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Statewide Independent Living Conference Returns to Austin Tony Melendez, Featured Conference Entertainer Independent Living Centers Go HIGH-TECH
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SILC
MEMBERS
OFFICERS MEMBERS EX-OFFICIO
MEMBERS ADMINISTRATION |
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.
Statewide
Independent Living Conference Returns to Austin
By Ted Thayer
The Sixth Annual Statewide Independent Living Conference is returning to Austin in 2005. The dates of the conference are March 6th through 8th and the site is the Capitol Marriot Hotel, 701 East 11th street (corner of East 11th and Red River Street).
This year the conference is being sponsored by the Texas State Independent Living Council, the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, and Austin Resource Center for Independent Living. 2005 is a special year for independent living in Texas as it marks the 25th anniversary of independent living services in the state. The conference theme, “Celebrating 25 Years of Independent Living in Texas,” recognizes this important milestone.
The conference will present a wide variety of topics and activities of interest to those of us involved the independent living and disability rights movements. The conference will begin on Sunday, March 6th with a get-acquainted reception. A video will be shown entitled “Look Who's Laughing”, which features several comedians with disabilities.
On Monday, March 7th, the keynote address will be delivered by Terry Murphy, Commissioner of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). Commissioner Murphy will discuss the progress made over the past 25 years in Texas and the issues that will be important in the future to the independent living movement in our state. That presentation will be followed by an address by Andrew Inparato, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, in which he examines the issues facing people with disabilities from a national perspective. Other general sessions will involve presentations addressing abuse of people with disabilities and a legislative update outlining important issues during the legislative session.
Breakout sessions will include a wide variety of topics. These will include the Money Follows the Person Project operated by the Center on Independent Living (COIL), the Service Responsibility Option, the Call Center and Integrated Eligibility System, the History and Philosophy of the Independent Living and Disability Rights Movements in Texas and the Nation, Benefits and Work Incentives, and an Overview of the Expansion of the Star Plus System.
A highlight of the conference is always the Awards reception which will be held on Monday evening. This is an opportunity to recognize outstanding contributions made by consumers, independent living centers, community service providers, and legislators regarding development of the independent living movement in our state. This year’s reception will include a performance by Tony Melendez, a nationally recognized entertainer with a disability.
The conference will conclude with a rally at the capitol and visits with legislators on Tuesday afternoon. Limited stipends for participants are available through the Texas State Independent Living Council, (512) 371-7353, and the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, (512) 478-3366. The registration form for the conference is included below.
Tony Melendez, Featured Conference Entertainer
By Paula Margeson
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Entertainer,
Tony Melendez |
Featured entertainer for the upcoming statewide independent living conference will be Tony Melendez. Tony was born with no arms and a club foot. As a child, he came to the Los Angeles area from Nicaragua to be fitted for prosthetic arms. By age ten, he had rejected the prostheses. Tony explains: “I didn't feel comfortable. I could use my feet so much more.” In high school, he started playing the guitar with his feet and writing his own songs. His career gained momentum after he played for Pope John Paul II in his U.S. visit in 1987.
Tony has performed in every state in the union and in twenty-seven foreign countries. He sang the National Anthem at the fifth game of the 1989 World Series. His best selling autobiography, “A Gift of Hope”, was published that same year. He has received numerous awards including a special commendation from President Reagan as a positive role model for America. Currently, Tony performs regularly in the resort town of Branson, Missouri, where he lives with his family.
Independent
Living Centers Go HIGH-TECH
By
Ted Thayer
In recent months, the Texas Technology Access Project, a project of the Texas Center for Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, has developed technology access pilot projects at five locations in the East Texas area. Three of those projects are in independent living centers – Brazoria County Center for Independent Living in Angleton, East Texas Center for Independent Living in Tyler, and RISE Independent Living Center in Beaumont. The other two locations are rehabilitation centers – Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center in Bryan and Nacogdoches Treatment Center in Nacogdoches. This collaborative effort for hands-on technology is known as the Eastern Texas Computer Access Network.
These projects have enabled people with disabilities in smaller communities to have access to the latest technology to improve their lives. Two work stations have been established at each location equipped with on-screen keyboards, infra-red pointers, magnification software, voice recognition software, speech output, and many other features. These features allow people with limitations in vision, speech, movement, hearing, or learning to access and use a computer.
The projects have already been of tremendous help to a substantial number of people with disabilities in those areas. Perhaps the best way to assess the benefit of such programming, however, is to hear from a consumer who has used the service. The following is a letter sent to the Texas Technology Access Project by a college student with a disability who accessed the services through the Brazoria County Independent Living Center:
My name is Amber. I am 20 years old and I just completed my first year of college at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania! It was difficult, not only because of the workload, but also because of the fact that I cannot write. Typing is slow and tedious for me and I have to wait on people to help me write and/or type my homework.
