The following questions were collected during the
VACIL May 12 webinar focused on the upcoming cap on the hours that an
attendant can provide Medicaid consumer-directed services. Responses to
the questions were developed by VACIL and reviewed by the Department of
Medical Assistance Services.
More information about upcoming changes
to the number of hours that a Virginia Medicaid consumer-directed
attendant can work is at
www.vacil.org/News.htm
1.
What is changing with Medicaid consumer-directed (CD) overtime pay?
Overtime will no longer be paid.
2.
What is changing with the number of hours? The change effects the
number of hours that any one CD attendant can work for any one Employer
of Record (EOR). CD attendants will no longer be permitted to work more
than 40 hours in a work week for the same EOR.
3.
What is a work week? For the purposes of consumer direction, a work
week begins Thursday and ends Wednesday.
4.
When will the change be effective? The change will start June 30 as
this is the start of a CD pay period.
5.
Is the number of hours I have approved for CD services changing? No.
Your authorized hours for personal care, respite or companion services
are not changing.
6.
How many hours can my CD attendant work?CD attendants cannot work more than 40 hours of CD employment in
a work week for the same Employer of Record (EOR).
7.
Is the 40 hour limit for the pay period or for the work week? Other
words, could the CD attendant work 30 hours one week and 50 hours the
next week so long as the total hours for the two week pay period do not
exceed 80 hours/average of 40 hours a week? No, the 40 hours applies
to each work week.
8. Does this
40 hour a week rule impact both models – agency directed and consumer
directed? Yes, the federal Department of Labor (DOL) rule requiring
overtime applies to both agency and CD services. Agencies determine if
they will pay overtime. The Virginia General Assembly removed funds from
the Budget for overtime pay to CD attendants and added language to the
Budget that no overtime shall be paid.
9. Can my CD
attendant work 30 hours of personal care and 20 hours of respite for me
during the same week? No. The CD attendant can only work a total of
40 hours a week of CD employment for the same EOR. This includes a
combination of any of the three services that may be consumer directed
(personal care, respite and companion).
10. If
someone has 50 hours a week of CD services, could the CD attendant be
paid by DMAS for 40 hours and then the person receiving CD services or
employer of record (EOR) pay out of pocket for the additional 10 hours?
No. Payments made through Medicaid are considered payment in full. The
EOR should hire another CD attendant. If an additional CD attendant
cannot be hired, other services should be considered.
11.
Can room and board be considered as payment for Medicaid CD services?
No, the individual receiving CD services or EOR cannot pay for
services that are required to be paid by Medicaid. The individual’s plan
of care stipulates the hours that Medicaid is responsible to cover.
12.
How will I find new people to hire as CD attendants? Your services
facilitator can provide you with management training to encourage
different recruitment strategies.
13.
What can I do if I cannot find another CD attendant to hire? Meet
with your services facilitator to discuss how to recruit additional
attendants and to discuss other options.
14.
What will happen if someone is unsuccessful in recruiting additional CD
attendants to cover more than 40 hours in a work week? For someone
who uses the EDCD Waiver, Medicaid Works, or EPSDT for their CD
services, the services facilitator can assist you to change
authorization of some service hours to an agency. Individuals can use a
combination of agency and CD services. For someone who uses the DD or ID
Waiver, you may consider changing some of your CD hours to another
service such as in-home residential or one of the new day activities
being put in place with the redesign of the DD and ID Waivers.
15.
Won’t it cost more to use those other DD and ID Waiver services? It
may cost more. If those are the services that you require to maintain
yourself in your home or community then they may be provided.
16.
If the Commonwealth is willing to pay the cost for those other services,
why not just pay the overtime? The Virginia General Assembly removed
funds from the Budget for overtime pay to CD attendants and language has
been added to the Budget that no overtime shall be paid.
17. May the
CD attendant work 40 hours for one individual and 40 hours for another
individual in the same work week? It depends. If the CD attendant is
working for the same EOR, the hours of both individuals are added
together and the CD attendant cannot work more than a combination of 40
hours in a work week for the same EOR. If both individuals have
different EORs, the CD attendant can work up to 40 hours for each
individual (the limit is based on the EOR). The hours a CD attendant
works for multiple EORs are not added together to determine the 40 hour
limit. In contrast, the hours a CD attendant works for the same EOR are
added together.
18.
Are there any exceptions to the 40 hour limit a CD attendant can work?
Live-in CD attendants can work more than 40 hours a week and they are
not and will not be paid overtime.
19.
Who is considered a live-in attendant? If the individual lives in
the same household/residence with the CD attendant, that CD attendant is
considered a live-in attendant. Information about live-in attendants is
at
https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs79b.htm.
20.
How is it verified that someone is a live-in attendant? The Fiscal
Agent/Employer Agent, PPL has the ability to match addresses and it is
the information provided to the IRS and for payroll. It is Medicaid
fraud to claim there is a live-in attendant if the attendant is not
residing in the individual’s residence.
21.
Why does my services facilitator need to know if I am using a live-in CD
attendant? Services facilitators must maintain documentation
supporting the reason(s) why you are using a live-in CD attendant.
22.
How are people being notified of this change? PPL will send notice
about this change to EORs and CD attendants. DMAS will send information
about this change to services facilitators and others.
23.
What exactly did the Virginia General Assembly require? The General
Assembly adopted the budget for the upcoming fiscal years that begin
July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018. When the General Assembly completed
their work on the budget April 20, the budget included the following
budget amendment:
“The
Department of Medical Assistance Services shall amend the State Plan
under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, and any necessary waivers,
to reflect that no authority is provided for the payment of overtime for
Medicaid-reimbursed consumer-directed personal assistance, respite and
companion services. The Department shall implement the necessary
regulatory changes and other necessary measures to be consistent with
federal approval of any appropriate state plan and/or waiver changes,
and prior to the completion of any regulatory process undertaken in
order to effect such change."
The amendment included the following explanation:
This
amendment eliminates $8.4 million the first year and $10.5 million the
second year from the general fund and language contained in the
introduced budget to authorize the payment of overtime for
Medicaid-reimbursed consumer-directed (CD) personal assistance, respite
and companion services for a single attendant who works more than 40
hours per week. Language is added to require the Department of Medical
Assistance Services to amend the State Plan for Medical Assistance to
reflect that no authority is provided to authorize overtime for
Medicaid-reimbursed CD personal assistance, respite and companion
services and to allow the agency to implement emergency regulations to
effect the change.
The items in the Governor’s December 17 introduced budget (second column
below) are approved, unless the General Assembly changed the item as
reflected in the third column.
The budget goes into effect July 1.
Chart prepared by the Virginia Association of
Centers for Independent Living.
