News
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: Comment Opportunity: Traveling by AIr with Service Animals
By SD Network, 2018-06-14
The U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking public comment on amending its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on transportation of service animals. In the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Traveling By Air with Service Animals the Department seeks comments on:
- treating psychiatric service animals similar to other service animals;
- distinguishing between emotional support animals and other service animals;
- requiring emotional support animals to travel in pet carriers for the duration of the flight;
- limiting the species of service animals and emotional support animals that airlines are required to transport;
- limiting the number of service animals/emotional support animals required to be transported per passenger;
- requiring service animal and emotional support animal users to confirm that their animal has been trained to behave in a public setting;
- requiring service animals and emotional support animals have a harness, leash, or other tether with narrow exceptions;
- limiting the size of emotional support animals or other service animals that travel in the cabin and the potential impact of such a limitation;
- prohibiting airlines from requiring a veterinary health form or immunization record from service animal users without an individualized assessment that the animal would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others or would cause a significant disruption in the aircraft cabin; and
- no longer holding U.S. airlines responsible if a passenger traveling under the U.S. carrier’s code is only allowed to travel with a service dog on a flight operated by its foreign code share partner.
Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov thru July 9, 2018.
June 2018
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Call for Exhibitors for the 2018 Self-Determination Conferencee
Calling all Wisconsin organizations that support self-determination and self-directed support in Wisconsin. We encourage you to submit an application. Space is limited and only applications from exhibitors that directly support self-determination and self-direction in WI will be accepted. All applications will be reviewed by a committee and selected based on interest, needs, variety and mission of the conference. We are particularly interested in having exhibitors with innovative approaches to services and supports for self- direction including health and wellness supports for people with disabilities. Exhibit tables are open Oct. 29-31.
Calling all Micro-business owners! If you are a person with a disability and own your own micro-business apply to share your gifts and talents with over 900 people this October? Be an exhibitor at the 2018 Self-Determination Conference.
Hurry! Applications must be received no later than July 10, 2018. Space is limited, and spots are expected to run out before the deadline date.
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.
For June, we shine the spotlight on Jane. This past Diehard Advocate award recipient is dedicated to helping people with disabilities find employment. She also encourages people to ask for help because we can all learn from one another. Stop by this month's Member Spotlight to get to know Jane.
“Never judge someone by the way he/she looks.“ Most people are taught that beginning at an early age. Having a disability often makes fitting in difficult. Some people are completely okay with not fitting in because of their limitations, and others work hard to hide theirs. In this month's entry, Stacy discusses how she handles the desire to fit in. 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:
- Be Inspired: It's graduation season. Many people with disabilities will cross the stage overcoming tremendous odds Read about how one UW-Green Bay grad didn't let his disabilities or growing up in poverty stop him from achieving his dream.
- Advocacy Trainings: Parents in Partnership (PIP) and Youth in Partnership with Parents for Employment have released their 2018-2019 training schedule. Learn about these programs and get involved!
- Voting Rights: It's not widely known, but in many states people with disabilities can be stripped of their right to vote. Find out why many people feel that the law needs to be changed.
- Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition: During this important election year, the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition (WDVC) will work to increase voting turnout and participation in the electoral process among members of Wisconsin’s disability community by hosting voting trainings and registration days, creating comprehensive resources for people with disabilities around voting rights, and working with municipalities to ensure their polling places are up to accessibility standards. Learn how you can participate.
- Technology Initiative: Microsoft recently announced a multimillion dollar initiative to develop technology that will benefit people with disabilities. Read about what the initiative will create.
- Caregiver Check-In Mandate Delayed: Lawmakers have delayed legislation a controversial Medicaid requirement that personal care providers electronically check in when caring for people with disabilities. Find out why this requirement is causing controversy.
- The Disability Integration Act: The Supreme Court ruled that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions and states must provide them with the services they need to do so. However, this rule is often ignored. Learn what this Act would do to ensure that people are allowed to live in the community.
- Feedback on State AT Plan: Wisconsin's Assistive Technology (AT) Advisory Council has completed a draft of Wisconsin’s State Plan for AT 2018-2020. The Wisconsin AT Advisory Council welcomes your comments, suggestions, and feedback on the state plan. Public comment ends June 30.
Here's a sample of upcoming events listed on the Self-Determination Network:
- 2018 Aging Empowerment Conference: June 14th-15th, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Madison WI
- Disability Rights Wisconsin Informational And Listening Session: June 22nd, 4p.m. to 6:30p.m., Urban League of Greater Madison, Madision WI
- Endless Possibilities Conference: August 3rd, 8:30a.m. to 3:30p.m., UW-Whitewater, Whitewater 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.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: State Plan for Assistive Technology (AT) 2018-2020
By SD Network, 2018-06-04
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Community Living (ACL) requires states that receive federal funding from the Assistive Technology (AT) Act to submit a State Plan for Assistive Technology every three years. The State Plan outlines goals for the state’s AT program and tracks progress towards these goals based on federal performance measures.
