Print Friendly VersionBreaking Away
Winter 2009-2010
Disability Mentoring Day
Housing 101 Workshop
Director's Corner
Don't Fix Me
ADA Turns 20
Winter Storms
We Spend Money
Disability Web Site
Disability Rights
Transition Corner
New Hires
Crime Victimization Survey
Census 2010
Disability Mentoring Day A Great Success
By Alie Kriofske Mainella, Youth Leadership Specialist
This year’s Disability Mentoring Day was the most exciting yet! I know, I know, I say that every year, but this year was very special. For the first time in IndependenceFirst’s history with the project, there were students involved from all four of our service area counties, with a record breaking number of youth participating. High School students and graduates from Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties went out on Wednesday, October 21st with the opportunity to job shadow someone working in the career of their choice. 120 students who were interested in animals, the arts, advocacy, health, banking and food service, among other fields, spent time with a mentor at a local business, learning about the profession and asking questions. 56 mentors got the opportunity to experience mentoring a young person and learning about the wonderful untapped employee resource of people with disabilities.
Broadcasting and media were among the interests of mentees this year. Such exciting mentors as Bart Adrian, meteorologist at WITI-Fox 6 News; Bill Schroeder, announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers; and Bob and Brian, radio personalities with The Hog 102.9. Kevin Winter, a student at Living Word Lutheran High School, participated in his second Disability Mentoring Day. Last year he got to sit in on the Bob and Brian show and this year the Milwaukee Brewers were generous enough to give Kevin and his father tickets to the last Friday night game of the season. Kevin got to sit in the announcer’s booth and watch Bill Schroeder broadcast the game.
Some of the top areas mentees choose were animal work, dance, graphic design and childcare. Daycare Services for children in Milwaukee took several mentees again this year for the fourth year in a row! Mentees who go to Daycare Services for Children gain hands on experience as they help out in many of the rooms, from infants to preschool children.
Businesses who participated in DMD for the fifth time in a row were Hausch Design Agency, the Milwaukee Ballet Company (who this year generously gave free tickets to Cinderella to mentees), Axis Recording Studio, and Layton Animal Hospital. Disability Mentoring Day would not happen without the generosity of these mentors – their participation is greatly appreciated.
New to Disability Mentoring Day’s list of mentors this year was the Urban Ecology Center, who not only opened its doors to five mentees from Greenfield, Riverside and Cudahy High Schools but offered opportunities for future volunteer positions and on the job experience working with animals. Also new was Cardinal Stritch University who hosted a group of 15 students from Brookfield East and Franklin High Schools, organizing an entire day of tours of the campus and the different departments, exposing students to their varying job interests.
A huge thank you goes out to all those involved in DMD this year, from teachers to parents, students to mentors. Next year’s event is on Wednesday, October 20th and the way things are going, it promises to be the best yet!
For more information on Youth Programs at IndependenceFirst, please contact Alie Kriofske at 414-226-8112 V/Relay or akriofske@independencefirst.org
New Housing 101 Workshops Will Continue in 2010
By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Coordinator
IndependenceFirst began a new workshop last June aimed at assisting renters seeking housing. Although we have been offering RentSmart for years, the lengthy curriculum was not ideal for those who only needed help finding housing. We designed Housing 101 based on common issues and questions that callers ask about when talking to staff.
The Housing 101 Workshops explain the different types of housing available, how to look for housing, what resources are available to assist in the search, the application process, what barriers there might be and how to resolve them. There is also time for questions and answers in each workshop.
(If you are interested in more in depth information and the RentSmart program, please contact Brian Peters at IndependenceFirst at 414-226-8338 /TTY.)
IndependenceFirst will continue the workshops in 2010 on every third Wednesday of the month, from 12 pm to 2 pm through June. If the workshops continue to be popular, there is a strong possibility that they will be held twice a month starting in July. Anyone with a disability, or part of a household with a member who has a disability, can participate in Housing 101. Please call 414-291-7520 V/TTY to register for an upcoming workshop.
Director's Corner
By Lee Schulz, Executive Director
Dear Friends of IndependenceFirst,
Welcome to 2010!
