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Highlights
July 2011 |
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PROJECT WIDE NEWS
Upcoming Events
Transition to the Community Work Group Call- Wednesday, September 14, 2011-3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern - PLEASE NOTE DATE
The September quarterly call of the Transition Work Group will feature John E. V. Sorensen, from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Mr. Sorenson will talk about
the Money Follows the Person program and Medicaid as a resource for
people who need AT while living in facilities and transitioning from
them. To connect to the call, dial 1-800-351-6810, pass code 46172076#.
Transcripts and MP3 files from previous calls are available at the Transition Wiki Site at: http://attransition.wikispaces.com/.
AT for Employment Work Group Call - Thursday, September 15, 2011 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern
The
Work Group has agreed to meet every other month, most likely on the
second or third Thursday. The next call will be Thursday, September 15,
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern. The call in number is 800/351-6810, pass code
46172076 #. This September call will highlight
practices that AT Act Programs have found to be most effective to
increase the use of AT in the workplace. If you have a model/strategy
that is working in your state, be prepared to share it with the group on
the 15th.
Check out the new "hub" web page devoted to AT and Employment at www.resnaprojects.org
and click on the Employment hub. If you have resources that you wish to
share on this page, please send them to Paul Galonsky at pgalonsky@resna.org.
To access call notes and the MP3 recording from the July 21, AT and Employment Work Group call, go to www.resnaprojects.org and click on the Employment hub. From there, click on to AT and Employment Work Group.
Two WEBED Webinars Upcoming in September
WEBED-GMU04: Data Collection (Overview) - Thursday, September 15, 2011: 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
WEBED-ATIA05: Data Collection - Products and Services from ATIA Members - Wednesday, September 21, 2011: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
For more information about these webinars, go to http://www.resnaprojects.org/statewide/webed.html.
To register for either of these webinars - go to www.atia.org/webedregistration.
For any of the WEBED- Webinar archived events, go to
http://www.resnaprojects.org/statewide/webedarchive.html.
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STATEWIDE AT PROGRAMS
Upcoming Event
How to Liquidate Formula Funds Teleconference - Thursday, August 18, 2011- 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern
RSA will
be instituting a new process for obligating and liquidating your
formula grant funds. Especially affected is
the procedure for late liquidations. Join us for a walk
through what is required and how to make sure you get the full use of
your funds. Rob Groenendaal and Brian Bard from RSA will
be the presenters on this call. To connect to this call, dial
1-800-351-6810, pass code 46172076 #.
Statewide AT Program Subgroup of Catalyst Steering Committee Conference Call - Tuesday, August 16, 2011- 1:00 -2:00 p.m. Eastern
This
planning group will meet to discuss the recent program evaluation
report and upcoming events and plans for technical assistance for the
new fiscal year.
Performance Based Contracts Teleconference- Thursday, September 22, 2011-3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern
Sonke
Dornblut, Project Coordinator with Assistive Technology in New
Hampshire, will discuss the Program's use of Performance Based Contracts
(PBC). Sonke will talk about how to achieve statewideness through PBC,
determining PBC project goals, data reporting, contractor professional
development, and what is funded through PBC. To connect to this call, dial 1-800-351-6810, pass code 46172076 #.
Recent Events
Webinar: Title II and III of the ADA - July 14, 2011- 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern
Wendy Wilkinson, Project Director with the DBTAC-Southwest ADA Center and Andy
Winnegar, consultant with the DBTAC-Southwest ADA Center, presented
strategies for providing "effective communication" for public and
private entities covered by Title II and III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. This webinar was is in collaboration with the RESNA
Catalyst Project and the DBTAC Southwest ADA Center, a program of ILRU
(Independent Living Research Utilization), at TIRR Memorial Hermann in
Houston, Texas. To access the archive of this Webinar: http://www.ilru.org.
