Breaking News Of Interest For Year 2001

ARCHIVES

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DAC Briefs Thursday, December 20, 2001  <----yep, I did have Friday the 25th--opps, big hurry:)  ========================================================
With the holidays upon us DAC will be enjoying the rest of this year by taking a well needed break until next year. We hope that all of you enjoy a SAFE and happy holiday season. Please remember to help those that may not be as fortunate as you and give however you can to help make this a great holiday season for everyone. Our 1st article is a plea for your help to pay for a Trike for a little girl. What's a couple of bucks from everybody? Please consider helping those that are helping this young little girl.

Next year will bring many new changes and we thank you one and all for your past suggestions, comments and criticism. Again, enjoy the holidays and we'll see you next year in 2002. Thank you for making DAC the success that it has been and will continue to be.

Happy Holidays To Everyone:)

Keith-

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1. A TRIKE FOR RACHEL -- HOW YOU CAN HELP
2. MONEY COMMITTEE HEARINGS IN JANUARY 2002
3. HEALTH ACTION 2002 CONFERENCE
4. LONG TERM CARE WORKFORCE CRISIS
5. DON'T THROW AWAY TTY TAPES - NEWS FOR THE DEAF
6. AGING POPULATION - IS A FISCAL CRISIS REALLY COMING?
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A TRIKE FOR RACHEL -- HOW YOU CAN HELP ********************************************************
Below is the E-mail from her mother,Cheryl [BELOW, HOW YOU CAN HELP]

Hi Bill,

I will attempt to answer your questions. She does not have a diagnosis. She has what is referred to as an orphan disease. She has been loosing her gross and fine motor skills for the last 6 years+. It is an abnormal motor disorder with tremors and seizures. The tremors are Parkinson-like in nature. She once would dance, play ball, and run with her friends. These days she requires had held assistance on her good days, other days require a walker or a wheelchair. She has extensive physical therapy throughout he years. This has allowed her to maintain her mobility longer. We had used a treadmill for her to exercise but she is over 90 pounds now and I can not safely lift her on or off. We attempted a stationary bike but they are adult size and she isn't stable causing her to shake uncontrollably. She has been using the

Ranger 13 trike at PT and it has been very beneficial for her. But she needs the use more than one time per week. Without the physical activity her muscles cramp and she looses more of her mobility. Regence Insurance does not feel it is medically necessary. They have denied our request, twice, after receiving letters from her neurologist, pediatrician, and PT. So we have been attempting to acquire one for her. She has been seen and is being followed by: University of Washington, Children's Hospital, Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto and numerous other specialist. Please let me know if you need additional information.

Thank you!, Cheryl

HOW YOU CAN HELP:)

The special Ranger Tricycle (R137) was ordered from Community Products LLC (Rifton) and is on the way to Rachel as I type this E-mail. The full list price with the necessary accessories is $2137.21. We got it for $1096.00, "DEALER PRICE," including free direct UPS shipping. If you would like to see what it looks like, go to website www.rifton.com and check out "MOBILITY," then "RIFTON TRICYCLES" MODEL R137. If you see any prices, remember that you are looking at a dealer catalog.

So far we have had received about $480.00 donated/contributions to help cover our cost. If you would like to donate/contribute to help cover our cost, mail your check to:

W. L. Brayer
c/o MSHH Donor Closet
23910-102nd Ave. W
Edmonds, WA 98020-5712

This is a tax deductible item and we will send you a receipt for your donation if you request one. We are a non-profit 501c3 Non-profit organization.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS YOU HAVE HELPED MAKE ONE LITTLE 12 YEAR OLD GIRL VERY HAPPY.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS! (Bill Brayer)

(NOTE: Bill runs a free donor closet with all kinds of supplies in WA to help people of ALL disabilities and anywhere they are needed, he will ship them.)
Keith-

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MONEY COMMITTEE HEARINGS IN JANUARY 2002
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The joint money committees will conduct regional budget hearings on the following dates. You may sign up to speak one hour prior to the hearing. You will have two minutes to speak. Please bring several copies of your testimony for the committee members or members of the press.

There will NOT be a hearing in Richmond on the day of the Coalition Rally, which is Monday, January 21, 2002. The Richmond hearing will be on Wednesday, January 16 in the GAB at approximately 1:00 PM

All other regional hearings will be on Thursday, January 3, 2002

Northern Virginia
George Mason U., Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center, at 12 noon

Roanoke
Virginia Western CC, Whitman College, the Business Science Building at 11am

Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach Pavilion Theater at 12 noon

Southwest Virginia
Mountain Empire CC, Big Stone Gap, Goodloe Center in Phillips-Taylor Hall 12n

For questions, please call the House Committee staff at 804/698-1590 or the Senate Committee staff at 804/698-7480.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  - Margaret Mead

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HEALTH ACTION 2002 CONFERENCE
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Friends,

First of all, all our best wishes for the holidays. Let's hope it's a healthy, productive, and more peaceful year.

We're writing to raise two issues with you:
1) For those of you interested in prescription drug issues, we have just completed an "Action Kit for State Advocates" dealing with prescription drug costs and coverage. It looks at a range of approaches at the state level to deal with these issues. You can access the Kit online at: (http://www.familiesusa.org/html/drugkit/drugkit.htm).

If, after looking at the Kit, you would like a hard copy of it, please write our Publications Director, Peggy Denker, at (pdenker@familiesusa.org). We hope you find the Kit useful.

2) We wanted to remind all you health advocates that HEALTH ACTION 2002, the national conference that we organize with scores of national group co-sponsors, will quickly be upon us. The Jan.17-19 conference brings together a great group of people from around the country to share ideas and strategies, learn new approaches and issues, hear from the horses' mouths about what's happening (and will happen) in health policy - and to recharge for the challenging year ahead.

Dr. Steve Schroeder, President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will be kicking off the meeting, and Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children's Defense Fund, will be our closer at Saturday's lunch. In between them, we have a major plenary on prescription drugs featuring the nationwide expert, Steve Schondelmeyer from the PRIME Institute at the University of MN; and what we expect will be a challenging plenary with five unique voices on the major budget/policy/market/political forces that are buffeting the health care system. There are also over 30 workshops on the range of health policy issues confronting advocates across the country. See the details at
http://www.familiesusa.org/html/conference02/intro.htm

The famous Capitol Steps will entertain us Friday night with their musical political satire and, of course, we'll have a lot of fun at our Thursday night Dessert, Dance, and Karaoke party.

We get a great group of people that have a lot to share, and we work hard to make sure that it's a good value for those of you who need the information but have limited budgets and time. If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Kirsch at jkirsch@familiesusa.org.

We hope you can join us.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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LONG TERM CARE WORKFORCE CRISIS
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New Approaches Address Looming Long-Term Care Workforce Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Low wages and benefits, difficult working conditions, heavy workloads and the stigma attached to long-term care jobs make recruitment and retention of workers difficult. To address the workforce crisis in long-term care, many public and private efforts have recently been launched, according to a new report titled "Who Will Care for Us?". The report is part of a project by the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, in partnership with the Urban Institute, to raise awareness about issues related to developing a committed, qualified paraprofessional long-term care workforce.

Nursing assistants, home health and home care aides, personal care workers and personal care attendants form the centerpiece of our formal long-term care system. According to the report, filling these positions will become more and more difficult in the coming decades as the labor pool diminishes and the proportion of older Americans increases.

"We're on the brink of an era where the largest generation of seniors ever will be requiring and demanding choices in long-term care," said Robyn Stone, executive director of the Institute for the Future of Aging Services and principal author of the report. "It's not just about finding warm bodies to fill positions. We need to enact policies that will help providers attract quality workers and offer them incentives and opportunities to grow within the field. These frontline workers are the eyes and ears of the care system, and the personal interaction they provide is essential to quality of life and quality of care for the people they serve."

Some efforts to attract and retain long-term care workers at the state level include increasing worker fringe benefits, such as health insurance and payment for commuting time, and developing career ladders through the establishment of new job levels, training requirements and compensation brackets. Other states are exploring new sources of workers, such as former welfare recipients, and establishing public authorities to provide independent workers and consumers with ways to address issues concerning wages, benefits, job quality and security.

Long-term care providers also are experimenting with a range of interventions. For example, the "Pioneer Homes" approach to changing nursing home culture does not focus specifically on recruiting and retaining workers, but it tries to link the facility to the outside world and community. By adhering to principles such as "Each person can and does make a difference" and "Promote the growth and development of all," the Pioneer philosophy ensures that frontline workers are respected as an essential part of the care team.

The "Wellspring" model of quality improvement is another approach to changing the workplace environment. Its three-pronged method includes intensive clinical training, periodic analysis of outcomes data and a management change/job redesign effort that empowers nursing assistants to become key members of care teams.

Cooperative Home Care Associates, a worker-owned company located in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, is staffed overwhelmingly by former welfare recipients. After three months' employment, a worker can purchase shares in the company. Wages are higher than the average for home care aides, and workers receive fringe benefits and guaranteed hours. They also are encouraged to advance their careers and earn higher pay as associate trainers or by assuming administrative positions.

"It's essential that stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels and in our public and private sectors come together to find creative solutions to our workforce challenges," said Joshua Wiener, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute's Health Policy Center and co-author of the report. "The future of the frontline long-term care workforce is, in many ways, a barometer for the health of our aging communities."

To access the "Who Will Care for Us?" report, visit
www.urban.org/health/CareForUs.html.

Contact:
Bruce Rosenthal, (202) 508-9499, brosenthal@aahsa.org
Michele Lacher, (202) 508-9432, mlacher@aahsa.org
(thax ProAging)

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DON'T THROW AWAY TTY TAPES - NEWS FOR THE DEAF
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THOU SHALT NOT THROW AWAY TTY TAPES

A DEAFDIGEST subscriber, who is a well-traveled individual, used the TTY to make reservations with the Amtrak. The subscriber said "Everything was all set and the tickets were received as promised."

Come the fateful day, the Amtrak clerk claimed that their office has no record of the return tickets despite reservations being made via TTY.

The deaf individual requested to speak with the manager and showed that person the TTY tape which confirmed everything including the return tickets.

Alas, the manager overruled the clerk and gave return tickets to the deaf person.

The moral - do not trash the TTY tape!
(thax DeafDigest)

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AGING POPULATION - IS A FISCAL CRISIS REALLY COMING?
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There is a growing recognition that aging populations will pose major economic, budgetary, and social challenges in coming decades. In particular, aging could lead to significant pressures to increase public spending. This issue affects not only the United States but other countries as well.

Last week the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security added fuel to the fire of this debate, releasing its final report that proposes three plans for adding individual worker accounts to the program.

Recently, a report was prepared by a Working Group on Ageing Populations, part of the Economic Policy Committee of the European Union (EU). This report presents projections for public spending on pensions, health and long-term care for the Member States.

The conclusions the Working Group reached are interesting for what they say about what we think we know is going to happen, but that in fact may not turn out at all.

Since 1970, life expectancy at birth has risen by 5.5 years for women and almost five years for men. Projections suggest that life expectancy for men and women will reach 85.1 years and 79.7 years respectively by 2050 in the EU. The projections for the United States and other developed countries are similar.

At first sight, aging and health and long-term care expenditures appear to be highly related: most Member States currently spend between 30-40% of total health expenditures on elderly persons (i.e. those aged over 65), as well as making expenditures on long-term care for the elderly. Expenditures per person increase with age, and are particularly high for the oldest age groups.

The report warns that the impact of these trends on long-term care will be greater in those countries -- Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands -- that already have formal systems for caring for the elderly (up to 3% of gross domestic product). Over the next 50 years, the effects of aging in terms of increased public expenditure would range from 1.7 to 3.9% of GDP. Moreover, on average expenditures on long-term care are set to increase by 70% over the period, compared with a more modest 30 to 40% for health care.

Thus, the aging of populations would be an important driver of health and long-term care expenditures in the coming decades. However, other factors also come into play.

The Picture Is Far More Complicated
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Demographic changes have not been significant drivers of increasing levels of health and long-term care expenditures in recent decades, the Working Group found. Instead, demand and supply factors have prevailed. The cost assumptions in the Working Group's report do not take into account explicitly the impact of other non-demographic factors.

In a long-term historical perspective, these cost assumptions may be considered to be conservative. The link between aging and health and long-term care needs is more complex than implied by looking at age-related profiles estimated at a single point in time.

Increasing life expectancy and associated improvements in the health status of elderly persons are likely to lead to shifts in age-related expenditure profiles over time, both for health care and for long-term care. No one really knows for sure.

Similarly, one of the expected future drivers of average expenditures for long-term care is likely to be the balance between formal and informal provision of care, says the Working Group report. One of the key determinants of this balance is the availability of informal care. One factor affecting the pattern of informal care is household structure. For example, fewer single-person elderly households might reduce the need for formal care. Again, no one knows for sure how this "social model" of how long-term care might be provided in the future will play out.

The moral of this tale, says the Working Group, is that the results of any projections on the future would be best interpreted as a snapshot of the possible impact of demography, and that there are both upside and downside risks.
(thax ElderFax)

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Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

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DAC Notes Saturday, December 15, 2001 ========================================================
When I first founded DAC almost 3 years ago I had no idea that it would grow much further than past Virginia, let alone across the United States and overseas. Just as McDonald's gave up counting their hamburger sales many years ago, I've also quit trying to guess just how many people and countries that DAC does reach today. From the letters that I receive it's apparent that our boundaries are endless which is very flattering. I receive many requests to post news and/or events from everywhere and in most cases I do if its relevant to you, our readers. I'd like to note for some of our readers that DAC is not a legal entity that gives out legal advice, for that we suggest you contact a lawyer just as you would a physician for doctors advice.

DAC wishes to thank all of you that contribute to the news that we disseminate and we'd also like to wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season. Keep your cards and letters flowing in as we do appreciate your input, be it good or bad. Everyone has their own opinions and we will gladly print them regardless of whether we might agree with them or not. Thank you all for your kind wishes and we look forward to many more years of serving you.

Keith-

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1. MEDICATION EDUCATION FOR CONSUMERS
2. SICKLE CELL CURE A STEP CLOSER
3. HOPE VI - RENTAL AND OWNERSHIP - HUD
4. WORLD'S 65+ AGING POPULATION TRIPLES
5. MORE WEB RESOURCES
6. NEWS FOR SENIORS
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MEDICATION EDUCATION FOR CONSUMERS
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Dear Mr. Kessler:

The Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University has created a project called “Project MED,” which stands for “Medication Education for Consumers.” Project MED consists of a set of eight booklets that discusses issues related to all classes of psychotropic drugs, as well as issues relating to a patient’s rights and responsibilities. These booklets can be valuable resources for the individuals who utilize the services of your organization.

The goal of Project MED is to provide patients with information, in a manner that they can understand, about the medications that they are taking. The booklets are written at a very basic level, with large type, and with liberal use of illustrations. They are designed for a broad group of people taking medications: child and adolescent patients, people with mental retardation, autism, reading difficulties, and severe mental illness, and people whose first language is not English. By providing this information, we hope to increase each patient’s participation in his or her own health care.

The booklets are numbered and titled as follows:

1. Patients' Rights and Responsibilities An Easy-to-Read Guide For People Who Take These Medicines
2. Anticonvulsant Medicines Medicines For People With Epilepsy
3. Antipsychotic Medicines (Neuroleptics)
4. Antidepressant Medicines An Easy-to-Read Guide For People Who Take These Medicines
5. Antimanic Medicines Medicines For People With Mood Problems
6. Antianxiety Medicines Medicines For People With Too Much Worry
7. Stimulant Medicines An Easy-to-Read Guide For People Who Take These Medicines
8. Other Behavior Medicines (Blood Pressure Medicine, Naltrexone, Over the Counter) NOT PRINTED YET

The booklets average about 20-25 pages in length. Each booklet devoted to medication covers (at a minimum): (a) the names of the medicines (brand and generic), (b) uses for the medicines (“proven” and “not proven”), (c) common side effects, (d) common doses, (e) common interactions, and (f) “How long will I take this medicine?”.

The cost is only $1.50 for each booklet, plus shipping and handling. See sample pages from the booklets on the Project MED website: http://www.project-med.org. Order forms can be printed directly from the website.

If you have further questions or suggestions concerning Project MED, please feel free to contact me by telephone at (614) 688-8214. You can also reach me by FAX at (614) 688-4908, or by email at proj.med@osu.edu.

Project MED is supported by a grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, along with educational grants from Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Pharmaceutica, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Sincerely,

Jessica Masty
Project Coordinator, Project MED
Jessica K. Masty phone: (614) 688-8214
Project Coordinator, Project MED fax: (614) 688-4908
Ohio State University Nisonger Center e-mail: proj.med@osu.edu
218 McCampbell Hall
1581 Dodd Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210

Read about the Nisonger Center's "Project MED:" Medication EDucation for consumers with language limitations. Website address: http://www.project-med.org

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SICKLE CELL CURE A STEP CLOSER
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Sickle cell cure called a step closer

By Raja Mishra, Globe Staff, 12/14/2001

Boston-area scientists say they have used re-engineered human immunodeficiency virus to cure mice with sickle cell anemia, offering hope to millions of people worldwide suffering from the painful blood disease and giving a boost to the battered field of gene therapy.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used the modified HIV to deliver a corrective gene into sickened test mice, and said they were cured within 10 months. The results are reported today in the journal Science.

Read more here: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/348/nation/Sickle_cell_cure_called_a_step_closer+.shtml
(thax C.A.)

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HOPE VI - RENTAL AND OWNERSHIP - HUD
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HOPE VI - RENTAL UNITS and HOME OWNERSHIP - Information Bulletin # 22

Throughout most of the 1990s, HUD has funded a program known as "HOPE VI." Throughout the country, cities submitted applications and competed for grants for both rental units and home ownership. HUD budgeted more than $ 4 billion in HOPE VI funds, leveraging these HOPE VI funds with another $7 billion in both federal and non-federal housing funds.

Nearly 53,000 rental units and 18,000 home ownership HOPE VI dwellings have been funded. We have listed each HOPE VI rental project and separately home ownership project -- by city and project name. See www.stevegoldada.com [click on Archives and go to HOPE VI Rental Units and a separate one to HOPE VI Home Ownership].

The HOPE VI grant program offers a novel approach to housing – some is public housing only, some combine public housing, moderate income housing, and low-income housing tax credits, some have income restrictions, some do not have income restrictions, some are only home ownership, some only rental, and some combine rental with home ownership. Your local city applies for any of these combinations.

Critical for the disability community are both accessibility requirements and affordability.

Each city and each HOPE VI project is a "recipient of federal financial assistance," and therefore MUST comply with the Section 504 requirements: AT LEAST five percent of the units MUST be fully accessible. (Some cities have used HOPE VI projects to provide a substantially higher percentage of accessible units to offset other non-HOPE VI projects which were not in compliance with the five percent duty.) [A description of how the five percent duty should function can be found at the above web site's Archive.]

Who is residing in accessible HOPE VI units? There is a Section 504 requirement that people with disabilities should receive a PRIORITY to reside in these HOPE VI units.

If your city has received HOPE VI funds and is NOT in compliance with Section 504, it is critical you act immediately!! You cannot let your city get away with using HOPE VI federal funds and not have accessible units. You must ensure that people with disabilities are IN FACT residing in accessible units.

Similarly, HOPE VI units must be affordable! Either the housing units have financial eligibility at the public housing level OR they MUST accept Section 8 Vouchers. [Information Bulletins and lists of cities that received vouchers in FY 2000 and FY 2001 are at the above web site.] Those HOPE VI units which have "income restrictions" probably received low-income housing tax credits and therefore must accept at least 30 percent of their units for persons who have Section 8 vouchers.

Check out the names of the HOPE VI projects in your city and then check out their accessibility and affordability. DON'T MOURN, DO SOMETHING! Visit your local HOPE VI units and then ORGANIZE.

Steve Gold, the Disability Odyssey Continues

Back issues of this letter and other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site.

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WORLD'S 65+ AGING POPULATION TRIPLES
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World's 65+ Population Triples

By GENARO C. ARMAS
.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people age 65 and older more than tripled over the past half-century to a record 420 million worldwide. In general, seniors are better educated, retiring earlier and living longer.

Vast differences in quality of life exist between older people living in the United States and Japan, for example, and those in Malaysia, Costa Rica and other developing countries where the biggest increases in this population are expected.

The U.S. government study being released Thursday also shows the predicted increase will test governments' ability to address health care, retirement benefits and other issues that affect seniors, experts say.

``Global aging is occurring at a rate never seen before and we will need to pay close attention to how countries respond to the challenges and opportunities of growing older,'' said Nancy Gordon, associate director for demographic programs at the U.S. Census Bureau.

The 65-and-older population increased from 131 million in 1950 to 420 million in 2000, said the report from the Census Bureau and the National Institute on Aging.

Over the 1990s, the increase was about 2 percent each year. The one-year increase of 9.5 million between 1999 and 2000 was unprecedented, the report said.

In the United States, the 2000 census showed about 12 percent, or 35 million of the nation's 281.4 million people, were at least 65. That compares with 13 percent of the country's 248.7 million people a decade ago.

By 2030, one in every five American will be 65 as the baby boom generation ages, the study projects.

Among the other forecasts:

Italy and Japan, at 28 percent, are predicted to have the greatest percentage of older people. More than one Japanese in 10 is expected to be at least 85 in 2030. Southeast Asian and less developed countries are expected to have the biggest percentage increases between now and 2030. The 65-and-over populations in Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia and Costa Rica are expected to at least triple in size.

The findings raises important public policy questions for the coming decades, experts said. Can countries provide adequate health care? What kind of pension and retirement systems can retirees expect?

``European problems are complicated by much earlier ages of retirement and more generous pension benefits,'' said Paul Hewitt, director of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies' global aging initiative.

Compared to other countries' pension systems, Social Security in the United States ``can be counted on,'' said Suzanne Paul, of the New York-based group Global Action on Aging. ``What we have is a dream.''

Demographers said better health care overall means people are living longer. They are accounting for a larger percentage of the population because the birth rate has declined in most countries, said John Haaga, an analyst with the Population Reference Bureau, a research organization.

Still, disparities were evident in many areas between richer and poorer countries. While disability rates were declining among older populations in developed countries, the study found it was likely to increase in still developing countries.

Older people in the United States tended to be better educated than comparable populations in most other countries, though educational attainment is expected to improve worldwide over the coming decades. Studies show that people with higher levels of education typically enjoy better health and higher standards of living.

In developed countries where there are concerns that pension or benefit funds may run out, more people will need to delay retirement and build up savings, Hewitt said.

``In the case of the developing world, unemployment remains the principal problem,'' he said. ``It's going to be vital that these countries grow fast enough to support a rising retirement burden.''

Results from the report were based on data and estimates from the Census Bureau, the United Nations, and other international organizations such as the European Union.
(thax ProAging)

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MORE WEB RESOURCES
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How the Slowing U.S. Economy Threatens Employer-Based Health Insurance, a recent report issued by the Commonwealth Fund, sets out to document the link between loss of health insurance and unemployment. To that end, it summarizes recent findings of other reports and provides new analyzes of employment-based health insurance, unemployment, and the economic consequences of lack of health coverage. These consequences include: lack of health insurance limits a person's ability to find a good job; an increased number of uninsured strains the health care sector; and more unemployed, more uninsured adults will further stress state budgets. (November 2001)
http://www.cmwf.org/programs/insurance/lambrew_slowingeconomy_511.pdf

Community-Based Health Plans for the Uninsured: Expanding Access, Enhancing Dignity, a new report released by Community Voices and prepared by the Economic and Social Research Institute, focuses on community-based initiatives in five Community Voices learning laboratories around the country. To develop ways of providing health insurance for people who are not covered by either government programs or private insurance, these programs enroll uninsured individuals and families into organized health plans that provide a designated set of benefits. The sites featured are: Alameda County, California; Bernalillo County, New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Ingham County, Michigan; and North Carolina. (November 2001)
http://www.communityvoices.org/PDF/Community-Based_Health_Plans_Report.pdf

The Kaiser Family Foundation has undertaken a national survey in order to better understand how policy changes at both the state and federal level have altered the financing and delivery of family planning services under Medicaid. Kaiser presents the results of this survey, as well as a discussion of access to such services, in a new report titled Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Services: Results of a National Survey. Among the key findings of the report: "*states vary substantially in the family planning services covered under their Medicaid programs and in the information provided to the program's enrollees about these services." (November 2001)
http://www.kff.org/content/2001/2216

Medicaid has become one of the major funders of prenatal care and delivery services for women in the U.S., but during the 1990's, the Medicaid program changed dramatically with the broad adoption of managed care arrangements for Medicaid beneficiaries. To understand how this shift has changed the way states organize and finance perinatal care, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a national survey, and the results of that survey are presented in Medicaid Coverage of Perinatal Services: Results of a National Survey. Among the survey results was that, though most state Medicaid programs cover a comprehensive range of perinatal services, relatively few cover smoking cessation or breastfeeding support services, "two services that can have a dramatic effect and immediate effect on infants' health." (November 2001)
http://www.kff.org/content/2001/2218

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) has created a page on their Web site¯Waiver Watch¯devoted to monitoring Medicaid and SCHIP waiver requests, including HIFA waivers. The first item posted on the site is a link to the waiver request that Washington state recently submitted to CMS. Future postings will include other waiver requests, analyzes of the waiver process in general and of particular waivers, and materials produced by state advocates that may prove useful in analyzing and addressing waiver requests. (November 2001)
http://www.healthlaw.org/waiver.shtml

Patterns of Child-Parent Insurance Coverage: Implications for Coverage Expansions, a new brief from the Urban Institute, uses the 1999 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to examine patterns of insurance coverage for children and their primary parent. The brief provides statistics on discordant coverage between parent and child according to several variables. Among these statistics is that fewer than 60 percent of low-income children have a primary parent who is covered by the same type of insurance plan or program. The authors note that such differences "in type of coverage between children and their parents introduce complexity in the lives of families already stressed by factors in the home environment, the workplace, and school." (November 2001)
http://newfederalism.urban.org/html/series_b/b39/b39.html

Medicare+Choice: Recent Payment Increases Had Little Effect on Benefits or Plan Availability in 2001, a new report from the General Accounting Office, examines the role that the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) has played so far in stemming the tide of Medicare HMO departures. BIPA is the third in a series of increases in Medicare+Choice payments mandated by Congress, but the GAO found that the payment increases provided by BIPA "had little effect on the number of beneficiaries with access to at least one M+C plan in 2001" and that "it largely did not extend choice to beneficiaries who were not previously served by MCOs [managed care organizations]." The report also provides a brief history of this issue. (December 4, 2001)
http://www.gao.gov

A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes With Your Private or Employer Health Plan, a free online consumer guide launched jointly by Consumers Union and the Kaiser Family Foundation, provides practical information to plan enrollees who are seeking a way to resolve a dispute with their health plan or to better understand their coverage before a problem arises. The guide provides information on internal appeals in all states and the District of Columbia, and on external appeals in the 40 states plus the District that have passed legislation containing such provisions. The guide also includes phone numbers and Web site addresses for the relevant agency in each state. (November 2001)
http://www.kff.org/consumerguide/

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has launched a Web site that reports on key legislation on public policy issues, health initiatives, and local events pertaining to the health of people of African descent worldwide. The site provides news, analysis, and scholarly references on topics that include: AIDS/HIV, diabetes, health care, heart disease, mental health, and public policy. The site also includes an interactive calendar of events and is searchable by disease topic. (November 2001)
www.cbcfhealth.org

Three decades after the passage of civil rights legislation, communities of color still face inequalities in health care access and health status. Families USA has created two new fact sheets that address barriers to health coverage within communities of color. Health Coverage in Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities: What's the problem and what can you do about it? and Health Coverage in Latino Communities: What's the problem and what can you do about it? discuss barriers to coverage within these communities and strategies that can be used to eliminate them. (September 2001)
AAPI fact sheet: http://www.familiesusa.org/media/pdf/asian.pdf
Latino fact sheet: http://www.familiesusa.org/media/pdf/hispanic.pdf

Families USA has published a Special Report that addresses the need for a COBRA subsidy in whatever economic stimulus legislation is ultimately signed into law. The report presents estimated numbers for laid-off workers who became uninsured from March through October of 2001. It also includes a table listing each state's COBRA eligibility criteria in terms of size of firm covered, as well as the length of time a person is eligible for such coverage. (December 2001)
http://www.familiesusa.org/media/press/2001/cobra.htm
(thax FamiliesUSA)

********************************************************
NEWS FOR SENIORS
********************************************************
Overweight And Obesity Threaten U.S. Health Gains
Social Security In The News
Social Security Reform Likely Put On Hold
Medicare Personal Plan Finder
Social Security Frequently Asked Questions
FDA Approves New Anticlotting Drug
Record FY 2002 Budget Signed For FDA
The Medicare Rights Center

Overweight And Obesity Threaten U.S. Health Gains
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1201/obesity.htm
12/13/01 - According to the Surgeon General's "call to action" issued today, health problems resulting from overweight and obesity could reverse many of the health gains achieved in the U.S. in recent decades.

Social Security In The News
The Committee to Strengthen Social Security and the Senate Special Committee on Aging each held hearings in the past week and issued reports. Draft Final Report of the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security
http://www.csss.gov/reports/ (.pdf file - requires Acrobat Reader)
Straight Shooting on Social Security: The Trade-offs of Reform
http://www.senate.gov/~aging/hr75.htm

Social Security Reform Likely Put On Hold
http://www.sunspot.net/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=bal%2Dte%2Esocial11dec11
December 11, 2001 - On the eve of a report from a Committee to Strengthen Social Security, the White House conceded that the effort to reform Social Security has been put off indefinitely.

Medicare Personal Plan Finder
http://www.medicare.gov/MPPF/home.asp
Medicare's Personal Plan Finder helps you narrow down your Medicare health plan choices and choose the plan that's best for you.

Social Security Frequently Asked Questions
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/home.php
Search by category, keywords, or phrases. If you are unable to find an answer, you will be given an opportunity to ask a question. An outstanding federal web resource!

FDA Approves New Anticlotting Drug
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2001/ANS01125.html
Arixtra (fondaparinux sodium) by injection is the first synthetic anticoagulant approved by the Food and Drug Administration for reducing the risk of blood clots after hip replacement, knee replacement, and hip fracture orthopedic surgery.

Record FY 2002 Budget Signed For FDA
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2001/NEW00782.html
For fiscal year 2002, Congress has provided FDA with a budget aimed at strengthening public health protection by focusing on urgent potential health problems such as mad cow disease and imported foods.

The Medicare Rights Center
http://www.medicarerights.org
This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to ensuring that older adults and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care. This is a nicely designed site with a wealth of information. Give it a try.
(thax FirstGov)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Wednesday, December 12, 2001 ========================================================
Early legislative requests by DAC show that Senator Colgan is resubmitting our affordable housing bill for new apartments request and that Senator Houck is getting the language written for the Elderly & Disabled 'PMA,' "Personal Maintenance Allowance" request to be 300% of SSI, just the same as the HIV/AIDS waiver. I'm sure we'll hear from other legislators as they are busy gearing up for what will most likely be a very busy 60 day General Assembly session. Thank you Senators for your early lead on these requests.

Please note that there are two job positions listed for our out of state readers and we hope that someone will benefit by this news. Good luck:)

As Christmas approaches we wish all of you a very Happy Holiday Season.

Keith-

========================================================
1. JOBS - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SPECIALIST
2. NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY
3. NATIONAL WORKFORCE INCLUSION CONFERENCE
4. NUMBERS RISE ON UNEMPLOYED, UNINSURED
5. NEWS FOR SENIORS
6. WHEELCHAIR USERS MASS TRANSIT QUESTIONNAIRE
7. WARD, TO RUN ADA WATCH, WOW'S FULL TIME
========================================================
********************************************************
JOBS - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SPECIALIST
********************************************************

Executive Director
Fairfield Center for Disabilities, Inc.
681 E. Sixth Ave., Lancaster, OH 43130
Phone (740) 653-5501 FAX (740) 653-6046
E-Mail fairfield@hotmail.com

GENERAL FUNCTION:
Develop and administer a Center for Independent Living by providing leadership, vision, and overall management. Implement the policies of the Board of Directors to maximize the independence of people with disabilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
• Manage finances and supervise staff
• Raise funds and prepare grant applications
• Develop and implement annual and long range plans
• Provide public presentations and outreach activities
• Implement the independent living philosophy
• Interact effectively with the community and other organizations

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:
• Demonstrated fiscal and personnel management skills
• Ability to obtain and manage outside grants and contracts
• Effective organization, leadership, and communication skills
• Knowledge and commitment to the independent living philosophy
• Personal experience with a disability
• Experience with cross-disability issues
• Knowledge of community resources and ADA issues
• Computer skills and knowledge of computer applications
• Bachelors degree (minimum)

CURRENT PROGRAM:
• Budget approximately $300,000 per fiscal year
• Eleven (11) paid staff and numerous volunteers

SALARY RANGE:
• $35,000 to $40,000 per year, based on experience, plus benefits
• Salary increases based on expansion of funding base

Please fax a cover letter and resume to the Fairfield Center at (740) 653-6046 or email to fairfield@hotmail.com . Include in the cover letter your understanding of the independent living philosophy and your experience with disability.

Application deadline is December 31, 2001

Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

===========================================

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SPECIALIST

The ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region located in Rockville, Maryland is seeking a Technical Assistance Specialist to focus on accessible information technology and the ADA. The salary for this position is in the low $40's and is negotiable. Details and contact information follow.  Thanks for your help.

Position Description:

The Technical Assistance Specialist will be responsible for providing technical assistance on accessible Information Technology and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to covered entities in Region III. This is a full-time position located in Rockville, Maryland. The Technical Assistance Specialist reports to the Assistant Project Director of the ADA Information Center.

Specific Responsibilities - Essential Elements

Provide telephone technical assistance in an accurate, documented, professional and timely manner. Provide accurate information on accessible information technology and the ADA.

Maintain current knowledge of accessible information technology and the ADA and related laws, including new regulations and interpretations released by regulatory agencies.

Maintain and develop knowledge of other relevant disciplines and issues affecting implementation of accessible information technology and the ADA and related laws, such as assistive technology products and vendors, disability civil rights issues, human resources policies, and other issues.

Work with state affiliate organizations to conduct outreach, develop training capacity and technical knowledge among their staff and associated Coalition and Consortium members, as directed by the Project Director.

Peripheral Elements:

Participate occasionally in developing and conducting panel discussions, speaking engagements and training opportunities for people with a wide range of knowledge and professional backgrounds.

Assist other staff with outreach and marketing efforts to solicit and promote training opportunities for businesses, trade associations, state and local government agencies, consumer and disability groups, Hispanic and minority communities, and other interested parties.

Write, edit and/or solicit articles on accessible information technology and the ADA and disability issues for publication in periodicals.

Travel to sites throughout the region (PA, DE, MD, DC, VA and WV) to conduct trainings as necessary.

Take on other projects as interested or assigned.

Qualifications:
§ Excellent verbal, written, telephone and computer skills
§ Strong technical knowledge of assistive technology and accessible information technology
§ Strong technical knowledge of all five titles of the Americans with Disabilities Act
§ Knowledge of disability civil rights issues and/or personal experience with disability strongly preferred
§ Background knowledge of other fields, such as building codes, employment, and state or local government operations strongly preferred
§ Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
§ Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred

To Apply

The position is open until filled. Individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. TransCen, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, salary level is low 40's and is negotiable depending on skills and background. Please forward resume and cover letter (no calls please) to:

Suellen Farrington
Human Resources Director
TransCen, Inc.
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 700
Rockville, MD 20850

********************************************************
NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY
********************************************************
This Wednesday is National Call-in Day on Election Reform. ADA Watch asks you to take part in this effort to make sure that election reform efforts include protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

***Placing a Call To Your Member of Congress About Election Reform

Making a phone call is the most direct way to contact the your member of Congress. Sometimes you will speak with your member of Congress but usually you will speak to or leave a message with a staff member.

***How to Call and What to Say – 4 Easy Steps

1. Call 1-877-703-9491.You will either be directly connected with your Senator’s office or you will be connected to the Capitol switchboard, where you should ask for your Senator’soffice.

2. When you areconnected to your member of Congress’s office, introduce yourself — give you rname and address.

3. Ask your Senator to support Election Reform efforts that ensure equal protection for the voting rights of all Americans.

4. Say this:

I am calling to urge (you/the Senator’s) to support…:

Issue#1 “…comprehensive electoral reform that includes minimum federal standards for provisional balloting, voting systemsthat allow people with disabilities, language minorities, and others to cast asecret ballot, and voting systems that notify voters of mis-cast ballots andallows them to correct their ballots before it is cast. Finally, it must include access for voterswith disabilities to polling places.”

Issue#2 “…strong electoral reform that makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat by including minimum standards such as provisional ballots, a statewide computerized voter registration list that is linked to polling places, strong purge protections to protect legal voters, and minimum standards for voting systems."

Issue#3 “...the efforts of Senators Dodd, Bond, Schumer, and McConnell to reach a strong compromise bipartisan bill which includes federal minimum standards for votingsystems, access for people with disabilities, provisional balloting, and a statewide voter registration system which has safeguards against erroneous purging and is available at the polling place."

