tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65063606393122683272024-03-05T00:30:07.120-05:00Developmental Disabilities in the Newslubermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03430950602247859640noreply@blogger.comBlogger4263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-7816172733433021762016-04-12T08:26:00.002-04:002016-04-12T08:42:20.353-04:00Hi All,<br />
We've <a href="https://www.blogger.com/t%20https://www.yai.org/yai-action/blog-stories">moved our blog</a>. You may visit yai.org and click on YAI In Action. Hope you'll join us for the conversation. Appreciate your support.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-32847909312609449282016-03-09T08:28:00.000-05:002016-03-09T08:28:10.219-05:00Maine Withdraws Unpopular Proposal<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #3d3d3d; letter-spacing: 0.08px; line-height: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 1.5625rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; word-spacing: 0.4px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services has <a href="http://news.mpbn.net/post/maine-dhhs-withdraws-heavily-criticized-proposal-disabled-services#stream/0">withdrawn a controversial proposal to use a single assessment tool to determine services</a> for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0.08px; line-height: 1.75em; word-spacing: 0.4px;">That didn’t stop dozens of Mainers from testifying at a public hearing Monday to denounce the idea, and what they consider DHHS’s lack of transparency.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-51130511084232167072016-03-04T07:20:00.000-05:002016-03-04T07:20:05.955-05:00Training Community Police about IDD<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Nice job by the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for preparing video and instruction materials for law enforcement about interacting with people with IDD. If there's one thing you do with this, please share it with your local police departments and police commissioners.</i></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Pardon this rather prosaic post on an important subject.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Increasing numbers of police officers and others in criminal justice have gotten the memo that the field must do a better job addressing individuals in mental health crisis. Men and women living with intellectual and developmental disabilities sometimes experience behavioral behavioral crises that bring them into contact with law enforcement. That’s a real problem, and there is a </span><a href="http://www.samefacts.com/2016/03/disability-2/community-policing-and-intellectualdevelopmental-disabilities/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">dearth of good training resources for the law enforcement community</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-941745663974946142016-03-03T08:02:00.000-05:002016-03-03T08:02:07.620-05:00Editorial: Fla. Failing IDD Community<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Names are stacked nearly 20,000 deep on a statewide list of people who have requested financial help to pay for special services ranging from job training to housing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of these wait-listed Floridians have been on the list for years. And many of them <a href="http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2016-03-02/story/florida-failing-its-disabled-residents">may not be granted the help they need anytime soon</a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-15941340545670836232016-02-26T08:51:00.000-05:002016-02-26T08:51:08.853-05:00Temple Grandin Sees Job Opportunities<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Temple Grandin is so on the mark. Proud she's a member of YAI's Autism Advisory Council and she is one of the best ambassadors we have in the field for promoting the potential and job opportunities for individuals with autism. She's always raising the bar on expectations. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Autism advocate Temple Grandin, who is on the autism spectrum herself, believes people of all autistic levels can be <a href="http://parade.com/459326/nicolabridges/hiring-heroes-suitable-jobs-for-people-on-the-autism-spectrum/">matched to suitable jobs</a>. “There’s a national shortage of mechanics, welders, electricians, plumbers—all highly skilled jobs that autistic people can be trained to do,” says Grandin. “Even lower-functioning people can do jobs like folding towels in a hotel or assembling lamps.”</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com505tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-45644458337612252132016-02-25T08:42:00.000-05:002016-02-25T08:42:31.070-05:00When Salary Doesn't Match Impact<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>A great article from The Journal News in Westchester, describing the work of our DSPs and why they deserve a living wage. However, a state-wide $15 minimum wage must be funded. If you're in the NYC metropolitan area, hope you'll join us for a rally on March 11 outside the Governor's Manhattan office, 633 Third Ave., from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Spread the word.