2009 was an amazing year here at IndependenceFirst. Some highlights included:
• Our first year at our new location on First Street. We had a few issues with our roof and it was replaced during the summer. Our staff and consumers handled the disruption well.
• We expanded our Personal Assistance Services (PAS) area to support over 1100 individuals.
• Our Central City Project was able to expand with the addition of part time staff.
• The "Women and Abuse" project funded by the Department of Justice continued to strengthen our collaboration with other community based organizations.
• The Board and Staff began the process for the development of our new strategic plan which will be completed in 2010.
• We began a major redesign of our website which will be ready in the first quarter of 2010.
• Staff was immersed in the national health care reform discussions as well as local developments related to Family Care.
• Our Youth Leadership Specialist planned our most successful "Disability Mentoring Day" with 56 mentors and 120 mentees taking part.
• Our POWER LUNCH was again one of the major events on the Milwaukee scene with Amy Roloff as our keynote speaker.
This is a brief picture of some of the events we experienced at IndependenceFirst in 2009. The Board and I wish you a healthy 2010.
Lee Schulz
Executive Director
Don't Fix Me
By Michael Hineberg , ILS Coordinator
Many people believe the only way for a person with a disability to have a happy, meaningful and productive life is to eliminate his or her disability. This is why people are quick to render unwanted pity upon a person with a disability. The same amount of energy could more wisely be used in adapting the environment to fit the person with a disability, rather than trying to "fix" the person. This approach empowers the individual and preserves his or her self-respect. Adaptive devices, ramps and wheelchairs can provide independence. We must change the environment not the person. Don’t try to fix the person. People with disabilities are not broken. I am whole.
For more information regarding Independent Living Services, please contact Michael Hineberg at 414-226-8376 V/Relay or mhineberg@independencefirst.org.
Happy 20th ADA!
By Pattie Cox, Fund Development and Public Relations Associate With Credit to Arlene Mayerson
2010 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Throughout the year, IndependenceFirst will host special events and programs to celebrate this momentous occasion. BreakingAway will also profile the history, signing, development and future of the ADA in each of our quarterly issues. This is the first in the series, introducing you to the ADA and giving some background as how it came to be.The ADA ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, State and local government services, businesses that are public accommodations or commercial facilities and in transportation. The ADA also mandates the establishment of telephone relay service for people who use TTYs (tele-typewriters).
The history of the ADA did not begin on July 26, 1990 at the signing ceremony at the White House. It did not begin in 1988 when the first ADA was introduced in Congress. The ADA story began a long time ago in cities and towns throughout the United States when people with disabilities began to challenge societal barriers that excluded them from their communities, and when parents of children with disabilities began to fight against the exclusion and segregation of their children. It began with the establishment of local groups to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. It began with the establishment of the independent living movement which challenged the notion that people with disabilities needed to be institutionalized, and which fought for and provided services for people with disabilities to live in the community.
Like the African-Americans who sat in at segregated lunch counters and refused to move to the back of the bus, people with disabilities sat in federal buildings, obstructed the movement of inaccessible buses, and marched through the streets to protest injustice. And like the civil rights movements before it, the disability rights movement sought justice in the courts and in the halls of Congress.
From a legal perspective, a profound and historic shift in disability public policy occurred in 1973 with the passage of Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. Section 504, which banned discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of federal funds, was modeled after previous laws which banned race, ethnic origin and sex based discrimination by federal fund recipients.
For the first time, the exclusion and segregation of people with disabilities was viewed as discrimination. Congress recognized that legislation was necessary to eradicate discriminatory policies and practices.
Section 504 was also historic because for the first time people with disabilities were viewed as a class - a minority group. The history of the ADA is a testament to the movement's commitment to solidarity among people with different disabilities.
After Section 504 established the fundamental civil right of non-discrimination in 1973, the first task was to assure that the regulations provided meaningful anti-discrimination protections. It was not enough to remove policy barriers - it was imperative that the regulations mandated conduct to remove architectural and communication barriers and provide accommodations.