"Thank you for your time."

Please distribute this message to others and help make election reform count for all Americans.

Best,

Jim Ward
http://www.adawatch.org

********************************************************
NATIONAL WORKFORCE INCLUSION CONFERENCE
********************************************************
Mark your Calendar for March 11 - 14, 2002 and plan to attend the:
National Workforce Inclusion Conference:
Systems Change through Collaboration For Employment of People with Disabilities

Where: The Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre, Los Angeles

This conference is a joint effort and is being Hosted By:

The California Governor's Committee for the Employment of Disabled Persons

Co-Sponsors Include:

World Institute on Disability
Virginia Commonwealth University
California-Social Security State Partnership Initiative
Social Security Administration
California Department of Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Services Administration
Employment and Training Administration
SSI Coalition

For More Information go to http://www.spiconnect.org/
AGENDA, REGISTRATION AND HOTEL INFORMATION WILL AVAILABLE SOON! Please check back after the Christmas and New Years Holiday Season for more details.
(thax J.B.)

********************************************************
NUMBERS RISE ON UNEMPLOYED, UNINSURED
********************************************************
New Unemployment Number Indicates Over 529,000 Laid-Off Workers Lost Health Coverage From September Through November

Total Number of People Who Lost Jobs and Health Insurance Since Recession Began in March Climbs Above 911,000

Washington, D.C. –Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics November report released today, the number of Americans losing their jobs and their health insurance continues to increase in the wake of the economic recession and the terrorist attacks of September 11. The consumer health organization Families USA now estimates that between March and November of this year, 911,680 people lost their health coverage and their jobs. Approximately 529,320 laid-off workers lost health coverage from September through November, according to the new Families USA estimate.

In a report released earlier this week, Families USA showed a monthly breakdown of the number of newly unemployed people who lost health coverage through October. Families USA emphasized that these numbers do not include the dependents of laid-off workers who also lost health coverage, data that is currently unavailable. Therefore, the data understate the even larger number of people who recently became uninsured.

Estimated Increase in Laid-Off Workers Who Became Uninsured, March-November 2001

Period Unemployed and Uninsured Cumulative Since 2001

March and April ----- 138,160 ----- 138,160
May and June                 8,800          146,960
July and August           235,400          382,360
September/October     344,960          727,320
November                   184,360          911,680

"As unemployment continues to rise, the number of Americans losing their health coverage is reaching epidemic proportions" said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "Many of these people are eligible to continue their health coverage through COBRA, but simply can't afford to pay for it."

Under the federal COBRA law, laid-off workers and their families can continue health coverage for 18 months through their past companies if those companies have 20 or more employees. This week's Families USA report indicates that 38 states have supplemented federal law by establishing COBRA-like health coverage for workers who were laid-off from smaller firms.

"Congress has the opportunity, as part of the economic stimulus package, to extend health benefits to the vast majority of newly unemployed workers, by providing substantial COBRA subsidies to those eligible and by including additional federal funding for state Medicaid programs," said Pollack. "Together, these solutions provide a solid lifeline for the nearly one million people, plus the even larger number of uncounted dependents, who have lost their health coverage since March."

The Families USA report is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly unemployment reports as well as a study prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau concerning the proportion of laid-off workers who become uninsured.

For a copy of the Families USA report, go to our Web site at (http://www.familiesusa.org/media/pdf/cobra.pdf).

********************************************************
NEWS FOR SENIORS
********************************************************
December Medicare+Choice Special Enrollment Period
FDA Approves First Biologic Treatment For Sepsis
HHS Awards $428 Million Contract To Produce Smallpox Vaccine
Senate Passes Railroad Pension Bill
HHS, ABC Radio Campaign To Close African-American Health Gap
New NIH Web Resource Marks World AIDS Day
November - Prostate Cancer Month
Eldercare Locator Provides Critical Service for Caregivers, Families
Psychological Issues Near The End Of Life - Conference

THE NEWS

December Medicare+Choice Special Enrollment Period
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1201/medicare-choice.htm
Individuals who are currently enrolled in Medicare+Choice plans have an additional month to make a choice about how they wish to receive their health care coverage in 2002.

FDA Approves First Biologic Treatment For Sepsis
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/sepsis-treatment.htm
FDA today approved the first biologic treatment for the most serious forms of sepsis, a life-threatening illness caused by severe infection.

HHS Awards $428 Million Contract To Produce Smallpox Vaccine
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1201/smallpox-vaccine.htm
11/28/01 - HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced that Acambis Inc., with support from its subcontractor Baxter International Inc., has been awarded a $428 million contract to produce 155 million doses of smallpox vaccine by the end of 2002.

Senate Passes Railroad Pension Bill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61240-2001Dec5.html
12/05/01 - Legislation that will improve the railroad retirement system overwhelmingly passed the U.S. Senate on a vote of 90 to 9.

HHS, ABC Radio Campaign To Close African-American Health Gap
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/a-a-health.htm
November 19, 2001 - HHS announced a new partnership with the ABC Radio Networks to inform the African-American community on ways of achieving better health through a new radio campaign called "Closing the Health Gap."

New NIH Web Resource Marks World AIDS Day
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1201/aids-resource.htm
In recognition of World AIDS Day, December 1, 2001, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a new AIDS web resource http://worldaidsday.nih.gov that provides comprehensive information about the diverse array of NIH- supported HIV/AIDS research.

November - Prostate Cancer Month
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011105-1.html
President Bush proclaimed November as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. An alert reader pointed this out to us, and we pass this information on belatedly. Visit the Center for Disease Control Prostate web page
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/ for more information

Eldercare Locator Provides Critical Service for Caregivers, Families
http://www.aoa.gov/pressroom/Pr2001/eldercare-locator.html
The public is increasingly using the Administration on Aging's (AoA's) nationwide Eldercare Locator service to find programs and supportive services to help them care for an older member of their family in their homes and communities.

Psychological Issues Near The End Of Life
http://www.uakron.edu/eol/conference/
An international conference sponsored by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues will be held February 2-3, 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
(thax FirstGov)

********************************************************
WHEELCHAIR USERS MASS TRANSIT QUESTIONNAIRE
********************************************************
Hello:
I am a mechanical engineer and scientist who is working in the field of wheelchair transport. I would like to hear from any wheelchair users, concerning their experiences with mass transit? I am particularly interested in the ride quality of buses.

· Has anyone ever been further injured due to hitting a pothole while riding on a bus?
· Does the vibration of the bus cause any harm to wheelchair users?
· Have you had any trouble with a wheelchair restraint system on a bus?
· Are their any laws covering the legal standards (if any) for vibration and shock which apply to wheelchair users of school or transit buses?
· Is there a lobbying group, which is pushing for better ride quality for wheelchair seated bus riders?
· Has any testing on wheelchair users concerning shock or vibration in any moving vehicle ever been done?
· Is any one out there doing shock and vibration testing on wheelchair users in transit at the present time?

Thank you for reading and / or responding to my questions. Perhaps together we can improve mass transit for the wheelchair user.

Yours truly,

Wesley Fowler
PTL Engineering
153 E. Tienken St.
Rochester Hills MI 48306
Phone: (248) 652- 7998
Fax: (248) 652- 8322
Email: ptlengineering@aol.com

********************************************************
WARD, TO RUN ADA WATCH, WOW'S FULL TIME
********************************************************
Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Later this month I will be leaving my position as Director of Public Policy at the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems, the network of federally mandated disability rights centers. I will be dedicating full-time attention to our disability rights campaign as director of ADA Watch, a new coalition of national, state, and local organizations united to protect the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA Watch has been involved in efforts such as fighting the ADA Notification Act, strengthening the ADA in response to Garrett and other Supreme Court rulings, and advocating for Federal judicial nominees who are supportive of our rights under the ADA.

Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Justin Dart, Jr., will be the honorary chair of our national advisory board. Our coalition efforts include organizations such as the Disability Rights Council, National Council on Independent Living, American Association of People with Disabilities, ADAPT, CCD, National Association of Protection and Advocacy, National Council on Disability, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and more than 400 organizations committed to protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities.

ADA Watch will be run in partnership with Wired On Wheels, an Internet-based accessibility rating network and 501(c)(3) founded by America Online executive, Debbie Fletter. In 2002, Wired On Wheels and ADA Watch will be launching a national campaign to assess which businesses are accessible to people with disabilities and will provide notice to those that are not in compliance. We hope to work proactively with the business community to ensure that, 11 years after the signing of the ADA, the vision of this important civil rights law is being carried out at the local level.

I am also pleased to report that NAPAS will continue to provide support to the ADA Watch and has pledged a $5,000 per year contribution to help us in our efforts. NAPAS Executive Director, Curt Decker will be asking other organizations to match this contribution. We will, of course, need the support of all our coalition partners as we move forward in this effort. While not all can contribute financially, we will only succeed in our mission with the continued teamwork and unity that has gotten us to this point.

Check out www.adawatch.org and www.wiredonwheels.org for more information.

I want to express my deep gratitude to all of you who have been supportive of this initiative and promise you that I will do my best as we continue to mobilize supporters of disability rights and inclusive democracy. Together we will win!

Best,

Jim Ward, Executive Director
ADA Watch and Wired On Wheels

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Thursday, December 6, 2001 ========================================================
So much news, so little space, so here it is.....enjoy:)

Keith-

========================================================
1. DECEMBER ADA UPDATE
2. NEED COBRA SUBSIDY
3. YOUR PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY
4. HOUSING ADVOCATES IN ARLINGTON, VA
5. SUPREME COURT DISABILITY LAW
6. PRESERVE CIVIL RIGHTS
========================================================
********************************************************
DECEMBER ADA UPDATE
********************************************************
DECEMBER 2001 ADA UPDATE ITEMS from the ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region and the Virginia ADA Coalition

1. December ADA Teleconference on Information Technology
2. "Access to ADAAG" Training
3. Important Notice Regarding DOJ and Stalled Mail!
4. FCC to Re-Examine H.A.C. Exemption for Mobile Phones
5. GAO Reports on Access to Voting
6. "Through the Looking Glass" Project
7. Free Publications from Dept. of Education
8. A-Prompt Toolkit Available to Improve Web Site Access
9. Workforce Security Research Conference Information on Web
10. NCD: "Reconstructing Fair Housing"
11. Detectable Warning Requirements Suspension Expires

DECEMBER ADA TELECONFERENCE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

"Information Technology in Education": December 4, 2:00 p..m. Eastern Time, featuring speaker Debbie Cook from AccessIT at the University of Washington. This session is available free of charge. For more information contact the ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region at 1-800-949-4232 (voice or TTY), or register on-line at http://www.adainfo.org/resources.html#distance

"ACCESS TO ADAAG" TRAINING

This basic level training on the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) will be held December 11 - 13, 2001, in Bowie, MD. Space is limited; registration is required. For more information call David Stewart at Eastlake, Derry & Associates at 304-925-8622 Voice/Relay

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING DOJ AND STALLED MAIL!

Please note this new temporary mailing address for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division-Disability Rights:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division - Disability Rights
New York Avenue Building, Room 4023
Washington, D.C. 20530

DOJ has not received any mail during the past month (due to the detection of Anthrax in the postal facilities). Any mail that was sent to them (including complaints, follow-up, technical assistance request, etc.) has not been received. There is currently no estimate of when that mail may be moving again. People who think that mail they sent may be affected may want to consider re-sending the information to the new temporary address listed above.

FCC TO RE-EXAMINE H.A.C. EXEMPTIONS FOR MOBILE PHONES

The Federal Communications Commission has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to seek comment on whether public mobile service telephones should continue to be exempt from requirements under the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988. The NPRM is posted on the Disability Rights Office page of FCC's web site at http://www.fcc.gov/cib/dro/ Scroll down to "Headlines" to find links to either text or PDF format. Public comments on the NPRM are due January 11, 2002.

GAO REPORTS ON ACCESS TO VOTING

The General Accounting Office (GAO) recently issued a report, "Voters with Disabilities: Access to Polling Places and Alternative Voting Methods", which had been requested by Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA), John McCain (R-AZ) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The report indicates that accessibility varies significantly by state and within states. While three different Federal laws address accessibility to polling places (the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, the ADA and the Voting Rights Act), it is left up to states to define what "accessibility" means. In at least 27% of the counties studied by GAO, accessibility was not a criteria for selecting polling places.

84% of the polling places examined have one or more physical barriers that would limit access to people with disabilities, especially those with mobility impairments (of that 84 %, 67% would require the person to vote curbside instead of inside the polling place). Additionally, none of the polling places visited by GAO had special ballots or voting equipment adapted for blind voters.

Most state election officials told GAO that limited funding is one of the main barriers to improving voting accessibility.

The report is posted to the GAO web site in PDF format at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02107.pdf

To access a text version of the report, go to http://www.gao.gov/ and follow the link to "GAO Reports" in the left side-bar; the link to the report is listed under the heading "Special Collections".

"THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS" PROJECT

Through the Looking Glass, a National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities, is conducting a nationwide project to learn more aboutfamilies in which a parent with a disability is raising a teen (11-17 years old). Disability can involve physical, visual, systemic, hearing, cognitive, learning, developmental and mental health issues. Although there are over 10 million families in which one or both parents have a disability, relatively little is known about the experiences of these families.

Parents and teens can both participate in the national survey. Surveys are available in a variety of formats, including Spanish, over the phone, and a version specific to Deaf parents. Deaf parents can participate in a face-to-face interview in ASL if they live in or near one of the following cities: San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Fe, New York, Kansas City, or Washington, DC.

Teens of parents with disabilities can also participate in the on-line hosted Teen Bulletin Board.

For further information, visit the web site at http://www.lookingglass.org/ or contact: Nancy Freed, Voice: (800) 644-2666 or TTY: (800) 804-1616

FREE PUBLICATIONS FROM DEPT. OF EDUCATION

Thousands of free education publications are available from ED Pubs, the U.S. Department of Education's Publications Center. To order free books, brochures, videos, and more (including many in Spanish and other languages), visit the ED Pubs Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/about/ordering.jsp or call ED Pubs toll-free at 877-433-7827.

A-PROMPT TOOLKIT AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE WEB SITE ACCESS

A-Prompt (Accessibility Prompt) has been developed to assist Web authors in improving the accessibility and usability of HTML documents. By checking web pages for barriers to accessibility and making repairs to correct any problems, A-Prompt will ensure that you are reaching the widest possible audience. A-Prompt is based on the guidelines for accessibility which are created and maintained by the Web Access Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. For more information or to download Version 1, go to http://aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/index.html

WORKFORCE SECURITY RESEARCH CONFERENCE INFORMATION ON WEB

The “Making Connections in the New Economy” conference papers are now available on-line. The papers cover a wide range of policy issues related to unemployment insurance programs, welfare to work programs, employment services, training and skill development, labor market policy and development, women, older workers and low-wage workers. Visit the page at the U.S. Department of Labor site at http://www.ows.doleta.gov/nrc/summary.asp

NCD: “RECONSTRUCTING FAIR HOUSING”

The National Council on Disability (NCD) released its report,“Reconstructing Fair Housing”, which evaluates the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The report is posted at NCD’s web site.

HTML version: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/fairhousing.html
PDF version: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/fairhousing_pdf.html

DETECTABLE WARNING REQUIREMENTS SUSPENSION EXPIRES

The suspension of the requirements to install the “truncated domes” detectable warning surfaces at curb ramps, hazardous vehicular areas, and reflecting pool edges, expired on July 26, 2001.

The Federal agencies (the Access Board, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Transportation) had anticipated that the newly revised and updated ADA Accessibility Guidelines would be completed by the time this suspension expired. However, this is not the case. The revised ADAAG is still in the rulemaking process. This means that the requirements, as originally specified in the ADAAG, are currently enforceable.

For more information, contact:

The ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region
1-800-949-4232 V/TTY

The U.S. Department of Justice ADA Information Line
1-800-514-0301 Voice
1-800-514-0383 TTY

The U.S. Access Board
1-800-872-2253 Voice
1-800-993-2822 TTY
(thax Cash)

********************************************************
NEED COBRA SUBSIDY
********************************************************
New Report: Over 725,000 Laid-off Workers Lost Health Coverage Since Recession Began in March. 345,000 Lost Health Coverage in September and October

Washington, D.C. - As Congressional leaders and the White House negotiate over the economic stimulus package, a new report was released today indicating that more than 725,000 workers laid off since the recession began in March 2001 lost health insurance coverage. Almost 345,000 of these laid-off workers lost health coverage in September and October, as the number of unemployed and uninsured climbed in the wake of the September terrorist attacks.

The report, issued by the consumer health organization Families USA, may have a bearing on whether Congressional and White House negotiators include health coverage protections for recently laid-off workers. The Senate Finance Committee adopted, and Congressional Democrats support, a stimulus package that includes major, new subsidies so that laid-off workers can afford COBRA health coverage, as well as additional federal funding for state Medicaid programs. Congressional Republicans and the White House oppose those measures.

Families USA emphasized that the 725,000 laid-off workers who lost health coverage since March does not include the dependents of laid-off workers who also lost health coverage. Those numbers are incalculable from current data sources, according to the report. As a result, Families USA indicated that the large numbers cited in the report understate the even larger number of people who became uninsured.

"Due to the recession, America's workers and their families are experiencing a fast-growing epidemic of health coverage losses," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "This epidemic is undoubtedly causing havoc to the families most hurt by the recession."

Under the federal COBRA law, laid-off workers and their families can continue health coverage for 18 months through their past companies if those companies have 20 or more employees. The Families USA report indicates that 38 states have supplemented federal law by establishing COBRA-like health coverage for workers who were laid off from smaller firms.

A recent study, cited in the Families USA report, shows that only one out of five people eligible for COBRA health coverage actually receive it because they can't afford to pay for it. The national average cost of employer-provided family coverage plus a two percent fee is $7,194 per year, or $600 per month.

"COBRA health coverage is a potential lifeline for laid-off workers," said Pollack. "But, for most families, that lifeline is out of reach because it is unaffordable. A significant COBRA subsidy could change that and provide real protection for America's workers and their families."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of unemployed rose from 6,088,000 in March 2001 to 7,741,000 in October 2001. Approximately 784,000 of this 1.65 million increase in the number of unemployed Americans occurred in September and October.

The Families USA report is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly unemployment reports as well as a study prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau concerning the proportion of laid-off workers who become uninsured.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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YOUR PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY
********************************************************
Public Housing Annual Plans - Information Bulletin # 21

In other information bulletins, we listed information regarding Housing Authority's accessibility and Section 8 requirements. See www.stevegoldada and click on Archives. A number of persons asked how they could convince their Housing Authorities to comply with the 5% accessibility requirement and the Section 8 voucher increases in the fair market rents above 110%. Many people acknowledged that they had had very little contact with their Housing Authorities, were not familiar with the legal handles, and did not know how to apply pressure.

We do not expect Housing Authorities to just "roll over" and admit their wrongdoings. Rather, it takes organizing by the disability community to force the Housing Authorities to comply. It takes beating them at their own game, which requires knowing what they have to do or risk HUD's potential ssibly intervention.

One handle for organizing is HUD's ANNUAL PLAN form that each Housing Authority must complete. Therefore, each year the disability community can pressure both the Housing Authority' Board of Directors (who ultimately run the HA) and the administrative public housing authority officials to complete these Annual Plans by giving people with disabilities a high priority for housing, for Section 8s, and for new construction.

Every housing authority must prepare and complete an Annual Plan (and a 5 Year Plan). HUD's form # 50075 (See www.HUD.gov and then go to forms) must be completed.

Disability advocates MUST become an integral part of this process to ensure that housing authorities give people with disabilities a high priority. Before the Annual Plan are submitted to HUD, make sure you have a draft and testify at the public hearings.

These forms require each Housing Authority to answer specific questions. For example: Has your Housing Authority agreed to "Target available assistance to Families with Disabilities"?

Has your HA agreed to "Seek designation of public housing for families with disabilities."?

Does it "Carry out the modifications needed in public housing based on the section 504 Needs Assessment for Public Housing?"

What about "Apply for special-purpose vouchers targeted to families with disabilities?" How about "Affirmatively market to local non-profit agencies that assist families with disabilities?"

Those are options available on the HUD Form and will be checked off OR NOT by your local Housing Authority, depending on your efforts. If the Housing Authority does not check it off, we cannot hold them accountable.

How does your Housing Authority's "Policies governing eligibility, selection and admissions"relate to disabilities?

Has your Housing Authority checked off "Preferences" for admission and for Section 8 vouchers? Are disabled persons given Preference?

Has it checked off Inaccessibility as a form of involuntary displacement?

If it has checked off Homelessness, does your Housing Authority acknowledge (per HUD Guidelines) that persons in nursing homes are "homeless" and therefore receive the Preference? Is "Disability" listed as an "Other preference."?

Do the Answers they checked off reflect the real life experiences of people with disabilities in your community? These are all things you can comment on.

Don't mourn; Organize.

The Disability Odyssey, Steve Gold

********************************************************
HOUSING ADVOCATES IN ARLINGTON, VA
********************************************************
Fannie Mae is hosting the December meeting of DHANV's Home of Your Own steering committee (the agenda will be sent out early next week).

Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2001
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 am
Location: Fannie Mae Northern Virginia Partnership office at 1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209. Our office is on the 7th Floor. The office is a block and a half from the Rosslyn Metro.

Fannie Mae is providing light refreshments (coffee and donuts). Please RSVP by Thursday, December 6.

Contact: Barbara Gilley (bagilley@earthlink.net or 703-751-2782) or Anne Rader at Fannie Mae (anne_rader@fanniemae.com or 703-351-3378).

We look forward to seeing all of you there!
(thax B.G.)

********************************************************
SUPREME COURT DISABILITY LAW
********************************************************
Here is an excellent resource from one of our coalition partners, DREDF - Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund. The following link connects to a summary chart of the Supreme Court cases relevant to disability law for the 2001-02 term:

http://www.dredf.org/cases/summchart.html

********************************************************
PRESERVE CIVIL RIGHTS
********************************************************
How You Can Be Involved in Ensuring Civil Rights are Preserved Within the Federal Judiciary

What can I do?

The goal of ADA Watch's partnership with organizations such as the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, People for the American Way, and the Alliance for Justice is to raise awareness on the critical role of the federal courts in guaranteeing justice for all Americans. The following are some ways you can get involved:

Hold a public forum to educate members of your community about the role of the judiciary and why jurists must be moderate and committed to protection of civil rights and individual liberties. Public events provide great opportunities for people to get together to discuss how the courts affect their lives and for members of the media to draw attention to the issue.

Hold a letter-writing campaign or phone-in to urge your senators to carefully research the records of judicial nominees, and vote for only qualified nominees who are committed to upholding civil rights and guaranteeing equal justice for all.

Reach out and partner with members of the coalition as you plan your public event or grassroots outreach campaign.

Statement on Judicial Nominations

ADA Watch believes the Senate must not hastily consider judicial nominees to fill vacancies. Rather, senators should consider whether nominees are moderate jurists who are committed to the protection of civil rights and individual liberties. Protection of the rights of the people is paramount and should take precedence over the agenda of either party, or the aspirations of any judicial candidate. Senators should do everything possible, both procedurally and substantively, to ensure that adequate notice of a nominee’s hearing is given in order to ensure that each candidate’s record is thoroughly and carefully reviewed.

Why a Public Event on Judicial Nominations?

Any event—big or small—can raise public awareness about how the federal judiciary can impact the lives of Americans. Hold an event to update attendees on President Bush’s judicial nominees, Senate action, and about what steps should be taken to ensure that civil rights are protected in the federal judiciary.

Public events are needed to:

Generate public awareness on judicial nominations
Increase visibility
Pressure senators to research the records of judicial nominees and vote for only qualified nominees who are committed to civil rights and guaranteeing justice for all.

For More Information Contact:
ADA Watch at 202-408-9514
http://www.adawatch.org

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Brief's Sunday, December 02, 2001 ========================================================
We at DAC receive a lot of news events from everyone literally around the world. Since our inception just less than 3 years ago we have grown from only Virginia readers to readers across the state and the world. If you have sent in news items that haven't been seen it's a good chance that its already been posted and not neglected as you might think. Keep your ideas and news flowing as this is how we all help to stay informed. You've seen how our influence just got a governor elected in Virginia and it can happen in your states too. We will strive to present the facts in an unbiased opinion and one day we will all be represented as equals among our peers. Enclosed is a variety of good reading so sit back and enjoy the news.

Keith-

========================================================
1. JOBS & SKILLS FAIR - WASHINGTON, D.C.
2. AWARD TIME FOR TURKEY AND EAGLE AWARDS
3. ECONOMIC STIMULUS UPDATE
4. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS INTERNET MAGAZINE
5. NEW SERVICE FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
6. SENIORS NEWSLETTER
========================================================
********************************************************
JOBS & SKILLS FAIR - WASHINGTON, D.C.
********************************************************
As a service to the community to help put the Washington, DC region back to work, the U.S. Department of Labor is holding a Jobs and Skills Fair called "Workforce Recovery Conference," on Thursday, January 10, 2002 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Washington Convention Center. The Center is wheelchair accessible and is located at 900 9th Street NW (use the 9th Street Entrance). It is near both the Metro Center and Gallery Place Metro subway stops.

In addition to companies interviewing job seeking candidates, there will be information on training, certification, skills, education and one-stop access to the full range of government services for workers in transition.

This event is open to all candidates, with and without disabilities.

ATTENTION Employers, trainers, service providers - exhibiting is free, but space is limited. If you wish to exhibit, email jobsfair@raskydc.com or fax to (202) 530-7714, before January 1.

Job Seekers - Bring your resumes!!!! For job candidates with disabilities, if you have questions, call or email Jody Wildy in the Office of Disability Employment Policy at (202) 376-6200, extension 24 or via email at wildy-jody@dol.gov.

Please share this information with your networks, especially employers, job candidates and service providers in the Washington, DC area. As is typical at job fairs, we expect that most jobs will be local and most job seeking candidates will be looking for employment in the area.
(thax Cash)

********************************************************
AWARD TIME FOR TURKEY AND EAGLE AWARDS
********************************************************
Dear All,

Disability Rights Advocates is a cross-disability, California-based organization. Each year they give out Eagle and turkey awards. Eagles for organizations and people that empower people with disabilities. Turkeys for those that do not. Below is an excert from their turkey awards. Bare in mind during holiday shopping and please forward.

Seasons Greetings!

Martina

*******************************************************************
Disability Rights Advocates first turkey award went to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for the second year in a row as a result of its persistent discriminatory actions against individuals with disabilities, including a failure to work with groups that act as job “coaches” for individuals with disabilities. Wal-Mart currently has 16 disability suits pending against it, including one recently brought by an individual in a wheelchair who was refused a job application as a result of his disability. Another suit has been brought for a second time by deaf plaintiffs as a result of Wal-Mart’s refusal to honor a settlement agreement in a 1998 lawsuit which involved a lack of alternative training materials for deaf employees. When will Wal-Mart ever learn?

McDonalds Corporation, Inc. proved itself worthy of DRA’s third Turkey award as a result of its total disregard for the ADA on an international level. Outside of the United States, McDonalds restaurants are architecturally inaccessible to individuals with mobility disabilities. One would think that McDonalds, with its plethora of resources, would attempt to be a model of American values and virtues overseas. Instead, it has chosen to only provide access where it is mandated to. Shame on McDonalds for choosing to do the minimum that it can do. DRA challenges McDonalds to become a better global citizen. (Martina's note: I think the fact they noted global citizenry is an especially positive move for a disability rights organization!! I plan to send an e-mail saying so. You can do this as well. Go to http://www.dralegal.org )

DRA’ s final Turkey award went to The Jerry Lewis Telethon for using pity as a tactic to raise money. In September, during his annual telethon to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Mr. Lewis advised disability activists to stay in their houses if they did not want to be pitied because they were “cripples” and in wheelchairs. Mr. Lewis is the one to be pitied for his ignorance, however. While we are appreciative and respectful of the amount of money that Mr. Lewis has been raising for the MDA for the past 35 years, we wish he would find a way to do it that would confer dignity upon persons with disabilities instead of pity.

********************************************************
ECONOMIC STIMULUS UPDATE
********************************************************
We wanted to update you on the latest developments regarding the economic stimulus packages working their way through Congress.

As we last reported to you, after the House completed action on its version of an economic stimulus package, the Senate Finance Committee passed its own stimulus package that we generally like. (It passed on a strictly partisan vote with Independent Sen. Jim Jeffords (VT) casting the deciding vote.) The $67 billion bill, sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), would provide $12.3 billion for a 75 percent COBRA subsidy to help eligible displaced workers purchase health insurance through their former employers. It would also allow states to temporarily extend Medicaid coverage to displaced workers who are not eligible for COBRA, and it would provide $5 billion to boost the federal Medicaid match to states.

This bill was never brought to the floor of the Senate, however, because Senate Democrats knew they couldn't muster the 60 votes necessary to get their legislation passed by the full Senate. (The 60 votes were needed for parliamentary reasons related to the budget process.) The two sides are now mired in an ideological showdown over the final economic stimulus package. At this point, behind-the-scenes negotiations are continuing between the Senate, the House, and the President to try to move the legislation forward.

We'll keep you posted
(thax FamiliesUSA)

********************************************************
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS INTERNET MAGAZINE
********************************************************
An Internet MAGAZINE people with MS will enjoy!

http://msmusings.healingwell.com/Index,Homepage,NewPage%201.htm

Hey all,

If you click the above link you should get right into the Dec. issue.

This issue is so loaded, and it's all excellent. There are four short stories, a dozen poems, many themed articles, lots of Real Life Stories, and much more. Be sure to bookmark it and come back through the next few weeks. This one should get the Christmas spirit up and dancing!
(thax Bill Brayer)

********************************************************
NEW SERVICE FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
********************************************************
NEW SERVICE FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

Now, people who are deaf or hard of hearing can apply for Retirement, Survivors, Medicare and Lump Sum Death Benefits immediately when they call Social Security's toll-free TTY/TDD number, 1-800-325-0778.

You can call Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and file a claim for benefits using a TTY/TDD machine. You'll communicate directly with a representative without the need for a local relay system.

To find out more, see our News Release.
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/ict-press.htm
(thax eNews)

********************************************************
SENIORS NEWSLETTER
********************************************************
CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES

Discounts for Seniors
The Current Issue Of FDA Consumer Magazine
Retirement Living Information Center
HHS To Provide Nursing Home Quality Information
Nutrition.Gov Has A Special Section For Seniors
Korean War Project
Social Security Disaster Web Site
HHS OIG Study on Psychotropic Drugs In Nursing Homes

Discounts for Seniors
A reader wrote in asking about discounts for seniors. There are several good sites for seniors, but none of them are government sponsored, so disclaimers apply.  Try Friendly4Seniors http://www.friendly4seniors.com/ and click on "Discounts."  Also try WiredSeniors http://www.wiredseniors.com/mall/

The Current Issue Of FDA Consumer Magazine
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/601_toc.html
The November-December issue of FDA Consumer features:
Encouraging women to take charge of diabetes
Holding your own against colds and flu
Home diagnostic tests
Alternatives to hysterectomy
Full-body CT scans
Responding to terror attacks
The "fda.gov" column

Retirement Living Information Center
http://www.retirementliving.com/index.html
Find housing that matches the seniors lifestyle - also books and online publications, tax information, a guide to state aging agencies, retirement news, and more. An excellent site for seniors.

HHS To Provide Nursing Home Quality Information
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/quality-nursing.htm
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today launched a quality initiative to help people who rely on Medicare and Medicaid programs and their family members find the best nursing homes for their needs.

Nutrition.Gov Has A Special Section For Seniors
http://www.nutrition.gov/
We've featured them here before, but they keep getting better and better.
Visit their special section devoted to nutrition for seniors.

Korean War Project
http://www.koreanwar.org/index1.html
Find buddies you were with when in Korea and renew friendships through this website. A valuable resource for senior Korean veterans.

Social Security Disaster Web Site
http://www.ssa.gov/emergency.htm
SSA's excellent web site has a comprehensive page on their emergency procedures related to the disaster of September 11.

Psychotropic Drugs In Nursing Homes Not a Pervasive Problem
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/psychotropic-drugs.htm
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a final inspection report on the use of psychotropic drugs in nursing homes. For another view, see a Letter to the Editor on Drug Misuse: http://www.seniors.gov/letters.html#drug-misuse
(thax FirstGov)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Notes Thursday, November 29, 2001 ========================================================
Our DAC legislative wishlist for 2002 is already completed so please, no more requests, as we have submitted those top three most popular requests at a Town Meeting last night. Remember that this year will not only be the short session for the General Assembly but it is also a year going into a very difficult budget deficit, so we must protect the rights that we already have.

As Christmas time comes upon us once again I'd like to remind you of a site listed on our 'main' web page. This product would make a great gift or novelty item for anyone's child with or without a disability and I hope that you'll stop by and visit. Pip Squeakers-Fun Shoes for Babies & Toddlers http://www.pipsqueakers.com/ This is a product not only used by blind and visually impaired parents, but is now being used by physical therapists to encourage disabled toddlers to move and explore. Tell Peggy Wells that DAC referred you:)

We are still getting many requests from parents concerning their children about IDEA, DD, Autism and more. Please visit ABOUT.COM - OFFERS SPECIAL EDUCATION TIPS FOR YOUR CHILD http://specialed.about.com/ Barbara Day will guide you through the maze of advocacy, ADHD, Autism, and so much more. A must read for parents who want great information and a forum for your questions.

Enough for now...I'll post the DAC 2002 legislative wishlist along with this issue.

Keith-

========================================================
1. DISABILITY HISTORY WEBSITE
2. KEY TO BEST HIV TREATMENTS
3. DAC's LEGISLATIVE WISHLIST 2002
========================================================
********************************************************
DISABILITY HISTORY WEBSITE
********************************************************
Interest is peaking in all areas of disability history. Earlier this month The Disability History Museum's library went online; the searchable archives contain hundreds of historic images, documents and other artifacts at: http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/browse_detail.html   and is being added to daily.
(thax M.J.)

********************************************************
KEY TO BEST HIV TREATMENTS
********************************************************
EARLY BLOOD TESTS KEY TO FINDING BEST HIV TREATMENTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 23, 2001 -- LONDON - New research indicates that performing a blood test after six days of new medication, instead of the typical four weeks, could get HIV patients onto the best drug cocktail more quickly, sparing them unnecessary side effects and reducing the virus' ability to become resistant to the pills.

The approach, described this week in The Lancet medical journal, accurately predicted 99 percent of the time when specific medications would not work for a particular patient in the long term.

Experts said that while the test may turn out to be useful in three or four years' time, it is too soon to tell whether it could work for everybody.

AP
(thax C.A.)

********************************************************
DAC's LEGISLATIVE WISHLIST FOR 2002
********************************************************

D A C
Disabled Action Committee
14405 Artery Ln#11 - Dale City, VA 22193 - U.S.
Phone 703-878-1737 - Email DAC4VA@aol.com

November 28, 2001

To Our Honorable Delegates and Senators of Virginia:

Enclosed, please find DAC's recommendation wish list for the legislative session starting January 9, 2002. These are representative of the three highest priorities (in order) from people across the state. DAC urges you to consider amending or passing into law these recommendations. With the tight budget this year we are not asking for much but we can’t afford to lose any benefits either. If you would please return your responses/remarks concerning our requests to this e-mail or mail address, I will post them for everyone to see. Thank you for your ongoing and continued support for the Elderly and Persons With Disabilities.

Re: DAC’s proposed legislative changes:

#1- We need affordable housing to be put in place for the Elderly, Disabled, and lower income families in Virginia. Rents are increasing faster than the inflation rate or the yearly Social Security COLA'S and affordable housing for lower income families is skyrocketing far beyond our means to pay. A person can make house payments that are cheaper than rent but not everyone wants to buy or can qualify to buy a home. There is, however, a “NO COST” solution for the state to remedy this problem.

May we suggest that all ‘new’ apartment complexes over 75 units in size be mandated by law, to set aside 10% of their rentals for fixed and low income families at a 25% discount below fair market value. No water or sewage fees should be imposed on unmetered units. Today it's cheaper to purchase a home rather than pay the never-ending rental increases and associated costs. It's also next to impossible to find "real" accessible wheelchair apartments or housing anywhere in this state. So this request is crucial for it be acted upon at this next General Assembly session. We hope that Senator Colgan will reintroduce this bill with others signing on to help Patron or Co-Patron this bill and make this 3rd attempt the charm.

#2- The Medicaid Co-pay Waiver concerning the Co-pay that the "Elderly & Disabled" have to make, needs to be amended. It blatantly discriminates against the E&D populations. Why? Because if you were an HIV/AIDS stakeholder then you'd have no Co-pay unless your income exceeded 300% of the SSI level of $1,590 mo. The discrimination is that the ‘personal needs allowance’ shouldn’t differ from one specific group to another whether they are living or dying! There are no additional expenses that Medicaid wouldn’t cover and living expenses such as shelter, personal needs, etc., for the HIV/AIDS people are the same as they are for the E&D population.

