Banner for Monday Morning in Washington, DC

Volume 07                                                                     Issue 15                                                      April 16, 2007              

Welcome to Monday Morning in Washington, D.C., published weekly by The Arc of the United States. We will bring to you news of interest to self advocates and their families, volunteers, professionals, and supporters of the disability movement. Please send any comments to mmwdc@thearc.org. You are welcome to reproduce and distribute items from Monday Morning in Washington, D.C., but please credit Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. (The Arc of the United States, 2007).

 

The Arc of the United States advocates for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Together with our network of members and affiliated chapters, we improve systems of supports and services; connect families; inspire communities; and influence public policy.

 

[NOTE: Having trouble reading this newsletter?  Read it online.] [Past Issues]

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

 

National Siblings Day Celebration

 

April 10th was National Siblings Day.  No, Hallmark has not proclaimed the day, but one day they might.  The sibling relationship is deeply significant and is the longest-lasting bond we will likely ever have. 

 

Sibling relationships can be uniquely "special" when one sibling has a disability or chronic health condition.  To honor the sibling relationship-as well as the many contributions made by typically-developing brothers and sisters-the Sibling Support Project created special WebPages in honor of National Siblings Day. 

 

These WebPages feature 20 sets of sibs of all ages and backgrounds.  Their pictures and words testify to sibs' enduring relationship.  Please visit our website and share the good news with others who may be interested.  Here's our address: www.siblingsupport.org

 

Thanks!

 

Don Meyer, Director, Sibling Support Project, A Kindering Center program, 6512 23rd Ave NW, #213, Seattle, WA 98117, 206-297-6368; fax 509-752-6789, donmeyer@siblingsupport.org, Sibling Support Project website: www.siblingsupport.org, Sibling Support Project online training calendar: http://plus.calendars.net/sibshop, Our brothers, Our sisters, Ourselves

 

National Children's Study Update

 

To view, go to http://nationalchildrensstudy.gov

 

New funding opportunities has been added to the Quality Mall web site

National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) - http://www.qualitymall.org/funding/fundingdetail.asp?postingid=433

 

Paraquad's Disability Awareness Posters

http://www.paraquad.org/awareness.html - Posters at the bottom of the page on the right.

 

DisabilityInfo.gov 
 Employers Update:  Job Accommodations for People with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

 

Information on TBI, including ideas for accommodating people with TBI's in the workplace. This information has recently been updated, and is now available - http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=5066

 

Tenant Based Rental Assistance Since 1992 - Information Bulletin # 204 (4.07)

Since 1992, Congress has allocated more than $15.6 billion to the HOME Investment Partnerships. As we explained in previous Information Bulletins, 40% of a State's HOME allocation is administered by a statewide housing agency and the remaining 60% is administered locally in the larger metropolitan areas by local housing agencies.

HOME funds can be used for new construction of both single family and multifamily units, homeowner assistance, rehabilitation, and Tenant Based Rental Assistance [TBRA] be a housing voucher that works like a Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher in that it subsidizes the rent a person pays for an apartment or house.

We've recently obtained data since 1992 for each participating jurisdiction.

There have been 165,970 TBRA units subsidized in the amount of nearly $500 million.

These "vouchers" have been used mostly [79%] by persons whose incomes are less than 30% of the median income. They have been used in all bedroom sizes and have been distributed among household sizes [30% for single person, 25% two person household, 21% three person household, 14% four person household]. Single non-elderly persons have received nearly 30% and elderly another 8%.

Each year, your local HOME's participating jurisdiction decides via the Consolidated Plan process how to allocate its HOME funds. Whether your participating jurisdiction uses its funds for TBRA, new single family units, or multifamily units, whether these funds are targeted to the lowest income persons, whether they are used for persons with disabilities, whether they are used to provide assistance to persons to leave institutions  those decisions are up to disability advocates. If you're not part of the decision-making process, you'll get none of the HOME benefits.

A review of how participating jurisdictions have OR have not used HOME funds for TBRA since 1992 shows surprising discrepancies. That is, the allocation of TBRA is not based on size of the participating jurisdiction.

Moreover, VERY frequently, a participating jurisdiction has "uncommitted" funds - i.e., unspent housing money. If you want to know if your jurisdiction has HOME funds sitting around, go to www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/reports/dashboard/ These "uncommitted" funds could be used to provide TBRAs for persons leaving institutions.

HOME funds are one source of available rental subsidies. How your jurisdiction uses its HOME funds depends, in part, on whether disability advocates are part of the decision-making process.