The second step was to force a slow moving agency to get the regulations out. All over the country people with disabilities sat-in at (HEW) Health, Education and Welfare buildings. The longest sit-in was in San Francisco, lasting 28 days. A lawsuit was filed, hearings before Congress were organized, testimony was delivered to Congressional committees, negotiations were held, and letters were written. The disability community mobilized a successful campaign using a variety of strategies, and on May 4, 1977 the Section 504 regulations were issued. It is these regulations which form the basis of the ADA.
The ADA, as we know it today, went through numerous drafts, revisions, negotiations, and amendments since the first version was introduced in 1988.
Spurred by a draft bill prepared by the National Council on Disability, Senator Weicker and Representative Coelho introduced the first version of the ADA in April 1988 in the 100th Congress.
The disability community began to educate people with disabilities about the ADA and to gather evidence to support the need for broad anti-discrimination protections. A national campaign was initiated to write "discrimination diaries." People with disabilities were asked to document daily instances of inaccessibility and discrimination. The diaries served not only as testimonials of discrimination, but also to raise consciousness about the barriers to daily living which were simply tolerated as a part of life. Justin Dart, Chair of the Congressional Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of People with Disabilities, traversed the country holding public hearings which were attended by thousands of people with disabilities, friends, and families documenting the injustice of discrimination in the lives of people with disabilities.
The job of the disability rights movement during the ADA legislative process was to demonstrate to Congress and the American people not only how this injustice harms the individual subjected to it, but also how it harms our society.
Congressional hearings were held at which witnesses’ spoke of their own experiences with discrimination. A young woman who had cerebral palsy told the Senators about a movie theater that would not let her attend because of her disability. When her mother called the theater to protest that this attitude "sounded like discrimination," the theater owner stated "I don't care what it sounds like." This story became a symbol for the ADA and was mentioned throughout the floor debates and at the signing. The members and the President related this story to demonstrate that America "does care what it sounds like" and will no longer tolerate this type of discrimination.
A Vietnam veteran who had been paralyzed during the war and came home using a wheelchair testified that when he got home and couldn't get out of his housing project, or on the bus, or off the curb because of inaccessibility; and couldn't get a job because of discrimination. He realized he had fought for everyone but himself - and he vowed to fight tirelessly for passage of the ADA. The President of Galludet College gave compelling testimony about what life is like for someone who is deaf, faced with pervasive communication barriers. The audience was filled with Galludet students who waved their hands in approval.
A woman testified that when she lost her breast to cancer, she also lost her job and could not find another one as a person with a history of cancer. Parents whose small child had died of AIDS testified about how they couldn't find any undertaker that would bury their child.
The committee also received boxes loaded with thousands of letters and pieces of testimony that had been gathered in hearings across the country the summer before, from people whose lives had been damaged or destroyed by discrimination.
And it was a long haul. After the Senate vote of 76 to 8 on September 7, 1989, the Bill went to the House where it
was considered by an unprecedented four Committees. Each Committee had at least one Subcommittee hearing, and more amendments to be explained, lobbied and defeated. Grass roots organizing became even more important because by this time many business associations had rallied their members to write members of Congress to oppose or weaken the bill. The perseverance and commitment of the disability movement never wavered. Through many moments of high stress and tension, the community stayed unified.
On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the bill into law. For the first time in the history of our country, or the history of the world, businesses had to stop and think about access for people with disabilities. If the ADA means anything, it means that people with disabilities will no longer be out of sight and out of mind. The ADA is based on a presumption that people with disabilities want to work and are capable of working, want to be members of their communities and are capable of being members of their communities and that exclusion cannot be tolerated. Accommodating a person with a disability is a basic civil right.
Watch for the next installment on the ADA in our Spring Issue, where we will look at the development and changes in our country towards accommodations and people with disabilities from 1990
to 2009.
For general information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov. If you are interested in publications related to the ADA see
www.ada.gov/publicat.
