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 |
Participation in elections is critical
An open letter from Count Us IN Project Director Julia Vaughn
On Nov. 4, voters will choose individuals to fill municipal (city/town) offices. Historically, these local elections have lower voter turnouts than elections involving presidential or congressional candidates. But local elections are no less important.
As the government representatives "closest to the people," local officials are in charge of implementing laws and policies adopted at the federal and state levels. They can have a considerable amount of freedom in doing so. For example, accessible transportation, school and special education budgets and
ADA implementation all are handled locally.As citizens, people with disabilities have an important responsibility to participate in the electoral process and to choose candidates who support the disability community (See "Choosing candidates wisely," below). We face many critical issues affecting employment, health care, education and more. The best way to create positive change in these areas is to make our voices heard at the polls.
Offices that might be up for election in your community include:
- Mayor
- City or city-county council members
- City judges
- Town council members, town clerk-treasurers and town judges in all towns except those that have adopted an ordinance to elect these officials during general elections.
Also consider becoming a poll worker, a position that offers a small stipend and allows you to help improve the electoral process from the inside out. For more information, contact the local office of the political party of your choice.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4. For more information, contact your local election board or county clerk.
Choosing candidates wisely
Electing candidates who are sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities is important. To help you make an informed choice, consider these guidelines from United Cerebral Palsy.
Check to see if candidates/legislators:
- Use accessible campaign offices and schedule events at accessible locations.
- Hire sign language interpreters at
campaign events.
- Air television advertisements that are open or closed captioned or video described.
- Make campaign literature available in large print and in Braille or on audio tape and computer disk.
- Invite disability community and leaders members to strategy sessions, public forums and town meetings.
- Mention persons with disabilities and are familiar with their issues.
- Have a positive record on ADA implementation.
- Vote in support of the interests of the disability community in education/special education, health care, Medicaid/Medicare, job training, housing, employment, transportation, taxation, technology development, telecommunications access and supplemental security income (SSI/SSDI).
To learn more about candidates' views and beliefs, consider organizing a candidate forum. Invite candidates to an accessible location to explain their platforms and answer questions from the community.
For more information, download the "Special Event - Legislative Forum" packet at www.in.gov/gpcpd or request a copy from Kim Dennison at (317) 631-6400 (voice), (317) 631-6499 (fax) or kdennison@bjmpr.com (e-mail).
The Fifth Freedom organization also offers information about hosting candidate forums. Contact Sheri Caveda at (866) 441-2577 (voice), (800) 889-3443 (TT) or info@FifthFreedom.org (e-mail).
Justice Department chooses model communities
The Justice Department in late July announced the second phase of Project Civic Access, an initiative ensuring that cities and counties comply with the ADA.
The department formed agreements with eight communities nationwide that will work to improve access in all aspects of civic life, from government buildings, parks, sidewalks and other facilities to voting, employment, law enforcement and emergency preparedness.
While none of these communities are in Indiana, they can serve as models for Indiana cities and towns seeking to improve access for people with disabilities.
The Justice Department also offers several information guides for local officials, including "Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Small Towns" and "The ADA and City Government: Common Problems." To order, visit www.ada.gov or call
(800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TT).
Congress focuses on appropriations
Disability-related legislation stalled in September as members of Congress focused on appropriations bills for fiscal year 2004, which began Oct. 1. But several new bills merit watching.
The Pathways to Independence Act of 2003 (S. 1523), if included in the Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reauthorization, will allow states to consider participation in rehabilitation services as participation in work activities for people with disabilities. To benefit caregivers, the bill also would consider time spent caring for a dependent with a disability as a work activity.
Another bill of interest to people with disabilities is the Money Follows the
Person Act (S. 1394), which encourages states to allow money spent on a person in an institutional setting to follow that person as he or she transitions to home and community-based care.
"We believe that no individual should be forced into an institution to receive reimbursement for services that can be effectively and efficiently delivered in the home or community," said bill co-sponsors Tom Harkin and Gordon Smith in a letter to colleagues.
At press time, both bills had been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
Visit thomas.loc.gov to follow the progress of this and other disability-related legislation.
Disability Employment Awareness Month highlights problems
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a celebration to encourage employers to hire more people with disabilities.
According to a National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.)/Harris Poll survey, only
32 percent of Americans with disabilities age 18 to 64 are working, compared to 81 percent of people without disabilities in the same age range. Of those people with disabilities who are not employed, more than two out of three say they would like to work.
The study also found that the gap in employment increases with age. Among 18-to-29-year-olds, the employment gap between people with and without disabilities is 25 percent, much smaller than the 49 percent employment gap for all age groups combined.
According to the Census Bureau, people with disabilities earned an average of $33,109 in 2000, compared to average earnings of $43,269 among people without disabilities.
