HAVE WOUNDS THAT WON'T HEAL????

If you're having trouble with chronic bed sores or other wounds that just won't heal then DermaWound is the product for you. Check out the amazing healing effects on your wounds. I can attest to the fact that those nasty wound odors disappear almost overnight after using DermaWound and you'll also note immediate healing. Try Dr. Dixon's product and make sure you mention DAC for a limited time offer of FREE shipping. Remember, just say DAC referred you......kk-  

DermaWound
Wound Care Specialists
Guaranteed Results
You Can See, Smell & Feel in 24 Hours or Less, or Your Money Back!
Dr. D. Dixon, MD - Owner
http://www.dermawound.com/
Pressure / Bed Sores; Decubitus Ulcers;
Amputee Stumps; Chronic or Re-occurring Wounds,
with or without MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas, Strep or Fungi
Toll Free Wound Care Support Hotline
9am-5pm, Mon.-Fri. PST 1.866.727.0462

FINALLY
FAST FACT
The number of rejected prescription claims grew by 24 percent between the fourth quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006, a time period coinciding with the introduction of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to the latest research. Between January and March, 770,998 prescriptions were not dispensed to people with Medicare because the medicines were not covered by the Part D plans (“Medicare Part D Market Dynamics,” Wolters Kluwer Health, May 2006).


Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend:)

Much more news so read, enjoy and comment if you wish:)  

Keith-

========================================================
1. MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS PUT ENROLLEES AT RISK
2. DEAR MARCI - MEDICARE QUESTION ON PART D
3. HEALTH & WELFARE OF OLDER AMERICANS IMPROVES
4. PA GOVERNOR VETOES NURSING HOME INCREASE
5. LATEST ISSUE OF Visión Newsletter Online
6. TEACHING LONG? - FREAKS, GEEKS & ASPERGER SYN., LATEST BUZZ
7. LET MEDICARE HEAR FROM YOU
========================================================
********************************************************
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS PUT ENROLLEES AT RISK
********************************************************  
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS PUT ENROLLEES AT RISK

            New research shows that Medicare Advantage plans—HMOs and other private plans that deliver Medicare coverage—vary greatly in the cost-sharing they impose on enrollees in poor health. The study’s authors warn that, starting July 1, people with Medicare could be locked into an MA plan that puts them at risk for high out-of-pocket spending and propose suspension of the pending lock-in.
            Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the lobbying organization for the HMO industry, supported the call for suspension of lock-in during a May 19 forum sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform, where the new  Commonwealth Fund study, “Medicare Beneficiary Out-of-Pocket Costs: Are Medicare Advantage Plans a Better Deal?” was presented.
            The study’s authors, Brian Biles, Lauren Hersch Nicholas and Stuart Guterman, also recommended that MA benefit packages be standardized for easier comparison. Ignagni said that the industry would oppose such standardization because it would impede MA plans’ ability to provide innovative coverage options.
            The study found that for a person in poor health taking multiple drugs and requiring multiple hospital and doctor visits during the course of the year, patient cost-sharing among a sampling of MA plans ranged from $1,359 to $7,522. Plans that charged $200 or $300 per hospital day or that charged as much as $5,600 in out-of-pocket costs for chemotherapy could be bad deals for enrollees in poor health, according to the study.
            Researchers also found that 22 percent of plans imposed higher out-of-pocket costs on people in poor health than they would have paid under a supplemental Medigap plan that covered all Parts A and B cost-sharing and charged a community-rated premium—a premium that is not adjusted for pre-existing conditions.
       The plan that imposed the highest cost-sharing on sicker enrollees cost almost $2,000 more in out-of-pocket spending than the Medigap option, but nevertheless had nearly one quarter of the MA enrollees in its local area.
             Despite efforts to risk-adjust payments to MA plans, companies offering these plans still have incentives to discourage enrollment by sicker, costlier individuals, the researchers said. Benefit packages that impose high cost-sharing on the sick are one way of discouraging enrollment, they said.
(thax medicarerights)

********************************************************
DEAR MARCI - MEDICARE QUESTION ON PART D
********************************************************
Dear Marci,

I just found out I am eligible for the Extra Help program. Does this mean my plan will charge me one flat fee, or will the cost of my drugs change throughout the year?

   –Phil (Uncasville, CT)

Dear Phil,

The cost of your drugs may change from month-to-month, but not for the same reasons that they do for people without Extra Help. Because you have Extra Help, you will always pay either your Extra Help copayment or the amount that your plan charges people without Extra Help, whichever is cheaper.

However, since the amount a plan charges its members for prescriptions can change throughout the year, the “cheaper” amount may vary over time.

Example: Mr. S has full Extra Help, so his copayments are $2 for generics and $5 for brand-name drugs. However, his Medicare private drug plan only charges its members a $1.25 copayment for the generic drugs Mr. S. takes. Therefore, Mr. S should pay a $1.25 copayment for his generic drugs, since $1.25 is cheaper than his $2 Extra Help copayment. Once Mr. S’s total drug costs put him in his plan’s coverage gap—when plan members without Extra Help must pay 100 percent of the cost of their drugs—Mr. S’s out-of-pocket costs for his generic drugs would go up to $2, since his $2 Extra Help copayment is cheaper than 100 percent of the cost of the drug.

Your out-of-pocket costs will also change once you reach catastrophic coverage. If you have Extra Help, you will reach catastrophic coverage after your total drug costs—what you have paid plus what your plan and what Extra Help have paid for covered drugs—reach $5,100 in 2006.

Once you reach catastrophic coverage, if you have full Extra Help you will pay nothing for drugs on your plan’s formulary for the rest of the calendar year. If you have partial Extra Help (you have been paying 15 percent of the cost of your drugs instead of the $2 or $5 copayment), you will switch to paying $2 for generic drugs and $5 for brand-name drugs for the rest of the calendar year.

Note: Catastrophic coverage works differently if you do not have Extra Help.

   –Marci
(thax medicarerights)

********************************************************
HEALTH & WELFARE OF OLDER AMERICANS IMPROVES
********************************************************
Health and Welfare of Older Americans Improves

According to a recently released government report, seniors in the United States are in better health and enjoying a higher standard of living than their predecessors. Nonetheless, there are ominous clouds on the horizon.

The U. S. Census Bureau report, "65+ in the United States: 2005," was prepared by National Institute on Aging in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Among the findings:

The population aged 65 and over is increasing--
* The United States population aged 65 and over is expected to double in size within the next 25 years.
* By 2030, almost 1 out of every 5 Americans -- some 72 million people -- will be 65 years or older.
* The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population.
* Geographically, Florida (17.6 percent), Pennsylvania (15.6 percent) and West Virginia (15.3 percent) are the "oldest" states, with the highest percentages of people aged 65 and older. Charlotte County, Fla. (34.7 percent) gets top honors among counties, and McIntosh County, N.D. (34.2 percent) ranks second.

Fewer older Americans are living in poverty--
* Poverty dropped from 35% of seniors in 1959 to 10% in 2003.

America's older population is in better health than ever, for now--
* The proportion of Americans age 65 and older with a disability fell significantly from 26.2 percent in 1982 to 19.7 percent in 1999.
* Heart disease deaths are dropping for people aged 65 and older.
* Heart disease, cancer, and stroke remain the leading cause of death.

Like America's population as a whole, senior adults are also growing more diverse--
* In 2003, older Americans were 83 percent non-Hispanic White, 8 percent Black, 6 percent Hispanic and 3 percent Asian.
* By 2030, an estimated 72 percent of older Americans will be non-Hispanic White, 11 percent Hispanic, 10 percent Black and 5 percent Asian.

Changes in the American family have significant implications for future aging--
* Divorce, for example, is on the rise, and some researchers suggest that fewer children and more stepchildren may change the availability of family support in the future for people at older ages. In 1960, only 1.6 percent of older men and 1.5 percent of women aged 65 and older were divorced. But by 2003, 7 percent of older men and 8.6 percent of older women were divorced and had not remarried.
* The trend may be continuing. In 2003, among people in their early 60s, 12.2 percent of men and 15.9 percent of women were divorced.

Disability and chronic health conditions remain a major problem for many senior adults--
* Fourteen million people age 65 and older reported some level of disability in Census 2000, mostly linked to a high prevalence of chronic conditions such as heart disease or arthritis.
* Older adults have the second-highest rate of death from automobile accidents (trailing only young people age 15-24).
* Reflecting the population as a whole, more older people are obese. Nearly a quarter of men aged 65-74 were obese in 1988-1994. By 1999-2000, more than a third of men in that age group were obese.
* For women of the same age, obesity rose from about 27 percent to nearly 39 percent during the same period. Adults aged 75 and older were less likely to be obese.

The report, issued in March 2006, may be accessed from the following Web page: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2006/nia-09.htm.
(thax Elderfax)

********************************************************
PA GOVERNOR VETOES NURSING HOME INCREASE
********************************************************
Governor Rendell Vetoes Bill to Prevent $103 Million Gap in State Budget

Bill would have reimbursed nursing homes at rates 150 percent higher than other health care providers.

HARRISBURG, PA - Governor Edward G. Rendell today vetoed a bill which could have increased reimbursements to nursing homes at a rate 150 percent higher than other health care providers including doctors and hospitals and could have left a gap of more than $100 million in the proposed 2006-07 state budget and caused increased state spending.

In his veto message to Senate Bill 997, the Governor reminded the General Assembly that he had committed to a "pay as you go" budget process for Pennsylvania and has repeatedly said he would not sign legislation that either significantly increases spending or reduces revenue without a specific plan to pay for it.

"Clearly, nursing homes are an important component of our long term living system," the Governor wrote. "Pennsylvania has treated its skilled nursing facilities very well, particularly when compared to other states. Between 2000 and 2005, nursing facility per diem payment rates in the commonwealth increased an average of 4.9 percent per year for a total increase over that time of nearly 30 percent. National comparative surveys have consistently ranked Pennsylvania nursing home payments among the highest in the nation. For example, in a 2004 AARP Policy Institute Study, Pennsylvania per diem payment rates were the 8th highest in the country.

"While my administration has proposed a 4 percent increase in rates here in Pennsylvania, the federal government has actually frozen payment rates and only one state of 23 that responded to a recent survey was proposing a higher percentage increase than what I proposed. In fact, 11 states and the federal government were proposing a rate freeze or a rate reduction for 2006-07.

"At the same time, Pennsylvania has been aggressively expanding programs and services that allow seniors and those with disabilities to remain in their homes and communities, which is where they overwhelmingly choose to live. In fact, the number of people served in PDA home and community based waiver programs has grown more than 75 percent since 2003 and I have proposed funding to serve an additional 2,800 individuals in the upcoming fiscal year. Likewise, home and community based services for people with disabilities have experienced similar increases in both funding and number of people served. As a result, we have made great progress in allowing seniors and the disabled to live their lives in dignity, by receiving quality services where they need them and want them."

The Governor referred to a letter he received last week from Fred Greisbach, the director of Pennsylvania AARP, urging him to veto SB 997.

"We are particularly concerned that nursing home funding increases that would occur as a result of SB 997 may come at the expense of home and community-based care programs currently financed through the Department of Public Welfare9s Medicaid waiver program," Greisbach wrote. "While the number of Pennsylvanians receiving state assistance for home and community-based care has risen dramatically in recent years, the commonwealth still lags behind much of the United States in funding alternatives to nursing home care."

The Governor noted that AARP sent him a letter requesting he veto this legislation, writing that, "We are particularly concerned that nursing home funding increases that would occur as a result of SB 997 may come at the expense of home and community-based care programs." AARP also said that SB 997 also would prevent implementation of changes designed to rebalance the long term care system, consistent with the clear preference of consumers to receive needed services in their homes and communities.

"Despite the fact that I am now vetoing this legislation, I want to emphasize our willingness to continue negotiating changes in the nursing home payment system that will provide a reasonable increase in payment rates, enhance consumer choice and efficiency in the long term care delivery system and provide appropriate services for seniors and those with disabilities."
(thax jfa)

********************************************************
LATEST ISSUE OF Visión Newsletter Online
********************************************************
The latest issue of the Proyecto Visión newsletter is now available online at http://www.proyectovision.net/english/news/index.html. It includes articles about one woman's struggle with deciding to disclose her disability at work and at school; an El Paso mother who advocated first for her son, and later on behalf of her community; as well as a resource center that is helping to reduce isolation by bringing Latino families together.

