The Arc of United States News

Workshop focuses on helping disabled
Communication strategies for law enforcement
Friday, 30 Jul 2010, 12:38 PM EDT
Kristin Maiorano

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Dozens of members of law enforcement and first responders from across Tippecanoe County came to Lafayette Friday, to learn more about interacting with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

It was a free training workshop put on by the Arc of Tippecanoe County for working with both crime suspects and victims with disabilities.

Participants learned how to identify if someone they're working with has a disability and how to most effectively communicate with that person.

"It's easy to forget that sometimes it's just speaking slower, speaking in shorter sentences, giving one direction at a time," said Arc board member Jill Vaught. "Some really basic things can make all the difference in the world and take a situation and make it a positive situation instead of a negative one."

"They're a niche group in society, and when they have emergencies or problems that we need to respond with, it's important that we deal adequately with them," said Nathan Brown, a detective with the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department who participated in the workshop.

Vaught said the class was paid for by an autism group out of Indianapolis. She said the Arc has a little money left over, so the organization may offer the workshop again in the fall.

ARC project needs votes for $250,000 Pepsi prize 
Shelly Haskins, The Huntsville Times - 07/28/2010

The Arc of Madison County is hoping to obtain a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh project to build a new recycling facility that would employ people with disabilities.

HUNTSVILLE, AL --The Arc of Madison County has moved up in the competition for a $250,000 grant from Pepsi to build a recycling facility that would provide jobs to disabled citizens and expand its current program, but it needs more votes to get closer to the prize.

As of today, The Arc's recycling center concept was ranked at No. 28 in the Pepsi Refresh Project, an effort by the soda company to encourage charities, businesses and individuals to improve their communities through grants. The public may vote once each day for a month, and the top two ideas receive the cash.

The Arc's executive director, Susan Klingel, said she hopes to receive the grant to expand the organization's recycling program, which started with 10 sites in 1997 thanks to a state grant.

The Arc, a group that assists the mentally and physically disabled, now provides free recycling services to more than 170 companies in Huntsville and Madison County, including Intergraph, the Von Braun Center and The Huntsville Times.

Several other businesses have shown interest in participating, but the recycling program has expanded to the point that The Arc needs more employees and more space to operate.

Right now, about 85 people are on a waiting list for jobs through The Arc.

"We're teaching other people in the community that people with disabilities can work," Klingel said. "We're employing people with disabilities, and we're helping the community. It's a win-win."

Pepsi is giving away millions each month to support projects to improve local communities. So far, the Pepsi Refresh Project has funded 96 ideas at a total of $4.1 million.

To vote, go to www.refresheverything.com/arcrecycle.

The Americans with Disabilities Act - What's Next?
Sharon Raimo, CEO, St. Coletta of Greater Washington.
Posted: July 26, 2010 05:07 PM - Huffington Post

The past twenty years have been full of progress for persons with disabilities. We do a lot of things differently because of this historic piece of legislation. There have been powerful gains, particularly for people with physical disabilities. We are finally at a place where building design and construction take into account the needs of, not only the orthopedically impaired, but also the blind and the deaf. People are offered accommodations in almost every public venue from the supermarket to the opera. Public transportation has been overhauled to provide equal access to all who use it. Our work places now include among their employees more people who are differently abled. So where do we go from here?

I believe that there is one group of people who have benefited far less than others from this legislation and that is individuals with intellectual disabilities. These individuals, especially those with severe impairments, are unable to speak up for themselves and all too often the disability community, in its drive to ensure full inclusion in all aspects of life, fails to take the needs of this group into account. The least restrictive environment for a blind person is very different than it is for a person who lacks the ability to make good judgments about such basic issues as health and safety.

Housing is one place where I see the great disparity between what is seen as the ideal for most persons with disabilities and what is ideal for persons with intellectual disabilities. The notion that a person with an intellectual disability should live in an apartment building with non-disabled peers and rely on the "natural support" of neighbors is absurd. Yet I have been told by persons in the Department of Human Services that to have one floor of a building set aside for persons with intellectual disabilities and having trained staff live on that floor to provide support is not encouraged by current regulations and would, in fact, not be permitted.

The group home model, that has been the norm since de-institutionalization, has not worked. It would not work for the non-disabled, who would find it intolerable to live with five or six randomly assigned strangers. So why would we think it would work for those who have significant life challenges? It would seem to me that being able to live in a dwelling with a person of your choice or alone is how most of us choose to live. People with intellectual disabilities should have that option too. It can only be afforded them if there are adequate supports in place to keep them safe and to provide for their basic needs. This is only financially feasible with some economy of scale. Current funding levels make staffing even a floor of a building with ten or more apartments a fiscal stretch. And funding for supported living is undergoing cuts as I write.

Unfortunately, advocates for rights for the disabled rarely consider this group of people when lobbying for change. This is because they tend to look at people with disabilities as one group whose desire and right is total inclusion in the community. People with intellectual disabilities don't fit that bill - sure they want to be included but they need a lot more help in order to live their lives. Providing that help is expensive and difficult but it is worth it.

Taking into account the needs of this group of people in all aspects of their lives - housing is just one - should be the next item on the agenda for all those who care about disability rights. The ADA was written to include persons with intellectual disabilities, our challenge is to ensure that, in practice, it does just that.

Sharon B. Raimo is CEO of St. Coletta of Greater Washington, a nonsectarian, nonprofit organization serving children and adults with intellectual and multiple disabilities. 

State facilities for the disabled called antiquated, but some rely on them

By Henri E. Cauvin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 22, 2010; B01

CHESAPEAKE, VA. -- On a barren tract that backs up to Interstate 64, past a street sign that says "Dead End," sits the entrance to a home that no parent would eagerly choose for a son or daughter.

The Southeastern Virginia Training Center houses some of the state's most profoundly disabled people, those who for decades had no option but to live in institutions.

Across the country, states have been closing such places for years, moving people with mental disabilities into community homes and out of the institutions that defined care of the developmentally disabled for much of the 20th century.

Yet the training centers, seen by some families as the only alternative for loved ones who have known little else, endure in Virginia, one of 11 states that have yet to close any of their institutions.

Southeastern, which houses 133 people ages 20 to 90, was going to be the first. But in a sign that Virginia's path to deinstitutionalization will continue to be slow, the state broke ground last month on a $23.7 million project to replace much of Southeastern's 36-year-old campus with a smaller, but still sizable, compound.

The fight to rebuild Southeastern has played out in painful, personal ways for families who have embraced the training center and families who want no part of it, all of them caught in a system with too many antiquated facilities and too little money for community care.

"We should close them all," said Charles Hall, a local mental health official in the Hampton Roads area. "But Virginia is very predictably conservative when it comes to things like this."

The state's pace suits some parents just fine. Gene Sivertson leads the Parents and Friends of Southeastern Virginia Training Center, and for years he and his wife, Ann Marie, have been among its most ardent defenders.

The couple would not speak on the record about their efforts to keep Southeastern open. But in a short essay submitted this year to an advisory committee on the training center's future, Ann Marie Sivertson argued that community care shouldn't be the only option available to families such as hers.

"Realistically," she wrote, "those of us who are blessed with abilities are tasked with the responsibility of providing care for those who cannot care for themselves. For SEVTC families, this Training Center is their 'Choice' for such care."

Barbara Kimble said she understands the sentiments of parents such as Sivertson -- even if she doesn't agree with them.

"I don't blame them," said Kimble, whose 25-year-old son, Michael Ward, is disabled and cannot speak. "If that's where my son was, if that's where he had been from an early age, I would be afraid to take him out."

Kimble, who lives in Chesapeake, has never visited the training center's 97-acre campus. Even so, she is adamant that her son never see the inside of Southeastern.

Since 2006, Ward has been on a state waiting list for community services, which would allow him to move into a group home. "I'm sure he'd like to live somewhere other than with his mom," Kimble said.

