My Voice My Choice Latest Newsletter

The 2nd Quarter My Voice My Choice of Mississippi Newsletter is now available. To view, please visit http://www.myvoicemychoiceofms.org/Winter_2010_MVMC_Newsletter.pdf

2. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Releases Working Paper on Accessibility & Technology Issues

The FCC has issued the agency's first ever working paper addressing accessibility and technology issues. The paper builds on recommendations in the National Broadband Plan, and looks at the many barriers to broadband usage faced by people with disabilities, including inaccessible hardware, software, services, and web content and expensive specialized assistive technologies. Please visit http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-297711A1.pdf

UCEDD Resource Center (URC) Updates

PowerPoint presentations are now available from the ADD TA Institute which was held on April 22-23, 2010 at the Liaison Hotel, Washington DC. Panel topics included: Healthcare Reform, Implications of State Budget Cuts on Disability Services. Medicaid Trends and Predictions, AUCD Updates, and ADD Updates. Please visit http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=5237&parent=517&parent_title=Events&url=/template/page.cfm?id%3D517

The 2010 Joshua O'Neill and Zeshan Tabani Enrichment Fund Application Is Now Available

The Joshua O'Neill and Zeshan Tabani Enrichment Fund offers financial assistance to young adults (18+) with Down syndrome who wish to continue to enrich their lives by enrolling in postsecondary programs or taking enrichment classes that will help them to enrich life through employment, independent living skills, life skills or another way. To date, over thirty students have received grants from NDSS to help cover the costs of pursuing their postsecondary education and enrichment goals.

Visit http://www.ndss.org/ to download the application, or contact Vanessa Quick at vquick@ndss.org or 800-221-4602 with any questions.

A New Day: We're Listening Webcasts (MATERIALS AVAILABLE)

U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and its Federal partners held a series of six Listening Sessions across the country on disability employment. Each Listening Session was an opportunity for members of the public to provide input to senior Federal officials on their ideas for more effective ways to employ all people with disabilities, including women, Veterans and minorities with disabilities and what was currently working in their regions to increase employment of people with disabilities.
http://www.dol.gov/odep/disabilitylistening.htm

Disability legislation currently under congressional consideration

Disability legislation currently under congressional consideration. Topics include health care reform, employment, education, housing, autism, and many more.
FACT SHEETS
Health Care Reform
Long Term Services and Supports Provisions in Health Reform Employment
Direct Support Workers
FY 2011 Budget and Appropriations
D.D. Act
Education
ABLE Act
Housing
Autism
Modernization of Disability Terminology
FMAP

Empowering Parents…Improving Outcomes

The Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center Presents…

Empowering Parents…Improving Outcomes (PDF Brochure)
MS Gulf Coast Regional Parent Conference
For parents and families of children with disABILITIES

Saturday
May 8, 2010

St. Paul United Methodist Church
6176 Bienville Blvd.
Ocean Springs, MS

There is a $25 registration fee,
Stipends are available for parents.

Registration and Details are attached!

Please Spread The Word!

Register Online Here!

Hattiesburg American Newspaper on IDS Housing Program

Hattiesburg American You could say Cassie Hicks has received a varied education in her nine years as coordinator for housing initiatives for the University of Southern Mississippi 's Institute for Disability Studies. One that, Hicks says, has given her the tools to ask questions "some people would not know to ask" - ranging from legal rights to etiquette to accessibility.