New Website Teaches Californians About Long-Term Care Insurance

State officials are urging Californians to visit a new website designed to educate people about buying long-term care plans to assist with the cost of health services they may need in the future, HealthyCal<http://www.healthycal.org/archives/7272> reports.

The five-month-old website, RUReadyCA.org<http://rureadyca.org/>, is managed by the California Partnership for Long-Term Care, a joint venture of the state Department of Health Care Services and several health plans that sell long-term care insurance.

According to HealthyCal, most adults do not consider purchasing long-term care insurance because of the cost or because they think they will not need coverage in the near future.

Brenda Bufford, program director at the partnership, said that it has proved challenging to educate state residents about the complexities of long-term care.

Website Details

The website features:

 *   Descriptions and pricing for the different policies available;
 *   Details on where the policies can be purchased; and
 *   Calculators to estimate premiums and how much money individuals should save to prepare for long-term care expenses if they choose not to buy a policy (Sample, HealthyCal, 1/31).


Read more: http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2012/2/1/state-officials-seek-to-educate-residents-with-long-term-care-website.aspx#ixzz1lAKZFTlO

Mon January 23 2011- Explore Your Future: UC Berkeley invites students with Disabilities to explore Campus on Ed Roberts Day!

UC Berkeley’s Invitation to A College Campus Visit For High School Students with Disabilities

On January 23, 2012

Explore Your Future

Who:  The Disabled Students’ Program at the University of California, Berkeley, in cooperation with the Berkeley Center for Independent Living (CIL), is opening the Cal campus to area high school students with disabilities. Support has been provided by the Thunen Family Foundation and William “Sandy” Muir and Paulette “Pauli” Muir.

What:  During the program, area high school students with disabilities will engage in a short session on “how to” get into college, as well as enjoy a tour of the Cal college campus. The entire program will take about 90 minutes.

Where: Identical tours will begin at 9am, 11am and 1pm, in the Alumni House on UC Berkeley’s campus (near Bancroft Way and the Haas Pavilion). Pick a time and call-in your reservation request (see contact person’s name below).

When: This program will be held on January 23, 2012, in observance of the statewide Ed Roberts’ Day celebration – recently enacted and sponsored by State Senator Loni Hancock (invited). 

Why:  As a student at Cal, Ed Roberts helped this campus learn how to serve students with disabilities. He also founded the Berkeley CIL.  Ed Roberts forever changed the landscape for people with disabilities in our community, state, nation and the world. Come and build your future. For more about Ed Roberts see: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2010/07/27/roberts/

 For more information about this event; or to make a reservation for your school contact: Paul Hippolitus, Director of the Disabled Students’ Program at Hippolitus@berkeley.edu; or call 510-642-8783.

Help defeat the Isakson Amendment to the ESEA

It is expected that Senator Isakson (R-GA) will offer an amendment during HELP Committee consideration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act of 2011 that would allow schools to discriminate by significantly lowering the academic expectations for students with disabilities.  Click here to learn more on how to fight this!

National Vocation Rehabilitation Success Stories

Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation Success Stories -  read success stories of people with disabilities in vocational rehab from all over the United States!

Education and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

Education is essential to a person’s life. It is hard though for people with disabilities to get accomidations that they need.  This is why in the legal world, there is a plan for students with learning disabilities called an Individual Education Plan or (IEP).  There are also very simple accommodations that are legally required for schools to implement.  Unfortunately, many schools will make it hard for parents to get their child's accommodations.

According to kidshealth.org, an IEP is a plan the educators and parents can make for “kids with delayed skills or other disabilities” to help them succeed and to get services that are available to help the child to succeed in school and to achieve goals that have been set as a part of the IEP. Kids who are eligible to get an IEP include: kids with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or (ADHD), emotional disorders, cognitive challenges, autism, hearing impairments, visual impairments, speech or language impairments, phyisical impairments, and developmental delays. This is a wide spectrum of children, which includes a variety of disabilities. Each IEP is planned for the specific child and no two plans are the same. Individual Education Plans can be obtained from observations that have been made on a student’s performance in academics, a conference with a parent/guardian or the student, or a student analysis. When a child is approved for an IEP, a team or supports for the child is assembled including therapists that are needed in the specific child’s situation, a special educator, teachers, a representative of the child, and most importantly a district representative. At the first IEP the team will make a plan as to what the IEP should entail.  The team will discuss the needs of the child and goals for the school year.  The IEP will be reviewed anually.

As part of the IEP plan, there may be services that are offered, though out the day.  For example, small reading groups with a teacher’s aid, vision therapy, hearing therapy, physical therapy, counseling, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other services.  Other accommodations may be a notetaking aide for people who have trouble taking notes in class, the use of a computer, etc.  These accommodations can be changed at any time based on the child’s needs and progress.

The process of getting an IEP is complex and can be a struggle at times to deal with. The school district is required to help a child obtain an IEP if the resources they can provide are not substantial enough.   Many children in a private school setting may not be able to get the same services that a child in a public school setting can get.  Although the range of disabilities that can be eligible for an IEP are quite wide; not all children with disabilities will get one especially if they are in a private school setting. On the other hand, when an IEP plan is obtained, it can change a child’s educational life for the better and make a huge impact on the achievements and success that the child has in an educational setting.