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FYI Newsletter September 7, 2009
Quick Scan:
- Institute Key Collaborator in Transportation Survey for Hoosiers with Disabilities
- ADA-Indiana Audio Conference
- Veterans Benefits for Seniors: Eligibility, Process, and Advocacy Workshop
- Ninth Annual Answers for Autism Walk
- Arc of Indiana 2009 Conference and Appreciation Luncheon
- New Club at Indiana University: Students on the Spectrum (SOS)
- Library Corner
IN THE NEWS
INDIANA INSTITUTE KEY COLLABORATOR IN TRANSPORTATION SURVEY FOR HOOSIERS WITH DISABILITIES: What ideas do people with disabilities in Indiana have about transportation issues? IU’s Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, in conjunction with the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities and Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services, is conducting a survey to find out the answer to this question!
Accessible and reliable transportation is an important issue for Indiana’s citizens with disabilities. Transportation is a necessary support for seeking and maintaining employment, for accessing health care services, and for participating in community activities. The 2009 Disability Poll on Transportation asks Indiana citizens to identify how they view the current state of transportation in Indiana. There is also opportunity for them to provide opinions and ideas about how to improve transportation in their communities.
People with disabilities, their family members, and their advocates are invited to complete the survey so that their voices are heard when transportation issues are being addressed in their communities! The survey is available online at http://www.thepollingplace.org. Print copies and alternative formats are available on request.
To request the survey in an alternative format, or for additional information, contact Dr. Vicki Pappas by phone at 1-800-825-4733 or e-mail beheard@indiana.edu.
The Disability Poll is an annual project of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities, and Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services. The Poll’s purpose is to provide a place where the voices of people with disabilities, their family members, and their advocates can be heard. Each year, a specific topic of interest is selected. The Disability Poll is being conducted by staff from the Institute’s Center for Planning and Policy Studies.
UPCOMING
ADA-INDIANA AUDIO CONFERENCE: ADA-Indiana invites you to attend its free September audio conference titled Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Post Secondary Education scheduled for September 15, 2009 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Educational entities are reporting increased enrollment of individuals with a variety of disabilities that they have not traditionally served such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability, and other emerging groups. Questions and concerns regarding the type of accommodations needed and how the campus environment should respond to ensure qualified students have an equal opportunity to participate are common on the various post secondary education listservs and blogs.
Join ADA-Indiana to learn more about how some institutions have implemented programs that have effectively been able to accommodate and integrate these students. Educators, advocates, people with disabilities, and other interested community members are encouraged to attend. The featured speaker will be Scott N. Friedman, M.S.Ed., Adjunct Professor, Elmhurst Life Skills Academy, Elmhurst College, Faculty Access Specialist, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Currently, there are 10 locations that are free and open to the public. ADA-Indiana and the DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center provide sponsorships to seven Indiana communities: Bloomington, Columbus, Corydon, Gary, Indianapolis, Richmond, and Terre Haute. The sites in Evansville and West Lafayette are hosted by organizations that make their sites available to the public. The new Muncie location is funded through a grant from ADA-Indiana and the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities. No reservations are required. CRC credit will be available.
If you are unable to attend the audio conference, individuals and organizations can purchase access to the audio conference by visiting http://www.ada-audio.org. The cost is $25.00 (for not-for-profits) and $40.00 (for-profit entities).
The audio conference series is co-sponsored by ADA-Indiana, the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and the DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center. For more information about this or any other ADA training event, please visit the ADA-Indiana website at www.adaindiana.org.
VETERAN’S BENEFITS FOR SENIORS: ELIGIBILITY, PROCESS, AND ADVOCACY WORKSHOP: VA benefits are often confusing and difficult to understand. Many seniors qualify but never take advantage of this benefit. Learn how to access VA benefits of up to $23,388 of tax free income per year to pay for home healthcare, assisted living, or nursing facility, Surviving veteran spouses may be eligible to receive up to $12,682 for these services.
The workshop will take place at the Monroe County Public Library (Room 1B) in Bloomington, Indiana on Friday, September 18, 2009 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Presenters include Wesley Young who specializes in Asset Preservation. Young assists veterans with the process of applying for, and receiving, VA benefits. Lance Like, a Bloomington Attorney who is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Administration and is accredited as an attorney with the Veterans Administration will offer advice on veteran’s benefits.
