Share Your Feedback with the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities is conducting its annual satisfaction survey. From their website:

Each year the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities conducts a brief survey to measure customer satisfaction with activities, projects and programs that the Council sponsors or co-sponsors. The results of this survey will be included in the Council’s annual report to the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD). Survey results will also help the Council plan for the coming year.

We hope you will take a few minutes to complete this survey. You only need to answer questions related to one activity, project or program that you are most familiar with. Please respond by Friday, November 27, 2009.

Healthcare the Focus of Latest Issue of Oregon Perspectives

The Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities has released the fall issue of Oregon Perspectives. This issue is packed with stories on healthcare and its effect on our community. Check it out here.

Disability Resource Exchange

Disability Resource Exchange is a place to discuss disability issues. Currently over 600 members strong, the site has an active forum for people with disabilities to connect with one another and share resources. Check it out here.

About the site:

Welcome to the Disability Resource Exchange. Hello my name is Rudy and I am the administrator of this social network. I have a disability called cerebral palsy and I am in a wheelchair. I hope this can become a place of vibrant discussion about disability issues from the prospectives of both those with disabilities and those people without disabilities. I am 31 and I have been disabled all my life I hope this can be a place where we share ideas, stories, help and support one another

Applebee’s in Salem Assisting OrPTI with Fundraising

Applebee’s is helping the OrPTI Support Parents of Students Experiencing Disabilities.

November 21, 2009
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

At the  Applebee’s Restaurant located at:
747 Lancaster Drive N.E. Salem, Oregon
(S.E. Corner of Lancaster Mall Parking Lot)

Cost: $7.00 per person
Come enjoy: Pancakes, Sausage, Fruit & Choice of Drink!

$5.00 of every ticket goes directly to the
Oregon Parent Training & Information Center.
www.orpti.org

Every dollar counts, come join us for breakfast, and watch the OrPTI Staff and Board Members in action.
We’ll be your hostesses, servers, dishwashers and more!!!

For more information or to purchase your ticket please contact:
Danielle Bethell
(503) 581-8156, ext.105
or email her at dbethell@orpti.org

Eastern Oregon Training Center Closes

Yesterday the last person living in Eastern Oregon Training center moved out making Oregon one of only two states in our country without an ICFMR.

From The East Oregonian:

The activity room at Eastern Oregon Training Center is hushed now, only the bubbling of a fish tank breaking the ghostly silence.

Direct care staffer Eileen Waggoner can still hear echoes of voices and laughter in her mind from days gone by, along with soft jazz from the boom box, a whirlwind of cutting and pasting, tambourine banging, Yahtzee and Bingo, the planting of marigold seeds.

Now most of the clients are moved out to residential settings and even the nine fish in the activity room need homes. The final three clients move out Tuesday.

EOTC has been on and off the chopping block for years, but finally the axe blade hit firmly this year when Oregon legislators directed that EOTC’s 40 residents move to smaller neighborhood group housing by the end of October.

“It’s really sad – I’ve been here 28 years,” Waggoner said. “They are family.

Nurse Conrad Bozlee worked two stints at EOTC, plus ten years at Salem’s Fairview Training Center. Bozlee said care of the developmentally disabled has evolved from warehousing to immersion.

“At the turn of the century, institutions were built to remove them from the spotlight,” he said. “They were considered to be evil – a blight on society. It was a fancy way to say they were scum.”

Fairview opened in 1908 as the Oregon State Institution for the Feeble-Minded. During World War II, society softened its view, Bozlee said, and began viewing the developmentally disabled as innocents who would forever remain children. Institutionalizing them, however, was still the norm.

Later, civil rights activism prompted changes.

“A lot of money went into mainstreaming,” Bozlee said. “People started asking, ‘Why are these people in prison when they never committed a crime?’”

With the latest move to community settings, he said, “Oregon is actually ahead of the curve.”
Continue reading

Thanks for Kathryn Weit for the link.

Emerging Leaders Northwest

Emerging Leaders Northwest is a community, web-based information and guidance center for young adults with disabilities. The organization provides ways to develop leadership skills through workshops and trainings, mentorships and internships and an interactive website. ELN works closely with yound adults with disabilities between the ages of 13 and 30.

ELN provides a wide variety of trainings including:

• Your Education and How to Succeed
• Solving the Employment Puzzle
• Healthy Lifestyles
• Disability Culture and Family
• Person Centered Planning

ELN currently has internships available through: Portland Development Commission, City of Portland, PacifiCorp, State of Oregon, McMenamins, PGE, Care Medical and OHSU.

For more information check out their website at www.emergingleadersnw.org and contact Chuck Davis at 503.494.3281 for more information.

Halloween Party Through Emerging Leaders NW and Children’s Healing Art Project

Who: People w/ disabilities interested in a Halloween Party!
When: Saturday, October 31st from 2:00pm-4:00pm
Where: 1030 NW Marshall in the Pearl
What: Costume Party/Dance

This will be a great opportunity to for young people with disabilities to learn about what we do, meet new friends and have a great time.   Many thanks to the Children’s Healing Art Project for allowing us to join this event!

