2013 Statewide Independent Living Conference
Meeting the Challenge
September, 17-19, 2013
The Future of IL, Employment, Youth with Disabilities, and Health Care Reform
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel
181 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, MA01752
Due to some individuals’ medical conditions, we are requesting that attendees refrain from wearing scented products during the conference.
Conference Agenda – Tuesday, September 17th – Day 1
1:00 Conference Registration
2:00Opening Remarks
2:15 – 3:30Workshop Session 1
#1ADA Updates: From Meeting Our Basic Needs to Community Inclusion
Stacy Hart – New England ADA Center
#2 Transportation and Mobility Solutions for Independent Living
EOHHS, Easter Seals – Project ACTION, WRTA
#3Thinking like an Employer – Leigh Botelho, MRC
#4Android: Apps, Answers & AT – Steve Kessler, Easter Seals Massachusetts
# 5Interview Workshop – Gregg Ames, MRC
3:30 Break
3:45-5:00pmWorkshop Session 2
#6Training Opportunities and Job Improvements for PCAs – Becca Gutman and Linnea Rego – 1199SEIU
#7Do you want to earn more than your benefits give you? John Morris, STAVROS
#8Successful Housing Search Strategies Maggie Dionne, MRC
#9Building ADAPT chapters: Direct Action for Disability Rights – Allegra Stout, BCIL
5:15pm Break
5:45pm Dinner
6:30Meet John Polanowicz, Secretary of EOHHS
Conference Agenda – Wednesday, September 18th – Day 2
8:00Continental Breakfast, Main Ballroom
9:30-10:45Workshop Session 3
#10PCA Workforce Council Initiatives for 2014 – EOHHS, PCA Workforce Council
#11Affordable, Accessible, Independent Housing! Opportunities to expand Accessible Housing options and programs through Policy and Advocacy – Adrienne Langlois, Bill Henning
#12Building Access to Work: MassDOT’s ADA Transition Plan; a Description and Status Update – John Lozada and David Anderson, MassDOT
#13Don’t dis them, they have Ability; empowering youth with disabilities to be the leader of their adult lives – Colleen Flanagan, Easter Seals Massachusetts
10:45Break in Foyer – Hallway
11:00Large Group Discussion, Ballroom
Employment Options for the Future
Panel of:Charlie Carr – MRC Commissioner, John Oliveira – MCB Assistant Commissioner, Chris Griffin – Executive Director of Disability Law Center, Jennifer James – Labor and Workforce Development
12:15-1:45Luncheon
1:30pmLarge Group presentation Main Ballroom – “National Changes to Healthcare” - Merrill Freedman& Bill Henning
3:00pmBreak, Foyer Hallway
Conference Agenda – Wednesday, September 18th – Day 2 (continued)
3:30 – 4:45pm Workshop Session 4
#14The Money Follows the Person Demonstration Project – Nina Rosenberg, MRC
#15Introduction to One Care: MassHealth plus Medicare – Robin Callahan, EOHHS
#16Accessible Voting – Christine Griffin, DLC
#17Social Security Benefits Planning and the Student in Transition: Beyond Expectations - Brian Forsythe, UMass Medical School, BenePlan
4:45 Break
5:30pmDinner Main Ballroom
7:00pmIL Follies and Band, Main Ballroom
Conference Agenda – Thursday, September 19th – Day 3
8:00Continental Breakfast Main Ballroom
9:30IL Town Hall Meetingwith Christine Griffin & Bill Henning
Set advocacy agenda for the coming year
11:30amClosing / Wrap-up: Where do we go from here / Conference Evals
12:00Luncheon for SILC members, exhibitor breakdown
1:30-3:30SILC Quarterly Meeting – Salon D&E
* Agenda, events and/or times are subject to change
Directory of Workshops
Workshop Session 1Tuesday, September, 17th2:15 – 3:30
Workshop # 1
ADA Updates: From Meeting Our Basic Needs to Community Inclusion
Stacy Hart – New England ADA Center
Description
While meeting our basic needs is crucial, the revised ADA regulations go beyond survival mode to community inclusion. Do you ever catch a game at Fenway? Send your children to camp? Have service animals? Use local playgrounds? Golf courses? We will address these and other issues. Plus, we will review federal guidance that clarifies legal obligations of schools to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in after-school athletics. We will discuss DOJ’s enforcement priorities (web access, sign language interpreters, community access) and proposed regulations.
