An inspiring article inThe New York Timeswritten by Dan Berry about a couple who met in a sheltered workshop and fell in love. Now, they are married, and, because of more integrated supports in Rhode Island, they're working in the community.

A Couple Gaining Independence, and Finding a Bond

By Dan Berry

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. A Sunday wedding that was months away, then weeks away, then days away, is now hours away, and there is so much still to do. The bride is panicking, and the groom is trying to calm her between anxious puffs of his cigarette.

Peter and Lori are on their own.

With time running out, they visit a salon to have Loris reddish-brown hair coiled into ringlets. They pay $184 for a two-tier cake at Stop & Shop, where the checkout clerk in Lane 1 wishes them good luck. They buy 30 helium balloons, only to have Peter realize in the Party City parking lot that the bouncing bobble will never squeeze into his car.

Lori, who is feeling the time pressure, insists that she can hold the balloons out the passenger-side window. A

doubtful Peter reluctantly gives in.

Ive got them, she says. Dont worry.

Peter Maxmean, 35, and Lori Sousa, 48, met five years ago at a sheltered workshop in North Providence, where people with intellectual disabilities performed repetitive jobs for little pay, in isolation. But whena federal investigation turned that workshopupside downlast year, among those tumbling into the daylight were two people who had fallen in love within its cinder block walls.

Working with the Department of Justices civil rights division, the State of Rhode Island agreed to help the workshops clients find employment and day services in the community an agreementfollowed up this yearby a landmark consent decree that requires similar integrated opportunities for 2,000 other clients around the state, completely transforming Rhode Islands sheltered-workshop system.

The decree has put the 49 other states on notice that change is coming: that in the eyes of the federal government, sheltered workshops can no longer be default employment services for people with disabilities most of whom can, with support, thrive in the workplace.

Mr. Maxmean and Ms. Sousa are among dozens of Rhode Island residents who are seeking their place beyond the safe but stultifying island of a sheltered workshop. At the moment, though, these two are pulling away from Party City with wedding balloons bobbing out their car window.

The first balloon slips Ms. Sousas grasp as soon as Mr. Maxmean begins to drive. Then another escapes, and another, and another, floating beyond reach. By the time they pull up to their subsidized apartment building, a deflated Lori is clutching just six balloons.

That was a bad idea I had, Mr. Maxmean gently tells her, even as he quietly calculates the loss of 24 helium balloons at 90 cents apiece.

But the two have no time to fret over lost balloons. Invitations went out

weeks ago for the wedding of Lori Sousa and Peter Maxmean at the Harbor View Manor, East Providence, Rhode Island, at 5 p.m. on Sunday, the 17th of August.

Today.

Thats My Soul Mate

With an hour to go, Ms. Sousa fusses into the white gown purchased for a good price at Gown Town in Warwick. But her white high heels, bought for $15.99, already hurt; she wonders about wearing socks.

Soon she is sitting with eyes closed on the couch in the couples one-bedroom apartment, two Special Olympics medals displayed on the wall behind her, as a family friend with a cosmetics bag enhances and conceals.

Youre looking gorgeous, the friend coos, as cellphones ring, people shout and Buddy the cat hides. But in this moment, Ms. Sousa seems to have achieved inner calm.

My day, she says to herself.

Four floors below, Mr. Maxmean is setting up in the community room, where the wedding and reception are to be held. With his sleeveless T-shirt revealing the Lori tattoo on his left biceps, he is a wedding-day whirligig, pushing aside the bingo machine, testing the half-frozen lasagna in the oven, unboxing the tilted wedding cake and, most important, double-checking the D.J.s playlist. It is vital that when Ms. Sousa makes her entrance, a particular song by Journey is playing: Dont Stop Believing.

Ms. Sousa remembers when this new guy at the workshop, tall, brown-haired and with glasses, joined the repackaging of remote-control devices for a contract with Cox Communications. She was removing the batteries, he was testing the remotes, and something just clicked.

I said, Im gonna marry that guy, she says. Thats my soul mate.

Ms. Sousa was a workshop veteran by then. Born in Portugal and raised in Providence, she had spent the 25 years after high school commuting to the Training Thru Placement workshop, a squat, ugly building hidden away in a residential neighborhood.