Employment impacts every aspect of life, from home ownership to health insurance to educational opportunities. In today's society, a person's job or career is part of his or her identity, helping to shape the way a person interacts with others and participates in the community. Bridging the employment and earning gaps for people with disabilities is essential to ensuring their full participation in community life.
Advocates work to change disability term
Achieving full inclusion for people with disabilities can begin with something as simple as word choice. People with developmental disabilities say that means removing the term "mentally retarded" from our vocabularies.
Among children, the word "retarded" is used as a playground insult. Even among adults it carries negative connotations. So, shifting people's attitudes about mental retardation may require changing the words used to describe it.
For example, The Arc of the United States, formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens, now exists to serve people with "cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities," according to its mission statement. President George W. Bush even marked the 13th anniversary of the ADA by changing the name of the President's Committee on Mental Retardation to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Darcus Nims, vice president of Self-Advocates of Indiana and president of Self-Advocates of Indianapolis, thinks the change is a positive one. She prefers the term "developmental disability."
To exemplify the problem, Nims shared the story of being in a bus accident when working at Noble of Indiana. One police officer came onto the bus to take statements from passengers. Nims said another officer asked what he was doing and then said, "But you can't ask them. They don't know what happened. They're retarded."
According to Nims, making the term "retarded" obsolete will help foster more positive attitudes about disability and will make it easier for people with many kinds of disabilities to participate more fully in the community.
Report outlines achievements of 317 Plan
Indiana is making progress toward transitioning people with disabilities from institutional to home and community-based care, according to Steve Cook, director of the FSSA Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services.
In late August, Cook presented a report to the MR/DD Commission outlining four years of state progress under the 317 Plan.
Named after the Senate bill number mandating its creation in 1999, the 317 Plan focuses on designing and implementing a system to transition people with disabilities from institutional to home and community-based settings.
Cook outlined several significant achievements resulting from the plan, including:
- Developing an individualized funding system using the Individualized Community Living Budget.
- Fostering a commitment to person-centered planning.
- Redirecting funds from institutional care to home and community-based settings.
- Reducing the number of Hoosiers living in institutional settings.
- Increasing the number of people with disabilities being served in integrated employment settings.
- Developing a comprehensive quality assurance system.
- Expanding provider capacity.
- Obtaining new funding for disability-related programs in Indiana.
The report mentions several programs that contributed to these positive outcomes. Among them are two projects funded by the Council: the Waiver Information Network and the Transportation Coalition.
"Indiana, through the 317 Plan, has made significant gains in the design and implementation of a system for providing individuals with developmental disabilities with choice and supports to live in community settings," the report states. "Our past success will serve us well as we move forward."
To receive a copy of the report, call (800) 545-7763 ext. 21147 (voice/TT).
Commission recommends improvements for mental health services
In late July, the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health delivered its report, "Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America."
"The report finds that the nation's mental health care
system is beyond simple repair," the commission wrote. "Instead, it recommends a wholesale transformation that involves consumers and pro-viders, policy-makers ... and both the public and private sectors."
"Achieving the Promise" outlines a number of goals, including:
- Eliminating the stigma attached to mental illness.
- Allowing consumers' needs and preferences, not bureaucratic requirements, to determine services.
- Placing consumers and families at the center of service decisions.
- Offering services that are effective for people from different cultural backgrounds.
- Moving toward a model of early intervention and prevention rather than symptom management.
- Developing a more effective process to make research discoveries the bedrock of service delivery.
- Harnessing the power of communications and computer technology to improve the quality of care and consumers' access to information.
For a copy of the report, visit www.mentalhealthcommission .gov or call (800) 789-2647 (voice) or (888) 889-2647 (TT).
Of Note
Supported employment conference Dec. 8-10
The Annual Indiana Institute for Supported Employment Conference, "Building Success," will be held Dec. 8 - 10 at the Holiday Inn Select North in Indianapolis. The keynote speaker is author and trainer Denise Bissonnett. Other speakers include nationally recognized motivational speaker Harvey Alston and Dr. Pat Sullivan of the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis School of Social Work. For more information, visit www.inapse.org or contact Faith Thomas at (812) 855-6508 (voice) or fmthomas@indiana.edu (e-mail).
Annual conference registrations due Nov. 17
On Dec. 2-3, the Indiana Conference for People with Disabilities will inspire participants to "Catch the Community Spirit." The event, to be held at the downtown Indianapolis Westin hotel, will feature a variety of workshops and speakers, as well as exhibits and a 1950s-themed reception.The registration deadline is Nov. 17 (Oct. 24 for scholarship applicants), so it's not too late to register. For a conference brochure and registration form, visit www.in.gov/gpcpd or contact the Council at (317) 232-7770 (voice), (317) 232-7771 (TT) or GPCPD@gpcpd.org (e-mail).