We would like to see the monthly ‘personal maintenance allowance’ deduction be the same as the HIV waiver of 300% of SSI instead of the current 100% of SSI for CBC (community based care) services. As you are already aware there is no place in Virginia where a person can survive on only $531 mo as the Co-pay allows for 2001 or the $545 mo allowed for 2002, as compared to the $1,590 mo. allowed for the AIDS waiver recipients.

The E&D waiver came from a "state" mandate passed in 1982 and not from the Federal mandate which would allow the E&D to keep the same 300% of their SSI pensions to live on as the AIDS stakeholders receive today. By allowing the E&D the same ‘personal maintenance allowance’ as the AIDS waiver allows, it would save the state millions of dollars in the long run. Long Term Caseworkers would benefit by reduced workloads thus enabling them to assist other stakeholders with better productivity, less burn out, a higher retention rate of caseworkers and greater efficiency. It's time to right this terrible wrong.

#3- It’s imperative that the rate of pay for both DMAS and DRS (Dept. Rehabilitative Services) CD PAS (consumer directed personal care attendants) caregivers be increased to livable wages to help maintain a better quality of people in this ever shrinking field to choose from. A rate described by elected officials as the minimum basic survivable rate in N. VA of $10.33 per hr. (4yrs ago) would be better if adjusted to a minimum of $12-$13 per hour today and would certainly attract more people into this line of work. The cost to implement the pay raises could be made through a better operating Medicaid department, thus causing “NO” additional funding needs from the state. (healthcare plan available upon request)

The rest of the state needs to come within line of the N. VA pay scale just to provide adequate livable wages for our southern neighboring counties as well. With a pay scale of $7.75 per hr. or less in the southern regions it makes caregivers a much valued and hard to attain commodity. A group healthcare plan should also be initiated to attract and retain quality caregivers for our elderly and disabled loved ones.

We hope to hear from you about our requests and please keep us informed as to the status of each piece of legislation we suggested. Thank you for your time and lets have a very productive General Assembly session in January.

Sincerely,

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737

P.S. DAC also fully supports the Hearing Aid Bill that Arva and Senator Edd Houck have been working on for so long and for so hard to get passed. Senator Edd Houck is to be commended for his never tiring efforts of helping persons in need. We thank Senator Houck.

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Wednesday, November 21, 2001 ========================================================
We at DAC would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a Happy Thanksgiving. Although recent events have made drastic changes to people's live's we still remain the only free nation in the entire world that is the envy of millions and we have proven our resolve with all the patriotism shown by our citizens. We will always remain a free nation made up of diverse cultures and different types of people with or without disabilities. One day people may not look at what we may not be able to do, but rather at what we can do, if just given the chance. We must continue to educate those among us and our day of reckoning will be here sooner than you may think. With that said, I wish each of you a special Thanksgiving Day and we will be back after the holidays with even more news for you. Enjoy!:)

Keith-

========================================================
1. LIVE WEB CAST ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
2. $100,000 OR MORE
3. MEDICAID BUY-IN
4. ADA WATCH COALITION
5. THIS & THAT (VARIOUS NEWS STORIES)
========================================================
********************************************************
LIVE WEB CAST ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
********************************************************
A Live Web Cast with Real Time Captioning:

State Information Technology Accessibility Initiatives

Date: December 4, 2001
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET

The Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC), www.ittatc.org, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society Technical Assistance (RESNA TA) Project,www.resna.org/taproject/, and the Mid-Atlantic Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, www.adainfo.org, are presenting a half-day Web Cast on "State Information Technology Accessibility Initiatives," with a live and electronic audience. The Web Cast includes three panels focused on information technology accessibility initiatives at the state level:

¨ Survey of State IT Initiatives: Preliminary Results
¨ IT Procurement and Accessibility Challenges at a State Level
¨ IT Accessibility in the Workforce and Education Environment

Featuring:

David Baker
Missouri Assistive Technology Program

Deborah Buck
Office of Technology, New York State

Debbie Cook
National Center on Accessible IT in Education, University of Washington

Judie Lee
North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology

Steve Mendelsohn
RESNA TA Project

Cyndi Rowland
WebAIM--Web Accessibility in Mind

Mary Silva
State Government IT Accessibility, Maine's Office of Chief Information

Date: December 4, 2001
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET

Renaissance Hotel
999 9th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

To register for electronic participation go to: http://www.ittatc.org

To register for audience participation contact:  Nichole Burton at 703-524-6686 ext. 305 or e-mail at nburton@resna.org

For questions please contact Laura Farah at: 617-471-1570 or e-mail at: Lfarah8@att.net

AGENDA

STATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY INITIATIVES

DECEMBER 4, 2001

9:00 – 9:30 AM Panel 1: Survey of State Information Technology Initiatives

Preliminary results from the Information Technology Technical Assistance & Training Center State IT Needs Assessment Survey on current state IT accessibility initiatives and needs.

Featuring Deborah Buck
Accessibility Program Manager
Office of Technology, New York State

9:30 – 11:00 AM PANEL 2: IT Procurement and Accessibility Challenges at a State Level Panelists share activities being done relative to IT accessibility and procurement at the state level. A discussion of best practices and future endeavors of the following issues will be addressed:

¨ Applicability of the Undue Burden Challenge.
¨ Evaluation of products (cost/benefit) for accessibility features.
¨ What resources does the state have in place for verification and monitoring of product accessibility?

Featuring: Steve Mendelsohn, Panel Moderator
Project Associate, RESNA TA Project

Mary Silva, State Initiatives in Maine
Coordinator, State Government IT Accessibility
Maine's Office of Chief Information

Judie Lee, State Initiatives in North Dakota
Director, North Dakota Interagency Program for Assistive Technology

Deborah Buck, State Initiatives in New York
Accessibility Program Manager, Office of Technology
New York State

11:00 – 12:30 PM PANEL 3: IT Accessibility in the Workforce and Education Environment

The workforce area will address the adult population and focus on WIA and One-Stops. The education area will include information on IT accessibility in the K-12, community college and university levels.

Featuring: David Baker, Workforce Investment System and One-Stops Program Coordinator, Missouri Assistive Technology Program

Debbie Cook, K-12
Technology Specialist, National Center on Accessible IT in Education, University of Washington

Cyndi Rowland, Postsecondary Education Project Director, WebAIM--Web Accessibility in Mind
(thax Cash)

********************************************************
$100,000 OR MORE
********************************************************
Leadership for a Changing World is currently seeking nominations of community leaders across the country who are successfully tackling tough social problems for the Leadership for a Changing World program. Twenty outstanding social justice leaders and leadership teams that are not broadly known beyond their immediate community or field will receive awards of $100,000 to advance their work, plus $30,000 for supporting activities.

The program also includes a major, multi-year research initiative and numerous forums to bring awardees together with other leaders to share experiences, address specific challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Nominations must be received by the Advocacy Institute no later than 5 PM EST on January 4, 2002. Leaders must be nominated by someone who is well acquainted with their work and can attest to their qualifications.

To download a nomination brochure, or for more information on the program, go to www.leadershipforchange.org. Specific questions can be submitted via email (info@leadershipforchange.org), phone (202) 777-7560 or by writing to Leadership for a Changing World, Advocacy Institute, 1629 K St., NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20006-1629.

Leadership for a Changing World is a program of the Ford Foundation in partnership with the Washington-based Advocacy Institute, and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.
(thax M.J.)

********************************************************
MEDICAID BUY-IN
********************************************************
Medicaid Buy-In Programs for Employed Persons with Disabilities: Going Forward

By Michael Cheek, Project Director APHSA Center for Workers with Disabilities

Since the enactment of legislation creating state Medicaid plan options that allow working individuals with disabilities to purchase Medicaid-financed services and supports (i.e., the "Balanced Budget Act of 1997" (BBA) and the "Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999" (Ticket Act), approximately, 28 states have adopted some form of a Medicaid Buy-In for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) optional benefit coverage.

This article lays out the differences between the "Balanced Budget Act of 1997" (BBA) and the "Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999" (Ticket Act) options, offers a snap shot of the state of the states in the development of MA-EPD programs, and lays out challenges states face as they implement and grow these programs. Check out the article at www.spiconnect.com

New Commissioner of Social Security:

Jo Anne B. Barnhart was sworn in Wednesday November 14 as the Commissioner of Social Security in a ceremony at the agency's national headquarters in Baltimore. Barnhart is a former SSA employee. She worked in the Office of Family Assistance from 1981 - 1986, first as Deputy Associate Commissioner and then as Associate Commissioner. She left to become minority staff director for the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. Most recently, she has served as a member of the Social Security Advisory Board, an independent body created to advise the Congress on Social Security issues and policies. Barnhart served as a member of the Board for more than four years.

She will be responsible for administering the Social Security retirement, disability and survivors insurance programs that pay $408 billion annually in benefits to more than 45 million beneficiaries, as well as the Supplemental Security Income program that provides cash assistance to almost 7 million people with limited income and assets. The agency has a national workforce of about 65,000 employees and 1,500 field installations.

Topical Conference Update

Mark you calendar for the dates of March 11-13. We are planning a SPI topical conference. Location is going to be southern California, stay tuned, more information will be coming ….

Have a safe Thanksgiving Holiday!
(thax J.B.)

********************************************************
ADA WATCH COALITION

********************************************************
ADA Watch was established with the hard work of folks like our Honorary Chair, Justin Dart, Jr., Andy Imparato, Marcie Roth, Bob Kafka, Mark Johnson, Tom Olin and many others. Our coalition efforts include organizations such as the National Council on Independent Living, American Association of People with Disabilities, ADAPT, CCD, National Association of Protection and Advocacy, National Council on Disability, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and more than 400 National, State, and Local organizations committed to protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities. As a person with a psychiatric disability, I am proud to be a part of this effort and ask that you help us spread the word about our activities in any way that you can. Please place a link to our site on yours, forward the message below, and do whatever you can to help us build our online community of individuals and organizations defending the ADA.

Best, Jim Ward

Check out www.adawatch.org where organizations and individuals concerned about civil rights can:

- Sign-up to receive free Action Alerts related to threats to the ADA from Congress, the Administration, and the Courts.
- Sign-on to the petition to oppose ADA foe and judicial nominee, Jeffrey Sutton.
- Help stop the threat of Federalism and right-wing attacks on civil liberties.
- Be a part of our effort to stop the ADA Notification Act which threatens to weaken the ADA.
- Join the campaign to get states to undo the damage done to the ADA by the Supreme Court Garrett ruling.

ADA Watch is a coalition of national disability rights organizations and individuals united to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities. We need your support in our petition efforts and to help spread the word about our coalition.

Please support these efforts and visit our site today!

Thanks,

Jim Ward
www.adawatch.org

ADA Watch is supported in partnership with www.wiredonwheels.org, America's nonprofit accessibility rating network.
(thax Cash)

********************************************************
THIS & THAT
********************************************************
In the Pipeline
By The Globe

350 drugs in development aim to treat diseases that affect women

Drug companies are developing more than 350 medicines to treat more than 30 diseases that primarily affect women, according to a survey released yesterday by an industry trade group.

http://digitalmass.boston.com/news/globe_story.html?uri=/dailyglobe2/325/business/in_the_Pipeline-.shtml

*********

Curry can fight Alzheimer's disease

Eating curry can help prevent Alzheimer's disease, scientists claim. Indian spice turmeric stops people developing a faltering memory, researchers say.

Scientists in the US found the spice built up a defence system against the onset of the debilitating brain disease.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_454400.html

***********

Cholesterol Fighters Lower Heart Attack Risk, Study Finds

November 14, 2001
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN

ANAHEIM, Calif., Nov. 13 - Cholesterol-lowering drugs safely reduced the risk of a heart attack or stroke by one-third in the world's largest study of people at high risk for these conditions, including some who had seemingly normal cholesterol levels.

The same study also found that the popular anti-oxidant vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, thought to protect the heart, did not prevent heart attacks or strokes in the study's 20,000 participants, people in England and Scotland who were followed for an average of five and a half years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/14/health/14HEAR.html?ex=1006735258&ei=1&en=5db186f4d068bc4d

**********

Treatments: Arthritis Patients Embrace the Tiger

November 13, 2001
By ERIC NAGOURNEY

Elderly people who have osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, may benefit from beginning a martial arts program, a new study suggests.

But no one is proposing that arthritis patients start kicking wooden boards apart. Instead, the researchers suggest tai chi, the 1,200-year-old practice that originated in China and consists of slow, fluid, almost meditative movements.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/13/health/aging/13TREA.html?ex=1006652291&ei=1&en=b5ae8033aced3559
(thax C.A.)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Briefs Friday, November 16, 2001 ========================================================
It's time to get you DAC Wishlists together for the 02' General Assembly. This year we are submitting only the top 3 requests rather than our normal 5 requests because of the slowing economy and tight budget. We have until 5pm on December 10th, to get our wishes to our representatives. DAC asks that you send in your requests early because we haven't that much time to get our mailings out.

If you're in need of Direct Mailing Services then I invite you to read the 1st story from Brian at brianr@uptownpress.com who is with The League for People with Disabilities, in Baltimore, MD. You can also check out their website here: http://www.leagueforpeople.org/   What a more appropriate time to utilize their service while helping persons with disabilities too.

In my last post I ran a story about the iCan founder who died at the young age of 35 from an upper respiratory problem. Since I knew next to nothing about iCan or their mission I went to their site to discover all the good things that they are about. While there I discovered that DAC had a recent write-up by Mark Johnson that I was completely unaware of. You might enjoy reading and knowing that we are being heard loud and clear. Check this link: iCan ONLINE - Voters with disabilities make mark in Virginia

Our actions are being noticed so lets keep the heat on. If our leaders won't listen and lead then we will just have to lead the way for ourselves. Thank you.

Keith-

========================================================
1. THE LEAGUE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
2. NEWS FOR SENIORS
3. WAIVER INFORMATION
4. NEW NATIONAL CONSUMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
5. SOCIAL SECURITY GETS NEW COMMISSIONER
6. SPECIAL SECTION 8 VOUCHERS
========================================================
********************************************************
THE LEAGUE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
********************************************************
Keith:

I am writing to you as a representative of The League for People with Disabilities, in Baltimore, MD.

The League specializes in mailing services with application for direct marketing work. They are made up of about 200 handicapped persons who both work and receive physical therapy in the plant. They are a nonprofit, with the stated aim of attaining self-sufficiency for employees, through job training and outreach programs. Please follow this link for more information: http://www.leagueforpeople.org/

Through a partnership agreement, the League is able to offer design and printing services as well as mailing, making it a one-stop for marketing projects. Printing can range from simple one-color flyers to photo-quality posters and brochures.

Given the recent mail problems, I should mention that the League specializes in folded, tabbed mailings, not big, bulky envelopes that people are understandably nervous about opening.

Any help you can give me, in terms of referrals and introductions, would be greatly appreciated.

Although I am hearing-impaired, I am able to speak and understand on the phone. I would welcome a conversation with your readers to determine how the League can benefit their business. Please reply to this email with your phone number if you would like to speak with me in person.

Regards,

Brian
brianr@uptownpress.com

********************************************************
NEWS FOR SENIORS
********************************************************
CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES

Aspirin And Warfarin Are Equally Effective For Stroke Prevention
Study Finds Heart Assist Device Extends And Improves Lives
Comparative Hospital Pricing On Health-mart
Great Seniors Sites
Grandparents Visitation Rights
FDA On Food Supply Safety
Anthrax Findings Presented By NIH Researcher

THE NEWS

Aspirin And Warfarin Are Equally Effective For Stroke Prevention
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/aspirin-warfarin.htm
A study appearing in the November 15, 2001, issue of "The New England Journal of Medicine" shows that aspirin works as well as warfarin in helping to prevent recurrent strokes in most patients.

Study Finds Heart Assist Device Extends And Improves Lives
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/nhlbi-study.htm
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health report that despite several serious side effects, a type of implantable heart pump can significantly extend and improve the lives of terminally ill patients with end stage heart failure (ESHF) who are not eligible for cardiac transplantation.

Comparative Hospital Pricing On Health-mart
http://www.seniors.gov/health/health-mart.htm
Health-mart.net provides hospital comparative pricing and quality data by disease. The service is free, but only if you click through from FirstGov for Seniors.

Great Seniors Sites
Readers brought a couple sites to our attention that we thought you would like to know about:
The Virtual Retirement Index
http://www.virtual-retirement.com/home.html
Explore many retirement communities in one central location.

Grand Times
http://www.grandtimes.com/index.html
A unique weekly Internet magazine for seniors

Grandparents Visitation Rights
Also at the request of a reader, here are a couple sites that address the visitation rights of grandparents. This is still a difficult legal arena, but the advice we found seemed very sound:
Know Your Options, Choose A Plan Of Action
http://www.grandtimes.com/visit.html

Troxel vs. Granville
http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-138.ZS.html

FDA On Food Supply Safety
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/bioterr.html
The Food and Drug Administration, in cooperation with several other food and public health-related agencies, has created a gateway to federal and state information on countering bioterrorism and other threats to the food supply.

Anthrax Findings Presented By NIH Researcher
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/anthrax-findings.htm
An NIH Clinical Center researcher, in collaboration with physicians in Maryland and Washington DC, has published a detailed assessment of the fatal cases of inhalational anthrax that occurred in two District of Columbia postal workers.
(thax FirstGov)

********************************************************
WAIVER INFORMATION
********************************************************
Home and Community Based Waivers 1997 and 2000 - Information Bulletin #19

NIDRR, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has just released a Disability Statistics Report - Report 16, October 2001, "Medicaid Home and Community-based Services".

There is a lot of useful information in an understandable format that compares various programs, populations and their usage of the Medicaid home and community-based system.

Medicaid 1915 (c) Waivers in USA- 1997 Information

Total number of waivers - 211
Total number of participants - 561,510
Total Amount spent - $7.87 billion
Per Capita spent- $14,016
____________________________________________________________
1997 BREAKDOWN ON THE 211 WAIVERS

WAIVERCATEGORY BY: # WAIVERS and # PARTICIPANTS/PEOPLE

MR/DD 75 216,570
Aged/D 43 235,215
Disabled/PD 27 25,704
Children 20 3,072
Aged/E 17 65,696
AIDS/ARC 15 13,254
TBI 12 1,373
Mental Hlth 2 626
_____________________________________________________________________
WAIVER CATEGORY BY: TOTAL $ SPENT and $ SPENT PER CAPITA/PER PERSON

MR/DD $6.03 billion $27,859
Aged/D $1.267 billion $ 5,388
Disabled/PD $ 233.7 million $ 9,092
Children $ 61.65 million $ 20,067
Aged/E $ 181.3 million $ 2,760
AIDS/ARC $ 48.1 million $ 3,633
TBI $ 40.1 million $29,192
Mental Hlth $ 4.61 million $ 7,363
___________________________________________________________________________
WAIVER CATEGORY: COMPARISON % PARTITICPANTS AND % TOTAL FUNDING

MR/DD 38.5% of participants 76.6% of funding
Aged/D 41.9% of participants 16.1% of funding
Disabled/PD 4.6% of participants 3.0% of funding
Children .5% of participants .7% of funding
Aged/E 11.7% of participants 2.3% of funding
AIDS/ARC 2.3% of participants .6% of funding
TBI .24% of participants .51% of funding
Mental Health .11% of participants .05% of funding _________________________________________________________________
A copy of the NIDRR Report for1997 can be obtained at: NIDRR US Department of Education Washington, D.C. 20202-2646. The above 1997 data was broken down above by Bob Kafka, ADAPT.
_________________________________________________________________

2000 WAIVER DATA by TOTAL $ SPENT IN 2000

MR/DD $ 9.272 billion
Aged/D $ 2.362 billion
Disabled/PD $ 310 million
Children $ 67 million
Aged/E $ 260 million
AIDS/ARC $ 60 million
TBI $ 82 million
Mental Hlth $ 21 million
TOTAL $12.434 billion
_______________________________________________________________
2000 WAIVER DATA by % TOTAL FUNDING

MR/DD 74.7%
Aged/D 19%
Disabled/PD 2.5%
Children 0.5%
Aged/E 2.1%
AIDS/ARC 0.5%
TBI 0.5%

The 2000 data was compiled by The MEDSTAT Group's report "Medicaid HCBS Waiver Expenditures, FY 1995 through FY 2000" from HCFA's 64 data reports. This report breaks down the data state by state. See www.medstat.com or write to Medstat 125 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140.
(thax Steve Gold)

********************************************************
NEW NATIONAL COSUMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
********************************************************
Families USA has worked for years to encourage the development of consumer health assistance ("ombudsman") programs in the states to help consumers get the best health care possible from the health care system. In addition to their advocacy potential, we think that these programs can be part of an effective "early warning" system that spots new problems as they develop. We've been pushing hard for federal legislation to create and fund programs in the states, either as separate nonprofit organizations or as part of state governments (such legislation is now contained in both the House and Senate patients' rights bills). We've also surveyed all the programs to collect information and learn what has worked for them, and we've published a guide about designing ombudsman programs. Our Web site has much of this material at:
(http://www.familiesusa.org/html/managedcare/mngedcare.htm).

We (along with some other national groups) are now creating a consumer assistance support center, which will work with existing programs and also provide guidance and technical assistance as new consumer assistance programs are established. We're looking for someone to head up this support center, and we've included a description of that position in the job announcement below. We thought you might be able to send this notice to people you think may be right for it (or think about it yourself!). We're very excited about this new effort, and we'd appreciate any leads you can give us.
===============================
DIRECTOR OF AN INNOVATIVE CONSUMER HEALTH CARE PROGRAM SOUGHT

Families USA, the national health care consumer organization, seeks to hire a Director for its new Consumer Health Assistance Partnership (CHAP), which is being organized in conjunction with other key health care groups. CHAP, which is fully funded for the next three years, will provide training, technical assistance, and educational guidance to 2,200 "ombudsman" offices around the country that help Medicare, Medicaid, and private-sector health care consumers understand and secure their health care rights. This innovative partnership is designed to ensure that health care consumers are empowered to obtain high-quality health care.

The Director must have significant experience with consumer health issues, including knowledge of those concerns within Medicare, Medicaid, and the private sector. The Director must also have strong organization-development skills, including skills in developing an effective organizational program, overseeing personnel selection and operations, and promoting long-term resource development. Salary will be based on experience, and benefits are excellent.

Send resumes to:

CHAP Director Search
C/O Families USA
1334 G Street, N.W., Third Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Or e-mail to: chapsearch@familiesusa.org. No phone calls please
(thax FamiliesUSA)

********************************************************
SOCIAL SECURITY GETS NEW COMMISSIONER
********************************************************
November 15, 2001

WE'VE GOT A NEW COMMISSIONER

The new Commissioner of Social Security, Jo Anne B. Barnhart, was sworn into office on November 14, 2001. She was nominated by President George W. Bush on July 17 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 2, 2001.

Jo Anne B. Barnhart is no stranger to Social Security. She served more than four years as a member of the Social Security Advisory Board, an independent body created to advise the Congress on Social Security issues and policies. She is also a former Social Security employee. Now, with the agency in her charge, she is responsible for Social Security retirement, survivors and disability as well as the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

"She is a new leader for a new century, where new challenges face the nation's Social Security program," said Larry Massanari, former Acting Commissioner and current Regional Commissioner in Philadelphia.

After being sworn in, Commissioner Barnhart addressed employees: "For all the people that depend on Social Security -- survivors, retirees, or people with disabilities -- for all of the people who depend on SSI -- the aged and most vulnerable -- the work we do matters a lot. We must provide the kind of service that each and every claimant and beneficiary expects and deserves."

Barnhart is the 14th Commissioner of Social Security. Her term will expire in 2007.

For more information, check out the news release.
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/swearing-in-pr.htm

To read more about Jo Anne B. Barnhart, read her biography.
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/barnhart.htm
(thax eNews)

********************************************************
SPECIAL SECTION 8 VOUCHERS
********************************************************
"Mainstream," "Designated Housing," and "Certain Developments" Section 8 Vouchers - Information Bulletin No 17

In earlier materials, we provided a breakdown by state and local housing authority of the 114,000 FY 2000 and FY 2001 "Fair Share" Section 8 vouchers. See web page www.stevegoldada.com (click on Archives). HUD awarded extra points for those housing authorities that agreed to use 15 percent of these "Fair Share" vouchers for persons with disabilities and housing authorities that agreed to use another 3 percent of the vouchers for persons who were either institutionalized or threatened with institutionalization. Thus, AT LEAST 20,000 these "Fair Share" Section 8 vouchers MUST be used by persons with disabilities; more IF you organize and pressure your housing authority.

Recently HUD announced more Section 8 vouchers that are ONLY for persons with disabilities. There are three separate Section 8 voucher programs: "Mainstream Housing," "Rental Assistance - Designated Housing," and "Rental Assistance - Certain Developments."

"Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program for Mainstream Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities" (aka, Mainstream Housing) are 3,957 Section 8 vouchers entirely for persons with disabilities, totaling $66.9 million. As long as these vouchers are used by persons with disabilities, these Section 8 vouchers are available to housing authorities AND non-profits. These Mainstream vouchers can be used virtually anyway the housing authority desires. However, because the vouchers are competitive, not all housing authorities received them. Ask your housing authority if it applied for them!

We have listed those 61 housing authorities that were awarded the 3,957 FY 2001 Mainstream Vouchers by state, housing authority, non-profit organization and number of vouchers at www.stevegoldada.com (click Archive and go to 2001 Mainstream Housing Section 8 Vouchers).

If your housing authority was awarded Mainstream Housing, make sure persons with disabilities actually receive them. Anyone on a Section 8 "waiting list" who has a disability has a right to jump ahead of a nondisabled person for these Section 8 Mainstream Housing vouchers. Advocates should review YOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY's Section 8 "waiting lists" to make sure the housing authorities know who has a disability. Without such information, the housing authority cannot allocate these Mainstream Section 8 vouchers.

In addition to Mainstream Vouchers, there are Section 8 vouchers under the rental assistance programs referred to as "Designated Housing" and "Certain Developments." As many of you know, the 1990s saw many housing authorities request, and HUD approve, changes from "elderly AND disabled persons"housing to "elderly ONLY" housing. Section 8 vouchers under both the Designated Housing and Certain Developments are intended to provide a ‘safety net' for non-elderly disabled persons forced out of ‘elderly only' housing.

There are 1,798 Section 8 vouchers ($12.8 million) under the "Designated Housing"program to assist persons with disabilities who were adversely affected by the housing authority designating "elderly only" public housing units and projects.

There are an additional 2,551 Section 8 vouchers under the "Certain Developments" program ($13.9 million) to assists persons with disabilities who were similarly adversely affected by an "elderly only" designation BUT from privately-owned, HUD funded developments, e.g., Section 202s, 221d3s, 236s and "project-based" developments.

Both Designated Housing and Certain Development Section 8 vouchers are exclusively for persons with disabilities who have lost housing due to an "elderly only" conversion. Advocates must know which "elderly and disabled" housing are now "elderly only." Your regional HUD offices have this information.

We have listed the 1,798 Designated Housing and 2,551 Certain Developments Section 8 vouchers by state, housing authority and number of vouchers at www.stevegoldada.com (click Archive and go to 2001 Designated Housing and Certain Developments).

The Disability Odyssey, Steve Gold

Please remember that housing authorities can request HUD to increase the value and amount of rental assistance for Section 8 vouchers (including those discussed above) for persons with disabilities who cannot find accessible, affordable housing at the rate the housing authority pays for nondisabled persons. See webpage and go to "Accessible Section 8 Units -Information Bulletin #4."

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Monday, November 12, 2001 ========================================================
I get a kick out of listening to all the political analysts, reporters and everyone else say that Mark Warner won the governors race in Virginia because of this or that or whatever their personal views might happen to be. Wake up analysts! Mark Warner won because of the influence of DAC as a conduit to getting out the information about each candidate and our readers supplied him with over a 100,000 vote margin to victory. I wrote to Warners camp earlier during election day long before the polls had closed congratulating them on a victory they hadn't even wrapped up yet. My estimate of about 125,000 to 300,000 (300k only with large voter turnout) hit it right on the head. DAC is now a force to be reckoned with for all our state politicians and hopefully soon we'll be able to have an effect on the presidential elections too! This is only because you as voters did exercise your might by getting out the vote. Hopefully our representatives will soon learn that "It's not the money silly, it's the vote" that really counts. Fellow Virginian's have proved just that during our recent election. With no money involved, DAC readers have swayed an election and we will hold Governor elect Mark Warner to all those promises he made to be acted upon. My advice to politicians is to start listening to your constituents because in the end it is our vote that counts, not how much money you spend!

So on with the news...much to read and much you can do. Enjoy:)

Keith-

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1. iCAN.COM FOUNDER DIES - A REAL CHAMPION FOR PWD's
2. ACTION ALERT-ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN
3. ADA BULLETINS
4. A LITTLE THIS & THAT
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iCAN.COM FOUNDER DIES - A REAL CHAMPION FOR PWD's
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http://www.ican.com , how are people feeling, now what, etc.

Heidi Van Arnem, 35, founder, chairwoman and chief executive officer of iCan! Inc., died Sunday, Nov. 11, 2001, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

In 1999, Van Arnem founded iCan! with a handful of people and the vision to change the world for people with disabilities. In 2½ years, she crafted that vision into what is today iCan! Inc., a solutions and services company for people with disabilities and leaders of business. iCan! has business partnerships with some of the world's largest corporations, including General Motors, America Online, Kmart, Orbitz and PriMedia.

Van Arnem, a quadriplegic since age 16 from a gunshot wound to the neck, also established the Heidi Van Arnem Foundation in 1992, with a mission to help find a cure for paralysis. She sold a successful travel business in 1999 to start iCan.com to harness the power of the Internet and bring information, resources and services to people with disabilities.

With her office serving as the storefront of iCan!'s headquarters, Van Arnem's work ethic and vision set the tone for all who passed through the doors of her company. Her tireless efforts fueled her staff and business partners. Her personal and professional mission to strive for complete accessibility gave her the courage to communicate her message at the highest levels of government, business and cultural circles.

"The most amazing thing about Heidi was that her spirit and drive were what defined her - not her paralysis," said her brother, H.L. Van Arnem. "Her accomplishments created opportunities for the entire disability population, not just herself. And this selfless determination and leadership to effect positive change was a bright and shining light that will never fade."

Van Arnem often credited her deep Christian beliefs for her success. Her lifelong efforts in nonprofit and for-profit ventures were dedicated to improving the lives of others. iCan! was the culmination of Van Arnem's experience and vision. As her company continues to create life-changing opportunities for people with disabilities, Van Arnem's efforts will continue to resonate for generations to come. iCan! and the countless individuals she touched with her vision are her legacy.

That vision continues to prosper with iCan!'s successes. iCan.com is growing in scope and depth. A month ago, iCan! signed an agreement with AOL to regularly supply content links for AOL's Disabilities Community. iCan!'s business services continue to effect change with industry leading businesses in the areas of Web accessibility, awareness training and marketing consulting.

As a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur and inventor, Van Arnem was recognized as one of the Top 25 Women on the Web by Upside magazine. She was the first recipient of the Evan Kemp Entrepreneur of the Year award for small business achievement. In September, iCan! won the first da Vinci Accessibility Award for information technology.

In addition, she developed a program in schools to sensitize students without disabilities to the difficulties faced by those who must use wheelchairs on a daily basis. Van Arnem served for the past several years as a Commissioner on Disability Concerns for the state of Michigan.

"It's appalling to think about the lives and dreams wasted and the frustration that resonates through our community, so much missed opportunity," Van Arnem said in a speech last spring, when she was awarded the national Wyndam Women on the Way award in New York. "This is what keeps me going and focused on doing everything in my power to bring about change. Erasing the constant injustice, lack of dignity, barriers into life and social isolation is our priority."

The iCan! dream -- Van Arnem's vision for the future -- was that one day there be no barriers between people with and without disabilities. Disability, she'd say, would become a term without meaning ? because people would see each person for their abilities, rather than their disabilities.

"It's incredible, the obstacles that people with disabilities face," Van Arnem said. "I am equally amazed at the beauty, strength and achievements that arise from the spirit within each one of us. Our collective voice, sharing opportunities and providing inspiration is what iCan! is all about."

Van Arnem is survived by her mother, Karen Zosel, and stepfather, Paul Zosel; father, Harold Van Arnem, and stepmother, Bridget Van Arnem; sisters Aleise Van Arnem and Heather Chidiac; brother H.L. Van Arnem; stepbrothers Paul Zosel III and Adam, Maxwell and Sean Van Arnem; and nephew J.J. Chidiac.

Visitation is scheduled for 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at A.J. Desmond & Sons funeral home, 2600 Crooks, Troy, Mich. There also will be visitation an hour before the 11 a.m. Thursday funeral mass at St. Hugo of the Hills Church, 380 E. Hickory Grove, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

The family requests donations be made to the Heidi Van Arnem Foundation, 870 Bowers St., Birmingham, Mich. 48009
(thax M.S.)

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ACTION ALERT-ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN
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Last Thursday night the Senate Finance Committee voted for the economic stimulus package pushed by its chairman, Max Baucus (D-MT). It was a partisan vote: all 10 of the Democrats supported it; all 10 of the Republicans opposed it. The deciding vote in favor was cast by Jim Jeffords (I-VT), who was swayed by getting a substantial amount of agriculture "stimulus" funds.

As you may know, the Democratic package is very different from the one that Republicans are promoting. The Senate Democratic plan does substantially more on the spending side and benefits moderate-income working families more. The House Republican plan puts much more emphasis on tax cuts for corporations and speeds up the tax cuts for wealthy individuals that passed last summer. Despite the different priorities, you can be sure that American businesses do very nicely under both approaches.

Most importantly, on health care, the Democrats spend $17 billion on coverage for the unemployed through subsidies to help people pay for COBRA coverage, for Medicaid coverage for those ineligible for COBRA, and for an increase in the federal Medicaid matching payment for currently eligible people. The Republicans allocate $3 billion for health coverage but are not specific about how that money should be spent.

The Senate Finance Committee vote was as close as it could be, and we can't count on all the Democrats as the bill goes to the floor. With a 50-50 split between the parties in the Senate, Democrats need to get every single vote, plus Independent Jeffords, to win. That will not be easy as we understand that at least one Democrat, Sen. John Breaux (D-LA), is already talking about making a deal.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

The action now moves to the Senate floor. We need to keep as much pressure as we can on the Senate to support programs and benefits for moderate- and low-income people over benefits and more tax cuts for corporations and wealthy people.

Please contact your Senators and ask them to support the Finance Committee bill. Urge them to support the health benefits for recently unemployed families. You can contact your Senators via email by going to the Families USA Legislative Action Center at this Web address:
(http://capwiz.com/familiesusa/issues/alert/?alertid=43194&type=CO&azip=).
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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ADA BULLETINS
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November 2001 ADA Bulletin Items from the ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region and the Va. ADA Coalition

1. November ADA Teleconference Session
2. December ADA Teleconference Session
3. Assistive Technology Day at Virginia Tech
4. Flying with Diabetes Supplies
5. JAN Posts Emergency Evacuation Information
6. EEOC Posts Guidance on Evacuation Planning
7. $20 Million Released for Mental Health Services Following Attacks
8. DOL Secretary Appoints Youth Advisory Council
9. HUD Grant Encourages Building Code Changes to Help Increase Housing Opportunities for People with Disabilities
10. HUD Survey to Develop Training and Technical Assistance
11. Technology in Education Resource
12. Technology Opportunities Program Grants Awarded
13. EEOC Posts Briefs
14. Supreme Court Hears "Waffle House"
15. One-Stop Center Resource

NOVEMBER ADA TELECONFERENCE SESSION

"The Supreme Court and Disability Law: A Look at the 2001-2002 Term" Tuesday, November 20 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time Speaker: Arlene Mayerson of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

FREE!! DECEMBER ADA TELECONFERENCE SESSION

"Information Technology in Education"
Tuesday, December 4, 2001
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Speaker: Kurt Johnson, Ph.D.

This session is being offered free of charge! Dr. Johnson will introduce the newly established National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education (AccessIT).

For more information or to register for a distance learning session,call the ADA Information Center at 1-800-949-4232 V/TTY or go to http://www.adainfo.org/resources.html#distance

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY DAY AT VIRGINIA TECH

The sixth annual Assistive Technology Day at Virginia Tech will take place Friday, December 7 from 8:30 to 2:30 at Squires Student Center in Blacksburg. For more information or to make reservations (by Friday, November 16), contact Sheridan Parker parkers@vt.edu or call540-231-4270.

FLYING WITH DIABETES SUPPLIES

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has posted a publication to advise airline passengers of the changes taking place in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations which may affect people with diabetes. Visit their web site at www.diabetes.org and look for the link to "UPDATE - Traveling With Diabetes Supplies and Equipment"

JAN POSTS EMERGENCY EVACUATION INFORMATION

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) consultants have compiled resources and information on emergency evacuation, policies and procedures, work site modifications and accommodations, and training and resources. Visit http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/emergency.html

EEOC POSTS GUIDANCE ON EVACUATION PLANNING

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has recently posted a "Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures" to its web site at ttp://www.eeoc.gov/facts/evacuation.html

$20 MILLION RELEASED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOLLOWING ATTACKS

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G.Thompson announced the release of more than $20 million in additional assistance to eight states and the District of Columbia to support critically needed mental health and substance abuse services following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are the second wave of mental health funding made available under the emergency response supplemental appropriation. These awards give the states flexibility to use the funds in a variety of ways, but states are requested to focus on meeting the special needs of children and adolescents.

