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
www.trcil.org
Disability Pride
Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 6
August/September 2007
In this issue:
In this Issue: Annual Disability Pride Day Dinner a Success, Dinner Donors, Advocacy Calendar, Core Services Board, Resource Spotlight, Your Help is Needed in Westmoreland County, Into New Hands Program, Market Square and Kittanning Rallies, Housing Assistance, Part Three of Fair Housing Equal Opportunity, Training Department, TRCIL’s Flea Market, Legislative Breakfast, Homebuyer Education Class
TRCIL would like to thank the following newsletter donors for their generous contributions...
Robert King, Walter Malich, Gordon Page, Raymond Wojsznski
No act of
kindness, no matter how small, is ever
wasted.”
–Aesop, The Lion & the Mouse
Annual Disability Pride Day Dinner a Success
Celebration,
advocacy, fellowship and fun were all enjoyed at
TRCIL’s fourth annual Disability Pride Day Dinner which
celebrated the 17th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). The event was held at PNC Park on
July 25th. TRCIL’s Disability Pride Awards were given to two
major contributors to the disability community.
Advocate for
people with disabilities and TRCIL Board
Member, Evelyn Stypula; and TRCIL Board Member, Ralph
Manning, Esq. are the 2007 award recipients. Special awards
were also presented to all of TRCIL’s 
Board
Members for
their tireless efforts and hard work to fulfill TRCIL’s mission.
Special
guests, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Secretary of the
Department of Public Welfare, Estelle Richman were present at the dinner
showing their support for people with disabilities and TRCIL’s mission.
Mayor Ravenstahl also read the proclamation from the City of Pittsburgh
shown in the photo. The proclamation honors TRCIL’s Disability Pride Day and
declares July 24th and 25th, 2007 as “Three Rivers Center for Independent
Living Disability Pride Days” in our most livable city of Pittsburgh.
TRCIL would like to thank our 2007 dinner underwriters which include Bombardier Transportation, Moriarty Consultants, and Tucker Arensberg. A special thanks goes to TRCIL Board Member, Michael Glass.
Disability Pride Day Dinner Donors
Bombardier
Transportation, Moriarty Consultants, Tucker Arensberg
(Underwriters)
Buncher Family
Foundation, Community College of Allegheny County, Horovitz, Rudoy &
Roteman
(Large Donors)
Action Housing, Accessible Home Automations, Allegheny East Mental Health & Retardation Center, AT Sciences, Blackburns Pharmacy, Blue Roof Technologies, Campos Market Research, Century III Chevrolet, Community Living and Support Services, Duquesne University, Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, Keystone Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mascaro Construction Company, Mobility Works, Mr. John Henne, Sickle Cell Society, Sir Speedy, Staples, Volunteers of America, Westarm Therapy Services Inc., Working Women With Disabilities
Advocacy Calendar for September/October
September 10, 17, 24
Armstrong
Disabilities Investigative Group
1:00 pm
Armstrong Area on Aging Building in Kittanning
September 11, 18
D.A.R.E.
Meeting
Disability Advocates for Rights & Equality
1:00 to 3:00 pm
TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Ave.
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Armstrong Disabilities Investigative Group
1:00 pm
Armstrong Area on Aging Building in Kittanning
October 9, 16
D.A.R.E. Meeting
Disability Advocates for Rights & Equality
1:00 to 3:00 pm
October 4
Hands-on Training: Using Voting Machines
Taught by the
Allegheny Bureau of Elections
9:00 to 1:00
pm
Refreshments will be provided.
RSVP is requested for all events. Other events may occur after printing. Please contact Victoria Campbell at 1-800-633-4588 x119 or vcampbell@trcil.org for details.
Core Services Consumer Advisory Board
Core Services are the foundation of all Centers for Independent Living. They include Advocacy, Peer Support, Skills Training, and Information and Referral.
As YOUR CIL, Three Rivers Center for Independent Living (TRCIL) wants you to actively participate! Last year, TRCIL formed a consumer advisory board to:
-Educate people with disabilities and the general public about CIL
Core Services
-Ensure that TRCIL Core Services are truly consumer controlled
-Make formal recommendations to TRCIL management on
improving and enhancing the quality of Core Services and follow-up
on recommendations
-Maintain an open dialogue between management and consumers
-Provide a resource where management can gain insight on
consumer needs
If you are interested in applying and interviewing for this board or would like to know more about it, call Cindy Williams at 412-371-7700, extension 136 or 412-371-6230 (TTY).
Resource
Spotlight
-By
Cindy Williams, Information & Referral Specialist
The Job
Accommodations Network (JAN) has expanded their Accommodation and
Compliance Series to include accommodating students with disabilities. The
first in this series addresses the needs of students with psychiatric
disabilities. They address common types of psychiatric disabilities,
applicable disability laws, and
accommodations for limitations such as time management and maintaining
concentration. In addition, they cover current events such as recent court
decisions, and they provide resources for emergency preparedness and
disability awareness on campus. Visit their website at:
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/HiEdStudentsPsych.html. If you have
specific questions about accommodating students with psychiatric
disabilities, contact JAN at 800-526-7234, 877-781-9403 (TTY).
