Greetings!
I hope this email finds you well! Can you believe that the summer is almost over?!?
As you will see below, so much is going on! DPC is busy monitoring things at the State House and beyond. However, to continue our work, we need your help! Please make the largest gift you can. No gift is too small. All are greatly appreciated. For more information on our fundraising appeal, please visit http://www.dpcma.org/Members/ADAAnniversaryAppeal/tabid/830/Default.aspx. With your support the DPC will be an even more powerful voice for rights, inclusion and empowerment.
Once again, no gift is too small! Perhaps you would even skip buying one coffee a month and instead donate $5?!
Sincerely,
Robyn Powell
Assistant Director, Disability Policy Consortium
rpowell@dpcma.org| 617-542-3522
|
Join the Employment Now Coalition
|
According to April 2010 figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than a quarter of the potential labor force of Americans with disabilities are employed (22 percent), compared with more than two-thirds of the labor force without disabilities (70 percent). The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) will use the funding to support the Employment Now Coalition (ENC) to advance the ENC's work in identifying and addressing barriers to full employment of people with disabilities.
Founded in 2006, the ENC brings together consumers, service providers, policy makers, and other interested parties to identify programmatic barriers to competitive employment and to advocate for consumer-focused changes in public and private policy. The ENC works to dispel misperceptions about disability and to promote a pro-employment message to consumers, employers, legislators, and the general public.
To join the Employment Now Coalition or learn more about its mission and activities, please visit us at http://www.employmentnowcoalition.org
|
| Getting Real- The 2010 Inclusive Emergency Management National Capacity Building Training Conference |
In March, 2010, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said "We don't plan for easy in FEMA, we plan for real." And virtually every community across the United States, as much as fifty percent of the population needs assistance to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
Among them, twenty percent of Americans have disabilities and may have access and functional needs that will affect their ability to read or understand preparedness information, hear alerts and warnings, utilize accessible transportation during an evacuation, maintain their independence in a shelter, find accessible housing if theirs has been destroyed, access services to enable them to return to work and deal with a myriad of other challenges. Despite this, real progress towards real preparedness is being made in communities that are committed to emergency planning that is inclusive of the participation and requirements of people with access and functional needs.
Are you currently active in planning for emergencies and disasters?
Are you involved in disability- inclusive community involvement?
Are you a community leader?
Are you interested in working with others to help communities plan for emergencies and disasters?
If you answered yes to any of these, please apply to be a Delegate to the "Getting Real- The 2010 Inclusive Emergency Management National Capacity Building Training Conference"
This training conference will be held on September 22-24 in Washington DC "Getting Real" is intended for members of the disability and emergency management communities. Delegates from across the country will participate in an intensive cross-training and bridge-building itinerary in inclusive emergency preparedness practices. This conference will prepare leaders for post-training responsibility to engage and educate others on how to effectively collaborate in emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery.
Hosted by FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination with our partners from the FEMA National Protection and Preparedness Directorate, Individual & Community Preparedness Division, the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities, the Department of Justice and the National Council on Disability, this conference will honor September as National Preparedness Month by training stakeholders in inclusive practices.
FEMA encourages individuals with a full range of expertise to apply. Space is limited and not all applicants are guaranteed acceptance.
Funds are available for eligible Delegates.
Reimbursement is available for non-federal applicants for round trip coach 21-day non-refundable airfare or POV mileage not to exceed established state caps and shuttle or cab to/from DC airport to conference hotel not to exceed $500 (costs in excess of $500 will require additional approval and documentation and may be approved based on available funds).
Lodging will be provided at no cost to all eligible Delegates.
Federal employees may be eligible for travel and hotel accommodations through invitational travel.
Delegate invitations will be distributed starting on 08/27/2010.
If you are interested in attending the conference, please email FEMA-Disability-Integration-Coordination@dhs.gov.
Please address all questions to the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination by email to: FEMA-Disability-Integration-Coordination@dhs.gov
Application due by: COB 08/19/2010. Applications received after this date may still be considered for selection but may not be eligible for travel reimbursement.
