DD Quarterly Fall 2002

DD Quarterly is produced by AXIS Center for Public Awareness.

DD Council's 2002 Annual Conference: "Olmstead is one person at a time." - Mike Oxford

The DD Council hosted its third Annual Conference October 22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Columbus. The lively, day-long event, moderated by Carolyn Knight, DD Council secretary and executive director of Ohio Legal Rights Service, was attended by more than 200 people from throughout Ohio. All came to learn about issues surrounding the Olmstead Decision.

Slow progress pushes national advocacy

"What we have in Olmstead is an integration mandate," he said. "There has been some progress made, but progress has been very slow."

State fiscal matters have gotten in the way of that progress. "There's a state budget crisis in practically every state in the country," he said. "Right about the time the states are trying to move to 'most integrated settings, ' and develop services, there's no money."

Oxford told the audience that while long-term care reform, Medicare and Medicaid, are tied to the court's decision in many ways, the basic message of Olmstead must remain in focus.

"Fundamentally, the Olmstead Decision is around the Americans with Disabilities Act. We're talking about basic civil rights," he said.

Those rights include the freedom for people with disabilities to express themselves, and to live where they want. That freedom sits alongside freedom of the press and free speech.

Unlike the ideas of "freedom" for the public, freedom for people with disabilities shifts to the availability of services, he noted.

See new section! Pg. 11-13 News from OLRS

"Civil rights for people with disabilities costs."

Oxford said the services and supports issue is driven by health and safety, which greatly and ironically, infringes on freedom. "Everything that Medicaid does, every service, every doctor's visit, has a fundamental protection of health and safety of the recipients."

That severe concern for health and safety squashes the freedom people with disabilities need to take risks, such as moving to a new house, changing jobs, or choosing between a healthy or unhealthy diet.

"Everyone deserves freedom, everybody has civil rights, regardless of the nature or severity of your disability," Oxford said.

Whether individuals with disabilities obtain waivers of one sort or another, their needs require services and supports that can be tailored to fit specific situations. "We're all unique, we have different needs," he said.

"I think all of our states are grappling with this," he said. Often, people with disabilities are sent to live in high-cost institutions because they need more hours of care than a waiver to live in the community is currently providing.

Olmstead decision a starting point

"What really drives Olmstead is an individual's choice," he said.

However, confusion looms throughout states as an uneven funding bias toward nursing homes exists. "They (nursing homes) have the majority of money," he said.

Oxford reported some progress in leveling that funding disparity. In 1987, 90 percent of long-term care dollars were spent on nursing homes and only 10 percent on community services.

Slowly, a shift has been made toward community services funding. Today, nursing homes (nationally) receive 71 percent of funding, compared to 29 percent for community services.

A twist to the funding issue is that people with disabilities who prefer to live in their own homes must apply for a waiver to do so, but they automatically qualify for nursing home care through Medicaid.

"This means that elderly and disabled Americans are entitled to receive the highest cost and least desirable service," said Oxford. "Most wait in line for the cheaper and more desirable home-or community-based service. There is something wrong with this picture."

Oxford encouraged advocates to stay involved in consumer task forces that promote community-based services. He also called on attendees to help change "the nursing home mindset" of the medical profession. "Take our message to the doctors, to the nurses, to the therapists - that nursing homes should not be the first option for people with disabilities."

"We have to do these things at the individual level," he said. "Olmstead is one person at a time."

Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council - Improving the lives of Ohioans with disabilities

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council is a planning and advocacy group of 32 members appointed by the governor. ODDC receives and disseminates federal funds to create visions, influence public policy, pilot new approaches, empower individuals and families, and advocate system change.

8 East Long St., Ste. 1200 Columbus, OH 43215-2931 Toll free (800) 766-7426 Voice (614) 466-5205 TTY (614) 644-5530 Fax (614) 466-0298 www.ohio.gov/ddc

It is the policy of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and the AXIS Center to use personfirst language in stories written by staff. Articles reprinted or quoted exactly as they originally appeared or were presented from sources other than staff may not reflect this policy.

For a free copy of the guide, "Person-First Language," contact AXIS at one of the numbers listed on back cover.

Richer life found in community, panelists say

• Mary Biel and her 17-year-old daughter, Kathleen, from Gahanna, Ohio, justified the need for community services;
• Dan Loyer, Toledo area, representing DD Council's CHOICES project, outlined the major barriers and organizing challenges to moving people from institutions to communities;
• Carolyn Carter-Black, Cincinnati, told of her successful move from nursing home to community; and
• Joyce Hobar, Columbus, described the services used by her mother-in-law, who has remained in the community because home services are available.

Research is 100% clear, Biel says

Saying she would probably embarrass Kathleen, she still wanted to tell the audience how her daughter was at the age of 17. Mary said Kathleen is a happy, self-assured woman with normal, receptive language. She's active in her church and in scouts. She goes to Gahanna Lincoln High School.

Mary runs an agency that helps obtain waiver services to enable children with disabilities to remain at home. She said, "One of my projects in the last few years has been to start a foster care division for medically fragile children. Because of that, I've gone to a lot of training on attachment. And I really don't think Katie would be anything like the person she is now... I don't think you would see her smiling and happiness and calm if she had been raised in an institution. I shouldn't say, 'I don't think. ' The research is 100% clear that she would be a negative, distant person."

The funding doesn't follow the person on its own

Loyer cited the major barriers to community life: personal care assistants, housing and transportation.

"When you're in a nursing home," he said, "you need to get the solutions to all of those barriers exactly right to be able to move out at the right time - so the apartment doesn't get lost, so that the personal care attendant starts at the right date. And you have to make sure funding is transferred from a nursing home to a checking account to assist them."

He explained how complicated it is to get the funding that is allocated in one place to follow an individual when the person changes direction. If a person is in an intermediate care facility for mental retardation (ICFMR), for example, the state pays the Medicaid match. But if the person seeks a waiver and comes out of the institution, the local county board of MRDD has to pay that.

Loyer also lamented how hard it is to work through the bureaucracy to get Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid funding redirected from nursing homes to the bank account of the individual they're intended to serve.

Photo captions include: Mary Biel; Patty Bennett, attendant; and Kathleen Biel, Gahanna OH; Mary Biel holds microphone for Dan Loyer, Collins OH; Joyce Hobar, Columbus.

Olmstead spelled freedom to Carter-Black

"Some were good, and some were bad," she said. She regrets that she spent so much of her life without a reliable means to communicate.

The CHOICES project paved the way for her to live in the community. She said, "The only thing I understand about Olmstead is that it spelled freedom for me.... and it helps others like me who might spend the rest of their lives in nursing homes."

Today she lives with housemates and has her own room. She uses a communication device that speaks for her, has her own power wheelchair, and has been approved for supported living.

Photo caption included: Carolyn Carter-Black, Cincinnati, uses her communication device to present her compelling story.