She and the other clients would work at their own pace to fulfill various contracts: packaging heating pads; recycling television remotes; jarring Italian specialty foods. The pay averaged about $1.57 an hour.

Federal law allows authorized agencies to pay subminimum wages to people with disabilities, based on their performance when compared with that of a nondisabled worker. But the Department of Labor later

revoked the workshops authorization after finding what it called willful violations of the law, including the failure to record and pay employees for all the hours they worked.

Also problematic was the general absence of encouragement to improve ones skills; to see oneself moving up, and on.

Id be, like, I want to go out, Ms. Sousa says. I want to be trained for a job. Put me out there! I can do it!

At one point the workshop did help her find a job at an Italian restaurant in Cranston. But she clashed with co-workers, stopped going to work and back she went to that hidden-away building, packing, wrapping, answering the telephone.

Then Mr. Maxmean appeared one day, and he was different. For one thing, he listened to her.

Mr. Maxmean was raised from the age of 3 by a nurse at the Rhode Island Veterans Home who fostered several children. Although he attended a special needs school in Bristol, his true education came from the many trips and cruises taken with his foster mother. He has been to every state but Hawaii, which remains in his sights.

But Mr. Maxmean had what he calls behavioral problems, among other issues. After spending time in and out

of various hospitals and institutions, he wound up in a heavily supervised group home in Smithfield, where a van took him every morning to the workshop, and to Ms. Sousa.

Shes beautiful, shes smart, Mr. Maxmean says. Of all the women that I used to date, which were not getting into, I finally found the right one.

A Bit of Panic

An anxious Mr. Maxmean is talking to the silvery door of a rising elevator. Open up, open up, open up, he says, sounding very much like a man getting married in a half-hour.

The door finally obeys. He sprints toward the apartment he moved into four years ago, only to stop short when his cellphone rings. The guest who has the soda for the reception is lost in Providence, and she is shouting, Oh, my God! over and over.

Its O.K., its O.K., he says, pacing now. Youre gonna go under the bridge and take a left ...

Mr. Maxmean resumes his run to the small apartment, chaotic with children, relatives and a bride-to-be still being powdered and beautified.

She looks different, a young nephew says.

Wheres your veil? someone asks.

Here you go, Mr. Maxmean says, veil in hand.

Dressed in a white tuxedo with a royal blue vest, Mr. Maxmean does a quick dance in his rented white shoes before hurrying to the bathroom to shave. By now, the family friend is packing up her cosmetics.

Does she look beautiful or what? she says. Im going downstairs to have a smoke.

But Ms. Sousas gauzy white veil cannot mask her look of panic. Sit down for a minute, honey, Mr. Maxmean says. Sit down.

Ms. Sousa regains her composure and rises to leave, but those shoes are just killing her. Then someone points out that the wedding is already 15 minutes behind schedule.

Mr. Maxmean just shrugs, and says something about life not always being on time.

Disruption, Then Placement

One morning early last year, as Ms. Sousa sat at Training Thru Placements reception desk, armed federal law enforcement agents came through the front door. A Justice Department investigation into civil rights abuses was underway.

Everything changed. Some staff members disappeared, the piecework ended, and a nonprofit organization calledFedcapwas hired to help find rewarding employment outside the building for as many of the 88 clients as possible.

But many parents pushed back. They argued that the workshops established routine had provided their children with a safe place to be, among friends.How will you protect my son from being bullied again? How will you make sure that my daughter isnt ridiculed again?

The abrupt redirection infuriated a mother named Lori DiDonato. After many disappointments, she and her husband had finally found a place that their young adult son, Louis, enjoyed, and now some outsiders were taking that place apart. Her central question: Who the hell are you?

But Christine McMahon, Fedcaps president, challenged Ms. DiDonato with a question: How would she feel if she did the same job, with the same people, at the same place, for the same inadequate pay and with no advancement, for her entire career?

In that moment, Ms. DiDonato says, she began to understand the governments motivation. But when Ms. McMahon promised to find Mr. DiDonato a rewarding job in six months, she says, I laughed in her face.