Be a part of the Team! Together we can achieve community preparedness for all!
|
PATRICK-MURRAY ADMINISTRATION RECEIVES GRANTS FOR
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FROM SHAPIRO FAMILY FOUNDATION
|
BOSTON - The Patrick-Murray Administration announced today that its Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) and Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) have received grants from the Disability Inclusion Initiative of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation to support ongoing efforts to promote the use of assistive technology for people with disabilities.
"With the right services and supports, people with disabilities can participate fully workplaces, schools and communities across the Commonwealth," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. "With this generous funding from the Shapiro Family Foundation, we are expanding access to assistive technology training and services that will help promote community living, education and employment for people with disabilities."
MRC received an award of $45,000 to advance its Assistive Technology School Swap initiative. In partnership with Northeastern University's Department of Physical Therapy, this initiative will invest in technical assistance for school systems, while providing an opportunity for partnering schools to "swap" unused assistive technology to benefit a wider group of students. It will also facilitate peer training among school professionals on the use of specific technology in the classroom. This grant will also support the development of a web-based resource through which schools can access available used equipment and also share innovative approaches to supporting students' needs.
"Through the generosity of the Shapiro Family Foundation, MRC will be able to address a long standing problem related to maximizing the utilization of assistive technology and promoting recycling and re-use whenever possible," said MRC Commissioner Charles Carr. "Our initiative provides an opportunity for schools to 'swap' their unused Assistive Technology, which typically goes unused when a student no longer needs it. In the end it's a win-win for schools, students and taxpayers as it saves limited school resources."
MCDHH received a $25,000 award that will increase the agency's capacity to offer state-of-the-art training to a broad range of agencies, institutions and individuals by their Communication Access, Technology & Training Department. This grant will enable them to broaden their outreach and training efforts through the development of trainings that will be available through an online video network. Trainings will be developed on such topics as Understanding Deafness & Hearing Loss, Communication Access in the Workplace and training for medical personnel and first responders.
"Effective communication procedures combined with readily available and easy to use communication access technology have made a tremendous difference in the lives of those of us who are deaf, hard of hearing, and late-deafened and our families, as well as the countless people we interact with in our daily lives," said MCDHH Commissioner Heidi Reed. "With support from the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Foundation, we will make this knowledge and these resources readily available to a much wider audience."
"We are delighted to support the work of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, because they embody our belief that persons with disabilities have the right to be included in the broader community," said Ronny Zinner, President of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation. "A focus of our grant program is to promote the distribution of available technologies that help to provide access to community participation. We are pleased to have the state as a partner in this effort."
|
| Finally! FMAP Passes House, Mass Share: $506 Million |
After months of debate, thousands of email pleadings, letters and phone calls, both houses of Congress have now passed the six month FMAP extension. Following up on the Senate August 4th passage of the extension, the House gave its approval by a 247-161 vote.
The extension will grant an additional $16 Billion to states whose revenue receipts have been devastated by the Great Recession that began in October of 2008 during the final months of the Bush Administration.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Massachusetts will receive $506 million in extended FMAP funds. The extended funds will be for January 2011 to June 2011.
Originally the House and Senate had passed a $25 Billion FMAP extension that would have brought over $750 Million to the Commonwealth, however Republican Senators, including Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown refused to allow that to become law through the use of a filibuster, preventing a final vote on the state aid package. The GOP filibuster cost the state of Massachusetts over $250 million in lost federal assistance. The filibuster was finally ended with the support of the two moderate Republican Senators from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, plus conservative Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska. The three changed their earlier votes supporting the filibuster to ending the filibuster preventing a Senate vote. Brown voted to continue the filibuster and subsequently voted no on the FMAP extension.
Due to the late timing of the FMAP passage, Governor Deval Patrick vetoed over $400 million in FY 11 expenditures that had been funded by expected revenue from the original $750 million FMAP package.
There remains some disagreement among state leaders regarding how the incoming FMAP revenue will be distributed to state programs. Though regarded as a political statement and not a strong position, some Massachusetts GOP legislators have suggested that the State not accept or allocate the six month extension.