Preparing for Winter Storms and Extreme Cold
Special to BreakingAway from Ready America
While the danger from winter weather varies across the country, nearly all Americans, regardless of where they live, are likely to face some type of severe winter weather at some point in their lives. That could mean snow or subfreezing temperatures, as well as strong winds or even ice or heavy rain storms. One of the primary concerns is the winter weather's ability to knock out heat, power and communications services to your home or office, sometimes for days at a time. The National Weather Service refers to winter storms as the "Deceptive Killers" because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. People die in traffic accidents on icy roads and of hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold. It is important to be prepared for winter weather before it strikes.
Here are some "must do’s" for people with disabilities and special needs:
• Create a support network to help in an emergency.
• Tell these people where you keep your emergency supplies.
• Give one member of your support network a key to your house or apartment.
• Contact your city or county government’s emergency information management office. Local offices may keep lists of people with disabilities so they can be located quickly in a sudden emergency.
• Wear medical alert tags or bracelets to help identify your disability.
In addition, here are some life saving tips for everyone, not just people with disabilities:
Step 1: Get a Kit
• Get an Emergency Supply Kit which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries.
• Thoroughly check and update your family's Emergency Supply Kit before winter approaches and add the following supplies in preparation for winter weather:
> Rock salt to melt ice on walkways
> Sand to improve traction
> Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment
> Also include adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm
Step 2: Make a Plan
• Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency. Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood.
Step 3: Be Informed
Prepare Your Home
• Make sure your home is well insulated and that you have weather stripping around your doors and windowsills to keep the warm air inside.
• Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic, and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
• If you have a car, fill the gas tank in case you have to leave. In addition, check or have a mechanic check your car to make sure it is prepared for winter.
Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify winter weather
• Winter Weather Advisory means cold, ice and snow are expected.
• Winter Storm Watch means severe weather such as heavy snow or ice is possible in the next day or two.
• Winter Storm Warning means severe winter conditions have begun or will begin very soon.
• Blizzard Warning means heavy snow and strong winds will produce a blinding snow, near zero visibility, deep drifts and life-threatening wind chill.
• Frost/Freeze Warning means below freezing temperatures are expected.
Listen to Local Officials
Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials. For further information on how to plan and prepare for winter storms as well as what to do during and after a winter storm, visit: Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov), NOAA Watch (www.nws.noaa.gov) or the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org).
The Power of People with Disabilities
By The IndependenceFirst Advocacy Committee
There is an Advocacy Committee at IndependenceFirst. It consists of people with varying disabilities, community advocates, including an attorney, and staff members from IndependenceFirst. The Advocacy Committee does just what its name implies – advocates for people with disabilities in different ways.
You might be someone who is frustrated with a situation you see in the community where you cannot get the access you need to do something most people take for granted. Recently, the Advocacy Committee has been working on a letter to businesses in the four county area, focusing on the spending power of people with disabilities and older adults. Any business wants one thing - and that is to be profitable. Many businesses don’t realize that narrow aisles, small restrooms, restrooms that don’t comply with the ADA, signs with small print or doors that open to the outside and are heavy are actually causing them to lose money. Why? Because people with disabilities, the people who shop with them, and older adults may avoid these businesses because they do not feel welcome. And people with disabilities, baby boomers and older adults spend money!
The Committee also works on a local level to ensure that people with disabilities who may have a consistent problem with a venue or business are heard. They may approach the business with a suggestion on how to become more compliant with regulations. In some cases, if the situation cannot be resolved in good faith, a formal complaint may be pursued to solve the problem.
This year, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, members of the Advocacy Committee, will participate in an IndependenceFirst project telling personal stories of their experiences as a person with a disability. These videotapes will be posted on You Tube so anyone can become more understanding about some of the challenges facing people with disabilities. We’ll let you know when these videos will be posted, and you can always check our website at www.independencefirst.org for more information.
If you have questions about the Advocacy Committee or have a situation you would like to bring to our attention, please contact Mike Hineberg at 414-226-8376V/Relay or mhineberg@independencefirst.org.
