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Ahead of the Times
Volume 24, Number 6  
August - September, 2004

COMMUNITY FLEA MARKET FUNDRAISER FOR INDEPENDENCE, INC.
Independence, Inc. is hosting its last community-wide flea market for the summer on Saturday, August 7, 8 am - 2 pm in the agency parking lot at 2001 Haskell, Lawrence (rain date the following Saturday). 
This is a great opportunity to clean out your closets, basement, or garage, make a few bucks and at the same time benefit Independence, Inc. Don't have enough stuff of your own? Go in with some friends and split the cost! Spaces are $20 for a 12 foot by 12 foot spot. Turn your trash into someone else's treasure and reserve your space now! For more information call 785/841-0333 or visit independenceinc.org/fleamarket.htm  Refreshments will be available.

The Center will be Closed Monday, September 6 for Labor Day. 
No Transportation Available.

WAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT AND VOTE
Voters who are people with disabilities are an untapped resource in this country. They could be called a sleeping giant because of their potential to influence the democratic process. People with disabilities vote at a 10-20 percent lower rate than voters without disabilities. If people with disabilities voted at the same rate of those without disabilities, 4.6 million more votes would have been cast in the last presidential election!

On June 29, Voter Caucus 2004 was held at the Topeka Public Library to begin mobilizing the community of people with disabilities and their allies to exercise their right to vote. The caucus was sponsored by the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas, Big Tent Coalition, Kansas Advocacy & Protective Services, Inc., Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, and National Alliance for the Mentally Ill / NAMI Kansas.

This election year is critical as the entire Kansas Legislature, Kansas Congressional delegation and United States President are all open for election. Those elected to office will make decisions about all of our lives. It's important to be informed on where candidates stand on key issues that will affect people with disabilities. To assist with that, NAMI Kansas is sending surveys to all candidates running for the Kansas House and Senate. We will publish candidate responses to the survey prior to the general election. To receive this information by e-mail, contact Bob Mikesic at bobm@independenceinc.org 

Your vote counts! Not voting has an impact too! When President Clinton spoke in Allen Field House this past spring he reminded us that not voting has a significant impact, it amounts to a vote for the person you didn't want to get elected. So become an informed voter and vote!

Know Your Voting Rights
The Help America Vote Act of 2001 (HAVA), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and Kansas Law give you these rights:

• All polling places must be accessible to voters with disabilities on the day of an election either by permanent or temporary means.
• Registered voters can choose to vote at their polling place or by advance ballot in their own home. It's your choice where you vote.
• Voters with disabilities may use whatever method normally used to sign their name including directing another person to sign for them.
• Assistance in completing a ballot can be provided by a person of the voters choice.

Voters with disabilities may choose to use "curb side" voting to accommodate a disability. Please note that poll workers cannot require person with disabilities to vote at the curbside.

Register to Vote if you are a first time voter or you have moved since the last election. Independence, Inc. has the Kansas Voter Registration Application, and the applications for advance voting and permanent advanced voting (vote at home by mail). On the internet the Kansas Voter Registration Application is available at;

http://www.kssos.org/forms/Elections/voterregistration.pdf 

The form to request an advanced voting ballot: 

http://www.kssos.org/forms/elections/AV1.pdf 

Discrimination is Prohibited
Federal Law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the voting process. Regardless of whether you vote at a polling place or by advance ballot you have the right to vote.

Report Discrimination
If you believe that you or someone you know experiences a violation of your legal right to vote, please contact Kansas Advocacy & Protective Services at 1- 877-776-1541.