Community services allow mother-in-law to stay at home

"If it wasn't for the Passport program, I don't know what we would do," says Hobar. She said the program supplies housekeeping, an emergency help button, and much more.

Other programs enable this senior to enjoy her life at home. She receives grocery home delivery. She also receives many books each month that are delivered to her door from the library. Hobar said her mother-in-law is adamant about staying in her own home and that these services enable a much better quality of life.

Hobar also praised the Passport team for going beyond their assigned responsibilities. She said they helped get an air conditioner for her mother-in-law and stepped in to help when her oxygen tank needed changing.

HHS rep provides national perspective on Olmstead

Howard, a senior equal opportunity specialist with HHS, noted that a lack of funds and other national needs compete against Olmstead for resources and leaders' attention. One example: Homeland Security. That presidential initiative gained importance following the terrorism attacks on 9/11 last year.

Howard suggested ways advocates could help the Olmstead cause. "You'll have the most impact if you can come up with ways of how to use existing money better," she said.

She encouraged advocates to use "clear and descriptive goals" relating to Olmstead that a wider audience can buy into. "It makes it work a whole lot easier," she said.

Legislators need to be constantly educated about Olmstead and its impact on people with disabilities because many face term limits or are not re-elected. "Mentor legislators and educate them on Olmstead in an assertive yet nonabrasive way," Howard said. "Every state needs input from advocates because you can't think of everything yourself."

While the Olmstead Decision didn't order states to have implementation plans, she said they are important road maps and frameworks for establishing milestones and determining if and how well progress is being made.

"Consumer and stakeholder involvement is key for Medicaid Community Services reform," reported Darlene Howard.

"Plans identify gaps in the long-term system, and bring people together," she added.

Howard reported that some states that created Olmstead plans now are back-tracking either because they were unrealistic plans, or because the state is experiencing financial reverses.

And, some states backed away from creating plans altogether through the advice of state attorneys who warned of possible lawsuits if difficulties arose and documented services could not fully be offered.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on Olmstead, handed down in 1999, called for integrating people with disabilities into the community with supports and services. "But nobody is to the point of really implementing an Olmstead Plan," Howard announced.

She added that leaders are talking about community services as options. "President Bush has been supportive of Olmstead," she said, noting he has mentioned community-based care as part of his New Freedom Initiative introduced in February, 2001.

Also, Executive Order 13217, in June, 2001 called for "swift implementation" of the Olmstead Decision through federal assistance to states, agency coordination, and federal agency self-evaluation.

HHS activities in 2001 included $64 million in Systems Change Grants, and $113 million in Caregiver Support Grants, technical assistance. More than 200 complaints related to Olmstead also were resolved, Howard said.

Future activities include establishing an Office on Disability and Community Integration as well as the Interagency Council on Community Living.

Olmstead: history and hopefulness

Kirkman gave a review of litigation cases from the mid-60s to the Olmstead Decision.

Stressing that as early as 1982, Kirkman explained that like Olmstead, the Youngberg decision deferred to professional judgment as to whether or not someone could be served in a community-based setting better, or as well as in an institutional setting. And although Thomas v. Flaherty, in 1990, ruled that the state had to treat people in the community, other cases like Jackson v. Ft. Stanton Hospital, two years later, had the effect of reversing the Thomas decision.

"The system could help you get into an institution, but not to get you out," said Kirkman.

Not until Title II of the ADA in 1990 did Congress help direct the courts toward recognizing that society had tended to isolate and segregate people with disabilities and that discrimination persists in such critical areas as institutionalization. Congressional mandates appeared in regulations which mandated integration "appropriate to the needs" of people.

And although not mandated, Congressional commentary in the preamble of 28 C.F.R. defines the most integrated setting as "a setting that enables individuals with disabilities to interact with non-disabled persons to the fullest extent possible."

Kirkman charted the Olmstead positions of all nine Supreme Court Justices to show what the Majority (5 of 9 justices), and the Plurality (4 of 9 justices) decisions actually contained. The Majority saw institutionalization as stigmatizing and discriminating, and said "as long as services are available to non-disabled in community, they ought to be provided to people with disabilities in community as well."

The Majority ruled that a person must be moved to the community: if a disability exists and the person wants to move into community, and if the state's professionals agree the person is "qualified" to move, and if creation of a community placement is a reasonable modification of the state's programs.

Photo captions included: Darlene Howard, Chicago; Mike Kirkman, Columbus.

Figuring out what "qualified" means and how it is determined is one of the challenges in this ruling.

The Plurality opinion raises the question of reasonable modification vs. fundamental alteration: that is, if the state can show that making modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the services, such modifications are beyond reasonable.

"This is the issue that really sets the continuing debate and assumes there will always be people who 'need institution care, '" Kirkman told the audience.

The Ohio Legal Rights Service's current case, Martin v. Taft, is attempting to show that eight individuals in institutional settings have identical needs of eight persons being served in the community.

Kirkman explained that trying to figure out how Medicaid plays into community integration legislation is a big challenge. "Creative lawyering is necessary to force available funding options like Medicaid to fund community beds and not more ICFsMR," argued Kirkman.

He closed his remarks with listing signs of hope: President Bush has not turned his back on Olmstead, the National Governor's Association has suggested a more flexible Waiver approval process, and Medicaid Redesign efforts are currently underway. "We're going to keep moving, keep pushing on this, and we're going to keep being hopeful about it."

Long-term care in Ohio: balancing the system

Ciferri said that challenges facing long-term care in Ohio include:

• Creating more options and involving consumers in the planning,
• A large increasing demand over the next decades,
• Limited public dollars,
• A declining workforce,
• Access to the system for all who need it, and
• Assurance of quality.

Currently, Ciferri says that negotiating our long-term care system "is like a one of those corn mazes!"

Of the $2.6 billion public dollars spent on long term care, $2.2 billion of that is for institutional care like nursing homes.

Presenting staggering facts, Ciferri demonstrated the seriousness of the problem, including that while currently $116 billion are spent on professional long-term care, an additional $196 billion worth of care is provided by informal caregivers such as family and friends. Of the $2.6 billion public dollars spent on long term care, $2.2 billion of that is for institutional care like nursing homes.

In the last nine years, full occupancy in nursing homes has fallen from 92% to 83.5% and yet, there has been an 18% increase in nursing home beds. "Thus, more dollars are going to fewer people in institutional settings," explained Ciferri. "We need real reform!"

Public expenditures are not matching consumer demand. "By 2050 the number of older people needing assistance will more than double. We will need to spend $375 billion when this demand hits instead of the current $137 billion," he warned.

The caregiver pool is shrinking at alarming rates. At the current rates those available for caregiving will fall from the current 11:1 to 4:1. It's already starting with long-term care from family members dropping 10% in the last ten years.