Credit union offers accessibility loans
The Digital Federal Credit Union offers accessibility loans to members of the American Association of People with Disabilities. Members can borrow money through an Access Loan for such expenses as wheelchairs, assistive technology, durable medical equipment, rehabilitative equipment and building modifications. Similarly, the Mobility Vehicle Loan allows people with disabilities to purchase accessible vehicles or modify existing vehicles. For more information, visit www.dcu.org or call (800) 328-8797 (voice) or (800) 395-5146 (TT).
Gov. Frank O'Bannon: 1930 - 2003
Gov. O'Bannon was friend of disability community
Gov. Frank O'Bannon died Saturday, Sept. 13, five days after suffering a massive stroke while attending a conference in Chicago. As the state mourns the loss of its leader, people with disabilities and disability advocates remember O'Bannon as a Hoosier, friend and leader.
"Gov. O'Bannon's strength was his wisdom and belief that nurturing creativity and encouraging public debate would result in good public policy," said Council Executive Director Suellen Jackson-Boner. "I will truly miss his leadership and guidance as well as the faith he placed in this Council to advocate a better world for people with disabilities."
Former Council Board Chair Gary Miller remembers O'Bannon as "a wonderful friend to the whole community of people with disabilities."
Disability advocates credit O'Bannon's leadership and support for many accomplishments affecting Hoosiers with disabilities. Examples include the CHOICE and CHIP programs, Medicaid waivers, the 317 Plan, a community college system, Indiana's Visitability Act and the M.E.D. Works program, as well as efforts to make Indiana's electronic and information technology more accessible.
Advocates remember his efforts on behalf of people with mental illness, as well.
"During Frank O'Bannon's tenure as governor, we made many strides in mental health, not the least of which was legislation that protected access to mental health medications in the Medicaid system," said Mental Health Association President and CEO Steve McCaffrey. "Even today, that piece of legislation is considered the gold standard around the country, and we were able to accomplish that with his leadership and commitment."
Many advocates also praise O'Bannon's consistent commitment to home and community-based care efforts.
"His leadership paved the way for redirecting our state's resources toward deinstitutionalization and focusing on more person-centered, community-based services," said Ed Bell, acting Council board chairman.
Self-Advocates of Indiana President Betty Williams said O'Bannon was instrumental in "helping people with disabilities live in the community and live out our dreams."
"I think the greatest thing he did for people with disabilities is that he had the courage, when faced with a horrible situation at New Castle State Developmental Center, to say 'Enough. We're going to bring people home,'" said AARP State Director Nancy Griffin. "His leadership in the deinstitutionalization effort was tremendously important."
Griffin continued, "He also was someone who was comfortable with people with disabilities. His gentle, kind and thoughtful consideration of questions or concerns from any person made him a very special man."
Other advocates who worked with him agree.
"I am so thankful for having known Governor O'Bannon ... He was someone who really listened, whether you were a person with a disability, a family member or a person of color. It didn't matter to him," said advocate Alice Tinsley.
"He helped make Indiana a more beautiful state where all people and all cultures are welcome."
Vicki Pappas, of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, said, "Governor O'Bannon was remarkable for the dignity and respect he showed for all people."
INARF President and CEO Costa Miller, who knew O'Bannon for almost 30 years,
said,"He was not only a good and decent man but, as a public servant, he was also committed, compassionate and caring."
Amy Cook-Lurvey of COVOH said, "Governor O'Bannon will live on in our memories as a just, good person who understood that people with disabilities are 'people first.' He lived a life that reflected his sense of justice for all persons, regardless of race, color, creed or disability."
For many advocates, "living the life" was most clearly reflected when Gov. and Mrs. O'Bannon vacated the Governor's Residence so it could be made more accessible to people with disabilities.
"Governor and Mrs. O'Bannon not only believed in inclusion for all, but they also demonstrated that through all of their efforts," said Cris Fulford, COVOH executive director.
Memorial contributions can be made in Gov. O'Bannon's name to the O'Bannon Foundation, c/o Union Federal Bank, 45 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Or, visit www.in.gov/gov to send condolences via e-mail.
A lifetime of service:
Jan. 30, 1930 - Sept. 13, 2003
- 1930 - Frank O'Bannon is born in Louisville, Ky. His family later moves to Indiana.
- 1948 - Graduates from Corydon High School.
- 1952 - Receives a bachelor's degree in government from Indiana University and begins service in the U.S. Air Force.
- 1957 - Earns Indiana University law degree, marries Judy Asmus and returns to Corydon to practice law. He also spends time working for the family-owned local newspaper.
- 1970 - Elected to Indiana Senate, representing eight southern Indiana counties. During 18 years in this post, he serves as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee (1977-78) and Democratic floor leader in the Senate (1979-88).
- 1988 - Begins eight years of service as lieutenant governor under Gov. Evan Bayh.
- 1996 - Wins first gubernatorial term.
- 2000 - Wins gubernatorial re-election campaign.
- 2003 - Passes away five days after experiencing a massive stroke.
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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