Not sure who
your Representatives are? Find Your Pennsylvania Legislator at:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us
The
Smithsonian Museum’s website
has a “Shrine
to the Famous” page. There you will find the category “Reformers” where Ed
Roberts’ wheelchair is displayed with a description of him.
http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=127
Fashion Freaks at: www.independentliving.org/fashionfreaks/introeng.html is about fashion and clothing from a seated perspective. Those who use wheelchairs often have trouble finding good looking clothes that fit. Skirts are too short at the back. Pants are too tight. Jackets travel forward. On their website you will find patterns for downloading, simple sewing instructions, tips and other useful ideas.
Transportation U is a private wheelchair accessible transportation service in the Pittsburgh area. They provide individual self-pay trips that are “door thru door” in mini-vans. The fee is $40 one way and $68 round trip within 20 miles of home or facility with a $2 per mile charge over the 20 miles. 24 hour notice is preferred for scheduling. There is no extra charge for additional passengers or service animals. Hours are Monday through Friday 5am-9pm, Saturday 5am-4pm and Sundays & Holidays are subject to availability. For more information call 412-281-8350.
Your Help is needed in Westmoreland County
TRCIL is
looking for people who live in Westmoreland County who are interested in
working on getting the “Persons with Disabilities Rural Shared-Ride
Transportation Program” funded and implemented in Westmoreland County.
Please call Victoria Campbell, SWATCO Advocate at 412-371-7700 x119 for more
information on this
program and to schedule a meeting date.
TRCIL’s Into New Hands Program
Into New Hands is a program of the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living (TRCIL) which recycles durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, bedside commodes, and bath benches. Disposable medical supplies, like attends and “blue pads” are also available through the program.
Persons having such equipment, for which they no longer have a need, may donate the equipment to Into New Hands, in exchange for a tax receipt. The equipment is cleaned and minor refurbishing (replace rubber crutch tips, etc.) is performed. The equipment is placed into the Into New Hands inventory.
Then, if a person has need of a device, but cannot obtain it through insurance, or cannot otherwise afford to purchase the equipment, it may be obtained through the Into New Hands program free-of charge. Donated equipment can not be picked up, or delivered. All donations and distributions are handled through the Assistive Technology office at TRCIL’s main facility in Pittsburgh.
Into New Hands also operates a 911 Emergency Only Cell Phone recycling program. Still functional, but un-needed phones may be donated to the program. The phones are cleared out, and then distributed to those persons who feel the need for an emergency only cell phone. As with the durable medical equipment, phones must be dropped off and picked up at TRCIL’s main facility.
At present, the Into New Hands program has temporary overstock of walkers, both wheeled and straight leg, attends, and catheter supplies. We are in need of adult size, manual wheelchairs, bath benches of all types and bedside commodes. If you or someone you know has such a device, which is no longer needed, please consider donating it to the Into New Hands program. Your donation will mean greater independence and higher quality of life for a person with a disability.
For more information on the Into New Hands program, or to make an appointment to donate or obtain equipment, contact Thom Gressman, Assistive Technology Specialist, at 412-371-7700 extension 166. You may also visit our website, www.trcil.org, for details on Into New Hands, and all of the Assistive Technology programs of TRCIL.
Quote
“You gain
strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you
cannot do.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt
What have we been up to…?
TRCIL celebrated the 17th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at Market Square in Pittsburgh and also in Kittanning, Pennsylvania.
Market
Square Rally
With over 100
onlookers and supporters at Market Square on July 24th, Board Member and
Rally Chairman, Milton Henderson along with TRCIL staff, kicked off the
celebration with the reading of the city of Pittsburgh’s proclamation signed
by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Allegheny County Chief Executive, Dan Onorato also
signed a
proclamation proclaiming July 24th, 2007 as “American’s with Disabilities
Day” in Allegheny County.
TRCIL celebrated the barriers that people with disabilities have overcome, addressed the critical issues that continue to affect people with disabilities, and also celebrated the new partnership between TRCIL and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. Many thanks go out to all of the speakers and supporters at the rally.
Kittanning
Rally and March
In
Kittanning, PA on July 26th, staff members from TRCIL, members of
Kittanning’s Disability Investigative Group (DIG), and Kittanning’s
disability community marched along Arch Street to the Post Office. The steps
outside of the post office are inaccessible to people that use wheelchairs.
The members of both groups wanted to schedule a meeting date with the postal
officials to discuss what can be done about the inaccessible facility.