Given the alarming data the Center collected, it has developed the following recommendations for a Comprehensive System of Long-Term Care in Ohio:

1. Create a person-centered system with individual choice and control.
2. Balance institutional and community-based long-term care services with demand.
3. Support a new system with adequate public resources.
4. Promote personal financial responsibility such as Long-Term Care Insurance.
5. Improve linkages between acute and long-term services.
6. Support a long-term care workforce, paid and unpaid.
7. Rethink and re-engineer the statewide systemic planning process.

Closing his remarks, Ciferri said that if real reform is going to happen, "everyone has to sit down and find out how to fix the system. It has to be systematic. All of the stakeholders have to come to the table in a balanced way."

Photo captions included: Bill Ciferri; Jane Taylor, Columbus; Kenneth Ritchey, ODMRDD, Columbus.

One size does not fit all

OAAA has partnered with AARP to address frustrating budget cuts effecting older people. Their goal is to drum-beat the message of the devastating cuts. 26% of the state's budget cuts in 2001, 2002, 2003 are in human service programs," Taylor warned.

The project also is committed to build a complete database and to develop a meaningful election strategy that will give folks the information they need to elect legislators who will support human service funding.

"We were able to monthly track the people who, because of this latest cut that was taken, were denied access into the Passport Program," Taylor explained. The project then was able to show each month what happened to each and every person. That information was given to legislators.

Taylor admitted that much still needs to be done about choice. "Forty-one states have a Waiver for assisted living in the Medicaid program, and Ohio is one that does not," she lamented. And this is where people with disabilities and older Americans feel the same squeeze.

Property tax levies in a few counties have been very helpful to serve those not quite Medicaid eligible, but the $70 million worth of services generated are earmarked for only four counties. "So," said Taylor, "it is not quite the safety net that it is here in Franklin and other counties."

Taylor is concerned that the balance is still tipped toward being much easier to get into a nursing home. But she made clear that "this is not and never was and never will be an anti-nursing home campaign." The issue for her and her constituency is balance.

"But right now," Taylor said, "17% of nursing home beds are empty in Ohio, yet we have people who will stay on a Passport waiting list and other Waiver-like waiting lists for a long time because they want that choice."

Right now the aging advocates are staying the course to ring loudly the message of "choice," since they believe such a message is difficult for anyone to disagree with, regardless of age or disability. Taylor and those she represents are thrilled that they and folks with disabilities can go to Medicaid hearings on Long-Term Care hand in hand with the same basic message.

She thanked the "tireless and passionate advocates" in the disability movement for what she has learned from them. "We look forward only to strengthening our collaboration, because I think together, we can do really good things."

Blueprint for Ohio

The current and immediate previous administrations in Ohio supported Ohio MRDD's ability to write a vision paper that is parallel to Ohio Access, the Medicaid Redesign plan written by seven cabinet-level departments, under the leadership of the Office of Budget Management. Governor Taft accepted the Access Report in the Spring of 2001.

Ritchey admitted that some call it a "plan for a plan," but is pleased with the value system and direction the report embraces. He pointed to two-year budget cycles and term limits for legislators as problems of moving the Ohio Access Report along.

Interagency Agreements with all but one department have been a real milestone in agency collaboration, and have resulted in long-term commitments "that aren't going to go away," Ritchey said.

Regarding Medicaid hearings, Ritchey emphasized that his and the department's first recommendation is "responsible choice" - not unlimited" choice. He went on to give a brief history of Medicaid Waivers in Ohio, and admitted that laws have not kept up with philosophy. He suggested that he believes change will occur with President Bush's administration.

Listing the increasing number of Waivers in Ohio over the past ten years, Ritchey pointed out that in one year alone MRDD has more than doubled. But he admitted that in Ohio, "We're required to offer the institutional placement first before we can offer the Waiver placement." In other words, his department is required to put in writing that a person was offered something else and turned it down before a Waiver can be given.

The role of families is being re-evaluated in Ohio Access. Estimates suggest that 80% of all care is by a family member, and Ritchey said that the state believes that these folks need support. For MRDD, that help will be the Level 1 Waiver, with a cap of $5,000, designed to enhance the Family Resource Program. It is hoped this Waiver option will be on line early next year.

Ritchey closed his remarks with a report on current budget cuts and announced a new initiative from his department that sends review teams out to everybody in the MRDD field and all kind of settings to make sure that all of our MRDD citizens have maximized the revenue to which they are entitled by the federal government." In that way the department may be able to stretch federal matching dollars to more people. His goal is to have about 15,000 Waivers in the next eight years, while knowing full well that current waiting list for waiver services is between 10,000 and 17,000 people.

Advocates report on statewide efforts

Medicaid Buy-In Project

"When you look at the really big picture of Olmstead, that's employment," she said. "When you live in a community, you also have the opportunity to work in the community."

"Ohio is really behind and needs to get an MBI program here," she said, adding that Doug DeVoe, MBI project director, is available to present programs about MBI, and how it would benefit more than 12,000 Ohioans with disabilities.

Johnson said MBI would have a far-reaching, positive impact in Ohio because not only would it assist people with disabilities, but it would also help business. "We need to get business on board because this is a win-win."

Photo captions include: Panel of advocates spoke about current projects in Ohio: Meg Kane and Mary Butler, OOTF; Dan Loyer, CHOICES; Jane Taylor, OAAA; Sue Hetrick, APPC; and Beverly Johnson, MBI; Mary Butler, Elyria, Beverly Johnson, Columbus.

APPC Sites

"The overall purpose of this grant was increasing the grassroots systems advocacy activity by self advocates, people with disabilities, their families and others," she said. "And to educate public policymakers and others about family-centered, individual-centered supports and services to live in the community."

Each APPC site has its own proposals to carry out those advocacy efforts, she said. The four chief topics of concern for all sites include MBI, the Family Support Collaborative, eliminating waiting lists, and the Olmstead Decision.

CHOICES

CHOICES team members live in all areas of the state, he said, but there is a need for more members in rural areas, he explained.

Ohio Olmstead Task Force

The task force studies issues related to the Olmstead Decision and advocates in Ohio for a plan and action to implement the decision's measures, which seek community services for people with disabilities, rather than seeking nursing home care as a first or only option.

Count me in!

Participants of the Olmstead Conference who wanted to be kept informed, to become part of a network of advocates to write letters, make visits, and be available to talk with coworkers, neighbors, legislators, community leaders and others, turned in "Count me in!" cards.

It's not too late for YOU to join these advocates. Send your name, address, phone and/or email to the address below. You will receive periodic fact sheets and announcements about what is going on with Olmstead in Ohio and requests for your involvement in making choice and community living available to all who want it.

If you need additional assistance or more information, contact the Ohio Olmstead Task Force.

Ohio Olmstead Task Force 4550 Indianola Ave. Columbus, OH 43214 (800) 561-0165 v/tty (614) 267-4550 fax OOTF88@aol.com

Photo caption: DD Council Secretary Carolyn Knight, executive director of OLRS, encouraged conference participants to join other Olmstead advocates to "make it happen!"

