The US Department of Labor recently released a new resource in hopes of increasing integrated employment opportunities for people who have disabilities. The Competitive Integrated Employment Transformation Hub collects resources from the federal government to provide practical guidance, policy information and evidence-based best practices for people with disabilities, their families, employment service providers, and state agencies. 

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Hundreds of disability advocates gathered in Madison for Disability Advocacy Day in mid March. Before marching to the Capitol, advocates gathered at Monona Terrace for a briefing and to fine tune their messages. People talked with their legislators about everything from living safely in their own homes to, to transportation, to the direct care crisis . According to the CDC, 23% of adults in Wisconsin have a disability. Advocates spoke about what people with disabilities and their families need!

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Input Opportunity: Ensuring Wheelchair Users Can Fly With Dignity 

Comments due Monday, May 13, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public comments on a new proposed rule designed to ensure airline passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity. 

An estimated 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair, and many encounter barriers when it comes to air travel. In 2023, 11,527 wheelchairs and scooters were mishandled by carriers required to report data to DOT. 

The proposed rule would set new standards for prompt, safe, and dignified assistance; require enhanced training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs; and specify actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged during transport.

Notably, the proposed rule would require airlines to provide passengers with two options to repair or replace their wheelchairs if mishandled by the airline. The two options are:

• The carrier handles the repair or replacement of the wheelchair with one that has equivalent or greater function and safety within a reasonable timeframe and pays the associated cost.
• The passenger arranges the repair or replacement of the wheelchair with one that has equivalent or greater function and safety through their preferred vendor and the airline pays the associated costs. 

In addition, the proposed rule would make it easier for DOT to hold airlines accountable when they damage or delay the return of a wheelchair to its owner by making it an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act to mishandle wheelchairs. 

As part of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, DOT is also requesting input on two topics not currently included in the proposal: lavatory size on twin-aisle aircrafts and reimbursement of the fare difference between a flight someone could've taken if their wheelchair fit in the aircraft and the more expensive flight they had to take instead.

Comments can be submitted online, by mail or fax, or hand-delivered through Monday, May 13, 2024.

The proposed rule was announced at a White House convening on protecting the safety, rights, and dignity of air travelers with disabilities.

Read DOT’s press release for a summary of key provisions.

Attn: All Regulated Health Care Providers

Call for Presenters! 2024 FOCUS Conference.

We’re now accepting online proposals for 75-minute breakout sessions.  

FOCUS 2024 is being held at the KI Center in Green Bay on November 20 and 21, 2024. FOCUS brings together provider associations, health care providers, and Division of Quality Assurance staff to provide better care and service for Wisconsin elders and those with disabilities. FOCUS is a unique opportunity to teach, learn, and collaborate.

The conference serves:

• Aging and Disability Resource Centers
• Assisted Living Facilities
• Division of Quality Assurance
• Facilities Serving Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
• Nursing Homes

We look for proposals that apply to a variety of provider types.

The conference is intended to be applicable to administrators, case/discharge managers, caregivers, dietitians/dietetic technicians, medical directors, nurses, pharmacists, quality improvement managers, risk managers, social workers, and therapists.

Please complete the Online Proposal Form by May 1, 2024. The FOCUS 2024 planning committee will review all proposals and notify selected presenters by June 1, 2024.

Contact the FOCUS Committee for more information.

Funding Opportunity: RERC on Technology for People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

President Biden is pushing to improve support for people with disabilities living in the community. In the State of the Union address, he urged Congress to add funding for Medicaid home and community based services. The President included $150 billion in his budget request for the 2025 fiscal year to " strengthen and expand Medicaid home and community based services" over 10 years.

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Self-Determination Network News:

March 2024

Connect | Share |Learn | http://sdnetworkwi.org

2024 Self-Determination Conference Call for Presenters

Are you interested in presenting at the 2024 Self-Determination Conference?  Session proposals for are now being accepted for Tuesday, October 22nd and Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024. This year’s theme: A Seat at the Table: Nothing About Us Without Us! will help people with disabilities have a voice in supports they need to lead a more Self-Determined life. Proposals due by on May 10th. Submit an application today!

