INDEPENDENT TIMES
VolumeIX Issue 1, Fall 2001
Our greatest need as human beings is the freedom to pursue our dreams.
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PROCLAMATION I, (Name of Municipal
Official), (Title of Municipal Official) of the (Name of Municipality),
Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the people of
(Municipality) as an elected official, do hereby proclaim Thursday, July
26, 2001, as Spirit of the 11th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability
Act (ADA). Come by the Center and see
these 4 Proclamations. Peace to all. Mary Margaret |
ILCNSCA Annual
Meeting 2001
The 2001 ILCNSCA Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2001 from
5:30 PM to 7 PM at the ILCNSCA North Shore office at 27 Congress St., Suite
107 in Salem. Voting and socializing will occur from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Annual
meeting at 6:30 PM. Make sure your membership is renewed so you can participate.
For information contact Mary Margaret Moore, ILCNSCA Executive Director at (978)
741-0077 V/TTY. Entertainment Books will be on sale from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.
Entertainment Book
2002 Fundraiser
The Entertainment Book
is packed with hundreds of two-for-one offers and 50% discounts on almost everything
you like to do-dining, travel, shopping, movies, theater, sports and more. It's
your ticket to save funding year 'round on all your fun. Get your book today
at the ILCNSCA. Only $20. Support the Center's fundraiser! Stop by the ILCNSCA
on 27 Congress St., Suite 107, in Salem, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. or call ILCNSCA to reserve your book at (978) 741-0077 V/TTY.
Entertainment Books will be available for purchase at the ILCNSCA Annual Meeting
on October 16, 2001.
Wedding Bells Rang Out
The marriage of the ILCNSCA's morning Information Specialist, Rebecca Hutchinson, to Harry Poulton occurred on Friday, June 15, 2001. The ceremony was performed in the rose garden at Lynch Park in Beverly and was followed by a reception at a waterfront location in Gloucester. The newlyweds had intended to honeymoon in Bermuda, but their cruise was cancelled due to an engine fire on the cruise ship. The couple had to make a quick decision as to where their new honeymoon destination would be. They decided to go to the Sandals Resort in the Bahamas. They had a relaxing and wonderful time there.
ILCNSCA's Library -
A Wealth of Information
By Rebecca Poulton
The ILCNSCA has a wealth of information and resources in the bookshelves of the Library located in the reception area of the North Shore office at 27 Congress Street, Suite 107, Salem, MA. The Library collection covers a wide variety of topics related to health, disability, advocacy, business and much more. Library books can be signed out of the ILCNSCA Library, and then read at leisure. If you are looking for a specific subject matter and can't find it or need general assistance with the Library, please ask one of the Information Specialists at the front desk. They are always willing to help you in your search for information. So make sure on your next visit to the ILCNSCA to browse through our selection of books! You might be surprised at our selections.
Access Art
by Art Daignault
Your source for Accessibility Solutions. Call him at 978-741-0077 V/TTY ext.
16 or email: Adaignault@ilcnsca.org, please put Access issue in subject line
of all emails.
ILCNSCA Begins RASP (Restaurant Accessibility Survey Project )
In July 2001 the first round of training
for the RASP began. ILCNSCA's Access Specialist Art Daignault and Director of
Access & Advocacy Shawn McDuff provided the training to 19 volunteer candidates.
The training consisted of a review of the RASP procedures and how to complete
the restaurant accessibility survey form. All the candidates who volunteer as
a RASP Surveyor were and are required to 1) complete the ILCNSCA volunteer application,
2) sign an agreement to uphold ILCNSCA Staff Conduct & Confidentiality policy,
3) sign permission to allow ILCNSCA to perform a Criminal Offender Record Information
(C.O.R.I.) check and participate in the RASP training and data tabulation. Depending
upon the response to the C.O.R.I. check candidates to participate as volunteer
RASP surveyors are accepted by ILCNSCA.
This first training generated 9 volunteer RASP Surveyors who will begin to survey
North Shore and Cape Ann restaurants during late September. If you missed the
first round you have another opportunity to get involved with RASP by participating
in round 2 of the RASP trainings which will be held on Thursday October 18,
2001 from 2 - 4 PM & from 6 - 7:30 PM at ILCNSCA main office on 27 Congress
Street, Suite 107, Salem. Each session will cover the same information including
basic accessibility requirements and how to complete a Restaurant Survey form.
