This is an interesting blog on disability.gov written by Ann Chiapetta about pet owners are passing off their dogs as service animals. This has become a real problem for businesses. She explains how service animal organizations are trying to come up with ways to educate the general public about this issue.

Service Dogs Welcome?

By Ann Chiapetta

There is trouble out there in service dog land. The nationwide publicity about pet owners passing off their dogs as service animals has become a current event. To be more specific, there is an epidemic of pet owners trying to pass their dogs off as working dogs. Did you know that, with just a minimum of information, you can go online and purchase a vest and fake ID for your pet stating it is an assistance animal?

Legitimate service and guide dog handlers are at risk of being turned away from public places because of this epidemic. As a guide dog handler, I know this problem firsthand. For example, businesses are caught in-between following the laws protecting the rights of people with disabilities and their service dogs, while also not having a clear way of identifying illegitimate service animals.

One organization that is spearheading a campaign to increase public awareness about this issue isGuide Dog Users, Inc.(GDUI). As the nations leading consumer and advocacy organization of people with visual impairments working with guide dogs as their primary means of mobility, GDUI hopes to educate the general public about this problem.

As a dog guide user, I am concerned about how the growing number of pet owners who misrepresent their pet dogs as service animals in order to gain access to public places, or to avoid pet fees, will adversely affect me. Currently, business owners are faced with trying to identify pets posing as service animals, a problem which is only mounting.

These kind of clashes have increased exponentially, and dog guide teams feel it each time we are barred from legitimately entering a place that accommodates the public because of a pet owner who doesnt want to leave their dog at home.

Likewise, many people do not understand that dogs and other types of domestic animals, known asEmotional Support Animals, are not qualified service animals.The sole function of these animals is to provide comfort, emotional support or well-being, and therapeutic benefits or companionship. Under theAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA), only service animals that perform physical tasks or work to mitigate a disability are given the right to accompany their partners with disabilities in all public places.

Moreover, GDUI supports businesses and transportation services that allow people with legitimate disabilities to be accompanied by guide dogs and other types of service animals. They also support pet owners who maintain good control over their dogs and obey applicable local, state and federal laws regarding access for people with disabilities who use service animals.

GDUI also supports state laws that penalize individuals who knowingly misrepresent a dog as a guide dog, or other type of service animal, in order to gain the same treatment or benefits as a person with disabilities.

As a result, GDUI and other service dog organizations are struggling to find positive ways to inform the public that posing as a person with a disability with a service dog is harmful to the people who depend on genuine service dogs to assist them, and that it constitutes a form of fraud.

The United States is the most accessible country in the world. The guide dog movement has been established for 50 years; many of those early years we spent fighting for our civil rights as people with disabilities who are blind. Our dogs are indeed the quiet, masterful companions we depend upon. If someone you know is passing off a pet as a service animal, we hope you will share this blog with them and let them know they are hurting other legitimate guide dog teams.

Ann Chiappetta, M.S. is a writer, advocate and guide dog user living in New York State. Ann works as a trauma and family therapist for the Department of Veterans Affairs. To view Anns blog, please visitwww.thought-wheel.com.

Source:http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2014/11/21/service-dogs-welcome/

An article inDisability Scoopwritten by Shaun Heasley about how now Jerry Seinfeld says he does not have autism. This, understandably, is creating some controversy among advocates and those who have the disorder.

Seinfeld Now Says He Doesnt Have Autism

By Shaun Heasley

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is backing off comments he made earlier this month suggesting that he may be on the autism spectrum.

In an interview withAccess Hollywood, Seinfeld clarified that he does not have the developmental disorder.

I dont have autism. Im not on the spectrum, the 60-year-old comic said. I just was watching this play about it and thought, why am I relating to something? I related to it on some level. Thats all I was saying.

Seinfelds comments come just weeks after hetoldNBC News that he sees traits of autism in himself, explaining that hes very literal and often struggles with social engagement.

I think on a very drawn-out scale, I think Im on the spectrum, he said at the time.

The suggestion that Seinfeld, whos currently promoting his web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, might have autism sparked controversy among those affected by the developmental disorder.

Some advocates welcomed Seinfelds acknowledgement, but others criticized the celebrity arguing that by attempting to self-diagnose he was making light of a disorder that can bring significant challenges.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/11/20/seinfeld-doesnt-autism/19864/

An article in theGreen Bay Press Gazetteabout how Family Care is expanding to seven counties in Northeastern Wisconsin--including Door and Kewaunee counties--in 2015.

Family Care expands to Door County

By Ramelle Bintz

Door and Kewaunee counties will join other counties in the state already offering Family Care to frail seniors and adults with disabilities. The Legislatures budget committee approved the expansion of the program Wednesday for seven counties in Northeastern Wisconsin.

