A Summary of Highlights

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2006 FISCAL YEAR July 2005 - June 2006 A Summary of Highlights Annual Legislative Report ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF MINNESOTANS WITH DISABILITIES Your Technical Assistance and Training Resource Mission Vision & Values MISSION: The Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD) is an agency that advises, provides technical assistance, collaborates and advocates to expand opportunities, improve the quality of life and empower all persons with disabilities. VISION: MSCOD envisions communities without architectural barriers, citizens without attitudinal barriers and alliances with local, state and private agencies, that promote choices for people with disabilities in Minnesota. VALUES: We operate with a speciﬁc set of values: •Inherent Respect for All. We assume all individuals are entitled to live productive, independent, healthy lives within their community. •Integrity. We examine issues affecting the disability community in Minnesota and disseminate fair and objective information in a timely manner. •Independence. We promote independence and choice for all people with disabilities. Council Board Members MSCOD is proud to have the following board members share their knowledge and experience in guiding the Council in its initiatives. The Governor can appoint up to 21 council members. Currently the Council has 15 appointed members. Applications to become a Council member are available at the Council office. David Schwartzkopf, Chair Rochester - Region 10 Russell Philstrom, Vice-Chair Emily - Region 5 Susan Abderholden Minneapolis - Region 11 Edward Butterfass Watkins - Region 6 Sylvia Carty St. Paul - Region 11 Nancy Eustis Minneapolis - Region 11 Mark Hughes Shoreview - Region 11 Joanne Olson Duluth - Region 3 Kathleen Peterson Warren - Region 1 Kenneth Rodgers Minneapolis - Region 11 David Sams Redwood Falls -Region 8 Barbara Stensland Bemidji - Region 2 John Tschida St. Paul - Region 11 Joani Werner St. Paul - Region 11 Kathy Wingen St. Cloud - Region 7 Our Customers In 2006, the MSCOD served the following customers: • People with disabilities and their families • Governor Tim Pawlenty • The Minnesota State Legislature • State, county and local governments • Private agencies • Employers • General public Our services included: • Reviewing disability issues and advising State government • Promoting coordinated, collaborative interagency efforts • Providing information and referrals • Collecting, conducting and making disability related research and statistics available to all customers • Advocating for policies and programs that promote quality of life for all people living with a disability. At a Glance • The average individual earnings for a person with a disability are $14,600 or less than half what a person without a disability averages. • 17% of Minnesotans with disabilities are at or below the federal poverty level compared to 7% of Minnesotans without disability. • There are approximately 309,693 people with disabilities between the ages of 16 and 64 in Minnesota. • 50% of Minnesotans with disabilities are employed compared to 80% of Minnesotans with no disability. A Year to Celebrate!! The Americans with Disabilities Act passed ﬁfteen years ago. On July 26, 2006, a coalition of 12 local organizations celebrated this milestone with a free public event at the Earle Brown Heritage Center. Festivities included breakout sessions and keynotes for 700 attendees. Minnesota State Fair attendees learned about MSCOD’s service offering through thousands of brochures, posters and emergency preparedness whistles that were given away at the annual booth in August. Over 2000 people visited the MSCOD State Fair booth, which was a collaboration of many other state disability agencies and organizations. The Annual Awards Luncheon in October celebrated Disability Employment/Awareness Month with 150 guests from around the state. Several individuals and organizations were recognized for their commitment to eliminating societal and personal barriers that exist for Minnesotans living with disability. Among them was Cliff Poetz, co-founder of People First-Minnesota, who received the ﬁrst-ever Governor’s Award, and a special award for Outstanding Achievement was given to Joel Ulland and John Tschida, co-chairs of the Minnesota Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities. 2006 Accomplishments Legislation MSCOD worked with legislators and consortium partners to pass disability-related legislation. Key highlights: • Limited expansion of managed care for people with disabilities on Medical Assistance allowing for the state to contract with health plans who offer Medicare coverage through what is called Special Needs Plans, or SNPs; • Election law making it easier for deaf people to request interpreters at precinct caucus; • Successfully advised against amending election laws that would exempt any township from providing accessible voting equipment in oddnumbered years; • Supported legislation providing 23.7% rate increase in Medical Assistance, Minnesota Care and General Assistance Medical Care reimbursements; • Supported Bonding bill including $17.5 million for permanent supportive housing and $2 million for temporary transitional housing for long-term homeless; • Mental Health Pilot Program funded in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties; • Law deﬁning the boundaries of the current