 Major sponsors for Ableton on Air include Washington County Metal Health, where hope and support come together. Media sponsors for Ableton on Air include Park Chester Times, Muslim Community Report, www, this is the Bronx.info, Associated Press Media Editors, New York Power Online Newspaper, U.S. Press Corps Domestic and International, Anchor FM, and Spotify. Partners for Ableton on Air include the HOD of New York and New England where everyone belongs, the Orthodox Union, the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired of Vermont, the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity, Montefiore Medical Center of the Bronx, Rose of Kennedy Center of Bronx, New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Bronx. Ableton on Air has been seen in the following publications. Park Chester Times, www, this is the Bronx.com, New York Power Online Newspaper, Muslim Community Report, www.h.com, and the Montpelier Bridge. Ableton on Air is part of the following organizations, the National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences, Boston, New England Chapter, and the Society of Professional Journalists. Welcome to the edition of Ableton on Air, the one and only program that focuses on the needs, concerns, and achievements of the different label. I've always been your host, Lauren Seiler. Arlene is not here today. We would like to thank our partner in this topic, Commissioner Monica White from the Division for Disabilities and Independent Living. Thank you for joining us on this edition of Ableton on Air. So, what are the missions and goals of disabilities and independent living? Great. Well, first, thank you so much for having me here. It's a delight to be able to share a bit of information about my department. My department is the Department for Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, also known as DALE, and our mission at DALE is to make Vermont the best state in which to grow old or to live with a disability with dignity, respect, and independence. So, how important it is, you know, how important is it, you know, because for years people with special needs were fighting for independence through the ADA and different things like that, and you know, there are still 41 states that are institutionalized for people with disabilities, but how important is independence for people with disabilities? Yeah, I think that's a great question. I think certainly independence is fundamental for people with disabilities, for older people, for everyone. And here in Vermont, that is really underscores everything that we do in the aging and disability space. Certainly, there have been many battles at the both national and state level to really fight for civil rights, human rights for people with disabilities. You mentioned the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was really a pivotal legislation that was over 30 years ago at this point that that was passed. And certainly, we've come a long way. Certainly, there's still work to be done overall to ensure that folks are able to live with dignity, respect, and independence. Let's talk about some of the history of, you know, when we talk about independence and respect for, you know, certain words and nots. I remember when we first came to Vermont, certain words were on some medical applications that shouldn't have been used. They still had the word, they still had the all word, which is retarded and we should never use it. But how has respect changed and what do we have, what do we still have to do to gain that respect? Certainly. I think you're absolutely right. We've come a long way in terms of using more person-centered language. So instead of saying, referring to someone by the disability that they might have, saying a person with a disability, instead of in the older person's space, instead of using, you know, elderly, using reframing aging to older Vermonter. So it's really about the person being first and foremost in person-centered language is we have come a long way in that area. They don't have people minded anymore that you're not even supposed to use the word lunatic or anything describing someone with a mental challenge. Right. And I think, you know, part of that is historically othering people, so like those people instead of... We don't want to say those people. Right. We don't want to say it because it's people, period, a person who might have a disability, a person who might be older. But that doesn't define who they are and I think that's something that we all... So let's talk about some of the major, the reason why, you know, to talk about the programs and how they work within Dale for those that don't know. Let's start with the division for the blind and how does Dale help people with visual impairments and, you know, let's go from there. Sure. So for our department we have five divisions and... Only five? Only five. But those five divisions have a number of programs within each. So starting with our division for the blind and visually impaired is our smallest division, but it's a small but mighty. The division for the blind and visually impaired, also known as DBVI, serves as the name would indicate, Vermonters who are blind or visually impaired through several different programs. One being vocational support, so working with Vermonters who might be blind or visually impaired to determine what supports might be needed for them to acquire employment or for their training or education, things like assistive technology. Why is it the smallest one? Is there a reason for that? It's just in terms of the number of staff that we have in that division and the number of Vermonters that that particular division serves is smaller in scale than that. Because Vermonters have a small amount, so does Vermonters have a small amount of people who are blind and visually impaired? Is that...? Well, I'm not sure. I would say smaller than Vermonters who might need nursing care, that sort of thing. So that's why it's smaller. So employment supports is one of the main areas that DBVI works with independent living, so working with also partners at the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. What is the difference between the two? Between the association and the division. Sure. So DBVI is state