Center for Independent Living Day is Wednesday February 7th 2007
What is CIL Day you ask? CIL day is when all 16 Centers for Independent Living (CIL) in the state of Virginia meet at the General Assembly in Richmond while the members are in session. Each CIL meets with its delegates and senators to discuss budget items the CILs are supporting on behalf of persons with disabilities.
Continue reading the Center for Independent Living (CIL) Day by Roberta McEachern article
The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) invites you to attend a public forum hosted by Independence Empowerment Center. It will be held December 7th from 12:30 - 2:30. Light refreshments will be provided.
The purpose of the SILC is to develop and facilitate a three year plan for independent living, facilitate the goals and activities within the plan and to distribute Rehabilitation Act, Title VII, Part B funds allocated by congress. The funds are distributed to Virginia through a Federal Formula Grant.
Continue reading the Virginia State Plan for Independent Living by Roberta McEachern article
“Independence isn’t about going it alone. It’s about making your own decisions.”
When I first heard this statement being made in a television commercial, I thought, “Which Center for Independent Living (CIL) can afford to make a commercial on national TV?!” The advertisement wasn’t for a CIL, of course. It was for an investment banking firm. But one can’t help to think how appropriate the sentiment is in terms of the Independent Living Philosophy.
Continue reading the From the Executive Director by Mary D. Lopez, Ph.D. article
Just a reminder - IEC has a library of books that either deal with disability issues or are written by a person with a disability. Feel free to come in and see what we have on our shelves or give us a call and we can mail, fax, or email you a copy of the list.
Continue reading the IEC Library by Pat Scott article
IEC works with people of all ages and disability types. Our staff primarily consists of people with disabilities. We have made it our mssion to encourage, support and provide options to people with disabilities. Our vision is to assist people with disabilities to: access appropriate community services, exercise their civil rights, participate in all aspects of society & advocate their value to society.
Continue reading the About IEC by Stephanie George article
Starting with this issue, the IEC newsletter will feature an article on “Disability Etiquette” from the United Spinal Association for the next 21 issues. These tips are designed to help you with an understanding of what to do and what not to do when in the company of a person with a disability.
The Basics
Ask before you help
Just because someone has a disability, don’t assume that person needs help. If the setting is accessible, people with disabilities can usually get around fine. Adults with disabilities want to be treated as independent people. Offer assistance only if the person appears to need it. An if the person does want help, ask how before you act.
Continue reading the Disability Etiquette - Part 1 article
Independence Empowerment Center (IEC) is a Center for Independent Living (CIL). As a CIL our philosophy centers on consumer control. But what exactly does that mean?
Continue reading the Consumer Control - What Does it Mean? by Gretchen Fox article
Important Information Regarding Your Service Animal or Pet In The Event of a Disaster:
Whether they’re your eyes, ears or best friend you need to make a plan for your service animal or pet in the event of an emergency. In both cases the animal should wear an I.D. tag at all times with your home phone number or secondary phone number. Make sure the animal is licensed with the local city/county animal control bureau.
Continue reading the Service Animal Planning by Ascher Grady, Virginia Department of Health article
John has recently moved to the Manassas area from Pennsylvania and before arriving in Manassas, had contacted Mary Lopez about employment, and convinced her that he would be an asset to IEC. What wonderful confidence!
With such an abysmal employment rate for people with disabilities (only 30% nationwide) such confidence served John well.
John’s position will grow, but through the end of the year, his primary obligation will be administrative support, in nature.
from Fall 2006 Newsletter
Have you ever wondered how you would know when an emergency event threatens your community? The Prince William Community Alert Network (PWCAN) is an electronic emergency notification system that County officials use to send emergency information to all registered users. For example, if severe weather - like a tornado - is forecast for Prince William County, users will receive an alert advising them of the threat and providing specific instructions about what they should do.
PWCAN can send messages to e-mail accounts and any wireless device that receives text messages like cell phones, pagers and PDAs. Registration is simple and it’s free. To sign up on PWCAN, go to www.pwcgov.org/pwcan and click on NEW USER. Follow the instructions to register all of your devices. When you complete the registration process the system will send a test message to every device you registered. If you fail to receive a test message on your device, go back and review your account to make sure you entered the information correctly.
Emergency preparedness begins with you. Take the first step and sign up for PWCAN today! For more information, call the Prince William County Office of Emergency Management at 703-792-5627.
from Fall 2006 Newsletter