Family Care currently operates in 57 of Wisconsins 72 counties allowing older adults and adults with developmental and physical disabilities to receive long term care in their own homes and communities rather than institutions or nursing homes.

A study by the Department of Health Services found that expanding the Family Care program to other parts of the state could reduce the states long-term care costs by nearly $35 million over the next 10 years. The transition to Family Care is expected to save the county at least $67,000 the first year it is implemented

Door County Board members and representatives from human service departments have lobbied lawmakers for years to expand the program to both improve services and reduce costs. State Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, applauded the unanimous vote by the Joint Finance Committee to approve the Family Care contracts.

Care Wisconsin and Lakeland Care District will be awarded the contracts to administer the program. Enrollment in the program is likely to being in early 2015.

Expanding the program is the right thing to do, Bies said. The 1,300 people who have been on the waiting list for years can finally access the same services as those who live in other parts of the state.

Providing needed services to individuals in their homes and other community-based settings is better for their health and the state as a whole, Bies said. Im thankful we were all able to come together to support the Family Care program and the expansion to Northeastern Wisconsin.

Door County Human Services Director Joe Krebsbach said the county has managed to get the local waiting list down to 53 people for Family Care. There is no firm time frame when the program will be rolled out next year, but once a plan is in place, Krebsbach said there will be public presentations for both consumers and providers.

Its positive for the folks who have been waiting for services for extended lengths of time who finally will get the care they need, he said. Its probably more important for people who will be asking for services in upcoming years. When they are eligible they will get the service as opposed to waiting.

In Door County, people who need information or assistance on issues affecting people age 60 and older or people with disabilities, age 18 and older, regardless of income, can contact the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 832 N. 14th Ave., Sturgeon Bay, or call (920) 746-2372.

Contact Ramelle Bintz at rbintz@doorcountyadvocate.com.

Source:http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/door-co/news/2014/11/13/family-care-expands-door-county/18992577/

The ABLE Act has had strong bipartisan support from Congress (which is very unusual), and we thought it would pass in September. Then we heard it would pass in November. Now we are hearing it is "hung up" by Congress because of its cost. This article inThe Hillwritten by Sara Weir and Stuart Spielman explains why it's critical that this gets passed!

Time to pass the ABLE Act and let families impacted by disability save for the future

By Sara Weir and Sturart Spielman

For the past eight years, the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), Autism Speaks and dozens of other national disabilities groups have been at the forefront of the advocacy effort to pass the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. No other bill before this Congress has the ABLE Acts bipartisan and bicameral support - 74 US Senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and 381 US Representatives have offered their cosponsorship to the ABLE Act.

In addition to its vast bicameral, bipartisan support, the ABLE Act is being spearheaded by a dedicated set of Congressional champions - Sens. Robert Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as well as their counterparts in the House, Reps. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Pete Sessions (R-Texas), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Currently, people with disabilities cannot have more than $2,000 worth of assets before the government support that they need is cut off. In this day and age, $2,000 is not a lot of money. With the costs of employment supports, transportation and healthcare all rising,it is nearly impossible for families to save for the future,forcing a vicious cycle of poverty for millions of people with disabilities in this country.

Its organizations like NDSS and Autism Speaks that have come to the table and offered up solutions like the ABLE Act, that allow families and individuals with disabilities to save their own funds in an ABLE account rather than ask Congress for another new programfor the disability community. The ABLE Act is a hand up, not a handout for millions of people with disabilities.

The ABLE Act is a moving vehicle in July, the Senate Finance Committee (Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS) held a hearing on the bill, then a week later the House Ways & Means Committeeunanimously approved the ABLE Act. Now, its time for both the House and Senate to bring the ABLE Act up for a vote in this Lame Duck session.

People with disabilities cant wait any longer for the ABLE Act. The time is now.

Weir, MS, is the vice president of the National Down Syndrome Society in Washington, DC; andSpielman is the senior policy adviser and counsel of Autism Speaks in Washington, DC.

Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/223886-time-to-pass-the-able-act-and-let-families-impacted-by#.VGf7UAwWS-w.facebook

APPLY TO BE A WHITE HOUSE FELLOW!

We are pleased to support the White House Fellows program in announcing that the 2015-2016 White House Fellows application officially launched online on November 1, 2014! Open season is fromNovember 1, 2014 to January 15, 2015. Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the President's Commission on White House Fellowships and over the course of nine presidential administrations - four Democrat and five Republican - the nonpartisan White House Fellows program has become the nation's premier fellowship for public service and leadership. The program's mission is to expose Fellows to first-hand, high-level experience in the Federal government.