Sometimes they don’t even call when they cannot make it. I have tried what seems like thousands of programs and equipment from elementary all the way through high school, from a paper keyboard to many other communication devices. Morse code did speed up my typing but I cannot set it up for myself even if I wanted to. I also tried Dragon Naturally Speaking but it didn't work with my speech pattern.
Now that I am in college, I need a program that I can access myself and not have to wait for people to show up. Home for summer break, I was introduced to the Texas Technology Access Project's program at the Brazoria County Center for Independent Living where I fell in love with the on-screen keyboard software. Now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I will still need help with my homework but being able to work with it when they don’t show up would be wonderful! The program also allowed me to keep in touch with my boyfriend and my friends I made when I was there. By speeding up my typing, it has increased my e-mailing because I am more willing to type and it doesn’t take me all day! I have also applied for scholarships since being introduced to the software.
This software has also increased my spelling accuracy. I have a huge vocabulary, but, because of a learning disability, I cannot spell worth a hill of beans. The on-screen keyboard comes with word prediction that guesses what word I am typing and makes a list of possible words. This allows me to check my spelling...I know that if a word I am typing is not on the list, it’s probably not spelled correctly.
Along with the on-screen keyboard and word prediction, I was introduced to a programmable trackball. With limited mobility in my hands, it is hard for me to use a regular mouse. After about an hour of using a normal mouse, my hand starts to ache. With the trackball, I can type and play all day long. Thank you University of Texas for giving the Brazoria County Center for Independent Living the opportunity to share this equipment with others.
Thank you, Amber. For more information about this project, contact the above-referenced centers or Roger Levy at the Texas Technology Access Project, (512) 232-0751.
THE SILC LOSES VALUED MEMBER
In the fall of 2004, the State
Independent Living Council was saddened by the loss of veteran member, Doug
Drey. Doug died following complications related to his disability. He represented
the Houston area and had served on the council since 2001. He was an avid
spokesperson for the disability rights movement and his contribution to the
SILC will be greatly missed.
COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTEND 2005 SILC CONGRESS
Four SILC members and the executive
director participated in the SILC Congress held in Phoenix during the first
week of January. Representatives from almost every state attended the event.
Numerous workshops were held to better equip SILCs with the knowledge and
skills to do their jobs more effectively. As a result of the Congress,
the statewide independent living councils have agreed to voluntarily enforce
standards and indicators to verify compliance with the terms and provisions
of the Rehabilitation Act pertaining to SILCs.
COPIES OF 2005/2007 SPIL AVAILABLE
The new State Plan for
Independent Living has been produced in an attractively bound document. Special
thanks to the Division of Rehabilitative Services, (DRS), for preparing the
SPIL in this format. Some copies are available upon request.
FREE ENTRANCE AT NATIONAL PARKS
The U.S. National Park Service offers a Golden Access Passport that gives
free lifetime entrance to U.S. National Parks for persons who are blind
or permanently disabled, regardless of age. Visitors may pick up a Golden
Access Passport at any NPS entrance fee area by showing proof of medically
determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal
law. Besides free entry, the Golden Access Passport also offers a 50% discount
on federal-use fees charged for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking,
boat launching, and tours. For more information, click on www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
or call tel. 888-GO-PARKS (467-2757).
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The Region VI semi-annual independent living conference will be held in
Dallas on June 20-22. Sponsored by the Region VI Rehabilitation Continuing
Education Program, the conference theme is: “Together We Can.” Participants
will attend from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
The event will feature a special track for youth with disabilities and
will aid service providers in outreaching to this demographic group. The
SILC has some stipends available for young people interested in attending
the conference but lacking the funds to do so. For information, contact
Ted Thayer at: (512) 371-7353.
DIRECTORY OF INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTERS ON-LINE
ILRU has posted an on-line directory of independent living centers in map
format. Go to http://www.ilru.org/jump1.htm., click on the state in which
you are interested, and the Centers will be listed in alphabetical order
including: name; executive director; mailing address; email address;
telephone, TTY, and FAX numbers.
CONTACT THE SILC FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The State Independent Living Council offers technical support to centers,
grass-roots groups wishing to establish centers, and 
consumer
organizations seeking to learn more about independent living. The council's
executive director and several members are qualified to provide one-to-one
consultation or in-service training on a variety of subjects. Additionally,
some grant funds are available to aid targeted audiences in obtaining
needed training. Requests for assistance should be submitted in writing
to the SILC office.