News
Survey: Rental housing search & occupancy experiences of veterans
By ADA Wisconsin Partnership, 2012-10-31
Rental Housing Search and Occupancy Experiences of Veterans with Military Associated Disabilities
-For participating in this study, veterans have the opportunity to enter into a drawing to win 1 of 4 money orders in the amount of $50.00!
Finding a great home that meets your needs is always challenging, and finding one that meets the needs of someone who acquired a disability while serving in the military can be especially difficult. The Housing program at Virginia Tech is conducting a study to gather information and bring awareness to the rental housing search experience and occupancy situation of veterans with disabilities. Findings from this study may help improve the housing search process and housing conditions for veterans with disabilities.
Veterans with military associated disabilities who live in rental housing are invited to participate in a research study to bring awareness of their rental housing search and occupancy experiences. If you are interested in participating in this research study, please cut and paste the following link to your internet browser to access the electronic version of this study: https://vtsurveycenter.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5BVhEcHNiAKnXqB
Participants have until Saturday, December 15, 2012 to complete the survey.
For participating in this study, you have the opportunity to enter into a drawing to win 1 of 4 money orders in the amount of $50.00! The odds of winning 1 of the 4 money orders in the amount of $50.00, is 1 out of 32 individuals.
If you have any questions regarding this research, contact Luz Semeah via phone or email at (561) 603-2350 or lmsemeah@vt.edu ; lmsemeah@cornell.edu .
Remember:
To participate, the veteran must have a service-related disability as a result of serving in the U.S. military and must be in rental housing.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the rental housing search and occupancy experiences of veterans with disabilities whose injuries were sustained while serving in the U.S. military. The supply of accessible housing units is small and the number of housing discrimination grievances filed by or on behalf of persons with disabilities is significant. To date, there have been few studies looking into the rental housing accessibility issues of veterans with disabilities. The goals of this research are to: (1) bring awareness of veterans rental housing experiences, (2) to promote an increase in the number of accessible housing units (by highlighting the role of the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines), and (3) to advocate for the availability of grants for housing modifications, especially for veterans with less than a 90% disability rating.
Here's an article I wrote "Blindside to the Flip Side" for The American Occupational Therapy Association'ns (AOTA) website. It's dedicated to every therapist, aspiring therapist & my dear friend, Debbie Bebeau, for always having faith in me & never giving up on me. Check it out at...
http://www.aota.org/Consumers/Client-Stories/Blindside-to-the-Flip-Side.aspx
Dont miss your opportunity to network in person about Self-Determination. The 2012 Wisconsin Self-Determination Conference registration is closing on October 15, 2012.
For more information go to:http://www.wi-bpdd.org/sdc/
"Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and their Children"
By ADA Wisconsin Partnership, 2012-09-27
The following information is forwarded to you by the Great Lakes ADA Center (www.adagreatlakes.org) for your information:
NCD Issues Groundbreaking Report "Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children"
WASHINGTON, DC -- On Thursday, September 27, the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency, released Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children -- a groundbreaking policy study, infused with real life stories of parents with disabilities, to provide a comprehensive overview of factors that support and obstruct Americans with all kinds of disabilities from exercising their fundamental right to begin and maintain families.
Twenty-two years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act with an increasing number of people with disabilities taking advantage of increased protections to receive an education and go to work, parents with disabilities continue to be the only distinct community that have to fight to retains and sometimes gain custody of their own children without cause, said NCD Council Member, Ari Neeman. Currently, the U.S. legal system is not protecting the rights of parents with disabilities and their children. Two-thirds of state child welfare laws allow courts to determine a parent is unfit solely on the basis of a parents disability. In fact, every state allows disability as a consideration when determining the best interest of a child in family or dependency court. Whether actions are taken at the state or federal levelas an amendment or a new lawthe need to correct this unfair bias could not be more urgent or clear.
About the report: Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children explores the pervasive prejudices faced by parents with disabilities by exposing the disparate treatment often encountered by parents with disabilities and their children within court and service systems and offers draft model state and federal statutory language to correct the discrimination faced by parents with disabilities in the United States.
Key findings:
Estimates indicate 6.1 million children in the U.S. have parents with disabilities Nearly 1 in 10, almost 10% of the population.
Parents with disabilities are the only community of Americans who must struggle to retain custody of their children.
