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Feb. 4, 2013

Welcome to February!

Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Black History Month, Presidents' Day, Mardi Gras... While many of us may be feeling a bit of cabin fever, it helps to know that there are reasons to celebrate February. So take time this month to connect with friends online and off-line. And stop by the SDS Network and see what's going on... We think you'll be glad you did!

It Only Takes "Five" to Support the SDS Network

The SDS Network is different from a typical website or email group/listserv. Those types of technology, while being valuable tools, rely on you sitting back and being the recipient of information. You might decide to do something with that information... or not...

The SDS Network is designed to be more. We want to tap into the ideas, connections, resources and questions of all members from the day they join the community. We believe that each of us has something to contribute - that each of us is an "owner" of the Network and responsible for giving whatever it is we have to give. That's why we say it only takes "Five" to support the SDS Network. Here's how you can be part of that support:

• Take five minutes. Check out some of the new discussions, resources, etc. on the Network. Then add something to the Network - a comment to discussion, a thumbs up or a thank you for a resource, a question that you've been wondering about, a greeting to a new member, or share your story. The possibilities are endless. Don't worry if you're doing it "right". There's no right or wrong about how to use the Network.

• Donate five dollars. The SDS Network was initially developed through the Wisconsin Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG). Now that grant has ended for Wisconsin. In order to continue to grow and develop this community (as well as pay the bills associated with sustaining the platform we use), we need to find ways to financially support the Network. We are inviting each of our members to make a financial contribution - $5 (or $10 or $20 or whatever you can afford) will help support the Network. We've added a new Donation buttonin the right hand column on each page of the Network - click on that button and you'll go straight to the PayPal account for In Control Wisconsin, our new "home". If you cannot donate at this time, PLEASE keep using the site. Your presence and participation is the only required payment. We want everyone to have full access to each other and the wisdom of the community.

In addition to donations from members, we are looking for organizations who may be interested in becoming a sponsor of the SDS Network. Please contact Deb Wisniewskiif you have questions or ideas about potential sponsors.

We hope you're ready to take the challenge to support the SDS Network. It's our community - Let's work together to help it grow and develop.

Join Us for a Coffee Break

Starting this month, the SDS Network will be hosting an occasional live chat (called "Coffee Break") open to all members of the Network. Each Coffee Break will have a different theme, but you are also welcome to ask questions or share information about anything that relates to self-directed supports and self-determination, or to the Network itself.

The first Coffee Break will be Wed. Feb. 13 from 8:30 am - 9:00 am. The theme will bethe SDS Network itself: Do you have questions about how to use features? How to add a profile photo? Ideas about how we can improve the site? Maybe you have suggestions for trainings or resources you'd like to see offered. Deb Wisniewski will be online to connect with you about whatever ideas and questions you have.

Registration is not required, but RSVPs are welcome. Find out more and RSVP.

Take Five Minutes

Here are some things you may want to check out on the SDS Network. Remember to take five minutes and respond to one of these... Or add your own question, resource, etc.!

• Deb wants to know if you're using IRIS or Family Careto self-direct your supports.
• Beth Mount talks about person-centered vs. system-centeredin a great new video that we've posted on the Network.
• Jack Pierpoint from Inclusion Press has shared information about upcoming PATH & MAPS trainings, as well as the 2013 Toronto Summer Institute.
• The ADA Wisconsin Partnership has posted some resources for Emergency Preparedness- something too many of don't think about.
• So what does "Olmstead" mean to you? Find out about this landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision from 1999 and how it continues to affect the lives of people with disabilities.

Welcome New Members

Stop by to welcome our newest members.

• She's a proud parent and a nursefrom New Auburn.
• He's an IRIS consultant with lots of great questionsand a great profile photo.
• This mother/grandmother keeps busywith crocheting, knitting, sewing, painting and writing, as well as working as an IRIS consultant.
• She joined the Employment Network and the SDS Network in order toexpand her resources and connect with others.
• She's also a nurse and a parent- this time from Milwaukee.
• He's the founder of Inclusion Press (great resources!!) and one of the lead organizers of the Toronto Summer Institute.

