Governor's Office of Disability Affairs Newsletter
November 2021
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Gov. Edwards & LDH Officials Get COVID Boosters and Flu Shots, Encourage All Eligible to Go Sleeves Up Against the Flu |
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Effective immediately, booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are available to adults at increased risk, following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you are 6 months out from your two-dose Pfizer series, you are now eligible to receive a booster shot if you are:
- Age 65 or older
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Age 18 or older and have one of many underlying medical conditions
- Age 18 or older and live or work in a setting that places you at risk of being exposed to COVID
"We welcome and adopt here in Louisiana the new FDA and CDC guidance making booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine available to adults at increased risk," said Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer. "The deliberations by both federal health agencies this past week reaffirmed that the vaccines are safe and effective, and they are everyone's best protection against COVID hospitalization and death. That's why our number one priority remains helping more Louisianans get their first shots."
CDC and LDH will evaluate with similar urgency available data in the coming weeks to swiftly make additional recommendations for other populations or people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and LDH recommend a yearly flu shot for everyone over 6 months of age who does not have a complicating condition, such as a prior allergic reaction to the flu shot.
A flu shot is especially crucial for people who may be at higher risk for serious complications. This includes babies six months and older and young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions and people 65 years and older.
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For the latest updates relative to COVID-19 resources please click here.
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For a list of locations, visit LDH’s vaccine directory or visit vaccines.gov, which is maintained by the federal government.
- To get a list of vaccine locations near you text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English, or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish.
- If you have questions, would like to speak with a medical professional, or need help scheduling an appointment, call 211 or Louisiana’s vaccine hotline at 1-855-453-0774.
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2021 Governor's Outstanding Leadership in Disabilities (GOLD) Awards &
Inclusive Art Contest
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The GOLD Awards recognizes extraordinary individuals and organizations who have contributed their time and talents to benefit the lives of persons with disabilities in Louisiana. The award categories are:
Distinguished Merit Award
Patsy Barrett Memorial Award
Ken Vince Memorial Award
Educator of the Year
Youth of the Year
Family of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
Employer of the Year
Service Provider of the Year
Direct Support Professional of the Year
Veteran of the Year
Service Animal of the Year
Elected Official of the Year
Public Servant of the Year
The nomination form for the 2021 GOLD Awards can be found here.
The Inclusive Art Contest enables participants to increase awareness of the importance of inclusion in today's society through visual and written artistic expression. Entries should illustrate or describe ideas related to this year's theme: "Accessibility of the Future."
NEW WRITING CATEGORIES: In addition to the visual art categories, there will be categories for written art. Contest participants may submit literary works (such as poems, essays, speeches, etc., limited to 300 words) that illustrate or describe this year’s theme.
The Inclusive Art Contest is open to any resident of Louisiana, with and without disabilities of any age. Contestants are encouraged to conduct research on the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A medal and special recognition from Governor John Bel Edwards will be presented to the winners.
The 2021 GOLD Awards is scheduled to take place on December 8, 2021 at the Old State Capitol at 1:00 p.m. Interested parties may participate virtually. Due to concerns relative to COVID-19, both programs are subject to a limited in-person invitation.
The deadline for submissions for both the 2021 GOLD Awards and Inclusive Art Contest is Monday, November 1st!
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Congratulations to
Dr. Bruce Parker and
Dr. Melanie Washington
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The Governor's Office of Disability Affairs celebrates the new employment opportunities of both Dr. Washington and Dr. Bruce Parker.
Dr. Melanie Washington will serve as the new Executive Director of the Children's Cabinet within the Office of the Governor. Dr. Washington formally served as the Executive Director of the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for EarlySteps in the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs. Dr. Washington has served in this role for almost four years (beginning January 2018). During her time as the SICC Director, she has worked closely with the EarlySteps team, Council members, and stakeholders in advocating for the needs of children and their families. Dr. Washington’s leadership and work experience with multiple stakeholder groups and populations will be invaluable to the efforts of the Children’s Cabinet.
Dr. Bruce Parker has accepted a new opportunity with Out Boulder County in Boulder, Colorado. He will be serving as Deputy Director and overseeing all operations and programmatic work. Bruce has been an important part of the Governor's team. He has served as Director of Community Programs since the first day of the administration and has been an effective leader for that team as well as an effective advocate for individuals with disabilities and organizer for the Governor's agenda. He has been a pivotal part of many of the victories we have achieved thus far and will be missed. We know he will make us proud in his new role and look forward to hearing about the great things he accomplishes in Colorado. He is sad to be leaving this team but is excited to return to doing community work to support LGBTQ people and progressive policies.