The funds were awarded as follows: Connecticut, $850,000; District of Columbia, $800,000; Maryland, $950,000; Massachusetts, $1,150,000; New Jersey, $4,800,000; New York, $8,000,000; Pennsylvania, 1,850,000; Rhode Island, $350,000; and Virginia, $1,500,000.

DOL SECRETARY APPOINTS YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao appointed 15 members to the Youth Advisory Council to the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. Through the President's Task Force, the Council will advise the Secretary of Labor and her designees, including the Office of the 21st Century Workforce and the Office of Disability Employment Policy, on education, training, employment, health and rehabilitation and independent living issues affecting young people with disabilities. The appointees include two outstanding young people from our region: Jessica Steinbeck of Rockville, Maryland and Cady Shirey of Richmond, Virginia.

HUD GRANT ENCOURAGES BUILDING CODE CHANGES TO HELP INCREASE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it has awarded nearly $900,000 in an educational grant to the International Code Council ICC), based in Falls Church, Virginia.

The purpose of the project is to help ensure that more apartments and condominiums are built to be accessible to people with disabilities. The grant is designed to inform the public about design and construction guidelines under the Fair Housing Act and to encourage local governments to adopt revised building codes so that accessibility will increase through local monitoring and enforcement activities.

The ICC will work in partnership with the National Organization on Disability (NOD) in a national campaign to educate housing industry providers, builders, contractors, real estate agents, lenders, advocates, and state and local governments on the regulations and requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

A HUD-commissioned study has found that if builders comply with the Fair Housing Act during construction, their dwelling-unit costs rise by only about one-half of one percent. However, remodeling a building that has already been constructed can cost a great deal more.

For more information on fair housing, visit HUD's web site at http://www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.cfm

HUD SURVEY TO DEVELOP TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is in the process of developing a new training and technical guidance program for the Fair Housing Act Accessibility Guidelines, and has awarded a contract to KPMG Consulting Inc. for this purpose.

HUD is responding to requests from the industry and advocacy groups that additional training and technical guidance should be made available to ensure that the Fair Housing Act accessibility requirements are met in the design and construction of multifamily housing. HUD has posted an on-line survey form to allow people to provide input; response is voluntary and the information being collected will be used solely for the purpose of designing the training and technical guidance in a manner that best meets the needs of the intended audiences. To fill out a survey, go to http://63.97.162.167/fairhousingsurvey/default.asp

TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION RESOURCE

The Satellite Educational Resources Consortium (SERC) is a distance learning organization that combines the resources of state departments of education and public television licensees. SERC develops and delivers a variety of curricular and professional development resources via satellite, VHS tape, CD-ROM, and Internet.

A pioneer of traditional, live satellite-delivered courses, SERC offers an array of K-12 courses to any school with need and interest. SERC serves teachers, parents, and other community members through an ongoing series of professional development opportunities and free teleconferences. SERC projects, supported in part through consortium membership fees and course tuition charges, have received funding from the Annenberg Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education Star Schools Program.  Visit http://www.serc.org/

TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM GRANTS AWARDED

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration recently awarded $42.8 million in Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) grants to 74 non-profit organizations and state and local governments. The grants, which were matched by $46.7 million in contributions from the private sector and state and local organizations, are designed to advance the benefits of advanced telecommunications technologies to underserved communities Some of the funded programs will include developing tele-medicine, public safety, distance learning, and other innovative services. For more information go to http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/top/index.html

EEOC POSTS BRIEFS

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has posted a searchable collection of appellate and amicus briefs which discuss significant legal issues in employment law. Visit http://www.eeoc.gov/appbriefs.html

SUPREME COURT HEARS "WAFFLE HOUSE"

The Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in the "EEOC v. Waffle House" case. Go to the Washington Post On-line to read "Court Asked to Limit Enforcement by EEOC" at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40541-2001Oct10.html

ONE-STOP CENTER RESOURCE

"Access for All: A Resource Manual for Meeting the Needs of One-stop Customers with Disabilities", a manual developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion, is available on-line at
www.childrenshospital.org/ici/onestop/onestopmanual.html
(thax Cash)

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A LITTLE THIS & THAT
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Evaluations: Gains From Hearing Tests Are Disputed

October 30, 2001
By ERIC NAGOURNEY

Despite a widespread trend by government officials to require hospitals to test newborns for hearing problems, little evidence exists that detecting deafness at such an early age helps with the child's later language skills, a new study argues.

About 30 states now require the so- called universal screening, prompted in part by research suggesting that the earlier a hearing problem is identified, the greater the odds that children get help that will enable them to talk and understand speech.

Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/30/health/children/30EVAL.html?ex=1005964392&ei=1&en=d99fcc2899fcd175

Prospects Dim for Medicare Drug Benefit

November 5, 2001
By ROBIN TONER

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - This was supposed to be the year when a long- sought, long-promised prescription drug benefit was finally delivered to the nation's elderly. Now, crucial lawmakers and health policy experts say, those benefits seem almost certain to be deferred again, like so much else on the domestic policy agenda.

Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/05/politics/05HEAL.html?ex=1005962920&ei=1&en=57283780ee7d8969

Tiny Capsules Float Downstream
By Kristen Philipkoski

Oct. 29, 2001 PST

A Chicago researcher has created a nano-scale capsule that could literally provide a magic pill for diabetes patients.

Tejal Desai, an assistant professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has cured rats with diabetes in tests using the insulin-secreting devices. She could be the first to bring biological microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) into the realm of medical therapies.

From Wired News, available online at:  http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,47934,00.html

Reauthorization of IDEA

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will hold a series of public forums in November and December of this year to solicit comments on the upcoming reauthorization of IDEA. Forums scheduled for November and December are:

November 5 -- Providence, Rhode Island
Location: Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel
1850 Post Road
Warwick, RI
Phone: 401-824-0614
Times: 1:30-4:30PM and 6:00-8:00PM
Host: Northeast RRC
Contact: Kristin Reedy (802-951-8226)

November 15 -- Reno, Nevada
Location: IAS Conference
John Ascuaga's Nugget Hotel
1100 Nugget Avenue, Pavilion B
Sparks, Nevada
Phone: 778-356-3300
Times: 9:30-11:30AM, 1:30-4:30PM and 6:00-8:00 PM
Host: Western RRC
Contact: Caroline Moore (541-346-5641)

December 6 -- District of Columbia
Location: Academy for Educational Development
Greeley Hall - 3rd Floor
1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC
Phone: 202-884-8215
Times: 1:30-4:30PM and 6:00-8:00PM
Host: Mid-South RRC and Federal Resource Center
Contact: Michele Rovins (202-884-8210)

December 19 -- San Antonio, Texas
Location: IAS Conference
San Antonio Convention Center, Room 214B
200 East Market
San Antonio, TX
Phone: 210-207-8500
Times: 9:30-11:30AM, 1:30-4:30PM, and 6:00-8:00 PM
Host: Southeast RRC
Contact: Betty Beale (334-244-3100)
(thax C.A.)

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Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

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DAC News Thursday, November 8, 2001 ========================================================
I swear that my news bin fills up faster than I can empty it out. But there's always something that someone may be interested in so with that in mind I'll let the news fly and hope you find whatever you're looking for.

On another note, I've had many more requests from people wanting to be on my mailing list and I thank all of you for the privilege of allowing me in helping to keep you informed. I've also had questions and comments about Virginia's Governor-elect Mark Warner. I think that you should allow Mark Warner the latitude in getting ready for his new job and I'm certain you'll be pleased with his bipartisan fresh approach to handling state business in a businesslike fashion as it should be handled. Mark has been upfront and candid with me or I would never have endorsed him. I believe he will bring our legislators together to finally form a reasonable budget and that you should not pay much attention to the campaign rumors claiming Warner is anti this or that. Lets all work together and give Warner a chance to prove himself ok?

Now on with the news....enjoy:)

Keith-

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1. SUTTON OP-ED
2. NURSING HOMES
3. SOCIAL SECURITY NEWS
4. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY ONLY - OMNI-LINK BUS RIDES
5. WAIVER WORKSHOPS IN VA
6. HUD WINS HOUSING FAIRNESS
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SUTTON OP-ED
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Below is a Sutton OpEd written by Eve Hill of the Western Disability Law Center and published in the Daily Journal. For more information regarding Sutton and the ADA go to: http://www.adawatch.org

Sutton Nomination Threatens to Wall Out People with Disabilities

Former President George H. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990, declaring "Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down." Nearly 11 years later, his son, George W. Bush, is creating a federal judiciary that is poised to rebuild those walls, using "federalism" as a battering ram. In theory, federalism represents a balance between federal regulatory power and the states' power to regulate themselves. In recent judicial practice, it represents an activist effort to cut back individual rights by claiming the states have the right to decide how to treat their citizens without federal intervention.

The Senate will soon conduct hearings on Jeffrey Sutton's nomination to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Sutton is slated to be one of the leaders of the judicial attack on the ADA. He is an avowed federalist and supporter "states' rights." He is also the man who, in October 2000, led the successful effort of state governments to cut back the ADA in University of Alabama v. Garrett.

Sutton has devoted his career to advancing a theory of federalism that places the rights of state governments above the rights of individuals. Under this theory, the states have a constitutional right to carry on their business without federal government interference. Because federally recognized individual rights, such as civil rights, impose limits on state action, Congress should not be allowed to enact them. Instead, Sutton would let states determine what rights their citizens should have.

Sutton's theory, applied just 40 years ago, would have allowed Southern states to keep public schools, pools, buses, and bathrooms segregated. Applied 140 years ago, it would have allowed states to continue enforcing slavery. Today, it will allow state governments to refuse to hire people with disabilities, to deny services to the elderly, and to deny public benefits to people because of their religion.

In Garrett, Sutton claimed that Congress lacked the constitutional power to sanction disability-based discrimination by state governments. Mr. Sutton argued that prohibiting disability discrimination by state governments was "not needed," that state government discrimination was not serious enough to arise to a constitutional violation, and that discrimination on the basis of disability was reasonable. Mr. Sutton even claimed there was no evidence of discrimination by state governments against people with disabilities. He dismissed state sponsorship of the eugenics movement, which forcibly sterilized people with disabilities, as insufficient evidence of discrimination.

Nor was Mr. Sutton simply taking the position required by his client. Rather, Mr. Sutton has made his career by seeking out opportunities to limit individual rights and broaden federalism. As Mr. Sutton, himself, has said, "I love these issues. I believe in this Federalism stuff." Tony Mauro, An Unlikely High Court Specialist, Legal Times, Nov. 2, 1998 at 8. This is not his first, or his last, attack on disability rights. In Olmstead v. L.C. Sutton represented the state of Georgia trying to keep people with mental disabilities in institutions, even when all their doctors agreed that community-based treatment was more suitable and less expensive. Sutton argued to the Supreme Court, unsuccessfully, that unnecessary institutionalization was not a form of discrimination.

In Alexander v. Sandoval, Sutton argued that individuals should not be allowed to enforce their rights under federal funding statutes. Therefore, recipients of federal funding would be free to discriminate on the basis of race, disability, religion, and national origin, in spite of the federal laws that prohibit them from doing so. The Supreme Court accepted this argument in the context of race. We will soon see whether Sutton's analysis is applied to disabilities, education, and Medicaid.

Unlike most political acts, this one cannot be undone when the administration changes. With life tenure, Jeffrey Sutton will enforce his anti-individual rights opinions from the bench for as long as he lives. He and his federalist friends will rebuild the walls and stairs and gates that exclude people with disabilities and others from their communities. And those barriers may never come down again.
(thax actionalert)

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NURSING HOMES
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Information Bulletin #18 - Nursing Home Beds 1992 to 2000

Below is a state by state comparison between 1992 and 2000 of the number of nursing home beds, and the percentage INCREASE (or for a few states, decrease) in the number of nursing home beds. While the % of occupancy of beds varies by states, there is no question that 'build them and they will come' is a truism --- IF folks do not have community based services as the alternative to nursing home institutionalization.

Advocates should force their States to decrease the number of nursing home certified for medical assistance and move the money into the community. If those numbers decrease, there would be more $ for community services. It is in the States' financial interests to reduce the number of beds. As part of your Olmstead plan, one measure of eliminating the institutional bias is to significantly phase down these numbers over a few years.

NURSING BEDS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN 1992 AND 2000

STATE 1992 2000 % Increase or decrease

Alabama 21,632 23,954 10.7 %
Alaska 727 596 - 18%
Arizona 13,186 16,907 28.2 %
Arkansas 22,392 25,160 12.4 %
California 103,600 113,561 9.6 %
Colorado 17,534 19,536 11.4 %
Connecticut 26,351 31,299 18.8%
Delaware 3,018 4,708 56 %
D. C. 2,705 3,046 12.6 %
Florida 58,266 79,701 36.8 %
Georgia 34,845 38,486 10.5 %
Hawaii 2,697 2,846 5.5 %
Idaho 4,981 5,597 12.4 %
Illinois 87,335 107,814 23.4%
Indiana 43,948 60,138 36.9 %
Iowa 30,712 35,431 15.4 %
Kansas 26,797 26,786 0 %
Kentucky 18,503 24,195 30.7 %
Louisiana 32,458 37,753 16.3 %
Maine 9,895 8,863 - 10.4%
Maryland 22,582 30,272 34.1 %
Massachus 38,617 56,194 45.5 %
Michigan 43,705 48,950 12 %
Minnesota 43,785 40,023 - 8.6%
Mississippi 14,936 16,098 7.7 %
Missouri 41,993 54,887 30.7 %
Montana 6,842 6,043 - 11.7%
Nebraska 16,927 17,010 0.5 %
Nevada 3,321 3,924 18.2 %
New Hampshire 6,484 7,858 21.2 %
New Jersey 42,905 48,667 13.4 %
New Mexico 6,284 6,689 6.4 %
New York 91,044 107,593 18.2 %
North Carolina 30,911 38,938 25.9 %
North Dakota 6,458 6,273 - 2.8%
Ohio 82,250 101,430 23 %
Oklahoma 29,427 34,949 18.7 %
Oregon 13,067 13,766 5.3%
Pennsylvania 83,803 91,632 9.3 %
Rhode Island 9,821 10,612 8 %
South Carolina 14,242 17,738 24.5 %
South Dakota 8,175 7,404 - 9.4%
Tennessee 31,339 36,752 17 %
Texas 98,942 122,810 24.1 %
Utah 6,600 7,248 9.8 %
Vermont 3,395 3,524 3.8 %
Virginia 26,859 29,970 11.6 %
Washington 25,975 25,545 - 1.6%
West Virginia 8,974 10,093 12.5 %
Wisconsin 46,608 45,166 - 3 %
Wyoming 2,850 2,451 - 1.4 %

TOTAL U.S . 1,433,270 1,716,886 19.8 %

The Disability Odyssey, Steve Gold

Above data from C. Harrington and from SMG Marketing Group, Inc.

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SOCIAL SECURITY NEWS
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-- SOCIAL SECURITY WAGE BASE ANNOUNCED FOR 2002
-- ELECTRONIC FILING OF W-2S IS LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK
-- ELECTRONIC FILERS -- REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD
-- WE ACCEPT LASER-PRINTED 2001 FORMS W-3/W-2
-- NEW FORMAT MANDATORY FOR 2001 W-2 FILING
-- EMPLOYEE VERIFICATION SERVICE

2002 SOCIAL SECURITY WAGE BASE ANNOUNCED FOR 2002

The Social Security wage base for 2002 is $84,900, up from $80,400 in 2001. Beginning January 1, 2002, employers should withhold Social Security taxes (unchanged at 6.2 percent) from employees' wages up to $84,900 and withhold the Medicare tax (unchanged at 1.45 percent) on all wages. Visit our employer web site and factsheet for more information.
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/colafacts2001.htm

ELECTRONIC FILING OF W-2S IS LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK

For many employers, wage reporting isn't a walk in the park. It's not easy. It's work -- hard work. But that's all changed now thanks to e-file. With e-file, you can file wage reports online. As an employer you can:

-- save time,
-- reduce your filing burden,
-- have an extra 30 days to file, and
-- get an electronic receipt of filing.

All this in a paperless environment that you can track online. But that's not all. Your employees will get more accurate Social Security Statements that help them better plan their financial futures. E-file is not just for employers. It's for bookkeepers, accountants, CPA's, other third-party providers, and anyone responsible for submitting W-2 information to us. And best of all -- it's free. You can find everything you need to know about electronic filing in the Employer Services Online Handbook. To order a printed copy, call 1-800-772-6270 or visit our employer web site.
http://www.ssa.gov/employer/eso2001.htm

ELECTRONIC FILERS -- REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD

You must change your password at least once every 365 days to keep your PIN from expiring. If you forget your password, call 1-800-772-6270 and we'll issue you a new one in about two weeks. Visit Employer Services Online to change your password online.
http://www.ssa.gov/employer/esohome.htm

WE ACCEPT LASER-PRINTED 2001 FORMS W-3/W-2

Paper filers can enjoy the convenience of printing their 2001 Forms W-3/W-2 using a laser printer, thanks to a change in our paper filing policy. Beginning with tax year 2001, we accept both the black and white laser-printed Forms W-2/W-3, as well as the standard red dropout ink accepted in prior years. Both forms must comply with IRS' 2001 Publication 1141, General Rules and Specifications for Private Printing of Forms W-2/W-3. However, we must pre-approve the black and white laser-printed forms. Approval is based on conformance to IRS' 2001 Publication 1141. We will process only pre-approved black and white laser-printed forms.

IRS' Publication 1141 contains complete instructions for the private printing of substitute W-2/W-3s as well as instructions on how software vendors can submit them to us for pre-approval.
http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1141.pdf

NEW FORMAT MANDATORY FOR 2001 W-2 FILING

We have a new W-2 reporting format called Magnetic Media Reporting and Electronic Filing (MMREF). The new format is mandatory for all employers who file their W-2s on magnetic tape, cartridge, diskette or electronically -- everyone except paper filers. After a three-year phase-in period, the MMREF is now mandatory for tax year 2001 submissions (that's W-2s due to us in calendar year 2002). So why the change? To offer employers great new features such as a single record format that makes electronic filing a breeze and free test software (AccuWage) that checks for more than 200 errors that can cause your file to be returned unprocessed. For more information, visit our employer web site.
http://www.ssa.gov/employer/01mmref1.txt

EMPLOYEE VERIFICATION SERVICE

It's that time of year again! Employers are getting ready for the end of year processing of payroll records. We understand that the process can be time consuming, especially if you get a notice from us stating some of your employee names and Social Security numbers did not match our records. This type of reporting error can be virtually eliminated by using our Employee Verification Service (EVS) before you submit your wage report. EVS is a free service that matches employee names and Social Security numbers with our records so you have an opportunity to correct the problem before you prepare your year end report. There are three ways to use the service:

-- Telephone (5 or less employees)
-- Visit a local office (Up to 50 employees)
-- Submit a magnetic tape/cartridge/diskette (Over 50 employees)

For more information, visit our employer web site.
http://www.ssa.gov/employer_info/evs2000.html
(thax eNews)

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PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY ONLY
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VETERANS DAY HOLIDAY SERVICE REMINDER

In observance of the Veterans Day holiday, on Monday, November 12, PRTC will operate the following service:

OMNIRIDE COMMUTER BUSES: Modified Holiday schedule, limited service. See buses designated (MH) on OmniRide schedules.

PRINCE WILLIAM METRO DIRECT: Modified Holiday schedule. See schedule for designated buses.

OMNILINK LOCAL BUSES: Bus stop to bus stop only with NO OFF-ROUTE TRIPS*

*For best results, local OmniLink passengers who wish to make a reservation for a trip on Tuesday, November 13 should call OmniLink Customer Service by 7 PM Friday, November 9. Telephone assistance will be available from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Veterans Day. No off-route OmniLink trips will be scheduled and no counter transactions will be processed at the OmniRide Transit Center.

For more information, call our Customer Service office at (888) 730-6664.  Schedule information is also available on the web at www.OmniRide.com.

Eastern Prince William passengers remember that our Prince William Metro Direct service has been expanded, increased service hours and more frequent rush hour service!

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WAIVER WORKSHOPS IN VA
********************************************************
Making Community Living A Reality

Workshops about community services for people with disabilities

Workshops about Medicaid Waivers are being conducted by disability advocates throughout Virginia. Advocates have received training and materials to prepare them as Mentors to assist people with disabilities and their families who are trying to access community services. The workshops are sponsored by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the Statewide Independent Living Council and the Endependence Center in Norfolk. The Mentors represent local Arc's, local autism chapters, Centers for Independent Living, and other organizations.

Medicaid Waivers are services provided to support people to live in their own homes instead of nursing homes and other institutions. To qualify for a Waiver, the individual's income must be less than $1,590 per month (higher income may be allowed, depending on medical expenses.) Parental income is never used to determine if a child is eligible for Virginia Medicaid Waivers, even young children qualify based only on the child's income not the parent's income.

There are about 1,400 people on the waiting list for the Mental Retardation Waiver, but 700 new people were approved to receive MR Waiver services last year. Yes, there is a wait - but the sooner you get on the wait list, the sooner you will get services. If you need services, you cannot be denied screening to determine if you are eligible and be put in line for services. Same goes for the new Developmental Disabilities Waiver - there is a wait but the sooner you request a screening, the sooner you will receive Waiver services. There are no waiting lists for the Elderly and Disabled, Tech, AIDS and Consumer-directed Personal Assistance Services Waivers.

To register for a workshop, call toll free 1-866-323-1088 extension 310 or send your name and city/date/time you are registering for to VaWaivers@aol.com

Check out these dates and locations -
Big Stone Gap, Nov 9, 7-9:30pm
Big Stone Gap, Nov 10, 10:30-2pm
Bristol, Nov 12, 1-4pm
Charlottesville, Nov 5, 10am-12noon
Charlottesville, Nov 10, 1-5pm
Charlottesville, Nov 13, 1-5pm
Chesapeake, Nov 15, 5:30-8:30pm
Christiansburg, Nov 29, 6-9pm
Danville, Nov 8, 1-4pm
Duffield, Nov 10, 12-3pm
Exmore, Nov 7, 1-4pm
Falls Church, Nov 15, 7-9:30pm
Franklin, Nov 10, 9-1pm
Fredericksburg, Nov 5, 10-2pm
Lexington, Nov 17, 9:30-12:30pm
Martinsville, Nov 7, 9-12noon
Norfolk, Nov 3, 10-1pm
Portsmouth, Nov 3, 9:30-12noon
Radford, Nov 12, 6-9pm
Reston, Nov 10, 10-12:30pm
Roanoke, Nov 7, 1-4pm
South Hill, Nov 8, 6:30-9pm
Virginia Beach, Nov 8, 5:30-8:30pm
Wytheville, Nov 16, 9:30-12:30pm

We look forward to your participation in one of the workshops. Together we will develop a consumer responsive Waiver system in Virginia.

Maureen Hollowell
Endependence Center
Norfolk

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HUD WINS HOUSING FAIRNESS
********************************************************
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Mel Martinez, Secretary
Office of Public Affairs, Washington, DC 20410
(202) 708-0685

FOR RELEASE
Monday November 5, 2001

HUD WINS HOUSING FAIRNESS FOR RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez today announced that the owners and director of an assisted-living facility in Minnesota violated the Fair Housing Act by requiring tenants who use motorized wheelchairs or scooters to obtain personal liability insurance, under the guise of protecting residents' health and safety.

The owners and director of Country Manor Apartments, located in Sartell, MN, have been ordered to pay $7,500 in damages and $8,000 in civil penalties. Gail Rucks, the facility's Director of Housing; Hollis Helgeson; and, H.H.H. Incorporated, the facility owner at the time of the complaint, were jointly named in the case.

"This ruling sets an important precedent for other facilities nationwide, who were following this case and considering similar requirements," Martinez said. "This Administration will not tolerate the stereotyping or unfair treatment of persons with disabilities."

Read more here: Source: http://www.hud.gov/news.html

Anyone who believes they have experienced housing discrimination is asked to call HUD's Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-669-9777. They can also visit HUD's fair housing website at http://www.hud.gov/complaints/housediscrim.cfm
(thax B.G.)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and if you want to credit DAC at: 'dac4va@aol.com' for your source, feel free to do so only if you desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

11/07/01 - DAC's EFFORTS PUTS NEW GOVERNOR IN VIRGINIA - IT'S OUR VOTE!!!!

Well, congratulations fellow Virginian's and DAC readers. You have just taken the lead in showing other states that when people unite their collective voices they can choose their own destinies in life. Tuesday night proved just that as DAC reader's made up of the 'elderly, disabled and non disabled' voting people of Virginia, cast their votes to elect Governor Mark Warner (elect), into the Governors Mansion by over a 101,000 vote margin to victory.

We at DAC supplied you with the information that you needed to make a well informed vote. In just under 3 years time, DAC has managed to help UNITE all the various disability groups, along with the elderly and non disabled voters, into one loud voice that rang out clearly last night. This has been a long hard journey that most politicians have ignored thus far. Well, no more will we be ignored.

This election could easily have gone the other way had the opposing candidate not made the 'fatal mistake' of ignoring what he thought was a small silent group that didn't matter to him either way. The other candidate (Mark Earley) had to be prodded by the Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Peter Hardin, just to get his answers from our first DAC Questionnaire. Then the candidate made another mistake by lying to us in saying that his doors would always be open to us before he was even elected. He completely ignored our 2nd DAC Questionnaire too. Big mistake! Bigger loss!

This was a costly campaign for both candidates running for Governor this year with Governor elect Mark Warner spending $18 million dollars just to be elected. Candidate Mark Earley spent $10.5 million dollars which didn't help him much since he decided to ignore a large minority of important voters. To both candidates I say this: "It's the vote that counts silly, not the money!"

We at DAC would have gladly accepted $2 million dollars just to tell the voters of each candidates position and which candidate we felt was the right person for the job. All those wasted millions of dollars could have gone directly to help those in need rather than for commercials on TV. Campaign spending definitely needs some reform and this new wave of a voting coalition that we have set up proves again that "It's the vote that counts silly, not the money!"

DAC has spent ZERO dollars in providing Virginia voters with well informed information. You can rest assured that we will hold our new Governor elect Mark Warner's feet to the fire on his promises to us when he begins his term in office. We have no doubt at this time that Mark Warner will live up to his promises and we look forward to working with him in any way that we can. Mr. Warner has been fully assessable to us at any time in the past and hopefully he will stay true to his word.

I hope that Mark Warner took notice that his blowhard so-called political ally in PWC couldn't even get him the county votes needed to win nor was he successful in helping other party favorites. If Mr. Warner has promised him a position in his administration as the blowhard has bragged about for 3 years then I hope its with the sewage disposal department because that would be most fitting for the stuff that he spews out. He is certainly not concerned about his constituents or their concerns and I'd hate to see that attitude in Richmond. (Just a little friendly suggestion:)

Our hope, is now that we have proved that we must UNITE to be powerful without needing or spending the millions of dollars that PAC's and other special interest groups spend, that more people will come together across the states to share our solidarity. We're not asking that any groups split up or become just one because each group has their own agendas to deal with and that's how it should remain. But we are asking that we stop all the infighting or being as fragmented groups fighting over little scraps of this or that and join together as one large voice of at least 30 million registered voters strong nationwide.

By uniting our voices we will have more power than any PAC but we won't spend a dime to get the proper representatives to represent us. We can vote them in as easily as we can vote them out and remain bipartisan all along the way. We vote the person not the party.

I personally held back from speaking out on any of Virginia's 100 House of Delegate seats up for election this year because I like to start at the top and work down. In two years time from now you can bet that we will actively pursue and quiz our Delegates and state Senators up for election. Virginia voters will be informed. If other states want to enlist our help then I invite you to contact me and we will get you in control of your own destinies too.

I wish to thank all of you fellow Virginian's that voted yesterday because I knew very well that we had at least 125,000 united collective voices that just helped define our future. Few believed that this feat could be accomplished but now they know and we will keep reminding them again and again that; "It's the vote that counts silly, not the money!" Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Friday, November 02, 2001 ========================================================
The time is now to make up your minds as to who you wish to be your next governor in Virginia. DAC has provided you with the tools and information for you to judge each candidate. We've asked the questions and provided you with the answers to make a wise decision. This year, you really do have the opportunity to help define your future or just let things continue to happen as they have for several years. It's our hope that you will rise to this challenge and let your voices be heard loud and clear. Many other states will be watching our lead and we can set the direction for other states to follow as we become the new trend for all future elections.

You've read the questions and answers from the Mark Earley campaign and found out early that the promises that Mr. Earley made, have already been broken long before even elected to office. DAC finds this disheartening and also sees this as an indicator of just more false promises and lip service to come. Do you want more promises never meant to be kept and the same old status quo or do you want a real difference? This is exactly why DAC remains bipartisan so we can vote for the best person and not be bound by political affiliation.

On the other hand, Mark Warner, has not only answered our questions but he has also reached out to the elderly and disabled along with the non disabled on many occasions without having to be prodded by newspaper reporters for answers. DAC finds the spirit and honesty that Mr. Warner has shown and proven time and again most refreshing in the type of person that we would like to have representing us. This is exactly why DAC fully endorses Mark Warner for our next Governor. We don't care if a candidate is a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, Librarian or Vegetarian, it's all about keeping their word. Mr. Warner has kept his word to us now and we feel he will keep it when he is elected as our next governor.

These are DAC's opinion's and of course each person has a right to vote as they choose. But we do ask that you vote well informed and wisely and that's the best that we can ask. Regardless of your choice we do encourage you to get out the vote next Tuesday, November 6th, and exercise those rights that you do have. It's your choice and this election can define our living conditions during the next four years to come. Let's show these blowhard politicians that it isn't the money that counts, it's our votes! Thank you for reading these newsletters and your comments are still always welcome. To those out of state readers, I'm sorry if my opinions for our Governors race has taken up the last couple of letters but we hope to show you what our solidarity and collective strength can prove if our readers will just go vote. Thank you.

Keith-

========================================================
1. TAX INCENTIVES LTC (part 3)
2. SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASE IN 02'
3. HEALTH ACTION CONFERENCE 02' - UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
4. GET OUT THE VOTE!
5. NEWS STORIES
6. UNLOCKING THE PARALYSIS RIDDLE
7. MORE AID FOR ABUSED DEAF WOMEN
========================================================
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TAX INCENTIVES LTC (part 3)
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This issue: Tax Incentives to Promote Long-Term Care Insurance (part 3)
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Last week Elder Law FAX looked at some options for encouraging the purchase

long-term care insurance. Earlier this year two key lawmakers proposed the "Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2001," a bill that would let taxpayers deduct the full cost of long-term care insurance premiums. The bill also gives a $3,000 tax credit to disabled individuals or their at-home caregivers.

Certainly, if more persons who need long-term care in nursing homes insured against the risk, Medicaid expenditures would decline.

The issue, however, is whether the federal government should fund long-term care by giving people tax breaks to purchase insurance policies (most of whom will never use the policies) or by making direct payments to providers through the Medicaid program. Either method causes an impact on the U. S. treasury.

Some experts argue that tax incentives may not be such a good idea. Joshua M. Wiener of the Urban Institute, an influential Washington think-tank, is a leading proponent of this view.

According to Mr. Wiener, using the tax code to promote consumer purchasing of private long-term care insurance suffers from three major problems.

First, tax incentives would benefit mainly middle-and upper-income taxpayers, giving little relief to lower-income taxpayers, and none at all to persons too poor to pay taxes. This includes many elderly persons, who might benefit most from long-term care insurance, because they have resources to protect but not enough income to benefit from a tax incentive.

Second, the tax incentives that have been proposed, says Mr. Wiener, are too small to make much of a difference in how people act. Of course, if the tax incentives were made attractive enough, that would result in a major hit on the U. S. treasury.

Third, despite the small tax benefit accruing to purchasers, when multiplied over the thousands that would purchase long-term care insurance -- most of whom, says Mr. Wiener, would probably purchase the insurance anyway, without the tax incentive -- the annual costs would be quite large, in the billions of dollars.

According to Mr. Wiener, despite the antipathy in Congress and among proponents of long-term care insurance to direct spending programs such as Medicaid, these programs actually do a better job of targeting people in need and are more efficient in allocating resources.

Other Social Policy Considerations
------------------------------------------------------------------
According to a U. S. Department of Labor Working Group on Long-Term Care, however, other social policy reasons exist for tax incentives. Just knowing that coverage exists to pay for long-term care if needed is itself a salutary benefit for policy holders.

Private long-term care insurance coverage can likewise bring significant improvements in quality of life. Studies suggest, says the working group, that the presence of insurance can:

* allow individuals to live in their homes longer;
* provide more choice or control over their care;
* delay or prevent institutionalization;
* enable easier access to home care and/or assisted living;
* provide a greater choice of long-term care services and providers;
* ease the financial, physical, and emotional burdens on families providing care in the home; and
* preserve assets for heirs.

Although the September 11 terrorists attacks may have temporarily put this issue on the backburner, whether the tax code should be used to promote the purchase of long-term care insurance will continue to be a leading topic of debate among policy makers.
(thax ElderFax)

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SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASE IN 02'
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Social Security eNews

Published on November 1, 2001
Issue 25

To view this online, go to http://www.ssa.gov/enews/last.htm

A lot has happened in the past month -- this autumn we've raked up the news and packed it in a tidy issue. Looking for a raise? Check out the new cost-of-living figures for 2002. Read about Social Security's efforts to help the victims from September 11. Info on the fugitive felon program, direct deposit, and a new website are here, too. And, in case you're curious, we'll even let you know who won this year's prestigious "Gold Award" for an electronic newsletter. Any guesses?

A look at this issue of eNews:

-- PAYMENTS INCREASE IN 2002
-- HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY IN SOCIAL SECURITY TAX?
-- HELPING VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
-- DIRECT DEPOSIT IS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO MAILED CHECKS
-- LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY TEAM UP AGAINST FUGITIVE FELONS
-- NEW SITE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS
-- ENEWS TAKES HOME THE GOLD

PAYMENTS INCREASE IN 2002

If you get Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, here's some good news. A 2.6 percent increase in Social Security and SSI payments is scheduled for 2002. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is one of the most important features of the Social Security program. It protects beneficiaries against inflation -- a serious problem for people on a fixed income. The 2.6 percent COLA will take effect in January 2002 for people who receive Social Security payments. For people who get SSI, the increase will start on December 31, 2001. To learn more about the COLA, see our news release.  http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/2001cola.htm

HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY IN SOCIAL SECURITY TAX?

How much of your income do you have to pay Social Security taxes on in 2002? The maximum amount of income that can be taxed for Social Security is $84,900, up from $80,400 in 2001. Beginning January 1, 2002, employers will withhold 6.2 percent (unchanged from 2001) for Social Security taxes from the first $84,900 you make. The Medicare tax (unchanged at 1.45 percent) is taken from all wages, even in excess of the $84,900 limit. Less than 7 percent of workers who pay Social Security tax make above the old wage level -- that means 93 percent won't have an increase in their taxes based on this new figure. To check out the numbers, go to the factsheet. http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/colafacts2001.htm

HELPING VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS

This morning, Acting Commissioner Larry Massanari testified to the inspiring acts of Social Security workers in helping victims and survivors of the recent terrorist attacks. Already, we have taken almost 4,000 claims related to the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Social Security workers have been working hard to process survivors, disability, and one-time death benefit applications. For people affected by the terrorist acts, special emergency procedures expedite the process. For more information on our efforts to help, read Acting Commissioner Massanari's testimony.
http://www.ssa.gov/enews/testimony110101.htm

DIRECT DEPOSIT IS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO MAILED CHECKS

Concerned about the nation's mailing system? Acting Commissioner Larry Massanari assures that payments to beneficiaries have not been affected. "We understand that recent incidents have raised concerns about changes in the way we have traditionally lived our lives," Massanari said. "For those who have concerns, I want to encourage them to use the most convenient and safest way for beneficiaries to receive their payments -- direct deposit." Direct deposit eliminates worries about delayed mail, frequent trips to the bank, waiting in long lines to cash a check, and the possibility of a lost or stolen check. See the Acting Commissioner's statement for more.
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/direct-deposit-pr.htm

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY TEAM UP AGAINST FUGITIVE FELONS

Fugitive felons are criminals on the run. While it is never supposed to happen, sometimes they fraudulently receive Social Security benefits to fuel their flight from justice. Social Security's Office of the Inspector General teams up with local law enforcement departments with the "Fugitive Felon Program." They help us identify fugitive felons who are illegally receiving benefits, and we help local law enforcement find fugitive felons. In one year, this program has saved Social Security $37 million and generated another $20 million in SSI overpayments -- money the fugitive felons are required to pay back to Social Security. For more information, read the Inspector General's recently published article.
http://www.ssa.gov/oig/iacp.htm

NEW SITE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS

Now, the 86,000 public employers in the 50 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have a place to call "home" on Social Security's website. State and local government employees are covered by Social Security and Medicare, but sometimes in different ways. If you have questions about unique Social Security or Medicare provisions for public employees in your domain, bookmark this address and check it out. Topics range from Section 218 agreements to rehiring annuitants, police, and firefighters. There are even links to laws and regulations, national organizations, state and regional specialists, and publications. Visit this multi-faceted site!
http://www.ssa.gov/slge/

ENEWS TAKES HOME THE GOLD

eNews is the world's best electronic newsletter! But don't take our word for it -- just ask "The Newsletter on Newsletters." In their 29th annual awards competition, eNews took home the gold award for an electronic subscription newsletter! This is "the most prestigious award given for newsletters" from what Time Magazine calls "the bible of the newsletter field." Newsletters were judged on their overall excellence -- superior editorial content enhanced by appropriate design and typography, as well as use of photographs, graphics, and ease of access. If you're not already a subscriber, sign up today and find out what the newsletter experts are raving about!
http://www.ssa.gov/enews/
(thax Enews)

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HEALTH ACTION CONFERENCE 02'
********************************************************
Friends,

We're pleased to invite you to join us at HEALTH ACTION 2002, the national meeting for local, state, and national health advocates. The gathering will be from January 17-19, 2002 at The Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, DC., a grand location that Health Action participants have loved over the years.

