I have lived in Iowa City almost twenty- nine years so far. I came here in 1982 to start my graduate work. Once that was completed, I decided I would like to live here for most of my life. If you ask me why, the simple reason is that I can get around on my own with my motorized wheelchair.

While Iowa City has ways to go to be completely accessible, this does not mean one having a wheelchair like myself can not get around. There was a time when this city had to apply for Community Development Block Grants to get curb cuts placed in strategic areas of the city. Now, after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, curb cuts are automatically put in as soon as any construction takes place.

While living in Iowa City as long as I have, I have been involved with community projects because I feel people with disabilities should be heard. I enjoy working at Access 2 Independence for almost twenty years now. It has helped me find my niche in the work force. I am very pleased with the respect I have gotten from many prominent people that come to me asking for opinions on ideas in Iowa City.

As I get older, I feel like I want to retire here because of the many amenities for older Americans and people with disabilities. I am so happy with the accessibility here that I will include it in my biography I am writing and doing a documentary about how easy it is to maneuver around this city with a wheelchair. Hopefully, the book and the documentary will be a success, just like everyone in this community has helped me to become an integral part of the community.

About the author: Keith Ruff is our local Iowa City icon and even though he loves Iowa, he misses the ocean on the Jersey shore.

Today’s poll:

Access 2 Independence will use the grant to identify and empower rural Iowans and veterans with all disabilities in rural Iowa communities by sending a representative with a spinal cord injury to the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) conference in October 2010 for advocacy training. Upon return, this new advocate will provide training and outreach in Southeast Iowa.

“We are honored to be able to improve the quality of life for Veterans living with spinal injuries in the Eastern Iowa Corridor,” said Scott R. Gill, Executive Director of Access 2 Independence. Project collaborator John D. Mikelson from the University of Iowa Veterans Center emphasizes, “Many returning veterans living in rural Iowa fail to get the help they need because they are often unaware of the benefits, services, and facilities available to them. Having a trained peer to advocate in Souteast Iowa will be a great help.”

“The Quality of Life program that Dana Reeve created eleven years ago is based on freedom,” said Peter T. Wilderotter, president and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “We are happy to be able to support Access 2 Independence to create more independence, increase opportunities, and provide support for those living with paralysis along with their families and caregivers.”

The Reeve Foundation’s Quality of Life grants are divided into three categories, Actively Achieving, Bridging Barriers and Caring and Coping. Some grants are funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Award #1U59DD000338), and are awarded to nonprofit organizations that address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord and other injuries, diseases and birth conditions.

About the Reeve Foundation

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.  For more information, and to review the entire list of Quality of Life grant recipients, please visit our website or call 800-225-0292.

Up till now, SHIIP’s primary demographic focus has been older adults.  However, they have recently decided to focus on expanding their services to persons with disabilities (who qualify for Medicare when they qualify for Social Security Disability).  As part of this project, Access 2 Independence has been visiting agencies in the state of Iowa to survey obstacles that people with disabilities encounter in the Medicare program, to introduce them to SHIIP, and to recruit new volunteer counselors.  We are excited to be a part of a project that will benefit people statewide and to begin offering Medicare counseling services out of our Iowa City location.

Members of the SHIIP project team from Access 2 Independence are Abbey Almelien, Aaron Cannon, and Sarah Marcum.  If you would like more information, email Sarah or let us know in the comments!

1.  Knowing what kinds of emergencies could happen in your area and what to do in the event one of those emergencies occurs. Ask yourself: do you know what to do in case of a blizzard or of a flood, just like what happen in 2008?

2.  Completing a personal assessment. Think about what you will be able to do and what help you may need before, during, and after an emergency. After all, you know yourself the best.

3.  Developing your own support group of family, friends, neighbors, roommates, care providers, and people you work with who could help you in an emergency. These should be people you trust.

4.  Making an emergency information list so others will know whom to call if they find you unconscious, unable to speak, or if they need to help you leave your home quickly.

5.  Making a medical information list with the names and phone numbers of your doctors, your medications, how much you take, and your medical conditions. Write down what special equipment you use, what type of allergies you have, and any communication difficulties you experience.

6.  Try to keep a seven-day supply of medications with you and fill your prescriptions as early as you can. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what you should do if you can’t get more right away. If you get treatments at a clinic or hospital, ask the person who helps you what to do if you can’t get your treatments during an emergency.

7.  Making and maintaining an emergency supply kit in your home, car, workplace, and anywhere you spend your time. Include food, water, a first aid kit, adaptive equipment, batteries, and supplies for your pets or service animals.

