Minnesota Council on Disability

MCD is seeking passionate individuals to join the Legislative Task Force on Guardianship. This is your chance to address concerns and improve the rights of people with disabilities and older adults under guardianship. Over the past few years, we’ve listened to your feedback and partnered with advocacy groups to create this task force. Now, we need your expertise to develop recommendations that will transform our guardianship system.

We’re looking for a diverse group of 25 members, including people with disabilities, advocates, family members, and guardians. Your unique perspective is crucial in influencing guardianship legislation. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a real difference – the application deadline is August 2, 2024. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

Ready to be part of this important initiative? Apply now on the Secretary of State’s website. Help create a more just and effective guardianship system for all Minnesotans!

https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/372

Join the opening night of The Art of Disability Justice Now, a disability community-centered exhibition that is curated and organized by AmplifyMN: A Disability Justice Collective and University of Minnesota students.

The evening's festivities feature local disability performing artists beginning at 6:30 pm.

A community art project and refreshments will be available throughout the night to help celebrate the opening of The Art of Disability Justice Now. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

Details:
Friday, July 19, 2024
5:30 - 9:00 PM
Mill City Museum
704 South 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 5540

Learn more: https://www.mnhs.org/events/2180

MCD is celebreting Disability Pride with ACT - Advocating Change Together and several other agencies and disability organizations!

We are located on the Capitol lawn. We are here until 1:00 pm.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) isn’t just history—it’s shaping our present and future. As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, our updated “25 Days of the ADA” series explores its far-reaching impact. The ADA’s influence stretches across all aspects of life: from opening doors in employment to transforming healthcare access, from revolutionizing education to reimagining technology.

With each passing day, it continues to break barriers. On July 26th, we’ll mark the ADA’s 34th anniversary. But this series isn’t just a look back—it’s a guide forward. Join us in revisiting these posts. Together, we can build on the ADA’s legacy, ensuring a more inclusive world.

Read more about the 25 Days of the ADA: https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/25th-ada-celebration-2/25-days-of-the-ada/

Mai Thor is a Hmong woman and refugee from Laos who contracted polio at a young age and dedicates much of her time to being a disability justice advocate.

Learn more about Mai: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/07/10/mai-thor-works-at-the-intersection-of-inclusivity-and-accessibility

July is Disability Pride Month, celebrating disability as an identity and culture. As part of our celebrations, we asked staff at the Minnesota Council on Disability: What does Disability Pride mean to you?

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/2023/07/18/disability-pride-stories-reflections-from-mcd-staff/

Happy Disability Pride Month! MPR will be featuring people with disabilities in Minnesota throughout July. The first feature highlighted Jules Edwards, an Anishinaabe author and disability justice advocate.

Follow the stories: https://www.mprnews.org/changemakers

ChangeMakers: Featuring Minnesotan disability advocates for Disability Pride Month Throughout July, MPR News is featuring people with disabilities working to make Minnesota more inclusive and accessible for all.

Join us on July 18, 2024, for ACT - Advocating Change Together 2nd Annual Disability Pride Festival. Celebrate disability culture, community, and pride. This free, family-friendly event hosted by ACT honors the rich diversity and contributions of people with disabilities.

Everyone is welcome! Help make disability pride visible and build a more inclusive Minnesota.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/celebrate-disability-pride-at-acts-disability-pride-festival/

July is Disability Pride month! Celebrate Disability Pride by joining ACT - Advocating Change Together for their 2nd annual Disability Pride Festival on the Upper Mall outside of the Minnesota State Capitol. Festivities include face painting, music, photo booth, open mics, food trucks and more!

Visit ACT’s page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/events/2221767648177001/?ref=newsfeed

We are back out at Twin Cities Pride! Stop by our booth! Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office is joining us again. Wilderness Inquiry is here with us this afternoon!

We are located in the light blue booths section. We are booths 240/241.

Stop by and grab some free fans, posters, pins, and more!

We are here until 6:00 pm.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/mcd-at-2024-twin-cities-pride-festival/

Happening now! MCD, Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office and Disability Hub MN are at Twin Cities Pride!

Stop by to grab an “Access is Love” fan, posters, buttons, coloring books and more!

We are here until 7:00 pm. Come say hi!

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/mcd-at-2024-twin-cities-pride-festival/

Guest blogger Diego Ozuna-Clark writes about the intersection of Deafness and Queerness. From a sheltered upbringing in a Mexican Catholic family to discovering themselves in college, Diego's story is a vivid reminder of the importance of accessibility, representation, and Pride. As we celebrate Pride Month, this post asks: What does true inclusion look like when Disability and Queerness intersect?

Discover how access to information can change lives and inspire Pride.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/2024/06/28/deaf-queer-and-proud-navigating-intersecting-identities/

This weekend, be sure to stop by our booth at the Twin Cities Pride Festival. This year’s pride theme is “Access is Love.” This theme highlights the intersection of disability advocacy and LGBT advocacy, emphasizing that true inclusion means ensuring accessibility is for everyone.

