Silc Spiel - Fall 2002

CONTENTS

Preparing for the 78th Legislative Session
Building Relationships is Key!

2003 Independent Living Conference

Conference Registration Form
Hotel Information

SILC Briefs

Graphic image of Texas State Capital with the image text; Texas State Independent Living Council

SILC MEMBERS

OFFICERS
Paula Margeson, Chair
Dennis Borel, Vice-Chair
Marcia Ingram, Secretary
Morgan Talbot, Parliamentarian

MEMBERS
Joan Knoll
Ross Sweat
Jesse Seawell
Doug Drey
Michelle Crain
Lisa Fittapaldi

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Martha Bagley, TRC
Charles Burtis, TCB
Doug Dittfurth, TCDHH
Jonas Schwartz, Advocacy, Inc.

ADMINISTRATION
Ted Thayer, Executive Director

The contents of the SILC Spiel newsletter were developed in part under grants from the Dept. of Education (DOE) and Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of DOE or TRC and you should not assume endorsement by Local, State or Federal Government.

Preparing for the 78th Legislative Session
Building Relationships is Key!
By Jonas Schwartz & Dennis Borel

The 78th Session will begin on January 14, 2003. It will be critical for the disability community to play an active role in this upcoming legislative session. In order to play an active role, it will be important to know the current legislative landscape. This session will be very different from previous sessions because there will be many new members participating as legislators for the first time and our state is facing a budget deficit for the next budget cycle, which will begin September 01, 2003. Let’s talk about why there are so many new members of the legislature.

Every ten years, the state legislature undergoes a process called redistricting. The redistricting process is based on new census data. Essentially, redistricting is redrawing district boundaries for each representative and senator in the state legislature as well as in the U. S. Congress. District lines are redrawn based on the changes in population growth around the state. The redistricting process is now complete and the results of that process left many current members of the legislature with districts that looked very different than the districts many of them had represented for several years. That being the case, many of our disability champions chose to retire from the legislature rather than run for reelection. For example: There are 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives. Of those 150 seats, approximately 50 of them (1/3) will most likely be held by a new legislator. In the Texas Senate, there are 31 seats and three to five of these seats will be held by new senators. The positive aspect of redistricting is that the disability community will have an opportunity to build new relationships with these new members.

Having good relationships with our elected officials is the key to assuring that disability issues are thought about in the legislative process. Part of building new relationships is educating legislators about the issues that are important to people with disabilities. Now that the elections are over, this is the time to visit with your senator and representative who will be coming to Austin in January to represent you. Let them know what issues are important to you and to the disability community. Later in this article, specific issues are discussed that you will want to share with your legislator.

The other issue that will be different this legislative session is the fact that legislators will start building the budget for the next two years with a deficit of, at least, five billion dollars. Legislators will have less money to work with because of the downturn in the Texas economy. Services to people with disabilities could be drastically affected since there will be less money with which to work. We believe the state budget is the single most important issue for Texans with disabilities.
Critical state budget issues and supporting reasons are:

The time period before the Texas Legislature convenes on January 14 is an excellent time to lay the groundwork for effective advocacy. Make an appointment with the local office of your state representative and state senator and meet your elected officials and the key staff people. Let them know how important disability issues are and be prepared to speak about specific issues. It’s best if you leave a written paper behind. Keep in mind that you are performing a valuable service for your legislators because there are a very large number of issues that come before the Legislature and legislators cannot possibly be knowledgeable about all. Don’t bug these folks, but do maintain contact. By building a relationship, you can become your legislators’ “go-to” person on disability issues. Above all, don’t sit this one out, be a participant!

Don’t miss the 2003 statewide independent living conference to be held in Austin on Feb. 17 and 18. Cosponsored by the SILC and the Austin Resource Center for Independent Living, the event will provide an opportunity for training, networking, and information sharing within the independent living community of Texas.

