June 2012

Volume 23, Number 6

Gains . . . remains - p. 4

www.accesspress.org June 10, 2012

Participants of the Year - p. 17

“I was slightly brain dam-aged at birth, and I wantpeople like me to see thatthey shouldn't let a disabil-ity get in the way. I want toraise awareness - I want toturn my disability into abil-ity.” — Susan Boyle

NEWS DIGEST

INSIDE

The 2012 session

What we gained, what remains

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities. MNPermit No. 4766

Address Service Requested

Greyhoundsettlescomplaint

Willmar resident overcomes injury, wins award

Accessible Fun, pg 15

Events, pg 13

People & Places,pg 12

Radio Talking Book, pg 14

Regional News, pg 6

Greyhound - p. 18

St. Paul resident Lori was among those at the statecapitol this session.

Photo by Jane McClure

She scores! Page 3

Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, a leader in statewide workforce development, presented its Participant of the Year award to alongtime Willmar resident. Kevin Haakenson accepted the prestigious award at Goodwill/Easter Seals’ 2012 Power of Work eventMay 17 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. The award recognizes exceptional effort and accomplishment by a Goodwill/Easter Seals participant.

Haakenson joined two other Participants of the Year, Rafiq Muyahim and Shelly Smetana, in receiving the award.“Kevin represents the dedication and perseverance we try to instill in each of the thousands of people we serve every year,” said Dr.

Michael Wirth-Davis, D.P.A., President and CEO of Goodwill/Eas-ter Seals. “We’re thrilled to give him this award, and we know hewill inspire many others to succeed as he has.” In the past, Haakenson struggled with maintaining steady employ-ment because of the effects of a traumatic brain injury he sufferedseveral years ago. He was injured in a motor vehicle accident, whena loose tool box flew and struck his head. Haakenson enrolled inGoodwill/Easter Seals’ Supported Employment Program, which as-sists people with barriers—such as a physical or mental disability orlack of education—in finding and obtaining good jobs. With helpfrom Goodwill/Easter Seals, Haakenson found a job as a lot atten-dant at Willmar Home Depot, where he’s worked for almost twoyears. In a video interview, Haakenson expressed appreciation for thetraining he received and for his job. He spoke of how holding a jobhas helped his sense of self-worth and how he takes pride in hiswork. And while his injury has created challenges, “I think I havereally grown because of it.”

Editor’s note: Access Press asked several dis-ability community leaders to comment on the2012 session of the Minnesota Legislature.On many fronts, Minnesotans with disabilitiesand their families made gains, especially inlight of the numerous cuts and changes madeduring the 2011 special session. But muchwork is ahead to preserve those gains andmake some actions permanent. What WeGained, What Remains is a look back and alook forward.

by Bruce Nelson

The Association of Residential Resourcesin Minnesota (ARRM) came into the 2012legislative session with a long list of things toundo from last summer’s special session, acounter proposal to the Minnesota Departmentof Human Services’ (DHS) new payment meth-odology legislation and a package of reforms.

In the end our gains mitigated a lot of thespecial session damage and helped define whatremains in the fast-changing disability servicesystem.

The issues successfully changed from spe-cial session included:• Delaying the 1.67 percent reduction that is

contingent on Center for Medicare and Med-icaid (CMS) approval of Minnesota’s nursinghome level of care waiver request. The cut—if needed—was shifted into the next bien-nium by delaying the final year-end paymentsinto the next biennium.

by Jane McClure

Greyhound Lines, Inc. willmake changes in the ways ittrains employees to workwith passengers with dis-abilities in Minnesota. Theagreement for improvedtraining is in response to aMinnesota Department ofHuman Rights complaintfiled in November 2010.Resolution of the complaintwas announced May 22 atthe Minnesota DisabilityLaw Center. It typically takesa year for a human rightscomplaint to make its way toresolution.

On Nov. 2, 2010,Shoreview resident MarkHughes filed a charge of dis-crimination with the MDHRalleging that Greyhound failedto accommodate his disabil-ity and provide him with equalaccess to its services in viola-tion of the Minnesota HumanRights Act. On Dec. 6, 2011,after conducting its investi-gation, human rights staffdetermined that there wasprobable cause to believe thatGreyhound engaged in viola-tions of the Minnesota HumanRights Act.

Hughes and Greyhound,the nation’s largest bus firm,based in Dallas, have agreedto settle this matter without

Self-advocate RobertaBlomster is one of theArc Changemaker Awardwinners.Page 9

VSA Minnesota mustmake cuts in responseto a loss of funding atthe national level.Page 3

ApplyMN has beenlaunched by the state.Page 6

Bus riders, she wants tohear from you.Page 12

Weigh in on personalcare attendant (PCA)services.Page 7

· Delaying forced bed delicensing in corporatefoster care in the Community Alternatives forDisabled Individuals (CADI) and Brain Injury(BI) waivers. ARRM’s Blueprint for Reformprovisions will help voluntarily close bedsalong with a needs determination process toidentify adult foster care bed capacity.

· Reducing the 10 percent lower need congre-gate care reduction to five percent, contingenton CMS’s approving nursing home level ofcare request.

• Delaying the personal care attendant (PCA)relative care reduction to the next biennium.

Kevin Haakenson spoke at the Goodwill/Easter Seals Power of Workevent.

Photo courtesy of Goodwill/Easter Seals

Margot Imdieke Cross is the first, very deservingCharlie Smith award winner. Margot and Charlie shared very

similar styles in lobbying for disability rights. Send us yournomination, soon, for the 2012 Charlie Smith award.

Read more about the awards on page 9.

Pg 2 June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6

Dr. Mattocks: an early advocate for Minnesota children

Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons withdisabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. Wereserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material does not necessarilyreflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press.

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Access Press is a monthly tabloid newspaper published for persons withdisabilities by Access Press, Ltd. Circulation is 11,000, distributed the 10th ofeach month through more than 200 locations statewide. Approximately 450copies are mailed directly to individuals, including political, business,institutional and civic leaders. Subscriptions are available for $30/yr. Low-income, student and bulk subscriptions are available at discounted rates.

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by Luther Granquist

There is a contemporary flavor to newspaper re-ports of the debate in the 1879 Minnesota Legislatureabout what to do about “idiot,” “imbecile,” or “feeble-minded” children at the Hospital for the Insane in St.

Peter. During the 1870s, about 50 children withthose labels were committed there. The hospital ad-ministration and staff did not want them there, butacquiesced in admitting them because there was nohelp for them and their families even in the largercities. The State Board of Health, the RamseyCounty Board of Commissioners and the Superinten-dent of the Academy for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blindin Faribault urged the legislature to establish aschool for them, but without success. In the mean-time, some of these children died. A few went hometo their families. About 20 remained in 1879, whenthree senators introduced somewhat differing bills toestablish a new school for them attached to theAcademy in Faribault.

Sen. Andrew McCrea of Perham, the chair of theinsane asylum committee, summarized his bill forthe members. He then called for expert testimonyfrom Dr. Brewer Mattocks, a St. Paul physician whohad served as an examining physician in commit-

ment cases since 1867. Mattocks had also been theSt. Paul and the Ramsey County physician.

Both the Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Tri-bune reported that Mattocks had given a great deal ofattention to the question of moving these children outof the Hospital for the Insane. Mattocks told the Sen-ate that most of the children could be educated andgave examples from his personal experience with sev-eral of them. It was, he said, utterly incongruous andcruel for these children to be confined with adults atthe hospital. He urged the state to take charge of themand bring them up to a proper standard of culture.

Dr. Charles Adams, a senator from Hastings, con-tinued the expert testimony by explaining the charac-ter of mental diseases. He then argued for movingthese children away from the adults at the Hospital forthe Insane and experimenting with separate educationfor them at the academy.

Sen. Joseph Thacher of Zumbrota sought a broaderprovision. He contended that all the imbecile patients

at the hospital should betaken care of, not just thechildren. The debate showed a va-riety of opinions about thechildren, their levels ofability and how they shouldbe treated. Sen. JamesWheat of Lenora inFillmore County, who wason the Senate Deaf andDumb Committee, re-sponded from the stand-point of the children at theacademy in Faribault. Hesaid bringing the childrenfrom the hospital into theacademy would introduce“an element of evil.” OrinPage, a senator from Pleas-ant Grove in Olmsted

History - p. 18

EDITOR’S DESKTim Benjamin

HISTORY NOTE

On Wednesday, June 27, a public forum on disabil-ity disclosure in employment will be held at theRamsey County Library in Roseville. It will give usan opportunity to get a better understanding of thelaws concerning employment disclosure—what we aspeople with disabilities should disclose and what weshould not. There’s a two-sided challenge: we don’thave to explain our disability to a potential employer,but we often do have to ask for accommodations. Forthe disability community as a whole, as well, non-dis-closure presents a double-edged sword. If we don’tdisclose our disabilities, society will never know howmany people with disabilities are really working andwe can’t know when we’ve reached the goals thathave been set for employment. That holds true for jobpromotions and pay, too; are people with disabilitiesgetting the same opportunities and pay as our peers?We know, for instance, that women have the samerights as men to work at any job and to receive equalpay, and progress on those rights is trackable becausesex is a known demographic characteristic. Check outthis forum to find out what we need to disclose to en-sure a protected work life and to make better employ-ment opportunities for our brothers and sisters, hold-ing our government to its commitments.

I hope we are not getting into a trend, but it’s worry-ing to see some long-time nonprofit organizations fail-ing because of lack of funding. One survival response

has been merger, although it is not always a viable an-swer. It’s very hard for any organization to give up itsautonomy in blending into a larger group. The risk isthat an organization will lose its passion and drive inbecoming just another program of a larger entity. As anexample of another kind of merger, Goodwill/EasterSeals and the Work Incentive Connection havejoined together, and so far it looks as though this unionwill be successful and everyone will benefit.

Last month I told you about United Cerebral Palsy(UCP) and it’s worth bringing it to your attentionagain. It would be hard to imagine a disability rightsmovement without UCP; the camaraderie and supportnetworks among parents of children with cerebralpalsy led to many of the laws that protect the rights ofpeople with disabilities. UCP, since 1949, has beenknown as one of the largest and most effective non-profit health organizations in the U.S. It’s one of thebiggest fundraisers and has been one of the mainstaysof the disability community from the beginning of thedisability rights and self-advocacy movements. UCPwas the first organization to push for the right forpeople with disabilities to vote and had considerableimpact on getting the ADA passed. Yet our Minnesotaaffiliate could not keep its funding alive, and willhave to close its doors on June 30 unless supporterscan reverse the board’s decision to dissolve. You cancontact them with your support at 651-646-7588 [email protected]

Now this month we are aware of funding problemsat VSA Minnesota, the arts organization. VSA startedout in 1974 as the National Committee—Arts for theHandicapped, then changed its name to Very SpecialArts. In 2010, the organization just went with the ac-ronym VSA. The organization was founded by Jean

Kennedy Smith, one of President John Kennedy’s sis-ters, and it receives support from the KennedyCenter’s Accessibility Office. There are 52 VSA artsaffiliates around the world. They provide what thefounders believed every child and adult with disabili-ties deserves: a high quality learning experience in thearts, complete access, and the fundamental right to theopportunity to develop their skills. Christina Pilli ofBryn Mawr College writes about the effects of art onthe brains of underprivileged children. Her researchhas proven that children clearly benefit, and that theycan advance their development of cognitive, socialand motor abilities through creative activities likedancing or movement, drawing and music. Knowingthis, we all can recognize the real travesty of losingthis kind of programming for people with disabilities.Former Secretary of State George Schultz said, “Theminute you start talking about what you’re going todo if you lose, you have lost.” So we have to be opti-mistic and start considering how we can support thisorganization and the next, otherwise we have lost.Call 651-332-3888 or write [email protected]

Those of you who have had to deal with some majoror minor surgery will know how little I’m looking for-ward to a “simple laparoscopic procedure” to removemy gallbladder later this month. I’ve been wonderinglately why we have body organs that we don’t need,like the appendix, gallbladder, tonsils, an extra kidney,an extra lung—and then we have only one of othersthat we absolutely have to have, like the heart and liver.Why the backups on some organs, no backup on others,and some we just don’t need? But of course our makerdid a pretty good job, all in all, in designing our bodies.I’d have liked some better protection around the spinalcord and I’ve got friends who’d like to have a spareheart and frontal cortex, but we just don’t get answersfor some of our questions. Like how come it so oftenrains on Saturday and so seldom on Monday? ■

June 10, 2012 Volume 23, Number 6 Pg 3

VSA Minnesota faces national funding cutbacksby Jane McClure

VSA Minnesota, which has served Minnesotanswith disabilities since 1986, is making difficult cuts.Elimination of its newsletter, arts access awards andhands-on community arts activities are a response to aloss of funding from the national VSA organization.