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRRFSzzOPqFQmxAdnWuuxYr76tN247-dJ-m1VQUu61kVqJgD5LHe3PyXRlG5V4s-2ttB0v5LPXqEg7tVl-wRtYnm3KnfdHaguyqvdg_qCQp8hLPdnTcpc7t8pgJ0DvKgyihBsF3nHlblW/s1600/635914809398903349-sh021716grouphome013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRRFSzzOPqFQmxAdnWuuxYr76tN247-dJ-m1VQUu61kVqJgD5LHe3PyXRlG5V4s-2ttB0v5LPXqEg7tVl-wRtYnm3KnfdHaguyqvdg_qCQp8hLPdnTcpc7t8pgJ0DvKgyihBsF3nHlblW/s200/635914809398903349-sh021716grouphome013.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Tracey Cargill-Moore, 39, has worked with the developmentally disabled for a decade. Officially, she's a direct support professional, or a "DSP," as they are called. At social service organizations across the state, they serve as caretakers, helpers, teachers, coaches, cheerleaders, nurses, therapists, mentors, counselors and friends to the disabled people they work with.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />It's a job with a lot of responsibility. Although they must retain state certification and receive training in a variety of areas including first aid, CPR, medication administration, abuse identification, prevention and reporting, <a href="http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2016/02/24/enriching-lives-fast-food-wages/80558084/">DSPs are paid less than the average fast food worker</a>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-69073448205413798422016-02-23T20:21:00.001-05:002016-02-23T20:21:17.452-05:00Drug Rationing Reveals Bias Against People with Disabilities<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The United States is facing a shortage of prescription drugs, ranging from antibiotics to cancer treatments. These shortages are putting the medical profession in the frequent position of deciding who will get the drugs that are in short supply and, more importantly, who will not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-ibrh0xBLM7it0N3S6qg2oy-Y4nNRKfrllw4Xx5BCylodgLDjyyPXbeLaAU6PFR-x33hc2OIua9P3da0cvEJv7obN_XEy3-Yo75kuu2_8EgpI-HyI7-rYS5UrpIm5SygHEdf9OyuRo9r/s1600/download+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-ibrh0xBLM7it0N3S6qg2oy-Y4nNRKfrllw4Xx5BCylodgLDjyyPXbeLaAU6PFR-x33hc2OIua9P3da0cvEJv7obN_XEy3-Yo75kuu2_8EgpI-HyI7-rYS5UrpIm5SygHEdf9OyuRo9r/s200/download+%25288%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Physicians and hospitals always have had to <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-02-23/hospitals-rationing-drugs-behind-closed-doors-is-civil-rights-issue">make rationing decisions in times of shortage</a>. But these decisions usually are made behind the scenes. A recent New York Times article about the drug shortages shines a light on the rationing that is occurring.<br />According to the article, the decision-making process varies considerably across institutions. For instance, in some hospitals formal ethics committees make these decisions. At others, these decisions are made by individual physicians, pharmacists or even drug company executives.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-40917789045191422732016-02-19T09:11:00.000-05:002016-02-19T09:11:03.991-05:00California GOP Seeks Funds for Services<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">SACRAMENTO — Assembly Republicans are bellying up to the bargaining table over Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed tax package for healthcare plans, signaling a new phase in the negotiations that have slogged on for more than a year.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A document obtained by The Times lays out the political and policy wish list for the Assembly GOP caucus. Most significantly, they want to direct more than $800 million in spending made possible by the new tax. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-health-plans-tax-republicans-20160218-story.html">The Assembly GOP is calling for $290 million to fund services for the developmentally disabled</a> and another $120 million to reimburse certain skilled nursing facilities, which suffered major cuts in 2011. The proposal would also put money toward paying off state debts: $240 million would go toward California's retiree healthcare liabilities for public employees and $175 million would repay transportation loans.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-3990582468511755552016-02-19T09:01:00.000-05:002016-02-19T09:01:52.201-05:00Fla. Pilot Program Breaks Down Barriers<i>What a great idea in so many ways. Raises autism awareness in the charter school, while promoting inclusion, and for the students a chance to develop social skills and begin focusing on a career.</i><br /><br />BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - In a first of its kind program, two Palm Beach County charter schools are teaming up to help students on the autism spectrum become career-ready.