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Selected stories from “RespectAbility” Newsletter (Text Only)
HEADLINE: Being The Boss
SUB-HEAD: Doug & Patti Rose operate not one, but two home businesses
TEXT:
“It isn't for the faint of heart,” admitted Doug Rose of being a person with a disability who runs his own business. “You have to be disciplined, organized, and highly motivated.”
Doug and his wife of 15 years, Patti, have run a pair of businesses out of their McKinleyville home for the past five years. Through Rose Communications Services, the couple teach people with visual impairments the use of Braille and various pieces of screen reading software. Rosepond Aquatics is a company which creates backyard ponds and grows pond plants like lilies, marginals, and cattails. The Rose's then sell these pond plants to several local distributors, including; A&L Feed Garden & Pet Supplies, Mad River Gardens , Miller Farms, Shafer's Ace Hardware, Pierson's Building Supply, and the Fin-N-Feather pet store.
“Running your own business is not for everyone,” said Doug, who explained that the upside is that you set your own hours, structure your own work environment, and are your own boss. The downside, on the other hand, is the lack of a steady paycheck that comes with being someone else's employee. “But it has worked for me.”
Doug was born with retinal cancer, which left him blind in his right eye and with partial vision in his left. The optic nerve in his right eye was removed when he was five-months old and he underwent radiation treatments so that he could keep his left eye. This, however, was only a temporary fix as the cancer came out of remission and the optic nerve of his left eye was removed when he was five-years old.
“It's not uncommon for cancer to return after radiation treatments,” said Doug, who underwent surgery again on his lower left eye lid in December because the cancer had returned again. In this case, his eyelid was removed and he faces still another surgery in February (this occurred after the “RespectAbility” deadline).
Doug, however, is a survivor and seems relatively unfazed by this, as he continues to pour himself into his life and work; just as he has done his entire life.
The 47-year was born and raised on a farm in Homer, Nebraska . The youngest of six children, Doug attended the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped, where he was a member of the wrestling team when he wasn't busy with academics.
He began his college education at the University of Nebraska before transferring to Long Beach State University , where he received his Bachelor's in General Psychology in 1984.
Doug's interest and knowledge in various pieces of screen reading softwares led to a job in the Long Beach State Hi-Tech Center. It was here that he began assisting other people with visual impairments to learn how to use the first generations of screen reading softwares; he eventually parlayed these experiences into Rose Communication Services.
“I've always been into technology,” he acknowledged. “I've always enjoyed how much it does to help people” with visual impairments.
A stint as a telephone tech support operator followed at Packard Bell before Doug met and ultimately married Patti. After moving to Humboldt County , he found another job as a telephone tech support operator with Net Help.
“I had to do a lot of memorizing for these jobs,” he said. “But if you're around computers enough, it becomes intuit.”
In 1999, Doug was hired by the Humboldt Access Project (which later became Tri-County Independent Living), where he worked as an Independent Living Specialist and Assistive Technology Advocate for two years. A stint as the Information and Outreach Specialist with the North Coast Lighthouse for the Blind followed that before he found his current niche running his own businesses.
“Patti and I are like so many other people in Humboldt County in that we work a couple of jobs to survive,” Doug said. “I've gotten used to living this way and I like it.”
HEADLINE: Suggestion Box
TEXT:
Because it is important to us to hear about what is important to you, Tri-County Independent Living has implemented a Suggestion Box program.
Suggestion forms are available in the Tri-County office. Please feel free to offer suggestions, tell us how you think we're doing or mention anything else on your mind.
At the bottom of each form is a place for us to give a response to you. These forms will be posted on a bulletin board at our center so that you may read what others have to say or to see the response to your letter.
HEADLINE: Tri-County Independent Living Contact Info and Mission Statement
TEXT:
Tri-County Independent Living
955 Myrtle Avenue , Eureka , CA. 95501
707-445-8404 (Voice)
1-877-576-5000 (Toll Free)
707-445-9751 (FAX)
707-445-8405 (TTY)
Mission Statement
To promote the philosophy of independent living, to connect individuals to services, and to create an accessible community, so that people with disabilities can have control over their lives and full access to the communities in which they live.
SCI: News On Wheels
Emergency Preparedness
TEXT:
By Donnice Hildreth, Spinal Cord
Injury Support Group
Disabled? Mobility problems? Cognitive deficits? What does one do in a major disaster event?