Within six months, Louis DiDonato III, 23, was putting on a tie and driving himself to his clerical job, recalls Ms. DiDonato. And I became a believer.

Mr. DiDonato was among the rock stars, as Serena Powell, the senior vice president for Fedcaps New England offices, puts it: the first 20 or so clients who easily found enjoyable, fulfilling jobs. The next 20 also did well, she says, although they needed more hand-holding. Finding jobs for the rest will be challenging but doable, she says.

Mr. Maxmean, who is considered a rock star, quickly got a $15-an-hour custodial job at the state psychiatric hospital in Cranston. Although he has had some difficulty adapting to the requirements of a full-time job, he is a hard, focused worker. Kellie Capobianco, the hospitals acting administrator of environmental care, has not forgotten the day she saw her new employee cleaningunderthe loading dock.

Hes doing well, Ms. Capobianco says.

Mr. Maxmean initially took a 10-mile bus ride to his job, adding hours to his workday and uncertainty to his weekends, when buses run sporadically. On some weekends, though, Jim Manni, a Training Thru Placement job coach, would drive 25 miles, on his own time, to deliver Mr. Maxmean to work, all the while imparting advice about expectations beyond the workshop.

Youve worked too hard to get where you are. ... One of the things that is NOT a disability is laziness. ...Winners never quit and youre becoming a winner.

Then Mr. Maxmean passed his drivers test. He put $800 down and drove off in a $5,000 Sonata with nine years and 156,000 miles on it. The thought of shopping for food without having to lug bags onto a bus was so exciting that when he and Ms. Sousa loaded groceries into the car trunk for the first time, they took photographs.

Now, if he has the gas money, Mr. Maxmean drives anywhere he wants: to his job, to the store, to the grave of his foster mother, who died two years ago. If I had met you a couple of years ago and you said, Someday youll have a car, Id say you were nuts, he says. Its a blessing.

Mr. Maxmean often drove Ms. Sousa to her $8-an-hour job at the Hampton Inn in Warwick, which followed a brief employment at a Panera Bread. But she struggled with the expectation of cleaning a room in less than 30 minutes. After skipping two successive Sunday shifts, she was told not to come back.

This isnt unexpected, Ms. Powell says. Some people just take longer to find their niche.

Ms. Sousa is back in the job market, looking for something in food services. But right now her most pressing appointment is with a justice of the peace.

Getting It Together

Mr. Maxmean suddenly realizes that the marriage license is in his car and his car keys are in the apartment he has just left. Back up, back down and out the door he goes, a white-tuxedoed blur.

With the wedding nearly a half-hour late, and the hum of anticipation emanating from the common room, Mr. Maxmean presents the license to Dennis Revens, the black-robed justice of the peace, who says: My fee. I need that. The payment before we start.

Before you start, Mr. Maxmean repeats.

Sure, Mr. Revens says. Otherwise, things get busy.

At this moment, Mr. Maxmean does not have that $200. Even though he has greatly modified his once-grand wedding plans, canceling the church-hall rental and the catered meal, he is still learning to budget. The wedding dress, the tuxedo rental, the cake and the shoes, among other expenses, have left him short.

Ive spent everything else on the wedding, he mutters, while a few neighbors in the lobby sit, listen and watch.

Mr. Maxmean asks a friend to check a white gift box, on prominent display in the reception hall, but theres no cash in it yet. So a couple of relatives cover the $200, including Mr. Maxmeans birth mother, who tells him not to forget that he owes her $95.

The justice of the peace counts out the $20 bills like a winner at the track. Its all there.

Ladies and gentlemen, intones the disc jockey, and guests rise to their feet in a room normally reserved for card games and bingo nights. Here are relatives, and co-workers, and people from the workshop, including Mr. Maxmeans job coach, a smiling Mr. Manni.

Mr. Maxmean walks slowly down the white-paper runner he unrolled hours earlier. He hits his mark and turns to see Ms. Sousa, resplendent in white and smiling through the pain of those shoes.