New Disability Site on the Internet
By Pattie Cox, Fund Development and Public Relations Associate
In July, the US Department of Labor launched www.disability.gov, a redesigned federal web site that connects the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities to thousands of trusted resources on disability-related issues, programs and services. Formerly known as DisabilityInfo.gov, the site has been completely redesigned and updated with new social media tools, such as a blog and a Twitter feed, to encourage feedback and interaction among visitors. Disability.gov is not just for Americans with disabilities, but also for parent of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, educators, caregivers and many others. Make sure and take a look!!
Disability Rights Wisconsin Offers Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program
Special to BreakingAway
• Do you need help in understanding your Family Care, Partnership or IRIS services or benefits?
• Are you confused about your rights under Family Care, Partnership or IRIS?
• Are you satisfied with your care plan or services?
• Are you receiving services that meet your needs and support your outcomes?
• Do you have questions regarding your cost share?
Disability Rights Wisconsin’s (DRW’s) Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program is now available. It can provide assistance regarding eligibility, services or other Family Care, Partnership or IRIS concerns. The Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care (BOALTC) will continue to provide its ombudsman services to Family Care and Partnership enrollees and potential enrollees age 60 and over.
An ombudsman (OM-budz-man) is an advocate. If you are applying for or receiving Family Care, Partnership or IRIS, you are eligible for DRW’s Ombudsman services. The ombudsman can assist you whether you are living in your own home, a supported apartment or another residential setting. If you are applying for or already enrolled in the Family Care, Partnership or IRIS programs and have a question or concern, call DRW at one of the toll-free numbers in this article.
The Family Care Ombudsman Program offers many services, including:
• Investigating complaints
• Resolving and mediating issues
• Providing information and education on consumer rights
• Assisting in negotiating care plans
• Appealing denials of services or changes in services that you don’t agree with
• Working with enforcement and regulatory agencies
The Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program has staff in DRW’s Madison, Milwaukee and Rice Lake offices. They are available to advocate for and deal with issues such as:
• Development of a Care Plan that supports your goals
• Reduction in Services
• Employment
• Living Arrangements
• Young Adults Moving from School to Adulthood and enrolling in Family Care or Partnership
If you are age 18-59, are applying for or are enrolled in the Family Care, Partnership or IRIS programs and have a question or concern, you can contact the Family Care Ombudsman Program at the Disability Rights office nearest you:
Madison: 608-267-0214 V/Relay
Toll-free: 800-928-8778 V/Relay
Milwaukee: 414-773-4646 V/Relay
Toll-free: 800-708-3034 V/Relay
Rice Lake: 715-736-1232 V/Relay
Toll-free: 877-338-3724 V/Relay
Disability Rights Wisconsin provides reasonable accommodations upon request. Language translation services
are available. For more information about Family Care or other disability advocacy issues, please visit the website at: www.disabilityrightswi.org
Family Care and Partnership give you several choices for help if you have a concern about your service plan. You can visit the DHS web site for a listing of options at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ltcare/
Transition Corner
By Julie Alexander, ILS Lead Coordinator
Al is a 69 year old individual who ended up in a nursing home for rehabilitation after a 14 month stay in the hospital with a lung infection. He had a tracheotomy tube in for his entire stay in the hospital and for his first two weeks in the nursing home. He also has a spinal cord injury and needed rehabilitation to remain healthy so he could be as independent as possible. When he was ready to leave the nursing home, they were not receptive to his transitioning back into the community. A complicating factor was just to get through the Milwaukee County Family Care process which can be frustrating.
Al had been in the nursing home and the hospital for so long that Medicaid and the nursing home would not allow him to continue to pay his rent and maintain general upkeep on his apartment. He had to give up all but $45 of his income to the nursing home. Al lost his apartment and most of his possessions because he was not able to maintain housing.
Things started to turn around when Al requested Nursing Home Transition Services from IndependenceFirst. IndependenceFirst was able to assist Al in locating new housing, finding some furniture and donations to help make his new apartment a home.
IndependenceFirst also assisted Al by introducing him to Disability Rights Wisconsin. Al worked with Disability Rights Wisconsin and IndependenceFirst so that additional pressure could be put on the county system. With this advocacy assistance, he was able to transition back to his new apartment on the southwest side of Milwaukee. He was able to find aides to provide the personal and supportive care he needed so that he could regain his independence.