government and as part of that works to draw down funds from the federal government to our partners who work on the ground to administer some of the programs. And so DBVI, the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a private organization, nonprofit, who also works in support of Vermonters who are blind and visually impaired. And so in the independent living space making sure that working on things like home modifications, assistive technology, that sort of thing. So people with vision loss are able to live safely at home independently. And DBVI also operates a business enterprise program, so working, there are several cafes. One of them is the cafe at the Waterbury State Office complex. I've been there. Yeah, it's great. And so owned and operated by people who are blind or visually impaired. The one on State Street, is that operated at the State House, brother? Is that operated by people with disabilities too? I don't believe the main State House cafeteria is. I believe there's another, I don't know the current status, but within one of the State Office buildings. I know there were discussions recently about bringing one of those cafes online, but with the flood and I'm honestly not sure of the status of that right now. And part of that business enterprise program includes operating vending machines at rest areas and that sort of thing as an opportunity for folks who are blind or visually impaired. Now, let's, before we get to the other programs, COVID was a big problem. I know that we live across the street and there's doctors offices across the street. But how impacted, I think I'm saying it right, how impacted was services during COVID and has it improved? Because for like three or four mustings were completely shut down. The only way, when the governor spoke, he said, you only allowed to go to the pharmacy or supermarket and you couldn't go anywhere else. But, you know, that was a problem. And sometimes, for example, telehealth when it comes to medical stuff, doesn't work completely. It works, but it doesn't help everyone who needs to see someone in person. So how impacted was services and is it improved since the vaccinations? And so sorry, that's a loaded question. Yeah, no, that's, that's, it's a, it's a heavy question, but it's important. So certainly. And I know it's probably not on that list. That's quite all right. The, yeah, certainly the pandemic COVID-19 was extraordinarily disruptive to everyone's everyday life. And for the period of time where much of in person services were paused, that really was impactful to a lot of people. And your, your point about moving to, to telehealth was, you know, everyone was scrambling to adapt to this. Because it doesn't work for everybody. Right. It was. I'll give you an example. If you need, for myself, and then I'm like, since I have epilepsy, I deal with epilepsy and it's very well controlled. I need to see my epilepsy doctor in person. I need to see a counselor in person. So it doesn't work for everybody. Right. And, and I think, you know, part of what we were, what we learned at the beginning of the pandemic when we were, you know, thrust into with really no advanced, advanced notice to this kind of halt everybody's remote and social distancing and working from home. There was, you know, a period of time where everyone was, well, how, what do we do? And then over the subsequent months realizing the making sure that there was very clear guidance about in person medical visit requirements, even, of course, you know, masked and distanced as appropriate. But certainly, you know, our emergency rooms, hospitals, health, long term facilities were, I'm sorry, what was that? Crisis centers. Yes. Providing services, although limited to urgent and the kind of the less urgent was maybe put on the back burner. So that was, you know, for the first however many months of the pandemic. Since you said that you have on your website, especially you have developmentally, I like saying, challenge. Do you have developmentally challenged? You have services for people with physical challenges. Okay. Do you necessarily, or does Dale necessarily, because it could match someone could have a mental challenge and a physical challenge at the same time or dual diagnosis they call it. Does Dale, per se, have services for, well, you have services for both, but when does it, do you necessarily refer somebody to say Washington County mental health if they have, you know, or does it, or do you have specific meshing services? You get my point there? Am I saying it wrong? I'm sorry. No, that's quite all right. I think so you're right. We have how Dale itself is structured as through five divisions. So one of them being the division for the buying of visually impaired. The other being the developmental disability services division, adult services division, division for licensing and protection and the division of vocational rehabilitation. And then the long term care services too. That actually falls under our adult services division. And to your point about somebody who might need services from multiple programs, that is absolutely the case. Can they get services from multiple programs? Yes. And so recognizing that people do not always fit neatly into one particular neat box of neat ones. It's not one size fits all. Exactly. And so what we do at Dale is by a large part, we partner with a large network of community providers who actually deliver the services to individuals. So for example, the area agencies on aging, there are five of those around the state who deliver services for older Vermonters through the older Americans Act. And another example is our network of 15 designated and specialized services agency throughout the state who deliver developmental disability services to Vermonters. And some of those agencies also do adult family care, which is through our choices for care program and et cetera, et cetera. I mentioned VABV. And VABV, I'm sorry, the Vermont Association for the Blind to Visually Impaired. There are also adult day centers. I know I'm missing a number of our other community partners, home health agencies, that sort of thing, who deliver services. And then notice also you have services for people that have brain injuries also. Yes, we have