Pick up a Pride-themed “Access is Love” fan at our booth and join us in reminding people that accessibility is an expression of love and respect.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division will be joining the MCD booth on Saturday, June 29 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division serves people who are deaf, deafblind or have combined vision and hearing loss, hard of hearing or have hearing loss, or are late deafened.

They also serve parents and family members of people with hearing loss, human service providers, employers and businesses, and educators. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services can help by connecting you to resources and advice for your unique needs. They can also help you learn about hearing loss and assistive technology and tools.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/mcd-at-2024-twin-cities-pride-festival/

The Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office (OIO) will join MCD at our Pride booth on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

OIO works at the intersection of Minnesota’s state agencies and disability community. The Olmstead Plan aims to ensure that disabled Minnesotans are living full, integrated lives in their chosen communities. OIO was created in 2013 by the Subcabinet.

This year’s Pride theme is “Access is Love.” This theme highlights the intersection of disability advocacy and LGBT advocacy, emphasizing that true inclusion means ensuring accessibility for everyone.

Be sure to stop by our booth to get a Pride-themed “Access is Love” fan and join us in reminding people that accessibility is an expression of love and respect.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/mcd-at-2024-twin-cities-pride-festival/

This weekend, June 29 and 30, is Twin Cities Pride. At this year’s Twin Cities Pride Festival, MCD is excited to promote the theme “Access is Love.” This theme highlights the intersection of disability advocacy and LGBT advocacy, emphasizing that true inclusion means ensuring accessibility for everyone. Throughout the weekend, different partners will be joining our booth.

You can catch Disability Hub MN on Saturday, June 29 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Disability Hub is a free statewide resource network that helps you solve problems, navigate the system and plan for your future. Be sure to connect with Disability Hub!

Stop by our booth to get a Pride-themed “Access is Love” fan, and join us in reminding people that accessibility is an expression of love and respect.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/events-and-outreach/mcd-events/mcd-at-2024-twin-cities-pride-festival/

The 35W bridge will be lit tonight in the colors of the disability pride flag to celebrate the 25th Olmstead decision. If you grab any pictures, share them with us below!

Tomorrow, June 22, the 35W bridge in Minneapolis will be lit to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Olmstead decision! It will be lit in the colors of the disability pride flag a half hour before sunset to a half hour after sunrise. We will post photos of the lit bridge on Monday.

The colors of the disability pride flag represent:

Black is to mourn and honor people with disabilities who have died.
Green is for sensory disabilities.
Blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities.
White stands for non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities.
Gold is for cognitive disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and neurodiversity.
Red represents physical disabilities.

The 2024 Minnesota Legislative Session has officially ended, and despite a contentious finish, numerous bills aimed at improving the lives of Minnesotans with disabilities have passed into law.

This session was a “policy year,” focusing on legislative changes rather than large spending bills. Legislators preferred to reserve the surplus budget announced in February to cover unforeseen costs from the 2023 legislative budgets. As a result, MCD focused on advocating for policy changes with limited costs while laying the groundwork for future legislation involving more substantial funding.

There were few opportunities for “transformative change” this session, but – as MCD Council Chair Nikki Villavicencio noted – our work with the Legislature still has an impact:

“The Minnesota Legislature has always been a place of hustle and bustle – and a lot of debate about bills. To many people, it can feel like a lot of noise. But as the Chair of the Council, I believe that the effect of the Legislature’s actions on people with disabilities matters the most. Not the noise."

“This year was a policy year, so our desires for transformative change were limited. However, work was still being done! As one of the largest minority groups, educating policymakers and leaders about disability issues is a never-ending process."

“As with any Legislative Session, there are things that we want to continue to change. We can be hopeful that we are on the path to creating a more equitable Minnesota!”

Looking back over the session, Executive Director David Dively thanked everyone involved in the development of our legislative agenda:

“[I] appreciate the invaluable contributions of our community partners, self-advocates, and legislators who collaborated with us this year. Your commitment to disability advocacy was instrumental to our success. We also thank our Council members for their leadership and our staff for their unwavering commitment to this work.”

Learn how these policy changes will benefit our community and shape our legislative agenda moving forward.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/about-our-public-policy/legislative-updates/ #20240612

Transportation should be a bridge to opportunities, not a barrier. In the fourth post of this six-part series, Policy Consultant Sumukha Terakanambi explores the critical transportation challenges that prevent many Minnesotans with disabilities from securing employment.

Through personal experiences and practical policy solutions, this post highlights the urgent need for accessible and reliable transportation options across the state.

Read more about Barriers to Employment: https://www.disability.state.mn.us/2024/06/12/barriers-to-employment-a-lack-of-accessible-transportation/

Each year the National ADA Symposium Great Plains Region hosts the ADA Symposium and each year it is held in a different city. This year it is being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is a fantastic opportunity for professionals who work in a disability rights field to expand and hone their skills. It is also a place to connect with like-minded folks across the nation to share best practices, ideas, and a few meals over the course of four days.