<br /><br />Starting this semester, <a href="http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boynton-beach/new-partnership-allows-students-on-autism-spectrum-to-get-career-ready">students from Palm Beach School for Autism are taking courses at South Tech Academy</a>.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-43876322360945145372016-02-12T07:28:00.002-05:002016-02-12T07:33:34.251-05:00Opinion: Tackling Minimum Wage<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Opinion piece by New York State Assemblymember Clifford Crouch is certainly valid. If there is going to be a $15 minimum wage in the not-for-profit sector, it needs to be funded. You could also contend that higher wages spur spending, which grows the economy. </i><br /><br />One problem with trying to have a discussion on the minimum wage is that most people never get beyond their rightful belief that people deserve to earn more than $7.25 an hour for work (the federal rate). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">New York’s minimum wage is $9 an hour, and there are now pushes to get that number even higher, to $15 an hour. That assertion is supported in opinion poll after opinion poll that show the majority of New Yorkers, as high as 84 percent, believe that the minimum wage should be higher than it currently is (according to a 2014 Quinnipiac University poll). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can tell you, however, as a representative for the Southern Tier, any hike in the minimum wage would be devastating to our businesses and do significant damage to our already-slow-working economy. What’s good for labor and New York City interests isn’t always good for upstate New York, and I stand firmly behind the idea that <a href="http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/guest-commentary-n-y-s-fight-for-is-misguided/article_7b276482-d8e9-5890-be53-fd3ac8706a70.html">growing our economy is the only way to advance the wage</a>, more than anything.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-77451150200688388722016-02-11T08:34:00.000-05:002016-02-11T08:34:01.743-05:00Dad Fights for Son & Never Gives Up<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #525252; line-height: 23.25px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>While Bill Davis' approach worked with his son, shouldn't we be raising expectations? Thoughts?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Since Bill Davis' son, Chris, was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, the Pennsylvania dad has learned to <a href="http://www.today.com/parents/dad-who-fights-son-autism-says-he-never-gives-t72711">modify his expectations, often making changes</a> where needed in order to help his son succeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-ZHZznDwvyYiGm0aYZoPnRJUqOmU4uy1rhJ7oIKtL5fVH1ZvdyMYhpbVy1snWncu632WQnfNbt2c6n7Uo3IFxu62TKZDQTJcAgm53OskFmkRlD0k-joaICtVNodBHvm3jAJ9Rk7gjbMJ/s1600/bill-davis-autism-today-inline-1-160210_f3152b51f28121c8e38523d3665dfb2b.today-inline-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-ZHZznDwvyYiGm0aYZoPnRJUqOmU4uy1rhJ7oIKtL5fVH1ZvdyMYhpbVy1snWncu632WQnfNbt2c6n7Uo3IFxu62TKZDQTJcAgm53OskFmkRlD0k-joaICtVNodBHvm3jAJ9Rk7gjbMJ/s200/bill-davis-autism-today-inline-1-160210_f3152b51f28121c8e38523d3665dfb2b.today-inline-large.jpg" width="134" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Davis and his son are among the subjects of author Andrew Solomon's book "Far From the Tree." A promotional video for the book, filmed in 2012, went viral recently after being shared on Facebook by Upworthy. To date, the video has received more than 20 million views; with comments that commend Davis for the strong love he has for his child continuing to pour in.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-77253889704432535462016-02-11T07:31:00.000-05:002016-02-11T07:31:40.416-05:00Conn. Families Fight Proposed Cuts<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Keep up the good fight Nutmeggers.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">HARTFORD — The signs of influence were there: About 30 legislators showed up at a rallying point Wednesday as dozens of parents of children with intellectual disabilities prepared to fan out through the Capitol complex and <a href="http://www.courant.com/health/hc-disabilities-lobby-budget-0211-20160210-story.html">press lawmakers to resist $47 million in proposed cuts to services</a></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The consensus in the crowded meeting room Wednesday was that parents, schooled by advocates to become their own champions, have in recent years fully conveyed what they see as an unjust system that favors expensive, outmoded state institutions serving a fraction of the population.