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News You Can Use From the

The Independent Living

Resource Center

a non-profit corporation

of, by and for persons with disabilities

423 W. Victoria Street•Santa Barbara, CA 93101

(805) 963-0595 V/TTY • (805) 963-1350 Fax 

www.ilrc-trico.org

October - December, 2006
Volume 17, No.3
PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES ANNUALLY

Get Out The Vote!
Last Day to Register... October 23rd!
Absentee Ballot Request Deadline... October 31st!
ELECTION DAY... Tuesday, November 7th!
Polls OPEN 7:00 am & CLOSE 8:00 pm

DID YOU KNOW?
54 million Americans Have a Disability?
That is 20% of the U.S. Population.
And Did You Know:
Persons With Disabilities have the lowest voter turn out record of any group! That’s one statistic we can easily change!

Let’s Get Out the Vote! ILRC offices have Voter Guides in English, Spanish, Tape, Braille, Large Print, and ASL Translation available. We also have voter registration forms. The Official Voter Information Guide for the Nov. 7th general election is avalable in seven different languages at www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov. More information about the EasyVoter guide is located at www.easyvoter.org

Board of Directors
Anna “Tina” Pedotti, President • Santa Barbara
(Vice President • Vacant)
Marjorie Bastanchury, Secretary • Santa Barbara
Richard Donchak, Treasurer • Newbury Park
Edward “Bud” Girard • Carpinteria
Larry Laborde • Santa Barbara
Dan Naretto • Carpinteria
Edward Perry, Sr. • Santa Maria

A UNITED WAY AGENCY
Central Coast • Santa Barbara • Ventura County

HOT ON LIFE Workshop!
The annual Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara Hot On Life Workshop is being held on Saturday, November 4th from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at the UCSB Recreation Center. The Hot On Life Workshop is designed as a day of sport, recreation and health for people of all abilities.  Sessions provide an opportunity to try out new adaptive equipment or techniques in various activities which, for this year, include wheelchair fencing, SCUBA, cooking, wheelchair tennis, fitness & nutrition, kayaking, dancing and more. For more information or to request a brochure contact Rene’ Van Hoorn/Therapeutic Recreation at (805) 687-7444 x2552 or rene.van.hoorn@risb.org.

Join Our Action Team!
ILRC is starting a coalition to address the need for “Equal Access to Healthcare” in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. We need volunteers to share information with us, help develop a survey, visit places of healthcare, and help with presentations regarding equal access.

Remember to VOTE in November!

Mission Statement
The Independent Living Resource Center, Inc., is an organization of, by and for persons with disabilities who reside or work in our service area. Our purpose is to assist and encourage individuals to achieve their optimal level of self-sufficiency while eliminating the architectural, communication and attitudinal barriers that prevent full participation in the community.

Member California Foundation for Independent Living Centers

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Locations & Staff

Santa Barbara County
Headquarters
423 W. Victoria Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 963-0595 Voice/Text
(805) 963-1350 Fax
(805) 963-8265 Text
Client Assistance Program (CAP) (888) 963-0595 Voice/Text (Toll-Free) or (805) 884-8423 Voice/Text

Carol Baizer, Coordinator, Cmty Living Advocates-Benefits
Jo Black, Executive Director**
Bernard Faulkner, Bookkeeper
Gabriella Gonzalez, Admin Clerk *
Rebecca Gonzalez, I & R *
Jennifer Griffin, Business Manager
Rosa Lopez, I & R/Outreach *
Petra Lowen, Cmty Living Advocate
G. “Ken” McLellan, ILS/Peer Support Deaf**
M. Corinne Neale, Systems Change Advocate
Patty Neumeyer, AT Coordinator
Lorenzo Ramirez, CAP Advocate
Kathleen Riel, Program Manager

Santa Maria
327 E. Plaza Drive, Suite 3A
Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805) 925-0015 Voice/Text
(805) 349-2416 Fax
(805) 925-5892 Text

Laurie Colson-Young, Cmty Living Advocate-Benefits
Jennie Morales, Advocate/Interpreter Registry Coordinator**
Candace Ridenour, Cmty Living Advocate/ I&R

Ventura County
1802 Eastman Avenue, Suite 112
Ventura, CA 93003
(805) 650-5993 Voice/Text
(805) 650-9278 Fax
(805) 650-0669 Text

BJ Legan-Adams, Cmty Living Advocate-Benefits
Andrea Mendoza, I & R *
Maria Ortiz, Cmty Living Advocate