Source: Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

 

Kaiser Weekly Health Policy Report
 States Using New Federal Medicaid Rule To Expand, Restrict Benefits

 

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44209 

Many State Medicaid Programs To Implement Pay-for-Performance Measures, Survey Finds

 

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44210 

 

The following new Project Forum document was recently prepared under Federal Cooperative Agreement H326F050001:

Highly Mobile Children and Youth with Disabilities: Policies and Practices in Five States (click here to link to document)
http://projectforum.org/docs/HighlyMobileChildrenandYouthwithDisabilities-PoliciesandPracticesinFiveStates.pdf

Please feel free to include the above short summary in any pertinent organization's newsletter.

Additional copies are available from NASDSE; however, there are no restrictions on copying because this document was produced with federal funds. This document is available for downloading at www.projectforum.org. Additionally, Project Forum's site has over 100 documents available for download. The website has a strong Boolean search engine to find any Project Forum document. Please take a moment to visit and bookmark this site and send to others on your staff.

Paula J. Burdette, Ph.D., Project Forum, NASDSE, 1800 Diagonal Rd Suite 320, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 519-3800 x335, fax (703)519-3808

Friday's Child - April 13, 2007

"When an Apple a Day Isn't Enough-Students Speak Out about Health Care"

 

The Campaign for Children's Healthcare, a diverse group of organizations representing parents, advocates, professionals, health care providers and others committed to our nation's children, is happy to announce the release of When and Apple a Day Isn't Enough – Students Speak Out about Health Care, featuring the winners of the Campaign's national essay contest held in the fall of 2006. This book, published by Families USA for the Campaign, highlights youths' perspectives on health insurance-what happens when you do not have insurance and why expanded coverage is important to all children. The voices of children are shared in a way that is both genuine and moving. Click here to read more about this book - http://www.childrenshealthcampaign.org/events/national-essay-contest/essay-winners-book.html

 

One-Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR - Employment and Training Administration
 Workforce Investment Act - Small Grassroots Organizations Connecting with the One-Stop Delivery System - Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)


[Federal Register: April 5, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 65)]
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-6306.htm

DATES: Applications are due by May 8, 2007.

SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), announces the availability of $3,000,000 in grant funds for eligible "grassroots" organizations with the ability to connect to the local One-Stop Delivery System.

Through this competition, ETA seeks to ensure that an important WIA tenet, the development of a talented American workforce pool through universal access to the programs and services offered under WIA, is further rooted in the customer-responsive delivery systems already established by the Governors, local elected officials and local Workforce Investment Boards. ETA also reaffirms its continuing commitment to those customer-focused reforms instituted by state and local governments, which help Americans access the tools they need to manage their careers throughout their life with information and high quality services, and to help U.S. companies find skilled workers to remain competitive. Many faith-based and community organizations offer unique services and support including networks for full partnership in mutual system-building endeavors; they are trusted institutions within many poor neighborhoods; and they provide access to a large number of volunteers who bring the transformational power of personal relationships to the provision of services, and a sustained allegiance to the well-being and self-sufficiency of the participants they serve. Through their daily work and specific programs, these organizations share common purposes with government such as the attainment of occupational skills, and the entry and retention of all our citizens in good-paying jobs. Through this solicitation, ETA and CFBCI strive to leverage the programs, resources and committed staff of "grassroots" faith-based and community organizations into the workforce investment strategies already embodied in state and local strategic plans.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: For purposes of this announcement, eligible ``grassroots'' organizations must be non-profit organizations that:
• Have an Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) status at the time of application submission.
• Have social services as a major part of their mission.
• Are headquartered in the local community to which they provide these services.
• Have a social services budget of $500,000 or less.

AWARD INFORMATION: ETA has identified $3,000,000 for this solicitation. The agency expects to award approximately 40 grants. The grant amount for each `grassroots'' organization will range between $50,000-$75,000.

Measuring the Achievement of Students with Disabilities


 http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/twopercent.pdf

The U.S. Department of Education has released final regulations under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) providing additional flexibility to states to more appropriately measure the achievement of certain students with disabilities. These regulations allow states to develop modified academic achievement standards that are challenging for eligible students and measure a student's mastery of grade-level content, but are less difficult than grade-level achievement standards. The new regulations are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, fully participate in a state's accountability system and are assessed in an appropriate and accurate manner.

 

Demystifying Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: What Faith-Based and Community Organizations Need to Know About Using Federal Financial Assistance to Serve People with Disabilities


http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/faith.htm

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in collaboration with the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) and the Civil Rights Center (CRC) of the Department of Labor has developed a new brochure to help faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) better understand the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The publication is titled "Demystifying Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act."

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires recipients of Federal financial assistance, including FBCOs, to take certain positive actions to make their facilities and services accessible and available to persons with disabilities.