The Governor's Office of Disability Affairs wishes these leaders well in their new roles.
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Remembering
Glyn Faye Butler Kilbourne
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It is with great sadness that we report the loss of Glyn Faye Butler Kilbourne, who passed away on Friday, October 15th. Glyn worked at Disability Rights Louisiana for over 24 years, advocating for people with disabilities on issues related to special education, employment, and vocational rehabilitation services.
Glyn's dedication and prolific body of work led her to take on the role of Program Manager for the Client Assistance Program and Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security at DRLA. She served on the Louisiana Rehabilitative Council and trained people with disabilities, service providers, advocates, social workers, and school personnel on issues ranging from special education, transition, and employment-related issues.
The Governor's Office of Disability Affairs sends our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences to Glyn’s family, friends, and everyone who was fortunate enough to know her.
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Louisiana State ADA Coordinator's Webpage |
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Louisiana R.S. 46:2591 et seq. established the Office of the State Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, effective Aug. 1, 2021. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in all areas of public life, including employment, school, transportation and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
The purpose of the office is to serve as the coordinating body for ADA compliance for all state agencies within the executive branch of state government. Responsibility for compliance is shared by each state agency with additional, specific responsibilities assigned to Agency ADA Coordinators.
The office also provides educational and technical support for state agencies so that those programs, services and activities provided by the state are accessible and usable by all residents.
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Louisiana Rehabilitation Services Survey |
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Louisiana Rehabilitation Services needs your help to learn more about the needs of individuals with disabilities living in Louisiana. Please complete our survey before November 12th by clicking on the link below. Your answers will assist us with improving our services.
Please click here to participate in the survey.
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Families Helping Families and Healthy Blue to Host Statewide Virtual Job Fair |
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The network of Families Helping Families Resource Centers are hosting a STATEWIDE Virtual Job Fair for Individuals with disABILITIES on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 10 am to 2 pm. The event is free to both employers seeking new employees and job-seekers seeking work, thanks to a generous sponsorship by Healthy Blue.
They have contracted with Brazen, a premiere platform for hosting virtual events, to bring you this opportunity. The purpose of the event is to give employers with job openings an opportunity to video chat or chat via a chatbox with individuals with disabilities. As a job-seeker you can upload your resume, meet with a variety of employers or speak to someone at Louisiana Rehabilitation Services about getting a job.
Many state agencies and private employers are planning on participating in this first ever Statewide Virtual Job Fair for Individuals with disABILITIES. If you are looking for a job, register now. If you are an employer wanting to participate, you should immediately register as spots are limited.
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Healthy Louisiana Announces Open Enrollment |
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Open Enrollment is from October 15 - November 30, 2021 across Louisiana and extended to last until June 30, 2022 if you live in one of the 25 parishes that FEMA approved for disaster relief because of Hurricane Ida.
During this time, people enrolled in Medicaid’s managed care program, known as Healthy Louisiana, have the opportunity to choose a new health plan or do nothing and remain with their current plan.
In addition to choosing a health plan, Medicaid members will be able to choose a dental plan for the first time. Previously, all Medicaid members received dental coverage through one dental plan.
There are five health plans and two dental plans to choose from. Enrollment changes made during this time will go into effect on January 1, 2021.
Open enrollment is the only time Healthy Louisiana members can change health plans without a qualifying reason, outside of their initial enrollment period.
There are several ways for a member to change health plans. Members can make their choices online at www.myplan.healthy.la.gov, by using the Healthy Louisiana mobile app, by calling the Healthy Louisiana enrollment center at 1-855-229-6848, or by completing the paper enrollment form that comes with their open enrollment letter and following the directions on the form to return it.
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Webinars On Employing Individuals with Disabilities |
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LaDDC launched Working Together: Employing People with Disabilities, a series of online webinars that provided step-by-step planning and implementation strategies for recruiting, hiring and retaining employees with developmental disabilities.
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Louisiana Commission for the Deaf Survey |
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In partnership with the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD), 2axend, LLC. is conducting a survey to gain a better understanding of the patient experience in healthcare settings for hard of hearing, non-signing deaf and late deafened individuals in the State of Louisiana. It will take about 5 minutes to complete.
