“Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century,” will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is officially the third Wednesday of October. DMD promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. With leadership, coordination and resource materials from American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), local communities around the country organize their own activities to bring students and employers together. Continue reading the Disability Mentoring Day by Stephanie George article
Independence Empowerment Center celebrated its first annual commemoration of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This was a fun day filled with community participation, information, gathering and networking. We are happy that the weather cooperated as well! Continue reading the Celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act by Roberta McEachern article
I have been involved with Centers for Independent Living across the country. Unless the center is huge with a large number of employees and large influx of cash, the center usually flies under the radar screen of the average citizen. Average citizens do not usually even think about disabilities or the needs of people with disabilities unless one affects their own lives, personally. However, those who do “find” us, always express gratitude that they have. Continue reading the From The Executive Director by Mary D. Lopez, Ph.D. article
We have three additions to our library to let you know about.
No Finish Line - My Life As I See It by Marla Runyan. Diagnosed in the summer between third and fourth grade, Ms. Runyan lost most of her eyesight to Stargardt’s disease - a degenerative disease that essentially leaves holes in the light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eyes where images are absorbed and translated. A friend in eighth grade told her to go out for the track team - and she has continued to run - at the World Championships in Seville, Spain, and at the Sydney Olympic Games, finishing eighth in the 1500 meters. Continue reading the Video & Reading Library by Pat Scott article
Patches of color (blues, greens, browns and purple) serve as the backdrop to the 2007 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) poster. The theme, Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team, is depicted by a runner’s legs, one of them prosthetic, sprinting to success while crossing the patchwork. The words “October 2007 is National Disability Employment Awareness Month” appear in the upper right corner of the poster. The lower right corner includes the words “U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy” and the agency’s web site address.
From Summer 2007 Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 3
I am proud to announce that one of the Delegates we interviewed for the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) in 2006, Emilia Prokop, was awarded Alumnus of the Year 2007.
Emilia worked diligently on goals she set for herself at the 2006 Forum. She has graduated high school and will be working with the supported employment program this fall. Continue reading the Youth Leadership Forum Alumnus of the Year by Stephanie George article
Public transportation in Fauquier County is a goal that many people work toward and desire. I have some great news! The next step is beginning Fauquier County with the Volunteer Fauquier Transportation Program. If you are interested in volunteering and have a vehicle, or if you desire a ride, call the dispatcher/coordinator Chi Chi Smith, at the Red Cross, 540-349-2516 to inquire about the program. Continue reading the Transportation in Fauquier County by Andrew Coffron article
The following piece on “Disability Etiquette” is an excerpt from the United Spinal Association “Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities.” These tips are designed to help you understand what to do and what not to do when in the company of a person with a disability.
People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
People who are blind know how to orient themselves and get around on the street. They are competent to travel unassisted, though they may use a cane or a guide dog. A person may have a visual impairment that is not obvious. Be prepared to offer assistance–for example in reading–when asked. Continue reading the Disability Etiquette Tips article
According to recent research by the Department of Medical Assistance Services conducted in 2005, there were 149 children living in Medicaid-funded nursing homes and intermediate care facilities for persons with a mental disability. In an effort to advocate for children with disabilities, the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities has received the green light on a grant to provide more options for families of children with disabilities. Centers for Independent Living (CILs) throughout Virginia are participating in an outreach program that will dissuade families from putting their child into a nursing home facility, without proactively exploring alternatives for care for their child. Continue reading the Outreach to Children with Disabilities by John Hayes article
One of my responsibilities as an IEC advocate is to keep my eyes open to how the needs of people with disabilities might be unintenionally overlooked in “mainstream” publications.
For example, I was reviewing the “Job Seeker Survival Guide” published by The Employment Guide, and noticed that no mention was made about how to “survive” a job hunt if you are hearing impaired. What did I do? I wrote them and mentioned their oversight. Their way of handling my input, could have taken any number of forms. However, they responded quite positively, and for that I must give them high regard. Continue reading the A Small Show of Advocacy by Deborah F. Titus article