Department of Education
Item Description
Introduced Budget
(Dec 17)
General Assembly Final
Budget
(April 20)
Workgroup to assess barriers to educating
students with disabilities in local schools
Language only Item 132 #2c
Department for Aging and
Rehabilitative Services Budget Items
Item Description
Introduced Budget
(Dec 17)
General Assembly Final
Budget
(April 20)
Provide funds for newly required transition
services provided by Centers for Independent Living
Adds $200,000 each year
Item 332 #4c
Increase Long Term Employment Support
Services for people with significant disabilities to maintain
employment
Adds $375,000 each year
Item 332 #2c
Increase services for people with brain
injury
Adds $500,000 each year
Item 332 #3c
Increase people served through public
guardianship: 295 people leaving training centers; 148 people
leaving state mental health facilities; 50 people at risk
Adds 493 people
Keeps item from the introduced budget
Department of Behavioral Health
and Developmental Services
Item Description
Introduced Budget
(Dec 17)
General Assembly Final
Budget
(April 20)
Positions to assist with a local model of
the Individual and Family Support Program
Add 5 positions
Eliminate 4 of the 5 positions
Item 314 #1c
Item Description
Introduced Budget
(Dec 17)
General Assembly Final
Budget
(April 20)
Positions to assist with administrative
actions related to the DOJ Settlement Agreement
Add 19 positions
Eliminate 4 of the 19 positions
Item 313 #2c
Independent review to develop options for
consideration by the General Assembly of operating the Central
Virginia Training Center, if needed, as a smaller facility
utilizing the newly renovated buildings
$100,000 for review
Item 313 #7c
Replaces state general funds with funds
from the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Trust Fund
(Trust Fund) for one-time use by people leaving training centers
to live in the community
Item 314 #2c
Expenditures from the Trust Fund to be
appropriated through General Assemblyappropriations bill
Item 313#1c
Department of Medical Assistance
Services
Item Description
Introduced Budget
(Dec 17)
General Assembly Final
Budget
(April 20)
Money Follows the Person Waiver slots for
people transitioning out of institutions through
15 DD each year
110 ID each year
Keeps item from the introduced budget
DOJ required ID Waiver slots
390 ID July 2016
415 ID July 2017
Keeps item from the introduced budget
DOJ required DD Waiver slots
25 DD July 2016
25 ID July 2017
Keeps item from the introduced budget
Reserved Waiver slots for emergencies,
transferring between newly designed Waivers and people
transitioning from institutions
25 Day Support
50 DD
25 ID
Eliminates the 100 reserved slots
(Item 306 #26c adds 40 reserved slots)
306 #23c
Add 355 Waiver slots: 200 for people at the
top of the DD Waiver chronological list; 115 DD Waiver slots; 40
for emergencies, transfers between Waivers and people leaving
ICF/IDD and nursing facilities (the 40 would be between the 3
DD/ID Waivers)
306 #26c
Increase rates for private duty nursing in
the Tech Waiver and EPSDT
2% increase
11.5% increase to equate rate to the rate
in the redesigned DD/ID Waivers
Items 306 #3c
Increase rates for agency and
consumer-directed personal care, respite and companion supports;
2% increase
Keeps item from the introduced budget
Item Description
Introduced Budget
(Dec 17)
General Assembly Final
Budget
(April 20)
Modify DD and ID Waiver redesign
5.4% average rate increase (varies by
service)
Amendments from conference committee in row
below*
Item 306 #12c
*Rate increase for skilled nursing must be
25%
*Rate for private duty nursing must be
equal to rates in the Tech Waiver and EPSDT
*Sponsored residential rate cannot change
before January 1, 2017
*Following new services delayed until July
1, 2017: community guide, peer support, community coaching,
benefits planning and non-medical transportation
*Rate differential for sponsored
residential services in northern Virginia
Overtime wages for Medicaid
consumer-directed employees
Up to 16 hours of overtime
Eliminates all overtime for CD employees
Item 306 #21c
FAMIS coverage for applied behavior
analysis services
Fund in ’16 & ‘17
Keeps item from the introduced budget
Slight adjustment in match
Item 305 #2c
Increase EDCD Waiver adult day health care
rates by 2.5%
Item #306 #4c
Workgroup to recommend improvements to data
collection on the incidence of brain injury and to review
expenditures on care provided outside of the state
Item 310 #5c
Increase financial eligibility for GAP
(Medicaid demonstration waiver for adults with serious mental
illness) from 60 to 80 percent of the federal poverty level
VACIL held a webinar on May 12 to discuss
issues regarding overtime pay for Virginia Medicaid consumer-directed
services. We started with a
review of the US
Department of Labor regulation, history of implementation, and related
legislation in Virginia. The Department of Medical Assistance
Services (DMAS) reviewed how they are
planning to
eliminate overtime beginning June 30 to comply with the actions
taken by the Virginia General Assembly. DMAS will eliminate all overtime
and limit CD assistants to 40 hours a week beginning June 30. The
exemption for live-in assistants will continue for now. Alison Barkoff
with the Bazelon Center reviewed what could be accomplished with an
exceptions process
to the 40-hour cap.
The Virginia Association of Centers for Independent
Living is requesting that the Commonwealth develop an exceptions process
to the 40-hour cap so that people who would have extraordinary
difficulty with such a cap can request a limited exception for their
Medicaid CD assistants to work more than 40 hours a week. If your
organization is willing to sign onto a letter requesting an exceptions
process, please contact Maureen Hollowell for a draft of
the letter. If an exceptions process is not established, the Virginia
Centers for Independent Living will be available to assist individuals
to prepare complaints to the US Department of Justice. More about the
complaint process will be available from VACIL through VaWaivers
(a Yahoo
discussion group) next month.
Additional information about the
federal
overtime rule is available.
Regional nonprofit seeks candidates for
Executive Director to lead the organization through its start-up and
beyond. Qualified applicants will possess a bachelor’s degree or higher
in business, human services, or related field. Demonstrated experience
(1-3 years) in a supervisory management position related to working with
people with disabilities. Demonstrated experience in public speaking
advocacy, and leadership. Specific duties include: direct and supervise
center operations; act as primary liaison to general public, Board of
directors, other organizations, and individuals in order to promote the
mission of the center; supervise all center staff; and develop,
implement, and maintain center policies, programs, services, and annual
budget.
Salary commensurate with relevant education and
experience. Individuals with a disability are encouraged to apply. EOE.
Email cover letter, resume, and salary requirements no later than
November 30, to NRVDRC@gmail.com
Public Comment: Managed
Long Term Services,
Supports
The Dept. of
Medical Assistance
Services (DMAS) is
seeking public comment
regarding Medicaid
reform.
Comments are due by
June 1, so
make your voice heard!
DOE Survey Re:
Parent Involvement
If you're the
parent of a child
receiving special
education services,
complete this quick
anonymous survey from
the VA Dept. of
Education (VaDOE) to
reflect upon your
experiences during the
current school year.
Your participation helps
Virginia collect the
information needed to
report on its State
Performance Plan to the
U.S. Dept. of Education.
If you have questions,
please contact
Hank Millward at
804-371-0525.
40% of Students with
Disabilities = High
School Dropouts
A new
140 page report
produced in conjunction
with John Hopkins
University estimates
that 85-90% of students
with disabilities are
capable of completing
requirements to obtain a
high school diploma, but
only 6 in 10 students
graduated in 2013.
Mental Health for ESL
In 2014, the Dept. for Behavioral Health & Developmental
Services (DBHDS)
surveyed stakeholders to
identify the top 10
essential words for
people with limited
English proficiency to
navigate Virginia's
behavioral healthcare
system. The result is a
flexible curriculum that
can be broken down into
2 sessions. This
information is being
introduced in public
schools, adult language
learning centers, and
ESL classes at
non-profit and religious
organizations. For more
information, contact Eva
Stitt, DBHDS Office of
Cultural & Linguistic
Competence at
757.272.7406.
