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"Wings" Newsletter

What is 2-1-1?

When established, 2-1-1 will be to Social Services in California what 7-1-1 is to Telephone Relay Services, and 9-1-1 is to Emergency Services. 2-1-1 will be a social utility that will connect people to their local Information and Referral Service (I & R), who will provide them with access to the resources they need.

2-1-1 is expected to alleviate overuse of 9-1-1 for non-emergency calls, especially during times of personal crisis. Only information that is necessary in order to provide comprehensive referrals will be requested and all personal information will remain confidential.

People call an I & R service for information about accessing all kinds of supportive health and human services, to assist with issues such as family problems, legal referrals, consumer assistance and counseling. The majority of calls to I & R services are for basic life needs, (i.e.: food, shelter and financial assistance). Information and referral calls most often require an in-depth human services assessment and referral plan linking people to multiple service providers. The average information and referral call requires specialized human service skills and takes 3 to 6 minutes to complete.

Keep reading WINGS to find out when 2-1-1 services are up and running in California!

Notes from the Executive Director

I hope that all of our readers are enjoying their summer. It has been very busy here at Community Access Center. There are several exciting new programs available for our consumers. The Center has just begun a program for women who are deaf to increase access to “healthy women” examinations. The Center also began a program to provide seniors who are experiencing vision loss with assistive technology. Assistive technology includes such items as talking blood pressure kits, large print measuring cups, and insulin dosage measuring devices.

The Center has a new member on our Board of Directors. Kevin Price, who is faculty at California State University, San Bernardino . He is new to the Inland Empire but has vast experience with assistive technology. Welcome aboard

Featuring New Employees

André – (Is an Independent Living Service Provider in the Banning office) “For the past ten years, my primary focus has been to provide the best quality health care environment for clients and employees. I firmly believe that if you empower the person you have just enriched his/her life, and the lives that come in contact with that person and the world around us will be a better place.”

David – “I am a Staff Support Assistant in the Indio Office. I am 72 years old and I have a partially disabled right arm (caused by “Erb Palsy”). I have worked at many occupations, primarily as a computer programmer and as a real estate broker.”

Handcycling

. . . is an adaptation of the traditional bicycle using hand pedals to propel the bike and sitting lower to the ground than traditional bicycles. Individuals with lower body disabilities and/or balance issues who are unable to ride traditional bicycles can handcycle very successfully using hand controls, including pedaling, braking and steering.

The mobility and user-friendly design of a handcycle has been one of its major attractions. Speed is another. The gears, chain, hand crank and aerodynamic design, especially with the higher-end racing models, allow a handcyclist in good physical condition to achieve speeds upwards of 15 to 20 miles per hour.

The three-wheeled handcycle has been riding a wave of popularity with people with disabilities since the first models came out ten years ago. Whether it’s a newly injured individual looking to recapture an active, healthy lifestyle or seeking a new and challenging sport, both have been finding common elation in handcycling.

With athletes with disabilities competing in the national road races and long-distance cycling rides, and joining local touring clubs where handcyclists are part of the pack, the equalizing potential for the sport is tremendous. The growing visibility of the sport is hard to ignore.

The Latest Bills fostering the goals of the Disabled

The improvement of the lives of people with disabilities is the aim of a number of significant bills this year in the 2001-2002 California legislative sessions and the 107th Congress.

California House and Senate- for text, see www.cfilc.org

AB 925 (2001-2002) – requires the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency to create a new strategy to accomplish various goals related to bringing persons with disabilities into employment, including aid to state programs.

AB 1421 (2001-2002) – creates an assisted outpatient treatment program for people with mental illness who meet certain criteria.

AB 1950 (2001-2002) - permits state employees with disability to prove their capabilities by extending probationary periods to allow extra time for acquiring accommodations and demonstrating ability to perform the duties of the job.

AB 2525 (2001-2002) – Requires the Secretary of State to adopt rules and regulations that would require access by citizens who are blind or visually impaired to voting capability that is equal to that provided to citizens without blindness or visual impairment.

AB 3035 (2001- 2002) – Requires notices, agendas, and public records provided at public meetings of state bodies to be available in appropriate alternative formats at the request of any person with a disability.

SB 70 (SB 1005) (2001-2002) – Requires a personal care assistant to submit a request for a criminal history clearance and have his/her fingerprints taken prior to becoming employed under the In-Home Supportive Services Program or the Medi-Cal program.

The 107th U.S. Congress-for text, see www.house.gov

H.R. 1330. IH, S. 466.IS – provides equitable education for students with disabilities by amending the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to fully fund 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure.