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-67715111484851986092016-02-04T07:46:00.001-05:002016-02-04T07:46:18.387-05:00True Value of Mardi Gras Beads<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pensacola’s Arc Gateway is a beacon of financial freedom for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The nonprofit provides job opportunities that suit the abilities of their clients, but due to a lack of donations, their <a href="http://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2016/02/03/mardi-gras-beads-have-real-value/79723478/">Mardi Gras Bead program is struggling to stay afloat</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Mardi Gras Bead recycling program at Arc Gateway’s Pollack Training Center is a win-win for Pensacola. Parade-goers can gain a non-cash contribution tax form for donating their beads; individuals with disabilities earn a paycheck and learn valuable skills from reorganizing and packaging the beads, and Mardi Gras Krewes buy the recycled beads at a discounted price.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-36023932661006920012016-02-04T07:32:00.000-05:002016-02-04T07:32:22.265-05:00Connecticut Set to Address Wait List<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 13px;">
HARTFORD – The governor's budget chief said officials over the next year will find ways to <a href="http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-budget-disabilities-0204-20160203-story.html">unfreeze a stalled list of more than 2,000 people with intellectual disabilities waiting for services</a>, which advocates have identified as a crisis.<br />While Ben Barnes stopped short of saying the state will allocate money, he said the Department of Developmental Services will "develop strategies to address and fund" the waiting list – a queue that never moves unless a person's parents or care givers become incapacitated or die.<br />Barnes' assertion immediately struck a chord with advocates.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-19013740636389795342016-02-04T07:21:00.001-05:002016-02-04T07:21:35.148-05:00NYS Focuses on Mimimum Wage Hike <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 24px; vertical-align: baseline;" xmlns:apcm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apcm" xmlns:apnm="http://ap.org/schemas/03/2005/apnm" xmlns:o="http://w3.org/ns/odrl/2/" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ALBANY, N.Y. — Low-wage workers from around New York state gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday to support Gov. Andrew Cuomo's call for a <a href="http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/As-NY-lawmakers-review-budget-workers-rally-for-6804454.php">$15-an-hour minimum wage</a>, a proposal that continues to dominate the year's legislative work.</span>Sandra Luke<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">makes $9 as a wheelchair attendant at New York City's</span>LaGuardia Airport<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. She said it's barely enough to make ends meet, and forces her to sort her bills into two categories: ones she can pay and ones she must put off.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-22892224060531343652016-02-03T09:43:00.000-05:002016-02-03T09:43:31.469-05:00Opinion: NYS Proposed Minimum Wage Hike Threatens People with IDD & Field<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px 0px 24px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Bravo Laura Kennedy,<span style="font-size: 16px;"> president of NYSARC, Inc.,</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> and </span>Steven Kroll, <span style="font-size: 16px;">its executive director, for this op-ed in Albany Times Union.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed $15 minimum wage contains a serious flaw that threatens the financial viability of an entire field of caregivers and the people and families those caregivers support.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While the governor has appropriately decided that New York needs to champion the rights of hard-working, low-income wage earners by requiring a higher minimum wage, he <a href="http://ov.%20andrew%20cuomo%27s%20proposed%20%2415%20minimum%20wage%20contains%20a%20serious%20flaw%20that%20threatens%20the%20financial%20viability%20of%20an%20entire%20field%20of%20caregivers%20and%20the%20people%20and%20families%20those%20caregivers%20support.%20while%20the%20governor%20has%20appropriately%20decided%20that%20new%20york%20needs%20to%20champion%20the%20rights%20of%20hard-working%2C%20low-income%20wage%20earners%20by%20requiring%20a%20higher%20minimum%20wage%2C%20he%20has%20not%20provided%20any%20funding%20for%20the%20many%20not-for-profit%20agencies%20that%20depend%20almost%20completely%20on%20the%20state%20for%20their%20funding.%20among%20the%202.3%20million%20workers%20who%20stand%20to%20benefit%20from%20a%20minimum%20wage%20increase%20are%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20workers%20who%20provide%20support%2024%20hours%20a%20day%2C%20seven%20days%20a%20week%20for%20people%20with%20developmental%20disabilities%20such%20as%20down%20syndrome%2C%20cerebral%20palsy%2C%20autism%20and%20neurological%20impairments.