Happy New Year! Coming up at OIO

Minnesota Housing sent this bulletin at 01/24/2024 12:14 PM CST

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January 24, 2024

Message from the Director of the Olmstead Implementation Office, Aisha Elmquist

Happy New Year! In 2023, the Olmstead Subcabinet decided it was time to update Minnesota's statewide Olmstead Plan in a transformative way. Since I started as Director in September 2023, the Olmstead Implementation Office has continued reenvisioning the process for creating the next Olmstead Plan. We and the Subcabinet continue to ask ourselves, "What could we improve in the current Olmstead Plan? What voices have been missing from the planning process? How can we co-create an Olmstead Plan with people with disabilities that emphasizes equity, integration, and choice?"

People with disabilities deserve to live full, vibrant lives in their chosen communities. In 2024, we will hire consultants with lived experience of disability to co-create the next Olmstead Plan. We will also host a series of events for the community to share important input. To connect with communities that have historically been less engaged in the Olmstead Plan, or who may have challenges accessing our larger community events, we will start with a series of focus groups to take place this spring. We will also have written comment opportunities where you can share thoughts on where we should go from here.

As we plan next steps, we are connecting with community groups throughout the state, and we invite you to contact us at MNOlmsteadPlan@state.mn.us with invitations to attend events or to meet with additional community organizations.

Stay tuned to our newsletter for information on the next stages of the planning process. The best way to stay connected with OIO is through our newsletter, website, and social media. We will share updates as we move forward, including when consultant applications open and details about upcoming input opportunities.

We look forward to working with you in 2024 and beyond to make Minnesota a great place to live for people with disabilities.

Ed Roberts quote "I’m getting prouder all the time as I see thousands of other disabled people saying, ‘It’s time we got involved."

January 23 was Ed Roberts Day!

Each year on January 23 we celebrate Ed Roberts Day! Ed Roberts was a disability rights activist and the founder of the Independent Living Movement. After graduate school, Roberts became the head of the Center for Independent Living Berkeley (CIL). CIL was the first independent living service run by and for people with disabilities.

Independent Living emphasizes the belief that if an individual needs supports to live in the community, then those supports should be provided. The Independent Living Movement paved the way for both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision in 1999.

On Ed Roberts Day, we celebrate his work to advance the rights of people with disabilities. Thank you, Ed Roberts!

Workforce Shortage and People with Disabilities Workgroup survey results

The Workforce Shortage and People with Disabilities workgroup spent months holding community input events and workgroup meetings to plan for a survey that was distributed in August 2023 and ended September 2023. Survey respondents answered certain questions based on if they were or were not working in their communities. You can view the results for both groups below.

The next Olmstead Subcabinet meeting is Tuesday, February 13

The next Olmstead Subcabinet meeting is on Tuesday, February 13 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The Olmstead Subcabinet includes Commissioners and people who work for State Agencies who have goals in the Olmstead Plan. This meeting is open to the public.

Register for Subcabinet

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