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We support the efforts of other housing and employment innovators across the U.S. In this space we will provide links to profiles on our website of communities we think represent the types of new models needed to meet the growing demand for adults with Autism.
This month, please check out:
(The Woodlands, TX) |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the inaugural newsletter from LTO Ventures. Our goal is to publish at least once per month, but not more than once per week. Most of the content will link to our website, with other links as noted.
To the left you will see icons for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We invite you to "like" us, "follow" us, or just visit us on those social media channels.
We are actively raising funds to build our company and advance our mission stated at the top of this newsletter. The PayPal Donate button will take you to the Donate page on our website where you can make a contribution via credit card. Every $20, $50, $100 or more is very important. Thank you.
At the bottom of the email is a link to enable you to forward this email to a friend if you think of others who might be interested in and benefit from our content. If there is anything you would like to share with me directly, my contact info is also at the bottom, and is available on our website - www.ltoventures.org. |
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Choice v. Olmstead
In early December, we published a report that examined the public comments submitted in response to efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to redefine under the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver what constitutes "community living" and "home and community-based" settings.
What the report uncovered was that a highly-emotional debate over freedom of choice versus perceived obligations under a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling is dividing the disability community.
It is the position of LTO Ventures that the objective of the CMS rule-making process and this debate ideally should be to produce an outcome that expands inventory and choices and removes barriers to innovation and investment in residential settings desired by adults with autism and intellectual, developmental and other disabilities. At the very least CMS must "do no new harm" and choose not to include proposed new paragraphs to the Medicaid HCBS Waiver regulation.
Read the full report here.
Read our press release here.
Read "The Unintended Consequences of Olmstead v. L.C." here.
Coverage on the VOR website here.
Coverage on the Agricultural Communities for Adults with Autism website here. |
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Autism's "Fly-Over" Population
The following was published Jan. 4th as a guest post on the Autism Speaks blog and can be read in its entirety, including comments from reader, here.
"I read with mixed emotions the Dec. 26th New York Times article 'Navigating Love and Autism' about Jack and Kirsten, a young couple with Asperger's Syndrome discovering how to have a relationship with each other. The romantic in me found their story inspiring and hopeful. But as the only parent of a teenage daughter with autism, another part of me felt frustration about the lack of attention to and help for autism's 'fly-over' population -- the huge group of teens and adults who are often nonverbal, may never expect to live independently, yet deserve the chance to choose the kind of life they want to live.
'Fly-over' is a term I heard often growing up in the Midwest and attending University of Kansas. It refers to the majority of the US between the East and West Coasts that airline passengers look down on when they fly over. It also refers to a mindset in the media that the most valuable audiences are located in New York and Los Angeles, and to which their programming overtly caters."
Continue reading the entire post here. |
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How You Can Help
We are an early-stage company with an innovative model in a rapidly-growing market. We are always looking for people, money and ideas in the areas below. Call or email me if you think you can and want to help, or you have someone you want to refer/recommend.
- Funding - We are presently raising a $50,000 "Groundwork" round.
- Board Members - We are looking for candidates located anywhere in the US who buy into and are excited about the chance to make our community model a reality.
- Advisory Board Members - We are looking for professionals in finance, tax credits, legal, planned community development, and fundraising to be part of a structured advisory board.
- Subject Matter Experts - We always want to hear from people who have extensive knowledge and experience in all areas related to residential development, and employment of adults with autism.
- Adults with Autism and/or their Families.
Sincerely,
Mark L. Olson, President & CEO
LTO Ventures |
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