Wisconsin's AT Advisory Council has completed a draft of Wisconsin’s State Plan for AT 2018-2020. The Wisconsin AT Advisory Council welcomes your comments, suggestions, and feedback on the state plan. This plan aims to improve access to assistive technology devices and services for people of all ages in order to continue to live independently in the community with dignity and respect. Attached to this email and available at: https://atc.wisconsin.gov/atcfiles/p-02162_State_AT_Plan_18-20.pdf.
Public comments and feedback received on the State Plan for AT will be reviewed and addressed in the plan as appropriate. The AT Advisory Council is committed to using the comments and feedback received on the plan in multiple ways—including implementation of the State Plan.
Please submit your responses via the feedback survey or in writing by Saturday, June 30, 2018 at 5 pm (CST). If you have any questions about the public comment process or need assistance completing this survey, please contact Mason Aumanstal at (608) 266-3118 or via email at MasonE.Aumanstal@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
The State Plan for AT Feedback Survey link will be active on the State Plan AT webpage (https://atc.wisconsin.gov/state-assistive-technology-plan.htm) the week of 6/4/2018.
You may also submit comments via mail or email:
WisTech Program
ATTN: State Plan
1 W. Wilson Street, Room 551
PO Box 2659
Madison, WI 53701-2659
MasonE.Aumanstal@dhs.wisconsin.gov
Thank you in advance for your feedback on the 2018-2020 State Plan for AT!
Even though many locations claim to be accessible, people learn that they are not when they arrive. Some of these people have tried to fix this problem by creating accessibility guide apps. App makers use maps from providers like Google and data from users to create better accessibility guides. Access Earth, AccessNow, and AXS Map are some of those apps. Most of the guide apps are incomplete, but some are better in locations where users have added a lot of content. Getting people together to test an area for accessibility and sharing the results with an accessibility app is a way to improve apps and teach people about accessibility.
REWIRE NEWS: Disability Activists Fight for the Right to Live in Their Communities
By SD Network, 2018-06-05
In Olmstead v. LC, the Supreme Court ruled that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions and states must provide them with the services they need to do so. However, this rule is often ignored. Part of the problem is that Medicaid makes states fund institutions but does not require them to pay for in-home services. In 2015, the Disability Integration Act (DIA) was first introduced before Congress. The DIA would give people with disabilities the legal right to choose how and where they receive the services they need. It would also make states have more accessible housing that people with disabilities can afford.
Lawmakers have delayed legislation a controversial Medicaid requirement that personal care providers electronically check in when caring for people with disabilities. A new bill calls for a delay until 2020 of "electronic visit verification" Which hopes to decrease fraudulent billing. Supporters of the EVV system say that the delay would give people time to develop a system based on input from caregivers an stakeholders. Many people feel that a lot more work needs to be done. There are many concerns about things such as privacy.
Microsoft recently announced a multimillion dollar initiative to develop technology that will benefit people with disabilities. The five year program will create "accessible and intelligent" solutions. The initiative which is called "AI for Accessibility," will include seed grants, universities and other inventors and investments in projects.
How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?
Jane got involved in self-determination through her place of employment which is Portal, Inc. in Grafton. She started four years ago as a Prevocational Mentor and worked with getting people out in the community and beginning to experience jobs. Currently, she work as a Job Consultant and Job Coach with Portal. I also work with WIOA students two days a week teaching them self-determination and living skills.
Jane also helped restart the People First Chapter in Ozaukee County and became and advisor. It was then that she heard of the Self-Determination Network and decided to join to make community connections and have a source to help her. She has attended the Self-Determination Conference the past four years and in 2015, she was awarded the Diehard Advocate award. “It was pretty exciting,” she says.
Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms self-determination?
Jane is excited to see is all of the jobs available today in our community that are being filled by people with disabilities.
What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?
A tip Jane would like to share is that if you do not vote or do not know how, ask for help. She encourages people to register to vote and head to the polls on voting day. She says, “your voice matters.” She explained that they had a member of their People First Chapter get back her right to vote which was really exciting.
What message would you like to share with the members of the SD Network?
“Many hands make light work,” Jane says. She explains that we don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. She encourages people to ask for help--more times than not someone wants to help and can.
What are some of your hobbies?
Jane is a lady with many hobbies. In addition to sewing, quilting, and painting, she loves to wall paper. She also is an avid reader—she reads a book (mostly fiction, biographies, or cookbooks) every 10-14 days. She also loves to people watch.
***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.