On Target is a monthly publication
of the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities.
We welcome your suggestions for newsletter content and
ideas concerning the actions of the Council. On Target is made available
in accessible formats upon request.
Suellen Jackson-Boner
Executive Director
Christine Dahlberg
Associate Director
Paul Shankland
Grants Manager |
Your Vote Counts
On Nov. 5, Hoosiers will elect nine congressional delegates to the U.S. House of Representatives, 125 state representatives to the House and Senate, the Secretary of State, and numerous county officials and town council members.Will your voice be heard?
It is imperative that people with disabilities raise their voices at the polls this November. Although this is an off-year election, the stakes remain high. Congress will debate MiCassa, election reform and IDEA. The state budget will be at the top of the docket for the Indiana legislature, where programs that assist people with disabilities are at high risk of budget cuts. Town council members also will focus on budgets and local ordinances that will affect people with disabilities.
"Every person counts. Success for the disability community depends on many active citizens - with and without disabilities - to work at the grassroots level to ensure voting places are accessible and candidates are well-informed about disability issues," said Julia Vaughn, project coordinator for the Council's Count Us IN initiative.
Candidates for the office of Secretary of State already have included issues that affect people with disabilities on their agendas, such as the need for accessible voting and poll-worker training to assist people with disabilities.
Vaughn also hopes people with disabilities will play a role in "getting out the vote" in their communities.
Some activity suggestions include:
- Provide respite care for children with disabilities while their parents vote.
- Provide transportation to the polls for people with disabilities.
- Organize a "calling campaign" to encourage people with disabilities to vote and see if they need transportation.
- Emphasize the importance of voting at disability organizations' meetings.
Without voter preparation, however, voting has little meaning. United Cerebral Palsy recommends checking to see if candidates do the following:
- Use accessible offices and schedule events at accessible locations.
- Make campaign events, literature and advertisements accessible to people with disabilities.
- Invite disability leaders to strategy sessions, forums and meetings.
- Show strong support for the ADA and disability issues.
To learn more about the candidates, you can attend a candidate forum in your community. There, candidates will explain their platforms and answer questions from members of the community.
"Candidate forums are important because the public finds out first-hand where the candidates stand on specific issues, so they can make informed voting choices. It is also important to show candidates that people with disabilities are an influential voting block," said Sheri Caveda, project director, Fifth Freedom.
Check with your local chamber of commerce, League of Women Voters, or local voting organizations to see if forums are scheduled in your area.
In addition, the Council's Count Us IN initiative continually seeks volunteers for "get out the vote" activities, polling place accessibility surveys and other projects. For more information or to volunteer, contact Julia Vaughn at (317) 234-2226 (voice) or CountUsIn@gpcpd.org (e-mail).
For people with disabilities the Council offers a free Indiana voting guide that outlines voter rights and responsibilities. To order, contact the Council at (317) 232-7770 (voice), (317) 232-7771 (TT) or gpcpd@gpcpd.org (e-mail), or use the toll-free publications order line at (866) 234-1635 (voice).
Latest Medicaid waiver consumer guide available
The third edition of the Consumer Guide to Medicaid Waiver Services describes Indiana's home and community-based care waivers, as well as a variety of other home and community-based services. This guide helps people with disabilities and their families understand how to navigate the waiver system and ensure that services meet consumers' needs. Topics include consumer rights, information on the application process, the quality assurance process, how to choose a provider and numerous other resources.
To obtain a copy of the guide, attend the Medicaid waiver workshop in your area (see adjoining article) or send your name, address and the quantity desired to gpcpd@gpcpd.org (e-mail), or call (317) 232-7770 (voice) or (317) 233-3712 (fax). You can also order by calling the toll-free publications order line at (866) 234-1635 (voice).
Free Medicaid waiver workshops
The Waiver Information Network (WIN) is conducting a series of free three-hour workshops throughout the state to provide current information on Indiana's Medicaid waivers for home and community-based services.
People with disabilities, family members and advocates can attend any of the following meetings to ensure they are equipped with the most current information:
(All workshops are conducted from 1 - 4 p.m. and 6 - 9 p.m. at each location, except where noted.)
Oct. 22 - Elkhart, Elkhart Public Library
Oct. 23 - Highland, St. James Parish Hall
Oct. 24 - Indianapolis, St. Luke's United Methodist Church
Oct. 26 - Valparaiso, 9 a.m. - noon only, Valparaiso University Union, The Great Hall
Oct. 29 - Evansville, Deaconess Hospital Health & Science Bldg., Johnson Hall
Oct. 30 - Vincennes, 1 - 4 p.m., KCARC, Plant 5 cafeteria, and 6 - 9 p.m., Cinergy/ PSI Energy
Nov. 2 - Terre Haute, 9 a.m. - noon only, Vigo County Public Library
Nov. 7 - Fort Wayne, Allen County Public Library
Nov. 8 - Portland, Jay County Public Library
Nov. 9 - Marion, 9 a.m. - noon only, Marion Public Library
Nov. 12 - New Albany, Carnegie Center
Nov. 13 - Seymour, Jackson County Public Library, Seymour branch
Nov. 16 - Franklin, 9:15 a.m. - noon only, Johnson County Public Library, Franklin branch
Dec. 3 - Richmond, Friends Fellowship
Dec. 5 - Lafayette, Ivy Tech, Ivy Hall, Eli Lilly room
To request accessible formats, an interpreter or other accommodations, contact The Arc of Indiana at least two weeks prior to the event at (317) 977-2375 (voice), toll-free at (800) 382-9100 (voice) or TheArc@arcind.org (e-mail). For more information, visit www.arcind.org.
