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Date: August 27, 2008 For Immediate Release |
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St. Cloud Public Forum to Focus on Independent Living and Employment Services for People with DisabilitiesST. PAUL – An all-day public forum in St. Cloud next month will focus on four recent projects that seek to enhance independent living and employment services for Minnesotans with disabilities. The forum – which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Radisson Suite Hotel, 404 W. Saint Germain St., in downtown St. Cloud – is hosted by the Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The public is welcome at any time during the day. No registration is required. “It’s very important for us to hear from the public about unmet needs and ideas for improving services for Minnesotans with disabilities,” said Kim Peck, director of DEED-Rehabilitation Services and a member of both the SILC and the SRC. “This kind of public input is absolutely essential for the councils and the state to carry out their work.” The morning session features a panel discussion about four collaborative projects undertaken by DEED-Rehabilitation Services and Minnesota’s Centers for Independent Living to improve and expand services. The panelists will be center directors, DEED-Rehabilitation Services managers, and individuals who have used the services of these innovative projects. The afternoon session will begin with a response to the morning discussion, followed by an open forum to allow public input and advice about Minnesota’s independent living and employment services for individuals with disabilities. Contact Gail Lundeen, DEED Rehabilitation Services, toll-free at 1-800-328-9095, or 651-259-7364; or TTY at 1-800-657-3973 for questions about the forum or requests for accommodations. Real-time captioning and sign language interpreters will be available.Upon request, the information in this news release is available in an alternative format |
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