Families USA is organizing Health Action 2002 in cooperation with scores of national health organizations see: (http://www.familiesusa.org/html/conference02/cosponsors.htm) for the complete list of Health Action co-sponsors). Next year is also Families USA's 20th anniversary, so we'd love to have you with us.

This is the seventh Health Action conference, and it will again bring all of us together to prepare for the work of the year ahead. Last year the conference drew about 600 participants from over 40 states. Participants represented very diverse constituencies, including child advocates, seniors, people with disabilities, organized labor, communities of color, faith-based advocates, and providers.

Details about the conference are on our Web site at  (http://www.familiesusa.org/html/conference02/intro.htm).

In addition to the sessions, outlined below, we're pleased to have a special cabaret show Friday night featuring THE CAPITOL STEPS, a terrific satirist singing group. On Thursday night, back by popular demand, is our Karaoke/dancing/dessert party.

The conference will feature four plenary sessions and about 30 workshops. We hope to kick the whole thing off with Congressman Gephardt, the minority leader in the House of Representatives. The opening plenary will be keynoted by Dr. Steve Schroeder from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who will speak about the plight of the uninsured. Friday morning's plenary will demystify the drug industry (we've invited Steve Schondelmeyer from the PRIME Institute at the University of Minnesota, who was with us last year for a smaller session and was a big hit). Friday afternoon we'll have a roundtable discussion on the broader health care/political/ideological/economic environment (moderated by a savvy journalist with economists and health policy folks and a public opinion expert). Saturday we'll have concurrent sessions - one on Medicaid and SCHIP developments and problems, the other on prescription drug discount programs.

We plan to have about 30 workshops covering such topics as Medicaid, SCHIP,

Medicare, drugs, health marketplace issues, racial disparities, immigrants, and skill building (such as media, coalition-building, message development, and learning from state universal coverage campaigns). Workshops are listed on our Web site at (http://www.familiesusa.org/html/conference02/agenda.htm).

Please take a look at our conference brochure on the Web, where you can find all the registration information
(http://www.familiesusa.org/media/pdf/webform.pdf)

We hope you can find the time and resources to join us in January. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dottie Shanks at Families USA at dshanks@familiesusa.org.

URGE YOUR SENATOR TO SUPPORT HEALTH BENEFITS FOR UNEMPLOYED WORKERS

Many of our organizations have been working hard to influence the debate about the economic stimulus package. Our priority has been to use it as a vehicle for getting health coverage for those who have lost their jobs and health insurance. The House of Representatives has passed a Republican-sponsored bill that provides $3 billion for some vague relief for people hurt by the recent economic downturn, which would be delivered by the Social Services Block Grant program (which has generally not been used in the past for health care). The House's priorities are to simulate the economy by giving more tax breaks to business, letting whatever benefit that may have trickle down to working families.

The Senate is getting ready to pass its bill very soon. The immediate action is in the Senate Finance Committee, where Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has a good proposal that he developed with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA). It provides for $17 billion of health benefits for recently unemployed workers by subsidizing COBRA coverage (which enables some workers to continue their employer coverage), and it provides access to Medicaid benefits for workers not eligible for COBRA (largely because they work in small companies or for companies that are failing and no longer provide benefits).

It's important to contact your Senators now in support of providing health benefits to unemployed people. Senate Finance Committee members are especially important, including Democrats Baucus (MT), Bingaman (NM), Conrad (ND), Daschle (SD), Graham (FL), Kerry (MA), Lincoln (AR), Rockefeller (WV), and Torricelli (NJ), Independent Jeffords (VT), and Republicans Gramm (TX), Grassley (IA), Hatch (UT), Kyl (AZ), Loss (MS), Murkowski (AK), Nickles (OK), Snowe (ME), Thomas (WY), and Thompson (TN).

If you are in a Senate Finance Committee state, please call your Senator.

You can send e-mail to your Senators (currently the correspondence medium of choice, as you would guess) by going to our Legislative Action Center at: (http://capwiz.com/familiesusa/home/).

Our newest analysis of this issue, Key Facts on Providing Health Insurance to Newly Unemployed Workers, is available on our Web site at (http://www.familiesusa.org/media/pdf/stimulus.pdf).

There are also some other background materials on this debate that you can access through our Web site's home page at (http://familiesusa.org).

In these highly troubling times, our chances of making progress are limited. That's why it's especially important to make sure that this opportunity to provide health coverage to at least some vulnerable people doesn't get wasted.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
You've got the facts and information so now use it to vote smart. Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:

Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

********************************************************
NEWS STORIES
********************************************************
CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES

National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) Help in Dealing With Terrorism
$20 Million In Grants For Mental Health Services Following Attacks
Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
Study Finds High-Normal Blood Pressure Increases Cardiovascular Risk
Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection
New Program For Frail Elderly To Live In Community
Medicare To Cover New Services For Elderly
Relationship Found Between Stress Hormones and Arthritis,
Multiple Sclerosis After Pregnancy
HHS Approves 13 New State Plans To Extend Medicaid To Women With Breast, Cervical Cancer
Medicare Announces Payment Increase For Hospital Outpatient Service
Medicare Simplifies Enrollment Form
Clinical Trial Tests BCG For Interstitial Cystitis

THE NEWS

National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) Help in Dealing With Terrorism
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/outline/responseterrorism.cfm
Includes articles such as Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/violence.cfm and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), A Real Illness
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdri1.cfm.

$20 Million In Grants For Mental Health Services Following Attacks
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/emergency-grants.htm
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the release of more than $20 million in additional assistance to eight states and the District of Columbia to support critically needed mental health and substance abuse services following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
http://www.medicare.gov/Prescription/Home.asp
The Medicare web page provides information on programs that offer discounts or free medication to individuals in need. You can find information on State prescription drug assistance programs, Medicare managed care plans, and Medigap plans that offer prescription drug coverage in your area.

Study Finds High-Normal Blood Pressure Increases Cardiovascular Risk
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/blood-pressure.htm
High-normal blood pressure significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, according to a new study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/pages/titlevii.html
A reader requested an article about Elder Rights and Adult Protection. Title VII, the Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Title, created by the 1992 Amendments to the Older Americans Act addresses the need for strong advocacy to protect and enhance the basic rights and benefits of vulnerable older people. Also see the State of Colorado page:
http://www.cdhs.state.co.us/oss/aas/AboutProt.htm on this issue.

New Program For Frail Elderly To Live In Community
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/alexian-brothers.htm
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Social Services, today approved a request by Alexian Brothers Community Services St. Louis, in St. Louis, Mo., to become the first provider under the permanent program of comprehensive care that allows frail elderly people to live in their communities.

Medicare To Cover New Services For Elderly
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/elderly-services.htm
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced recently that it intends to cover eye treatments for those with age-related macular degeneration, foot care coverage for some beneficiaries with diabetes, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for some patients.

Relationship Found Between Stress Hormones and Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis After Pregnancy
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/stress-hormones.htm
A sharp drop in stress hormones after giving birth to a child may predispose some women to develop certain conditions in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

HHS Approves 13 New State Plans To Extend MedicaidTo Women With Breast, Cervical Cancer
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/medicaid.htm
On October 19 HHS approved 13 new states' requests to extend Medicaid benefits to uninsured women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a federal screening program.

Medicare Announces Payment Increase For Hospital Outpatient Service
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/medicare-increase.htm
Hospitals will receive a 2.3 percent increase in Medicare payments for outpatient services effective Jan. 1, 2002, under a final rule announced today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Medicare Simplifies Enrollment Form
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1101/medicare-enrollment.htm
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a new, streamlined enrollment form that will make it easier for qualified physicians and other health-care providers to become eligible for Medicare reimbursement .

Clinical Trial Tests BCG For Interstitial Cystitis
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/cystitis.htm
Ten centers in the United States and Canada seek 260 patients to try a promising therapy for interstitial cystitis (IC), a chronic and painful bladder condition that mostly targets women.
(thax FirstGov)

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UNLOCKING THE PARALYSIS RIDDLE
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From Wired News, available online at:
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,47780,00.html

Unlocking the Paralysis Riddle
By Mark K. Anderson

Researchers studying spinal cord injuries have observed certain patterns of the human brain that may ultimately enable paraplegics and quadriplegics to regain some motor activity in their paralyzed limbs -- or use their brains to control robotic limbs.

Effective treatment is still probably five or 10 years off, but Thursday's publication of a paper by University of Utah researchers in the journal Nature answers an important question in this perplexing neuro-engineering problem.
(thax C.A.)

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MORE AID FOR ABUSED DEAF WOMEN
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Dear Advocate Friends...

I am sending this along in case anyone in your communities might be interested in contacting this group and forming their own similar effort...More aid for abused deaf women  A grass-roots advocacy group now training volunteers to be counselors

By Greg Livadas
Democrat and Chronicle

(Sunday, October 28, 2001) -- Deaf women facing abuse now have another place to seek help.

Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims, a grass-roots group formed by five local women in 1998, is now training volunteers to counsel deaf women.

The training is timely: October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Sharon Staehle, a founder and executive director, said the volunteers have seen about 15 women for various reasons. They have engaged in private talks, accompanied them to court and provided advocacy services.

Most who seek help have come from referrals from friends.

Staehle said the group has grown slowly with $5,000 in private donations. An additional $50,000 is needed -- through donations, grants and fund-raisers -- to help rent office space and hire a staff member.

"I've been waiting to have an office and paid staff since 1998," Staehle said. "We can't be volunteers all the time. We need staff to be there in the office to do the paperwork."

The paperwork includes applying for grants and developing ways to educate area police departments, hospitals and existing hearing-based agencies.

Many of those existing agencies already have procedures to deal with deaf victims. But Staehle, and others in her group, feel more could be done.

She said Alternatives for Battered Women and Rape Crisis Services "do their best, yes, but deaf victims often feel that it is not enough. ASADV wants to set up an agency to build a bridge to the hearing-based agencies to educate the hearing people about deaf culture and sensitivities."

More volunteers who know sign language are welcomed. And ASADV is welcomed by other agencies that serve abuse victims.

"I think their focus is a good one and we work with them," said Catherine Mazzotta, director of Alternatives for Battered Women. "Whenever you're dealing with domestic violence, you're trying to be as sensitive and culturally competent as you can be."

Sometimes language can be a barrier for victims, Mazzotta said, whether the victim speaks Spanish or uses sign language. Some victims may also feel hesitant to discuss their problems using an interpreter if they feel their confidentiality may be jeopardized.

"This issue is as it is with any individual who is not English-speaking," Mazzotta said.

The training received so far by ASADV volunteers has been paid with a federal grant obtained by Marilyn J. Smith, a Seattle woman who is deaf and calls herself "a rape survivor."

Smith helped establish a similar organization in Seattle after a deaf woman was killed by her husband there in the early 1980s.

"Deaf victims have less access to the already complex criminal justice system," Smith said. "We do use a language different than English -- American Sign Language -- which means we need interpreters... . Here in Seattle, we spent and still spend a great part of our time making sure the system works for deaf victims."

The deaf community is often close-knit, which poses unique problems for deaf victims to feel safe.

"We focus a lot on helping victims develop a strong support system so they can both remain in their community and among their people and at the same time still be safe," Smith said.

For more information on ASADV, to volunteer or to contribute, write to P.O. Box 20023, Rochester, NY 14602. Or go online to: http://members.rpa.net/~valnm/ASADV.

E-MAIL THIS STORY TO A FRIEND

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Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

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DAC Briefs Tuesday, October 30, 2001 ========================================================
It appears that voter apathy has set itself among Virginia voters again this year as there seems to be little enthusiasm for the upcoming November 6, 2001, elections. I hope you all realize that there are 100 House of Delegate seats up for grabs, not to mention this very important Governors race. If you want to define the history that we are about to partake in then it's up to YOU to get riled up and get your family and friends to get excited enough to vote. We have our chance this year to make a "real" change but if you don't vote our chance goes right down the toilet.

So get excited, get angry, get something, but be sure to 'Get Out The Vote.' Ask yourself if you want Medicaid dollars being diverted to the state's General Fund instead of helping those in need. It's happening now and it will continue to happen unless you decide you want a change.

I'm enclosing a "Press Release" in this newsletter and I hope this gets passed around for all Virginian's to read. Let this be "our" year and lets elect someone who will be responsive to "our" needs. You can rest assured that I will hold their feet to the fire and remind them, if necessary, of what we have been promised. This is my pledge to you.

Keith-

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1. PRESS RELEASE FROM MARK WARNER
2. TAX INCENTIVES FOR LTC
3. AUDIOCONFERECE ON INFO TECH & EDUCATION
4. GET OUT THE VOTE!
5. BUSH ADMINISTRATION vs ADA?
6. OPENING DOORS NEWSLETTER
7. MEDICARE LAUNCHES EDUCATIONAL ADS
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PRESS RELEASE FROM MARK WARNER
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For Release: Contact: Amanda Crumley or Mo Elleithee

October 29, 2001 (703) 739-1200

DISABLED ACTION COMMITTEE ENDORSES WARNER FOR GOVERNOR

Alexandria - The Disabled Action Committee has endorsed Mark Warner for Governor.

"Mark Warner has been very receptive and accessible to the disability community. I am pleased with his stands on issues affecting citizens across the Commonwealth, both those of us with disabilities and those without," Disabled Action Committee (DAC) President Keith Kessler said.

"I am proud to receive support from the Disabled Action Committee. All Virginians deserve the opportunity to live with dignity and independence," Warner said.

"In these tough economic times, Virginia needs a governor who knows how to create jobs. As a business leader, Mark Warner has started more than 50 businesses and created 15,000 jobs. We need Warner's business approach to Virginia government," Kessler said.

Kessler said he was also impressed with the work Warner has done in the health care field. Nine years ago, Warner began the Virginia Health Care Foundation, a public-private partnership, which has provided health care to more than 400,000 Virginians.

"Mark Warner has pledged to include real consumers on boards and commissions, including the Department of (Medical Assistance Services. In a Warner Administration, all appointments will be based on qualifications and expertise, not politics," Kessler said.

###

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TAX INCENTIVES FOR LTC
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This issue: Tax Incentives to Promote Long-Term Care Insurance (part 2)
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In July 1999 the Republican tax bill passed by the House included a phased-in, 100 percent deduction for long-term-care insurance premiums and an additional personal exemption for taxpayers caring for elderly family members at home.

Earlier this year, Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, along with committee member Bob Graham, D-Fla., introduced the "Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2001."

The Senate tax-credit plan would let taxpayers deduct the full cost of long-term care insurance premiums. The bill also gives a $3,000 tax credit to disabled individuals or their at-home caregivers.

The tax bill's supporters, who include older people's organizations and insurance industry groups, say it will help ailing seniors afford better care. But at what cost? Tax benefits are not free. They do impact the federal budget. Would this money be better spent by improving the Medicaid program or funding a social insurance program like Medicare that would pay for nursing home care for anyone who needs it?

According to Department of Labor advisory panel, the plan to give a $3000 tax credit to cover long-term care expenses would cost the Treasury $35 billion over 10 years.

The Grassley-Graham proposal, calling for an above-the-line tax deduction for long-term care premiums, would effectively reduce the net premium costs for policies.

Since price is a major consideration in the purchase of long-term care insurance, some believe that an above-the-line tax deduction which effectively reduces the cost of long-term care insurance premiums should encourage growth in the market. Others believe an above-the-line deduction is regressive.

Reducing Medicare and Medicaid Costs
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Some believe that increased growth in the long-term care insurance market would reduce Medicaid and Medicare expenditures since those with long-term care insurance would be less likely to access or rely upon Medicaid. Some experts estimate that every 100 individuals with long-term care insurance saves Medicaid $20,647 annually.

This is not insignificant. According to the Congressional Budget Office, Medicare and Medicaid pay about 60% of all long-term care costs annually. Last year, that totaled about $75 billion.

CBO projects that these costs will grow 2.6% a year over the next 40 years. That means that by 2040 the federal budget will have to absorb almost $400 billion in direct long-term care costs under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Medicare and Medicaid are "pay-as-you-go" programs: the government collects money from workers in the form of taxes and pays them out in the form of benefits. Last year, there were four workers for every Medicare beneficiary. By 2030, there will be 2.3 workers per beneficiary.

If there was widespread employer-sponsored and either subsidized or paid long-term care insurance for employees, the number of people dependent on Medicaid and Medicare could drop by 16 percent and Medicaid and Medicare expenditures could decline by 18 percent by 2018.

Some researchers estimate that an above-the-line tax deduction would result in an increase in the purchase of long-term care insurance policies between 16 percent and 26 percent, resulting in Medicaid savings of $.80 to $.90 for every $1.00 in tax expenditures.

Other researchers, however, suggest that such a tax deduction would have no impact on the elderly and retired population since many of them pay little, if any taxes. These researchers further suggest that the cost of such a tax deduction would be very significant, and that there would not be any corresponding reduction in Medicaid long-term care expenditures.

Next week: Should we do this?
(thax ElderFax)

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AUDIOCONFERECE ON INFO TECH & EDUCATION
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Please share this information with those in your network who may be interested. The Distance Learning Program for 2001-2001 began in October. The schedule and registration form is posted at our website at www.adainfo.org and we encourage you to participate.

On Tuesday, December 4, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. there will be a free audioconference session "Information Technology and Education" presented by Kurt Johnson, Ph.D.

Under initiative from the U.S. Department of Education/NIDRR, a National Center on Accessible Education-Based Technology has been established. This free session will provide an introduction and overview to the new center and how it will assist educational entities to understand and fulfill their legal obligation to provide accessible information technology.

We hope you will register to join us for this session.

Kathleen Desmond Porter, Training Director
ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 607
Rockville, MD 20850
800-949-4232 voice/tty (within region 3)
or 301-217-0124 voice/tty
801-217-0124 FAX
kporter@transcen.org
(thax Cash)

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GET OUT THE VOTE!
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It may be to late to register to vote now but it certainly isn't to late to vote. Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:
Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

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BUSH ADMINISTRATION vs ADA?
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See below for reports of the Supreme Court agreeing to hear another ADA case, Chevron v. Echazabal, # 00-1406. The disability community previously met with the office of U.S. Solicitor General, Theodore B. Olson and urged them to file a brief asking the Supreme Court not to take this case. Instead, they did just the opposite and we again find the Bush Administration on the wrong side of a Supreme Court case that may have significant impact on our civil rights.

Please contact the White House and urge them to stop their efforts to weaken the ADA. We are counting on them to protect the ADA, to enforce the ADA, and to make sure that the actions of the Bush Administration are consistent with President Bush's stated support of our rights.

Please contact the White House Disability Contact: Gian-Carlo Peressutti, Associate Director, Public Liaison at 202-456-2380 or Gian-Carlo_A._Peressutti@who.eop.gov

High Court Takes Rejected Oil Worker Case

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear the case of a man who was denied an oil refinery job because of a disability that his own doctor said could kill him.

Mario Echazabal sued Chevron Corp. under the Americans With Disabilities Act, claiming he should have gotten the job despite a chronic case of hepatitis C.

Doctors who examined Echazabal said exposure to chemicals at the refinery would speed the deterioration of Echazabal's liver, and that a large exposure from a plant fire or other emergency could kill him.

A Supreme Court decision in the case could help clarify what duty an employer has to potential employees with disabilities. The landmark 1990 ADA says employers must make reasonable accomodations for disabilities, and cannot discriminate.

READ MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Scotus-Rejected-Worker.html
SOURCE: New York Times/Associated Press
(thax ADAwatch)

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OPENING DOORS NEWSLETTER
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TAC News:

1. New Opening Doors Published
2. National Training Conference on Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Substance Use

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New Opening Doors Published

The latest Opening Doors publication from TAC and the CCD Housing Task Force has just been posted on the web at www.tacinc.org. The issue, titled "What's Wrong With This Picture? An Updated on the Impact of Elderly Only Housing Policies on People with Disabilities," discusses the ways that the federal government has enacted sweeping changes to federal housing laws which makes it legal to restrict or exclude non-elderly people with disabilities from certain affordable rental housing. Using data from HUD and two federal studies, TAC and the CCD Housing Task Force have recently updated our assessment of the impact of elderly only laws on the supply of federally subsidized housing available for people with disabilities.

Specifically, these data and reports indicate that between 268,500 and 293,500 units of federally subsidized housing are currently designated elderly only. Read the issue online or email info@tacinc.org to request a mailed copy today!

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National Training Conference on Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Substance Use

This national training conference, which is being held December 5-8, 2001 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., will feature whole and half-day training institutes and workshops focusing on the housing, treatment and support needs of people with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders who are homeless. For more information, read the release below. For the conference agenda and registration, please contact the National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness at (800) 444-7415 or the website at http://www.prainc.com/nrc/.

The Homeless Programs Branch of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) invites you to attend the first-of-its-kind national training conference on homelessness, mental illness, and substance use. The event is being co-sponsored by CMHS and SAMHSA’s two other centers, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), as well as HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Coalition for the Homeless, the Technical Assistance Collaborative, and the National Network for Youth.

The event will take place December 5-8, 2001 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. and will feature whole and half-day training institutes and workshops focusing on the housing, treatment and support needs of people with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders who are homeless.

Training sessions will feature evidence-based and promising practices in service delivery and housing, as well as cross-cutting principles for promoting collaboration, systems change and recovery. Providers, consumers, policymakers, and advocates from all disciplines are encouraged to attend, with 500 attendees anticipated.

In addition to attending individual training sessions on a variety of topics, conference participants will also have the opportunity to hear representatives from national homeless advocacy groups and local service programs discuss the latest policy developments affecting housing and services for people who are homeless, as well as strategies for building coalitions to end homelessness among individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Among the many additional features of the conference will be a pre-conference institute intended to orient newcomers to the field to the basic characteristics, needs and service practices for people who are homeless and have mental health and/or substance use disorders; opportunities to visit local homeless services programs, and a resource room with free information and resources. Scholarships are also available for homeless or formerly homeless consumers of mental health and/or substance abuse services to attend the conference.
(thax B.G.)

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MEDICARE LAUNCHES EDUCATIONAL ADS
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Medicare Launches Educational Ads

By ANJETTA McQUEEN
.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Medicare's new multimillion-dollar consumer education campaign features humorous TV commercials touting a 24-hour hotline to help seniors navigate the massive health insurance system.

Consumer advocates say the information pitched by the government falls short of what participants need to choose the best health plans. But the government contends the ads are helping Medicare enrollees get the help they need.

``Our annual research of seniors and disabled people shows that they love Medicare, they just don't understand it,'' said Tom Scully, chief of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a division of the Health and Human Services Department.

Officials said the Web site and hotline operators can answer questions about what treatments Medicare will cover, what types of supplemental insurance policies participants can use to help pay their medical bills or how to find a nursing home.

The media campaign places ads in major newspapers, in selected radio markets and on television during shows popular with older audiences, such as ``The Price is Right'' and ``Touched By An Angel.''

Spanish-language ads feature a daughter helping her elderly mother.

In one popular commercial, slapstick actor Leslie Nielsen - star of ``Airplane!'' - bumbles his way through a hospital room encouraging fellow seniors to contact the federal agency for help with insurance.

The federal 24-hour hotline and Web site, touted in the ads, omit information that can help participants choose among Medicare's options, said Diane Archer, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a New York-based nonprofit group that also provides help to seniors navigate Medicare.

Roughly 40 million seniors and disabled Americans are enrolled in Medicare, and many choose options such as participating HMOs or approved supplemental policies - often known as Medigap.

``People need to understand three fundamental things: what doctors you can see, what you have to pay out of pocket and what care you can get,'' Archer said, adding that her group has had to help some seniors confused by the federal information.

Judith Siegel, an 85-year-old New York retiree who lives in Brooklyn, felt she got the run-around when she tried dialing the hotline to find out whether her HMO was going to stay in Medicare. The Medicare Rights Center helped her, she said.

``I got so many numbers from them, I couldn't keep up,'' she said of the federal hotline. ``I really was bewildered.''

Yet dozens of seniors recently sent kudos to the government, HHS officials said. The hotlines and websites helped a woman trying to find prescription drug coverage for her husband, a woman who needed a good nursing home for her sister and a recipient who needed information translated into Armenian.

The ads also tout new handbooks, which the agency is mailing to seniors for fall open enrollment, a time which many participants choose which Medicare options they prefer.

The government is spending $30 million on three months of television commercials, radio announcements and newspaper ads.

A key seniors' group, however, endorsed the agency's bank of information and the campaign to promote it.

``Beneficiaries can now find answers to their questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week,'' said Bill Novelli, executive director of AARP, the top lobby group for older Americans.

Scully said the expense - roughly what a presidential candidate would spend in that same time period and far less than the Army's recruiting ads - is well worth the money. He said the extra funds from this year's budget are coming from belt-tightening on the administrative end of the $243 billion federal program.

On the Net:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: http://www.cms.gov/

Medicare web site: http://www.medicare.gov/

Medicare Rights Center: http://www.medicarerights.org/
(thax ProAging)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Notes Wednesday, October 24, 2001 ========================================================
Well, the DAC news bin is filling up again so time to unload a lot more information that you might find useful. These past two weeks we have been receiving several emails from concerned parents about their children. Ironically, I have been in touch with Barbara Day, who heels from my hometown of Toledo, Ohio and she is a registered nurse that specializes in offering tips for parents with children of special needs. I invite you to visit her at About.com and ask her about all the things you wanted to know. It seems as if Barb and I ran around in the same circles, hitting the same places but always in different directions. At any rate stop by here to chat with Barb and tell her that Keith sent you.

ABOUT.COM - OFFERS SPECIAL EDUCATION TIPS FOR YOUR CHILD http://specialed.about.com/ Barbara Day will guide you through the maze of advocacy, ADHD, Autism, and so much more. A must read for parents.

I sent this out during my last mailing but forgot to put it on my nationwide list so please excuse me Karen, as I send your info out again. With all the information we offer at our DAC website I sometimes forget about everything that is on our site until I'm reminded. Well, I was reminded again this week about a page that I had completely forgotten of and was only to glad to add this new listing to our ADA Consulting List Nationwide. For those of you in California please use this information as you see fit. Thank you Karen for keeping me updated:) Here's another choice for you, our readers.

Compliance Design Consultants
2244 W. Coast Highway, Suite 200
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 646-3756
e-mail: cdcko@earthlink.net
web-site: compliancedesign.com

Compliance Design Consultants is a disabled access consulting firm specializing in Title II & III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the state of California Accessibility Regulations. CDC was established in 1992 to assist public and private entities to professionally identify accessibility barriers at their properties and to recommend creative and compliant solutions for access for individuals with disabilities. Client and project types include real estate professionals (commercial, retail, and industrial), architects, attorneys, cities and counties, amusement facilities, lodging facilities and additional public accommodations.
--------------

So enjoy the news and watch for DAC's upcoming 'final review' answers from our Virginia Governors race coming out again soon. Read them over carefully to become informed voters and lets redefine our destiny in Virginia. We have the power if you're willing to use it. It's our votes, not the money that counts!

Keith-

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1. FIRSTGOV FOR SENIORS NEWS
2. MS REVERSAL?
3. SSI WAIVER DEMONSTRATION
4. GET OUT THE VOTE!
5. CONSUMER ACTION NEWSLETTER *NEW*
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FIRSTGOV FOR SENIORS NEWS
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Center for Disease Control Web Site on Anthrax
Additional $1.5 Billion Proposed To Combat Bioterrorism
When Your Medicare+Choice Organization Withdraws
HHS Awards $27.4 Million To Address Emerging Nursing Shortage
Commercial Drug Discounts Touted
$35M In Emergency Funds For Losses From September Attacks
State Plan For $23.7 Million In Relief Funds
Flu Vaccine Supply Status
Urban Legend - The Phony Email About an Email Surcharge
New Pacemaker Transmits Data to Doctor
Medicare-endorsed Rx Drug Discount Card Initiative in Federal Court
Health, United States, 2001
Antioxidant Vitamins And Zinc Reduce Risk Of Certain Vision Losses
New Resources To Treat Type 1 Diabetes
First Aids Vaccine Made At NIAID's Vaccine Research Center Enters Clinical Trial
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Center for Disease Control Web Site on Anthrax

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_anthrax.htm
Learn about this new threat to our security and dispel unwarranted anxieties. CDC explains how to handle anthrax and other biological agent threats, and provides the latest Public Health Message updates.

Additional $1.5 Billion Proposed To Combat Bioterrorism
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/bioterrorism.htm
President Bush's $20 billion emergency relief budget request includes $1.5 billion for HHS to further strengthen the nation's ability to respond to and treat potential bioterrorism attacks.

When Medicare+Choice Organization Withdraws
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/protecting.htm
Over the past three years some beneficiaries who enrolled in a Medicare+Choice plan were affected by their plan's withdrawal. CMS has undertaken a comprehensive outreach effort to educate beneficiaries about their remaining health care options.

HHS Awards $27.4 Million To Address Emerging Nursing Shortage
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/hhsgrants.htm
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced a series of grants and contracts totaling more than $27.4 million to increase the number of qualified nurses and the quality of nursing services across the country.

Commercial Drug Discounts Touted
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/drug-discounts.htm
Last week the Bush administration praised the pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKlein for starting a new private drug discount plan for senior citizens which will enable an estimated 11 million elderly to qualify for 25-40% discounts on medication produced by the firm.

$35M In Emergency Funds For Losses From September Attacks
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/emergency-funds.htm
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the availability of $35 million in competitive grants for public and not-for-profit entities that suffered losses because of the Sept.11, terrorist attacks.

State Plan For $23.7 Million In Relief Funds
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/relief-funds3.htm
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the release of $23.7 million in social services grants for six states and the District of Columbia, areas directly affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Flu Vaccine Supply Status
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/Flu/Vaccine-supply.htm
This season more vaccine is expected to be available than in previous years. Some delays in distribution are projected, but they are not expected to be as great those in the 2000_01 season. In years without delays, most flu vaccine is distributed by the end of October.

Urban Legend - The Phony Email About an Email Surcharge
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blemtax2.htm?terms=Federal+Bill+602
We've received several emails in the past two months about proposed legislation to impose a surcharge on email. This is a hoax. The "news" about this phony bill (602P) has been making the rounds for years. Check out the Urban Legends page above, or see the USPS press release:
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/email-rumor.htm.

New Pacemaker Transmits Data to Doctor
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2001/ANS01108.html
The FDA has approved the Biotronik Home Monitoring System, a new type of pacemaker that is the first approved implanted device capable of automatic, remote data transmission.

Medicare-endorsed Rx Drug Discount Card Initiative in Federal Court
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/rxcard.htm
Tom Scully, Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on October 10 that CMS filed a motion in federal court to stay all proceedings related to the Medicare-endorsed Rx Discount Drug Card initiative.

Health, United States, 2001
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hus/hus.htm
HHS released a new report, Health, "United States, 2001", that shows Americans who live in the suburbs fare significantly better in many key health measures than those who live in the most rural and most urban areas.

Antioxidant Vitamins And Zinc Reduce Risk Of Certain Vision Losses
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/antioxidant-vitamins.htm
High levels of antioxidants and zinc significantly reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its associated vision loss. The same nutrients have no effect on the development of cataracts.

New Resources To Treat Type 1 Diabetes
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/type1diabetes.htm
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today the award of grants in the amount of $10.4 million to establish 10 Islet Cell Resource (ICR) centers.

First Aids Vaccine Made At NIAID's Vaccine Research Center Enters Clinical Trial
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/1001/aids-vaccine.htm
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) researchers at the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) today announced the start of a clinical trial testing the first AIDS vaccine invented at the new facility.
(thax FirstGov)

*******************************************************
MS REVERSAL?
********************************************************
Here's an interesting article about MS reversal during laboratory experiments. Check here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1604000/1604049.stm
(thax B.B.)

********************************************************
SSI WAIVER DEMONSTRATION
********************************************************
We have added the following items to the Spi Connect Homepage. Check this info our at http://www.spiconnect.org

SSI Waiver Demonstration: The State Partnership Systems Change Initiative Projects of California, New York, Vermont and Wisconsin, in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA), have initiated a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) waiver in April 2001. For more information see:

SSI Waiver Demonstration
Wisconsin SSI Waiver Fact Sheet

What People Have To Say About The Ticket To Work Program: Usually these comments are circulated on paper, but this time SSA has made it easy for everyone to access them -- they're online! Check out what people have to say.

Employment Resource: Supported Employment Best Practices: Listen to Paul Wehman, Director of the VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Workplace Supports, identify how to determine a high quality supported employment program. He describes the ten indicators of designing an effective program. Also hear Shirley Fox, self-advocate, share her job duties and her future career plans. She explains what she would do if her employment specialist was not listening to her needs and career goals.

SSA Multi-Language Gateway: Check out the Multi-Language Gateway, a website with Social Security information in 14 languages other than English.
(thax J.B.)

********************************************************
GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
It may be to late to register to vote now but it certainly isn't to late to vote. Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:
Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

********************************************************
CONSUMER ACTION NEWSLETTER
********************************************************
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Center for Health Care Strategies Consumer Action e-Newsletter. In this quarterly e-Newsletter, consumer organizations and other interested parties can learn about best practice activities in expanding access to health care delivery systems and improving consumer participation in the design, implementation, and monitoring of publicly financed managed care programs. Visit our Web site at www.chcs.org for more information about the topics covered in this newsletter. Please contact rb@chcs.org to subscribe or unsubscribe.

CONTENTS:

1. CHCS Awards 19 Consumer Action Seed Grants
2. Olmstead Planning Grants: Progress Report
3. Publications
4. New Web Site Resources
5. Upcoming Conferences

1. CHCS Awards Consumer Action Seed Grants

CHCS has awarded Seed Grants to 19 consumer, family, and community-based organizations to support the development of consumer-driven approaches to health care delivery within publicly funded managed care. Grantees will be piloting or expanding programs that address access and navigation issues. The goal of the project is to establish a formal role for consumers in designing, implementing, and monitoring publicly financed managed care programs at the state and local levels. Funding for the Seed Grants is made possible by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Annie E. Casey Foundation. For summaries of 17 of the Consumer Action Seed Grants, visit: http://www.chcs.org/ConsumerAction/project.htm

2. Olmstead Planning Grants: Progress Report

The Center for Health Care Strategies, in a major initiative tied to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the 1999 Olmstead v L.C. case, awarded planning grants to seven states to improve their community-based long-term care services. These grants were funded by CHCS under The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Medicaid Managed Care Program. Below are highlights from two of the grantees:

Utah is making progress toward its goal of transitioning 100 Medicaid beneficiaries out of nursing homes. Utah developed a cross-agency team, which includes consumer representatives who meet with nursing facility residents interested in a community-based program. A team works with individuals to obtain appropriate services in a community setting. Residents can learn about long-term care options at education sessions offered by the state. A one-on-one follow-up meeting also is available for residents. Utah is now working to expand the project.

Missouri was awarded a grant to develop a statewide plan to ensure the orderly transition of individuals who could appropriately live in the community. To date, Missouri's governor has established a Personal Independence Commission to examine existing programs to ensure that consumers are provided with information on community-based options; to facilitate communication between state agencies and the disability community; to monitor the transition process; and to recommend changes needed to expand or improve community-based and consumer-directed programs and services. In addition, Missouri has created a Ticket to Work Medicaid buy-in program, increased wages for in-home direct care staff, and approved a $1,500 per person, one-time community transition grant fund through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

For more information on the CHCS Olmstead grants and project summaries for all seven states, visit: http://www.chcs.org/ConsumerAction/olm.html

3. Publications

Recently Published:

Chronic Illness in America: Overcoming Barriers to Building Systems of Care, by F. Marc LaForce, M.D., and Jay Wussow, Building Health Systems for People with Chronic Illnesses Program. This CHCS Report covers the current state of chronic illness in America and examines opportunities for developing new and better models of chronic care. http://www.chcs.org/publications/pdf/cas/bhschronicillness.pdf

Coming Soon:

Olmstead and Supportive Housing: A Vision for the Future, by Ann O'Hara and Stephen Day, Technical Assistance Collaborative. This CHCS Report will address the evolution and development of supportive housing-- community-based housing linked with services and supports for people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations-- and the need for consumer involvement in that process.