This spring, VSA Minnesota’s key funder, the na-tional VSA organization in Washington, D.C., toldstate affiliates that they will no longer receive moneyfrom the national organization. This has a major im-pact on VSA Minnesota and the 30-plus national af-filiates. In 2011, VSA Minnesota received $80,000for programming from the national VSA organization.Support for 2012 was reduced to $36,000. For the up-coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2012, therewill be no funding at all from national headquarters.The cut is a huge blow to a three-person organization.

VSA Minnesota Executive Director Craig Dunnnoted that in the past 18 months, about half a dozenother state affiliates have shut their doors. Some ofthose shutdowns have been a direct result of loss offunding.

According to John Dow, Press Director for theKennedy Center, the National Organization on Artsand Disability, the cut to affiliates comes as the parentorganization has itself sustained deep cuts. VSA is aprogram of the Kennedy Center’s education depart-ment. “The Kennedy Center has an ongoing commit-

ment to support the programs of VSA that have di-rectly impacted people living with and without dis-abilities for more than three decades,” Dow said.

But last year, the Kennedy Center lost nearly $10million in federal funding for its nationwide educationprograms, including VSA, because of Congress’s re-alignment of funding for programs of the KennedyCenter and many other national programs such asTeach for America and Reading is Fundamental. Thefederal funding represented the vast majority ofVSA’s annual budget. “It was important for theKennedy Center to maintain VSA’s core program-ming, including the Young Soloists Program andPlaywright Discovery Program, and its network ofstate affiliates,” said Dow. “The Kennedy Center iscurrently working to rebuild financial support forVSA and all its education programs. However, be-cause the loss was so large, it is expected to take sev-eral years to rebuild financial support to previous lev-els.”

In Minnesota, other potential cost savings andfundraising measures are being explored by theorganization’s board of directors and staff. Officehours will be cut this summer to four days a week,said Dunn. In his two decades as VSA Minnesota di-rector, this is the first time partial staff furloughs havebeen implemented. “There are a number of other strat-egies we’re looking at.” Those include more corporate

by Access Press staff

Standout wheelchairathlete RoseHollerman has settledher legal dispute withthe Minnesota StateHigh School League(MSHSL). The settle-ment was announcedin late May. In thelawsuit Hollerman, aWaterville-Elysian-Morristown HighSchool sophomoreand Courage Centerbasketball star, askedthat wheelchair ath-letes be allowed to

race alongside other track and field athletes wherethere is only one wheel-chair racer; score team pointsand participate in the same number of track and fieldevents as other athletes.

Hollerman worked with the Minnesota DisabilityLaw Center on the court case. They filed suit in De-cember 2011 in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District.In the lawsuit she alleged discrimination under theMinnesota Human Rights Act. Changes were ap-proved by the MSHSL Board in February and enteredas a court settlement this spring.

With the settlement, changes are in place to howwheelchair athletes competealongside able-bodied ath-letes. Six track and fieldevents for wheelchair ath-letes were offered at the2012 state meet, which wasJune 8-9 at Hamline Univer-sity in St. Paul.

The approved changeswere created to accommo-date a single athlete in thewheelchair division so he orshe didn’t have to competealone in races. In the event asingle wheelchair athletecompetes in a race withable-bodied runners, bufferswill be placed on the trackto ensure safety. If morethan one wheelchair athlete

is in a race, they compete in their own division. Therules apply to the 100-meter, 800-meter, 1,600-meterand 3,200-meter races.

In field events of the shot put and discus throws,wheelchair athletes will be in the same flights as otherathletes. Also, there will be team scoring opportuni-ties for athletes in the wheelchair division.

Hollerman is a promi-nent wheelchair athlete atthe state, national, and in-ternational levels. She wasa member of the 2011 U.S.Women’s Basketball teamthat won a gold medal inthe ParaOlympic PanAmerican Games. She hasplayed on championshipteams at Courage Centerand has won all-tournamentteam honors. She wasn’tavailable for comment inlate May because she wasin Europe participating inpreliminary basketballgames for the ParaOlym-pics.

Hollerman competes inbasketball, track and field,and sled hockey. She hasused a wheelchair since

support and state grants. But it’s not likely much, ifany, of that funding would come through until nextyear.

Prep athlete reaches pact with state high school leaguesustaining a spinal cord injury in a 2001 motor ve-hicle accident.

In spring 2011 Hollerman won the inaugural girls’wheelchair 1,600 and 800 races at the state track andfield meet. She was the only participant in the races.Her family had worked to get the races and otherevents added.

The MSHSL declined an opportunity to comment. ■

A young man enjoyed a 2010 Young Dance programfunded by VSA Minnesota.

Photo courtesy of Young Dance

Rose Hollerman

VSA cutbacks - p. 17


Cuts reversed but the funding battles are far from over

Gains . . . remains - from p. 1ARRM and others helped define how Minnesota

will approach what remainsARRM’s rate methodology bill became a coalitionbill with advocates and day training and habilitationservices providers as we worked out critical detailsbefore being introduced. The coalition bill differedsignificantly from DHS and, with the urging of Rep.Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) and Sen. David Hann (R-EdenPrairie), the parties negotiated the final bill.

The result was successful with implementation ofnew methodologies delayed, a specific list of issues ofconcern to be researched in the interim, protectionsand a transition period for individuals already beingserved, and a requirement that DHS propose specificlegislation before any implementation of new rates.

Payment methodology issues will be on our agendafor years to come as we move from county-basedmethodologies to a statewide system.

ARRM’s Blueprint for Reform legislation includedprovisions that find savings and allow innovation (suchas monitoring technology) within adult foster care andfacilitate people’s choices to move into other commu-nity settings that meet their individual needs at a lowercost. Examples include: daily billing for independentliving services in the CADI and BI waivers, allowing ahigher concentration of people in multi-family settingswith the provision that recipients would assume thelease, breaking down the barrier to get housing moneyin unlicensed setting through the shelter needy programand providing cost effective financial incentives forproviders to help people move out of foster care.

Other policy provisions such as host county notifi-cation (rather than concurrence), background studyand licensing changes and new 245D standards forunlicensed services create a new backdrop for furthersystem change. Among those changes will be the in-corporation of Quality Outcome Standards and theconsolidation of duplicate standards now in 245B,245D and the Supervised Living Facility rule—into apackage that will help direct focuses standards onquality.

These gains helped set the stage to make what re-mains more focused on quality, individual choicesand outcomes and savings in the system. ■

Bruce Nelson is executive director of ARRM.

by Steve Larson

We were pleased to see some of the cuts from 2011reversed. We thank leaders from both parties whoworked to roll back those cuts when the extra moneyfrom HMOs became available.

These are not permanent victories, however. Thewage cuts to personal care attendants were only de-layed until July 1, 2013. The 1.67% cut to disabilityservice providers was delayed as well. The 10% cut tocommunity services for 2,600 Minnesotans with dis-abilities was only reduced to 5%. Disability advocateswill need to fight again next session to make these re-versals permanent.

Other recurring struggles for self-advocates andfamilies need to be revisited. Parental fees are stilltoo high for too many families. There are still thou-sands of Minnesotans on the waiting list forwaivered services. Parents of children with autismhave been particularly vocal about the lack of ser-vices and options for their loved ones. The despera-

tion they feel is very real and their concerns must beaddressed.

Part of the solution to these problems is addingmore state revenues. Advocates must also press forreforms in disability supports so we not only createbetter lives but get a better value for our public dol-lars. The Arc Minnesota, its local affiliated chapters,and the Minnesota Department of Human Services arealready charting a path toward reform through Hous-ing Access Services. This statewide effort has movedmore than 420 people with disabilities who are readyto live in a home of their own, and it saves between$10,000 and $35,000 a year for each person whomoves from traditional residential services.

Advocates also must urge the State of Minnesota toincrease the control that parents and self-advocatescan have over funding and staffing. For example, ifthe State of Minnesota is able to implement the Com-munity First Choice Option, individuals and familiescan control and use state dollars for personal care ser-

vices more effectively and efficiently. In addition, ad-vocates also need to push for cost-effective innova-tions in Medical Assistance funding, so people on thewaiting list don’t have to rely solely on waivered ser-vices as their best shot to live in the community. Tak-ing advantage of increased federal dollars to helpmove people from institutions, such as the MoneyFollows the Person initiative, will also help.

A big disappointment this session was passage ofthe Voter ID amendment. Disability advocates shouldoppose this proposal, join the Our Vote Our Futurecoalition in opposing it, and encourage their friendsand families to vote against it in November. We don’twant to see barriers placed in front of people with dis-abilities when they go to the polls in future elections.The Arc Minnesota has a fact sheet to help educatethe public about the problems with Voter ID. ■

Steve Larson is senior public policy director forThe Arc Minnesota.

State policy changes will improve Minnesotans’ livesMinnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabili-

ties (MN-CCD) is a public policy coalition that worksto influence state policies to improve the quality oflife for Minnesotans with disabilities. Through ouradvocacy activities and in collaboration with othergroups, MN-CCD was able to successfully pass anumber of state policy changes to improve the lives ofMinnesotans with disabilities during the 2012 legisla-tive session, including:

Improvements to the Medical Assistance for Em-ployed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) ProgramChanges made during the 2012 legislative session al-low individuals to enroll in the program at any ageand retain assets after turning 65. These changes areretroactive to April 1, 2012. The cost of these changesis $437,000.

A delay of the 20% Relative PCA CutChanges made during the 2012 legislative session de-lay a 20% rate reduction for personal care assistants(PCAs) who provide care to a relative. This cut isnow scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2013, althoughMN-CCD will work to repeal this cut during the 2013legislative session. The cost of the delay is $5.9 mil-lion.

A delay of the 1.67% Disability Provider Rate CutThe 2011 health and human services omnibus bill cutrates to some disability service providers by 1.67% ifMinnesota didn’t receive federal approval of a statewaiver request. Changes made during the 2012 legis-lative session provide an additional delay of this cut.The cost of this delay is $2.2 million.Policy - p. 5 Nick Nelson, and his mother, Greta

Photos by Jane McClure


Group homes offer assurance to state’s families

Albright Townhomes Minneapolis (612) 824-6665 1 BRBuffalo Court Apartments Buffalo (763) 684-1907 2 BRElliot Park Apartments Minneapolis (612) 338-3106 2 BREvergreen Apartments Hutchinson 1-800-661-2501 1 BRFranklin Lane Apartments Anoka (763) 427-7650 1 & 2 BRHanover Townhomes St. Paul (651) 292-8497 1 BRLincoln Place Apartments Mahtomedi (651) 653-0640 2 BROlson Towne Homes Minneapolis (612) 377-9015 1 BRPrairie Meadows Eden Prairie (952) 941-5544 2 & 3 BRTalmage Green Minneapolis (612) 623-0247 2 BRTrinity Apartments Minneapolis (612) 721-2252 1 BR (sr)Unity Place Brooklyn Center (763) 560-7563 2 BRVadnais Highlands Vadnais Heights (651) 653-0640 3 BRWillow Apartments Little Falls (320) 632-0980 1 & 2 BRWoodland Court Apartments Park Rapids 1-888-332-9312 1 BR

We are accepting applications for ourlarge number of mobility impaired accessible units.

Please call us for more information.

BDC Management Co. is now accepting applicationsfor our waiting lists at the following affordable communities

Policy - from p. 4Alternatives to the Mandatory Closure of Corporate

Foster Care Beds/10% Congregate Low Need CutThe 2011 omnibus bill included mandatory closuresof some foster care beds as well as a 10% congregatelow need cut. MN-CCD worked closely with otheradvocacy groups on these two issues this past session.Changes made during the 2012 legislative session de-lay the mandatory bed closures until after July 1, 2013and put into place a needs determination process withthe goal of voluntarily closing some corporate fostercare beds instead of mandating their closure. Addi-tional changes made direct the Department of HumanServices (DHS) Commissioner to reduce the congre-gate low need cut from 10% to 5% if a waiver submit-ted by the state is approved by the federal govern-ment. The cost of the delay of the mandatory bed clo-sures was $1.2 million.

Increased Reporting on Disability Services Re-quired in Annual Long-Term Care ReportChanges made during the 2012 legislative session re-

by Sue Adberholden

Several laws were passed this year that impact chil-dren and adults with mental illnesses and their fami-lies. One of the most important ones was creating avoluntary certification process for corporate fostercare homes, commonly known as group homes. Ifhomes meet the requirements, it will be noted on theirlicense and thus potential residents, their families,counties, hospitals and others will have some assur-ance that the home will be able to meet the needs ofpeople with mental illnesses.

