Accessibility

What do people considering enrolling in a self-directed program need to consider? This presentation describes many of the considerations in detail for those living in Louisiana. The New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) is the service delivery option offered by the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities. The slides offer an overview of key components and responsibilities of self-direction.

South Carolina hired an environmental modifications specialist to improve the quality of home modifications funded by its Medicaid HCBS waivers. The specialist trains case managers to develop specifications for ramps, and develops specifications for other home modifications so contractors can quickly make an informed bid. South Carolina also leveraged a state-funded home modification program to expand the types of modifications available in its waivers.

This study guide is a companion piece to the DVD, IL History and Philosophy: Orientation for IL Staff. The intent is to enable those involved in systems change and home- and community-based services to reflect the lessons learned from the IL History and Philosophy DVD, and to apply these principles to their own work.

The Alaska MIG grant has developed three fact sheets about the Americans with Disabilities Act. The first sheet explains the ADA, offers definitions, major provisions, and enforcement information. A second page explains general misconceptions about the law. The third sheet explains how the ADA covers employment issues.

The Center for Health Policy and Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School produces a quarterly newsletter entitled “Disability Issues”. The newsletter, which has been published for 25 years, discusses current issues surrounding disabilities in Massachusetts and beyond. The newsletter includes articles, information briefs, Q&A’s and more.

Hire Abilities Hawaii, Hawaii’s MIG program, produced multiple fact sheets in 2007, informing consumers with disabilities of the services available to them through State programs. The fact sheets address topics such as One-Stop Career Centers, Career Development, Working While Maintaining Benefits, Tips for Filing and Free Tax Preparation, and Information for People with Disabilities entering the job market. The fact sheets also identify resources like the Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

These Person Centered Planning (PCP) presentations discuss how PCP allows consumers to plan for their preferences and do this throughout their lifespan. Presentations focus of the individual within his/her family and community and the relationships that affect PCP. The focus throughout is to identify personal preferences and to develop the plan for the future.

The Georgia QA/QI Real Choice Systems Change grant employed a variety of person centered planning (PCP) techniques in order to change services to fit the needs of consumers. This document is a variety of flyers and notices that the grantee used in order to recruit consumers to participate in its PCP focus and planning groups.

As part of the Georgia QA/QI Real Choice Systems Change grant, an evaluation of the Person-Centered Planning (PCP) program was conducted. Part of this includes the outline for planning and creating PCP groups, and a list of resources for effective use of PCP. Also included is the final survey given to PCP participants and information on sustaining person-centered planning.

Massachusetts was among the first states to receive a Real Choice grant and like many states, took a while to start the grant activities. The work of this collaboration did not always progress smoothly. Many setbacks were experienced by all parties. However, as the end of the grant drew near, key stakeholders looked back and realized that significant progress had been made. This report and a companion video documents lessons learned for policy makers and other stakeholders.