TRIAD Celebration Recognizes AmeriCorps Members for Service

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ARTICLE | THU, 08/30/2012 - 8:52AM | BY JERRY ALLISTON

AmeriCorps service volunteers were recognized for their contributions to the TRIAD program during a special ceremony held in July. (Submitted photo)

The first annual TRIAD (Training, Resources and Information for the Advancement of Disability Service) Service Celebration brought tears of joy for those receiving special recognition.

“I am so happy,” said Racheal Barnes, one of 20 AmeriCorps members recognized at the ceremony held in July.

TRIAD is an inclusive national service program at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute for Disability Studies. TRIAD Service AmeriCorps is inclusive because members include youth leaders with and without disabilities. TRIAD focuses on assisting students with disabilities in the transition to adulthood. This transition includes national service, employment, postsecondary education, adult healthcare services and more.

The Institute for Disability Studies has placed an emphasis on promoting inclusive service and volunteerism.

“Community inclusion for people with disabilities has been interwoven throughout IDS’ guiding principles,” said Dr. Royal Walker, executive director. “In recent years, IDS has increased its focus on inclusive service and volunteerism for youth and young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, particularly youth who plan to attend college and seek employment in their Mississippi communities.”

At the Service Celebration, TRIAD members received a recognition plaque commemorating their 450 hours of service. The members provided training on a variety of transition services, assisted with recreation events and participated in mentorship opportunities. 

As Dr. Jerry R. Alliston, coordinator for Community Inclusion and Volunteer Service, points out, “members overcame personal as well as public stereotypes. They overcame fear, doubt and negative attitudes regarding people with disabilities participating in service.  They shared their talents, made a difference and have become service ambassadors in our state.”

The TRIAD AmeriCorps program will begin its second year of service starting in September. For more information, visit the website at http://www.usm.edu/disability-studies/triad-americorps-overview or call 1.601.266.5979. 

 

PRESIDENT SIGNS MISSISSIPPI DISASTER DECLARATION

PRESIDENT SIGNS MISSISSIPPI DISASTER DECLARATION

08/30/2012 01:02 AM EDT

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal aid has been made available to the State of Mississippi to supplement state and local response efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Isaac beginning on August 26, 2012, and continuing. 

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FCC and AUCD Announcements

FCC Hosts Developing with Accessibility Event

Event Dates: September 6-7, 2012 – Washington, DC

http://www.fcc.gov/events/developing-accessibility

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Accessibility and Innovation Initiative (A&I) will be hosting the "Developing with Accessibility," event at the FCC's headquarters. The event is designed to spur increased collaboration on accessibility solutions among developers from industry, consumer, and government sectors. The event will encourage the use of accessibility application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as publicly available data sets, in order to build accessible apps for mobile phones and websites. The general session of the event will be webcast with open captioning at http://www.fcc.gov/live.

 

 

AUCD Updates

1.       Over 50 Organizations Unite for Historic Presidential Forum on Disability Issues

http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=8153&parent=16&parent_title=Home&url=/template/index.cfm

AUCD is one of 50 sponsors of the National Forum on Disability Issues, scheduled for September 28^th in Columbus, OH. The forum is set to provide presidential and state candidates with the opportunity to provide their positions on a wide variety of disability issues directly to the disability community.

 

2.       Applications Still Open for 2013 AUCD Disability Leadership Policy Fellow

http://www.aucd.org/template/opportunity.cfm?opportunity_id=741&id=158&parent=158

The purpose of the Fellowship is to provide significant experiences in national level activities related to policy and legislative development, advocacy, program development, technical assistance, and AUCD administration. The Fellowship in Disability Policy Leadership is envisioned as a mutually beneficial arrangement between the Fellow, the home UCEDD/LEND/IDDRC program and the AUCD central office. The Fellow will benefit from the experiences and contacts developed during the Fellowship period. The program will benefit from having "one of its own" participating in national level activities and subsequently informing home UCEDD/LEND/IDDRC staff of their activities and knowledge gained. AUCD will benefit by having increased assistance to carry out its mission as well as additional local and state perspectives from the AUCD network.

 

Federal Updates

3.       White House Monthly Disability Call

Date: August 24, 2012 – 2:00pm ET

Number: (800) 762-7308; code: White House Disability Call

This month's call feature Senior Advisor to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Cecilia Muñoz. Both will also take questions. To access captioning at the time of the event, click here.