To meet the certification requirements the homewill have to show that staff in the home have at leastseven hours of training on a wide variety of topics re-lated to mental illnesses. In addition, staff must haveaccess to a mental health professional or practitionerfor consultation and assistance and each home musthave a plan and protocol in place to address a mentalhealth crisis. Each resident’s placement agreementmust identify who is providing clinical services andtheir contact information and each resident must havea crisis prevention and management plan.

Homes that meet the certification will not have toclose their beds when someone moves out, and for thenext year beds in homes won’t close when the license

quire increased focus on disability services in an an-nual report on the need for long-term services forolder Minnesotans, people with disabilities, andpeople with mental illness.

Directing the Health Services Advisory Councilto Review Autism Treatment InformationChanges made during the 2012 legislative session di-rect the DHS Health Services Advisory Council toreview currently available literature regarding the ef-ficacy of various treatments for autism spectrum dis-order.

Anyone wanting to hear a review of the session canattend a session 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, July 11 atGoodwill Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave. N,, St.Paul. MN-CCD policy experts will share their per-spectives on what these changes will mean for the dis-ability community and celebrate the positive legisla-tive outcomes the disability advocacy communitywon. The event is free but attendees need to RSVP toAnni at [email protected] or call 651 523 0823ext. 112 for more information. ■

holder is a mental health center or clinic, or providesACT, ARMHS, IRTS.

A total of $3.683 million in bonding money wasappropriated for predesign and design of the firstphase of a two-phase project to remodel existing fa-cilities and develop new residential programs on theupper campus of the Minnesota Security Hospital inSt Peter. It’s a start to making the physical environ-ment safe for its residents. Also in the bonding billwas $5 million for the Washburn Center for Childrenin Minneapolis.

A child under the age three where maltreatment hasbeen confirmed will be referred for screening underMinnesota’s early intervention program (called Part Cunder IDEA). Knowing that children who experienceadverse childhood experiences, such as abuse and ne-glect, are at risk of developing a mental illness, thisprovision could help ensure that early interventionservices are provided to the child.

School districts will be allowed to use prone re-straints with children ages five and older for one moreyear. Prone restraints are now defined in the law asplacing a child in a face down position. The law ex-pands the definition of “physical holding” to specifythat it must be “used to effectively gain control of achild in order to protect the child or other person frominjury,” and it adds stricter provisions that prohibitschools from using physical holding that restricts orimpairs a child’s ability to communicate distress;places pressure or weight on a child’s head, throat,neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or ab-domen; or results in straddling a child’s torso. Schooldistricts must continue to report the use of prone re-straints on a form provided by the Department of Edu-cation and the department will publish the data on aquarterly basis. Districts will now be required to sub-mit by July 1, 2012 summary data on the use of all

restrictive procedures, including the number of inci-dents, total number of students on which the proce-dures were used, the number of resulting injuries, andrelevant demographic data.

The Department of Education, in collaboration withstakeholders, must develop a statewide plan by Febru-ary 1, 2013 to reduce school districts’ use of restric-tive procedures and report to the legislature on mea-surable goals for doing so, along with what resources,training, technical assistance, mental health servicesand collaborative efforts are needed to significantlyreduce school districts’ use of prone restraints.

The 10% rate cut to providers serving people whoare “low needs” would be changed to 5% if thechanges to the nursing facility level of care are ap-proved by the federal government and if they authorizefederal participation for the alternative care program.

The Board of Social Work, the Board of Psychol-ogy, the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy andthe Board of Marriage and Family Therapy are con-tinued until 2018 and the legislature cannot use thefees collected by the boards for other purposes.

Information about postpartum depression, includingsymptoms, potential impact on families and treatmentresources, will now be made available at WIC pro-gram sites. ■

Sue Abderholden is executive director of NAMI(National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) Minnesota.


REGIONAL NEWSApplyMN is single online application for help

Minnesota residents can now apply for public assis-tance through one application. Minnesotans in need ofhealth care, nutrition assistance, child care assistanceand emergency assistance can now apply onlinethrough applymn.dhs.mn.gov

“ApplyMN is an easy, secure way for Minnesotansin need to apply for assistance from more than oneprogram,” said Human Services CommissionerLucinda Jesson. “This will streamline the applicationprocess, increase administrative efficiencies and is animportant step in our effort to make government ser-vices easier to navigate.”

Every month more than 60,700 Minnesotans applyfor health care and other human services programs.ApplyMN is expected to improve access to varioushuman services programs for low-income Minneso-tans. It is a “smart application” that asks applicantsquestions based on the programs they apply for andanswers they submit. ApplyMN is connected to aprescreening tool that applicants can use to check po-tential eligibility for various programs, as well as auser authentication tool that allows applicants to reg-ister and authenticate their identities, save and re-trieve partially completed applications and see a listof previously completed applications. Applicationscan continue to be submitted on paper form. ■

[Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services]

State facility is criticized for resident’s deathNeglect occurred at a state-run facility in

Bloomington last year in a case that suggests a workermight not have provided CPR to an unresponsive resi-dent. According to the Minnesota Department ofHealth and to a reports made public May 29, the inci-dent occurred in September 2011 at the residentialfacility for people with disabilities. that is part of theMinnesota State Operated Community Services pro-gram.

The resident, who had diagnoses that includedmoderate mental retardation and chronic lung disease,was treated at an urgent-care center for a cough andcongestion. In the next week or so, the resident re-ceived prescribed treatments as directed but startedhaving trouble on the evening of Sept. 16. Staff caredfor the resident at several points that evening andearly the morning of Sept. 17 by providing medicinefor the resident’s cough and shortness of breath.

At 6:30 a.m., a worker found the resident unrespon-sive. The worker told investigators that he called 911,grabbed a face mask for CPR and performed CPR un-til paramedics arrived. But a second facility workerinterviewed by investigators claimed the first workerinitially reported to her that he did not initiate CPR.The second worker stated that she looked at the CPRmask, and it was dusty, and did not appear to havebeen moved from its location in the kitchen, the reportstated.

The Health Department found both the worker andfacility were responsible for the neglect. The workerwas trained in CPR, the report noted, and the facilityhas policies and procedures for staff to respond in anemergency. Human Services is reviewing the findingsand will be taking additional corrective action as ap-propriate. The employee cited in the report is nolonger employed at the site. ■

[Source: Pioneer Press]

Two incidents raise questionProsecutors have charged a Minnesota Security

Hospital patient with attempted murder for allegedlystabbing his mother while on a pass at a nearby park.Burton James Ewing Jr., 48, remains in the NicolletCounty Jail.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports Ewing wasin a transition program at the St. Peter hospital foradults classified as mentally ill and dangerous. He lefton a pass with his mother May 8. He was arrested af-ter sheriff’s deputies arrived at Seven Mile RegionalPark and found him attacking his mother. She washospitalized in critical condition. According to courtdocuments, Ewing began beating his mother in thehead with a bicycle seat while she was still in thedriver’s seat of her car. He then attacked her withcooking tongs and a knife.

Ewing is committed to St. Peter because back in1998 he murdered his sister in her Shoreview home bybludgeoning her with a hammer. He was found notguilty by reason of mental illness. State officials arenow questioning why he was allowed out on a day pass.

The stabbing was one of two incidents that day tiedto the St. Peter Regional Treatment Hospital. Thatsame afternoon William Daniel Pfeffer Jr. escapedfrom the south side of the treatment center campus.He escaped when left alone on his way to or from hiswork detail. Pfeffer was tracked just south of the cam-pus to Seven Mile Regional Park. But by the time lawenforcement was hot on his trail Ewing was stabbinghis mother. ■

[Source: Minnesota Public Radio, KARE-11]

A Waupun, Wisc. parent has pulled her autistic sonout of school after teachers repeatedly used a seclu-sion box to discipline him. Mandy Rennhack met withspecial education teachers for her 9-year-old son, Ty,and told them to stop placing him in the 5-foot by 7-foot plywood box when he was having discipline is-sues and that she would pick him up. Months later,Rennhack says she was dismayed to learn Ty hadspent time in the box once again.

Waupun Interim District Administrator DonaldChilds told the Fond du Lac Reporter placing a childwhose behavior has the potential to cause harm tohimself or others into a secluded padded room is anaccepted practice in the state. A state education offi-cial will visit the school, Rock River Intermediate, toreview the case. ■

[Source: Fond du Lace Reporter]

Seclusion box use questioned


There’s a gap in Chuck Ryan’s personal timeline.His last conscious memory is of walking across aparking lot one evening in 1987 to his waiting motor-cycle. He remembers nothing about the crash, onlybits and pieces of information from what others havetold him. He has no recollections until six weeks laterwhen he woke up in the brain injury ward of a TwinCities hospital.

To look at him today, you’d have no idea that hehas a disability. A brain injury is invisible, one ofmany disabilities that are not immediately obvious.Long-term illnesses including cancer or diabetes,mental illness like bipolar disorder and depression,

Learn about disability disclosure/employment at forumlearning disabilities, and many others are also consid-ered invisible disabilities. For Ryan and others withinvisible disabilities the very nature of the disabilityraises an important question about disability and em-ployment: What to disclose, and to whom?

Ryan’s injury prevented him from returning to hisfamily-owned business. After working his waythrough management courses and earning an MBA atthe University of St. Thomas, he felt he was ready toseek a teaching position at another institution. That’swhen the disclosure issue emerged.

“One of the more challenging aspects of my recov-ery was the inability to control my emotions,” Ryansaid. He describes a tendency to have “emotional out-bursts” and “anger issues.” These in turn led to an in-cident that resulted in a guilty plea on a misdemeanorcharge. That meant Ryan had both a disability and acriminal record, neither of which he disclosed whenapplying for a teaching position.

Not too surprisingly, a routine background checkrevealed his criminal record, and the institution de-clined to hire Ryan to teach. Ryan tells this story toillustrate a point. One of the most difficult decisionsan individual with a non-obvious disability has tomake is whether to inform people, particularly a pro-spective employer. How much information shouldyou share? There are no hard rules and no easy an-swers—and for some, the very question is one thatinduces fear.

Ryan’s involvement with the criminal justice sys-tem added a layer of complexity to his job search is-sues. But he believes that his brain injury is the most

salient factor in hisexperience. Withoutthe injury, the emo-tional outburstswould never haveoccurred. The twothings are inter-twined

Public Forum toExplore Disclosure

IssuesRyan will share

his story publicly ata public forum, Dis-ability Disclosurefor Employment andCommunity Integra-tion The forum is 1-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 27 at the Roseville PublicLibrary, 2180 North Hamline Ave., Roseville.

Cindy Held Tarshish of Americans with Disabili-ties Act (ADA) Minnesota is the keynote speaker. Heraddress will focus on ADA Title I. She will reviewmany of the difficult legal, ethical and practical issuesinvolving disability disclosure and employment.

“I hear from people about this topic every day,”Tarshish said. “People call me from their cars, ontheir way to an interview, wondering whether to dis-close or not.”

Clearly there’s a lot of uncertainty, even fear, about

Minneapolis resident Lance Hegland will use a$75,000 Bush Foundation fellowship to study and ad-dress independent-living challenges in the Twin Citiesmetropolitan area. The longtime disability advocatewill spend the next four years studying ways to im-prove recruiting, screening and relationship-buildingbetween direct support professionals (DSPs) and theindividuals, families and provider organizations DSPswork with.

Part of the study will include community meetingsand project plans. Hegland is hoping for input on hisstudy from people with disabilities, their families,friends, and DSPs to contribute toward improvingDSP services in the Twin Cities and beyond. Hehopes to develop tools that can also be used by DSPprovider agencies.

During recent years, Hegland has been exploringnew models and tools for delivering better direct sup-port services. One project is IndependencePartners,which will bring individuals with disabilities, fami-lies, professionals, community leaders, and entrepre-neurs together to build new independent-living tools.The first tool he is working on is DSPMatch, offeringquick, safe and individualized job matching and rela-tionship-building tools for direct support consumers,families and professionals. The tool includes web-based job board and self-help resources.

“Nearly 70,000 Twin Cities’ residents with varyingcircumstances need assistance with selfcare tasks in-cluding bathing, dressing, and grooming,” saidHegland. “We struggle to connect and buildlonglasting relationships with the roughly 63,000DSPs we work with. DSPs could be personal care as-sistants (PCAs), home health aides, homemakers, resi-dential advisors, and job coaches that help to em-power our independence. DSPs are critical factors inour health and safety. Plus, DSPs often help us to in-dependently participate with our families, friends,communities, and employment.”