Needs Assessment
The
Catalyst Project will be conducting a technical assistance needs
assessment of statewide AT programs to plan activities for the New Year. You
will be able to complete the assessment either online or via paper
copy. Be on the lookout for an email with more information during the
week of August 1.
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PAAT PROGRAMS
Registration Now Open!
15th Annual "Bridges to Better Advocacy" Conference
Three-day conference focusing on AT funding and advocacy strategies on November 1-3, 2011, Hilton Garden Inn, Austin, TX.
To register, visit: www.nls.org/Conference%20Flyer%202011.pdf . Sign up by July 29th for Super Early Bird rate, or sign up by August 23rd to avoid an additional increase in rates. Agenda, and are speakers now final.
- November 1st Preconference (full day): "Medicaid, AT and Litigation"
(focus on state and federal court) (Speakers: Jane Perkins, National
Health Law Program, Jennifer Giesen, Minnesota P&A, Lew Golinker, AT
Law Center, Jim Sheldon and Diana Straube, National AT Advocacy
Project).
- Two-Day Conference Highlights: "Medicaid
Challenges for 2012," "Americans with Disabilities Act and Employment:
Recent Case Law," "Mobility Equipment: A Physical Therapist's
Perspective," "Confronting Challenges of Dual Eligibility in Medicaid
DME Cases," and "Enforcing the Fair Housing Act to Obtain AT."
Did You Know? Series
These
very short postings will not cover every possible issue on a topic;
rather, the intent is make the reader aware of key information to
support your AT advocacy. To date we have done 15 postings, all
available at http://www.nls.org/did%20you%20know.htm. Our most recent four postings:
Coming Soon:
- "Special Medicaid Eligibility Rules for Persons with Disabilities"
- "Funding AT Through the Foster Care System"
The "AT Advocate" Newsletter
This
longstanding publication of the National AT Advocacy Project is
published a minimum of three times per year. Our most recent newsletters
and lead articles:
- Coming Up: "Special Medicaid Eligibility Rules for Persons with Disabilities" (Spring-Summer 2011)
- Fall
2010, "Consumer Rights in the Medicaid Process: Understanding and
Protecting those Rights Should Ensure More Access to Assistive
Technology," available at http://www.nls.org/av/fall%2010.pdf
- Spring-Summer
2010, "Practical Ethics for the Disability Attorney: When Can You
Interview the Employees of Your Adversary?"; available at http://www.nls.org/av/summer%2010.pdf.
Training Highlights from National Disability Rights Network Conference:
Jim
Sheldon presented or co-presented several times during the June 6-9,
2011 conference: "Ensuring Effective Transition to Integrated
Employment" (all day institute) (covers special education, vocational
rehabilitation (VR), Social Security/SSI/Medicare/Medicaid work
incentives, myriad of employment related issues, with funding of AT
devices and services discussed repeatedly); "Non-Traditional Funding of
AT" (strategies to establish eligibility for traditional funding sources
and use of other funding sources/funding strategies to fund AT); "Doing
PAAT Work in the 21st Century" (lunch round table, informal
discussion); "Medicaid and AT: Turning a 'No' Into a 'Yes.'" (how to
overcome the most common reasons Medicaid says no to DME requests).
Handouts are available for these training sessions.
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ALTERNATIVE FINANCING AND TELEWORK LOAN PROGRAMS
Announcement!
Best Practices Workgroup
The
Best Practices Workgroup is expanding! Monthly conference calls are
held with members of this group, with the focus on development of Loan
Program Quality Indicators. Come join us in the creation of these
statements and shaping the future of loan programs! If interested please
contact Jason Luciano at jluciano@resna.org.
New Additions to the Catalyst Website
Telework Data Center Created
with the guidance of the Telework Steering Committee, the RESNA
Catalyst project has created a web page of commonly-request Telework
Data items, including a separate data report website containing Telework
Loan Program data from FY 2010. It can be found at http://resnaprojects.org/afp/telework/loans/index.html.