 

4.       CMS Releases Blueprint for State-based Exchanges

http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/hie-blueprint-081312.pdf

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a resource on the application process for states planning to operate their own Exchange (the Affordable Care Act allows the federal government to facilitate Exchanges for those states which do not establish their own). According to CMS, states should contact their CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) State Officer for specific questions regarding their Exchange Blueprints. Additionally, CMS encourages all states to contact CCIIO's State Exchange Group for information about technical assistance consultations, available resources, and funding opportunities available to states for Exchange-build activities.

 

5.       FCC Hosts Developing with Accessibility Event

Event Dates: September 6-7, 2012 – Washington, DC

http://www.fcc.gov/events/developing-accessibility

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Accessibility and Innovation Initiative (A&I) will be hosting the "Developing with Accessibility," event at the FCC's headquarters. The event is designed to spur increased collaboration on accessibility solutions among developers from industry, consumer, and government sectors. The event will encourage the use of accessibility application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as publicly available data sets, in order to build accessible apps for mobile phones and websites. The general session of the event will be webcast with open captioning at http://www.fcc.gov/live.

 

Network News

6.       Indiana UCEDD Partners on Demonstration Project on Technology and Supported Living

http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=8163&parent=16&parent_title=Home&url=/template/index.cfm?

The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Indiana University's School of Informatics and Computing, and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration have partnered on a project called Hoosier TYZE, which will support 15 Indiana families to create individualized online family and community networks to support adults with disabilities in a virtual "circle of care".

 

Employment

7.       New Employment Opportunities Available on AUCD.org

http://www.aucd.org/index.cfm/employment

·         Coordinator- Health Activities, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center UCEDD – Cincinnati, OH

·         Assistant Lecturer, College of Health Sciences, Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND), University of Wyoming – Laramie, WY

·         Director, Child Development, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison – Madison, WI

·         Trainer, Life Span Institute at Parson, University of Kansas – Parsons, KS

·         Assistant Director, Nevada Geriatric Education Center, University of Nevada School of Medicine – Las Vegas, NV

 

Fellowships

8.       Hertz Foundation Fellowship

Application Deadline: November 2, 2012

http://www.hertzfoundation.org/dx/fellowships/application.aspx

Since 1963, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation has awarded over 1000 doctoral fellowships with the goal of supporting the early stage research endeavors of applied physical, biological, and engineering science students who possess the potential to change our world for the better by solving difficult, real-world problems. The Graduate Fellowship Award is based on merit (not need) and consists of a cost-of-education allowance and a personal-support stipend.

The cost-of-education allowance is accepted by all of the tenable schools in lieu of all fees and tuition.

 

Conferences

9.       The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health Disparity & Health Equity Conference

Dates: September 25-26, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA
http://projects.isr.umich.edu/nhpi/registration/

The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health Disparity & Health Equity Conference is an opportunity for community leaders, health care professionals, researchers, educators, advocates and policymakers to come together to focus on innovative concepts, methods and research findings on health disparities that impact the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community. Attendees will have the chance to discuss the significance and impact of robust health and health care data for evaluating the status of understudied and underserved populations. A summary of key findings from the Pacific Islander Health Study, a representative survey on the health and health care utilization of Pacific Islander adults and adolescents, will also be available.

 

10.   Coleman Institute Conference: The State of the States in Cognitive Disability and Technology

Conference Date: November 2, 2012

http://www.colemaninstitute.org/

The mission of the Coleman Institute is to catalyze and integrate advances in science, engineering and technology to promote the quality of life and independent living of people with cognitive disabilities. On November 2, 2012 the Coleman Institute will host its twelfth annual conference on cognitive disability and technology. The theme, State of the States in Cognitive Disability and Technology: 2012, will cover an annual review of the state of the economy, the state of federal disability policy and law, and the state of technology with projections for the future and explorations of impact on quality of life for people with cognitive disabilities.

 

AUCD Webinars

11.   The Perceptions of Past and Current UCEDD Directors on Transitioning in and out of the Role of UCEDD Director

Date: September 6, 2012 – 4:00-5:00pm ET

http://www.aucd.org/template/event.cfm?event_id=3450&id=379&parent=379

Several UCEDDs across the country have recently experienced transitions of new leadership, as directors retire or pursue new professional opportunities. Transitions in general can by stressful, but transitions of directors, especially individuals who have held the position for a long period, can present particular challenges to a program. This webinar will present findings from a series of interviews of UCEDD Directors who have retired or left their program in the past five years and of Directors who have stepped into those positions in that same period.