The information provided in this survey will be used as a statewide effort to review and/or implement policies and practices to improve patient experience in medical settings that will address the overarching community's communication needs and preferences. Please click here to complete the survey no later than Monday, November 15, 2021: https://form.jotform.com/212844353931153.
We appreciate your assistance in completing, if applicable, and sharing this survey to individuals who are hard of hearing, non-signing deaf and late deafened.
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Disability Rights Louisiana Lunch and Learn Series |
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We are very excited to announce the launch of our brand new, DRLA Lunch & Learn webinar series! We will be featuring a webinar on the first Thursday of every month that you can virtually attend around lunchtime, to stay in touch with the services, issues, and discussions that we feature as part of our work here at DRLA.
The premiere episode in our Lunch & Learn series, “DRLA: A Guide to Our Services”, will be presented by Director of Community Advocacy, Debra Weinberg; Director of Policy & Community Engagement, Tory Rocca; and Assistant Legal Director, Melanie Bray.
This will take place on Thursday, November 4th, 2021 @ 12:00 noon, and you can join by following this link: https://bit.ly/3lYpO0R
Stay tuned to this space for more information and announcements for future episodes. We can’t wait to see you there!
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Finding Children with Disabilities in Emergencies Survey |
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Legislators asked the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities about ways to find children when they walk or run away. Some families use electronic equipment in case their children are missing.
Your answers to the survey will help tell legislators what families think and want. Take the survey at: https://qoo.ly/3em27i.
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Families Helping Families to Host Bully Prevention Training |
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Families Helping Families of Acadiana is hosting a webinar/training on Louisiana's Bullying Prevention Laws on November 3, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. The informative session will provide parents tips and knowledge on bullying policies and what it means for students with disabilities.
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The resource link is managed by the state of Louisiana and contains updates from state and federal agencies such as: FEMA, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Louisiana Department of Health.
Additionally, The Emergency Management for Disability and Aging Coalition (EMDAC) is working hard to respond to the needs of the disability and aging communities in the wake of Hurricane Ida. To access the most up-to-date information and resources, click here.
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Louisiana Department of Health Conducts Health Assessment Survey |
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Share your thoughts on health issues in your community by taking the State Health Assessment Survey today. https://buff.ly/3BXOoF8. |
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Media of the Month
"Claiming Disability:
Knowledge and Identity"
by Simi Linton
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A comprehensive assessment of the field of Disability Studies that presents beyond the medical to dig into the meaning
From public transportation and education to adequate access to buildings, the social impact of disability has been felt everywhere since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. And a remarkable groundswell of activism and critical literature has followed in this wake.
Claiming Disability is the first comprehensive examination of Disability Studies as a field of inquiry. Disability Studies is not simply about the variations that exist in human behavior, appearance, functioning, sensory acuity, and cognitive processing but the meaning we make of those variations. With vivid imagery and numerous examples, Simi Linton explores the divisions society creates—the normal versus the pathological, the competent citizen versus the ward of the state.
Map and manifesto, Claiming Disability overturns medicalized versions of disability and establishes disabled people and their allies as the rightful claimants to this territory.
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GODA Spotlight: Jazz Monet |
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Jazz Monet Thomas has been awarded the honor of Employee of the month for Market #18 of Crossmark, a company that conducts Sam’s Club Demonstration Events. She was selected from a pool of employees from stores across Louisiana and Mississippi.
Her recognition is especially significant for the month of October, as it is designated as Disability Employment Awareness Month. Her supervisor’s testament, is that regardless of Jazz’s disability, she always lends a helping hand to her team without expecting anything in return. Jazz also constantly and consistently engages with the store members by providing an optimistic and encouraging attitude while assisting them with anything they might need.
We recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month each October to commemorate the many contributions of persons with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. The theme for NDEAM 2021, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the prominence of ensuring that persons with disabilities have complete access to occupations and community involvement during the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jazz is the daughter of John and Adrienne Thomas. In addition to her employment, she is a first semester student in Baton Rouge Community College’s Program for Successful Employment and an aspiring entrepreneur.
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Your story has the ability to heal, unify, and empower others. If you'd like to share your story for inclusion in our monthly newsletter please email disability.affairs@la.gov
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