THE LIFTT CONNECTION
The LIFTT Connection is published by
Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow, an independent living center
providing services across 18 eastern Montana counties with offices located in
Billings and Glendive.
http://www.liftt.org 2nd
Quarter 2011
In This
Issue:
·
Youth
Group Forming
·
Strategic
Planning to be held August 4-5
·
Connect
to LIFTT on Facebook & Twitter
·
Update
on Federal Budget Talks
·
Senators
Propose Creation of Independent Living Administration
·
Contacting
Your Elected Leaders
·
Staying
Safe in the Midst of Flooding
·
Rocky
Mountain ADA Center Corner: ADA History
·
Mark
Small Retires
·
Odds
& Ends
Youth-Young
Adult Group Forming
Working with staff from the Billings office,
several LIFTT peers are in the process of forming a group for Youth and Young
Adults with disabilities in our service area. In addition to providing a social
outlet for participants, the group will focus on helping to develop the skills
needed for youth and young adults to make a successful transition from high
school and living at home to living independently. For more information contact
Brent Morris in the Billings office, 690-7584 or brent@liftt.org
LIFTT Strategic Planning to be held Aug 4-5.
LIFTT staff, board
members and consumers will meet August 4-5 in Billings to develop a strategic
plan to guide LIFTT’s services and activities for the next three to five years.
If you are interested in helping to shape the future of LIFTT, contact Jennifer
at the Billings office at (406) 259-5181, (800) 669-6319 or jenn@liftt.org.
LIFTT offices will be closed Thursday Aug. 4 and Friday Aug 5 in order to allow
staff to attend the strategic planning sessions.
Stay
Connected to LIFTT on Facebook and Twitter
Get
updates on programs and services available from LIFTT as well as news from the
wider disability community by connecting to LIFTT on Twitter and Facebook.
LIFTT
on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-Independently-for-Today-and-Tomorrow-LIFTT/129895870365539
LIFTT
on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LIFTT
Important
for Disability Community to be Heard in Ongoing Federal Budget Talks
The Obama administration is currently in
talks with Congress on setting budget priorities for FY 2012 and beyond. On the
outcome of these talks hinges the future of Medicare, Medicaid, Social
Security, financial aid for higher education, and many other programs and
services that are critical for people with disabilities.
President Obama and Congressional Leaders
need to hear from individuals with disabilities about how important these
programs are and why maintaining current structures and funding levels is vital
to our nation’s long term prosperity.
Senate
Bill Proposes Creation of Independent Living Administration
(NCIL
Press Release) Washington- The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is
very proud and excited to announce that a bill has been filed with the Senate
HELP Committee which creates the establishment of a new Independent Living
Administration (ILA), and strengthens America’s Independent Living (IL)
Program. The ILA would elevate the IL Program at the federal level, and would
create an organization independent of the Rehabilitation Services
Administration (RSA) within the Department of Education. The creation of this
new administration marks a truly historic moment in the Independent Living
Movement, and IL advocates across the country have much to celebrate this week.
The
ILA is created through the reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
which is contained in the larger Workforce Investment Act (WIA). NCIL has been
pushing for the reauthorization of WIA and the Rehabilitation Act for nearly a
decade, and the introduction of a bill to reauthorize both pieces of legislation
presents a unique opportunity to improve the IL Program and substantially
increase consumer-control at the federal level.
NCIL
is optimistic about WIA’s chances for reauthorization, and very pleased with
the rare bipartisan effort to put this bill together. Staff from the offices of
Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Patty Murray (D-WA), and
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) have been working over the past two years in an effort to
renew and improve WIA.
NCIL
has been working closely with the Senate to create legislative language that
will drastically overhaul America’s IL Program, and fix problems that have
frustrated Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent
Living Councils (SILCs) for years. Although the majority of IL fixes and
enhancements in this legislation cannot be listed, here are some of the
highlights:
·
Creation of an ILA: a new organization
within the Department of Education, completely separate and independent of RSA.
The ILA Director will report directly to the Secretary of Education.
·
Carryover Authority: CILs will now be
allowed to carryover Part C funds not spent during the first year into a second
year.
·
Addition of a 5th
Core Service:
transitioning people with disabilities from nursing homes and other institutions
to home and community-based residences.
