Three Rivers Center for Independent Living
Three Rivers Center for
Independent Living
900 Rebecca Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15221-2938
(412) 371-7700
Toll Free (PA Only):
1-800-633-4588
Fax: (412)371-9430
TTY: (412) 371-6230
In This Issue:
Advocacy Calendar
"Home Sweet Home"
Important Dates
"I Really Did Not
Know"
Mission Statement
Ms. Wheelchair PA
Resource Spotlight
Smiles
Survey Results
TDDP
By Lucille Collette, IL Skills Trainer
On 12/10/05 my
life changed. I fell off of a stool; it was that simple. As a result, I had two
crushed bones. I was not able to bear weight on my foot for 13 weeks which
resulted in hopping around with a very heavy cast and the assistance of a
walker. The very first time I went up stairs, I had to stop on every other step.
I cried, saying “I can’t do this”.
As time went on, I began to realize that this was a life experience
for me. I could only be alone for short periods of time. I wasn’t cooking so I
was not able to decide what I got for dinner. When those coming in to help were
late, I felt frustrated and lonely. I agonized over who to call when I needed
something. I had always been the helper, not the one asking for help. My family,
friends, and neighbors were great, but they had lives too. As the weeks
extended, I could see that everyone was getting tired, but there were still some
things I could not do for myself.
My greatest gift became my organizational skills. If things were left
in the right place, I could be more independent. I made a list of things I
needed by my side. If people put things too low or in my pathway, routine tasks
became difficult. When I started back to work, the ultimate organizational
skills were needed to get out of the house in the morning. Many things needed
done the night before and had to be placed within arms reach.
I learned so many things that I will carry with me for the rest of my
life. I quickly found out that you need to ask for help in some situations, as
uncomfortable as it may be, but also to figure out how to do as much for
yourself as you can. From independence grew strength, courage, and optimism. I
never gave up my will to do what I needed to do.
I am walking very slowly now with a cane for assistance. I feel I am
better equipped to relate to my friends and consumers who have disabilities. I
always thought that if I had a disability I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Now I
feel that I would do whatever I needed to do. Although my body may eventually be
what it was, my perception of life and how we live it has changed forever. I
really didn’t know how difficult daily living could be and how much I took for
granted.
Advocacy Calendar for June/July 2006
June
June 9th
Legislative Breakfast
Take this opportunity to get to know your
local legislators. Help them put a face to our issues. Please RSVP by June 5th.
8:00 to 11:00 am
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
June 14th
Letter Writing Event
A letter
writing activity to protect home and community based services. Light
refreshments provided.
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
June 19th
City County Task
Force on Disability
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Civic Building, 200 Ross St., Downtown
June 26th
D.A.R.E. Meeting
Disability Advocates for Rights &
Equality
1:00 to 3:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
July
July 12th
Letter Writing Event
A letter
writing activity to protect home and community based services. Light
refreshments provided.
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
July 17th
City County Task
Force on Disability
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Civic Building, 200 Ross St., Downtown
July 24th
D.A.R.E. Meeting
Disability Advocates for Rights &
Equality
1:00 to 3:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
July 26th
Disability Pride Day Rally
Come
show your support of the disability movement!
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Allegheny County Courthouse Courtyard
RSVP is requested for all events. Other events may occur after printing. Please contact Brenda DaRe at 1-800-633-4588 x148 or bdare@trcil.org for details.
June 27th
Helen Keller’s Birthday
July 26th, 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by
President George Bush. To learn more about the ADA, visit
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” -Marcel Proust
By Cindy Williams, Information & Referral Specialist
Allegheny County Peer Support Warm Line offers support and information and a friendly voice for mental health consumers and other interested parties. The number is 866-661-WARM (9276) and is available 4 pm – 8 pm 7 days a week.
CHIP – Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program provides free or low cost insurance for children 19 years of age and under. The comprehensive coverage includes routine check-ups, prescriptions, dental, vision & hearing, emergency room visits, mental health, and durable medical equipment. For more information call 800-986-KIDS (5437).
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is a coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self determination, independence, empowerment, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. Task forces focus on rights, legislation, transportation, technology, and health care. Their website is www.c-c-d.org.
The Ms. Wheelchair
Pennsylvania pageant is a competition to select the most accomplished and
articulate spokesperson for persons with disabilities across the State of
Pennsylvania. Even though delegates participate in pageant form, it is not a
beauty contest.
Ms. Joycelyn Banks of McKeesport has been selected as Ms. Wheelchair
PA 2006. She is currently a Rehabilitation Specialist at UCP/CLASS of
Pittsburgh, the author of two novels, and enjoys swimming, reading, writing, and
crafts. She will be competing in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant this July.
Ms. Wheelchair PA is currently looking for candidates to compete in
the 2007 competition. If you are interested in learning more or applying to
become a delegate, please visit their website at
www.mswheelchairpa.org.