 

Webinars

12.   Employment First: Making it a Reality

Date: September 13, 2012 – 2:00-3:00pm ET

https://apse.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/lms/event.pl?div_view=reg&event_user_id=

Laura Owens, APSE Executive Director, will present this webinar. There has been a lot of talk about "Employment First," but what does it really mean? Employment First is not just a slogan - Across the nation, many states are adopting Employment First policies and practices. This presentation will explain the movement, take a look at what other states are doing, and explore what we can be doing in states to move this grass roots agenda forward.

 

Disability Community Events

To see a list of all upcoming events, please visit the AUCD website at: http://www.aucd.org/template/event_mgt.cfm

50 new positions for Supported Employees

We’ve talked on our blog in the past about the City’s award-winning supported employment program. Today we’re excited to announce that our legislation to add 50 more supported employment positions to the City was passed by the City Council.

Mayor McGinn signing the bill as supported employees cheer him on

The City of Seattle has 60 employees with developmental disabilities (supported employees). We bundle small tasks and entry-level duties in various departments into full and part-time positions (real jobs!) for people with developmental disabilities.

Any employer can do this – job coaches are free of charge to any business who hires a supported employee. Supported employment is not only a way to include people who have traditionally been excluded from our workplaces; the program also benefits City-department budgets. We save taxpayer dollars by paying an affordable wage.

The program provides meaningful work for a population who is dedicated and eager to contribute their talents to the workplace. Our supported employment program is just one of the ways we’re working to create shared prosperity that is available to everyone in our community.

Photo by: April Thomas

 

Emergency Management and Preparedness - Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities Webinar Series

Announcing the “Emergency Management and Preparedness - Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities Webinar Series”

Sponsored by the Pacific ADA Center and supported by the Great Lakes ADA Center.

We are pleased to announce the launch of this webinar series to address key strategies and approaches toward emergency management and preparedness and the inclusion of people with disabilities.    These free 90 minute webinars will be delivered using the ElluminateLive! webinar platform and all sessions will be closed captioned.

The first session is scheduled for August 22^nd

Title:                        The Federal Response to Emergencies and Disasters - How Disability Fits

Time:                       2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT/8am Hawaii

Presenters:            Marcie Roth, Director, FEMA Office of Disability Integration & Coordination and William Lynch, Trial Attorney, Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division US Department of Justice

The second session is scheduled for September 13, 2012

Title:                        The State, Local, and Community Response to Emergencies- How Disability Fits

Time:                       2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT/8am Hawaii

Presenters:            TBA

Future sessions will be annouced at a later date.

To register for these sessions go to www.adaconferences.org/Emergency

The Pacific and Great Lakes ADA Centers are both members of the ADA National Network.

TRIAD Hosts One-Night Camping Event for Youth

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ARTICLE | FRI, 07/20/2012 - 9:23AM | BY JERRY ALLISTON

TRIAD members enjoyed a one-night camping adventure last month. (Submitted photo)

When you think of a camping trip in the Mississippi summer, most people automatically think hot, hot and hot. 

For a group of young leaders with and without disabilities, heat was not an issue for their summer camping trip since they had an indoor camp-out combined with a wet weekend of fun. The one-night camping event, held last month, was hosted by the TRIAD Service AmeriCorps members and the Technology Learning Center, both a part of the Institute for Disability Studies on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. 

 “The TRIAD service members have put an emphasis on increasing recreational opportunities for people with disabilities,” notes TRIAD coordinator Dr. Jerry R. Alliston. “They want youth with disabilities to have fun activities and choices throughout the year such as this camping trip.” 

The one-night inclusive camping trip began on a Friday and ended the next day for the 17 future leaders attending. Rain affected some of the outdoor activities, thus kayaking and tennis were limited and basketball was not possible. However, the campers were able to participate in games, pottery, crafts, archery, and ping pong through collaboration with TLC staff and the University of South Alabama undergraduate therapeutic recreation students.  

Campers had the option to sleep in the TLC building with air conditioning or rough it outside on the campus grounds — all campers chose to sleep indoors. This camping trip, like the majority of TRIAD activities, was offered at no cost for those attending on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

The camp was deemed a success based upon the initial feedback from campers and students at the end of camp meeting. Lots of positive feedback was received along with some constructive criticism on how to take the camp to the next level. 