·
Clarification of the
Role of SILC: Because of RSA’s interpretations of the
Rehabilitation Act, several clarifications regarding SILC activities are
included in the bill - providing advice and assistance to the designated state
unit (DSU), facilitating the improvement and coordination of services, resource
development activities, and carrying out systems advocacy functions.
·
Funding Formula
Change:
Part C dollars should be allowed to be shared among all states and territories,
states with the largest populations would receive more funding proportionally.
·
Accessibility at WIA
One-Stop Centers:
one–stop centers will be required to be physically and programmatically
accessible, regardless of disability.
After
reading the legislative language in the bill reauthorizing WIA and the
Rehabilitation Act, it is obvious that the Senate has listened to NCIL’s
concerns and worked hard to create a piece of legislation that will empower and
increase the independence of Americans with disabilities. It is also clear that
we have the bipartisan support necessary to move this bill forward, but the
fight to get the votes necessary in both chambers of Congress to pass this
reauthorization into law has only just begun.
More
than ever, IL advocates from across the country must now mobilize to push this
historic legislation through Congress. Remember, this bill was created for us!
We must immediately employ the full resources of the IL community to reach out
to members of Congress and urge them to support the reauthorization of WIA and
the Rehabilitation Act, specifically the inclusion of Title V language that
creates an ILA and strengthens independent living. It is vital that advocates
contact their senators and congressman as soon as possible.
Where to Contact Your
Elected Leaders
Please remember to be respectful when calling, writing or emailing
elected officials.
The
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
or (202) 456-1111
Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm or
(202) 224-3542
Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): http://mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm
or (202) 224-2541
Montana
US Senator Max Baucus (D): http://baucus.senate.gov/?p=contact or
(202) 224-2651
Montana
US Senator Jon Tester (D): http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm
or (202) 224-2644
House
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/ or (202)
225-0600
House
Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA): http://cantor.house.gov/contact/
or (202) 225-4000
House
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): http://www.democraticleader.gov/contact
or (202) 225-0100
Montana
Congressman Dennis Rehberg (R): http://rehberg.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=62§iontree=6,62
or (202) 225-5687
What to do in Case
of Flooding
Flooding is the nation's most common natural disaster.
Flooding can happen in every U.S. state and territory. However, all floods are
not alike. Some can develop slowly during an extended period of rain, or in a
warming trend following a heavy snow. Others, such as flash floods, can occur
quickly, even without any visible signs of rain. It's important to be prepared
for flooding no matter where you live, but particularly if you are in a
low-lying area, near water or downstream from a dam. Even a very small stream or
dry creek bed can overflow and create flooding.
Learn about the emergency plans that have been
established in your area by your state and
local government. In any emergency,
always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management
officials.
Rocky
Mountain ADA Center Corner: ADA History
Editors Note: LIFTT is
pleased to present this series of columns by Cindy Powell of the Rocky Mountain ADA
Center.
The Rocky Mountain
ADA Center
is one of ten regional “one-stop” comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) resource centers. Located in Colorado Springs Colorado, the Rocky Mountain ADA Center serves a six state
region: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
The Rocky Mountain
ADA Center provides
·
technical assistance,
·
education and training,
·
public awareness,
·
materials dissemination, and
·
information and referral
to employers, businesses, state and local government
agencies, disability and rehabilitation programs, people with disabilities,
architects, code officials, schools and many other entities with rights and
responsibilities under the ADA.
ADA History by Cindy
Powell
Passed
in 1990, The Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) is the most
comprehensive civil rights law protecting people with disabilities. Prior to the passage of the ADA, several civil rights laws provided
limited protection for people with disabilities.
1968: Architectural Barriers Act was the
first federal law addressing civil rights for people with disabilities. This
law requires that buildings constructed by the federal government or with
federal funding be accessible to people with disabilities. This law also
resulted in the first set of standards for the removal of architectural
barriers: The Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS).
1973: Rehabilitation Act was the
first federal law to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities.
This law requires that federally funded programs be accessible to people with
disabilities and that federal employers provide reasonable accommodations for
their employees with disabilities. Much of the terminology in the
Rehabilitation Act was used in the ADA.
1975: Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) established the rights of students with
disabilities to a free, appropriate public education in the most integrated
setting possible. This law mandated that parents and schools work together to
design individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities.
1986: Air Carrier Access Act
(ACAA) was passed to ensure access to air travel by people with
disabilities. The ACAA was passed in
response to a Supreme Court decision that found that the Rehabilitation Act did
not apply to air travel.