A new U.S. Department of
Labor survey has found that accommodating employees with disabilities often
doesn’t cost the employer anything. Accommodations and needs were met through
simple solutions like work schedule changes. It was reported that accommodations
with cost, on average, were around $600.
For more information on this survey, please visit
www.dol.gov/odep.
Smiles
When you
are in your casket, what would you like people to say about you?
Artie: “That I was a wonderful husband and a great family man.”
Merle: “That I was a good teacher who made a difference in people’s lives.”
Don: “I’d like them to say, ‘Look! He’s moving!’”
Telecommunications Device Distribution Program
By Christina Chamberlain, Deaf Services Coordinator
The
Telecommunications Device Distribution Program (TDDP) is a program by which
qualified Pennsylvanians with disabilities can obtain telecommunication devices
free of charge. To qualify for the program, a person must be a Pennsylvania
resident, have a disability, be six years of age or older, have access to
telephone service and have an individual gross income of 200% of Federal Poverty
level or less.
Equipment that is available through the TDDP program includes: TTY’s,
TTY with Braille display, Amplified Phone, CapTel Captioned Phone, Hands-Free
Speaker Phone, Voice Carry Over and Hearing Carry Over phones, Cordless Phone,
Cordless Headset Phone, Talking Telephone, Voice Activated Dialer, Photo Phone,
Big Button Phone and LinkPlus AAC Device. Along with a phone product, you can
select various ring signaler devices to alert you to when the phone is ringing.
All equipment comes with a one-year warranty and will be repaired free
of charge as long as the damage is not the fault of the user. You may apply for
a new device every 5 years.
If you are not sure which of these devices best fits your needs, you
may borrow any of these devices through the Pennsylvania Initiative for
Assistive Technology (PIAT) Lending Library free of charge.
For more information on these programs or for applications, please
contact Christina Chamberlain, Deaf Services Coordinator at TRCIL Services at
(412) 371-7700 Ext. 140 voice, or (412) 371-6230 TTY.
By Amy Graves, Housing Counselor/Skills Trainer for TRCIL Office in Erie
The time has come
for one of our consumers to transition out into the community. The road has been
long and the wait even longer. Through it all, he has kept his spirit high and
has surpassed the true definition of patience. There have been plenty of ups and
even more downs. He has been on a waiting list for housing for over a year. But
as each day passed his motivation to live independently grew stronger. Young in
both age and heart, he knew that his lucky stars would bless him and he would
find a place to call “home sweet home.”
After meeting with the consumer for the first time, I saw first-hand
his spirit to live, his independence, and perseverance. This attitude motivated
me and was a reflection of his true inner character. I was driven to help
transition him back into the community. He had been living in a nursing facility
for nearly two years. I was determined to assist him to find him a place to call
his own so that he can spread his joy to others in the community.
We began by filling out applications. He didn’t protest against all of
the paperwork. Instead, he kept asking for more to fill out. He was determined
to live independently. He knew he could, and that he had the right. Call after
call told him that he would be placed on waiting lists in various counties. He
was told that it could be anywhere from 6 months to a year before anything may
become available. In an effort to find something sooner, I began calling
property owners to ask them if they had any available accessible units.
As I was doing this, a compassionate advocate for independent living
said that she had the perfect apartment for our consumer. We jumped at the
opportunity that he had been waiting for all these months. Words cannot express
the amount of joy I felt in my heart and the sense of accomplishment that swept
over me. In the end, all of his hard work, determination, and patience to follow
through with something he wanted paid off.
He will be moving into the accessible apartment on June 1st,
2006. There is a count down acknowledging the number of days left before this 36
year-old soul starts a new chapter in his life. When asked what he looks forward
to after his transition, he said “A disability should not stop you. You should
always think positive. I’m happy I am moving into the community. I’m excited to
meet new people, make friends, and be socially independent!”
The last steps for his transition include preparing him for the skills
needed to succeed when out in the community. We began packing his things up and
I took him shopping for all of the things he needs. He propelled around the
store grabbing his new items excitedly. After our shopping adventure he simply
shook my hand and said “Thank you for letting me have this opportunity to shop
today.” I saw the joy and excitement pour out of him. He had waited so long and
finally will have a place to call “home sweet home.
TRCIL would like
to thank the following people for their generous contributions…
Denine Menozzi
Raymond Wojszynski, Jr.
David Zak
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” –Aesop, The Lion & the Mouse
To make a donation, please visit our website at www.trcil.org/donations.htm.
We are currently recruiting VOLUNTEERS to assist TRCIL in many areas. If interested, please contact us at 412-371-7700 to request more information regarding volunteer opportunities both inside and outside of the building. If you are interested but don’t think you’ll “fit in,” please call us FIRST! Dates and times are flexible and reasonable accommodations can be met. We need assistance in all areas, so CALL TODAY!
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.
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