Al is active in the community. He participates on the Board of the Wisconsin Paralyzed Veterans and he is very interested in pursuing opportunities that would better educate others on how to provide the best care for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Al is very thankful that IndependenceFirst helped him get out of the nursing home and back into his own home.
For more information regarding nursing home transition services, please contact Julie Alexander at 414-226-8378 V/Relay or jalexander@independencefirst.org.
New Hires
Rosanne Guzikowski,
Benefits Specialist
In 2007, I graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and am currently working on a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a focus in Physical and Behavioral Health. For the last two years I have been employed as a Disability Benefit Specialist for the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Waukesha County. I am happy to be working in the Milwaukee area, which I have called home my entire life. Some additional experience I have had in the past includes interning for 2-1-1 in Milwaukee, working for Home Instead Senior Care while completing my undergraduate degree. Over the years I have heard from many people who have been positively impacted by the programs at IndependenceFirst and I am very excited to become a part of the agency as a new Benefits Specialist. I look forward to getting to know you all.
Tonya Villwock
Independent Living Coordinator
I am excited to join the Independent Living Department here at IndependenceFirst as the new Independent Living Coordinator for the Branch Offices. In the last two years, I have married my remarkable husband, graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha with a Social Work degree, and have welcomed our daughter to our family. Previously, I worked at Society’s Assets and had the opportunity to grow as a professional while working with their staff. Thank you to everyone for your friendliness and welcoming words. I am looking forward to the future I will have here at IndependenceFirst and the opportunity to continue developing my passion for helping individuals in the community.
National Crime Victimization Survey
By Leslie Myers, DART Program Manager
The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and Office of Justice Programs released the result of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Highlights from the report include:
• Persons with disabilities were victims of about 47,000 rapes, 79,000 robberies, 114,000 aggravated assaults, and 476,000 simple assaults.
• Age-adjusted rate of nonfatal violent crime against persons with disabilities was 1.5 times higher than the rate for persons without disabilities.
• Females with a disability had a higher victimization rate than males with a disability; males had a higher rate than females among those without a disability.
This is the first national study on crime against persons with disabilities conducted by BJS and the full report can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/capd07.htm
If you or someone you know has experienced violence/abuse:
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7223)
or TTY 1-800-787-3224
National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
For more information regarding violence and abuse toward people with disabilities, please contact Leslie Myers at
414-226-8381 V/Relay or lmyers@independencefirst.org
We All Count!
By Diana Sullivan, Disability Rights Specialist
Census Day is just around the corner. April 1, 2010 is the deadline for all households to complete and return their census questionnaires. The census is a count of all people living in the United States, and it’s important that all residents take part in this count. We need this information to make good decisions on where to build roads, schools, hospitals, and other community facilities. We need to know how many people live here so that we can be represented fully in Washington and at our state and local levels.
The census takes only 10 minutes to fill out, and all information is confidential.
The U.S. Census Bureau cannot share any of the answers that you provide with anyone or any other agency including Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
If you need assistance filling out the census you can call for this help from February 25 – July 30. The number for hearing persons in English and other languages is 1-866-872-6868 (toll free); the number for people who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing is 1-866-783-2010; and if you prefer a Spanish speaking operator dial 1-866-928-2010.
You count – so BE COUNTED!
Just a few things to be aware of while you participate in the census so you do not become a victim of identity theft:
• A US Census worker who knocks on your door will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag and a confidentiality notice.
• Ask to see their identification before answering any questions.
• You do not have to let them into your home. In fact, you do not have to let anyone you do not know into your home.
• Census workers are currently knocking on doors only to verify address information.
• DO NOT give your Social Security Number, credit card, or banking information to ANYONE, even if they claim they need it for the US Census.
• You only need to tell them how many people live at your address.
• You do not have to answer anything about your financial situation.
• The US Census employees will not ask for donations.
• No Acorn workers should approach you saying they are taking the census. Acorn was not contracted to work on
the census.
• The Census Bureau will NOT contact you by e-mail.
• Never open a link with any attachments that you are not familiar with.
BE COUNTED! But know your rights!