WHAT'S HAPPENING
EP WELCOMES TWO "GAME CHANGERS" TO THE EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
When we finally and truly become the United States of Inclusion, the portrait on the new hundred-dollar bill ought to be that of Steve Eidelman. The hundred-dollar bill is the largest denomination available and so is Steve.
In terms of currency, Steve has seen his efforts purchase independence, inclusion, acceptance, respect and progressive programs for millions of Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In keeping with the symbol and power of the hundred-dollar bill, one thing is certain—the disability community has gotten "change" from Steve Eidelman. Exceptional Parent (EP) Magazine is delighted to welcome Steve to the Editorial Advisory Board and we look forward to his guidance in helping us to prepare for the challenges awaiting us for the next 50 years.
— Rick Rader, MD, Editor in chief, EP Magazine
ABOUT STEVEN M. EIDELMAN, MBA, MSW
"Be a game changer. The world is already full of players." – Steve Eidelman
Steven Eidelman is the University of Delaware's H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Human Services Policy and Leadership. He holds joint faculty appointments in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy and the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Mr. Eidelman is the former Executive Director of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, leading the organization to implement innovative projects, programs and cutting-edge policies. Prior to his appointment with the University of Delaware, Mr. Eidelman was the Executive Director of The Arc of the United States, an advocacy group for people with cognitive disabilities and their families, which has more than 900 state and local chapters and 100,000 members. Mr. Eidelman also served as Deputy Secretary for Pennsylvania's developmental disability service systems in the Department of Public Welfare.
Great leaders know all about who they lead. They know because they have been there. Great football coaches started out as players learning the fundamentals. Great chefs started out peeling potatoes. Great CEOs started out in the mail room.
It's a formula that works and, in the case of Joe Macbeth, it had to be that way. Joe started out as a fresh, naïve and raw Direct Support Professional (DSP). His experience, insights, fears and efforts laid the groundwork for his commitment to work for and on behalf of the legions of individuals who are dedicated to supporting individuals with complex disabilities. We are delighted to welcome Joe to the Exceptional Parent Magazine Editorial Advisory Board where we look forward to his helping us to identify areas of interest to the thousands of DSPs that are thirsty for information to help them succeed.
— Rick Rader, MD, Editor in chief, EP Magazine
ABOUT JOSEPH M. MACBETH
"I didn't come to play the game. I came to change it." – Joe Macbeth
Joseph M. Macbeth is the Chief Executive Officer and President of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP; nadsp.org) and has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for nearly 40 years, beginning as a Direct Support Professional. Mr. Macbeth is recognized as an international leader in the advocacy and movement to recognize direct support as a profession, and is a highly sought-after speaker on the workforce challenges that affect the disability system. He coauthored the Report to the President: America's Direct Support Workforce Crisis: Effects on People with Intellectual Disabilities, Families, Communities and the U.S. Economy for the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID, 2017), he was the Issue Editor for Impact: The Direct Support Workforce (cont.)
and People with Intellectual, Developmental, and Other Disabilities (University of Minnesota, 2018) and produced an award winning Realistic Job Preview titled "Working as a Direct Support Professional: We Get It Done" (NYSACRA 2011). While working in New York, Mr. Macbeth partnered with the State University of New York (SUNY) by assisting more than 500 direct support professionals advance their college education through the "Disability Studies Certificate." He is a guest faculty at the University of Delaware's National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities (NLCDD) and currently sits on the board of directors for The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices (TLCPCP) and The College of Direct Support's National Advisory Board. In 2019, he was appointed by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) as a member of the National Quality Forum's (NQF) Committee on Person-Centered Planning and has been recognized as a National Honoree, (2020 National Honors) by the National Historic Recognition Project for significant national contributions in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities in the US between 2000 and 2020. He lives in Albany, NY.
WHAT'S HAPPENING CONGRESS LEAVES DISABLED PEOPLE BEHIND IN COVID-19 RELIEF BILL
Washington, D.C. – After months of delays and months of coordinated advocacy from the disability community, this week Congress passed another coronavirus relief bill which does not address critical needs of disabled people, our families, and our service providers. Our community is hurting. Our community is dying. More than 40% of the nation's coronavirus related deaths have been people with disabilities in congregate settings, and yet the recent COVID-19 relief bill provides no dedicated funding to support people with disabilities living in their homes and prevent further admissions to congregate settings. The bill also did not provide funding to get disabled people out of dangerous congregate settings where the spread of COVID-19 has been so deadly.