There is still time to register to attend the Bridges to Employment Conference May 31- June 2 in San Antonio. Space is limited and filling up fast. Register today at http://www.proyectovision.net/english/bridges/index.html!
(thax wid)

********************************************************
TEACHING LONG? - FREAKS, GEEKS & ASPERGER SYN., LATEST BUZZ
********************************************************
How Long Have You Been Teaching?
Common question asked of teachers by other teachers, parents, administrators and so on. So what if the response is 69 years? Hazel Haley, at 89 is the longest-serving public-school...read more

Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome
I just finished reading the above book which was written by Luke, a 13 year old diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Although I've read many books about Asperger's, I thoroughly enjoyed...read more

The Latest 'BUZZ'
There are lots of buzz words in education, inclusion, project based learning, evidence informed decision making (EIDM), and differentiated learning just to name a few. Lately, 'Differentiated Instruction' or 'Differentiated...read more
(thax about.com)

********************************************************
LET MEDICARE HEAR FROM YOU
********************************************************
Make Your Voice Heard

May 25, 2006 • Volume 6, Issue 21

This week the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the House committees with oversight over Medicare, held its first oversight hearing on the government’s implementation of Medicare’s Part D drug benefit.

Representatives heard testimony from Part D drug plans; they heard from pharmacists and they heard from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

But they did not hear from a single person with Medicare.

If they had, they would have heard a different, truer story—perhaps one that the Congressional leadership would prefer to ignore. For example, here is what Mr. M. of Merritt Island, Florida, would have told them:

“I am severely disabled, 66, and under the poverty line, receiving $603 every  month in SSI. I pay rent and utilities to the housing authority and for years have had free prescription drug coverage from Florida Medicaid.

“I enrolled in Medicare Rx Rewards from UniCare in January. I pay only $1 to $3 in copayments and no premium—I have no problem with these minimum copayments.

“Today, I should have two refills, but the pharmacy informed me that I had been dropped from UniCare. Since January 2006 I have received all my prescriptions from UniCare, including some requiring preauthorization, and suddenly I lost my drug coverage.

“I spent hours speaking with UniCare and Medicare. Finally, UniCare informed  me that Medicare had changed my drug plan without telling me, just when  President Bush was visiting Orlando and lobbying for more seniors to enroll in  Part D, because six million people are not yet registered.

“I am so sick. I have no words to describe my sadness, disbelief and disappointment as an American senior.”

Mr. M. contacted the Medicare Rights Center to share his experience. He is not alone. There are thousands of stories—stories of real men and women with basic human needs—describing dropped coverage and drugs not covered under Part D.

Consider this fact: Between January and March, Medicare Part D plans refused to fill over one million prescriptions because the drugs were not covered by the plans, because the plans imposed coverage limitations or because there was a foul-up in enrollment records. This is during the period Part D plans were supposed to cover all initial prescriptions to help transition new members.

Behind those rejected pharmacy claims are stories of people with Medicare walking out of the pharmacy without medicine they need to keep their blood pressure or blood sugar in check or to keep their mental health stabilized.

Our representatives need to hear those stories. That’s why Americans United  has organized 18 constituent hearings in 14 states starting next week. Members of Congress and their staff will be invited to hear from their constituents about the problems that have plagued Part D and steps that need to be taken to fix it:

Require Medicare to negotiate the lowest possible drug prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers; Eliminate the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole”; Offer the option of a drug plan directly administered by the Medicare program.

Tell Congress your Part D story and demand a real Medicare drug benefit at one of the upcoming constituent hearings around the country.
(thax medicarerights)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  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

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm 

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

NEXT

New Freedom Initiative
Home and Community-based Services as a State Plan Option
Section 6086 of the Deficit Reduction Act
Focused Open Door Forum
Monday, May 8, 2006
1:30-3:00 PM EDT
Conference Call Only

This New Freedom Initiative Open Door Forum will focus on Section 6086 of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA). Short Summary of Section 6086 Section 6086,

Expanded Access to Home and Community-Based Services for the Elderly and Disabled, offers states the opportunity to provide a comprehensive program of home and community-based services under the Medicaid State Plan as an optional service.

This Open Door Forum will attempt to answer the following discussion questions:
1)  What are the differences between the HCBS State Plan Option and the HCBS waiver program?
2)  As States are considering whether/how they might use the new State Plan option, what are some important considerations for CMS to be aware of as they implement the new legislation? What is necessary to make this benefit as useful as possible?

We look forward to your participation.

Open Door Forum Participation Instructions:
General Public
Dial: 1-800-837-1935  
Reference Conference ID:  8722262
TTY Communications Relay Services are available for the Hearing Impaired.  For TTY services dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-855-2880 and for Internet Relay services click here http://members.aol.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.consumer.att.com/relay/which/index.html .   A Relay Communications Assistant will help.

Please register for the remaining NFI Open Door Forums through: http://members.aol.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/mailinglists/default.asp?audience=4 .  (The call-in and conference ID numbers for subsequent forums will be e-mailed to individuals who have registered.) 

NEXT
New website for HOME, Inc. The URL is: http://www.homeinc.us/

We also have a fully accessible house for sale in downtown Fred'bg.  It's on our
website too, but, it's separate from our main site?
The link straight to it is: www.homeinc.us/sales.html

Contact:
Wayne McVicker
President, CEO
H.O.M.E., Inc.
(my home office)
1906 Charles Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 310-0771

NEXT
AHC Group builds new accessible apartments called the Sanderling. Your state can also hook up to build units like this. Check it out.
http://epilot2.hamptonroads.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrintGifMSIE_VPCLIPPER&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=VPclipper/2006/04/28&ChunkNum=0&ID=Ar00300

NEXT
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 5:00 P.M. May 12, 2006

Recruitment for the PARTNERS IN POLICYMAKING Class of 2007 is under way!

v     Partners in Policymaking participants are people with developmental disabilities or parents of young children with developmental disabilities.

v     Individuals participating in the program will attend advocacy training, resource development and skill building workshops with training provided by state and national level speakers, presenters and specialists in a variety of fields.  Topics covered include the history of the disability movement, self advocacy, independent living, supported employment, inclusive community building, natural supports, legislative advocacy, assistive technology, communication and team building and much more!

v     Program participants will attend and participate in 8 two-day sessions between September 2006 and May 2007 in Richmond, VA. Each session begins Friday afternoon and concludes late Saturday afternoon.  Participants agree to complete all homework, class assignments and one major project designed to meet competencies.

v     Expenses for training, lodging, meals, and travel are provided through the program.

v     Applicants are required to complete a formal written application and provide three letters of recommendation.

Download your application at www.vaboard.org (click on sponsored programs, then Partners In Policymaking).  Completed applications must be received at the Board office no later than Friday, May 12, 2006. 

For further information, please contact John Richmond by email: john.richmond@vbpd.virginia.gov or: Teri Barker Morgan at: teri.barker@vbpd.virginia.gov or call 1-800-846-4464 (voice/TTY).

Fall 2006-Spring 2007 Class Schedule will take place on one Friday and Saturday in each of the following months.  The exact dates will be posted soon.

September, October, November 2006, January, February, March, April, May 2007  

NEXT ------ A JOB, A JOB:)
Coalition on Human Needs Transitions

Dear Human Needs Community:
The Coalition on Human Needs has been very fortunate in having had the benefit of Steve Wamhoff's passionate commitment, knowledge, and skills since January of 2005.  Most of the email alerts and updates you receive from CHN have been written or improved by Steve, as well as countless Human Needs Reports articles.  Now he will be moving on to the position of Policy Analyst at the wonderful Citizens for Tax Justice.  While we will miss Steve and his exemplary work immensely, it feels great that he will have the opportunity to focus more on the vital issues of tax equity.  I know that Steve's contributions to the work of economic justice will grow and grow, and the whole human needs community will benefit.

This means CHN will be hiring a new Policy Associate - as quickly as possible!  The job announcement is on our website, at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=118588060&url_num=1&url=http://www.chn.org/images/CHNpolicyassociateposition.pdf  We hope you will circulate this among people who want to make a contribution to effective human needs advocacy, and have a pretty good time doing it.
Deborah Weinstein,
Executive Director

AND
A CALL TO ACTION ADVOCACY PLANNING FOR THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Saturday, May 20, 2006
9:30 am - 4:30 pm Registration begins at 9:00 am
A Call to Action is geared towards older students, parents, advocates, and attorneys who represent students. Educators are welcome. The $15.00 registration fee covers materials and a box lunch. A 24 hour cancellation notice is required for reimbursement of fee. Registration must be received by May 18th in order to guarantee lunch. Make checks payable to the Endependence Center and mail to:
A Call to Action
Endependence Center, Inc.
6300 E. Virginia Beach Bvd.
Norfolk, VA 23502-2827

For more information contact:
Cheryl Ward
Endependence Center, Inc.
6300 E. Virginia Beach Blvd.
Norfolk, VA  23502-2827
cward@endependence.org
757-461-8007
757-461-5375 FAX

NEXT

HAVE WOUNDS THAT WON'T HEAL????

If you're having trouble with chronic bed sores or other wounds that just won't heal then DermaWound is the product for you. Check out the amazing healing effects on your wounds. I can attest to the fact that those nasty wound odors disappear almost overnight after using DermaWound and you'll also note immediate healing. Try Dr. Dixon's product and make sure you mention DAC for a limited time offer of FREE shipping. Remember, just say DAC referred you......kk-  

DermaWound
Wound Care Specialists
Guaranteed Results
You Can See, Smell & Feel in 24 Hours or Less, or Your Money Back!
Dr. D. Dixon, MD - Owner
http://www.dermawound.com/
Pressure / Bed Sores; Decubitus Ulcers;
Amputee Stumps; Chronic or Re-occurring Wounds,
with or without MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas, Strep or Fungi
Toll Free Wound Care Support Hotline
9am-5pm, Mon.-Fri. PST 1.866.727.0462

NEXT
3rd annual National Housing Justice Day Rally- May 25th

National Housing Day- Rally for Justice
Thursday, May 25th @ Noon
Portland City Hall- 1221 SW 4th

Join us for the 3rd annual National Housing Justice Day Rally- Let's demand real home-land security!

For more information or to become a Rally Sponsor, contact Michael Anderson at (503) 335-9884 or mike@cdnportland.org

FINALLY
Our 1st story presents a challenge to Virginia's Olmstead Initiative. Lets see if all of the hard work we've done in the past will help put a man back into his home and out of a facility. I urge everyone to pass this story on and I, of course, will tell you the results of your actions. Good luck!


Much more news so read, enjoy and comment if you wish:)  

Keith-

========================================================
1. I WANNA GO HOME
2. WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES DISABILITIES EXPO - MAY 19-21st
3. MONEY FOR ACCESSIBILITY AND HOME MODIFICATIONS
4. RALLY SUPPORT TO PRESERVE, IMPROVE AND EXPAND MEDICARE
5. THE WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
6. GREAT YEAR FOR QUADRIPLEGICS AT 2006 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
========================================================
********************************************************
I WANNA GO HOME
********************************************************  
Greetings!

Attached and below is an appeal by a family who are seeking a trustworthy and loyal relationship with an individual or couple.  This family is offering room and board in return for personal care assistance for the homeowner who has a disability.  You can help by getting the word out about this opportunity.  Thank you for your time and consideration, Wally Sabin

Walter Sabin, Executive Director
Lynchburg Area Center For Independent Living, Inc.
500 Alleghany Avenue, Suite 520
Lynchburg, Virginia 24501
434-528-4971(v)
434-528-4976(f)
434-528-4972(tty)

____________________________________________________________

SPREAD THE WORD:  BARTERING ROOM AND BOARD FOR HELP NEEDED

"A Call For Creative Ideas And Practical Solutions That Would Allow Me To Live Independently In My Home and Community-Not In A State Facility"

I am John Maddox, have a home in Lynchburg, VA, and have been quadriplegic for 15 years.  My home is fully accessible and was built for me by Lynchburg Habitat For Humanity.  I am currently at Allegheny Rehab in Clifton Forge, VA.

We are looking for a live-in person or couple that would care for me as needed built around the VA Medicaid waiver care I will receive.  In exchange I will barter rent and utilities.  I have done this in the past and it does work.  My home becomes your home is my approach.  Plus it is cheaper for me to live at home than in a nursing home.

I need someone in the home 24/7.  VA Medicaid has approved only 46 hours of paid care for me in the past.  VA Medicaid says that I must have a full time live in care giver before they might approve a new waiver for me which would supplement my live in care giver.  Once I have a live in care giver, I will be applying for a Tech Waiver which will give me 16 hrs per day of paid nursing and CNA care.

