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Disability Policy Consortium Weekly Update
Greetings!
Dear Robyn,
I am so sorry if you have received this email twice. I inadvertently hit send before finishing this email.
As you know, the primaries were last week. I hope you were able to vote.
As you'll see below, DPC has been very busy.
Hope all is well!
Sincerely,
Robyn Powell
Assistant Director, Disability Policy Consortium
rpowell@dpcma.org| 617-542-3522 |
DPC President Joins MA Deaf Delegation Going to China
This October 1 - 15, John Pirone, DPC President, will be among 15 leaders from the Massachusetts Deaf and Deaf education community will travel to Shanghai, Beijing and Jiujiang. This delegation is the brainchild of Kevin Nolan, a Gallaudet graduate and PIE partner. Kevin has worked with Dr. Lytle to establish a sister school relationship between the Bo Ai Deaf School in Jiujiang with The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham, Massachusetts. Co-leading this delegation will be Massachusetts Commissioner for the Deaf Heidi Reed.
DPC wishes John and the entire delegation good luck!
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Hearing Aid Bill
The DPC met recently with Rep. John Scibak to discuss plans regarding submitting new legislation in January 2011. He has the analysis prepared by the Division of Health Care Finance & Policy that reports 13 other states cover hearing aids for youth under 18; RI covers both adults and children. Most of these states have a limit of insurance reimbursement between $1,000-4,000.
Rep. Scibak is interested in meeting with representative of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities in October to map out a strategy. We will be in touch when we receive a date from his office.
The report from DHCFP is available at the following link:
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dhcfp/r/pubs/10/mb_hearing_aids.pdf
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| Protest Demonstration
For special education rights
State House - Boston
Wednesday, October 6
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
(Rain date: October 13)
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education refuses to help students it knows have been hurt by schools that break special education laws.
Mark your calendar now. Your presence at this protest is crucial. The children are counting on us to save them from the lifelong consequences of school failure.
If we do not speak up for these children and demand change, who will?
Bring your children, family, friends, neighbors.
This is not a disability issue, it's an American issue.
R.S.V.P.
Send us an email to let us know you'll be there to take a stand for children's special education rights.
Questions?
Email Ellen Chambers at emchambers@charter.net or call SPEDWatch (978) 433-5983
"The ultimate tragedy of Birmingham was not the brutality of the bad people, but the silence of the good people."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
SPEDWatch isa 501(c)3 non-profit special education watchdog group functioning as an activist movement for students' special education rights. Our mission is simple: to secure the educational rights of Massachusetts students with disabilities, ages 3-21. All we're asking is that these students be given the education to which they are legally and morally entitled.
No more. No less. No compromise.
To learn more:
Visit www.spedwatch.org
Email info@spedwatch.org, or
Phone (978) 433-5983
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FEMA Hosts "Getting Real" Conference Sept. 22-24
Event on emergency management practices inclusive of people with disabilities
DPC Executive Director, Bill Allan, was invited to attend.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate often mentions that "FEMA does not plan for easy, it plans for real." The Administrator also recognizes that virtually every community in the United States may have as many as fifty percent of their population in need of assistance to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
Building on these concepts, the FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination is hosting a national forum next week in Baltimore. The three-day interactive training conference brings disability and emergency management community leaders together from across the country to build capacity on inclusive emergency management practices.
Featured speakers include, among others:
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate
FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination Director Marcie Roth
FEMA Assistant Administrator for Grants Elizabeth Harman and Assistant Administrator for National Preparedness Corey Gruber
As well as key leadership from:
U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Health and Human Services
DHS Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Federal Communications Commission and the American Red Cross
The full agenda can be found at: http://www.fema.gov/about/odic/.
The conference attendance is by invitation only but will be webcast live in its entirety at: http://dhs.scienceandtechon.tv/2010.femancbc/home.php.
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Vote No, No, No!
In this time of deep and continuing Recession, another BIG threat to our communities and families looms in November, and we as a sector need to do everything we can to ensure that it does not happen.
The threats are the questions on November's ballot. Question 1 would eliminate the sales tax on alcoholic beverages, costing the state $110 million in tax revenue that's now dedicated to drug and alcohol treatment programs. Question 2 would repeal Chapter 40B, which allows developers to circumvent exclusionary zoning laws to build affordable housing in communities where there is none or very few units available. Question 3 would cut the state sales tax to 3%, thereby costing the state $2.5 billion in tax revenue which would mean even more huge state and local budget cuts.
All of these questions have a negative impact on poor and working people. We already had $1 billion in budget cuts last year and we had $1.6 billion again this year. On top of that because stimulus funds are used up, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicts a $1.5-$2 billion budget deficit for next year's budget that again could force more big budget cuts. If on top of these two years of cuts and possibly a third year of cuts, we have an additional $2.5+ billion in state revenue loss forcing more cuts, what will be left of programs and services we care about?
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AAPD is Now Accepting 2011 Hearne Leadership Award Applications
*** Deadline October 1, 2010 ***
AAPD is proud to launch our national search for emerging leaders with disabilities to receive the 2011 Paul G. Hearne Leadership Awards. Applications must be received by October 1, 2010.
Each year, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) recognizes those outstanding emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to and for the broader disability community. Two individuals, who are emerging as leaders in the cross-disability civil rights movement, will each receive $10,000 to help them continue their progress and further connect their work with the national outreach of AAPD. The recipients of the 2011 Hearne Leadership Awards will also star in a short documentary film about their work and have an opportunity to attend and network with national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, DC, March 15, 2011.
If you are an emerging leader with a disability, who wants to take your work to the national level, please apply for the 2011 Hearne Leadership Award before October 1, 2010.
For the 2011 Paul G. Hearne Award Application click here.
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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 |
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