Public Comment
due by 5/31
DBHDS is collecting
public comment
online until the end of
May for the
Commissioner's
Transformation Teams. Be
part of the solution,
give your thoughts and
suggestions, and learn
more.
The Institute
on Disability at the
University of New Hampshire
(UNH), in partnership with the Kessler
Foundation, is
conducting a national survey
focusing on employment issues
for working age adults with
disabilities. The primary
purpose of this survey is to
understand the mechanisms by
which individuals with
disabilities strive to work and
the challenges they face in
doing so. We anticipate that the
findings from this survey will
inform research and advocacy
efforts to develop innovative
and sustainable approaches (for
individuals, families, service
providers, and employers) to
maximize the employment
opportunities of people with
disabilities. This survey is
open to individuals with
disabilities, or family members
of individuals with
disabilities, who are employed
or seeking employment.
This survey has been reviewed
and approved by the UNH
Institutional Review Board
(IRB). If you have any questions
about this research project or
would like more information
before, during, or after the
study, you may contact Dr. Vidya
Sundar at (603) 862-0284 or
vidya.sundar@unh.edu.
UMass Medical School is conducting an online survey to learn about the
health care experiences of mothers with physical or mobility
disabilities before, during, and after pregnancy. This survey is part of
a research study.
To participate, you must:
·
Have a physical or mobility disability
·
Have given birth to a baby within the last ten (10) years
·
Be able to complete the survey in either English or Spanish
Your participation involves:
·
About 20 minutes of your time
·
Access to a computer and internet
·
Answering questions about your health care experiences during your most
recent pregnancy
·
Privacy; the survey is anonymous, we will not ask you to provide any
contact information
Interested?
Visit the survey website and answer a few brief screening questions to
make sure you are eligible.
Http://survey.umassmed.edu/moms_disabilities If you prefer
to complete the survey over the phone, please call to speak to the
research staff: 1-888-368-7157
The
HSC
Foundation,
in
partnership
with
the
National
Council
on
Independent
Living
(NCIL),
is
now
accepting
applications
for
a
paid
fellowship
position
with
the
organizations’
disability
youth
transition
and
collaboration
work.
This
fellowship
is
ideal
for
a
person
with
a
disability
who
has
an
interest
in
youth
career
transitions
and
employment
solutions.
The
fellowship
starts
in
June
2015,
and
continues
for
15
months.
Under
the
supervision
of
NCIL’s
Executive
Director,
the
Youth
Transitions
Fellow
(YTF)
will
gain
exposure
to
youth
programs
serving
people
with
disabilities
and
will
have
the
opportunity
to
facilitate
collaboration
among
internship,
fellowship,
and
apprenticeship
programs
based
in
the
Greater
Washington,
DC
area.
Preferred
Skills
and
Qualifications:
Ability to facilitate collaboration among large groups
Ability to work with people in all levels of an organization, including young people with a variety of disabilities
Strong communication skills and strong organizational skills
Creative and innovative personality
Familiarity with technology and social networking tools
Strong interest in youth transition for people with disabilities and organizing.
Eligibility:
College
graduate
26-or-younger
who
self-identifies
as
an
individual
with
any
type
of
disability
is
invited
to
apply.
You
will
not
be
required
to
disclose
your
specific
disability;
however,
your
application
for
this
program
will
signify
that
you
consider
yourself
a
person
with
a
disability.
Please
Note:
This
fellowship
is
specifically
for
people
with
disabilities.
Please
Provide
the
Following:
Please attach your resume in Microsoft Word format.
Please provide the contact information for four (4) references who are familiar with your qualifications relevant to this fellowship and your personal character.
Please attach in Microsoft Word format two (2) letters of recommendation from two (2) of the above-mentioned references.
What
Happens
Next:
Completed applications received by NCIL before 5:00 PM EDT, Friday, May 15, 2015 will be collected and reviewed by our team.
Semi-Finalists will be contacted for short, preliminary telephone interviews.
Finalists will be contacted for formal telephone interviews.
The fellow will be selected and notified by May 20, 2015.
The fellow must be able to begin work by June 15, 2015.
The
HSC
Foundation’s
National
Youth
Transitions
Center
The
HSC
Foundation’s
National
Youth
Transitions
Center
is a
collaborative
learning
community
to
benefit
youth
with
disabilities
and
returning
wounded
veterans.
The
National
Youth
Transitions
Center,
developed
by
The
HSC
Foundation,
will
bring
together
the
resources
of
multiple
organizations
to
provide
much
needed
transitions
related
services,
research,
public
policy,
best
practices,
pilot
projects,
and
evaluation
so
that
youth
with
disabilities
can
achieve
their
greatest
level
of
independence.
The
Center
will
create
a
forum
to
enhance
the
ability
of
young
people
and
veterans
with
disabilities
to
enter
and
reenter
the
workforce,
participate
in
and
contribute
to
community
life,
and
become
productive
members
of
society.
The
National
Council
on
Independent
Living
The
National
Council
on
Independent
Living
is
the
longest-running
national
cross-disability,
grassroots
organization
run
by
and
for
people
with
disabilities.
Founded
in
1982,
NCIL
represents
thousands
of
organizations
and
individuals
including:
individuals
with
disabilities,
Centers
for
Independent
Living
(CILs),
Statewide
Independent
Living
Councils
(SILCs),
and
other
organizations
that
advocate
for
the
human
and
civil
rights
of
people
with
disabilities
throughout
the
United
States.
An
outcome
of
the
national
Disability
Rights
and
Independent
Living
Movements,
NCIL
was
founded
to
embody
the
values
of
disability
culture
and
Independent
Living
philosophy,
which
creates
a
new
social
paradigm
and
emphasizes
that
people
with
disabilities
are
the
best
experts
on
their
own
needs,
that
they
have
crucial
and
valuable
perspective
to
contribute
to
society,
and
are
deserving
of
equal
opportunity
to
decide
how
to
live,
work,
and
take
part
in
their
communities.
TO
APPLY:
Applications
must
be
received
by
5:00
PM
(Eastern
Daylight
Time)
on
or
before
Friday,
May
15,
2015.
Able SC is
releasing the second "What You Need to Know" series about Medical
Examinations. Whether you're a person with a disability or a health care
provider, you should know the law and what's required to ensure equal
access to healthcare! To learn more, check out the below video:
What You Need to
Know Series about Medical Examinations.
The World Institute
on Disability (WID),
National Council on
Independent Living
(NCIL) and
Policyworks would
like to introduce
you to and get your
support for the
CareerACCESS
initiative.
Does having a
disability mean you
cannot work? Under
current Supplemental
Security Income
(SSI) rules, an
individual with a
disability must
prove they cannot
work to be eligible
for benefits,
including health
care and other
independent living
supports. After an
SSI award, available
work incentives are
difficult to
navigate and little
used. Many youth and
families think work
will risk access to
health care,
personal care
services, and the
reliability of their
monthly SSI check.
CareerACCESS offers
an alternative for
SSI eligible youth
to escape poverty
and dependence.