All I want to do is live in my home.  I have been out of my home for over a year now.  I can't even get a bed at a Lynchburg facility.  The system is really jammed up.  To be near family and friends is priceless.  There are a lot of others in facilities that want to live in their homes.  We are fortunate to live in America.  We are unfortunate to live in a state that in my opinion makes it extremely difficult for me and others to live independently.  The challenge to survive is a fight on a good day.  Add the lack of State Support and it's just about too much - Regardless if I am in a facility or not, I will never give up the dream, wish, hope and desire to live in and share my home.

Many thanks to those who may assist with this.  With respect and regards to all,

John Maddox; 2213 Hanover Street; Lynchburg, VA 24501; almaddox@ntelos.net

BACKGROUND INFORMATION as of May 2, 2006

The more than 600 Centers for Independent Living (CIL's) across the nation and the more than 16 in Virginia are advocating "system's change" to eliminate the "Medicaid Institutional Bias" in favor of "community based services" and greater consumer choice.

Many persons in nursing homes do not want to be there and may have alternatives that would be less expensive, but policies and laws prevent such flexibility and consumer choice.

If you would like more information about this part of the "Independent Living Movement", then contact the CIL serving your area; or contact:

Walter Sabin, Executive Director
Lynchburg Area Center For Independent Living, Inc.
500 Alleghany Avenue, Suite 520
Lynchburg, Virginia 24501
434-528-4971(v)  
434-528-4976(f)  
434-528-4972(tty)  
www.LACIL.org
walter@lacil.org

********************************************************
WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES DISABILITIES EXPO - MAY 19-21st
********************************************************
PLEASE TELL PEOPLE YOU LOVE, KNOW, OR WORK WITH, ABOUT THE WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES DISABILITIES EXPO. THIS IS THE LARGEST CROSS DISABILITIES EVENT IN THE REGION-WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!!

Click on this link for the new World of Possibilities Expo movie. Enjoy! http://www.caringcommunities.org/images/wofp.mov

If it won't play, you may not have QuickTime movie player. It is a free download http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html Just click on the link, enter your e-mail and click "free download now." You will then be able to view our slide show and movies/shows on other sites.

To view our Expo flyer, click link http://www.caringcommunities.org/WPMD06Expo.pdf

The WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES DISABILITIES Expo is open Friday, May 19th from 10 am - 5pm; Saturday, May 20th from 11 am - 4 pm; and Sunday, May 21st from 11 am - 4 pm. You should not miss the World of Possibilities Disabilities Expo if you are a family caregiver, individual with a disability, senior citizen, baby-boomer, healthcare provider or educator! World of Possibilities is the largest and most anticipated disabilities event in the Mid-Atlantic Region which includes three full days of: Durable medical products and resources * Assistive and adaptive equipment * Local agencies and support groups * Free admission and free parking.

MTA will be offering free, round-trip, continuous shuttle services from the Timonium Light Rail Stop to the door of the Expo (5pm, last shuttle).

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES AUTISM DAY is scheduled within the existing World of Possibilities Disabilities Expo at Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD on Sunday, May 21st. Pathfinders for Autism http://www.pathfindersforautism.org/, the sponsoring organization, is working with Caring Communities to plan this incredible day which will highlight an autism pavilion of support resources, targeted autism-related augmentative communication/assistive technology exhibitors, host nationally acclaimed autism related speakers and more! These nationally acclaimed autism speakers have been confirmed: Wolf Dunaway, Dr. Peter Gerhardt, Dr. Craig Newschaffer, Larry Lipsitz, and Julie Rusyniak.

MORE EXCITING EXPO FEATURES:

The Maryland Disabilities Forum has scheduled the 2006 Primary Election Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Disabilities on Friday, May 19, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Gubernatorial candidates, will address their respective platforms on disability issues.

LISTENING POST - The Statewide Independent Living Council in partnership with the Maryland Commission on Disabilities will host a “Listening Post” after the 2006 Primary Election Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Disabilities. The "Listening Post" will provide an opportunity for constituents to speak with Commissioners about their issues living with a disability in Maryland. The information gathered is just the first step in a process for the Maryland Commission on Disabilities involvement with the next State Plan. There will be other "Listening Posts" around the State throughout May and June.

A Chance to Parent/1st Annual Mid-Atlantic Coalition Conference: The Mid-Atlantic Coalition For Supporting Parents with Cognitive Challenges and Their Families will be holding a conference on the 2nd Floor of the Vista Room, on Friday, May 19, 2006 from 9:00am - 4:00pm. The Mid-Atlantic Coalition facilitates community partnerships, offers networking and educational opportunities; and, promotes advocacy, on-going systems change, and best practices designed to increase the viability and capacity of all families.

Bobby Mathews of Choice Marketing and Sales is donating free wheelchair rentals and free wheel repair services! Your donations to Caring Communities for this valuable service are strongly urged to offset Caring Communities booth space and other costs to bring this service back year after year.

Important National and Statewide meetings will be featured, such as: Youth Empowerment Alliance (YEA), Best Buddies, ADAPT, The Mid-Atlantic Coalition for Supported Parenting, Parents' Place-MSDE/Parent Meeting, Maryland CILS and more to be announced soon.

Sign Language interpreters will be available from Visual Language Interpreters.

Home Helpers will offer assistance to attendees as requested.

Artists and Authors within the disabilities community will display their wonderful work, sell their creations and sign autographs.

Red Cross of Central Maryland will educate the audience about disaster relief and emergency preparedness.

Entertainment, celebrities, special guests, mascots, strolling entertainers, face painting and carnival games for the children and more!

You can print our free pre-registration/door prize tickets for the EXPO: http:// expo.caringcommunities.org/

We like to thank our sponsors: Pathfinders for Autism, MSDE-Division of Special Ed/Early Intervention, Developmental Disabilities Council, Choice Marketing and Sales, Home Helpers, United Healthcare, Visual Language Interpreters, Ride-Away, Amerigroup, Disability Associates, Kelmar & Associates, Media Partners and Friends of the Expo! The 2006 Expos will be bigger and better! PLEASE JOIN US! Contact Caring Communities at 1-866-227-4644 or click on http://www.caringcommunities.org/

Mona Freedman, RN
Executive Director/Founder
Caring Communities
1015 Gleneagle Court
Eldersburg, MD 21784
Office: 410.549.5707
Toll Free: 1.866.227.4644
Fax: 410.549.6467
mona@caringcommunities.org
www.caringcommunities.org

********************************************************
MONEY FOR ACCESSIBILITY AND HOME MODIFICATIONS
********************************************************
Money for Accessibility and Home Modifications - Information Bulletin #107
(5/06)

In two recent HUD Notices, recipients of federal funds were reminded that housing units had to be accessible for persons with disabilities and there were funds available to make them accessible.

In Notice PIH 2006-13 (3/8/2006), HUD had a heading "Accessibility Funding Sources."  Here is what HUD wrote regarding sources of funds:

"PHA Capital Fund, PHA operating budgets, PHA operating reserves, PHA Housing Choice Voucher administrative fees and administrative fee reserves, State or local Community Development Block Grant funds, State and local HOME program funds."

This covers ALL public housing programs, including vouchers, ALL "private " housing funded with CDBG funds (which nationally is more than 25% of CDBG), and ALL HOME funds (annually about $1.5 Billion dollars for new construction, rehabilitation, and tenant-based vouchers).

In HUD Notice 2006-05 "Implementation of the 2006 HUD Appropriation Act," HUD explicitly recognized that a Housing Authority's Administrative Fees in its Housing Voucher Program can be used to modify housing units to make them accessible.

Here's what the Chicago ADAPT folks recently did.  They met with HUD's Regional Director to make sure he was going to implement these HUD Notices in his region and to discuss the Access Across America proposal.

Disability housing advocates throughout the country should meet with their HUD Regional Directors and demand what the Chicago ADAPT folks did:

1.  Your Regional Director should contact all the Housing Authorities in his/her region to strongly suggest that they work with their State's Medicaid office to set aside vouchers for persons in nursing homes who want to live in the community. [ Remember, your Housing Authority writes an Annual Plan listing voucher preferences.  Also, as existing vouchers turn over, they could be used to deinstitutionalize disabled people.

2.  Your Regional Director should contact all the Housing Authorities in his/her region to remind them that they have funds listed in the two HUD notices that could be used to make units accessible in their voucher programs.

3.  To report back the results in three months.

Here's what Chicago ADAPT said in conclusion: "To sum up, we got everything we expected we could get from a regional director AND MORE! Thanks to the small but powerful group that made this action a success.!"

Come on guys. Chicago has thrown down the gauntlet.  Who will step up to this challenge, meet and raise Chicago?

Remember, "Power concedes nothing without a struggle."

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.  To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com

********************************************************
RALLY SUPPORT TO PRESERVE, IMPROVE AND EXPAND MEDICARE
********************************************************
Asclepios
Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update

Enough is Enough
May 4, 2006 • Volume 6, Issue 18

This week the Medicare trustees predicted that general tax revenues would fund 45 percent of Medicare expenditures by 2012, with the remaining funding derived from payroll taxes and premiums paid by people with Medicare. The warning is required by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. The Bush administration says the warning should trigger across the board cuts to Medicare reimbursement for doctors, hospitals and other providers.

It is a phony ploy that is part of a campaign to undermine Medicare, the single most successful domestic program of the past 40 years.

When Medicare was created, a payroll tax was established to pay into a trust fund that would pay for Part A, which covers inpatient hospital care. General tax revenues, the corporate and individual income taxes that pay for other government services, and premiums paid by people with Medicare were supposed to pay for Part B, which covers doctor visits and other outpatient services. The Part D drug benefit is also being paid for out of general revenues and premiums.

Whether the 45 percent threshold is reached has as much to do with whether more people receive care in more efficient outpatient settings—the current trend—instead of staying in the hospital. It has nothing to do with the solvency of the trust fund for Part A. It is about which pot of taxpayer money is used.

The 45 percent threshold tells us nothing about how much we, as a society, can afford to pay for the healthcare or older Americans and people with disabilities. In fact, it masks the raw deal all Americans are getting for their health care dollars under our fragmented, profit-driven health insurance system.

The U.S. Spent $5,635 per person through Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers and all other sources in 2003, the most recent year with available, comparative data. U.S. per capita health care spending is nearly twice that of Canada , and more than double the average among the industrialized countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

As a percentage of per capita gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of the amount of economic activity per person that can be used to pay for health care, the U.S. healthcare system far exceeds OECD countries. U.S. health care spending was 13.9 percent of per capita GDP in 2001. Canada’s percentage was 9.7 percent and the median for OECD countries was 8.1 percent.

And U.S. health care costs are rising at a faster clip, outpacing the rate of health care increases in OECD countries. Health spending in the U.S. is predicted to top 20 percent of GDP within the next 10 years.

And what do we get for spending twice as much?

Lower quality health care. The U.S. ranks lowest among six industrialized countries on patient safety, efficiency, access for low income patients and patient centeredness—physicians’ responsiveness to and communications with patients, according to a study by the non-partisan Commonwealth Fund.

The U.S. pays higher prices for pharmaceutical drugs than any other country. Almost one quarter of our total healthcare spending is spent on administrative costs of insurers, employers and providers.

By comparison, publicly administered health care systems are models of efficiency. Medicare, for example, spends just 2 percent of its annual budget on administrative costs. If Congress would require Medicare to negotiate drug prices, it could save even more.

The 45 percent Medicare cost trigger is a Trojan horse for a Congress and White House intent on undermining the national treasure that is Medicare.  Do not let them fool you.

Demand that our Congress and the administration preserve, improve and expand Medicare, the one part of the U.S. health care system that has the ability to provide health care that is affordable, both to the individuals that use it and to society as a whole. Tell your congressman and senator to defend Medicare and to support a Medicare option for all Americans.

MRC President Bob Hayes in Response to Reports that Medicare is Going Broke

“Medicare is the solution to our soaring health care costs, not the problem. Congressional and administration priorities to forbid the government from negotiating drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry for the Part D drug benefit and to continue to overpay the private health plans that deliver Medicare benefits are needlessly siphoning money from Medicare.

"This failure to recognize that private health insurers can neither contain health care costs as effectively as the government or guarantee people the coverage they need keeps the United States spending twice as much on overall health care costs as other developed countries, while leaving millions uninsured and underinsured. Responsible leadership would meet the health care needs of people with Medicare—and all Americans—efficiently and directly through an extension of Medicare to all Americans.”