DD Council presents 2002 Advocacy Award

Each year, Council selects an outstanding Ohio advocate - a person who has worked actively in support of improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The award was named in honor of Elsie D. Helsel, Ph.D., a lifetime advocate for people with disabilities.

Cindy Norwood is the mother of 19-year-old daughter Jessica, who has developmental disabilities. Cindy shepherded her daughter to be fully included in school. She recently graduated from high school and is enrolled in college.

Cindy's untiring advocacy efforts have obtained many services on behalf of all children. She has effectively combined knowledge of local, state and national public policy arenas, giving her a unique perspective into policy decision making.

Photo caption: DD Council Chairman Jerry Plassenthal presents 2002 Advocacy Award to Cindy Norwood.

For more information, contact: ODDC, (800) 766-7426, (614) 644-5530 tty, www.ohio.gov/ddc

CHOICES Project helps people with disabilities find the freedom they choose

Painter, of Maumee, OH, is the first to tell anyone that he's had a difficult time establishing an independent lifestyle for himself. Currently, the 45-year-old lives in a nursing home.

Painter, who is paralyzed due to a train accident, was once on the road toward independence in a small, rural northwest Ohio town. Unfortunately, he trusted people who assured him they would be his caregivers. Instead, they stole his possessions.

"While I was in the hospital, they were back at my place selling everything I had - except my wheelchair," he said. Those individuals received six-month sentences for theft.

"Those people who were living with me weren't licensed care-givers, they just needed a place to live and didn't care what my needs were."

Painter moved into a nursing home near Toledo, and applied for a home care waiver. However, when it came through, he turned it down because he was afraid of repeating his past mistakes.

"I kind of got gun shy after that first time. I was scared about getting out and screwing it up like I did before," he said.

About that time, people from CHOICES visited his nursing home. CHOICES is a project of the Ohio DD Council that links advocates to nursing home residents with disabilities who wish to have greater freedom. Team members inform residents about community-based living options, as well as providing them with information and training about community living.

Since 2000, CHOICES has worked with 83 individuals with disabilities, and has successfully assisted 44 in leaving nursing homes, said Team Leader Dan Loyer. "It's important for our team to work with our friends who live in nursing homes to show them the more positive side of life and community based services so they can live independently and with more confidence."

Painter and longtime friend Kelly Keefe, a CHOICES team member from Toledo, began to speak about freedom and independence in a more positive and secure way.

Keefe, 42, is an advocate who lives the example of independence as president of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, and chair of the Toledo Consumer Advisory Council. On a regular basis, the two meet and talk about community living. They visit local restaurants, attend community events, or visit Keefe's apartment.

More than talk, Keefe shows by his example what life can be like on one's own beyond the walls of a nursing home environment. He is pursuing a social services degree from the University of Toledo.

Painter recognizes Keefe's freedom, and wants it, too. "I want what Kelly has," Painter said, as he described Keefe's licensed, organized caregivers who visit for early morning assistance and return later in the day for other duties. "I want to demonstrate to Leo that you can have fun and live independently without having negative influences involved," Keefe said.

Keefe, who uses a wheelchair due to paralysis himself, reassures Painter that there are organizations and activities that exist which serve as "watch dogs" to prevent possible neglect.

Keefe draws from his own experience of having lived in a nursing home for a year and a half. "I just knew there was more to life than getting up at a certain time and being made to go to bed at a certain time," he said.

As Painter awaits word on another waiver that would lead him again toward freedom and independence, he is more confident and is thankful for CHOICES.

For more information, contact: Luke Russell, Project Coordinator, The Arc of Ohio, 1335 Dublin Rd., Columbus, OH 43215; (800) 875-2723; (614) 487-4720; (614) 487-4725 fax; lrussell@rrcol.com

Photo caption: Kelly Keefe visits with Leo Painter outside Maumee, OH nursing home where Painter currently resides.

News from Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)

OLRS represents child: school must allow service dog

Because the child was able to leave her home and mother for short periods of time while accompanied by the family dog, the child's psychiatrist and therapist recommended the use of a service dog to assist the child in going about her daily routine.

The child received a trained service dog during the summer. The presence of the dog was comforting to the child and the dog was trained to alert the child when she showed signs of anxiety, for example, elevated heart rate and rapid breathing. When the child was alerted to her symptoms, she was able to use techniques to reduce her anxiety and thereby stay with the activity of the moment rather than flee.

When the child's mother contacted the school district prior to the start of the school year, the superintendent of the district advised the parent that the child would not be allowed to bring the dog on the school property.

Consequently, the child could not attend school as she was unable to leave her home or her mother without the assistance of the dog.

When OLRS was unable to negotiate a resolution with the school district, OLRS requested an impartial due process hearing on behalf of the child, requesting a ruling that the child be allowed to bring her service dog to school. During the hearing process, the child received home instruction services.

At the hearing, the child's psychiatrist and therapist testified that the dog was medically necessary in order for the child to attend school. They testified about the improvement they had seen in the child since receiving the dog and that the child was able to go into the community accompanied by her dog and leave her mother for periods of time. The trainer of the dog testified about the skills and obedience of the dog. One of the child's teachers testified about seeing the child's anxiety in school the prior school year and one occasion where the child had extreme anxiety and refused to get out of her car and go to school.

The hearing officer ruled that the testimony of the child's psychiatrist and therapist supported that the child needed the service dog in order to attend school. The hearing officer ordered the school to allow the child to be accompanied by the service dog at all times while in school and on the school bus. He further ordered the school to provide inservice training to all staff and students in the school about proper service dog etiquette.

Finally, the hearing officer ordered the school to provide tutoring to the child for the services she missed while on home instruction. The school has since provided the individual tutoring and inservice training and the child is in school accompanied by the dog.

You may contact OLRS by mail, fax or phone: Ohio Legal Rights Service 8 E. Long St., Suite 500 Columbus, OH 43215-2999 Toll-free: 1-800-282-9181 Local: 1-614-466-7264 TTY toll-free: 1-800-858-3542 TTY local: 1-614-728-2553 Fax: 1-614-644-1888. You also may visit the OLRS web site for information: www.state.oh.us/olrs

OLRS files Amicus brief on behalf of death row inmates with disabilities

On October 4, the Ohio Supreme Court agreed to allow the filing of an Amicus brief as the court drafts the standards that courts will follow to determine whether Ohio defendants in capital cases are mentally retarded and thus ineligible for the death penalty.

OLRS worked with a consortium of partners, including The ARC of Ohio, Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio, Ohio Association of County Boards of MR/DD, and DD Council. Each of these organizations is very concerned about the issue of the death penalty and individuals with mental retardation.