CareerACCESS is
a community-driven
proposed program of
reforms to the
Social Security
Administration’s
Supplemental
Security Income
Program (SSI) that
will provide an
alternative benefits
program for young
adults with
disabilities. The
CareerACCESS goal is
to make it easy to
work. A young adult
working with a
Career Coach would
develop an
Individualized
Career Plan to
achieve personal and
professional goals.
CareerACCESS rules
would allow
increased earnings
and remove asset
limits. CareerACCESS
will be piloted in
several states to
serve individuals up
to the age of 30.
SSI eligible youth
from age 18 to 28
will automatically
enter CareerACCESS.
Eligibility will
NOT require an
“incapacity to
work” test.
Adult Coaching,
Counseling, and
Employment
Support Services
will be managed
through an
Individualized
Career Plan to
increase
success.
Health Care and
Independent
Living Supports
will remain
available.
SSI Cash Benefit
Retention and
Removal of Asset
Limits
will offset the
cost of managing
a disability
while building a
career.
We would love to get
you involved in
moving this
initiative forward
and informing your
members and
community about
CareerACCESS.
September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
and a good time to update your Reeve Foundation
Wallet Health Cards.
Through our
Paralysis Resource Center we offer three
personalized wallet cards that can help make sure
you or your loved ones get the right care in the
event of an emergency:
Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD) Wallet Card If
you have a spinal cord injury at the T6 level or
above Autonomic Dysreflexia and a rapid increase
in blood pressure can case a serious medical
emergency.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Wallet Card A
blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the
body, often in the leg or hip, are more common
in people living with paralysis. These clots can
be fatal if they break loose.
Sepsis Wallet Card Sepsis happens when
the body's response to an infection injures its
own tissues and organs and can be life
threatening unless it is treated quickly.
Some medical professionals are not familiar with the
way these conditions are especially threatening for
people living with paralysis.
These handy wallet cards provide the life-saving
information those staffing EMT units, emergency
rooms and other health centers need to best treat
you.
Mark Spinal Cord Awareness Month by doing all you
can to be as healthy as possible and tell others
about all the great free resources available through
the Reeve Foundation's
Paralysis Resource Center.
Yours truly,
Peter T. Wilderotter President and
CEO Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
Call on Congress to Fully Fund Housing Programs
Now
Tell Congress Housing Programs Need Adequate
Full-Year Funding
Congress returns from August recess this week and
will get to work on a continuing resolution (CR) to
keep federal programs, including HUD’s housing
programs, funded until mid-December. A CR is
necessary if Congress does not pass an FY15 HUD
appropriations bill before September 30. While a CR
will only fund programs at their FY14 levels, a
stronger FY15 appropriations bill with strong
funding levels would be much better for housing
programs. For example:
A CR would only fund HUD’s homeless assistance
programs at 14% less than the $2.406 billion
level requested by President Obama for FY14.
At FY14 levels, the housing choice voucher
program would be funded at $1.2 billion less
than the amount needed to bring back the 40,000
vouchers lost because of 2013’s sequestration,
and not yet restored.
And, for the critical public housing operating
and capital funds, FY14 funding levels are less
than both the President requested and the
Senate’s FY15 appropriation bill would provide.
BACKGROUND
At this point, it is unlikely that Congress will
pass a full HUD appropriations bill, but will rather
move forward with a CR to fund programs just beyond
the November elections.
Please join us in calling your Members of
Congress to
ask them to contact the Chair or Ranking Member of
the Appropriations Committee and tell them that
providing adequate funding for the McKinney-Vento
homeless assistance programs, the housing choice
voucher program, the public housing operating and
capital programs, the HOME program, and HUD programs
are top priorities.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
The House and Senate are back from their August
recess for just a couple of weeks before another
recess prior to the elections. During this time,
Congress must pass some mechanism to fund programs
after the start of the next fiscal year, which
begins on October 1. Housing programs will be better
off if Congress adequately funds them in FY15 rather
than continuing FY14 funding levels.
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Pick up the phone!
Call your Senators and Representative this week
and ask to speak to the staff person who works
on housing issues.
Make the ask!
Urge them to support sufficient funding for
McKinney-Vento homeless assistance grants,
tenant-based rental assistance, public housing,
HOME, and other important programs.
Report back.
Contact us to let us know what type of response
you are getting when making your calls. We want
to be able to track any progress that is being
made. Reach us at
outreach@nlihc.org.
Spread the word.
Forward this action alert to your networks with
the phone numbers of your Senate and House
offices.
MORE INFORMATION
To find the contact information for your Senators
and Representative, simply visit
NLIHC’s website and enter your zip code in the
“Contact Congress” box at the lower right of the
screen. When calling, make sure to ask for the staff
person who works on housing issues.
CFTB receives DG grant - accessible computers f/t blind available for
$20 to SSI recipients
Computers for the Blind (CFTB), a
non-profit 501 (c) (3) agency is pleased to announce the receipt of a
grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation which will enable us to provide
our refurbished desktop computers with screen reader and screen
magnification software to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients
for only $20.
In order to qualify a person who is legally blind must present us with a
copy of their disability determination award letter from the Social
Security Administration (SSA) indicating that they are an SSI recipient
due to blindness.
Please note that this grant is only available to SSI recipients.
Persons who receive SSDI or Social Security Retirement do not qualify
for this grant unless they also receive SSI. Please do not share this
with consumers who do not receive SSI or we will be inundated with calls
from individuals who do not qualify.
To request a computer, contact us at: 214-340-6328 or
info@computersfortheblind.net
This offer is good until grant funds are exhausted.
This year CFTB is celebrating its 25th year of
connecting worlds – one computer at a time. We have shipped out
over 7,000 accessible computers to persons who are blind or have low
vision. With your assistance and that of the Delta Gamma
Foundations we will continue to be able to provide low cost accessible
computers to persons who could otherwise not afford them. For more
information about our computers and organization go to our website at
www.computersfortheblind.net.
The First 40 people to respond are eligible for a $10 stipend! If
you are not one of the first 40 people we are still interested in your
input—but you will not receive the $10 stipend. If you choose your name
can be added to a database and you might be asked to participate in
another project in the future.
What are we doing?
We are asking people with disabilities to tell us how we can create
the most “likable, accessible and usable” information for an App. The
purpose of the App is to help people make healthy living choices based
on their specific needs and interests such as weight loss and managing
health conditions.
What you get to do:
Review some health information on a website. You will review short
videos, audio files, and text documents. Then, you will fill out a
survey to tell us what you like and don’t like about the ways you had to
review the information.
To qualify, you must:
• Be very comfortable using technology including email, surfing the
web, and using more than one tab within a browser
• Have access to a computer on a regular basis
• Adults over the age of 18 years
• Have a physical limitation or mobility impairment
What you get:
You will receive a $10 stipend for your time and feedback. But
you must be one of the first 40 people to complete the survey to receive
the stipend. You can expect to receive your stipend within 4-6 weeks
after you complete the survey.
Center on Transition
Innovations (CTI) - We are pleased to announce the launching
of the Center on Transition Innovations (CTI) website! It is the vision
of the Virginia Department of Education to create a centralized
statewide resource for educators and other stakeholders in the
transition of youth with disabilities.
