Disability Network of Mid-Michigan elected its Board of Directors at their annual meeting, Tuesday, June 7, 2011.  Each board member was elected to a two-year term.

Serving as executive officers will be President Jerry Pritchett (The Dow Chemical Company), Vice President Teresa Oliver (Consumer Advisory Committee), Treasurer Bill Bateman (Northwood University) and Secretary Harry Leaver (Saginaw Valley State University). Other board members elected were Frank Champagne (Access to Recreation), Peter Jensen (Lansing Public Schools), June Price (Community Volunteer), Greg Purtell (Bay Regional Medical Center) and Tim Troy (Dow Corning Corporation).

"I am honored and excited to continue to be a part of the growth of Disability Network of Mid-Michigan," said board president Jerry Pritchett. "We are committed to facilitating that growth, to strengthening our network in order to provide increased services to those that need them."

"As a non-profit agency servicing twelve counties, we are fortunate to have a diverse and active Board of Directors dedicated to advancing our mission of promoting and encouraging independence for all people with disabilities," said Sara Grivetti, Executive Director of the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan.

Independent Facilitator Training

 

Disability Network Mid-Michigan will hold Independent Facilitator training sessions on August 13th and August 20th, from 9:00am - 4:30pm at the Brentwood, 178 Park Drive, Caro, MI 48723.  

Training sessions are open to everyone. However, individuals must attend both session dates to become facilitators.  The sessions are free and lunch will be provided.

These training sessions prepare interested community members to serve as neutral third parties who guide person-centered planning (PCP) meetings for people with disabilities.  PCP meetings give people with disabilities more independence by involving them in their life's decision-making processes.

Independent Facilitators help people develop life plans by asking questions, helping explore options, encouraging the group and encouraging new ideas. An Independent Facilitator makes sure the person with a disability remains the focus of the meeting and remains involved in their life decisions.

Once training is complete, individuals who successfully meet the training requirements are placed on a registry of trained Independent Facilitators and have the opportunity to facilitate meetings in Arenac, Bay, Huron, Saginaw, Midland and Tuscola counties.  The person with a disability chooses Independent Facilitators, based on the right fit for him or her.  Facilitators receive $75-$125, per session facilitated, depending on the county in which they facilitate.  

To sign up for the sessions, or for more information, contact Kelly PeLong, Independent Living Program Leader, at (989) 835-4041, or E-Mail no later than August 3, 2011.

Polling Place Accessibility in Michigan 

Frankenmuth Tip-Proof Canoe Launch Open For Paddlers of All Abilities 

Kayakers and canoers now have an easy, tip-proof way to get into the Cass River in Frankenmuth. The launch gives people of all abilities a chance to enjoy the river, as it's built on a floating dock and has a ramp for the boat. Canoers use parallel bars to pull themselves into the water. The dock also has a bench, which allows people with disabilities to slide into their vessel.

On Thursday, Frankenmuth officials and members of the Cass River Greenway Committee officially opened the launch at Heritage Park, 601 Weiss.

Several Boy Scouts from Frankenmuth Rotary Troop 255 were on hand with canoes to try the launch out on the hot, sunny afternoon. Nick Raquepaw, 15, of Birch Run, and Jeff Knoll, 15, of Frankenmuth, were among the first paddlers in. Both scouts agreed the tip-proof launch was much easier to use than sliding the boat in the water and getting in.

Daren Kaschinske, Frankenmuth Parks and Recreation director, was pleased with the launch. "Hopefully it'll get more use," he said.

The Cass River Greenway Committee completed the project, made possible with $35,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and $13,000 from the Watershed Initiative Network of Bay City and funds from local donors.

Spicer Group of Saginaw designed the project. The river organization plans to add another launch in Tuscola to allow people to better utilize the Cass River for recreation.

Bob Zeilinger, chairman of the Cass River Greenway Committee, said he was happy with the turnout at the launch's opening.

"Getting in and out of a canoe is the time you're most likely to tip," he said. "We hope this becomes something other communities look at."

Lawmakers Call For Emphasis On Community Living

Two members of Congress from opposite sides of the aisle are urging government officials to rethink their approach to Medicaid and how it can best serve those with disabilities.

In an op-ed published on the website of the Capitol Hill newspaper, The Hill, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said that federal and state governments could save money by establishing policies to make it easier for people with disabilities to live in community-based settings as opposed to costly institutional facilities.

"As we seek ways to reduce budget deficits, we must seize on the opportunity to make our Medicaid dollars go farther while finally giving millions of individuals with disabilities one of the most fundamental of rights: the choice to live independently," the lawmakers wrote.

As of 2009, it cost about $137,000 annually to care for an individual with an intellectual disability in an institution compared to about $44,000 to provide for the same person in the community, Harkin and McMorris Rodgers said.

Nonetheless, they indicated that many current policies leave people with disabilities with no choice but to live in restrictive environments.

"Rather than taking steps to reduce wasteful spending on institutional settings, many states have cut the services that keep people with disabilities in their own homes and communities," Harkin and McMorris Rodgers wrote, calling the approach "short-sighted."

The situation persists despite a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case known as Olmstead v. L.C., which found that individuals with disabilities have the right to choose community living whenever possible. In recent years, several states have faced lawsuits for failing to comply.

"If Medicaid cuts are not done in a thoughtful manner, however, they will have disastrous consequences and will lead to systemic civil rights violations," the lawmakers warned.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and led the Americans with Disabilities Act. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Medicaid program, and co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional disabilities caucus. Both authors have family members with disabilities.