Today's Google Doodle honors Emerson Romero, a Deaf silent film actor born on this day in 1900. After the advent of talking pictures, Romero innovated the first closed captions, making movies accessible for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing audiences. bit.ly/3XSrdZS

Free at-home COVID-19 tests are available again! Every U.S. household can order up to four nasal swab test kits at no cost. Learn more and order: covidtests.gov

Join a state committee for the Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. They help develop policies, plans, and programs to benefit people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and chemical dependency. Learn more: bit.ly/3XNXaBb

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) wants to improve their virtual intake process for people with disabilities. They are hosting two listening sessions on October 29 to share information and get important feedback. Register: forms.office.com/g/1yqFDrSAUH

Metro Mobility customers are invited to join a community conversation to share their experirences and ideas for improvement. Attend either an in-person event on November 14, at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, or an online event November 21. Register: bit.ly/3BR7a5p

Two of our staff members attended the Prairie Island Health Fair last week. They had a great time connecting with people and sharing coloring sheets, stickers, buttons, cold packs, and information on the Olmstead Plan!

OIO staff members visited the Art of Disability Justice Now exhibition at the Mill City Museum! This is a community-led exhibition that is curated and organized by local disabled artists, activists, and organizers. Learn more and do a virtual tour: lnkd.in/grgvc8Cw

Our Director Aisha Elmquist had a great time attending the Access Press Awards earlier this month! Learn more about Access Press, their annual event, and this year's award winners: bit.ly/3URXOwL

Yesterday our director attended the Minnesota Gathering for Person-Centered Practices in Cloquet! Aisha had a great time connecting with other attendees including Emma Shepard, Self-Advocacy Specialist from Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care in the picture below.

Yesterday some of our staff attended the Advocating Change Together Disability Power Day! During the event the 2023-2024 Olmstead Academy class presented on their final integration projects. Project topics included voting, inclusive books, person-centered planning, and more!

Reports are now available for our small community conversations, Quality of Life Survey, and the Disability Inclusion and Choice Survey! These reports will be used to inform the next Olmstead Plan. Learn more and read the reports: bit.ly/402PBc7

We are working with the Dendros Group to select, train, and support 17 to 23 individuals to work as Inclusion Consultants. These consultants will work closely with state agency staff to create the next Olmstead Plan. Learn more and apply: dendros.com/consultants

Today, March 12, is the 35th anniversary of The Wheels of Justice March and Capitol Crawl. Learn more about these important events in disability history in our blog post: bit.ly/4bLnFxC

Join us for an update and conversation about the planning process for Minnesota's new Olmstead Plan! The new Inclusion Consultants will also introduce themselves then attendees will have time to share feedback in small groups. Register: bit.ly/42aer9V

The next Olmstead Subcabinet meeting is April 9 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The Subcabinet is made up of 12 state agencies and entities, plus the Met Council. Community members are welcome to observe. There will be ASL and CART captioning. Register: bit.ly/3R6OG5f

Join us on April 22 for a virtual update and conversation about the planning process for Minnesota's new Olmstead Plan! The Inclusion Consultants will also introduce themselves. Then, attendees will have time to share feedback in small groups. Register: bit.ly/42aer9V

The next Olmstead Leadership Forum is Thursday, May 22 at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Leadership Forum members include people who work for the State Agencies that have goals in the Olmstead Plan. CART captioning and ASL will be provided. Learn more and register: bit.ly/3H3EBUY

OIO attended the most recent Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) meeting! MIAC protects the sovereignty of the 11 Minnesota Tribes & ensures the well-being of American Indian citizens throughout MN. Inclusion Consultant Taylor O'Shea shared about the Plan Update.

Gov Walz declared Sun, June 22 as Olmstead Day. It's the anniversary of the 1999 Supreme Court decision. The day also honors the 2 tenacious women w/disabilities at the center of the decision - Lois Curtis & Elaine Wilson. Read the proclamation: bit.ly/3IdmeNG

OIO staff had a great time at the 1MN History Makers event celebrating Disability Pride Month! It was hosted by the Office of Equity, Opportunity, and Accessibility. Panelists were disability advocates and leaders including Rich Pennington, an Olmstead Inclusion Consultant!