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Terms and Conditions

Disability Hub MN is a free statewide resource network that helps people with disabilities solve problems, navigate the system and plan for the future. Since launching in 2006, the Hub has evolved to offer more tools and services to make it easier for people with disabilities to live their best life, their way — a true "hub" of support.

This statewide resource network can be reached in a variety of ways - learn more at our Contact Us page.

Disability Hub MN provides links to websites of other public and some nonprofit organizations as a service for our users. We do not endorse the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, accessibility or usefulness of those sites. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Hub website and this Terms and Data privacy notice is not applicable. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.

The Hub is not intended to be a comprehensive collection of all related sites on the Internet. The sites referenced on the Hub's website are only a few of the many possible Internet sites related to disability information.

All of the information and documents published in the Hub are in the public domain. A website seeking to link to a Hub document should not host the document on its site but should link directly to the document. Hub documents, including forms and brochures, change frequently.

Any website that links to the Hub website should not imply that Disability Hub MN or the Minnesota Department of Human Services is endorsing any product or service.

Hub staff members will evaluate each requested link based on the following criteria: The suggested website must either be a state or local government agency/quasi-agency or nonprofit entity, or must provide disability information related to state or local government or other statewide interest. Commercial websites will not be considered unless they provide significant disability information or services of a statewide interest or are in partnership with a state entity.

Disability Hub MN is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. This website is designed to offer Minnesota citizens and businesses easy and efficient access to information and resources. The Hub appreciates that many visitors to the website are concerned about accessibility. Hub staff make every effort to have its website meet the State of Minnesota technology accessibility standard (PDF). You can read our accessibility statement (PDF).

The information in this website is available in other formats to people with disabilities by using the contact us form, calling the Hub at 1-866-333-2466 or using a preferred relay service.

Disability Hub MN is intended as a resource and guide for the public. It is not a source of definitive legal advice about specific legal problems.

News from Disability Hub MN is a compilation of news from the Minnesota Department of Human Services Disability Services Division that is emailed as a service to those who subscribe. News items are not considered official notices but are provided as a courtesy for subscribers. Signing up for news does not affect any service of business relationship you might have with Disability Hub MN.

In compliance with state data privacy law Minnesota Statutes Section 13.356 (Personal Contact and Online Account Information), Disability Hub MN provides notice that the following data provided to Disability Hub MN is private:

  • A subscriber's telephone number; email address; and Internet user name, password, Internet protocol address, and any other similar data related to an individual subscriber' online account or access procedures.
  • Furthermore, data provided under the previous paragraph may only be used for the specific purpose for which the individual provided the data.
  • Additionally, Disability Hub MN shall not market or sell the list of customers and/or businesses that subscribe or their email addresses.

Information that is transmitted by email over the Internet is not secure and can be intercepted and read by other Internet users. Disability Hub MN recommends that you do not use email to send private or confidential data about yourself or others unless it has been encoded or encrypted. In addition, the Hub will not use email to transmit responses that contain private or confidential data on an individual unless it can ensure the security and integrity of the information or it has the individual's consent to transmit such unsecured data.

Disability Hub MN is dedicated to preserving your privacy and security while viewing the Hub website. The Hub strives to retrieve the minimum amount of information from its website visitors in order to provide a host of various services and resources. The Hub does not capture personal information without visitors' permission.

If during your visit to the Hub you participate in a survey, fill out a web form or send an email, the following additional information will be collected:

  • The email address and contents of the email, and
  • Information volunteered to complete a web form or in response to a survey

If during your visit to the Hub you spend time in the Vault and save information to the Vault, we protect your information. Information saved in My Vault is encrypted so that it can only be read by you, using your password. Your password is not saved anywhere on our servers.

You can use My Vault to share documents or contact information:

  • My Vault information you share with other My Vault users is encrypted so only they can read it.
  • My Vault information you share with people who do not have a My Vault account is sent through regular email and is not encrypted.