Removal rates of parents with psychiatric disabilities is as high as 70 80 % Removal rates of parents with intellectual disabilities is as high as 80% Extremely high removal rates and loss of parental rights for parents with sensory or physical disabilities.
Parents with disabilities are more likely to lose custody of their children after divorce.
Prospective parents with disabilities have more difficulty when it comes to accessing reproductive health care such assisted reproductive technologies.
Prospective parents with disabilities face significant barriers to adopting children.
In the face of numerous obstacles, hope remains with several programs that show promise, long-term sustainable impact and potential for replication. With more funding, model programs currently serving American parents with disabilities could easily grow and develop nationwide to better serve this often overlooked population.
NCD thanks Through the Looking Glass, the NIDRR-funded National Center for Parents with Disabilities and Their Families, for their valuable assistance in writing sections of this report. Their insight and guidance during the research and drafting of Rocking the Cradle was instrumental in its development and completion.
Web version of this news release is available at:
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/09272012
Full report is available on NCD's website at:
http://www.ncd.gov/publications/2012/Sep272012/
For more information contact:
Lawrence Carter-Long, Public Affairs Specialist National Council on Disability
Email: LCarterLong@ncd.gov
Phone: 202-272-2004
NCD on the web: http://www.ncd.gov
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NCDgov On Twitter: http://twitter.com/NatCounDis
Connect | Share | Learn | http://sdsnetworkwi.org/
Sept. 20, 2012
Election Day Is Quickly Approaching!
State and federal elections are taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 6th. Are you ready to vote? Have you already decided who to vote for? Do you know where your polling place is? Are you registered? Between now and election day, we'll be posting information and resources to help you be ready to vote.
Get Involved Online!
- Question of the Week: What issues will affect your vote for President in November? Health care? Jobs & the Economy? Public Benefits? Something else? Participate in this quick & easy poll and tell us what issues you care about!
- Discussion: What are your questions about voting? Are you wondering if your polling site is accessible? How to vote absentee? Whether you're registered? Post your questions in this discussion and we'll find resources that answer your questions.
Check Out New Opportunities
- Wisconsin Self-Determination Conference:Have you registered yet for the Self-Determination Conference? It's the biggest event of the year for everyone who wants to be charge of his or her life. A limited number of scholarships are available for people with disabilities, so apply now (deadline: Oct. 1st)
- National Forum on Disability Issues: Hear what presidential candidates have to say about issues that matter to people with disabilities. Register Now! (no cost) for this online forum.
- Telling Your Story- This app for iPad helps you put together your story to share it with local, state and federal elected leaders to let them know about issues that affect you.
- Take Your Legislator to Work Day: People with disabilities work in many different jobs in their communities. Find out how you can invite your local and state legislator to come to your workplace.
What's New?
Find out the latest news and resources on the SDS Network:
- Key Questions for State and Federal Candidates
- Toolkit: Managed Care: Doing It Right; Applying the Independent Living Philosophy"
- Six Principles to Modernize Health Care Infrastructure
- The Affordable Care Act's Impact on Citizens with Disabilities
- The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film (October)
Welcome New Members
Stop by to welcome our newest members.
- She's a free-lance PATH facilitator(If you don't know what PATH is, feel free to ask her!)
- She's aparent of a talented young woman
- She helps youth and families makecommunity connections
- She's a new member from Delaware.
- She's aPacker fan to the bone and a tireless advocate
Upcoming Events
Here's a sample of upcoming eventslisted on the SDS Network:
- National Forum on Disability Issues, Sept. 28th. Register Now (no cost)
- 2012 Wisconsin Self-Determination Conference, Oct. 29-31. Register now!
- And many more!
Post your event on the SDS Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Contact Deb Wisniewski at scgwis@gmail.com
Thanks to the sponsors of the SDS Network!Welcome to one of our new sponsors, the ADA Wisconsin Partnership.
Six Principles Necessary to Modernize Our Health Care Infrastructure
By InControl Wisconsin, 2012-09-20
In 2009, the National Advisory Board released a report, Declaration for Independence:A Call to Transform Long Term Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities.It included six principles necessary to modernize our health care infrastructure. These are still relevant today:
1. Enhance Self-care through improved coordination
- Transform Americas health care system from one that focuses on episodic illnesses to one that assists individuals in self-managing their whole health, with the support of providers and communities.
- Encourage the fundamental and financial investment in physicians to serve as the medical home for patients.