The program consists of a full-time work placement in the offices of Cabinet Secretaries, senior White House staff, and other high-ranking Administration officials. During a year in Washington, DC, Fellows also participate in a robust education program designed to provide a behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of the Federal government. It is an extraordinary year that yields a lifetime of rewards. Learn more about the White House Fellows programhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here.

Please feel free to share this message widely with your networks and contact the White House Fellows program atwhitehousefellows@whf.eop.govor202-395-4522with any questions.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows/application" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apply onlinebetweenNovember 1, 2014 and January 15, 2015.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn moreabout the White House Fellowship #WHFellows #BecomeaWHF #WHFellowsatFifty

http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USED/2014/11/06/file_attachments/338715/WHF%2BOutreach%2BPacket%2B--%2B11-1-14.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WHF Outreach Packet -- 11-1-14.pdf

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It Only Takes "Five"

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

• Election Poll Accessibility: Theresa posted some information about how voter turnout was really low among people with disabilities in the recent election.

• Stay Informed: Read about how Supplemental Security Income will increase next year.

• Be Inspired: Read this inspiring story about how self-determination led a young man to achieve things others thought impossible.

• A Bit of History: Learn about The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and other Acts that have been passed to help people with disabilities.

• Read: This article in The Guardian brings up some interesting points about giving people with disabilities choices and control in their lives.

• Free Transportation: Find out which county in Wisconsin will start allowing people with disabilities to ride the bus system free of charge starting in April.

• Difference Maker: Read about this Stevens Point man who was recognized for looking beyond his disability and who gives back by encouraging others.

• Star Revelation: Find out which famous comedian thinks he may have Autism.

• Technology Advancements: Read about how advancements in technology could be life-changing for people with disabilities.

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

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Stop by to welcomeour newest members

• Shes a Pupil Services Director who has classes about self determination in her school system.

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

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

• ADA Audio Conference Series Session: Accommodating Persons with Environmental Sensitivities: December 16^th, 1:00pm to 2:30pm, Online

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

• Wisconsin Transition Conference: November 18^th-20^th, Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells WI

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

Post your eventon the Self-Determination Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Suggestions? Contact Stacy Ellingen.

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 contact Stacy Ellingen. We certainly welcome any input.

The Self-Determination Network is powered by In Control Wisconsin and supported financially by ourmembersandSponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you! Find out how you can help support the Network.

A great article inThe New York Timesby Paul Stenqust about how the idea of self-driving cars is very exciting for many people who have disabilities. While technology isn't quite there yet, the advancements in years to come could be life-changing for people with disabilities. He does a nice job of explaining the history and where things are at.

In Self-Driving Cars, a Potential Lifeline for the Disabled

By Paul Stenqust

The self-driving car, embraced as a stress-reducing convenience for harried drivers and a potential advance in road safety, could also prove to be a life-changing breakthrough for many people with disabilities, granting them a new measure of independence.

While much of the necessary technology is well along in development, those awaiting vehicles that can provide unassisted transportation will have to be patient.

Self-driving cars have been the stuff of science fiction and experimentation since the early days of the automobile. In 1925, Time magazine carried an article about a car that cruised New York City streets without a driver, guided by radio control. The General Motors Futurama exhibition at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair depicted a future of self-driving cars by the industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes.

The Bel Geddes vision, with its implications for the disabled, may be getting closer to reality. Automakers have demonstrated cars capable of self-driving operation, and in August the chief executive of Nissan,Carlos Ghosn, said the automaker would offer a car with autonomous drive technology by 2020.

Mr. Ghosn did not promise a vehicle that could be operated without a driver at the wheel, and a Nissan spokeswoman, Wendy Payne, said the company had not studied the disability issue.

Confirming that Nissans first self-driving car would require an able driver, she said that all automakers were taking that approach: At this point, the driver has to be able to operate the vehicle.

G.M. is among the makers demonstrating self-driving prototypes, and a driver-assistance technology that it calls Super Cruise, to be introduced in 2017 model Cadillacs, makes partly autonomous operation possible on the highway. Still, the company is reserved in its optimism.

We believe that one day there will be fully automated cars that drive themselves under all circumstances, a G.M. spokesman, Dan Flores, said about the potential of driverless vehicles for the handicapped. A lot of societal benefits are possible, but were years away from achieving those benefits.

Audi recently obtained a permit to test self-driving cars on California roads. But the cars are equipped with manual controls so a driver can take over if necessary.

Present-day tech developed by every automaker and accepted by state laws requires human ability to take over, a company spokesman, Brad Stertz, wrote in an email. Fully autonomous driving is mostly a human generation away, no matter who is making promises.