%20no%20funding%20is%20provided%20for%20this%20increase./">has not provided any funding for the many not-for-profit agencies</a> that depend almost completely on the state for their funding. Among the 2.3 million workers who stand to benefit from a minimum wage increase are more than 100,000 workers who provide support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and neurological impairments. No funding is provided for this increase.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-11030746380110947332016-02-01T08:46:00.000-05:002016-02-01T08:46:51.291-05:00Thousands await Waiver in Virginia<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.4094px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Preston Philip Leech is a lucky man in many ways.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCC5O6bAQFxWrQTDeBD4CBBvpksyMt3jx9XebbOZSynMJWmD6a5AnT-TOxZvSVcElyDPlq_EAA9Kb_O8Lm5NHqdnlwDgE0fHhZP8KkOhCr7x79cEqul5sMhAwZi27ESUJceZnrmAQ1QDe/s1600/56aebe0822c6f.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCC5O6bAQFxWrQTDeBD4CBBvpksyMt3jx9XebbOZSynMJWmD6a5AnT-TOxZvSVcElyDPlq_EAA9Kb_O8Lm5NHqdnlwDgE0fHhZP8KkOhCr7x79cEqul5sMhAwZi27ESUJceZnrmAQ1QDe/s200/56aebe0822c6f.image.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Gwen Leech and her son Preston <br />at their Beaverdam home.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span class="paragraph-1" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 23.407px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;">
Although he is among the 25 percent of autistic people who are nonverbal, and he cannot be left alone, Preston’s mother, Gwen Leech, quit her job as an executive in corporate banking to take care of him when he was young.<br /><span style="line-height: 23.407px;">Preston has been able to live at home in a nurturing, comfortable environment rather than in an institution for people with disabilities.</span><span style="line-height: 23.407px;">But <a href="http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/general-assembly/article_3c0af050-bb62-5f4d-b275-e042acf9fee3.html">Gwen knows that one day, she and Preston’s father will die</a>.</span></div>
</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-11128029621916404542016-02-01T08:41:00.000-05:002016-02-01T08:41:43.492-05:00Georgia and Feds Battle it Out<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 30px;">With lawmakers talking about</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 30px;"> </span>protecting Confederate symbols<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 30px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 30px;">and extolling the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 30px;"> </span>supposedly good points of the Ku Klux Klan<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 30px;">, it can be easy to forget that the Civil War ended 151 years ago. After all, Georgia still keeps cannons on its Capitol steps – pointed North, as if our leaders expect renewed Union aggression.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMq2kB94LTY6a0mb9_BK_bGS3cv4r6Nz6CrEZeRNuqIDlkjDVuOp4nDemajAcfSCSzmL4DBoUngg6owFbVvh5KCNu01t7RiPxUV7NaB1VI_T10TZ4InAD0NYJ2wJTgJgeJEQWD2X3u0AJ/s1600/centralstate-096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMq2kB94LTY6a0mb9_BK_bGS3cv4r6Nz6CrEZeRNuqIDlkjDVuOp4nDemajAcfSCSzmL4DBoUngg6owFbVvh5KCNu01t7RiPxUV7NaB1VI_T10TZ4InAD0NYJ2wJTgJgeJEQWD2X3u0AJ/s200/centralstate-096.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; line-height: 13px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Powell Building at Central<br /> State Hospital in Milledgeville</span></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px; text-align: left;">.. </em></td></tr>
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</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px;">As it happens, Georgia is engaged in two serious conflicts with the federal government. In both, state officials, led by Gov. Nathan Deal, are <a href="http://investigations.blog.ajc.com/2016/02/01/the-war-between-the-state-and-the-feds/" target="_blank">resisting intervention by the U.S. Department of Justice</a> in how Georgia serves some of its most vulnerable citizens.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px;">The first concerns the care of people with developmental disabilities.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px;"> </span>As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported over the weekend<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px;">, the Justice Department says Georgia is not living up to promises it made in 2010 to settle a federal investigation into the state’s psychiatric hospitals. Part of the settlement required the state to transfer people with physical disabilities from the state hospitals – where, in most cases, they never belonged – to group homes and other community-based facilities. (To see the original Journal-Constitution stories that precipitated the federal investigation, go </span><a href="http://www.myajc.com/list/news/hidden-shame-series/mMwB/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9d9d9d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px; text-decoration: none;">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px;">.)