WIN, a collaborative effort of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, The Arc of Indiana and the Indiana Parent Information Network, is funded by a grant from the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities.
2002 Conference creates a CHANGE reaction
The 2002 Indiana Conference for People with Disabilities will focus on "The Power of One: Creating a CHANGE Reaction." On Nov. 19 and 20, policy-makers, business leaders, advocates and people with disabilities and their families will gather at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis to learn from experts and each other by sharing what works in their own communities.
The Conference will feature a variety of workshops addressing issues such as embracing diversity, voting, transportation, federal legislation, building relationships with the news media, Medicaid waivers, personal care and more. In addition, each daily opening session and luncheon will feature a keynote speaker. Exhibits will be available for viewing, and door prize winners will be drawn throughout the Conference. Tuesday evening will feature a '60s-themed reception with light refreshments and flower power!
Keynote speaker John Sanford will be featured Tuesday morning. He is the chairperson of
the National Family for the Advancement of Minorities with Disabilities, a national non-profit organization that provides leadership and implements a comprehensive range of strategies to ensure, protect, promote and advance the legal, economic and human rights of racial/ethnic minority persons with disabilities and their families.
Tuesday's luncheon will feature People Magic® president and motivational speaker Rob Chalmers. His presentation encourages understanding and offers new choices for how we see others and ourselves in order to work together in a positive and more productive manner.
Ray Kurzweil, inventor of the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, will speak during Wednesday's luncheon about "The Power of Technology." He will discuss what the future holds and how the world will be changed by technology in the next 20 years.
Jim Dickson, Robin Jones, Bob Kafka and Bobby Silverstein will present a plenary session on current federal legislation. Kafka is the national organizer of American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) and co-director of The Institute for Disability Access in Texas. Silverstein is director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy at George Washington University Medical Center.
The registration deadline for the 2002 Indiana Conference for People with Disabilities is Nov. 8. To receive a registration form, contact Sandy Kite Hunt, Conference coordinator, at (317) 786-7272 (voice), toll-free at (866) 786-7272 (voice), (317) 786-7272 (fax) or skh4hog@prodigy.net (e-mail).
Employment tips for employers and people with disabilities
People with disabilities have the highest unemployment rate of any minority group, largely because of the attitudinal barriers they face in the workplace. In honor of October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which seeks to change negative attitudes about people with disabilities, the Council offers the following tips for employers seeking to hire people with disabilities and for people with disabilities who are seeking employment.
Employers:
Hiring employees with disabilities not only diversifies company culture, it also opens the door to a potential customer base of 54 million Americans with disabilities.
To prepare for potential employees with disabilities, ask the following questions:
- Is the building accessible to people with disabilities?
It might be hard to notice all the trouble spots, so contact a disability organization in the area for assistance.
- Are hiring practices accessible?
For example, could a person with a visual or learning disability complete the hiring test?
When both the obvious and more subtle accessibility issues are resolved, contact a local Workforce Development Center and disability organizations to connect with potential employees with disabilities in your area.
Employees:
The job hunt can be a daunting task for anyone. But for people with disabilities who may face physical and attitudinal barriers, the task can seem insurmountable.
After more than 20 years working in the international automotive industry, Peter Cooke, who uses a wheelchair, recently toured North America to discuss employment opportunities for people with disabilities. According to iCan News Service, Cooke recommends the following tips for people with disabilities who are entering the job market for the first time:
- Make an absolute nuisance of yourself until you get what you want.
- Be better than everyone else.
- Accept your disability, don't doubt your skills because of it, and don't use it as an excuse not to work.
- Explain your disability briefly to close colleagues. It's natural that they will have questions.
- Have a sense of humor - about your disability and in general.
- Make people feel comfortable around you and they will forget your disability in time.
Indianapolis mayor creates accessibility committee
Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson celebrated the 12th anniversary of the ADA with the formation of the Mayor's Accessibility Review Committee, which will explore ways to make city streets, buildings and parks more accessible to people with disabilities.
"It is essential for us to promote public policy, formed in the spirit of the ADA, that provides those with disabilities equal opportunities and improved living and working environments," Peterson said.
The mayor issued an executive order designating a person in each of the city's eight departments to serve on the committee and regularly review and improve accessibility for existing facilities, programs and policies. Those committee members also will focus on disability-related issues during the planning process for all city projects in their departments.
Department of Transportation launches toll-free aviation hotline
People who experience disability-related problems when flying should contact the Department of Transportation's new aviation consumer disability hotline for information and assistance. The toll-free number is (866) 266-1368 (voice) or (866) 754-4368 (TT).
NPR special report explores housing issues
NPR's "Housing First," a year-long special reporting project running now through summer 2003, highlights the barriers faced by minority populations, including people with disabilities, in obtaining adequate housing. The related Web site, www.npr.org/ news/specials/housingfirst, includes information and resources for and about people with disabilities, as well as a schedule of upcoming broadcasts.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
To recognize the issues and barriers faced by people with disabilities despite the passage of the ADA 12 years ago, Congress and President George W. Bush have again declared October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. In honor of this declaration, the Council will once again recognize Indiana's outstanding employers of people with disabilities with Profit From Our Ability Awards. Regional awards will be announced in October. Statewide awards will be given at the Council's annual Conference in November.
Indiana Governor’s Planning
Council for People with Disabilities
150 West Market Street, Suite 628
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
(317) 232-7770 voice
(317) 232-7771 TT
E-mail: GPCPD@gpcpd.org
Web site: www.state.in.us/gpcpd
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