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Ahead of the Times
Volume 21, Number 1
October, 2000

PARENTING WITH A DISABILITY
A panel of parents with disabilities will discuss their personal experiences regarding raising children on Monday, November 6, 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Independence Inc. This discussion is part of the "Ability Awareness" series sponsored by Independence, Inc. It would be beneficial for people with disabilities, social workers, teachers, or anyone interested in the topic.

For more information or to request an accommodation, contact Susan Mikesic or Ranita Wilks at 841-0333. Transportation is also available if requested by October 23.

ABILITY AWARENESS PRESENTATION
Independence, Inc. is sponsoring a disability rights and ability awareness presentation on Saturday, October 28, 1 - 2:30 p.m. at the Baldwin City Library, 800 7th Street.

A panel of Baldwin City residents who have disabilities will lead the discussion. They will discuss disability issues, services available, and ways for communities to be more accommodating. Refreshments will be provided.

Susan Mikesic, Independence, Inc. Community Coordinator, said, "We're hoping that this event will be an opportunity for people to share with each other their coping strategies, goals and wishes, and their accomplishments." Contact Susan Mikesic or Ranita Wilks at 841-0333 or toll-free at 1-888-824-7277 for more information.

COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER NEWS
The fall classes for the Independence, Inc. Computer Learning Center began September 26 and will end on November 17. Introduction to Computers is being taught at 9:30 a.m. and Word Processing Using Microsoft Word at 2:30 p.m. Also, please remember that computer graphics software is taught in the CLC. Computer graphics is the creation and management of picture images in the computer. Training for this type of software is hard to find but can be very useful when looking for a job or producing personal documents. So, be it for fun or for work, computer graphics can make you a well-rounded and savvy computer user. For information about learning computer graphics, please call the CLC at 841-0333.

OK, trivia buffs, a quick question or more on acronyms. An acronym is "a word formed from the initial letter of the successive parts of a compound term." What does ADAAG stand for? What about NCIL or perhaps DME? A recently added feature of the Independence, Inc. website is a listing of acronyms with their definitions. You can find this listing at http:www.independenceinc.org/acronyms.htm So, the next time you run across an acronym in that obscure government document you're trying to understand, perhaps we can provide the answer for you. By the way, ADAAG stands for Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines and NCIL stands for National Council on Independent Living, but if you want to know what DME stands for, you'll have to get the answer from the website. To suggest an acronym for inclusion or to make a correction, this option is also available on the website.

LEARN PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS
A new branch of the Toastmasters International organization held its first meeting September 15 at Independence, Inc. Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization committed to developing the members' speaking and leadership skills. The goal is to provide an open environment where people can learn through positive reinforcement, allowing the members to gain confidence as public speakers. Marion Wimberly, the Area T Governor of Toastmasters said, "It allows us to do together what we can not do alone."

During each hour long meeting, members are provided the opportunity to give both planned and extemporaneous speeches. The process is also self-paced so that the individuals may develop as they feel comfortable.

The new club is open to everyone in the community and is seeking more members. The next two meetings will be held at the Center on Friday, October 6 and October 20 at noon. Thereafter, meetings will be held on the first and third Fridays at noon. Contact Susan Mikesic or Ranita Wilks at 841-0333 for more information, or to request an accommodation.

HISPANIC AND LATINO CULTURE HUMAN DIVERSITY DISCUSSION
Richard Gutierrez, Director of Development at Independence, Inc. will speak on the Hispanic and Latino culture on Tuesday, October 31 at 11 a.m. at the Center. The presentation is part of the Human Diversity Task Force sponsored by Independence, Inc. and intends to raise awareness of diversity issues. For more information or to request an accommodation contact Susan Mikesic at 841-0333.

DON'T PITCH THOSE OLD EYEGLASSES!
Thanks to two very active Lions Clubs in Lawrence there is a constant need for recycled eyewear. In many instances eye glasses can be reconditioned and distributed to those who need but are unable to afford to buy new glasses. Some reconditioned eyewear even goes to places like Mexico and Central America. So don't throw away your old glasses, frames, or lenses, bring them to Independence, Inc., 2001 Haskell. Thanks for helping your fellow citizens to see a little better.

REVIEW OF N.C.I.L. CONFERENCE
On Tuesday, October 24, 11 a.m. at the Center, a panel of Independence, Inc. staff will discuss their experiences at the National Council on Independent Living (N.C.I.L.) Conference.