Emerging Leaders Northwest is a youth led resource center for young people with disabilities ages 13 – 30 which provides training and resources on leadership, independence, getting a high school diploma and going on to college, self-advocacy, employment skills and living a healthy lifestyle.  Youth leaders facilitate training for their peers and act as mentors.  Leaders may also gain valuable employment experience by participating in internships in business and non-profit entities.

Our meetings are held the fourth Friday of each month from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, Room 1125,  707 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR 97207.

For more information contact Rob Pollock
(971) 244-0305 or Rob@incight.org
www.emergingleadersnw.org
www.chap.name

Do You Need Subsidized Housing? Short Window for Openings

Waiting lists at six public housing communities for seniors and persons with disabilities will be open October 12 – 16, 2009.

Click here for information.

How to Apply
Application forms will be available on Monday, October 12 at the apartment communities or at www.hapdx.org. Completed applications may be submitted by mail to the addresses above. Applications must be postmarked between October 12 – 16. by fax to 503.802.8488. Only applications faxed between October 12 and 4:30 p.m. on October 16 will be accepted. in person from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. October 12 – 16 at the addresses listed above.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants and/or co-applicants must be elderly (62 or older) or disabled. Total household income must be less than 80% of the area median income to qualify. Please call one of the sites above or visit www.hapdx.org for current income guidelines.

For More Information
Call HAP’s public housing hotline at 503.288.5750, visit www.hapdx.org/options/phapply.html or contact the apartment staff at the phone numbers listed above.

* Applicants for 2-bedroom ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) apartment waiting lists will need to provide
documentation verifying they require an ADA unit prior to moving in.

Have the INW Blog Delivered to Your Email

Interested in having our daily updates emailed to you in a convenient daily digest? Click here to add your email address. We post a ton of resources on this blog and this is the best way to be sure you’re kept updated on resources throughout the community.

Once you’ve entered your email address, you’ll receive a confirmation email – remember to click the link in the email to activate your subscription.

Independent Living Resources

Independent Living Resources (ILR) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with all disabilities. The agency provides services using both staff and volunteers.

Classes/Groups:

• Art
• Cooking “Individualized Assessments”
• Crossroads Discussion (TBI) Group
• Peer Counseling Class
• Ready to Rent
• Visually Impaired Support Group
• Women’s Support Group
• Writing Group

For class schedule see ILR’s Newsletter.

Healthy Lifestyles – Healthy Lifestyles is a self directed goal setting program to help individuals live a healthier life. This program also offers ongoing mentoring. To learn about Healthy Lifestyles, please call Sarah Gerth at 503-232-7411 or
E-mail:sarah@ilr.org.

Housing – ILR can answer many questions about housing for you. We can provide help with the following:

• Advocacy and Education
• Community “Tenants Rights and Responsibilities” Training
• Fair Housing Amendments Act
• Landlord/Tenant Mediation
• Ready to Rent Class

Skills Instruction – At ILR we offer skills instruction, both individual and in small groups, which can help people with disabilities acquire skills to live more independently.

Examples of topics:

• Anger management
• Braille and Orientation & Mobility Instruction
• Communication Skills
• Household Management
• Leisure/Recreation
• Personal Safety
• Pre-vocational Information
• Self-Esteem
• Social Skills

Sports/Outdoor Recreation – For people with disabilities who are interested in sports or the outdoors please join us. We offer a variety of outings and activities. Please contact Patricia Kepler at 503-232-7411 or patricia@ilr.org if you are interested in learning more about our outdoor recreation program.

Volunteer Program – ILR’s services are provided by both staff and volunteers. Volunteers are essential to the success of this organization. They enable us to provide services without exceeding our budget. Volunteers serve in many capacities at ILR, including the Board of Directors, peer counselors, and teachers. Please contact Sarah Naomi Campbell sarahnaomi@ilr.org if you find interest in becoming an ILR volunteer. Download Volunteer Application

STEPS Program – It’s often said that knowledge is power. STEPS empowers participants by providing information about rights and responsibilities, and helping them develop the skills needed to hire and manage Homecare Workers.Call Suzanne to sign up for the next workshop at ILR.  Each workshop is from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM, and lunch and snacks are included.  Eligible participants (see below) will receive a comprehensive handbook, follow-up services as needed, and a $25 gift card.  To register, or for more information, call the STEPS Training Coordinator (503) 232-7411 or email STEPS@ILR.org.

WIN (Work Incentives Network) – Thinking about work but concerned about benefits? The Work Incentives Network can help you create a plan for success! WIN can help you understand how work will effect:

• Social Security Benefits
• Medical Benefits
• Food Stamps
• Housing Assistance
• And More..

To learn more about working and disability benefits, call us at 503-232-7411 or email info@ilr.org. You can also call our partners on this project, Disability Rights Oregon, at 503-243-2081.