Hooray for Independent Living Centers - Happy Independence Day!

by Emily Flynn, Youth/Independent Living Specialist, Solano County

I started working for Independent Living Resources of Solano and Contra Costa County in May of 2013.  In the past year I have learned so much! I have learned how people with all different disabilities can live independently in their own way.  This may mean getting them tools to budget their finances or to be able to travel on their own to appointments.  It can also mean giving individuals the ability to practice and hone their advocacy skills, know and understand their rights, and how to navigate the institutional systems dedicated to protecting their rights. 

 When I started as our center’s Independent Living Youth Specialist, I had very little knowledge of what Independent Living Centers (ILCs) had to offer.  Being a student with a disability I received the accommodations I needed throughout my schooling, but I had no help outside of school.  Now, one of my biggest goals is to make sure people with disabilities have all the support -both in and outside of school- that they need to be successful in their chosen goals.  

Emily and Rachel setting up an outreach event for Ability Tools

An amazing benefit to my job is how rewarding it is to teach a consumer some of the skills they can utilize to reach their full potential. Our ILC has several different facets, offering  support, education, advocacy, and outreach. The direct services we provide to consumers include independent living skills training, educational support, assistive technology services, peer support, housing referral services and benefits counseling.  

My favorite work experience at our ILC is the one-on-one work I get to do with the consumers.  Sometimes this consists of just sitting with the individual and sharing our experiences and struggles we have both encountered as a person with a disability, and providing advice to one another.  At times I have the opportunity to do some advocacy work with the consumer in different situations such as housing and school accommodation rights. Or, I might receive a call from individuals who don’t know where to turn or simply have no idea what kind of help is out there and I get to point them in the right direction and give them helpful resources.   

 At our center we are also fortunate to have a benefits specialist on staff that is WIPA certified to answer questions and guide individuals  through the Social Security process.    

Another great service provided by ILCs that I myself have used, is the assistive technology service.  Ability Tools, California's Assistive Technology program, has a network of AT advocates across the state that work in ILCs. These AT specialists are able to find or loan out durable medical equipment and other AT to individuals with disabilities that may not be able to find or afford the equipment they need. They also assist consumers with connecting to the AT Exchange to find AT equipment for free, low cost or to borrow or for free.  The services at your local ILCs can provide you the support and skills to enable you to live a more independent life.

The services provided at Independent Living Centers can really change people’s lives.  I am grateful for the opportunity to assist people every day.   It has changed my life and hopefully it can change yours as well. My hope is that  consumers won’t  go through the same struggles that I have experienced with my disabilities. Since ILCs are managed by mostly people with disabilities, this gives them a uniqueness that not all other nonprofits have. The goal of ILCs is to empower individuals and promote independence.  I would encourage any person living with a disability that may have questions to contact their local Independent Living Center.  

DCAD 2014 - A Day of Disability Unity, Education, Celebration... and AT!

Disability Capitol Action Day 2014 took place on May 21^st in Sacramento and we thought it would be nice to share some photos from this successful and enjoyable event! 

The day started off with a Solidarity March from the Capitol Rose Garden to the West Lawn. Participants made signs to express what they thought was important for legislators and the public to consider, and then they marched all together toward the Capitol chanting with signs in tow. 

During this time, the Annual Disability Resource Fair was open, which featured forty outdoor booths with information and resources for people with disabilities and their allies. 

Next up was the Education Rally on the Capitol West Steps, where a variety of speakers spoke about the important topics of the day. After the Educational Rally, music was enjoyed; provided by the “Dream Achievers,” a band of young adults who performed live music.

DCAD 2014 was truly a success and we know that next year’s celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) will be even better. We hope to see you there!

Disability Resource Fair in Sacramento - Wednesday, May 21, 2014

What are you doing on Wednesday, May 21st?

If you can make it to Sacramento, come join the disability community for the 11th annual Disability Capitol Action Day (DCAD). DCAD is one of the nation’s largest and most diverse cross-disability annual days of unity. Recognizing the important issues facing people with disabilities and their allies in 2014, DCAD's theme is “The Time Is Now.” People from every corner of California will come to march in solidarity, share resources, and listen to passionate speakers. We will also discuss important issues like the In-Home Supportive Services, building accessible communities for all and the potential of the disability vote in the 2014 elections.

For over a decade now DCAD has continue to grow. Last year we welcomed over 2500 people and the Disability Resource Fair had more than 45 exhibitors there, sharing accessible resources, educational tools and products.

The Disability Resource Fair has some very exciting new exhibitors this year, including Innovations Health Devices, WHILL, Inc., Saltillo and the Prentke Romich Company, just to name a few. 

Innovations Health Devices will be demonstrating the exciting JACO.  JACO is an assistive robotic device that gives you the power and the freedom to do for yourself.  Check out this video of this robotic arm in action!

Innovations Health Devices will also have a wheelchair accessory, the Wijit, that improves mobility and reduces injury.

Also at DCAD will be a demo of the WHILL - a personal mobility device that traverses over sand, snow, gravel, and woodchips, and has a sleek and narrow design. Read our  blog about the amazing WHILL by clicking here.

 

Both the  Prentke Romich Company and Saltillo Corporation will be at DCAD to demo the latest and greatest in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. AAC is a term that is used to describe various methods of communication that can help people who are unable to use verbal speech to communicate. AAC can benefit a wide range of individuals, from a beginning communicator to a more sophisticated communicator who generates his own messages. 

