On Target is a monthly publication
of the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities.
We welcome your suggestions for newsletter content and
ideas concerning the actions of the Council. On Target is made available
in accessible formats upon request.
Suellen Jackson-Boner
Executive Director
Christine Dahlberg
Associate Director
Paul Shankland
Grants Manager |
Congress addresses disability legislation
Members of Congress have addressed several disability-related bills as they gear up for the November election.
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives introduced FAIRNESS:
The Civil Rights Act of 2004, which seeks to counteract several recent Supreme Court decisions that weakened the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Among other provisions, the bill:
- Confirms that people with disabilities can obtain relief from the discriminatory practices of federally funded programs.
- Ensures that students with disabilities who experience harassment at school can obtain full remedies if a school shields itself from the knowledge of unlawful harassment.
- Clarifies that punitive damages are available for disability-related discrimination.
- Provides to victims of discrimination based on gender, disability or religion the same protections and remedies available to those who experience other forms of discrimination.
In addition, both the House and Senate are moving forward with budget resolutions for fiscal year 2005.
The Senate approved a $2 billion increase in discretionary health care spending and passed an amendment that strikes down the Budget Committee's recommendation to cut $11 billion from the Medicaid program. In contrast, the House of Representatives' budget resolution includes a $13.2 billion cut in funding for entitlement programs, including a $2.2 billion cut from Medicaid.
"States still have enormous waiting lists for Medicaid waiver services, and this is not the time to be cutting or even flat-lining those services," said Kim Dodson, Arc of Indiana director of government relations and development. Dodson estimates that Indiana's waiting list for waiver services includes 10,000 people.
Other bills on the Senate calendar include the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (S. 1248), the Workforce Investment Act and Rehabilitation Act (S. 1627), the Lifespan Respite Care Act
(S. 538) and the Family Opportunity Act (S. 622). IDEA is scheduled for floor action early this month.
In addition, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing in April on the Money Follows the Person Act (S. 1394) and the Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act of 2003 (MiCASSA, S. 971).
Advocates are also watching the ADA Notification Act (H.R. 728). The bill would give businesses a 90-day warning period to correct ADA violations before any court action could be filed. Disability advocates contend that businesses have already had almost 15 years of warning; the ADA became law in 1990.
On a more positive note, the Social Security Protection Act (H.R. 743) was signed into law. The bill makes a number of improvements to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Title II programs, including improving protections for those with representative payees, creating additional resources to address fraud and improving the attorney fee payment system.
Visit http://thomas.loc.gov to follow the progress of these and other bills.
State launches new referral service
In February, Indiana launched a new resource for people seeking social services referrals. The Indiana 211 Partnership enables Hoosiers in 21 counties to get information about available services simply by dialing 2-1-1.
"The goal is to create a seamless network of information and referral services that enables anyone in Indiana in need of human services to have quick referrals to those who provide them by dialing 2-1-1," according to the organization.
Statewide implementation is planned for 2005. However, residents of the following counties can access the service now:
Allen
Bartholomew
Boone
Dearborn
Hamilton
Hancock
Hendricks
Howard
Huntington
Jefferson
Johnson
Kosciusko
Marion
Morgan
Ohio
Ripley
Shelby
Switzerland
Tippecanoe
Wells
White
For more information, visit www.in211.org or call (317) 921-7527 (voice).
Dinosaur exhibit designed with accessibility in mind
On June 11, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will open a unique dinosaur experience - "Dinosphere: Now You're In Their World." The exhibit, the largest display of real juvenile and family dinosaur fossils in the United States, will "immerse" visitors in the Cretaceous Period of 65 million years ago and will be fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Indianapolis attorney Greg Fehribach, who specializes in inclusive design and access and who uses a wheelchair, worked with the Dinosphere team to incorporate inclusive elements into the following:
Dinosphere scenes:
Dinosphere will include three main "scenes" of dinosaur fossils. People with and without disabilities will be able to follow a special path into the middle of each scene to experience it from the inside out.
Dinosaur fossil dig area:
Dinosphere will have a large fossil dig area where visitors can search for the next big find. An accessible counter-level dig area will be available nearby for those using wheelchairs.
Sound show:
People with visual impairments will enjoy a sound show with audio narration at each scene. This narration will provide a description of what is happening in the scenes; it will also read aloud any written materials at each scene.
Interactive computer stations:
Dinosphere will include several touch-screen computer stations. Counter heights were built to accommodate wheelchairs, and the computer stations feature larger track balls, buttons, touch screens, font sizes and navigation elements, as well as feature videos with subtitles.