But with more than 5,000 on the waiting list, it's hard to say when a slot will open up for Ward, who bags welcome packs for new Cox Cable subscribers through a vocational program.

"If something happens to me and my husband, where would he go?" Kimble asked.

She doesn't have an answer. The idea of her child ending up in an institution just doesn't seem right to her: "I don't know, I guess in my mind, where is his right to have a life?"

Potent lobbyists

Nationwide, the number of developmentally disabled people in institutions has been falling for decades as the country's attitudes and laws have evolved. The shift culminated in a 1999 Supreme Court decision that said "confinement in an institution severely diminishes the everyday life activities of individuals."

Although several states have closed all of their large institutions, most still operate some. The number they house has fallen to about 33,000, from 186,743 in 1970 and 84,239 in 1990, according to the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota. Virginia's institutionalized population has been falling, too, albeit more slowly than in some states. About 1,150 people with developmental disabilities are spread among the state's five training centers, including almost 170 at the Northern Virginia Training Center on Braddock Road. More than 400 are housed at the Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg, the largest of the state's institutions and the subject of a continuing U.S. Justice Department investigation into care and treatment.

In Maryland, by contrast, the number of people in institutions is down to about 150 after the state closed its largest remaining facility, the Rosewood Center in Owings Mills, last year. And the District largely stopped relying on large institutions for the disabled after the court ordered the closing of Forest Haven in 1991.

When Mark Warner (D) took office as governor 2002, "it was clear that Virginia was behind," recalled James Reinhard, who served as the commissioner of mental health under Warner and his successor, Timothy M. Kaine (D).

The Warner administration first proposed expanding community services and rebuilding Southeastern, which was the training center in the most disrepair. But Reinhard said that the sentiment shifted and that Warner and Kaine decided it should be closed.

Beyond the idea that the disabled shouldn't be shut away, the savings were compelling: Caring for a resident in a training center today costs Virginia on average of $181,000 a year, while providing care in the community costs $110,000 to $143,000, according to the state.

The Arc of Virginia, an advocacy group for the disabled, has said the state's limited resources could serve more people if the money was shifted to community services from institutions.

But Southeastern employs nearly 400, among them aides who help residents eat and bathe and therapists who help residents communicate. And the parents of those residents are a potent lobbying force. Some are in their 60s and 70s, and their children have been at Southeastern for decades.

When those parents walk among the brick buildings here, which are called cottages, they see homes, not an institution. When they drive the half-mile from the commercial bustle of South Military Highway to the quiet of Steppingstone Square, they see safety and privacy, not isolation.

They did everything they could to keep Southeastern open, contacting their state legislators and testifying at public hearings.

In the end, Kaine compromised, agreeing to a plan to build a smaller Southeastern that would house 75 people and to spend $8.4 million building new community care facilities in this part of the state.

A 'galling' outcome

For the training centers and their supporters, the outcome was a testament to the influence they have in Richmond. For families on the waiting list, it was a reminder of the obstacles they face in trying to change thinking and shift resources.|

It galls me," said Beth Troutman of Burke, whose 9-year-old daughter, Elaina, was born with a brain malformation that left her severely disabled.

With special education services in a Fairfax public school and private therapy at home, Elaina has made progress, her mother said. But aside from 10 hours a week of respite care that her parents receive, the family has had to foot the bill for Elaina's home therapy, which they estimate costs them about $25,000 a year.

Like hundreds of people in Northern Virginia and thousands statewide, Elaina is on the waiting list for services.

"What will happen when I am too old to do things for her?" Troutman asked. "If we don't have community-based services, she will go into an institution."

All, she said, because a small but vocal group of families isn't able to face a new reality. "I feel for them. I have a heart for them. I do understand," Troutman said. "But it seems they are not listening."

Lisa Lane wishes they would. Her daughter Sadie was born with a rare chromosomal disorder and is now 5. She has bright blue eyes and a mischievous smile, and she loves to help her mom stir the pancake batter. But she cannot talk and she can't be left alone. "She will probably always need 24-hour supervision," said Lane, who quit her job as a schoolteacher to care for Sadie.

Lane said she understands the decisions Southeastern parents made decades ago. But she can't make sense of the decisions the same families are making today.

"I have no doubt that they thought it was the best choice at the time, because there were no options," she said as Sadie sipped carrot juice near the kitchen of the family's Virginia Beach home. "But there are options today. There are community homes."

White House ADA Celebration Live with Captioning Today at 5:30 pm EST

Source: The White House

Today’s ADA celebration, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, will be
streamed live at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live . Please log in and share
in the celebration.

The live stream, barring any technical difficulties, will have available
captioning either as picture in picture or another technical setup.
On Monday, July 26, President Obama will hold an event at the White House
to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The President is expected to deliver remarks at the event.  Invited guests
include Cabinet officials, Members of Congress, grassroots leaders and
Americans living with disabilities. The President's  remarks will be open
press.

The event will include performances by Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, Patti
LaBelle and Marlee Matlin, and remarks by Marca Bristo, President of Access
Living, White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Director of the
White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes.  Robert David Hall will
introduce the President.

Mother of disabled child cried when she learned of cuts to Oregon program helping her son
By Jeff Barnard

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Sharlene Curnow broke down in tears when she saw the e-mail from her caseworker explaining that state budget cuts would leave her family without the help they have been depending on for her severely disabled 3-year-old son, Michael.

"Without these people in our life, I don't know if my husband and I would be able to stay married, because of the stress it causes our relationship," said Curnow, 36, a customer care representative for a cell phone company in Salem. "No matter how strong a foundation you have prior to having a child with disability, nothing prepares a couple for the stress that comes along with this."

Curnow is grateful that the Oregon Legislature's Emergency Board plans to meet Thursday to restore $17.1 million in cuts to the Department of Human Services, but she is all too aware that come next year, it could unravel again due to poor economic conditions.

"People are on a waiting list for ... services for years and they get on the list just to find out it was taken away, and now given back, but potentially will be taken away again in February," she said. "We are going back to the 1940s and '50s when our children who have disabilities were labeled mongoloids and not allowed to have a proper education like all these quote-unquote normal children."

Recognizing that budget cuts ordered by the governor, totaling $158 million at the department, would hurt some of Oregon's most vulnerable people while ultimately costing more money, the Emergency Board will shift spending. The move will temporarily restore programs serving more than 16,000 people and retain $14 million in federal matching funds, said Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, co-chair of the Ways and Means budget committee.

The governor can only make cuts across the board. The Legislature can change spending priorities and is restoring the home care cuts by drawing on reserve funds originally intended to cover growing caseloads at the department, Buckley said.

The cuts had wiped out Oregon Project Independence, a popular program that helps 2,000 people over 60 stay in their homes rather than move to nursing homes. They sent layoff notices to caseworkers for 1,140 families like Curnow's. The extra funding will keep both programs going through February.

Medicaid In-Home Care programs for 11,000 elderly and disabled people were cut by about half. It will be funded through June. Also getting restored is a community mental health program for 1,462 people without Medicaid.

Ken Poe, 67, of Gresham, was a corporate aircraft pilot, but childhood polio left him struggling to recover from a fall a few years ago. He has been getting help with housekeeping and other chores from Oregon Project Independence. When he learned he would lose the caregiver to budget cuts, "I was disappointed, of course, and kind of frightened.

"You know, 'What am I going to do?' My options are to see if I can get friends to help me out ... hire somebody and afford it on my own, which is really tough, or give up and go on Medicaid, which costs the state $3,000 a month instead of $200 a month.

"To me, it doesn't make sense."

While most state agencies receive some outside funding that blunts the effect of the budget cuts, Human Services has a high rate of state funding, making the cuts particularly painful, department spokeswoman Patty Wentz said.

Read more...

The Arc Launches National Disability Needs Survey
FINDS – Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports

Washington, DC - (July 21, 2010)  As we pause to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Arc recognizes that there has been significant progress made on behalf of people with disabilities.  There is more still to be done, however, and The Arc is initiating a national effort to tap into the knowledge and perspectives of individuals and families within the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) community.