AFP Information Center
The
AFP website has its own data center as well! Data for Fiscal Years 2009
and 2010 are available, as well as a listing of commonly-used loan
program terms, and the most recent RSA Report to Congress. It is located
at http://resnaprojects.org/afp/infocenter/index.html.
Upcoming Events
New AFP Program Directors Conference Call Series - Fourth call - Wednesday, August 24, 1:00pm Eastern
This
conference call, continuing the series for new AFP directors and others
interested in Lending Basics, will center on marketing strategies for
loan programs. A discussion of different program's marketing plans and
approaches will be included. To access the call, dial: 1-800-351-6810, pass code 80573760#.
REGISTER NOW! AFP/Telework Best Practice Institute - September 7-9, 2011
The
Best Practice Institute for Financial Loan Programs will be conducted
September 7-9, 2011 at the Ed Roberts Campus Building in Berkeley,
California, hosted by the RESNA Catalyst Project. The hotel
deadline has passed, but if you still want to attend and have not yet
registered, the Catalyst project may be able to help. The first two days
will be designed for all loan programs. A Telework Workshop will
be conducted September 9. To see the meeting invitation,
registration form and draft agenda, go to http://www.resnaprojects.org/news/index.html.
Recent Events
Keys to Success: A Business Planning Course for Entrepreneurs (Telework Webinar). Tuesday July 19, 2:00p. Eastern
Designed
as a follow up to the April webinar by Kathy Gilman, this presentation
focused on the keys to success of budding entrepreneurs. Discussion
included what it takes to build a successful business, and how a
telework program may help that process. A transcript of the presentation
is available at http://resnaprojects.org/afp/telework/teleconf/index.html.
New AFP Program Directors Conference Call Series:-Third call-Wednesday, June 22, 1:00pm Eastern
This
conference call focused on the Application Review Process. The
discussion centered on tracing an application through a program's
process, and the positives and "red flag" issues for which program
personnel should watch. A recording of this call is available at http://resnaprojects.org/afp/teleconf/index.html.
Needs Assessment
The Catalyst Project will be conducting a technical assistance needs assessment of AFPs to plan activities for the New Year. You
will be able to complete the assessment either online or via paper
copy. Be on the lookout for an email with more information during the
week of August 1.
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OTHER RESOURCES
RESNA Catalyst Project External Evaluation Report - October 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011 Thanks
to all who completed a survey about the technical assistance you
received from the Catalyst Project this past year. To see the results of
the surveys and phone interviews, access the Year 1 Evaluation Report
through the Grantees Only section of the project website at http://www.resnaprojects.org/grantees/index.html.
World Report on Disability The first ever World Report on Disability,
produced jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World
Bank, suggests that more than a billion people in the world today
experience disability. The report discusses how access to assistive
technology can increase independence, improve participation, and reduce
support costs. To download a copy of this report, visit: http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/index.html.
AT Podcasts in Indiana
INDATA has weekly AT podcasts. To view and listen to the growing list of episodes, visit:http://www.eastersealstech.com/content.aspx?pId=492. To learn more about INDATA's AT podcasts, contact Wade Wingler at wwingler@eastersealscrossroads.org. |
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The RESNA Catalyst Project is a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration
under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended. The
project is operated by RESNA. The information contained herein does not
necessarily reflect the position or policy of RSA/ED or RESNA and no
official endorsement of the materials should be inferred.
RESNA
is the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of
North America whose purpose is to promote the health and well being of
individuals with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. RESNA
is the grantee funded to provide technical assistance and training to
those programs funded under the AT Act and to others.
Contact
Information: RESNA Catalyst Project, 1700 North Moore Street,
Suite 1540, Arlington, VA 22209-1903; (703) 524-6686 (voice),
(866) 342-6572 (voice), (703) 524-6630 (FAX), (703) 524-6639
(TTY). Email: catalyst@resna.org; Website: http://www.resnaprojects.org.
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