Both the Governor and the legislative leadership have expressed gratitude to Members of Congress for the six month extension, yet have not completely signaled how the funds will be distributed. With the Governor's veto of programs that were partially funded by the original expected $750 million FMAP package, there is no automatic provision for the incoming $506 million to be restored to those individual accounts, thus the Governor and Legislature will need to come to an agreement on how these funds will be distributed.
Options could include a special session of the legislature, supplemental budgets adopted early next year or adoption through informal sessions (though unlikely since one member could object). There also may be some degree of executive authority in the receipt of the funds with regard to the additional education dollars that will were part of the Congressional action.
|
| More than just a Primary |
August 25th is the last day to register to vote and to change party enrollment for the State primaries on September 14th.
This day is more than just a primary. We need to start registering the disability community now for November 2nd when the following is at stake:
Four candidates are running for governor
There are many contested legislative offices
There are three ballot questions that could have devastating consequences for human services should they pass
Elected officials are more likely to respond to the needs and concerns of those neighborhoods that turn out on Election Day
It is critical that our sector states its opinions on election day - -November 2. To do that, however, we must be registered and we must vote.
|
Paid Market Research Study
|
A Project Manager at C2 Consumer Research, a market research company based in Sacramento, California, contacted DPC about a paid market research study regarding current affairs and websites. It will pay you $100.00 for approximately 2 hours of your time on Monday, August 23rd or Tuesday, August 24th in Boston, MA at either 5:30pm or 7:30 pm.
Please note, they are looking for a wide array of Americans to participate in this study, including, 508 compliant (visually impaired, hearing impaired, disabled), foreign and domestic born citizens, etc... For any participant who needs someone to attend the study along with them for assistance, they will pay both attendees $100 for their time!
They are conducting this research in various cities across the United States to understand hot topics facing Americans today and the types of resources used to become educated on different current events. Please note this is neither a sales nor recruiting event. It is merely for market research purposes. Each qualified person who participates in the study will receive $100--this is NOT a gift certificate or discount on any products/services. Just $ for your opinions. Space is limited and there are a few additional qualifying questions.
If you are interested in participating or would like to get more information you can contact 5hem Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. PT at toll free (877) 222-2909 ext. 15.
|
| disABLEDperson, Inc. Fall 2010 National Scholarship Competition |
disABLEDperson, Inc. is excited to announce our Fall 2010 nationally based scholarship competition for college students with disabilities! This competition begins on August 15, 2010 and ends on October 15, 2010 for the award of $1500.00 (one thousand five hundred dollars)!
To participate, follow these simple steps: Write an essay with no more than 750 words (prompt can be found at www.disABLEDperson.com). Fill out the form completely and paste your essay into the form.
A few reminders: Please keep in mind that the form must be filled out completely. We cannot accept incomplete or fraudulent forms. Spelling and grammar is imperative. Please submit carefully edited drafts only.
In order to qualify, the student must be enrolled in a 2 or 4 year accredited college or university in the United States of America. They must be a full-time student and U.S. citizen (minimum of 12 credits for undergraduate, 9 credits for graduate). Unfortunately, we are not able to award scholarships to high school students or college students who are not attending classes full-time.
Upon winning, the student will prove disability through their Disability Student Services department. We define disability as: "A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal achievement in a particular area, something that hinders or incapacitates."
Please note that the details about our competition will be found at www.disABLEDperson.com . The link is at the top of the page and will say Fall 2010 National Scholarship Competition. Note also that to view the details, attain the essay prompt and submit your essay, you will need to fill out a short registration on www.disABLEDperson.com .
Be sure to submit your entry before the October 15, 2010 deadline. The winner will be announced on our website on October 29, 2010. All decisions made by disABLEDperson, Inc. are final. Thank you and GOOD LUCK!
|
|
| |
|
DPC Needs your Help!!!
|
 |
|
The DPC uses the PayPal PayFast system for your tax deductible charitable donations. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use this system because credit card payments are also accepted.
The DPC also uses the Causes program for recurring donations (as well as one time donations). This is a great way to make a smaller monthly donation.
Donate by Mail
Make check or money order payable to:
Disability Policy Consortium
59 Temple Place, Suite 669
Boston, MA 02111
|
|
|