7th Annual Disability Culture Cabaret - Chicago - Friday Nov 13th, 2015

Come enjoy live performance of poetry, spoken-word, music, comedy, and film!

OUTTAKES

7th Annual Disability Culture Cabaret         

Friday  Nov 13th, 2015   

6:30 - 8:00 PM

Access Living

115 West Chicago Ave,

Chicago, IL 60654

Music by:

George Brimmage and 
Robert Moton

Poetry, Comedy, and Art by:

Ranjay Batra

Victor Cole

Ed Daniels

Byron Harden

Glenda Harris

Leah Hege

Laura Hugg

Arlene Malinowski

Rob Rotman

Micki Sisson

EMCEE: Gary Arnold

Personal Assistants, Narrative Description & Sign Language Interpretation will be provided

This event is brought to you by Access Living; Bodies of Work: Network of Disability Arts and Culture; University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Disability and Human Development

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; This program is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Kate Winslet Narrates Beautiful Anti-Bullying Animated Film

Kate Winslet narrates this beautiful anti-bullying tale that follows Buttercup Bree and her tale of magical Daisy Chains.

Visit http://www.ilovedaisychain.com for more info.

This stunning animation features a beautiful voice over from the Academy Award winning actress, melodic soundtrack and compliments the Book and App available at the website.

YouTube Published on Oct 2, 2015

Financed with the assistance of Screen Australia.

Individual's with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), Share Your Experience Applying for Jobs Online

The Arc Wants to Hear about Your Experience Applying for Jobs Online

As Posted on October 16, 2015 on The Arc blog.

If you are an individual with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) (or someone who provides assistance to an individual with I/DD), The Arc wants to hear about your experience applying for jobs online!

Over 85% of individuals with I/DD are unemployed and rely solely on family and/or government supports to get by.  The lack of employment options for people with I/DD reduces opportunities for them to interact with their peers in an integrated setting and reinforces the harmful stereotype that people with I/DD are not productive members of their communities.  The Arc works in a myriad of ways to improve the employment outcomes for individuals with I/DD to ensure they are able to lead independent, meaningful lives in the community in competitively paid jobs.

As businesses increasingly shift to online platforms, a major concern within the disability community over the last decade has been the accessibility of websites for individuals with disabilities.  In an age where more than half of new hires are sourced from the web, it is vital to ensure that individuals with I/DD are able to utilize all of the available tools to gain meaningful community-based employment and stay out of poverty.  Great strides have been made in recent years towards improving the accessibility of various websites for individuals with visual and hearing disabilities through methods such as closed-captioning and compatibility with screen-reading software.  In allowing individuals to fully experience the web, such tools are as fundamental as ramps for wheelchair users.

Unfortunately, very little progress has been made on this front for those with I/DD.  The Arc seeks to ensure that individuals with I/DD do not get left behind and become a web underclass.  Like everyone else, individuals with I/DD desire to learn, socialize, and shop online as well as access job opportunities in this forum. Towards this goal, The Arc wants to find out about YOUR experience with applying for jobs online to assess how accessible (or inaccessible) these mechanisms are for you.  We have developed two surveys – one intended for individuals with I/DD and the other for those who assist individuals with I/DD such as job coaches or family members – to find out more about your experiences applying for jobs online.

Our community’s ability to access these applications is vital to The Arc’s continued efforts to expand integrated, competitive, and community-based employment opportunities for individuals with I/DD and ensure that the integration mandates of state and federal disability rights laws are meaningfully fulfilled.

http://blog.thearc.org/2015/10/16/the-arc-wants-to-hear-about-your-experience-applying-for-jobs-online/

UN Mandates Global Network on Monitoring and Evaluation for Disability-Inclusive Development

The UN DESA Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD/DSPD/DESA) has been mandated by the UN General Assembly to produce an UN flagship report assessing progress towards internationally agreed development goals, including SDGs. (UN GA resolution A/RES/69/142).

A prototype report "Global Report on Disability and Development" is expected to be released by the end of 2015.

The first edition of the UN flagship report on disability-inclusive implementation of the SDG is planned for 2018.

As part of the preparatory process, it is urgent to identify data to inform any progress towards disability-inclusive implementation of the SDGs and other development goals, and to coordinate the analysis of such issues, data and trends.