We invite you to explore the website to learn about the many
opportunities available to you that can immediately impact your
transition planning efforts. We also will be posting information and
resources on our Facebook page. Please take a moment to like us on
Facebook and share the page with your colleagues.
Online Colleges Databaseis a website and organization focused on providing post-secondary
information for students and learners across the world.Our organization recently published a new resource that supports
the families and students with disabilities:
“OnlineCollegesDatabase.org: Online Learning for Students with
Disabilities.”We were fortunate to have experts in
the field contribute to this resource, which you can find here:
OnlineCollegesDatabase.org: Online Learning for Students with
Disabilities
Some of the important topics covered in the
guide include: Resources online learning for students and families with
disabilities, best practices for meeting the needs of students with
disabilities, technology supporting the community, how to evaluate and
online learning programs, and many additional helpful resources.
The ADAPT activists who have
occupied the offices of the
New York State Nurses
Association (NYSNA)
appreciate the outpouring of
support from the disability
community and others across
the nation. It has been over
100 hours since members of
New York State ADAPT started
the occupation of the NYSNA
offices because the union
opposes amending the Nurse
Practice Act to allow
attendants to do
health-related tasks.
Throughout the occupation,
ADAPT has negotiated with
the nurses' union in good
faith to get their support
for nurse delegation so
people who need assistance
with health-related tasks -
including medication
administration, ventilator
care, assistance with
catheters, suppositories and
feeding tubes - can get that
assistance in the community
from attendants.
By allowing advanced home
health aides to do
health-related tasks, New
York State will be able to
implement the Community
First Choice (CFC) Option.
This Medicaid State Plan
Option would assure that any
individual eligible for
institutional placement is
able to access services and
supports to live in the
community. Under CFC, NYS
would receive additional
federal funding and would
significantly expand the
services and supports for
people with disabilities
living independently.
Additionally, after
expanding the availability
of services, it is estimated
that CFC - at full
implementation - would
generate an extra $340
million a year, every year.
On Wednesday, when ADAPT
first arrived at NYSNA,
there was significant
disagreement about the
provision of assistance with
health related tasks, and
the advocates were concerned
that NYSNA's advocacy was
focused on preventing people
with disabilities from
getting assistance with key
health-related tasks to live
independently. ADAPT
explained that "full
implementation of the
Community First Choice
Option" means that no person
with a disability should be
forced into an institution
because they cannot get
assistance with
health-related tasks.
Through the negotiations,
ADAPT secured a statement
from NYSNA supporting "the
rights of all New Yorkers to
be independent in their own
homes, and the rights to any
and all care needed to
maintain that independence."
In that same statement,
NYSNA said "To be clear,
NYSNA fully supports the
implementation of the
Community First Choice
program." NYSNA also
proposed alternative
legislative language
amending NYS education law
to allow advanced home
health aides to do
health-related tasks. ADAPT
is now being told that
NYSNA's language creates a
contradiction between
education law that would
authorize nurse delegation
and the Nurse Practice Act
in health law that precludes
this.
“We are not union lobbyists
or lawyers; nor are we
governmental officials or
legislators. We are people
with disabilities who want
to secure our civil right to
live in freedom in the
community. We are also
activists, and we will hold
the union, legislature, and
our governmental officials
accountable.
We have fought for 24 years
to secure the right to live
in the community rather than
be forced into institutions.
We will not wait any longer,
so NYS ADAPT is continuing
our occupation of the NYSNA
offices.”
Demands
Because of the legal
problems that appear to be
created by NYSNA's proposed
language, NYS ADAPT demands
that NYSNA immediately
provide a compelling legal
analysis demonstrating that
their language does not - in
fact - create a
contradiction between health
and education law. If NYSNA
is unable to provide such a
compelling legal argument,
it must agree to address the
contradiction by supporting
the addition of a
"notwithstanding clause" to
their language or support an
amendment to the Nurse
Practice Act.
NYS ADAPT further demands
that the New York State
Assembly Democrats ensure
the civil rights of people
with disabilities by
supporting budget language
that authorizes advanced
home health aides to do
health-related tasks, and if
necessary, amends the Nurse
Practice Act in order to
fully implement the
Community First Choice
Option, end the Medicaid
institutional bias, and FREE
OUR PEOPLE!
Follow NCIL:
www.ncil.org 2013 H St.
Northwest | Sixth Floor | Washington, DC 20006 US
ASAN has prepared a
comprehensive toolkit to empower people with disabilities,
their families, and other disability advocates to help combat
disability-based discrimination in organ transplantation.
As ASAN found in
our 2013 report, when people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities need an organ transplant to treat a
life-threatening condition, they frequently face barriers to
receiving this lifesaving care. Doctors and transplant centers
may refuse to approve organ transplants for people with
disabilities who might need help in order to follow complicated
post-transplant treatment plans. Others may refuse to approve
transplants for people with disabilities based on the belief
that, when deciding who should receive an organ transplant,
people without disabilities should have a higher priority.
The
“Know Your Rights” guide provides people with
disabilities and their families with information on existing
laws and policies that may protect them from discrimination,
and information on who to contact if they experience
discrimination.
The
Guide for Advocates provides information on ways that
advocates can help fight organ transplantation
discrimination on a wider basis, such as through legislative
advocacy and outreach to the medical community.
The
Model Legislation on organ transplant discrimination
provides an example of effective anti-discrimination
legislation that advocates can propose to their state
legislatures.
ASAN’s toolkit on organ transplantation is the first of four
upcoming toolkits for advocates on health care issues facing the
disability community. These toolkits were made possible by
funding from the Special Hope Foundation.
We hope that you find our toolkit useful and distribute it
widely. Please send any concerns, feedback, or comments on how
you plan to use the toolkit to ASAN’s Director of Public Policy,
Samantha Crane, at
scrane@autisticadvocacy.org.
To find out more about the ADA and the ADA Mediation Program, call the
Justice Department’s toll-free
ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or visit
its
ADA.gov website.
On behalf of The ADA Legacy Project, we are pleased to announce the
launch of our website. We invite you to visit
http://www.adalegacy.com/
The website is designed to provide
you with news, updates, scheduled events, and information about our
partners who are preserving disability history, celebrating its
milestones, and educating the public and future generations of
advocates.
As you will see, the website is designed to be filled
with content written by YOU: stories, events, articles, etc. As you have
things you want to share, feel free to forward it to us. The success of
this website - and The ADA Legacy Project - depends upon you.
This is Phase 1 of the website. As we raise additional funding, we will
begin Phase 2, which will include more features to keep you connected to
related activities and events across the country.
Please share
this website with your network. And if you can, we invite you to donate
or consider becoming a Champion or Sponsor, at
http://www.adalegacy.com/donate
Our thanks goes to: Amerigroup Foundation for their financial support Dan
Wilkins for volunteering his graphic design skills Marsha
Schwanke for volunteering her knowledge of accessible web design Anil Lewis and the National Federation for the Blind for
volunteering their assessment of our accessible web design Jean
Bergey and Gallaudet University for volunteering to create our
sign-language WELCOME video:
http://adalegacy.com/about-us/welcome Kelly Buckland and the
National Council on Independent Living for their assistance
Tim Wheat for volunteering his web design knowledge ClikFocus
for building a beautiful, high-functioning, accessible, website
Please submit this survey on disability issues and have a chance to win
$500! The results of this poll will be shared with the White House, all
50 Governors, top media, disability groups and more.
The FCC released a Public Notice noting that
October 8, 2013 marked the third anniversary of the Twenty-First Century
Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) and the start of new
procedures for consumers to file requests for dispute assistance and
informal complaints about the accessibility of the following
technologies used for communication:
·Advanced communications services and
equipment (such as cellphones, smartphones, computers, laptops, and
tablets used for text messaging, e-mail, or instant messaging);
·Internet web browsers built into
mobile phones; and
·Telecommunications services and
equipment (such as telephones).
