Order Disability Awareness Month materials now
In March 2005, the Council will launch a new Disability Awareness Month campaign focusing on inclusion for people with disabilities in all aspects of community life. Order your materials now by completing the order form included with this issue of On Target.
The Disability Awareness Month 2005 theme is "Mix it up." This year's poster features a photo of four children, including a child with Down syndrome, selling lemonade from a homemade lemonade stand. The text reminds both children and adults that "friends make everything sweeter" and encourages disability awareness and inclusion.
"Disability Awareness Month has impacted hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers, and we're proud of the campaign's continuing success," said Council Executive Director Suellen Jackson-Boner. "With the help of Indiana residents with disabilities and other disability advocates, we can make this campaign our most successful ever."
Free campaign materials, including the poster, bookmark, sticker and print public service announcement, carry the theme. In addition, more than 25 information packets are available to aid advocates in conducting awareness activities in their communities. Topics range from special event planning to building awareness in classrooms. Theme-specific activity packets are also available
.
Disability Awareness Month provides a wonderful opportunity for communities to organize awareness fairs, ADA training, essay contests, and displays in schools, government agencies and businesses.
To place an order or for more information, contact Kim Dennison at Borshoff Johnson Matthews, 47 S. Pennsylvania St., Suite 500, Indianapolis, IN 46204; (317) 631-6499 (fax); kdennison@bjmpr.com (e-mail); or (317) 631-6400 (voice).
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month
To raise employers' awareness about the skills and talents of people with disabilities, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has declared October to be Disability Employment Awareness Month. This year's theme is "You're hired! Success knows no limitations."
"People with disabilities are an untapped source of both capable employees and valued customers," said Roy Grizzard, ODEP assistant secretary of labor. "The theme will help federal, state and local governments, advocacy groups, and the business community plan events and programs … that highlight the talents and skills of job seekers and working Americans who have disabilities."
In addition to the month-long celebration, Oct. 20 has been declared Disability Mentoring Day. Employers are encouraged to offer job shadowing and hands-on career exploration opportunities to youth and adults with disabilities on this day.
Visit www.dol.gov/odep for more information.
System fails many teens, children with mental illness
Many children and teenagers who have been diagnosed with mental illness are placed in juvenile detention centers to await treatment, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Government Reform.
According to the committee's survey, two-thirds of juvenile detention centers are holding children with mental illness, many of whom have had no charges brought against them. Those children are as young as 7 years old.
"This misuse of detention centers as holding areas for mental health treatment is unfair to youth, undermines their health, disrupts the function of detention centers and is costly to society," the report states.
Other findings include: - During a six-month period, almost 15,000 incarcerated children and teenagers were awaiting community mental health treatment. - On any given night, about 2,000 children and teenagers with mental illness are inappropriately housed in detention centers, representing 7 percent of the total detention center population. -This misuse costs an estimated $100 million per year. When asked to identify the root of this problem, many detention center officials cited the lack of funding for community mental health services or the difficulty of accessing these services. Visit www.democrats.reform.house.gov/ Documents/20040817121901-25170.pdf for a copy of the report.
Programs offer utility bill, winterization assistance As winter approaches, utility bills are creeping higher and higher. Those escalating costs can create challenges for people with low incomes. Following are resources if you or someone you know needs assistance.
Payment plans Most utilities offer payment plans to assist customers with high energy bills. Check your gas and/or electric bill for contact information or contact your utility using the following: - Cinergy/PSI Budget Billing Program - www.cinergypsi.com or (800) 343-3525 (voice).
- Citizens Gas Budget Payment Plan - www.citizensgas.com or (317) 924-3311 (voice).
- Indianapolis Power and Light payment plans - customerservices.ipalco@aes.com (e-mail) or (317) 261-8222 (voice).
- NIPSCO BudgetPlan - www.nipsco.nisource.com/prodserv/budget or (800) 4-NIPSCO (voice).
- Vectren Budget Bill - www.vectren.com
- or (800) 227-1376 (voice).
Indiana Community Action Association (INCAA) Many Indiana utilities provide energy assistance programs through INCAA. The organization also offers a free winterization program that provides energy-saving installations and energy education at no cost to those who qualify. The program offers the following: - Compact fluorescent light
bulbs.
- Faucet aerators.
- Energy-efficient showerheads.
- Water heater jackets.
- Pipe insulation.
- Caulking.
- Weather-stripping.
- Foam seal.
- Outlet gaskets.
- Door sweeps.
- Attic/wall insulation.
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To find out if you qualify, contact your local community action agency. You can also visit www.incap.org or call (317) 638-4232 (voice) or (800) 382-9895 (voice).