Later, Mr. Maxmean will hear the $200 justice of the peace flub the vows by referring to Lori as Lisa. Later, he will call in an order for four pizzas to supplement the lasagna. Later, he and his bride will retire to their honeymoon suite upstairs.

But right now, the eyes of the man in the white tuxedo are wet, as the makeshift reception hall fills with a stringed version of that song by Journey.

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/us/a-couple-gaining-independence-and-finding-a-bond.html?_r=0

An article inDisability Scoopby Shaun Heasley talks about how more network TV shows are including characters with disabilities. It's interesting that Fox has seven characters with disabilities appearing in shows.

TV Networks Featuring More Characters With Disabilities

By Shaun Heasley

The number of characters with disabilities appearing on broadcast television is on the rise, according to a new analysis.

Eleven characters with disabilities are expected to be featured regularly on scripted prime-time programs on ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC this season, up from eight last year.

The findings come from areportreleased Wednesday on diversity in television thats conducted annually by GLAAD, a media advocacy organization for the gay and lesbian community. The review looks at the number of characters representing various minority groups including people with disabilities during the 2014-2015 television season, which just began.

For the first time, the analysis indicates that every broadcast network will feature at least one character with a disability regularly this year. Fox leads the pack with seven characters across its lineup.

Nonetheless, disability representation remains relatively small, accounting for just 1.4 percent of the 813 regular characters expected to appear on network prime-time programs, the analysis found.

Were basically seeing more appearances of series regulars and recurring roles with disabilities, but still very few actual performers with disabilities in those roles, which reduces the accuracy and authenticity of the characters and the stories, said Anita Hollander, chair of SAG-AFTRAs National Performers with Disabilities Committee, in the report. Were seeing a trend of many more people and performers with disabilities in reality TV and commercials/advertising than we are seeing reflected on scripted shows.

For the report, characters were considered to have a disability if they would be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Characters with disabilities are expected to appear on Fox in Red Band Society, Empire and Glee as well as ABCs Greys Anatomy, CBSs CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NBCs Parenthood and The Flash on The CW.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/10/02/tv-characters-disabilities/19726/

An interesting article inDisability Scoop written by Michelle Diament about two-dayWhite House Summit and Research Forum on Improved Health and Fitness for Americans with Disabilities. It sounds like a great event!

White House To Convene Disability Summit

By Michelle Diament

For the first time, a White Houseeventwill bring together experts from across the country to address the unique health and fitness concerns of those with disabilities.

The two-day White House Summit and Research Forum on Improved Health and Fitness for Americans with Disabilities kicks off Monday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with educators, parents, leaders from community-based organizations and administration officials set to discuss programs that have been effective at promoting regular exercise and healthy eating among those with disabilities.

On Tuesday, the event will shift to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where stakeholders will focus on how research can help enhance health outcomes for this population, organizers said.

The summit comes just months after a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studyfoundthat nearly half of adults with disabilities are physically inactive, putting them at risk for numerous health complications.

Although there has been an increased interest in exercise and healthy diets in the general population prompted by programs such as the First Ladys Lets Move! initiative, CDC reports that unfortunately people with disabilities are not participating in comparable programs that meet their needs, said Ralph Nitkin of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The goals of the event are to raise national awareness of the effective models of exercise and diet we have available today, to encourage the greater participation in these programs by people with disabilities, and to explore ways to improve those models through research for better outcomes, Nitkin said.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/10/03/white-house-summit/19730/

An interesting report by Wallethub.com. I find it very interesting to see where Madison and Milwaukee rank.

2014s Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities

When searching for a new city to call home, most people share a common list of priorities. Among their concerns areaffordability,jobs,schoolsandattractions. But people with disabilities often have a larger list of considerations. Factors such as the accessibility of various facilities, the quality of health care and even the cleanliness of the air can take precedence. The availability of such elements allows them to play an important role in the community and make significant contributions to the economy.

In the United States, people with disabilities bring valuable skill sets to the workplace that build upon the strength and diversity of the American labor market. According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsreport, a little more than five million people with disabilities were employed in 2013. However, the unemployment rate for those with a disability continues to be almostdoublethe rate for persons without a disability.