The annual conference, which took place in Washington, D.C. last July, incorporated workshops, lobbying, and several events celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The discussion will cover various aspects of living with a disability including health care, aging, housing, and transportation issues. Contact Susan Mikesic at 841-0333 for more information, or to request an accommodation.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY NOTES AND NEWS
If you have items that have been checked out of the Independence, Inc. Assistive Technology loan library for more than 30 days and haven't contacted us for an extension, it's past due. Please return any overdue equipment so that others have the opportunity to use it. If you need an item on a permanent basis we can help you find funding to purchase one of your own.

Do you have any used but usable medical equipment that you don't need anymore? We always need more donations for the loan library - bath benches, commodes, wheelchairs, crutches, canes, walkers, scooters, computers, magnifiers, portable ramps, intergalactic or interplanetary spacecraft, vehicle hand controls, or wheelchair tires. Call us and let us know what you have. If we can't use it we know who can.

The assistive technology loan library has a lot of consumable supplies to give away on an "as is" first-come, first-served basis. This month we have:

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

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

AMPUTATION SUPPORT GROUP
A new support group is now forming for people who have an amputation. For more information contact Evelyn at 841-7768.

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP
The Diabetes Support Group will meet Monday, October 2, 7 p.m. at Health Care Access, 1920 Moodie Road. Dr. Stevenson will present information on protein in the diet. For more information about this and future presentations contact Nikki or Betsy at 841-5760 or www.ci.lawerence.ks.us/HCA

SELF HELP FOR HARD OF HEARING
The next meeting of the Self Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH) Support Group will be Tuesday, October 24, 1 p.m. at Babcock Place, 1700 Massachusetts. For more information call 832-1692.

SEXUALITY AND DISABILITY
A panel presentation and open discussion on Breaking Down the Barriers of Sexuality Among People with Disabilities will be held Thursday, October 12, 2 - 4 p.m. at Independence, Inc. If you have questions or would like more information call 749-5633.

ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY GARDEN
Independence, Inc. will hold an open meeting on Monday, October 2, 4 p.m. at the Center to discuss plans to build an accessible community garden. The garden will be located next to the Center, and anyone willing to work can reap the rewards. However first the planning stages must be completed first. Ideas on accessibility, implementation and design are welcome. Contact Susan Mikesic or Ranita Wilks for more information at 841-0333.

FOR SALE: Electric chair lift. Lifts entire chair to assist standing. Rubbermate tub/shower bench, Invacare wheelchair (21" wide seat). For more information call 842-6947

FOR SALE: Adult Everest & Jennings Marathon LE power chair burgundy upholstery, with foot rest and battery charger. Can use water or gel cell batteries. Comes with two fairly new water filled batteries. Call 841-9108.

FOR HIRE: Experienced mature woman desires to assist you in your home with companion care, transportation to doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, additional errands, activities, meal preparation, light housework, no heavy lifting. Available 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Thursday. Call Judy at 785/749-0660 for more information and rates.

2000 VOTER'S GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:
Why Should I Vote?
If you are a person with a disability, family member or advocate asking this question, here are several reasons why you should learn about candidates' positions on disability issues and then get out to vote:

• Attempts to weaken the ADA
• Unemployment rate of over 66% for people with disabilities
• Lack of a national attendant care program.

If you know that the issues are important but feel that "just one vote" won't make much of a difference, think about this:

People with disabilities form a large, but often overlooked, block of voters. There are more voters with disabilities than Black voters, for example, but they receive much less attention from the candidates, the parties and the media. In total, persons with disabilities comprise at least 13 percent of the population and are 10 percent of those who actually vote. 

- According to Humphrey Taylor of The Harris Poll, 1992

In other words, you do have power if you learn about the issues and get out to vote! Here's how the votes of just 24 people with disabilities changed the results of an election in Missouri:

"Jim Tuscher, an alert disability advocate in Missouri, heard about a candidate for state representative losing by five votes because the absentee ballots of 24 persons with disabilities were not going to be counted because they were not notarized. His call to the Election Board and the candidates' lawyers reminded them that because of the "Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984", notarization could NOT be required." The absentee ballots were then counted and the candidate gained 16 votes and won the election!!

Voter Registration
You may register with the County Clerk, at Independence, Inc., or at any agency that provides services to people on AFDC, food stamps, Medicaid, WIC, drivers' licensing, or disability services. The registration deadline for the November 2000 election is October 23. If you need assistance or have questions about registering, call Independence, Inc. at 841-0333.

Polling Place Accessibility
By law, all polling places should meet Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines; however, this law is not always enforced as it should be. If you do not know whether your polling place is accessible, contact your County Clerk to inquire.