a brain injury program that goes through our adult services division. So basically, do you provide, does Dale provide services for people that I would say zero to five and up pretty much, right? Do you have child services as well? Primarily the services that Dale provides are for adults, adult Vermonters. We do it for developmental disability services for children who have a developmental disability. We do oversee provision of those services. So let's talk about older Vermonters and adults. How would, you know, a person gets older. You know, let's talk about the long-term services. How does that work within Vermont for those that might not know? Sure, that's a great question. So we, as I mentioned, we have five area agencies on aging throughout the state who have... Council on aging is one of them. Central Vermont Council on Aging is one. Let's see if I can rattle them all off by memory. Central Vermont Council on Aging serving Central Vermont. Senior Solutions, which serves the southeast part of Vermont. Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging. Southwestern area. Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging. Where is Northeast Kingdom? People might not know where that is. Yes, so that is... The Northeast Kingdom is... I've seen a red bus, but doesn't it? Yes, yes. So it's a beautiful area. The state is actually just up at the N-E-K-C-O-A as they're known on Tuesday. They have offices in St. John's Berry and Newport, but Caledonia, Orleans, and Essex counties roughly in that area of the state. And then Agewell that serves the northwestern corridor of the state. For those that are speaking about older Romanos, I don't know if Dale Dales or this, but I'm just going to... If someone, because I guess the further you go up, a lot of people don't have internet connections, does Dale help, I know during the pandemic, people were scrambling and working with to get internet connections for those that didn't have, you know, because it's very important to keep in touch with people. Does Dale deal with any funds or any programs, getting someone internet connections or anything of that nature? So in terms of... Technology. Technology access and the equity of access for technology is absolutely an issue in the state. Everyone is not connected. It does not have internet connections at home, the devices to use it, or necessarily the knowledge to be able to use the internet. And so part of the work that has been done and is in the works for that is during the pandemic, our AAAs, as the area agencies on aging are known, had initiated a program called, I believe it's called Get Set Up, which worked with older Vermonters in particular to help with all of those technology pieces. So the education, here's the device, here's how you use it, that sort of thing. Another piece of that puzzle is at the statewide level, there is, and it might be federal also, but either rebates or lowered rates for lower income individuals to be able to access, to be able to pay their internet bill. And then further, there's also work being done by the Vermont broadband board led by Christine Hallquist to really do the full slate of the analysis over the entire state for where are the areas that need broadband, how can that be done. And Dale does have a seat at that table to advocate for making sure that the needs of individuals with disabilities and older Vermonters are represented in that broader body of work that is being led. Now, since you said, let's talk more about vulnerable populations. Homeless, the homeless is a big problem. I wouldn't call it a problem in Vermont, but it's being worked on. How does Dale help the homeless population in Vermont and help them find housing, how would that work? Yeah, so first I think it is fair to say that housing crisis... I'm sorry if I say something wrong. No, no, no, that's totally fine. I think it is entirely fair and accurate to say. Absolutely, and that the situation right now in Vermont with the availability of housing stock is special. So during the pandemic, but then with the flooding that we had this past July, really, really decimated our available housing stock, which was already challenged. And so it has risen to a top priority for both the administration and I think the legislature to work to address both on making sure... charting a path forward that includes more housing units, as well as prevention of homelessness initiatives. And so there's a lot of work being done on both of those fronts right now and Dale is participating in all of the above because it is challenged. I don't like saying this. Please, if I'm saying it wrong, correct me. Sometimes it can be a double-edged sword if you're challenged and you're out on the street because number one, you have your challenges, you know, your medical conditions and the elements because things can set in. You got frostbite and other stuff. And if you're homeless and challenged, it could be detrimental. There's got to be more services besides. And I know the homeless shelters in Vermont don't have enough room to deal with that. So is there other ways that you guys are helping the homeless besides the shelters? Right. So one of the other options, particularly this time of year through the cold weather, is... Because I know the economic services, for example, gives motel vouchers, but what if someone is... So you're absolutely correct that the Economic Services Division within the Department for Children and Families oversees that particular program to ensure that... I know they get, I think it's 30 days if you're disabled or challenged, you probably get another month attached to it or extra time. I don't know the specifics of that program right off the top of my head, so... Brain injuries, how does Dale help someone with TBI? Sure. So people who have acquired a brain injury through... Who have a brain injury, we have service providers to include the Brain Injury Association of Vermont to work with individuals who have had a brain injury and based on the person's needs and that sort of thing. So that's something that our partners do. Let's talk about deaf and hard of hearing for a minute. I know that Dale can probably help with more accommodations dealing with deafness. But what specific agencies within