The Value of Consumer Involvement in Medicaid Managed Care, by RoAnne Chaney, Senior Program Officer, CHCS. This CHCS Brief will provide a comprehensive overview of CHCS' Consumer Action activities, including highlights of specific grantee projects.

4. New Web Site Resources

The Keys to Managed Care: A Guide for People with Physical Disabilities. This guide was developed to help people with physical disabilities learn how to get the best healthcare possible. http://www.pva.org/pubsandproducts/pvapubs/Keys.pdf

Visit the Consumer Action Resource Center for a full list of informative materials. http://www.chcs.org/resource/ca.html

5. Upcoming Conferences

RoAnne Chaney, Consumer Action Senior Program Officer at CHCS, will participate as a panelist at the Exploring Pathways to Community Living Conference, convened by the National Association of State Units on Aging, October 21-23 in Arlington, Virginia. Chaney will discuss "Successful Transitions from Nursing Homes to the Community," as part of the growing availability of community-based services and activities inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. Other panelists include Dennis Fitzgibbons of Alpha One, and Nichole Adams of the Utah Department of Health.

Alison Croke, CHCS Program Officer, also will participate as a panelist at the Exploring Pathways to Community Living Conference. Croke will discuss "Housing and Supportive Services for People with Disabilities." The U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision demands that states begin planning for the transition of nursing home residents into the community. Availability of accessible and affordable housing is vital to a successful transition. Other panelists include Ann O'Hara of The Technical Assistance Collaborative.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

To subscribe or unsubscribe: Send an e-mail with your request, specifically mentioning CHCS Consumer Action e-Newsletter, to rb@chcs.org. CHCS also distributes e-Newsletters focusing on Informed Purchasing and Best Clinical and Administrative Practices. To be included on the mailing list, send an e-mail with your request to rb@chcs.org.

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Release Thursday, October 18, 2001 ========================================================
DAC's CONDOLENCES:
We are very sad to announce that Senator Emily Couric from Charlottesville, VA lost her year long battle to pancreatic cancer today. Senator Emily Couric was a true champion for persons with disabilities and was well liked by everyone. Emily would have been our next Lt. Governor had she not had to drop out from the race earlier this year after learning of her cancer. I think a Warner - Couric ticket would have been a great ticket for all Virginian's. We at DAC offer our sincere condolences to the Couric family. Burial arrangements have been made for Monday in Charlottesville, VA. Our thoughts and prayers go with you forever Emily.
======================================

With all the information we offer at our DAC website I sometimes forget about everything that is on our site until I'm reminded. Well, I was reminded again this week about a page that I had completely forgotten of and was only to glad to add this new listing to our ADA Consulting List Nationwide. For those of you in California please use this information as you see fit. Thank you Karen for keeping me updated:) Here's another choice for you, our readers.

Compliance Design Consultants
2244 W. Coast Highway, Suite 200
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 646-3756
e-mail: cdcko@earthlink.net
web-site: compliancedesign.com

Compliance Design Consultants is a disabled access consulting firm specializing in Title II & III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the state of California Accessibility Regulations. CDC was established in 1992 to assist public and private entities to professionally identify accessibility barriers at their properties and to recommend creative and compliant solutions for access for individuals with disabilities. Client and project types include real estate professionals (commercial, retail, and industrial), architects, attorneys, cities and counties, amusement facilities, lodging facilities and additional public accommodations.

Keith-

========================================================
1. KEITH'S COMMENTARY
2. LETTER TO THE EDITOR
3. SPINACH A CURE FOR BLINDNESS?
4. GET OUT THE VOTE!
========================================================
********************************************************
KEITH'S COMMENTARY
********************************************************
After I wrote the story (below) which ran in several newspapers about the current administration taking $10 million dollars from Medicaid drug rebates to pad the general fund for the "no car tax," it appears that Louis Rossiter, Secretary of Health and Human Resources is trying a little double speak to save face on the larger issue. Where is the money going?

The state of Virginia, as you should be aware, is trying to obtain $259 million dollars from the Federal Medicaid program through a legal loophole that will be eliminated by next year. But many cities and counties throughout Virginia are refusing to go along with this dubious scam although it is legal in a fuzzy sort of manner.

Our lawmakers are questioning this Medicaid scam and Louis Rossiter is having a hard time selling it for this administration. If Mark Earley should win the Governors seat he will certainly go along with these same tactics too. The state is essentially stealing from the poor, to help the rich, without any regard to those who cannot afford healthcare in Virginia.

The $259 million dollars the state is seeking will go directly into the state's General Fund and not back to Medicaid as it is intended for. Since our economy is slowing down the state desperately needs the money to pad the general fund to try and keep the "no car tax" pledge in effect. Mr. Rossiter's lame excuses are being ignored by many who just can't agree to take money from healthcare to paint a rosier budget picture.

Delegate Harvey B. Morgan, R-Glouester, stated: "If the money was intended for Medicaid, it ought to be used for Medicaid" and he should know being that he is a retired pharmacist who also serves on the panel's Health and Human Resources Subcommittee.

So if the state is successful in getting at least seven localities interested in going along with this legal scam then each locality that participated will receive a nice fee for their participation, although none of the money will have to go towards helping Medicaid recipients.

This plan stinks and is not what should be attempted just to pad the budget. It's time for a change of attitudes in Virginia and it's definitely time to quit stealing from those who are unable to afford healthcare. Election time is coming soon and I hope that you give adequate consideration for the person who can and will serve you best.

It's our year to voice our collective voices and show that our numbers are strong and that our votes do mean something. You have the opportunity to actually redefine the direction that you as stakeholders share and it's my hope that you will take full advantage of your power.

Email your friends, relatives and neighbors to get out the vote because each and every vote does count. You can make a change this year to help yourself or you can complain for another four years. It's your choice, use it or lose it, it's that simple.

Keith Kessler-

*******************************************************
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
********************************************************
Virginia’s Medicaid has pulled off another stunt that few people even knew existed. Are you aware that Medicaid requires a 40% discount or rebate from all the drug manufactures that they deal with? The drug rebates have been known as an "expenditure reduction" in the Medicaid accounting office.

Medicaid keeps the savings as an offset to its overall expenditures. The forecasted need for Medicaid funding each year assumes a certain amount of savings from drug rebates -- they attempt to set appropriations at the net cost of spending minus rebates.

In FY 01, however, drug rebates were handled somewhat differently. If the rebate was provided in FY 01, for drug expenditures in a previous year, the rebate was categorized as "prior year recovery." In FY 01, about $10 million in drug rebates were counted as prior year recoveries and deposited in the state general fund (rather than counted as an expenditure reduction in the Medicaid program).

While this might sound like an arbitrary distinction, it served 2 purposes:

(1) provided consistency with how recoveries for other Medicaid services are counted and

(2) boosted the general fund revenues in FY 01.

The $10 million dollars went into the General Fund to beef up the budget for the "no car tax" to remain in effect. The current Administration searched for every way to minimize the general fund revenue shortfall and the Medicaid drug rebates helped them in achieving that goal. This Administration has robbed you and/or your children of millions of dollars that could have been of direct assistance to you.

These are not the kind of games that we need Richmond playing when it deals directly with our healthcare concerns. We as Virginian's have been victimized by an Administration that refused to pass a balanced budget.

This year it's time to elect a person who will represent us with a genuine plan to get Virginia back on track and keep the services that we have a right to flowing back to us. This year I support Mark Warner, because he meets the criteria to be our next Governor for Virginia.

Keith Kessler
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
kkessl@aol.com

********************************************************
SPINACH A CURE FOR BLINDNESS?
********************************************************
'Cure' for blindness discovered in spinach

By Lorraine Fraser and Martin Halle
(Filed: 14/10/2001)

SPINACH, the vegetable loved by Popeye, could prove to be a cure for certain forms of blindness.

Doctors now believe that an eye-drop containing a protein taken from spinach could be soon available to treat the millions of people suffering from age-related macular degeneration of the eye and retina pigmentosis.

Age-related macular degeneration is a common eye disease associated with ageing that gradually destroys sharp central vision.

The macula is made up of millions of light-sensing cells in the middle of the retina. When these cells degenerate, vision is impaired and if the disease progresses quickly, blindness follows.

Retina pigmentosis is a genetic disease which affects about one person in 4,000. Sufferers develop night blindness, then tunnel vision and finally loose their colour and day vision. In the Western world it is the most common cause of blindness in people under the age of 70. The cause is unknown.

Scientists working for the US government discovered that the protein, known as Photosystem One, was able to generate electrical energy. That energy can trigger light-receiving cells to function, enabling the retina to "see" images again.

A team of surgeons working at the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California with Dr Eli Greenbaum, of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has already established that light-receiving cells in the eyes of the blind can be triggered to work again.

When pinhead electrodes were implanted in blind people they were able to see images and patterns. Now the Doheny team believes that the spinach protein is capable of setting off a chemical reaction which will stimulate the eye cells.

Dr Greenbaum said: "We have found that the protein from the spinach is able to make up to one volt and sustain that over a long period."

"Although the neural wiring from the eye to the brain is intact in diseases such as macular degeneration, the cells at the front of their eyes lack photo-receptor activity to transmit the information that makes images."

He added: "We believe that Photosystem One can start that process again. We have established the mechanism that could help so many people who are blind or semi-blind to see again."

Dr Greenbaum is planning experiments with rats and mice next year and, if successful, human clinical trials in about two years.
http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/10/14/nspin14.xml&sSheet=/news/2001/10/14/ixhomef.html
(thax C.A.)

********************************************************
GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
It may be to late to register to vote now but it certainly isn't to late to vote. Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:
Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Tuesday, October 16, 2001 ========================================================
Lots of news with lots of views. We're getting near the final stretch for the Governors race in Virginia. I'll be posting the responses or lack thereof from both the Warner and Earley camps for your final review later this week or beginning next week. Read them and become informed voters. Apparently there is a lack of interest in our Delegate races as few people have responded with their choice of candidates. Is everyone across the state happy with their representatives? If not or even if so please send in your comments as to who you prefer to represent you for the next two years.

If you haven't visited DAC's YardSale page you might wish to visit and notice a van from WI, listed for sale for anyone in that part of the country who is interested. Remember items change frequently so check back from time to time.

Keith-

========================================================
1. ADA UPDATES FOR OCTOBER
2. HIGH FREQUENCY HEARING LOSS
3. REMINDER - OLMSTEAD DISCUSSION
4. HEALTHCARE - PAPERLESS RECORD KEEPING?
5. LONG TERM HEALTH CARE INCENTIVES
6. GET OUT THE VOTE!
7. AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE
========================================================
********************************************************
ADA UPDATES FOR OCTOBER
********************************************************
October 2001 ADA Update Items from the ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region and the Virginia ADA Coalition

In this issue:

1. ADA Information Center: 5 More Years!
2. ADA Distance Learning Session: Olmstead Implementation
3. Maryland Coalition: Annual ADA Update
4. October: National Disability Employment Awareness Month
5. Resources to Cope with Disaster
6. New Freedom Initiative Grants Awarded to Support Community Integration Projects
7. "Olmstead" Discussion in Arlington, VA

ADA INFORMATION CENTER: 5 MORE YEARS!

The ADA Information Center is pleased to announce that we have been awarded the grant to continue to serve the Mid-Atlantic Region by providing information, technical assistance, and training on the ADA, as well as accessible electronic and information technology in educational settings. We will continue to work with the six ADA Coalitions in our region, as well as our new partners, the Assistive Technology (AT) Act projects. For more details on the expanded project, or contact information for the AT affiliate in your state, click on this link:
http://www.adainfo.org/development/fall01.html#news

ADA DISTANCE LEARNING SESSION: OLMSTEAD IMPLEMENTATION

"Implementing Olmstead", Tuesday, October 16, with speakers Barry Taylor of Equip for Equality, and Elizabeth Priaulx of the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems. This session will address implementation and states' progress since the Supreme Court's decision in the "Olmstead" case.

For more information, contact the ADA Information Center at 1-800-949-4232 V/TTY, or visit our web site at: http://www.adainfo.org/resources.html#distance

MARYLAND COALITION: ANNUAL ADA UPDATE

"2001: An ADA Odyssey" will be held on November 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Select/Baltimore North in Timonium, Maryland.

This popular annual update will feature keynote speaker Andrew J. Imparato, President of the American Association of People with Disabilities, and special guest speaker Andy Levy, an attorney with Brown, Goldstein, & Levy.

Registrations and requests for accommodations must be received by October 26. For more information or to register, call the ADA Information Center at 800-949-4232 (Voice or TTY), or e-mail: adainfo@transcen.org

OCTOBER: NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH

Congress first requested the president to issue a proclamation in recognition of workers with disabilities in 1945. The tradition has continued ever since. To read President Bush's proclamation for 2001, go to http://www.dol.gov/dol/odep/public/programs/proclamation.htm

Remember there is an extensive collection of publications, fact sheets, statistics, and reports, including the 2001 "Win with Ability" Education Kit, available from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (formerly the Presidents Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities).
Visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/odep/public/media/reports/main.htm

Also, remember October 24 is Disability Mentoring Day. This national effort is designed to promote the employment of students with disabilities through personal mentoring. For more information, visit the American Association of People with Disabilities web site at: http://www.aapd-dc.org/docs/mentor.html

RESOURCES TO COPE WITH DISASTER

There has been a wave of concern raised in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks. People with disabilities often have additional issues when it comes to preparedness, evacuation, etc. Following are just a few sources that may be of interest:

The iCan! web site's home page features a "Special Report: Disaster Planning", which includes a wealth of information and links: http://www.ican.com/

"Red Cross Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities" is available on the web only in PDF format:
http://www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/disability.pdf

"Emergency Procedures for Employees with Disabilities in Office Occupancies" from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA):
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/Emergencyguide.html

"Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities" is primarily about earthquake safety, but has information that may be applicable for all types of disasters. This web site also provides links to other publications, including several in Spanish:
http://www.jik.com/disaster.html

The "DP2: Disabled People and Disaster Planning" web site information was also compiled to address earthquake readiness and response, but much of the information may be helpful in other situations. Topics discussed include: preparation, accessibility issues in emergency shelters, training for rescue and law enforcement workers, evacuation for wheelchair users, and communication and information dissemination:
http://www.citycent.com/dp2/

"Basic Tips in Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and People with Disabilities" is from the Bay Area Emergency Preparedness Coalition:  http://www.preparenow.org/ba-eprep.html

The Guidance Channel offers a series of articles designed to help children and youth cope with trauma, grief, loss, and hate:  http://www.guidancechannel.com/static.asp?index=33

"Animal Disaster Preparedness" covers strategies and emergency preparedness training for animals:
http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/general/artad1d.htm

"Saving the Whole Family" on the American Veterinary Medical Association web site also provides a guide to emergency preparedness for animals: http://www.avma.org/vmat/disasterbrochure.asp

NEW FREEDOM INITIATIVE GRANTS AWARDED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY INTEGRATION PROJECTS

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced approximately $64 million in new grants to develop programs for people with disabilities or long term illnesses. The grants, awarded in 37 states and one territory, are a key part of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative.

States and agencies receiving the awards will design and implement improvements in community long-term support systems in partnership with their disability and aging communities.

Four components comprise the "Systems Changes for Community Living" program grants that are being released. They are:

"Real Choice Systems Change" grants: $40.8 million to help states design and implement effective and enduring improvements in community long term support systems.

"Community-Integrated Personal Assistance Services and Supports" grants: $7.6 million to support states' efforts to improve consumer-directed personal assistance services.

"Nursing Facility Transitions" grants: $11.1 million to help states transition eligible individuals from nursing facilities to the community.

"National Technical Assistance Exchange for Community Living" grant: $4.9 million to provide technical assistance, training, and information to states, consumers, families, and organizations.

The states in our region that will receive grant awards include: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Additionally, a grant was awarded to Making Choices for Independent Living in Maryland.

"OLMSTEAD" DISCUSSION IN ARLINGTON, VA

There will be a discussion of the Supreme Court's "Olmstead" decision held on Friday, October 19, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the Court House Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., County Board Room (3rd floor), in Arlington, Virginia. There is no charge to attend; check-in and continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. Pre-registration is required (requests for interpreter services for people with hearing impairments must be made at least 5 business days prior to the event); call 703-228-1700 (voice), 703-228-1788 (TTY), or e-mail: arlaaa@co.arlington.va.us
(thax Cash)

********************************************************
HIGH FREQUENCY HEARING LOSS
********************************************************
HOW TO DEAL WITH HIGH FREQUENCY HEARING LOSS?

Curtis Dickinson, an advocate for individuals dealing with late deafness, wrote a report titled "Putting Hearing Loss in Your Hands." In brief, it explains what a sensorineural hearing is all about and explains how this type of loss could be dealt
with. To read this report, please click on:
http://www.deafdigest.com/hearingloss.htm

AND WAL-MART'S BOTTOM LINE MENTALITY

WalMart, already under government orders to make their employee training tapes accessible to the deaf, does not want to do a good job out of it. Said one consultant "the problem is that cost appears to be their only consideration. They just want to meet their legal obligations at the least possible cost."

Perhaps we should keep their attitude in mind should we need to shop for something that Wal-Mart has but that their competitors also have!
(thax DeafDigest)

********************************************************
REMINDER - OLMSTEAD DISCUSSION
********************************************************
OLMSTEAD DISCUSSION ON THE SUPREME COURT'S "OLMSTEAD" DECISION.

Date/Time: Friday, October 19, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Court House Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., County Board Room (3rd floor), in Arlington, Virginia.

There is no charge to attend; check-in and continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. Pre-registration is required (requests for interpreter services for people with hearing impairments must be made at least 5 business days prior to the event); call 703-228-1700 (voice), 703-228-1788 (TTY), or e-mail: arlaaa@co.arlington.va.us

Speakers -

Paul Cushing, Regional Manager, US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, Region III, "Olmstead, the Supreme Court and You"

Wendy Fox-Grage, MPA, MS, Senior Policy Specialist, National Conference of State Legislatures, "The States' Response to the Olmstead Decision".

Elizabeth Priaulx, JD, Community Integration Attorney, National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems. "Maximizing the Olmstead Opportunity:

Where We Are & Where We Should be".

Moderator - Hon. Robert H. Brink, Delegate, Virginia General Assembly

Sponsors - Arlington County - Commission on Aging, Disabilities Advisory Commission, Health Center Commission, MR/DD Committee of the Community Services Board
(thax B.G)

********************************************************
HEALTHCARE - PAPERLESS RECORD KEEPING?
********************************************************
Inova Health System First in Metro Area to Use New Technology For Paperless Record-Keeping in Operating Room

System Debut at Inova Fairfax Hospital/Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Results in More Time for Patient Care, Less Time Needed for Documentation

FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Inova Health System, a not-for- profit health care system in Northern Virginia, and eko systems, inc., a perioperative information management provider, announce new technology recently installed in the operating rooms at Inova Fairfax Hospital and Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children that allows clinicians more time for patient care and improves outcomes by reducing the downtime required for constant documentation during surgical procedures. The paperless system, called Frontiers(tm), allows clinicians to electronically track a patient's record throughout the surgical process -- before, during and after surgery.

Developed by Virginia-based eko systems, inc., Frontiers -- an anesthesia information management system -- creates an ongoing electronic patient record with data supplied from many sources in the operating room. The system uses technology from Sun MicroSystems, which enables the various incompatible machines that track heart rate, respiration, administer anesthesia or pump a patient's blood to "communicate" with one another and feed data directly into the Frontiers system. Frontiers stores the information in an electronic medical record in real time.

Previously, the information was gathered by the physician during surgery through constant examination of the monitors and hand-written documentation. After the surgery, the information would be written up in triplicate to allow one copy for the patient's chart, one copy for billing and one copy for pharmacy. With Frontiers, the documentation is only a print-button away.

"Frontiers has greatly enhanced our ability to focus more valuable time on patient care in the surgical setting by freeing clinicians from the constraints of constant documentation," said Francis Balestrieri, MD, chairman of anesthesiology, Inova Fairfax Hospital. "With its automatic tracking and real-time data, we are now better equipped to log medications and equipment for accurate billing and query the system for clinical outcome data."

Inova Fairfax Hospital was chosen as the pilot site for the development of Frontiers with eko systems, inc., in 1996. The hospital began using the technology during its early stages and recently installed it in all 35 ORs on campus and at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. Internal hospital queries have found 100 percent satisfaction among the physicians, nurses and staff that use the technology. In fact, Frontier's ease of use has proven to be an asset in recruiting surgical staff to the hospital.

In creating Frontiers, eko systems, inc., outfitted the system with the latest technology required for compliance with federal guidelines for patient confidentiality and security. Access to the system requires a fingerprint login and/or a pin number, which enables an electronic signature for the person inputting data. Encryption technology adds one more layer of security.

The system has proven critical to Inova Fairfax Hospital's ability to quickly track quality and outcomes information. For instance, the system can highlight discrepancies between the amount of time it requires one physician to perform a gall bladder removal versus another. Or, the system may highlight practices that optimized patient outcomes, which can later be duplicated for other patients undergoing similar procedures. In addition, Frontiers has also helped streamline the inventory process by automatically sending a listing of all medications and equipment used in surgery to their respective departments. This process has helped contain the need to hire additional personnel to sort through inventory records as the number of surgical cases increases each year.

Inova Fairfax Hospital performs more than 40,000 surgeries each year at its inpatient and outpatient facilities. This results in more 2-million chargeable items each year that must be tracked, documented and reimbursed.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit health care system in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including home care, nursing homes, mental health services, wellness classes, and freestanding emergency and urgent care centers. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova's mission is to provide quality care and to improve the health of the diverse communities we serve. For more information, go to http://www.inova.org.
(thax ProAging)

********************************************************
LONG TERM HEALTH CARE INCENTIVES
********************************************************
This issue: Tax Incentives to Promote Long-Term Care Insurance (part 1)
------------------------------------------------------------------
As the population of the United States ages, as it is in most other developed countries of the world, a key issue for federal and state governments is providing long-term care to disabled elderly persons.

Due to the high cost, most nursing home residents are unable to afford to pay out of their own funds for very long, particularly where the average stay in a nursing home is two and a half years and the average monthly cost in many areas of the country exceeds $4000. (In certain areas of the United States, average cost is in five figures.) As a result, residents who exhaust their funds will expect the government to pay for their stay.

In the absence of a national long-term care benefit similar to Medicare, therefore, it is not surprising that the government has been seeking incentives to encourage citizens to pay for their own care.

One possible solution is private long-term care insurance. Due to a number of reasons -- not the least of which is their high cost -- American consumers have been slow to accept these policies as a solution to funding their long-term care costs.

Some proponents of long-term care insurance argue that the American system of funding nursing home costs is fundamentally flawed. Because Medicaid is available as a source of funds to pay for nursing home care, many consumers will refuse to buy insurance to hedge against a risk that can be easily transferred to the Medicaid program.

Or, as one proponent has put it, why should people pay for apples when they can walk across the street and get them for free?

The Tax Carrot
------------------------------------------------------------------
One approach to encourage people to buy long-term care insurance is to offer them tax incentives, in the form of tax deductions or credits to purchasers. In 1996, Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which allows individuals certain tax benefits for nursing home expenses and long-term care insurance premiums.

Beginning in 1997, persons with qualified long-term care expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income may deduct the excess. For instance, a person between the ages of 60 and 70 is granted a tax deduction for long-term care insurance premiums of up to $2000. For persons over age 70, the deduction is $2500.

However, few persons have enough medical expenses to be able to deduct these premiums. This has not escaped the notice of some members of Congress. Because the attractiveness of the deduction is largely illusory, some lawmakers have pushed for full deductibility of long-term care insurance premiums, or even a dollar-for-dollar credit against taxes owed.

Another approach to encourage purchase of long-term care insurance is to provide tax incentives for employer contributions to policies.

A few states (but not Tennessee) offer owners of long-term care insurance policies significant concessions in eligibility criteria for Medicaid should they require nursing home care.

In legislation approved last year by Congress, the federal government will begin providing long-term care insurance to federal employees in October 2002. As many as 20 million Americans will be eligible for coverage -- one of the largest benefit programs created for employees and retirees in decades.

Should the government subsidize the purchase of long-term care insurance? Is it good public policy to use the tax system to finance long-term care costs? Should government encourage its citizens to buy products sold by private, for-profit insurance companies? Or should the government directly pay for long-term care, whether under the existing system (Medicaid) or a new system altogether (social insurance like Medicare)?
(thax ElderLaw)

********************************************************
GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
It may be to late to register to vote now but it certainly isn't to late to vote. Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:
Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

********************************************************
AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE
********************************************************
Dear Friends of The Foundation:

Below is an article reporting the long-awaited results of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study testing antioxidants and zinc in patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Clinical Trial Finds Antioxidants and Zinc Beneficial in Reducing Risk of Severe AMD Patients with advanced cases of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can moderately lower the risk of developing the more severe wet form of the disease and preserve vision by taking a daily dose of antioxidant vitamins and zinc. This finding is the result of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute. AREDS evaluated over 3600 men and women between the ages of 55 and 80 for an average of 6.3 years. Published in the October issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, AREDS also evaluated whether antioxidants and zinc might reduce cataract development but found no beneficial effect.

Dr. Paul Sieving, Director of the National Eye Institute, stated, "Now that we know antioxidants and zinc are helpful in reducing the risk of severe disease, it is even more important for older-age Americans to have regular eye exams. Intervening in at-risk individuals could help reduce severe disease and vision loss in millions of Americans."

Specifically, the AREDS study found that AMD patients with advanced cases of dry AMD or vision loss due to wet AMD in one eye, who took daily supplements containing vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and zinc, had a 20% chance of developing wet macular degeneration over a five-year period. By comparison, the control group taking a placebo pill lacking any nutrients had a 28% chance of developing wet macular degeneration over a five-year period. This finding is important because delaying the onset of wet AMD and its accompanying vision loss by several years can prolong the independence and mobility of seniors and preserve their quality of life.

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration is so named because it causes the degeneration of the macula, the central portion of the retina that helps us perceive fine visual detail. Dry macular degeneration is first diagnosed by the appearance of fatty deposits called drusen in a layer of cells beneath the retina called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). As drusen deposits accumulate and become larger, they interfere with the function of photoreceptor cells in the macula, causing a gradual loss of central vision. In the later stages of dry AMD, drusen deposits can also cause the death of cells in the RPE, a condition called geographic atrophy.

Researchers have found that patients with extensive intermediate and large size drusen deposits are at a higher risk of developing the more severe wet form of AMD than patients with fewer or smaller drusen. In wet AMD, abnormal, leaky blood vessels grow beneath the retina, allowing plasma and blood to seep into the macula. Because wet AMD usually results in a rapid and devastating loss of central vision, researchers are searching for treatments that prevent or delay this form of the disease from developing. Antioxidants and zinc, in the doses administered in the AREDS study, provide the first therapy for patients with advanced cases of dry AMD, who are at increased risk of developing wet AMD.

Dosages

Vitamin companies are not yet manufacturing a supplement of antioxidants and zinc containing the dosages used in the AREDS study. Until such a formulation becomes available, patients can purchase each nutrient separately. The daily therapeutic dosages of each of the nutrients used in the AREDS study are as follows: vitamin C, 500 mg; vitamin E, 400 IU; beta carotene, 15 mg; and zinc, 80 mg

Contraindications

Cancer prevention studies have found that high doses of beta carotene increase the risk of developing lung cancer in cigarette smokers. These studies strongly suggest that cigarette smokers, or those with smoking histories, should avoid taking beta carotene to prevent advanced macular degeneration.

The AREDS study findings are specific to patients with advanced cases of dry macular degeneration or vision loss from wet AMD in one eye. The study did not evaluate patients with early onset forms of macular degeneration such as Stargardt and Best disease. Due to the nature of the severe genetic defects that cause these early onset forms of macular degeneration, there is no evidence to support the use of high doses of antioxidants and zinc. There is also no evidence that antioxidants and zinc would offer benefit to patients with other retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. To the contrary, a well-designed clinical trial found that a daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin E resulted in a faster progression of vision loss for patients with common forms of retinitis pigmentosa.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antioxidant nutrients found highly concentrated in the macula. They give the macula its characteristic yellow appearance. Lutein and zeaxanthin are thought to protect the macula from oxidative stress due to light exposure. Because lutein and zeaxanthin supplements were not available at the start of the AREDS study, these nutrients could not be included. Future clinical trials will need to evaluate these antioxidants in AMD.

Am I Candidate For This Treatment?

Only a trained ophthalmologist can determine whether you have AMD and would be a candidate to begin antioxidant and zinc therapy. The Foundation Fighting Blindness and the National Eye Institute strongly urge adults over age 55 to have regular eye exams.

Future Treatments

AREDS is a prime example of the importance of clinical trials in determining the safety and efficacy of treatments. With this therapy, patients can hopefully delay severe vision loss as researchers work to develop even more effective therapies for AMD. For example, researchers recently submitted an application to the FDA to begin clinical trials testing the safety of a gene therapy treatment that inhibits blood vessel growth. Drug treatments that block blood vessel growth are already in clinical trials. Still other clinical trials are testing the effectiveness of low-intensity laser treatment in dry AMD to delay or prevent severe vision loss. The Foundation is collaborating with a biotech company called Oculex to test the use of a drug delivery device that slow-releases a steroid to prevent immune complications after retinal cell transplantation. Such a device could help elevate transplantation therapies to clinical trials. As with all retinal degenerative diseases, researchers are at last able to develop and test promising therapies.
(thax C.A.)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Thursday, October 11, 2001 ========================================================
If you haven't registered to vote then shame on you as you're to late to register now. This year Virginia voters can make a "real" difference in the direction of our future if we exercise our right to vote by voting wisely. Don't let party affiliation take over your common sense because it all boils down to who can and will get the job done. Encourage your friends, relatives and neighbors to vote November 6th. The same goes for New Jersey voters too!

Keith-

========================================================
1. SOCIAL SECURITY WORK INCENTIVES FOR YOUTH
2. HEALTH POLICY MEMO ON BUSH STIMULUS PACKAGE
3. CONFERENCE CALL ON BUSH STIMULUS PLAN
4. DISABILITY HOUSING ADVOCATES OF N. VA
5. COMMUNITY DEVELOPEMENT BLOCK GRANTS
6. GET OUT THE VOTE!
7. IMPLEMENTING OLMSTEAD TELECONFERENCE
========================================================
********************************************************
SOCIAL SECURITY WORK INCENTIVES FOR YOUTH
********************************************************
Social Security Work Incentives for School Aged Youth with Disabilities

VCU SETNET will be hosting a telecast on October 24, 2001. During the past four years a consortium has conducted research from various perspectives in the SSI process. The telecast will focus on work incentives in local school divisions and the community, case studies will be presented on how transition-aged youth successfully utilized work incentives, barriers that exist to using work incentives, and the role of agency personnel in implementing SSI benefits. For more information or contact Roberta Martin @ 804-828-1851 or rsmartin@titan.vcu.edu

Certificate Program in Disability Management

The National Institute of Disability Management and Research , in collaboration with Labour Canada , is offering a unique opportunity to participate in the on-line offering of the Institute's well-known ' Certificate Program in Disability Management'.

Currently available only in class room format through selected universities and colleges across Canada , the on-line version is being delivered on a pilot basis and has been re-formatted to allow students, upon successful completion, to meet the essential individual and organizational knowledge components as defined in the 'Code of Practice in Disability Management'.

The program currently offers 25 workshop modules online. Taken as a whole, these workshop modules are designed to provide a broad level of knowledge and skills for people wishing to become Return to Work Coordinators. However, some people will simply choose from those that they require in order to obtain the basic knowledge required to start a program or to develop their professional skills in specific areas. Once all 25 modules are completed a Certificate in Disability Management will be issued.

The module topics include:

Effective disability management programs
Introduction to return to work coordination
Physical impairments, rehabilitation services, and return to work
Mental health issues, rehabilitation services, and return to work
Job analysis
The role of assessments
Communication skills for Return to Work Coordinators
Communication and helping skills
Introduction to group skills
Introduction to conflict resolution
Disability and diversity in the workplace
Organizational skills for Return to Work Coordinators
Legislation and disability management
Workers' compensation and return to work
Insurance and other benefits
Disability management in unionized organizations
Disability management from a human resources perspective
Managing change
Job accommodations and assistive techology
Evaluating the return-to-work process and disability management programs
Injury prevention and health promotion
Education and promotion activities
Information management
Professional conduct
Managing the return-to-work process.

For more information on this unique opportunity please contact:

Joyce Gravelle
Asst. Executive Director
gravelle@nic.bc.ca
phone : 250-724-8781
http://www.nidmar.ca
(thax jb)

********************************************************
HEALTH POLICY MEMO ON BUSH STIMULUS PACKAGE ********************************************************
The Bush Administration's Health Proposals in the Economic Stimulus Package

The President's Proposal

On October 4, 2001, President Bush outlined key elements of his proposed economic stimulus package, including a provision to help newly unemployed workers maintain health coverage. The health portion of his proposal has two elements. First, $11 billion allocated to the states for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will be made available to cover newly unemployed workers. Second, $3 billion will be made available to the states in National Emergency Grants; those grants can be used for a number of purposes, including the partial subsidization of COBRA coverage.

The President's proposal provides no new funds for health care coverage for people who lose jobs. The $11 billion consists of funds that have already been allocated to the states for uninsured children in low-wage working families. In effect, the President's proposal authorizes the states to transfer the use of those funds from low-income children to newly unemployed adults, thereby reducing health coverage for needy children. Similarly, the $3 billion for the National Emergency Grant program was already appropriated as part of the $40 billion Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill signed by the President on September 18, 2001.

The President's Proposal Will Reduce Health Coverage for Low-Income Children

When the President announced that he would allow states to use $11 billion in SCHIP funds for newly unemployed workers, he implied that these funds were currently being under-used by the states. The President's assertion, however, is misleading. Under the SCHIP statute, states have three years to spend each year's allotment. Congress purposely established this three-year timeframe for spending SCHIP funds to accommodate growth in the program as more and more families learn about it.

Although there are funds in the program that have not yet been spent, states need¯and will spend¯these funds to meet growth in enrollment. With each passing year, approximately one million low-income, uninsured children are being added to the SCHIP rolls¯from 893,000 at the end of 1998 to 2,658,000 at the end of 2000. SCHIP enrollment will continue to increase as states reach out to more families of low-income children who are eligible for, but not yet enrolled in, the program. Of the 8.5 million uninsured children in the U.S., approximately two-thirds are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid.

As a result, the President's proposed authorization to transfer funds from SCHIP-related purposes to help newly unemployed workers will reduce prospective health coverage for low-income children, thereby leaving them in the ranks of the uninsured.

The Proposal Will Reduce SCHIP Funding When It Is Most Needed

When SCHIP was enacted in 1997, Congress provided $40 billion in funding over a 10-year period. However, that $40 billion was not evenly divided over the ten years. Instead, to offset an anticipated budget shortfall in fiscal years 2002-2005, considerably fewer SCHIP funds were authorized for that period. This so-called "SCHIP funding dip" began October 1, 2001 (the beginning of fiscal year 2002). Thus, at the very time that the President is authorizing a transfer of funds away from children's health coverage, the program is in greatest need of additional support.

More, rather than fewer, funds for children's health coverage are also needed as a result of the declining economy. As unemployment grows, so will the number of uninsured children. Hence, the President's proposal to transfer funds away from children's health coverage comes at a most inopportune time.

The President's SCHIP Proposal Will Be Most Harmful to New York

New York, the state hardest hit by the events of September 11, will also be the biggest loser under the President's SCHIP proposal. Anticipating that some states would move faster than others, Congress provided that SCHIP funds be periodically reallocated¯from states that were slower in reaching out to uninsured children, to states with more aggressive programs. New York was one of the first states to implement SCHIP and is among the states that have experienced the fastest program growth. Prior to the President's proposal, New York had every reason to expect an infusion of additional monies when SCHIP funds are reallocated.

New York, therefore, will be most disadvantaged by the President's proposal in two respects. First, since states that have been slow to reach children are now likely to use their funds to cover adults, New York will not receive the SCHIP reallocation expected under current law. Second, since New York already uses all of its SCHIP funds to cover children, it will be unable to use federal funds to provide health coverage for displaced adults.

The President's $3 Billion Proposal Will Help Very Few People

The President's proposed $3 billion to fund National Emergency Grants, using funds already appropriated, is intended to cover a wide variety of alternative purposes, including: subsidization of COBRA benefits; extended unemployment compensation for people who exhausted their benefits; income support for people ineligible for unemployment coverage; and a variety of job search and training services.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a 50 percent subsidy of COBRA benefits would cost considerably more than the $3 billion allocated by the President. Even if the entire $3 billion were dedicated solely to health coverage¯an unlikely outcome¯this money would only help a relatively small number of newly unemployed people pay for health coverage.

