Budget, revenue to drive 2004 legislative session
When the Indiana General Assembly convenes in January, it will face a projected state budget deficit of $800 million to $1 billion. For that reason, advocates expect legislators to focus most of their attention in 2004 on budget and revenue issues.
"I think you will see people presenting proposals for what they deem to be revenue enhancements, such as the non-nutritive beverage fee, increased cigarette and alcohol taxes and other fees and taxes based on voluntary usage," said Cris Fulford, COVOH executive director. (For more information on the non-nutritive beverage fee, see page two.)
Because 2004 is a major election year, legislators are not expected to raise sales or income taxes. But advocates should anticipate a wide variety of economic development proposals.
"We must recognize that if we don't have a good economic vision for the future, then we won't have the resources the state needs to assist people in need," Fulford said.
As legislators seek ways to raise money, they also might explore ways to reduce spending. Because Medicaid makes up a significant portion of the state budget, advocates are concerned that it might be targeted for additional cuts. They also are watching the budget cuts being handled internally by the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP).
Another potential Medicaid concern is the proposed preferred drug list; advocates say it may limit access to necessary medications for some people with disabilities.
Other issues likely to be addressed include property taxes, self-directed care, health insurance and home and community-based care. Special education also will be an issue, particularly as the state determines how new, rigorous standards will affect students enrolled in special education programs.
AARP State Director Nancy Griffin said she expects some service providers to seek rate increases.
"It's hard to think about increasing spending in this environment," Griffin said, "but we haven't had a rate adjustment or increase in Medicaid reimbursement in seven or eight years."
Several interim study committees addressed the relationship between people with disabilities and the criminal justice system, so advocates expect multiple pieces of legislation to emerge from that process. For example, legislators may recommend increased training for law enforcement officials in interacting with people with disabilities, especially those with mental illness. Other bills may address how the criminal justice system interacts with children who have been or are being expelled from school.
Ultimately, however, progress on all fronts may be limited by time constraints.
"This is likely to be a very short session," Griffin said. "This is an election year, and people want to get done, get out, go home and start campaigning.
"Of course, it's also a gubernatorial election year," Griffin added. "It's going to be a very interesting campaign season, and I think we'll see some very partisan politics as a result."
State government Web sites fail accessibility test
Less than half of Indiana's government Web sites meet accessibility guidelines for people with disabilities, according to a recent study by Brown University's Taubman Center for Public Policy.
Nationwide, only 33 percent of state and federal Web sites were found to satisfy World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for accessibility, and only 24 percent satisfy Section 508 accessibility requirements. In Indiana, 28 percent of government Web sites meet W3C access guidelines, while
41 percent meet Section 508 requirements.
Bill Pierce, of Indiana's Information Technology Oversight Commission, said the state is working to improve those statistics. It is acquiring software tools to help webmasters identify and correct inaccessible sites. In addition, the state's Assistive Technology Standards Group has developed reference materials on accessibility requirements and meets with webmasters to monitor their progress.
Overall, the state's e-government ranking, based not only on accessibility but also on issues such as privacy and security features, was the third highest in the nation, up from 12th last year.
For a copy of the report, visit www.insidepolitics.org/egovt03us.html or call (619) 232-2727 ext. 104 (voice).
National summit examines rural transportation issues
On Oct. 30-31, the Council hosted a national summit on transportation for people with disabilities in rural settings. "Accelerating Accessibility" brought together transportation experts from across the nation to focus on implementing positive changes and improving transportation options for people with disabilities.
In two days of intensive work sessions, participants learned about best practices in rural transportation and crafted recommendations for local, state and federal transportation decision-makers. Attendees also were asked to sign commitments to actively make changes in their own communities.
The conference was sponsored by the Council and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in cooperation with Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.
Beverage tax proposal could raise Medicaid funds
Hoosiers for Options, a coalition of Indiana home and community-based care advocates, is proposing a new way to fund long-term care: a small tax on the syrup and powder used in soft drinks and other drinks without nutritional value.
The "non-nutritive beverage fee" would amount to less than half a cent per drink, according to Hoosiers for Options. The tax would raise an estimated $61.8 million per year for a long-term care continuum fund within Medicaid, leveraging an additional $103 million per year in federal Medicaid funds.
"Hoosiers for Options is responding to a challenge by legislators to work together and come up with a creative approach for raising new money for the Medicaid program," said Kim Dodson, Arc of Indiana director of government relations and development.
Hoosiers for Options endorses the fee because, unlike a state income tax increase, it would target only voluntary behavior. And, because people of all ages and incomes drink soft drinks, the fee would not adversely affect any particular socio-economic group.