Important 2004 General Election Dates & Deadlines

• Friday, July 30 Deadline for voters to apply to advance voting ballots to be mailed for primary election
• Monday, Aug. 2 Noon deadline to cast advance voting ballots in person in the office of County Election Officer
• Tuesday, Aug. 3 Advance voting ballots must be received in Primary Election office of County Election Office by close of polls
• Wednesday, Oct. 13 Advanced voting begins for general election
• Monday, Oct. 18 Last day to register to vote in general election
• Friday, Oct. 29 Deadline for voters to apply for advanced noting ballots to be mailed
• Monday, Nov. 1 Noon deadline to cast advance voting ballots in person in the office of the County Election Officer
• Tuesday, Nov. 2 Advance voting ballots must be received in office of County General  Election officer by close of polls

CONSUMER SUPPORT GROUP EVENTS

August 2004 

The Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group Makes Trophies
The Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group will meet Monday, August 2, 1 - 3 p.m. in the large conference room at Independence, Inc. We will make trophies for Peer Support Group's pie eating contest at the Sesquicentennial event on Sept. 18.

Cooking Club: That's Italiano! 
Cooking Club Pasta Event
Tomato sauce from a jar? No way! We are putting our culinary skills to the test and making tomato sauce from scratch. Thanks to our accessible garden, we have fresh tomatoes and basil, the perfect ingredients for making a delicious sauce. Join us Monday, August 9, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Independence, Inc. kitchen to learn to make pasta with homemade sauce. RSVP with Ranita at 841-0333 before 5 p.m. on Friday, August 6. 

Peer Support Group Bowling Event
No date for Friday night? Come join the always fun Peer Support Group for a hilarious evening of bowling on Friday, August 27 at Royal Crest Lanes, located in the Hillcrest Shopping area, 933 Iowa. We will meet at the accessible entrance (north side) of the bowling alley. Royal Crest Lanes has a restaurant/snack bar. You should bring at least $6 if you wish to purchase food. Please RSVP with Ranita at 841-0333 by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 20. 

Accessible Gardening Group
Cantaloupes! Cantaloupes! 
It's amazing! Despite our brown thumbs the accessible garden is thriving. We currently have baby cantaloupes growing in the garden along with tomatoes, basil, hot peppers, dill, and marigolds. The accessible garden is a great opportunity to experiment with planting various things and learning how they grow and TASTE! Our next meeting is Monday, August 16, 1 - 3 p.m. in the Independence, Inc. kitchen. For more information, contact Ranita at 841-0333. Stop by and visit the baby cantaloupes.they're so cute!

September 2004

The Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group
No meeting. Independence, Inc. is closed September 6 for Labor Day. The group will resume its regular meeting schedule in October.

The Cooking Club Makes Cream Pies
On Monday, September 13, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. the Cooking Club will make a variety of cream pies for the Sesquicentennial pie-eating contest on September 18. Of course, we will sample our creative cooking skills so come ready to taste away. RSVP with Ranita at 841-0333 by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 10.

Peer Support Group Sponsors Pie-Eating Contest!
The Peer Support Group will attend the Lawrence Sesquicentennial events on Saturday, September 18. The Peer Support Group will sponsor a "Pie-Eating Contest." Peer Support Group members will meet at the South Park Recreational building, 12th and Mass., at noon to begin setup for the contest. 

*IMPORTANT* Massachusetts Street will be closed off for the Sesquicentennial parade that begins around 10 a.m. therefore the T-lift will not be able to drop you off close to the park. Contact Ranita to work out transportation and meeting location logistics at 841-0333.

Lawrence Sesquicentennial Parade
The Lawrence Sesquicentennial Parade will begin at 10 a.m. The parade will go down Massachusetts Street from 7th to South Park. Peer Support Group members, who are interested in watching the parade, should arrive downtown before 10 a.m. in order to find parking and a place to sit. Peer Support Group members, who would like to participate in the parade, should contact Kendall Simmons at 841-0333.

Accessible Gardening Group Fall Harvest
Fall is here - time to enjoy the remaining goodies from our garden before the cold sets in. Please join the Accessible Gardening Group on Monday, September 20 from 1 - 3 p.m. in the kitchen at Independence, Inc. Questions? Please contact Ranita at 841-0333.