Meaningful Health Relief: What Will It Take?

The President's proposal provides no new funding and forces states to make unpalatable choices. They will have to choose between uninsured children and unemployed adults in their SCHIP programs. And, for newly unemployed adults, states will have to pick between health coverage and other important social supports. Instead, Congress and the President should commit the additional funds needed to help unemployed Americans afford COBRA coverage and to expand Medicaid coverage so that newly unemployed people who are ineligible for COBRA (such as workers laid off from jobs in small businesses) can retain health coverage.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

********************************************************
CONFERENCE CALL ON BUSH STIMULUS PLAN
********************************************************
Please join us for a conference call (at no charge to you) to discuss the current debate on health care benefits in the proposed federal economic stimulus plan, as well as other federal budget issues (such as coverage expansions and prescription drugs for Medicare). Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, will be a main speaker on the call.

CONFERENCE CALL:

TUESDAY, October 16, 2001
2:00 - 3:00 PM (eastern time)
Call toll-free: 1-800-303-6030

Ask for the "Families USA Call"

For those of you who can't make this call, a replay will be available by calling 1-800-677-6200 after 5:00 PM on October 16. You'll need this PIN number to access the replay: 2161.

Background: The President and Congress are in the process of negotiating a stimulus plan to deal with the recent economic downturn. Corporate lobbyists are all over it, as is the considerable constituency for tax cutting. Families USA and our allies are working for health benefits for the newly unemployed (including expansions of Medicaid). There is also a serious debate about whether new money should be used for this program or whether the money should come from states' current allotments for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). President Bush has proposed using SCHIP funds; we oppose this move.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

********************************************************
DISABILITY HOUSING ADVOCATES OF N. VA
********************************************************
This is to confirm arrangements for a special meeting of Disability Housing Advocates of Northern Virginia (DHANV). Per the request of attendees at our regular monthly meeting, the agenda for this special meeting is limited to a presentation by Fatima Miller on Creating a Home of Your Own Coalition and Fannie Mae housing initiatives for people with disabilities. A discussion/question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2001
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: 12011 Government Center Parkway (Peninno Building), Room 507.
Contact: bagilley@earthlink.net for more information.

We look forward to seeing you on the 17th! Please feel free to share this message with folks in your networks.
(thax B.G.)

********************************************************
COMMUNITY DEVELOPEMENT BLOCK GRANTS
********************************************************
CDBG New Housing Construction - Information Bulletin # 16 10/10/01

HUD allocates Community Development Block Grants to states and local governmental offices. These federal funds have been used for an extraordinary variety of activities, including to a small extent for new construction (and rehabilitation) of housing.

We have obtained a list of 20,500 NEW construction housing units from only 10/98 thru 9/01. They are listed by State, Grantee (city or state), number of new construction, and amount of federal funds. See www.stevegoldada.com (hit Archive and then"CDBG New Housing,"for States AL -MT and separately for MT -WY).

Since CDBG funds are "federal financial assistance," they are subject to the Section 504's 5% accessibility requirement (if 5 or more units were new constructions). They are also subject to the Section 8 voucher requirement. See webpage for the 5% mandate as well as the Section 8 requirements.

Most local and state housing recipients of CDBG funds pass these funds to private "subrecipients" that actually build and operate the housing units. Many of the subrecipients are non-profit organizations, including community development corporations.

Although the subrecipients are themselves liable under Section 504, one suggestion is to focus on the public grantee - whether the city or state - and hold them accountable to comply with 5% accessible units AND to make sure that people with mobility impairments are actually residing in accessible units. By focusing on the public grantee, you can hit all the CDBG units at one time, instead of subrecipient by subrecipient.

Be careful with this data, since it was reported by the subrecipients to the local and state grantees that then reported it to HUD. The data could be off in some areas. Check with your state and local housing agencies both for accuracy. Also, ask them whether Section 504 has been complied with and then obtain the street addresses of accessible units. Remember that CDBG housing, both new construction and rehabilitation, has been funded for many more years than the above data and that the above data is both time limited and for only new construction.

The Disability Odyssey, Steve Gold

********************************************************
GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
It may be to late to register to vote now but it certainly isn't to late to vote. Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:
Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

********************************************************
IMPLEMENTING OLMSTEAD TELECONFERENCE
********************************************************
We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

“Implementing Olmstead” Teleconference

Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2001
Time: 2:00PM - 3:00PM EDT (GMT-04:00)

“Implementing Olmstead”

Tuesday, October 16
2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Speakers:
Barry Taylor of Equip for Equality
Elizabeth Priaulx of the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems

For more information, please contact the ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region at 1-800-949-4232 (voice or TTY), or e-mail: adainfo@transcen.org
(thax ada4va)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

OCTOBER 3, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

DMAS COMES UP SHORT

Medicaid's DMAS (Department of Medical Assistance Services) has pulled off another stunt that few people even knew existed. We already know how dysfunctional DMAS operates and the many problems they are experiencing with their Patient Transport Services in dealing with one major company such as DynCorp.

But, are you aware that Medicaid (DMAS) requires a 40% discount from all the drug manufactures that they deal with to rebate that savings back to Medicaid? Yes, this is true. The drug rebates have been counted or known as an "expenditure reduction" in the Medicaid accounting office.

In effect, Medicaid keeps the savings as an offset to its overall expenditures on the Medicaid program. The forecasted need for Medicaid funding each year assumes a certain amount of savings from drug rebates -- they attempt to set appropriations at the net cost of spending minus rebates. In other words it helps to make Medicaid's bookwork or spending habits seem less than it really is or trickery of the hand by juggling some numbers to numbers that they like.

However, please note that in FY 01, drug rebates were handled somewhat differently. If the rebate was provided in FY 01, for drug expenditures in a previous year, the rebate was categorized as a "prior year recovery." In FY 01, about $10 million in drug rebates were counted as prior year recoveries and deposited in the state general fund (rather than counted as an expenditure reduction in the Medicaid program).

While this might sound like an arbitrary distinction, it served 2 purposes:
(1) provided consistency with how recoveries for other Medicaid services are counted and
(2) boosted the general fund revenues in FY 01.

As far as I've been able to ascertain, the $10 million dollars that went into the General Fund to beef up the budget for the "no car tax" to remain on schedule and stay in effect, is still within the General Fund and NOT in Medicaid. The current Administration was searching for every way to minimize the general fund revenue shortfall and the Medicaid drug rebates for expenditures in prior years helped them in achieving that goal.

Now you might ask, "Why should I care?" Good question, because if you're seeking Medicaid assistance then $10 million dollars of that assistance is not available to you and hundreds of others as it SHOULD be. This current Administration has robbed you and/or your children of millions of dollars that could have been of direct assistance to you, as stakeholders.

These are not the kind of games that we need Richmond playing when it deals directly with our healthcare concerns. We as Virginian's have been victimized by an Administration that would not balance a budget or provide for better education and teachers pay, nor was it concerned over the pay that our law enforcement officers receive.

While the game of politics goes on we continue to not fully insure all of our children who are qualified to receive insurance under Medicaid's State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Who knows how many people were denied eligibility under all the state waiver programs and especially the DMAS CD PAS (consumer directed personal attendant service) because of inadequate funding?

But $10 million dollars isn't the worst of the Medicaid loopholes. The state of Virginia along with several other states have found a legal loophole that will also help boost their budgets. Virginia is seeking $259 million dollars of Medicaid money to put into their General Fund. As the law stands now this money will NOT have to be used exclusively for Medicaid.

Although the Federal Government is trying to close this loophole to protect the long-term health of the Medicaid program it looks like Virginia will come out smelling like a rose while those who rely upon Medicaid suffer the consequences. Under this legal scam the Federal Government matches the state dollar for dollar, money that the state will claim they paid to several county facilities to receive these matching funds. The state profits, the facilities profit, and the consumer loses again.

It's time to start considering a major change to the status quo and it's time for us all to UNITE in this common cause to make that change. If you haven't registered to vote then do it today. Get your family, friends and relatives ready to vote also. The next Governor of Virginia will have a very profound effect as to the future of our state and to those who may be in dire need of medical assistance. Send this information to everyone on your mailing lists be they farmers, plumbers, teachers, police, electricians, doctors, lawyers, or just regular good people like you and me.

This year it's time to elect a person who will represent us and not provide more lip service. Let our collective voices be heard loud and clear -- this is our year and we can make all the difference in the outcome if we vote. It appears that Mark Warner has not only the vision for Virginia but he also has a genuine plan to get it back on track and keep the services that we have a right to flowing back to us. DAC fully endorses Mark Warner as our next Governor of Virginia. Remember that DAC has and always will remain bipartisan in the political arena and we only endorse those who we feel are the best person for the job. This year we choose Mark Warner, because he meets our criteria to be the next state Governor for Virginia.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

-30-

++

========================================================
DAC Notes Tuesday, October 2, 2001 ========================================================
For Virginia voters the time to register to vote is near. Next Tuesday, October 9, 2001, will be the final day to register for the November 6, general election. There is a lot at stake with 100 state delegates up for election and also this will be our time to vote for our next new Governor. New Jersey will also be voting for a new Governor too so you all should know your candidates and be registered to vote. No more delays, do it today! Lets get out the vote.

Tomorrow I'm releasing a DAC Press Release about where your Medicaid dollars are being misspent or reallocated. I'll also tell you who DAC will endorse for our next Governor in Virginia and encourage you to tell your friends and family members that this should be our year if YOU will just get out the vote. We have the numbers in our strength if you use them wisely or you can just sit by idly and watch four years go past with nothing new happening because you didn't think your vote counted. Each vote does count and we can help shape our future if you just get out to vote. It's your decision from here on in as we can only advise in who we feel will best represent us. I hope that you're up to the challenge.

Keith-

========================================================
1. NEW GUIDELINES FOR BEHAVIORAL DISORDER
2. E-NEWS SOCIAL SECURITY
3. LOW INCOME HOUSING
4. ADA ENFORCED?
5. WILL THE COURT REASSERT NATIONAL AUTHORITY?
6. GET OUT THE VOTE!
========================================================
********************************************************
NEW GUIDELINES FOR BEHAVIORAL DISORDER
********************************************************
New Guidelines for Behavioral Disorder

October 1, 2001

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHICAGO, Sept. 30 (AP) - The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued its first guidelines for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, suggesting that stimulant drugs may be most effective but that behavioral techniques should also be used.

The guidelines appear in the October issue of the medical journal Pediatrics, which will be released Monday.

As many as 3.8 million school-age children, most of them boys, are believed to have attention deficit disorders. Symptoms may include a short attention span, impulsive behavior and difficulty sitting still.

The guidelines, which fall in line with those issued in recent years by the National Institute of Mental Health, were created in consultation with child psychiatrists and psychologists. They suggest that the evidence favoring medications like Ritalin is stronger than the evidence about behavioral therapy.

[For the rest of the story go here NY Times:]

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/01/health/children/01ADD.html?ex=1002927615&ei=1&en=22f3af8df8e7d6bc
(thax C.A.)

********************************************************
E-NEWS SOCIAL SECURITY
********************************************************
-- PENTAGON FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER SET UP
-- NEW YORK CITY FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER STILL RUNNING
-- SOMETHING IS MISSING FROM YOUR "STATEMENT"
-- IRS TO COLLECT OVERDUE TAXES FROM SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
-- NEW WEBSITE FOR REPRESENTATIVES
-- COMPLETING YOUR GRADUATE, DOCTORAL OR LAW DEGREE SOON?
-- ENEWS RECOGNIZED BY FIRSTGOV

PENTAGON FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER SET UP

While most workers in America are covered by Social Security survivors benefits, some are covered by other plans. That is why the Pentagon Family Assistance Center has been set up for victims and survivors of the victims of the terrorist attack. The one-stop center has representatives from Social Security, Veterans Administration, the military, Office of Personnel Management, and other federal agencies. Regardless of the type of benefits you may be able to receive, you can get the service you need at one location.

The Pentagon Family Assistance Center is located at the Sheraton hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington (Crystal City), Va. They are open to help you from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. To find out about Social Security survivors benefits, see our online booklet at: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10084.html . For information on our emergency handling procedures, see http://www.ssa.gov/emergency.htm .

NEW YORK CITY FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER STILL RUNNING

Social Security employees have been helping victims of the World Trade Center attack at the New York City Family Assistance Center on Pier 94 since the facility opened on September 18. They are taking claims for survivors, disability, and one-time bereavement benefits. The one-stop center includes representatives from all New York City, state, and federal agencies.

The New York City Family Assistance Center at Pier 94 is located at 12th Avenue and 54th Street. It is open from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight, seven days a week.

There is also a New Jersey Family Assistance Center at Liberty State Park, NJ, located at Liberty State Park in Hudson County. They are open from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight daily. To find out about Social Security survivors benefits, see our online booklet at http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10084.html . For information on our emergency handling procedures, see: http://www.ssa.gov/emergency.htm .

SOMETHING IS MISSING FROM YOUR "STATEMENT"

We've dropped the first five digits of your Social Security number on the "Social Security Statement" to help protect you from identify theft in case your "Statement" is ever lost or stolen. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in this country. A bandit's tools are your Social Security number and your date of birth. Armed with them, an identity thief can obtain credit cards, open bank accounts and sign up for cell phones. All of this would be in your name -- and in the thief's hands. The damage could run into enormous amounts of money, and it could take you years to restore your identity and your credit. Remember to keep your "Statement" in a safe place along with your Social Security card. Don't put your identity in jeopardy. If you'd like to know more about the "Statement," visit http://www.ssa.gov/mystatement/

IRS TO COLLECT OVERDUE TAXES FROM SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

If you get Social Security benefits and you owe delinquent federal tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you should make arrangements to pay off your tax obligation. If you don't, IRS can reduce your payment by 15 percent a month to collect the money owed to them. IRS will send warning notices starting this month. Beneficiaries who owe a delinquent federal tax will receive a notice before their Social Security benefits are reduced. For more information about this new automated tax levy program, see: http://www.ssa.gov/enews/irsoverdue.htm

NEW WEBSITE FOR REPRESENTATIVES

If you represent Social Security claimants and beneficiaries, we have a new website destination for you. SSA has collected the information of critical importance to client representatives and put it all in one place -- our new web page, "Representing Clients." You'll find information on fee agreements, fee petitions, a model fee agreement, standards of conduct, official forms, and links to important information resources like the POMS and Social Security Handbook. If you're representing, you'll want to try this site out. For more information, see our news release at: http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/release-site1.htm or visit the site at: http://www.ssa.gov/representation/ .

COMPLETING YOUR GRADUATE, DOCTORAL OR LAW DEGREE SOON?

The Presidential Management Intern (PMI) Program was established to attract graduate, doctoral, and law students to federal service. The government seeks students and recent graduates from a wide variety of academic disciplines. All cabinet departments and more than 50 federal agencies have PMIs. Applications must be submitted between September 1, 2001, and October 31, 2001, by students who will complete all of their degree requirements between September 1, 2001, and August 31, 2002. For more about the PMI Program and Social Security, see the site. http://www.ssa.gov/jobssa/recruit/pmi.htm

ENEWS RECOGNIZED BY FIRSTGOV

Firstgov's electronic newsletter, "eGov News" recently recognized "Social Security's successful eNews" as being one of the best in the biz. They said, "The number of subscribers to eNews has climbed to more than 180,000 in less than 18 months. This puts eNews in the top 10 most subscribed electronic newsletters in the world." Now with more than 190,000 subscribers, eNews remains in the top 10, and is the number one government e-newsletter in the world! All of our past issues are online for your reading pleasure. http://www.ssa.gov/enews/prior.htm

NOTE: I wonder where this puts DAC as we blew past 190,000 readers over a year ago. Do you suppose the government just doesn't want to recognize what a powerhouse we might be? Interesting thought.

********************************************************
LOW INCOME HOUSING
********************************************************
More Low and Very Low Income Rental Units- 10/2/01

In the Information Bulletin "Low and Very Low Income Rental Properties," we listed HUD's "HOME Rental 50 Plus Units," i.e., by state, city, street address, home participant (the governmental entity that actually received the federal funds), and number of units ONLY in projects with MORE THAN 50 units. See www.stevegoldada.com (click Archive) for both the listing of the 41,000 units in projects with 50+ units and the background Information Bulletin.

A number of folks asked about HOME Rental projects WITH LESS than 50 units. There are an additional 30,000 units in HOME Rental projects with between 26 and 50 units. You can find these on the above webpage in two separate listings ("HOME Rental 26-50 Units" from Alaska to MN and separately from MN toWV).

REMEMBER, each of the dwelling units in each of these projects (both from 26 to 50 and 50+) must accept Section 8 vouchers, of which there are 79,000 in FY 2001 and 35,000 in FY 2000 (see the webpage for a listing of Section 8 recipients by city and State). Many of these Section 8 vouchers MUST be used for people with disabilities.

REMEMBER ALSO that Section 504 applies to these federally funded projects and at least 5% of the units should have be made ACCESSIBLE for persons with mobility impairments. (See webpage for an explanation of the 5% rule.)

The Disability Odyssey, Steve Gold

********************************************************
ADA ENFORCED?
********************************************************
News from the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University
555 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-0283
614-247-7079 (fax)

For immediate release: September 28, 2001
Contact: Molly Davis, (614) 292-5881

Americans With Disabilities Act: How Has It Been Enforced?

Columbus, Ohio

"Good language, bad enforcement" typifies the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Moritz College of Law Professor Ruth Colker. She contends that each of the three areas of the ADA -- employment, public entities, and public accommodations -- has suffered from problems of under-enforcement. She also feels there are challenges faced in the State of Ohio in achieving better enforcement of disability discrimination law, particularly as enforcement responsibility is moved from the federal government to the states.

These are issues Professor Colker will explore during the University Distinguished Lecture at 4 p.m. EST, October 17, 2001 at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 North High Street, Columbus.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act: The First Decade of Enforcement" will be broadcast live on the World Wide Web at <http://www.osu.edu/lecture/html>. To view the lecture at a later time, see <http://www.osu.edu/lecture/archive/html>.

To increase accessibility for the entire community, the Web cast will be closed captioned. In the lecture hall, assistive listening devices and an American Sign Language interpreter will be available. The text of Professor Colker's lecture is also available in Braille upon request. For more information, see <http://www.osu.edu/lecture> or call Molly Davis at (614) 292-5881 or L. Scott Lissner (TDD/TTY) at (614) 688-8605.

Professor Colker, the Heck-Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law, is the second faculty member from the college to be tapped to present the University Distinguished Lecture in three years. In May 1999, Professor Deborah Jones Merritt was selected to present the lecture.

Professor Colker holds an A.B. degree from Harvard University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an articles editor for the Harvard Women's Law Journal. After graduating from law school, she practiced as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice for four years. She has taught in the law schools at Tulane University, University of Toronto, and University of Pittsburgh. At Ohio State, Professor Colker teaches Constitutional Law, Legislation, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Feminist Legal Theory, and Disability Discrimination.

The University Distinguished Lecture Series was inaugurated in 1996 as one of the University's highest honors for a senior faculty member. The lectureship is awarded in recognition of outstanding academic achievement, particularly, but not exclusively, in research, scholarship, or creative activity. The President's and Provost's Advisory Committee reviews nominations and recommends candidates to the President and Provost for final selection. The Michael E. Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University is Ohio's flagship law school and ranked 17th nationally among public law schools, according to U.S. News and World Report. More than 650 students attend classes at the school's John Deaver Drinko Hall, which is located at 55 West 12th Avenue, Columbus.
(thax ActionAlert)

--30--

********************************************************
WILL THE COURT REASSERT NATIONAL AUTHORITY?
********************************************************
Will the Court Reassert National Authority?

September 30, 2001
By LINDA GREENHOUSE

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's federalism revolution has been overtaken by events. For the last decade, the court, under Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, has engaged in a far-reaching reappraisal of the scope of Congressional authority and the balance of powers between the national government and the states.

In case after case, the court, which begins its new term tomorrow, invoked broad theories of the sovereignty of the individual states and a limited view of Congress's authority - creating a new federalism jurisprudence that has become the hallmark of the Rehnquist court. Not since the Supreme Court's resistance to the New Deal crumpled in the late 1930's has the court been so hostile to the exercise of federal power.

[Read the rest of the story here:]

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/30/weekinreview/30GREEN.html?ex=1002967101&ei=1&en=237f2001f3339700
(thax ActionAlert)

********************************************************
GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
October the 9th is the last day to register to vote so if you haven't registered please do it today. Exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, no matter which party you favor, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to vote November 6th, 2001. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:
Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, will be a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Brief Thursday, Sepember 27, 2001 ========================================================
Since my last post concerning DMAS and their patient transport service DynCorp, it appears that things haven't changed much. But then again, change is slow to come from DMAS especially if it's intended for the better. This is exactly why I'm urging everyone who hasn't registered to vote, to go out and do so now, as time is slipping away very fast. If we are to make a difference this year then we can do so with our VOTE. Let's show how much our collective voices are worth (families & friends too). If you're satisfied with the status quo, then don't vote or make any effort at all to improve your lot in life because what you put into this effort for a REAL change is exactly what you shall receive. Do nothing, receive nothing, plain and simple. It doesn't take much time or effort to vote and I hope that you are willing to help enact a much needed change in this years election. Go Vote!

Keith-

========================================================
1. ANOTHER DYNCORP - DMAS BLUNDER
2. MAKE SECTION 8'S WORK
3. OLMSTEAD DECISION FOR AGING AND DISABILITIES
4. SOCIAL SECURITY SITE FOR REPRESENTATIVES
5. WHITEHOUSE LINK NOW OPERATING
========================================================
********************************************************
ANOTHER DYNCORP - DMAS BLUNDER
********************************************************
Hi Keith,

Here's another chapter and experience with Dyncorp. Today we received a message that the vendor had canceled ******** medical trip this afternoon. This was an improvement. Last week they didn't bother notifying us. When I received the message I called Dyncorp and was told they found another vendor who would transport her. I was told that it was Meditran. I told them to cancel this trip. Meditran is a vendor we have no faith in.

Apparently Meditran did not get the message and they showed up at her school at 12:30PM. They are supposed to show up at 2:00PM for the 3:00PM appointment. The ride takes under 30 minutes. Eventually they were sent away after disrupting *******'s day and at least one teacher's day.

signed,
******** ***************
(name withheld upon request)

********************************************************
MAKE SECTION 8'S WORK
********************************************************
Make Section 8s Work for Accessible Units - Information Bulletin #15 9/28/01

The time is ripe to get accessible and affordable housing for people with disabilities. HUD allocated many new Section 8 Vouchers, a total 35 ,000 in FY 2000 for and 79,000 in FY 2001, of which A MINIMUM of 18 percent MUST go to people with disabilities (therefore ‘waiting lists' may have to be opened to permit persons with disabilities to use these vouchers). We provided a list of state and local recipients by number of vouchers. (www.stevegoldada.com, hit Archive and then go to "Section 8 Vouchers -FY 2001" and "FY 2000 ‘Fair Share' Voucher Recipients.")

Even with Section 8 vouchers, however, it's been very hard to find accessible housing that also is affordable. This Bulletin explains how people with disabilities who need accessible units can get increased rental subsidies, and so be able to afford accessible housing using section 8 vouchers.

HUD's regulations authorize a local and State Housing Authority to set the "payment standard" (i.e., how much they will pay) for vouchers at between 90 and 110% of your local private housing "Fair Market Rents." HUD sets the FMR by bedroom size in your geographical area; your local Housing Authority decides on its own how much to pay between 90 and 110% of the FMR. (webpage, Archive, "Section 8 Accessible Units and FMR".)

The 90-110% FMR ASSUMES that people can find housing in that rental range. We know that ACCESSIBLE housing is virtually impossible to find at 90 -110 % of your local FMR. This Bulletin explains how to force your regional HUD office to permit Section 8 vouchers to pay MORE than the FMR by granting exceptions BETWEEN 110 and 120% and national HUD ABOVE 120% of the FMR. The higher the payments, we hope, the greater the chance of finding accessible units.

Now is the time for YOU, as an advocate, to find "accessible" units in the private market. The local housing authority is supposed to have a list of accessible units. Ask for the list, but be prepared to search yourself.

AFTER you find accessible units, if you can afford to rent it with an existing voucher, great! But for many people accessible housing will be more expensive. So then you ask the housing authority to increase your "payment standard" to AT LEAST 110% of the FMR, which your Housing Authority can do on its own. But even at110%, accessible dwellings may still be too expensive.

If so, THEN you must ask the housing authorities to request HUD to authorize payments at either UP TO or ABOVE the 120% FMR levels because those levels are necessary to find accessible housing! It is not necessary to ask your local housing authority in writing, but it may help. Tell the housing authority that you want a "reasonable accommodation" under Section 504 to increase the payment standard.

Here is a short explanation of how to increase the Section 8 payments above 110% of the FMR as a "reasonable accommodation." An example: Let's say that HUD has set the FMR for a three bedroom unit in your area is $800 a month. Let's assume your local housing authority's Section 8 voucher will pay 110% of the FMR, or $880 a month. If you can find an accessible three bedroom unit up to $880, terrific! Use the voucher, as it is.

But if accessible units are not available at less than $880, but there are accessible units that you find at, for example, $1,200 a month (or higher), you and your Housing Authority should write a letter to NATIONAL HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing and FHEO for a "waiver request to allow approval under Section 504 of a special exception payment standard in excess of 120 percent of the published fair market rent as a reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities who require an accessible unit." (More than once, the Boston Housing Authority has received approval from HUD in excess of 120% for a person with a disability.)

Tell HUD what you've done and why you (and other people) need accessible units and therefore need to request the reasonable accommodation. The more specific information you provide the better. Obviously, if you can get your local Housing Authority to support you or even to request the accommodation itself from national HUD, they have housing data and know how difficult it is to find accessible housing. Ask national HUD for a special exception payment for ALL persons with disabilities in your area who need accessible housing.

Remember, this exception above 120% of the FMR is intended to ensure "equal opportunity" for people who need accessible units. After all, is not "equal opportunity" what the Section 504 and HUD are all about? Obviously, if either your housing authority or HUD knows of accessible units BETWEEN 110 and 120% of the FMR that are available for Section 8 vouchers, that would be great and a request would then go to the LOCAL HUD.

BUT if neither local HUD nor your housing authority can identify accessible units at less than 110% of the FMR and you have found accessible units at or above 120% of the FMR, let's get those accessible units and use Section 8 vouchers. Those units are "equal opportunity."

If we do not push this issue, the FY 2000 and 2001 Section 8 vouchers will not be usable by persons who require accessible units and we'll lose them or force people with disabilities to use the Section 8 vouchers for INACCESSIBLE units, perpetuating "unequal opportunities." Don't expect HUD (or your local Housing Authority) to be easy. But we now have the vouchers and the legal authority. "Power concedes nothing without a struggle." You must ORGANIZE.

The Disability Odyssey continues, Steve Gold

********************************************************
OLMSTEAD DECISION FOR AGING AND DISABILITIES
********************************************************
Program: Discussion on Supreme Court's Olmstead Decision for aging and disablities advocates and policy makers - Free.

Court House Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., County Board Room (3rd floor), Arlington, VA 22201

Date: Friday, October 19th, Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (check-in and continental breakfast at 8:30) Pre-registration required. (703) 228-1700, TTY (703) 228-1788, e-mail: arlaaa@co.arlington.va.us.

An interpreter for hearing impaired persons may be requested at least 5 business days before the event.
(thax Proaging)

********************************************************
SOCIAL SECURITY SITE FOR REPRESENTATIVES
********************************************************
Press Office Update

Published September 26, 2001

To view this online, go to http://www.ssa.gov/enews/enewspress092601.htm

NEW DESTINATION FOR REPRESENTATIVES

If you represent Social Security claimants and beneficiaries, we have a new website destination for you. Social Security has collected the information of critical importance to client representatives and put it all in one place -- our new web page, "Representing Clients." You'll find information on fee agreements, fee petitions, a model fee agreement, standards of conduct, official forms, and links to important information resources like the POMS and the Social Security Handbook. If you're representing Social Security claimants, you'll want to try this site out. For more information, see our news release at http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/release-site1.htm or visit the site at http://www.ssa.gov/representation/
(thax Enews)

********************************************************
WHITEHOUSE LINK NOW OPERATING
********************************************************
Link to the new White House website now up and running

It has come to our intention that some of the links to the newly refurbished White House website of specific concern to people with disabilities were not functioning at the time that you were informed of the site.

The White House staff has worked dilligently to correct the problem, and it has been fixed. Please utlilize the below links when accessing inormation from the White House website:

Accessibility Features

"Go to" Buttons

The site includes an invisible "go to content" button in the top of the header that allows site visitors who are using screen readers to skip to the content of the page and bypass repetitive information included in the navigation. http://www.whitehouse.gov/

In addition to the "go to content" the site provides a "go to text only" and a "go to search" button in the header, which again allows users to bypass repetitive information and go directly to the search or text only areas of the site.

Alt tags

The graphics and photos on the site include alt tags. When screen readers encounter a graphic image, it reads the alt tag to the user, which provides a richer experience and allows the user to better understand the photograph or picture.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/gallery/photoessay/

Forms

Whitehouse.gov makes use of web forms, and these have been tested for accessibility. For example, the Appointments application includes several drop-down menus, which are often difficult to code for accessibility. These were built according to W3C standards and then fine-tuned based on user tests.
https://sawho04.eop.gov/cgi-bin/appointments/

Tables

To make tables more accessible, header fields clearly label the columns.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/nominations/

Closed-Captioning

In addition to text transcripts of speeches, the site's on-demand video takes advantage of web captioning technology that provides closed captioning of videos.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010814-4.html

Text-Only

The site's text only section is updated at the same time as the rest of the site. This serves not only the disability community but also users who prefer text-only surfing.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/text/

Please visit The White House online at www.whitehouse.gov.

Use the Search Engine in the upper right hand corner of the webpage to access the President's New Freedom Initiative for people with disabilities. Just enter "New Freedom" in the box, and you will be linked directly to the full text version of The President's agenda.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Gian-Carlo Peressutti
Associate Director
White House Office of Public Liaison
(thax C.A.)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC Gripes Tuesday, September 25, 2001 ========================================================
It amazes me how any agency that is SUPPOSED to ASSIST the people they serve can continuously go on operating in a haphazard manner such as our own Virginia's DMAS (Dept. of Medical Assistance Service) or Medicaid as known to others. DMAS needs to add the letters UBS in between their name to get a more appropriate meaning of their NAME rather than for SERVICE.

As usual, I still receive complaints about how DMAS has blundered another $74.5 million by contracting patient transportation services to the inept DynCorp company. Making a change is all right if it means making a real differance but DMAS seems to be bent on making mindless changes that in effect continues to either hurt or inconvenience their stakeholders. Where is their reasoning? Why do they continue to operate in a fog with no clear vision or understanding of what they're doing?

Please read the first story which is one of many letters that I receive about DynCorp and how they are supposed to be the answer to DMAS dreams of perfect patient transport services. Personally, I can hardly wait for the November election knowing that soon our next new Governor will hopefully pick a better Director for DMAS than the past three directors have been.

I was asked if DAC planned on endorsing any of our state Delegates up for election or reelection this year and my answer is no. DAC will, however, post anyone's letters of endorsement to our mailings with or without your names. It's your choice. So if you have a special person you'd like to endorse then by all means feel free to write me with all the pertinent information and it will be posted. I will make an endorsement for our next new Governor as soon as we've received all the information that has been requested from both candidates. Watch for this in October.

Keith-

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1. DMAS DYNCORP FIASCO
2. MEDICARE+CHOICE UPDATE
3. ALLERGIES AFFECT PRODUCTIVITY
4. TAX CREDIT REPORT
5. GET OUT THE VOTE!
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DMAS DYNCORP FIASCO
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Keith,

My daughter, *****, was again let down by Dyncorp in providing transportation for her to a medical appointment. They have yet to successfully transport her without incident.

Today when I found out the vendor was late I called Dyncorp to find out the status of her ride. I was informed that the vendor and canceled the trip at 4:00AM this morning. Apparently no one bothered to look for another vendor and to make matters immensely worse nobody bothered to inform *****. So ***** was stuck at school until I was able to arrange a ride for her to get home. She missed her medical appointment. Who can I complain to? From your commentaries I get the impression DMAS doesn't care. The contractor Dyncorp has a few folks who are apparently well meaning but perhaps not very effectual.

I must admit this incident was not as bad as a previous incident when the vendor failed to return her from her medical appointment until 8:00PM when she should have been home around 4:30PM.

Is anyone keeping count on these fiascos?

Thanks,

****** ***********
(name withheld upon request)

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MEDICARE+CHOICE UPDATE
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Friends,

We wanted to update you on the Medicare HMO situation.

HHS announced last Friday, September 21st, that 58 Medicare managed care plans said that they will withdraw from the Medicare+Choice program or cut back on services. This move will force more than 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries to switch health plans and will leave many beneficiaries without prescription drug coverage.

This marks the third year in a row that a large number of managed care plans will be pulling out of the Medicare program. These pull-outs follow a series of increases in payments to managed care plans, legislated by Congress, that were designed to prevent this very problem. In spite of these increased payments, managed care plans still claim that they need higher payments to continue to participate in the Medicare+Choice program. Recent studies suggest quite the opposite.

Prior to the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997, several studies from the General Accounting Office (GAO), the Physician Payment Review Commission (now the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission), and HCFA (now CMS) concluded that beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare+Choice plans *cost Medicare more than if these beneficiaries had been enrolled in traditional Medicare.* The payment reforms implemented in the BBA of 1997 were designed to correct this overpayment.

However, a June 1999 GAO study found that plans continue to be overpaid, particularly since the beneficiaries that enroll in Medicare+Choice tend to be among the healthiest beneficiaries. (To read the full study, go to: (http://www.gao.gov/archive/1999/he99144.pdf).)

A second study, conducted by the HHS Inspector General and released in September of 2000, reported in its overall finding that Medicare+Choice plans receive "…more than an adequate amount of funds to deliver the Medicare package of covered services." The report also found that "Medicare payments have been made to fund excessive administrative costs at MCOs [managed care organizations]." (To read the full report, go to: (http://www.hhs.gov/progorg/oas/reports/hcfa/b0000212.pdf).)

Despite the information contained in these two reports, as well as information from other studies, Medicare managed care plans won further payment increases for 2001. This issue will continue to frame much of the discussion about Medicare restructuring if program restructuring continues to be part of a domestic agenda.

For more background information on this topic, read the Kaiser Family Foundation’s new fact sheet at (http://kff.org/content/2001/2052-03/14246KFF.pdf). The fact sheet includes: an overview of the Medicare+Choice program, Part C of Medicare, established under the BBA of 1997; recent trends in plan participation, beneficiary enrollment, benefits offered, and premiums charged; and a brief description of future issues confronting the program.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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ALLERGIES AFFECT PRODUCTIVITY
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"PONDERING"

SEASONAL ALLERGIES AFFECT PRODUCTIVITY

For many, fall means hay fever. The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology warns that people with hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, miss 3.8 million days of work or school each year. To reduce exposure to allergens and find symptom relief, the AAAAI offers these tips: try to stay indoors between 2 and 4 PM, when pollen counts are highest; avoid yard work or spending extended periods of time outdoors, and shower when you come inside to remove pollen from your hair and skin; if you decorate with fresh flowers, choose blossoms that are large and bright because their pollen is larger and less likely to cause an allergic reaction; and keep windows closed to prevent pollens and mold spores from coming indoors. An air conditioner will help cool and clean the air.

AN ASIPIRN A DAY SAVES LIVES

Doctors have long known that gulping an aspirin or two each day can lower the risk of a heart attack. Now investigators at the Cleveland Clinic have found that regular aspirin use is associated with a marked reduction in death from all causes, particularly among the elderly, people with heart disease, and those who are physically unfit. Led by Patricia Gum, MD, the researchers followed more than 6,000 patients who underwent exercise testing in conjunction with cardiac ultrasound during the 1990s. Thirty-seven percent of the patients took aspirin every day or every other day. During three years of follow-up, aspirin use was associated with a 33 percent reduction in the risk of death. These findings demonstrate that "aspirin really is a miracle drug," says Michael Lauer, MD, one of the researchers. He recommended that aspirin be prescribed for many elderly patients and those who are deemed to be physically unfit.
(thax Dislabled)

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TAX CREDIT REPORT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
CONTACT: Jennifer Laudano
(202) 628-3030
jlaudano@familiesusa.org

INDIVIDUAL TAX CREDITS WILL NOT EXPAND HEALTH COVERAGE FOR AMERICA'S UNINSURED

REPORT RELEASED ON EVE OF SENATE MARK UP OF UNINSURED LEGISLATION

Washington, DC- On the eve of the Senate Finance Committee's consideration of legislation to expand health coverage for the uninsured, a new report concludes that tax credits for the purchase of individual health insurance * an approach favored by President Bush * will fail to make health coverage affordable for low-wage workers. The report, based on a 25-state survey undertaken by the consumer health organization Families USA, finds that healthy, non-smoking women ages 55 and 25 will be unable to afford health insurance even if they receive a tax credit.

