Allies in the fight...

While perusing the newspaper this morning, I saw a great column from Jerry Large about the Children's Alliance. The Children's Alliance fights for all-things "kids" in Olympia, from nutrition to education to health care. They have an extensive and very experienced staff, and I always learn something from them whenever we talk. It's usually around health care since we collaborate together as part of the Healthy Washington Coalition, a group of consumers dedicated to improving the state's health care system. We share ideas, coordinate strategy, and work in tandem to make sure that the system works all consumers, not just people with chronic conditions or children. We are more likely to get a lasting solution if we can make sure it works for everyone else, not just the MS community, so relationships like these are very important to our work.

The column is a great introduction to the issues that legislators are facing this year. What are your thoughts on the most important issues facing people with MS and other chronic diseases this year?

How much should prescription drugs cost?

A recent article in the New York Times sheds light on a trend within the pharmaceutical industry - sky high price increases with little justification except profit. The drug featured in the article at first primarily treated infantile spasms, but has since been marketed for other such uses as MS attacks and rheumatologic conditions. The article offers an extensive history of the drug and gets one thinking about some important questions about prescription drugs. How much should drugs cost? Who should pay for them? In figuring out what drug works best for you, should you consider price? It's a great read and something that everyone in the MS community should be talking about.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Do you know what today is? It's the International Day of Persons with Disabilities? See below for President Obama's proclamation recognizing the day. It's quite the prose, eh?

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Americans have always understood that each of us is entitled to a set of fundamental freedoms and protections under the law, and that when everyone gets a fair shot at opportunity, all of us do better. For more than two decades, our country has upheld those basic promises for persons with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act -- a sweeping civil rights bill that moved our Nation forward in the journey to equality for all. And from making health care more affordable to ensuring new technologies are accessible, we have continued to build on that progress, guided by the belief that equal access and equal opportunity are common principles that unite us as one Nation.

On the 20th International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we reaffirm that the struggle to ensure the rights of every person does not end at our borders, but extends to every country and every community. It continues for the woman who is at greater risk of abuse because of a disability and for the child who is denied the chance to get an education because of the way he was born. It goes on for the 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide who all too often cannot attend school, find work, access medical care, or receive fair treatment. These injustices are an affront to our shared humanity -- which is why the United States has joined 153 other countries around the world in signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls on all nations to establish protections and liberties like those afforded under the Americans with Disabilities Act. While Americans with disabilities already enjoy these rights at home, they frequently face barriers when they travel, conduct business, study, or reside overseas. Ratifying the Convention in the Senate would reaffirm America's position as the global leader on disability rights and better position us to encourage progress toward inclusion, equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for persons with disabilities worldwide.

We have come far in the long march to achieve equal opportunity for all. But even as we partner with countries across the globe in affirming universal human rights, we know our work will not be finished until the inherent dignity and worth of all persons with disabilities is guaranteed. Today, let us renew our commitment to meeting that challenge here in the United States, and let us redouble our efforts to build new paths to participation, empowerment, and progress around the world.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 3, 2012, as International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I call on all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Have you had trouble voting because of your disability?

If so, your story needs to be heard! The National Council on Disability (NCD), in collaboration with the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and EIN SOF Communications, Inc., wants to hear about people with disabilities voting experiences during the upcoming 2012 General Election. Through a brief, open-ended questionnaire, NCD and our partners will collect information about voter’s experiences, including any physical, attitudinal, or other barriers they may have faced when attempting to exercise your constitutional right to vote. We will issue a report based on the findings of the questionnaire in early 2013. Please share this questionnaire broadly to your constituents, consumers, friends, etc.  To take or share the questionnaire, follow this link.  If you have any questions, please contact NDRN at 202-408-9514, ext 130.

It's scholarship time!

The Chapter is pleased to announce that we are now taking applications for our scholarship program. Details below:

Eligibility Criteria:

·         Must have multiple sclerosis or have a parent living with MS.

·         Plan to attend an accredited post-secondary school for the first time.

·         Live in the geographical area of Washington, Montana or Alaska.

·         Applicants must be a United States citizen or legal resident who plans to enroll in an undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school located in the US.

·         Applicants must be enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester in course work leading to a degree, license or certificate.

Deadline:   Applications must be submitted online by January 15, 2013.

Scholarship amount:   $1,000 to $3,000, and will be applied to the 2013-2014 school year.

Application fee:   None

Applications & details available from:  Application must be completed online with a personal statement on how MS has impacted the applicant’s life. Applications are available at www.NationalMSSociety/Scholarship.

Criteria: All applicants must meet the basic eligibility criteria, fully complete the application and meet the deadline. Scholarship finalists will be selected on the basis of demonstrated financial need, academic record, leadership and participation in school or community activities, work experience, statement of educational and career goals, an outside appraisal, unusual personal or family circumstances and an essay on the impact of MS on their life. Decisions are not affected by a person's race, color, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation.  Award winners will receive notice in April 2013.

Questions: Please direct questions to Allison Stephens at 206-284-4254, ext. 40226 or  Allison.Stephens@nmss.org.

Medicaid expansion - what does it mean for Washington?

A recent news article lays out the choices that Washington is facing when it comes to Medicaid expansion - the opportunity for the state to use federal dollars to expand its Medicaid program to include childless adults. Previously, you had to be poor and something else to qualify for Medicaid - poor and disabled, poor and pregnant... Now, you just need to have a low-income to qualify for Medicaid if a state chooses to expand.

Washington's next Governor will have several choices to make as we determine how to move forward with health care reform in our state. The expansion of Medicaid is not the least among them.

To learn more, check out this article.

An opportunity to learn how to be a stronger advocate

An opportunity to take a class on advocacy came to me from one of our MS Activists, Veronica, who thought it may be of interest to others in the MS community. Great catch, Veronica and thanks for sharing! Here's the description of the class offered by North Seattle Community College.

Have you always wanted to advocate for change, but didn't know where to start? The policy making process seem a bit daunting? We're excited to present the free Political Empowerment Workshop, on Wednesday evenings starting November 13th. Velma Veloria, former State Representative, and Alice Tan Coil, educator/activist, will demystify all things political and help you recognize your leadership potential in this interactive class. For more details, click here.

To sign up for this FREE class, please call Continuing Education at 206-934-3705.