Make a Plan for the Next Election 

April 2nd is an important statewide election. Join the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition on Thursday March 14th from 12p.m. to 12:45p.m. for a Lunch and Learn webinar that will help you prepare by discussing what you may find on your ballot, how to find non-partisan candidate information, how to get involved in this election year, and more. You will also get the most up-to-date information about this year’s elections. Register here.

Disability Advocacy Day is March 20th 

We're looking forward to seeing many of you in Madison on March 20th for Disability Advocacy Day, but we understand that some people can't make it. For those who can't come, we want to encourage you to call or email your legislators. You can share your story and tell them what you'd like to see done. You can still let your voice be heard even if you are not able to attend!

Please Help InControl Wisconsin's Caring Across Cultures Project

Are you someone who hires direct care workers?  Are you a family member of someone who receives support from a direct care worker?  Are you a direct care worker?  If so, InControl Wisconsin would like you to share a short video, audio clip, or written story of your personal experiences to help others understand the relationships between direct care workers and the people who hire them.  We will give you questions to answer, to make it easier for you.

Your stories will be used in online learning courses and/or other resources hosted on InControl Wisconsin’s website as part of the Caring Across Cultures learning platform. (See this link for more details about the project.)

Why are we asking for your help? Caring Across Cultures is a project with a goal of helping direct care workers and the people who hire them to build strong relationships. We want to help them connect and build trust across cultural differences.

What better way for someone who is thinking about hiring direct care workers to hear directly from people who are already doing it? The same is true for someone thinking about becoming a direct care worker. There’s nothing like hearing from someone first hand about what it’s like.

You can record a video or audio clip yourself with your phone (or other device) or you can ask us for help.

Here is a document to help you record your own video or audio.  This document will also tell you how to send us your finished recording: CLICK HERE

Need some help?

• You can work on this at home. If you need some help, Contact Sarah Godfrey, at sarah@promotelocal.com / (262) 349-1968, and she will schedule a phone or video call with you.

• Are you coming to Disability Advocacy Day, State Capital in Madison, March 20th?  We will have recording equipment on site.

Ready to Do This?

• Sign up here! 

• Questions for you to answer when you record yourself

The Self-Determination Network includes some very talented members and we want to help you to get to know each other a little better. Member Spotlight is a great way for us to get to know each other better.

This month, we shined the spotlight on Lindsey. This talented author, illustrator, artist, and motivational speaker has proven many people wrong. Check out this month's Member Spotlight to get to know Lindsey.   

Who should we shine the spotlight on next?

Stacy’s Journal

"There is no such thing as a right level of caution. It’s an individual choice."

In this month's journal entry, Stacy talks about how people have different levels of caution. She explains why she has to be a very cautious person.

Take five minutes to check out what's happening on the Self-Determination Network:

• Prioritizing Accessibility and Inclusion: According to the World Economic Forum, of the 90% of companies that claim to make diversity a priority, only 4% are inclusive of people with disabilities. Learn what steps companies can take to improve efforts by focusing on communications and events.
• Technology Grant Opportunity: The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research announced a new grant opportunity on information and communication technologies access. Applications due April 15th. Learn more about this opportunity.
• Fall Internship Program: The American Association of People with Disabilities is offering a paid internship to students and recent graduates with disabilities. The internship will help interns build leadership skills, explore career opportunities, and connect with the disability community.. Applications due March 13th.  Find out more and apply today!
• Volunteers Needed: Volunteers are needed for a research study on people who have sustained spinal cord injuries. Read more about this study.
• Initiatives for the Direct Care Workforce: The US Department of Health and Human Services recently announced several initiatives and resources to help with the dire need for caregivers. Read about the initiatives.
• Employment Record: The number of people with disabilities who are employed has reached a record high. Find out how much it jumped.
• Public Comment Wanted: The Federal Emergency Management Agency published an interim final rule that seeks to simplify processes, remove barriers to entry, and increase eligibility for certain types of assistance under their Individual Assistance program. Public comment is open until July 22nd.
• Proposed Rule would Ensure Airline Dignity for Passengers: Recently, the US Transportation Secretary announced a new proposed rule that would ensure that airline passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely with dignity. Find out about the standards airlines would need to follow to accommodate people. 

