PLUK eNews June
7-11, 2004
http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Jun_07_04.htm
Volume 2 Issue 48
Welcome to the weekly PLUK eNews!
(Download the printable pdf version at: http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Jun_07_04.pdf
)
We are proud to present news of interest for Montana families of children with disabilities and special health care needs, and for the professionals and educators who serve them; however, it does not constitute an endorsement.
There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder. -- Ronald Reagan
Medic Alert Provides Options
The Medic Alert Foundation International provides emergency identification
for nearly four million members worldwide. The easily recognizable bracelets and
pendants include the member's PIN, any known medical conditions, and contact
numbers (including a 24-hour emergency response line). A short list of medical
conditions common to Medic Alert members includes; Alzheimer's disease, asthma,
autism, diabetes, drug allergies, epilepsy, food allergies, latex allergies,
heart disease, and implanted medical devices. Some members do not have medical
conditions and use the Medic Alert as an identification service.
According to Valerie Burgan, Outreach Consultant for the Montana School for the
Deaf and the Blind, Medic Alert has practical applications, "Emergency
personnel are trained to look for the Medic Alert tag, would find it quickly,
and know what to do. There would be very little lost time while they try to
determine what's wrong. A person who is ordinarily verbal, and would not use a
picture card system, might have trouble in a crisis situation and be unable to
give coherent information."
For parents and family members of people with chronic illnesses, disabilities,
or medical conditions Medic Alert offers options, says Burgan, "I have
talked with the MedicAlert folks, and their services have been used for people
with autism, cognitive delays, communication delays, etc. The Medic Alert tag
can say something like: 'Call (a home number) or (the Medic Alert number)' Medic
Alert will maintain a file with as much information as you'd like. You can
request that they list several different numbers, or recommend the person be
taken to the ER, police dept., etc. They can also have information about the
person's condition, communication modes, etc."
The downside to this highly accessible service? Cost and access. Medic Alert is
not considered a "covered entity" under HIPPA regulations, and is not
bound by the HIPPA guidelines-this makes emergency access easier, but is a
calculated risk managed by Medic Alert International's "strict standards
for the management of Member-provided health care information, which we have
maintained since 1956." New members pay a $35 dollar enrollment fee and $20
dollars annually thereafter. If you cannot afford the membership fees, consider
the sponsored membership; contact the Medic Alert Program Development Manager at
800-228-6222 ext. 2412 or (209) 669-2458 (Fax), email: cmalekos@medicalert.org.
For more information about Medic Alert, please visit http://www.medicalert.org/.
Child, Family and Community Advocacy, June 21-25
http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/pda/hhi/child_advocacy.htm
The University of Wisconsin offers a unique opportunity this summer to learn how
to advocate for children, families, and your communities.
Spend a week on the vibrant and beautiful UW-Madison campus while earning 30
hours of professional continuing education approved by the Association of Social
Work Boards for social workers, the National Board of Certified Counselors, and
the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for Equivalency Clock Hours.
Learn how to bring about positive change for children and families in your
communities back home.
FULL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!! Contact Lynet Uttal at luttal@wisc.edu.
Challenger's Ready to Take the Field in Billings
The Challenger Little League, for disabled players 5-18 years old, is set to
play ball.
When: Every Tuesday, 6:00 PM
Where: All Access Field, Behind Rose Park School on the alley
Games will be played every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the season ends August 3, 2004,
with a picnic.
Contact: Sarita Lundin at 655-1568
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Fellowship
Programs 2005
Parent Public Policy Fellowship Program 2005
Parents or close family members of a child with intellectual and developmental
disabilities (mental retardation) are invited to submit applications for a
one-year fellowship in Washington, DC, to learn how legislation is initiated,
developed and passed by Congress or how programs are administered and
regulations promulgated by federal agencies. Candidates should have solid policy
experience in state level advocacy, education, development of community supports
and services, or similar areas, beyond the level to benefit solely the
candidate's own child. For application details see the announcement at http://www.jpkf.org.