The consortium, represented by lawyers from OLRS, approached the Ohio Supreme Court and asked to be allowed to present a brief on the issue of standards for these cases where the death penalty is being considered. The brief presents to the Court:

• A survey of the contemporary professional specifications for determining when a person is, or is not, mentally retarded;
• An analysis of the legal standards adopted by other states for determining mental retardation in a capital context; and
• Suggests that qualifications of witnesses to offer expert opinion testimony must be consistent with professional standards.

The brief advances the notion that there is a national consensus on the standards to be applied in determining who is mentally retarded. This standard consists of three elements: significant limitations in intellectual functioning, that exist concurrently with significant limitations in adaptive behavior, and manifests or originates before adulthood.

Amicus curiae means "friend of the court." An amicus curiae is one who gives information to the court on some matter of law on which the court is doubtful. The term implies the friendly intervention of counsel, to call the court's attention to a legal matter that has escaped, or might escape, the court's consideration.

For a copy of the brief, contact OLRS or visit: www.state.oh.us/olrs

OLRS experiment becomes model

The forum was organized and hosted by the ARC Hamilton County. The success of this Public Forum was due in large part to the excellent community organizing skills of Tom Eamoe, Executive Director the ARC of Hamilton County, and the strong facilitation skills of Vicki Smith, a national expert in Protection and Advocacy systems like OLRS.

Carolyn Knight, OLRS Executive Director, provided opening remarks and pertinent comments throughout the evening. Thirty-nine individuals attended, primarily family members, people with disabilities, and professionals.

Individuals' concerns were articulated extremely well and ran the gamut of issues and ideas for how they want Ohio's system of supports and services to look. OLRS will consider each comment and idea for change in planning goals and priorities.

A "Report of the Event" describing comments, questions and proposed priorities may be viewed at: www.state.oh.us/olrs.

The traditional OLRS public hearing was held on September 24, 2002. As in past years, this hearing yielded little input. OLRS is pleased to have found a format that solicits meaningful opinions from the people we serve.

OLRS and ODMH release client survey findings

Carolyn Knight, OLRS Executive Director, and Michael F. Hogan, Ph. D., Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) stated that both agencies are pleased with the collaborative approach to this project.

The staff of OLRS and the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council developed a survey and used it two consecutive years to measure and compare the perceptions of Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare's clients at the Columbus Campus.

Analysis of the data showed that emphasis on recovery at TVBH has produced a significant change in the perceptions of sur-vey participants over a one-year time frame. "Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare welcomed the Council's participation in conducting the survey the past two years," Jim Ignelzi, Chief Executive Officer of TVBH, said. "Through these surveys we can see that changes made did have a noteworthy impact on clients' lives."

The PAIMI Advisory Council presented summary findings July 1 at the Ohio Advocates for Mental Health Conference in Marietta. The findings concluded that 70 percent of respondents to the 2001 survey perceive their hospitalization and treatment in a positive light based on these variables:

• Being treated with courtesy and respect.
• Having confidence in hospital staff.
• Having staff members available to talk to.
• Being offered services that are helpful in recovery.
• Being in the hospital is helpful.
• Getting help when needed.
• Feeling that a psychiatric hospital should be one of the services the mental health system has available.
• Feeling that there is a complaint system available for their use.

In an open letter to the staff and clients of TVBH, the Council wrote, "We know that inviting an outside group to survey TVBH clients' satisfaction with the hospital services inherently creates discomfort for the hospital staff. That is why we commend you for taking the courageous step to obtain unadulterated and honest feedback from your clients about TVBH services two years in a row."

The Ohio Department of Mental Health operates TVBH, with campuses in both Columbus and Dayton. The survey tool used was designed to focus on the impact ODMH's Recovery Model and the Guiding Principles of Recovery had on clients in an inpatient setting. Recovery, in relation to mental health, is a personal process of overcoming the negative impact of a psychiatric disability despite its continued presence. OLRS, an independent state agency, advocates for individual and systemic change to benefit people with disabilities. Through the federal Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act (PAIMI), OLRS serves adults, children and youth in public or private psychiatric hospitals or units.

For more information, contact: Joy Pratt, OLRS; (800) 282-9181 v; (800) 858-3542 tty; or visit: www.state.oh.us/olrs

Recovery rocks! I'm Boss!

Recovery is an interpersonal dynamic process of embracying hope, defining oneself, and participating in meaningful roles in community.

Ohio Legal rights Service, PAIMI Advisory Council, May 15, 2002

For free copies of poster, magnet and button, contact OLRS.

Homeownership program for people with disabilities serves southwestern Ohio

A program to promote and assist people with disabilities to become homeowners has made one Cincinnati man very happy.

Chris Boenitsch, a 37-year-old who uses a wheelchair due to a 1984 diving accident, moved into his Cape Cod-style home in early spring. The proud moment of becoming a homeowner capped a process that began nearly eight months before.

"This is an American dream," he said. "A disability doesn't mean I can't fulfill my dreams."

Boenitsch participated in the Special Needs Homeownership Assistance Project (SNHAP), which is funded through the DD Council, Ohio Housing Trust Fund, Ohio Legal Rights and the Home-ownership Coalition. The program began in 2001 and will be up for renewal next year.

Residents with disabilities or who have a child with a disability in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, Warren, Montgomery and Preble counties can participate in SNHAP.

The program is administered by Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc. (LADD, Inc.).

"People with disabilities have traditionally not thought of homeownership as something they could aspire to," said Debbie Greenebaum, of LADD, Inc.

The goal of the program, Greenebaum said, is to "break down barriers to homeownership" for people with disabilities.

Most traditional housing counselors, Greenebaum said, simply do not think of people with disabilities as homeowner candidates. That is apparent, she said, through the lack of education those professionals have in disability issues. As an example, most housing counselors do not provide housing materials in Braille, she noted, or an interpreter may be present at a closing, but not at home buying education forums. "Many housing counselors do not understand our benefit streams, accessibility needs, or waivers," she added.

"I try to find the best loan situation for the person," Greenebaum said. "Very important to this equation is outlining from the start just how much house a person can afford." A loan product from Fannie Mae called HomeChoice, for people with disabilities, was recently introduced to Ohio and is one of many loan options an individual can choose.

Those who are approved for the program receive $3,000 in down payment assistance. Additional money, as it is available, may be allotted for home modifications.

Boenitsch appreciated Greenebaum's guidance. "She was there for emotional and financial support, but she let me make my decisions," he said.

Home buyer counseling is built into the program, something that Boenitsch found useful. "They teach what will go wrong and what may go wrong with the house," he said of the four-to six-week classes.

More often than not, by going through the classes on home buying, many of the clients realize they are not ready for the big step of homeownership. "They may decide to become a renter, and move out of their parents' home," Greenebaum said.

"They need to have a steady income," she said. "That can be a big issue with the people we serve." Credit history is also involved in making a home purchase. "We have to get the word out in the disability community that you have to pay attention to credit," she said. "We want to be responsible consumers."

Further home buying counseling consists of "post-purchase" advising that includes information about fire safety issues and warranty items which Boenitsch considered helpful.

