AAMR F.Y.I. - a monthly e-newsletter

AAMR F.Y.I.
January 2005, Vol.5, No.1

Visit http://www.aamr.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter.

Dear AAMR Friends and Colleagues:

Best wishes from the AAMR F.Y.I. team for a happy 2005!

IN THIS ISSUE:

New report makes recommendations to the President on ways to increase personal and economic independence for people with intellectual disabilities.
Free Guidelines on including people with developmental disabilities in the supports planning process now online.
New study examines how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities fare in long-term service and support expenditures within the overall Medicaid program.
Three-day Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC to focus on how to effectively advocate on disability issues before the U.S. Congress.
Survey reveals that policies and practices in organ transplantation routinely exclude people with intellectual and other disabilities.
Best practices report by EEOC details how to hire more people with disabilities in state government jobs.
Call for presentations for the Alliance for Full Participation summit to be held by major disability organizations in September 2005 in Washington, DC.

AAMR MEMBERS

NEW REPORT MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT ON WAYS TO INCREASE PERSONAL AND ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities submitted a special report to President Bush, outlining steps to bring policies for people with intellectual disabilities into the 21st century. The report makes recommendations in the areas of public awareness; performance management; education and transition from school to work and adult life; employment and asset development; family services and supports; and assistive technology and information.

Read A Road Map to Personal and Economic Freedom for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the 21st Century—2004 online at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/pcpid/2004_rpt_pres/2004_rpt_toc.html

FREE GUIDELINES ON INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN THE SUPPORTS PLANNING PROCESS NOW ONLINE
People with disabilities have unique perspectives that may be missed by professionals if not included appropriately in the supports planning process. Guidelines for Interviewing People with Disabilities: Supports Intensity Scale helps professionals understand how to best conduct interviews with people with disabilities and self-advocates in order to make the supports planning process inclusive and comprehensive. The Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) is a planning tool that assesses support needs of people with intellectual disabilities in key life activities and behavioral and medical areas and is published by the American Association on Mental Retardation.

Download a copy of the Guidelines at http://www.aamr.org/Reading_Room/pdf/SISGuidelines.pdf

To learn more about SIS, visit www.aamr.org

NEW STUDY EXAMINES HOW PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FARE IN LONG-TERM SERVICE AND SUPPORT EXPENDITURES WITHIN THE OVERALL MEDICAID PROGRAM
There is a general impression, not entirely without supporting evidence, that among the various groups of persons with disabilities who may need long-term services and supports, persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities fare relatively well, according to a new study published in the February 2005 issue of the journal Mental Retardation. The study traces Medicaid expenditure on long-term supports and services for people with intellectual disabilities in each U.S. state in the Fiscal year 2003 and also contains comparative information on Medicaid spending on areas other than long-term supports and services.

Read "Trends and Milestones: Long-Term Service and Support Expenditures for Persons with ID/DD Within Overall Medicaid Program" at http://www.aamr.org/Reading_Room/pdf/FebTrendsMR.pdf

To access the Table of Contents of all articles in the February 2005 issue of Mental Retardation, visit http://aamr.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-toc&issn=0047-6765&volume=43&issue=1

Medicaid and other health care costs are among the top issues on state legislative agendas for the fiscal year 2005, according to a report released on December 9 by the National Conference of State Legislatures. To read State Budget Update: November 2004, visit http://www.ncsl.org/print/fiscal/sbu2005-0411.pdf

THREE-DAY DISABILITY POLICY SEMINAR IN WASHINGTON, DC TO FOCUS ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ADVOCATE ON DISABILITY ISSUES BEFORE THE U.S. CONGRESS
Five disability organizations join hands to present "Partnership for Empowerment," an annual disability policy seminar to be held from February 28-March 2 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. Highlights include presentations on Social Security, Medicaid, welfare reform, and Workforce Investment Act. The program also includes a luncheon with congressional leaders and a reception on the Capitol Hill.

To learn more and register, visit http://www.aamr.org/Events/2005.htm

SURVEY REVEALS THAT POLICIES AND PRACTICES IN ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION ROUTINELY EXCLUDE PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND OTHER DISABILITIES
A preliminary survey conducted by The National Work Group on Disability and Transplantation revealed that a large majority of people with disabilities interviewed regarding organ transplantation believed that they were subject to "wholly illegal, explicit and de facto discrimination" regarding organ transplantation availability.

BEST PRACTICES REPORT BY EEOC DETAILS HOW TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN STATE GOVERNMENT JOBS
A new U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report highlights efforts within four states—Florida, Maryland, Vermont, and Washington—related to recruiting, retaining, and accommodating qualified individuals with disabilities. The report highlights best practices in targeting outreach to organizations to hire people with disabilities; creating programs specifically aimed at bringing people with disabilities into a state workforce; and developing mentoring and internship programs, among other initiatives.

Read the Interim Report on Best Practices for the Employment of People with Disabilities in State Government at www.eeoc.gov

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS FOR THE ALLIANCE FOR FULL PARTICIPATION SUMMIT TO BE HELD BY MAJOR DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS IN SEPTEMBER 2005 IN WASHINGTON, DC
The Alliance for Full Participation, a coalition of 11 disability organizations is hosting a Summit in Washington, DC from September 22-23, 2005. To find out how you can be a presenter at the Summit, visit http://www.allianceforfullparticipation.org/docs/CallForPresentersPosters.pdf

Deadline for completed applications is March 1, 2005.

AAMR MEMBERS

READ A THANK YOU LETTER FROM THE ARC OF FLORIDA TO AAMR MEMBERS IN THE RESPONSE TO THE HURRICANE DISASTER RELIEF AID IN 2004 at http://www.aamr.org/Reading_Room/pdf/ArcFLthanks.pdf

SEND IN YOUR COMMENTS ON THE MONTREAL DECLARATION ON INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
AAMR members—please visit http://www.aamr.org/Reading_Room/pdf/Montrealdeclaration.pdf to read and comment on the proposed Montreal Declaration on Intellectual Disability. Comments should be sent in to AAMR president, Dr. David L. Coulter at coulterdl@aol.com by January 31, 2005.

AAMR F.Y.I. is compiled by Anna Prabhala, Editor. Please submit comments, suggestions, tips, and news to annap@aamr.org

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