H.R. 1151.IH – Directs the Federal Election Commission to issue voluntary standards to promote the accessibility and effective use of voting systems, voting equipment, and polling places, to make grants to assist States in complying with such standards and carrying out other activities to promote accessibility in voting, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3612. IH, S. 1298.IS – Establishes the Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act of 2002. Not later than October 1, 2006, a State shall provide through a plan amendment, created in collaboration with stakeholders, for the inclusion of community-based attendant services and supports.

Travel Training

Community Access Center (CAC) has 2 staff who are currently members of the Sunline Access Advisory Committee. Sunline is the public transit system in the Coachella Valley. One of the goals of the Committee is to educate the public about their rights and responsibilities with regard to public transportation.

In accordance with the committee’s goals, in March of this year, CAC and the Indio Senior Center co-hosted ‘Travel Training’ that was quite successful. Sunline provided the speaker, materials, and a bus for some interactive education, while CAC and the Indio Senior Center furnished the site, audience, and refreshments.

Another goal of the training was to let people see how accessible and friendly the “fixed route” can be. One woman in particular was exceptionally pleased with what she learned. She had not ridden a bus for years and had only gotten out with the assistance of neighbors and friends. When she discovered that the steps of the bus lowered to the curb to facilitate access, and that she could choose to use the wheelchair lift to board and alight, she was ready to go shopping on her own that very day.

One Victory

Can you imagine contracting an illness that leaves you totally blind? I don’t think anyone can, unless it has happen to you. One person, with the assistance and patience of a relative, and participation in Community Access Center programs, is well on his way to independent living.

First, he needed transitional training, a threshold ramp, and an environmental control unit, among other tools that were of equal importance. We worked with two companies that carried the tools he needed, called for costs, and found resources to share the cost of purchasing the needed items. Our consumer’s environmental control unit (ECU) includes a remote control wireless button switch, appliance controller and modules, and a set-up video. He also needed a speakerphone, a bed controller interface, and a sip/puff switch and flexible stand. The Special Circumstances Program shared the cost with Community Access Center in obtaining the tools to assist him in becoming more independent. Since then, he has moved out of the institution where he was living and into his own home.

Crime Victims with Disabilities Initiative Program

Historically, victims of crime have been denied full participation in the criminal justice process. Crime victims with disabilities and their families are even less likely to reap the benefits of the criminal justice system. Limited information exists regarding the criminal victimization of people with disabilities, because these crimes are rarely reported to police. Of those that are reported and lead to an investigation and an arrest, very few are prosecuted. Often when victim services are provided, they may be inappropriate due to inadequate training of victim service providers.

The disability rights movement has and continues to work diligently to ensure that people with disabilities are able to contribute their considerable talents to society. But, criminal victimization frequently compounds the existing problems caused by a lack of accessibility to basic social services, poverty, institutionalization, and other barriers to equal rights. A crime that would be damaging to an able bodied person is a devastating blow to a person with a disability. Frequently, the victimization may exacerbate existing health or mental health problems, or it is the criminal assault itself that results in a disability. Statistics show that 48.1 percent of the perpetrators of sexual abuse against persons with disabilities have gained access to their victims through disability services, perpetrated by family members, acquaintances, strangers, institutional personnel, and caregivers.

The National Organization for Victim Assistance says most issues that confront crime victims with disabilities are issues that affect all crime victims. Underreporting of crimes may occur because of mobility or communication barriers, the social or physical isolation of the victim, self-blame and a feeling of shame, ignorance of the justice system, or the perpetrator being a family member or caregiver. And, in those instances where the crime was reported, the reporting agency often failed the victim. These are some of the social and legal issues the Crime Victims with Disabilities Initiative/(COPS)Crime Outreach & Prosecution Strategies of Community Access Center will address.

If you or someone you know that has been a victim of a crime call Wayne (909)274-0358 Voice (909)274-0834 TTY. (All calls are kept confidential.)

Sexually Health Education for Deaf Women

What for? The California Wellness Foundation PAH! Help and support to Riverside Community Access Center (CAC) to Deaf ASL teachers will teach about sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in Riverside County.

For Who?

The Riverside Community Access Center (CAC) looking for deaf women; who choice to have sexually actives. If happen when deaf sick. Many deaf women have STD.

Need Help! How?

Deaf women must call TDD or come visit our Community Access Center. CAC will have American Sign Language (ASL) teachers will help and teach deaf women to understand why and where the pain (STD) comes from. Deaf women will learn more about how to take care of themselves and will have better health.

Do What?

• ASL teacher and deaf women will go see doctor office
• Will have ASL support group and counselor
• Will have ASL TV video and picture
• Will have ASL question and answer about Sexually Health ED.
• PAH!!! Understand better, you will

If you have any question or need talk to your group or involved on health issue to deaf women, call Bridgette Jones at (909) 274-0834 TDD, or (909) 274-0358 Voice. For more information, call the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national STD hotlines: (800)227-8922 English/Voice
(800) 344-7432 Español/Voz
(800) 243-7889 TTY

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