The 70^th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on December 10, 2018. The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities joins this international celebration with four website features, one released each month beginning in September as we countdown to the December 2018 anniversary.

Part 1

We invite you to watch Eleanor Roosevelt reading the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations. 

To see how Minnesota is doing, the Council conducted four separate Quality of Life surveys between 2000 and 2015: See a Summary of the Quality of Life Surveys. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains aspirational for many Minnesotans with developmental disabilities.

September 5, 2018

Part 2 OCTOBER – EMPLOYMENT

The 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on December 10, 2018. The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities joins this international celebration with four website features, one released each month beginning in September as we countdown to the December 2018 anniversary.

This is the second in a four part series of features leading up to the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2018. Since October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we invite you to celebrate the gains that have been made to foster inclusive work environments, and recognize the contributions that employers and delivery systems are making to increase the employment of individuals with disabilities.

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Governor Mark Dayton has issued a Proclamation recognizing October 2018 as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

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Minnesota Public Attitudes Surveys

Over a ten year period, Minnesota households were surveyed on three separate occasions about their attitudes toward companies that hire people with disabilities. In each survey, Minnesotans gave high respect at the levels of 97%, 97% and 92% to companies that hired people with disabilities. Review the key findings from the Minnesota general attitudes surveys that were conducted in 2007, 2012, and 2017 at summary-public-attitude-surveys.pdf.

For More Information About Employment Resources:

Executive Order 14-14 – On August 4, 2014, Governor Mark Dayton issued Executive Order 14-14, Providing for Increased State Employment of Individuals with Disabilities. From 1999 to 2013, the percentage of state employees who identified themselves as having a disability had declined from 10% to less than 4%. Governor Dayton charged all state agencies to increase that employment rate to at least 7% by August 2018. In July 2018, the 7% goal was reached.

Employment Success Stories – The Discovery Process is an information gathering tool that involves seven stages of learning about a person's interests and skills that will lead to better matches with employment opportunities, or shape job possibilities that will be successful, productive, and rewarding for the individual.  Over 30 employment success stories demonstrate the results of using the Discovery Process approach.
https://mn.gov/mnddc/council/grant-activities/employment2018.html

Meet the Future Face of Employment – The technology fields offer a broad range of jobs and careers for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Parents, educators, VR staff, and employers can take specific actions to facilitate the education, training, and employment processes.
https://mn.gov/mnddc/asd-employment/

Project SEARCH – Student interns are provided work opportunities and practical learning experiences to enhance their academic preparation and expose them to the world of work. There are currently six Project SEARCH sites in Minnesota – Medtronic, Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center, Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Hennepin County Medical Center, and Mayo Clinic.
https://mn.gov/projsrch/

Partners in Employment – This online course gives people with developmental disabilities the practical skills needed to find real, competitive employment in the  community. Learn to recognize your personal strengths, skills, and interests; and how technology skills can be useful to find meaningful employment. Create a resume or portfolio that presents you and your abilities in the best light. Learn about the hiring process and how to prepare for a successful job interview. https://partnersonlinecourses.com/partners-in-employment/

It's My Choice – A REVISED edition, released in 2017, made significant improvements in navigation and the usability of the guides and checklists. The concept and principles of person centered planning are interwoven throughout and one of the first checklists is the Person Centered Plan. For anyone who needs and uses services and supports to meet their personal life goals, including employment and beginning with transition students, this tool encourages their involvement and active participation in planning meetings. https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/publications/Its-My-Choice.pdf

Moments in Disability History – The ADA Legacy Project preserved and promoted the history of the ADA and the disability rights movement. A monthly series of "Moments in Disability History" recognized the leaders in the movement and significant events that resulted in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employment issues were specifically addressed in "Moments" about Civil Rights, Section 504 Regulations, Stories of Discrimination (including US Representative Tony Coelho's story), and Stories from No Pity.
https://mn.gov/mnddc/ada-legacy/

Disability Justice Resource Center – Courts are beginning to recognize the connection between the discriminatory treatment of people with disabilities and constitutional issues. The Resource Center was created to help members of the legal community better understand complex disability justice issues for people with disabilities, and identify and eliminate biases against people with disabilities including in the area of employment. Noteworthy are US District Court Judge Donovan Frank's presentation, "Developmental Disabilities and Equal Justice Under the Law, Including Employment and Diversity," and interviews with experts in the field about the fundamental legal rights of people with disabilities that relate to the Constitution. https://disabilityjustice.org/basic-legal-rights/

The 2017 Minnesota Racial & Ethnic Survey of Attitudes Towards People with Developmental Disabilities – This survey shows strong public support for employment and the high level of respect for companies that employ people with developmental disabilities. Survey results showed the importance of vocational counseling to help people with developmental disabilities get a better paying job, internships, on the job assistance so people can work in regular businesses, as well as training services for employers. The insights and perceptions of respondents can help inform policy decisions about employment, emphasizing the greater integration and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities in a broad range of businesses.
https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/MN-Racial-Ethnic-Communities-Survey2017.pdf View Survey as Text Only

Employer Survey (2005) – A customer-focused study of 600 Minnesota employers (businesses that employed individuals with disabilities and businesses that didn't) was conducted to identify and measure issues and perceptions that constitute barriers to employment for individual with disabilities. https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/employer_survey_rpt.pdf   View Survey as Text 

October 1, 2018

The 70^th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Part 3   NOVEMBER – HEALTH AND EDUCATION

The 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on December 10, 2018.  The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities joins this international celebration with four website features, one released each month beginning in September as we countdown to the December 2018 anniversary.