Grassroots efforts will be essential to move the non-nutritive beverage fee forward, Dodson said.
"We need people across Indiana to start talking to legislators about this," Dodson said. "We all know Medicaid funding was flat-lined last year, and unless revenue is increased, there will be further cuts."
For more information on Hoosiers for Options and the non-nutritive beverage fee, contact Dodson at (800) 382-9100 (voice) or kdodson@arcind.org (e-mail).
Order Disability Awareness Month materials now
Every March, the Council sponsors Disability Awareness Month to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life. The 2004 theme is "Freedom from Exclusion: Inclusion Now."
Available materials include posters, bookmarks, buttons (pictured here), stickers and more. In addition, more than 25 information packets and activity guides are available to aid advocates in conducting awareness activities in their communities. Topics range from special event planning to building awareness in classrooms.
Visit www.in.gov/gpcpd to download an order form or contact Kim Dennison at Borshoff Johnson Matthews, 47 S. Pennsylvania St., Suite 500, Indianapolis, IN 46204; (317) 631-6400 (voice); (317) 631-6499 (fax); or kdennison@bjmpr.com (e-mail).
Department of Education ends captioning for morethan 200 TV shows
The U.S. Department of Education has declared more than 200 popular television programs inappropriate for captioning, claiming the shows don't fit the required definition of "educational, news or informational" programming.
Effective Oct. 1, the new guidelines mean the Department's Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities no longer caption those programs.
Shows declared inappropriate for captioning include:
- Classic sitcoms such as Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie
- Contemporary sitcoms such as Malcolm in the Middle and The Simpsons
- Dramas such as Law & Order
- Music programming such as VH1's Behind the Music
- Children's cartoons such as Dexter's Laboratory, Pokemon and Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
- Virtually all college and professional sports programming, including sports news shows and basketball, baseball, auto racing, tennis, football and golf games and tournaments
The advent of captioning moved people who were deaf or hard of hearing "out of second-class citizenry and helped them gain full access to the world of information," said deaf advocate Jerry Thixton, who calls the Department of Education's decision discrimination.
The National Association for the Deaf (NAD) called the move "censorship," saying it isolates children and teens who are deaf or have hearing impairments and prevents them "from watching shows that help them learn about the trends, culture and society around them." Lack of captioning also prevents parents who are deaf from screening programs for their children, NAD said.
For a complete list of affected programs, visit www.nad.org/openhouse/action/alerts/captioningcensorship/pr.html or call (301) 587-1788 (voice) or (301) 587-1789 (TT).
Blueprints for accessible homes available
UDA, a leading architectural services firm, now offers blueprints for more than 75 fully accessible homes.
Accessible home plans are accompanied by standard home plans so people with disabilities can select accommodations to meet their specific needs. Plans include alternative bath layouts, wide doors, ramps, handrails, accessible cabinetry, roll-in showers, ADA-compliant plumbing fixtures, appropriate door and window hardware and more.
UDA also offers the "Home Planning Guide" (free online or $19.95 for a hard copy).
The 22-page publication guides readers through such topics as purchasing, modifying or building a home and prioritizing accessibility needs.
A free monthly e-newsletter about accessibility and home design and modification also is available.
For more information, visit www.uniteddesign.com or contact UDA at (800) 700-8321 (voice) or info@uda1.com (e-mail).
Of Note
Toy gift guide for kids
Are you doing some last-minute holiday shopping for a child with a disability? Toys "R" Us has released the 10th edition of its free "Toy Guide," which lists toys appropriate for children with different types of disabilities. Visit www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled or pick up a copy at a local Toys "R" Us
Free Braille transcribing, proofreading courses
The Braille Development Section of the Library of Congress offers free certification programs in Braille transcribing and proofreading. Each correspondence course takes about 12 to 18 months to complete. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents and must have a high school diploma or equivalent. For more information, contact the Braille Development Section at (800) 424-8567 (voice) or braille@loc.gov (e-mail).
Disability advocate develops training materials
Bobby Silverstein, director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy, has released "A Congressional Insider's View: How to Be an Effective Disability Policy Change Agent." The entire program, which includes guides, handouts and other publications, is available on CD-ROM for $75. For more information or to order a copy, contact Melanie Gabel at (202) 223-5340 (voice/TT) or Melanie@csadp.org (e-mail).
Indiana Governor’s Planning
Council for People with Disabilities
150 West Market Street, Suite 628
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
(317) 232-7770 voice
(317) 232-7771 TT
E-mail: GPCPD@gpcpd.org
Web site: www.state.in.us/gpcpd
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