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2004 VOR Annual Meeting |
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2004 VOR Annual MeetingSpeaking up for CHOICE!
On Saturday, June 12, more than 100 people came together to enjoy VOR’s 2004 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. All who attended heard from speakers on relevant topics, networked, and participated in a very successful and fun onsite VOR raffle. Here’s a recap of the speaker’s presentations: Nancy Ward, VOR President (2001–2004) Nancy gave an informative message updating VOR’s many accomplishments in the past years, as well as citing the challenges going forward. Tom Nerney, Director, Center on Self Determination
Mr. Nerney’s presentation emphasized the ideological divide that we often experience in disability forums. Upon introduction, he made it very clear he did not support the institutional option, but he hastened to say that he hoped we could identify common ground. In particular, he referenced what he called “the Perfect Storm” facing the disability community. “Each of these three storms—increasingly scarce Medicaid resources, the demographics of the developmental disabilities and elderly populations, and the shrinking workforce—will very soon converge to create the perfect storm and rock the entire developmental disability system” (The System of the Future, Nerney, 2003). The most startling statistics involved the number of persons living at home with aging family caregivers – nearly 672,994 with caregivers over age 60; 928.000 with caregivers between 41 and 59 years of age. The crisis will deepen with the increased competition for scarce Medicaid resources. As these demographics illustrate, “the time may come when the hard analysis will involve the community system itself. What are the most expensive options, what are the outcomes for individuals served in these options, and can we justify morally and ethically expenditures for certain parts of the system at the high end when tens of thousands remain without support at all?” (Id.). Mr. Nerney’s presentation generated a significant amount of discussion during and after the program. By and large, our participants respected him for his professionalism. Sally Tyler, Public Policy Analyst, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Sally gave a very informative presentation relating to Medicaid, including future trends and current statistics. The overall presentation was helpful to members, especially those who participated in VOR’s Washington Initiative, with Medicaid as VOR’s focus. Sally also touched on pressing issues facing the direct care workforce, including training, wages and recruitment. Mark Engberg, VOR Maryland State Coordinator; and William Pitcher, lobbyist for MD choice advocates In the last year, Maryland choice advocates have experienced tremendous success advancing the choice perspective. Mark shared with participants a recap of their successes, the challenges that remain (and there are many), as well as a few of the “lessons learned.” To help realize the recent success, Maryland families have joined together to hire a lobbyist, an attorney, and a public relations firm to be called upon as needed. Bill Pitcher is the families’ lobbyist. He shared an “insider’s” view of how the Maryland State Legislature works. Michael Sullivan, Vice President, Weber-Shandwick On Sunday morning, Mr. Sullivan gave a very informative public relations (PR) seminar for choice advocates. As the PR representative for Maryland choice advocates, he was well-prepared to provide practical advice for participants to take back to their home states. Issues covered included communication with newspapers and media outlets, websites, legislatures, etc. It was certainly a “tools you can use” morning that many members have already put into action in their own states. |
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