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Disability Pride
Newsletter:
Volume 2, Issue 1
August/September 2005
In This Issue:
Advocacy Calendar
Overview of Medicare Prescription Drug Benefits
Chris as Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania 1976 and Escort
Ms.
Wheelchair Pennsylvania 1976 is now 57 years old, a mother, and a
grandmother. She’s been on cruises, travels frequently, loves Disney
world and other theme/amusement parks, the theater, and enjoys shopping.
She has spent most of her life proving people wrong and creating her own
path.
Chris developed MS when she was 15. For 3 months she lay in a
coma. After waking, she was blind for 2 years. She was forced to drop
out of the 10th grade. She found it hard to teach herself how
to eat and talk again and to accept using a wheelchair.
When the Easter Seals Society asked her to be Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania 1976, Chris couldn’t believe it. She says her whole life changed. She was tired of what people were saying. She started going places, and refused any pity. At 27 she eloped, and after being told she was not supposed to have children, she found help at Planned Parenthood. They explained effective means of birth control, and Chris simply reversed their advice. Her daughter was born through natural childbirth and weighed 8 pounds. Chris was able to design a crib with a sliding gate to handle the baby more easily.
In 1989,
she was declared an unfit mother based solely on her disability. A
friend helped with her daughter when Chris was placed in a nursing home.
Chris then started working with TRCIL employees to help her move out.
Her family was nervous about her being on her own, but with a little
support, she was able to make the move to her own home after living in a
nursing home for 4 years.
Chris obtained her GED in 1999 with help from the Learning
Center. She is happy living on her own, takes trips with her family and
friend/attendant, Diane, finds support through her church, and still
enjoys proving people wrong. She’d like to remind people that “all
dreams are possible”.
Chris and her Attendant, Diane
Advocacy Calendar for August/September 2005
August 15th
City County Task Force on Disability
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Civic Building, 200 Ross St., Downtown
August 19th
New
Advocate Roundtable
Come join us for lunch and
discuss issues that affect the disability community. We need to hear
your voice!
11:00 am
to 2:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
Please RSVP by August 15th.
August 22nd
D.A.R.E.
Meeting
1:00 to 3:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
August 23rd
OVR
Consumer Advisory Committee
6:00 to 8:00 pm
Life’s Work, 1323 Forbes Ave.
September 19
City
County Task Force on Disability
1:00 to
3:00 pm
Civic Building, 200 Ross St., Downtown
September 23
New Advocate Roundtable
Come join us for lunch and discuss issues that affect the disability community. We need to hear
your voice!
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
Please RSVP by September 20th.
September 26th
D.A.R.E.
Meeting
1:00 to 3:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
“In the
truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Courage
is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re
scared.”
-Eddie Rickenbacker
“Justice
consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding
out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.
Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.
If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.
Annual D.C.March
By Paula DeValerio, Peer Counselor/Consultant
July 11th
through the 14th, 2005 marked another successful March in Washington, D.C.
as people united once again to take a stand against the unnecessary
oppression polluting the lives of people with disabilities. Several
TRCIL leaders, consumers, and staff participated in the annual NCIL
Conference, march and rally, along with hundreds of others from across
the country. The conference consisted of numerous workshops which served
to inform and inspire everyone think of new ways to incorporate freedoms and
rights into the lives of people with disabilities. These workshops, led
by members and leaders of various CILs, contained priceless insight and
direction for CILs. They also showed what individuals can
do on a personal level to empower people with disabilities to fight for freedom
and equality.
While the workshops each targeted specific topics, there was a
common message lingering in each session. Whether discussing Medicaid or
motivating consumers, the underlying emphasis was always to promote and
maintain the focus of the mission. It goes without saying that it is
people with disabilities who know best what they need, so it is
imperative that CILs keep people with disabilities as the overseers and
in positions where their voices are the ones heard. It is the consumer,
ultimately, who is in charge. The CILs are the legs, hands, and voice
each consumer needs, but the consumer is the heart of the CIL. The CIL
is a puppet where the strings are controlled by the consumer. But, the
CIL has to strive to reach every consumer’s heart, and in a most personal
way, to put the strings into their hands. The goal is that more and more
people with disabilities will acquire control over their own lives. It
is the CIL’s job to pave the way. This is the long-standing message
which was born out of the movement and clearly remains the foundation of
it.