The deadline is September 1. Address questions to Jill Fosse, 301-565-5476.
Salaried experience in the field is NOT a requirement.
Professional Public Policy Fellowship Program 2005
Mid-career professionals in the field of intellectual and developmental
disabilities are invited to submit applications for a one-year fellowship in
Washington, DC to observe and participate in federal public policy development
through work as staff of a congressional committee or federal agency.
Outstanding policy experience is sought in 1) state-level advocacy; 2)
education, law, economics, criminal justice, international issues, child welfare
or other social services, housing, community organizing, etc.; 3) health or
mental health care policy affecting persons with intellectual disabilities; or
4) developmental of family support services.
For application details see the announcement at http://www.jpkf.org.
The deadline is September 1. Address questions to Jill Fosse, 301-565-5476.
Parents Wanted for Survey
IRIS Media, Inc. creates research-based educational materials for teachers,
families and adults with developmental disabilities. They are currently looking
for parents of adult children with cognitive or intellectual disabilities to
participate in a research project on future planning. Parents will receive
planning materials to evaluate and can earn up to $100 for their participation.
For more information, parents can phone Lisa Cassidy toll free at 877-343-4747,
ext. 204; can email her at lisa@lookiris.com; or can check the website at http://www.lookiris.com/concern.html.
Fostering Change for Disabled Persons Subject of New
Free Booklet
http://www.unitedspinal.org/pages.php?catid=8&pageid=334&PHPSESSID=d15ca3920596d1ee3bda97569d4973e3
The United Spinal Association, a national veterans service and disability rights
group, has published a new pamphlet titled Taking Action, a step-by-step guide
to becoming a self-advocate to encourage change for disabled individuals in a
community. Single free copies of Taking Action can be ordered and downloaded at,
or obtained by calling the Association's publications request line at
1-800-444-0120.
For 57 years, the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association pioneered advocacy for
paralyzed veterans and others with mobility impairments. Our work has benefited
all Americans with spinal cord injury and/or disease (SCI/D). Now we are
changing our name to the United Spinal Association. We will continue to serve
our veteran members with our dedicated programs, while striving to assist a
larger community of children and adults with disabilities. United Spinal
Association is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with spinal cord
injury or disease by assuring quality health care, promoting research,
advocating for civil rights and independence, educating the public about these
issues and enlisting their help to achieve these fundamental goals. For more
information about the programs of United Spinal, please visit http://www.unitedspinal.org.
Vacaville target of ADA sidewalk suit
By Warren Lutz
VACAVILLE -- A disabled rights group that sued the city of Sacramento - and
won - for having bad sidewalks that gave disabled residents problems is now
targeting Vacaville.
A class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in March on behalf of
Vacaville resident Gary Nystrom claims many of Vacaville's street corners have
no curb ramps and those that do are poorly designed, creating hazards for the
disabled.
And many existing curb ramps are designed poorly and many sidewalks and street
crosswalks contain obstructions to people who use wheelchairs or ride in
motorized scooters, Nystrom claims in his suit.
Read the complete article at: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/articles/2004/05/30/news/news2.txt
Bush signs bill to create new agency for disabled
By Mike Branom, The Associated Press, Posted May 29 2004
ORLANDO· A new agency for the developmentally disabled will be created
under a bill Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law Friday, taking over the services the
Department of Children & Families now provides for 30,000 people.
The Agency for Persons With Disabilities will help people who have a variety of
developmental disabilities, such as mental retardation, autism and cerebral
palsy. It will provide services such as adult day care, education and assistance
finding jobs and homes in their communities.
All are now part of a $1.1 billion program DCF manages. Gov. Jeb Bush proposed
the new agency to deal exclusively with the disabled.
