OITS

...of interest to siblings 



July 1, 2009

Disability related events in July

Hi sibs...here are some events that you might like to meet up with others at
and/or bring your sibling to. If you are planning on attending any of these
events please let us know on this listserv. For the disability pride parade
a good place to meet would be in front of the Sidley Building on Dearborn,
just south of Madison St. There are nice benches for people to sit. If
anyone is planning on going let us know as Katie one of our members can meet
up with you to show you where the post parade celebration will be or you can
just walk on your own to the Daley Plaza.
  
To: SIBS—Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters
 
There are three events in July that you may be interested in attending. 
Feel free to spread the word to others.
 
July 12th at 12:30pm in the Pierce Hall Auditorium at the First United
Methodist Church in Chicago — 77 W. Washington Street
Erasing the Distance: The People I Know is a 90-minute theatrical experience
capturing the heartbreak and hope associated with mental illness, featuring
five true stories performed by professional actors.  This thought provoking
performance will spark discussion, so plan to stay for the post-show
dialogue.  Food and drinks will be provided prior to the performance and
mental health resources will be shared.  This event is in partnership with
the Fine Arts Committee.  Please make accommodation requests at least one
week prior to performance by contacting Katie at kkeiling@uic.edu or
312-505-0136.
 
July 24th from 6-9pm in the James Parlor at the First United Methodist
Church in Chicago — 77 W. Washington Street
The Disability Community Open Mic is an annual event where people in the
disability community come to listen and share their thoughts, poems, and
writings about the disability experience.  This is a fun way to learn about
disability culture and we strongly encourage members of our congregation to
attend.  Food and drinks will be provided during the event.  
July 25th is the 6th Annual Disability Pride Parade!  Come watch the Disability Pride Parade—bring your family and friends!  The
overall mission of the Disability Pride Parade is to change the way people
think about and define disability; to break down the internalized shame
among people with disabilities; and to promote the belief in society that
disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity that people
living with disabilities can take pride in.  The parade kicks off at 11am
from Van Buren St and marches north on Dearborn to Washington St , ending at
Daley Plaza . About 40 disability groups and organizations march in the
parade and anyone is welcome to watch and cheer.  There is a fun post-parade
celebration with music, performance, and speakers in Daley Plaza .  There
are also exhibit booths where The Chicago Temple will have a booth to share
information about our church.    
 
A float in the Disability Pride Parade
 

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June 26, 2009

Arc Update and A Disgraceful Budget

June 26, 2009
 
 Leaders in The Arc:
 
 Yesterday late afternoon I was able to
attend a solemn vigil at Seguin Services in Cicero . About 100
advocates gathered to pray together to save our services. Clergy,
people with disabilities, families and advocates were very
powerful. They will be there until the end of the fiscal year on
Tuesday, June 30th. The vigil is held twice a day at
10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. Join them if you can.
 
 Further down the road in Brookfield ,
Community Support Services is also holding a vigil from 4:00 p.m.
until 10:00 p.m. I joined with their team to take the message of
Save our Services to the streets. I appreciate their
advocacy and actions!
 
 Wednesday night in downtown Rockford , over
1,500 people turned out for a massive Human Services Rally!
 
 In Peoria , Charlotte Cronin and other
Human Service Advocates met with the Editorial Board of the Peoria
Star Journal! Check out all of the letters to the editorial in the
PSJ. Well done Charlotte and advocates in Peoria !
 
 This morning I head to Park Lawn for a
Legislative Forum which begins at 11:00 a.m. The Forum is co-hosted
by Park Lawn and the Good Shepherd Center .
 
 You are making a difference! Keep up our
advocacy for human services in Illinois !
 
 Tony Paulauski
 
The Arc of Illinois
 
815-464-1832
 
 Forum: State lawmakers, please raise my
income taxes
 
 
 
Posted Jun 24, 2009 @ 10:30 PM
 
 Last week I watched as a crowd gathered at
the Bureau County Courthouse. Disabled citizens in wheelchairs,
young mothers with their children in tow and staffers at various
public service concerns expressed their fear at what's
happening in Springfield . I thought, sure our
leaders won't let this happen
 
 This past winter I watched as our former
governor closed state parks. While Gov. Blagojevich tried to
pressure campaign contributors, he was quick to send state
employees into the streets. The Legislature intervened. Good for
them.
 
 My wife has had the privilege of working
for the Illinois Department of Human Services
 
-John
_________
John Kramer
jkrame3@gmail.com
312-436-1839

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June 23, 2009

SLN Policy Advocacy-Related on 6/23/2009: IL Update: Arc and S.O.S. Save Our Services

There had been a flurry of emails going on the budget cuts in IL.
These have very real implications and we should watch this closely.
There are sibs on this list who have been pretty actively involved in
getting the word out.
 
-John
Here are some excellent interviews about the "doomsday" budget. Do not
miss the S.O.S. youtube video below.
 
Click below for Sunday's ABC 7 Disability reporter Karen Meyer story
on the impact of the state budget cuts:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/channel?section=news/disability_issues&id=5755440
 
Dr. Nyre, CEO, the Hope Institute for Children and Families was
interviewed at length by Jim Leach on WMAY radio.  We have obtained
the files and uploaded them to YouTube.  Links are below:
Part One: 
Part Two: 
 
Total listening time for the two parts is about 16 minutes, but it is
worth the listen!
News story on Springfield press conference on "doomsday" budget

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June 23, 2009

SLN Policy Advocacy-Related on 6/23/2009: Fwd: Sign IARF Petition to "Save Our Services"

Please sign this and forward on to others.
 
