Niecy’s News The Newsletter of Speaking For Ourselves April 1, 2007 Speaking For Ourselves is an independent, grassroots, self-advocacy organization run by and for people with developmental disabilities. Lynette Savoy President, Board of Directors Debra Robinson Executive Director Charles Haley Newsletter Editor Niecy’s News, the Newsletter of Speaking For Ourselves, is made possible in part by funding from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. SFO would like to thank them for their support with this project. First Issue of Niecy’s News Welcome to the first issue of Niecy’s News, the newsletter of Speaking For Ourselves! It is named in honor of our friend and self-advocate, Octavia Green, who passed away May 18, 2006. It was Octavia’s inspiration to start this newsletter, and we are proud to present it to you! Octavia’s work as a self-advocate for over 15 years, as a statewide and national presenter, and an advisor to public policy makers, made a positive impact on the lives of people with developmental disabilities. She provided leadership to SFO through her involvement as president and secretary of the board of directors. She was much loved and respected by everyone in the advocacy community. We miss her daily, not only for her important work in advocacy, but for the friendship she shared with all of us. “Octavia was a loving person. She helped everybody. Her wish was that everybody would get support. And she was my best friend. You would see her, and you would see me. We were like book ends.” - Carolyn Morgan, SFO Treasurer Octavia was honored at the recent Statewide Conference. Her mother Josephine Thompson, her sister Tamara Footman, and her niece Hanna Footman joined us to celebrate her life. Speaking For Ourselves created a new annual award in honor of Octavia. The award is presented to the person who shows great leadership and perserverance. The first recipient was Nicole Williams. Octavia was also honored at the conference with the Roland Johnson award. And she recently received recognition at the 2006 PA Statewide Independent Living Conference for her contributions to the Independent Living Movement. Our hope is for the SFO newsletter to serve as an ongoing memory of Octavia, her quiet strength, persistance, and commitment to improving the lives of everyone. Close Institutions Now! Who’s in charge? YOU are in charge!” - Roland Johnson This year SFO is taking on the fight to close ALL institutions now in Pennsylvania. There are still 4 state centers in PA - but NO plans to close any of these institutions in this year’s budget! This is 2007 - it’s the 21st century. No one should have to live in an institution any more. 20 years ago Pennsylvania led the fight to close institutions in our country. Now the state has dropped the ball. They need to pick it back up. Based on their actions lately, it seems like the state doesn’t really believe that state institutions should be closed. But Speaking For Ourselves won’t stand for this. We have an Olmstead Plan and it needs to be implemented. We want to see a commitment to that plan. Institutions need to be closed. There also needs to be a REAL plan to implement Everyday Lives in the state of PA for all. This is not an item that can be “cut from the budget.” People’s lives are not “budget” items. Many people have died waiting for an Everyday Life. No more. Our #1 Goal for 2007 is to identify every person who wants to get out of an institution. We will get them the supports they need to do so. We will also work to educate the public and our elected leaders. Everyday Lives will become a reality! Mark Your Calendars! Freedom March 2007
Rally For Freedom
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Join fellow Self-Advocates as we march in Harrisburg. We will meet at the Capitol Plaza in Harrisburg, PA. From there we will march to the Health and Welfare Building. We are marching to tell state government and the public to Close Institutions Now! We are looking for sponsorship and help with the March. We would love for you to join us in the effort to get the message out. We are asking for the following: - March with us! - Support self-advocates to come to the March - Send attendants to help self-advocates at the March - Donate money towards the expenses of the March Thank you so much for any support you can give! For more information call SFO at 1-800-867-3330 or send an email to info@speaking.org. Updates - 2006 Statewide Conference More than 250 people gathered in December, 2006 for the Statewide Conference. We heard from many terrific speakers at our sessions and workshops. Karl Williams joined us to celebrate in song. Tuesday evening we celebrated our achievements at the Awards Dinner, and attendees spoke about what they are doing and what they want to change in the future. While we all learned a lot, plus there was also time to meet new friends, enjoy the great food at the Hilton Harrisburg, and have fun at the Monday night dance. Attendees were inspired by our main speaker Kathie Snow. Kathie is the parent to a son with a developmental disability and the author of the book Disability is Natural! Kathie Snow talked with us about is how each person is unique and every person needs supports. We don’t all need the same supports, but we all need them. Be sure to ask for the supports you need. You might need to do some work to get them. Look at your agency support, your plan, your friends, your family, your religious organization, your community. Don’t stop until you get what you need. You can find out more about Kathie at her website, www.disabilityisnatural.com. The 2006 Conference also featured more than 20 workshops, many led by self-advocates, including workshops on these topics: - Employment - Sexual Abuse Awareness - Self-Determination - How to Get the Life You Want - How to be a Political Advocate The conference was a great place for self-advocates to talk about these and other issues. And we want to keep talking about these topics around the state. Self-Advocates from Speaking For Ourselves are available to present these and other workshops to your chapter or group so that everyone can live a more self-determined life. Contact us for more information at 1-800-867-3330 or info@speaking.org. Roland Johnson’s Book to be Reprinted! The first edition of Roland Johnson’s autobiography, Lost in a Desert World is SOLD OUT. But we have exciting news! Plans are