Greenebaum said people with disabilities she has worked with have said going through classes is a "self-esteem builder."

While the project hoped to have six become homeowners, Boenitsch is so far the only one. But Greenebaum is not disappointed in the least. Referrals to the program have tripled from last year's numbers, and she has counseled at least 20 and takes calls about it all the time.

And then there's Boenitsch's enthusiasm, as he continues to live his own American Dream in his two-bedroom home on a corner lot in the middle of the heartland.

For more information, contact: LADD, 3603 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45229; (513) 861-5233; (513) 861-5381 fax; dgreenebaum@laddinc.org

Contacto Latino website to bring disability information to Hispanic population

Ana Quevedo, editor of Contacto Latino, is no stranger to disability, and said her culture is one which many times turns away from disability issues due to a lack of information on the topics.

Quevedo, of Gahanna, a Columbus suburb, is a board member of the Mental Health Association of Franklin County, and said as an immigrant she's had to wage her own battle with depression.

"A lot of Latinos suffer because they don't even know they have an illness," she said. "Mental health is a big issue in our community."

Culturally, Hispanics need to learn more about disability, Quevedo said. "It's something we need to educate on - that you do not need to be ashamed."

Usually, within the Latino culture, a person with a disability is "put back in the closet and we try to make that person content," she said. "There's nothing in our culture that tells us we can help a person with a disability become 'able'."

The AXIS Center, the public awareness project of the DD Council, will provide Contacto Latino with periodic items and disability-related information including. Quevedo and others will translate those articles to Spanish for the website.

Quevedo also edits Nuestro Ohio (Our Ohio), a bilingual monthly newspaper available in Ohio's major cities. Nuestro Ohio and Contacto Latino share many of the same news stories.

According to U.S. Census statistics provided by the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center of the Great Lakes ADA Center, the national Latino population has grown by 50% since 1990, and within Ohio, 2000 census figures indicate a 1.9% increase, representing 217,123 Latinos living in Ohio. The Latino population is concentrated in certain areas. For instance, Latinos make up 7.3% of the Cleveland population, and 5.5% of the Toledo population, the census reports. Hispanics living in the Columbus area represent 1.8%. There are no statistics to pinpoint how many Hispanics may have disabilities in Ohio.

For more information, visit: www.contacto-latino.com, or contact: Ana Quevedo, 1001 Caraway Dr., Gahanna, OH 43230, (614) 806-3559, ana@nuestroohio.com

National Technical Assistance Center for Latinos with Disabilities launches website

Latinos with disabilities, members of the fastest growing population, face higher rates of unemployment and often have less education and, therefore fewer opportunities than other Americans with disabilities and non-disabled Latinos.

As an effort to improve this situation, the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration has awarded the World Institute on Disability (WID), a five-year grant to establish the National Technical Assistance Center for Latinos with Disabilities living in the USA.

Based on research that shows that most Americans obtain jobs and career advancement through access to informal networks, timely information and training opportunities, this project is the first national initiative established to connect Latinos with disabilities to these pathways to employment.

Visit: www.proyectovision.net

Butler County dental program coordinates services for underserved patients with MRDD

Since 2000, the Butler County Dental Care Program has linked adults with MRDD in the county with the dental care services they have seriously needed. The program has received national recognition and those involved with the program hope to see it continue and believe it will be a model for projects in Ohio.

Dr. Robert Creedon, a retired pediatric dentist, instrumental in the program's development, now serves as volunteer consultant while Diane Vasiliadis, a registered dental hygienist, serves as program director.

Funding has come from several sources: starter funds from the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati; funding for service coordination from Community Alternative Funding Source (CAFS) and matching funds from Butler County MRDD; and education/advocacy efforts for the public and dental professionals by DD Council.

The program's objectives include:

• Case management design and administration,
• Establishing and maintaining hospital sites,
• Developing and providing professional education for community dentists, and
• Creating and presenting oral health education programs for caregivers of individuals with develop-mental disabilities.

Within its first two years, the program reduced the number of consumers in need of dental treatment from 56.1 percent to 20.96 percent. "Our goal is to have every consumer have a dental home," Creedon said. "DD Council's involvement includes funding and an ongoing commitment to educating providers so we can increase that number. We'd like more dentists in all areas to look for opportunities to serve people with disabilities in their communities."

With that in mind, the program recently had a continuing education session for providers, with 180 attending to network and learn about addressing the oral health needs in their county.

"This shows the interest and dedication the Butler County providers have," Vasiliadis said. "They want to be involved in our community venture and at times call in to see how they can be of assistance."

Of over 150 dentists in the county, more than 80 participate in care for patients with MRDD. The need for the program came to light when ARC board members noticed that obtaining dental treatment for those with MRDD was next to impossible. "It was a significant and ever-increasing problem," Creedon said.

Vasiliadis cites two typical success stories that show-case the program's value:

• A 25-year-old woman with moderate mental retardation was diagnosed with untreated periodontal disease, causing loose teeth, and painful and bleeding gum tissues. As a consequence, the woman avoided drinking healthy citrus juices and avoided most crunchy foods. "Three days after dental surgery, she was sitting with peers drinking orange juice. She was interacting, smiling and enjoying her lunch." Vasiliadis said.
• A 45-year-old man with mental retardation never had appropriate dental treatment, and had severe periodontal disease. General anesthesia was recommended as well as the removal of his remaining teeth. He had diabetes, but his blood sugar was never controllable, probably due to infection being present in the blood stream. Within a two-week period, his skin tone brightened, his general disposition improved and his blood sugar levels were manageable. He made a most wonderful minitransformation.

It's all about the entire community of dentists, physicians, hospitals, caregivers and case managers coming together," Vasiliadis said.

Several factors play into why adults with MRDD do not receive regular dental care. Primary care-giving parents many times have difficulty finding dentists willing, comfortable and capable of addressing their adult childrens' unique dental treatment needs.

Communication gaps pose great problems, as well as an inability to find accurate documentation regarding the medical and dental history of a patient. Being able to collect a full dental, behavioral and medical history for the consumers can also be quite a challenge. A lack of funds, Medicaid providers and medical insurance (and subsequent dental coverage) also plays a factor in consumers not receiving proper dental care.

"The biggest key to case man-agement," Vasiliadis said, "is to find the contact that holds the best and most reliable information about the patient." That can be difficult, she said, "because our consumers have many so-called home bases."

Creedon and Vasiliadis both salute those dentists who have taken an interest in providing treatment to adults with MRDD and special needs because cases can be complex, and costly.

For more information, contact: Diane Vasiliadis, RDH, BS, 2100 Pleasant Ave., Hamilton, OH 45015, (513) 863-2364, (513) 868-1415 fax, dvasiliadis@cinci.rr.com

Richard Skelley, DD Council, (800) 766-7426, richard.skelley@dmr.state.oh.us

Save these dates! Reservations requested.