Our goal is to assist the sector in determining needs for services and supports.  This survey—The Arc FINDS (Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports) —will enable those in the field to better understand what services are available, what gaps exist and what new supports are needed.

The Arc FINDS launches July 21 and will be accessible until September 1 to all families and individuals with I/DD, both in and outside of The Arc’s chapter network.  Dissemination of the survey to a broad range of disability and caregiving networks across the country and throughout our allied organizations will maximize the survey’s reach and findings.

“The Arc FINDS will capture the perceptions of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages, as well as those of their families and caregivers.  The results will provide us with a much-needed candid and current view on issues concerning the needs for disability supports across the life span,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.

“We are committed to finding a meaningful way to involve the population we serve in determining the services provided and gauging the successful delivery of these services—just as any business would involve its consumer network through an open market-research style survey.  We’re thrilled to be promoting FINDS in collaboration with other top disability organizations focused on those with intellectual and development disabilities,” Berns said.

Ann Cameron Caldwell, Chief Research and Innovations Officer for The Arc, is directing the survey and its evaluation.  “The information gleaned from the survey will help identify—and document—nationally, by state and locally what families want in terms of needed services and supports. This information, including personal stories, will be valuable in informing and supporting ongoing program development, advocacy and policy work,” said Dr. Caldwell, who is the parent of a teenager with Down syndrome.

Questions are being asked in areas of advocacy, education, transition, employment, housing, community participation, civic engagement/voting, transportation, caregiving, and demographics.  It is written to allow for both the perspective of individuals with I/DD, as well as their parents/caregivers.  It also assumes for the differences in service and supports required at different stages of life.

Options are in place for respondents to contribute personal stories about their experiences with contact information to support advocacy efforts here in Washington.

The vehicle for collection will be an online survey that respondents can link to electronically through The Arc’s website:  www.thearc.org.  There is no cost to participate and all responses will be confidential; it will take respondents about 30 minutes to complete the survey.  The survey may also be found at:   http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TheArcFinds2010

This information will be shared initially at The Arc’s National Convention (November 3 - 6, 2010 in Orlando, Florida), as well as publicly on The Arc’s website. 

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Hart, Director, Media Relations, at 202.534.3712 or at hart@thearc.org

About The Arc
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities, from any of hundreds of specific syndromes and neurological conditions throughout their lifetimes.  Together with our network of 730 state and local chapters, as well as our individual members, we support their full inclusion and participation in their communities and influence public policy.  For more information, please visit www.thearc.org

July 20, 2010

Americans with Disabilities Act sparks changes in its 20 years; still room to improve, advocates say

By Patti Zarling
pzarling@greenbaypressgazette.com

A business manager liked Tom Diedrick's resume enough in the mid-1970s to invite him to interview for a sales job.

But the manager quickly ended the meeting when he saw Diedrick's wheelchair, said Diedrick, who lost an arm in a farm accident as a teen and sustained a serious spinal injury in a car accident a year later.

"My resume didn't say anything about my disability, and when the guy saw me he said 'you can't work here,'" Diedrick said. "I said, 'let's talk about it,' but he wouldn't and walked away."

That scenario shouldn't happen these days thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed 20 years ago Monday. The federal law prohibits, on the basis of disability, discrimination in employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation or telecommunications. Local advocates have planned a downtown celebration to mark the anniversary.

In the law's 20 years, local businesses have widened hallways and marked parking spots for the handicapped. Metro buses now have lifts to accommodate wheelchairs and special vans will accommodate those who can't use regular buses. Sidewalk curbs are sloped and have ramps to accommodate people with disabilities.

Despite those improvements, Diedrick said many public buildings still don't have an adequate number of handicapped accessible bathrooms. Businesses install automatic doors leading into buildings, which the law calls for, but some neglect doors inside those buildings.

"There's no doubt things are better," said Diedrick, executive director of Options for Independent Living, a service that provides training, information and support to help people with disabilities to live fully within their community. "I like to say it didn't give anyone special opportunities, just the same opportunities."

Roughly 54 million Americans in 2008 had a disability, according to the U.S. Census. More than 3 million people ages 15 and older used wheelchairs, and another 10 million used a walking aid, such as a cane, crutches or walker.

Changes required by the law range from providing an electric stapler for a disabled worker or adding lifts under a wheelchair, said Debbie Johnson, manager of community employment for ASPIRO, a private, nonprofit organization that serves children and adults with cognitive disabilities in Northeastern Wisconsin.

"I think there has been some positive changes from the law in general, especially assessibility," Johnson said. "People are able to get places."

But she also worries about the high unemployment rate among disabled individuals. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities hovers around 70 percent.

"That is unfortunate," she said. "In today's economy, when employers have stacks of applications, you don't know if they weren't chosen because of a disability, or if someone else was more qualified."

Gary Krosnicki hasn't let his disability slow him down.

He fell while hunting and injured his spine 14 years ago. Today, he uses a wheelchair that can lift him up to a standing position. He owns Bar Stools Direct on Mason Street in Green Bay.

"Accessibility has improved for the most part," he said. "Still, doors aren't always wide enough or don't open far enough. Pathways aren't wide enough or there are a few stairs so you can't go somewhere."

Krosnicki said he spent $800 to rig the front and back doors of his business so they can be opened remotely.

"Anything we can do help people is worth doing," he said. "I wouldn't hesitate to hire someone with a disability."

The law has been strengthened recently to better define who is disabled, Diedrick said.

"There continues to be some people who want to weaken the ADA," he said. "They say the ADA is too costly for businesses. But those things never seem to materialize. Advocates get together and support positive changes."

Hiring hurdle - Young adults with Asperger's syndrome struggle to find jobs
Employment help often lacking for applicants facing difficulties with interviews, workplace interactions 

By Rita Price - The Columbus Dispatch

Chelsea Ridenour had to leave one promising job because she was required to work on the help desk. As her father, Rick, said, she is "phone-phobic."Her resume attracted plenty of attention.

Hospitals, technology companies and a major research organization indicated that Chelsea Ridenour - computer and math whiz, summa cum laude graduate of Capital University - looked good on paper. Some called for interviews.

And then, suddenly, it didn't seem to matter that she is intelligent and dependable and tenacious. Ridenour can communicate with a computer in six languages, but she can't chat her way through a face-to-face meeting with a stranger.

"People try to be nice. They're not deliberately not nice," the Hilliard resident said. "They just don't understand."

Ridenour is among a rising population of young adults whose coming-of-age stories are at best complicated and oftentimes heartbreaking. They are grown-ups with Asperger's syndrome and other autism disorders, conditions that society seems to handle best when boys and girls are young and in school.

But Ridenour is 23. What she needs is a job.

"My pitch always has been, 'There's a buyer for every house. Why don't we find the buyers for these kids who want to work?'" said Tom Fish of the Ohio State University Nisonger Center, a support and research institute for people with developmental disabilities.

"The challenge with people on the (autism) spectrum, of course, is social interaction," he said. "People look at these kids and say, 'Be more social.' Well, they can't."

Many young people with Asperger's syndrome, or "high-functioning" forms of autism, emerge from years of struggle, bullying and isolation in high school only to find that the adult world can be even more difficult. According to the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, national studies have found that only 6 percent to 14 percent of adults with autism are competitively employed.

Yet many possess normal - and in a lot of cases, superior - intellectual abilities.

The surge in autism diagnoses - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the incidence at one in 110 American children - first was felt in education systems.

Now, families and government agencies are trying to chart the course to employment.

"We weren't ready," said Chris Filler, transition coordinator at the Ohio Center for Autism. "This wave of what used to be preschoolers with autism is moving on, and we're really scrambling to meet that need."

Families report frustration as they turn to agencies such as the Rehabilitation Services Commission of Ohio; its history is rooted in finding jobs for people with traditional disabilities: hearing loss, mobility problems and blindness, for example.