2. Encourage community integration and involvement
- Coordinate support services, housing, and transportation so people are able to participate in the social, economic, educational, and recreational activities available through community living.
- Promote data integration, continuity, and coordination of services through the use of health information exchange.
3. Expand accessibility of Services and Supports
- Retool programs and regulations to enable people to access the services they need to live independently without creating financial hardship for the family.
4. Uphold personal preference
- Leverage the success of long term service models that promote personal strengths and preferences and preserve dignity of participants.
5. Empower people to participate in the economic Mainstream
- Encourage the employment of people with disabilities and seniors by removing disincentives for people to work and redefine antiquated descriptions of disability.
6. Invest in improved technology
- Invest resources in the continued development of technology that improves individuals ability to self-monitor chronic health conditions and live independently.
Toolkit: “Managed Care: Doing It Right; Applying the Independent Living Philosophy"
By InControl Wisconsin, 2012-09-20
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Friday, Sept. 14, 2012) Amerigroup Corporations (NYSE: AGP) National Advisory Board (NAB) announced the launch of a new, innovative toolkit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night. Consisting of 38 different resources, the collection of tools is designed to inform legislators, advocates and consumers on how to apply independent living philosophies to health care.
The toolkit, Managed Care: Doing It Right; Applying the Independent Living Philosophy, is an advancement of the NABs 2009 report "Declaration for Independence: A Call to Transform Health and Long-Term Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities" and is built upon the NABs Six Principles to Modernize the Health Infrastructure.
"These tools will empower individuals to make a difference in securing the future of independent living," said Amerigroup Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James G. Carlson. I appreciate the leadership of the National Advisory Board in promoting greater accessibility to services and supports for seniors and people with disabilities.
Recently celebrating its fifth anniversary, the NAB is a distinguished group of advocates and experts in the fields of disability and aging. The resources cover a wide range of information regarding legislation, methodology and policy recommendations on how Medicaid and Medicare members may live healthier and more independent lives.
We are hopeful this resource will encourage and inform individuals to influence public policy as it relates to health care and services," statedLex Frieden, convener of the NAB. "Our goal is to initiate change in this nation, so individuals will be able to live not only independently, but actively in their communities."
This initial presentation marks the first of several events as the NAB embarks on a national tour to raise awareness among policymakers, advocates and the research community.
See a copy of the report "Declaration for Independence".
Disability rights activists celebrated the U.S. Supreme Courts decision eliminating the constitutional challenges to the landmark Affordable Care Act health care law. The law, which makes health care more accessible and affordable for millions of Americans, has a particularly significant impact on Americans with disabilities as a result of a number of provisions of the law, including the elimination of barriers to providing coverage for preexisting conditions, expanded access to medical equipment and services, and increased options for where individuals can receive services, including in their homes.
Other benefits of the law, as outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services, include an expanded Medicaid program, greater access to preventive services and the ability of individuals to stay on their parents plans until age 26, thereby making it easier for people with disabilities or chronic conditions to get insurance.
Furthermore, as ADAPT noted in a release following the decision, the law furthers the promise of the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead decision, which gives people with disabilities the right to receive long-term care supports in the most integrated setting in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. One potential downside of the decision is that the ruling eliminated the federal governments authority to penalize states for choosing not to expand Medicaid, including provisions encouraging states to provide community services as an alternative to institutional services.
Governors of several states, for both political and financial reasons, have already indicated they will not expand their programs to increase coverage as the law allows. As one ADAPT official explained, it is important to put pressure on states to take advantage of these opportunities and not bend to the potential fiscal pressures. This is one of the great civil rights fights of our time: to ultimately see all people with disabilities live integrated in the community, not locked away in segregated settings." The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released an analysis of the impact of health care reform on individual state budgets, which includes talking points for advocacy efforts to encourage states to embrace the opportunity.
"Telling Your Story"is a tool that persons with disabilities, family members, and other advocates can use to compose and practice the personal story they'll present to elected public officials or other policymakers at all levels of government when seeking policy changes or increasing awareness about disability issues. The app guides users through the steps, from introducing yourself to identifying the specific issue to the best methods for presenting a compelling personal story. After entering the text of their story, an audio recording feature allows the user to rehearse their story. Users can also select and preview a photo they may wish to include.
You can view the app in the iTunes Store athttp://itunes.apple.com/us/app/telling-your-story/id541403749.