Upcoming Events

Here's a sample of upcoming events listed on the SDS Network:

• Community Living Event, Prairie du Chien, Feb. 14th - no fee!
• Coffee Break, online chat with the SDS Network, Feb. 13th. - no fee!
• And many more!

Post your event on the SDS Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Contact Deb Wisniewski at scgwis@gmail.com

Thanks to the sponsors of the SDS Network!

Project to increase the number of people with disabilities who self-direct their supports.

The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop strategies to inform and train individuals with disabilities to use self-directed supports (SDS).

The goal of the project(s) will be to increase the number of people with disabilities who self-direct their services and supports, including youth transitioning into the Long-Term Care system.These projects also will include a focus on building natural community supports and connections.

BPDD will fund between one and three SDS projects. A total of $80,000 is available, to be allocated for all SDS projects related to this RFP.

SDS projects can focus on single-issue projects such as, but not limited to, community-supported living, community connections, and transition supports. Projects can also have a broader focus on training and education strategies related to choice and decision making for people with disabilities.

The deadline to submit a proposal is January 8, 2013. The entire RFP is available on the BPDD website. For more information, contact Fil Clissa at fil.clissa@wisconsin.gov.

Disability Scoop (www.disabilityscoop.com)

December 4, 2012

Senate Rejects UN Disability Treaty

ByMichelle Diament

Despite strong support from disability advocacy groups, Republican opposition led the U.S. Senate to reject an international disability rights treaty on Tuesday.

In a vote that fell almost entirely along party lines, supporters were unable to secure the two-thirds majority of senators needed to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The treaty calls for greater community access and a better standard of living for people with disabilities worldwide. The measures chief supporter, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said that ratifying the treaty would not require any change to U.S. law, but would afford the nation a leadership role in the international community on disability rights issues. Whats more, Kerry said participation would help ensure that Americans with disabilities would have the same protections abroad as they do domestically.

This treaty is not about changing America, but about America changing the world, Kerry said just before the vote, adding that the issue had become unnecessarily controversial in the deeply-partisan body. This treaty is a test of the Senate. Its a test of whether this body is still capable of voting for change.

Eight Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in voting for ratification in the 61 to 38 vote. Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole, who was injured in World War II, also came to the Senate floor to support the treaty.

However, a majority of Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, fought hard against ratification arguing that the treaty would compromise U.S. sovereignty and threaten the ability of parents to determine whats best for their kids, statements that supporters insisted were not based in fact.

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, the Heritage Foundation and the Home School Legal Defense Association rallied their supporters from across the nation to lobby against the treaty. Ultimately, their efforts bested those of more than 300 disability organizations which had united to support ratification.

The U.S. signed the disability rights convention in 2009, but Senate approval was needed in order to make participation official. The Obama administration sent the treaty to the Senate earlier this year asking that it be ratified.

Currently, 126 countries around the word have ratified the disability treaty, according to the U.N.

Source:http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/12/04/senate-rejects-treaty/16887/

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

Nov. 1, 2012

Time to Vote!

Local, state and federal elections are taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 6th. In Wisconsin, you can vote early (through the end of the day on Friday, Nov. 2nd). If you have questions about where to vote, if you're eligible to vote, whether you need a photo ID (you don't) or if polling places need to be accessible (they do), check out the voting resourcesposted on the SDS Network.

Get Involved Online!

• Question of the Month: What issues will affect your vote for President in November? Health care? Jobs & the Economy? Public Benefits? Something else? We've extended this poll question so that you can participate. Respond to this quick & easy poll and tell us what issues you care about!
• Discussion: What are your questions about voting? Are you wondering if your polling site is accessible? How to vote absentee? Whether you're registered? Post your questions in this discussion and we'll find resources that answer your questions.
• Survey: Participants wanted!Finding a great home that meets your needs is always challenging, and finding one that meets the needs of someone who acquired a disability while serving in the military can be especially difficult. The Housing program at Virginia Tech is conducting a study to gather information and bring awareness to the rental housing search experience and occupancy situation of veterans with disabilities. Findings from this study may help improve the housing search process and housing conditions for veterans with disabilities.
• Post your photos from the 2012 Self-Determination Conference. Are you one of those people who can't go out into public without a camera in hand? We'd love to have your photos from the recent SD Conference that was held in Wisconsin Dells. Let us know if you need help posting.