UPCOMING CONSUMER EVENTS:

Accessible Self-Defense Group
Independence, Inc. recently received a grant from The Good News Fund of the First Presbyterian Church of Lawrence to help us start a new Accessible Self Defense Group for people with disabilities. The Accessible Self-Defense Group will include martial arts instruction on self-defense techniques. Our instructor for the group is a qualified person with a disability with eight years of experience in martial arts. We are still in the planning stages for this group, but we hope to have trainings available by late fall/early winter 2004. For more information on how to participate, please contact Ranita Wilks at 841-0333. 

Individuals with health concerns will need to consult with a primary care physician before beginning any training.

Free Tickets for Lied Center Performance
We have free tickets for the Lied Center's World Series performance, Amazones: The Women Master Drummers of Guinea on Friday, October 22, 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center of Kansas. "Amazones demystifies the masculine myth of the African drum and embarks on a brave socio-cultural departure from the tradition of male drummers only." Tickets requests are first come, first served. We have a limited number of tickets and we ask that you respectfully return any tickets that you do not intend to use. Contact Ranita at 841-0333 to request tickets. When requesting tickets, please tell Ranita if you will need accessible seating or accessible transportation.

National Disability Mentoring Day
October 20 is National Disability Mentoring Day. This event provides a great opportunity for youth with disabilities and members of the business community to come together for a day of job shadowing and mentoring. 

Are you a young adult interested in learning more about a particular career? Are you a business professional interested in mentoring a student for National Disability Mentoring Day? If so, please contact Ranita at 841-0333. For more information about National Disability Mentoring Day Events in Kansas, contact Kerrie Bacon, coordinator of the State Organizing Committee for Disability Mentoring Day-Kansas, at 800-295-5232 (voice) or 877/340-5874 (TTY).

MISSING BOOK
Would the person(s) who borrowed the Matthew Lesko books from the waiting area please return them? They don't belong to Independence, Inc. and were not to be removed. Other individuals would like to look at them. Thanks!

COPING WITH STRESS MANAGEMENT
The Coping with Stress Management classes are held every Friday, at 12:30 p.m. at Independence, Inc.. For more information call 841-7108, 2 - 6 p.m. and leave a message.

DOUGLAS COUNTY DISABILITY VIOLENCE AWARENESS COLLABORATION
On December 3, 2002 GaDuGi Safe Center, Women's Transitional Care Services, and Independence, Inc. began collaborating and realized that we share many of the same goals and philosophies. We also realized that we could enhance our services for people with disabilities who are experiencing violence and abuse, by working together. Together, we look for ways to educate our staff, our clientele, and the community about disability, violence, and abuse. 

If violence and abuse are part of your life, please remember:

• It's Not Your Fault! 
  All too often an abuser will blame the victim for the abuse. This is wrong and very damaging. The guilt placed on the victim is a tremendous burden, causing confusion, low self-esteem and reluctance to seek help.
• Trust Your Feelings!
  If you are touched or treated in a way that feels bad, scary or uncomfortable, it is abuse.
• Help is Available!
  You may call any of the agencies listed below for assistance. 

Violence and abuse are common in the lives of people with disabilities.
According to research . . .

• A person with a disability is four to ten times more likely to be the victim of a crime than a person without a disability.
• 60% of women with hearing impairments, 59 % of women with visual impairments, 47% of women with mobility impairments and 57% of women with learning disabilities will be physically abused during their lifetimes.
• 81% of people with psychiatric disabilities have been physically or sexually assaulted.
• 85% of women with disabilities have been victims of some form of domestic abuse.
• Women with disabilities stay in relationships with their batterers almost twice as long as women without disabilities.

