The Connecting Point 12
Sep 02, 2003 12:29 PDT 

In this ISSUE:

1) The National Disability Mentoring Day
2) Medicaid Formula- Widening Gap Between States Funding Ability
3) Second Addition: Section 8 Housing Made Simple
4) Special Pricing on Scan and Read Software
5) New Web Site: Disability Policy Center
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1) The National Disability Mentoring Day (NDMD):
Oct15., 2003 has been designated as National Disability Mentoring Day, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. Begun in 1999, National Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through one-on-one job shadowing, group visits to public and private employers, and hands-on career exploration. It is held in October in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month. For information and resources, visit http://www.aapd-dc.org
Source: Monday Morning in Washington

2) Medicaid Formula- Widening Gap Between States Funding Ability
The Medicaid formula narrows the average difference in states' funding ability by 20 percent but often widens the gap between individual states and the national average. Although the receipt of federal matching aid moves 30 states closer to the national average, making the average difference in funding ability smaller, it also moves 21 states farther away from the average, widening the average difference. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-620 Highlights http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d03620high.pdf
Source: TATRA: Reference Points

3) Second Addition: Section 8 Housing Made Simple
The Technical Assistance Alliance has released it's Second Edition of "Section 8 Made Simple: Using the Housing Choice Voucher Program to Assist People with Disabilities". The guidebook has been revised to provide the most up-to-date information on Homeownership assistance in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. It also includes a revised Appendix containing a list of current Public Housing Agencies with Section 8 vouchers targeted to people with disabilities. For more information, go to:
http://www.tacinc.org/cms/admin/cms/_uploads/docs/Sect8.2ndEd.pdf

4) Special Pricing on Scan and Read Software WYNN and Kurzweil 3000
Two Minnesota companies are offering reduced pricing on WYNN and Kurzweil 3000, scan and read software programs, which can help students who have difficulty reading, writing, and studying. Both programs allow users to scan in any text document and have the program read the text aloud. Users can customize the way the text looks and sounds and can use the many built-in features such as spelling checkers, highlighters, and dictionaries to enhance their understanding. WYNN scan and read software for Windows is available for about half price from Technology for Education. For more information about the features of WYNN, visit http://www.freedomscientific.com. This special offer ends November 15, 2003. Contact TFE with questions or to order: Their phone number is 800-370-0047, email Jim Rogers at jrog-@tfeinc.com or visit their web site http://www.tfeinc.com.
Kurzweil 3000 scan and read software is available in color or black and white formats for PC or Mac and is on sale through Freedom of Speech. For more information about the features of Kurzweil 3000, visit http://www.kurzweiledu.com.
This special offer lasts through Fall 2003. Contact Freedom of Speech with questions or to order. Their phone number is 877-367-4228 or email in-@freedomofspeech.com or visit their Web site at http://www.freedomofspeech.com
Source: Monday Morning in Washington

5) New Web Site: Disability Policy Center -
A new Web site went on-line September 1, 2003. The Web site contains training materials, policy papers and policy briefs prepared by Robert "Bobby" Silverstein. Bobby is the Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) inWashington, D.C. and former staff director and chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin. The address for the website is: http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org. The web site is organized by relevant topic areas. The following topics are included:

• Advocacy Training Materials
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Disability Policy, In General
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Olmstead Supreme Court Case
• Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
• Rehabilitation Act (See Vocational Rehabilitation)
• State Medicaid Buy-In Programs and State Work Incentive Initiatives
• (See also Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA)
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

In addition, the web site includes hot links to other disability policy-related web sites. To view and bookmark the new web site go to:
http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org

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