San Luis Obispo County
1150 Laurel Lane #184
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 593-0667 Voice/Text
(805) 549-7423 Fax
(805) 549-7424 Text

Denise Martinez, Peer Support Advocate
Karen “Cary” McGill, AT Advocate
Maria “Lisa” Rubio, I & R *
Georgianna Knopf, Cmty Living Advocate

* Bilingual English/Spanish
** Bilingual English/ASL

From the Desk of the Director:
Winds of change have touched ILRC in the last few weeks. The Benefits Planning Outreach and Assistance grant has ended and we have reorganized some positions. Those formerly BPAO Specialists who are still with us are morphing into Community Living Advocates with emphasis on benefits. Carol Baizer, in the Santa Barbara office, will continue to coordinate the benefits related staff & services.
Sadly, Steve Young in our San Luis Obispo office has left to care for members of his family who are ill. He will be missed. Laurie Colson-Young (not related to Steve) will be covering the Santa Maria and SLO offices handling benefits issues. BJ Legan-Adams in Ventura office will reduce her hours, commensurate with needs in her family. It seems the season for it.
However, with all the changes and disruption, I am pleased to say, we will still have the valuable information and skills possessed by these individuals to assist and advise our consumers. There is no question that the services and benefits advising are needed and we are pleased to be able to maintain them.
Have a warm and wonderful holiday season. We appreciate your continued support and wish you and your families the best of new years.
Jo Black

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (“NDEAM”). The Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planningNDEAM activities and materials to increase the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out throughout the month also highlight the speciffic employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.
This effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actually began in 1945, when Congress enacted “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month”.
For more information and to participate as an employer or a worker with a disability, contact the national Office of Disability Employment Awareness website: www.dol.gov/ odep/, or call: 1-866-633-7365 (TTY: 1-877-889-5627; Fax: 1-202-693-7888).
Another great way to look for a job or hire a person with a disability is to visit the California EDD web page www.edd.ca.gov/eddpwd.htm, or contact your local Employment Development Department.

Remember to REGISTER by October 23rd and VOTE November 7th!

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“The Mission Was Not Impossible” My Perspective on my first NCIL Convention 2006
By Corinne Neale

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you must stop and look fear in the face... you must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
This quote is so true. These were exactly my thoughts after my favorite part of the convention - visiting the congressional reps.
My National Council on Independent Living (“NCIL”) trip was an adventure I’ll never forget. I traveled to DC with advocate Jennie Morales. We flew out of LA at midnight on the redeye on our way east. Soon, we had become good friends. This was no longer “my business trip.” This was a team effort. After the redeye we felt like “the dead arrived,” but with Starbucks in the lobby, we knew we could do it! 
It was exciting to meet advocates, and participate in workshops. And it was moving to hear testimonies from previous nursing home residents. Some terms we heard were “coming home”; “joining in”; “becoming whole.” Freedom - what a concept! 
On one of the conference days, we marched to the capitol chanting, “free our people now.” I know what it’s like to eat off trays, sleep on a plastic mattress, deal with “nastie nursie” and be referred to/identified by my diagnosis. I was once called a bipolar bear. I have also worked in institutions and seen injustices firsthand. Now, I am an advocate. This was a dream come true for me as an individual, and now I was part of the solution!
The best part was right around the corner. After the march, it was time to meet the reps. This was the heart of the mission. Specifically, we were urging our lawmakers to sign on to the MiCASSA bill that would redirect funding for services to follow people with disabilities, enabling them to transition out of nursing homes and live independently in their own communities. 
Suddenly, I felt scared. It seemed impossible. California reps are going to talk with us? And I felt a little goofy with my sweaty clothes and a big red-sunburned nose. I was nervous, I felt inadequate, and I felt depressed, but then Jennie and I took the leap of faith: let’s do it anyway! 
We approached Elton Gallegly’s office. He was walking down the hall. What if I called out his name? Is that allowed? I called out his name. He turned around. Gotcha!
MiCASSA Packet discussed, picture taken, and business card obtained. Still, I wished I had a business suit on. I felt like such a tourist!  We needed power! My nose was even more red now. But it was not about our image. It was about our message!
More searching with our map and more elevators, and then next, we found Lois Capps. Gotcha! Packet discussed, picture taken, business card obtained. And she wanted to visit our center, back in the district. Wow, we felt energized and excited! 
Maybe it’s beyond imperfections. Am I ever completely ready? But I think it’s not about what a warrior looks like, but the vision and the commitment of a team. Perhaps it is true that wars are not won by might but by morale.
Maybe that’s why I had the nerve to help deliver a “commode” to a businessman! 
This is how it came to be that I participated in a quest with Christina, Annika, and Denika to deliver a commode to RSA bureaucrat, Jeremy Buzzell. We zoomed across town in a taxi, with a big wacky looking commode covered with signature cards and the words around the bowl: “don’t flush our assistive technology funding.” Buzzell declined to meet with us, but he sure got some interesting mail that day! We really took a risk, stepped out of our comfort zone and made a “big stink” about that. True Story. 
 Do you believe in missions that sound impossible? Where is my next mission, and will I choose to accept it? I hope it’s near the beach. Want to know more? Call me at (805) 963-0595, ext. 105.