Tara Kosieniak
www.sibsnetwork.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AdultSibsNet/
 
Ladies and Gentleman:
 
In response to the massive display of grassroots activity by you, your
colleagues, friends, and family  members throughout Illinois in
opposing cuts to community services for persons with developmental
disabilities and mental illness, there has been an unprecedented focus
in the media on community services.  The list of individuals who are
concerned about cuts to community services grows daily.
 
At this time, IARF wants to thank you for all of your hard work over
the Spring and to ask you to continue the fight!  In order to continue
to help facilitate our collective grassroots efforts, we've prepared
an online petition that asks Governor Quinn and the General Assembly
to "Save Our Services!"  The link to the survey is below.  We are
asking you to send the link to all of your colleagues, friends, family
members, and anyone you can think of who wants to make sure funding
for community services and supports for persons with developmental
disabilities and mental illness.  We have a signature goal of 10,000
and we know we can get their soon!
 
IARF Petition to Save our Services!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-our-services

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June 14, 2009

OITS Update on 6/14- My Brothers are Not Pork

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/14/742019/-My-Brothers-are-not-pork!

They are getting ready to throw people like my brothers, three men with intellectual disabilities, under the bus in IL.  Budget cuts are looming and my brothers are just pawns in the battle.  I have been outraged for the last 11 years since my Mom died and I started to really learn how the so called system in IL fails people.  Here in IL we are ranked 51st in the nation in providing community services to people with disabilities.  That is right we are dead last and we are going to cut more, alot more.  There is some pork in the budget but even if they took all the pork out a tax increase at least on temporary baisis will be required to avoid these horrible cuts.  If nothing changes the agency that provides services to my brothers will be forced to lay off up to 75 staff and cut services for 300 people.  This will happen all over the state.  See the letters my sister I and wrote below the fold.

Here is a letter/email that my sister Margaret sent out:

As most of you know I have three brothers with mental disabilities one of which also suffers from a serious mental illness.  They are all clients of Pioneer Center for Human Services here in McHenry County and have been for 11 years.  Through the services they have been provided by Pioneer they have achieved many successes.  All three have part time jobs in the community and are now well integrated into their individual communities.  As you probably have heard cuts up to 50% to Human Services are in the Doomsday Budget which is now on the governors desk.  These cuts will, if nothing changes, take place on July 1st.

Today I received a letter from Lorraine Kopczynski, President and CEO of Pioneer Center.  She reports that these cuts are estimated at $4 million for Pioneer (1/3 to 1/4 of their entire budget).

Some of  the programs affected include: DT training, regular work through Pioneer Industries, Supported Employment, Respite for families,  CILA group homes for DD individuals including Curran, Harvard, Johnsburg Manke, Marengo, Ponca and Schroeder (my brother Patrick lives in Marengo), senior care, early intervention and Home bases services.  Grants for mental health which are on the chopping block include group homes, (Clay, Jackson, Lawndale, Madison, Wheeler).  My brother Michael lives in the Madison group home.  PsychoSocial Rehab, Community Case Management and the MI vocational Center.  Medicaid for mental health could also be cut by 50%.

Lorraine also states, "This is the worst case scenario and politicians are playing games, with social service agencies being used as a bargaining tool.  

In my conversations with my legislators, Jack Franks and Pam Althoff, they put the ball in the govenor's lap and then when I called the governor's office they put the ball in the legislators lap.  It appears that our most vulnerable citizens are being used as pawns in a political game.

Two days ago I talked to my brother Patrick and he said there were rumors among Pioneer clients that Pioneer is closing.  When I dropped off my brother Michael, after an outing today one of his roommates was frantically talking about the budget cuts.  This must be very scary for the clients of Pioneer as well as those of other agencies.  Pioneer is in better shape than many agencies - many of which are in danger of closing.  Payments due them from the state are already 6 to 9 months late.  Our daughter, Carla, who works at a social service agency in Chicago is also at risk of losing her job as are many others who work at barely living wages to care for the clients of their agencies.  

Illinois ranks 51st in funding for individuals with disabilities.  There are at present 17,000 people on waiting lists - many for a decade or more.  Illinois continues to fund large institutions when it has been demonstrated that most disabled individuals function better in a small community setting at 1/2 the cost.  

Please contact your legislators, the Governor Quinn, Speaker Madigan and Minority Leader Tom Cross if you feel these vulnerable citizens deserve better than this.  Please forward this on to anyone who might be interested.

Thank you.

Margaret Fox-Hawthorne

I wrote this to the Tribune but they did not print it.  They are against a tax increase for pretty much any reason.

Dear Editor:

Thanks for the congratulations to the citizens of Illinois. Sorry, I am just not feeling celebratory.  What do I tell my three brothers whose services will be cut?  Marty, Patrick and Michael "you have no worth or importance, you are merely a budget pawn."  You after all are just men with developmental disabilities and Michael you are worth even less because you have a severe mental illness.  Michael you are just lucky you are not out on the street or in jail like many people with mental illness in this state.  Sorry guys you live in a state that is 51st in the country in funding community based services.  You come last guys.  You are less important that a roof on a church or a gazebo in Willowbrook.  No one cares that your services allowed you to have jobs and pay taxes and live in the community.

What do I tell my sister and her husband who have sacrificed so much to support my brothers?  You do not do enough, who cares if you have done the right thing and supported your brothers after your parents passed away.  So what if it limited your careers and decreased your chances at a comfortable retirement.  

What do I tell all the other families who are struggling?  What do I tell the 17,000 plus people on the waiting list for services?  What do I tell my niece who works in the field and barely makes a living wage?  I guess I tell them tough luck you live in a state that is morally bankrupt.  

Nora Fox Handler

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