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M716423387069348227688365
(thax medicarerights)

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THE WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
********************************************************
THE WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The White House Internship Program offers an excellent opportunity to serve our President and explore public service. We are seeking exceptional candidates to apply for this highly competitive program. In addition to normal office duties, interns attend weekly lectures, tours, and complete an intern service project. Interns may serve a term in the Fall, Spring or Summer. All candidates must be at least 18 years of age, hold United States citizenship, and be enrolled in a college or university.

We hope you will explore our White House Intern Website for additional information at:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html

To apply, read and complete the White House Intern Application. A strong application includes the following:

     * sound academic credentials
     * history of community involvement and leadership
     * solid verbal/written communication skills
     * demonstrated interest in public service

Completed application materials must be submitted to Karen Race, Deputy Director and Intern Coordinator in the office of White House Personnel, at intern_application@whitehouse.gov prior to the following deadlines:

* Applications due June 16, 2006 for FALL 2006 term - (September 5 to December 15, 2006)
* Applications due October 13, 2006 for SPRING 2007 term - (January 9 to May 11, 2007)

f you have questions you may contact Karen Race by phone, (202) 456-5979 or by e-mail, intern__application@whitchousc.gov.

We look forward to hearing from you.

- - - - - - - - - -

Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Associate Director on Disabilities
Domestic Policy Council
The White House
Washington, DC   20502
Voice:(202) 456-5594
Fax:  (202) 456-5557
Email:  ocantos@who.eop.gov

********************************************************
GREAT YEAR FOR QUADRIPLEGICS AT 2006 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
********************************************************
A GREAT YEAR FOR QUADRIPLEGICS AT THE 2006 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE

The $899,761 is authority to use money from various funding sources; the $1,050,000 is new money for the specific purpose listed below in the priviso language.

658 SPECIAL CATEGORIES PURCHASED CLIENT SERVICES FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND

1,050,000 FROM BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD INJURY REHABILITATION TRUST FUND ....18,075,572 From the funds in Specific Appropriation 658, $899,761 from the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund shall be used to provide services to 25 additional individuals in the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver Program.

$1,050,000 for quadriplegics, and the priviso language

ANOTHER QUADRIPLEGIC GAIN

A SECOND PLUS FOR QUADRIPLEGICS IS TO ADDRESS QUADRIPLEGICS ON VENTILATORS WHO MAY NEED A NURSING HOME FACILITY.

Both of the above accomplishments are subject to veto by the Governor.
  
We will post more on the www.dignity4disabled.com web site.

Frankly, I feel as if a 10,000 weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Respectfully submitted,

Denny R. Wood pPres.
Florida Paraplegic Association, Inc.
13000 SW 92 Avenue B-403
Miami, FL 33176
305-978-0870

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  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

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm 

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

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!! FREE TRAINING
“Understanding the Myriad of Rules Governing SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare & Related Work Incentives for People with Disabilities”

IN ADDITION TO THIS 2-DAY TRAINING THERE WILL BE AN ABBREVIATED EVENING TRAINING FOR  "FRIENDS & FAMILY" ENTITLED, "WORK AND KEEP YOUR BENEFITS." THIS IS A PERFECT TRAINING FOR ANYONE WANTING MORE INFORMATION

If you are interested in registering for the 2-day training, the evening training or just want more information CONTACT: mmorrison@ourpeoplework.org

WHEN
Thursday, May 11, 2006  8:30 AM -
Friday, May 12, 2006  4:30 PM

WHERE
Ramada Plaza Resort
5700 Atlantic Avenue Beach
Virginia Beach, VA

FREE TRAINING

NEXT
Share Health Care Stories with Filmmmaker Michael Moore

"Send Me Your Health Care Horror Stories . . .an appeal from Michael Moore"

Friends,

How would you like to be in my next movie? I know you've probably heard I'm making a documentary about the health care industry (but the HMOs don't know this, so don't tell them they think I'm making a romantic comedy).

If you've followed my work over the years, you know that I keep a pretty low profile while I'm making my movies. I don't give interviews, I don't go on TV and I don't defrost my refrigerator. I do keep my website updated on a daily basis (there's been something like 4,000,000 visitors just this week alone) and the rest of the time I'm... well, I can't tell you what I'm doing, but you can pretty much guess. It gets harder and harder sneaking into corporate headquarters, but I've found that just dying my hair black and wearing a skort really helps.

Back to my invitation to be in my movie. Have you ever found yourself getting ready to file for bankruptcy because you can't pay your kid's hospital bill, and then you say to yourself, "Boy, I sure would like to be in Michael Moore's health care movie!"? Or, after being turned down for the third time by your HMO for an operation they should be paying for, do you ever think to yourself, "Now THIS travesty should be in that 'Sicko' movie!"?

Or maybe you've just been told that your father is going to have to just, well, die because he can't afford the drugs he needs to get better and it's then that you say, "Damn, what did I do with Michael Moore's home number?!"

Ok, here's your chance. As you can imagine, we've got the goods on these bastards. All we need now is to put a few of you in the movie and let the world see what the greatest country ever in the history of the universe does to its own people, simply because they have the misfortune of getting sick. Because getting sick, unless you are rich, is a crime a crime for which you must pay, sometimes with your own life.

About four hundred years from now, historians will look back at us like we were some sort of barbarians, but for now we're just the laughing stock of the Western world.

So, if you'd like me to know what you've been through with your insurance company, or what it's been like to have no insurance at all, or how the hospitals and doctors wouldn't treat you (or if they did, how they sent you into poverty trying to pay their crazy bills) ...if you have been abused in any way by this sick, greedy, grubby system and it has caused you or your loved ones great sorrow and pain, let me know.

Send me a short, factual account of what has happened to you and what IS happening to you right now if you have been unable to get the health care you need. Send it to michael@michaelmoore.com. I will read every single one of them (even if I can't respond to or help everyone, I will be able to bring to light a few of your stories).

Thank you in advance for sharing them with me and trusting me to try and do something about a very corrupt system that simply has to go.

Oh, and if you happen to work for an HMO or a pharmaceutical company or a profit-making hospital and you have simply seen too much abuse of your fellow human beings and can't take it any longer and you would like the truth to be told please write me at michael@michaelmoore.com. I will protect your privacy and I will tell the world what you are unable to tell.

I am looking for a few heroes with a conscience. I know you are out there.

Thank you, all of you, for your help and your continued support through the years. I promise you that with "Sicko" we will do our best to give you not only a great movie, but a chance to bring down this evil empire, once and for all.

In the meantime, stay well. I hear fruits and vegetables help.

Yours,
Michael Moore
michael@michaelmoore.com
www.michaelmoore.com
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=193

FINALLY
Cover The Uninsured Week 2006, May 1-7

Let's Get America Covered

The Problem
-----------
Nearly 46 million Americans, including more than 8 million children, are living without health insurance forced to gamble every day that they won't get sick or injured. That's a risk no one should have to take. Uninsured Americans live sicker and die younger than those with health insurance. Just one serious illness or injury can wipe out an uninsured family's bank account, and the problem is getting worse.

The Response
------------
That's why the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and some of the most influential organizations in the country are again organizing Cover the Uninsured Week. This year's effort will mobilize thousands of individuals and organizations from many sectors of society to plan activities to tell Congress that health care coverage must be their top priority.

Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 will create a groundswell of activities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including press conferences, health and enrollment fairs, seminars for small businesses, campus activities, business leader summits, interfaith outreach, and more. These activities are designed to mobilize a diverse mix of business owners, union members, educators, students, patients, hospital staff, physicians, nurses, faith leaders and their congregants, and many others at thousands of events across the country.

The Result
----------
Millions of people will be alerted to the pressing needs of those living without health insurance. These 46 million uninsured Americans need ourand yourhelp.

It's time to put politics aside and take meaningful steps toward solutions.

YOU CAN HELP.
Go to www.CoverTheUninsured.org to:

1. Tell Congress that health coverage must be their top priority. Let's get America covered.

2. Spread the word by sending a Cover the Uninsured Week e-mail to your friends and asking them to help get America covered.

3. Get involved in Cover the Uninsured Week activities and show your support. The Web site lists dozens of ways you can help your community organize activities and events.


Much more news so read, enjoy and comment if you wish:)  

Keith-

========================================================
1. UNINSURED IN OREGON LIKELY TO GO WITHOUT CARE
2. SEND YOUR TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS
3. FILM, TELEVISION SCARES OFF ORGAN DONORS
4. CONF CALL ON MASS HEALTH CARE REFORM
5. KEEP FIGHTING THE PRESIDENTS CUTS
6. NCLB, SCORES OMITTED - CRUISE & DYSLEXIA - RELUCTANT READERS
========================================================
********************************************************
UNINSURED IN OREGON LIKELY TO GO WITHOUT CARE
********************************************************  
Uninsured in Oregon likely to go without care

4/26/2006, 12:04 a.m. PT
By SARAH SKIDMORE
The Associated Press   

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregonians without health insurance are more likely to go without necessary medical care than residents in nearly any other state, according to a new study.

More than half of uninsured Oregonians — 56 percent — say they cannot afford a visit to the doctor when they need it, the study reports. That was the second-highest percentage of uninsured people reported to be going without care in the country, closely following West Virginia.

"This certainly isn't a competition you want to win," said Elaine Arkin, director of Cover the Uninsured Week.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a private health care research organization, analyzed 2004 government data to make the findings, which were released Wednesday in anticipation of Cover the Uninsured Week in May. The event is a national campaign to raise awareness of the problems of the uninsured.

U.S. Census figures show that 591,000 Oregonians are without health insurance.

Many of these people are skipping necessary preventive care, according to the foundation's study. For example, 62 percent of women ages 40-64 have not had a mammogram in the past two years.

And as the percentage of people without health insurance continues to grow, a troublesome trend could arise, experts say. Not getting preventive care can be a costly decision because people won't get treatment until the condition has worsened, which is often more costly and more damaging to their health, Arkin said.

Previous studies indicate unemployment, federal Medicaid cuts and a shrinking Oregon Health Plan have contributed to Oregon's high level of uninsured.

"It's (the study) not surprising, with our high number of uninsured," said Maribeth Healy, who heads up Oregonians for Health Security, a nonprofit coalition of business owners, health care workers and others arguing for affordable health care. "If we don't do anything to expand access, it's only going to get worse."

Healy, who also serves on the Senate Commission on Health Care Access and Affordability, said public and private sectors are both struggling to continue coverage for Oregonians.

"It feeds right into why there are seven ballot measures on health care and the former governor is working on a health care movement," Healy said. "Everyone is thinking about it because they are seeing it happen to themselves."
(thax S.W.)

********************************************************
SEND YOUR TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS
********************************************************
Asclepios
Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update

Testify
April 27, 2006 • Volume 6, Issue 17

It took a while, but the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare, has now realized that there is a new Part D drug benefit under Medicare that may have some problems worth investigating. The committee is holding a hearing on Part D next week, an action hundreds of Asclepios readers demanded months ago.

What will your elected representatives hear next week?

From the Bush administration, they will hear the same spin: polling numbers that show a majority of Part D enrollees are saving money and getting their prescriptions filled. Administration officials will downplay the unpleasant realities: the millions of men and women who find their cost-sharing unaffordable, who find their drugs are not covered, and who lost better coverage under Medicaid.

Look, administration officials will say: the glass is half full!

But for over $1 trillion, taxpayers deserve a full glass and we want the drink we ordered.

We asked for a Medicare drug benefit, with lower drug prices negotiated for all 43 million people with Medicare.

We got a confusing array of plans, with drug prices that can rise weekly and cost over 60 percent more than what our neighbors in Canada pay.

We asked for a Medicare drug benefit that would cover the drugs people need when they need them.

We got over 40 plans to choose from, but each plan covers a different array of drugs, limits coverage on others and throws bureaucratic obstacles when people appeal for coverage.

We asked for a Medicare drug benefit, because older Americans and people with disabilities need it.

We got a drug benefit that is a backdoor for privatizing Medicare, for substituting a program that has provided universal, guaranteed coverage to people who would otherwise have none with a voucher—a premium subsidy—and instructions to shop around for a health plan.

Part D is the test and it has failed.

That is what the House Ways and Means Committee needs to hear next week. Tell the story of your experience with Part D and tell your elected representatives that you want a Medicare drug benefit. The stories of your experience, of deceptive marketing by plans, of plans denying claims for life-sustaining drugs and of plans overcharging for premiums and copayments unmask the reality of Part D. The Medicare Rights Center has received over 1,000 such stories through its Part D Monitoring Project. They all point to one solution—a drug benefit run directly by Medicare.