starting for a 2nd printing. The Chester County Chapter of SFO is taking on this project. They will form a committee to raise funds to reprint the book. We will have more information to share about the project in the next issue of Niece’s News, including how you can donate to this project and how to preorder a copy of the book. "Roland Johnson was a friend and a hero of mine. He was a great pioneer of the frontier of human beings. Read his book." - Justin Dart, father of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Support Speaking For Ourselves Be a part of helping Self-Advocates live self-determined lives. Contribute to SFO! Speaking For Ourselves is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your contributions are tax-deductible. Mail contributions directly to SFO at: Speaking For Ourselves 502 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 105 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. Please make checks payable to Speaking For Ourselves and include your name and mailing address. You can also donate to Speaking For Ourselves through United Way. For details visit the United Way of Southeast PA’s website at www.uwsepa.org. Click on “Donate” for details. The Speaking For Ourselves code is “6531”. News You Need! Office of Developmental Programs 2007-2008 Budget The Fight Continues to Eliminate the Waiting List At the PAC meeting on February 22, Deputy Secretary Kevin Casey reviewed the budget for 2007-2008. We’ve got some good news to share with you about the ongoing work to eliminate the Waiting List. The Proposed Pennsylvania State Budget provides services for 3,428 people on the Emergency Waiting List for Mental Retardation Services. Here is the breakdown: - 2,555 from the Emergency Waiting List - 800 Students leaving High School and - 73 young adults aging out of EPSDT If this budget is passed, it will allow for more than two-thirds of those currently on the emergency category of the waiting list – and everyone on waiting lists for non-residential services – to be served. This would represent the largest number of people served in nearly a decade. This is great news! But please note that the budget must be passed by the PA State Legislature for these changes to happen. We understand there may be criticism and opposition in the Legislature on this worthy cause. They may change this proposed funding. It is important for you to make your voice and wishes known. Contact your state representatives and senators to tell them what you think. You can find suggestions for what to say at the PA Waiting List Campaign website, www.pawaitinglistcampaign.org. To find your state legislators, visit The ARC of PA website at www.thearcpa.org. 2006 Annual Award Recipients Congratulations to the following 2006 SFO Award winners! The awards were presented at the 2006 Conference: Octavia Green Award - Nicole Williams Roland Johnson Award - Octavia Green Justin Dart Award - Carolyn Morgan Barbara Meranze Scholarship - Oscar Vargas Employee of the Year - Jody Saitsky Mentor of the Year - Lea Ann Koniski Partner of the Year - Mentors for Self Determination Self-Advocate of the Year - Betsy Ney Three-Quarters of PA’s Personal-Care Homes have Expired Licenses Three-quarters of Pennsylvania's personal-care homes have expired licenses because of a state inspection backlog, according to figures released by the state Public Welfare Department in March 2007. The Associated Press reported on this story and noted that 1,190 of 1,589 PA personal-care homes are operating with expired licenses, and the agency is moving to close 30 homes because of safety concerns. It could take until year's end to complete inspections, according to Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman. Corey Rowley, executive director of the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council (PA SILC) called the number of homes with expired licenses "shocking." Rowley said she hoped Richman would aggressively attack the problem with the help of new regulations that took effect in 2005. "We worry for the people that live in personal-care homes," Rowley said. "We hope that process (of enforcing the regulations) can happen sooner rather than later." Stay tuned for updates on this issue! OMR Gets a New Name We wish we could tell you we like it, but unfortunately it’s not something we support. At the February 22, 2007 PAC meeting SFO members voiced our concerns about the new name and it’s selection process. As SFO member Bill Krebs put it, “We are people, not programs. We make your jobs possible. Without us you’d be out of work.” Not one member of the committee acknowledges his statement. In response SFO distributed a press release to alert the media and public to this situation, which is an example of a larger problem, the ongoing hypocrisy on the committee. For more about this issue, read the full press release on the SFO website, www.speaking.org. Share Your Story! Kathie Snow, author of Disability Is Natural! and keynote speaker at the 2006 Statewide Speaking For Ourselves Conference wants to hear your stories. Kathie has issued a “Request for Stories” from adults with developmental disabilities (DD) about your experiences growing up with a DD. The stories will be compiled into a new book. Your experiences have the power to change lives! To find out how you can submit your story, visit Kathie’s website at www.disabilityisnatural.com. The details are on the home page. Join Speaking For Ourselves today! Member Benefits: - Support important chapter activities across the state of PA - Receive newsletters and learn about important events - Invitations to special events - Support training and information efforts of SFO “SFO is one of the single most important organizations in the state. I encourage you all to be members.” - Kevin Casey, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Developmental Programs Complete Member Details: Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email: Select Membership Type: ___ Member (Person with a Disability) $10.00 ___ Supporter $15.00 - $25.00 ___ Sponsor $35.00 - $55.00 ___ Booster $65.00 - $100.00 ___ Corporate Sponsor $150.00 - $500.00 Mail this Form with Check or Money Order made payable to: Speaking For Ourselves 502 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 105 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Copyright 2006 Speaking For Ourselves. All rights reserved.