Comparing Candidates and Positions
The following test for evaluating a candidate regarding disability issues was adapted from a list devised by the United Cerebral Palsy Association of America (UCPA).

Disability Litmus Test: How to Assess the Candidates
Check to see if candidates

• Use campaign offices and schedule events at architecturally and transportationally accessible locations;
• Hire American Sign Language interpreters at campaign events;
• Air television advertisements that are open or closed captioned, or video described;
• Make campaign literature available in large print and Braille or on audiotape or computer disk upon request;
• Invite disability community leaders and members to strategy sessions, public forums and town meetings;
• Mention persons with disabilities when they list other minority groups (such as women and ethnic groups) and have familiarity with disability issues;
• Strongly support the Americans with Disabilities Act and have a positive record on implementation;
• Vote for the interests of the disability community in education, health care, Medicare/Medicaid, job training, housing, employment, transportation, taxation, technology development, telecommunications access, supplemental security income (SSI/SSDI).

Resources for Information on Issues and Candidates
Despite all of the focus on political campaigns by the media, it is often difficult for a voter to find concrete information about candidate positions on specific issues. Reading the local and national newspapers, including the editorials and letters to the editor sections, is one way to obtain information. Examining the platforms of the major parties and watching televised debates can also be helpful to learn about the positions of presidential candidates. Voters can also contact local campaign offices to request information regarding candidates' positions on issues of concern.

To learn about candidates' positions on disability issues, it can be helpful to talk to other people with disabilities and/or to get information from disability advocacy organizations. These organizations are typically nonprofit and therefore, cannot endorse specific candidates; however, they can provide information about candidates' positions and past voting records as a way of educating their constituencies. Following are websites and list serve addresses for both disability and other organizations that are resources for voter education. Also listed are websites that contain major party platforms, as well as phone numbers for local party campaign offices, where available. If you do not own a computer with access to the internet, you might access it through the Computer Lab at Independence, Inc. or possibly at your local library.

Disability Organizations

Americans with Disabilities for Democracy
This list serve was recently started by co-chairs Gina McDonald, President of the Kansas Association of Centers for Independent Living, and Mark Smith. To subscribe, send a message to: AmericanswithDisabilitiesforDemocracy-subscribe@egroups.com To visit the ADD website go to http://www.americaforall.org This website contains links to the various Presidential campaigns and links to other sites of interest to the voting process and to the disability vote in particular.

Justice for All Email Network 
http://www.mailbot.com/justice

Mainstream Organizations

Federal Election Commission
contains a universal voter registration form.
http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm

Center for Responsive Politics 
http://www.crp.org

Project Vote Smart 
http://www.vote-smart.org/

Voting information, disability and health policy http://geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7853

Democracy Network http://www.dnet.org/

Political Parties

Democratic Party Platform for 2000 http://www.democrats.org/pdf/hq/2000platform.pdf

Phone number for Douglas Co. Democratic Party Campaign Headquarters: 840-0147, 840-0219, 840-0207

Green Party Platform for 2000 
http://www.gp.org

Local phone number for Green Party: Not available

Reform Party Platform for 2000
http://www.reformparty.org

Local phone number for Reform Party: Not Available

Republican Party Platform for 2000
http://www.rnc.org/2000/2000platformcontents

Local phone number for Republican Party: 312-8309

Thanks to Justice for All and to Word from Washington, a United Cerebral Palsy Association publication, for some of the information contained in this guide.

ADVANCE VOTING AND VOTING SITE ACCESSIBILITY

If you are a registered voter, you can vote at your convenience before election day. Contact your county election officer to request a ballot application. In Douglas county contact the Douglas County Clerk's office at 1100 Massachusetts. Advance Voting Ballot Applications are also available at Independence, Inc. You may cast an advance ballot in person by going to the county election office starting the Tuesday before election day or up to 20 days before the election depending on the county.

You may cast your ballot by mail starting 20 days before the election.

Kansas Statute 25-2710 requires that each voting place provided by the county election officer be accessible to and useable by people who are elderly or have a disability. The following standards apply.

1. Doors, entrances and exits used to gain access to the voting place shall have a minimum width of 30 inches;
2. Any curbs adjacent to the main entrance to the voting place shall have curb cuts or temporary ramps;
3. Any stairs necessarily used to enter the voting place shall have a temporary handrail and ramp; and
4. At the voting place, no barrier shall impede the path of a person with a disability to the voting booth.

The county election officer may select a voting place not meeting the standards listed above if no acceptable and accessible voting place is available within the precinct or other designed voting area; or it is anticipated that the voting place will be brought into compliance with such standards in the foreseeable future or the voting place will be temporarily made to comply with the standards for the time during which the polls are open. Any county election officer who selects a voting place which does not meet the standards listed above shall report such selection to the board of county commissioners.