Signs of Violence & Abuse 
In the lives of people with disabilities, violence and abuse can include:

• Abuse by care-giver, spouse, family member, acquaintance, or stranger
• Sexual, verbal or physical assault
• Withheld care, neglect
• Withheld adaptive devices or medication
• Forced isolation
• Mismanagement or theft of funds
• Intimidation or threats 

Women's Transitional Care Services
PO Box 633, Lawrence, KS 66044
785/843-3333 (crisis line)(Voice or TDD)
800-770-3030 (toll-free) (Voice or TDD)
785/865-3956 (business line)
785/331-2034 (administrative line) 
www.sunflower.com/~wtcs  
kswtcs@yahoo.com  

One of the first battered women's shelters in the state of Kansas, founded in 1976.

WTCS Services:

• 24-hour Crisis Line
• Safe and Confidential Emergency Shelter
• One-to-one Peer Counseling
• Advocacy
• Safety Planning
• Service Referrals
• Community Education
• OARS Program at SRS (Orientation, Assessment, Referral, Safety)
• Support Groups

GaDuGi SafeCenter 
(formerly Rape Victim-Survivor Service - RVSS)
2518 Ridge Court #202, Lawrence, KS 66046
785/843-8985 (business)
785/843-3728 (fax)
785/841-2345 (Headquarters Counseling Center. Ask them to page an RVSS advocate.)
www.gadugisafecenter.org 
jerilynsmith@sunflower.com 

One of the first rape survivor hotlines in the state of Kansas, founded in 1972. 

GaDuGi services:

• 24 hour response & support
• Advocacy (health, law enforcement, court, and personal)
• Peer Counseling
• Information & Referral 
• Safety Planning 
• Community Education 
• Media Resource Lending Library
• Support Groups

Independence, Inc. 
2001 Haskell Ave., Lawrence, Kansas 66046
785/841-0333 (Voice or TDD)
785/841-1094 (Fax)
888-824-7277 (toll-free)
www.independenceinc.org  
susanm@independenceinc.org 

The first independent living center for people with disabilities in the state of Kansas, founded in 1978.

Independence, Inc. Services:

• Advocacy
• Independent Living Skills
• Computer Training
• Peer Support
• Transportation
• Assistive Technology (devices)
• Community Education
• Information & Referral
  

NEW DIRECTOR JOINS INDEPENDENCE, INC.
This spring Independence, Inc.'s Executive Director Sidney Hardgrave announced that she and her family would be moving out of state this summer. The Board of Directors launched a search for a new Executive Director and designed a plan to transition from one director to the next. At the end of May the Board hired Tanya Dorf to serve the next Executive Director. She began serving in that role at the end of June and worked closely with Sidney through the end of July. This lengthy transition process helped ensure the baton is handed off smoothly. 

Tanya comes to Independence, Inc. from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS). At SRS she served in a variety of roles, including in the Community Supports and Services office working with CILs and CDDOs. Most recently Tanya served as SRS' Director of Legislative Affairs. She also worked for a number of years at InterHab in the developmental disabilities services field. Tanya is excited about the opportunity to be a part of Independence, Inc. "Civil rights has always been one of the most important things to me," she said. "I look forward to being a part of the disability movement in Douglas, Jefferson and Franklin Counties."

KANSAS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY COOPERATIVE (KATCO)
KATCO is a statewide not-for-profit cooperative that provides flexible term loans to people with disabilities for the purchase of assistive technology (AT). KATCO recognizes that AT comes in many different shapes, sizes and most importantly, meets many different needs. 

One particular need that KATCO wishes to address is the funding for hearing aids and assistive listening devices. It is well known how difficult it is to locate funding sources for these assistive devices. In fact, Kansas seniors run a higher risk of not being able to afford this technology that is so important in maintaining one's social interests.