"It's a very monumental occasion. It's something that we advocates in the
field have had as a hope and a dream for a number of years now," said John
Hall, executive director of the Association for Retarded Citizens of Florida.
Read the complete article at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fdisabled29may29,0,2433239.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
School asthma program improves health and grades
Last Updated: 2004-05-31 7:00:33 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A comprehensive school-based asthma management
program improved health status and school performance of children with asthma,
particularly those with persistent disease, according to a new study.
The findings, which appear in the medical journal Chest, are based on a study of
835 asthmatic children in grades 2 through 5 in 14 schools in low-income
communities in Detroit, Michigan.
School-based asthma programs, "can help children with asthma experience
fewer symptoms and do better at school," Dr. Noreen M. Clark from the
University of Michigan School of Public Health told Reuters Health.
To read the complete article, go to http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html.
Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics
For families of children with disabilities and chronic illness, trips to
doctors often become excursions to one specialist after another. The American
Academy of Pediatrics now offers fact sheets (in Adobe PDF format) explaining
several of the medical subspecialties that parents may encounter. These fact
sheets can be found at http://www.aap.org/family/pedspecfactsheets.htm.
Car Seat Safety and Children with Special Needs
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also offers several resource guides
covering car seat safety for children with disabilities, including "Car
Seats for Children With Special Needs-Transporting Older Children"
available to print from http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb_for_printer.cfm?article_ID=ZZZBQZUEJ3D&sub_cat=1
and "Special Needs Car Safety Seats for Specific Conditions" at http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb_for_printer.cfm?article_ID=ZZZFWCTDJ3D&sub_cat=1.
For more AAP car seat guides, visit http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm.
For other resources from the AAP, please visit http://www.aap.org/.
Birthday Time?
Does your child have a birthday coming up? Are you dreading the decorating,
food preparation and cleanup? If so, Contact Bill at Montana Candy Bar &
Deli at 294-2327. Montana Candy Bar & Deli offers birthday parties at their
store located at 111South 24th Street West in the Rimrock Mini Mall.
They will do the decorating, provide lunch, ice cream and activities for the
kids giving you an opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy the party for a
change. Be sure to take your camera for great photo of all the activities.
AND PLUK will receive a portion of the proceeds!
Get your Albertson Community Partners card!
PLUK has joined Albertsons' Community Partners Card Program. This program is
designed to help non-profit organizations raise funds needed for their programs.
A percentage of your grocery total will be donated to PLUK. All that is needed
is to show your Community Partners card each time you make a purchase at
Albertsons. It does not cost you anything.
If you are interested in assisting PLUK in raising funds this way, please
contact Bernice at 255-0540 to get a Community Partners card.
1. Monday Morning in Washington, DC, http://www.inclusionresearch.org
2. Rocky Mountain DBTAC, http://www.adainformation.org
3. Transition Newsflash, Montana Center on Disabilities, http://www.msubillings.edu/transition
4. PEN Weekly NewsBlast http://www.publiceducation.org
5. Reference Points: Transition updates from the TATRA Project, http://www.pacer.org/tatra/tatra.htm
6. The American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center Training Calendar http://aidtac.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/TrainingCalendar.htm
7. Rural Policy Matters, http://www.ruraledu.org/rpm/rpm.htm
8. Technology for Nonprofits: http://www.techsoup.org
Parent's, Let's Unite for Kids - PLUK
516 N 32nd St
Billings MT 59101-6003
800-222-7585; 406-255-0540; 406-255-0523 (fax)
plukinfo@pluk.org
http://www.pluk.org
Edited by: Roger Holt rholt@pluk.org
Proofed & condensed by: Elisabeth Mills scribe@pluk.org
Mission Statement: Parent's Let's Unite for Kids unites parents, professionals, families and friends of children with special needs to support one another, and share information for the benefit of their children.
Vision Statement: Given information and support, individuals with disabilities and their families will feel empowered to advocate for themselves and participate fully in educational and community opportunities.
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