Print Friendly VersionSeptember 2007, Issue 117
ADVOCACY ACTION NEWS
September 2007, Issue 117
FEDERAL/NATIONAL
LOCAL
ADA/FAIR HOUSING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ON THE WEB
Monthly News Bulletin Published by IndependenceFirst
[NOTE: Ed Roberts is known as the “Father of Independent Living.” Over the next couple of issues, some of his thoughts will be shared here.]
“THE TAO OF ED”
Most people think we are unhappy. Disability has nothing to do with whether you’re happy or unhappy.
The prejudice against us is the worst thing around. I call it ‘handicapism’ It puts you apart, makes people think that you’re something other – that you’re weak, sick and unable.
The best thing people all over the world have got going is our differences, not our similarities. We learn so much from each other because of our differences. Yet we are often so afraid of those differences – right?
One of the things that happens to many of us with disabilities is we wake up; we see how our society has been brainwashed to fear us. People literally fear us because of our disabilities. They have terrible misconceptions about who we are.
I have come up with a phrase: ‘temporarily able-bodied.’ I mean, why should I be labeled ‘disabled?’ Other people should be labeled, ‘not disabled yet.’
Remember that a lot of us have been through disability and understand it from within. Often we felt awful about ourselves before we began to rebuild our attitudes and became empowered about who we are and then finally, finally, loved ourselves again.
That is a powerful human experience. That gives us more power to share with people and more knowledge to share with them.
Never quit. Never quit, no matter what it is. Never let anybody put you down. I don’t care if it’s the damned doctors; they’re good at putting people down. Stop them, tell them it’s not all right. Beware: medical folks won’t like you to do that. Why do we lie there and just take it? We can ask a doctor, ‘Why do you prescribe this medication’ or ‘What side effects does it have?’
We need to be in control of our lives. I don’t care who it is. Maybe they have more experience than us medically. But we know how our body feels and we don’t want someone making choices for us. More important than anything else is being assertive about what you feel. Be confident that you know what’s going on with yourself more than anybody else does. Your instincts are probably pretty right on.
At least ask! Don’t go away feeling, ‘Damn! Why didn’t I have the guts to do that?’
The one thing disabled people can do to change stereotypes about disability is to be themselves. Putting on a mask, pretending to be somebody else, won’t change anything.
I look for the challenge; I look for it a lot. The word ‘no’ is a very interesting word. I’ve learned that the word ‘no’ means ‘yes’ sometimes.
I do a lot of fund-raising, so I hustle money. The word ‘no’ I don’t stop at. That means ‘maybe’ to me. It means try another way; figure it out. And usually, after a while, I am successful. One of my favorite words, is ‘persist.’ If you want to succeed in something, be persistent. Figure out another angle, another angle.
Although you’ve got to have a measure of patience, it’s very important to be militant. If we don’t push, we’ll fall. We need to develop more militant leaders.
Source: Mouth Magazine
FEDERAL/NATIONAL
HOUSING AMERICA 2007 LAUNCHES ONLINE PETITION
A nationwide, online petition launched recently by the Housing American 2007 Campaign, a nationwide affordable housing awareness effort, received 300 signatures within its first week, ranging from housing authority officials to city mayors to social service providers and more. The Housing America 2007 petition requests renewed dedication to the provision of affordable housing.
The petition is the latest effort by Housing America 2007 Campaign, which aims to raise public consciousness of the critical role of housing and community development initiatives and the fundamental public policy benefits we as a nation derive from affordable housing and community revitalization activities.
The campaign is using this petition as a step along the way to bringing housing to the forefront of issues in America.
Signatures on the petition will be collected through this fall, at which time they will be compiled and presented to Congress.
The Housing America 2007 Petition can be found here: http://HousingAmerica.blogspot.com.
More information about the campaign can be found here: www.nahro.org/legislative/housing_america/toolkit.pdf.
For additional information, contact Mary Barron, NAHRO, 202-289-3500 ext. 7223, mbarron@nahro.org.
LOCAL
LONG TERM CARE CHANGES IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY
Community forums are being planned for Milwaukee County residents with disabilities under age 60, their families and guardians, to discuss proposed changes in the delivery of county-funded long-term support services. Long-term support services are things like personal care, home delivered meals, respite care, case management, homemaker services, transportation, and home modifications that promote accessibility.
TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:
• Proposed changes in the delivery of long-term support services.
• What these changes will mean for you.
• Questions and answers.
• Your ideas and opinions about the proposed changes.
In order to be notified when these are scheduled, contact Lonna Kruse at 414-224-0404 (V/relay).
NOTE: You can also provide input on the “Your Space” page of the Milwaukee County Long-Term Care Planning website (www.planningcouncil.org/longtermcare). Milwaukee County is interested in hearing from adults with disabilities who receive or are waiting to receive long-term care services.
PARATRANSIT SERVICES
Milwaukee County would raise bus fares from $1.75 to $2, drop 13 bus routes and shorten 13 others, under the Milwaukee County Transit System's 2008 budget request. Fares would rise from $3.25 to $4 on the Transit Plus vans that serve the county's disabled and frail elderly residents. And Transit Plus service would be sliced to the minimum allowed by the federal government, replacing the current countywide door-to-door service with service only in areas near the shrinking bus routes.