Workshop #2
Transportation and Mobility Solutions for Independent Living
Rachel Fichtenbaum, Judy Shanley – EOHHS, Easter Seals Project ACTION, WRTA
Description
The presentation will provide an overview of opportunities for advocacy and increasing affordable, accessible housing in Massachusetts.
Workshop #3
Thinking like an Employer
Leigh Botelho - MRC
Description
This workshop is designed to reveal behind the scenes work of MRC job placement specialists and employment service specialists, challenging participants to begin to “think like an employer.” Identify why the “Call Us First” Program will lead to long term and sustainable employer partnerships and competitive employment opportunities. The workshop will also provide practical techniques and concepts relative to assistive technology within the workplace. The Assistive Technology lecture/discussion will incorporate options and solutions on how this technology will engage employers allowing for a smooth pathway for employment for individuals with disabilities. Other concepts will include interactive discussion points for empowering consumers to “think like an employer”. This discussion will demonstrate the ability to better secure employment for our candidates, by helping them to achieve a focused mindset during the job interview process. A PowerPoint presentation will be provided along with demonstration of our MRC Assistive Technology Tool Kit. If possible, practical applications of assistive technology will be provided and demonstrated within the competitive work environment.
Workshop #4
Android: Apps, Answers and AT
Steve Kessler - Easter Seals, MA
Description
Learn how Android Devices are both different from and similar to iDevices. Learn the basic steps for proper care and use of your new Android device. Share tips, tricks and the latest apps on how to make your Android accessible!
Workshop #5
Interview Workshop
Gregg Ames - MRC
Description
How to prepare for an interview from the employee and employer perspective. How to disclose a disability in the workplace.
Workshop Session 2Tuesday, September, 17th 3:45 – 5:00
Workshop # 6
Training Opportunities and Job Improvements for PCAs
Rebecca Gutman, Linnea Rego – 1199SEIU and the Homecare Training Benefit
Description
The workshop will include an update on training opportunities available to PCAs and the priorities of the PCA union working forward. It will also include a lot of discussion and brainstorming on how consumer employers can work with PCAs to improve PCA jobs and protect the program.
Workshop #7
Do you want to earn more than your benefits give you?
John Morris - STAVROS
Description
Individuals with disability are afraid to go back to work as they are convinced that they will lose their benefits. This is not always the case and even if it is there are safeguards for your benefits and healthcare coverage. You will almost always come out in a better financial situation, thus improving your standard of living.
Workshop #8
Successful Housing Search Strategies
Maggie Dionne - MRC
Description
The housing search process can be very complicated and time consuming, especially for people moving out of institutions. It is important for advocates and service providers to have a thorough understanding of the different housing programs and their requirements. A review of the different state, federal, and private housing programs will be provided along with the common verification requirements. Resources on where to look for affordable and accessible units will also be provided.
Workshop #9
Building ADAPT chapters: Direct Action for Disability Rights
Allegra Stout, Olivia Richard, Bill Henning (tentative) - BCIL
Description
This presentation will provide an overview of ADAPT, the national grassroots direct action disability rights group, and discuss the potential role of ADAPT chapters in the Massachusetts independent living movement. Using the BCIL ADAPT chapter as an example, participants will discuss the role of direct action in ILCs’ work.
Workshop Session 3Wednesday, September, 18th9:30 – 10:45
2:00pm – 3:15pm
Workshop # 10
PCA Workforce Council Initiatives for 2014
Rosalie Edes, Ann Ackil, Jack Boesen – EOHHS and PCA Workforce
Description
The workshop will outline three Council initiatives: 1. An orientation program for newly hired PCAs, 2. A paid time off benefit for PCAs and 3. Negotiations on a health care benefit for PCAs. The workshop will provide opportunities for questions, comments and input from the audience.