Dale help the deaf population, especially let's say if someone cannot afford a hearing aid, that must... Because hearing aids are expensive. An example, years ago I had gotten a hearing aid from Costco and they're $1,800, but go ahead, is there anything... Well first, I wear hearing aids. I have to get another one. Yeah, I actually just got my hearing aids earlier this year for the first time because I believe it was the last legislative session. I'm sorry if I... No, that's quite alright. This is a great topic. The legislation was passed in Vermont within the past couple of years which requires health insurers provide hearing aid coverage. And at that point, I've needed hearing aids for a number of years but was pretty stubborn and decided... And also very frugal and decided I really could just muscle through without them even though it was a real challenge. And when that legislation which I'm personally and professionally very thrilled about when that legislation was passed, I made an appointment with my audiologist to get my hearing aids. So all of that to say that that legislation really did have a meaningful effect on Vermonters who are hard of hearing which can affect folks at any age and adds significant challenges to daily life as you know when you have a hearing aid. And we shouldn't... We can say as many commentaries as we want at the end of this program we should never be prideful to ask for help. Exactly. Especially when you're challenged. That is what we have our system set up to do when people need the help to absolutely request that. Tell me more about the legislation with the hearing aids and how Dale had any part in that? I believe that that legislation was introduced before I joined the... Before I became commissioner and it was several years ago and so the specifics are lost to the sands of time in my memory so I don't know that I can speak to that very eloquently. But I do think certainly that we have that coverage has been really enormously helpful because to your point hearing aids can be expensive but they are important for the quality of life. They're over the counter now but they range now because there's a difference since you said hearing aids there's a difference between hearing aids and then you have amplifiers also and then you have other things but over the counter they range like three, four hundred dollars. It depends what you need but it's there. Is that a permanent thing with the legislation or is it... I think as permanent as any legislation is I mean any laws can be changed really at any point in time but I don't see any future in what... I don't see anything changing in that front. Okay so what... Now sign language interpretation, somebody needs that. Where did it go for that within Dan? So we do have a director of Deaf Heart of Hearing and Deaf Blind Services. His name is Laura Siegel. She is truly fantastic and it actually occurs to me that it might be interesting if you had Laura on your program to really kind of walk through the specifics about that body of work. I think that might be a great way to get... What didn't we cover that you would like to talk about? About... Gail in terms of other things that we did not cover. Sure so I think here... Well I guess the question would you want to go through some of our other divisions work that we haven't... Yes please. Sure. So one of those divisions I mentioned before is Higher Ability Vermont. Formally known as Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Last year we underwent a rebranding to something a bit more positive sounding, disability and that division is based all around the state. There's a presence at each of the main 12 district offices throughout the state of Vermont and that division works with individuals who have a disability, any sort of disability at all toward working to support that person in attaining their career goals and a career pathway, higher wage attainment, educational goals. So what does a person want to obtain a degree or a trade credential, that sort of thing. Another big piece of Higher Ability Vermont's work is working with youth with disabilities who are in high school who are going to be transitioning into adulthood so working with those youth proactively to identify what do they want to do after high school, what supports might they need to achieve whatever career or educational goals that they want. And a couple of years ago one of the... So Higher Ability offers a number of really really fantastic programs. One of them that's new within the past couple of years is the Summer Career Exploration Program that work with... Higher Ability works with youth over the summer and employers to provide paid internships at local businesses and has been an enormously successful and great program for youth and employers who participate in that. So that's Higher Ability Vermont in a nutshell. They do a lot but that's the really high level overview. Our Adult Services Division, so I mentioned the work of our area agencies on aging through our state unit on aging. Another one of the big programs within our Adult Services Division is our Choices for Care program. And that is the Medicaid program in the state for Vermonters who are eligible for nursing home level of care. Explain a little bit about that as well. I really, you know, that's important. What if someone gets older and needs more services? So, and that is... So the Choices for Care program is designed so if somebody does meet the both financial eligibility for Medicaid and clinical eligibility to require a nursing home level of care, the Choices for Care program, it's predicated, it's based on a choice. So a choice of setting. So a person could receive that level of care in a skilled nursing facility. There are also other licensed facilities in the state or a person could choose to receive services at home and based on individuals. Yeah, but if a person can't do the home, then that's why other services are there. Yep, so there's the range of services available there. Let's see, I think one of the other divisions I haven't spoken about is Developmental Disabilities Services Division. And so DDSD as it's known works to oversee. I mentioned that we have 15 designated and specialized services agencies throughout the state