Contact your Milwaukee County Supervisor and Scott Walker, the County Executive (414-278-4211) to let them know your feelings on this issue! To find out who your County Supervisor is, call 414-278-4222(v/relay).
ADA/FAIR HOUSING
SETTLEMENT WILL MAKE SUBWAY SHOPS ACCESSIBLE
The Department of Justice announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Doctor Associates Inc. (DAI), the privately held corporation that franchises Subway sandwich shops throughout the United States. The agreement, which sets out steps to make Subway shops physically accessible to people with disabilities, affects more than 20,000 Subway franchises. The settlement focuses on barrier removal for people with disabilities, to ensure that they have access to the facilities; use of the services offered by shops; and whenever readily achievable, access to restroom facilities in the Subway shops.
People interested in finding out more can call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY), or access the ADA Web site at http://www.ada.gov
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“The problem in my life and other people’s lives is not the absence of knowing what to do, but the absence of doing it.”
~ Peter Drucker
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CASH PRIZES AVAILABLE IN "BROADBAND CHANGED MY LIFE" CONTEST!
The Alliance for Public Technology (APT), a nonprofit association urging greater deployment of broadband, or high speed Internet access, is running a nationwide contest to highlight the breadth and scope of the impact using broadband can have at the personal level. APT wants you to share your story online. They are offering a grand prize of $1,000, a second place prize of $500 and a third place prize of $250 to the best submissions. Awardees stories will also be highlighted on the APT web site and featured in APT-sponsored publications.
People with disabilities are encouraged to go to the web site at http://ga3.org/campaign/contest and enter the contest before the deadline of October 1, 2007.
Source: AAPD Listserv
SDS CONFERENCE - SAVE THE DATE
Plan now to attend the first annual conference on Self-Directed Supports (SDS). This conference will take place November 5-7, 2007 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. The title of the conference is “Organizing for Self-Directed Supports.”
This conference is a result of a series of statewide trainings on SDS held this past spring around the state. Those trainings were designed to help people with disabilities, family members, service providers and others better understand SDS. This conference will explore further the concept of SDS as it relates to long term care reform occurring throughout the state.
More information about the conference can be found at the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities web site at:
http://www.wcdd.org/whoweare/2007_events/November_SDS_datesaver.pdf.
Please tell others about this most important conference!
DISABILITY RIGHTS WISCONSIN LISTENING SESSION
The Board of Directors of Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) will be holding a Listening Session on Friday, September 7, 2007 in Milwaukee.
DRW is the designated protection and advocacy agency for people with developmental, physical, or sensory disabilities and people with mental illness in Wisconsin. DRW engages in a variety of advocacy strategies, including one-on-one advocacy for individuals and their families; systems advocacy (influencing state and county policy, legislative advocacy and coalition building); class action and impact litigation; and providing training to people with disabilities, their family members, human service professionals, attorneys and others on a variety of disability related topics.
The DRW Board wants to hear from people with disabilities, their families, friends, disability activists, service providers and other concerned individuals about your ideas for the future of disability advocacy and the issues that need to be addressed in the areas of special education, developmental disability, mental health and physical disability services and disability rights.
WHEN: Friday, September 7, 2007 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Courtyard by Marriott Milwaukee Downtown Hotel (connected to the Grand Avenue Mall), 300 Michigan Street
QUESTIONS/ACCOMMODATIONS: Call the DRW Milwaukee office at 414-773-4646 (V/Relay) or 888-758-6049 (TTY)
AARP FOUNDATION WOMEN’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation has announced a new scholarship program for low-income women 40+ to participate in education and training opportunities. Two of the eligible categories are: Women returning to the workforce after an extended absence (such as caregiving) and grandmothers or other relatives caring for relative children who depend upon them financially. Approximately 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 are expected to be awarded in the first round. The process opens August 31; deadline is October 31, 2007. Applications are only available on-line at www.aarp.org/womensscholarship.
ON THE WEB
http://wiatrc.org/ The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Resource Center (WIATRC) is an online resource sponsored by the University of Wisconsin – Stout, Pathways to Independence, and WisTech. The website can be used to access information on AT equipment, funding, vendors and events.
WHAT IS "AT?"
Any product or piece of equipment used to maintain or improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities is an assistive technology (AT) device.
These items may be commercially-made products intended as assistive technology, common products that have been modified to serve an individual's need, or custom-made. They may be as simple as using a loop-style drawer handle, or as complex as a sip-and-puff switch to operate a personal computer.
Advocacy Action News is published by IndependenceFirst on or about the 1st of each month. Submissions of articles are due by the 15th of each month prior to publication. For consideration, send your articles or announcements to the Editor, Karen Avery, via e-mail to kavery@independencefirst.org.
Advocacy Action News is available by request in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, on disk or audiotape. It is also made available via our website.
You may also receive Advocacy Action News via email instead of print copy. Contact Karen at 414-291-7520 (V/TTY) or kavery@independencefirst.org.
If you do not have access to the internet, and would like assistance in obtaining any of the internet-based items described in this news bulletin, please contact Karen at 414-291-7520 (V/TTY).
IndependenceFirst
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