Most tax-credit proposals for the purchase of individual health coverage by low-wage workers, such as the President's proposal, provide annual tax credits approximating $1,000 per year. But, according to the report, the average premiums for a standard health plan in the 25 states for healthy, non-smoking women ages 55 and 25 are $4,734 and $2,395, respectively. Health insurance for unhealthy and/or smoking women would be much higher or would be unavailable, according to the report.

The report comes at a time of renewed national action about the uninsured. Starting on September 10, a diverse group of major national organizations, spanning the ideological spectrum, launched an advertising campaign highlighting the need to expand coverage. On September 12, the Institute of Medicine is scheduled to release a study about the uninsured. The Senate Finance committee plans to meet within two weeks to mark up legislation aimed at decreasing the number of uninsured Americans.

*The costs of individual health insurance are far more expensive than the cash value of pending tax-credit proposals,* said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. *They are like a 10-foot rope thrown to a person at the bottom of a 40-foot hole.

*As a result,* Pollack said, *low-wage, uninsured workers across America will either find health premiums unaffordable or will only be able to buy Swiss cheese-type policies that have many more holes than cheese.*

In its 25-state survey, Families USA examined what, if any, health coverage is available for $1,000 for healthy, non-smoking women ages 55 and 25. The survey also examined the costs for a *standard health plan* (comparable to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Blue Cross/Blue Shield Preferred Provider Organization plan) for healthy, non-smoking 55- and 25-year-old women. The key survey findings were as follows:

§ For standard health plans, the average premium in the 25 states for a healthy, non-smoking, 55-year-old woman was $4,734.

§ In 18 of the 25 states, no $1,000 health plans were available for healthy, non-smoking, 55-year-old women, let alone individuals who smoke or have health problems.

§ In the few (seven of 25) states where $1,000 plans for healthy, non-smoking, 55-year-old women were potentially available, the health coverage was porous. Deductibles were enormous ($5,000 for the plans in five of the seven states); co-payments and out-of-pocket limits were very high; doctors' visits were not covered by plans in three of the seven states and were limited in the others; prescription drugs and mental health care were uncovered by plans in six of the seven states; and emergency care was uncovered by plans in three of the seven states and was deficiently covered in the other states.

§ Even for a young and healthy woman, the 25-state survey showed that a $1,000 tax credit is far too small. The average premium for a standard health plan for a healthy, non-smoking, 25-year old woman was $2,395. In only one of the 25 states surveyed was a cheap ($1,000, bare-bones) plan available that covered maternity care.

*The state-by-state data make clear that individual tax-credit proposals are an ineffective way to reach America's uninsured, low-wage workers,* said Pollack. *These individual tax-credit proposals compare very unfavorably to expansions of public health programs, such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).*

The 25 states surveyed in the Families USA report were: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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GET OUT THE VOTE!
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Remember not much time left to REGISTER to VOTE! Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion and Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, no matter which party you favor, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to register to vote. This can be OUR year to make that difference if you vote. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:

Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, is a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

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Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

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DAC Briefs Wednesday, September 19, 2001 ========================================================
ATTENTION NDSU READERS:
If you'd like to receive future DAC letters off the NDSU Listserv then please contact me with your email address and I'll add you to our list of readers. It appears that some students are being harassed by other students from your listserv so DAC may be prohibited from future postings although we have not been involved in any sort of harassment to you or anyone else. If you'd like to keep receiving our letters through the NDSU then please contact Sarah or Daniel and express your desire. Thank you.

How many people wonder why DMAS is always so slow to respond to your needs for assistance? Well, I've stumbled across a little information that will make you ask your representatives just why isn't DMAS acting efficiently and providing the money and resources that is supposed to be available to you. Watch for this breaking story about where funds are dispersed in our early October letter...you'll be amazed and befuddled.

I'm always asked about the many problems that our state CSB's (community service boards) face with their Stakeholders. Perhaps some of you can relate to this first story about our local CSB.

I have lots of short pieces of information to share so sit back and enjoy.

Keith-

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1. CSB's DON'T ALLOW CONSUMER REPRESENTATION
2. IMPLEMENTING OLMSTEAD - ADA TELECONFERENCE ADA UPDATES
3. CONFERENCE CALL FOR SCHIP (CHILDREN'S INSURANCE)
4. AGING POPULATION OVERWHELMS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
5. CARS DESIGNED FOR THE ELDERLY
6. UPCOMING DISABILITY EVENTS
7. GET OUT THE VOTE!
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CSB's DON'T ALLOW CONSUMER REPRESENTATION
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Have consumer representation on CSBs

In a recent Dumfries District e-mail update sent out by Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, R-Dumfries, Dr. Molly Davis, Dumfries District appointee to the Community Services Board, mentions the Prince William Community CSB recently developed an Office of Consumer and Family Affairs and is specifically seeking individuals who are disabled clients or their family members. Davis also states the Consumer Advisory Committee of the CSB is currently being restructured and would like disabled clients to be involved in these efforts.

While Davis mentioned state requirements for membership of CSBs, she didn't directly state whether the Prince William CSB currently conforms.

Mandated consumer-family member participation on CSBs is the law (and has been for more than two years).

But policies make it impossible (unless the individual CSB member publicly states he or she is a family member or disabled person) for the public to know if there are really any family members or disabled persons on the CSBs.

No law, however well intentioned, can overcome the powerful stigma of being a disabled person receiving services. But exactly why have possibly many local governments been opposed to the concept of a disabled person being appointed to a CSB?

Do they think all disabled persons are weak in mind and would be incapable of performing the necessary duties?

Are they fearful a disabled appointee would challenge the policies of the CSB or make trouble? Does the idea of something a little different go against the grain of the current power structures?

I don't like quota systems and, in a sense, I'm glad local governments apparently haven't appointed tokens to their boards. But if mandated ``consumer" participation has had any import it has done so by showing how fearful and unyielding many local governments are, taking a second place to the disregard of local governments.

In the past, I've suggested the CSB advertise for a consumer board member.

I've met with the county attorney who assured me Prince William County would be in the forefront of implementing the law although it may not be exactly the way I might want it. I've contacted the Office of the Attorney General; it informed me it has no tracking mechanism to determine if the state's CSBs are in compliance with statute 37.1-195 that mandates a ``consumer" receiving services be appointed to the CSB.

MICHAEL RAGLAND
Triangle, VA

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IMPLEMENTING OLMSTEAD - ADA TELECONFERENCE ADA UPDATES
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The ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region is pleased to announce the continuation of the Distance Learning program in the coming year. The next session will be:

"Implementing Olmstead"
Tuesday, October 16
2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Speakers:
Barry Taylor of Equip for Equality
Elizabeth Priaulx of the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems

For more information, please contact the ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region at 1-800-949-4232 (voice or TTY), or e-mail adainfo@transcen.org
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Mid-September ADA Update Items

1. ADA Distance Learning Program
2. ITTATC Offers On-line Course for Web Developers
3. ADA Information Center Job Announcement
4. District Residents Seek Privacy in Voting
5. DOJ and Cruise Lines Reach Agreement
6. On-line Benefits Assessments

ADA DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM

The final session of this years' distance learning program will be held this Tuesday, September 18 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. John Salmen of Universal Designers and Consultants will present "Designing Accessible Lodging Facilities".

The ADA Distance Learning program is slated to continue in the coming year. The schedule is currently being finalized, and information about next month's session will be sent out shortly via special e-mail announcement, as well as posted to our web site at: http://www.adainfo.org/resources.html#distance

ITTATC OFFERS ON-LINE COURSE FOR WEB DEVELOPERS

The Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC) has an on-line course available that is intended for intermediate-level web designers and developers; it teaches the techniques and strategies for designing creative and accessible web sites. The course is free but requires registration. For more
information, visit: http://www.ittatc.org/training/webcourse/

ADA INFORMATION CENTER JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

The ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region is seeking an Information Technology Specialist. The specialist will provide technical assistance, information, and training on electronic and information technologies to educational entities in the region. A qualified candidate will have excellent verbal, written, and public presentation skills, as well as a knowledge of assistive and information technologies in educational settings. This is a part time position (20 hours per week). The position is open until filled. Individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. TransCen, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Please forward a resume and cover letter (no calls please) to:

Suellen Farrington
Human Resources Director
TransCen, Inc.
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 700
Rockville, MD 20850

DISTRICT RESIDENTS SEEK PRIVACY IN VOTING

A lawsuit was filed by the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD), the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington (DRC), and five individual voters in the District of Columbia. The lawsuit alleges that voting machines and many polling places are not accessible. All of the individual plaintiffs complain that they have had to vote with someone assisting them, depriving them of privacy.

D.C. elections officials are planning to replace the current punch-card system with an optical-scan ballot system, which will read pencil marks made on paper ballots. The new system will not be useable for many people with visual or manual disabilities. The lawsuit says that there are several systems available that use voice prompts, headphones, remote switches or other devices that allow more independent use.

DOJ AND CRUISE LINES REACH AGREEMENT

The Department of Justice entered into a consent agreement with Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) on charges that the cruise line discriminated against people with visual disabilities by placing extra conditions upon them. The Department alleged that NCL required people with vision impairments, as a condition for traveling on NCL cruise ships, to: (a) obtain a doctor's note declaring that they were "fit for travel"; (b) travel with a companion who is not disabled; (c) acknowledge that a cruise presents "inherent risks" for passengers with vision impairments; (d) release and/or waive any claims arising out of such risks; (e) consult with a physician regarding these risks; and (f) obtain travel insurance.

NCL denied the allegations, as well as disputing the application of the ADA. However, in order to settle the matter, the Cruise Line agrees not to make such requirements any more, and will pay 27,500 in damages to one complainant, 15,000 to another, and 22,500 to the United States. The agreement is posted at
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/ncruise.htm

ON-LINE BENEFITS ASSESSMENTS

Social Security has developed the Benefits Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST), designed to help people identify any benefits for which they may be eligible. It takes only a few minutes to complete the on-line questionnaire. No identifying information is requested (such as your name or Social Security number) and all information is erased when you exit the site. For more information, visit http://best.ssa.gov/

The National Council on the Aging has also created a confidential, on-line service designed to help older Americans identify Federal and state assistance programs and provide application information. Visit:
http://www.benefitscheckup.org/
(thax Cash)

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CONFERENCE CALL FOR SCHIP (CHILDREN'S INSURANCE)
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Friends,

Families USA and the Children's Defense Fund will conduct a conference call this Friday, September 21, 2001 at 2:00 PM EST. The topic of the call will be the changes to the Section 1115 Medicaid waiver, called the Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability Initiative, announced by CMS in August. To participate in the call, dial 1-800-597-2947.

On August 4, 2001, President Bush and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announced a new policy regarding Section 1115 waivers for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Although the Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability Initiative (HIFA) is being touted as a way for states to increase the number of people covered by Medicaid and SCHIP, the new initiative does not provide any extra funds to states to expand coverage, and it is likely to result in significant benefit cuts, increased cost-sharing, and possibly the widespread use of caps on enrollment in Medicaid. In fact, it is unclear that states must even expand coverage to use this waiver. However, should a state apply for a waiver to expand coverage, the severe restrictions on federal funds available to states for expansions imposed by this new policy would require that states drastically reduce benefits for current Medicaid beneficiaries in order to garner enough cost-savings to pay for the expansion.

The proposal also gives states the option to increase cost-sharing for many people who are currently eligible for Medicaid, potentially creating a barrier to enrollment and making health care unaffordable for those most in need. The guidance is available online at (http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/hifademo.htm).

The call will be moderated by Gregg Haifley, Associate Director, Health Division at CDF. Speakers will include Tim Westmoreland, Counsel for Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) and former Director of Medicaid and State Operations at HCFA and a state health advocate. Dennis Smith, Director of Medicaid and State Operations from CMS - formerly HCFA - has been invited to participate, but has not been confirmed at the time this notice was sent.

Again, to participate in the call, dial 1800-597-2947.

For those who cannot make the call on September 21st, a replay will be available for seven days after 6:00 PM the day of the call at 1-888-836-6074, PIN number 5544818.
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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AGING POPULATION OVERWHELMS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
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Aging Population Overwhelms a Nation's Health Care System
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The nation's health care system is in crisis. Its rapidly aging population is overwhelming the system. There are not enough nursing homes and workers to provide services for the elderly.

Indeed, the system is nearly bankrupt. Over the last several years, fewer workers are paying for the health care of more retired elderly persons. In a word, the system is a mess. And it is getting worse.

Sound familiar? While some experts foresee a crisis in the United States health care system beginning about 2010, when the first of the baby boomer generation retires, this reality is confronting Japan today.

Japan's universal health care system was created in 1961, four years before the United States created Medicare. The problems of an aging society are of pivotal concern in Japan, where, within five years, approximately one in every four citizens will be over 65 years old. Despite efforts at cost-containment beginning in the 1980s, a fiscal crisis looms over Japan's health care system as premiums fail to keep pace with health expenditures.

At the same time, the present structure of how health care is provided and paid for is unable to care for a rapidly graying Japanese society.Nursing homes must be built, but where will the money come from?

Universal Health Care

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Japan's public and private health care system guarantees medical care for nearly every one of Japan's 126 million people. One-third of the population is covered by the state insurance program. By most measures, the system has been a spectacular success, arising out of the ashes of World War II.

Infant mortality is among the lowest in the world, and life expectancy was 84 years for women and 77 years for men in 1999, up from 54 years for women and 52 years for men in 1947. By contrast, life expectancy for men in the United States in 1999 was less than 74 years.

But Japan's health care system is near collapse. "The insurance system will fall apart unless the government can completely overhaul it," Hiroyuki Uchiyama, an official at the Health, Welfare and Labor Ministry who oversees the program, told the Chicago Tribune. By the end of this year, the program's reserve fund will be exhausted.

The task will not be an easy one. Japan spends on health care half of what the United States spends. Japan spent 7.2 percent of its gross national product on health care in 1995, compared with 14.2 percent by the United States. The government tightly regulates what it pays for hospitals and doctors and drugs.

Several proposals for reform are under discussion. Among them include a plan to create a separate system of insurance for the elderly, like Medicare, and to increase premiums, co-payments, and deductibles. Currently, the state insurance program pays all or nearly all of the entire cost of numerous medical procedures, thereby encouraging over-utilization. For example, hospital stays in Japan average 40 days, the longest in the world.

Protecting Turf

------------------------------------------------------------------

Other proposals, according to the Tribune, would tighten price controls on drugs to limit profits hospitals can make from prescriptions and force doctors to share patient charts with one another as a way of avoiding excess tests.

Needless to say, there is no consensus in Japan on how to solve the problem. The Japan Medical Association, private insurance carriers and the Keidanren, the country's biggest business organization, each have their own reform plan, which would preserve parts of the system they benefit from.

All of this will sound familiar to residents of the United States.
(thax Elder Law)

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CARS DESIGNED FOR THE ELDERLY
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Ford Designs Cars With Seniors in Mind Using the Third Age Suit

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The desire to understand the unique needs of older customers led to Ford Motor Company's (NYSE: F) breakthrough development of the Third Age Suit. The research tool is used to assist ergonomics engineers in developing vehicles for customers as much as 30 years older than they are.

The suit, which appears to be a cross between a bee-catcher's protective gear and a high-tech astronaut suit, is made up of materials that add bulk and restrict movement in key areas of the body such as the knees, elbows, stomach and back. Together with gloves that reduce the sense of touch and goggles that simulate cataracts, the Third Age Suit gives engineers and designers a feel for the needs of an older generation as they design new vehicles.

"When you're young and fit enough to leap out of a car without effort, it's hard to appreciate why an older person may need to lower themselves out of the driver's seat by pushing on the seat back and the door frame," said Jeffery Pike, Ford senior technical specialist. "But, try leaping out while you are wearing this suit and you really understand the challenges an older driver faces."

The suit is used to keep pace with the demands of aging baby boomers over the coming decades. Demographics show that the number of people in the United States between 55 and 74 will almost double by 2030 -- rising from 40 million to about 74 million. In Europe between 1985 and 2005, the number of male drivers over 65 is expected to increase by 90 percent while the number of female drivers in this age range will grow by more than 200 percent.
(thax ProAging)

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UPCOMING DISABILITY EVENTS
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September 28-30 - The World Congress & Exposition on Disabilities will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. During the conference, the Virtual WCD will be officially launched.

October 2001 Calendar:

October 1 - "Work Site Accommodations: A Symposium for Employers" is sponsored by the International Center for Disability Information and features training by the Job Accommodation Staff and a luncheon keynote by Dinah Cohen, Director of D.O.D.'s Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP). The event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will be held at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn at Key Bridge, Virginia. There is a registration fee. For additional information, contact ICDI at 304-293-5313

October 5 - "Genetics: Ethical Concerns of the Disability Community" is sponsored by the New Hampshire Governor's Commission on Disability to focus attention on the ethical, social, and legal concerns surrounding the recent developments in genetics. The event will be held at the Courtyard Marriott. Presenters include: Dr. Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics at the University Center for Human Values at Princeton; Dr. Adrienne Asch, Professor of Biology, Ethics and the Politics of Human Reproduction at Wellesley College; Paul Steven Miller, Commission, U.S. EEOC; John Kemp, President and CEO of the HalfthePlanet.Com Foundation: Don Shumway, New Hampshire Commissioner, Health and Human Services; Paula Rogers, New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner. For additional information, contact the Commission at (603) 271-2774

October 9 - The National Summit on Mental Health in the Workplace, "Hand in Hand: It's Worth the Investment," will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC. For more information contact Caren Smith, The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc., at 301-670-4990 or Sheila Graham, Hayes & Associates, at 703-556-9401.

October 11-14 - Through the Looking Glass's Second International Conference on Parents with Disabilities and their Families will be held in Oakland, California. For more information, you can call Darlene Bubis at (510) 848-1112, (800) 644-2666 (voice) or (800) 804-1616 (TTY).

October 17 - The 8th National Disability Statistics and Policy Forum, "Who Counts as Having a Disability?" will be held at The Washington Court Hotel in Washington, DC. This event is sponsored by the Disability Statistics Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, University of California, San Francisco. For further information, contact: Disability Statistics Center 415-502-5210 (Voice), 415-502-5208 (Fax), 415-502-5205 (TTY)

October 18 - 19 - The Employment and Disability Policy Institute at Cornell University is presenting a seminar on "The Persistence of Low Employment Rates for People with Disabilities: Causes and Policy Implications" at The Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Susanne M. Bruyere, Project Director, Cornell University. 607-255-7727 (Voice), 607-255-2763 (Fax), 607-255-2891 (TTY)

October 22 - 24 - The National Business Leadership Network Summit will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa. The theme of this summit is "Tool Sets for Success: Effective Strategies for Disability in the Workplace." To preregister or for additional information, go to and click on "BLN Summit 2001 is coming this fall" under Current Feature.

October 24 - National Disability Mentoring Day will be hosted this year by AAPD, and the theme is "Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century." For more information on AAPD, visit . For more information on Disability Mentoring Day, contact Jonathan Young at 800-840-8844 v/tty

October 26 - 29 - The 2001 Alliance Symposium will be held at the Radisson in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The presentations will cover the topic, "Unity through Diversity." The sponsors for the 2001 symposium are The American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, and the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association. For more information, please contact: Ellen Fabian, Phone: 301-405-2872, E-mail: or Mike O'Brien, Phone: 405-951-3491

DECEMBER 2001 CALENDAR

December 2- 4 - The First National Mobility Planning Services Institute offered by Easter Seals Project Action will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Mobility Planning Services concept is a comprehensive approach to accessible transportation. For more information, please contact: Sue Clark, Technical Assistance Specialist, Easter Seals Project ACTION, 700 Thirteenth Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 347-3066; 1-(800) 659-6428, (202) 347-4157 (fax) (202) 347-7385 (TTY)
(thaxMMC)

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GET OUT THE VOTE!
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Remember there is still time to REGISTER to VOTE! Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, no matter which party you favor, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to register to vote. This can be OUR year to make that difference if you vote. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:

Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, is a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish. Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm <--for links etc.
DAC
http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/index.html <--Mission Statement

**Some people grin and bear it. Others smile and change it.**

++

========================================================
DAC News Sunday, September 16, 2001 ========================================================
We at DAC would like to offer our sincere condolences to all the families and friends affected by the recent terrorist attacks against our country. It's very humbling to see how not only our country has pulled together but also how other countries across the world are sharing our grief. Please take a look at this website that Harry Gewanter sent in to another listserv to share. It pretty much shows how other nations feel for us during these very emotional times. Go to this website:
http://www.fatwallet.com/thankyou.htm

Although we are still in shock over what has transpired we feel that it's vital for us to keep our chins up and carry on with the important issues at hand. This in no way diminishes our grief but it does prove our resolve as a UNITED nation.

So on we go with news for you to peruse and remember that we are strong and will not let cowardly acts deter us from being the greatest free nation in the world.

Keith-

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1. NEW WEB RESOURCES
2. SENIORS NEWSLETTER - VITAL INFORMATION
3. SECTION 8 VOUCHERS FY 2001
4. DMAS AGREES TO PROVIDE SERVICES
5. A MATTER OF CHOICE - WHAT'S YOUR STYLE?
6. BEING DISABLED OR DISPLACED IS NOT A CRIME
7. GET OUT THE VOTE!
========================================================
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NEW WEB RESOURCES
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Physicians and Charity Care

The Center for Studying Health System Change has issued a new study, titled Physicians Pulling Back from Charity Care, that documents the recent drop in the percentage of physicians providing charity care. The findings are based on the Community Tracking Study Physician Survey of more than 12,000 physicians. The authors conclude that reduced physician participation in charity care will hurt the medically indigent if, as projected, growth in physician supply slows and the number of uninsured rises along with escalating health care costs.
http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/361/

High-Risk Insurance Pools

Insuring the Uninsurable: An Overview of State High-Risk Health Insurance Pools is a new report from The Commonwealth Fund by researchers at Mathematica Policy Research. The report concludes that high-risk insurance pools, currently available in 29 states, offer only limited help for those who've been denied private health coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions or are Medicare beneficiaries in need of supplemental insurance. The authors found that high premiums, deductibles, and copayments make high-risk pools unaffordable for people with serious medical conditions, and that waiting periods for those with certain medical conditions also keep enrollment rates low.
http://www.cmwf.org/programs/insurance/achman_uninsurable_472.pdf

How to Talk to Parents About Medicare and Health Coverage

Talking With Your Parents About Medicare and Health Coverage, a recently updated guide from the Kaiser Family Foundation, provides adult children with the basic facts about Medicare, managed care options, supplemental health insurance, and long term care in order to better equip them to discuss these subjects. It also includes a state-by-state list of key agencies that can answer specific questions on these topics. It's a good piece for advocates that explains the programs in clear language - a useful primer for new staff.
http://www.kff.org/docs/parents

Health Services Used by Uninsured vs. Insured Children

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the results of a new study in a report titled Survey of American Families: Comparison of Households with Insured Children vs. Uninsured Children Eligible for SCHIP/Medicaid Coverage. The report findings were based on 1,662 interviews of parents with children aged 18 and younger living in the household. Among the findings were that 21 percent of eligible-uninsured children went without needed medical care because their parents could not afford to pay for treatments (compared to three percent of insured children), and that nearly three-quarters of families with eligible-uninsured children do not have access to an employer-provided health plan for children.
http://www.rwjf.org/app/rw_news_and_events/rw_new_media_article.jsp?id=995295215701

The Children's Health Initiative of Santa Clara County

A First Glance at the Children's Health Initiative in Santa Clara County, California, a new background report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, examines the efforts of Santa Clara County to provide health insurance coverage to all children living in the county. It is one of the first localities to attempt such an initiative. Among the "lessons learned" from the implementation process so far is that "with sufficient political will and significant financial resources, counties and cities do not have to wait for changes in federal and state policy to expand health insurance coverage to children."
http://www.kff.org/content/2001/2260

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services

The General Accounting Office has issued a new report on EPSDT services that states are required to provide children under 21, services that include comprehensive, periodic evaluations of health, developmental, and nutritional status. According to the report, Medicaid: Stronger Efforts Needed to Ensure Children's Access to Health Screening Services, the available evidence indicates many children are not receiving EPSDT services, and state reporting on EPSDT services is "unreliable and incomplete," especially for children in managed care. The report provides examples of innovative state programs.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d01749.pdf

Children's Dental Care Under SCHIP and Medicaid

Does SCHIP Spell Better Dental Care Access for Children? An Early Look at New Initiatives, a recent report from the Urban Institute, analyzes whether and how the coverage and delivery of dental services is changing under SCHIP. In particular, the report focuses on key differences between new separate SCHIP initiatives and traditional and expanded Medicaid programs. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of the implementation experiences of 18 states.
http://www.epn.org/cgi-bin/rd/epn_letter.pl?id=1312

Employer Attitudes Towards Patients' Rights

The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust have released the results of a national survey of employers titled Employers' Attitudes Toward Patients' Rights. The survey found that smaller employers (those with fewer than 200 employees) are significantly more likely than larger employers (67 vs. 28 percent) to support a patient's right to sue a health plan, and somewhat more likely (86 vs. 74 percent) to support the right to appeal a health plan's decision to an independent reviewer.
http://www.kff.org/content/2001/3173

Survey on Consumer Experiences with Health Plans

National Survey on Consumer Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Health Plans reports the results of a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Among the findings: 62 percent of privately insured adults under 65 give their health plans a grade of A or B, although 48 percent report having some type of problem with their health plan in the last year; 39 percent of respondents said managed care plans do a "bad job" serving consumers; and, 69 percent of respondents said it is very or somewhat important to include the right to sue a health plan in a patients' bill of rights.
http://www.kff.org/content/2001/3172/

Health Care and Health Insurance Disparities Experienced by Women

A new report issued by The Commonwealth Fund documents the disparities women face in accessing health care and health insurance. Diagnosing Disparities in Health Insurance for Women: A Prescription for Change includes a review of selected coverage expansion approaches. It concludes that building on options that currently exist - employer-sponsored insurance, CHIP, and Medicaid - offers the greatest promise.
http://www.cmwf.org/publist/publist2.asp?CategoryID=4

Mental Health Care Disparities Experienced by People of Color

Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity is a supplement to the first Surgeon General's report on mental health. This new Surgeon General's report documents several disparities affecting mental health care of racial and ethnic minorities compared with whites: Minorities have less access to, and availability of, mental health services; minorities are less likely to receive needed mental health services; minorities in treatment often receive poorer quality mental health care; and, minorities are underrepresented in mental health research. The report also offers guidance on eliminating these disparities and ensuring equality in access, use, and outcomes of mental health care.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/cre/default.asp
(thax FamiliesUSA)

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SENIORS NEWSLETTER - VITAL INFORMATION
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Emergency Phone Number for Medicare & Medicaid
Beneficiaries Whose Normal Medical Needs Have Been Interrupted by the Tragedy
HHS Releases Immediate Grants for Child Care
Elderly and Mental Health Funds to Assist New York
FirstGov Provides Focal Point for Resources in Aftermath of Terrorist Attack
HHS Launches Initial Medical Relief Response To New York
Pentagon Emergencies
Swindlers, Hucksters and Snake Oil Salesmen
Dietary Supplement T3 Recalled
New Breast Cancer Treatment Combines Two Drugs
FDA Weighs In On The Importation Of Drugs
National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)
Medicare/Medicaid Consumer Protection Tips

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Emergency Phone Number for Medicare & Medicaid Beneficiaries

Whose Normal Medical Needs Have Been Interrupted by the Tragedy

CALL 1-800-331-7767
http://www.aoa.gov/pressroom/Pr2001/emergency-phones.html

HHS Releases Immediate Grants for Child Care, Elderly and Mental Health Funds to Assist New York
http://www.aoa.gov/pressroom/Pr2001/NYemergencygrants.html

FirstGov Provides Focal Point for Resources in Aftermath of Terrorist Attack
http://www.firstgov.gov/featured/usgresponse.html

Listings of U.S. Government information and resources in response to attack of September 11. Information and links will be added as they become known.

HHS Launches Initial Medical Relief Response To New York, Pentagon Emergencies
http://www.seniors.gov/articles/0901/medical-relief-response.html

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson activated the National Disaster Medical System, putting medical teams nationwide at the ready to be sent to assist local areas in responding to medical emergencies. This is the first time the federally-coordinated response system has been activated on a full nationwide basis.

Swindlers, Hucksters and Snake Oil Salesmen
http://aging.senate.gov/hr73.htm

On September 10 the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on phony anti-aging products. One recurrent theme is that the public should have better access to information about dietary supplements. There is a handy checklist for senior consumers http://aging.senate.gov/hr73ck.htm of dietary supplements. Also visit the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov/ (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health.

Dietary Supplement T3 Recalled
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/global9_01.html

Global Enterprises is recalling T3, a dietary supplement containing tiratricol, a potent thyroid hormone that may cause serious health consequences, including heart attacks and strokes.

New Breast Cancer Treatment Combines Two Drugs
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2001/ANS01101.html

FDA has approved a combination of the cancer drugs Xeloda (capecitabine) and Taxotere (docetaxel) for treating patients with metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after treatment with an anthracycline-containing therapy.

FDA Weighs In On The Importation Of Drugs
http://www.fda.gov/ola/2001/importation0905.html

Thinking of buying drugs overseas? See what the Food and Drug Administration has to say about importing drugs for personal use. Here's the congressional testimony of William K. Hubbard, Senior Associate Commissioner for Policy, Planning and Legislation, FDA.

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)
http://www.aoa.gov/carenetwork/default.htm

The Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 established the NFCSP. A web site was established to assist the aging network in developing caregiver support programs. A recent addition includes reports from a recent conference
http://www.aoa.gov/carenetwork/papers09-06-07-01.html  that are primarily addressed to caregiver professionals.

Medicare/Medicaid Consumer Protection Tips
http://www.aoa.gov/smp/consprof/consprof_resources_tips.asp

Health care error, fraud, and abuse affect everyone. They contribute to the rising costs of health care and, in some instances, diminish the quality of care that is provided. This Administration on Aging web site provides valuable tips to protect these national services. And learn more about the Senior Medicare Patrol
http://www.aoa.gov/smp/index.asp.
(thax FirstGov)

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SECTION 8 VOUCHERS FY 2001
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79,000 Section 8 Vouchers FY 2001- - Information Bulletin # 13 9/11/01

HUD has announced the winning Housing Authorities for the Fiscal Year 2001's 79,000 Section 8 vouchers. Those local and state public housing authorities, whose applications for Section 8 vouchers were approved, are listed by city and state and can be downloaded at www.stevegoldada.com (click on Archives), which is also where the Fiscal Year 2000 list of 35,000 Section 8 vouchers can be found by city and state.

Extra points were given to those local and state housing authorities that AGREED to use 15% of their vouchers for persons with disabilities. Additional extra points were given by HUD if the housing authorities AGREED they would use 3% of their vouchers to serve people in the Medical Assistance Home and Community Based Waiver programs -- those are the MA programs to ensure that persons with disabilities are not unnecessarily segregated in institutions - whether nursing homes or ICF-MRs. [In Information Bulletin No. 12, at the above web page, we discussed the 15% and 3% in greater detail.]

Both the 15% and 3% MANDATES can and should be used to implement your Olmstead Plans. But you MUST know the exact number of vouchers available in your locale!

You MUST hold the public housing authorities accountable to use these Section 8 vouchers for only people with disabilities and especially the 3% to get people out and keep people from going into institutions.

REMEMBER, your housing authorities received these 79,000 FY 2001 Section 8 vouchers BECAUSE they agreed to use them for people with disabilities [the same agreement the housing authorities made when they received 35,000 in FY 2000]. REMEMBER, the 15% and 3% are MINIMUMS!!!! Housing authorities must let persons with disabilities apply for ALL Section 8 vouchers, even though AT LEAST 15% and 3% must be set aside.

Check out if your housing authority applied for these vouchers, and if HUD awarded them. Then check whether or not you authority applied for these Section 8 vouchers specifically those for persons with disabilities. If your housing authority did not, WHY NOT?

You MUST organize and hold the housing authorities accountable. You can WIN these vouchers and THEN find housing. Remember, vouchers for people with disabilities can pay MORE than regular vouchers; you can force your housing authorities to go to 120% of the Fair Market Rent and even higher so that the vouchers can be used for accessible private housing. (See Information Bulletin # 4 on the web page.) HUD recognizes that accessible housing is both in very short supply and may be more expensive than nonaccessible housing.

The Disability Odyssey Continues. Steve Gold

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DMAS AGREES TO PROVIDE SERVICES
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Sep 05, 2001

Agency agrees to provide services

BY TAMMIE SMITH

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

The state Medicaid agency and advocates for the mentally retarded have agreed to conditions under which mentally retarded people will be provided community-based services under a state Medicaid waiver.

The agreement ends a lawsuit filed in December by advocates for mentally retarded people challenging a state policy of requiring clients to meet "emergency" standards to qualify for services which should have been routinely available as part of the state waiver program.

This story can be found at :
http://www.timesdispatch.com/vametro/MGBUWVHG8RC.html
(thax B.G.)

[NOTE: Why do we seem to always have to challenge DMAS for services they are supposed to provide???? kk-]

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A MATTER OF CHOICE
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"A Matter of Choice?"

The five-part "Nightline" series on gay life in America, "A Matter of Choice?," will conclude with a live 90-minute town meeting anchored by Ted Koppel from Roanoke, Virginia. "A Matter of Choice?" takes an in-depth look at the complexities of the gay experience, from senior citizens facing unique challenges in their twilight years to teenagers grappling with issues of sexual identity.....

"A Matter of Choice?" is scheduled to air on "Nightline" FRIDAY,

SEPTEMBER 28 and TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 thru FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 (11:35 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network...

The series begins Friday, September 28, with a conversation with residents of a retirement community near Bradenton, Florida. The Palms of Manasota is the nation's first gay and lesbian retirement community, and many of the residents in this community spent a large part of their lives trying to live "straight," often while married. These gay retirees speak honestly and openly with "Nightline" about coming to terms with their sexuality.

A Matter of Choice?" then examines the gay community through the eyes of the citizens of Roanoke, Virginia. On Tuesday, October 2, "Nightline" reports on the murder of Danny Overstreet in a gay bar in Roanoke, and the reaction to a newspaper series on the gay community published by the local paper in the wake of the murder. Mr. Koppel will also have a discussion about homosexuality with four Roanoke-area religious leaders: a Methodist, a Muslim, a Roman Catholic and a Southern Baptist.

On Wednesday, October 3, "Nightline" profiles two sets of parents in the Roanoke area -- a lesbian couple raising a child they had by artificial insemination and a second couple, devout Southern Baptists, raising their children in an environment that reflects their moral values. The program also profiles a former Roanoke Commonwealth

Attorney who had to prosecute gays under Virginia state laws while he was living a secret gay life. Today he is a defense attorney for people charged under Virginia's sodomy and solicitation laws.

Gay teenagers are the focus of "A Matter of Choice?" on Thursday, October 4. The program profiles a young lesbian whose own difficult experience coming out as a teenager has inspired her to work with gay teens. Mr. Koppel also speaks with gay and lesbian teenagers from the Roanoke area who are grappling with their own issues of sexual identity.

The series concludes Friday, October 5, with a live, 90-minute town meeting in Roanoke, anchored by Mr. Koppel.
(thax ProAging)

********************************************************
BEING DISABLED OR DISPLACED IS NOT A CRIME
********************************************************
This article from NYTimes.com

U.S. May Ease Regulation of Nursing Home Industry
By ROBERT PEAR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 — Bush administration officials want to ease regulatory requirements on nursing homes, reducing the frequency of inspections and lessening or eliminating some penalties, according to government documents.

As part of a "nursing home quality initiative" to be unveiled in the next few weeks by President Bush, the government would provide consumers better access to information that could be used in selecting homes.

But confidential government documents show that, at the same time, federal officials want to move away from what they view as an adversarial approach to enforcement toward a more collaborative one, in which regulators would work with nursing homes to improve care.

Read more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/07/politics/07NURS.html?ex=1000859119&ei=1&en=73ef361ad042c33b
(thax B.G.)

********************************************************
GET OUT THE VOTE!
********************************************************
Remember there is still time to REGISTER to VOTE! Please exercise your rights by expressing your opinion by Getting Out To Vote! Your vote, no matter which party you favor, will be very important as to future events concerning us all. So don't forget to register to vote. This can be OUR year to make that difference if you vote. Please vote informed and wisely.

REMEMBER:

Another item that you may not realize is that the LAW allows for accommodating anyone who cannot get INSIDE the polls to vote. They/you can request that an Election Official come to the curb side and they can vote from the comfort of their vehicle or whatever means of transportation used.

Effective July 1, 2001, for those who wish to take advantage of it, particularly those who run into access problems at their precinct, is a new provision wherein you can request to receive an absentee ballot for any and all elections during that year. In the past a person would have to request a ballot for each and every election.

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome. Feel free to use the information in these newsletters however you want and credit DAC at: dac4va@aol.com for your source if you so desire. To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit