TheDesk.info

The Medicaid Reference Desk

The Medicaid Reference Desk (TheDesk.info) is a new Web site http://www.thedesk.info that provides information about Medicaid for people with developmental disabilities. Currently, TheDesk.info serves 11 states: California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

"Our idea was to put together a coalition of stakeholders, all of whom had an interest in getting high-quality information," said Steven Eidelman, executive director of The Arc of the United States, which received a grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Other project partners include TheArcLink Incorporated, Oregon Health & Science University, AIMMM (Advancing Independence, Modernizing Medicare and Medicaid) and Oklahoma People First.

The partners joined forces to design the site and hope to launch similar online resources for all states by 2005. "We wanted the power of the Internet to give people reliable, easy-to-understand information," Eidelman said.

"The site was crafted by people served by the system," said Elbert Johns, project coordinator and president of TheArcLink Incorporated. Nearly two years of planning went into the project, which provides both audio and video explanations of Medicaid. The easy access is critical to its success since so many people with developmental disabilities are unable to read, he said.

Nancy Ward, one of the featured speakers on the Web site who has an intellectual disability, said the content is geared to an elementary reading level—offering availability to a wide audience. "It will make services accessible," said Ward, who is the self-advocacy coordinator for Tulsa-based Oklahoma People First, a 500-member advocacy group with 13 chapters. "It has pictures and words."

One of the more distinct features of the site includes buttons that allow the viewer to click on "Hear It" or "See It." Ward offers many of the video explanations of Medicaid definitions, lending a real voice and face to the struggles of those with cognitive learning disabilities. She also has a key role in checking that the site is person-centered and respectful of people with disabilities.

Putting complicated Medicaid information into everyday language was one of the biggest challenges. From the start of the project, the team agreed that understandable and people-friendly information is an important goal. Team member Laurie Powers with the Oregon Health & Science University Center on Self-Determination said, "We want this site to really work for people with disabilities. We've built in lots of ways to do this."

Features include larger type and links to other helpful Web sites and resources. Each state has a listing for "How to get help in your state." Although this is not an official Medicaid Office site, the team has worked with human resource agencies in each state to help make the information accurate.

Source: http://www.thearclink.org/news/article.asp?ID=591

© Copyright 2003. TheArcLink.org. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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