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AHEAD OF THE TIMES
Volume 21, Number 3 / December, 2000

NEW YEAR COMPUTER CLASSES
Start the new year with a new computer class. The Computer Learning Center is pleased to announce that registration for new classes will be held January 2 - 4. Please call 785-841-0333 on one of these three days to register for "Introduction to Computers" or "Learning Microsoft Excel." The introductory class will be taught Tuesday through Friday at 2:30 p. m. and the Excel class featuring spreadsheets will be taught Tuesday through Friday at 9:30 a. m. The classes are scheduled to last for eight weeks. Thanks to all who have taken classes in the past, and we welcome all new students.

The Center will be Closed December 25 through January 1. 
No Transportation Available. The Center will reopen January 2.

CENTER GAINS EDUCATION ADVOCATE
Independence, Inc. has added a new service to the Advocacy Department. Jennifer Schwartz, who has been with the Independence, Inc. Assistive Technology Department for the last four years, is the new Education Advocate. While working as an Assistive Technology Specialist she was able to advocate for students who required the use of assistive technology devices and services for their public education. She is also the parent of a child with a disability who qualifies for special education services. She has been an active member of the team that serves her daughter, and continues to emphasize the importance of this group working as a team to carry out the goals and objectives in the IEP. 
As Education Advocate, Jennifer is available as a resource or lay advocate for students and their families as they navigate the maze of educational services available to those with disabilities. She can be of assistance in a variety of ways:

• Assist consumers and families develop self-advocacy skills when advocating for their rights under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and/or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Assist in understanding Individual Education Plans (IEP) and the process.
  Empower parents to be active members of their child's IEP team.
• Work with families and schools to facilitate a team approach to the IEP.
• Assist public schools to conduct ADA Self-evaluations and develop transition plans in accordance with new ADA accessibility guidelines for children's environments.
• Provide technical assistance on IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA.

If you, or anyone you know, could benefit from these services, 
contact Jennifer Schwartz at:

Independence, Inc.
2001 Haskell Ave.
Lawrence, KS 66046
785/841-0333
888/824-7277 (toll-free)
Jennifer@independenceinc.org

CLOSED CAPTIONING OF LOCAL NEWS
In January, 2001, Sunflower Cablevision will begin closed captioning of the 6 and 10 p.m. news broadcasts. Sunflower Cablevision had been considering closed captions, however preliminary steps such as sponsorship and equipment acquisition were required. This December, Sunflower Cablevision will acquire the necessary equipment to permit them to hire a closed captioning service which may benefit as many as 9,500 people in the Douglas County area.
In an effort to accelerate the process, Sunflower Cablevision received a show of broad community support last October when nearly 200 people signed a petition supporting closed captioning and another 25 supported the efforts by e-mail. Additionally, approximately 20 local businesses were contacted and urged to sponsor the closed captioning process. The petition was supported by Self Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH), Resident Services at Babcock Place, and The Lawrence Alliance. Thanks to all who helped with this effort.

PLANNING MEETING FOR CONSUMER GROUPS OF INDEPENDENCE, INC. 
The annual planning meeting for members of Cooking Club, Peer Support Group and M.A.G.N.E.T. is scheduled for Monday, December 18, 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the large conference room at Independence, Inc. If you have any suggestions or even complaints about activities, events, guest speakers or field trips for any of the consumer groups.....then you NEED to attend this planning meeting. This meeting is your opportunity to provide input about your consumer group. The groups will also discuss ways to increase consumer participation, in helping with newsletter articles, calling guest speakers, menu planning/shopping, etc. If you cannot attend this meeting please feel free to submit your ideas or questions by contacting Ranita or Angie at 841-0333. You are responsible for your own transportation so please plan ahead!

SELF HELP FOR HARD OF HEARING 
The local Self Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH) group has changed their meeting day and time to 1 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at Babcock Place, 1700 Massachusetts. The next meeting will be held December 18. 
The group welcomes people with hearing impairment, their family, friends, and professional caregivers. Education topics such as last month's meeting on the ADA are especially relevant to the larger community. Much of the advocacy work planned for this spring is intended to enrich lives beyond those of the group. For more information contact Gayle Sigurdson at 842-8358.