Hegland has muscular atrophy, a genetic neuromus-cular disease that causes significant muscle weakness,which slowly worsens over time. He relies on assis-tance from PCAs to dress, prepare meals, shop, andrun errands, among other daily activities. He obtainsservices through Minnesota’s PCA Choice program,

Independent living challenges to be scrutinizedwhere participants are responsible for managing theirown PCA support teams. Like other PCA Choice andConsumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS)program participants, he is responsible for recruiting,interviewing and hiring his PCA team members, edu-cating them, maintaining their work schedules andproviding performance evaluations.

In a 2009 study of Minnesota’s PCA program itwas stated, “PCA [participants] favored the PCAChoice program in terms of level of control and flex-ibility over the activities the PCA performed, but ex-pressed challenges with their employer responsibili-ties and lack of support.” Even today, this remains agrowing challenge for participants in both the PCA

Choice and Consumer Directed Community Supportsprogram. Hegland has a long record of communityservice, recently joining the Minnesota Department ofHuman Services State Quality Assurance Council(SQAC). He also serves on the Minnesota Departmentof Human Services Health Services Advisory Council(HSAC) and the Hennepin County Medical Center(HCMC) Healthcare Reform Steering Team, and theCitizens League Health and Medical AdvancementGroup.

Hegland received the 2011 Direct Support Profes-sional (DSP) Advocate of the Year Award from theDirect Support Professional Association of Minnesota(DSPAM). ■

Chuck Ryan Cindy Held Tarshish

Disclosure - p. 8

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Did you know that Access Press is a nonprofit organization? One of the reasons we’re able tocontinue to bring disability related news to our readers is thanks to our advertisers.We ask that you take the time to support them with your dollars—and to take the time inthanking them for their support!

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When disaster strikes, will nursing homes be ready?In the event of a natural disaster, nursing homes are

woefully unprepared to protect frail residents in a ac-cording to government investigators. A recent reviewof 24 nursing homes around the United States, includ-ing one in Minnesota, revealed the problems.

Emergency plans required by the government oftenlack specific steps such as coordinating with local au-thorities, notifying relatives or even pinning nametags and medication lists to residents in an evacuation,according to the review. It means the plans may notbe worth the paper they’re written on.

Nearly seven years after Hurricane Katrina’s devas-tation of New Orleans exposed the vulnerability ofnursing homes, serious shortcomings persist. Deathsin nursing homes during that disaster reached the 140-person mark.

“We identified many of the same gaps in nursinghome preparedness and response,” investigators fromthe inspector general’s office of the Health and Hu-man Services Department wrote in the report releasedthis spring. “Emergency plans lacked relevant infor-mation. Nursing homes faced challenges with unreli-able transportation contracts, lack of collaborationwith local emergency management, and residents whodeveloped health problems.”

The report recommends that Medicare and Medic-aid add specific emergency planning and trainingsteps to the existing federal requirement that nursinghomes have a disaster plan. Many such steps are nowin nonbinding federal guidelines that investigatorsfound were disregarded.

In a written response, Medicare chief MarilynTavenner agreed with the recommendation. But shegave no timetable for carrying it out.

Nationally, more than three million people spent atleast some time in a nursing home during 2009, ac-cording to the latest available data. Nearly 40 percentof them, 1.2 million, were in the top 10 disaster-pronestates. The typical nursing home resident is a womanin her 80s or older, dealing with physical and mentallimitations that leave her dependent on others for helpwith basic daily activities.

Investigators pursued a two-track approach to con-duct the study. First they looked at the number ofnursing homes that met federal regulations for emer-gency planning and training. Then they went into thefield to test how solid those plans were, using asample of homes drawn from 210 facilities substan-tially affected by floods, hurricanes and wildfiresacross seven states during 2007-2010.

On the surface, things appeared to be in goodshape. Ninety-two percent of the nation’s 16,000nursing homes met federal regulations for emergencyplanning, while 72 percent met the standards foremergency training.

A different story emerged when inspectors showedup at 24 selected nursing homes and started pullingfiles and interviewing staff.

The specific facilities examined in California,Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota,Tennessee, and Texas were not identified in the re-port. All had been affected by disasters. Of those, 14were evacuated and the remainder sheltered in place.

A detailed, well-rehearsed emergency plan is a ba-sic requirement for disaster preparedness. But at onehome, the emergency plan was in several boxes. Atanother one, it was on a legal pad.

Of the 24 emergency plans, 23 did not describehow to handle a resident’s illness or death during anevacuation. Also, 15 had no information about spe-cific medical needs of patients, such as feeding tubesand breathing equipment. Seven plans were silent onhow to identify residents in an evacuation, such as by

attaching wristbands or name tags. Inspectors said 15made no provision for including medication lists.

None of the nursing homes met a government rec-ommendation for a seven-day supply of drinking wa-ter if residents had to shelter in place and their regularsource of water was unsafe or unavailable.

Twenty-two had no backup plans to replace staffmembers unable to report for work during a disaster.

Transportation was another problem. None of thenursing homes had planned to ensure transportation ofadequate food and water for evacuated residents,while 19 had no specific plan for transporting wheel-chairs and similar equipment. Twenty-two of theplans did not describe how the nursing home wouldtransport medications.

Seventeen had no specific plan for working withlocal emergency coordinators to decide whether toevacuate or shelter in place.

Not surprisingly, administrators and staff from 17of the nursing homes told investigators they facedsubstantial challenges in responding to the disastersthat hit their areas. A common problem was thattransportation contracts were not honored after anevacuation was called. Four nursing homes that didevacuate said they had problems trying to keep trackof residents and supplies, in some cases temporarilylosing patients.

The vulnerability of nursing home patients becamea national issue when 35 residents of St. Rita’s Nurs-ing Home just outside New Orleans perished duringKatrina. Some drowned in their beds. Prosecutorscharged the owners of the facility with negligent ho-micide, saying they should have evacuated the home.But a jury acquitted them of all charges. Some jurorssaid afterward that Louisiana authorities should havetaken responsibility for the safety of nursing homeresidents ahead of the monster storm. ■

This article was compiled from information fromthe survey and Associated Press.

Disclosure - p. 7

whether to disclose a disability to an employer. ButTarshish said that in some ways there’s no cause forfear or uncertainty. The law is clear and unambigu-ous. From a legal and practical standpoint, there’s noobligation to disclose a disability during the interviewprocess. There are only a few practical reasons to dis-close during employment.

• If a workplace accommodation is needed to performa job, the job applicant needs to disclose the impair-ment that makes the accommodation necessary.

• A job applicant may need to disclose if he or shehave to explain some form of behavior caused bythe disability.

• A job applicant may want to disclose a disabilityto an employer who offers additional benefits toemployees who have disabilities.

• Another factor to consider is that some employ-ers may ask employees to voluntarily disclose adisability in order to help them meet affirmativeaction goals.

Tarshish will also serve as moderator for a panelconsisting of employers, employees, and job develop-ers who have varying—and sometimes divergent—experiences with disclosure in the workplace.

The forum will also offer an opportunity for mem-bers of the public to share personal stories about dis-ability disclosure, either as people with disabilities oras prospective employers who are in a position to of-fer jobs.

The forum is jointly sponsored by four statewidedisability organizations: State Rehabilitation Coun-cil—General; Vocational Rehabilitation Services;State Rehabilitation Council—Blind; and StatewideIndependent Living Council.

The event is free and all are welcome. Accommo-dations will be provided. The Roseville Library is ona bus line. Contact Metro Transit at 612-373-333 forinformation or visit www.metrotransit.org

Questions about the forum can be directed to GailLundeen, 651-259-736, [email protected] ■

We would like toacknowledge

and thank The Arc™Minnesota and UCare

for their generous IssueSponsorship.

Please consider joiningas an Issue Sponsor.Call: 651-644-2133


by Access Press staff

Nominations for the 2012 Charlie Smith Award arebeing taken by Access Press, Minnesota’s disabilitycommunity newspaper. The newspaper’s Board of Di-rectors announced that the nomination period is un-derway. Nominations close Aug. 10.

The award is given to an individual or group, inrecognition of outstanding service to Minnesota’s dis-ability community. The nominee and finalists are hon-ored in the September issue of Access Press. The win-ner is feted at the annual award banquet, which is Fri-day, Nov. 2 at the Minneapolis Airport Marriot2020 E. American Blvd., Bloomington. That eventincludes a delicious meal, a silent auction and raffle,speeches and social time. The Marriott is fully acces-sible. Interpretation is offered for guests.

The nomination form is on the Access Presswebsite, at www.accesspress.org and can be down-loaded in .pdf and .docx formats. Anyone who needsaccommodations to fill out the form, or needs theform in another format, can call the newspaper officeat 651-644-2133.

Nominees can be from anywhere in Minnesota.Past nominees can be nominated again. Nominationsand questions about the nominations can be sent viaemail to [email protected], via faxto 651-644-2136, or mail to Access Press, c/o CharlieAward Committee, 161 St. Anthony Avenue #910; St.Paul, MN 55103. If possible, send the newspaper of-fice either a jpeg photo or an actual picture of thenominee, or be prepared to tell the editors where apicture can be obtained.

Pictures and bios of nominees will be published inthe September issue of the newspaper and displayedat the banquet.

“Some community award winners are decided by acommittee with no outside input,” said Access PressBoard Chair Brigid Alseth, “The legacy of the Charlie

Nominations due Aug. 10

Nominate a deserving Charlie Smith Award recipientSmith Award, however, is that members of the dis-ability community nominate and recognize ‘ourown’. Continue the grassroots efforts embodied byCharlie Smith and nominate those whom you know tobe outstanding and whose stories need to betold. After all, isn’t that a form of activism too?”

The Charlie Smith Award is named in honor of thelate Charlie Smith, founding editor of Access Press.He was a well-known Minnesota disability rights ad-vocate. With the support of his family, Smith foundedthe newspaper in 1990. He died in 2001.

The first award ceremony was held in 2003. It be-gan in St. Paul and has grown over the years, movingto Bloomington three years ago.

Previous winners of the Charlie Smith Award:2011: Jeff Bangsberg, MN Department of Health2010: Steve Kuntz, Minnesota Department of Em-

ployment and Economic Development (DEED)2009: Anne Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center2008: Pete Feigal, Co-Founder of Tilting at Windmills2007: Jim and Claudia Carlisle, People Enhancing People2006: John Smith, University of Minnesota2005: Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Dis-

abilities (MN-CCD)2004: Rick Cardenas, Co-Director of Advocating

Change Together (ACT)2003: Margot Imdieke Cross, Minnesota State Coun-

cil on DisabilityAccess Press Business Manager Dawn Frederick is

seeking banquet sponsors, as well as donations for thesilent auction and raffle. Banquet sponsorships rangein cost from $200 to $400. Prizes for the silent auc-tion include new merchandise, gift certificates, theaterand sports tickets, and other items. Some of the favor-ite prizes in recent years have been ice cream shopgift certificates, jewelry jars, hand-crafted items, toysand medical supply store gift certificates. Please con-tact Dawn at 651-644-2133 or [email protected]

if you would like to donate or have questions aboutdonations.

Reservations can now be made for the Nov. 2 ban-quet, which starts at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and cer-emony at 7 p.m. Cost is $45 per person if you registerearly, $50 per person at the door or $325 for an eight-person table. The table rate represents a savings of $35.

Registration can be made online, at www.accesspress.org. Look for the Charlie Awards tab at the topleft corner of the home page.

Checks with the name and number of guests can bemailed to Access Press, Attn: Dawn, 161 St. AnthonyAve Ste 910, St. Paul, MN 55103. Please makechecks payable to Access Press and note banquet inthe notation line. Credit card transactions can be madeover the phone by calling the office at 651-644-2133and speaking with Dawn. ■

A couple whose legal action changed state policyand a troop of Girl Scouts are among the winners ofThe Arc Greater Twin Cities’ 2011 ChangemakerAwards. The awards recognize individuals or organi-zations for making a difference for individuals withintellectual and developmental disabilities and theirfamilies. The awards were presented May 5 at TheArc’s Annual Meeting and Volunteer Celebration atMidland Hills Country Club in Roseville.

Changing AttitudesThe Changing Attitudes category recognizes those

who change public perceptions of people with dis-abilities.

Katie McDermott, North St. Paul is a person with adisability understands the power of perception of dis-abilities. Building her own advocacy skills, she alsocreated her own position working with and mentoringself-advocates at Merrick, Inc. She also created herown mentoring business.

McDermott is committed to fighting abuse ofpeople with disabilities and has played an importantvolunteer role in The Arc Greater Twin Cities’ abuseprevention initiative. She is active in AdvocatingChange Together and Self-Advocates Become Em-

Arc Changemakers are honoredpowered. She completed the Partners in Policymakingprogram of the Minnesota Governor’s Council on De-velopmental Disabilities and is on the Ramsey CountyCitizen Action Committee.

“Katie is an extraordinary force for positive changein the way the world perceives people with disabili-ties,” said Kim Keprios, chief executive officer ofThe Arc Greater Twin Cities. “She has the courage touse her voice and the passion to help others take thejourney as self-advocates.”

Claire Hinrichs, Edina, volunteers with G. Alumni,retiree volunteers affiliated with General Mills. Theyassist with The Arc’s mailings that are crucial com-munity connections.

Hinrichs distinguished herself by her dedication,energy and can-do spirit. She organizes and overseesgroup projects for The Arc. Even recuperating fromsurgery, Hinrichs helped lead until she returned.

Michele McAlister, Woodbury is dedicated to im-proving the way people with developmental disabili-ties are perceived and treated. The mother of a childwith autism, she facilitates a parent networking groupfor The Arc in Woodbury and is a lifeline for parents

Girl Scouts lent a helping handPhoto courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

Changemakers - p. 10

“ I have been an In Home client for at least 20 years. During that timeI have received excellent, reliable, consistent care from PCAs and

HHA’s trained and supervised by In Home.” - Jean T (Client)

Serving Adults and Childrenwith Long-Term Needs since 1991

At In Home Personal Care, we pride ourselves not only on thehelp we provide, but also on our ability to listen. We understandthat each of our clients has different needs at different times. Ourquality home care services are formed around a plan that works

for you and your individual situation.

Your home, your independence . . . 763-546-1000

8441 Wayzata Blvd; Suite 130

Golden Valley, MN 55426

Margot Imdieke Cross received the first CharlieSmith award in 2003


who have children with autism. She helps parentsconnect for support and advice, obtain resources andlearn to advocate for children. She allows college stu-dents to observe the group and learn about issuesfamilies face.

McAlister has served as a presenter and representa-tive of The Arc Greater Twin Cities at events.

Changemakers - from p. 9 Changing PoliciesChanging Policies awards honored persons whose

efforts have resulted in systems and policy changesthat benefit individuals with disabilities and theirfamilies.

Chloette Haley, Stillwater, is the driving force be-hind Stepping Up Moving Forward, a Stillwater-basednetwork for systems change and community-buildingfor people with I/DD. Stepping Up Moving Forwardworks to effect change on many fronts, including awebsite resource; support of the Artworks! opportu-nity for adults with disabilities to express their cre-ativity and parent events that help families connect.

Stepping Up Moving Forward works with existingresources to expand opportunities for people with I/DD to be more active in community life.“Chloette is a person who makes things happen, and

Stepping Up Moving Forward is an exceptionalachievement,” said Keprios. “Many people have beenimportant to its success, but the heart of this remark-able grassroots network is Chloette. Her vision, pas-

sion and leadership make her a true changemaker, andlives are better because of her.”

Roberta Blomster, Vadnais Heights, is a powerfulpublic policy advocate, working to ensure that legisla-tors understand issues that affect people with disabili-ties. She first became involved in public policy in2005, working to remove the “R” word from legisla-tion. In 2009 she participated in the Capitol Fellow-ship Program and interned with Sen. DavidTomassoni, (DFL-Chisholm). She is now fightingMinnesota’s proposed constitutional amendment torequire voter ID. She attended The Arc’s nationalDisability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. in2010 and 2012.

Pia Prenevost of Coon Rapids and Sheri Radoux ofBlaine are mothers of children with autism. Theywork tirelessly to rally other parents to support legis-lation to secure intensive early intervention and en-sure that these services are part of Minnesota’s essen-tial benefits.

Maurice Banks


Michele McAlisterPhotos courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities


Changemakers - from p. 10

After being flooded with calls from parents mus-tered by Prenevost and Radoux, the Director ofHealth Services for Children at the Department of Hu-man Services announced a listening session to hearparents’ concerns. They also partnered to create arally that drew more than 100 participants to the statecapitol in February.

Changing LivesChanging Lives awards salute long-term or inten-

sive efforts that positively affect the lives of peoplewith disabilities.

Jim and Lorie Jensen, Little Canada, improved con-ditions for all residents of Minnesota’s state-run men-

tal health institutions by seeking better treatment fortheir son Brad. He was placed in Minnesota ExtendedTreatment Options (METO) and was subjected manytimes to improper restraint involving metal handcuffsand leg hobbles. Their story triggered a state investi-gation. METO closed in 2010.

They were lead plaintiffs in Jensen vs. MinnesotaDepartment of Human Services, a class action suitrepresenting about 300 former METO residents. Thesettlement was notable for curbing the state’s use of


Pia Prenevost and Sheri Radoux are Changemaker Awardwinners.

Photos courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

The Jensen family


Changemakers - from p. 11handcuffs and other restraints to deal with behaviorchallenges, and mandating staff training.

“Jim and Lorie Jensen are like the pebble that startsan avalanche of change,” said Keprios. “They trulychanged the system through their courage, persever-ance and love for their son, and they made a profoundimpact on both policy and lives. Because the Jensensspoke out, thousands of Minnesotans with disabilitiesnow have a definitive right to more humane and re-spectful treatment.”

Nicole Limper, Rochester, came to The Arc in2011 as a student intern. She initially tracked legisla-tion about the abuse of people with I/DD and sharedher knowledge with policymakers and classmates. Shecreated a comprehensive abuse prevention informa-tion resource, which is available to the public. Sheco-facilitated abuse prevention trainings for womenwith I/DD.

Six girls from River Valleys Girl Scout Troop51429, Woodbury, worked on a community serviceproject to benefit The Arc and earn the Girl Scoutsbronze award. They organized a donation drive forArc’s Value Village Thrift Stores and Donation Cen-ters and collected nearly 600 pounds of clothing andtoys. A rainy collection day didn’t dampen their en-thusiasm. They proved that one is never too young tomake a difference.

Laurel Hirt, Katie Peacock, Monica Siems and staffof the Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) atthe U of M work to connects The Arc with U of Mstudents seeking internships that provide learning ex-periences. Interns offer valuable assistance with pro-grams and services. They gain skills and knowledgein their chosen fields. Student projects include creat-ing abuse prevention resources, updating PowerPointpresentations, providing childcare to parent network-ing groups and compiling evaluation results.

Business awardsThe Corporate Partnership Award went to United-

Health Group and Dorsey & Whitney, LLP.They conducted a free review of The Arc GreaterTwin Cities’ policies and procedures in 2011. Eric

Brotten of OptumHealth, a UnitedHealth business,coordinated the project.

Jerry Wobschall, a Golden Valley resident won theValue Village Volunteer of the Year award.Wobschall was honored as a member of the Arc’sValue Village 300 Club, for giving 300 hours of ser-vice or more a year. He focuses on testing and rearingdonated electronics and has become the store’s “go-toguy” for electronics. In addition he removes hazard-ous parts before disposing of them.

The Thrift Business Partner of the Year is Blu Dot.The modern home furnishings company was selectedfor its support of Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores. Inrecent years, the company has donated new merchan-

Nicole Limper

Roberta BlomsterPhotos courtesy of The Arc Greater Twin Cities

dise valued at more than $41,000. Blu Dot founderMaurice Blanks has also supported The Arc’s market-ing and business development efforts with businessadvice and expertise. ■

People & places - p. 16

Central Corridor comments sought

Metro Transit is working on a plan to enhance bus routes that will interact with the new Central CorridorLight Rail, and feedback is important as they finalize this new plan. Metro Transit is specifically seeking com-ments from the disability community, seniors, and transit-dependent individuals to ensure the transit network

serves all people. Disability community liaison Kjensmo Walker is available thissummer to bring the plan to community members.

The Central Corridor Transit Service Study concept plan is now out for publiccomment and review. For more information see http://metrotransit.org/central-transit-study.aspx. Over the spring, input was gathered and now there is a conceptplan that represents what was heard from various communities in the Central Corri-dor Transit Service Area. Metro Transit is now accepting comments on this con-cept plan until July 9th so that staff can generate a final plan. The plan will be re-leased in November.

That is why disability community, seniors, and transit-dependent individualsneed to be heard. Walker wants more input on changes to bus routes in the area andhopes to meet with as many people as possible in the month of June. Please contacther at 952-215-5451 or [email protected] for more information or toset up a time to see the new concept plan.

PACER Center is an E-chiever

PACER Center Executive Director Paula Goldberg was presented with an “E-Chievement Award’ in May in recognition of PACER’s national bullying preven-tion efforts. The award is presented by the syndicated “e-Town” radio program

PEOPLE & PLACES


UPCOMING EVENTS

Events - p. 14

Workshops, conferencesSign up for symposiumPACER Center’s Mann Foundation Symposium is 8a.m.-4 p.m. Mon, Aug. 6 at DoubleTree Hotel, 7800Normandale Blvd, Mpls. This is a learning opportunity forgeneral education teachers, administrators and parentsinterested in mental health and learning disabilities inchildren and young adults. Understand the key warningsigns of early-onset mental illness in children and ado-lescents. $20 fee; space limited. FFI: http://www.pacer.org/help/symposium/

Adult classesIndependent living classes offeredThe Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL)offers free and accessible classes on living indepen-dently for people with disabilities. Most classes are heldat 1600 University Ave., #16, the green tile building atUniversity and Snelling, St. Paul, unless specified.Summer fun is offered 1-4:30 p.m. Wed, June 20 at the LakeHarriet Bandshell, Mpls. for the “celebrate summer” social.Plant flowers in a window box 10 a.m.-noon Thu, June 14.Help yourself at assertiveness versus aggressivenessclass, 1-3 p.m. Tue, June 19.Meet at Como Park Zoo in St. Paul at 11 a.m.-1 p.m.Mon, June 25 to walk or roll around the parkDiscuss self-esteem and how to improve it 10 a.m.-noon Tue, July 10.Have fun with your food. Plan a healthy meal and learnportion sizes 10 a.m.-noon Thu, June 28.Learn simple techniques, patterns and designs of knit-ting. Adaptive knitting equipment available; for all levels ofknitters. Other crafts are welcome, 10 a.m.-noon Tue, June19, 1-3 p.m. Mon, July 9 and 10 a.m.-noon Tue, July 24.Weekenders outings are for those who are tired of sit-ting home all weekend. Meet other people who sharesimilar interests and want to meet new people. Guestsare welcome and encouraged. Outings recently haveincluded museums, bowling and dinner out. June fea-tures community events. The Helping Paws Wag, Walk,Run event is 9 a.m-1 p.m. Sun, June 20. Please bringyour spending money for events.Events are free (with the exception of Weekenders out-ings), accessible and mostly scent-free. Please RSVPand give two weeks’ notice of needed accommodations.FFI: Corbett Laubignat, 651-603-2028, [email protected], Cindy Langr, 651-603-2037, [email protected], 651-603-2037

Youth and familiesPACER offers workshopsPACER Center offers useful free or low-cost workshopsand other resources for families of children with disabili-ties. Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified.New to Special Education, a free workshop for parentsof young children with disabilities is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thu,June 14. Get a head start on understanding the specialeducation process, from evaluation to eligibility to deter-mination of services. The workshop is designed specifi-cally for parents of a child over the age of 3 who has re-cently been diagnosed with a disability or become eli-gible for special education services. Registrationrequested. FFI: 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237 (toll free),www.PACER.org

Support groups, meetingsMental health first aid courseNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesotahosts a free mental health first aid training course designedto teach the basic first aid skills needed to help a personwho is experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. Thistwo-day, 12-hour course will be held 9 a.m-4 p.m. June14-15, Northwest Youth & Family Services, 2490 Lexing-ton Ave. S., Shoreview. Participants should bring alunch; receive a course manual and certificate. Registra-tion required. FFI: 1-888-NAMI-Helps or 651-645-2948

UCare meetingsUCare hosts informational meetings about its UCare forSeniors Medicare Advantage plan. Meetings are held allover the region. UCare for Seniors has more than75,000 members across Minnesota and western Wis-consin. UCare is an independent, nonprofit health planproviding health care and administrative services tomore than 185,000 members. UCare serves Medicare-

eligible individuals throughout Minnesota and in westernWisconsin; individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such asMinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance Pro-gram; adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiarieswith chronic health conditions, and Minnesotans duallyeligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare FFI:1-877-523-1518 (toll free), www.ucare.org

Mental Illness support groupsThe National Alliance on Mental Illness of Minnesota(NAMI-MN) sponsors free support groups for familieswho have a relative with a mental illness. NAMI hasabout two dozen family support groups, over 20 supportgroups for people living with a mental illness, anxietysupport groups, groups for veterans and other groups.Led by trained facilitators, the various groups providehelp and support. FFI: 651-645-2948Open Door Anxiety and Panic support, meets at Wood-land Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul. It meetsat 6:30 p.m., on the first and third Thu. FFI: NAMI at 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.orgNAMI Connection peer support group for adults are ledby trained facilitators who are also in recovery leadNAMI Connection groups. One group meets at 6:30 p.m.on the fourth Tue, at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,

285 Dale St. N., St. Paul. FFI: Shelley, 651-228-1645.NAMI has a support group for those living in theGLBTQ community and their allies. The group meets1-2:30 p.m. Sat, at Minnehaha Spirit of the LakesChurch, 4001 38th Ave. S., Mpls. The support groupwill be a safe place to confront the challenges thatmany members of the GLBTQ communities face in-cluding low self-esteem, social isolation, stigma, dis-crimination, anxiety and depression. FFI: Kim763-267-5881, Gabi 314-800-4134.

