Meet Jason Endres. As the former president of People First Wisconsin and also a person who directs his own supports, Jason full-heartedly that everyone should have the right to live their life as they choose. He is involved in various advocacy groups and a very strong advocate for people with disabilities in Wisconsin. We are so fortunate to have a member of the Network!

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

My wife and I are both on IRIS and self-directing our supports. We also have a friend that we are power of attorney for and help with his IRIS plan. I believe everyone has the right to live there life as they see fit. No one should tell anyone how they should live there life. I joined the SD Network to see what it was about and help in any way that I can.

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

As everyone knows, Wisconsin is going through a major change in terms of how long-term care is provided to people. I have been in a couple of meetings with the Department of Health Services (DHS), and I have been very involved with my representatives at the capital letting them know what I would like to see in the new plan. I cant say Im excited about this because IRIS and Family Care were great programs; sure, there needed to be change, but I dont believe they should get rid what is working.

What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to direct their own supports, or who would want to be more self-determined?

Now that I am now the past president of People First Wisconsin, I look back on what we, as self-advocacy group, have done in the past two years on the topic of Self-determination. I encourage others to join the People First Wisconsin Facebook page and also check out the People First Wisconsin website.

What message would you like to share with the members of the SD Network?

I encourage everyone on the SD Network to find their voice and tell your story. Everyone has a story and if we tell it to enough people, we might just be listened too.

What's your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be going to Sydney, Australia. I dont know why; I just want go there. In the meantime, I love going to see my nieces and nephews in Fort Wayne, Indiana and in Birmingham, Alabama.

***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.

This is a very interesting blog on disability.govwritten by Megan Totka about transportation for people with disabilities. She talks about how there have beensome negative comments about things such as the Uber and Lyft regarding their ability to serve people with disabilities, but there have been people looking to find solutions to these problems by using peer-to-peer strategies. She brings up some interesting points and ideas.

Improving Transportation for Those with Disabilities a Focus for Startups

By Megan Totka

If historians give this period a label, they might call it the Startup Era. In earlier times, most startup news was relegated to the business pages of your local newspaper orThe Wall Street Journal, today a wide variety of startups make it into the front-page headlines.

And some of the most notable startups in recent years have been in the transportation industry: think Uber and Lyft, for two familiar examples.

Articles in the popular press on the exploits of Uber, for example, swing from praise for the companys innovative business model, to controversial, for its dust-ups with local governing agencies. Legacy taxi companies hate it and its banned outright in some countries and cities.

Another area where Uber and Lyft have received some bad press is in their ability to serve the disabled community. There are stories about drivers (who are typically private contractors) refusing to pick up people in wheelchairs and blind passengers with service animals.

Enlarging the adapted car rental fleet

However, ambitious entrepreneurs are always looking to find solutions to problems and the perceived problem between the hot peer-to-peer startups like Uber and Lyft and the disabled community has definitely created an opportunity.

Paris-based Wheeliz is using the peer-to-peer model to connect disabled individuals in wheelchairs with wheelchair-adapted cars. Its the idea of Charlotte de Vilmorin who has spent her entire life in a wheelchair.She told Tech Timesthat there are some 100,000 privately owned adapted cars in France, but owners dont need to use them every day.

Apply the peer-to-peer strategy to that situation and you have a fleet of rental cars for people in wheelchairs as well as an extra income stream for the car owners. The startup already has 120 cars in its program as well as about 900 registered users. Vilmorin also has plans toquickly roll her startup outin other countries, which is a smart tactic in todays business climate.

Bringing private jets to the disabled

Things are changing in the airline industry. Talk to virtually any group of frequent airline travelers able or disabled and theyll have horror stories to relate about crowded conditions, cancellations and sometimes spotty customer service.Disabled travelers always need to do some careful planningto overcome the many challenges.

Over the last decade or so, these air-travel headaches have created opportunities for some savvy entrepreneurs. Once seen solely as the realm of the super-rich, a wide variety of membership and rental strategies has brought private charter jet travel to a much wider swatch of business professionals, families and individuals.

One of these companies,Stratos Jet Charters, sees a business opportunity by catering to the elderly and disabled in this segment of the air travel industry. They are marketing to this group in part by contrasting the endless lines at commercial airports to the various luxury touches air travelers enjoy when flying via private charter jet.