Submit your testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee.
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/submissions.aspx

And send a copy to us through the Action Center. We will collect the testimony and distribute it to the press so the real Part D story can be told.
(thax medicarerights)

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FILM, TELEVISION SCARES OFF ORGAN DONORS
********************************************************
ESRD Film, television scares off potential organ donors 

By Megan Rauscher Tue Apr 25, 3:32 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A lot of misconceptions about organ donation are being fed by the entertainment industry, warns Susan Morgan, a Purdue University  health communications expert who is tracking how organ donation is portrayed on  TV and trying to dispel myths about organ donation in the workplace.

Emotionally charged television shows have featured fictitious stories about a black market for organs, doctors who murder their patients for their organs, or  who declare death prematurely to take their organs, Morgan told Reuters Health. "Until we can persuade writers and producers to stop deliberately using false, medically and logistically impossible plot lines involving organ donation, the public will continue to believe in so many myths about donation --  and too many people will refuse to donate" as a result, Morgan said. Surveys Morgan and others have conducted confirm that people very often believe that what happens on their favorite TV show is real, especially medical and crime dramas. Compounding the problem, Morgan said, there is "a huge amount of distrust" of both the medical system and the organ allocation system. For example, many people are thoroughly convinced that rich, famous or well-connected people are much more likely to get organ transplants than ordinary people, she said. "We've learned that we have to counter the most prevalent myths in order to get people to consider donating their organs after they die," Morgan said. She's  working with the New Jersey Workplace Partnership for Life, which provides tailored health campaigns in workplace settings, to dispel myths about organ donation in some 45 New Jersey companies and organizations. The project is supported by a $1.67 million grant from the US "Our primary goal is not simply to persuade people to become organ donors; it's to make sure they have all of the accurate information they need to make a decision based on the facts," Morgan said. There are over 90,000 people waiting for transplants right now and the number grows every day. Fewer than 40 percent of Americans have signed organ donor cards and only about half of their families consent to the donation of a loved  one's organs. "If everyone who was eligible to donate did donate, we could nearly wipe out the entire transplant waiting list," Morgan said.
(thax a.h.)

********************************************************
CONF CALL ON MASS HEALTH CARE REFORM
********************************************************
Conference Call on Massachusetts Health Care Reform

In honor of (http://covertheuninsured.org/) Cover the Uninsured Week--May 1st-May 7th, 2006--you are invited to join us for a conference call on Massachusetts’ recent health reform legislation, a law that will undoubtedly have an impact on other states’ health reform efforts. The call will be on Friday, May 5th, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

Click here to RSVP for this call: http://ga3.org/familiesusa/events/mass_healthcare_5506/register.tcl?member_key=wgsukbdry5bxxkx&

You'll receive an e-mail with the call-in information soon after you RSVP. Please keep this e-mail, as you'll the need information it contains to participate in the call.

Under the new law, almost all uninsured Massachusetts residents will gain coverage. The bill includes:

Medicaid expansion for children and low-income unemployed adults;
A state-sponsored “Connector” will offer pre-tax coverage to individuals and small groups;
People with incomes under 300% of poverty will get subsidized, no-deductible coverage;
Reforms extend coverage for young adults;
Employers who do not pay their “fair share” for health insurance must pay a modest assessment;
Residents will be required to purchase insurance if affordable coverage is available.

The law brings Massachusetts to near-universal coverage, yet leaves critical details and controversial issues to be addressed in implementation. Brian Rosman and Fawn Phelps, Policy Director and Campaign Manager, respectively, at Health Care for All, will join us to discuss their campaign, lessons for other states, and the work that lies ahead. Their PowerPoint presentation is posted here: (http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/ppt/Mass-Health-Reform-Presentation-for-Families.ppt), and more information is available from Health Care for All (http://www.hcfama.org/act/) and from Community Catalyst: (http://www.communitycatalyst.org/resource.php?base_id=1023).

We hope you can join us on Friday for the call.

Luis Hestres
eAdvocacy Coordinator, Families USA

********************************************************
KEEP FIGHTING THE PRESIDENTS CUTS
********************************************************
The fight to stop the President's cuts is working! 
Please don’t let up now.

Call your Representative toll-free at  800-459-1887  
starting Monday, May 1, and say:

"Please oppose any proposal that forces cuts in human needs programs by setting spending as low as the President's budget. Funding set this low is a direct threat to children, seniors, and working families who need food, housing, Head Start, and education. Please support funding levels high enough to prevent cuts. Don't cut services to pay for tax giveaways to millionaires."

Use the toll-free number above to reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard and ask to be connected to your Representative's office. (The person at the switchboard can figure out who your Representative is if you're not sure).  When you’re connected, please give the message above.  Say what’s most important to you by selecting some or all of the examples in italics or mention other vital services of concern to you.

Background: Logjam in the House.  The U.S. House Representatives was unable to complete its budget resolution before the April recess in part because moderates could not support the deep cuts it required.  Now Congress is back, and they are still having difficulty putting together enough votes to pass a budget.  That is good news.

Don’t let up now!  Even if the budget remains stuck, moderates will be under tremendous pressure to drop their objections to cutting nutrition, education, housing, and other vital services.  But if members of Congress hold firm, they can prevent harmful cuts.   

What keeps members of Congress holding firm?  Your calls!

Why this message is needed:  With or without a budget, Congress has to set total spending for all annually funded programs, with the Appropriations Committee then dividing up the total among defense, international, and domestic programs.  If they can’t use the budget to set funding levels, the House may insert a total spending figure into the first appropriations bill they take up.  There are reports that the House leadership will try to take the total from the President’s budget – a figure so low it will force cuts in domestic programs like education, nutrition aid, housing, Head Start and job training.  These cuts were rejected in the Senate, and they are why House moderates have been opposing the House budget so far.  House members must continue to hear how important it is to reject cuts.

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a budget campaign, http://www.afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/ AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of non-partisan budget goals and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.
(thax chn)

********************************************************
NCLB, SCORES OMITTED - CRUISE & DYSLEXIA - RELUCTANT READERS
********************************************************
No Child Left Behind........Many Test Scores Omitted
2 million children's scores aren't counted on standardized tests thanks to a NCLB provision which allows the states to decide when the testing population at a school is too small...read more

Tom Cruise and Dyslexia
Tom gets candid about his learning disability in this article. One should remember, being dyslexic doesn't mean you can't learn, it will however mean that different approaches will need to...read more

Reluctant Readers
Step one: don't turn reluctant readers off! Engage them in this enjoyable journey by building confidence, selecting the right books and encouraging success! Need to hear more? It's all here...read more
(thax about.com)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  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

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm 

Asclepios

Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update

C.E.A.S.E. the Mythmaking

April 13, 2006 • Volume 6, Issue 15

Something’s rotten in Congress. The new drug benefit for older Americans and people with disabilities is turning out to be even more wasteful and ineffective than its critics could have anticipated.

The latest polling shows that 37 percent of people enrolled in a Part D plan—more than one in three—cannot even say that they are saving money on their drugs . This is despite hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars to pay for the benefit over the next 10 years. And that says nothing of the people who have been unable or unwilling to enroll in the benefit: 40 percent of people with Medicare still have very little or no drug coverage whatsoever.

But we should wonder how so many people enrolled in the benefit are not saving money.

Because you can bet that 100 percent of the pharmaceutical companies and the insurers offering Part D would say they’re making money .

American tax dollars in large part are going to the pharmaceutical companies for ever more expensive medicines and to the private drug plans, HMOs and PPOs to serve as middlemen in covering prescriptions even though Medicare could have delivered the benefit directly at far less cost.

Despite President Bush’s repeated claim that the benefit is a “good deal,” look at who’s still suffering even with this drug benefit:

People with Medicare and Medicaid who are now forced to pay for or go without drugs Medicaid once covered that their current drug plan won’t cover and who are hard-pressed to afford the $3 copayment every time they fill a prescription;

People who were forced to give up lower cost coverage of their medicines through their states or through drug company patient assistance programs;

People who lost better employer or union coverage, not to mention the nearly 16 million people who are still going with little or no drug coverage.

And let’s not forget the millions of other people with Medicare with costly medication needs who still cannot afford to fill their prescriptions and for whom this drug benefit should have been designed. If they’re lucky, they are now getting some help with some of their drug costs, but if they chose the wrong plan, their drugs may not be covered or they may be covered with a hefty copayment they can ill-afford. And, if it has not happened already, over the next few months their drug coverage will likely end altogether when they reach the major gap in coverage known as the doughnut hole. At that point, their coverage drops out entirely and many will once again be forced to go without their life-saving medications.

The president and the Congressional leadership must C.E.A.S.E. (Choice, Enrollment, Affordability, Security and Efficiency) the mythmaking, cut the waste and give people the option of a reliable drug benefit through Original Medicare—with the only choice they really want, to get the drugs they need when they need them at a reasonable price negotiated by the federal government.

Choice: The only choice people want is the ability to get the drugs they need when they need them at a reasonable price, which they could do if the benefit were administered directly through Original Medicare.

Enrollment: A good drug benefit would ensure the enrollment of everyone with Medicare who did not otherwise have drug coverage, much like Medicare ensures that virtually everyone entitled and who needs it is enrolled in Parts A and B.

Affordability : Congress must allow Medicare to negotiate prices so that everyone sees savings from the drug benefit and can get the drugs they need when they need them.

Security: People need the security Original Medicare offers of covering the benefits they need when they need them at a predictable cost, not the gamble of joining a private drug plan that can change its list of covered drugs and out-of- pocket costs at any time and may not meet their needs.

Efficiency: The federal government should be negotiating prices with the pharmaceutical companies, not wasting money by permitting pharmaceutical companies to charge high prices to people with Medicare and squandering millions on misleading marketing by middlemen insurers paid to administer the drug benefit.
With these reforms, people with Medicare will finally have the security of knowing they can fill their prescriptions. Only then will we see the efficiencies that Medicare can deliver that the private health insurance marketplace cannot.

You can take the first step by passing C.E.A.S.E Mythmaking about Part D Drug Plans (http://www.medicarerights.org/myths&facts_04132006.pdf) to your colleagues, family and friends. With the support of the American public, our elected leaders will move to implement these changes that can save lives.
(thax mdicarerights)

********************************************************
BALLOON ANNUITY COUNTED AS RESOURCES FOR MEDICAID
********************************************************
Balloon Annuity Counted as a Resource for Medicaid Eligibility Purposes
In November 1994, the U. S. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) released a policy document known as Transmittal 64. Transmittal 64 provided guidelines for state Medicaid caseworkers on how to evaluate the transfer of assets into trusts and annuities.

An annuity is a contract in which a person pays a bank or an insurance company a lump sum in return for fixed periodic payments. If the person dies during the term of the annuity, the remainder is typically converted into a lump sum and paid to a designated beneficiary.

According to Transmittal 64:
"Annuities, although usually purchased in order to provide a source of income for retirement, are occasionally used to shelter assets so that individuals purchasing them can become eligible for Medicaid. In order to avoid penalizing annuities validly purchased as part of a retirement plan but to capture those annuities which abusively shelter assets, a determination must be made with regard to the ultimate purpose of the annuity (i.e., whether the purchase of the annuity constitutes a transfer of assets for less than fair market value). If the expected return on the annuity is commensurate with a reasonable estimate of life expectancy of the beneficiary, the annuity can be deemed actuarially sound.

"The average number of years of expected life remaining for the individual must coincide with the life of the annuity. If the individual is not reasonably expected to live longer than the guarantee period of the annuity, the individual will not receive fair market value for the annuity based on the projected return. In this case, the annuity is not actuarially sound and a transfer of assets for less than fair market value has taken place, subjecting the individual to a penalty."

On January 31, 2002, 78-year-old Mary Fillbright, a resident in a long-term care facility, applied for Illinois Medicaid benefits. That day, she also bought a balloon annuity for $73,713. The annuity would stretch payments over her life expectancy of 116 months; it would pay her $188.94 per month: $10 per month principal, plus interest, for 115 months and $72,741.94 in its final month. The final or balloon payment represented nearly 99% of the purchase price.

Technically, this annuity is "actuarially sound" because it pays out over Ms. Fillbright's life expectancy of 116 months.

Nonetheless, Ms. Fillbright's application for Medicaid benefits was denied and a 22-month period of ineligibility for Medicaid imposed because the annuity violated Illinois' "equal periodic payment" regulation.