Volunteer, DonateTeach English or be a classroom tutorHelp adult refugees and immigrants learn the reading,writing and speaking skills needed to thrive in the U.S.Morning, afternoon or evening classes are availablethroughout the Twin Cities through the Minnesota Lit-eracy Council. The council has many opportunities thatare accessible to volunteers with disabilities, and makesaccommodations whenever possible. The literacy coun-cil provides training and support. FFI: Allison, 651-251-9110, [email protected], mnliteracy.org/volun-teers/opportunities/adults


Radio Talking BookJune sampling

Abbreviations:V - violence, L – offensive language, S - sexual situations.

Books available through FaribaultBooks broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking

Book Network are available through the MinnesotaBraille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday. The catalog is online and can be ac-cessed by going to the main website, http://education.state.mn.us, and then clicking on the link. Per-sons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies ofbooks by contacting their home state’s Network Libraryfor the National Library Service.

Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, eitherlive or archived programs from the last week, on theInternet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the staff for yourpassword to the site. See more information about eventson the Facebook site for the Minnesota Radio TalkingBook Network. Facebook is a fee social networking website. Register at www.facebook.com

Access Press is one of the publications featured at 9p.m. Sundays on the program It Makes a Difference.

Weekend Program BooksYour Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) is airing

Healing at the Speed of Sound, by Don Campbell andAlex Doman, and 10 Mindful Minutes, by Goldie Hawn;For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) is airing GhostKnight, by Cornelia Funke; Poetic Reflections (Sunday atnoon) is airing The Book of Ten, by Susan Wood; TheU.S. and Us (Sunday at 4 p.m.) is airing North Country,by Mary Lethert Wingerd.

Chautauqua • Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.The Swerve, Nonfiction by Stephen Greenblatt, 2011.In 1417, Poggio Bracciolini found a manuscript that hadbeen lost for more than a thousand years. It shaped thethoughts of Galileo, Freud, Darwin, and Einstein, and leftits trace on the Declaration of Independence. It changedthe world. Read by June Prange. Nine broadcasts. Be-gins June 20.

Past is Prologue • Monday – Friday 9 a.m.The Floor of Heaven, Nonfiction by Howard Blum, 2011.

The discovery of gold, in nineteenth century Alaska, setoff a stampede of greed and lust for adventure. Fleeingthe depths of a worldwide economic depression anddriven by starry eyed visions of vast wealth, tens of thou-sands rushed northward. Read by John Potts. 14 broad-casts. Begins June 12.

Bookworm • Monday – Friday 11 a.m.Mr. Chartwell, Fiction by Rebecca Hunt, 2011. WhenEsther Hammerhans opens the door to a new renter, it isa huge, talking black dog. She soon learns that when heleaves the house, it is to torture Winston Churchill as thelingering presence of his depression. He has come toEsther to torment her as he did her late husband. Readby Edy Elliott. Nine broadcasts. Begins June 20.

The Writer’s Voice • Monday – Friday 2 p.m.Man Seeks God, Nonfiction by Eric Weiner, 2011. Whena health scare puts him in the hospital, agnostic Weinergets the unexpected question, “Have you found yourGod yet?” And so, Weiner begins a worldwide explora-tion of religions, hoping to come to a personal under-standing of the divine. Read by Don Lee. 13 broadcasts.Begins June 11.

Choice Reading • Monday – Friday 4 p.m.Gillespie and I, Fiction by Jane Harris, 2011. ElderlyHarriet Baxter relates the story of her friendship with NedGillespie, a talented artist who took his own life decadesbefore, never having achieved the fame Harriet thoughthe deserved. She had arrived in Glasgow in 1888 andbefriended the Gillespie family. She became a fixture intheir lives; but when tragedy struck in the form of a kid-napping and trial, the promise of her new world spiraledinto mystery and deception. Read by Eileen Barratt. 18broadcasts. Begins June 25.

PM Report • Monday – Friday 8 p.m.Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse, Nonfictionby Suraya Sadeed, 2011. From her first visit to Afghani-stan in 1994, Suraya Sadeed has been delivering reliefand hope to Afghan orphans and refugees, to womenand girls in situations too dangerous for other aid work-ers or journalists. Read by Jan Anderson. 10 broad-casts. Begins June 25.

Night Journey • Monday – Friday 9 p.m.The Preacher, Fiction by Camilla Läckberg, 2011. In thefishing community of Fjällbacka, life, though peaceful, forsome is tragically short. Foul play was always suspectedwhen two young people disappeared twenty years ago.Now their remains, found with a fresh victim, send thetown into shock. L - Read by Bonita Sindelir. 14 broad-casts. Begins June 12.

Off the Shelf • Monday – Friday 10 p.m.The Leftovers, Fiction by Tom Perotta, 2011. Whatwould happen if a number of people in your town justvanished? That’s what happened in Mapleton and noth-ing has been the same since, not marriages, friendships,or relationships with children. L,S - Read by Judy Wood-ward. 12 broadcasts. Begins June 18.

Potpourri • Monday – Friday 11 p.m.High on the Hog, Nonfiction by Jessica B. Harris, 2011.This book takes the reader through the history of AfricanAmerican foods from the perspective of the AfricanAmerican experience. This story is set in the broadercontext of U.S. and even world history. Read by AllettaJervey. 12 broadcasts. Begins June 14.

Good Night Owl • Monday – Friday midnight Primacy, Fiction by J.E. Fishman, 2011. ResearcherLiane Vinson works at a primate lab at the world’s mostsecretive animal testing facility. Then one of her favoriteanimals, a bonobo she calls Bea, shocks Liane by dem-onstrating the ability to speak. L - Read by Dave Schliep.14 broadcasts. Begins June 14.

After Midnight • Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.The Revisionists, Fiction by Thomas Mullen, 2011. Zedis an agent from the future when all the world’s problemshave been solved—there is no hunger, no war, and nodespair. His mission is to keep it that way which meansensuring that every cataclysm throughout history runs itscourse. L - Read by Charles Torrey. 20 broadcasts. Be-gins June 12.

Give away that carAutos for Arc can take old vehicles off your hands, giveyou a tax deduction and say “Thank you” for helpingchange the lives of people with disabilities. Autos for Arcaccepts cars and trucks of any model and condition andother vehicles including boats (with trailers), RVs, ATVs,golf carts, personal watercraft, motorcycles and snow-mobiles. Within the seven-county metro area, Autos forArc can arrange to have a vehicle towed free of charge.Call the toll-free Autos for Arc hotline, 1-877-778-7709,to arrange a pickup. Or drop off vehicles at a Value Vil-lage location. FFI: 1-877-778-7709, www.autosforarc.org

Volunteer with RSVPVolunteers age 55 and older are eligible to receive freesupplemental insurance, mileage reimbursement andother benefits through the Retired and Senior VolunteerProgram (RSVP) sponsored by Volunteers of America ofMinnesota. RSVP/Volunteers of America of Minnesotaand AARP Foundation need volunteers with good bud-geting and organizational skills to help manage financesof older or disabled low-income individuals. Have a fewhours a month to volunteer? Money Management Pro-gram staff will train and match you with someone in thecommunity. FFI: 612-617-7821. ■

Events - from p. 14 Be ready to voteBe ready to vote in 2012 and attend a workshop 6-

7 p.m. Tue, June 19 at Goodwill Easter Seals cafete-ria, 553 Fairview Ave. N, St. Paul. The St. PaulMayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabili-ties, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Claire Wilsonfrom the Secretary of State’s Office, and ChristianKnights, Public Affairs Associate with the CourageCenter will present voter outreach and education in-formation tailored to people with disabilities. Theevent is free and fully accessible; all are welcome.

Learn what is needed to vote in 2012 electionswith the different accessibility tools available prior toand on election day including the automark machine,curbside voting, absentee voting and election judgingWilson will present on accessible voter registrationand voting, and will demonstration the automark ma-chine. This device is designed to assist voters whohave visual or dexterity impairments. Knights will dis-cuss the “Rides to the Polls” program and provideinformation on how to get involved as a volunteer orparticipant.

Miss St. Paul, Elizabeth Scipioni, who is also aSpecial Olympics Coach will be there to welcome at-tendees, as will Coleman.

The center is two blocks north of University andFairview and is open during Central Corridor light railconstruction. Access is open during light rail con-struction. Metro Transit Bus Routes 16 and 50 stop atUniversity and Fairview. Bus Route Bus 67 stops di-rectly in front of the Goodwill/Easter Seals Building.

Do you want to make a majorimpact with our readers?

Then consider being an Issue Sponsorfor any issue of Access Press!

To be a full or partial sponsor,call 651-644-2133 or email us at

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ACCESSIBLE FUN

Artist Kari WagnerPhoto courtesy of Kari Wagner

For information on galleries and theater performancesaround the state, join the Access to Performing Artsemail list at [email protected] or call VSA Minnesota,612-332-3888 or statewide 800-801-3883 (voice/TTY).To hear a weekly listing of accessible performances, call612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883. On the web accessibleperformance listings are found at www.vsamn.org/calendar.html, www.mrid.org, www.accesspress.org, orhttp://c2net.org (c2: caption coalition, inc.), which doesmost of the captioned shows in Minnesota and acrossthe country.

Connect with performances on Facebook. Sign up toconnect with Audio Description Across Minnesota onFacebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Audio-Description-Across-Minnesota/202035772468). Sign up to connectwith ASL Interpreted and Captioned PerformancesAcross Minnesota on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/ASL-Interpreted-and-Captioned-Performances-Across-Minnesota/257263087700814.

Jane Pauley to speakJane Pauley, a familiar presence on TV for almost 30years, will deliver the keynote address at People Incor-porated Mental Health Services’ 43nd Annual Luncheon11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Thu, June 14, Crowne Plaza St.Paul – Riverfront Hotel, 11 Kellogg Blvd E. Pauley willspeak about her inspiring, best-selling memoir, Skywrit-ing: A Life out of the Blue, which details her personalstruggle with bipolar disorder. Tickets are $40 per per-son and include parking. Table sponsorships are avail-able. FFI: Leslie DeBoer, 651-288-3508,[email protected]

Kids who stutterKids who stutter have a lot to say in Stuttering: For KidsBy Kids, a new DVD starring real children who stutter.Check it out free at area libraries. Many children whostutter have never met anyone else who struggles withthe same disability. In this DVD from the StutteringFoundation, they meet other children who recount howthey handle challenges such as teasing, speaking out inclass, and teaching others about stuttering. Swish, alively and engaging animated basketball character de-signed by students at Purdue University, narrates theDVD. The children, who range in age from first-gradersto high school students, offer frank and sometimes dif-fering views of stuttering. “All those interested in helpingkids learn more about stuttering will want to see thistape,” said speech-language pathologist Bill Murphy ofPurdue University. “The children featured are a perfectexample of how to openly and honestly handle stutter-ing. FFI: 1-800-992-9392, [email protected] or visitwww.stutteringhelp.org or www.tartamudez.org.