As the focal point on disability of the UN system, SCRPD is creating a Global Network on Monitoring and Evaluation for Disability-Inclusive Development, for experts from the UN system, non-governmental organizations, in particular, disabled persons organizations, researchers and entities working on (1) data, statistics, monitoring and evaluation for disability-inclusive development, as well as (2) data analysis for policy making.

2016 Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs Internship Application for Youths with Disabilities- due Jan. 12, 2016

The summer 2016 Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs internship program is 

now open for applications until January 12, 2016. 

United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) internship program focuses on youth with disabilities from across the U.S. who intend to pursue careers in international development or foreign affairs.
  

The summer 2016 internship program will bring a group of talented graduate students, recent graduates, and rising juniors and seniors with disabilities to Washington, D.C., for nine weeks. This will include a one-week training and orientation program followed by an eight-week internship at an international organization in the Washington, D.C., area. USICD will cover the cost of accessible housing during the program, reimburse travel expenses to and from D.C., and provide a limited stipend.

To learn more about the Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs internship program, eligibility criteria, anticipated dates, and the application process, please visit http://usicd.org/template/page.cfm?id=257

USICD thanks the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation for their support for this initiative!

Application deadline for USICD's summer 2016 internship program is January 12, 2016.

# info posted as shared by United States International Council on Disabilities

Are People with Disabilities "Better Off Dead"? - NO - Picket Peter Singer - Chicago Oct. 24th

from our colleagues at Access Living (CIL)in Chicago.
(update on the Action below)

ACTION ALERT Peter Singer: The Worst You Can Do On Saturday, October 24, the bioethicist Dr. Peter Singer will be delivering a lecture at Northwestern University in Evanston. The lecture is titled “The Most Good You Can Do.” Ironically Dr. Singer is well known for his views that people with severe disabilities do not lead lives worth living and it is better (and less expensive) just to let them die. Please check out this link for his latest statements asserting that health care should be denied to people with severe disabilities. Most notably, he has stated that society should acknowledge the necessity of “intentionally ending the lives of severely disabled infants.” We at Access Living invite disability advocates and allies to join us in picketing Dr. Singer’s lecture, to let those in attendance know that his so-called “philosophy” is an attack on the lives of people with disabilities. The lecture series is a part of the Chicago Humanities Festival. We join our friends at the national disability organization Not Dead Yet in holding that because society stigmatizes the lives of people with disabilities, it is far too easy to kill us or let us die with the assumption that we are a “burden” or “better off.” Assisted suicide practices, futility policies, “mercy killings,” and surrogate decisions are all expressions of society’s bias against people with disabilities. If you want to join us to picket the lecture, please meet on Saturday at 2 pm at the west side of the Norris University Center at 1999 Campus Drive at Northwestern University, Evanston. We will picket until 4 pm. The actual lecture is from 2:30 to 3:30 pm and is sold out. Please RSVP to Amber Smock, Director of Advocacy at Access Living, if you plan to attend this picket by emailing asmock@accessliving.org. To learn more about Dr. Singer and his views on people with disabilities, please see this link as well as the National Council on Disability’s April 2015 response to Dr. Singer’s advocacy of the killing of disabled babies at this link. Thank you to our friends at Not Dead Yet for their resistance against society’s assumption that we are “better off dead.” ### UPDATE ON DAY OF 'PICKET': as shared by Access Living 10/26/2015 We are pleased to report that last Saturday’s action at Northwestern University picketing the Peter Singer lecture was a success. As you may recall, Access Living called for the picket because Dr. Singer is well known for his views promoting the euthanasia of people with disabilities, especially infants, because they are a “drain” on the health care system. Further, Dr. Singer has portrayed people with disabilities as less than human and not worth keeping alive.   About 350 people attended Dr. Singer’s lecture, which was focused on an aspect of charitable giving that focuses on contributing a percentage of your income to philanthropy. About twenty disability advocates from Access Living, Progress Center, Chicago ADAPT, UIC and others picketed with signs and passed out more than 300 flyers to people entering and leaving the building.   Many lecture goers stopped to talk with us about our issue, and a few even turned around and left the lecture. A couple decided to picket with us instead. Most had no idea that Dr. Singer’s views on people with disabilities included euthanasia. Northwestern’s student paper carried an article (CLICK HERE). A big THANK YOU to everyone who supported this action!

