Ninety-Second

Community Health

Advisory Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Weekly Message from the Executive Director

Tony Anderson



By the Numbers

This week we reported the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases yet. We reported to the state that 73 consumers and 60 direct support professionals tested positive for COVID-19. While this is very concerning, I am very grateful to report that this week we have not seen any hospitalizations and in looking back through October none of the consumers who tested positive have ended up in the hospital. This is important because as readers may remember, while our numbers were down in October through early December, we experienced several hospitalizations and about a death per week. Now we are reporting a rapid spread of the virus throughout our community but so far our consumers are handling it better. Hopefully our safety precautions, high vaccination rate, and the serious attention we all give to symptoms is making the difference.

This week 5% of VMRC employees were out sick with confirmed COVID-19, another 5% are currently awaiting tests from an exposure, and this week we had to close down the Stockton building again because an employee who was in the office later tested positive. Throughout our community we continued to see day programs temporarily close due to exposure or severe staff shortages.

The Frontline Initiative - (link to Volume 17, number 2 • 2021)

The latest edition of the Frontline Initiative was published this week. This edition, "Frontline Initiative: DSPs Respond to COVID-19", is dedicated to the direct support professionals (DSPs) supporting people with developmental disabilities in the community all over the country. "The issue includes stories from DSPs who saw COVID infect their co-workers and the people they support. Some recovered and some did not. It is very difficult to lose people whom you work with closely. It takes its toll on you." Many of the articles are written by DSPs working in the field so you can hear directly from the DSPs themselves. 

Advocates Speak Out

Check out this video from BJ Stasio talking about the impact DSPs have on his quality of life and the importance of ensuring DSPs stay safe and healthy: It's up to you. Protect yourself and the people you support.

2022 GOVERNOR’S BUDGET SUMMARY

The total DDS budget will now grow to $12.4 billion annually and the governor expects the system to grow from the our current 386,000 people to over 407,000 people.

First in looking at how we are tracking right now on his budget for 2021-2022 DDS estimates that California will be spending a little more on

• Community Care Facilities
• Day Programs
• Group Supported Employment
• In-Home and Out-of-Home respite
• And other support services

And they'll spend a little less on 

• Medical Facilities
• Work Activity Programs
• Individual Supported Employment
• Transportation
• Health Care, and
• Quality Assurance Fess

But again these are slight adjustments.

The Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) & American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Act will be used for:

• Service Provider Rate Reform,
• Social Recreation and Camp Services,
• Language Access and Cultural Competency,
• Coordinated Family Support Services,
• Enhanced Community Integration for Children and Adolescents, and
• Modernization of Developmental Services Information Technology Systems.

And Finally…

1. Additional investment in Early Start – Part C to B Transitions with money for DDS positions and significant funds to further reduce caseload ratios for children birth through age five, provide technical support for service coordinators, and promote inclusive preschool options.
2. Communications Assessments for Consumers Who Are Deaf
3. Subminimum Wage Phaseout
4. Enrolling Vendors as Medicaid Providers
5. Fairview and Sonoma Developmental Centers warm shutdown to fully close the developmental centers.
6. Service model pilot program focused on expanding employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities
7. A new position focused on supporting aging individuals with developmental disabilities
8. IT Security staff at DDS

Housing & Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP)

Amy Arndt, Tuolumne County Health and Human Services Agency, Reached out to VMRC to make sure we were aware of the county's developed a new program and resource in their HHSA aimed at providing supports and advocacy for people with disabilities in their county.

"As a partner in our local safety-net, the Tuolumne County Health and Human Services Agency is pleased to inform your agency that a Housing & Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) allocation has been made available to Tuolumne County. This funding will be used to provide outreach, case management, disability advocacy, and housing assistance for individuals (including youth) and families who are likely eligible for disability benefits and are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Please see the attached letter for details and click on the links to the right for more resources regarding affordable housing in Tuolumne County.

MLK Day - A National Day of Service

This coming Monday January 17, 2022 the country will recognize the important contributions of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. The national holiday is known as a "day of service" and calls for all Americans to work together to strengthen our communities and work towards addressing social problems harming people in our communities. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in a world much different than they did 50+ years ago and many of the advancements have roots in the civil rights movement (e.g. IDEA, etc.). In fact one of our great civil rights activists in the disability community, Ed Roberts (who we also honor next week), benefited from the achievements of the activists a decade before. This year as last year there will be very few if any community service events but contemplating and being willing to have deeper conversations with people about the struggles in our communities and your ideas for overcoming and addressing them could also be a great way to honor his memory and to be of service on this special day.

