that by the end of the biennium there will only be 500 individuals with developmental disabilities remaining in a center for developmental disabilities. In addition, three ICF facilities continue with their 2006 closure plans: Rocky Knoll in Sheboygan County; Rainbow House in Manitowoc County; and Eagleton in Chippewa County.
Community Relocation Initiative Update. The Community Relocation Initiative continues to progress on schedule. As of May, 450 people have relocated from nursing homes: 317 elders and 133 people with physical disabilities. Of these, at least 94 people are over age 85. Over 39% of relocated individuals have been living in the nursing home for more than one year; 79% were in the nursing home more than 100 days. Preliminary data shows about one third are moving to their own home or apartment and two thirds are going to some type of assisted living. 62 out of the 72 counties have either assisted someone relocate or are in the process of doing so.
Aging and Disability Resource Centers. Four new ADRCs plan to begin operation on July 1 in Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Calumet-Waupaca-Outagamie, and Green Lake-Marquette-Waushara. Service Delivery Plans submitted by these counties are under review to determine readiness to begin.
Act 355 (SB 312) - Nursing Home Diversions. The Senate Bill 312, approved by both Senate and Assembly and signed by the Governor as Act 355, will provide funding for community long term care services for 150 people who are elderly or have a physical disability who are at imminent risk of entering a nursing home. DHFS has released implementation instructions to counties. A copy of the information sent to counties regarding the use of these diversion resources is available at:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dsl_info/NumberedMemos/DDES/CY2006/NMemo2006-07.htm
SSI Managed-Care: SSI HMO Enrollment for the first three months of CY 06 in Milwaukee County is at full and stable enrollment (16,360 enrollees for February, 16, 220 for March, and 16,198 for April). The “opt-out” rate remains at 8%. DHFS expects this level of enrollment to continue throughout 2006 without major fluctuations in case mix.
Expansion – Dane County: Enrollment materials were mailed beginning in March and enrollment started in May 2006. A second Town Hall meeting occurred in April.
Southeastern Wisconsin: Mailings of enrollment materials to potential Medicaid-only eligible enrollees began in March with enrollment beginning in May. Town Hall meetings were held in all three counties (Waukesha, Racine, and Kenosha Counties) in March and April.
SSDI Cash Benefits Offset: 240 individuals with disabilities at over 20 community agencies are participating in the Wisconsin Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Employment Pilot. This pilot addresses one of the paramount policy barriers affecting individuals with disabilities interested in pursuing economic self-support through employment. 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 ($830/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.
Self-Directed Supports: DHFS has been working with a stakeholder advisory group, consisting of representatives from counties, advocacy organizations, and others to help make Consumer Directed Supports (CDS) more accessible to people with disabilities and expand options for people with disabilities in the state of Wisconsin to participate in CDS. Working with resources from the Real Choices grant the workgroup has been working to accomplish our identified goals.
Disability Benefits Specialist To Serve Individuals Who Are Deaf: Two units of DHFS are pooling their expertise and resources to support a two year test of a highly specialized service to people with deafness that use American Sing Language (ASL) as their primary method of communication.
The Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) and the Office of Independence and Employment (OIE) have been collaboratively supporting a deaf counselor to assist people with the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Building on the wide acceptance of this service and beginning in May, the project will be expanded to include creation of a “Deaf Benefits Specialist” position to provide advisement and counseling by a deaf person to other members of the community regarding benefits that might be of assistance to them and work incentives that may allow them to pursue employment.
Roessler Mental Health Treatment For Minors Bill Signed By Governor
Legislation introduced by State Senator Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh) to give parents more control over their child’s mental health treatment, was signed into law by the Governor in May. The bill, SB 226, allows parents to consent to mental health treatment on behalf of their minor children age 14-17.
“Currently, minors 14-17 years of age can refuse mental health treatment and can sign themselves out of treatment,” explained Roessler.
“Act 444 eliminates the distinction between a minor under age 14 and a minor over the age of 14 with regard to treatment of mental illness. This change will protect the well-being of children in need of treatment from themselves. It will ensure that minors age 14-17 cannot, on their own, decide not to participate in mental health treatment. If these young adults refuse treatment, their parent or guardian may permit treatment on their behalf,” said Roessler.
Members of IndependenceFirst’s ADA Advocacy Team attend bill signing. Governor Doyle signed into law a bill that increases penalties for misuse of handicapped parking permits. The ADA Advocacy Team conducted advocacy to get this law passed.
LOCAL
SSI Managed Care in Milwaukee County
Disability Rights of Wisconsin - formerly the Wisconsin Coalition of Advocacy - has staff members who work solely on SSI MANAGED CARE issues/problems. By calling 774-4646, ext. 11, you will reach the External Advocacy Dept. with Julie Dixon-Seidel. If you or someone you know is experiencing problems with their SSI Managed Care, please contact DRW.
Milwaukee Co & Long Term Care Reform
On Friday, June 9th, the Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services, along with two partners, iCare and Community Care, Inc., was awarded a $150,000 planning grant from the State of Wisconsin. The purpose of the planning grant is to “use in planning a reformed Long-Term Care (LTC) System in Milwaukee County for adults with physical and developmental disabilities under the age of 60. The intended planning outcome will be development of a comprehensive LTC reform plan that will be ready for implementation in 2007 or shortly thereafter.”
ON THE WEB
The US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division issued their 13th Disability Rights On-Line News on June 5th. This is a bi-monthly update about the Civil Rights Division's 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.
Go to: http://www.ada.gov/disabilitynews.htm
(Source: The Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center listserv.)
The Grassroots Empowerment Project, the only statewide nonprofit organization in Wisconsin that is controlled and directed by mental health consumers, exists to help people with a mental illness exercise power in their lives.
Check out their newly remodeled website:
http://www.grassrootspower.org
EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Women & Poverty Conference:
Can You Hear Me Now?
Opening the Lines of Communication
September 13-14, 2006
Regency Suites & KI Convention Center
Registration materials for the 2006 conference will be available in August. For more information regarding the conference, please contact: Colleen Rainey, Special Projects Coordinator, Wisconsin Community Action Program Association
Phone: 608-245-3291 (V/Relay)
Email: crainey@charterinternet.com
Fishing Knows No Boundaries
Who : Persons with disabilities, friends, family, guests, attendants
What : Two day event packed with fun, fishing, boating, eating!
When : August 19th & 20th, 2006
Where : Paradise Shores, Lake Holcombe, Holcombe WI
Why: To open the world of fishing to people of all abilities!
Provided: Rods, reels, life vests, adaptive fishing equipment, bait, fish cleaning, boats, pontoons, guides, Saturday evening dinner, and Sunday cookout!
Join us for a weekend of fun, fishing and camaraderie! No Fishing license or experience needed!
Cost: $60 for participants. $35 per guest, family member or attendant.
For more information or to register contact:
David Lato, 1-800-228-3287v/tty, 715-233-1083fax, or lato@cilww.com
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…
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