This information is also available through the
FCC complaints system at
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints by selecting “Access by People with
Disabilities.”
Unfortunately Congress did not pass a continuing resolution in time
to avert a government shutdown. Consequently we will be unable to
deliver the full range of our services to the American public.
There are three important things I would like you to know and pass along
to your constituents:
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income payments will
continue uninterrupted with no change in payment dates.
Social Security field offices will remain open with limited
services, and hearings offices will remain open to conduct hearings.
Hopefully this
situation is resolved quickly so that we may resume normal operations.
In the meantime, I thank you for sharing this information with your
constituents, and I appreciate your continued support.
Best!
Kojuan Almond
Associate Commissioner for External Affairs\
Information for
Independence: A Wealth of Resources Are Just a Click Away
MARYLAND –
AbleData and the
National Rehabilitation
Information Center (NARIC) offer the most comprehensive collection
of information on almost every aspect of disability, including
resources, assistive technology, research, and support organizations,
and the best part is most people can access this information for free.
Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR), NARIC and AbleData have served the disability and
rehabilitation community for more than 35 years by providing information
that is key to full participation for the disability community. Both
serve people with disabilities, caregivers, researchers, educators,
allied health professionals and others who provide support and services
for people with disabilities.
“AbleData provides the public with free, objective
information on assistive technology products and rehabilitation
equipment,” said Katherine Belknap, AbleData Project Director. “We
offer one of the most comprehensive listings of assistive products
available and provide information on more than 40,000 products and 5,000
manufacturers and distributors.” The AbleData project also
provides detailed descriptions of each product’s functions and features,
price information (when available), and contact information for the
product’s manufacturer and distributors. From reachers and wheelchairs
to smartphone apps and modified vehicles, AbleData covers the entire
range of assistive products, including custom adaptations, prototypes
and do-it-yourself solutions. All of this information is available for
free from the AbleData.com, which
also includes an extensive library of fact sheets, categorized lists of
nearly 3,000 support organizations and resources, and the AT
Literature database of over 11,000 research literature abstracts
focused on assistive technology. Information specialists are available
on AbleData’s toll-free information line, 800-227-0216, or via email at
abledata@macrointernational.com.
“NARIC is a full-service library and information
center without walls,” said Mark Odum, NARIC Project Director.
“Our online collection has more than 80,000 volumes of literature
including journal articles, technical reports, and consumer-level
materials fully available through the Internet. The NARIC project has
paired these resources with innovative communication and dissemination
services to be a catalyst in helping improve the lives of persons with
disabilities.” NARIC’s staff members provide free information and
referral for patrons on a wide range of disability and rehabilitation
issues. Information specialists assist professionals in locating the
latest research in the field, help service providers identify programs
and services for their clients, and offer support and information to
people with disabilities and their caregivers so they can remain
independent. NARIC.com features
three searchable databases, including the REHABDATA index of disability
and rehabilitation literature, along with information resource
brochures, topic-specific newsletters, and browsable resource lists.
Patrons can
connect with NARIC information specialists in English and Spanish by
toll-free phone at 800/346-2742, email at
naricinfo@heitechservices.com, and by chat and social media at
naric.com.
NIDRR operates under the auspices of the U.S.
Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS); it is the main federal agency that supports applied
research, training, and development to improve the lives of people with
disabilities. Accomplishing NIDRR's mission is a first step on the
journey toward ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the
opportunity to participate fully in every aspect of society. NIDRR’s
staff and its grantees are committed to generating new knowledge and
promoting its effective use in improving the ability of people with
disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community and
expanding the nation’s capacity to provide full opportunities and
accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. Through NARIC and
AbleData, NIDRR fulfills this commitment by providing the public, and
especially the disability community, with two sources for reliable
information.
Together, AbleData and NARIC provide the public
with information on more than 100,000 products and resources, and they
are available online for free and in print at no or low cost. People can
turn to AbleData and NARIC for the latest in assistive and
rehabilitation technology, new research in rehabilitation treatments and
interventions, and referral to quality support organizations and
services in their local area.
Information Alert:
National Council on Independent Living Responds to U.S.
Department of Labor Changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act
The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is the
longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots
organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in
1982, NCIL represents thousands of individuals with disabilities
and organizations, including Centers for Independent Living
(CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and other
organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of
people with disabilities throughout the United States.
NCIL values the critical role that attendants play in supporting
people with disabilities living in the community and we support
policies that acknowledge the importance of their work and
improve their lives. We repeatedly expressed serious concerns
that proposed changes to the companionship exemption would have
unintended but serious consequences for both attendants and
attendant service users. Rather than increasing the earnings of
attendants, we are concerned that the rule will reduce their
earnings because their hours will be capped. We also expressed
concern that these rule changes would consequently reduce the
available workforce and – in a number of different ways – result
in the institutionalization of people with disabilities who rely
on Medicaid-funded home and community based services.
During the rule-making process, NCIL also expressed particular
concern that the rules would also undercut consumer-directed
services and, with ADAPT, proposed a compromise that would have
covered 70% of attendants while minimizing the impact on people
with the most significant disabilities who use consumer directed
services.
NCIL is deeply disappointed that the Obama administration failed
to address our concerns, and instead finalized a rule that
without additional funding will result in caps on attendant
hours and escalate a workforce shortage into a workforce crisis.
Our members understand first-hand that states are continuing to
cut Medicaid and simply do not have the funds to cover the
additional costs associated with this rule. We do not understand
how the Department of Labor could come to any other conclusion.
We were also appalled that the Department of Labor relied on the
experience of Michigan in determining that the rule – as
proposed – wouldn’t result in the institutionalization.
According to the most recent Medicaid expenditure report,
Michigan is ranked 47th among the states in the percentage of
home and community based long term services and supports.
Consequently, the DOL analysis based on Michigan’s experience
lacks credibility.
NCIL will be holding a national conference call for our members
to answer questions about these rules and explore the impact
that this rule will have in the states. We urge our members to
consider the impact that these rules will have and send their
questions to us.
NCIL also calls upon Congress and the administration to work
with our organization, our members, and the broader disability
community to revisit this issue and find workable solutions that
do not have the serious consequences for people with
disabilities and the attendants who make community living
possible.
Individuals aged 55 or older and in need of job accommodations are being
sought for a study by researchers at the Florida State University.
You
are invited to share your perceptions of factors related to
accommodation requests by answering a few questions about yourself, your
organization (if applicable), and your abilities and emotions in the
process. This survey will take about 20-30 minutes.
