Disability Action Network
Disability Days On the Hill
Submitted by Todd Hash on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 3:57pm.
Establishing a relationship with your legislator today can go a long ways to bending his or her ear tomorrow. Disability Days is your opportunity to meet with state legislators at the Capitol and talk about issues important to you and your family.
Dozens of disability organizations from across the state will be participating and with your help we can ensure that every legislator gets to hear from a constituent with a disability, a family member, or friend.
2010 DATES
February 24 - West TN
March 3 - Middle TN
March 10 - East TN
For information on how your organization can get involved contact Courtney Jenkins-Atnip at courtney_j@tndisability.org, or by phone at 615-383-9442.
Bonus - Child Advocacy Days: March 9th & 10th
Gubenatorial Forum on the 10th
10am to 11:30am
All 7 major candidates have accepted invitation
Free, but pre-registration is required
Speaking Out on TennCare Cuts
Submitted by Todd Hash on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 1:22pm.
Last Wednesday, the Coalition hosted a press conference at the Capitol in Nashville with Andy Imparato, Executive Director of the American Association of People with Disabilities, and other about the proposed Amendment 9 cuts to TennCare. In a packed room the media and advocates heard about propose cuts that would:
- Limit in-patient hospital services to $10,000 annually
- Limit coverage to 8 visits to a physician's office annually
- Eliminate coverage of hospice care
- Eliminate coverage for occupatoinal, speach, and physical therapies
- Among others reductions
Media Reports of the Event
News 4 Report - Jessica Pipkin is the face of thousands who have already seen the impact of TennCare cuts. She's a quadriplegic, and the loss of her 24-hour nursing care could force her to leave her family. To read more.
News 4 Video - Video link.
News 5 Report - The head of a national advocacy group for the disabled said Tennessee's proposed cuts to its expanded Medicaid program could eventually have a negative effect on the state's economy. To read more and see video.
News 17 Report - A car accident left Jessica Pipkin a quadrapalegic. Never looked up and I hit the inside corner of a curb and hit another car head on," said Pipkin. She's been on TennCare ever since and that's why she went to the State Capitol Wednesday to tell lawmakers she can't live with 9 doctor's visits a year. To read more and see video.
Nashville Public Radio - Dylan Brown of Hendersonville gets around in a wheelchair. He also works at the Center for Independent Living helping other disabled Tennesseans find a way to live better. To read more, including extended quotes (excerpted below).
Dylan Brown - “If I didn’t have a disability, I could live off my salary, and …pay my own way with rent and all my bills and I’d be fine, but since I do have a disability there’s a lot of costs that go along with that. And with TennCare coverage I get durable medical equipment covered, and private duty nursing covered.”
Anthony Fox, TN Mental Health Consumers' Association - "TennCare participants are the most medically and financially challenged citizens of Tennessee. Many individuals will be forced away from basic medical and mental health treatment because of the inability to pay for the co-pay of transportation."
Andy Imparato - "Tennessee has been slow to provide services and supports in the community. They’ve got a pretty disproportionate percentage of their money going to institutions, nursing homes, and other settings.”
Alert - Bill Permits Locking Students in Isolation
Submitted by Todd Hash on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 1:08pm.
Legislation may be heard in the House Education K-12 Subcommittee on
Wednesday, February 10th at 10am that would allow Special Education
students to be locked alone in a room. This would undo two years of
work that outlawed locking students with Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD,
and other disabilities in isolation rooms.
If your legislator sits on this subcommittee we are asking you to make a call or send an email opposing House Bill 2538 by Tuesday. A list of subcommittee members and bill sponsors, the areas they serve and their contact information is below. When contacting your legislators please be respectful and let them know you live in their district.
Key Points
- This bill would make it legal to lock a special education student – of any age or diagnosis – in isolation at risk to their health and safety
- Contradicts health and safety codes that prohibit locking students in an educational facility without a way out
- A child could be locked in an isolation room without parental notification
- There is no requirement in the bill that locked isolation only be used in an emergency situations
- With a locked door, a student is trapped with no mechanism to call for help if they are forgotten – even for a minute or two – by school personnel
- Places all special education students at risk of locked isolation
For more information contact the Coalition at news@tndisability.org
Bill Sponsors and Districts
Click a legislator's name to get their email and phone number
Rep. Glen Casada - parts of Williamson County
Sen. Jack Johnson - Williamson and parts of Davidson - Senate Bill 2517
K-12 Subcommitee and Districts
Les Winningham, Chair - Clay, Jackson, Picket, Scott, and Anderson*
Ron Loller, Vice Chair - Shelby*
Judy Barker - Obion, Lake, and Dyer*
Tommie Brown - Hamilton*
Bill Dunn - Knox*
Beth Harwell - Davidson*
David Hawk - Unicoi, Greene*
Joey Hensley - Lawrence, Lewis, Wayne*
Ulysses Jones - Shelby*
Mark Maddox - Weakly, Carroll*
Johnnie Turner - Shelby*
Terri Lynn Weaver - DeKalb, Smith, Macon
Victory - Family Support
Submitted by Todd Hash on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 8:24pm.
Victory! It's been a long year for the Family Support Program and the thousands of Tennessee families touched by a disability; however, tonight there is renewed hope. The Coalition learned earlier today and confirmed tonight during the Governor's State of the State address that the program will be funded for at least two more years.
It is a time to celebrate and say thanks! We encourage everyone to reach out this week by making a call or sending an note to their legislators and the Governor. Thank them for putting the Family Support Program back in the budget for the next two years.
Does this mean the threat of elimination has passed? Not entirely. It's still early in the session so anything can happen, but now that Family Support is officially in the budget we expect it to be safe. With that said, a word of thanks to the Governor and legislators this week will go a long way towards cementing this success.
Find your legislators - www.capitol.tn.gov
Contact the Governor - Phil.Bredesen@tn.gov
The Budget and State of the State Documents - www.tennesseeanytime.org/gov/state-of-the-state
Seminar: Advancing Disability Public Policies
Submitted by Todd Hash on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 4:04pm.
Three panelists who are experienced in working with public policy makers will share their strategies in how to advocate effectively to improve the disability service system. Training will conclude with a question/answer session.
Whatever our perspective - trainees and students, researchers, health care professionals, service providers, educators, individuals with disabilities or family members, or simply concerned citizens - we see ways that the disability service system can be improved. We see ways to apply knowledge gained through research or innovative practices. One dimension of changing service systems is educating legislators and other public policy makers.
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time: 12-1 p.m.
Place: Vanderbilt - Room 241 Kennedy Center/MRL Bldg
Panelists and Topics
Elise McMillan, Co-Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities--Moderator
Doria Panvini, Chair, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Community Advisory Council
How a bill becomes a law and some do’s and don’ts of legislative advocacy
William Edington, Public Policy Director, Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
Disability issues for the upcoming session of the Tennessee Legislature
Carol Westlake, Executive Director, Tennessee Disability Coalition
Federal disability issues, including healthcare policy/reform as it affects individuals with disabilities and their families
Drinks and snacks will be provided.
To register: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/site/newsandevents/calendar/page.aspx?id=1832
For more information: laurie.fleming@vanderbilt.edu