Workshop #11
Affordable, Accessible, Independent Housing! Opportunities to expand Accessible Housing options and programs through Policy and Advocacy
Adrienne Langlois, Bill Henning - BCIL
Description
The presentation will provide an overview of opportunities for advocacy and increasing affordable, accessible housing in Massachusetts.
Workshop #12
Building Access to Work: MassDOT’s ADA Transition Plan; a Description and Status Update
John Lozada, David Anderson – MassDOT
Description
The path to employment is one too often impeded by barriers that range from curb cuts, to signals, policies and procedures that MassDOT is seeking to address. This is a process that will be long, challenging, but which promises to open up opportunities for access that are essential to those who would seek to work. There are laws, tools and resources in the transportation world that leaders in the ILC community can use to bring ideas and concerns into the transportation planning, design and construction processes that will support MassDOT’s ADA Transition work, and in the end, will assist people with disabilities to more fully explore and engage in their society.
Workshop #13
Don’t dis them, they have Ability; empowering youth with disabilities to be the leader of their adult lives
Colleen Flanagan - Easter Seals Massachusetts
Description
Easter Seals Youth Leadership Network empowers youth and young adults, ages 14-26, with various disabilities to become leaders in their adult lives. Activities include opportunities for youth with disabilities to build self-advocacy and leadership skills, develop relationships with peers and mentors with similar disabilities, and provide support to young people with disabilities as they expand their participation in their communities as leaders.
Past projects of the youth leadership network include; working with the Massachusetts state legislature to establish October as disability history month in public schools; arranging a meeting with MA district attorney’s office to share idea’s to decrease bullying by promoting disability awareness in schools, as well as create various videos about disability rights. This past year the youth in the network initiated the “Don’t dis Ability” campaign, which is an effort to decrease bullying toward youth with disabilities by promoting disability awareness and pride.
In this workshop, participants will learn how young consumers of ILC’s can participate in Easter Seals Youth Leadership Network. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn, and discuss, facilitation techniques to best engage youth with disabilities in activities that promote self determination and participation in the disability rights movement.
Workshop Session 4Wednesday, September, 18th3:30pm – 4:45pm
Workshop #14
The Money Follows the Person Demonstration Project
Nina Rosenberg, Kerri Zanchi, Don Chamberlain - MRC
Description
Money Follows the Person Demonstration Grant (MFP) is a federal Medicaid demonstration program designed to assist elders and people with disabilities to transition from institutional settings into the community with additional supports. The presentation will cover: What is MFP, Grant Goals, MFP in MA, Who qualifies, How is Transition Coordination provided, What new Transition Assitance services are available, What are the two new MFP Home and Community Based waivers, What services will be provided and how
Workshop #15
Introduction to One Care: MassHealth plus Medicare
Robin Callahan, Deputy Medicaid Director for Policy and Programs - EOHHS
Description
Introduction to One Care: MassHealth plus Medicare will describe the essential and unique aspects of One Care, Massachusetts’ state demonstration to integrate care for dual eligible individuals (as part of state and national health care reform and the Affordable Care Act). Attendees will learn the characteristics of the population eligible for One Care, and will be able to explain how care will be delivered; including what services will be available. The presentation will provide specific eligibility criteria and enrollment processes details, and summarize enrollee rights and protections.
Workshop #16
Accessible Voting
Christine Griffin - DLC
Description
Workshop #17
Social Security Benefits Planning and the Student in Transition: Beyond Expectations
Brian Forsythe - Umass Medical School, BenePLAN
Description
This presentation will examine the importance of making benefits part of your transition plan. We will discuss the eligibility criteria for Social Security Benefits and discuss the two types of benefits available from Social Security for individuals with disabilites and how you can use the work incentives built into each program to get back into the workplace. We will also examine health insurance options associated with these benefits and how work will affect them as well.
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