Enjoy 2022 MLK Day.

SPOTLIGHT on Kassandra Graham! 

Friends, meet Kasie!! Kasie is an amazing self-advocate. She lives in Sutter Creek in a care home with her friends. She has lived there for 2 years! She shares a room with her friend. She likes to watch TV and spend quiet time in her room. She enjoys living there – she gets to practice her independent living skills!!

Kasie helped start a self-advocacy group at the care home. The group is named, Rhoades Care Home Self-Advocacy Group. They learn to speak up, to be helpful and courteous and to be kind to one another. They ask questions and help each other learn and problem-solve. Their group is a part of the Self-Advocacy Council 6, https://www.vmrc.net/sac6/. Kasie and her friends like to help with the Friday Zoom Chats with SAC6.

One day Kasie wants to be on her own. She is learning how to do her own laundry. She says she is pretty good at keeping things clean and she likes to take care of cleaning things up independently. She knows how to take care of things and get things done around the house!

Kasie likes to spend time with her family and friends. She is getting ready to go on vacation to Seattle, Washington. She is spending 2 weeks there with her family. She is excited to see her family and be with them. She is flying by herself to Seattle. Kasie is very excited about this trip!!

Kasie attends a day program 2 days per week at the ARC of Amador. She is the President of the ARC’s People First group. They have meetings and talk about things that are needed at program.  

Kasie’s advice: If you want to become independent and one day living on your own, you can do it. You can be successful, and you can do it. You can get a job and do the things you want to do. You do it in small steps and you can take one step at a time – that’s what we do! Just do a little bit at a time and you will be successful.

If you are in Tuolumne County and need support, please call the Enrichment Center and sign up for regular phone calls from a trained Peer Specialist. They are here to listed. Call 209-533-7114 to sign up. It’s free!!

Check out the Central Valley Low Income Housing Corporation!! 

Check out the Central Valley Low Income Housing Corporation!! Their goal is to help homeless people move from the streets and shelters and into permanent housing.

This agency does not own housing, but they can provide rent and deposits for people who meet their eligibility requirements.

If you need immediate shelter, please seek help through the “Shelter” portal at the 2-1-1 website. It takes time for the Central Valley Low Income Housing Corporation to help you.

Their ability to provide you support depends on you meeting eligibility standards for the various programs, and upon the rules of a particular program. All people seeking assistance are asked to answer basic eligibility questions to see if they can help.

To see if you qualify for one of the programs, follow the contact information below to speak with one of the staff members, or follow this link to complete an Initial Contact Form and provide them vital information that allows them to provide help as quickly as possible. The more information you provide, the more quickly they are able to help.

If it appears you qualify for assistance, they will contact you at the contact information you provide.

(209) 472-7200

San Joaquin County friends!!

Have you heard of 211 of San Joaquin County? 211 exists to make it easier for residents of San Joaquin County to find the help they need. Simply pick up the phone and dial 211 to be connected to an operator who can help you find a food pantry, housing assistance, help in a crisis, veterans assistance or other services. We are inspired by the tremendous support 211 has provided to residents during the pandemic!

Over the course of the pandemic 211 has been critical in helping connect individuals to an appointment for a Covid 19 vaccine. They helped around 30,000 seniors register for their appointments with each call lasting between 15-25 minutes! An average 211 call takes about 7-8 minutes. 211 is a critical partner in our community! We hope they have the ability in the coming years to expand their marketing outreach to ensure every resident knows help is just a phone call away!

January 23 is Ed Roberts Day

Every January 23rd we celebrate Ed Roberts Day to honor the man frequently called the father of the Independent Living movement.

At the age of 14, Ed Roberts contracted Polio, along with both his parents and all his siblings. They eventually recovered, but Ed was left with significant respiratory, muscle, and limb weakness and atrophy. As a result, he slept in an iron lung (a breathing machine used prior to the development of our modern ventilators) and had to teach himself different breathing techniques in order to function away from his iron lung during the day.

