Draft For Argumentation Paper

Christine Bowser

Instructor: Kirsten Daykin

Written Communications

Argumentation Draft

12/10/13

Christine Bowser

Instructor: Kirsten Daykin

Written Communications

Argumentation Draft

12/10/13

The Importance Of Living, Learning, And Working

How would you feel if every day of your life you had to fight for the right to participate

in society?  How would you feel if someone decided what you ate, what you wore for clothes,

and what kind of programs that you could or could not participate in?  Most people take for

granted the everyday luxuries, like being able to work, having a social life, being able to buy

what you want, eat what you want, being able to go where you want, and even to have the choice

to stay at Home if you are ill.  It is imperative for a person with disabilities to have a voice.  Ask

yourself who that should be.  How would you feel if some legislator or third party funding source was the deciding factor That determined whether you fit criteria to be able to receive services? What would you do if the agency that is funding your services said we don't have the money to help you so you are just going to have sit at home?  A person that is disabled has to fight every day of their whole life.

            This subject is very personal to me since I had a brother that had general cognitive Disabilities.  My brother Kevin attended a center based employment, Day Service program.  For

my He would not have been successful working out in the community unless he had one on one

coaching.  With all the funding cuts happening to social programs I don’t foresee any program

Wanting to fund one on one supports for all of someone’s work history if they won’t do it now. 

So what would happen to my brother if he was not able to continue working at a employment based center and it was closed because some obscure voice that was telling him that he was being exploited and segregated,  would he understand what that meant, why he couldn’t go to somewhere that he loved to go every day.  Whenever he would come home he would talk off and on through out the whole visit, with pride, what he had been doing at the center since I had seen him the last time, he took great pleasure in sharing with his friends and families of his accomplishments.  Now hearing I want you to ask yourself when you have pride in your accomplishments and goals do you share them with those around you?  Now ask yourself, how you would feel if that was all taken away from you.  There is also talk about closing group homes under this proposal?  How would this affect my family and would I be able to adequately provide for him.  I debated many times over the years on whether or not I should bring my older brother home to live with me.  He started out in an institution and then went to a group home, by the time I was established enough to be able to take care of him he had been living with the same group of men for twelve years.  The bottom line was he loved the people that he lived with and he loved his staff.  I felt that he lived in an amazing group home where people were able to see to his medical needs twenty-four hours a day. Now ask yourself how would you feel if all of that was taken away from you?  There is an old adage, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." spoken by Atticus Finch, written by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird”

 In this area there are a few different ways that you can access to help you to attain services that are going to help support your daily living needs.  The three choices that you can choose from are, "Western Wisconsin Cares, IRIS(I Self-Direct Services) and Care Wisconsin.

The way that Western Wisconsin Cares operates is that each person has a social worker, and a nurse.  The care team for this program works together to asses a person's needs and preferences, define desired outcomes and develop an individualized care plan.  This type of program controls

the client’s money and is the one that decides what kind of services that will be paid for and allowed.  IRIS is a program where you self-direct your publicly funded, community-based, long-term care supports and services. IRIS can help you get the life you want with the support you need. In IRIS you use your own natural supports and creativity with your budget to achieve your hopes and dreams.  Care Wisconsin is very similar to Western Wisconsin care, where there is a care management team that helps coordinate your programs.  Each family has to make the decision on what would work best for their family member.  Sometimes it is very hard to know, what would be the best choice.     

Right now there are so many cuts to social service programs. There is a debate on

sheltered workshops and what kinds of services that the government thinks that a disabled person should receive.  Current proposed regulations could eliminate center-based employment, like the Riverfront production facilities. (This may also affect those living in an adult family home.) 

CMS has already acted on this in other states by directing the closing of center-based Employment facilities.  At Riverfront, we have seen participants denied center-based

Employment when they do not have a community employment goal.  It’s possible that these

Regulations could close production facilities and adult family homes like those operated by Riverfront.  One of the biggest debates is that some people in the government think that sheltered

Workshops are holding back or segregating a person with disabilities.  The law is very vague and

Very open to interpretation.  

The National Disability Rights Network believes that sheltered workshops exploit a

Disabled person.  They believe that they do not provide meaningful employment opportunities.

They think that sheltered workshops exploit a person’s disability for financial gain and keep

They trapped in endless training programs.  Organizations like this believe that all sheltered workshops should be closed.  They believe that persons with disabilities should all be working in the community.  Right now a person with disabilities is paid a prevailing wage based on their rate of production.  if a handicapped worker's productivity is reported to be 65% of the normal productivity for a non handicapped worker doing essentially the same kind of work, the handicapped individual's wage can legally be 65% of the prevailing wage for that job.

