The irony of working for an ILC in Connecticut is profound. Advocates spend all day helping people with disabilities to live independently, achieve their goals, get jobs, and remain in the community. This is a difficult, and specialized job which requires a great deal of specialized knowledge. While we provide many services (check out the website for more details on our services), and save the state of Connecticut a large sum of money each year through our Nursing Facilities Transition Project, and by keeping people OUT of Nursing Homes, the ILC's have not seen an increase in their funding in years, and have, in fact, lost some funding.
At the risk of sounding like a complainer, I will state, unequivocally, that most of the people working for an Independent Living Center are not paid a living wage. We have employees, WORKING in our centers who qualify for food stamps, and are having their electricity shut off because, with the increase in the cost of everything, and no COLA for the centers, they cannot afford to pay their bill.
The services we provide are incredibly important-- not just to the people who receive them. Businesses get good workers, tax payers save money by having our consumers in the community and paying sales tax, property tax, income tax etc, and the cost of state covered services are less when provided in the community, yet the people who are instrumental in helping people recieve these services cannot afford to live independently.
Please call your senator or Representative today, and ask them to include Independent Living Centers in the 3% COLA for non-profits.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Is "disability" dying?
In the January 28th issue of Time Magazine, Nancy Gibbs pens an essay which questions the idea of "disability". What is at the heart of the essay is a question that we are just beginning to be able to conceive of; forget answer! Is disability dying? As technology advances and we move toward a weird Sci-fi movie version of the 21st century, is "disability" something which is disappearing? Is it becoming a misnomer?
Nancy Gibbs briefly tells the story of a young man, Oscar Pistorius, who was born "without major bones in his legs and feet" and had both of his lower legs amputated as an infant. Oscar grew up using prostheses to pursue a passion for running, and now science has given him the ability to compete and win in the 200m at the Paralympics in Athens three years ago. Pistorius is now trying to make the Olympic team, but the International Association of Athletics Federation has disqualified him due to his super-ability (okay, I made that word up). Pistorius can run faster than the lesser-abled individual running on his own two feet. Apparently there is a physiological reason why the human ankle slows runners down, and, by not having one, Pistorius can run like the wind without using as much energy. This, the IAAF says, gives him an unfair advantage.
An unfair advantage? Why is it that when someone has a "disabling condition" that limits their ability, we are ever so amazed by them, and hold them up as heroes and paragons of American virtue, but when their "disabling condition" helps them to succeed, we say they can't play with the other kids? Does anyone, for a single moment, think that Oscar Pistorius is somehow "lucky" to have been born without leg bones? If we think about the conviction and determination it took for him to pursue this dream in the first place, we would put him on a pedestal. "That he won the Paralympics in Greece is, an incredible achievement" we say to each other, but when it comes to competing against, and possibly beating, Olympic quality athletes, suddenly it is no longer a "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" story, but rather, it is akin to the doping scandals overtaking professional sports-- it becomes cheating.
To be honest, I think that he does have an unfair advantage, but this post isn't really about whether or not he can compete. The point of this post is that as technology hurtles forward at an incredible rate of speed, these stories are going to become more and more common. Do we need to think of a new term to describe people who have disabilities, but are super-abled due to the aid of technology? How do we come to terms with this new idea of "disability"? As the Olympic committee inspires us to think outside the box by creating new rules that bar people like Pistorius from competing, can we honestly say that we know what disability means anymore?
Success is the one unpardonable sin against our fellows. --Ambrose Bierce
Nancy Gibbs briefly tells the story of a young man, Oscar Pistorius, who was born "without major bones in his legs and feet" and had both of his lower legs amputated as an infant. Oscar grew up using prostheses to pursue a passion for running, and now science has given him the ability to compete and win in the 200m at the Paralympics in Athens three years ago. Pistorius is now trying to make the Olympic team, but the International Association of Athletics Federation has disqualified him due to his super-ability (okay, I made that word up). Pistorius can run faster than the lesser-abled individual running on his own two feet. Apparently there is a physiological reason why the human ankle slows runners down, and, by not having one, Pistorius can run like the wind without using as much energy. This, the IAAF says, gives him an unfair advantage.
An unfair advantage? Why is it that when someone has a "disabling condition" that limits their ability, we are ever so amazed by them, and hold them up as heroes and paragons of American virtue, but when their "disabling condition" helps them to succeed, we say they can't play with the other kids? Does anyone, for a single moment, think that Oscar Pistorius is somehow "lucky" to have been born without leg bones? If we think about the conviction and determination it took for him to pursue this dream in the first place, we would put him on a pedestal. "That he won the Paralympics in Greece is, an incredible achievement" we say to each other, but when it comes to competing against, and possibly beating, Olympic quality athletes, suddenly it is no longer a "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" story, but rather, it is akin to the doping scandals overtaking professional sports-- it becomes cheating.
To be honest, I think that he does have an unfair advantage, but this post isn't really about whether or not he can compete. The point of this post is that as technology hurtles forward at an incredible rate of speed, these stories are going to become more and more common. Do we need to think of a new term to describe people who have disabilities, but are super-abled due to the aid of technology? How do we come to terms with this new idea of "disability"? As the Olympic committee inspires us to think outside the box by creating new rules that bar people like Pistorius from competing, can we honestly say that we know what disability means anymore?
Success is the one unpardonable sin against our fellows. --Ambrose Bierce
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Advocacy Training
The Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut is holding a grassroots advocacy training titled "What's in Your Pill Bottle?" The EFCT says that "[t]his conference will provide you with an update on EFCT's legislative priorities; encourage you to become involved in public policy; and teach you how to take action on issues of importance to people with epilepsy." Senator Mary Ann Handley will be one of the speakers, and lunch will be served.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut can be contacted at 800-899-3745, or by email at efct@sbcglobal.net
The Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut can be contacted at 800-899-3745, or by email at efct@sbcglobal.net
Updates and Upcoming Events
The office was closed yesterday due to the winter storm. It is fitting that this post follows the last one. If the weather is bad, please call the office before you come by. If the roads are getting dangerous, we will close the office early, and if the roads are dangerous before office hours, we will close for the day.
On January 22, 2008 from 10 am to 12 pm, CHOICES will be holding a Medicare information session at the Ledyard Senior Center. The senior center is located at 12 Van Tassell Dr. in Gales Ferry. If you need more information, please contact Marge Lathrop at (860)464-0471.
On January 22, 2008 from 10 am to 12 pm, CHOICES will be holding a Medicare information session at the Ledyard Senior Center. The senior center is located at 12 Van Tassell Dr. in Gales Ferry. If you need more information, please contact Marge Lathrop at (860)464-0471.
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