“This camp rocked and I can’t wait to do it again,” said TRIAD member Taylor Carley. In fact, Taylor gave the ultimate compliment in requesting to have another indoor camping trip the next month.

The TRIAD program was just funded for another year and plans are already underway to include this event as part of the 2013 activities.

TRIAD, which stands for “training, resources and information for the advancement of disability service,” is a national service program focused on increasing the number of youth with disabilities who transition into adulthood. Twenty TRIAD Service AmeriCorps members, youth and young adults with and without disabilities, are included in this program. These members participate in a variety of activities including health education training, disability etiquette skits, job training activities, mentoring and recreational events like this camping trip.

TRIAD is a program of the Institute for Disability Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi and is funded through the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service. TRIADcomplements the long-standing history of IDS to provide quality services for all people with disabilities including youth and young adults. 

For more information about Project TRIAD and other IDS projects, please call 1.601.266.5163 or 1.888.671.0051 or visit the Institute’s Web site at www.usm.edu/ids.

 

 

“Our Paralympians embody what it means to be an American. They will compete with the pride and honor that is inherent in representing the United States of America, inspiring Americans young and old with their stories of triumph.”

—Scott Blackmun, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

Two Mississippians, Joey Brinson and Ryan Estep of Florence, will compete in the Men’s Wheelchair Fencing events in London, but they have already served as inspirations to many others through service as AmeriCorps members in LIFE of Mississippi’s Project LINC program. Figuring out how to live life in a wheelchair wasn't enough for them: they threw themselves into helping people like themselves have the courage and resources to do the same.

 

Estep, 25, and Brinson, 35, were both sports standouts at Florence High School, before respective auto accidents left them each paraplegic.  Both have channeled their competitive spirit into wheelchair sports.

 

Both have quickly advanced in a sport that is notoriously difficult to master, even for those with prior fencing experience. Brinson has been fencing since 2006, and he is now ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in his weapon of choice, the sabre. Estep has only been fencing since 2009 and is already ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for epee.

 

The Paralympic Games, like the Olympic Games, is an international multi-sport competition, but features athletes with physical disabilities including amputations, blindness, cerebral palsy, and paralysis. The games have been held after the Olympics since 1960, and are today one of the world’s largest international sporting events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOJ Says “No” to Segregated Work Settings:  The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently made clear that it interprets the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), established in the Olmstead case, to apply to the unnecessary placement of people with disabilities in segregated, sheltered workshops.  The integration regulation, DOJ points out, provides that "a public entity shall administer services, programs, and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities."  The most integrated setting, in turn, means one that "enables individuals with disabilities to interact with nondisabled persons to the fullest extent possible..." According to DOJ, the department "enacted these regulations to implement the ADA's broad mandate to end the pervasive segregation of persons with disabilities in all facets of life, including employment, public accommodations, and services, programs and activities of state and local governments." Therefore, DOJ argues, the integration regulation applies to all "services, programs and activities" of a "public entity, including segregated, non-residential employment and vocational programs such as sheltered workshops."  In an interpretive statement issued on June 22, 2011, DOJ wrote that a "comprehensive, effectively working plan," written pursuant to Olmstead, must "include commitments for each group of persons who are unnecessarily segregated," including "individuals spending their days in sheltered workshops or segregated day programs."
Beyond Segregated and Exploited is a follow up to a report released last year by the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) of which Disability Rights NC (DRNC), NCCDD's sister agency, is a member (NCCDD has previously reported on DRNC’s work in the area of employment).  NDRN examined the issue of segregating working people with disabilities in sheltered workshops and the use of the subminimum wage to exploit their disability for the financial gain of employers.  The new report is an update on progress to end those practices and move toward a system that encourages integrated employment options that pay competitive wages.  The report calls for:
· Ending segregated employment and the subminimum wage by restricting all federal and state money that is spent on employers who segregate employees with disabilities from the general workforce.
· Strengthening current and create new tax incentives for employers to hire people with disabilities in integrated workplaces at comparable wages.
· Increasing labor protections and enforcement of existing law.
The NDRN report is available at www.ndrn.org/images/Documents/ <http://www.ndrn.org/images/Documents/>  Resources/Publications/Reports/ Beyond_Segregated_and_ Exploited.pdf.  

Hurricane - How to be prepared

http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

 

Stay Informed

 

August 2, 2012 -  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at5+shtml/113551.shtml?5day#contents