PARTNERS IN POLICYMAKING
The Kansas Partners in Policymaking Program is recruiting people with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, and teenagers with disabilities to participate in its training program which begins in March, 2001.
Participants learn about current disability issues and best practices. They become familiar with the policymaking and legislative processes at the local, state, and federal levels. They also learn how to advocate for change in public policy, disability services, and general disability issues. The overall goal is to establish productive partnerships between people needing and using services and those in a position to make policy and law.
Partners attend two-day training sessions eight times a year in Topeka and are required to complete assignments between sessions. Partners also are also expected to commit to one major disability-related project within their hometown.
The program is open to 24 people. If selected, the Partners in Policymaking program will pay for lodging, meals and reimburse participants for travel, childcare, and attendant services.
Applications are available and will be accepted until December 8, 2000. For more information on Partners in Policymaking or to request and application, contact Josie Torrez at 915 S.W. Harrison, Room 141, Topeka, KS 66612 or call 785/296-2608 or e-mail her at jtorrez@miduse.net

Opinion
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: USE IT OR LOOSE IT
by Pat Slick
This month, if everything goes as planned, Lawrence will have a fixed route bus system. Since Lawrence will be accepting Federal monies to run the buses, Lawrence, by law, must and will set up a complimentary paratransit system. The paratransit system is one which will pick folks up at their doors and give them rides just as our present system does. Another name for the paratransit system is a demand - response system which is what we now have in Lawrence.
Folks with disabilities will be able to use this paratransit system. There will be an application process one will need to go through in order to be eligible to use the paratransit system. I have seen a rough draft of the application. The way it looks now, few folks now using Independence, Inc. buses will be denied the opportunity to use the paratransit system. Here is where I see a potential problem.
It will cost more money to run and to ride a paratransit system. If the demand for paratransit rides is overwhelming, then the city may cut back on regular bus service. If that happens then the hours of paratransit must and will also be cut back. For some folks, it is an absolute necessity that they be picked up at their doors for rides. For others of us who use the Independence, Inc. buses, that is not really the case. Folks like me with severe visual impairments, for example, can still walk to a bus stop. Folks who use wheelchairs can still get to a bus stop if the routes to the bus are accessible.
One of the great equalizers in most modern cities for their citizens is public transit. Doctors, students, butchers, plumbers, housewives, children and labourers both disabled and not disabled ride the same buses. I have had wonderful experiences and conversations with folks on public transit systems all over the country. I urge you to walk or wheel to the bus stops if at all possible. Most of you will be able to use the paratransit system, if the same application holds but by using it, you would be taking funding away from that great equalizer: the fixed route bus. We at Independence, Inc. and others have fought long and hard for this new fixed route bus system. I urge all of us who possibly can to use it or we shall loose it. Sure it is cold or hot waiting on a bus but we all experience the same weather conditions: we are equal. Sure it is dark out but we all experience the night the same way: we are equal. Sure the bus is late: but we all have to deal with lateness: we are equal. And sure the fares on the fixed route will be lower and we all would like that. So please forget yourself and think of the city as a whole, of your community with a nice bus system. In keeping with the philosophy of Independent living, I urge you to take the bus and leave the paratransit to those who absolutely need it. Or as Dr. Black has said, "See you on the bus."

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY NOTES
The assistive technology loan library has plenty of consumable supplies to give away on a first-come, first-served, as is basis. We have:

• Adult disposable diapers
• Rubber gloves
• Prosthetic sheaths
• Urinary leg bags
• Drainage bags
• Urostomy supplies
• Perineal skin cleanser
• Skin prep pads
• Tape remover pads
• Oral swabs
• Nebulizer hoses with mouthpiece
• Foam wheelchair pads
• Novartis Nutrition liquid feeding formula 
• Irrigation trays with bulb
• Irrigation solution

Call 1-800-526-3648 or 841-0333 if you have donations or questions.

DID YOU KNOW . . .
that the Independence, Inc. Computer Learning Center can convert your documents into Braille? Contact the Center at 841-0333 for more information and prices.

SUBSTITUTE FOR SB 304 UPDATE
In early November, the Special Committee on Federal and State Affairs voted unanimously to introduce visitability legislation to the 2001 Kansas Legislature based on last session's Substitute for SB304. With this committee's step, the bill will bypass any additional committees in both chambers and be voted on for passage by the full floors of the Senate and House.
This bill would require five basic accessibility or "visit-ability" features in single-family, duplex and triplex housing units that are built or rehabilitated using public financial assistance, such as state funds or federal funds that are administered by the state. The bill would also expand housing choices by creating more housing with basic accessibility features, which is needed by a growing number of people of all ages. 
The five basic features the Bill requires in new construction are an accessible entrance; wide doorways throughout the interior; an accessible route throughout the main floor; reinforcement of bathroom walls for future installation of grab bars; and accessible locations for light switches, electrical outlets and other controls. 
The Bill would only apply to housing constructed or rehabilitated by developers and organizations - it would not apply to individual homeowners or occupants. The requirements for housing rehabilitation or remodeling are minimal. Accessibility is only required when the area being remodeled includes one of the five design requirements that apply to new construction. For example, when replacing a damaged doorway, installing an accessible width door rather than a narrow one. Watch future editions of Ahead of the Times for updates on this important Bill.