Ed Roberts is responsible for opening the nation’s first center for independent living. It started with a staff of just two people. “We know that even the most severely disabled folks can live in the community, and it’s up to us – those of us who are lucky enough to be out and who feel the power of the process. Because every time we reach out to help someone else we empower them for ourselves,” he said.



Raised in a family of labor activists, Ed was a natural leader perfectly poised to advocate for people with disabilities. He sued the state of California to be admitted to college and successfully convinced the university to accept more students with disabilities. When more disabled students started to arrive on campus, they joined with Ed to establish the Rolling Quads as well as the first disability-led student organization in the United States. They provided disability services, such as transportation and wheelchair repair, and advocated for greater physical access to their campus, including taking sledgehammers to curbs in order to create curb cuts. Ed was heavily involved in the 504 sit-ins. He helped create the World Institute on Disability. His wheelchair is on display at the Smithsonian.

Roberts also has important roots in Access Living’s history. When He was consulted long before the creation of Access Living on what a center for independent living should look like in Chicago. Roberts was honored at Access Living’s Annual Meeting in 1988.

Today, Ed Roberts’ legacy lives on in a variety of ways including on college campuses across the country where students are pushing initiatives, discovering identity as students with disability, and working to create more inclusive and integrative environments.

Some of these initiatives look like:

• A Stanford University student group that created a disability community center on campus
• University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign pioneered inclusive and elite wheelchair athletics at the collegiate level and beyond
• West Chester University’s creation of the Ram Initiative for students with intellectual disabilities
•  

Thousands of students with disabilities attend college all over the country today. Social and educational initiatives such as these are taking place nationwide. Some are student lead, other are student driven, but all exist because one man decided that access and education were his right and he fought to get them.



The disability community as a whole takes this day to remember a man who was a catalyst for disability rights, access, and equality. Because of the work he did, inclusion is prioritized, access is a requirement, and people with disabilities are developing stronger and louder voices every day. 

We are getting closer! Ed Roberts Day is a little over two weeks away. Join us on 1/23/22 for an amazing event. We will premiere our completed Ed Roberts Oral History project with our highlight video, plus hear from guests who knew Ed, and more! If you haven't registered, yet, please visit: tinyurl.com/YOEdRoberts22

Social Recreational Activities and Camping Services

Effective July 1, 2021, changes to Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code section 4648.5 restores regional center authority to fund camping services and associated travel expenses and social recreation activities.

Got your attention? Download these flyers to learn more Social Recreation (English) Recreacion Social (Spanish)

Community Services Training Opportunities and Service Provider Information

Weekly Community Services Department Provider Informational Session

Info-Sessions will occur 1x per Month on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH

Zoom Link to upcoming Monthly Sessions:

February 4^th 2022, 9-10 am                       

March 4^th 2022, 9-10 am                 

April 1 2022, 9-10 am                        

May 6^th 2022, 9-10 am  

June 3^rd 2022, 9-10 am  

July 1^st 2022, 9-10 am   

August 5^th 2022, 9-10 am    

October 7^th 2022, 9-10 am  

November 4^th 2022, 9-10 am  

December 2^nd 2022, 9-10 am  

Zoom Link to upcoming Monthly Sessions

Valley Mountain Regional Center Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist

VMRC is looking for a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist to join the Community Services Team! The position will ensure that VMRC will successfully address systematic discrimination against deaf persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who may have been denied the accommodations they need for effective communication. Please see the link and share with those that are qualified or may be interested



https://www.vmrc.net/job-opportunities/

January 2022 Minimum Wage Increase Notice

Effective January 1, 2022, the minimum wage in California will increase based on the number of employees an employer has. Many vendors may be eligible to request a rate increase in order to adjust employees’ pay to comply with the new minimum wage. Please see the attached directive from the Department of Developmental Services for information on how to submit a request to VMRC.  

All rate adjustments must be submitted to VMRC no later than March 1, 2022. Should you have any questions about this notice, please contact Corina Ramirez in Resource Development, via email CRamirez@vmrc.net or phone (209) 955-3398.

