Issue VIII - June 17, 2022
Dear Members, Families, and Friends,

June is here and summer is less than a week away. We hope that you have made your summer camp and vacation plans and are looking forward to the next couple of months under the hot summer sun! June is also Pride Month. It is a month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and diversity throughout New York state, with parades and gatherings happening around the world, and in your city or town.

First, we bring you a story highlighted by Fox40 News about STC member Nick O'Neill, a Make-A-Wish recipient. While our feature story this month is all about Pride and it's intersection with disability. Both communities continue to face bias and discrimination, as well as needless barriers to insurance coverage and healthcare. Below, we have provided information about the ways that disability and identifying as LGBTQ+ intersect and how this can affect you. Further, we care for your health and wellbeing and have provided a few insightful articles on urgent care and maintaining safety in your home. We have also provided a link for our latest, upcoming webinar about the Springbrook Pooled Trust.

We wish you a safe and happy Pride Month and a wonderful summer!

Sincerely,
Jess and Carey
Jessica Colon
Regional Director - Eastern Region
Carey Peters
Regional Director - Western Region
Make-A-Wish Foundation Brings Wish to STC member Nick O'Neill, Fundraises 40k
Thirteen kids from across the Southern Tier were granted wishes by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, including STC member Nick O'Neill. Nick was granted his wish a few years ago when he was given the opportunity to attend the Ellen DeGeneres show. On Monday, June 13th, the foundation held their annual golf tournament fundraiser at Traditions at the Glen in the Greater Binghamton area to raise funds for future wishes.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation has been making wishes come true for kids with critical illnesses for over 40 years. Wishes give kids the opportunity to experience something that they may not otherwise have the means to, between hospital visits and care coordination, such as trips to other states, theme parks, or meeting a hero. Most of all, it gives kids the opportunity to experience the joy of being a kid.
One-hundred-and-fifteen golfers attended the event to raise funds to support the wishes of twenty-seven kids with critical illnesses and disabilities from across the Broome, Chenango, and Tioga counties. Make-A-Wish Central New York has hosted the annual Nelcorp Make-A-Wish Open for 24 consecutive years.
LGBTQ+ and the Disability Community
June is Pride Month, which celebrates the lives and triumphs of LGBTQ+ people with parades and festivities of all kinds occurring in cities worldwide. Over the decades, LGBTQ+ people have faced adversity in the form of discrimination and fought for their rights to access social services, healthcare, and equality within public spaces and private sectors. There have been victories, such as gaining marriage equality across all 50 states in 2015, but there have also been setbacks. In 2018, a policy change to a 2011 bill that supported LGBTQ+ persons serving in the military banned most transgender persons from serving. The 2011 bill was reinstated in 2021. Ongoing policy changes continue to affect LGBTQ+ persons: there remains a struggle to gain access to safe and inclusive spaces; they are denied access to insurance coverage for care; and they are subject to refusal of care from healthcare providers. These issues affect the LGBTQ+ population as a whole, but did you know that approximately five million LGBTQ+ people in America have a disability? Being a person with a disability and identifying as LGBTQ+ can lead to poor health outcomes and higher rates of mental health conditions, exclusion from being an active participant in both communities due to poor infrastructure and planning, and being subject to gatekeeping.

According to the Movement Advancement Project, an “independent, nonprofit think tank… that help[s] speed equality and opportunity for all,” the LGBTQ+ population has higher rates of disability than their heterosexual counterparts. The broad spectrum of disability can include: physical, social, psychological, intellectual, and developmental, many of which are co-occurring. This proves problematic for an already marginalized population, where services are limited in number in rural areas and are not accessible in populous cities. Inclusive and accessible spaces are needed across the public and private sectors, including community centers, public programs, and service providers. When they can be accessed, most facilities are not equipped to provide services for all disabilities. According to the MAP project, only 73% of LGBTQ+ community centers have accessible washrooms, and even fewer offer ASL interpretation or captioning for deaf or hard of hearing people. For those with a disability, advocating for appropriate care can be challenging; it is made more challenging when identifying as LGBTQ+. It is known that insurance agents and healthcare providers deny coverage and access to members of the LGBTQ+ community and those with a disability. Stigma and discrimination within these fields of practice—despite the universal right to healthcare for all—are fundamental causes of this issue. The lack of understanding of a person’s needs and disability contributes greatly to the poor quality of care. Educating healthcare professionals on the needs of those of the LGBTQ+ community who have a disability can have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of this population.
Just as heterosexual and cisgender people desire to be intimate, have sexual agency, and be recognized in how they identify, so do LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. However, social stigmas persist, especially for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD). Gatekeepers frequently limit access to information and LGBTQ+-inclusive services; these gatekeepers are typically caregivers, family, and staff members of a person with I/DD. Caregivers, intentional or not, limit a disabled person’s agency, with particular restrictions falling on a person’s sexual agency, not excluding their freedom to express their sexual identity or gender. Interactions of disabled persons are frequently limited to peer-to-peer relations, caregivers, and staff. Further, people with disabilities may be chastised for inquiring about sexual interests, including sexual identity, gender, and intimacy. Inclusion begins with people, across their many identities, and one’s sexual, and gender identity plays a large part in defining that identity. When denied the right to self-expression, a person is denied some part of themselves. It can also hinder the person from gaining or advocating for the services they need. Introducing curriculum within the education system for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities can empower them to make safe and informed decisions and empower them to express their right to choose the relationships they wish to pursue.