Stem cell research emerges as election issue
As America prepares for Election Day, candidates are explaining their views on many key election topics. One of those topics is stem cell research. While it might sound academic, this debate actually has incredible significance for people with disabilities.
Stem cells are, essentially, "blank" cells. As a human embryo develops, its stem cells differentiate, turning into the many types of specialized cells needed to create the brain, heart, bones and other parts of the body.
Scientists believe these cells could be used to replace damaged cells or tissues in the body. For example, it might be possible to cure spinal cord injuries by generating spinal cord cells from blank stem cells. Stem cells could also be used to replace the nerve cells damaged by Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, or the heart cells damaged by heart disease, as a few examples.
If stem cell research has the potential to benefit so many people, why is it so controversial? Researchers harvest stem cells from embryos left over from abortions or fertility treatments, or they create human embryos for the sole purpose of gathering the cells. Because the process destroys the embryos, stem cell research is opposed by many pro-life organizations.
Federal funding for stem cell research has been limited to a few existing stem cell lines, because the embryos used to create those lines have already been destroyed. U.S. scientists may conduct broader stem cell research, but only with private funding.
Presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry have both issued statements regarding stem cell research (see table below). As you prepare to vote on Election Day, please use this information to consider which candidate's views most closely match your own - on this and other key election issues.
Candidates' stem cell research platforms George W. Bush: "President Bush understands the pain of individuals and their families suffering through a terrible illness. The president remains committed to fully exploring the promise and potential of stem cell research without violating ethical principles and while maintaining respect for all human life." www.georgewbush.com
John Kerry: "As president, John Kerry will overturn the ban on federal funding of research on new stem cell lines, and he will allow doctors and scientists to explore their full potential with the appropriate ethical oversight. Patients and their families should no longer be denied the hope that this new research brings." www.johnkerry.com
Election resources The election is just a month away! If you're unsure of your choice in the gubernatorial and presidential elections, spend some time researching the candidates' views on issues of importance to you. Following is contact information, in alphabetical order by office, for gubernatorial and presidential candidates listed on Indiana ballots. (Write-in candidates have been omitted here.)
President/Vice President
Michael Badnarik/Richard V. Campagna (Libertarian)
www.badnarik.org
(800) 807-7552 (voice)
CampaignManager@
badnarik.org (e-mail)
George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (Republican)
www.georgewbush.com
(703) 647-2700 (voice)
BushCheney04@GeorgeWBush.com (e-mail)
John F. Kerry/John Edwards (Democrat)
www.johnkerry.com
(202) 712-3000 (voice)
(202) 336-6950 (TT)
Governor/Lieutenant Governor
Mitch Daniels/Becky Skillman (Republican)
www.mymanmitch.com
(877) 648-2448 (voice)
info@mymanmitch.com (e-mail)
Kenn Gividen/Elaine Badnarik (Libertarian)
www.kenngividen.com
Joe Kernan/Kathy Davis (Democrat)
www.kernandavis.com
(317) 231-7107 (voice)
comments@kernandavis.com (e-mail)
Visit www.in.gov/sos/ elections/candidates04/gen_candidatelist.pdf to view candidate listings for other state and federal offices.
Of Note
Reminder: Annual Conference for People with Disabilities Register now for the Council's Annual Conference for People with Disabilities, to be held Nov. 8-9 at the Downtown Westin Hotel in Indianapolis. The registration deadline is Oct. 25. For a registration form, visit www.in.gov/gpcpd or contact the Council at (317) 232-7770 (voice) or (317) 232-7771 (TT).
Recognize communities for accessibility efforts Does your city or town deserve recognition for its efforts to become more accessible to people with disabilities? If so, nominate it for the National Organization on Disability's "Accessible America" competition, which honors communities that encourage full and equal participation by people with disabilities in all aspects of community life. Visit www.nod.org for more information. Entries must be postmarked by Oct. 31.
Web sites offer candidate information As Election Day approaches, the following Web sites offer valuable resources to help you choose the candidates whose views most closely mirror your own. - American Association of People with Disabilities - www.aapd.com/campaign04/indexcampaign.html - Offers presidential candidates' positions on disability-related issues. - National Organization on Disability - www.nod.org - Includes links to presidential candidates' disability platforms. - The Arc of Indiana - www.arcind.org - Provides archived telecast of Indiana gubernatorial candidate forum, as well as a summary of the candidates' answers to disability-related questions.
Still time to register! The 2004 Conference for People with Disabilities will be held Nov. 8-9 at the downtown Indianapolis Westin.
Vote now! The 2004 general election is Nov. 2.
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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