Google is making promises, or at least offering suggestions. The company, which declined to provide an interview for this article, has developed two prototypes. The first was a standard vehicle fitted with sensors, hardware and computers that enabled self-driving. Equipped with steering wheel and brakes, it could be operated by a backup driver in an emergency.

The second-generation Google car is entirely driverless and has no steering wheel or brake pedal. Driver intervention is impossible, even in an emergency, so its design would be appropriate for people physically unable to operate a vehicle.

In ablog postlast April, Chris Umson, director of Googles self-driving car project, said the company was growing more optimistic about reaching an achievable goal a vehicle that operates fully without human intervention.

In a statement provided to The Times, Google said that the potential of a self-driver to help those with disabilities could be realized only if the human operator were taken out of the equation. The company maintains that denying the driver an active role in vehicle control will also eliminate human error and improve driving safety.

Steve Mahan of Morgan Hill, Calif., executive director of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, has ridden in both of Googles prototypes. Mr. Mahon, 61, is legally blind. Google contacted him about three years ago to discuss how self-driving vehicles might benefit the disabled. He was offered a chance toexperience Googles retrofitted Toyota Priusand provide feedback. He has since ridden in thenew driverless prototype.

My read on Googles approach is, how do you create vehicles that are smart enough to drive on existing roadways, Mr. Mahan said in a phone interview. Theyre looking at a paradigm shift in transportation, where the vehicles assume all of the driving tasks for efficiency and safety.

He added: Ive been in the Google cars quite a bit in urban traffic and highway. The technology is incredibly capable. They drive like good drivers. I spoke to a programmer who helps define how the car behaves. I told him, So youre the person who made these cars drive like my wife.

Googles driverless vehicle is in testing. Because California law requires that self-driving vehicles be fitted with backup manual systems, the company has installed a temporary steering wheel and controls. On a website devoted to the car, Google said, Well remove these manual controls after the prototypes have finished being tested and permitted, because our vehicles are ultimately designed to operate without a human driver.

The marketplace together with regulators could have the final say as to what type of autonomous car is ultimately offered for sale and whether the vehicle could accommodate those incapable of controlling the car manually.

Research doesnt suggest that a clear majority of drivers are eager to turn the wheel over to a robotic driver. Asurveyby the Pew Research Center and Smithsonian magazine, for example, found that 48 percent of Americans would be interested in a self-driving car; 50 percent would not. The survey did not attempt to determine whether those who were accepting of self-driving technology would be willing to relinquish all control to a vehicle without a steering wheel or brake pedal.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has not issued regulations for self-driving vehicles, and it would not comment for the record in regard to potential rules. But it has issuedguidelinesfor on-road testing and advised the states in regard to on-road operation

Not everyone who lacks the mobility needed to drive a conventional car wants a driverless car. Bruce Chargo, a 55-year-old financial planner from Clio, Mich., who is paralyzed below his chest and has no control of his hands, feet or back muscles, drivesspecially equipped vehicleswith his upper arms and head.

A self-driving car isnt for me, he said in a telephone interview. There are very few things I can do independently, but I can drive. If self-driving cars reach dealer showrooms, funding for vehicles like mine might not be available. That concerns me.

But Mr. Mahan, the director of the center for blind people, wants to be mobile as well, and alternative-control systems cant enable a vision-impaired driver.

I miss driving, he said. My experience with Google has been terrific, and I want it to happen. Everyone in the blind community wants it to happen."

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/automobiles/in-self-driving-cars-a-potential-lifeline-for-the-disabled.html?_r=0

An article inDisability Scoop written by Michelle Diament about a famous comedian/actor who thinks he's on the autism spectrum. I think this will be a great awareness builder for autism.

Jerry Seinfeld: I Think Im On The Spectrum

By Michelle Diament

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld says he believes he may be on the autism spectrum.

Seinfeld tellsNBC Newsthat he sees traits of autism in himself, indicating that he isnt the best socially and does not always follow what others are saying.

I think on a very drawn-out scale, I think Im on the spectrum, said Seinfeld, 60. Youre never paying attention to the right things. Basic social engagement is really a struggle. Im very literal, when people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I dont know what theyre saying.

The revelation came in an interview to promote a new season of Seinfelds web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Each episode finds the comedian cruising in a different classic car alongside a celebrity pal. Guests have included Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Sarah Jessica Parker and Larry David.

Seinfeld said fellow comedians are the only kind of people that I feel completely relaxed around.

Nonetheless, he doesnt see his autism tendencies negatively.

I dont see it as as dysfunctional. I just think of it as an alternate mindset, he said.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/11/07/jerry-seinfeld-spectrum/19831/