Since the rally and march in Kittanning, a handicap accessible parking sign has been placed in front of the post office. The other issues are still unresolved but TRCIL and DIG members have asked for Senator Specter’s assistance in the matter.
Before marching through Kittanning, members of both groups and other supporters gathered at the Riverfront Park. Speakers included TRCIL and DIG members, as well as Kittanning’s Mayor, John P. Meyers.
Inequality and
discrimination is still found in employment, housing, transportation,
healthcare, and other aspects of life for people with disabilities. By
advocating for effective community change, we can make a difference in the
lives of the people we care about. The ADA continues to be a catalyst for
national dialogue, action, and change. It remains a living historic document
that must never become stagnant,
forgotten or ignored.
TRCIL Housing Assistance for People with Disabilities
Live at Home – Independently with Assistance
25 million people in America live with disabilities and that number is growing. One thing that we each have in common is the fundamental desire or need for decent affordable and accessible housing in the community of our choice. Renting or owning a home or apartment is a challenge for those who choose to live independently but finding a home with the features that suit our individual needs is an even bigger challenge.
TRCIL Housing Services is designed to assist individuals and families, especially those with disabilities, with their housing needs. Whether you’re looking for accessible or affordable housing to rent or buy, or maybe need assistance with housing discrimination, home modification, homebuyer education, or foreclosure, TRCIL can help.
In addition, TRCIL’s network service providers deliver a wide range of referral, direct, and supportive services that help to address your independent housing concerns.
Fair Housing Program
HUD Fair Housing Act Education, Outreach & Complaints Assistance ~Accessibility Education, Outreach & Workshop ~ Housing Assistance & Referrals ~ ADA Reasonable Accommodation & Modification Assistance ~ Realtors/Developers/Community Disability Housing Awareness Training ~ Landlord Tenant Relations Information ~ Accessible Housing Search Assistance ~ Nursing Home Transition
Housing Counseling Program
Public & Subsidized Housing Rental Assistance for People with Disabilities ~ HUD Homebuyer Education & Workshops ~ Reverse Mortgage Counseling for Seniors ~ Default, Delinquency & Foreclosure Counseling
Contact Us for
More Information:
412-371-7700
Fair Housing:
Arnell White extension 170
Nursing Home
Transition:
Brenda Gressman extension 108
Serving: Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Lawrence, and Westmoreland
Counties
Fair Housing Equal Opportunity for All
(part 3 of 3)
If you think your rights have been violated you may write a letter or telephone the HUD office nearest you. You have one year after an alleged violation to file a complaint with HUD, but should file it as soon as possible.
What to tell HUD
· Your name and address
· The name and address of the person your complaint is against (the respondent)
· The address or other identification of the housing involved
· A short description of the alleged violation (the event that caused you to believe your rights were violated)
· The date(s) of the alleged violation
Where to Write or Call:
Mid-Atlantic
Office Fair Housing Hub
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East
Philadelphia, PA 19107-9344
Telephone (215) 656-0662 or 1-888-799-2085, Fax (215) 656-3419,
TTY (215) 656-3450, E-mail: Complaints_office_03@hud.gov
If You Are a
Person with a Disability:
HUD also provides:
-A TTY phone
for the deaf/hard of hearing users
-Interpreters
-Tapes and Braille materials
-Assistance in reading and completing forms
Announcement from TRCIL’s Training Department
TRCIL's Training Department will be hosting a series of trainings for consumers who are interested in self-employment, small business ownership and other employment-related topics in Fall '07. Flyers will be mailed to all Disability Pride Newsletter recipients once all of the details are available.
TRCIL Training Department will also be offering a “Women with Disabilities” series which will include topics such as dating and disability, enhancing self-esteem, and sexual violence in the disability community. Dates and times TBA.
The TRCIL Training Department welcomes suggestions and/or requests for future training topics. Please send your ideas, questions or comments to Terri Adams, Manager of Training and Contract Compliance, TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221, 412-371-7700 extension 147 or tadams@trcil.org.
TRCIL’S FLEA MARKET
WHEN: September 22, 2007, Saturday
TIME: 9:00am to 2:00pm
WHERE:
TRCIL, 900
Rebecca Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 5221
TRCIL
would like to thank the following people for donating a large number of
items to be sold at TRCIL’s Flea Market: Victoria Campbell, Nancy Kreinbrook,
Evelyn Stypula, Cindy Williams, and Ray Wojszynski. All of the donations we
have received are very much appreciated. Thank you for supporting TRCIL’s
mission.
TRCIL would like to thank all businesses/agencies that help sponsor our Disability Pride Newsletter.
Advertisers in this issue include:
Augmentative
Communication Consultants
800-982-2248
Blackburn’s:
Medical Equipment & Supplies
800-472-2440
Pittsburgh
Disability Employment Project for Freedom
412-246-4434
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.
Email the Editor at DPN@trcil.org
The Disability Pride Newsletter is available in alternative formats upon request.