Hopefully 2005’s NCIL Conference and march has taken the
movement to the next level. Things are happening and the more each of us
zeroes in on the mission and contributes to it, the more things will
continue to happen and the sooner more people with disabilities will be
able to implement their abilities instead of
remaining trapped in the oppression and mindset of what they “cannot”
do.
Strike, Ball, Out, Safe
By Ken Feda, CSPPPD Program Manager
Did you
ever wonder what caused a baseball umpire to first signal a called
strike by raising his right hand, ball by raising his left hand, right
thumb to identify a player as out, outstretched arms to indicate a
player is safe?
Before 1887, baseball umpires simply spoke the words, “Strike,
Ball, Out, Safe” until a player named William Ellsworth Hoy requested
that signals be used. William Hoy was a professional baseball player who
was deaf. Before he suggested the signals, Hoy had to read the lips of
the umpire to know if each pitch was a strike or ball. The pitchers on
the other teams often took advantage of the situation to throw the next
pitch before he was ready. Umpires used the hand signals every time they
were calling a game in which Hoy was playing. The hand signals were soon
adopted by umpires at all levels of baseball for every game. The signals
for “Out” and “Safe”, suggested by Hoy, were adapted from American Sign
Language.
William Ellsworth Hoy, also known by the unfortunate nickname
“Dummy”, was not only the first player who was deaf to play professional
baseball; he was also one of the best major league players of his era
(1886 – 1902). William Hoy stole 605 bases for his career, with a
National League high 82 in 1888. He garnered more than 2000 hits during
his 1,784 games. He also threw three runners out at home plate, from
center field, in a single game for the Washington Senators in 1889 – one
of only three players ever to do that and the record still stands today.
Making a simple reasonable accommodation for a baseball player
with a disability, has carved an integral part into America’s favorite
pastime. Imagine sitting in section 307, row J, seat 17 at PNC Park and
not being able to immediately identify if a pitch was a strike or a
ball, or if a runner was out or safe because you couldn’t hear the
umpire’s call. Thanks to William Ellsworth “Dummy” Hoy, baseball is much
more enjoyable for everyone.
William Hoy has not yet been inducted into the Baseball Hall
of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, but he was honored on July 20, 2003 when he
was inducted, posthumously, into the
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. For more information on William Hoy, go
to
www.dummyhoy.com.
Resource Spotlight
By Cindy Williams, Information and Referral Specialist
Creating Options: 2005 Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities is a free publication from the Heath Resource Center. Heath is a clearinghouse on postsecondary education information for people with disabilities. The publication is available by calling 800-544-3284 or it can be downloaded from their website, www.heath.gwu.edu.
The Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation offers annual scholarships for women with physical disabilities who are pursuing a graduate degree at any college or university in the United States. The scholarships range from $500 to $2,000. For more information visit www.ela.org or write to 2460 North Lake Ave., PMB #128, Altadena, CA 91001.
Disability Matters is a weekly internet program focusing on the empowerment of people with disabilities. It is an international talk radio show that can be heard Tuesdays from 2-3 pm. at www.voiceamerica.com. Past shows are archived at www.benderconsult.com/radio. The host, Joyce Bender, is from Bender Consulting Services, a Pittsburgh based company that provide technology consulting services while creating employment and career opportunities, independence, and freedom for people with disabilities.
Competence
and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking (C2P2) is a
leadership-development training program that teaches people to be
community leaders. The Institute on Disabilities, Pennsylvania’s
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Temple
University, is accepting applications from adults with disabilities,
parents who have young children with disabilities, and interested
university students to attend this year’s C2P2 classes. All 8 training
sessions will be held in Harrisburg during the Friday afternoons and
evenings and Saturdays during the day. Sessions will be held
approximately once a month and begin in October 2005 and end in March
2006.
This program is designed to provide information, leadership
training, and skill building so that participants may obtain the most
appropriate, best practice supports and services for themselves and
others, and consequently change the quality of life for people with
developmental disabilities. This
program is open to a limited number of people at no cost to the
individual. Applications can be obtained by contacting Kathy
Miller at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, 423 Ritter
Annex, 13th and Cecil B. Moore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19122. Ms. Miller
can be reached at 215-204-9395 (voice) or 215-204-1356 (TTY), or email
at
millerk@temple.edu.
The deadline for applications is September 8, 2005.