Getting up and around

So far weve talked about getting around the city and around the world, but before we leave the topic of startups looking to meet the transportation needs of the disabled community, we need to mentionUPnRIDE.

This Israeli startup is developing a Segway-like personal transportation device that will allow many quadriplegics to get around their homes and offices in an upright position. With sitting now labeled as the new smoking, this device could bring significant health benefits to a significant segment of the disabled community.

I dont see the rate of startups easing up too much in the coming years, so keep your eyes open, scan the headlines, and look for young companies working hard to bring additional innovations designed to improve transportation for disabled individuals.

Source:https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2015/11/23/improving-transportation-for-those-with-disabilities-a-focus-for-startups/

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plan to apply competitive bid pricing to Complex Rehab wheelchair accessories beginning January 1, 2016. Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) includes the individually configured wheelchairs and equipment many people with disabilities use, and this change will further already limited access to 171 essential accessory codes including seating systems, head rests, tilt and lift, and more.

If Congress does not act on this, payment rates could be reduced by 20% to 40% which would significantly decrease the availability of customized and essential wheelchair systems that many people with disabilities depend on. H.R. 3229 and S. 2196 have been introduced in Congress to provide a legislative technical correction to clarify that CMS cannot apply Medicare competitive bidding pricing to the accessories used with complex rehabilitation wheelchairs. This legislation would protect access for the many people who use this technology.

We encourage you to contact your US legislators to let them know how this change affects you or someone you care about. You can find your US legislators by clicking here.

For more information on this, visit www.protectmymonility.org.

Long-Term Care: Four action steps you can take in December

Self-Determination Network News: November 2015

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

2015 Self-Determination Conference

We really enjoyed seeing so many of our members at this years Self-Determination Conference. Wed love to hear what you thought of it. Weve started a discussion about it, so you can share your experience, comments, and ideas. Lets keep the conversation going!

We want to congratulate this year's Diehard Award winners who were recognized at the conference.These individuals received a Diehard Award for going above and beyond in supporting the lives of people with disabilities. Many of the winners are members of our Network. Please help us congratulate and thank these members for their outstanding advocacy efforts:

• Jane Jushka is involved various advocacy groups and serves as a mentor for People First.
• Ginger Beuk was very active in getting an accessible playground built in her community and is also very involved in many advocacy groups.
• Marie Massart helped start a People First group in her community.
• Julie Burish is a parent advocate who has been very involved in Save IRIS.
• Jason Endres is very active in various advocacy groups such as Save IRIS and is the president of People First Wisconsin.
• Nancy Gapinski is another parent advocate who has been very involved in Save IRIS.
• Marion Holmberg is yet another parent advocate who has been very involved in Save IRIS.
• Erin Miller is a strong self-advocate and is involved in Save IRIS.

Changes to Wisconsin Long-Term Care: Whats Next?

On November 18th, theCommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care held an Informational hearing on Medicaid Managed Care -Family Care-IRIS 2.0. Linksto the video recording of itandthePowerPoints that were used can be found on our Resource page.

In addition,in late October, InControlWisconsin released itscomments on the newLong-Term Care plan for Wisconsin. We encourage you take a few minutes to read these over and add your commentsas well.

It Only Takes "Five"

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

• Input Needed: Angie is looking for direct support professionals to complete an online survey. Could you help her? Or do you know someone that could help her?
• Get Involved: Marie posted about her involvement in People First Wisconsin and what it has done for her. Shes encouraging others to contact her to learn how to become involved.
• Benefits Remain Unchanged: This is an interesting article about how Social Security benefits will remain the same in 2016.
• Call for Student Artists: VSA Wisconsin is looking for student artists (ages 5-21) with disabilities. Submissions due by February 15^th, 2016.
• Neat New App: This is a great article a new app that locates the nearest handicapped parking spots.
• Call for Proposals: Proposals are now being accepted for the 2016 Multiple Perspectives Conference. Proposals are due January 18^th, 2016.
• Post news or start a discussion: It's easy to do and a great way to share information and network with others!

Stacys Journal

For November, Stacy shares about her experience attending the Self-Determination Conference with us. We encourage you to ask her questions and/or share your experiences as well.

New Members

Stop by to welcomeour newest members:

• Hes the President of People First Wisconsin.
• She wants to keep updated about current issues, so she can advocate for herself.
• This SDS coordinator wants to share information and resources.
• This parent and advocate is a member of Save IRIS.
• He learned about the Network at the Self-Determination Conference.
• She wants to learn more about the healthcare industry.
• She works with people with disabilities and wants to become a better advocate.
• This advocate learned about the Network from her friend.

Do you know someone who should join the Self-Determination Network? Spread the word and invite friends, families and other interested folks!

Upcoming Events

Here's a sample ofupcoming eventslisted on the Self-Determination Network:

• Across the Lifespan Conference: December 3^rd to 4^th, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI
• Wisconsin Transition Conference: February 18^th to 19^th, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI

Post your eventon 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 In Control Wisconsin and supported financially by ourmembersandSponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you! Find out how you can help support the Network.

We want to congratulate this year's Diehard Award winners who were recognized at the Self-Determination Conference. These individuals received a Diehard Award for going above and beyond in supporting the lives of people with disabilities. Please help us congratulate and thank these people for their outstanding advocacy efforts:

• John O'Keefe
• Jane Jushka
• Mary Lynn Larson
• Ginger Beuk
• Marie Massart
• Jessica Nell
• Julie Burish
• Jason Endres
• Sally Flaschberger
• Nancy Gapinski
• Marion Holmberg
• Erin Miller

Are you interested in joining an advocacy group, but don't know how start or who to contact? You may contact me and I will help you find the answers to the best of my abilities. Becoming apart of People First of Wisconsin and starting my own chapter with the help of friends was one of the best decisions I ever made, and it has helped me shape myself into the person I am today. I am proud to say I am apart of a grassroots self-advocacy group. All you need to have is a group of people that want to help tell the world that we are here and want to be able to live as "normal" as possible. I love writing letters, making calls, and connections with people that want to have their means of life.

People First of Wisconsin tries to work together across the state on three top things. They are Transportation, Long-Term Care, and Employment. As President of my chapter and Vice President of the State chapter, I am always trying to help talk about these issues with people and finding possible solutions. My chapter is like many around the state; we work on issues we face at home. For example, we advocate for more jobs, more transportation, more homes for people in the communities and accessibility.

If you would like to become apart of this great group of people, please do not hesitate to contactme and I will steer you in the right direction to go forward.

Growing up, I rarely thought of myself as having a disability. Much in thanks to my parents, I was treated as normal as possible. Obviously, my disability was (and still is) evident in many facets of my life, but I grew up learning not to dwell on it. I couldnt use it as an excuse. Sure, things like regular therapy sessions, wheelchair appointments, school IEP meetings, and occasional telethon appearances were part of our routine, but that was just the way life was for us. My family never sent me to respite care for weekends. I never went to any camps for people with disabilities. I certainly could have done those things; instead, my family chose to include me in vacations, outings, etc

When I was really young, I received Birth to Three services, and I was in Early Childhood classes. From Kindergarten on, though, I was in all regular education classes. With the exception of pull-out therapy sessions and a couple modified gym classes, I was in classes with my peers. I had accommodations as needed, but I had the same expectations as everyone else. Classmates came to see past my limitations and treated me just like other kids. At UW-Whitewater, it was a really different environment because so many students had disabilities, but, yet, the majority of students didnt have disabilities. Im not sure how to explain it, but I felt just like one of the students there as well. In other words, I didnt feel singled out most of the time.

It wasnt until after I graduated from college that I really felt the true impact of my disability. I guess one could say the real world hit me hard. Everything from finding an apartment, to finding cares, to finding employment, my limitations seemed to get in my way. As always, though, with help and encouragement from my friends and family, I persevered and fought until I reached my goals. Thats still true today. Giving up isnt an option in my world because I have set pretty normal expectations for myself regardless of my disability.

When I found out InControl Wisconsin was going to be an exhibitor at this years Self-Determination Conference, I was so excited! My mom made arrangements to take off work so she could go with me as my caretaker. We were there Monday through Wednesday. I had been to the State Transition Conference as a presenter a few times before, but this was my first time going to the Self-Determination Conference. I was very impressed with all the different activities and sessions they had. For me, personally, the section about the ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act was particularly interesting. Once the regulations are in place and it takes effect in Wisconsin, it will potentially change the lives of many people with disabilities. Being able to put money aside for essential necessities without losing benefits will be so beneficial for so many people. It was very interesting learning about it.

It was great reconnecting with many friends and meeting so many new people at the conference. I really enjoyed meeting so many people that Ive communicated online with. That was awesome! It was also amazing to see so many self-advocates come together. I kept thinking of how impressive it was to have so many people come together to support people with disabilities. I had a great time networking! By the third day, though, I had to keep reminding myself I was there for my job.

You see, Im not used to focusing on my disability 24/7. Even though, I work in the field now, I rarely think of myself as being a person with a disability. Its not that Im ashamed of itIm totally notI just dont normally draw attention to it. Obviously, since the conference was all about people with disabilities, I couldnt help but focus on how my disability affects my life. It wasnt a bad thing. In fact, I learned a lot of valuable information and got some helpful ideas that I hope to use in my personal life. It was just that I had never experienced three full days where I mainly focused on my disability before.

Yes, I was there for work, but, at something like that, you cant help but think of your personal life. By the last day, I pretty much had had enough. Though, the conference was great and it was terrific networking with so many people, I was tired of focusing on my disability. On the way home, my mom and I had great conversation about this. I told her that I felt like I wasnt a great advocate because I dont like focusing on my disability all of the time. She reminded me that I am a good advocate because I continue to fight to make my life as normal as possible. She explained that the main reason I felt like that is because our family never has focused on my limitations, and shes right.

It was certainly an interesting few days. I am really grateful I got to go to the conference. It was a great opportunity for me to network with lots of people and share information about the Networks. While, sometimes, its helpful to attend a conference about a topic to gather information and network with others, Im thankful that my life doesnt revolve around my disability. I love working for an advocacy organization and being part of various advocacy efforts, but I have other interests as well.

Do I still consider myself a strong advocate for people with disabilities? Absolutely. Are there others who advocate better than me? Of course, there are many! We each do what we can, and together we make things happen for people with disabilities!

The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors.

The Sixteenth Annual

Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion & Disability

April 13 - 14, 2016

The Ohio State Universitys Columbus Campus

This past July marked the 25^thanniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act; November the 20^thAnniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act in Brittan; and December, 2016, will be the 10^thanniversary of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

It is time to move beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law; to shift our focus from redressing human and environmental problems through remedial design to preventing problems through holistic design.

Leslie Kanes Weisman

Multiple Perspectives is an ongoingexploration of disability, a conversation including many voices and reflecting perspectives gained through experience and research; theory and practice, arts and sciences.

Preference will be given to presentations that encourage discussions across the typical social, political, and disciplinary boundaries; connect the individual to local, national and international approaches; or consider parallels, distinctions and intersections with race, gender and ethnicity.

Past programs and conference updates as they become available can be found at:http://ada.osu.edu/conferences.htm.

To be on the mailing list for the conference, send e-mail toADA-OSU@osu.edu

The Multiple Perspectives Conference is hosted by Ohio State Universitys ADA Coordinators Office is made possible thanks to the generosity of the Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation Endowment Fund and ongoing support from The Ohio State University.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES 2014

Proposals are due January 18^th, 2015

Proposals should be submittedby e-mail as an attachment (Word, Word Perfect, TXT, or RTF formats)toADA-OSU@osu.edu withMultiple Perspectives 2016in the subject line.

Proposals must include:

1.Name of each presenter with titles, institutions, employers etc. as appropriate

2.Contact information (phone, mailing address, and e-mail) if there is more than one presenter please indicate one individual as the contact and lead presenter.

3.Title of Presentation (12 words or less)

4.Description (700 words or less) Please describe the content, focus and desired outcomes for the presentation using these questions as a guide.

• What is the format of the presentation (Lecture, Panel, Discussion, Performance, Other)?
• Who is the intended audience (educators, employers, businesses, advocates, students, consumers, researchers, or other)?
• How familiar should the audience be with the topic (beginner, intermediate, advanced)?
• What are your three main goals for the presentation?

Please Note:The full conference fees will be waived and lunch provided for presenters of accepted proposals. Presenters are responsible for their own travel and lodging.