who provide home and community-based services and supports for individuals with a developmental intellectual or developmental disability within their communities. Also people could choose to hire their own staff to provide that service, either for developmental disabilities or Choices for Care. And so that's part of one of the options. And our DDSD also includes the Office of Public Guardian. Oh, yeah, I wanted to get to that, even though we haven't covered it. What if someone needs a guardian and they're challenged? Or shall I say, let's say someone's parents pass away and they need help and they're challenged and they just need some extra assistance. How does Dale help? Sure, so... I know that's a tough, sometimes morbid topic to talk about. But it's important, you know, that end-of-life planning is important for everyone at any age. And you're right that guardianship can be part of that if a person is not able to make their... if they're not able to sign contracts to understand, for example, what they might be entering into a legal agreement for that sort of thing. So public guardianship is... Some people, like my wife and I, some people don't have big families, so other people have to care for them. Right, and so, I mean, ideally, if a person is in need of guardianship, ideally there is a family member or a friend who would be willing to step in into that role. That isn't always the case. And in that case, a public guardian can be appointed, and that is done through the court, and a petition needs to be filed through the court because ultimately we want people to be able to, you know, have to serve in that role for themselves if they can. Does Dale... Well, this is another topic that might be morbid because it could happen. Let's say someone passes at work. Someone doesn't have a burial set up and things like that. And the person is challenged. I know that certain religious entities, like there's Hebrew for you, burial, and there's others, you know, if you're Jewish and whatnot. But does Dale, or does the state of Vermont, would they give someone a burial plot if they couldn't afford it if they're disabled? So Dale does not. That's not something within my department. I believe there is something available at the state level, but I don't, to be candid, I know that. I didn't know if Dale would help with that if someone is challenged and they don't have a, you know, and they get that. So is there anything else that we didn't cover? I don't... I can't think of anything off the top of my head. The one division that I think I've hit all of our divisions with the exception of our Division of Licensing and Protection if you'd like me to share a bit of info about that. And then I was going to ask you one more question, but go ahead. Oh, well, okay. So I'll start with the Division of Licensing and Protection comprised of two units, one of which is Adult Protective Services, which investigates reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. And so that's one unit within DLP, the Division of Licensing and Protection. The other unit within DLP is Survey and Certification, who license and monitor health care facilities. So really anything... And do background checks with people, too? No, not within DLP. Individual facilities are required to do background checks, for example, but things like skill nursing facilities, residential care homes, assisted living residences, hospitals, home health providers, those sorts of providers that are under regulation from Survey and Certification. So those are the two units within DLP. What are the misconceptions around people with special needs when people first meet them? Or sometimes when we're dealing with employment and people with disabilities, some people don't want to work with challenged individuals. So go ahead. You didn't want to say that? No, absolutely. I think there can be... I mentioned before othering, like, oh, those people. That's a bad way of looking at it. It is. And I think some inherently held stereotypes or assumptions that are just wrong. I think sometimes there can be the assumption that a person with a disability is not capable or competent when, in fact, that is not the case. And it's, you know, sometimes... Why is it that people think that people with special needs are incompetent? Is there a reason behind that? Or is it just ignorance? You know, I think... I'm sure it varies by situation and by person. And, you know, I don't think that there's kind of a one-size-fits-all answer for that. But I think, you know, part of the work that has been done and continues to need to be done by all of us is kind of working to break that down. So to reflect that people who have a disability are just as important to the hearts of our communities. And just as capable of doing a lot more than one might think. Exactly. Yes. Well, I would like to thank you for joining me on this edition of Abledon on Earth. For more information on Dale, you can go to www.dale.vermont.gov forward slash services. So again, it's www.dale.vermont.gov forward slash services. And for more information on what you've seen today and on other programs of Abledon on Earth, you can go to www.orkamedia.net. That's www.orkamedia.net. Again, thank you Commissioner Monica White for joining us on this edition of Abledon on Earth. I'm Lauren Cider. See you next time. Associated Press Media Editors, New York Power Online Newspaper, U.S. Press Corps Domestic and International, Anchor FM and Spotify. Partners for Abledon on Earth include Yechad of New York and New England, where everyone belongs, the Orthodox Union, the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired of Vermont, the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Center Vermont Habitat for Humanity, Montefiore Medical Center of the Bronx, Rose of Kennedy Center of Bronx, New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Bronx. Abledon on Earth has been seen in the following publications, Manchester Times, www.thisisthebrunks.com, New York Power Online Newspaper, Muslim Community Report, www.h.com and the Montpelier Bridge. Abledon on Earth is part of the following organizations, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Boston, New England Chapter and the Society of Professional Journalists.