Upcoming Events 

Here's a sample of upcoming events listed on the Self-Determination Network:

• Lunch And Learn: Make A Plan For The Next Election: March 14th, 12p.m. to 12:45p.m., Virtual
• 2024 National Self-Direction Conference: March 14th-15th, Marriot Waterfront, Baltimore MD
• Disability Advocacy Day: March 20th, 10a.m. to 3p.m., Monona Terrance and the State Capitol, Madison WI
• Webinar: What's New With WCAG 2.2?: March 21st, 1p.m. to 2:30p.m., Virtual
• 2024 Annual Disability Statistics Conference: Surveys, Statistics, And Identity: March 28th, Virtual or Washington D.C.
• Supported Decision-Making Webinar: April 10th, 1p.m. to 4p.m., Virtual
• Know Your Rights Webinar For Family Members: April 24th, 12p.m. to 1p.m., Virtual
• 7th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium: May 2nd, 9a.m. to 4p.m., Virtual 
• Circles Of Life Conference 2024: May 16th-17th, Holiday Inn, Stevens Point WI
• Employment First Conference: May 21st, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI

Post your event on the Self-Determination Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Suggestions?  Contact Stacy Ellingen. 

The Self-Determination Network is powered by InControl Wisconsin and supported financially by our members and Sponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you!  Find out how you can help support the Network.

Recently, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a new proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would ensure airline passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity. The proposed rule would require that airlines meet standards for accommodating passengers with disabilities.

Read more

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published an interim final rule (IFR) that seeks to simplify processes, remove barriers to entry, and increase eligibility for certain types of assistance under their Individual Assistance program. These changes will help make it easier for people to receive the assistance they need after a disaster, which is especially important for people with disabilities and older adults, who are disproportionately affected during and after disasters due to accessibility needs.

Among other things, the interim rule:

• Increases eligibility for home repair assistance.
  • This includes allowing survivors with disabilities to use FEMA funding to make certain accessibility improvements to homes damaged by a declared disaster. This change helps survivors with disabilities improve their living conditions by making their homes even more accessible than they were pre-disaster.
• Makes improvements to program registration requirements.
• Simplifies the documentation requirements for continued temporary housing assistance.
• Simplifies the appeals process.
• Establishes additional eligible assistance for serious needs, displacement, disaster-damaged computing devices, and essential tools for self-employed individuals.

The IFR goes into effect on March 22. Comments can be submitted online until July 22. FEMA will then consider whether to make changes to the rule on the basis of comments received.

Meet Lindsey. This talented author, illustrator, artist, and motivational speaker has proven many people wrong. She’s excited to be a keynote presenter at an upcoming conference. She believes that it’s Important for people understand that it’s ok to ask for help. We’re so fortunate to have her as a member of the Network!

What's your story?  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lindsey shares that she was diagnosed with autism when she was 28 months old. Her family had given little hope from others. She explains that they were told that she would never drive a car, get a job, go to college, or never live independently. She has proved them wrong over and over. She does drive a car, she graduated with an Associates Degree from UW-River Falls, she works full time at Target, and she’s a homeowner with her sister! She’s a co author, artist and illustrator, and a motivational speaker. She and her family wrote their story together to help other families living with autism. She’s also a coauthor with her aunt for the children book series entitled, Little Lindsey. “We both want everyone of all ages to learn and understand what it's like living with autism,” she says. She has been an artist since I was 13 years old and presents her work in art shows. She’s an illustrator for Koda the Fluff, Florida’s famous therapy dog, as well!

How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?

Lindsey tells us that a couple years ago she heard about the Self-Determination Conference from her friend, Ashley Mathy. “She sent me information about it. Thanks to her, I was a keynote speaker in the fall of 2022,” she excitedly shares! She decided to join the SD network because she wants to share her story and help make a difference. 

Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms of self-determination? 

Lindsey is excited that she will be a keynote speaker at the Employment First Conference this spring in Wisconsin Dells! 

What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?

Lindsey stresses that it’s okay to reach out for help. “You are never alone. You all matter. You are always welcome to share your story to help other people. Always be yourself. You have the capacity to be anything that you want to be,” she exclaims!

What are some of your hobbies?

In her spare time, Lindsey loves drawing, hanging out with friends and family, reading books, watching movies, traveling, and going out for walks.

***We love hearing the views and opinions of Network members. We need to mention that the views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the person who is sharing them. They do not necessarily reflect InControl Wisconsin or any of our supporters and funders.