There is no registration fee to attend. To register, call (812) 353-9300 by Wednesday, September 16, 2009 or e-mail jheller@bloomingtonhospital.org.
NINTH ANNUAL ANSWERS FOR AUTISM WALK: Autism Advocates of Indiana, Inc., will host the Ninth Annual Answers for Autism Walk on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at the CoxHall Gardens, Carmel, IN. The day’s events include:
- 9:00 a.m. - Registration/Musical entertainment
- 9:00-12:00 noon - Silent auction/Family fun activities
- 10:45 a.m. - Speakers and balloon release
- 11:00 a.m. - Answers for Autism Walk (walk route is approximately one mile, handicap accessible, and stroller friendly)
Participants must have a minimum pledge of $10.00 to walk. Proceeds from this event will be used to promote the advancement of autism research, provide grants for programs in Indiana that serve individuals on the autism spectrum, and increase public awareness.
Autism Advocates of Indiana, Inc. was founded by a group of parents of children with autism living in the greater Indianapolis area. The organization’s mission is to increase and broaden public knowledge and awareness of the behaviors, social issues and emotional needs of individuals on the autism spectrum so that all individuals can participate in and contribute to our community without fear or bias or loss of individuality. For more information call 1-317-767-2777 or visit www.aaiwalk.org.
ARC OF INDIANA 2009 CONFERENCE AND APPRECIATION LUNCHEON: Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 1, 2009 and plan to attend The Arc of Indiana’s 2009 Conference and Appreciation Luncheon, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis.
The goal of this important event is to bring together 1,000 self-advocates, family members, leaders of organizations, and other professionals to lend their voice and opinion on critical issues impacting people with developmental disabilities and their families.
In the morning, each participant will use a hand held voting device to respond to a series of questions in several broad topic areas ranging from early childhood, to education, to employment, to health, to community living, to futures planning.
The noon Appreciation Luncheon will feature keynote speaker Dr. Tom Pomeranz, a national leader in the field of disabilities, who will discuss what life can and should look like for people with disabilities; and we will honor outstanding people, businesses, and organizations who are making a positive difference throughout Indiana.
Following lunch, participants will break into small groups to discuss what they believe are the most important issues raised in the morning session that should be addressed. At the conclusion of the day, everyone will receive a report showing how self-advocates, families, and professionals voted on each question.
The information gathered, in both the large voting and small group discussion sessions, will help shape future decisions. The goal of this event is to provide information and open a dialog that leads to greater collaboration. Registration fees include electronic voting equipment, lunch, and parking (free parking and shuttle service will be available from the parking lot of the Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 West Washington Street).
- Self Advocates - $15.00
- Family Members - $19.00
- Professionals - $35.00
Learn more, and register today by visiting The Arc of Indiana website at www.arcind.org.
The direct link to conference information - including a flyer you can print, copy, and distribute is: http://www.arcind.org/index/News-and-Events/2009-Conference-Event-Information.asp.
ACROSS THE COURTYARD
NEW CLUB AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY: STUDENTS ON THE SPECTRUM (S.O.S.): The Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism is pleased to announce its support of a new student group on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University: Students on the Spectrum (S.O.S.). S.O.S. will begin meeting this fall. The initial “call out” meeting is scheduled for Sunday, September 20 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Redbud Room at the Indiana Memorial Union.
All Indiana University students who live with an autism spectrum disorder are welcome. S.O.S. will provide students with the opportunity to engage with each other and others within the university community around topics of interest such as becoming an effective self-advocate, dealing with anxiety, communication and social skills, and finding supports and activities on campus and in the community. For further information, contact Marci Wheeler, S.O.S. Club Advisor, Indiana Resource Center for Autism at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail mwheeler@indiana.edu.
LIBRARY CORNER
NEW ITEMS: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.
United States Department of Justice. Police response to people with disabilities. Minneapolis, MN: Law Enforcement Resource Center.United States Dept. of Labor. (2008). Summit on disability employment policy. Washington DC: Office of Disability Employment Policy.
United States Dept. of Labor. (2007). Disability employment materials. Washington DC: Office of Disability Employment Policy.