Chicago's O'Hare Airport gets indoor Service Animal (& pet) Relief Room

Service animals and pets will now have a place indoors to relieve themselves at O’Hare International Airport making it especially convenient for those passengers with connecting or layover flights.
article By LORRAINE SWANSON for the Oak Lawn Patch | Oct. 20, 2015
The indoor service animal/pet relief room at O’Hare is located past security checkpoints in the rotunda area of Terminal 3. The room is designed to accommodate passengers traveling with service animals or pets. Individuals with disabilities will no longer need to pass back through security to take their service animals outside to relieve themselves.

The room has two, 2-foot by 4-foot pet relief areas complete with artificial grass covering, miniature fire hydrants and pop-up sprinkler systems to wash away liquid waste into a drain. In addition, a mounted hose bib and reel is available for manual spraying and plastic bags are provided for clean-up.

The glass pane door into the indoor service area open and close automatically, and is designed for wheelchair access. The room also includes two sinks for passenger use. In the indoor service animal/pet relief area is provided by the Chicago Department of Aviation.

“We are pleased to offer this new amenity for passengers, especially those who depend on the assistance of service animals when they travel through our airport,” said CDA Commissioner Ginger S. Evans. “This is another way we are making O’Hare International Airport more accessible to the traveling public and creating a more welcoming environment for visitors to Chicago.”

The aviation department coordinated with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to ensure the room is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

“The new indoor animal relief area located in the secured terminal of O’Hare International Airport will enhance the traveling experience for individuals with service animals, particularly those with connecting flights,” said MOPD Commissioner Karen Tamley. “This feature is another step towards our goal of making Chicago a world class accessible city for people with disabilities.”

In addition to the new airside animal relief room, there are three outdoor service animal/ pet relief areas located near the lower level curb front of Terminals 1, 2 and 5.

The Terminal 1 and 5 outdoor locations were opened in 2009 and the Terminal 2 location was added in 2014.

Midway International Airport also has an outdoor service animal and pet relief area located near the lower level curb front at the north end of the terminal that opened in 2009.

Real grass, gravel or wood chips are used inside the fenced-in areas and plastic bags and garbage cans are provided. The Chicago Department of Aviation and custodial staff monitor the areas throughout the day to ensure cleanliness.

http://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/ohare-international-airport-opens-indoor-service-animal-pet-relief-area

Topps Baseball Cards "Pride and Perseverance" Honors Players with Disabilities

Topps “Pride & Perseverance” Series celebrates Major League players from the past and present who have triumphed in spite of disabilities that have come their way. Update released on Wednesday, which marks the 70th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It also honors 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities legislation.

The 12-card set features current and former Major Leaguers, including:
– Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester and first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who are both cancer survivors
– San Francisco Giants pitcher Jake Peavy, who is legally blind without his corrective lenses
– Houston Astros outfielder George Springer, who has overcome stuttering– New York Mets reliever Buddy Carlyle, who was diagnosed with diabetes in 2009
– Oakland Athletics outfielder Sam Fuld, who has dealt with Type 1 Diabetes
– Jason Johnson, a diabetic former pitcher who was the first MLB player to wear an insulin pump during regular season games
– Jim Abbott, who won a gold medal for the 1988 U.S. Olympic baseball team and threw a no- hitter for the New York Yankees in 1993, despite being born without his right hand
– Jim Eisenreich, who played 15 years in MLB and won the 1997 World Series with the then- Florida Marlins, who was born with Tourette’s syndrome
– Curtis Pride, a former 13-year MLB player, who was born deaf
– Pete Gray, a former outfielder who played for the St. Louis Browns in 1945 and spent six seasons in the minor leagues, despite having lost an arm in a childhood accident
– William Hoy, a former center fielder was one of the first and most accomplished deaf players in the major leagues, having played from 1888-1902

“The importance of this set cannot be overstated,” said David Leiner, VP & General Manager of North American Sports and Entertainment for Topps. “These men had to overcome great odds to not only make it to the Majors, but at times with what could have been a disadvantage. Instead, they are an inspiration and we are honored to showcase them in our product.