Section 188 Disability CheckList Training


U.S. Department of Labor Civil Rights Center
http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/Sec188.htm

The U.S. Department of Labor, Civil Rights Center (CRC) in cooperation with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Disability and Employment Policy (ODEP), has developed this "WIA Section 188 Disability Checklist" (http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/section188.htm). The Checklist is designed to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in programs and activities operated by recipients of financial assistance under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), including those that are part of the One-Stop delivery system. Section 188 of WIA (WIA Section 188) ensures nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for various categories of persons, including persons with disabilities, who apply for and participate in programs and activities operated by recipients of WIA Title I financial assistance.

This resource provides links to individual Power Point (PPT) presentations to be used to provide Section 188 Disability Checklist training. It begins with a PPT presentation that can be used as an introduction to the purpose of the checklist and its elements. Links to each element is included as separate PPTs.

 

Job Accommodation Network: Portal for Individuals with Disabilities
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/portals/individuals.htm

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, self-employment and small business opportunities and related subjects. JAN's efforts are in support of the employment, including self-employment and small business ownership, of people with disabilities. JAN represents the most comprehensive resource for job accommodations available.

This section of the JAN website includes links to the following resources for individuals with disabilities:

National Business Services Alliance


http://www.nbsalliance.com/

The Disability Employment Institute empowers individuals with disabilities to fulfill their potential and dramatically improve their lives. At the same time, the Institute's NBSA-certified employees with disabilities fill critical vacancies and expand diversity in the workplace. In addition to empowering people with disabilities, the Institute's service offerings benefit several key parties:

State of the States: Building Hope, Raising Expectations


State Coverage Initiatives
 http://statecoverage.net/pdf/StateofStates2007.pdf

This report details state efforts to reform health care and specifies a variety of factors motivating states to address this problem, including the continued rise in the number of uninsured and steep declines in employer-sponsored health insurance.

State Coverage Initiatives (SCI) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) administered by AcademyHealth. SCI works with states to plan, execute, and maintain health insurance expansions, as well as to approve the availability and affordability of health care coverage. SCI's website is: www.statecoverage.net.
 

NECTAC eNotes - Special Issue - April 9, 2007

Grant Opportunities - FY 2008 IES Research Requests for Applications Now Available


Source: Institute of Education Sciences - April 6, 2007

The FY 2008 Research Requests for Applications from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) are now available online. Both the National Center for Special Education Research and the National Center for Education Research are now accepting applications on topics such as Early Childhood Programs and Policies; Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education and Assessment Research; Reading, Writing, and Language Development Special Education Research; Serious Behavior Disorders Special Education Research; Individualized Education Programs and Individualized Family Service Plans Research; Autism Spectrum Disorders Research; Response to Intervention Research; and Related Services Special Education Research. Submission deadlines are July 26, 2007 and November 1, 2007.

 

To view the FY 2008 Special Education Research Request for Applications (84.324A and B) go to http://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2008324.pdf
To view the FY 2008 Education Research Request for Applications (84.305A and B) go to http://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2008305.pdf [see pgs. 33-36 for Early Childhood Programs and Practices]

 

In addition, the Institute of Education Sciences supports predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs that are funded through its National Center for Education Research and the National Center for Special Education Research. Complete information is available at http://ies.ed.gov/funding/

 

Information Bulletin - National Down Syndrome Society

Universal design for learning legislative language

Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework for designing educational environments where all students can gain knowledge, skills and enthusiasm for learning because they are given multiple means of acquiring knowledge, multiple means of demonstrating what they have learned and multiple ways to be engaged in learning. Curriculum, instructional materials, teaching methods and assessments are designed so students with the widest range of abilities can participate and learn grade-level content. UDL is an approach to education that promotes rigorous curriculum and high expectations for all students, including students with intellectual disabilities.

NDSS has been spearheading a coalition of 15 national general education and disability organizations to promote UDL. We held a Congressional briefing in February so that staff would be familiar with UDL and how it impacts IDEA and NCLB. Materials from the briefing are at www.udl4allstudents.com .

Recently 27 national organizations signed on to legislative language for UDL that was submitted to the Senate. See http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=130 for the full document. The same language will be submitted to the House later this week. The recommended language encourages the development of universally designed statewide assessments, as well as the purchase or development of universally designed instructional materials and the training of teachers on how to implement universal design in instruction and classroom assessments. The language also provides funding opportunities for projects related to UDL and requires the U.S. Department of Education to submit a comprehensive plan to Congress that addresses the implementation of UDL.

 

Until Next week

  

The Arc of the United States, 1010 Wayne Avenue, Ste. 650, Silver Spring, MD 20910, Phone: 3015653842, Fax: 3015653843, Email: mmwdc@info.thearc.org, Web: www.thearc.org

 

Disclaimer: MMWDC publishes information about issues and events that we believe to be important and likely to be of interest to advocates and others interested in inclusion of persons with disabilities in all parts of society.  However, MMWDC and The Arc of the United States do not necessarily endorse all events, sponsoring organizations and reports which appear.