 

Be a part of the DCAD 2014 team on social media! You can like us on FACEBOOK, follow us on TWITTER or share your DCAD story on TUMBLR and YOUTUBE. On all of our social media outlets we will be asking disability community members to complete this personal advocacy statement: “The time is now for …”

DCAD is for everyone who shares our common goal of increasing access and equality for people with disabilities. Please invite your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and caregivers…and don’t delay, the time is now to join us today!

Animals As Assistive Technology

by Nubyaan Scott, Program Coordinator for the AT Network

There are many different definitions for “Assistive Technology (AT)”. I usually rely on a fairly simple explanation: AT is any tool used by a person with a disability to do things for themselves that might otherwise be difficult to do. Under that definition many things can be a form of AT, including animals!

I think it is safe to say that anyone who has ever heard of the term “service animal” associates that phrase with guide dogs who assist people who are blind or have low vision. Guide

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dogs have been working in the United States since the 1920s, and are still a present part of society. The presence of guide dogs opened the door for people with disabilities to find a variety of animals that could provide them with service, support, or therapy –and many animals provide all three. I’d like to share with you some examples of animals being used as AT that may be a bit “outside of the box”.

 

Guide Horses

The Guide Horse Foundation provides ponies to individuals who are blind, as a way to increase their mobility. The program is relatively new and considered experimental. One might wonder why a person who is blind doesn’t just get a guide dog. Well, I am sure that you know at least a few people who are not dog lovers, are allergic to dogs, or do not live in dog-friendly housing. And, an added bonus of having a Guide Horse is that horses have longer life spans than most other guide animals.

Monkey Helpers

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Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers has been providing adults with spinal cord injuries or other disabilities that limit mobility with trained Capuchin service monkeys that assist with daily tasks. The monkeys are given customized in-home training in their new environments and they are provided at no-cost to the recipient. A monkey helper can assist with tasks like scratching itches, retrieving dropped objects, inserting straws into bottles, turning on buttons/switches, repositioning limbs on a wheelchair, and many other things. At some point towards the end of their lives, monkey helpers will need to be retired from service. At that time, they can be placed by Monkey Helpers into homes that will care for the monkey’s needs.

Emotional Support Animals

While many service animals also become companions to those that they help, they are legally separate from emotional support animals (ESAs). The main legal difference is that ESAs have less restrictive legal definitions, and are also therefore given less legal protection. For instance, a service animal has a legal right to accompany their handler to hotels and pretty much any other public place, but an emotional support animal does not have that legal right. ESAs are given two main legal protections: 1) they can fly with their handler, and, 2) they can live in housing that does not allow pets. And, skipping all of the legal gobbledygook, they are mainly different from service animals because they do not perform any specific service tasks. Emotional support animals help to ease the emotional or psychiatric symptoms of their companion’s disabilities. As a result, ESAs come in all breeds, shapes, sizes, and species.

Keep in mind that this is a general summary of the rules and regulations regarding emotional support animals. You can read Disability Rights California’s guide on the subject, for a more in-depth explanation: http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/548301.pdf

Read-to-Pet Programs

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Read-to-pet programs are set up to provide support to people who are learning how to read. Think back to when you were learning to read—you may remember it as a stressful experience. These programs are meant to ease the tension that can build within new readers. Many programs have found success in having learners read to dogs, which helps people to regain their confidence and not give up on reading even when it is difficult. The programs that take place are just as they sound for the most part. Readers are allowed to read to a dog, which helps to provide a calm environment, and consequently helps to develop reading skills.

Hippotherapy

healingstridesofva.org

Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that uses equine movement as part of an incorporated intervention plan to achieve practical results. Hippotherapy can help organize the nervous system by establishing new neuro-pathways. The movement of a horse creates a particular rhythm which stimulates muscles in the rider, as if the person were walking. The process can result in improved balance, coordination, flexibility, and strength. Hippotherapy can help with disabilities like attention deficit disorder, back pain, developmental delays, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, and stroke.

Operation Purple Program

Operation Purple is a camp for children who have a parent who is deployed in the military. Having a deployed parent is a very stressful experience for a child. So, the American Humane Association’s Animal-Assisted Therapy Program collaborated with the National Military Family Association to provide trained therapy dogs at their Operation Purple camps. Through their interactions, the dogs provide a calm presence and can create the feeling of a safe environment. This can help the children to communicate any fear, anger, or feelings of uncertainty.

I hope you were able to learn a fun fact or two from this blog! Please share your experiences with animals being used as assistive technology.

Disability History Week

by Kirk Aranda, Youth Advocate for YO! Disabled & Proud

It’s that time of the year everyone! 

It is officially the start of Disability History Week 2013. For this entire week, YO! members from all across the state will be going into different schools to educate students and teachers about disability history.  Lesson plans include people and events like Ed Roberts, the 504 Rehabilitation Act, the ADA and Justin Dart. 

YO! members' presentations keep the students engaged with interactive activities, photos and videos all while providing them with exciting history lessons that keep them wanting more.

The Disability History Week (DHW) campaign originally started in 2009 and was passed by California legislature in August of 2010, making the second week of October officially Disability History Week here in California. With each passing year DHW continues to grow and succeed with its passionate youth leadership wanting to engage classrooms all over the state. Our efforts have led to over 160,000 disabled and non-disabled students learning about disability history, and we expect that number to grow even more this year.

This should be a very exciting week! Be sure to take part in DHW and talk to any students or teachers that you know about setting up a DHW lesson plan in your community! 

Happy Disability History Week!