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FYI Newsletter: November 2, 2009

Quick Scan:

Passing of George Kirles
Core Vocabulary in the Classroom Workshop
2009 Indiana Conference for People with Disabilities
Indiana Alliance for Full Participation State Team
City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility Presents Annual Awards
Coming Soon to the Indiana Institute's e-store
Library Corner

CONDOLENCES

George Kirles Group Photo


PASSING OF GEORGE KIRLES: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of George Kirles. George passed on Sunday, October 25, 2009. George was a Program Assistant with the Institute’s Early Childhood Center for 15 years.

George loved working and was so very proud of being part of this Institute.  He was a model to all of us of perseverance and self-advocacy.  George reminded us by his presence the true mission of this Institute; to work for, with, and on behalf of people with disabilities. He will be missed.

UPCOMING

CORE VOCABULARY IN THE CLASSROOM WORKSHOP: Teachers, speech-language pathologists,  Augmentative and Alternative Communication users, and parents, mark your calendars for Friday, November 13, 2009 from 9:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. at the Indiana Institute, and plan to attend a workshop titled The Use of Core Vocabulary in the Classroom for Students with Little or No Speech presented by the Special Education Program, Indiana University School of Education and the Indiana Institute.

Training content will focus on:

  • A review of core vocabulary literature;
  • An analysis of language samples according to Brown's Stages as a basis for AAC intervention;
  • Icon sequences and the pronoun paradigm from Unity/Minspeak software;
  • Assessment materials;
  • Practical information and advice from the user point of view; and
  • Questions may be asked throughout the day…

Presenters include:

Chris Klein spearheads Clay Vessel Incorporated, (NFP). Complications during his birth left him with cerebral palsy. Chris cannot speak or walk. To communicate, he uses a touch-screen computer on which he types phrases and sentences with his big toe. Chris was given his first Augmentative Communication device at the age of six, and he shocked his family and friends by talking on it by the next day. This opened new opportunities for Chris, as he was able to be mainstreamed full-time starting in third grade. Chris understands personally how assistive technology can change a person’s life, and he is committed to making assistive technology available to others. Today, Chris lives on his own in Holland, Michigan. He graduated from Hope College, and inspires crowds of people with his speaking seminars.

Bruce R. Baker, A.M., L.H.D., (Hons. caus.) is currently Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, holding appointments in two departments. He is President/CEO of Semantic Compaction Systems, Inc. and has served as consulting linguist to a series of companies, including the Westinghouse Electric Corporation.  He is the recipient of the National Design Award from United Cerebral Palsy Associations, the Distinguished Service Award from the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America, and the Distinguished Service Award from the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  He conceived and developed the Minspeak® brand language representation technology, which is now used in eight languages worldwide.

There are no registration fees associated with this workshop. Please bring your own lunch and drinks. RSVP to Erna Alant (ealant@indiana.edu) or Beverly Vicker (vickerb@indiana.edu).

Indiana Council for People with Disabilities State Conference

2009 INDIANA CONFERENCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: The 15th annual Indiana Conference for People with Disabilities, themed Invest in People and Share in the Profits, will take place Monday, November 16 and Tuesday, November 17, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis. People with disabilities, their family members, caregivers and other advocates in the disability community are invited to participate in this two-day event where they’ll learn how to “invest” in themselves and their communities by improving their own individual skills.  This year will be the first annual “Can Do Can Drive.” Those who bring a nonperishable food item will be eligible for a special drawing.

This year’s conference will include keynote presentations from expert speakers, including Andy Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, a health care presentation, a panel discussion with Indiana disability lobbyists about public policy, a networking and socializing reception and a ceremony to recognize winners of the Council’s Community Spirit Awards. The conference will close with a fun, interactive presentation from toy inventors Charlie and Maria Girsch, who will encourage the audience to think creatively and look at familiar problems in new ways. 

Scholarships are provided for people receiving Social Security or TANF services, and half-price registration fees are available for people with disabilities and their family members. For more information or to register for the conference, call (317) 232-7770 (voice) for a registration brochure or visit http://www.in.gov/gpcpd/.

ACROSS THE STATE

Indiana Alliance for Full Participation State Team Logo

INDIANA ALLIANCE FOR FULL PARTICIPATION STATE TEAM: The Indiana Alliance for Full Participation State Team is a coalition of key stakeholders in the developmental disabilities community in Indiana committed to increasing employment for people with disabilities.

Indiana’s Alliance for Full Participation State Team includes the voices of Hoosiers with disabilities, families, employers, policy makers, providers, researchers, and community builders and is organizing in response to the National Alliance for Full Participation in promoting employment outcomes in Indiana.