In observance of Disability Employment Awareness Month, WalletHub identified the cities with the most suitable conditions for individuals with disabilities. We analyzed the 150 most populated cities across 23 key metrics, ranging from the number of physicians per capita to the rate of employed people with disabilities to park accessibility. By doing so, we aim to ease the process of finding the best place to live while managing a disability.

Click hereto see the results.

A great article in theAppleton Post Crescent written by Mike Hipple about Disability Awareness. He makes a great point about disability.

What's a disability? You might be surprised

By Mike Hipple

One way or another, we all have them and we all don't have them

Today is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day and October is Disability Awareness Month.

I was reading a new book by my best friend, Jon, who has CP and uses a communication device to speak with, as I do. He has a camp for teenagers who use communication devices at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In the book, Jon told a story about a camper who didn't like the campers who have a cognitive disability like autism. The camper left the camp because she thought she was better than the campers who have a cognitive disability.

As I was reading this part of the book, three thoughts came to me. Why did it matter if some campers have a cognitive disability? How come they left? And what is a real disability?

Jon and I would both say, yes, we do have CP, but we don't think about ourselves as people who have a disability. Both of us went to school and were required to do the same classwork as our classmates. Jon went through school and two years of college without a communication device and I went through fifth grade with a low-tech communication device, but it didn't stop us from learning and excelling in life.

Jon is in a doctorate program and lives with his wife, Sarah, who also has CP and uses a communication device, too. I'm living with my parents and I'm going to Fox Valley Technical College. All three of us are living meaningful lives. Our friends like us the way we are and we have families who love us the way we are. That's saying a lot.

As I think of people who have a cognitive disability, I think about some of the funniest, caring, hardest workers and loving people that I know. When I was in high school at Appleton West, me and my best friend, Logan, would volunteer our free time in the cognitive disability program. Cognitive disabilities classrooms do a lot of teaching life skills. A day for us, when we were seniors, was that Logan was in the CD program for the first two hours of the school day when I was in my math class and doing my homework, looking at my email or doing therapies. We both had communication arts third hour, Logan ate lunch with them most days and, after that, I came into their classroom to help them until seventh or eighth hour. We did phy ed class with them, I went to the grocery store on Mondays with four amazing students, and on Tuesdays, they cooked a easy meal and both of us helped with that. Wednesdays, they went on shopping trips and I went with them, learning how to shop, too. On Thursdays, they helped around school with making copies. Fridays were their big phy ed afternoon. We played games with them like football, baseball, basketball and anything they wanted.

I learned so much during the year. So, to answer the question, "Who has a real disability?" the answer is that no one has a real disability. Everybody in the world has a disability.

You may need to wear glasses to read or to see. You may need to eat healthy. You may need to have something to put in your hand when you're working on something.

What is your disability?

Mike Hipple is an Appleton resident. He can be reached at pcletters@postcrescent.com

Source: http://www.postcrescent.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/10/01/disability-might-surprised/16502513/

A great blog written by guest bloggerDanIgnaszewskiabout self advocacy. He brings up several great points about how to advocate.

How to Be a Good Advocate

By Guest Blogger DanIgnaszewski, Director of Government Relations and Development, theAmputee Coalition

At the Amputee Coalition, we advocate for the limb loss community on policy issues and also encourage and empower amputees to advocate for themselves. The Amputee Coalition works on a variety of issues, including adequate insurance coverage for prosthetic devices, Medicare and Medicaid, funding for research and programs that help the limb loss community, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, Social Security disability benefits, veterans issues and reasonable travel procedures for amputees, among others. This article is meant to provide insight and tips on how to be a good advocate for yourself, your cause and your community.

Advocacy is the process by which an individual or group aims to influence policies or practices; it is, by its very nature, the art of standing up for yourself to make a positive difference in your circumstances. You can advocate for your personal life on many fronts, and you can also work with groups to advocate for the larger community by getting involved in policies and regulations at the local, state or national levels.

Every day, you have opportunities to be an advocate. Whether its calling a service provider to try to reduce your monthly payments, dealing with travel issues with flight or baggage delays, or even addressing your healthcare and insurance needsyou always have an opportunity to stand up for yourself. Its important to know how to be your own advocate, so that you can ensure you are treated fairly and appropriately and that you are getting the device(s) or service(s) that you need.