February 4, 2003, Riffe Center - 77 S. High St. - Columbus, OH

Budget Strategy Training & Legislative Visits

Sponsored by Disability Policy Coalition and Ohio Olmstead Task Force

For more information, contact: DPC, (800) 429-8885, cpo@iwaynet.net; or OOTF, (800) 561-0165 v/ tty; OOTF88@aol.com

March 6, 2003 Statehouse Atrium - Columbus, OH

Legislative Breakfast

Sponsored by Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and Statewide Independent Living Council

For more information, Contact Kenneth Latham, ODDC; (800) 766-7426; (614) 644-5530 tty; kenneth.latham@dmr.state.oh.us

Healthy Ways program inspires African-Americans with disabilities to better health

African-Americans with disabilities living in Columbus and Franklin County have taken charge of their health with a new awareness program at the Mid-Ohio Board for an Independent Living Environment, Inc. (MOBILE).

The program is built around classes that explore cardiovascular diseases; cancer; diabetes and stroke; and sub-categories such as fitness and exercise and smoking.

Several local agency representatives took part in the health fair and offered blood sugar, blood pressure and body mass index screenings as well as a lifestyle assessment and discussion with a registered nurse. Several participants indicated they have never had the opportunity to have such in-depth discussions with a health care professional.

Beverly Rackett, MOBILE executive director, said Healthy Ways places an emphasis where it may be lacking for people with disabilities. "It's an opportunity for us (people with disabilities) to look at our overall health, which is usually ignored because we're dealing with our primary disabilities," she said.

Marcia Johnson, program consultant from MOBILE, shaped the curriculum that addressed the various health issues. Each Tuesday for five weeks a different topic was featured, with medical and fitness experts from the community serving as guest speakers.

"Participants looked forward to the weekly socialization the program provided," Johnson said. "It helped them realize they were not alone in their quest for good health."

"From that, a natural peer support occurred, with participants now calling one another on a daily basis to see if they are okay," Johnson added. Gwen Bell, R. N., provided blood pressure tests at the health fair and spoke about cardiovascular health at the first class.

"I believe in promoting health," Bell said. "If we focus on healthy lifestyle behaviors, we stay well."

"People with disabilities are sometimes more at a disadvantage health wise simply because they can become more prone to illness," Bell said. "We need to know the benefits of exercise, proper nutrition and stress management."

Johnson said the program will continue as it takes the good health message to Columbus area neighborhoods. Healthy Ways participants will become leaders to present "Neighborhood Talks" presented to family, friends and others.

Johnson said the program, reflecting cultural needs and influences, delved into more than physical health.

"The impact of the health promotion went beyond the physical and helped us to address our spiritual and emotional health needs," she said.

Healthy Ways participants Robert Hawkins and Rene Logan both have enjoyed the program. "I'm learning a better way of living," Hawkins said.

Logan said Healthy Ways has enabled her to meet new people, and learn how to handle health concerns. "It's given me a different view of health as an African-American with a disability," she said.

Johnson is currently recruiting individuals for the next series of Healthy Ways classes, scheduled to begin in February 2003. Readers may call or e-mail to enroll.

Healthy Ways is funded by the Columbus Medical Association Foundation and MOBILE.

For more information, or to enroll, contact: MOBILE, 690 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43206; (614) 443-5936; (614) 443-5957 tty; (614) 443-5954 fax, or e-mail mjohns@columbus.rr.com

Early intervention enhances development of children with special needs

Parents... need information and support, especially when the child is at high risk, or has a recognizable disability or developmental delay.

We have so many hopes and dreams for our children. We want the best for them, so they can be all that they can be. But life can present many challenges along the way that can interfere with and alter some of those dreams.

When those challenges begin early in the life of the children, we need to quickly understand how we can impact their lives to achieve their greatest potential.

Participation in quality early intervention programs has been shown to greatly enhance the development of children with special needs, as well as for children from disadvantaged families.

Recent advances in brain research have provided great insight into how the brain continues to grow and develop after birth. It's become very clear that what children experience in their first years, particularly the first three years of life, profoundly influences how their brain will develop and how they will interact with the world throughout their life.

In order to maximize every child's individual potential and future development, multiple issues need to be considered, including the nutritional, medical, emotional and intellectual support that the parents/caregivers, extended family, and community provide. A child's ability to understand language, progress physically, solve problems, and get along with other people is greatly influenced by their experiences as an infant and young child.

Parents clearly play the most important role in providing the nurturing and stimulation that children require, but they need information and support, especially when the child is at high risk, or has a recognizable disability or developmental delay.

Premature births, health problems or delays in progress in seeing, hearing, talking, thinking, playing, or moving are indicators that early intervention services should be explored. Community based programs are available that provide developmental evaluations and an array of early intervention services, including home based services, therapy/play groups, preschools and other specialized services for the child, as well as education and support for the family.

Studies have repeatedly shown that appropriately stimulating environments offering new learning opportunities, coupled with positive interactions with caregivers, maximize the brain's development and overall functioning - while negative early experiences, and the lack of stimulation or new learning opportunities can cause a tragic loss of realized potential.

Windows of opportunity exist that can close down permanently if not addressed in a timely manner. For example, surgeons now remove congenital cataracts as early in infancy as possible, because if they wait until the child is older, the connections between the eyes and brain will fail to develop properly and the child will never be able to see.

These kinds of connections exist everywhere in the brain and involve all developmental areas. Therefore, the earlier that potential problems can be identified and appropriate interventions begun, the better the outcomes for. the child, the family.... and our community.

Theresa Hawley, Ph. D., author of Starting Smart, says it best, "The new developments in brain research show us what children need; our challenge is to ensure that every child receives it."

For additional information about early intervention services, contact: Help Me Grow, PO Box 118, Columbus, OH 43216-0118; (800) 755-4769; BEIS@gw.odh.state.oh.us; www.ohiohelpmegrow.org.

High school students share experiences and learn independent living skills at YLF each summer

For an application or more information, contact: Governor's Council, (800) 282-4536, ext. 1392 v/tty, maureen.fitzgerald@rsc.state.oh.us

Keynote at YLF Mentor Luncheon promotes "emotional intelligence"

Kuusisto, professor of Creative Writing at The Ohio State University, authored Planet of the Blind, a memoir of his struggle growing up blind in this culture. He confessed that his family early on entered into a kind of family conspiracy of denial of his actual disability.

Adding that the schools joined the conspiracy, he said, "The public school system failed to teach me the things I needed to know about being blind, things like Braille, using a cane, learning to navigate the world - I didn't get the opportunity to like being disabled."

Kuusisto warned the youth of "the fiercely competitive and often very fast-paced environments that today's culture creates." Centering on a phrase coined by Daniel Goleman in his book by the same name, Kuusisto said, "Many people simply do not understand disability, and Americans generally have little emotional intelligence."