While disabled people grieve the loss of our community due to this virus, we are also struggling to access much needed supports and programs. The COVID-19 relief bill also failed to provide funding for personal protective equipment for paid and unpaid direct support workers, who have provided essential services throughout this pandemic.
WRONG PRIORITIES: The delay of this COVID-19 relief package is a direct failure of Congress to prioritize the American people.
We applaud the dedicated support that Congress provided to increase broadband access and provide pandemic-related assistance to families for broadband. People with disabilities experience a significant digital divide, and these dollars will help keep people connected during a time of isolation. Congress did authorize some small stimulus payments, but these payments exclude adult dependents, which means that families of people with disabilities and multi-generational families will not receive adequate equitable relief. The bill included funding for health care providers and for mental health services, some of which could be used for people with disabilities, but these provisions do not say anything about ensuring that people with disabilities can transition out of or be diverted from congregate settings, and there is no guarantee that any funds will be used for this purpose.
The extended increases for unemployment, rent, and SNAP assistance, as well as the support for transportation entities and the extension of the eviction moratorium until January 31, 2021 are necessary and should not have taken Congress months to agree upon, leaving millions uncertain of where they would live, how they would eat, how they would afford to care for themselves and their families, and how they themselves would get the care they need.
The significant delay of this COVID-19 relief package is a direct failure of our leaders in Congress to prioritize the American people. We are outraged at the way in which our representatives and leaders in Congress have failed to support the health and wellbeing of people with disabilities, and Americans at large. This pandemic and its far-reaching economic impacts are far from over, and the new Congress must take immediate action in January to secure increased funding of home and community-based services, paid family leave, funding to support local, Tribal, and state governments, financial aid for back-paying rent and avoiding eviction, extensions of increased unemployment assistance, and more. [From the AAPD website; 12.23.20]
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (AAPD):
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 56 million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation. To learn more, visit the AAPD Web site: aapd.com.
EP MAGAZINE: INDISPENSABLE TO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY FOR 50 YEARS
First published in 1971, EP Magazine is set to continue its legacy of excellence in reporting, advocating and innovating for people.
Five decades ago, Exceptional Parent (EP) Magazine was first published by a small, dedicated group of healthcare professionals and educators led by Maxwell J. Schleifer, PhD. Throughout its 50 year history, EP Magazine has chronicled the challenges and triumphs experienced by the special needs community, providing unequalled coverage for families and professionals involved in the care and development of people with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
EP THEN AND NOW: Since 1971, EP has provided unequalled coverage for families of people with disabilities and has developed long-term strategic alliances with many major professional medical societies and lay organizations.
EP Magazine focuses on providing information and support for the special needs community. The magazine has an expanding readership of print and online readers including parents, families, physicians and professionals who are involved in the care of children and adults special health care needs.
Over the years, EP Magazine has featured an incredible roster of contributors and columnists who are leaders in their various fields of expertise and who bring their invaluable experience to EP's readership with depth, empathy, personality and humor. Endorsed by the The American Academy of Developmental Medicine & Dentistry (AADMD), EP Magazine counts several of its past presidents on its Editorial Advisory Board.
• EP Magazine addresses topics each month that are vital to the health and wellbeing of the disability community, including Healthcare, Financial Planning, Autism Awareness, Education, Diet and Nutrition and many more.
• EP Magazine has covered the legislative landscape throughout the decades, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and significant court cases such as Olmstead v. L.C., and continues to track all manner of advocacy initiatives for its audience.
• Since taking over as Publisher in 2016, Len Harac has broadened the reach of the publication, establishing a renewed print and digital edition of the monthly magazine, an enhanced web presence integrated with social media, and robust partnerships with several Fortune 500 corporations. Editor In Chief Rick Rader, MD is recognized as one of the most influential voices for disability rights and practical compassion in the country today. Dr. Rader was recently appointed to the National Council on Disability.
EP provides proprietary, need-to-have information that is useful to parents, families and caregivers as well as teachers, physicians and allied health care professionals. In addition, over the past 50 years EP has developed long-term strategic alliances with many major professional medical societies and lay organizations serving the disabled. EP is always seeking to form partnerships with any and all organizations who prize goals of diversity and inclusion in their missions to serve the disabled community.
EP Magazine is an award-winning publishing and communications company whose mission it is to reach an even wider audience of people with special health care needs and those who care for them. Please join us in celebrating 50 years of this exceptional publication. Learn more about EP Magazine and subscribe today at epmagazine.com •