This bill would eliminate Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows center- based facilities like Riverfront’s to pay participants based on their productivity as compared to the prevailing wage rates for similar work in the community.  Under the current rules, participants are paid according to their skill and ability. At Riverfront productivity rates average About 30%.  Requiring that all participants be paid the prevailing wage would eliminate employment opportunities at production facilities for people who have few opportunities for employment in the community, or those building skills for successful community employment.

Riverfront Incorporated that resides in La Crosse Wisconsin believes a one-size-fits-all solution to services does not reflect the diversity of needs of people with disabilities.  A continuum of services is needed to support each individual’s unique abilities, interests and priorities.  This organization is like many and has a multitude of opportunities.  The programs that are offered, are Job placement, whether in the community or at the sheltered workshop, Day service programs, behavioral programs, prime time programs for seniors, mental health counseling, recreation trips, and at home services.  Everything that an Organization like this does, is so that a person can be integrated into the community and be able to have a wide variety of experiences and supports. 

            Riverfront CEO Mary Kessons said in an article that the proposal from the centers of Medicare and Medicaid would bar dollars from going to any such programs.  It is already happening across the United States; in New York the agency has ordered the state to close all “sheltered workshops”.  Mary Kessens also says in response to this it would eliminate production facilities and homes for people with disabilities.  She believes that the federal insistence that all people with disabilities should have jobs in the community instead of specialized facilities is short sighted. 

            Even now the effects of this proposed legislation is starting to be felt here.  For example there is a brother and sister, Keith and Brenda, the sister has learning delays and mental health issues, the brother has general cognitive disabilities.  When Keith first started coming to Riverfront he was possibly the shyest person that I have ever me, and he would only talk to a few staff.  When he was walking doing the hall he would walk with his head down,  and when someone would be walking to close he would veer to the other side of the hall.  Every year Riverfront has a banquet to honor the participants and their achievements.  That first year Keith played the piano.  The only way that he could play was if there was a screen blocking anyone from looking at him, and he wanted that way because he would just close down if he knew people were looking at him.  That event took place four years ago, now Keith has a huge circle of friends and is able to talk to more than just a few people.  He loves to be in dance class, and loves to work in the afternoon on the production floor.  The jobs that Keith does is sorting and labeling.  I talked to his job coach who had tears in her eyes as she spoke so affectionately.  She said, Keith is a much happier and outgoing person from when he first started.  She also said that his level of work has not progressed to the level for him to be able to work in the community on his own.  The job coach also shared with me that what she thinks is important in this case is that Keith is happy and his family is happy with where he is at right now.  With the funding cuts it was proposed that both Keith’s and Brenda’s service be cut, and that the sister could watch her brother while the parents were at work.  This to me sounds like regression into segregation.  What would Keith have done if there weren’t places like Riverfront to go to after he finished school?  I asked Keith’s job coach what she thought and she said she doesn’t think he would be in the same place today emotionally if we wouldn’t have had access to these kinds of support.

            Another example is of another brother and sister.  They were coming to Riverfront five full days a week, attending day services in the morning and working on the production floor in the afternoon.  Now they only come into the Center three days and week and sit at home in isolation the other two days of the week. 

There are several types of programs that can be very beneficial to someone that needs assistance to meet personal goals.    A day service rehabilitation program helps a Disabled person identify their needs. Goals are set and put in a plan so a person can eventually attain that goal. Examples of goals could be to help with behavioral challenges such as aggression, helping an autistic person connect with other people appropriately, to learn how to use a walker, how to count money, how to read recipes, cook, and how to work in different environments. Other very important factors could be supporting the family, giving them respite, teaching skills, helping with mobility, communication, coping skills, socialization, self-care, community integration through outings. A person that is support through these kind of programs are less depressed, have more confidence, and live meaningful lives. They learn that they have gifts and can make a difference in other people’s lives.  If a person does not have any support they might become isolated, and be at risk for being abused. They might be placed in other services like institutions that are not appropriate for their needs. A person not receiving supports might also be denied the good things in life that could and should be available to them just as they are to most people in a community. Another problem would be not being able to develop skills or lose skills due to lack of support. If there were no rehabilitation or day service centers for persons with disabilities they would have to rely on their support networks that may or may not be healthy, their own coping mechanisms that they might or might not have learned, and rely on other people in the community to help them. Rehabilitation and Day Service programs are needed, they are a right and should not to be seen as a privilege. Every person deserves respect and support. Every person should be able to choose their programs that are going to enhance their lives. Plain and simple people with disabilities deserve to participate in life.