The
first 100 participants completing the survey will have a 1-in-4 chance
of winning a $25 gift certificate; the rest of the respondents
completing the survey will have a 1-in-4 chance of winning a $10 gift
certificate. Moreover, you will be assisting service providers and
employers to learn more about how to improve the job accommodation
process for older workers, considering the fast trend in the aging
workforce. The survey can be accessed through the following link:
https://fsu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eCZp9L0mXe40N0h
If
you have any questions about the research study or need an alternative
survey format, please contact Dr. Shengli Dong by e-mail at
workplace_accommodation@fsu.edu.
If you have received this email and do not wish to be part of
the Job Accommodation Network's Email List, please email
janmail@AskJAN.org with
"Unsubscribe" in the subject line or visit our OptOut Server at
http://157.182.245.35:8887
to be removed.
I have worked with children with disabilities for over a decade and have
seen the negative impact that bullying and peer victimization can have
on a child. While bullying is gaining national attention, little
is known about which factors make a child more or less vulnerable to
such victimization. I am investigating these vulnerabilities.
To do this, I am recruiting caregivers of children (9-14 years old)
withandwithout autism spectrum
disorders to participate in a brief survey about their child and their
child's experiences of bullying in school (Teachers College,
Columbia University IRB # 12-355).
This is a topic that is deeply important to me and I am eager to hear
from parents of children from a diverse range of backgrounds. I
greatly appreciate the time of any caregivers who are able to
participate. All participants will be entered into a drawing to receive
one of several Target gift cards in appreciation of their participation
(1 in 10 chance of winning). Additional information about
this study and the survey itself can be found at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bullying_in_school.
ASAN is looking for
autistic writers for
our communications
team!
We need volunteers
with strong writing,
journalism, or
editing skills who
are comfortable
writing in a variety
of formats (short
informational
articles, longer
writeups and
interviews,
tipsheets and
factsheets, news
blurbs, action
alerts, etc.) with
quick turn-around.
Experience with
plain language is a
plus. The time
commitment is 3-5
hours a week,
including weekly
communications team
check-in and
planning meetings.
The ASAN
communications team
produces a wide
range of material
for the ASAN
newsletter, website,
and other
communications
platforms and
campaigns. The
communications team
makes sure that our
message of autism
acceptance,
neurodiversity, and
disability rights is
carried far and
wide, that current
and respectful
information about
autism, disability,
and neurodiversity
is readily
available, and that
the conversation
about autistic
people hears *our*
voices first. We
cannot do this
without your help.
Restraint/Seclusion
Bill Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives
Congressman George Miller (D-CA), ranking member
of the House Education & Workforce Committee and Congressman Gregg
Harper (R-MS) on Thursday introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act,
HR 1893, a bill to protect all students nationwide from restraint and
seclusion. We salute and applaud them for their leadership in
working to ensure that all students receive positive behavioral supports
rather than be subjected to these dangerous practices.
Thanks to everyone who signed onto the letter
from 200 organizations in support of the bill. The letter was
shared with members of Congress in support of reintroduction, and has
been posted to Congressman Miller's website. It is here:
http://1.usa.gov/10JYPkP We are continuing to take sign-ons
from other organizations and groups and will update it every 3-4 weeks.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act will provide
vital protections for all American children. In 2009, a Government
Accountability Office study found that children were injured,
traumatized, and even killed through restraint and seclusion in schools.
The GAO documented 20 deaths of school children. In March 2012,
the Civil Rights Data Collection showed that nearly 40,000 students were
physically restrained during the 2009-10 school year. The data
also showed that restraint and seclusion are disproportionately used
upon students with disabilities and minority students.
Please contact your members of Congress and
ask them to Cosponsor and Support the Keeping All Students Safe Act, HR
1893. Dial 202-224-3121; ask for your Representative’s Office, and
then ask for the education aide. If you are unable to call and
need to use email, go to
http://bit.ly/RepWrit. (You can also find your Representative’s
name here.) But please try to call if you can. I have
attached a copy of the bill. The link to Congressman Miller's
speech is here:
America today is a tattered patchwork of state
laws and guidelines, where some students receive comprehensive
protections only to lose them if their parents move across a river, down
a highway, or to the next town. Only 19 states have
statutes/regulations providing meaningful protections against both
restraint and seclusion for all children.
This is a summary of important points about
the Keeping Students Safe Act, HR 1893, and reasons to support it.
Share these points, or points of your own, with your Congressional
representatives.
The KSSA will ban restraint/seclusion
except in emergencies where someone is in danger of physical harm.
Only 13 states by law limit restraint of all children to
emergencies where it is necessary to protect someone from imminent
physical danger or serious physical danger; only 11 states have laws
protecting all children from non-emergency seclusion. Restraint and
seclusion are so dangerous that they must be limited in this
manner-to the absolutely rarest of circumstances when physical
safety requires their use.
The KSSA will require that parents be informed
if their child was restrained/secluded on the same day that the
event occurred.
Parents should be notified very quickly so they can seek medical
care for concussions, hidden internal injuries, and trauma, and to
work with the schools to create positive environments for their
children. 30 states by law or guidance support informing parents
of at least some children within a day or as soon as possible,
indicating that this is an important public policy. But as
Congressman Miller has pointed out, far too often, parents never
knew what happened to their child.
The KSSA will ban restraints that impede
breathing, mechanical restraints, and chemical restraints. These
are highly dangerous practices. Of the 20 deaths the GAO documented, 4 were of
children who said they could not breathe due to restraint. Only 20
states ban restraints that obstruct breathing for all children; 27
for children with disabilities. Only 14 states by law ban the use
of dangerous chemical restraints; only 15 ban mechanical
restraints. These include chairs and other devices that children
are locked into; duct tape and bungee cords, ties, rope, and other
things used to restrain children; and other devices. An Alabama
child locked into a restraining chair and left alone in the bathroom
turned the chair upside down and was hanging from the restraints,
having urinated on herself.
The KSSA will prevent restraint/seclusion from
being used when less restrictive alternatives, like positive
supports and de-escalation, would eliminate any danger.
It would require them to end when the emergency ends. Some children
have remained in seclusion/restraint until they can sit perfectly
still or do other tasks unrelated to an emergency. Children with
significant disabilities may be unable to respond to such commands
and yet pose no threat of danger.
The KSSA will require that if children are
placed in seclusion rooms, school staff must continuously visually
observe them.
Children locked in closets, bathrooms, and other rooms and spaces
unobserved have been killed, injured, and traumatized. But the
majority of states do not require continuous visual monitoring. At
Atlanta teen died in seclusion while being checked on occasionally
in 2007; an Indiana child attempted suicide while being monitored
occasionally in 2011.
Instead of restraint and seclusion, the KSSA
seeks to promote positive behavioral supports for all children.
The bill will shift schools toward preventing problematic behavior
through the use of de-escalation techniques, conflict management and
evidence-based positive behavioral interventions and supports. This
shift of focus will help school personnel understand the needs of
their students and safely address the source of challenging
behaviors - a better result for everyone in the classroom.
There is much evidence that positive supports
and interventions are very successful. For example, the Centennial School in
Pennsylvania, which serves children in 35 school districts, has cut
the use of restraint and seclusion from well over 1,000 occurrences
per year to less than ten through the use of positive supports.