This notice informs you of the privacy practices of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) which administers the Disability Hub MN™ (Hub) through Southeastern Minnesota Center for Independent Living and Metropolitan Center for Independent Living. The Hub is a free service helping people with disabilities and the people who support them find community services or plan their future with objective information and assistance on a wide variety of topics. 

This notice describes how medical information and other private information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

You have privacy rights under the Minnesota Data Practices Act and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These laws protect your privacy, but also let us give information about you to others if a law requires it. We may tell you before we give the information to another organization.

Why do we ask for this information?

The Hub receives funding from several sources, and provides high level reports to some of the sources about the number of people served, type of assistance provided (health care, health insurance, housing, benefits, etc.), how the Hub assisted, length of call, etc. The Hub never reports about a person; it only shares aggregate (combined group) data.

Why do we ask for personal information?

We use unique identifying information like your first and last name, home address, date of birth, Social Security number or PMI number to verify it is you. The Hub must protect your information, and those of others. We want to make sure we are speaking to the correct person before we give out benefit information. The Hub is required by law to protect your personal information.

Do you have to answer the questions we ask?

You do not have to give us your personal information. Without the information, we may not be able to help.

With whom may we share the information about you?

We will share information about you only as needed and as allowed or required by law. We may share your information with the following agencies or people that need the information to do their jobs:

  • Employees of state, county, tribal, local, and federal agencies, managed care organizations and other agencies on contract with MN Department of Human Services.
  • Guardians, conservators or people with power of attorney who are authorized representatives
  • Third party vendors under contract with the Hub to support our systems and tools.

What are our responsibilities?

  • We must protect the privacy of your personal, health care and other private information according to legal requirements and the terms of this notice.
  • We may not use your information for reasons other than the reasons listed on this form or share your information with individuals and agencies other than those listed on this form unless you tell us in writing that we can.
  • We will not sell any data collected, created or maintained as part of the assistance we provide you.
  • We may change our privacy policy. Those changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available on request, and we will put changes to it on our website at www.disabilityhubmn.org
  • As the law requires, if something happens that causes your private information to no longer be private and secure, we will let you know.

What are your rights regarding the information we have about you?

You and people you have given permission to may see and copy private information we have about you. To maintain privacy, copies will be mailed to you and you will need to pay for the copies. You can choose someone to act for you with a medical power of attorney or as a legal guardian. That person can exercise your rights and make choices about your information.

What if you believe your privacy rights have been violated?

You may report if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You cannot be denied service or treated badly because you have made a complaint. If you think the Hub, CIL or DHS have violated your privacy rights, you may send a written complaint to:

MN Dept of Human Services
Attn: Privacy Official
PO Box 64967
St. Paul, MN 55164-0967
651-431-4300 or 866-267-7655

Or to:

U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights, Region V
233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 240
Chicago, IL 60601
312-886-2359 or 800-368-1019
800-537-7697 (TTY)

Who do you contact if you need more information about privacy practices?

If you need more information about privacy practices, call the Department of Human Services, Disability Services Division Response Center at 651-431-4300 or 866-267-7655.

A printable version of the Disability Hub MN Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF) is available.

Disability Hub MN does not sell, rent or publish any of the Hub website visitors’ personal or private information. The Hub does not reveal specific information about subscribers or other personally identifiable data to unaffiliated third parties for their independent use. In addition, the Hub endeavors to restrict employee access to any personal information except where necessary to perform required duties.

For security purposes and to assure that this service remains available to all users, Disability Hub MN uses special software programs for monitoring and auditing traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise to cause damage to this website.

For every visit to Disability Hub MN, several common pieces of information are collected and stored in logs: Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, operating system, the date and time of the visit, and the addresses to which a visitor linked during a visit. The Hub cannot and does not associate any of this information with individuals, distribute this information or use it in any manner other than for statistical analysis in improving the Hub to better serve website visitors.

Disability Hub MN does not use cookies to record any personal information. Cookies are used only to track if you are a first-time visitor to the Hub or if you have visited the Hub in the past.