The Alliance for Full Participation (AFP)

The Alliance for Full Participation is a partnership of 14 national organizations that share a common vision - to help create a better and more fulfilling quality of life for people with developmental disabilities. AFP was created in this vision and the hope that through the diversity of our many voices we can collectively achieve this goal.

AFP is united in its commitment to the successful inclusion of people with developmental disabilities into the mainstream of American life. By bringing together the many voices within participating organizations dedicated to this cause, we will work together to make this vision a reality. AFP began in 2003 and hosted a major developmental disabilities summit in 2005 with more than 2,400 participants.

Contact AFP

Alliance for Full Participation
c/o Carol Walsh
walshworks@verizon.net
202 Lexington Dr.
Silver Spring, MD 20901

Common Ground: The National AFP and the Indiana State Team are setting a goal to double the employment rate for those with developmental disabilities from 22% nationally to 44%. Here in Indiana, we are a little ahead of the national average (about 28-30%) according to 2008 data received from David Braddock and Indiana’s Day and Employment Services Outcome System.

The Indiana Alliance for Full Participation State Team believes that Indiana is in a good position to accelerate the employment rate in community jobs if we work together. The Alliance provides a vehicle for drawing attention to the possibilities and the need for improving employment in Indiana.

Your participation is invited and needed. Watch for more information in the months ahead regarding the activities of the Indiana Alliance for Full Participation State Team.  Visit the Indiana AFT on Facebook and join the Team!

Now is the time to accelerate employment outcomes for people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities in Indiana!

Indiana AFP Participation Already Includes:


National AFP Membership Includes:


IN BLOOMINGTON

City of Bloomington Logo

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY ACCESSIBILITY PRESENTS ANNUAL AWARDS: Mayor Mark Kruzan and the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) recognized organizations and individuals committed to making Bloomington more accessible to people with disabilities at the annual CCA Awards Ceremony at Chapman’s Restaurant on Monday, October 26. 

“I congratulate all the award nominees and recipients and thank them for their significant contributions to making life a little easier for people with disabilities,” said Kruzan, who presented the Mayor’s Award to Elizabeth Hall. "Their actions and spirit enrich our entire community."

The following award winners were recognized for outstanding service: 

  • Self-Advocacy Award – Alexandra Rosenberg, senior at Indiana University, for advocacy on behalf of herself and others with disabilities through creation of the Peer Undergraduate Mentor Program
  • Business Service Award – Katrina Bardsley and Monroe Hospital, for outstanding efforts in
  • employing people with disabilities
  • Housing Service Award – Area 10 Agency on Aging Handyman Program, for helping people with disabilities address their housing needs
  • Professional Service Award – Monroe County Parks and Recreation Karst Farm Park Playscape, for efforts on behalf of people with disabilities in creating a fully accessible and inclusive play environment at Karst Farm Park
  • Special Recognition – Vanessa McClary, for bringing about many positive changes for people with disabilities and others throughout the community
  • Kristin Willison Volunteer Service Award – Beverly Freese, for outstanding efforts as a volunteer since her retirement from teaching
  • Mayor’s Award sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College – Elizabeth Hall, for more than 20 years of efforts at Stone Belt, where she has had a huge impact on many lives

The Awards Ceremony was sponsored by the City of Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources Department and Human Rights Commission; John Byers Associates; Café Pizzaria, Inc.; Cook, Incorporated; Indiana Institute on Disability and Community; Indiana University Credit Union; Ivy Tech Community College; Kappa Kappa Sigma Philanthropic Sorority, Iota Chapter; Kiwanis Club of Bloomington; Oliver Wine Company, Inc,; Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living; Steve Pritchard D.D.S.; and Stone Belt Arc, Inc.

NEW PRODUCT

Case Manager Tip Folder Cover

COMING SOON TO THE INDIANA INSTITUTE'S E-STORE: Tips to Promote Working Partnerships between Families and Medicaid Case Managers is a tool to help individuals with disabilities and their families in the interview process of hiring a new case manager. Checklists are provided to assist families and case managers in their communication and responsibilities. The content of this product was designed to fit onto a file folder, so families and case managers can keep important papers organized. Cost: first 5 are free, then 5/$4.00, sold in bunches of 5. Contact Sharon Hauss at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail sahauss@indiana.edu. Visit the e-store at http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/.

LIBRARY CORNER

Center for Disability Information and Referral Logo and Link

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.

Angermeir, P., Kryzanowski, J., & Keller Moir, K. (2009). Learning in motion: 101 + sensory activities for the classroom. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons Inc.

Crosetto, A., Horan, M., & Garcha, R. (2009). Disabilities and disorders in literature for youth: A selective annotated bibliography for k-12. Lanham: Scarecrow Press.

Kluth, P., & Shouse, J. (2009). The autism checklist: A practical reference for parents and teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Willis, W. (2009). Teaching infants, toddlers, and twos with special needs. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House.