In 1999, the Illinois Department of Public Aid issued a regulation, stating that it (the DPA) "has become aware that the marketing of Medicaid planning devices sometimes includes plans offering back-end loaded annuities that pay only very small monthly amounts until the final month of life expectancy when a balloon payment reflecting the payout balance is made. Such annuity plans are intended to primarily benefit the person's heirs. While these annuities are literally consistent with current policy, they are in conflict with the intent of asset consideration for the purpose of equitable assistance eligibility determination." The regulation requires all annuities to pay benefits "in approximately equal periodic payments."

Ms. Fillbright argued that the regulation and the application of it to her case violated federal law and, specifically, Transmittal 64. The case wound up in the Illinois Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court observed that the purpose of Transmittal 64 is to discourage "abusive" sheltering of assets, not to punish legitimate retirement planning. Justice Fitzgerald, writing for the unanimous panel of judges, stated that the balloon annuity is not intended to provide retirement income to the annuitant. Rather, the annuitant would receive a disproportionately large payment on the last day of her life, when she would realistically be unable to spend it.

Upholding the lower courts' findings that the DPA was justified in denying her benefits, the court's opinion said, "The structure of a balloon annuity demonstrates that its purpose is to shelter assets and not to provide income."

Gillmore v. Illinois Department of Human Services, January 20, 2006.
(thax elderfax)

********************************************************
FLORIDA MAN WITH MD CHOOSES DEATH OVER NURSING HOME
********************************************************
Man battles state over at-home care

Faced with a longer life in a nursing home or a death hastened at home without state-paid care, a Little Havana man with a terminal disease says he will go home.
By CAROL MARBIN MILLER
cmarbin@MiamiHerald.com

In his mind, Marlon Barrera is Bruce Lee, swooping and swinging effortlessly as he vanquishes his foes.

If only his body would cooperate.

Stricken with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that afflicts one in 3,500 boys, Marlon can barely move, and he breathes with the assistance of a ventilator. Though Barrera is only 23, his greatest foe is time.

Doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he has been treated for an infection since July, say the young man is now stable enough to be discharged. They want to return him to his mother's Little Havana house, with a portable breathing machine and regular visits from a skilled nurse.

But officials with the state Department of Children & Families are refusing to pay the home nursing bills. They insist Barrera go instead to a nursing home at perhaps double the cost, while he becomes one of more than 3,000 Floridians on a waiting list for home-based healthcare.

Barrera says he will die instead.

''My wish is to go home,'' the young man says haltingly as a vent pumps air through a tube in his throat. ``I know I'm going to die. But everyone dies.''

At a nursing home, he says, he will die anyway -- of loneliness. Since doctors at JMH diagnosed the disease in 1992, he has never been separated from his mother. The hospital allows her to sleep by his bedside so she is there when he wakes up.

For decades, Floridians with disabling conditions were treated in large nursing homes. That's because Medicaid, the state and federal insurance program that covered their costs, paid for such extensive medical care only in an institutional setting.

Then healthcare and social service officials got permission from federal regulators to provide care, even to patients with complex needs such as ventilators and feeding tubes, at home.

*POLICY HALLMARK*

The so-called ''Home and Community-Based Care'' programs have become a hallmark of state and federal policy, and have been repeatedly upheld by federal courts that say disabled people have the right to live in the ''least restrictive'' setting. It's the patient's choice whether to live at home or in an institution.

At least in theory.

In Florida, all of the community-based care programs have been woefully underfunded for years. Floridians who wish to be treated in their own home invariably are put on a waiting list, sometimes for years or decades.

''When the wait list has thousands of people, and you are number 900 on the list, I don't think you really have choice,'' said Andrea Costello, an attorney with Southern Legal Counsel in Gainesville who is suing on behalf of Floridians with severe brain trauma who don't want to live in institutions.

The state program that pays the medical bills for Floridians like Barrera, called the Aged and Disabled Adults Home and Community-Based Services program, now has more than three times as many people on the waiting list as the number being served: as of March 21, 828 Floridians were enrolled in the program, and 3,118 were on a wait list. The number on the waiting list increased by 50 in the past month.

Zoraya Suarez, a state spokeswoman, declined to specify how long most people languish on the wait list.

''While we are hopeful that we would be able to reduce the wait list, available resources have been consumed by the requirement to provide medically necessary services to those already'' in the program, she said.

Suarez also declined to discuss Barrera's case, saying the young man already has said he will appeal the decision not to pay for his home care, and the agency does not talk about pending litigation.

Beginning in October, Barrera applied with DCF to be admitted to the program. His doctors at JMH say he will need a portable ventilator and several hours of skilled nursing each day to oversee his care, including suctioning his breathing tube, turning him to prevent pressure sores and keeping track of his vital signs.

Dr. Mark Multach, the associate chief of internal medicine at JMH who is familiar with Barrera's case, said he is convinced the young man can live safely with his mother, Selvin Espinoza, who has impressed hospital officials with her devotion to her son.

''People can do remarkable things at home,'' Multach said. ''His quality of life will be better if he /thinks/ his quality of life is better,'' the doctor added. ``Most of us would rather be at home.''

A native of Managua, Nicaragua, Barrera was diagnosed 14 years ago with Duchenne's, an extremely aggressive form of muscular dystrophy that usually claims the lives of those it strikes by age 25, Multach said. Espinoza works at home as a seamstress so she can care for her son.

*OUTLOOK NOT SO GOOD*

But on Oct. 14, a DCF official wrote the young man a letter saying he wasn't likely to get his wish for home care anytime soon.

''Funding is very limited in this program, and the amount of funding allocated to this program has not been increased in many years,'' wrote Cristina Dominguez, a senior human-services specialist. ``Unfortunately, moving individuals off the waiting list into this program does not occur frequently.''

Barrera and his mother have told hospital officials it is his wish to go home anyway, even if that means he has only a short while left.

At home, Barrera will watch Bruce Lee and other action movies, listen to salsa music and romantic songs by Enrique Iglesias, ''any kind of romance,'' Barrera said as his face brightened up.

''I'm going to disconnect the [breathing] machine,'' Barrera said. ``I'm going to die, because I'm never separated from her. Never.''

Added his mom: ``I've already paid the funeral home. The doctors already have said if he gets sick, he's not coming back.''

State Sen. Walter G. ''Skip'' Campbell, a Tamarac Democrat who chairs the state Senate Children & Families Committee, criticized DCF's contention that there was no money to pay the home healthcare bills for Floridians like Barrera.

Has the Senate ever been asked to increase funding for the program? ''Never. Never. Never,'' Campbell said.

Indeed, the state budget for the Aged and Disabled Adults program has remained flat in recent years. In budget year 2003-04, lawmakers set aside $7.2 million, increasing to $8.3 million in 2004-05. In the current budget year, 2005-06, DCF received the same amount.

''We have given DCF every dollar they ever asked for,'' said Campbell. ``Every time they ask us for money, we give them the money.''

Campbell is among a growing number of lawmakers who say they are sick of getting blamed for the shortcomings of state agencies that perennially fail to ask for adequate funding.

''There's plenty of money,'' he said. ``The concept is that DCF is there to be a life-saver. But they are not doing too good at life-saving if they're scrimping the pennies.''

Barrera's plight, he added, ``is unconscionable.''
(thax N.D.)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  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

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm 

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

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

HOMEOWNERSHIP EDUCATION SEMINAR FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Saturday, April 29th, 2006
9:30 - 5:30 pm
at the Endependence Center of Northern Virginia
3100 Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia
(near the Clarendon Metro Station on the Orange Line)

RSVP no later than April 21, 2006 by phone or email. 

Also, we still have $1000 left in home modification grant funding for a Northern Virginian with a disability who needs a home mod to get or keep a job, or improve his/her employment opportunities.  Contact CHOICE at choicenova@comcast.net or (703) 851-5257.

Jeannie Cummins
President, CHOICE

NEXT
Training Successful Supported Employment Techniques for Individuals with Disabilities

"SSI/SSDI & Work Incentives"
"Understanding the Myriad of Rules Governing SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare & Related Work Incentives for People with Disabilities"
featuring

Sharon Brent, Information Manager for Planning & Advocacy, NCB Development Corp., National Disability Institute - Washington, DC - US Dept of ED and NIDRR Research & Training Center on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities

June 6th, 2006 - June 7th, 2006
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott
Danville, VA

Who Should Attend?   
" A must for SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries who work or want to work;
" A must for parents & family members of SSI & SSDI beneficiaries who work or want to work;
" A must for any direct service professional who works with a SSI or SSDI beneficiary who earns or wants to earn income;
" A must for all vocational rehabilitation managers & staff serving people with disabilities who work or want to work;
" A must for school-to-work transition staff;

Why Attend?
" Understand benefits programs under Social Security - SSI and SSDI;
" Understand how earned income (wages) and unearned income affect cash & medical benefits;
" Know which Work Incentives belong to which benefit program, know when to use them & which ones to use;
" Understand Medicaid & Medicare rules when consumers earn income;
" Access information from the SSA web site & other important web resources such as WorkWorld Software;
" Understand & identify a variety of Work Incentives available including 1619(a), 1619(b), Income Related Work Expense (IRWE), PASS, Student Earned Income Exclusion, Sect. 301 Provision, Extended Period of Eligibility, Substantial Gainful Activity; Trial Work Period, PESS, BWE, and PL 101-239, etc.;
" Utilize the "Day to Day User's Guide" and CDs provided with course.

Register Now for this Free Training!

Space is Limited and Registration is on a First Come First Serve Basis
For more information contact: Marilyn Morrison, Training/Membership Services Dir., vaACCSES; 703/970-3675 or 703/461-3906 FAX or email: mmorrison@ourpeoplework.org

This activity is sponsored in part through Federal Developmental Disabilities Grant Funding administered by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.
                                          
NEXT

HAVE WOUNDS THAT WON'T HEAL????

If you're having trouble with chronic bed sores or other wounds that just won't heal then DermaWound is the product for you. Check out the amazing healing effects on your wounds. I can attest to the fact that those nasty wound odors disappear almost overnight after using DermaWound and you'll also note immediate healing. Try Dr. Dixon's product and make sure you mention DAC for a limited time offer of FREE shipping. Remember, just say DAC referred you......kk-  

DermaWound
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You Can See, Smell & Feel in 24 Hours or Less, or Your Money Back!
Dr. D. Dixon, MD - Owner
http://www.dermawound.com/
Pressure / Bed Sores; Decubitus Ulcers;
Amputee Stumps; Chronic or Re-occurring Wounds,
with or without MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas, Strep or Fungi
Toll Free Wound Care Support Hotline
9am-5pm, Mon.-Fri. PST 1.866.727.0462

NEXT

Inhalants
1.8 Million Youth Initiate Inhalant Abuse in Three Years
http://www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/060316_youth.htm
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

See MedlinePlus topic: Inhalants <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/inhalants.html>

Leukemia, Childhood
Children Who Survive Leukemia Often Develop Excess Body Fat
http://kidshealth.org/research/leukemia_body_fat.html
Nemours Foundation

See MedlinePlus topic: Leukemia, Childhood <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/leukemiachildhood.html>

Imaging System Helps Detect Precursor of Cervical Cancer
FDA has approved the LUMA Cervical Imaging System, a device that can help predict possible cervical cancer development by identifying sites on the cervix that may contain pre-cancerous cells. The device is intended to be used with colposcopy, a high-magnification evaluation for women who have had abnormal findings from Pap screening tests. FDA calls cervical cancer "highly preventable."
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01338.html

Good Aspergers Story
NPR's Morning Edition had a real good piece "Josha's Tough Questions" about
a young man with Aspergers and a conversation with his mom...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5285066

Down Syndrome Advocacy Representative Testifies-- Higher ED
http://www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=NwsEvt.Article&article=1687

No Child Left Behind Regulations 
http://www.copaa.org/news/regulations.html

The Capitol Insider - Your Weekly Disability Policy News Source
http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/CSRLFQFDEF/EUNIFQFDJQ/660148336

RICHMOND WRAP-UP –- SALT (Social Action Linking Together) announces that its annual forum to learn what happened during the Richmond General Assembly Session is being held on Saturday, April 1, 2006 from 9:00-11:00 am at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Benedict Hall located in the parish Community Center, 3304 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington.   Legislators from Northern Virginia will discuss how well the General Assembly responded to social justice and human services needs facing Virginia and to answer questions posed by participants.  This is an excellent opportunity to learn first-hand what transpired in Richmond.  There is no charge for the program.  For more information, contact SALT Coordinator, John Horejsi at jhorejsi@cox.net or visit the SALT web site at http://www.s-a-l-t.org/.  For directions call St. Charles at (703) 527-5500.