"Emotional intelligence," explained Kuusisto, "is being able to slow down our emotional response and use our imagination to think clearly about events that are unfolding; to think about them with greater care, so that better results will be produced for you."

Through poignant personal stories, Kuusisto demonstrated his realization that there certainly are times to fight. He simply suggests that the fight be engaged with strong emotional intelligence.

First Lady Hope Taft presents Ohio Women's Hall of Fame Award to Elsie D. Helsel

The eleven women selected this year join hundreds of outstanding members, including America's first female physician Elizabeth Blackwell, author/columnist Erma Bombeck, and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.

A mother's advocacy led Dr, Helsel to become a driving force in promoting community inclusion and productivity for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Shortly after his birth in 1946, the Helsel's second child Robin was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Elsie became involved with the Association of Retarded Children and the United Cerebral Palsy Association, then headquartered in New York City. Soon she opened and directed the UCPA Washington Office.

Helsel was active in writing and securing passage of the Federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and BIll of Rights Act. In Ohio, she led the effort to change the definition of developmental disabilities, resulting in H.B.569.

Helsel has authored numerous publications on disabilities research and education. Her distinguished career includes an appointment to Chair the President's Committee on Mental Retardation under President Dwight Eisenhower. She was the first chair of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.

Helsel is the recipient of the Ohio University College of Medicine Medal of Public Service Award; the Gunnar Dybwad Humanitarian Award from the American Association of Mental Retardation for achievements in the field; the Ray Ferguson Leadership Award, and the DD Council's first Advocacy Award, which was named in her honor.

For more information, visit: www.state.oh.us/women

Photo captions included: Elsie D. Helsel receives award from First Lady Hope Taft at Ohio Women's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; The first Executive Director of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Lee Rubin congratulates Elsie Helsel, a fellow resident of Athens. Rubin previously was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.

Attention... Teachers, Parents, Principals, Aides, Librarians

Free for quantities up to 300. Please state the audience you'll be using the bookmarks with, or the purpose of your order.

To order, contact AXIS: (800) 231-2947 v/tty; (614) 267-4550 fax; axiscenter@aol.com

RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Practical Classroom Teaching Strategies for Children with Autism

February 12, 2003- This one-day conference will focus on specific teaching strategies found to be most effective for children with autism. Offers hands-on information for special educators, inclusion teachers, classroom aides, speech and language pathologists, OTs, PTs, psychologists and parents.

Presenters will cover: building communication skills, reducing negative behaviors, coordinating the IEP team, effective instructional methods, building social skills, and more.

For more information, call (614) 722-4939 or fax (614) 722-3864.

Preventing dental diseases in children with disabilities

Illustrated, easy to understand booklet of information on helping children with disabilities have healthy teeth and gums. Designed for parents and other caregivers.

10 pages, 8.5x11". Available online from The Arc of the United States: http://www.thearc.org/pubtemp.htm

The Supreme Court Adjourns: A Review of the Disability Decisions of the United States Supreme Court's 2001 Term

June 28, 2002, marked the end of the 2001 term of the United States Supreme Court, a term which had an unusually large number of cases that directly affected people with disabilities. This pamphlet summarizes major decisions of the court, including Death Penalty, Civil Commitment, Americans with Disabilities Act, Lessons and Strategies, Social Security, and more.

Free. 12 pages, 7 x 8.5". Ohio Legal Rights Service; (800) 282-9181 v; (800) 858-3542 tty; (614) 644-1888 fax. Available online: www.state.oh.us/olrs

All resources listed in DD Quarterly are available from AXIS library. (800) 231-2947 or axiscenter@aol.com

Section 8 Made Simple: Using the Housing Choice Voucher Program to Assist People with Disabilities

This program, administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is one of the most important federal housing programs available to assist people with disabilities. It is also one of the most complicated and confusing programs.

This guide contains practical information to help people with disabilities and the entire disability community to navigate through the Section 8 program more successfully. Chapters are organized to mirror the activities that a person would go through from applying for a voucher, to finding eligible housing, to becoming a successful participant.

Free. Limited to one copy per organization. 98 pp. June 2002. Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc., One Center Plaza Suite 310, Boston, MA 02108; (617) 742-5657 v/tty. Available online: www.tacinc.org

First Response to Victims of Crime Who Have a Disability: A Handbook for Law Enforcement Officers on How to Approach and Help Crime Victims

"This handbook is a reminder that every victim deserves to be treated compassionately, fairly, and respectfully." - John W. Gillis, Office for Victims of Crime.

Because officers and dispatchers often are the first to respond to crime victims, it is critical that they understand how to approach them. This handbook includes basic guidelines and general tips on responding to crime victims who have a disability as well as sections on the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973Ð two federal laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

It also offers more specific guidelines and tips on approaching and interacting with victims who have Alzheimer's disease, mental illness, mental retardation, or who are blind, visually impaired, Deaf, or hard-of-hearing.

Free. OVC Resource Center, PO Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000; (800) 627-6872 v; (877) 712-9279 tty; www.ncjrs.org

May 8-10, 2003 Hyatt Regency, Columbus

SOLIDARITY '03

Steve Kuusisto Author and OSU Professor

• Workshops
• Displays
• Hands-on Technology
• Group activities
• and more!

Registration fee: $140 before 4/1/03 includes all conference sessions, lunches and materials.

For a registration packet, call or e-mail: axiscenter@aol.com (800) 390-7396

March is MRDD Awareness Month

For ordering information, visit: www.publicimagesnetwork.org

Enter student poster contest

The theme for this year's contest is "Within the Heart of Our Community, Everyone Belongs." The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness and acceptance of children with mental and physical disabilities within the community. Contest coordinators are asking students to create posters that explore the similarities in the children around them, both with and without disabilities, in a positive way.

This year's winning entries will be displayed at the Ohio Statehouse in March 2003 for the celebration of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. In addition, U.S. Savings Bonds will be given to winners. Schools that have a first, second, or third place winning student, will receive $100 for the art teacher to purchase art supplies.

For complete instruction on how to enter, or for more information, contact: OPI, (419) 254-4069; e-mail: info@publicimagesnetwork.org or visit:www.publicimagesnetwork.org/poster.html

Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Improving the lives of Ohioans with disabilities

DD Quarterly is available in large print and on audiocassette, upon request.

Please pass this copy to others who could benefit from it. If you, or someone you know, would like to be added to the mailing list, please call AXIS.

Toll free in Ohio, v/tty: (800) 231-2947; In central Ohio, v/tty: (614) 262-8124 ; Fax: (614) 267-4550; E-mail: axiscenter@aol.com; Website: http://www.axiscenter.org

AXIS STAFF : Sue Willis, project director; Vince McGuire, photographer; Kelley Femia, designer; Beth Kramer, writer/editor; Shari Veleba, writer; Kim Ryan, audio recording; Joyce Talkowski, assistant; Donna Kinney, assistant

Copyright 2002. Content may be reprinted upon request.

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