Where safe and accessible spaces exist for LGBTQ+ persons, the freedom to access them may not be for those with a disability. This is why activism and self-advocacy are important. Advocacy can help inform policy-makers, service and healthcare providers, as well as staff and caregivers, to understand the rights and needs of their loved ones. It is equally important for the LGBTQ+ community to uphold the values of inclusion. Advocates and their allies must lobby for fully accessible spaces in public venues, across social and healthcare services, and private businesses. The existence of health disparities is known: bridging these gaps will take time, but can be made possible where the public and private sectors acknowledge the lack of consideration for either population and make appropriate changes to policies to promote better and broader access to healthcare and accessible, inclusive spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community with a disability status. Furthermore, members spanning both communities must lobby for more safe and accessible spaces in their community. With organizations like RespectAbility and others, the LGBTQ+ and disability community can continue to work together to affect positive change—and create more accessibly inclusive environments—for all.

To read MAP’s full report, visit the link below:
Visit RespectAbility for more information on the intersections of LGBTQ+ and disability. 
Health and Safety News
When To Know Where To Go:
Walk-In Clinic, Urgent Care, or Emergency Room?
When you, a family member, or friend has a health related problem, sickness, injury, or emergency, do you know where to go? It’s important to know the difference between a walk-in clinic, an urgent care clinic, and an emergency room, because each type of health service provider offers a different level of care. Knowing the difference between service providers can mean the difference in getting the care that you need, when you need it, from cold and flu symptoms, to sprains and broken bones, to shortness of breath and heart arrhythmias. Below, we have outlined the differences between each type of clinic and what you can expect when you visit one or the other. Once you get to know each clinic, be sure to locate the appropriate clinics in your area, understand their specialty, as well as their hours of operation and service costs. You might also look into your insurance coverage.

What is a Walk-In Clinic?
A walk-in clinic can provide one on one service, and often have physician assistants and nurse practitioners on their staff. Walk-in clinics provide convenient care, meaning that you’ll never need an appointment. Visiting a walk-in clinic is best in cases when one cannot get an appointment with their primary care doctor and have a minor health problem or complaint. Complex health problems and serious injuries are referred to urgent care and emergency room services.

What is an Urgent Care clinic?
An urgent care clinic is a same-day service provider with physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses on staff to provide one on one service. Urgent care clinics often have set hours and most do not operate on a 24/7 basis. It is always best to call your nearest clinic for their location and hours; further, most have an established list of conditions that can be treated. The available staff are trained to identify and treat some urgent health problems such as burns and broken bones, as well as aches and pains associated with the ears, nose, and throat, and stomach, and most clinics can offer basic labs and imaging tests. It is always best to know where your local urgent care clinic is, what their hours of operation are, and what they can treat. Know before you go!

What is the Emergency Room?
Emergency rooms operate 24/7 and provide service for life or limb threatening health emergencies and have physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses trained specifically to provide emergency care on staff. It is always best to contact 911 in cases of emergency and to have an ambulance take you to the nearest emergency department. Wait times can be long if the condition needing treatment is not an emergency.
Health and Safety at Home
What makes a home safe?

Take a moment to look around your home: is there anything that appears unsafe or could be a potential safety hazard? Is there anything that could cause health problems to you or guests to your home? Home safety is important for all, whether you own your home or rent, and can inform service providers and home care, as well as subsidies that one qualifies for.

OPWDD is one such provider that offers programs and subsidies for people with disabilities. The Housing Subsidy Quality Assurance (QA) Expectations Checklist, that you can view at the link below, contains a series of requirements for housing subsidized through OPWDD. We have outlined a few of the safety hazards and health-adverse conditions that could negatively impact your health and the safety of your home.
Some common household hazards include:

  • Lead (typically paint) that exists in older buildings and homes.
  • Disconnected or non-working smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Expired prescription medication and prescriptions that can be accessed by others. It is always best to keep prescriptions in their original bottles or to keep weekly reminder pill boxes locked.
  • Low light can cause falls, so be sure that lights work and offer an adequate amount of light.
  • Hazards for children can include window shade pull strings, electric sockets and cords, accessible medications and cleaning products, as well as objects on or near the floor. Always be aware of where children are in your home and keep them safe by maintaining locks on doors and gates at stairwells, and keep your stove burners and oven off or locked to prevent injury.
  • Lint that has collected in the lint trap of a dryer can cause fire. Always empty the lint trap of your dryer.
  • Be sure that fire extinguishers are charged and in or near common areas like the kitchen and are easily accessible.
  • Adding non-slip mats to bathrooms and kitchens can prevent falls.
  • Keep cleaning chemicals secure and out of reach of children. Never mix cleaning chemicals.
It is always good to have an evacuation plan or know your buildings evacuation plan and locate your nearest exit. Keep emergency phone contacts nearby and make sure that you have all necessary contacts available. These include 911; the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222; a family member or friend to call in case of emergency; and your healthcare provider’s office.

For further information and an expanded list, you can view a pdf form of the OPWDD Housing Subsidy Quality Assurance (QA) Expectations Checklist HERE.
The Springbrook Pooled Trust
For a Lifetime and Beyond!
Please join us for a special webinar to learn about the Springbrook Pooled Trust

Wed June 29th
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST
What is a Pooled Trust?
A pooled trust is a type of special needs trust established by a non-profit for the benefit of people with disabilities. A trust is a legal arrangement in which a person (the trustee) owns property in the name of one or more beneficiaries. Springbrook opened its pooled trust in 2008 to provide families with an economical and flexible savings option. The Springbrook Pooled Trust allows a participant who receives an inheritance, a lump sum payment, or any other income a safe place to protect their assets while remaining fully eligible for governmental programs and benefits such as SSI and Medicaid. Families can open a pooled trust sub-account for an initial investment of just $100. If you or a loved one receive services through Springbrook or Southern Tier Connect, you are eligible for participation in the Springbrook Pooled Trust. Learn more on Wednesday, June 29th.
We hope you enjoyed this edition of The Connection e-newsletter. Did you know that you can now read all of our past newsletters archived on our website?
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