These training sessions are for new volunteers who did not attend the first
set of trainings in July. For more information about RASP, contact Art Daignault
@ (978) 741-0077 V/TTY or e-mail Adaignault@ILCNSCA.org. Sponsored in part by
donation from North Shore Self Help Assoc.
CVS Reminder
You can report any aisle access complaints in any CVS to ILCNSCA. Please call
me, Access Art, for a complaint form that needs to be forwarded to the Massachusetts
Office on Disability
(M.O.D.). I am available to assist you in completing this form and mailing it
to M.O.D. You can be a part of the Attorney General's settlement in Massachusetts
with CVS by monitoring their aisle access and letting the powers that be confront
them if their aisles are not clear and accessible.
Electronic & Information Technology
On June 21, 2001 new Section 508 regulations concerned with access to electronic
and information technology (E&IT) went into effect. On that day the National
Council on Disability (NCD) held a news conference to highlight their report
entitled Accessible Future.
The NCD report concluded that everyone has a civil right to access Electronic
&Information Technology, E&IT. They also stated that there is a need
for a national accessibility policy. The NCD issued "an appeal to the Federal
Government, private industry, and consumers to join forces to increase access
to E&IT for people with disabilities. The NCD believes that these groups
will accelerate a better life for people with disabilities.
This report is available at:
www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/accessiblefuture.html.
Accessibility Issues
ILCNSCA is interested in hearing from you regarding any access issue you are
encountering. We are committed to working with individuals, businesses and municipalities
in the 20 cities/towns in our service area to increase accessibility for everyone.
If you or someone you know has an accessibility issue, Access Art, alias Art
Daignault, would like to hear from you. Art will assist you filing complaints,
educating landlords and business owners, and giving you support to make things
more access. Contact information for Art Daignault is available at the top of
this article.
Vocational Readiness/
Independent Living News
By Jeanne Lyons
ILCNSCA Will Be Hosting Two Exciting
Vocational Readiness - Independent Living (VR-IL) Workshops For SSI/SSDI Recipients
This Fall!
On December 17,1999, President Clinton signed into law the historic Ticket to
Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. SSI/SSDI recipients will be
getting "Tickets" in the mail this fall. The Social Security Administration
(SSA) has issued two separate grants to assist (SSA) in outreach and education
of SSI/SSDI recipients. ILCNSCA will be hosting two exciting Vocational Readiness
- Independent Living (VR-IL) Workshops this fall that will be very informative
for anyone who receives SSI/SSDI and is interested in working.
On October 4, 2001, there will be a VR-IL Workshop entitled, "Social Security
and Work Incentives". The facilitator of this workshop will be Marit Young,
Benefits Specialist at the Statewide Employment Services of the Massachusetts
Rehabilitation Commission (MRC). Marit will be talking about a new program of
MRC called "Individual Members Planning and Assessing Choices Together"
or "IMPACT". If you are on SSI or SSDI and want to know how earnings
from employment could affect your current benefits, Marit is the key person
for you to meet with and explore your options. She can give you accurate and
understandable information regarding Social Security Work Incentives and be
able to develop your individual benefits plan.
On November 1, 2001, ILCNSCA will host for you a VR-IL Workshop entitled, "Ticket
to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act" (TWWIIA). The facilitator
of this workshop will be Linda Landry, Attorney at the Disability Law Center,
Inc. The Disability Law Center, the Protection and Advocacy Agency for Massachusetts,
has a new service for individuals with disabilities wishing to return to the
workplace. Linda at this workshop will discuss the (TWWIIA) and how (TWWIIA)
will affect current SSI/SSDI recipients.
Both of these Workshops will be held from 2-4 PM at the North Shore office at
27 Congress Street, Suite 107 in Salem. To request reasonable accommodation
(contact two weeks prior to workshop) and to RSVP (at least 2 days prior to
either VR-IL Workshop) please call Jeanne Lyons at (978) 741-0077 V/TTY ext.
18 or email her at jlyons@ilcnsca.org.
North Shore Career
Center Hires Accessibility Coordinator
Menorca Collazo is the
new Accessibility Coordinator for the North Shore Career Center, located at
70 Washington St. in Salem. Her role is to coordinate services with agencies
that work with people with disabilities, allowing the Center to deliver the
most efficient and suitable job search services to all individuals.
The North Shore Career Center is committed to providing employment services
and training information to job seekers and employers, and has many resources
that are beneficial to all in pursuit of employment. For more information, contact
Menorca at (978) 825-7200.