SEXUALITY AND DISABILITY
You are invited to attend a presentation on "Sexuality and Disability" on Tuesday, December 19, 11 a.m. - noon at Independence, Inc. Susan McDaneld of the Douglas County Health Department will lead a discussion on topics ranging from birth control and family planning options to the Health Department's policies regarding confidentiality.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM
Planning is underway for the first Kansas Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) to be held June 18 - 23, 2001 at the University of Kansas. YLF is an innovative, intensive four-day career leadership training program for high school juniors and seniors with disabilities. Approximately 35 dele-gates will be selected to gather for activities which cultivate leadership, citizenship, and social skills. They will gain access to vital resources related to assistive technology, community support, and civil rights. Successful individuals with disabilities will serve as role models to help delegates realize their ability, right, and obligation to pursue meaningful employment and contribute to society.
Organizers are seeking prospective volunteers for the forum to supervise delegates. Staff volunteers needed are Group Co-Counselors, Peer Counselors, Program Assistants, and Dorm Parents. There are a limited number of positions available and all require that you stay on site during the entire forum. Although the positions are voluntary, forum sponsors will cover meals, transportation, and lodging expenses. For more information contact Brenda Eddy, State Coordinator, Kansas Youth Leadership Forum at 785/862-2674 (V/TTY).

PAIN AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
If you would like to learn skills to deal with physical pain, a class is being held every Wednesday 1 - 2 :30 p.m. at Independence, Inc. If you would like more information call 841-7108 1 - 6 p.m. and leave a message.

ACCESS PROBLEMS AT KMART?
The firm of Fox & Robertson, P.C. is working with the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition in a nationwide class action lawsuit against Kmart based on wheelchair access at their stores. They are interested in hearing from anyone who has had any of the following problems at a Kmart since October, 1997:

Aisles cluttered with merchandise, boxes or other items;
Clothing racks or shelves too close together;
No accessible checkout aisle open;
Problems with accessible fitting rooms or restrooms; or
Problems with accessible parking.

If you have encountered any of these problems at a Kmart, contact: 

Amy Robertson
Fox & Robertson, P.C.
Attorneys at Law
910 16th Street
Suite 610 Denver, CO 80202
888-461-9191 (toll free)
e-mail: arob@foxrob.com

WANTED: Electric box or oscillating fans that are broken or that you no longer want. Any brand and size accepted. If necessary, unwanted fans can be picked up. Contact Michael at 785/840-9861, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Saturday.

TESTIMONIES TO FREEDOM
Testimonies to Freedom, published by Xilbris Book Corporation is about the unknown heroes of the civil rights movement of the early '70s. The author, Fred Markham, fought along with some of the heroes and gathered the stories and information from some of the actual people. The book can be ordered on-line at amazon.com or borders.com, xilbris.com or by calling 1-888-795-4274.

HUMAN DIVERSITY PRESENTATION
The Human Diversity Task Force and the Speakers Bureau of Independence, Inc. invite you to attend a presentation on "Living with HIV" on Tuesday, December 5, 11 a.m. to noon at the Center. A volunteer from the Douglas County AIDS Project will speak about the real-life issues of a person living with HIV. This discussion will be very straightforward and honest. All attending are encouraged to come to this event with an open mind. For more information contact Susan Mikesic or Ranita Wilks at 841-0333.
In addition to the "Living with HIV" presentation, talented artist Michael Moore, a.k.a. Shining Mike, will give a presentation on living with AIDS on Tuesday, December 19, 11 a.m. to noon at the Center. Moore reflects his feelings through artwork created on Macintosh computers, and he will use the artwork to further discussion on his experiences living with AIDS. For more information contact Ranita at 841-0333.

OPEN HOUSE 
Northeast Assistive Technology Site and the Computer Learning Center of Independence, Inc. will host an open house on Friday, December 8, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Come take a look at some of the available homegrown assistive technology that could assist you with your everyday activities.
Demonstrations on adapted hardware and software enabling all individuals computer access will be available. The Telecommunications Access Program that provides specialized equipment to access basic telecommunication services will also be shown. If you would like more information contact the Center at 841-0333.