County boards of developmental disabilities serve some adults with autism, but those with mild forms such as Asperger's might not qualify for services and the waivers that pay for them. Yet their "social dyslexia," as some describe the condition, can be crippling in the work world.

Ellen Ridenour, Chelsea's mother, said the family sought help from the commission's Bureau of Vocational Services in 2008 but found that their caseworker knew little about Asperger's syndrome. Although Chelsea had recently graduated from college with a 3.9 grade-point average, her family was told that she was "not competitively employable."

Others have reported similar experiences.

"I don't think they have any idea yet of the challenges of Asperger's," said Nancy Beu, a North Side woman whose 28-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, went through many difficult evaluations and interviews before getting a job at a YMCA.

"They don't do well with job interviews. That's overwhelming for them. Some of the case managers think, 'They're not employable.' Well, most of these young people have wonderful skills. Elizabeth always proves herself."

The commission's administrator, Michael Rench, met with some families and told them the agency is working to improve training and find better ways to help clients with autism.

"We recognize the frustration," he said.

But, at the same time, the commission remains obligated to serve the most-significantly disabled first. "If they have a master's degree and drive a car, it can be hard to determine how they qualify for our services," Rench said.

The commission served 860 Ohioans with autism last year. Officials say 122 cases were "successfully closed," meaning that the workers maintained competitive employment for at least 90 days.

Filler said that's often not long enough for a young adult with autism to adjust. She worries that traditional time frames and limited budgets allow cases to be closed before the workers attain stability.

National employment studies have found that, among recent high-school graduates with disabilities, those with autism have the highest job-retention rates after more than a year, Filler said. But two to six months into the job, they fare the worst.

Brian Cloppert had the ability. What he needed was someone to help him find a groove, to put abstract concepts into concrete terms.

"He's a very bright young man, has a lot of knowledge, skill and capability," said Pat Batdorf, an on-the-job training specialist at the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities who works with Cloppert. "It's just a matter of connecting the dots."

For three years, Cloppert, a 27-year-old who has Asperger's syndrome, has worked as a supply coordinator at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, where he handles inventory for four floors.

"Of all the jobs I've trained in 25 years, this is probably the most complicated," Batdorf said. "But he's doing great."

Cloppert's family agrees that he is fortunate to have long-term job coaching, which isn't easy to come by. And not everyone who gets the help is happy to land jobs that seem below their abilities.

"We have one man who has a master's degree, and right now, he's doing some janitorial work," said Claudia Ross, the board's employment-services director. "He's not happy, and we know it; but socially, he's so unskilled."

Filler and others see some solutions in earlier job planning - in middle school, not after high school or college - and by helping employers understand the strengths of many people with autism.

"Small-business owners," Rench said, "can make adaptations quicker than a corporation. They're more than willing to tolerate the quirkiness."

Chelsea had to leave one promising job because she was required to work on the help desk. "If they'd let her do programming, she'd be great," said her dad, Rick. "But the help desk? She's phone-phobic."

Mrs. Ridenour said she hopes the lessons learned by her family can help others understand that academic success isn't enough of a base to build on. She wishes that Chelsea had had earlier work experience and support.

"We didn't think we'd have to do all this," Mrs. Ridenour said. "We thought employers would be looking for skills, not the ability to socialize around the water cooler."

Chelsea recently learned that she is eligible, at least temporarily, for some job help from the developmental disabilities board, and she might try an internship for math- and science-skilled adults with disabilities.

She's trying to forget the person who, after a strained conversation about employment, "decided that I didn't really want a job."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

For information and help, contact Aspirations, a social and vocational-support program for young adults with autism disorders. Visit the website at www.aspirationsohio.org or call 614-292-4185.

rprice@dispatch.com

For Disabled, a Job Hunt Alternative
Mentally and Physically Challenged Adults Seek to Open Their Own Business, but Face Many Hurdles

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN 
The Wall Street Journal - July 15, 2010

David Shunkey is autistic and doesn't speak. Around the start of the recession, he got laid off from two jobs. Now he's trying to run his own business.

More mentally and physically challenged adults are looking to entrepreneurship as they get closed out of an exceptionally competitive job market, according to several organizations that help the disabled, including Community Options Inc., a nonprofit based in Princeton, N.J. of which Mr. Shunkey is a member. But in an economic climate that's been tough on entrepreneurs, the disabled are no exception, and many face extra challenges.

"It's more difficult for someone like David to obtain a normal job," says Heather Gooch, one of several Community Options workers helping Mr. Shunkey build a dog-treat business with an $850 state grant from New Mexico, where his enterprise is based. "He needs close supervision."

The unemployment rate for disabled workers was 14.3% in June, up from 9.3% two years earlier, when the Labor Department first began tracking such data for this demographic. In June, the unemployment rate for the rest of the U.S. was 9.4%.

Employment opportunities have historically been scarce for the disabled. Twenty years ago this month, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act, barring employers from discriminating against qualified job applicants with disabilities. Last year alone, more than 21,000 claims were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against employers accused of violating the law.

With the poor economy further restricting employment options for the disabled, some organizations are seeing increased interest in programs designed to assist this group in starting businesses.

Applications for an entrepreneur boot camp for disabled veterans that's offered through a network of six U.S. business schools have risen every year since the program's inception in 2007, says Mike Haynie, its national director. This year he expects to receive more than 500 applications for the program's 150 seats.

Founded by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, the boot camp starts with a 40-day distance-learning course, followed by 10 days of on-campus classes. Participants are also paired with mentors and have access to free resources such as legal and accounting services from corporate partners and the schools' alumni.

After graduating from the program in 2008, former Marine Brian Iglesias co-launched New York film-production company Veterans Inc. with a fellow veteran. Mr. Iglesias's neck and shoulder were injured during combat, causing permanent nerve damage to his right arm and requiring a metal plate in his neck. He says he previously spent five months searching unsuccessfully for a job in the entertainment industry—even failing to land unpaid internships. "I was begging people to work for free," he says.

The 33-year-old Mr. Iglesias, who has a bachelor's degree in film production from Temple University, suspects that some employers were uncomfortable hiring him because of his war experience. "Out of all the people who are candidates, they think, a year ago this guy was being shot at," he says.

Every year since the recession hit, about 3,000 disabled adults have contacted Disabled Businesspersons Association for referrals to resources and volunteer mentors—three times as many as before, according to Urban Miyares, the San Diego nonprofit's president.

But success seems limited. "We have yet to show any significant increase in profit or individual incomes by these new business owners," he says.

Mr. Miyares speculates that because more disabled adults are pursuing entrepreneurship, competition for grants and other funding set aside by government agencies for this group has increased. As a result, disabled entrepreneurs may have less access to the start-up capital or cash flow they need to build and maintain a business, he says.

Meanwhile, it's been tough for business owners of all kinds to obtain credit. Only about half of small businesses that sought loans last year got all or most of what they needed, according to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business, an association in Washington.

And for business owners with severe disabilities, there are many other hurdles. Mr. Shunkey, the autistic entrepreneur, relies on a team of supporters to ensure he doesn't get hurt while running his home-based start-up, David's Peanut Butter Puppy Bites LLC. Because the 54-year-old Mr. Shunkey is diabetic and has a tendency to eat or drink anything within reach, his helpers need to keep a close eye on him at all times. "If there's hot coffee left out, he'll just pour it into his mouth," says Ms. Gooch.

With the help of his support team, Mr. Shunkey sought his first customers by asking local pet groomers and supply shops to sell his product on consignment. While five businesses initially signed on, three have since backed out, says Ms. Gooch, adding that sales of Mr. Shunkey's dog treats, which are priced at $5 for a dozen, have totaled just $120 over the past three months.