Social Event Update
By Shawn McDuff
On August 15th, the Boston Red Sox
played the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. A group of 10 ILCNSCA consumers
and friends attended the game. Although the Sox lost, it was a great time and
a pleasant evening for all.
August 30th was the date of our annual summer barbecue at Winter Island in Salem.
It was a sunny 75 degree day along Salem Harbor featuring hamburgers, hot dogs,
salad, snacks and soda. Keeping with tradition, Greg Levis from Massachusetts
Rehabilitation Commission in Salem performed his magic on the grill. Over 80
consumers and friends of ILCNSCA attended including Claudia Chuber, a candidate
for Ward 1 City Counselor in Salem. Claudia is pictured with her friend Tony
Porcello in the first photo below. As you can see by the other photos below,
everyone enjoyed themselves.
ILCNSCA Summer BBQ 2001 at Winter Island Salem
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors & Supporters:
Aqua-Cool, Shaw's Supermarket in Salem, Salem Trolley, Inc. and Greg Levis of
MRC. Entertainers - January Germano and Greg Gallo.
Upcoming fall events are the ILCNSCA 2001 Annual Meeting in October, a Pizza Sharing Party in November and a Sunday Jazz Brunch in December. Dates, times, and reservation information can be found on the ILCNSCA Calendar of Events (link to calendar web page).
Ride Like The Wind
By Donna Garber
Belonging to an organization named
North East Passage, which specializes in showing disabled individuals how to
adapt sporting activities around their physical disability, allows me to participate
in and enjoy many activities that most people would not think possible. This
Summer I went hand cycling and I wanted to tell everyone about it.
A hand cycle is a bicycle that is pedaled by your hands. It looks like an elongated
tricycle. Because the muscles in your arms work differently than the muscles
in your legs, both arms pedal at the same time; unlike a bicycle, where legs
alternate. People who have no use or limited use of their legs will find success
with a hand cycle, though it does require that the cyclist has some upper body
strength and coordination. I did my cycling around a 5-mile track in Portland,
Maine. Everyone I passed (or who passed me) on the track, cheered me on with
words of encouragement. Hand cycling, to me, was a freeing experience.
For more information about participating in hand cycling and other activities,
contact: North East Passage, UNH Hewitt Hall, 4 Library Way, Durham, NH 03824
or call 1-603-862 0077.
Hearing Ear Dog Available
NEADS, the National Education for
Assistance Dog Services Inc., has a fully trained hearing ear dog available
for a person with a hearing disability. This Lab/Greyhound Mix, Huckleberry,
would like an active owner and is good with kids, dogs and cats.
Persons who are interested need to fill out an application, which can be found
at the NEADS web-site at www.neads.org. For more information about the application
process and fee contact Stephanie at NEADS at 978-422-9064 V/TTY.
Are You O.K.?
The Are You O.K. program is a computerized telephone calling system operated out of the Salem Police Department. Older adults, disabled persons, isolated persons living alone or anyone in the community can enroll to have the computer call daily at a predesignated time. For information, contact Tracey LaPointe at the Salem Council on Aging, 978-744-0924.
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INDEPENDENT TIMES Volume X Issue 1, Fall 2001.
Publisher: Mary Margaret Moore
Editor: Shawn J. McDuff
Contributors: Art Daignault, Donna Garber, Rebecca Poulton, Jeanne Lyons, Andrew
H. Martensson, Kathy O'Brien, Elaine O'Donnell.
The INDEPENDENT TIMES, is a Quarterly newsletter of the Independent Living Center
of the North Shore and Cape Ann Inc. (ILCNSCA), 27 Congress St., Suite 107,
Salem, MA 01970. Tel: (978) 741-0077 V/TTY, Toll Free Tel: (888) 751-0077 V/TTY,
Fax: (978) 741-1133. Email: ILCNSCA@aol.com. We also have a Cape Ann Branch
at Addison-Gilbert Hospital, Room 4, 298 Washington Street in Gloucester, Monday
and Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM. Tel: (978) 283-4000 ext. 366 V/TTY.
INDEPENDENT TIMES is published quarterly and welcomes the submission of articles,
press releases, original cartoons, and advertisements. The editorial staff reserves
the right to edit or reject material submitted to accommodate space or other
concerns. Unsolicited material not accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope
will not be returned.
ILCNSCA's philosophy is based on the belief that people with disabilities can
lead more independent lives when given the opportunity. We also believe that
such an opportunity is a human right.
This newsletter is partially funded by a grant from New England ADA Technical
Assistance Center.