8.  Making your home, school or work a safer place. Know evacuation routes and safe places to go during an emergency. Checking hallways, stairwells, doorways, windows, and other areas for problems that may keep you from safely leaving a building during an emergency. Secure or move furniture that may block your path. Install at least one smoke alarm on each floor in your home and test them every month. Know the difference between a tornado watch and a warning.  Know how to correctly respond to each alert.  Know where the controls for your water, electricity, gas and sewer are and learn how and when to turn them off during an emergency.

Preparing for an emergency or disaster can seem like a daunting task.  Not everything needs to be done at once.  You may want to begin by undertaking those tasks that will be most important to you in the event of any emergency.

SOME PLAN IS BETTER THAN NO PLAN

You can do it!

A disability doesn’t have to be barrier to living life to its fullest, so we are teaching a free class on Living Well with a Disability, which focuses on setting goals to work towards better overall health.

It’s a fun and supportive class! We currently have 8 students enrolled, but we could always make room for more! Still not convinced? We provide free food in all of our classes.

There is still time to enroll. You can join by attending our next classes on February 22, 2010 and March 1, 2010 from 11:50 am to 1:50 pm here at 381 E. College St. in Iowa City. Please RSVP by calling (319) 338-3870 or leave a comment!

Janna Lorenzen with our local icon, Keith Ruff

Ms. Janna Lorenzen stopped by our table at the University of Iowa Civic and Engagement Program’s volunteer fair in Fall 2009.  Janna, a Masters student in teaching and social work in Germany, wanted more experience with working with persons with disabilities, so we let her be our Fulbright intern  for 5 weeks. This is what she had to say about her experience with us:

What do you like the most volunteering with Access 2 Independence?

I liked the atmosphere among the staff – they were supportive, understanding, and reflective towards one another. Furthermore, I enjoyed the informal discussions we had about the cultural differences between Germany and the US.

I also benefited from the opportunity to be able to ask questions at anytime. Additionally, I have gotten a good grasp on what accessibility means and the resources offered by the community and the city of Iowa City.

Moreover, I attended different meetings where people from various organizations in Iowa City met. It was interesting to watch and listen to them! Not only has this experience given me a good impression of what disabilities and disability rights mean, but also more about persons with disabilities in Iowa City and in the US.

How will your experience with Access 2 Independence help you out in your future career?

Interacting with people with disabilities at Access 2 Independence has helped me realize that disability is a part of life. This aspect is not only beneficial for my professional life, but also for my personal life. When I walk through the streets, I am more aware whether certain buildings are accessible – whether by having ramps or whether they have accessible restrooms.

My experience also made me realize that our society still needs to be educated about persons with disabilities. On top of that, the barriers towards people with disabilities need to be reduced. An abolishment of these prejudices seems impossible, but it is essential that the needs of persons with disabilities are addressed.

Thanks for all your hard work, Janna! We miss you already!

According to project director, Scott Gill, the film will follow the life of Keith Ruff during the many changes in technology, laws, and personal assistant options during 1982-2009. The film will also examine patterns in change for disability rights issues.

“Our organization is pleased to provide support for a documentary that examines social and political changes that affect people both locally and nationally,” said Humanities Iowa executive director, Christopher Rossi.

The mission of Humanities Iowa is to promote understanding and appreciation of the people, communities, cultures, and stories of importance to Iowa and the nation.  For more information on funding opportunities from Humanities Iowa, see its website at http://www.humanitiesiowa.org.

The stakeholders of Access 2 Independence would like to thank its previous, landlord Public Access Television Channel 18. PATV18 and its Executive Director, Mr. Josh Goding, have proven to be capable allies in promoting self-governance and self-determination for the historically under served and underrepresented disabled and aging populations of Southeastern Iowa. PATV18 has provided the platform, and the forum, to promote civil rights and community activism for the “silent minority” of disabled citizens. We will continue to work with PATV18 in bringing you quality educational and informational programing regarding disability and aging issues.

- Scott Gill, MBA, M.Ed., Executive Director

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy:

Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planning NDEAM activities and materials to increase the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out throughout the month also highlight the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.

In the spirit of this month, Access 2 Independence will be busy promoting awareness about employment and disability in our community. We want to take this opportunity to stress for better competitive employment for people with disabilities with our:

• Poster campaign: We have tons of awesome posters for NDEAM. Feel free to stop by our center to pick some up!

• Outreach to the community: We will  be talking to our friends at University of Iowa Realizing Educational and Career Hopes (REACH) to facilitate a discussion on this year’s theme “Expectation + Participation = Opportunity.”

• PATV 18 show: Keith Ruff and Abbey Almelien will be taping this month’s show focused on NDEAM.

Feel free to share your thoughts about this year’s NDEAM theme in our comments!