This is the third in a four part series of features leading up to the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2018.  These rights are all related to the core values of respect and human dignity that should be afforded to all individuals in all places, are interwoven throughout the Declaration, and speak to the common good.

The Articles that articulate health and education are highlighted this month.

Article 25

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

Article 26

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3.  Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

To illustrate Article 26 and its meaning to people with developmental disabilities, testimonials from three self-advocates have been selected. Each person has benefited from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ricardo Mourao, Judy Weiser and Kelly Lee speak about the right to self-determination and how they have dedicated their lives to helping others.

To see additional testimonials from individuals with developmental disabilities and family members linking disability rights to human rights visit: https://mn.gov/mnddc/future/video-index.html

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Since 2001, the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities has conducted customer and market research studies.  Over 25 studies have been commissioned. The topics selected are in keeping with critical public policy issues, ones of major concern to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and ones that are aligned with the rights expressed in the Declaration.  Regardless of the time period, the fundamental needs of people demand our attention.  Strides have been made and public attitudes have changed, in some instances quite dramatically.

Three quality of life surveys have been conducted with the following key findings:

• The impact of a developmental disability is most pronounced for respondents' abilities to learn, to live independently, and to be economically self-sufficient.
• Overall, quality of life responses to inclusion, productivity, self-determination, integration, and inclusion (IPSII) questions have remained fairly steady from 2000 to 2015; levels of satisfaction with inclusion are generally the lowest, while the level of satisfaction with independence has seen the largest decline among survey respondents.
• Having a job is associated with higher levels of satisfaction with one's quality of life, especially feeling productive and integrated into the community.
• Respondents with developmental disabilities between the ages of 19-34 have the highest unemployment rate, with about half of respondents without a paying job (based on 2015 data).
• Age matters, with respondents under the age of 18 feeling less satisfied with their quality of life, in particular in terms of inclusion and integration.
• In the most recent survey (2015), respondents identified economic security, access to services, and affordable housing as critical issues for improvement. For younger respondents, access to and inclusion in public education were most important.

The public's views, perceptions, and satisfaction with health care and health care services are contained in two surveys with the following key findings:

• Both the 2004 and 2018 surveys found that nine out of 10 Minnesotans have some form of health insurance.
• The number of respondents indicating they have Medical Assistance (MA)/Medicaid more than doubled between 2004 and 2018. This is at least partly a result of the expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• Medicare recipients are generally more satisfied than respondents with private health insurance on all aspects of their health care experiences.
• Regardless of differences between respondents, most agree that:
  • Health care should be available to all citizens regardless of their income or employment status.
  • People should not be turned away from necessary medical treatment, even if they are uninsured and cannot afford the treatment.
  • Everyone should pay something for their health care, with people paying varying amounts depending on what they can afford.
  • People who need more services than others, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, should get them without paying more.
• Households with a person with a developmental disability are more likely to have a pessimistic near-future outlook regarding health care quality and affordability, especially federal cuts to MA/Medicaid and health care access in general.

Summary of survey findings – Quality of life, Minnesota general public attitudes, and views on health care >>

Other Studies:

In April 2018, the "2018 Minnesota General Population Survey of Attitudes and Outlook Regarding Healthcare Services and Costs" was released.  Over 1,000 Minnesotans were surveyed. Survey questions were similar but updated from the first survey that was conducted of Minnesotans' views on health care services and costs in 2004, and included questions on the Affordable Care Act. https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/MN-Healthcare-Attitudes-2018/index.html

In August 2018, the "2018  Racial & Ethnic Populations Survey of Attitudes and Outlook Regarding Healthcare Services and Costs" an oversampling health care opinion poll was released. Fifty individuals were surveyed from the American Indian, East African and Southeast Asian communities; findings included survey results from individuals in the Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander communities who had participated in the General Population Survey. https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/2018-Racial-Ethnic-Healthcare-Attitudes/index.html

In 2014, the "Minnesota Special Education Study" was released.  Benchmark measures of overall quality and satisfaction levels of the special education experience from the perspective of parents and the students themselves were obtained. https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/special-education-experience-study/index.html

In 2013, the "K-12 Special Education Study for Students with Developmental Disabilities" was released. Questions about quality of life issues, including the future outlook of education services, were included.  Because findings showed a significantly more negative outlook about education services in households with a son or daughter with developmental disabilities, the2014 study was conducted. https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/customer-research/K-12-Education-Study.pdf

Parts One and Two may be viewed at https://mn.gov/mnddc/extra/un70th/.

November 1, 2018