Week of 5/24/10

DPC Weekly Update

May 24, 2010

Greetings,

What a week it was for DPC and it's members! 

Thanks to all who attended the Gubernatorial Candidates Forum!  It was a huge success.  We will be posting the webstream soon so that people can view it.

Also, I am happy to share that DPC filed a Title II ADA Complaint last week against the Commonwealth.  After years of trying to engage in a dialogue about emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, we were left with no other option.  We have the right receive appropriate and accessible information.  For more information, please visit our website.

Finally, we are holding community meetings for disability commissions, members, and others looking to discuss advocacy.  Upcoming meetings will be Falmouth, Wilmington, and Middleborough. Details are below.  Bring a friend!!

For more information on the DPC, please feel free to give me a call!

Sincerely,
 
Robyn Powell
Assistant Director, Disability Policy Consortium
rpowell@dpcma.org| 617-542-3522

Upcoming meetings in Falmouth, Middleborough, and Wilmington

EXCHANGE & EMPOWERMENT

Please join the Disability Policy Consortium, local Disability Commissions, and others interested in learning more about advocacy, as we come together for an evening to share your ideas, your successes and your future!  Learn what works, what doesn't and how to improve access for all in your community!

Thursday, June 17, 2010, 5:00pm-7:00pm
Falmouth Public Library
300 Main Street, Falmouth, MA
 
Thursday, June 24, 2010, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Middleborough Public Library
102 North Main Street, Middleborough, MA
 
Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Wilmington Public Library
175 Middlesex Avenue, Wilmington, MA

Pizza and refreshments!

With so many of you out there fighting the same battles and hitting the same walls, it's time to get together and share your triumphs and successes.  Each of you has something to give that we can all benefit from.  We would like to get that started - please join us.
 
Please RSVP to Robyn Powell ASAP at meeting@dpcma.org or 617-542-3522.
 
Please let us know IMMEDIATELY if you need any accommodations, such as ASL Interpreters, CART or alternate formats for handouts.
 
We look forward to hearing from you!  

Stop Cuts to Adult Dental!

SENATE AMENDMENTS ARE OUR LAST HOPE!
TAKE ACTION NOW

If you haven't already, contact your Senator now and ask him/her to sign on to the Senator Chandler's Amendment to stop cuts to adult dental services.

Here are three options:

GOOD: Send an email (see email addresses here)

EVEN BETTER: Call your Senator's office (see numbers here)

BEST OF ALL: Do both; email and follow-up with a call

Adult Dental Benefits (Amendment EHS 473)
Senator Chandler

The decision to remove dental care from MassHealth will impact approximately 25,000 kids with disabilities, 203,000 adults under the age of 65 with disabilities, and 107,000 seniors.

Talking Points:

·        For people with disabilities oral health is central to the person's overall health to degree far beyond how other residents of Massachusetts are impacted.
 
·        Many people with disabilities are unable to maintain oral health because of physical or sensory limitations. Examples include people who have spastic motions and lack dexterity needed to undertake good oral health practices as well as people with visual impairments unable to visually assess their oral health practices.
 
·        It is much easier to ensure MassHealth participants are complying with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements because of licensure requirements. People with disabilities in rural areas already have difficulty finding dentists who take MassHealth. Finding dentists that are accessible to them will decrease further if MassHealth coverage disappears.
 
·        People would rather live with pain than have their teeth extracted because of the social consequences of being toothless. People with disabilities already experience barriers to employment. Poor dental hygiene and appearance exacerbates these barriers.
 
·        Dental problems exacerbate chronic and disabling conditions causing gastric and nutritional problems from inability to chew. Missing teeth can also result in the inability of people with severe disabilities to carry out basic activities of daily living. Quadriplegics for example will not be able to use mouth sticks to turn on and off lights or dial telephone.
 
·        Lack of oral health can result in potentially life-threatening infections resulting in increased incidence of illness, increased hospitalization at increased cost to Massachusetts. People with chronic conditions such as diabetes in addition to a primary disability for example will be far more prone to dangerous infections and increased hospitalizations.


DEADLINE TODAY!