“People with disabilities are often looked at for what they can’t do instead of being appreciated for what they can do. We hope these cards will help people take a closer look at the potential of people with disabilities,” said Mark O’Neal, PBATS President and Chicago Cubs Director of Medical Administration. “Imagine if a child or the parent of a child with a disability, by simply opening a pack of baseball cards, discovers that one of their heroes was legally blind or deaf or has battled cancer? They would truly feel empowered and encouraged.”

article from press release, by Jim Watkins, Ability Chicago Info | Oct 22, 2015

Singles, lots and sets of 2015 Topps Pride and Perseverance available on eBay.

'Sesame Street' first autistic Muppet - meet Julia

The Sesame Street gang has introduced a new muppet, Julia a character with autism, will be introduced through the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative. Julia is a muppet that is a preschool aged kid who "does things a little differently when playing with her friends," Julia will be featured in an app aimed at children with autism and their families. The new content was developed for autistic children for ease of use. The features will include larger buttons and audio-off options to name a few.

article by Jim Watkins, Ability Chicago Info | Oct. 21, 2015

Sherrie Westin, Sesame Workshop's executive vice president of global impact and philanthropy described the project as;

“Sesame Workshop is uniquely positioned to play a meaningful role in increasing peoples’ understanding about autism,"
"an extension of the belief we’ve always promoted: ‘we are all different, but all the same."

Sesame Street has over the years added characters to fit the changing needs of the children who make up its audience. The show introduced in 2013 a character who had a parent in prison, and the South African version of Sesame Street features a character who is HIV-positive.

Leading Disability Organizations Announce Leadership of the ABLE National Resource Center

from a Press Release | Oct. 15, 2015
National Disability Institute 

Washington, D.C., October 15, 2015 -- National Disability Institute (NDI), founder of the ABLE National Resource Center (ANRC), has entered into a formal partnership with three other leading national disability organizations - National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), Autism Speaks, and The Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF) - to assist in better achieving the goals, objectives and mission of the ANRC. The four organizations will collectively serve as the executive leadership over the ANRC, and will work in collaboration with the Center’s current membership, consisting of over 30 national disability-related organizations.

"NDI is looking forward to working with these three dynamic organizations. The value brought by their collective contributions will inevitably ensure a bright future for the Center and ultimately the people with disabilities it serves,” Michael Morris, NDI Executive Director, said.  “I would, in particular, like to thank the Bank of America Foundation for being the inaugural sponsor of the ABLE National Resource Center. With its support, and the additional sponsors we expect to sign on by the end of the year, we can expand our vital work on behalf of people with disabilities and their families.” 

Each of the four executive leadership organizations has committed substantial ongoing resources to both pass the Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (Public Law 113-295) and to ensure the success of the ANRC. In addition to support NDI received from Bank of America Foundation for the Center, DOF is committing a portion of its recent Wells Fargo NEXT Award to the ANRC. This particular award recognized the potential impact the Community Development Financial Institution industry can play in starting an innovative consumer finance strategy, such as ABLE accounts. 

“This is an historical collaboration between four leading disability organizations. It is vital that the disability community work together to ensure we have effective, efficient and widespread availability of ABLE accounts across the country,” Sara Hart Weir, NDSS President said. "The ABLE Act remains one of the most significant pieces of disability legislation and is among the most bipartisan, bicameral bills ever passed any Congress – 85 percent of the entire 113th Congress supported the law.”

The ANRC goals and objectives are the following:

• Serve as a facilitator between the disability sector, government, and financial service companies to accelerate the effective design and availability of ABLE accounts nationwide;
• Educate the disability community about the opportunities available to save and plan for a better economic future and quality of life experience through the establishment of ABLE accounts;
• Educate government at federal and state levels about consumer needs and challenges in establishing and/or managing an ABLE account;
• Educate and inform financial service companies about the needs and interests of the disability community to offer investment product choices to place ABLE account resources; and
• Educate the public, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders about the positive impact of ABLE accounts at an individual and systems level and any needed changes for further policy development.

The ANRC collaborative estimates the number of eligible individuals and families is between five and eight million and will grow each year. It is projected that more than $50 billion is expected to be invested in ABLE accounts over the next five years. The ANRC will provide consistent, reliable information about the benefits of an ABLE account and its potential impact on quality of life experience for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the ANRC will educate individuals with disabilities and their families, state governments and related agencies, financial service companies, and financial planners and attorneys in relevant specialty areas, about the rules governing the administration and use of these accounts.

For more information on the ABLE National Resource Center please contact Chris Rodriguez at crodriguez@ndi-inc.org.