When asked in a phone interview if he enjoys running a business, Mr. Shunkey nodded, according to Ms. Gooch. He didn't respond to subsequent questions.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com

NY Governor Paterson Announces OMRDD to Become Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)
Historic Change Removes the ‘R’ Word from State Agency Name, Statute and Regulations

July 13, 2010 - Governor David A. Paterson today signed into law a bill which changes the name of the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) to the New York State Office For People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). The historic legislation removed the words “Mental Retardation” from the name of the State agency and from State statute and regulations, and will take effect immediately.

“This name change sends a strong message that New York values the dignity and respect of individuals with developmental disabilities” Governor Paterson said. “For many people with developmental disabilities the words ‘mental retardation’ are hurtful and represent a disrespectful term. The Office For People With Developmental Disabilities is a name that respects their rights as people with developmental disabilities to have an agency name that invokes pride, and not shame.”

This has been the culmination of several efforts over the last few years to change the agency’s name. Most recently, a stakeholder meeting was convened with parents, advocates, providers and individuals with developmental disabilities. There was overwhelming agreement that the time had come to remove the “R” word. Stakeholders and representatives from across the State gathered together to come to the OPWDD consensus.

OPWDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter: “The time has finally come for New York to join the 48 other states that have dropped the ‘R’ word. I want to assure everyone that our name may be changing, but who we are and what we do stays the same: We have and will always provide top quality supports and services to people and families. I would like to commend Governor Paterson for his efforts ensuring that this name change would be achieved.”

The name change will not result in any new cost for the agency or the State Financial Plan. Implementation of the name change will be gradual to avoid new costs, with the new name phased in as part of normal replacement costs. New signage is not needed for the agency’s regional Developmental Disabilities Services Offices (DDSOs) since their names will not be changed.

The following statements were provided in support of the name change for OPWDD:

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz said: “Signing this legislation into law today is a step in the right direction. Those with disabilities should not be defined by the stigma that society has attached to labels and terms. I am proud to have been a part of a movement to remove stigma and barriers to care.”

Marc Brandt, Executive Director of NYSARC, Inc., said: “As the organization that initiated the idea of a separate office for persons with developmental disabilities nearly half a century ago, we applaud the Governor and the Legislature for a successful initiative that keeps with the tradition of dignity and respect that our families and their loved ones have fought to maintain for so many decades.”

Settlement reached in Southbury Training School lawsuit
Robert Miller, Staff Writer
Published: 10:29 p.m., Tuesday, July 13, 2010

SOUTHBURY -- The 16-year legal case to bring residents of Southbury Training School out of the institution and into the community is near conclusion.

The parties in the case agreed to a settlement Tuesday. It now awaits the signature of U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns, who has overseen the case since its inception, to get final approval.

Because Burns must hold a hearing to listen to objections to the settlement, she may not sign it for several weeks.

The settlement does not close the school, but it creates a structure wherein each of its 450 residents and their parents will get a full evaluation from an expert about the feasibility of being placed in a community setting. If they wish to leave, they can.

"It's our expectation that will be most of the people in the school,'' said attorney David Shaw, of Bloomfield, who argued the case on behalf of the training school residents and several advocacy organizations.

"This is it,'' said Shirley Ricart, executive director of the Western Connecticut Association for Human Rights, also known as WeCAHR, the Danbury-based advocacy group that helped bring the case. "We're very happy both sides came to an agreement,'' Ricart said. According to its website, WeCAHR is a nonprofit organization committed to helping children and adults with disabilities live as safe, independent and productive a life as possible.

Lynn Warner, executive director of The Arc of Connecticut, another plaintiff in the case, said the settlement ensures training school residents and their families receive expert information about other places to live. But if they decide to stay at the school, they can.

"This isn't about forcing people out,'' she said.

Founded in the 1930s, the school has a 1,600-acre campus to teach and provide housing for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. About 125 buildings are on the campus, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1986, the state stopped admitting people to the training school. At the time, the school had 1,000 residents. Today that number is about 450, with the population declining steadily as residents die. The average age of the residents today is 62, Warner said.

Because of a revolution in caring for people such disabilities, there has been a steady push in recent decades to close large institutions and integrate them into smaller, community-based settings.

The settlement announced Tuesday also requires hiring a remedial expert to work on each case and provide advice on if and how a resident can move to new locations.

"This has always been about making meaningful, informed, educational decisions and then having the support there,'' Ricart said.

In a printed statement Tuesday, the state Department of Developmental Services said it will continue "as always, to make all resources available to all STS residents who wish to move to the community. Individuals who decide to stay at STS will continue to receive comprehensive support to meet their needs.''

Warner said because of the school's declining number, which are expected to accelerate if some people decide to leave, the school will reach a point where it's simply not economically feasible to operate.

Then, she said, the state and Southbury will have an empty 1,600-acre campus on their hands.

"If I were them, I'd start planning now,'' she said.

Contact Robert Miller at bmiller@newstimes.com

History is Made at The Arc of Monmouth
Atlantic Highland Herald
Monday, 12 July 2010 11:06

Person with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Named President

TINTON FALLS – History was made for The Arc of Monmouth and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as Neil Fleischman of Eatontown, an individual served by The Arc of Monmouth, was appointed as President of the organization at the agency’s annual meeting on the evening of June 22.  His two-year term will take effect on July 1.

“We are so proud of Neil,” said Mary Scott, Executive Director.  “He has been very successful as a member of the Board, and I am certain he will do a fine job as President.”

Robert Gura, the outgoing president, mirrored Ms. Scott’s comments by saying, “I speak for the entire board when I say that Neil will do a spectacular job as president and we will be there to support him every step of the way.”

Neil has been a part of The Arc of Monmouth for many years and has served on the Board of Directors since 2005.  He is also a long time employee of Macy’s at the Monmouth Mall and has held positions in the Circle of Friends Club at The Arc.

Two additional new board members were appointed at the meeting as well.  Joyce Quarles of Long Branch and William Mirkin of Marlboro will be adding their time and talents to The Arc board this year.

The Arc of Monmouth serves more than 2,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families each year with education, vocational training, residential services, health care, supported employment, recreation, social services and advocacy.

Illinois budget crisis keeps Arc running day-to-day 
News Date: 07/09/2010
WQAD-TV - Online

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - As the Illinois budget crisis continues to intensify, the state is ending its fiscal year at the worst position in its history. It's a big concern for agencies that serve the most vulnerable residents.

While clients work with flowers in the Moments Remembered program, every petal represents accomplishment.

It's just one of many programs that Arc of Rock Island County provides its clients. Clients with developmental disabilities who are living fulfulled lives. But clients who face more challenges than ever with the state budget crisis.

"Families for individuals who have disabilities, if they didn't have a day program or worksite for them to go to, they may have no other option for the day," said Stacey Cary, Arc's assistant executive director.

Arc serves more than 300 people with disabilities. It receives nearly all its funding from the state of Illinois.

Just last week, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced $1.4 billion in cuts for the coming year. Trying to preserve what he calls core concerns but still slicing an estimated $312 million from the Department of Human Services.

The bill backlog and cash flow problems continue to grab headlines. It's all happening at a time when agencies like Arc wonder how those cuts will ripple to them.

"It's scary because of the unknown," said Cary. "We have no idea what the budget is going to bring us in this next coming year."

Arc's been through this before. Just last year, it had to lay off nearly 40 employees and cut some services. The agency must prepare for the possibility of more cuts.

Is Sitting While Autistic a Crime?

Law-enforcement officials often misinterpret the language and behavior of people on the autism spectrum, with serious consequences. One activist hopes to change that.
by Claudia Kalb, Newsweek, July 08, 2010 

In late May, Clifford Grevemberg had a traumatic encounter with the police. Grevemberg, 18, was standing outside the Rock House Bar and Grill in Tybee Island, Ga., waiting for his brother to pick up some cheeseburgers when he was approached by officers, Tasered, and arrested for disorderly conduct. A police-department report posted by the Savannah Morning News says Grevemberg was “staggering back and forth and appeared to be either intoxicated or on something.” By the time his brother came out of the restaurant, Grevemberg was handcuffed and bleeding with a broken tooth. Only then did police receive the critical information they’d been missing: Clifford Grevemberg is autistic.