FY'11 Budget Process Review

Are you confused by the Budget process??  If so, please read this review by the Arc of Massachusetts:

After the full House finished its work on the budget April 28, the Senate got its shot.

Here's the play-by-play:
1. Last Wednesday - Senate's budget committee (Ways & Means) releases its proposal.

2. Last Friday - Senators file their amendments to SWM budget with Senate clerk's office (see Arc-backed amendments above)

3. TODAY - Last day for Senators to Co-Sponsor amendments. The more co-sponsors, the better chance of passage.

4. Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday - Full Senate debates and ultimately votes on passage of amendments.

5. Beyond Friday -  Conference Committee meets to reconcile House and Senate versions of budget. Releases its compromise in mid-June. Governor issues vetoes and Legislature overrides select vetoes.

6. The Bottom Line - Now is our Last, Best chance to influence the budget in a major way. After Senate Amendments are decided, there is much less wiggle room as the FY11 budget process winds down.

Employment Survey

Greetings from Work Without Limits.  Work Without Limits is a
Massachusetts initiative to promote and enhance employment for people with disabilities in Massachusetts.

As part of Work Without Limits, we are contacting job seekers with
disabilities to assess the level of interest in online and/or in-person
networking opportunities related to employment. 

Please take a few minutes to respond to the questions in this survey. It
takes about 5 minutes and the information will be used to determine ways that Work Without Limits can better meet the needs of individuals with disabilities looking for employment. All your responses will be kept
confidential.

The survey will be open until June 4, 2010.

The survey can be accessed here:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/291853/employment-networking-survey

For questions about or assistance completing the survey, please contact John Kramer at: john.kramer@umb.edu

For questions about the Peer Employment Network, please contact Rick Kugler at: rick.kugler@umb.edu

For general questions about the Work Without Limits initiative, please
contact Michelle Nowers at: michelle.nowers@umassmed.edu

The work of the Work Without Limits initiative is funded by the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services through the Massachusetts Medicaid Infrastructure and Comprehensive Employment Opportunities Grant (MI-CEO) awarded to UMass Medical School (CFDA No. 93.768). The founding partners in this initiative include the University of Massachusetts (The University of Massachusetts Medical School and The University of Massachusetts Boston) and the  Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

15th Annual Aging with Dignity Conference

15th Annual Aging with Dignity Conference will be held on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 a.m.  Topics and speakers address preventing and responding to alcohol and other drug problems among older adults.

Special Accommodations
 
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, or a person with a disability who requires accommodations, please contact Jennifer Fahey at AdCare Educational Institute at (508) 752-7313, TTY (508) 754-0039 or e-mail jadoros@aol.com by 5/15/10.
 
Fees and Deadlines
 
Registration can be done by mail or on-line.  If you would like to register on-line, please visit www.adcare-educational.org.  The non-refundable $45 per person fee pays for registration, CE (Continuing Education), continental breakfast and lunch.  Pre-registration is required.  The deadline for registration and payment is June 1, 2010.  If you register and do not attend, you are still responsible for the fee.
 
There are a limited number of scholarship opportunities available.  For an application contact Jennifer Fahey at AdCare.  Applications must be received by May 18, 2010.

Contact:  Jennifer Fahey, AdCare Educational Institute   jadoros@aol.com Tel: 508-752-73313

ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration

Please join us July 26th on the Boston Common from 12:00-3:00 PM to celebrate the anniversary of the landmark passage in 1990 of one of the nation's premier civil rights laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Much remains to be done to achieve full inclusion for all Americans with disabilities, but it is a different and better world today thanks to the first 20 years of the ADA.  Help us to mark this important milestone with a public celebration that brings great speakers and great performers together in the heart of Boston.
 
The Hosts for this event include the Boston Center for Independent Living, the City of Boston, the Disability Policy Consortium, the Institute for Human Centered Design and the New England ADA Center, and the Statewide Independent Living Council.
 
We invite you to share your commitment to an inclusive society by getting on board as a sponsor. Please review the sponsorship levels and opportunities for visibility and choose one that works best for you.  We need your help and appreciate your support.

Sponsorship Levels

Entertainer Bios