AND
Accessibility Summit in Fairfax
March 24 & 25

Accessibility Summit: Working Together to Empower People

Tyson's Corner: 8925 Lessburg Pike, Mclean, VA  22102

Annual conference where people with disabilities, families, caregivers, faith-based organization, government agencies and community organizations all come together in one place at one time to connect.

Keynote Speakers include John Eareckson Tada, Gene Stallings, &  Gracie Rosenberger.

Nancy Mercer, Executive Director of The Arc of NoVa, will present in the Families and Caregivers Track - Back To Basics: Parents Are The Professionals (Friday evening)

Many more workshops and sessions are offered for families, people with disabilities, and professionals to gain practical knowledge for enhancing their lives or programs.

Details for the event can be located online at www.accessibilitysummit.org or by calling 703-770-2938.


Much more news so read, enjoy and comment if you wish:)  

Keith-

========================================================
1. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
2. ADAPT DELIVERS DEMANDS - OVER 60 ARRESTED
3. REINSTATEMENT OF VIDEO DESCRIPTION IN TV PROGRAMING
4. NIDRR SEEKS PEER REVIEWERS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
5. ADA/ABA ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINE WORKSHOP
6. RAGGED EDGE NEWS
7. FREE MP3 AUDIO BOOKS - FED LAW & INCLUSION - APHASIA
========================================================
********************************************************
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
********************************************************  
TO:
Keith Kessler
Founder
Disabled Action Committee

FR:
Olegario D. Cantos VII
Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice

- - - - - - - - - -

Keith, I hope you have been doing well.

In support of colleagues in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) of the U.S. Department of Education, I wanted to forward the following information, which would be most particularly helpful in knowing the legal rights of students in private school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.  As you have done so vigorously with announcements sent to you by the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights here at the U.S. Department of Justice, I ask that you forward the following just as aggressively, because this will help students with disabilities further to receive the services they need.

You take good care, and warmest wishes to you.

--Ollie

==========

Troy R. Justesen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education is pleased to share with you news of the release of some helpful information about students with
disabilities placed by their parents in private schools.

--------------------------------------------------------------

A useful online resource for school districts and parents about  how the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides for students with disabilities enrolled by their parents in private elementary schools and secondary schools is now available on the Department's Web site. Titled Questions and Answers on Serving Children with Disabilities Placed by Their Parents at Private Schools, this resource was developed in response to queries from state officials, elected representatives and parents since a change to IDEA became effective on July 1, 2005. This resource is posted to the IDEA
2004 Resources Web page at:

     http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html

The statutory revisions to the IDEA in 2004 significantly changed the obligation of states and local education agencies (LEAs) to hildren with disabilities enrolled by their parents in private elementary and secondary schools. While previously it was the sponsibility of the LEAs in which the parents resided to conduct child find and provide equitable services to these students, that responsibility has now shifted to the LEAs in which the private schools are located.

Questions and Answers address such topics as child find and individual evaluations for parentally placed private school children, the provision of equitable services, and preschool and out-of-state parentally placed private school children with disabilities.

Questions and Answers is the latest resource added to the IDEA 2004 Resources Web page, intended to assist educators, students
and families.

********************************************************
ADAPT DELIVERS DEMANDS - OVER 60 ARRESTED
********************************************************
For Immediate Release: March 21, 2006

Contact: Bob Kafka 512-431-4085
Janine Bertram 503-504-9787
http://www.adapt.org

ADAPT Delivers Demands; Over 60 Arrested

NASHVILLE, TN - Governor Bredesen refused to meet with Disabled Constituents and their supporters for the second consecutive day. ADAPT sent a small, peaceful delegation to deliver demands that stress ending immoral state and federal policies that require elderly and disabled people to live in nursing homes and other institutions against their will.

Rather than listen to the voice of the people, the Governor responded with force: a huge police presence and barricades. After several peaceful attempts to enter the Capitol to address an elected public official, the delegation blocked Charlotte Avenue between the Capitol and Legislative Plaza. The police moved in and arrested over 60 local and national advocates.

ADAPT wants Governor Bredesen to do the following:

1. Support the passage, funding and implementation of the Tennessee Community Choices Act of 2006.

2. Reverse all funding cuts and policies in Tennessee that have resulted or will result in disabled and older Tennesseans being removed from their own homes and forced into nursing homes and other institutions.

3. Work with ADAPT and the National Governor's Association to implement state and federal "Money Follows the Person" (MFP) funding and policies. Tennessee should apply for the new MFP (federal funds available to the state for services).

4. Write Senator Frist and the Tennessee delegation telling them that Tennessee supports MiCASSA (Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act) and asking them to support MiCASSA and hold hearings on the bill.

Today's peaceful protest followed yesterday's march and protest where 80 were arrested (most at the site of the historic Nashville civil rights sit-ins), and a day of testimony from people with disabilities formerly warehoused in nursing homes and other institutions. ADAPT is in Nashville through Thursday and will continue attempts to change policies that force disabled and elderly people to live in nursing homes and other institutions.
(thax jfa)

********************************************************
REINSTATEMENT OF VIDEO DESCRIPTION IN TV PROGRAMING
********************************************************
Reinstatement of Video Description in TV Programming, S. 900 and H.R. 951

Video Description

In our society, individuals rely primarily on television programming as a means of not only entertainment, but also as a way of obtaining crucial news, weather and current event information. The ability for individuals who are blind or visually impaired to access information through TV is enhanced by a specialized feature known as video description. Equivalent to closed captioning for the deaf, video description for people is audio narration that describes the visual elements in a broadcast. This feature is accessed through a special channel programmed into most televisions called the Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) channel. Video description can make it possible for a person who is blind or visually impaired to know what emergency warning information is being scrolled across the bottom of the screen as well as when scenes change in television shows.

In 2002 the FCC required the top 25 television markets to produce a limited amount of audio-described programming. The blind community rejoiced! However, shortly afterward the requirement was overturned in federal court due to challenges from the broadcasting and motion picture industries that the FCC exceeded its authority. Since that time, we have worked tirelessly with Congress to reinstate the video description mandate through legislation.

The blind community and advocates for adults and children with visual impairments have succeeded in getting legislation introduced in Congress that, if passed, will reinstate video description in television programming. The bills are Senate bill 900 (S. 900), introduced by Sen. McCain (R-AZ), and House bill 951 (H.R. 951), introduced by Congressman Edward Markey
(D-MA). However, we can't do it alone! We need your help.

* If you have a loved one in your life, particularly an elderly person who has a vision problem and who can't follow the action on TV and can't see scrolling text messages on their TV screens - call your Representative and urge them to co-sponsor S. 900 and H.R. 951.

* If you are a parent, educator, and/or child advocate who feels that children with visual impairments and learning disabilities should have equal access to educational and entertainment programming that is available in classrooms and at home - call your Congressional Leaders and urge them to co-sponsor S. 900 and H.R. 951.

* If you are a person who is concerned about the ability of people with disabilities to access safety, weather and emergency information in your community - call your Representatives and urge them to cosponsor S. 900 and H.R. 951.

You can reach your legislator via:

* the capitol switchboard at the: - House: 202-225-3121 - Senate: 202-224-3121

* email through the Congressional websites: http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov

Congress must reinstate the video description mandate so that all citizens can access vital cultural, educational, and emergency information available through television programming. Together we can do it!

For more information, call the American Council of the Blind at
1-800-424-8666 or email us at info@acb.org.

Krista Merritt
Policy Analyst,
Department of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind

Day Al-Mohamed
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th St. NW
Washington DC 20005
Tel. 202-467-5081
dalmohamed@acb.org
(thax jfa)

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NIDRR SEEKS PEER REVIEWERS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
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NIDRR seeks peer reviewers in emergency preparedness and disability

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index.html) is pleased to announce the inclusion of emergency preparedness in its Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-2009, and invites interested persons to submit resumes for inclusion in a pool of potential peer reviewers for future research and development projects in emergency preparedness and disability.

NIDRR supports applied research on all aspects of disability and rehabilitation, and NIDRR's work is aimed at improving the lives of people of all ages with disabilities.  Published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006, NIDRR's Long-Range Plan sets out five domains of research -- employment, participation and living in the community, health and function, technology for access and function, and disability demographics.  New this year, the Plan incorporates emergency preparedness in the discussion of the national policy context for NIDRR research.  The Plan is available at http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2006-1/021506d.html.  

NIDRR seeks peer reviewers with expertise in research, statistics, and/or engineering who also have expertise in any of the myriad issues related to emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery for people with disabilities. Reviewers are required to evaluate applications based on a series of criteria in areas such as research design, development, technical assistance, and dissemination.  NIDRR strives to create diverse panels of peer reviewers.  Persons with disabilities, and persons from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and other backgrounds are encouraged to respond.  Regulations prohibit Federal employees from participating as NIDRR peer reviewers.  However, everyone is encouraged to forward this email to persons who may be interested in participating. 

Interested parties are invited to send current and detailed resumes to bonnie.gracer@ed.gov for consideration. 

Bonnie L. Gracer, MA, MSW
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Potomac Center South
550 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202
(202) 245-7358 (Voice)
(202) 260-8859 (TTY)
(202) 245- 7323 (Fax)
(thax NCD)

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ADA/ABA ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINE WORKSHOP
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ADAAG REBORN: CHANGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Tuesday, May 23, 2006, Illini Center, Chicago, IL
www.conferences.uiuc.edu/ADAAG

Once adopted, the revised ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines will become the standard for newly constructed and altered buildings and facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Learn directly from the source -- the U.S. Access Board -- about the important revisions to the ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). This workshop will provide an in-depth review of the guidelines (updated in July 2004) awaiting adoption by the U.S. Department of Justice.

This workshop will: - Provide training on accessibility guidelines and standards - Focus on the ADAAG covering the built environment and transportation vehicles - Address new or upcoming sections of the ADAAG, such as those covering children's environments, play areas, state and local government facilities, and judicial, correctional, and recreational facilities.


Fee: $195/person (includes printed materials and CD-ROM, refreshment breaks, and lunch)

Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Faculty: Representatives from the U.S. Access Board

Location: Illini Center, 200 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): .65 (1 unit = 10 contact hours)

Sponsors: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


For more information, including registration: http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/ADAAG

Contact: Conferences & Institutes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Phone: 217-333-2880, Email: conferences@uiuc.edu
(thax ada-oh)

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RAGGED EDGE NEWS
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** GOOD JOBS, GOOD BENEFITS (BUT NOT FOR DISABLED WORKERS) Last fall we learned that Wal-Mart might "discourage unhealthy job applicants" to hold down costs. Many employers look for ways to keep "costly" employees out of the labor pool. HARLAN HAHN says it goes on at universities, too.   Read his Closer Look article at http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/closerlook/000837.html

** MY COUSIN SHARON: PRICELESS Forty years ago, MICHAEL B. OWEN was afraid of his cousin Sharon, who has Down Syndrome. But things change in families. So do roles Read story at http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/reflections/000826.html

** PARKING CRUSADER UNDER ATTACK Maryann Cottrell, using a New Jersey law that allows citizens to report parking violators, has ticketed over
300 non-disabled drives in "handicap parking" spots. She's made enemies, reports DAVE REYNOLDS. And she's suing some of them for 'retaliation.' http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/closerlook/000829.html

** IN OUR BLOGS... LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG looks at Sue LoTempio's efforts to instruct Poynter Institute readers on the real news about disability. In MediaCircusBlog. http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/mediacircusblog/index.html

MARY JOHNSON's Edge-Centric blog: calling discrimination what it is; LifeCare, lifeboats, murder -- and the Carlyle Group. http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/blogs/edgecentric/index.html

AND Kevin Gadsey's new Chaironwheels Blog -- in our World-O-Blogs column. http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/world-o-blogs/index.html

** DID YOU MISS... . ... these news items?  Officers kill man with CP, then discover 'mistake'. IA House rejects bid to appoint safety / access head. MI sues nursing home over resident's death. Charges dropped against mom who helped son die. A Florida county agrees to spend $10 million in bus stop upgrades to avoid a suit. The Justice Dept. sues NY state for lack of new accessible voting machines. These and more news items at http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/news/

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FREE MP3 AUDIO BOOKS - FED LAW & INCLUSION - APHASIA
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Free MP3 Audio Books
Save time by having the MP3 children's audio books on hand instead of reading them yourself. If you take an audio book and purchase the hard copy, a child will listen to the audio while turning the pages which will...read more
 
Federal Law and Inclusion
Wright's Law provides you with some answers to your questions about the Federal Law and inclusional practice. Find out what this means to you....read more

Aphasia and What You Can Do to Help
It's not just stroke victims and adults who suffer from Aphasia, children do too. Find out how you can support the aphasic student in your classroom and learn about the different types of aphasia....read more
(thax about.com)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  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

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm 

++

NEW JERSEY: Advocate rallies support for disabled

Tuesday, February 28, 2006
By ZACHARY NEEDLES

EWING -- State-funded services for families of the developmentally disabled are in "dire straits" and the only people who can save them are the families themselves, said a representative of a statewide advocacy group.