Minimum Wage Letter

Upcoming Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Training Opportunities

The HCBS Final Settings Rule applies to all vendors who provide services in a setting that serves more than one regional center consumer. The intent of the Final Settings Rule is to ensure that people with developmental disabilities receive services that integrate them fully into the community to the same degree as people without developmental disabilities. It ensures quality of life! They also ensure that the residential settings that services are received in are home environments rather than institutional environments. All settings must optimize and enhance choice rather than regimenting it. The HCBS Final Settings Rule protects consumers rights including the right to privacy, dignity, respect and freedom from coercion and restraint. The Final Settings Rule goes into effect March 17^th, 2023, all providers with the service codes listed below, must be compliant by that date.

VMRC will continue hosting trainings for Residential Providers, Day Type Services Providers and Employment Services Providers. Service providers under the following service codes are strongly encouraged to sign up for one of the trainings provided. It takes time and effort to implement these requirements. Eligible service codes are Residential: 096, 113, 904, 905, 915, 910, 920; Employment Services: 950 and 954; Day Type Services: 028, 055, 063, 475, 505, 510, 515, 855

The attached flyers (insert here) have registration links on them for the following trainings. You must register to take the training. Once you have registered you will receive a link for the zoom session on the date you have chosen. For attendance purposes please have each staff taking the training register with their own contact information including their email address. Any last-minute changes to the scheduled trainings will be communicated to the registered individuals by email at the email address they have provided.

HCBS Trainings for Residential Providers

January 25^th, 2022, 10:00am – 11:00am

January 28^th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

February 10^th, 2022, 9:00am – 10:00am

February 15^th, 2022, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

March 17^th, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

March 22^nd, 2022, 10:00am – 11:00am

HCBS Trainings for Day Type and Employment Services

January 18^th, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:00pm

February 8^th, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:00pm

March 15^th, 2022, 3:00pm – 4:00pm

HCBS for Day Program and Employment Providers January through March 2022

HCBS for Residential Providers January through March 2022

Brian L. Bennett

Director Of Community Services

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shortened the interval to get booster to 5 months![1] If you have gotten a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, you can now get it as early as 5 months after your 2^nd dose. “The country is in the middle of a wave of the highly contagious omicron variant, which spreads more rapidly than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and other variants that have emerged,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Vaccination is our best defense against COVID-19, including the circulating variants, and shortening the length of time between completion of a primary series and a booster dose may help reduce waning immunity.”¹

FDA has also warned the public that at-home COVID-19 Test kits are for the nose and not the throat.[2] At-home tests should be used as directed to avoid invalid results.²

With the emergence of new variants, the FDA is looking at current tests available. It is advising the public to stop using the LuSys Laboratories COVID-19 Antigen Test (Nasal/Saliva) and the LuSys Laboratories COVID-19 IgG/IgM Antibody Test.[3] There is a high risk of false results when using these two tests.

The FDA has also given a list of tests that can detect the Omicron variant and those that cannot.[4] Here is a list of those that are able to detect the Omicron Variant:

[1] U.S. FDA. January 07, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-shortens-interval-booster-dose-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-five-months

[2] FDA. January 07, 2022. https://twitter.com/US_FDA/status/1479548116684709890

[3] FDA. January 11, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/stop-using-lusys-laboratories-covid-19-tests-fda-safety-communication

[4] FDA. December 28, 2021. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/sars-cov-2-viral-mutations-impact-covid-19-tests?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#omicron

Masks Still Work

Masks still work in protecting you from COVID-19.[1] The type of mask you are wearing has certain level of protection. You get the least protection if you are wearing cloth masks, while N95 masks provide the better protection: bandana < double layer cloth mask < surgical mask < N95.⁵ If you are contemplating on whether to wear a mask or not, look at this graph from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH):[2]^,[3]

As Dr. Graham Snyder, medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said, “Masking works. Period.”⁶

[1] CDC. December 6, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/masking-science-sars-cov2.html

[2] The Wall Street Journal. January 10, 2022. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cloth-face-mask-omicron-11640984082

[3] ACGIH. No date. https://1lnfej4c7wie44voctzq1r57-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Fact_Sheet_Face-Mask.pdf

Claire B. Lazaro, MSN, RN, NP, PHN, NP-C

Director of Clinical Services

Please continue to stay safe and healthy.

