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8/13/14 CP News

Volume #20 – Issue #9

GOVERNOR CUOMO SIGNS UPDATED ACCESSIBLE SIGNAGE BILL

Governor Cuomo signed A.9934-A (Galef)/S.6846-A (Carlucci) into law as Chapter 190 of the Laws of 2014.  This new law requires the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to remove the word “handicapped” from any signs or means of communication and to replace the current universal symbol of accessibility with the logo of a dynamic character leaning forward with a sense of movement.  CP of NYS strongly supported this legislation because it adds a sense of movement and purpose to the current symbol for accessibility, replaces the outdated word “handicapped” with accessible and has no fiscal implications as it only requires future signage to be changed.

Barbara Crosier

ANNUAL AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Individuals and groups will be honored in 10 categories at the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State Annual Awards Dinner on Monday, October 20 at the Hilton Albany Hotel. The ceremony takes place during the CP of NYS Annual Conference, October 20-22. The list of Awards winners can be found HERE.

For more information on our Annual Conference visit our website at www.cpofnys.org.

Al Shibley

OBAMA SIGNS WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT LIMITING SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act on July 22, 2014.  The law limits placements at sheltered workshops and other work places where people with disabilities earn less than minimum wage.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act includes the following requirements:

  • Individuals with disabilities age 24 and younger will not be allowed to work for less than the federal minimum wage (currently$7.25 per hour) unless they first receive pre-employment transition services at school and try vocational rehabilitation services.
  • Mandates that state vocational rehabilitation agencies work with schools to provide transition services to all students with disabilities.
  • Requires that the agencies allocate at least 15 percent of their federal funding toward such transition efforts.
  • Updated rules specific to what’s known as subminimum wage will take effect two years after the law’s enactment.
  • Most young people must try competitive employment before working for less than minimum wage although there are exceptions for those who are deemed ineligible for vocational rehabilitation and to allow individuals already earning less than the federal minimum to continue in their jobs.
  • If individuals with disabilities earn less than minimum wage, they periodically must be provided career counseling by their state and be informed about other work opportunities.
  • Shifts responsibility for some disability and independent living program functions from the U.S. Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Barbara Crosier

TWO CP OF NYS AFFILIATES ARE HALF OF NEW LONG ISLAND NETWORK

UCP Nassau and UCP of Suffolk are among four Long Island nonprofits planning to pull together into a single network of community health centers. The four organizations have formed a corporation called LISH.

LISH has filed a certificate-of-need application to build a diagnostic and treatment center and a network of extension clinics and intends to operate the three extension clinics and four diagnostic and treatment centers run by the organizations. The new network is expected to reduce inefficiencies and achieve efficiencies of scale. LISH, soon to be known as Long Island Select Healthcare, plans to become a grantee of Hudson River HealthCare, a network of federally qualified health centers in the Hudson Valley and Long Island.

Al Shibley

DME UPDATES

New York State Department of Health (DOH) updated the DME Procedural Manual.  A summary of changes to the manual can be found on page 3.  Two areas of coverage criteria changes:

  • K0005 – NYMEP met with DOH over the concern with the 2014 coverage criteria that required a person to be independent in ADL in order to be eligible for a K5. DOH acknowledged the concern and reverted back to the 2013 coverage criteria that did NOT require a person to be independent in ADL to qualify for a K5.  Read through the complete coverage criteria here.
  • AFO and KAFO – Removed the requirement that a person needed to be ambulatory to qualify for AFO / KAFO.  DOH removed that criteria.  Read through the complete policy here for details.

Deb Williams

UCP OF NYC AWARDED GRANT FOR E-MODS PROGRAM

UCP of NYC was awarded a $556,778 grant from the NYS Department of Health from its Balancing Incentive Program (BIP) Innovation Fund. The grant will allow UCP of NYC to conduct much needed home modifications for people with Medicaid to allow them to remain in their home and prevent unnecessary hospital, nursing home, or other residential placement. All NYC residents with Medicaid and a qualifying health condition that limits them from fully accessing their home are eligible to apply. Read more here.

Al Shibley

ELKS, ENABLE RAISE FUNDS FOR HOME SERVICE PROGRAM

On July 20, members of the New York State Elks Associations Ontario District partnered with CP of NYS Affiliate, Enable for their 3rd annual “Anything that Rolls” fundraiser. Teams walked, ran, rolled in wheelchairs, and roller-skated along Onondaga Lake Parkway to raise money for Enable.  Team Ontario raised over $1,000 which Enable graciously allowed the Elks participants to raise specifically for the CP of NYS Home Service Program, the Elks Major Project. Representatives from the Ontario District are already planning to join next year’s fundraiser.

Team Ontario District
Members of the NYS Elks Association Team Ontario raised more than $1,000 for the CP of NYS Home Service Program at Enable’s “Anything That Rolls” event last month.

Al Shibley