WHAT ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION?
You may register and vote if you are a United States citizen, a Kansas resident, and at least 18 years old. You may register at your county election office, when applying for or renewing a driver's license, or at locations designated by the election officer. You should re-register if you change your residence or your name.

To register by mail call or write your county election officer. Independence, Inc. also has voter registration forms available at the front desk. To vote in this November's election you must register by October 23.

If you failed to vote in any November general election contact your county election officer to see if it is necessary to re-register. You may declare a party affiliation when you register to vote or you may sign a declaration at the voting site the first time you vote in a primary election. You may also choose not to affiliate with any political party.

"The results of the November presidential election will have important consequences for people with disabilities. Both of the major candidates have made positive proposals for disability policy. But these are just words. In the past, widespread support of the disability leadership for the Democratic candidate has led the Democrats to take us for granted and the Republicans to ignore us. Neither candidate has earned our endorsement. It is time for us to make both parties listen to us, and follow their promises with actions. We are an important constituency. Vote, and make your vote count for the sake of our country and its millions of people with disabilities."

Drew Batavia, Republican
Former Executive Director of the National Council on Disability

DON'T TREAD ON THE ADA! DON'T TREAD ON THE USA!

September 11, 2000
Dear Colleagues:

We enclose a Red Alert on a serious threat to the ADA. People need to know that the state party under a leading candidate for president calls for taking away their civil rights.

This is yet another manifestation of the politics of a powerful minority that would take us back to a society of privilege for the few. Their attacks on the ADA are symbolized by the Garrett case which challenges the constitutional authority of Congress to require the states to respect our ADA rights. Garrett is not simply an attack on the ADA, but on democracy itself. Abraham Lincoln - a Republican - fought and died for the authority of the Federal Union to protect and empower its citizens in all the states.

We hope that you will urge all to support the October 3, at noon, March for Justice in Washington, DC., from the Capitol to the Supreme Court. We will protest Garrett and other attacks on the ADA and democracy.

ADA should not be a partisan issue. Let us unite - Republicans, Democrats, Independents - in reverence for each human life. Let us unite to keep the sacred pledge: One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. For the enclosure, go to http://www.americaforall.org

Belinda Carlton 
Justin Dart 
Fred Fay
Andy Imparato 
Gina McDonald 
Mark Smith

I SMELL SOMETHING BURNING . . . MUST BE COOKING CLUB
Thanks to a generous donation by Jody Anderson, Cooking Club has a new set of cookware. Instead of burning our food in old pots, we can now burn our food in new pots. Just kidding!

This month the Cooking Club and the Peer Support Group will celebrate the last days of warm weather with a "Nifty-Fifties Ice Cream Social." Join us Monday, October 16, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Independence, Inc. Learn several different ways to use ice cream. Bring any topping that soothes your sweet tooth. For those who cannot handle the dairy, the group will make some creative soda fountain recipes. Come dressed in your wildest '50s outfit and boogie to music from the days of Elvis. Don't forget your cameras, you're definitely going to want pictures of this. Prizes awarded for the best outfit. For more information, call Ranita or Angie at 841-0333. Any food donations are most appreciated. Please remember to arrange your own transportation. A basket full of hugs to Jody for the nonstick cookware . . . the group promises to burn food with pride in your honor.

LE GUSTA APRENDER INGLES?
An English as a Second Language class will be held at independence, Inc. every Thursday, October 5 - November 16, 9 - 11 a.m. in the large conference room. Join us and improve your communication skills.

NIGHT AT THE LIED CENTER
The Music Appreciation Group (Not Especially Talented) will attend a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on Tuesday, November 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this event are free thanks to the generosity of the K.U. Lied Center. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has captivated audiences for four decades with its powerful, compelling modern dance performances. Transportation will be provided. To receive tickets and transportation, you must reserve your spot with Ranita at 841-0333 by 5 p.m., Friday, October 27. Only two tickets per consumer. Please do not take tickets if you will not use them. Prepare to be swept away by a magnetic celebration of dance.

BEGINNERS DRUM CIRCLE WANTS YOU
The Music Appreciation Group (Not Especially Talented is hosting a fourth Beginners Drum Circle at Independence, Inc. on Friday, October 27, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. The Group will practice Afro-Latin rhythms and Rock-n-Roll beats. We'll provide the pickle buckets, bongos, drum sticks, and a talented instructor. For more information, call Ranita at 841-0333. Remember to arrange your own transportation.