Applications are available in alternate format upon request.
TRCIL has many programs that may help you to get the Assistive Technology devices that can help you live independently.
Assistive Technology Programs at TRCIL Include:
911 Emergency Cell Phone Distribution Program
Provides
pre-owned cellular phones to persons with disabilities to be used for
placing 911 emergency calls ONLY.
Deafness Services
Provides skills training, TTY training, advocacy, interpreter services,
and information on equipment, vendors, and support services.
Into New Hands
Accepts
donations of durable medical equipment which is then redistributed, at
no cost, to people with disabilities.
Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF)
Provides
loans for people with disabilities and seniors, to obtain assistive
technology, durable medical equipment and home modifications.
Telecommunications Device Distribution Program (TDDP)
This
program provides free telecommunication (phone) devices for those who
qualify.
PIAT - Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology
This
program works to increase access to devices and services offered
throughout the state. Services include: Public Awareness, Information
and Referral, Advocacy, and Training and Technology. TRCIL is the PIAT
contact for Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana, Lawrence, and
Westmoreland counties.
PIAT Programs Include:
Assistive Technology Lending Library
Provides free short-term loans of all types of equipment for
individuals, company staff trainings, trials, and evaluations.
Recycled Equipment Exchange Project
Provides
free statewide classified listing of items for sale and items wanted by
individuals.
For more information on these programs, please visit our website www.trcil.org or call Kevin Huwe at (412) 371-7700 Ext. 111
Overview of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
The
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit begins January 1, 2006. If you have
Medicare Part A and/or Part B, you can sign up for this benefit. To get
this coverage, you will need to enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug
Plan (PDP). Each PDP will differ in terms of costs, drugs covered, and
pharmacy network. You will need to compare the different PDPs to pick
the one that best meets your needs.
If you have Medicare and you also have prescription drug
coverage through the Medical Assistance Program, you will need to enroll
in the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
Effective January 1, 2006, Medical
Assistance will no longer cover your prescription drugs.
Medicare PDPs will charge a monthly premium (estimated to
average $37 in 2006). There will be an annual deductible of $250 in
2006. After meeting this deductible, you will pay for part, or all, of
your drug costs.
If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for
a subsidy to help with these costs. You must complete an application to
determine if you qualify for this help. You may have already received an
application for this help in the mail. If not, you can get an
application at the local Social Security Office or local County
Assistance Office.
If you have Medicare and Medical Assistance (even if you just
get help paying your Medicare Part B premium), you will automatically
qualify for a subsidy and do not have to apply for this help.
The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has been conducting free
trainings on this topic throughout Southwestern PA. If you have
questions about the benefit, or if you would like to schedule a
training, please call Erin Guay at 412-434-4728 (voice/TTY),
1-800-274-3258 (voice) or 1-866-236-6310 (TTY). More information is
available on the PHLP website at
www.phlp.org.
Mark Your Calendar!
On August 29th, 1930, Justin Dart was born. He is considered to be the “father of the Americans with Disabilities Act” and the “godfather of the disability rights movement”. He inspired equality, justice, and love wherever he went.
September 19th marks the beginning of “Deaf Awareness Week”. For more information on Deaf Awareness, visit www.nad.org.
1% Wednesday at the EEFC
Christina Chamberlain and Beth
Brendlinger
TRCIL’s Fundraising Committee would like to thank the East End Food Co-Op and its shoppers on Wednesday, July 20th for making 1% Wednesday so successful!
TRCIL would like to thank the following people for their generous contributions...
Newsletter Donations
Ruth E. Blatchford
Theresa C. Lazorchik
Darryl Mance
Rita Ann Walsh
Other
Donations
Pfizer,
Inc.
Dave & Mary Ann Dice
East End Food Co-Op
Carrie Kaufman
Pittsburgh Mills
Katherine Seelman
Kristine Stebler
Barry Zwibel
To make a donation, please visit us online at www.trcil.org/donation.htm.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
–Aesop, The Lion & the Mouse
If you would like to receive the Disability Pride Newsletter by email, please write to DPN@trcil.org. Title the email “Newsletter,” and be sure to include your email address in the body of the message.
Email the Editor at DPN@trcil.org
Mission Statement
To empower
people with disabilities to enjoy self-directed, personally meaningful
lives by providing outstanding consumer controlled services and by
advocating for effective community change.