Largest SILC Grant in History of Coalition

 

Here We Grow Again!

The Disabilities Coalition of Northern Kentucky recently received the largest grant in its history, $60,000 to maintain operations of the independent living center. The grant was awarded based on the number of persons with disabilities in the Northern Kentucky area.

More than 28,000 adults in Northern Kentucky are limited in their usual activities due to one or more chronic health conditions. Of this number over 6,750 require the help of another person with basic activities such as eating, dressing or bathing and 13,500 require help with household chores and/or shopping. Kentucky’s northern eight counties general population is expected to increase substantially in the next 10 years. With that also grows the numbers and needs of people with disabilities.

 

Viewpoint

 

The Disabilities Coalition of Northern KY uses the butterfly as its logo because it symbolizes a new beginning toward independence.  This gives people with a disability the freedom of choice and the right to make decisions regarding their own lives. As the butterfly soars to new heights so will the person who takes on new challenges and overcomes personal barriers.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations and a warm WELCOME to our new Director

 

 

Jennifer Holladay and her assistant “Rainy” came to our coalition in August of this year. Please stop by sometime to say “Hi” and get to know them both!

 

Heartfelt thanks go out to Tank’s new General Manager, Dave Braun. Because of his thoughtfulness and insight, Paratransit services in Northern KY are stronger than ever. 

 

Although Gerri Rader has not been with us for several months, since she has moved on and is no longer associated with the coalition in any way, we wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Good luck Gerri!

T.A.N.K.

Travel Trainer

 

Barb Schneider, Tank’s new Travel Trainer, has been with TANK in various positions for the last 21 years. In her new position, she will be available to assist people from all different walks of life who may not understand or feel comfortable using TANKS fixed route service. Barb will actively be there to help anyone learn how to navigate the system! Beginning the 1^st of December please call 859-578-6949 for more information on this GREAT new FREE service offered by TANK!!!

 

How to apply for social security benefits

 

When: As soon as you become disabled!

How: Either by phone toll free at

1-800-772-1213 or online at

http://www.ssa.gov/.

For those who are hearing impaired you may call the toll free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

You will be provided with a “Disability Starter Kit” to help you get ready for your interview or online application. Kits are available for Adults and children under the age of 18. These kits provide information about the specific documents you will have to provide and also some general information about the disability programs. For more information please call the numbers above or check out the website!!!

 

 

Department of Labor and Small Business Administration Partner to Support People with Disabilities

                        From Dec. 12, 2003

Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao and Small Business Administration Hector V. Barreto signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM)  designed to help people with disabilities pursue small business ownership and to also increase their employment opportunities in small businesses.

The SAM, called “The New Freedom Small Business Initiative”, was made to help small business owners get started with a successful business and learn about hiring people with disabilities. It can accomplish this by encouraging people with disabilities to pursue small business ownership, give them technical assistance and also encourage other small businesses to hire people with disabilities.

SBA Administrator Barreto said, “Today is an important step forward in an ongoing mission to ensure that the door to the American Dream is wide open to all Americans. The small business community can’t afford to be without this group of Americans, and encouraging people with disabilities to become part of the most powerful segment of our economy is more than just the right thing to do. It’s the smart business thing to do.”

Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard, who heads DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, said “Through this collaboration, people with disabilities will be able to launch successful entrepreneurial careers and also be recognized as an exceptional pool of talent available to small business owners.”

 

 

 

Physicians’ Disability Services, Inc

http://www.disabilityfacts.com/

This website provides access to useful books about Social Security Disability, and Pds e-Books. A Pds e-Book is an electronic book published in Adobe Acrobat format that looks just like the print publication. Usually it is a special issue of Pds Disability Facts newsletter. You can order e-Books and download them from the site above with information such as articles on; Proving Disability to SSA, Preparing for your Disability Review, and Dealing with Overpayments.

 

The Constituency of the IL Movement

The Independent Living (IL) movement has always counted the “severely disabled” as its’ primary target group or constituency. But, who are the severely disabled?  How many are there? One method used to define and measure severe disability is the inability to work or do “normal” daily activities without help from family or a medical professional. Based on results from its’ 1974 Health Interview Survey, the National Center for Health Statistics estimated that 3.3% (6.8 million) of the nations’ population – 0.2% of all children, 2.6% of all working age adults and 17.1% of all the elderly – are unable to do any or most of their “normal” daily activities with or without some kind of assistance.

Core Constituency

However, the movements core constituency is much more limited, now, 30 years later, than what is suggested by the last survey. The movement has concentrated its efforts on a few major disability groups: those with spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and post-polio disablement. More so the IL movement has focused on a selected age group; the older

 

 

adolescent and younger working-age adult. The focus on this narrow range is, in part, a function of the disabling conditions mentioned above. For example, spinal cord injury is most common among males during their late teens and early twenties when they are most likely to participate in disability-prone activities, Multiple sclerosis during one’s twenties, and post-polio disablement in the senior members of the community while Cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy are developmental disabilities and are already in evidence during childhood.

 

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to Propose More Flexible Hiring Rules

On Tuesday, May 25^th, The Director of the Office of Personnel Management, Kay Cole James, announced new measures that will smooth the progress of the hiring of employees with disabilities in the federal government!

Ms. James has proposed changes to the Schedule A hiring authority to reduce the administrative burden of hiring people with disabilities into federal government positions. The Schedule A authority allows a job seeker with a disability to be hired outside the regular competitive process, allowing a supervisor to fill a position quickly and encouraging hiring managers to consider people with disabilities. Currently, the Schedule A authority requires that a person with a disability must be certified disabled and qualified for the job by a vocational rehabilitation agency. Proposed changes will add flexibility to the authority and allow other agencies to certify jobseekers as disabled.

For the full article check out their website at:

www.aapd-dc.org/news/disbility/opmhiring/html 

 

Attention!!!

 

The Disabilities Coalition of Northern Kentucky is hosting a FREE picnic!!!

Picnic will include arts and crafts, a petting zoo, food, face painting, bingo and music!

Tank will be providing FREE transportation to anyone would like to come. For more information please call Jennifer at the coalition at 859-431-7668.

 

WHEN: October 9^th

WHERE: Goebel Park

 Time: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

The picnic is FREE, so come on out and enjoy yourself and get to know us at the Disabilities Coalition!

 

Volunteers are always needed to help out for events such as these, if you are interested in becoming a volunteer please contact the Coalition for an application!

The Disabilities Coalition of Northern KY

1032 Madison Avenue

Covington, KY 41011

E-MAIL: dcnky@fuse.net

TTD/TTY (VOICE) 1-800-648-6057

PHONE: (859) 431-7668

FAX: (859) 431-7688

Come visit our new website at:

WWW.DCNKY.ORG

 

 

 

Board of Directors

 

President – Mary Campbell

 

Vice President – Linda Wermeling

 

Secretary – Natalie Eberle

 

Treasurer – Frank Wermeling

 

Jim Datillo

 

Garnet Dooley

 

Theresa A. Datillo

 

Evelyn Lienhardt

 

Paula Kuhl

 

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

If you haven’t registered to vote yet, the deadline is October 4^th. Your voice cannot be heard unless you take action and VOTE! Remember, EVERY vote counts!!!!! So…

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

 

 

 

For advertising information, please contact Jennifer Holladay at 859-431-7668, or by

E-mail at Jennifer.holladay@fuse.net