Tennessee Disability Coalition News Blog

On March 11th the bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Commerce at 1:30pm.

If you’re Senator is on that committee, then it is especially critical to call or write to him or her by Monday afternoon.

Senate Commerce Committee

To send an email click a Senator’s name or better yet make a call today! We have included a sample letter below that you can customize to your liking. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number so the Senator will know you live in his or her district.

Steve Southerland (Morristown Area) - Phone: (615) 741-3851

Paul Stanley (Memphis, parts of Shelby County) - Phone (615) 741-3036

Charlotte Burks (Monterey - District 15) - Phone (615) 741-3978

Mae Beavers (Mt. Juliet - District 17) - Phone (615) 741-2421

Dewayne Bunch (Cleveland - District 9) - Phone (615) 741-3730

Tim Burchett (Park of Knox County) - (615) 741-1766 Tim is already a sponsor so let’s thank him!

Jack Johnson (Williamson and part of Davidson County) - Phone (615) 741-2495.

Reginald Tate (Memphis, Part of Shelby County) - Phone (615) 741-2509

John Wilder (Mason, District 26) - Phone (615) 741-2368

One final suggestion: In your calls and letters make it clear that EVERY hospital & birthing center should be required to do the screenings — no exceptions — because in this day and age, every hospital should be prepared to screen newborns for hearing problems!

What if My Senator Is Not on That Committee? We Still Need You!

For those readers who don’t have a senator on the committee, then we recommend calling or writing to your Senator anyway. Just let them know you support Claire’s Law and hope they will be able to do so as well, perhaps even as a co-sponsor. If you don’t know who your Senator is then visit the state website at: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ or call our office for assistance (615) 383-9442.

Below is a sample letter that you can customize for your own use or tailor for a phone call. Just be sure to let your senator know that you are a constituent by include or offering your name and address.

Sample Letter

I’m writing to ask your support for Claire’s Law (Senate Bill 3191). This legislation will ensure that every newborn in Tennessee is screened for hearing loss prior to leaving the hospital. This is especially important because hearing loss is the number one birth defect in America and early detection can improve lifetime outcomes for the newborn, its family, and our state.

This law requires nothing groundbreaking on the part of hospitals because roughly 90% of all newborns in Tennessee are already screened for hearing loss, but that still leaves 10% like Claire who fail to get a routine screening and potentially miss out on the earliest treatments.

It really is a wonder that a newborn can somehow slip out the door of a hospital without a doctor or nurse realizing a child is deaf when there is a routine screening that could have been performed prior to discharge.

With Claire’s Law coming up in Senate Commerce soon I hope you will be supportive and perhaps consider becoming a co-sponsor. Please let me know how things go in committee.

What If I Want to Know More Before Calling or Writing?

Claire’s Law (SB3191/HB2753) Requires that all newborns be screened for hearing loss prior to hospital discharge and includes insurance coverage by those plans covered under most Tennessee laws. To read and track.

To Learn More About Claire’s Story.

To Read a Fact Sheet about Newborn Hearing and Screening in Tennessee.

A Final Word of Encouragement for Claire’s Family

We expect that Claire’s mom Michelle will be working feverishly in the next few days to talk to as many legislators as possible — a lot for one person! So if you would like to send her words of encouragement or report to us on your contacts with legislators, then please drop a line to our policy director at todd_h@tndisability.org and he will pass along your message.

Each session there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of bills that directly impact people with disabilities, their families and friend. Many people come to DDH to discuss personal concerns or preferences for legislation while others come to learn about some of the pressing issues and see how they can help.

Toward that end, the Coalition and other organizations try to provide a series of documents (sometimes called 1-pagers) on the day of the event to provide an introduction to many of these issues. In addition, the Coalition works to ensure that alternative formats are available. This often includes large print versions, Braille versions, or CD’s containing materials for review at home.

This year we want to provide a sneak peak at some of the issues prior to Disability Days so that people with disabilities, their families and friends can come to the General Assembly already familiar with some of these issues. In addition, a sneak preview gives individuals who might prefer alternative formats an additional chance to become familiar with the information ahead of time.

Reforming Tennessee’s Long-Term Care System

Ensuring that all newborns are screened for hearing loss

Special Education Restraint and Seclusion Modernization Act

Oppose Expansion of Institutional Capacity for Persons with MR/ID

Fulfill the Promise for Persons with a Developmental Disability

Dozens of other disability-related bills

Want to Submit a Report about Your Legislative Meeting?  Fill out our form and email back. 

We are facing major challenges garnering support from some Members of Congress from Tennessee. Your help is needed to urge Tennessee Representatives to co-sponsor and support the ADA Restoration Act, legislation that enables people with disabilities to fight employment discrimination. 

Take Action: Urge your Representative to Co-sponsor H.R. 3195 Today!

Find your Representative’s contact information at http://www.house.gov or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and urge him or her to co-sponsor the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, H.R. 3195!  Your phone calls and faxes are urgently needed to convince these key members to co-sponsor the bill!

Background information and talking points are available on the NCIL Web site at: http://www.ncil.org/news/RestorationAct.html#july

Once you have contacted your Representative, please contact Deb Cotter, Policy Analyst, at deb@ncil.org (please put “ADA Restoration Advocate” in the subject line) or call (202) 207-0334, ext. 1008, and let her know the response you received. We are keeping track of co-sponsors and need to know what Congressional staffers are telling their constituents. Thank you!

Today, nothing in Tennessee’s laws or education rules regulates the use of restraints and seclusion in school settings. As a result, it is possible that a student might be physically restrained or isolated for a long period of time without the family being notified. There are also no limits on the frequency or length of episodes of restraint/seclusion, or training requirements for school staff who use these practices.

So what do we mean by “restraint and seclusion?”

Seclusion: the confinement of a student alone in a room from which the student is prevented from leaving, NOT including time-out in a setting from which the student is NOT physically prevented from leaving.

Physical Restraint: the restriction of a student’s movement or action by the use of bodily force by one or more persons.

Mechanical Restraint: the use of a device or object that limits movement, NOT including protective or stabilizing devices as prescribed by a physician.

Chemical restraint: the administration of medication for the purpose of limiting a student’s freedom of movement or action

Fostering Change

A bill to establish guidelines and reporting requirements for restraint and seclusion was introduced in the TN legislature during the 2007 session, HB1186/SB1662. The bill did not pass, but a legislative study group has been set up to review these practices in TN schools.

The Disability Coalition on Education, DCE, is collecting stories and information from families whose children or youth with disabilities have experienced restraint and/or isolation at school.

If your child has been restrained or isolated, please fill out our online survey. If you have more than one child who has experienced restraint or seclusion, please fill out the survey separately for each child.

For paper copies of this survey or to be added to the DCE news distribution list, please contact holly lu at hlu1055@comcast.net or you can download the survey in MS Word format. Here it is.

You can fax your survery to DCE at (615) 248-5879 or mail it to the address below:

DCE
c/o The Arc of Tennessee
151 Athens Way, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37228

Even if your family does not have firsthand experience with these practices, please let us know if you will help us make the case for this important bill by contacting your legislators or spreading the word about this campaign.

For any other questions related to this issue please contact holly lu at hlu1055@comcast.net.

Photo: Taken from a California report on restraint and seclusion which can be viewed at: http://www.pai-ca.org/pubs/702301.htm