Reports and studies have also shown that students and staff are
safer when positive interventions and supports, rather than
restraint and seclusion, are used in schools. Worker's Compensation
costs even decrease significantly.
The KSSA will also ban dangerous aversive
practices that threaten safety; require the collection of data; and
require appropriate training of staff. Far too often,
untrained staff injure and harm students. Data is important to
ensure that there is sunshine. When Florida introduced data
reporting and collection, a number of school districts cut their use of
restraint/seclusion.
We again salute Congressman Miller and
Congressman Harper for introducing the Keeping All Students Safe Act.
Congressman Miller has led efforts in the House to adopt
restraint/seclusion legislation since 2009, including ordering the GAO
study, holding hearings, and introducing and championing the bill.
Instructions for Contacting Congress to
Support the Bill. Please call your Congressional
Representatives and ask them to cosponsor the Keeping All Students Safe
Act, 202-221-3121. Ask for your Representative. Then ask for
his/her education aide. You can find your Representative on the
House of Representatives website: http://bit.ly/RepWrit
You can also go to that link to send an email message directly to your
Representative, but it is much better if you call.
Thanks again for all of your support for the
bill!
Jessica Butler
Congressional Affairs Coordinator Autism National Committee
(AutCom) 22 years of advocating for children and adults with autism www.autcom.org jessica@jnba.net
The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) is
conducting a statewide Brain Injury Needs & Resources Assessment of the
needs of individuals with brain injury, their family members/caregivers,
and professionals and programs serving persons with brain injury in
Virginia. The Survey Evaluation and Research Laboratory (SERL) at
Virginia Commonwealth University is assisting DARS in collecting
information from individuals and caregivers about their experiences.
If you are at least 18 years of age and a survivor of a brain injury
or the caregiver of someone with a brain injury, you may be eligible to
participate. This survey is not limited to only those who sustained
traumatic brain injuries (e.g. car accidents, assaults, falls, bicycle
injury, sports Injury, combat related injury); it also includes other
types of brain injury (e.g. stroke, brain tumor, brain aneurysm, lack of
oxygen, infection).
As a professional or program, you may also
be eligible to participate, to provide information about the resources
you offer, the gaps in services you experience, and the needs you see
among those you serve.
If you would like to participate in the
survey, please
click here and complete the information requested (this is not a
link to the actual written survey, but this is where you give permission
to send the survey to you either by mail or via a web link).
If
you know someone who might like to participate but is unable to opt in
via the internet, they can call Jenn Reid with SERL at 804-827-0459 to
request a pen and paper version be sent by mail.
Information
provided through the completion of the survey will help DARS and other
brain injury providers plan and promote appropriate service delivery for
survivors and their family members/caregivers. Survey information
collected by SERL is treated confidentially; neither DARS nor SERL will
share any personal information such as name or address in the final
report.
If you have any questions about the survey contact SERL
via e-mail at jguyre@vcu.edu or at
804-827-0459
In addition to the new
category Health
Topics in ASL, a
broad range of videos
are available in the
Video Library on the
Project Endeavor
website.
Health Topics in ASL
Project Endeavor is pleased to
bring a brand new resource
category to you — Health Topics
in ASL! The Video Library on the
Project Endeavor website offers
many educational videos. In this
category,
Health Topics in ASL,
you will find videos on
Diabetes, Heart Health, Tobacco
and Mental Health.
Find information on
understanding Diabetes: What’s a
ketone? Good nutrition? Best
ways to stay healthy if you have
diabetes? Likewise, in Heart
Health: What are the ABC’s of
heart disease prevention? What
are the results of your health
checklist? See personal stories
in the Heart Truth video. In the
Tobacco videos learn: What’s
nicotine replacement therapy?
See the “8 Smoking Lessons” and
watch Tobacco Stops With Me to
learn how others quit smoking.
In the Mental Health videos
learn: What is an anxiety
disorder or depression? What do
I need to know about my child’s
mental health? These topics and
many others can be found in the
Video Library. As always, all of the videos
in this new category are filmed
with the actors using American
Sign Language, and are both
captioned and voiced over — the
different modes necessary to be
inclusive for all of our
viewers. Welcome to Heath Topics in
ASL, another resource we hope
enhances your overall Project
Endeavor experience.
Veterans Now Eligible for Telecommunications Equipment from Virginia
Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
New program provides equipment for military veterans living with hearing
or speech loss
RICHMOND
– The Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) and
Virginia Relay announced today that military veterans living with a
hearing or speech loss are now automatically eligible for
telecommunications equipment through Virginia’s Technology Assistance
Program (TAP).
Adaptive telecommunications equipment, including text telephones (TTY),
captioned telephones (CapTel) and other devices are available to
individuals who meet the following qualifications:
·
A veteran with a hearing or speech loss and proof of an Honorable
Discharge
·
A veteran with a hearing or speech loss and documentation of a
service-related disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs
·
A surviving spouse or child of a veteran who was killed in the line of
duty and has a hearing or speech loss
·
An active member of the Virginia National Guard who has completed the
required initial active-duty service
“I am pleased to announce today that veterans living in Virginia with a
hearing or speech loss are now automatically eligible for
telecommunications equipment through Virginia’s Technology Assistance
Program. I urge all eligible Virginia veterans to learn more about this
new program to help reduce communications barriers.”
“Our veterans have dedicated their lives to protecting our way of life,
and now through our Technology Assistance Program, we are honoring their
service by offering veterans with a hearing or speech loss adaptive
telecommunications equipment,” said Ron Lanier, director of VDDHH. “Our
goal is to make daily life easier for Virginia’s veterans living with a
hearing or speech loss by helping them to stay connected with their
family, friends, and employers as well as their grateful community.”
Paul Galanti, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans
Services, noted, “the US Department of Defense Hearing Center of
Excellence estimates 60 percent of veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have
hearing loss as a result of their military service. This new benefit
will help provide these men and women with the tools necessary to adapt
to this loss.”
TAP provides telecommunications equipment to all qualified applicants
whose disabilities prevent them from using a standard telephone. To
qualify for the program, individuals must be deaf, hard of hearing,
deaf-blind or speech disabled. Applicants must also be Virginia
residents and meet income eligibility requirements that are based on
household income and family size. There are no age restrictions; however
applications from minors must be co-signed by a parent or legal
guardian.
To learn more about VDDHH, Virginia Relay and TAP for veterans, call
1-800-552-7917 v/tty or visit
www.vddhh.org.
VDDHH and Virginia Relay
The Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) and
Virginia Relay provide the most up-to-date technologies and assistive
devices to enable people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and
speech impaired to communicate via a standard telephone network.
Virginia Relay services are easily accessible to anyone by dialing
7-1-1. For more information on Virginia Relay and its calling features,
please visit
www.varelay.org,
or call VDDHH at 804-662-9502 v/tty.
The
AbleGamers Foundation has released
Includification: A Practical Guide to Game Accessibility
(PDF), a 48-page, full color guide to building accessible games for
everything from mobile devices to gaming consoles. The guide is divided
into sections for universal design, and mobility, vision, hearing, and
cognitive disabilities. It includes consumer quotes and extensive
statistics to support universal design for gaming. The guide is
available free to download from
includification.com
Legislative Affairs