The
ADA prohibits discrimination in:
However
a 2010 poll conducted by the Kessler Foundation/National Organization on
Disability* revealed that since the ADA’s
passage in 1990:
·
61
percent of people with disabilities stated that the ADA has made no difference in their lives;
·
23
percent of respondents reported that their quality of life improved over the
previous 20 years as a result of the ADA;
·
4
percent of those surveyed reported that their standard of living decreased
since the passage of the ADA; and
·
7
per cent of people with disabilities who responded knew nothing about the ADA.
A
national cross section of 1,001 non-institutionalized adults with disabilities,
ages 18 to 64, was interviewed during May and June 2010. The nation's
significant economic downturn since the 2004 survey was a major consideration.
Researchers suggested that people with disabilities have been more negatively
impacted by the recession than people who did not disclose disabilities. Key
life activities where definite gaps were identified include:
·
Employment
·
Poverty
·
Financial
·
Education
·
Health
Care
·
Transportation
·
Socialization
·
Dining
in restaurants
·
Religious
service attendance
·
Political
participation
·
Satisfaction
with life
·
Technology
Findings
conclude that, in addition to narrowing the substantial disparities that exist
between the lives of people with and without disabilities, society's perception
and treatment of people with disabilities are also extremely important.
* www.2010disabilitysurveys.org/pdfs/surveysummary.pdf
Mark Small Announces
Retirement
After
many years of service to LIFTT and the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Mark Small has
retired from his position as an Independent Living Specialist effective July 1.
The staff, board and, consumers of LIFTT extend their thanks to Mark for his
dedication in bringing IL services to the Northern Cheyenne community and wish
him all the best as he enters a new chapter of life.
Odds & Ends
Suicide Prevention
Walk:
An “Out of the Darkness” community walk to raise awareness of suicide
prevention will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11 at Riverside Park in Miles City. Registration
begins at 1 p.m. with the 2 mile walk set to start at 2 p.m. For more
information contact Carla Bichler at (406) 234-4621 or mailto:chccarla@midrivers.com
Conference on Family
Violence: The
Billings Area Family Violence Task Force will host the 22nd annual
McGuire Memorial Conference on Family Violence, Sept. 29 & 30 at the
Billings Clinic Mary Alice Fortin Health Conference Center. For more
information log on to http://www.bafvtf.org
Life After Polio Luncheon: The Polio Survivors
of Montana will hold a Life After Polio Luncheon on Saturday, Sept. 24 from
10:30 am to 3 p.m. in the Guy Tabacco Conference Room of the Sletten Cancer
Institute in Great Falls. For more information contact Ann Tuss at (406)
452-0722 or Juanita Tschetters at (406) 761-6736
LIFTT Staff
|
Bobbie
Becker |
Executive
Director |
(406)
377-4062 |
|
|
Martha
Carstensen |
Program
Director |
(406)
294-5190 |
|
|
|
3333 2nd Avenue N |
(406) 259-5181 |
(800) 669-6319 |
|
Brent
Morris |
IL
Specialist |
(406)
690-7584 |
|
|
Shannon
Payne |
IL
Specialist |
(406)
690-6324 |
|
|
Marilyn
Gone |
IL
Specialist |
(406)
294-5188 |
|
|
Darla
Lankford |
IL
Specialist & PCA Program Manager |
(406)
294-5187 |
|
|
Lanette
Brown |
PCA Program
Manager |
(406)
294-5184 |
|
|
Jackie
Kimbrough |
PCA Program
Manager |
(406)
294-5183 |
|
|
Linda Henry |
Community
Workforce Investment Coordinator |
(406)
294-5189 |
|
|
Steve
Woodard |
Assistant
Finance Coordinator |
(406)
294-5185 |
|
|
Jed Barton |
PR & Government Affairs |
(406)
294-5186 |
|
|
Freda Mook |
Administrative
Assistant & Medicaid Billing Specialist |
(406)
294-5182 |
|
|
Jennifer
Nance |
Administrative
Assistant |
(406)
259-5181 |
|
|
Glendive |
115 |
(406) 377-4062 |
(800) 502-9700 |
|
Pamela
Mitchell |
IL
Specialist |
(406)
377-4062 |
|
|
Jennifer
Hawkinson |
IL
Specialist |
(406)
377-4062 |