The theme of the conference will be “Focus On Abilities.” Activities and workshops will emphasize the capacity of people with disabilities to lead self-directed, productive lives. Persons attending the conference will include consumers, family members, caregivers, agency and program directors, service providers, and other representatives from disability-related fields. The event will take place at the Omni Austin Downtown Hotel. Activities will include general sessions, numerous workshops, a march to the capitol and visits with state legislators, an exhibit area, and an awards luncheon. General assemblies and workshops will cover these topics: –an overview of, and update on, the president’s New Freedom Initiative; –an address by the executive director of the Governor’s Committee on People With Disabilities; –explanation and demonstration of various types of assistive technology; –administrative procedures and best practices within independent living centers; –summary of the key issues requiring systemic advocacy in 2003; –overview and demonstration of self advocacy strategies and skills; and –a panel presentation by persons with severe disabilities who have achieved outstanding personal and professional goals. Among the presenters will be the current Miss Wheelchair Texas and an amputee who is an accomplished mountain climber. Accommodations such as real-time captioning, personal assistant services, and materials in alternate formats will be provided so that attendees might benefit from maximum participation in the event.

THE FOURTH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT LIVING CONFERENCE OF TEXAS
Sponsored by: TEXAS STATE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL
& AUSTIN RESOURCE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

In order to facilitate planning and availability of accessible accommodations, please return this registration form with the registration fee of $10.00 (if check, make payable to the Texas State Independent Living Council) and mail to TEXAS STATE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL, P.O. BOX 9879, AUSTIN, TX 78766, by January 26, 2003.

Do you require materials in accessible format? __Yes __No What type? ___________________________________________________________________________

Do you require accommodation for a hearing impairment? __Yes __No Preference? ___________________________________________________________________________

The Conference is being held at the: OMNI AUSTIN HOTEL DOWNTOWN
700 San Jacinto (@8th Street), Austin, Texas 78701
Reservations: 1/800-THE OMNI (843-6664) Or 512/476-3700

If you make your own hotel reservations, please identify yourself to the hotel reservations person as attending the above-referenced conference sponsored by the Texas State Independent Living Council and the Austin Resource Center for Independent Living. Please ask for the State rate of $80.00 per night for a single. Also, please make your room reservations as soon as possible but not later than Sunday, January 26, 2003, to assure that rooms are available. If you need assistance in making hotel reservations, please contact Ted Thayer at the SILC office (1/877-371-7353). Because of the large number of persons requiring accessible hotel accommodations, it will likely be necessary to house some people in other hotels in the area. Please contact Mr. Thayer for assistance in that regard.

Texas Gets a New IL Center
In September, the Rehabilitation Services Administration awarded $200,000 in Title VII, Part C funding to the newly established Coastal Bend Independent Living Center. The announcement came after a competitive grant process conducted by RSA. The Coastal Bend Center is an outgrowth of Accessible Communities Inc., a nonprofit organization that has provided assistance to consumers in Corpus Christi for several years. With the new funding, the agency will be able to provide a full array of independent living services.

APRIL in the Fall
SILC member, Morgan Talbot, recently attended the national conference of APRIL (Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living). The event was held in New England just in time for attendees to see the changing leaves. Morgan brought back valuable information to the council regarding the best practices for the provision of independent living services to consumers in sparsely populated areas. The SILC has become a new member of APRIL.

Making Connections... Strengthening Unity
On Oct. 17, the State Independent Living Council and the Texas Association of Independent Living Centers convened for a joint meeting in Dallas. Among the topics discussed were the upcoming conference, recommendations for the disbursement of additional funding appropriations to Texas, training opportunities for center personnel and governing boards, and progress toward the implementation of the Olmstead Decision in the state. The meeting was very productive and a spirit of cooperation was evident.

Developmental Disabilities Council Awards Funds to SILC image of State Independent Living Council (SILC) logo

For the second year, the SILC has received a grant from the DDC to help provide stipends to consumers so that they might attend the 2003 Statewide Independent Living Conference. Last year, the SILC offered such support to twenty-five individuals. Persons interested in applying for a stipend should contact Ted Thayer, SILC director, by phone at: (512) 371-7353 or by email at: texsilc@texas.net.