Three days later, and several hundred miles to the north, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia had its own disturbing clash with autism. After receiving a call about a “suspicious male, possibly in possession of a gun,” sitting on the grass outside an elementary-school library, officers confronted Reginald Latson, 18, who is African-American and has Asperger’s disorder. Latson wound up being charged with assault and battery after he “proceeded to attack and assault the deputy,” according to a police report. No gun was ever found. Details of the incident are complex and still evolving, but the preliminary reports were enough to gain attention from members of the autistic community who worry their children could be next. In the words of one mother, this story is “my nightmare.”

Law enforcement and autism are a volatile mix, and not an uncommon one. “It happens quite regularly, unfortunately,” says Lee Grossman, president of the Autism Society, a grassroots organization based in Bethesda, Md. Decades ago, people with autism and other developmental disorders tended to land in institutions, where they had little interaction with anybody other than family members and staff. Today, autistic children and adults live with their families, go to local schools and, in some cases, get jobs in their communities. The unfortunate downside to this independence, says Grossman, is that “many more individuals on the spectrum are having run-ins with the police department and others, and it’s generally not a very positive experience.”

Autism is a diverse condition, but it is characterized by behaviors—repetitive movements, poor eye contact, sensitivity to lights and noise—that can be misinterpreted as unusual and even disrespectful. Even innocent behaviors can be come off as malicious. Grossman tells the story of an autistic man who loved to ride the bus. One day, he started staring at a female passenger. “She told him to stop, he wouldn’t, and it got uglier and uglier,” says Grossman. Ultimately, the police were called. The man’s crime turned out to be an autistic trait: fixation on a single object. In this case, the man was fascinated by the woman’s dangling earring.

One of autism’s defining features is the inability to process even the most mundane social interactions. When police are involved, an autistic person’s anxiety level is likely to spike, triggering unnerving mannerisms or behaviors. The person may say nothing at all, appearing to ignore an officer’s commands. Or he may repeat back what somebody says to him, a form of communication medically known as echolalia. “You can imagine if a police officer comes up and says, ‘What’s your name?’ and the kid’s response is, ‘What’s your name?’ the police will figure he’s a smart aleck or he’s on drugs,” says Grossman. “Usually, the situation goes downhill from there.”

Dennis Debbaudt, author of Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals, is trying to stop the misunderstanding before it happens. Debbaudt, the father of a young man with autism, has conducted autism training sessions for law enforcement for the last 15 years. Today, he says, “I’ve never been busier.”

It was an incident with his son more than 20 years ago that triggered Debbaudt’s interest in educating police. When he couldn’t get a toy he wanted at the mall, his son, who was about 5 or 6 at the time, had a full-fledged meltdown. “He fell to the floor, he was lying face up, his back arched, red-faced, teary-eyed and screaming,” Debbaudt says. “When I bent over to pick him up, he was kicking and trying to scratch me.” Debbaudt managed to carry his son out of the store, but was then surrounded by mall police responding to a report of a possible child abduction. Public misperceptions about his son’s autism and the chaos that ensued made Debbaudt determined to raise awareness. “I wanted to get material about autism to the police,” says Debbaudt, “and I learned there wasn’t any.”

When Debbaudt started his training sessions in 1995, only a handful of audience members even knew about autism. “Now I can’t even ask that question because everybody has heard of it,” he says. But that doesn’t translate to understanding. In his sessions, Debbaudt outlines the communication challenges law enforcement will likely face. He encourages officers to speak softly in clear and simple terms (avoiding idioms like “Are you pulling my leg?”) and to project calming body language, like keeping hands low rather than raised. Sensory overloads can cause autistic people to become aggressive or to flee, so flashing lights and sirens should be minimized or turned off if it’s safe to do so. Ideally, officers should keep a safe distance and keep the pace slow, giving the person time and space to calm himself down.

Brent Stevenson, executive director of the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police, brought Debbaudt in to educate his members in June. The high-profile shooting death of a mentally disabled 21-year-old Arkansas man in 2006 (the officer told a judge that “I mistook this young man’s actions as threatening toward me and the other officers, and I made the mistake of acting on this misunderstanding”) spotlighted the need for more education about cognitive and developmental disorders. Because autism can be difficult to recognize, says Stevenson, “the more training you have, the better chance officers have of being able to deal with the situation at hand.”

Victoria Barkley Robinett, an instructor at the Law Enforcement Training Academy at Black River Technical College in Pocahontas, Ark., attended Debbaudt’s session and plans to teach her recruits what she learned. One thing Debbaudt stresses is the benefit of disclosure: if police know ahead of time that the person they’re dealing with is autistic, they can adjust their behavior accordingly. He urges law enforcers to consider creating a voluntary 911 registry that would allow people with autism or their families to provide essential information, including a digital photograph, so police would know who they are and where they live. Law-enforcement departments in California and New Hampshire have instituted registration programs, and Robinett says she plans to suggest it to police chiefs in her state. “To go to a cold call with an autistic person and not have a clue could escalate a situation,” she says. “There’s no need for that.”

Had Georgia police known about Clifford Grevemberg’s diagnosis before their encounter, they might have acted differently. Since the incident, local police officers have attended an educational session on autism. But that won’t resolve what happened to Grevemberg. In June, he and his mother filed a lawsuit against the city. 

Mesquite teen with mental disability struggled in a broken system

12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, July 4, 2010
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
khorner@dallasnews.com

Ken and Susan Koshar describe their grandson as a 6-year-old boy in a 19-year-old's body because of a mental disability.

Ken and Susan Koshar struggled for months to find help for grandson Jeremy Andrew Brown, who has bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and an intellectual disability. But he's an adult – and out of control.

Jeremy Andrew Brown has threatened to burn down his grandparents' home. The teen has run away several times. He has lived on the streets, panhandling and using drugs. And he's landed in jail three times this year.

The Mesquite couple's ordeal illustrates the complications that can surface for families trying to care for a loved one with serious mental illnesses: There's not enough treatment available, the person with the illness often rejects help, and problems boil to a crisis point – often leading back to shelters or jail.

"The system to help these kids stinks to high heaven because there is none," Susan Koshar said.

Officials who work in the criminal justice system say they see people like Brown all the time. And there aren't enough services to help them, said Ron Stretcher, director of Dallas County's criminal justice department. Texas ranks 48th in the nation in per capita spending on mental health, according to a Mental Health America survey.

"In Texas, we just don't provide for this population," Stretcher said. "There's nothing out there."

Mental health agencies cannot force people with mental illnesses to accept the treatment that is available, officials said.

"You have the freedom to make mistakes," said Dr. James Baker, chief executive of Metrocare Services, a Dallas nonprofit. "That's one of the reasons there's such a large population with these disorders in jail."

Brown's behavior worsened as he bounced between jail and respite homes. Finally, a judge sent him to a locked state institution for the mentally disabled in Mexia, Texas.

Good times, at first

The Koshars took in their grandson in 2008 because his mother in Ohio could not handle him anymore. He was in and out of several psychiatric facilities in that state and possibly suffered abuse while growing up, according to an evaluation from Metrocare Services.

Ken Koshar, a disabled veteran, and Susan Koshar, who sells advertising for an employment newspaper, said the family had good times fishing, watching movies and having playful water fights. Brown loved fishing and playing video games and attended Mesquite schools. But the bad times became more common as their grandson's behavior grew worse.

"Mr. Brown has continued to have significant problems since moving to Texas with his grandparents, seeking housing from people who supply him with drugs," a March 16 evaluation by Metrocare Services stated. The report, which said Brown has an IQ of 52, also said that Brown has "threatened to harm himself, his grandparents and 'burn the house down.'
A letter Brown wrote to his grandparents from jail, after a recent arrest for stealing two cellphones, includes a childlike drawing of a boy crying – offering another glimpse into his mindset.

