The Key to Providing Expansive and Successful I&R Services

The key to providing expansive and successful I&R services

AIRS National Conference

Wednesday, May 26

10:45am – 12:15pm

Presentation Summary. Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, a statewide, bilingual community resource for people with disabilities, will discuss practices for providing I&R services when funding for services is limited. The focus will include strategies and outcomes for effective collaboration, networking, and volunteer efforts with other agencies in the disability, aging, government, and business fields.

Overview

Greetings all, my name is Carole Moore-Slater and I workat the VanderbiltKennedyCenter for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities located in Nashville, TN.Tennessee, the volunteer state, ranks 50th in state funding available for home based and community services for individuals with disabilities. Funding for aging services and education services are not quite last but close. Tennessee agencies in the disability field responds by finding grants, band-aids, and build needed agency services with private and/or public grants. That is good news. However, the outcome is a state system of fragmented services with restrictive eligibility guidelines based on their funding source. And the services don’t always match what you would expect from a specific agency as you categorize and organize available services. For example, United Cerebral Palsy of Middle TN has great services for individuals with cerebral palsy and/or use wheelchairs including an equipment exchange program, wheelchair sports, home access/wheelchair ramp building project but there are other grant driven programs that you would associate with this specialty agency including:

• All Together Kids – a summer child care reimbursement program for any child with a disability – inclusion camps only – Davidson county only
• Educational travel fund that allows parents to attend conferences – statewide

A state of fragmented services requires an information and referral service interested in challenges.

In 1997, the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities partnered with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center to fund a statewide bilingual information resource center, The mission of Tennessee Disability Pathfinder is to provide a centralized statewide information center to help individuals with disabilities and their families find local community services needed, to better understand how government systems work to access waivers, state health insurance, to access school services outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), find support services that provide financial assistance, low-income housing, employment services. Basically, services and information needed to help families stay together, secureeducational and therapeutic services that will maximize a child’s potential, and to find adult services that secure vocational training, jobs, and foster independence so that persons with disabilities can function effectively in the community. Tennessee Disability Pathfinder includes a statewide bilingual (Spanish Kurdish), HELPline, and website of disability state and national resources including a statewide database of agency services, Camino Seguro database of bilingual providers, interactive statewide calendar of disability events, Library of disability resources, and Access Nashville, an accessibility service learning training project.

We have learned a lot about Tennessee in 13 years! We have learned there are no magical answers to finding some community services needed although we are good at problem solving, we have learned that keeping track of new programs and programs no longer funded is a little like stacking jello (it’s a little messy), we have learned there will always be silo’s in Tennessee or programs that prefer to work in isolation rather than work collaboratively, we have learned we cannot squeeze blood from a turnip – if there is no funding available for a service there is no service available, we know in a scattered state like Tennessee there will always be some duplication of services, and we know that in a conservative state there will be more budget cuts for services to underserved populations. BUT we have also learned that Networking (the building up or maintaining of informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship could bring advantages such as job or business opportunities) with agency staff in the community is useful and absolutely necessary. In my opinion, good Networking skills make Collaboration (the act of working together with one or more people in order to achieve something) possible. Every member of Pathfinder’s staff is required to attend community meetings, participate on planning committee’s, become board members of disability-related agencies, attend health fairs and selected conferences. In addition, Pathfinder sponsors quarterly a half-day Community Training Series at the KennedyCenter that is open to the public. Each workshop has a theme of interest to the disability community, our last one was about Summer Camps and Recreation Programs, and we invited 5 agency representatives to give a presentation.

This is valuable information for community social workers, teachers, and parents who attend this free training series and it is a networking activity – an opportunity for Pathfinder staff to learn more about agency services and establish an informal relationship with key people at those agencies. We have 4 workshops a year with 5 agency representatives attending, so Pathfinder staff visits “20 agencies”a year without putting mileage on their car and taking hours off to visit programs individually. If you have a relationship with someone at a community agency you understand more about services provided (strengthens the database), you learn about other services available through additional grants and funding (strengthens info provided on the HELPline), you realize there are ways to work together and you begin to collaborate on these common interest activities! [PICTURE OF STAFF w STUDENTS) It is important that you have a VERY serious and committed staff!

This workshop today, The Key to Providing Expansive and Successful I&R Services, will include the following objectives:(SLIDE)

1.)Understand the role of collaboration between agencies that is needed to provide useful information about accessing available services in the community.

2.)Identify key features needed to establish a low cost accessibility-friendly project by partnering with volunteers in the disability, business, aging, state government, and advocacy fields.

3.)Understand the role collaboration plays in creating a free statewide database of bilingual providers that is managed by 14 agency partners, including 2-1-1, across Tennessee.