Case Management Update - Children

Early Start

Nikki Gillespie was just promoted to Division Manager of Consumer Services- Children. Nikki will work under the direction of Tara Sisemore-Hester our Director of Consumer Services- Children. Nikki will oversee services for children ages 0-5 which includes Early Start and early childhood Lanterman services. In addition to these duties, she will coordinate provisional eligibility services for children ages 3-4.9. Nikki has over 30 years of experience at VMRC that includes Early Start management, Lanterman case management and resource development. She also has served on the Nor Cal Early Intervention Committee, ARCA Early Start Discipline committee and several local Early Start committees. We are confident that Nikki’s expertise and experience in Early Start and services for children will be an asset to our families and consumers.

First 5 San Joaquin

First 5 San Joaquin recently announced a new robust community-based outreach initiative, All in for Families. This initiative will work to connect families of children ages 0 to 5 to needed community support and resources.

"We believe if we can work together as trusted resources for the families our community agencies collectively serve, we can truly create a community where all families and children thrive. This initiative will offer funding for the time and energy organizations spend on this project. Funding is currently only available to those who are not presently funded by First 5 San Joaquin."

Learn more about the funding opportunities: sjckids.org/All-In-For-Families

Submit an application: All in for Families Application  (Applications are due by January 21)

This initiative will engage partners in many ways to help get important information out to our community of children 0 - 5 and their families. Here are just few ways they they say you could help:

• Posting digital content on your organization’s social media channel(s) 
• Sharing the pre-written write-ups in your newsletters 
• Displaying promotional posters in your facility 
• Offering promotional flyers in your facility or at events
• Encouraging community members to visit online resources 
• Calling/directly reaching out to individuals you know who would benefit from information

The Infant Development Association of California fosters collaboration between families and professionals working with children, birth to three with special needs. We accomplish this through education, leadership and advocacy.

Upcoming IDA Events

January 14 & January 18th (2 Day Event) ~ Can We Coach? Yes We Can! 

As professionals working in early intervention, we strive to provide high quality and individualized, family-centered services. “Embedded Coaching” makes that possible, but it takes practice, competence, and confidence! We all benefit from community dialogue and support in order to refine and enhance our work with families (be it in-person, virtual, or hybrid)! Wherever you find yourself along the coaching continuum (new/green, highly skilled, or somewhere in the middle), this course provides a platform for attendees to identify their strengths and also to collectively hone skills for effective and fulfilling work in early intervention.

YOU have the option of registering for BOTH days OR you can attend Day 1. Details below!



For more information and registration

January 22 ~ Saturday Morning Listen

Join us to chat about the importance of the work that we do and ways to support our children, families, and ourselves.              

·    Come 15 minutes early (8:45) to visit and learn more about IDA

·    There will be a theme to discuss for most of the hour

·    We will reserve part of the hour for open sharing

·    We will divide into breakout groups if more than 12 people attend

·    We will set the next months theme at the end of our hour

·    

For more information and registration

January 24 ~ 7th Annual IDA Policy Update

7th Annual IDA Policy 2022 Update

Monday January 24, 2022

8:30am-12:30pm

Join us to hear and discuss current policies and regulations that providers need to know in 2022 at the Federal, State and Local Levels.

For more information and registration

February 8 ~ Leadership Conversation Series

IDA is launching our next set of lunchtime brown bag discussions. Join your Early Intervention Leadership Colleagues from noon to one for virtual conversations and information-sharing regarding administrative and operational challenges facing EI programs.

For more information and registration

February 10 ~ Cortical Visual Impairment and Routines-Based Strategies

Research tells us that young children learn best when learning is embedded into day-to-day routines. The same philosophy applies to children with cortical visual impairment (CVI). Join us in exploring a variety of strategies that can support visual access, the understanding of what is being seen and the development and expansion of concepts within the child’s daily routines. Learn about how to increase the child’s overall perception of their surrounding world.

For more information and registration

February 25 ~ Mom, Interrupted: Evaluating and Supporting Postpartum Trauma and Mood Disruption

This training will explore variables that contribute to postpartum mental health, both protective factors and risk factors. We will discuss how to evaluate postpartum needs of mothers and their partners involved in the early intervention program. Attendees will learn about neurological changes related to pregnancy, birth, and birth trauma and how those changes create new mood, sleep, and relational patterns. Finally, we will examine case studies to understand the variety of perspectives and symptoms for women coping with postpartum mental health needs.  