Grampa, I love you very mach and I miss you very mach and I am sarey for poting you in all this. Plees forgiv me and I mis the fun times we have together can you forgive me love Jeremy Brown.

A lack of control

A judge agreed that Brown could not take care of himself and appointed the Koshars as his legal guardians when he turned 18. But guardianship, the grandparents found out, did not give them much control. They felt left out of decisions made by the courts, social workers and the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.

The Koshars were furious in January when they found out the Dallas County jail had released their grandson without notifying them. He had served 11 days after pleading guilty to stealing the cellphones from an electronics store.

"He's going to end up dead or back in jail," his grandfather said.

Susan Koshar drove downtown to the strip of liquor stores and bail bond businesses around the jail, trying to spot the teen with carrot-red hair that evening. No luck. Brown was missing and homeless for a week.

Ken Koshar said he had delivered paperwork to the jail stating that Brown had an intellectual disability and that he and his wife were the legal guardians. County officials say they never received the documents.

Parkland Health & Hospital System staff did not identify Brown as intellectually disabled during a screening process at the jail. Brown only told screeners that he had bipolar disorder, ADHD and used "illicit" drugs, said Sharon Phillips, senior vice president who oversees jail health for Parkland.

Stretcher, the county's director of criminal justice, said intellectual disabilities can be difficult to detect because people often hide them.

"They don't want to be tagged for that," he said.

Brown eventually called his grandparents, saying he was happy living on the streets. Barely a week later, he landed back in jail, this time for indecent exposure. He allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in the shower in the women's area at the downtown YMCA, according to a police affidavit.

Susan Koshar said the teen may not have entered that area intentionally because he has trouble reading. In jail, Brown was under close watch part of the time because of suicidal behavior. He served several weeks in jail. The charge was later dismissed after he was sent to Mexia.

Request goes unmet

After Jeremy's jail time, the Koshars argued that he needed intensive treatment at a state-supported living center, formerly called state schools.

Instead, he was sent to a respite home, where a house manager watched over him and tried to make sure he took his medications. There, Metrocare staff tried to work with him on his behavior. They also took him to a mental health clinic for treatment, although it was not intensive.

Soon after Brown moved into the first home, he got kicked out after trying to sell furniture for drug money, Susan Koshar said.

Metrocare sent him to another home but he ran away several times. Staff there gave up trying to retrieve him from The Bridge, Dallas' homeless shelter.

Jeremy was missing again.

"He said he doesn't want to be at the respite home because he doesn't want staff telling him what to do," an e-mail from a Metrocare services worker to the Koshars read.

The Koshars filed a missing persons report on May 11. They discovered later that police had taken him to Parkland on May 15 before releasing him again. They finally located Jeremy on May 26 – back in jail for the third time this year.

Metrocare Services cannot force anyone to take medications or stay in a respite home, said Baker, who runs the agency.

"You have the right not to cooperate as long as you don't do something illegal," he said.

Baker said that an ideal solution would be for a judge to send offenders with mental illnesses to a residential facility that provides intensive treatment. Once the offenders meet certain goals, they could earn the right to leave, he said. But the state's mental health system does not fund places like that, he said.

One well-regarded private residential treatment center for adolescents, the Meridell Achievement Center in Liberty Hill, Texas, has contracts with several states but not Texas. The facility charges those states $480 a day. By comparison, Brown's respite house cost more than $1,300 a day – and Metrocare spent $63,000 on Brown's care between September and May, Baker said.

Transfer to state unit

Brown's arrest on May 26 for insufficient bond related to the indecent exposure charge finally gave the courts an opportunity to send the teen to a state-supported living center – the step the Koshars had been seeking after months of frustration.

Metrocare attorney Douglas Barnes asked a probate court judge on June 3 to send Brown to a locked unit in Mexia, 85 miles away. The center is one of 13 facilities, formerly called state schools, which have been plagued in recent years with complaints about abuse and neglect.

State officials signed a five-year, $112 million agreement last year after a four-year federal investigation into civil-rights violations. The settlement calls for hiring more than 1,000 new workers and drastically improving living conditions at the facilities.

The Koshars saw the facilities as their only solution, despite their past record.

Sitting next to his lawyer at the June hearing, Brown testified that he did not want to go.

"If you put me there, I'm going to end up suicidal," said Brown, who wore a blue and gray striped jail uniform. He said he liked living on the streets, where he had friends and a pit bull he said he adopted. He said he wanted the freedom to live his life and dress how he likes.

"If I want to look like a gangster, I look like a gangster," he said. "They can't run that part of me."

Brown said he made money by panhandling and used coke, methamphetamine, speed and marijuana on the streets with friends named "Shorty," "Crazy" and "Lil John."

"Please don't put me in a state school. I'm begging," he said.

Susan Koshar took the stand and said it was tough to send her grandson away – but that he needs help.

"We love that kid desperately," she said.

The judge ruled that Brown should be transferred to the Mexia facility on June 8.

Brown bowed his head on the table before being led back to jail. After the hearing, Ken Koshar hugged Susan, as tears ran down her cheeks.

Walgreens, A  Leader in Employing People with Disabilities
Posted on Jul 06 2010 | By Steve Banker

CSCMP’s New England Roundtable recently visited Walgreens’ New England distribution center near Hartford, Connecticut. Following a presentation by Scott Sylvester, the Distribution Center Manager, we received a tour of this highly-automated facility. The material handling systems in the DC are truly an amazing piece of engineering.

However, even more amazing, is Walgreens’ track record in productively employing people with disabilities at this facility and a similar one located in South Carolina.

Walgreens made a corporate commitment that over a third of the workforce at this facility would have physical or cognitive disabilities. All team members are paid the same amount and have the same benefits package. The state is not paying any subsidies for employing people with disabilities.

But this is not charity; it’s business. Team members with disabilities are held to the same work standards as all other employees.

How do they accomplish this?

• The systems are designed to help people with various challenges. For example, there are computers at the workstations with highly visual diagrams of the work that needs to be accomplished. There are red/yellow/green lights and simple icons on the PCs that show whether labor productivity is on target. There is clever error proofing built into their pick-to-light systems. There are switches that could be thrown to call for a manager if a problem comes up. These accommodations, however, benefit everyone.
• If you match the right person to the right job, disabilities can become abilities, or even super abilities. For example, folks with certain types of compulsive disorders have the ability to pay great attention to detail. There are jobs that require this level of attention.
• There is no “us and them.” They preach this and live it. For example, only the Career Outreach Coordinator knows which team members have disabilities. The managers don’t need to know unless a worker is not performing as expected. If that happens, the appropriate manager is informed so that they are better equipped to coach that employee. Scott mentioned that working in this environment makes you largely blind to disabilities. For the most part, he only becomes aware of workers with disabilities when groups like ours come in to tour the facility.  In short, “this is a culture, not a program. Programs have a beginning and an end.”
• The management team reviews everyone’s performance every two weeks. Questions like “What is going on with Scott?” get raised. “He was struggling. Did the coaching work?”
• If applicants need help filling out a job form, they can ask for assistance and get it.
• They have a partner that specializes in training people with disabilities. The partner has a training program that lasts nine weeks where potential hires are trained in job readiness, interpersonal skills, and similar work skills. There is no cost for this program. Many of the graduates then move into a nine week program where they learn how to do the actual work they will be doing. These folks are paid similar to temps. The DC has a large training room with the actual machines and workstations they will be using in the DC. Trainees that successfully graduate from this program then go on the standard nine week probationary program. Clearly, having the right partner is critical to success.
• Think about transportation issues. Because this is a big facility employing a lot of people, they were able to encourage local governments to add them as a bus stop.
• When you approach this kind of a program in a big way, accommodations are surprisingly inexpensive. Their average accommodation costs them less than $500 per person.
• Early hires should be “Rock Stars; they should have a great attitude; that type of person sells the program.” Nevertheless, even with rock stars, you will need to face a worker’s fears with education. And managers will never have all the answers. They will become “experts” through experience.
• Finally, never give in on holding everyone accountable. Don’t relax your standards. 