Laugh out loudCelebrated comedian and actor, Martin Short, headlinesthe inaugural Laugh Out Loud Twin Cities fundraiserfor Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. It is Sat,Sept. 29 at the Marriott City Center, 30 S, 7th St,, Mpls.Tickets went on sale June 4 for the event, which in-cludes a VIP cocktail hour, dinner, live auction and com-edy show. Tickets range from $250 per person for theVIP event and Dinner, Pre-Show Reception and Show to$100 to attend the pre-show reception and comedyshow. FFI: www.LOLTwinCities.org

Minds InterruptedMinds Interrupted—Stories of Lives Affected by MentalIllness is 7 p.m. Mon,. June 18 at the History Theatre, 30East 10th St., St. Paul. It’s a dynamic series of mono-logues by seven people from the Twin Cities area whowill share from their own, or their loved one’s experi-ences with a mental illness. This unique program helpsto break the silence surrounding mental illnesses, andshed light on the dedication and courage of those wholive with them day in and day out. Minds Interrupted is aco-production of the National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI) of Minnesota and the Compassionate TouchNetwork, an organization dedicated to promoting com-munity health through education, healing, and the arts.Tickets are $10. FFI: NAMI, 651-645-2948,www.namihelps.org, www.mindsinterrupted.com.

Golf tournamentThe 17th Annual Paul Adelman Children with DisabilitiesGolf Classic & Paul’s Party are Mon, July 23 at OakRidge Country Club, Minnetonka. Events start at 11a.m., including golf, hors d’oeuvres, silent and live auc-tions, a wine wall raffle, and lots of fun. WCCO’s AristeaBrady is emcee. Proceeds help children with disabilities

at several Twin Cities locations. FFI: Sheila Johnson,612-708-0591, [email protected] to register for golf and/or Paul’s Party; FloydAdelman for sponsorship opportunities at 952.935.5801or [email protected].

Enjoy a barbequeMembers of the paralysis/spinal cord injury communityand U2FP (Unite To Fight Paralysis) host a barbeque3-5 p.m. Sat, June 30 at Bethel Lutheran Church, 412017th Ave. S., Mpls. Anyone impacted by the effectsof paralysis is invited. Meet new friends, advocate fornew legislation, and learn about new research and fit-ness opportunities, The volunteer organization is inter-ested in curative therapies. Enjoy food, music andraffles. FFI: Carolyn Bredeson Matthew Rodreick, 612-616-6763, 612-834-5472, [email protected],[email protected], http://unite2fightparalysis.org

Blue Man GroupThe Blue Man Group performs at the Historic OrpheumTheatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL show is 7:30p.m. Sun, June 17. Tickets are $35-85. Limited seatsare available at the lowest price level to patrons usingASL interpreting or Captioning services on a first-come,first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets foreach patron requiring ASL interpretation. Additionalseats may be sold separately and at regular price. AudioDescription receivers may be used in any price level inthe theatres. FFI: 612-339-7007, 612-373-5650,[email protected]

Noises OffJungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls, presentsthe theater company farce at its Mpls. theater. AD per-formance is 7:30 p.m. Thu, June 21. Tickets are re-duced to $10 (regular $20-38)FFI: 612-822-7063,www.jungletheater.com

They Sang to MeTwin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus presents its Pride week-end concert at Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 4th St. S.,Mpls. It is Dr. Stan Hill’s final concert as the Artistic Di-rector of Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. ASL show is 8p.m. Fri, June 22. Tickets are reduced to half-price forASL patrons (regular $18-35, Sat $21-40, includes boxoffice & facility fees) FFI: 612-624-2345; [email protected],www.tcgmc.org or www.tickets.umn.edu/Online/

Roman HolidayThe Cole Porter/Paul Blakeromantic comedy is pre-sented by the Guthrie The-ater on the company’sMcGuire Proscenium Stage,818 2nd St. S., Mpls. ADshow is 1 p.m. Sat, June 30with a sensory tour 10:30a.m. There is another ADshow at 7:30 p.m. Fri, July6, ASL shows are 7:30 p.m.Fri, July 13 and Thu, July19. Captioning is 1 p.m.Wed, July 18, and 7:30 p.m.Fri, July 20. Tickets are re-duced to $20 for AD/ASL,$25 for Captioning (regular$29-67) FFI: 612-377-2224,TTY 612-377-6626,www.guthrietheater.org

Measure for MeasureNorthfield Arts Guild pre-sents one of William Shake-speare’s most popular com-edies outdoors in CentralPark, Winona and 3rd

Streets, Northfield. AD showis 7 p.m. Sat, June 30, Tick-ets are $15, $10 student/senior; FFI: 507-645-8877,www.northfieldartsguild.org

Enjoy a movie tonightSeveral theaters around thestate offer accommodationsfor movie-goers, such ascaptioning or descriptiveservices. www.captionfish.com lists cinemas with ac-cess (AD/CC) features. Findtheaters in your area by typ-ing in your zip code. MoPix-equipped Rear WindowCaptioned Films are listedat cam.wgbh.org/mopix/nowshowing.html#mn.

Expressions of Faith is Landmark exhibitLocal artist Kari Wagner brings her art to St. Paul’s

Landmark Center in July. Wagner’s work will be dis-played in the North Gallery of Landmark Center July 5-29, noon-3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Based in the Twin Cities, Wagner is known for herpaintings of landscapes and seascapes, but, most of allfor her wonderful flowers. Because of her cerebral palsy,she is non-verbal and unable to hold a paint brush in herhand. Wagner creates her unique artwork through the useof an adaptive headgear that holds her paint brush. Herhead movements then dictate her brushstrokes.

Wagner expressed an interest in art as a very youngchild, coloring for hours. With the assistance of arttherapists, she has explored a variety of art mediums,from ceramics to painting, as a means of expressingher feelings and her faith. She especially enjoys paint-ing using watercolor or acrylic paints. Her artwork hasbeen featured in art shows, on holiday greeting cards,on wedding invitations and on the walls of homes andoffices of family and friends.

Anyone who would like an opportunity to meet the art-ist can visit Landmark Center noon-3 p.m. July 6, 7, 8,and 21. Wagner is excited to share her art with the com-munity through her Expressions of Faith exhibit at Land-mark Center. To find out more about her work, visit:www.kariwagner-artwork.com or www.landmark center.org/kari.html for more information about the exhibit.

Landmark Center, owned and sponsored by RamseyCounty, is located in downtown St. Paul at 75 West 5th

Street, facing Rice Park, next to the Ordway Center forthe Performing Arts and The Saint Paul Hotel. Land-mark Center is fully accessible. Parking is available onstreet and in nearby Macy’s, Lawson, Science Museumand RiverCentre ramps. ■


Diamond Hill TownhomesDiamond Hill Townhomes is a great property located near theMinneapolis International Airport. We have spacious two and threebedroom townhomes that are HUD subsidized and rent is 30% of thetotal household’s adjusted gross income.

Our Three Bedroom waiting list is now open and we are currentlyaccepting applications. Our non-accessible Two Bedroom waiting listremains closed.

We are always accepting applications for our large number of mobilityimpaired accessible units. Please contact us for more information.

We look forward to hearing from you!Please call (612) 726-9341.

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Marking 22 years

Celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act July 26Celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Americans

with Disabilities Act (ADA) at 1-3:30 p.m. Thursday,July 26 at the University of Minnesota Urban Re-search and Outreach/Engagement Center, 2001 Ply-mouth Ave. N., Minneapolis. The event is free and allare welcome. Entertainment is also planned.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys BahramSamie and Ana H. Voss will provide an update on2010 regulations and current implementation.

The opening performance by Mark Erickson, anAnishinaabe drummer and storyteller who lives inMinneapolis and is blind. The Ole Olson Onstage En-semble & Entourage from VSA Minnesota, will per-form “See Me Hear Me” and “An Attitude toward Ac-

cessible Arts.” Performers with and without disabili-ties include Sam Jasmine, Juliette Silvers, KaitlynMielke and Jon Skaalen.

Kaitlyn Mielke of Victoria will perform “DefyingGravity” from the musical WICKED inASL as the closing performance. She served as Miss Deaf Min-nesota from 2009-2011 and is asummer intern at VSA Minne-sota as part of course work for a master’s program atthe University of Minnesota.

Performances will be ASL-interpreted, audio de-scribed and captioned. Light refreshments will beserved. Sign language interpreters, CART, assistive

listening devices and auto description will be pro-vided. Other disability-related accommodations re-quests should be made by July 9.

This event is sponsored by the University of Min-nesota Office on Disability, ADA

Minnesota, VSA Minnesota, Ac-cess Press, Deaf and Hard orHearing Services, State Ser-vices for the Blind, the Minne-

sota State Council on Disability and the Metro Centerfor Independent Living!

For more information, contact Cindy Tarshish,ADA Minnesota, 651-603-2015 or [email protected] ■

Caryl Barnet worked for arts accessCaryl Barnett, a prominent social worker and activ-

ist for the blind, died at her home May 9. She was 78and lived in St. Paul. Friends and family rememberedher last month as a woman of great strength and resil-ience, whose own blindness didn’t stop her from lead-ing a full life.

Barnett was a native of New York State. She andher family lived in Albany, N.Y. for many years. Shemoved to the Twin Cities in 1975.

Blind for more than 50 years, Barnett regularlyspoke to groups about mental health topics as well asvisual impairment and blindness. She is praised forhelping to make the arts in the Twin Cities more ac-cessible to individuals with visual impairment. She isremembered for training and assisting the “TouchTour” docents at the Minneapolis Institute of the Artsand the Walker Arts Center and the audio-describersat the Guthrie Theater.

In 2009, VSA Minnesota recognized her effortswith an award for Outstanding Promotion of Accessto the Arts for People with Disabilities.

After receiving her MSW from Syracuse Univer-sity, Barnett worked as a clinical social worker for 40years. She held positions at Lutheran Social Servicein Minneapolis and Jewish Family Service of St. Paul,retiring in 2001. She was also on the teaching facultyof the Gestalt Institute of the Twin Cities and was anactive volunteer with many organizations, includingthe Walk-In Counseling Center and Jewish Familyand Children Services.

We remember

She was well-known in her St. Paul neighborhoodwhere she enjoyed walks with her dog guide.Barnett learned to cross-country ski after losing hersight. The annual Ski for Light trips were among thehighlights of her life.

Faith was important to Barnett as she was a veryactive member of Shir Tikvah, where she helped toestablish the Caring Community (“Yad b’Yad”) com-mittee. She advocated for people with disabilitieswithin the synagogue. Services were held at the syna-gogue May 24. Donations may be made to ShirTikvah in her honor, at www.shirtikvah.net

She is survived by her son and daughter and theirfamilies, a sister, many nieces and nephews, andmany friends. ■

In 2009 Jon Skaalen of VSA presented Caryl Barnettwith an award for her arts access work. Barnett passedaway this spring.

Photo Photo courtesy of VSA

People & places - from p. 12

based in Boulder, Colo. The program educates, enter-tains, and inspires its audience through live music andconversation. Nominated by listeners, winners arecited for making a positive difference in their commu-nities and beyond. The pre-recorded episode featuredthe award presentation aired May 16-22 on 300 sta-tions across North America.

Goldberg is a founder of PACER Center in Minne-apolis, a national parent center that has been servingfamilies of children and young adults with any dis-ability since 1978. PACER provides individual assis-tance, workshops, publications, and other resources tohelp families make decisions about education andother services for their child or young adult with dis-abilities.

Founded in 2006, PACER’s National Bullying Pre-vention Center serves all children, including thosewith disabilities. It unites, engages, and educates com-munities nationwide to address bullying through cre-ative, relevant, interactive resources. In 2006, PACERalso developed National Bullying Prevention Monthin October. The center’s award-winning websiteseach serve a specific audience:

Information on the “e-Town” broadcast, and a listof stations that will carry it, is available at etown.org.

Benson’s leadership brought stability

After 38 years of state service, Minnesota Sex Of-fender Program (MSOP) Executive Director DennisBenson retired June 5.

“I am proud to have been part of a group of peoplewho work hard every day to make a difference in thelives of others,” said Benson. “People who want tochange can change. I am grateful to have been part oftwo organizations that genuinely care aboutmarginalized populations. The work that goes on hereis both noble and necessary.”

Benson began his state service career in 1974 as acorrectional officer. He went on to serve as a case-

People & Places - p. 19


VSA cutbacks - from p. 3“We’ve been an independent organization since

1986,” Dunn said. “One question is, do we stay inde-pendent, or do we talk to other groups about collabo-rating?” It is possible VSA Minnesota could workwith another arts, education or disability communitygroup about working together, be it a merger, a sharedoffice or shared staff.

Another question is whether the group keeps every-thing in its current mix of programs, including workwith individual artists, arts education and arts accessi-bility grants, programs and services.

VSA Minnesota recently notified grant recipientsand winners and creators of its Jaehny Award of theloss of national funding. That has resulted in an out-pouring of empathy but no donations. The loss of na-tional funding will be emphasized in an upcomingfund drive, Dunn said.