Regardless of whether were talking about healthcare, insurance, service providers or any other arising issues that may require advocacy, its important to remember a few very important things:

Be Prepared and Take Notes!

When you call a company regarding a situation youre facing, make sure that you can take notes on a computer or notepad or have someone take notes for you if youre not able to.

• Start with the date at the top of your notes, so you can reference it later if needed.
• Have bills, letters or resources in front of you, so youre prepared to discuss your situation with all of the applicable information.
• When you first talk with someone, he or she will likely give you his or her first name.Write it down.Its always helpful to be personable in a conversation, and when you can use the persons first name, it creates a connection. If you ever get disconnected or need to have subsequent conversations, it also helps to be able to look back at your notes and say, I spoke with so-and-so on this date.
• Take notes throughout the conversation regarding important points that you make and the response you receive from the person on the other end; this will help you refer back to things, if needed, and can provide a recap if you end up needing to speak to a supervisor or another party.

Dont Get Frustrated, Be Polite

When dealing with a difficult situation, youre often passionate, invested and want a resolution quickly, but the first person you talk to may not be able to help you. This is not unusual. When you call an insurance company to resolve issues about your coverage, the first person that you talk to may not be aware of the device or service you need.Dont let that faze you.Its important when seeking answers to be firm and direct, but as courteous and pleasant as possible.

The first person you talk to regularly works with a lot of upset people. When youre pleasant and respectful in your request, you will often find that those first points of contact will want to help you more than if you had approached them in a combative way. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate everything youre doing for me and Youre making my day are all phrases that will likely elicit a positive response. You will usually get further with them than if you are disrespectful or combative.

Be Firm, Be Reasonable and Work to Ensure Your Needs Are Met

Make your case, explain your situation and tell them what your expectations are. For example, if youre calling the cable company after an increase in your monthly bill, tell them that you are looking to reduce your payments to a specific number that youre comfortable with or that you were previously paying. Then, work with them to get to that figure or negotiate a rate that is reasonable and meets your expectations.

If youve spent some time with the first point of contact in trying to resolve the issue, and he or she is still are not able to resolve the situation to your satisfaction, respectfully ask if you can speak to a supervisor. A polite way to do so is by saying, I really appreciate your help and understanding, but if its possible, I would like to speak to a supervisor to see if he or she might be able to help me a little more. You will often need to go through some of the same points that you made with the first person you talked to (this is where your notes and patience continue to play a key role). Restate your expectations and ask how he or she can help you through your situation.

For more information about the Amputee Coalition, what we provide, what we do and how you can make a difference for people with limb loss, visit our website atamputee-coalition.orgor like our Facebook page atfacebook.com/AmputeeUSA.

Dan Ignaszewski is the director of government relations and development for the Amputee Coalition. He is responsible for developing the positions of the Amputee Coalition on public policy issues and integrating public policy development with grassroots organizations aimed at implementing strategy. Dan works on federal and state issues, including the Amputee Coalitions primary legislation, the Insurance Fairness for Amputees Act. Expanding the government relations footprint in recent years, he also works on funding for limb loss initiatives, research, veterans issues and other issues affecting the limb loss community.

Source: http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2014/09/24/how-to-be-a-good-advocate/

A positive article in Disability Scoop written by Michelle Diament about about a big step forward in getting the ABLE Act passed.

Deal Reached On Tax-Free Disability Savings Accounts

By Michelle Diament

Federal lawmakers say theyve reached a deal to move forward on legislation that would establish a new way for people with disabilities to save money without jeopardizing their government benefits.

Members of the U.S. Senate said Friday that they have an agreement that will allow the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE, Act to proceed.

The bills chief sponsors and leaders of the Senates Committee on Finance said in a joint statement that they expect the legislation to be considered when Congress returns to Washington in November.

