Service animals clarified as dogs
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Service animals help those with disabilities navigate through their day-to-day activities. Under law, it is an unfair discriminatory practice to prohibit these animals from being in a public place.
Residential treatment conditions need improvement, study says
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An audit of the state’s 130 in-patient services for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and chemical dependency resulted in several recommendations by the Office of the Legislative Auditor for service improvements from the top down.
Serious shortfalls at the Security Hospital
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Some of the hardest-to-serve Minnesotans are the 1,300 who live in state-run residential facilities. These programs provide treatment and housing for people with chemical dependencies, mental illnesses, and developmental disabilities. Last week the Office of the Legislative Auditor issued a scathing review of how the Department of Human Services (DHS) manages their residential facilities. The report noted several major shortcomings that should be of concern to all of us, since our tax dollars fund these programs and our most vulnerable citizens reside in them. Continue Reading
Deaf History Month: A time and tools to explore 150 years of the deaf community in Minnesota
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Deaf History Month is like no other national celebration in many ways, including the fact that the month starts on March 13 and ends April 15, those dates being so important to Deaf history that the “deaf community has made an exception to the rule.” I love it! Continue Reading
OPINION | Yes, I’m in special education. Does it matter?
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“Don’t let anyone see this,” I screamed inside my head.
OPINION | Access delayed is access denied
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For me, access isn’t an ethereal concept; it’s practical. Access shapes, directs and guides my life. More to the point, lack of access shapes my life. Because I use a wheelchair, if I can’t get into a building, I can’t participate in the building’s activity. On Tuesday, I couldn’t get into the Minnesota State Capitol, the seat of Minnesota’s democracy.I have muscular dystrophy, a genetic, progressively debilitating muscle disease. Continue Reading
When tests tell teachers nothing: Special needs not met by standardized tests
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Every spring at St. Paul’s Bridge View school for students with significant special needs, teacher Rachel Peulen spends two to three weeks administering a test that she knows will tell her next to nothing about her students. On most days, Peulen’s middle schoolers each work on activities designed to meet their particular needs. One student works on remembering classmates’ names. Another practices recognizing flashcards inscribed with simple words. Continue Reading
Special education students rely on strong support system to overcome daily challenges
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Unable to walk on his own, Kenny Knutson relies on his parents to move him around the house in a wheelchair.
More kids with disabilities in Minneapolis and St. Paul district schools than in area charters
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Twin Cities charter schools enroll a smaller proportion of special education students than St. Paul and Minneapolis district schools. The special education students who do attend charters tend to have less intense needs than the students with disabilities attending district schools. Why is this happening? And what does that difference mean for funding in district and charter schools? Continue Reading