Of course, listening devices and hearing aids are only two examples of assistive technology. Walkers, vision aids, wheelchairs, adapted vehicles, computers, and literally thousands of other devices qualify.
If you, a family member, or friend are in the market to purchase a hearing aid, assistive listening device or other AT equipment, and would like to know what financial options are available to you through KATCO, you are invited to call KATCO at 866/465-2826 or the Northeast Kansas Access Site at 785/841-1067. You may also go the KACTO website at www.katco.net 

CLASSES NOW FORMING
Applications for fall computer classes are now available at Independence, Inc., by calling 841-0333, or online at http://independenceinc.org/forms.html 

DISABILITY RIGHTS ANNIVERSARY
July 26 marked the fourteenth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark legislation codified civil rights for Americans with Disabilities in the areas of public accommodations, employment and transportation. The past fourteen years have been marked by a growing awareness among members of the public, businesses and employers about the rights of people with disabilities and the responsibilities of businesses and governmental entities. As a result of this newfound public awareness of disability rights, people with disabilities are now better able to fully participate in their communities and live the lives of their choosing. 

While much progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to continue tearing down both structural and attitudinal barriers. Independence, Inc. has played an important role in educating communities in Douglas, Franklin and Jefferson Counties about the rights of people with disabilities. We are available to help governmental entities, businesses and schools with technical assistance and education about the provisions of the ADA and their responsibilities under the ADA. If you have any questions or would like additional information about the ADA, please contact Bob Mikesic at 841-0333 or bobm@independenceinc.org . 

KACIL LEADER STEPS DOWN
The leader of the Kansas Association of Centers for Independent Living (KACIL), Gina McDonald, stepped down in July after 14 years of service to KACIL. Gina accepted the position of SRS Regional Assistant Director of Community Capacity Building and began work for SRS at the beginning of August. The influence Gina has had on the independent living community in Kansas is immeasurable. She has been at the center of every major step forward in disability rights in Kansas since the passage of the ADA. Gina was involved in designing some of the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waivers, implementation of Money Following the Person, and educating countless Kansas policymakers and lawmakers about independent living and the rights of Kansans with disabilities. Gina's background and knowledge will not be lost, though, because she is not going far. She will still be an active voice for Kansans with disabilities, and her influence will continue to be felt in her new work with SRS. We wish her well and thank her for her dedication and years of service. 

INDEPENDENCE, INC. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Qualifying for a Ride
Anyone in the Douglas county community is eligible for these rides, with priority given to people with disabilities. If you question whether or not you would qualify, please call the Independence, Inc. transportation office.

Booking Rides
Independence, Inc. provides transportation to individuals living in the county but outside of the city of Lawrence. We also make trips to medical appointments in Kansas City and Topeka. All rides must be scheduled at least one day in advance. We suggest that you schedule up to a week in advance if possible. The number of rides allowed is limited to four rides per day per person. All scheduling is done on a first-come first-served basis. Please do not schedule with the drivers. People needing the lift are our first priority.

A one week notice is required for any group scheduling rides for meetings. Groups can only book rides one week in advance.

Out-of-Town Rides
Requests for rides to medical appointments need to be made as soon as possible. We suggest that you call first to find out about ride availability before scheduling your out-of-town medical appointment. This service is on a first-come first-served basis and is subject to the availability of a vehicle and a driver. Priority is given to individuals who need the lift. When calling to schedule your ride you will need to provide the time of your appointment, name of the doctor and/or clinic, the estimated time you will be finished, and a phone or room number where you can be reached. We do not provide attendant care, lunches, etc.

Donations
Please donate each time you ride, whatever you feel you can afford. Twenty-five percent of the current transportation budget needs to come from outside sources to enable us to continue providing transportation. If there are times when you are receiving third-party payments from transportation (from VA or SRS for example) we would appreciate it if you could pass that payment on to Independence, Inc. We want the donation you make to be only what you feel you can afford. The fee for general public is $2.50 for one-way rides in Douglas County, or $10 for round-trip out-of-town medical appointments. The suggested donation for people with disabilities is $1 for one-way rides in Douglas County or $10 for round-trip out-of-town medical appointments. For more information contact:

Patty Gibbons
Transportation Coordinator
Independence, Inc.
2OO1 Haskell Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66O46
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
In Lawrence 785/843-5576 
County and Out-of-town rides:
785/841-0333