We are committed to working with our House colleagues to ensure this legislation will be passed in a bipartisan, bicameral manner and sent to the presidents desk in the lame duck session, read the statement from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

Under the measure, people with disabilities would be able to create specialaccounts at any financial institution where they could deposit up to $14,000 annually. The ABLEaccounts could accrue up to $100,000 in savings without risking an individuals eligibility for government benefits like Social Security. Whats more, Medicaid coverage could be retained no matter how much money is deposited in the proposed accounts.

Modeled after the popular 529 college savings plans, funds deposited in ABLE accounts could be used to pay for education, health care, transportation, housing and other expenses. Interest earned on savings within the accounts would be tax-free.

The ABLE Act has been under consideration in Congress since 2006 and is sponsored by more than half the members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Nonetheless, when the bill was approved by a House committee in July, lawmakersindicatedthey would need to reach an agreement on how to pay for the measure before it would be put up for a floor vote.

The deal reached this week will serve as the foundation for final passage, the senators said.

Source:http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/09/19/deal-savings-accounts/19689/

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

Network Guidelines

Were really glad youre a member of the Self Determination Network. We really encourage you to share your thoughts, resources, ideas, and questions with us, and the rest of our community. To ensure this community continues to run as smoothly and effectively as possible, we have developed some simple guidelines. We encourage you to take a minute to read them over. You can view them by clickinghere.

It Only Takes "Five"

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

• Join the Conversation: In todays world, ableism is likely one of the last things on peoples minds. It certainly does exist though. This piece brings up many points. What are your thoughts on Ableism? What are some things we can do as a society to bring awareness to this issue?

• Be Inspired: Read this inspiring story about how a Starbucks employee went the extra mile to help a customer become more independent.

• Watch: This is a great video from the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities about inclusion.

• Conference Scholarships: Family scholarships are available for the Self-Determination Conference. Application deadline is September 30^th. Find out how to apply today!

• Share:Share your story about self-determination. Have you advocated for yourself or others to gain independence? Have you defied odds or proven naysayers wrong? Our stories provide opportunities to inspire and learn from each other. Share your story with us.

• Read: Read about how two disability advocates are making sure that the disability community has a voice in the state proposal.

• Post news or start a discussion: It's easy to do and a great way to share information and network with others!

We are in the process of reevaluating and possibly revamping how Coffee Breaks are done. Were hoping to start them up again soon. If you have thoughts or ideas regarding Coffee Breaks, please contactStacy Ellingen. We certainly welcome any input.

New Members

Stop by to welcomeournewest members

• Shesa momwho is looking for things that could help her daughter

• She was recently named2014 Winneshiek County Fair Queen

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:

• Disability Rights Wisconsin Listening Session: September 19^th, 4:30pm to 6:30pm,Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, Milwaukee WI

• Wisconsin FACETS College Panel: September 24^th, 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Wisconsin FACETS, Milwaukee WI

• Madison Nonprofit Day Conference: October 2^nd, Monona Terrace and Convention Center, Madison WI

• Think College Wisconsin: Expanding College Opportunities for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: October 17^th, 8:30am to 4pm, Cardinal Stretch University, Milwaukee WI

• Wisconsin Self-Determination Conference: November 10^thto 12^th, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI

• Across The Lifespan: Bringing the Best Together: November 13^thto 14^th, Glacier Canyon Lodge and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells WI

• The Survival Coalition Disability Advocacy Day: March 17^th, Monona Terrace and Convention Center, Madison WI

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A neat story written by Ellen Seidman. We need more people in the world like this!

Everyone Should Treat People With Disability Like This Starbucks Staffer Did

By Ellen Seidman

Accommodating people with disability isn't that hard; it's partly about putting in effort but mostly, it's about having the right attitude, as this story shows.

When Aaron Seldomridge first visited a Starbucks in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, he was with his mom, Janiece. Aaron has autism and Janiece asked barista Anisa Dujnic if they had a picture menu. Yes, they did. Anisa and Janiece helped Aaron to point to an image of an iced grande chai and repeat the words. A few weeks later, Aaron went to the counter with his mom and placed his order without the menu. And then, he started putting in his request -- and paying for it -- on his own.

Because Aaron was in an environment in which he felt encouraged and comfortable, he was confident enough to go it alone. "It's great steps for him to take as a person," Anisa said.

