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	<title>Independence First - Blog</title>
	<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog</link>
	<description>Independence First Blog</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:36:11 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>New Report Card on Racial Equality – Milwaukee Scores an “F”</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Advocate


It’s no secret that Milwaukee is heavily segregated. This new report from the Urban Institute shows that Milwaukee ranked last in equality between blacks and whites. What’s surprising is that Milwaukee is not in the bottom 10 (it’s the bottom 11th) when it comes to inequality between Latinos and whites.


The [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=605</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Advocacy steps: educate yourself, then others</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Advocate

System advocacy is a core service for all Independent Living Centers, and IndependenceFirst is no exception. Very often, an effective way to advocate on a systemic basis is to build relationships with legislators so that they are familiar with us. IndependenceFirst and the other seven Independent Living Centers (ILCs) in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=599</link>
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		<title>What is personal care?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Stan Spence, RN Care Coordinator


Personal care involves the following activities:


• Assistance with getting in and out of bed
• Assistance with bathing—bed bath, shower or tub bath
• Personal hygiene—teeth, mouth, denture and hair care
• Toileting—including use of bedpan, urinal, toilet and bowel program
• Care of eyeglasses, hearing aids and adaptive equipment
• Assist with dressing and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=591</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Who was Ed Roberts and why does he have his own day?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Lana Nieves, Development &#038; Communications Director at the Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco (ILRCSF)

In short, Ed Roberts was the father of the Independent Living Movement. His story is an important one, because it speaks to:

• An individual’s ability to make a huge difference in the world

• How many of us take simple things [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=579</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>A couple fun ways to support advocacy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Melanie Hupfer, Fund Development and PR/Marketing Coordinator

There are many ways to advocate—from speaking up when you are not treated fairly to contacting legislators to informing others in the community about needed changes, and more. IndependenceFirst helps empower people to advocate, and just one of many ways you can support our work is by attending [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=572</link>
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		<title>Deplorable: Update</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Advocate

Yesterday I blogged about a Facebook group that used a photograph mocking the Special Olympics and people with intellectual disabilities as its profile picture.

Both Brookfield Now and the Waukesha Freeman have reported that the group took down the photo, changed its name, and then later shut down.

This is an example [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=568</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Deplorable</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Advocate
There is an item in the Journal Sentinel’s NewsWatch section referring to a story in Brookfield Now about a Facebook page related to students and alumni of the Brookfield high schools that are part of the Elmbrook School District. That is, it’s not an official Facebook page of the schools, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=562</link>
			</item>
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		<title>2012 Changes to the Milwaukee County Transit System</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Autumn Misko, Resource Specialist

This year Milwaukee County faced another difficult budget process, and it appeared that the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) would need to reduce its fixed route bus service by 12 percent. Thanks to the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program funds, MCTS was able to avert such drastic cuts, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=555</link>
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		<title>People with Disabilities in Public Housing</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Coordinator

Some legislators have been talking about adding work requirements to housing assistance to encourage eventual self-sufficiency. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities decided to take a look at housing data. They looked at who receives housing assistance through the Section 8 program. You can find the full paper here, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=546</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Changes Due To Technology Are Not Always Welcome</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Cindi Pichler, Assistive Technology Specialist

My mother needs a new computer. Her current one has definitely seen better days. My brother is an IT guy, so we put our heads together and mutually decided that a tablet would meet her needs well. She doesn’t do anything strenuous, mostly email and some web-based puzzle games. Sometimes [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.independencefirst.org/blog/?p=540</link>
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