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-58834744475205071312016-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:002016-01-29T08:00:15.199-05:00An Entrepreneur Changes Course; Owner of Tim's Place Follows His Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7t8fqLu4GIhHPFx_uBtfywUadyGUTFCe23Fk1QjzFD5hbDH2k4SMHMtBAt7tOD9qFyAO1LULIIx3u0elDiUWVCotwF0gFbgROkE7-um5t4rQzv48MgQ1tM8IjhESf4u8XOjf_fEAV_Po/s1600/hartmantims-place.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7t8fqLu4GIhHPFx_uBtfywUadyGUTFCe23Fk1QjzFD5hbDH2k4SMHMtBAt7tOD9qFyAO1LULIIx3u0elDiUWVCotwF0gFbgROkE7-um5t4rQzv48MgQ1tM8IjhESf4u8XOjf_fEAV_Po/s400/hartmantims-place.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Happy Friday. Something that's going to brighten your day. </i><br /><br />ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- What makes Tim's Place restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico so special is that it is, indeed, Tim's Place.<br />Tim Harris is the only restaurant owner in the country with Down syndrome. For the last five years he has lived for his business, which is why his customers were shocked when <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-syndrome-couple-gets-their-happily-ever-after/" target="_blank">Tim announced recently that he'd be closing</a>.<br />"My customers cry a lot into my arms," he explained.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-70294301660033899832016-01-27T12:22:00.001-05:002016-01-27T12:22:58.799-05:00Cuomo Budget Plan Excludes Minimum Wage for Human Service Workers<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;">A gradual minimum wage increase to <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/blog/health-care/2016/01/15-minimum-wage-for-health-care-human-services.html?platform=hootsuite" target="_blank">$15 an hour is not fully funded for health care and human services workers in Gov.</a></span><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/blog/health-care/2016/01/15-minimum-wage-for-health-care-human-services.html?platform=hootsuite" target="_blank"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;"> </span>Andrew Cuomo's</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;"><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/blog/health-care/2016/01/15-minimum-wage-for-health-care-human-services.html?platform=hootsuite" target="_blank"> budget</a>.<br /></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;">The lack of funding is likely to become an issue as the budget moves forward in the Legislature, where some Senate Republicans have expressed concern about the potential effects of a higher minimum wage on businesses and non-profits. Cuomo's budget does include funding for a phased-in higher</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;"> </span><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2015/11/10/report-cuomo-to-raise-state-worker-minimum-wage-to.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1f3a7d; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;">minimum wage for state</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;">and</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 27px;"> </span>SUNY workers.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-14972989321427690642016-01-22T17:41:00.001-05:002016-01-22T17:41:54.427-05:00NYS $15 Minimum Wage Proposal & Impact on Non Profit Agencies<a href="http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/listennow.php?segment_guid=http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/30757/20160122/can-north-country-not-for-profits-afford-15-an-hour&width=325&height=350&segment_program_title=NCPR+News&segment_title=Can+North+Country+not-for-profits+afford+%2415+an+hour%3F&segment_audio_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.northcountrypublicradio.org%2Fnews%2Faudio%2F160122zhminwagenfp.mp3&segment_display_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.northcountrypublicradio.org%2Fnews%2Fstory%2F30757%2F20160122%2Fcan-north-country-not-for-profits-afford-15-an-hour" target="_blank">Not-for-profit agencies and workers are really nervous about the proposed minimum wage increase to $15 an hour</a>.<br />These are agencies that try to help their communities in some way. They range from hospitals to research labs to social services. And they have a significant role in the North Country economy. An Adirondack Foundation study in 2013 found that 36 non-profits in the North Country generated more than $400 million in economic activity and provided roughly 10 percent of all the jobs in the region.