Really, it didn't take much, just a little attention. Some customer customization--no more than goes into making, say, a mocha frap.

Stories like this make you wonder why accommodating kids and adults with disabilities seems like such a big deal to some people. Yes, on the surface this is just about serving a drink, which doesn't take a whole lot of effort.

But at its heart, as special needs parents like me know, this isn't "just" about a barista going the extra mile. It's about a mindset: The readiness to give extra assistance to someone who needs it. The openness to working with the person with disability or a parent to figure out what can help. The willingness to find another way. The patience for letting things take their course. And the pure humanity of celebrating another person's success.

I'd say this story is the exception, not the rule, in terms of attitudes toward welcoming people with disabilities. I know this firsthand from experiences with my son, Max, who has cerebral palsy -- most recently,the program coordinator who flat out refused to accommodate him. Even within the Starbucks world, with its typically welcoming atmosphere, it boils down to individual mindsets (despite what the law might say); at one Starbucks in Brighton, NY, a woman with a brain injury who has a service dogsaid she taped an employeetelling her that she could not come in with her dog.

Welcoming and accommodating kids and adults with disability should be a natural, organic part of society.

It's so simple.

It's no biggie.

If only....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzbrjvhsxDg

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-seidman/everyone-should-treat-peo_b_5754600.html

A great opinion editorial in theOshkosh Northwesternwritten by Pam DeLap and Ginger Beuk about how the disability community has a voice in the state proposal. They make several great points in this piece.

Survey gives disabled voice in state proposal

By Pam DeLap and Ginger Beuk

As disability advocates in the Oshkosh community, we share the same goals most of our community shares. We want to see everyone, including people with disabilities have the same chance to make choices about their lives, educational opportunities, where and with whom they live, and what kind of job opportunities they have, just as any other community member would have.

That is not happening right now for too many Wisconsin residents with disabilities who rely on Medicaid funded long term supports. Although these programs were supposed to allow people to stay in their homes and work in the community, that is not happening for many across the state.

These individuals are experiencing very little choice in their homes. A recent People First Wisconsin survey found that nearly one-fifth of respondents said they aren't' allowed in parts of the home they live in, and 21 percent said they can't even make simple choices like what to have for dinner and when to go to bed.

Currently Wisconsin spends nearly $3 on facility based pre-vocational training for every $1 they put into integrated community employment at real wages. The average wage in a facility is only $2.40 an hour, compared with nearly $9 an hour in the community.

Every person should be able to choose where they work, what type of work they want to do, have an opportunity to be included in their community, but the choices are so limited for an individual with disabilities. If you have a passion or an interest in working with computers, animals or even want to start your own business, the supports and pre-vocational training are just not in place at this time for those more inclusive choices; many feel the only choice available to them is a facility based workshop earning less than minimum wage.

Now there is a real opportunity for change in Wisconsin.

On July 30th, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced a5-year-planthat requires the state providers of home and community based services funded through Medicaid to offer additional supports in inclusive community settings to include more choices for individuals with disabilities. This plan also helps make sure that Medicaid funds are used more equally to expand choices for all people who rely on supports.

We in the disability community are hopeful this plan will lead to more supported transitional choices for our sons and daughters coming out of school, more autonomy in our own homes, and more options so that we can choose and keep jobs of our choice that can lead to less reliance on public funds.

Far too long, society's expectation of people with disabilities has been one of dependence: a life in poverty, reliant on public supports, and less capable than others. Our vision is a life of contribution to the community, increased independence and demonstrating success.

Public supports should go toward that same vision, not stop people with disabilities from reaching their dreams. We are hopeful that the state's new transition plan will lead to that vision becoming a reality for our sons and daughters, friends and family and for all people with disabilities in Wisconsin who use long term supports by investing in more programs that will support a more integrated and inclusive future.

For more information on how you can contribute your story and input on the plan, go towww.takeastandontheplan.organd fill out the on-line tool to share with Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Pam DeLap and Ginger Beuk are advocates for the rights of the disabled.

Source: http://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/08/29/disabled-survey-wisconsin-rights/14796601/