For more information, visit www.childrensmuseum.org or call (317) 334-3322 (voice) or (317) 920-2020 (TT).
Survey reveals inaccessible drive-through service
Although the Americans with Disabilities Act requires businesses to accommodate consumers with disabilities, a recent survey shows that many fast-food drive-through lanes are still not accessible, especially to people who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have speech impairments.
The survey, conducted in fall 2003 by Inclusion Solutions, included responses from more than 6,400 people with disabilities living across the nation. Some key findings include:
- 75 percent of respondents are frequent or daily patrons of fast food restaurants, and 86 percent eat fast food at least sometimes.
- 32 percent have never been able to use a drive-through lane because of their disability.
- 78 percent have had difficulty placing a drive-through order.
- 42 percent have left a drive-through lane out of frustration.
To solve such problems, survey participants suggested that fast-food restaurants purchase electronic ordering systems or install call buttons that consumers could use to indicate they need assistance.
For more information or a copy of the survey, visit www.inclusionsolutions.com or call (866) 232-5487 (voice) or (312) 444-1967 (TT).
Housing authorities, Fannie Mae open doors to homeownership
For Indianapolis resident Michelle Porter, the dream of homeownership is finally a reality. Porter, who has cerebral palsy, celebrated at her housewarming party in mid-March with Mayor Bart Peterson and other local officials who hoped to draw attention to new homeownership options for people with disabilities.
Porter purchased the home with financing from the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program and a Fannie Mae HomeChoice mortgage. The Section 8 program - available in many Hoosier communities - allows people with disabilities to apply rental vouchers toward mortgage payments, while the HomeChoice mortgage offers low down payments and flexible qualifying criteria.
"All public housing agencies in the state have the option to offer the Section 8 homeownership program, but not all of them have opted to do that," said Deborah McCarty, coordinator of the Back Home in Indiana Alliance.
If housing agencies do not offer the program, advocates can encourage them to do so. Agencies must annually update their five-year plans, which identify community housing needs. Because agencies are required to seek public input, advocates have an annual opportunity to focus attention on the need for the homeownership program in their communities.
For more information on the Section 8 homeownership program, contact the Indiana Housing Finance Authority at (800) NOW-IHFA (669-4432) (voice). For more information on HomeChoice mortgages, call Fannie Mae's Consumer Resource Center at (800) 732-6643 (voice) or (877) 889-4327 (voice/TT).
Indiana public housing agencies that offer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program:
Bloomington
Indianapolis
Columbus
Lafayette
Fort Wayne
Michigan City
Goshen
Plan ahead for health care needs of children
Children with disabilities sometimes have unique health care needs. In emergencies, however, medical professionals may not be aware of such issues, making it more difficult for them to provide the best possible care.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) have addressed this need by developing an emergency information form, which can be completed by parents and primary care physicians and provided to other health care professionals in emergencies.
"If an emergency physician does not have access to this important information, these children are in danger of delayed treatment, unnecessary tests and even serious errors," states a letter to parents signed by the AAP.
Visit www.aap.org/advocacy/epoverview.htm to download a copy of the form.
Of Note
New option for 'On Target' newsletter
You may soon have an exciting new way to get important disability news and features. The Council is exploring the possibility of offering the On Target newsletter in an e-mail format for those who prefer that option. If you're interested in switching from the print version to the e-mail version, please send your name, street address and e-mail address to ontarget@gpcpd.org (e-mail).
Indiana company offers unique off-road wheelchair
Innovation in Motion, based in Angola, Ind., is now offering a unique all-terrain wheelchair for use in outdoor conditions. The Frontier X5 off-road, mid-wheel-drive power chair features such design elements as low-pressure, knobby tires and a heavy-duty frame. For more information, contact Innovation in Motion at iim@vestil.com
(e-mail) or (800) 327-0681 (voice).
Council seeks 'On Target' article suggestions
Do you have a story idea you think would be perfect for On Target? The Council is always seeking ideas for exciting, relevant articles. Please send suggestions to Ashley Petry at apetry@bjmpr.com (e-mail), (317) 631-6499 (fax) or Ashley Petry, c/o Borshoff Johnson Matthews, 47 S. Pennsylvania St., Suite 500, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Send genetic discrimination stories
Do you have a personal story about discrimination in employment or health care based on genetic factors? If so, the Arc and United Cerebral Palsy would like to use your story to support the need for genetic non-discrimination legislation. Please send stories to Janna Starr at jstarr@ucp.org (e-mail).
Save the date!
The 2004 Conference for People with Disabilities will be held Nov. 8-9.
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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