Check Out New Opportunities

• Contest:Disability Pride Madison is seeking a logo. Your design could win!

What's New?

Find out the latest news and resources on the SDS Network:

• Hear Jennifer's personal story, "Blindsided to the Flip Side"
• Lots ofVoting Resources
• Video:People with Disabilities Vote!
• Wanda shared her story on the Our Storiespage.

• Historic settlementin National Association of the Deaf, et. al v Netflix

Welcome New Members

Stop by to welcome our newest members.

• He wants to become a peer specialist.
• He's a great resource onhome modifications.
• She's working to expand SDS within the Family Careorganization she works for.
• She's looking to learn more about SDS
• He wants to learn and meet new people... Stop by and introduce yourself.
• She's looking for ideas about using IRISto support her young adult child
• He's been involved with self-directed services and advocacyfor years.

Upcoming Events

Here's a sample of upcoming eventslisted on the SDS Network:

• Family Caregiver Resource Fair, Nov. 3 - Madison

Post your event on the SDS Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Contact Deb Wisniewski at scgwis@gmail.com

Thanks to the sponsors of the SDS Network!

Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) has a toll free line to help the disability community with questions and concerns about voting rights. We can help:

• If you have questions about your voting rights,
• If your polling site is not accessible and you can't get into the polling place to vote,
• If you can not vote privately and independently because the voting machine or ballot is not accessible,
• If you were turned away from the polls even though you have the right to vote,
• If you feel you have been discriminated against in the voting process because of your disability,
• If you have questions about how to file a complaint about your concerns,
• If you don't know where your polling place is,
• If you have questions about how to register to vote or get an absentee ballot,
• and much much more!!

CALL: 800/928-8778 (toll free) or 888/758-6049 (TTY)

Phones are answered between 8:30 and 5:00 most weekdays, and from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Days.

The National Forum on Disability Issues was an historic nonpartisan event that took place on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012, focusing on the disability positions of the 2012 Presidential candidates. Edward M. Ted Kennedy, Jr. and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) spoke on behalf of their respective parties to present their campaigns positions on matters relating to Americans with disabilities.

Ohio Senate Republican nominee Treasurer Josh Mandel and Rep. Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) on behalf of Ohio Sen. Brown participated, as well as Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. The speakers discussed their positions on a wide variety of disability issues directly to the disability community. Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University and former CNN White House correspondent, anchor and Washington bureau chief, served as Forum moderator.

View the archived webinar or read the transcripts on the National Forum on Disability Issues website.

TheWisconsin Disability Vote Coalition(WDVC) is a non-partisan effort to increase voting turnout and participation in the electoral process among members of Wisconsins disability community. The WDVC is funded byDisability Rights Wisconsin(DRW) and theBoard for People with Developmental Disabilities(BPDD). Be sure to check out theWDVC websitefor information and resources, including:

• Voting Guide for Citizens with Disabilities
• Transportation to go vote on election day
• Competency, Guardianship & Voting
• How can I ask candidates about disability-related questions?
• Where can get information about candidates?
• How can I find out where to vote?
• How do I register to vote?
• Can I vote if I have a guardian?
• I can't go to the polling place. Can I vote another way?
• Are there accessible voting machines?
• Can you vote if you're in the hospital on election day?
• What are the rules about signing my name when I vote?
• Is the Photo ID law in effect?

In addition, the WDVC website has a large number ofvideosthat explain the voting process and answer many of the same questions.

Dont miss your opportunity to network in person about Self-Determination. The 2012 Wisconsin Self-Determination Conference registration is closing on October 15, 2012.

For more information go to:http://www.wi-bpdd.org/sdc/