What have the results been?

40 percent of their employees have disclosed to them that they have a disability. They believe they also have people working for who have a disability but have not disclosed that fact.

Many of the team members with disabilities value their jobs far more than the typical employee. It gave some a chance to contribute and be recognized, something that, sadly, had been missing for much of their lives. There is significantly lower turnover than average at this facility; folks are less likely to call in sick; there is better adherence to safety standards and processes (if you say “you have to walk between these lines,” employees do it); and when teams are needed for continuous improvement exercises, there is never a lack of volunteers.

Based on the automation, the facility was designed to be 20 percent more productive than older DCs. They have met their productivity targets. This productivity is not being achieved at the cost of accuracy.

It has increased the leadership skills of their managers. It is easy for a manager to think that a worker is just not trying. At this facility, based on this work force, that is not the assumption. Managers consequently become much more adept at trying to understand how employees think, what motivates them, and how to communicate clearly.

For me, this tour and what I learned was inspirational. Walgreens just became my pharmacy of choice.

July 6, 2010

Disability Act still making an impact

Shanderia K. Posey, clarionledger.com
sposey@jackson.gannett.com

America will mark a special event this month - the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

When this legislation became law, it guaranteed equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.

As a result, other countries emulated the United States' actions and provided similar protection to their citizens.

Times change

Depending on your age, you might take for granted what all this act has accomplished.

Historians recount how in colonial times families and individuals were ostracized from society and left to bear the burdens of caring for those injured/disabled or born with defects.

It seems like eons ago that there was a time when sidewalks didn't accommodate wheelchair-bound colleagues or those without sight. And, keep in mind, closed-captioning wasn't always available on every television set.

But one of the major accomplishments of this act protected individuals against job discrimination and opened doors for more opportunities to live independently.

Nevertheless, more work remains.

According to Andrew J. Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, many people with disabilities live in poverty and can't afford safe housing in a desired location.

The AAPD was founded on the fifth anniversary of the Disabilities Act, July 26, 1995.

The organization, along with other advocacy groups, is eagerly anticipating celebrating the successes and future accomplishments of this act.

Party

Across the country, individuals and groups are asked to hold special events to bring more attention to the rights of citizens with disabilities.

Living Independence For Everyone, an organization dedicated to the empowerment of people with significant disabilities, will hold a free ADA - IDEA Anniversary Party at 11 a.m. July 24 at Jackson's City Hall.

For more information call (601) 969-4009.

State 'Mainstreaming' Efforts Go To Judge
By Grace E. Merritt, gmerritt@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
6:13 AM EDT, June 30, 2010

Intellectually disabled students have been incorporated into many regular classrooms in Connecticut, but they are often stuck in the back of the room or over to the side and usually aren't doing the same work as the rest of the class, according to special-education advocates.

But Connecticut officials say the state has made tremendous progress and now ranks second in the country for "mainstreaming" intellectually disabled students.

The question is, has Connecticut done enough to integrate such students into classrooms, neighborhood schools and school-sponsored extracurricular activities?

U.S. District Court Judge Robert N. Chatigny must now decide whether the state Department of Education has lived up to the requirements of a settlement agreement in an almost 2-decade-old lawsuit.

Plaintiffs in the case, known as PJ et. al. v. Connecticut, said in closing arguments Tuesday that the state is in "substantial non-compliance" with several areas of the settlement.

The case dates back to 1991, when six families filed a class-action lawsuit against the state, arguing that a significant percentage of students with intellectual disabilities remained largely segregated. The case wound its way though the courts for years until both sides reached a settlement agreement in 2002 — a settlement that expires Aug. 13.

The state argues that there has been a sea change in the way the state mainstreams intellectually disabled children, making Connecticut second only to Iowa in the rate with which it integrates such students.

"We've moved from 28th in the country to second. If that's not substantial compliance. I don't know what is," said Assistant Attorney General Darren P. Cunningham, who represents the state Department of Education.

The percentage of intellectually handicapped students placed in regular classrooms has gone from the single digits to 50.7 percent today, Cunningham said, adding, "That's significant improvement, monstrous improvement."

Even so, the plaintiffs argue, large numbers of the estimated 3,000 intellectually disabled students in the state are still being denied access to the classroom and are not being placed in neighborhood schools. They say these children are not spending enough time with non-disabled children and are not involved in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

"Many, many of these students are sitting the back of the class doing something completely different than the other students. Supplemental services are not in place, so these students do not make any progress in the program," said David Shaw, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs argue that the students have a right to be included in the regular classroom and benefit from being with non-disabled students. In many cases, the students can learn to read and write, which allows them to go on to jobs or to secondary education.

Part of the frustration is that teachers often are not trained to teach disabled students and often don't have classroom aides to help them, Shaw said. The state has not forced local school systems to provide the technical assistance the children need to succeed in the classroom, Shaw said.

The plaintiffs also claim that many school systems have reclassified as many as 800 intellectually disabled students as autistic, learning disabled or some other disability in order to dodge the requirements.

Cunningham said the state remains committed to increasing the number of students integrated into the regular classroom but cannot force local school districts to hire aides and is not involved in the local classification process.

"The state Department of Education can only do so much," he said.

He pointed out that the state never guaranteed that there would never be any instance of non-inclusion and was never required to show significant improvement.

"We agreed to work hard and we agreed to show results. We believe we've done that," Cunningham said.

With the settlement set to expire Aug. 13, the plaintiffs worry that any progress will falter or even erode, despite the state's pledge to continue working on the issue.

Chatigny, who has been nominated to the federal appeals court, said he expects to rule on the case soon.

Copyright © 2010, The Hartford Courant

3 injured in brawl at group home
Canton police may seek charges in altercation
By Patricia Wen, Boston Globe Staff  |  June 29, 2010

A 30-minute brawl erupted in a Canton group home run by the controversial Judge Rotenberg Educational Center on Friday, sending three of its eight teenage residents to the hospital, police said.

Canton police Lieutenant Patty Sherrill said her department may press criminal charges in this altercation, which involved students as well as a half-dozen staff members, some of whom had donned helmets.

Five officers were sent to control the fight that erupted inside the home at 198 Turnpike St. around 9:20 p.m. after a student called 911. “In my 17 years here, I’ve never seen anything like this,’’ said Sherrill, who was at the scene. At one point, she said, one of the teenage males turned to her and whispered: “Miss, you have to get me out of here. I fear for my safety.’’

The home’s residents attend classes at the Rotenberg Center.

The students’ injuries included a broken wrist, nose, and hip. Sherrill said the fight may have started when a student resisted bedtime instructions from a staff member, though details remain unclear. The center has video cameras running round-the-clock at all its facilities, and Sherrill said she will be requesting the tapes from Friday’s altercation.

For nearly four decades, the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center has generated nationwide controversy for disciplining students with electrical skin shocks, but center officials and police said such shocks were not involved in Friday’s incident.

Ernie Corrigan, Rotenberg spokesman, said none of the students at the Canton group home have state-approved plans allowing this behavioral-control method. Corrigan said administrators believe staff acted “appropriately’’ in the situation, and had put on helmets for their safety. He said the home serves “emotionally disturbed’’ adolescents and he does not yet know what triggered the fight.

The center’s main campus is also located in Canton, while group homes are scattered there and in nearby communities. Most of the center’s 200 students have behavioral disorders, autism, or intellectual disabilities. Under state-sanctioned procedures, roughly half wear electrodes attached to their skin, and staff members can remotely trigger 2-second shocks through a hand-held device.

State Senator Brian Joyce, a Democrat from Milton who has struggled for years to shut down the school, said Friday’s brawl is yet another example of why the center’s methods are “barbaric.’’

Patricia Wen can be reached at wen@globe.com.