SLIDE

1.)Understand the role of collaboration between agencies that is needed to provide useful information about accessing available services in the community.

To establish an effective collaboration with agencies in the community is about planning a strategy that creates a WIN-WIN proposition for all agencies involved. All agencies must benefit.

Although I will focus on two successful collaborative projects, Access Nashville and Camino Seguro today, it is important to note that once an informal network is established with key individuals in the community, there are many ways to collaborate on an informal basis as well. For example, many of you are aware that several weeks ago Middle and West Tennessee were under water with the worst flooding recorded in history. Pathfinder, with the VanderbiltKennedyCenter, had established a good network of disaster relief programs (state and federal) following Hurricane Katrina several years ago. This network along with others established with 2-1-1 and disability related agencies worked together to share information about shelters, food, volunteers available to do clean-up, and where to get wheelchairs lost in the flood. Because of our informal relationships with community staff we knew who to call, understood 2-1-1 procedures for individuals to obtain specific assistance and which disability agencies provided specific services to individuals and families including counseling options for individuals with disabilities with anxiety conditions following this ordeal.

Are there other examples in your agencies??

SLIDE

2.)Identify key features needed to establish a low cost accessibility-friendly project by partnering with volunteers in the disability, business, aging, state government, and advocacy fields.

In 2004, Pathfinder received a call on Pathfinder’s HELPline from a mother who would be spending several days in Nashvilleas an outpatient at VanderbiltUniversityMedicalCenter. Both the mother and her son used wheelchairs and requested information about accessible restaurants and entertainment attractions to

visit during their stay. I have spent many years networking with staff at various centers and felt sure this information was available. The information was available in an informal off the cuff way – Amerigo’s Restaurant on West End is very accessible…etc. No agency had any written information about accessible places in Nashville. As a result, a group of volunteers / friends got together from the disability, aging, legal and business fields to discuss this issue and Access Nashville was created.

The Access Nashville story is an interesting one. It started as an idea with no funding and a mission to create a website of accessible restaurants so that all people could enjoy dining out in Nashville. We decided to start with a logo instead of a plan and a new Access Nashville Coalition member with the TN Arts Commission received funding $500 to pay an artist with a disability to design a logo. SLIDE of Access Nashville logo. The artist is Erin Worsham and her works have been exhibited internationally. Ms. Worsham has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease and uses the Microsoft Paint program to create her art with the aid of a “liberator”communication device to interact with the paint program.The liberator has a grid interface that allows her to control themovement of the [screen pointer] with her eyebrows. Operating the liberator communication device via eyebrow movements is a long and tedious process. One illustration will usually take around 50 to 100 hours to complete. We are proud of this logo!

Access Nashville’s philosophy has four critical characteristics: win-win and non-confrontational; cross-organizational and partnership-based; use of students as volunteers and providing restaurant managers with information about accessibility.

1. Win-Win Philosophy, Non-Confrontational

Access Nashville does not assess compliance of restaurants with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In fact, the Center for Independent Living of Middle TN Inc, an Access Nashville Coalition member, offers free Braille menus, technical assistance, and staff training to any restaurant. In addition, another Access Nashville Coalition member, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, offers free disability sensitivity training. Access Nashville benefits everyone: businesses, individuals with disabilities, and volunteers. Accessibility is good business. By providing accessibility-friendly information, all persons can make comfortable decisions about where to dine. In turn, restaurants can attract this large consumer base by promoting their “accessibility-friendly” features.

2. Cross-Organizational and Public-Private Partnerships

Related to the win-win philosophy, Access Nashville values partnerships with other agencies and businesses in the community. Access Nashville is a program of VanderbiltKennedyCenter that is guided by a Coalition of volunteers with disabilities and representatives from the business, aging, and disability fields. Key partners make a difference when planning a project of this kind and their contributions will be discussed: The Advisory Coalition includes representatives from:

• Nashville Visitors and Convention Bureau – (Access Nashville’s website is linked to the “Accessible Page” on the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau website. It is designed in similar ways to the NCVB site, for example, geographic locations for restaurants is the same. We are currently working to secure an accessible link on their homepage. NCVB provides free disability awareness training to taxicab drivers, airport personnel, and restaurants on request. The NCVB will pay for dissemination of new postcards that will be placed on racks in hotels when Access Nashville becomes a one stop for accessibility in Nashville.
• DisabilityLaw & AdvocacyCenter of Tennessee – the attorney from this organization specializes in accessibility and provides guidance on legal matters regarding website
• Center for Independent Living of Middle Tennessee–this organization provides free Braille menu’s and free technical assistance to restaurants interested in becoming more accessible. In addition, since Access Nashville does not have a budget, the CIL provides free tool kits for training and their ADA specialist has provided guidance on our restaurant survey.
• United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee – helps with marketing and support
• Area Agency on Aging and Disability, GNRC – provides guidance from the perspective of the aging community
• Tennessee Arts Commission – wrote a $500 grant for our logo
• Metro Nashville Government ADA Compliance Division – veryinstrumental in developing important accessible survey questions for our survey and guidance standardizing the results.
• Tennessee Disability Coalition– The ADA coordinator for TN works at this agency and provides national resource information on hospitality
• Tennessee Disability Pathfinder – lead agency and program of VanderbiltKennedyCenter