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-18530387984173359642016-01-22T12:23:00.000-05:002016-01-27T12:24:02.645-05:00Kansans Urge Medicaid Expansion<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kansas’ largest disability advocacy group urged Gov. Sam Brownback and legislators Thursday to <a href="http://www.hayspost.com/2016/01/23/disability-group-stop-citing-waiting-lists-to-oppose-kan-medicaid-expansion/" target="_blank">stop citing waiting lists for disability services as a reason to refuse Medicaid expansion</a>.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Big Tent Coalition, which represents Kansans with all types of disabilities, said the argument is disingenuous and is being used “as a method of evading sincere debate on the merits of a customized KanCare expansion plan.”</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-80958130764164994142016-01-22T08:02:00.001-05:002016-01-22T08:02:50.748-05:00High Court Seeks Input on Case<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 1.55em; margin-bottom: 25px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The U.S. Supreme Court is <a href="https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/01/21/supreme-court-sped-matter/21806/" target="_blank">asking the Obama administration to weigh in</a> as it considers whether to take up a case brought by the family of a girl with cerebral palsy who sought to bring her service dog to school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebTsRD_t9cEhtqb9MgyFJHRTdcw1HyetpO7DRey7tb1-zS56ldHhCAjM6ZPHOFTubVgPiAGyv6HXkvOstoPRKfCbH704KmoqEZjgad6PSNq4JDTKlUqpRN9QQ84G9BjlBtnTB_mft7N5X/s1600/ds160121_scotus-668x418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebTsRD_t9cEhtqb9MgyFJHRTdcw1HyetpO7DRey7tb1-zS56ldHhCAjM6ZPHOFTubVgPiAGyv6HXkvOstoPRKfCbH704KmoqEZjgad6PSNq4JDTKlUqpRN9QQ84G9BjlBtnTB_mft7N5X/s200/ds160121_scotus-668x418.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.55em;">The family of Ehlena Fry</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.55em;"> </span>petitioned<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.55em;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.55em;">the Supreme Court to take their case last fall. Rather than accept or decline the case outright, however, the high court this week asked the U.S. solicitor general to provide the federal government’s viewpoint before the court decides whether to hear the matter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-3887811888223229222016-01-21T08:59:00.000-05:002016-01-21T08:59:05.429-05:00Medicaid and Mental Health Facilities<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Lawmakers and mental health advocates agreed during a Senate hearing Wednesday that Medicaid <a href="http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160120/NEWS/160129996" target="_blank">should pay for short-term stays at residential mental health facilities</a> as part of the broader goal of improving access to such services.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">At a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, mental health professionals praised efforts to allow Medicaid to cover these services and otherwise increasing resources for patients with severe mental illness</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17595961272944678929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506360639312268327.post-84194344541047069652016-01-20T08:56:00.002-05:002016-01-20T08:56:31.999-05:00Tracing History and Politics of Autism<i>We worked with John Donvan and Caren Zucker years ago for a piece on autism and love. They came to follow one of the individuals we support at our National Institute for People with Disabilities of New Jersey. </i><br />In their book published this month, <i><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/19/463601735/in-a-different-key-traces-history-and-politics-of-autism">In a Different Key: The Story Of Autism</a>,</i> journalists John Donvan and Caren Zucker delve into the history of the good and bad intentions, sometimes wrong-headed science, and shifting definitions that can cloud our understanding of what has come to be called the autism spectrum.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPT4bDAfXLaFvSU_7Kv8fW92NFBGn__Q7pMWHmNeDY35ptk957BrNoZPUxl1ZEaTvu5cgZKEQOOyhHtTyPdls7ALUtoj7ZXgXzuayIhnNnWcn9fKltjV5Srk7VukIYeh-pULwegDSOLnVZ/s1600/thestoryofautism_custom-3c75666869fd6e73ebebb4cb6d20b8ffce5b03fb-s800-c85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPT4bDAfXLaFvSU_7Kv8fW92NFBGn__Q7pMWHmNeDY35ptk957BrNoZPUxl1ZEaTvu5cgZKEQOOyhHtTyPdls7ALUtoj7ZXgXzuayIhnNnWcn9fKltjV5Srk7VukIYeh-pULwegDSOLnVZ/s200/thestoryofautism_custom-3c75666869fd6e73ebebb4cb6d20b8ffce5b03fb-s800-c85.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
In their Tuesday conversation with NPR's Robert Siegel, host of All Things Considered, Donvan and Zucker tell of a particularly dark period in the 1940s when psychiatrists blamed autistic behavior on "refrigerator mothers" — emotionally distant women who, supposedly, didn't love their children enough. "This was a very, very poisonous idea," says Donvan. And it wasn't the last flawed notion about autism's roots.<br /><br />
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