Metro Mobility service area. Training MSCOD presented more than 30 training programs on several key disability topics to more than 3,000 individuals including state, county and city government, non proﬁts, architects, emergency management planners, building code ofﬁcials and people with disabilities. Publications Legislative Summary, The Building Access Survey, and Responding to Disability: “A Question of Attitude” are just a few of the publications provided by MSCOD. Online versions are available and user-friendly to all individuals. Technical Assistance and Advisory Boards/Commissions More than 10,100 contacts were made on a variety of issues. Referrals to the Disability Linkage Line, state and federal agencies, and many non-proﬁt organizations were facilitated as appropriate. MSCOD also sits on 38 different committees. Common issues handled included: • Building codes, accessible housing and home modiﬁcations • Transportation, parking and disability license plates • ADA rights and employment • Social Security • Information, laws and regulations • Vocational rehabilitation • Health insurance 2006 Accomplishments Projects and Grants The Minnesota State Council on Disability works with other state agencies to ensure employment and proper healthcare. They include: Pathways to Employment (PTE) Pathways to Employment is Minnesota’s Competitive Employment Systems—Medicaid Infrastructure initiative, funded through a grant to the Minnesota Department of Human Services from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. The initiative is a collaborative effort of three state agencies: Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Minnesota State Council on Disability. Minnesota Disability Health Project is a collaborative effort, funded through The Minnesota Department of Health’s Injury and Violence Prevention Unit, to promote the health of people with disabilities and to prevent secondary health conditions. In April 2005 the project received a planning grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Options Too Created by the Minnesota State Legislature during the 2005 session, the Options Too relocation work group is an interagency project spearheaded by the Minnesota State Council on Disability, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. The legislature has charged the Options Too work group with providing recommendations on how to coordinate the availability of housing, transportation, and support services needed to empower current nursing home residents to live more independent lives in the community when at all possible. The work group, which consists of a diverse array of stakeholders, has been meeting this past year to produce the plan, as requested by the legislative mandate. The plan was completed in fall of 2006. MSCOD Partners in Government Action The Annual Legislative Forum in February MSCOD had seven cities host video conferences with more than 40 disability organizations participating. Representative Connie Ruth spoke at the event. MSCOD Day at the Capitol in April gave MSCOD Board members a chance to discuss disability issues with the community, meet legislators and support speciﬁc disability issues. Town Hall Meetings, offered statewide quarterly via video conference, focused on key topics of interest. Former US Senator David Durenberger discussed healthcare at the June forum. Community Outreach, Communication and Conferences Surveys and Research More then 20 accessibility surveys were conducted with businesses, state agencies and others, in addition to MSCOD’s annual customer satisfaction surveys. This information assisted the Council in setting future strategic direction. Plans are available for review upon request. Media Exposure Several community-based media outlets included quotes and topics regarding accessibility. In particular, MSCOD was featured in a St. Paul Pioneer Press story about accessibility in the local skyway system, and Fox News carried a story regarding disability parking. Conferences – Spotlight Shines on Emergency Preparedness Representatives from MSCOD participated in numerous conferences and forums within Minnesota and across the nation. Highlights include attending the Governor’s Conference on Emergency Preparedness in March followed by the National Emergency Management Conference in Washington, DC, in June. Members participated in discussions and problem solving sessions on emergency evacuation and communication issues for people with disabilities during times of national or regional crises. Throughout the year, MSCOD members also served in an advisory capacity on a number of boards and commissions to promote independence, participation and opportunities for individuals with disability. Topics included housing, transportation, higher education, healthcare, employment and building accessibility. �� Total State 2005 2006 Appropriations Total Expenditures � �� Grants & Interagency Partnership Revenues Results of an annual customer satisfaction survey indicate a signiﬁcant increase in utilization of MSCOD’s communications resources and tools. 2005 YES NO 26% 2006 YES NO 53% 2005 YES NO 26% 2006 YES NO 59% Have you ever used the MSCOD Web site as a resource? Have you used any MSCOD publications? Your Technical Assistance & Training Resource 121 East 7th Place, Suite 107 Saint Paul, MN 55101 651.296.6785 v/tty 1.800.945.8913 v/tty Minnesota Relay Service: 711 Fax: 651.296.5935 Email: council.disability@state.mn.us Website: www.disability.state.mn.us