VOR Weekly News Update
VOR is a national non-profit organization that advocates for
high quality care and human rights for all people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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VOR promises to empower you to make and protect quality of life choices for individuals with developmental disabilities
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VOR's Virtual Annual Meeting
Last Sunday, VOR again held its Annual Meeting, its first since COVID-19 canceled our plans for the 2020 meeting, and our first annual meeting on line. The meeting was a huge success. Materials from the meeting may be viewed and downloaded from our website, at www.vor.net.
The members heartily approved renewing the terms of nine directors. The next day, the Board elected the following members to serve as directors and officers:
Officers
Harris Capps - President
Sam Friedman - 1st Vice President
Joanne St. Amand - 2nd Vice President
Rita Winkeler - Secretary
Larry Innis - Treasurer
Directors
Ronald Colman
Mary Kay Cowen
Ann Knighton
Terry Lafleur
Randall Laverty
Linda Lotzi
Darrell Pickney
Mary Reese
Mary Vitale
We, the families of VOR, are grateful to these officers and directors for their generosity, their governance and their advocacy.
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Ohio - Follow up on last week's news
The article below was from last week's newsletter. It refers to a bill that was pending in the Ohio Statehouse. We are pleased to announce that the bill has been signed into law by the Governor.
In this landmark (for us) case, Disability Rights Ohio will be held to account, reviewed every two years by state overseers. Kudos are due to Caroline Lahrmann, whose dedication and advocacy helped generate this blll and push it through to become law. In her words,
Hi Fellow DD Advocates,
As you know, Ohio has been battling the P&A since 2014. VOR has been a huge part of our efforts here and we appreciate your help.
I want you to know that today, the Governor signed into law a budget that includes an amendment that calls for a committee of the state legislature once every two years to hear testimony from DD families about the P&A. We are grateful to have a voice and a means to shine a light on the activities of an agency that has actively worked to undercut the most vulnerable people with disabilities.
Ohio families worked with the state legislature to get this done. You can do. I urge each of you to work with your state legislatures, as Ohio families did, to get a similar amendment passed in your state. I am happy to help anyone that has any questions.
Thank you,
Caroline Lahrmann
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Ohio - Disability Rights Group Argues Bill Amendment would Threaten Ability to Investigate Freely
By Bennett Haeberle, WBNS 10, June 23, 2021
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The measure would create a legislative committee that could – on a recurring basis – “examine the activities” of Disability Rights Ohio.
Disability Rights Ohio, a nonprofit advocacy group for individuals with disabilities, says a bill floating through the Ohio statehouse could undermine their ability to freely investigate abuse and neglect and advocate for the rights of individuals in certain care facilities.
However, parents of children with disabilities argue the legislative review proposed under an amendment to House Bill 110 is needed because some of the advocacy efforts of Disability Rights Ohio interfere with what parents, guardians – and in some cases the courts – have decided is best for their children with disabilities.
In a statement, Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), who is in favor of the amendment, told 10 Investigates:
“I have heard the concerns of parents and guardians who have raised questions about the process to remove their loved ones from an Intermediate Care Facility without being consulted. Families need to know their voice matters. That is what we are providing, a way to make sure their voices are heard.”
The measure would create a legislative committee that could – on a recurring basis – “examine the activities” of Disability Rights Ohio, which says it has the blessing of the federal government to investigate abuse and neglect allegations independently and interview children or adults with disabilities who reside in facilities where the alleged issues have taken place.
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Disability Rights Ohio’s executive director Kerstin Sjoberg told 10 Investigates during an interview Wednesday that:
“The exact language is -- they are going to examine the activities of the protection and advocacy program. And that’s very alarming to us - especially because one of the activities that Sen. Romanchuk is unhappy with is our ability to go in and speak privately and confidentially with people with developmental disabilities who have guardians.”
A parent group says DRO‘s investigations at other intermediate care facilities have been concerning — telling adults with disabilities that they can live outside a facility — what one parent called an overreach.
“Disability Rights Ohio is inserting itself between a parent and a child, between a guardian and their ward and trying to encourage the ward to go against what the guardian has decided is best. That is not investigating abuse and neglect, what that is doing is interfering in the decisions of private Ohioans,” said Caroline Larmann, a parent of children with disabilities.
The bill amendment is currently being considered as part of conference committee talks among lawmakers as the current legislative session winds down.
If it’s approved, Sjoberg said they’ll ask Governor Mike DeWine for a line-item veto.
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Click on blue link to view information about the bill
VOR OPPOSES:
H.R. 603 & S. 53 - The Raise the Wage Act - These bills are aimed at raising the minimum wage, but they also have provisions to phase out and ultimately eliminate vocational centers and 14 (c) wage certificates over the next six years and to immediately stop the issuing of any new certificates. VOR believes the issue of employment options for individuals with intellectual disabilities should not be buried in a bill for raising the federal minimum wage. Both issues deserve clean, stand-alone bills.
H.R.1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration.
H.R. 2383 - The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act - this bill purports to assist employers providing employment under special certificates issued under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 in transforming their business and program models to models that support individuals with disabilities through competitive integrated employment, to phase out the use of such special certificates. We feel that, if enacted, tens of thousands of people with I/DD and autism will still be forced out of opportunities they currently, needlessly, and left without viable alternatives to occupy their time or address their needs and their abilities.
VOR SUPPORTS:
VOR takes no position on whether or not the minimum wage should be raised to $15 per hour, or some other amount. We do, however, oppose any bills (see H.R. 603 & S. 53, above) that would remove vocational centers and 14(c) wage certificates.
For those who do support raising the minimum wage, there are currently two "clean" bills in the House that would raise the minimum wage without taking opportunities to work in a therapeutic environment through the use of 14(c) certificates. Those bills are H.R. 112, from Rep. Al Green (D-TX) and H.R. 325, from Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Additionally, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has introduced a bill in the Senate, S 478, that would raise the minimum wage to $10 over a period of three years for some workers, without eliminating 14(c) wage certificates. The bill would also require the Department of Homeland Security to implement electronic verification to verify that prospective employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
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Direct Support Professionals:
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VOR ❤️s OUR DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS!
Our loved ones' caregivers are essential to their health, safety, and happiness.
In appreciation of their good work and kind hearts, VOR offers free digital memberships to any DSP who would like to join.
We encourage our members to speak with their loved ones' caregivers to extend this offer of our gratitude.
If you are a Direct Support Professional interested in receiving our newsletter and e-content, please write us at
with your name, email address, and the name of the facility at which you work. Please include the name of the VOR member who told you of this offer.
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What's Happening In Your Community?
Is there an issue in your loved one's home that you need help with?
Do you have information or a news story you would like to share?
Is there legislation in your state house that needs attention?
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836 South Arlington Heights Road #351 Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Toll Free: 877-399-4867 Fax: 877-866-8377
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