VSA was founded by Jean Kennedy Smith, one offive sisters of President John F. Kennedy. TheKennedys have a longstanding commitment to peoplewith disabilities as their late sister Rosemary was dis-abled. Another sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver,helped found the Special Olympics.

When founded in 1974, the organization wasnamed the National Committee—Arts for the Handi-

“Kevin has overcome a lot of obstacles,” said BillStruzyk, Haakenson’s case manager at Goodwill/Eas-ter Seals. “His determination is incredible. He puts hisheart and soul into his job. Every day he does what-ever it takes to be the best he can be.”

Willmar Home Depot Manager Matt Austin saidHaakenson deserves the award because he’s an exem-plary employee and “because as a person, he’s theepitome of doing the right thing. For Kevin, no hurdleis too high, no goal is unreachable.”

Two other award winners were honored. Smetanais a single mother who overcame homeless andchemical dependency. Muyahim left prison after morethan two decades and overcame depression and otherobstacles. Both are now employed, productive com-munity members.

More than 300 people gathered to honor the awardwinners and celebrate a year of Goodwill/Easter SealsMinnesota changing lives and building stronger com-munities.

Wirth-Davis said, “Our service approach has al-ways been to recognize the dignity and build on thestrengths of the people we serve. As a result, we haveprograms today that are considered models for the restof the country. For example, we have a program that

Participants of the Year - from p. 1

helps non-custodial dads become better parents; anotherprogram pairs people with criminal backgrounds withmentors; a third program helps families move out ofpoverty by combining employment with mental healthservices. As you can see, our mission programs don’tjust stand the test of time, they also grow stronger.”

Goodwill/Easter Seals also recognized its four Part-ners of the Year, Array Services Group of St. Cloud,Chipotle at Seven Corners, Urban Homeworks andBremer Bank, for their ongoing support. The eventwas underwritten by Presenting Partners MarsdenHolding, L.L.C., and Oppidan Investment Company,as well as other members of the business community.

More than $150,000 was raised at the event, to helpthe agency’s jobs training programs.

The evening also saw the announcement of theFendler Paterson Skills Training Scholarship, whichwill give people with barriers to employment the op-portunity to enroll in one of Goodwill/Easter Seals’seven skills-training programs. Fendler Patterson, along-time supporter of Goodwill/Easter Seals, pro-vided the lead gift and generated further support fromtheir industry colleagues.

This article was compiled from a media releaseand video from Goodwill/Easter Seals. ■

Kevin Haakenson and his wife Carol were among theguests at the banquet.

Photo courtesy of Goodwill/Easter Seals

capped. In 1985 the name changed to Very SpecialArts and in 2010 it became VSA.

In 2011, VSA merged with the Kennedy Center’sOffice on Accessibility to become the Department ofVSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Centerfor the Performing Arts.

VSA’s mission is to provide arts and education op-

portunities for people with disabilities and increaseaccess to the arts for all. It is active worldwide. Thenational website indicates that about 7 million peopleof all ages and abilities participate in VSA programsaround the world. This participation is in every aspectof the arts—from visual arts, performing arts, to theliterary arts. ■

Young Dance is one of many VSA-supported programs.CREDIT

Photo courtesy of Young Dance

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resorting to litigation in court. The settlement in-cludes training and $4,000 from Greyhound, with$3,000 to Hughes and $1,000 to his legal counsel, theMinnesota Disability Law Center.

“It’s not so much about the funds as it is about hownow we have disability sensitivity training for Grey-hound in the State of Minnesota,” Hughes said.

The type of complaint Hughes made is similar toother intercity bus company complaints around thecountry, said Justin Page, an attorney with the Minne-sota Disability Law Center. “We hope this raisesawareness of the problem and makes Greyhound moreaccountable.” He said the required employee trainingis a good settlement.

The settlement is specific to Minnesota Greyhoundemployees, Page added. Hughes wanted injunctiverelief, in the form of better employee training. If thedisagreement hadn’t been settled, the matter wouldhave gone to court, which Hughes wanted to avoid.

Hughes had booked an overnight business trip onGreyhound from Minneapolis to Chicago. Hughes,who uses a wheelchair, let Greyhound know the buswould need to have a lift. But when the bus arrived,the lift was broken. Nor did its key work. Hughes wasgiven a refund for his ticket, “but the more I thoughtabout it, I thought, hey, this is a disability rights is-sue.”

Greyhound and other intercity bus service provid-ers specify in their ticketing information that passen-gers with disabilities should contact them in advance.Greyhound’s website indicates a minimum 48-hournotice for a bus with a wheelchair lift. The websitestates, “ If you do not provide this notice, we willmake every reasonable effort to help you if such anaccommodation will not delay departure of the sched-

Greyhound - from p. 1 ule on which you wish to travel.” The combinedweight of a passenger and a mobility aid cannot ex-ceed 600 pounds, and the aid itself cannot be morethan 30 inches wide and 48 inches high. Hughes saidhe made his reservation well in advance of the 48-hour period.

“Mark didn’t even get a phone call saying the liftwasn’t working,” said Page.

Under the agreement with the state, Greyhound de-nied violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Theagreement also indicates that the settlement doesn’tconstitute an admission of discrimination by Grey-hound.

Under the agreement, Greyhound employees whoprovide customer service to passengers shall partici-pate in at least one hour of training on the public ac-commodations portions of the Minnesota HumanRights Act. The training shall include policies towardaccommodating individuals with disabilities, specifi-cally, individuals with disabilities that affect mobility.The training shall include education on the operationand testing of equipment that assists people with dis-abilities, on procedures to use if such equipment mal-functions, on reporting and documenting problemswith equipment and on communicating with custom-ers who request accommodations, to the extent thatsuch employees’ job duties encompass such responsi-bilities. Within 60 days of the agreement’s approval,Greyhound will give state human rights officials theproposed content of the training. Verification that em-ployees underwent training will also be submitted.Refresher training will be conducted within two years.The training will include education on the operationand testing of equipment used by Greyhound LinesInc.

Page said “The Disability Law Center does receive

other transportation-related complaints. Airlines, buscompanies and taxis generate complaints about lackof accommodations.”

Greyhound didn’t respond to a request for com-ment, indicating that the company typically doesn’tcomment on legal issues.

Nationally, Greyhound has been the subject of sev-eral ADA-related complaints from riders. In 1999,Greyhound agreed to improve service for passengerswith disabilities, resolving complaints that its driversand other employees violated antidiscrimination law.That out-of-court settlement was reached with theU.S. Department of Justice. At that time, Greyhoundfaced allegations that it denied boarding assistance topassengers with disabilities and that some of its facili-ties were not accessible.

Passengers with disabilities complained that theyfaced verbal harassment, or in some cases, were in-jured when they were physically carried off and ontobuses. Sometimes other passengers tried to help whenGreyhound staff refused to do so. At least one passen-ger was dropped. In another case, a passenger with aservice animal wasn’t allowed to board a bus. In all,there were 14 complaints, based on incidents in abouta dozen states.

At that time, Greyhound agreed to pay more than$17,500 in damages, including individual payments to14 people who brought complaints, the Justice De-partment said. That agreement also requires Grey-hound to make reasonable efforts to provide acces-sible bus service at all of the 2,600 destinations itserves when given 48 hours’ notice. That agreementalso phased in accessible bus service in three stages.At that time, lift-equipped service wasn’t required bythe federal Department of Transportation (DOT). Useof lift-equipped service wasn’t required until 2001. ■

County, thought it was a difficult matter to determinejust who was insane or feebleminded. He said that thefeebleminded persons at the hospital should be sent totheir respective homes to be supported by their par-ents and friends. Sen. Calvin Powers from Fountain inFillmore County took a more extreme position. Heproclaimed that he had no sympathy to waste on theparents of these imbecile and idiotic children. Hissympathies, he said, were in favor of the unfortunatetaxpayers, and he would oppose creation of anotherstate institution as a means of spending the people’smoney. The Senate appointed the three senators who intro-duced these bills to a special committee to work outtheir differences. They compromised by proposing anew bill that met some of the issues raised in the de-bate. It provided that three doctors would determinewhich children from the hospital would be propersubjects for training and instruction and transfer themto the new school at Faribault. The school had to be ina separate building from the academy. Children whocould not benefit from instruction and training couldbe sent home to their parents. And nothing in the billwas to be construed as creating a permanent institu-tion.

This bill passed the Senate 25 to 4, with Page andPowers among the four who voted no. The bill thenpassed the House unanimously and was signed byGov. John S. Pillsbury. The children moved toFaribault at the end of July 1879. The long-term issueof which of these children should be trained or edu-cated was put off for another day.

Mattocks was from St. Paul, with a long history ofservice to children and education. His father, the Rev.John Mattocks, was a pioneer member of the St. Paulschool board and an early superintendent of schools.Mattocks School and Mattocks Park are named forhim. ■

The History Note is a monthly column sponsored bythe Minnesota Governor’s Council on DevelopmentalDisabilities, www.mncdd. org and www.partnersinpolicymaking.com

History - from p. 2by Access Press staff

Katie Beckett, who was featured in the November2011 Access Press History Note, died May 18 in Ce-dar Rapids, IA. She died at St. Luke’s Methodist Hos-pital, the same hospital where she made history. Shewas 34 years old.

Katie Beckett and her mother, Julie Beckett, werelongtime advocates for children with disabilities. JulieBeckett is a co-founder of National Family Voices, anational group that advocates for children. KatieBeckett worked as a writer and public speaker.

In November of 1981, when Katie Beckett wasthree, President Ronald Reagan allowed her to gohome in time for Christmas and receive her Medicaid-funded treatment at home. At a press conference,Reagan explained how the child was being kept in the

hospital because of Medicaid rules which forbadepaying for her home care. That was even though thecost to the government would have been one-fifth ofthe $10,000-$12,000 the hospital charged per month.Her family worked tirelessly to get her to come home.Presidential intervention made that possible.

“When we see a case of this kind,” Reagan said, “itreveals that hidebound regulations can be a tremen-dous expense to the taxpayers and do no good for thepatient.” The president’s actions set a new precedent.Not long after that, exceptions allowed parents likethe Becketts, who made too much money to qualifyfor Medicaid, to receive at-home coverage of extrememedical costs for their children. This provision be-came known as the “Katie Beckett Waiver.”

In the three decades since, more than a half millionchildren have received waivers to get their care athome, according to the Family Voices website.

In the fall of 2002, Katie wrote: “I started my advo-cacy career at age 10. It was not my choice but rathera path chosen for me. It was not until I was 12 or 13that I realized the important work I was able to do be-cause I was who I was, and how much this workedhelped other kids. I realized that this was something Iwas born to do, so I was willing to take on the extraattention given to me by other students and teacherswhen I returned home even if it was embarrassing attimes. Being singled out even for doing something sorewarding is uncomfortable and can create tensionwith other students. It made it difficult sometimes tofit in and just be normal.”

Dr. Sophie Arao-Nguyen, Executive Director ofNational Family Voices, said, “Katie was a great rolemodel and quiet warrior whose work helped countlesschildren across the United States.”

Federal Health and Human Services SecretaryKathleen Sebelius said, “Katie Beckett was a quiethero and an inadvertent pioneer in the civil rightsmovement for people with disabilities. . . Over thepast 30 years, the “Katie Beckett Waiver,” a Medicaidprogram, has provided over a half million childrenwith disabilities the chance to live at home with theirfamilies and participate in their communities insteadof living in hospitals and institutions.” ■

She left legacy for children


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worker, unit director, associatewarden, and warden of the De-partment of Correction’s(DOC) Oak Park Heights andStillwater facilities. Bensonalso served as DOC deputycommissioner for the FacilityServices Division for 12 years.In 2008, he joined the Minne-sota Department of HumanServices (DHS) as executivedirector of MSOP. Upon arriving at DHS,Benson was charged with help-ing separate MSOP from DHS’State Operated Services, whichserves people with mental ill-ness, developmental disabili-ties, chemical dependency andtraumatic brain injury. Duringhis time with MSOP, the pro-gram has opened a new 400-bed unit in Moose Lake,brought down the cost of theprogram and paid off a $16million program deficit. UnderBenson’s leadership, MSOPsought greater transparencyand public awareness of theprogram. In addition, MSOPalso saw the provisional dis-charge of its first client in anumber of years.

Benson was a member of theNational Deputy Directors’Association and serves on theboard of directors of Amicus.

Nancy Johnston, facility di-rector at MSOP in St. Peter,will serve as interim directorwhile DHS seeks a permanentreplacement. ■


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June 2012