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Hello Dave,<br>
<br>
Thanks for forwarding this. Recall that at our last State Convention,
we passed a resolution on this subject. We may wish to share that
resolution with Amy, and to colaborate to make sure our concerns are
met while preserving our right to opt out of services we don't need.
One accommodation we don't want or need is the tendancy of some
hospital social workers to want to discharge us to nursing homes when
both we and our spouse are blind. That service should be offered, not
forced, when some aspect of recovery depends on the presence of someone
with vision (to read equipment, etc.) that the blind person may not be
able to arrange for.<br>
<br>
Bill Reif<br>
<br>
<br>
David Meyer wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:6B7EE1EC60E44F0A897D8ED6BAA18A86@dave" type="cite">
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-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Peterson [<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:Amy@equipforequality.org">mailto:Amy@equipforequality.org</a>]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 11:13 AM
To: Jim Dickson; Kim Borowicz; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:handschu@ameritech.net">handschu@ameritech.net</a>; Pamela Burman; Paul
Scher; Alyson Slaughter; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:KJMcCulloh@aol.com">KJMcCulloh@aol.com</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ponytail2255@aol.com">ponytail2255@aol.com</a>;
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:eipjian@atg.state.il.us">eipjian@atg.state.il.us</a>; Bill Jurek; Patti Chang; Sharon Howerton; Ray
Campbell; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:dbogus@cityofchicago.org">dbogus@cityofchicago.org</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jalbritton@cityofchicago.org">jalbritton@cityofchicago.org</a>; Elyssa
Winslow; Rachel Marks; Victoria Ferrarini; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pittman.e.a@cometlink.com">pittman.e.a@cometlink.com</a>;
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:info@comp-unique.com">info@comp-unique.com</a>; Klaus Nave; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:harris.robert@epa.gov">harris.robert@epa.gov</a>; Cheryl Jansen; Andy
Roy; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jaejin.pak@gmail.com">jaejin.pak@gmail.com</a>; Kelly Pierce; Marcia Trawinski;
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:lauri@guildfortheblind.org">lauri@guildfortheblind.org</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:camille@horizons-blind.org">camille@horizons-blind.org</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:krista@intenex.net">krista@intenex.net</a>;
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:george-nancy@juno.com">george-nancy@juno.com</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:bev51tbird@sbcglobal.net">bev51tbird@sbcglobal.net</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:datemeyer@sbcglobal.net">datemeyer@sbcglobal.net</a>;
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:johnsonvoices@sbcglobal.net">johnsonvoices@sbcglobal.net</a>; Sue Jennings; Wan Henderson; Lydia Zopf; Tom
Ladis; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:shastalis@transitchicago.com">shastalis@transitchicago.com</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pberg@uic.edu">pberg@uic.edu</a>; WSANA; Kerry Obrist
Cc: BarryT Taylor; Sarah Price
Subject: Hospital Access Initiative
Hello all. Attached please find an announcement, the identical document in
a number of different formats, about our Hospital Access Initiative.
A number of disability rights advocates are working on this initiative with
the goal of improving hospital access for people with disabilities in
Chicago and surrounding counties. I have also pasted the text of the
announcement below in the event that someone is unable to read any of the
attachments. We intend to gather as much information as possible about the
problems people are experiencing or have experienced. We will greatly
appreciate all responses and we encourage you to share this announcement
freely with others. Please note that the persons to contact about hospital
access problems are listed at the bottom of the announcement. Thank you.
Amy
Amy F. Peterson
Equip for Equality
20 N. Michigan Avenue
Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60602
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:amy@equipforequality.org">amy@equipforequality.org</a>
(312) 895-7324
HOSPITAL ACCESS INITIATIVE
A coalition of Illinois disability rights advocates has launched a
Hospital Access Initiative, combining Education, Legislation, Advocacy
and Research to enhance hospital access, the provision of in-patient and
out-patient healthcare services and accommodations for people with
disabilities in hospitals within Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and
McHenry counties.
In general, people with disabilities confront a myriad of access
barriers to healthcare - physical barriers (e.g., architectural and
inaccessible examination and diagnostic equipment), attitudinal barriers
(e.g., doctors misconceptions and assumptions about a person’s
disability that leads to inferior care, neglect, or denial of care), and
communication barriers (e.g. lack of communication facilitators and
accessible formats) - which limit meaningful access to healthcare and
accommodations in hospital settings. Some specific examples of access
barriers affecting persons with mobility, communication or cognitive and
mental impairments, persons who are blind or visually impaired and
persons who are deaf or hard of hearing include:
Mobility Impairments
v Small examination rooms which restrict wheelchair or scooter
movement
v Lack or absence of lift or transfer equipment
v Examination tables that do not lower to facilitate transfers
Communication or Cognitive & Mental Health Impairments
v Lengthy delays between the time an appointment is made and
the actual appointment
v Referrals of adult persons with communication or cognitive
impairments to pediatric providers, or referral to a psychiatric
provider or a hospital’s psychiatric unit for care as the person has a
mental illness despite the fact that the presenting medical issue is not
related to mental illness
v Early discharge or being discharged from a hospital without
notice
Blindness & Visual Impairments
v Hospital staff not identifying themselves or their
positions
v Prescription information, care instructions or return
appointments are not offered in alternative formats that are
accessible Lack of appropriate accessible signage using Braille
or raised letters
Deafness & Hearing Impairments
v American sign language interpreters are generally not available
during visits
v Assistive listening devices are not offered, precluding the
ability to ask questions or get a complete understanding of the
diagnosis, care and treatment
v Hospital physicians and staff rely on family members to
communicate with you
If you or your loved ones have a disability and would like to share
with the coalition your in-patient or out-patient experiences in
hospitals within Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and McHenry
counties, please contact Judy Panko Reis, M.A., M.S., Access Living, at
(312) 640-2184 or via email at <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jreis@accessliving.org">jreis@accessliving.org</a>; Sarah Price,
Equip for Equality, at (312) 895-7339 or via email at
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:sarah@equipforequality.org">sarah@equipforequality.org</a>; or Andrés J. Gallegos, Esq., Robbins,
Salomon and Patt, Ltd., at (312) 456-0381 or via email at
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:agallegos@rsplaw.com">agallegos@rsplaw.com</a>. All discussions are confidential.
May 2010
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06:26:00
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