Elizabeth Shea, an attorney and director of governmental affairs for ARC of New Jersey, spoke to a small audience of concerned families during the Provider's Fair and Forum at ARC/Mercer Inc. earlier this week about the current statewide funding crisis disability service providers are facing. "We're fighting budget cuts every single day," she said.

The real point of her speech, however, was to promote advocacy and empower families to contact the state Legislature and demand a place for developmental disability services in the 2006 budget. "I don't need to tell you that our needs are not being met a lot of the time," she said. "We need to remember that advocacy is the key to change."

Still, many people are timid or just plain cynical about trying to negotiate with government, often believing they're either not educated enough in their cause to argue for it or simply not believing they can make a difference.

Shea acknowledged these reservations and offered encouragement, emphasizing the power of personal experience over in-depth knowledge of facts and figures when advocating.

"Legislators want to hear your personal story," she said. "They have other people to worry about the details."

According to Shea, the personal consequences, which she calls the "if nots," of insufficient funding for families should be continuously stressed to state legislators.

"Make it clear how crucial funding is," she said. "It's not a nicety, it's a necessity."

Ashok Shah, a member of the Hunterdon County Division of the Regional Family Support Planning Council, knows how critical the situation is. As the father of a 13-year-old son with a developmental disability, he has felt the sting of budget cuts, specifically the decreased funding for respite services, which offer programs designed to temporarily take care of developmentally disabled people to give families a much-needed break from full-time caretaking.

"In most instances, taking care of an individual with a developmental disability is very stressful," said Shah. "Sometimes family members need a break."

Although funding for these services is important to all families of the developmentally disabled, Shea said those who are already struggling financially have been and will feel the impact the hardest. "Budget cuts greatly affect families who are needy," he said. "Services aren't readily available to them or, if they are, they're too expensive. So it's a double whammy."

To Shea, change is not as far out of reach as some may think. She believes even a few people raising their voices could be enough to make legislators take notice.

"Legislators hear so rarely from their constituency that even after three calls to them you've developed such a better relationship with your state Legislature than most of the people in your district," she said. "You can be so much more powerful, so much more quickly, than you think."
(thax E & V. C. VOR)

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DOJ SUES NY STATE OVER VOTING RIGHTS
********************************************************
TO: Keith Kessler
Founder
Disabled Action Committee

FR:
Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice

----------

Keith, On March 1, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York for what the Division considers to be the significant failure by the State to comply with disability-related provisions of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). In spite of repeated attempts to encourage voluntary compliance, the alleged absence of any meaningful effort by the State of New York to comply with HAVA has left us with little choice but to resort to litigation. In undertaking this action, the first of its kind thus far, we intend to send a strong and clear message to the nation that we take voting accessibility for people with disabilities very seriously and are prepared to work to hold jurisdictions accountable for failure to do what the law requires. We assert that, in accordance with federal law, people with disabilities rightfully deserve to have the same degree of access to the polling place as those without disabilities.

Please forward the following information far and wide. Your efforts to help spread the word about this case may result in immediate and enhanced efforts by other jurisdictions to fulfill their legal obligations under this important landmark piece of legislation. For far too long, members of the disability community have remained excluded from equal and effective participation in the voting process. This must change, and the Justice Department will continue to help ensure that the law is appropriately and meaningfully carried out.

Thanks so much, Keith.

--Ollie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Contact: (202) 514-2007 [Voice]; (202) 514-1888 [TTY]
http://www.usdoj.gov

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES NEW YORK STATE OVER VOTING RIGHTS

Lawsuit Seeks to Vindicate Rights of Disabled Voters and Federal Election Reform Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department announced today that it has filed suit against the State of New York alleging violations of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, in Albany.

The government's complaint contends that the state has failed to comply with two of HAVA's requirements governing federal elections: that states (i) adopt voting systems that are fully accessible by disabled voters and are capable of generating a permanent paper record that can be manually audited, and (ii) create a statewide computerized voter registration database. The lawsuit is the first filed to vindicate these important federal obligations.

"HAVA contains important reforms designed to ensure that elections for federal office will both allow access to all voters and ensure the integrity of the process," said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "We believe today's lawsuit will help ensure that New York voters enjoy the benefits of these important reforms."

HAVA was enacted with bipartisan support after the 2000 presidential election and was signed into law by President Bush on October 29, 2002. States had nearly three years to comply with the provisions enforced under today's lawsuit, which took effect January 1, 2006.

This suit is the culmination of an extensive effort by the Civil Rights Division to ensure timely and full implementation of HAVA. The Division met with representatives from states around the country to appraise and assist with their implementation efforts. As part of this process, the Division closely reviewed New York officials' steps to comply with HAVA. The Division repeatedly urged New York to come into compliance on a voluntary basis. As of the January 1, 2006 deadline, however, New York was not close to compliance with either provision.

HAVA was the first federal statute to provide federal funds to states to support reform of federal elections. As the government's complaint alleges, New York received approximately $221 million to assist its implementation of HAVA's requirements. This included more than $49 million specifically designated to assist the state in replacing its lever voting machines. Under HAVA, New York stands to lose these earmarked funds if it fails to replace these machines by the September 2006 primary election.

Today's lawsuit seeks a determination that the State of New York is not in compliance with HAVA's voting systems and database requirements and an order requiring the state to submit promptly a plan demonstrating how it will come into full compliance.

###
06-108

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GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
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Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Fall 2006/Academic Year 2006-07 Application Open - Deadline: April 4,
2006

The Gilman International Scholarship Program provides awards of up to $5,000 for U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad for up to one academic year.  The program aims to diversify the kinds of student who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go.  The program serves students who have been under-represented in study abroad which includes but is not limited to: students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, students attending minority-serving institutions, and students with disabilities. The program seeks to assist students from a diverse range and type of two-year and four-year public and private institutions from all 50 states.

Eligibility: Students must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application and cannot be studying abroad in a country currently under a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning or in Cuba.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education.

For more information, full eligibility criteria and the online application visit: http://www.iie.org/gilman.

Gilman International Scholarship Program Institute of International Education
520 Post Oak Blvd., Ste. 740 Houston, TX 77027

Contact for Applicants: Stacie Vincent email: gilman@iie.org Phone: 713.621.6300, ext 25

Contact for Advisors: Paetra Hauck email: gilman_scholars@iie.org Phone: 713.621.6300, ext 12

http://www.iie.org/gilman
(thax NCDE)

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INVITATION FROM NCD'S YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
********************************************************
An invitation from NCD's Youth Advisory Committee

This is a communication from the YAC's Outreach and Networking Workgroup.

You are invited to be a part of our network! We are developing a list of disability organizations around the country and would like to share information about youth concerns and perspectives with your organization.  Our goal is to educate young people nationwide on how they can be better informed about what is going on within the disability community.  Once your organization is added to our list, you will occasionally receive information you can share that helps us to reach out to youth with disabilities across the country. This can be easily done by sharing what the YAC sends to you through this resource list with your membership, especially by letting youth know about it.

Your organization's contact information will only be used by our committee and will not be shared.  To participate in this network, please let us know the best way to provide your organization with information about youth perspectives on issues that impact our lives.  If there are any other organizations that you feel would benefit from this youth resource, please feel free to forward this correspondence to them.

Please send your responses or any questions to YAC member, Mr. Desmeon Thomas, at: youth@ncd.gov.

Thank you for your participation,

~Outreach and Networking Workgroup - YAC

Mark S. Quigley
Director of Communications
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004

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NAT. CONF. ON REUSE OF ASSISTIVE TECH. DEVICES
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HOLD THE DATE . . . May 8-10, 2006

WHAT:  National Conference on Reuse of Assistive Technology Devices

WHEN:  May 8-10, 2006

WHERE: Georgia Tech Conference Center Atlanta, Georgia

WHY: To help improve the reuse of AT devices at the local, state and national levels

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

* Any stakeholder who is interested in getting AT devices to people with disabilities

* Anyone interested in establishing an AT device reuse program

* Anyone interested in improving their AT device reuse program

A tour of a local reutilization program will also be scheduled as part of this event.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this information with those individuals in your organization and state that may be interested. More details about this national conference are forthcoming. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Nell Bailey at the National Assistive Technology Technical Assistance Partnership (NATTAP) at nbailey@resna.org or (703) 524-6686 ext. 305.

This conference is sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), U.S. Department of Education under a grant to the National Assistive Technology Technical Assistance Partnership housed at RESNA and DTI Associates, Inc.

For more event listings, go to: http://www.aapd.com/calendar/calendar.php
(thax jfa)

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STUDENTS AGAINST VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE SUMMIT APRIL 1st
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National SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Summit April 1

10th Annual SAVE Summit: Erasing the Colors of Violence McKimmon Center, NC State University Raleigh, NC April 1, 2006

The National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere's annual Summit for students, advisors, and community members celebrates the success of SAVE chapters for the year. Chapter members lead workshop sessions, display accomplishments in Exhibit Alley, and have the opportunity to network with students from across the country. This year's Summit, "SAVE: Erasing the Colors of Violence" will showcase prominent keynote speakers and student-led sessions and workshops. Participants will be able to receive valuable educational information from exhibits and participate in this year's on-site national service project which includes the collection of coloring books and crayons to be distributed to needy children.

Program, registration, and lodging information are available at http://www.nationalsave.org/main/summit.php

Contact SAVE at: cwray@nationalsave.org
Toll-free: (866) 343-SAVE Local: (919) 661-7800 Fax: (919) 661-7777 http://www.nationalsave.org
(thax safeyouth)

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  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

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm 

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

SPECIAL NOTICE FROM THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM-VIRGINIA:

EXTENSION OF APPLICATION DEADLINE TO MARCH 10, 2006

Please be advised that the deadline for receipt of student applications for the 2006 Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) has been extended to March 10, 2006.  If you have not heard previously about the YLF, please read the information below.

This exciting leadership training opportunity is specifically designed for high school students with disabilities, and will be held on July 10 through 14 at Christopher Newport University.  This intensive program will address leadership development, career and higher education awareness, assistive technology, advocacy and teamwork. The YLF-VA will emphasize teaching by example. The majority of presenters, facilitators, and counselors are successful people with disabilities who will encourage and challenge the student delegates to be all they can be.

We need your help in recruiting young people with disabilities who have demonstrated leadership capability and potential.  Through a competitive process, 25 students statewide will be selected as delegates to the YLF-VA.  Students do not have to be nominated by teachers or other adults.   To be eligible to apply, students must:

· Be in 10th or 11th grade as of December 15, 2005, or if students are in non-graded programs they must be returning to high school for at least 1 year.

· Have a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disability Act.

· Have demonstrated leadership potential in their school and/or community.

· Reside in Virginia.

Thank you for your help notifying students of the application receipt deadline extension (March 10) and encouraging them to apply for this extraordinary opportunity.  If you have any questions, please contact Teri Barker Morgan or Jennifer Peers at 800-846-4464.  You can find out more about the YLF and download an application at http://www.vaboard.org/.     

Teri Barker-Morgan
Programs Manager
Virginia Board for People with Disabilities
804-786-9381
NOTE:  NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS: 
teri.barker@vbpd.virginia.gov

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DYSLEXIC? READING DIFFICULTIES? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE GIFTED?
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Dyslexic? Reading Difficulties?
Confuses similar words and letters.....an over reliance on finger tracking......very reluctant to read.......minimal fluency.....minimal comprehension.......difficulty understanding what has been read? Sound familiar? How do you know if your student/child is reading appropriately for his/her age? These checklists will give you...read more

Following Directions
Are you having difficulty getting your students to follow directions? Whether you're a parent or a teacher, it's a skill that we could all benefit from having. Start with this handy checklist which will help you improve your ability to...read more

What Does It Mean to be Gifted?
Considering there's no universial definition, it can mean a numbe