News

Meet Lisa. When she's not reading or styling women in her boutique, she’s helping veterans get appropriate services. She is excited that their programs continue expand making it possible to serve more people. She encourages people to ask for the services they need to lead a self-determined life. We’re so fortunate to have her as a member of the Network!

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

Lisa has been the VA Programs Manager for the Greater WI Agency on Aging Resources, Inc. (GWAAR) for over 10 years. She went to GWAAR in 2010 after working in Child Welfare in Milwaukee in positions of both Quality Assurance Manager and Ombudsman. She has also worked in various positions serving children and families.

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

Lisa oversees the Veteran Self-Directed Program. She explains that they currently partner with the Clement J. Zablocki in Milwaukee, the Tomah VAMC, the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Middleton (Madison), and the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, serving Veterans in each of their catchment areas. Based on a thorough assessment, the Veteran Self-Directed program allows for Veterans to determine their services and caregivers to meet their needs and live as independently as possible. “We joined the SD Network years ago to connect with others and to hear new and creative ways participants are being served,” she says. 

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

Lisa shares that GWAAR is excited to continue to grow and to potentially expand the number of Veterans they are able to serve.  They started out back in 2010 with a grant to be able to serve 25 Veterans enrolled at the Clement J. Zablocki VAMC in Milwaukee who resided in four counties in Southeastern WI. They were able to expand to include the entire catchment area. She explains that they added Tomah in 2015 and served their entire catchment area. In 2016, North Chicago asked them to serve Veterans who were enrolled at their VA and resided in WI. And just last year, they were able to implement a program in Madison. They currently serve 110 Veterans and continue to work to expand the program statewide.

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

One tip Lisa has for people who want to be more self-determine is: “don’t be afraid to ask for something you want/need as related to your assessed needs that could enhance the quality of your life.”  She says that so many people think of every day services such as person care and supportive home care. While those are often needed, they have been able to provide Veterans with quality of life resources/activities including additional caregiving for vacations and family activities.

What are some of your hobbies?

Lisa is an avid reader and is currently in two book clubs--one for over 21 years. She also has a passion for fashion, so much so that she owns her own women’s boutique. She brings her skills there in helping women feel beautiful and confident. “Both qualities that help with self-determination to live the best life possible,” she says.

***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.

Art is becoming more and more popular among people with disabilities. Organizations are being created to support artists with disabilities. A neat partnership between a Madison organization and a local sculptor create technology that helps be creative regardless of limitations. 

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The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL has opened a new funding opportunity for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Centers (RERC) Program on Physical Access and Transportation. 

The purpose of the RERC program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research on and development of innovative technologies that are designed to solve particular rehabilitation problems or to remove environmental barriers. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery system changes, stimulate the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and provide training opportunities.

RERC on Physical Access and Transportation: Under this particular RERC priority, NIDILRR seeks to fund research and development that leads to new or improved products, devices, built environments, and technological advances that enhance (1) accessibility and usability of homes and communities for people with disabilities, or (2) access to safe, accessible, and useable transportation options for people with disabilities, or both.

View more details and application instructions.

Please visit the link above for more details about the grant opportunity and application process.This grant opportunity closes on April 28, 2020.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has issued its intent to award Veyo, LLC a contract to manage non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services for eligible Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus members. The NEMT manager arranges transportation for members to and from eligible Medicaid-covered services.

Members will not experience any disruption to services and do not need to take any action at this time. Information about the transition process will be provided in the future.

More information

• View the news release.
• Visit the NEMT manager transition page.

It’s Friday night and it’s been a long week. Some friends are meeting up for dinner and invited you to join. Without knowing or caring where, you accept the invite. You’re excited to kick back and relax. You get ready to go and you text a friend asking where they are meeting. The friend responds with the name of a popular restaurant in town. Suddenly, you cringe and rethink your decision to go out. The place they chose is definitely a really cool and fun place; however, accessibility is less than ideal. Scenarios like this one play out frequently for people with physical limitations. Although most restaurants nowadays are “accessible” according to regulations, it doesn’t mean that they are totally accessible. Again, the word “accessible” is often loosely used and widely varies when talking about restaurants.

Simply put, I don’t leave my apartment very often. In fact, I have one scheduled outing per week and that’s to the grocery store. Between cares and transportation, it’s just not feasible for me to get out more. That said, thanks to my family, I do get to go to restaurants pretty frequently when I’m with them. Everything from getting in the door to eating takes some extra consideration. Most restaurants don’t have power doors In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen one that does) and many have a two door entrance which makes it very difficult for people with mobility issues to get in and out. Most of the time depending on the entrance two additional people are needed to hold the doors because it’s usually too tight for the same person to hold both doors open. Even with two people helping hold the doors, it can sometimes be tight because the doors don’t open wide enough to get a wheelchair through without running over people’s toes. It’s often a game trying to get and out of places.

Once in the restaurant, depending on how it’s setup and how crowded it is, it’s often a maze trying to get through and finding a place to sit where your equipment (wheelchair in my case) isn’t in the way of the wait staff or other customers. Some restaurant layouts are better than others. Some have nice wide Isles where there’s a nice amount of room between the tables; some are so narrow and jammed together that I literally get my wheelchair stuff stuck. People are usually pretty nice about moving chairs in or getting up so I can get through, but sometimes it’s embarrassing when a big group has to move When the hostess seats us, my parents usually kind of say what would work best.    If I was with friends, they would not know to do that.

Table heights vary from place to place as well. In bars, the bar itself is usually way too high, but I have seen and been in some with a wheelchair counter.  Usually none of the tables are at a level, where I can pull up and get my joystick underneath it, so I end up sideways on an end, which usually blocks at least one walkway.

In my personal case, I also have to position myself next to a caregiver so that they are able to feed me.  This means I usually am on an end or blocking some pathway for wait staff or customers.

When it comes time to order, wait staff frequently believe that I am not capable of ordering.  They either pass by me and ask my caretaker what I would like, or raise their voice two octaves and talk to me as if I were a two year old.  It makes me laugh when I remember one time, when the wait staff brought me crayons and a placemat to color.  Another thing that happens, is that I get very strange looks if I order a drink or cocktail.  People need to remember that just because we have disabilities, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy what everyone does, and most of us are able to make choices based on our own preferences.

This is where self-advocacy comes in.  Myself and others will try to assert ourselves to help educate the public on what we ARE able to do, and not focus on what we are not capable of.  That said, I love and intend to keep on going out to eat with friends and family whenever I can.

***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 Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued two proposed rules for public comment on air travel and accessibility for passenger with disabilities. In early January, it proposed new requirements designed to facilitate access to lavatories for passengers using onboard wheelchairs. These include provisions for assist handles, lower door sills, attendant call buttons, and controls and faucets that are easier to use. The rule would not increase the size of lavatories.

The proposed rule also includes performance standards for onboard wheelchairs which are used to provide access to aircraft lavatories. The Board is developing advisory technical guidelines for onboard wheelchairs, which it previously released for comment, that DOT's rule may reference as a voluntary baseline for meeting the proposed performance criteria.

DOT's rule also would require training of flight attendants on assisting passengers with disabilities, and the posting of information on the access features of a plane's lavatory. The proposed rule is posted on regulations.gov. For further information, contact Robert Gorman of DOT's Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings at (202) 366-9342 or robert.gorman@dot.gov.

Proposed Rule on Service Animals on Aircraft
In a separate rulemaking, DOT has proposed changes to provisions in its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)regulations that address service animals in air travel. Under the proposed revisions, which are open for comment, only dogs individually trained as service animals would be recognized as service animals by ACAA regulations. Other animals, including emotional support animals, would not. In addition, airlines would be able to require passengers travelling with service animals to check in at least one hour earlier than the general boarding deadline. It also would allow airlines to require documentation of a service animal's abilities and health.

The proposed rule is available for comment until April 6, 2020 on regulations.gov. For further information, visit DOT's website or contact Maegan Johnson of DOT's Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings at (202) 366-9342 or maegan.johnson@dot.gov.

Legislators are planning to expand federal funding to support respite care for families of those with special needs. The Senate approved a bill known as the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019 which would authorize over $ 5.0 million to respite programs over the next five years. This would renew an existing law and increase spending on respite care to $10 million annually.

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 Self-Determination Network News:

February 2020

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

Hurry! Disability Advocacy Day Registration Ends Soon!

Register now for Disability Advocacy Day!  Join fellow advocates on Tuesday March 24th in Madison to let your voice be heard.  Disability Advocacy Day is designed to connect you with your legislators so you can talk about issues that matter to you. You are the expert in sharing how legislative policies affect people with disabilities in their everyday lives. The day starts with a briefing of issues you and your fellow constituents want to discuss with your legislators and after lunch the whole group heads to the capitol for their legislative meetings.  Registration closes soon.  Register today!     

Check Out The Latest Videos! 

The Self-Determination Channel is a YouTube channel by and for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Unlike other channels, the Self-Determination Channel stands stand out from other channels on YouTube because self-advocates host the videos, and decide and create the content.

The theme of the channel is: Self-Determination is Empowerment. It’s a place where self-advocates can be seen and heard, connect with others, and mentor each other. The hope is that the channel can be used as a teaching tool and show examples of what is possible.

Videos are posted weekly on a variety of topics self-advocates care about such as technology, employment, caregivers, independent living, and advocacy. 

Check out the newest videos on the channel:

• Ginger Proves Doctors Wrong 
• Disability Advocacy Day 2020
• Tuesday's Tips for Friendships
• National Caregivers/Governor's Task Force on Caregiving
• Don Teaches Himself How to Read and Write

We encourage you to subscribe to the Channel (you can do by clicking the red Subscribe button on any of the video pages).

If you want to be notified every time we post a new video, click on the bell that is next to the subscribe button on Channel homepage.

Then, click the "All" bell.

That's all there is to it. You will now get an email notification every time a video is posted.

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're shining the spotlight on Cindy. Her amazing self-determination and attitude have gotten her where she is today. From growing up in an institution to being an Executive Director, this very determined lady believes everyone should have a chance.    Stop by this month's Member Spotlight to get to know Cindy.

Who should we shine the spotlight on next?

Stacy’s Journal

"Normalcy is something we all crave and strive for. That said, definitions of “normal” widely vary. Unless referring to something static like temperature, the word usually can be used pretty loosely. While we all have our own unique definitions, society has its own that many people continue to strive for!"  In this month's entry, Stacy discusses the fantasy of being "normal." It can be a pretty controversial topic in the disability community. How do you feel about it?

We encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences as well.

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

• Proposed Bill for Standing Wheelchairs:  Standing wheelchairs are pricey, but they are beneficial to people who use them in more than one way. Find out why a Wisconsin legislator proposed a bill that would force BadgerCare to pay for standing wheelchairs. 
• Volunteer Program Proposals: Community Care Corps seeks proposals for innovative local models in which volunteers assist family caregivers or directly help older adults or adults with disabilities with non-medical assistance in order to maintain their independence.  Proposals due April 3rd.
• The Power of Robots: Two schools have teamed up to create a light weight robot to help elderly people and people with disabilities be able to stand and walk unassisted. Read more about this amazing invention. 
• New Technology:  People with visual impairments can now see television programs thanks to new technology. Learn about how this works. 
• Feedback Needed:  Recent data shows many families don't know they're eligible for long-term care supports.   Take this survey to help determine if Family Navigators world be helpful. 
• Youth Leadership Forum:  Do you know a high school student with a disability who is a leader or a budding advocate? If so, please refer them to the Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum (YLF)!  Applications due April 1st.
• Grant Opportunities: The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL has opened several funding opportunities for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) on Community Living and Participation (both Research and Development), Health and Function (both Research and Development), and Projects for Translating the Findings and Products of Disability Rehabilitation Research and Development into Practice.  Applications due March 23rd. 
• 2020 Census:  Responses to this year's census will shape our future. Read about how there are multiple accessibility options to help people participate in the Census. 
• Facilities Accessibility App:  Accessibility continue to be an issue at many commercial and institutional facilities across the country. Find out how students at UW Milwaukee are developing an app where people can rank businesses based on accessibility. 
• Service Animal Report:   A survey was done on the treatment and inquiries from businesses regarding the presence of service animals. Read what the surveys revealed. 
• NBA Star Brings Awareness to Mental Health: A first-first-round draft pick is bringing awareness to mental health by sharing his story. Read about how he used his fame to educate others. 

Upcoming Events

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

• Webinar: Using Family-Centered Approaches To Promote The Best Life For Young Children With Disabilities:  February 26th, 2p.m., to 3:30p.m.,  Online 
• AbilityMKE NOW!: February 26th, 9p.m. to 10p.m., Online 
• Webinar: "Digital Accessibility Fundamentals For Websites, Documents And Videos":  February 27th, 12p.m., Online
• Electronic Visit Verification Forum: March 11th, 1p.m. to 3p.m., West Allis WI or Online
• Advocacy For Change 2020:  March 12th, 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m., Concourse Hotel, Madison WI 
• Disability Advocacy Day: March 24th, 9a.m. to 4p.m., Monona Terrace and State Capitol, Madison 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.

In 2012, Royce White was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Houston Rockets.  One of few players in NCAA to lead his team on points, rebounds, assists, steal and blocks. Unlike other players, he spoke publicly in college about his lifelong struggle with anxiety, which made front page news as few athletes at the time talked openly about their mental health. It would become even bigger news later, when White, during his rookie season with the NBA, realized the league had no mental health policy. The NBA gave White a run around and he  left the NBA ; however eventually the NBA did develop a policy for mental health. White is now working with the MMA to see if they would develop a policy for mental health assistance. 

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The Southwest ADA Center (SWADA) and the ADA National Network regularly receive complaints from service animal users about their treatment and inquiries from businesses regarding the presence of service animals. In order to gain a better understanding of these issues, a survey was disseminated to people with disabilities about their experiences accessing public places with service animals. After the survey we engaged a group of service animal users and representatives from key service industries in deliberative dialogues discussing survey results, identifying barriers, addressing concerns and to propose solutions. The full report detailing the findings, dialogues and proposed recommendations from stakeholders is now available to you.

View report