For more information and registration

Tara Sisemore-Hester

Director of Consumer Services - Children

Family Resource Network (FRN) Update

Lisa Culley, Executive Director

FRN offers Tikes & Tunes, a musical play group, for children receiving services through the Early Start program. The sessions are the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month. The next session is Tuesday, January 21, 2022, from 9:30-10:30am. Please contact the FRN office at 209-472-3674 or email to FRNfamilies@frcn.org to receive the link to participate.

Please join us the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month from 9:30am-10:30am Registration is required to receive link.

Please contact Family Resource Network by phone at 209-472-3674 or by email at FRNfamilies@frcn.org to register or for more information *For children receiving services thru the Early Start Program in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Amador, Calaveras & Tuolumne Counties This Play Group will meet VIRTUALLY-we are unable to hold in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download the Flyers:

English Version

Spanish Version

Self-Advocacy Council 6 (SAC6)

Weekly Virtual Chat

Let’s Check In with each other!



WHEN: Friday, January 14, 2021

TIME: 11:00 AM -12:15 PM

WHERE: ZOOM - computer, tablet, cell phone

Come and Learn from SAC6 members, SCDD North Valley Hills & VMRC about the return of Camping, Social Recreation and other services that the regional center can pay for again!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86124958598?pwd=cnZBSnBSQTY0QVhhSUVVTXZxTGU2Zz09

Meeting ID: 861 2495 8598

Passcode: 575429

You must enter the Password

OR you can call in:

TOLL FREE NUMBER TO CALL IN

888 475 4499 US Toll-free

877 853 5257 US Toll-free

Also – VMRC Update by Tony Anderson and Mental Health Tip of the Day by Dr. Dave Demetral of Person Centered Services!

PDF Version of the SAC6 Flyer Here

North Valley Hills Update

Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager (209) 473-6930

What Is Ableism? Here's What You Need to Know About This Form of Discrimination                           

Ableism starts with the attitude that people with disabilities are less than.

By Colleen Murphy Health.com 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law from 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people based on disability. But discrimination against people with disabilities continues, and that discrimination is often referred to as ableism. Here's what you should know about ableism, including why it exists, how it affects health and society, and how to help end it. 

What is ableism?

Merriam-Webster defines ableism as "discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities." This discrimination—which can be based on physical or mental abilities—happens in digital and in-person spaces and can occur on an individual or a systematic level. Designing a building or website without accessibility in mind, making fun of people with disabilities, not making reasonable accommodations so disabled people can access public spaces, and assuming that people with disabilities want or need to be "fixed" are a few examples of ableism.

When it comes to systemic ableism, there's an assumption that everybody does things the same way, and that assumption is institutionalized through policies and societal values, Kathy Martinez, president and CEO of Disability Rights Advocates, tells Health. "When that happens, a large swath of the population is at a disadvantage."

Regardless of what level ableism is happening on, it starts with the attitude "that typical abilities are superior" and "that people with disabilities are less than," according to Martinez.  

Who does ableism affect?

Ableism most directly affects those who are disabled. But it will also have an impact of almost everyone at some point. "For better or worse, the disability community is a community that can be joined at any time—even if you join the disability community on a temporary basis, like if you break your leg or if you're injured and you lose function," Martinez says.

Ableism also affects the labor force. As of July 2021, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is 12.1%—compared to 5.4% for people without disabilities. If just 1% more of those with disabilities were welcomed into the US labor force, the country's gross domestic product could increase up to $25 billion, according to a report from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

How can we put an end to ableism everywhere?

It starts with changing attitudes. "What changes people's minds is their connection to someone with a disability," Martinez says. "Weaving accessibility into programs, services, our culture will allow people with disabilities to participate at a higher level."

"I think the more we mix it up with people with disabilities, the less fear people have about and stigma about disabilities; we fear less what we know best," Martinez says. "So if disability is just part of our day, it becomes less [stigmatized]… But the way to combat ableism is to realize that disability is a natural part of the human condition and that designing a world and expanding our culture to include people with disabilities benefits everyone."

How to connect to SCDD through Social Media

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!