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Homeland Security & National Groups Join Forces to Help Prepare for Emergencies
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today joint efforts with AARP, American Red Cross (Red Cross), the National Organization on Disability (NOD) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to assist older Americans and individuals with disabilities in preparing for emergencies.
The department’s Ready American campaign, AARP, Red Cross and NOD developed two new brochures highlighting the key preparedness steps older and disabled Americans and their families and caretakers should take before emergencies occur. The NFPA also announced its new Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities designed to help individuals with disabilities and businesses prepare for emergency evacuation events.
Free copies of the brochures, guide and additional resources visit: www.ready.gov/america/getakit/disabled.html. No internet access? Call (800)-BE-READY (Voice) or (866)-644-8361 (Text/TTY).

ILRC News & Ad Submission Deadlines
Issue Deadline
January - March, 2007 December 1, 2006
April - June, 2007 March 1, 2007
July - September, 2007 June 1, 2007
October-December 2007 September 1, 2007
Please send camera ready advertisements (.eps, .jpg or .tif files) and news articles (.doc or .txt files) to Jennifer at jgriffin@ilrc-trico.org or by snail mail to: ILRC News • 423 W. Victoria Street • Santa Barbara, CA 93101

ILRC News General Information
Circulation Base: 2,700. Published four times yearly.
ILRC News © 2006 ILRC, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Calendar 4th Quarter 2006
October
2 Yom Kippur
9 Columbus Day
23 Ramadan Ends
24 United Nations Day
29 Daylight Savings Time Ends (fall back!)
31 ILRC Board Meeting Santa Barbara
31 Halloween

November
1 All Saints’ Day
7 Election Day
10 Veterans Day Observed (ILRC closed)
11 Veterans Day
23 Thanksgiving ILRC closed Nov 23-24
28 ILRC Board Meeting Santa Barbara

December
16 Hanukkah
22 First Day of Winter
23 Hanukkah Ends
25 Christmas (ILRC closed)
26 Kwanzaa Begins
27 Eid-al-Adha
31 New Year’s Eve

People with Disabilities Peer Support Group
Please join our supportive group on the first Wedensday of each month from 2 - 3:30 pm at ILRC’s Santa Barbara office, 423 West Victoria Street, in the Westside Community Center.
The meeting site is accessible. For a Sign Language Interpreter or other accommodations to participate in this event, please make a request a week prior to the event. Refreshments will be served.
For additional information or to request an accommodation, contact M. Corinne Neale at (805) 963-0595, extension 105 (v/tty), or e-mail to mneale@ilrc-trico.org.

Ventura County Superior Courts - New Position!
The VC Superior Courts has announced the new staff position of ASL Interpreter/Deaf Access Coordinator. The position is initially filled by Tracy Clark, SC:L and Margaret Cobb, SC:L, each on a part-time basis. The position officially began September 25, 2006.

ATTENTION ILRC Supporters

We want to tell you about an exciting new way to support the ILRC ~ use GoodSearch.com to search the internet.
Last year search engines generated close to $6 billion in revenue from advertisers. GoodSearch has developed a way to direct some of that money to the causes you care about most. The site is powered by Yahoo!, so you’ll get the same quality search results that you’re used to. What’s unique is that they have developed a way to direct money to ILRC with every search click.
The more people who use this site and designate the ILRC, the more money will go to our cause. To review a FAQ about the service and how it works visit: www.goodsearch.net/About.aspx#faq2. Please spread the word to your friends and family.
www.goodsearch.com.

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