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December 29, 2011
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Disability Policy Consortium Weekly Update
Dear william,
Surprise, Surprise. Enough mail arrived of value to put out a special edition. Next weeks issue will arrive mid-week as well.
This issue is for you, Gayle.
Bill Allan
Disability Policy Consortium
wfallan@dpcma.org| 617-542-3822
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Advocates Corner: Ride $ Changes?
Santa provided a insider's guide to proposed changes in fare at the MBTA.
The Disability Policy Consortium received 2 documents anonomously on December 28, 2011 that detail proposed fare increases for the MBTA.
The document is dated 10/19/200 and marked DRAFT.
The documents are posted at
There are two Scenarios presented. In both version the increases to The Ride and Senior fares are the highest.
In one version Senior fares increase to $1.10 from 40 cents for a bus ride; in the second it increases to $1.00.
These increases are 175% and 150% respectively.
Fares for The Ride in ADA service area are proposed at $4.50 or $4.00 or 125% and 100% respectively. Premium service area fares would increase from $2.00 to $12.00 in both proposals or an increase of 500%
Charlie Card fares for Adults would increase 36% / 20% for local bus and 38.2% / 41.2% for rapid transit. Student fares would increase 88.3% / 66.7% for buses and 88.2% for Student rapid transit under both scenarios.
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Advocates Corner: ASK...it may work
Heather Watkins, member of the Boston Commission on Disabilities and the DPC, recently asked her doctor about accessible examination tables. Here is the response from her doctor.
Dear Heather,
Dr. W. has spoken with me regarding the fact that our outpatient exam room tables are not accessible for your use because they do not lower sufficiently to allow you to safely transfer onto them. Thank you for attaching the ADA publication, Access to Medical Care For Individuals With Mobility Disabilities, to your email to him. I have reviewed its content, and found it to be very helpful.
While most of our patient exam rooms are of adequate size, we do not currently have an exam table with a power height adjustment to facilitate ease of transfers. The staff do have access to a Hoyer lift, but that is not always the transfer mode of choice for all patients. I did put several such tables in my current capital budget for the Outpatient Department, and we will be purchasing one of them immediately.
I will also make Dr. W. and the other physicians aware that we can arrange to use a power hi-lo mat table on the second floor in one of our physical therapy private treatment rooms while we are waiting for the new exam table to arrive."
Sincerely,
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News from the Net: Position Open
Dear Friends and Colleagues: Do you know a computer geek (technical wiz) seeking work?
We are looking to add a part-time PHP Developer to our DD Suite technical team. This position is funded through our subcontract with ADD and is available through 9/30/12. It is anticipated, contingent on continued federal funding, that the position will continue into 2013.
Please forward this information to any one you know who may be interested. It is important that they check the qualifications for the position, as only applicants possessing the specific technical knowledge and skills indicated in the position description will be considered. Thank you.
Dan Shannon
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Posting ID: J28540
Position Number: 180446
Agency: Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council
Official Title: It Professionals
Functional Title: Entry-Level PHP Developer
View this job at https://jobs.hrd.state.ma.us/recruit/public/3111/job/job_view.do?postingId=J28540
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News from the Net: Probate News
From Margolis & Bloom Newsletter
MUPC Goes Into Effect January 2nd
After years, if not decades, of work by many individuals, the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code will go into effect on January 2nd. The good news is that it will significantly streamline the process of passing family property from one generation to the next. The bad news is that those of us in the field and staff in the probate courts all need to learn a brand new system. This will undoubtedly lead to some delays and snafus at first. The probate courts and the organized bar through the Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations have been working very hard to train lawyers and court staff to make the transition as smooth as posisble.
Here are some of the innovations in the new law:
- Much less formal process. In general, once a will has been admitted to probate and the personal representative -- no longer called the "executor" or "executrix" -- is appointed, he or she can proceed with settling the estate with no additional reporting to the court.
- But safeguards do exist. If any "interested party" objects to what the personal representative is doing, he or she can invoke the protection of the court and the process will continue in much the same way as it did under the old law.
- $18,000 free and clear. The first $18,000 of property in an estate is not subject to claim by creditors, including any claim by MassHealth for estate recovry.
- The inventory is no longer a court form. Under the old law, the probate court issued a form called an inventory on which the executor was required to list all of the estate assets and file it with the court. If the form was lost, executors had to go back to court and ask it to issue a new inventory and pay a fee. Now, the inventory is optional unless an interested party invokes the more formal process, and it's a simple form that the attorney or personal representative will be able to download from the court website.
There are many more changes, so many that all-day and multi-day training programs have been offered to attorneys. The bottom line is that these changes are good for the courts and good for clients. |
News from the Net: Special Ed
Webinar Series: Special Education Advocacy Basics
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Presenter: Ellen M. Chambers
When: January 5, 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. |
Protecting a child's special education rights is not easy. In this installment of our monthly special education webinar series, Ellen Chambers will explain the basics of special education advocacy and provide information that every parent must know in order to work knowledgeably with school personnel.
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News from the Net: Scholarships
The Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
$10,000 USD or $5,000 CAD
Access to knowledge is our thing. When it comes to higher education for promising scholars, we don't want anything to stand in the way. That's why Google is proud to support the work of Lime Connect. Google is
committed to helping the innovators of the future make the most of their talents by providing scholarships and networking retreats for computer science students with disabilities.
Recipients of the Google Lime Scholarship will each receive a scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year. Selected students will also be invited to attend the annual Google Scholars' Retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain
View, California, in 2012. Scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates' academic background and demonstrated passion for
computer science - $10,000USD for those studying in the US and $5,000CAD for those studying in Canada (based on tuition costs).
Google Lime Scholars enjoying the Scholars Retreat at the Googleplex. The Google Lime Scholarship is designed for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who are pursuing degrees in computer
science, computer engineering or a closely related technical field at a university in the US or Canada (international students in the US or Canada are
also eligible). And, one in ten students on campus today has a disability, with 90% of those being invisible - candidates with all disabilities are encouraged to apply.
To learn more and apply: go to our website.
Application deadline: midnight EST on Sunday, February 5, 2012
Not a match? Share the word and you never know who could benefit! If you're a student or experienced professional with a disability, register with The Lime Network to learn of all candidate opportunities. We welcome all interested parties as Friends of The Lime Network.
About us: Lime Connect is a global not for profit leading the way as the premier resource for top talent in the disability space by attracting, preparing and
connecting highly accomplished individuals with disabilities for careers with the world's leading corporations. Our goal is to break stereotypes and
lead all companies to realize the importance, and value, of employing people with disabilities at every level of education, talent and ability.
Lime Connect, Inc.
590 Madison Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, New York 10022
212.521.4469
Visit www.limeconnect.com to learn more!
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News from the Net: ADA Checklist
ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal Now Available
Under the ADA, businesses and non-profit organizations need to make their older facilities accessible when it is "readily achievable to do so." This checklist follows the four priorities in the Department of Justice's regulations: 1. Approach and Entrance, 2. Goods and Services, 3. Public Toilet Rooms, 4. Other Accessibility. The checklist is based on the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
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