Although not relevant to this discussion, this Coalition has been in place for over 5 years without the first by-law or guideline established. I believe each agency involved feels ownership to this program as expressed in a recent email from a coalition member. “I almost feel selfish in saying this, but I am so proud to have been a contributor in the creation of Access Nashville. What a great group of people with such a wonderful mission. It means a lot to me!”

3. Student Volunteers

College students participate in this accessibility project as part of a required classroom activity. The Access Nashville training is a 1 hour program that includes information about disability awareness, people-first language, and accessibility training for surveying restaurants. Each student receives an Access Nashville toolkit that includes a tape measure, clip board, training materials, and restaurant survey. The students are required to complete an accessibility friendly survey as a classroom assignment.

In a follow-up class, one week later, students return their Access Nashville toolkits (with completed survey) and participate in a class discussion about their experiences. The students then complete an evaluation of the training that helps Access Nashville staff assess the presentation’s effectiveness for future training purposes. Although the classroom training started at VanderbiltUniversity, this training has been provided in a variety of classes at 5 other colleges including education, special education, nursing, social work, recreation therapy, architecture, psychology, occupational therapy and others.

This training program has been popular in the classroom (100% satisfaction rating) and promotes systems change through the disability awareness education of student volunteers, the future policymakers, and citizens of our community. Access Nashville offers this training to college classrooms in other cities to aid in the social action movement to increase disability awareness and access for all.

Access Nashville Summary

• Over 375 restaurants and 25 entertainment attractions have been surveyed. Of the restaurants surveyed:
• 24% have Wow Access
• 20% have Good Access
• 52% have Limited Access
• 4% Declined survey
• Since January 2007, over 600 students have received accessibility training in 6 colleges in Nashville (with 100% satisfactory rating). Some of the comments included:

“I learned about accessibility more in depth than what I would normally learn in school”

“Definitely made me more aware of accessibility issues for people with disabilities

“Expanding on my final ‘yes’ answer, ABSOLUTELY. I am so much more aware of it everywhere I go.

“I enjoyed this experience. I will definitely look at all public areas in a different way. Thank you for this experience”.

“It is more than being [accessibility-friendly] . . . it’s about fairness and equality”.

“I really feel as though I have a much better awareness of the accessibility for people with disabilities. Last Sunday I had brunch at a restaurant that was one of the ones used in the slide show. After eating lunch I made a comment to one of the servers that they really needed to take a look at the accessibility issues of their establishment. They called a manager over and he politely explained to me their situation and having been grandfathered in. I expressed my understanding to their situation. However, I also explained that I felt as though it was just good business to be accessible to all patrons, not just the ones that are not disabled. He seemed very genuine in his appreciation to my concerns and said that he would look into it. I left with a handshake and a sense of desire to keep an eye on them and make my presence known when I return there after church in the future.”

4. Restaurant managers

Access Nashville also works to disseminate information to restaurant managers about tax credits and to provide free disability awareness training, technical assistance and consultation, and Braille menus on request. After the surveys are reviewed, Access Nashville sends a letter to each restaurant manager thanking them for their cooperation with this student project and including information about Tax Information for Small Businesses and free training available. In addition, each restaurant receives an accessibility rating of Wow Access, Good Access, or Limited Access that is posted on Access Nashville and Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau websites and a certificate is offered on request to those agencies with a good or wow access. Slide of certificate.

SLIDE SHOW OF ACCESS NASHVILLE

I thought you might be interested in an abbreviated training and have modified the accessibility training power point presentation. Here is the t-shirt, an Access Nashville toolkit, and practice survey. Show slides.

Following the slide show, are there any questions about the training?

Access Nashville is a low-cost, effective project that can be replicated in other cities through partnerships with community groups and local institutions of higher education. A student training replication manual has been developed and is available at no cost. This training has been replicated inBuffaloNY and Sewanee, TN.

Key Features Needed to Organizing a low-cost accessibility project through collaboration

1)Identify an organization willing to sponsor this accessibility project. For Access Nashville, the VanderbiltKennedyCenter has been a perfect match because it is a UniversityCenter for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities located at VanderbiltUniversity.