The 2024 ADA Symposium registration is closed and there is a waitlist to attend now. On Monday, folks will descend upon Minneapolis to be with their peers and share knowledge and camaraderie. We will then return to our respective states, cities, towns, and organizations to continue working to ensure that folks with disabilities are included in society as equal members.

The nation needs more professionals who support disability rights. This can be as simple as having a basic understanding of disability culture and the ADA. The ADA Symposium is just one great way to achieve this.

MCD will also have a booth during the symposium so be sure to stop by!

Just a quick announcement - registration for in Minneapolis is officially closed! We've sold out all the seats for our event. To join the waitlist, visit https://bit.ly/ADASymposium2024Waitlist

Once you join the list, you will be contacted if any slots open up!

Parent-advocates, students and young adults with disabilities, are we living up to the One Minnesota Promise?

In Minnesota, we know we are all better off together... Diversity, inclusion, and equity are therefore essential core values and top priorities.

Whether the One Minnesota promise is actually achieved depends on all of us, not just the government. It all comes down to how we treat each other.

Please take a few minutes to include your voice in the One Minnesota survey!

All results will remain confidential. None of your answers will be used to identify you, your school, place of work, or your community.

https://demo.nexxt.in/p/Minnesota?psid=%7bunique_id%7d

Employers holding negative stereotypes and denying reasonable accommodations continue to hinder the employment prospects of people with disabilities.

In the third post of this six-part series, Policy Consultant Sumukha Terakanambi shares firsthand accounts and expert insights into how these barriers affect people.

From misconceptions about productivity to misguided views on accommodation costs, learn about the systemic issues at play and the policy proposals that can create a more inclusive workforce.

https://www.disability.state.mn.us/2024/06/05/barriers-to-employment-stereotypes-and-denying-accommodations

Do you want to share your input on how to improve inclusion, choice, and integration for disabled Minnesotans? Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan is being rewritten.

This is a statewide Plan to create more choices, options, and support for people with disabilities to live in the community. Help the Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office choose which areas the next Plan should focus on by taking their survey.

The survey is open from June 3 through 30. Learn more: http://cvent.me/xBgdEg

Discover the role disability services and supports play in Minnesota's employment landscape with Sumukha Terakanambi, a Policy Consultant at MCD. In the second post of this six-part series, Sumukha discusses some of the programs and resources designed to empower people with disabilities in the workforce. He also sheds light on the barriers many still face. From navigating eligibility criteria to advocating for informed choices, this post offers actionable insights and policy recommendations to dismantle systemic obstacles and create inclusive employment opportunities for all. https://www.disability.state.mn.us/2024/05/29/barriers-to-employment-a-lack-of-information-about-supports/

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day! This day brings awareness to digital access and inclusion by emphasizing the importance of making all digital communication and technology accessible. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3yBua4s

Join The Arc Minnesota to learn from self-advocates and their parents about their employment journeys! Each family will share their unique experiences and be available to answer questions.

The panel will include several adults who have disabilities and competitive jobs in their communities. They will share their experience finding their jobs.

The Parent and Family Event takes place on Wednesday, May 29 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

Learn more and register: https://arcminnesota.org/event/parent-and-family-employment-event/

This week, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York hosted leaders from six states in the National Governors Association Disability Inclusive Workforce Policy Learning Collaborative meeting.

Governor Hochul shared her disability employment policy and priorities and progress she has made to establish New York as a model employer. David Dively, MCD executive director, was one of the chosen leaders to participate in the NGA.

Join the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs and the community in a unique day filled with thought-provoking speeches, lively performances, and interactive sessions crafted to unite and amplify shared values. Whether it's engaging with local leaders or connecting through art and culture, this event offers a one-of-a-kind experience for all members of the family!

MCD along with the Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office will be at the event on Friday, May 3 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Stop by our table to pick up some resources, ask questions, and chat. We can't wait to see you!

Learn more: https://mn.gov/mcla/community/mcla-day-at-the-capitol.jsp?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3BVfp1Topa7YmzL95EJ4ALrsqhYX5LJ5qnNMnY48OFBp210cm8f2v9z8Q_aem_AWeMSlpcqwfuAKKFYR9MFpqDrDhEN-fH36Rw6_Dyjw8ER70ZKsvzxvMqsHuVNVS7e3ljaKfHPe_3h43iTIXxFoju

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is seeking proposals for targeted training to three cohorts in racial and ethnic communities. The GCDD will award a single annual grant of $70,000 that may be renewed up to four additional years. Proposals must offer a training program that develops and strengthens the ability of self advocates and parents of children with developmental disabilities from culturally diverse backgrounds to serve as leaders on disability issues that are important to them in their community. The deadline for proposals is Thursday, May 16. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WmYcFj