According to The American Red Cross, there are at least 10 important steps that should be followed:
1) Know the kinds of disasters that occur in your area, and how the environment will look after the disaster hits.
2) Complete a personal assessment, including: what type of assistance will you need (before, during, and after a disaster), your capabilities, limitations; explore transportation issues to get to an Emergency Shelter; and, how much assistance will you need to provide your basic care.
3) Create a personal support network, including: a list of neighbors, friends, and co-workers who can be contacted at a moment's notice to assist you; and your medical/evacuation plans.
4) Make an emergency information list. Include out-of-town contact names with telephone numbers, as well as your personal network.
5) Compile a medical information list, including: the name, address and phone number of your doctor; medication list with dosage specifications; and, your existing and prior conditions.
6) Keep at least a seven-day supply of medication, including: asking your pharmacist what you should do if you cannot immediately get more; and, if undergoing treatment administrated by a clinic or hospital, ask your provider how to prepare for disruption caused by a disaster.
7) Install at least one smoke alarm and know the location of utility cutoff valves. Learn how to disconnect them, or be able to instruct someone how to turn these off in the event of an emergency.
8) Complete a summary checklist, including: medical needs; evacuation plans; care plans for yourself, service animals plans; and, alternative plan to staying or evacuating a building during an emergency. Secure or remove furniture that may block your path.
9) Prepare a disaster supply kit for your home, work, automobile, and anywhere else you might spend time. It is recommended that you have an extra set of Cather supplies, gloves, personal hygiene products, and baby wipes.
10) Make your home or office safer by checking hallways, stairwells, doorways, and outer areas that may keep you from safely leaving a building during an emergency.
For more info, go to www.prepare.org. This is an excellent site that has specific recommendations for people with disabilities.
Donnice Hildreth facilitates the North Coast Spinal Cord Injury Support Group for Tri-County Independent Living.
HEADLINE: Tri-County's List of Services
TEXT:
Tri-County is an independent living center because it is a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross disability, non-residential, private non-profit agency designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities. Independent living services are designed to maximize a person's ability to live independently in the environment of their choosing. Some of the services we provide include:
Information & Referral
All too often people become confused or discouraged by the complexities of the system, and they never find out about the programs and services that might be able to help them solve their problems. Because they don't get help, bad situations tend to get worse We offer information and referral to break that cycle by providing information so that people can find out where they can turn and what they can do to help themselves.
Individual & Systems Advocacy
Our work in the community seeks to make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities by removing barriers. Individual Advocacy efforts focus on accessibility to public service, education, and benefits issues. Systems Advocacy centers on efforts to enhance and support local, state, and federal legislation on a variety of disability-related issues. These efforts attempt to reinforce and support public policies that provide opportunities for individuals to live independently.
Assistive Technology (A.T.)
We provide consumers with information, referrals, and services regarding the latest in A.T. devices that can assist them in their daily lives. These devices include everything from Velcro strips to voice recognition software, electric wheelchairs to hearing aids.
Peer Counseling
Peer Counseling offers the opportunity for individuals to work with people who have personal experience with disability issues, creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding. We offer this service either one-on-one through an Independent Living Counselor or in a small group setting.
Independent Living Skills Training
IL Skills Training provides assistance in accessing and developing the skills individuals' need in order to live independently. Skill areas may include communition, financial management, household management, accessing community services, problem solving and identifying, and using adaptive/non-adaptive equipment.
Housing Assistance
Housing assistance is designed to assist consumers to obtain or retain appropriate, accessible and affordable housing, or to move to less restrictive housing. We provide two types of housing services. One is related to assisting consumers in finding accessible and affordable housing, and the other is to assist consumers and/or relatives in modifying housing in order to meet access standards.
Other Services Offered
Living Well with a Disability Program; Outreach & Education; Assisting consumers apply for SSI, SSDI, or other benefit programs; Assisting with both PASS Plans and Heap applications; Computers For People With Disabilities Program; Bi-lingual services (se habla Espanol); Lost Coast A.T. Expo & Disability Fair; Cross Disability Peer Group; North Coast Spinal Cord Injury Support Group, and a resource-filled website at www.tilinet.org .
HEADER: Bi-Lingual Services
HEADLINE: Dorenstreich goes national
TEXT:
Tri-County Independent Living's own Mari Dorenstreich was a panelist on the hour-long "Dialogo de Costa a Costa" television show out of New York City on Wednesday, January 4th.
The hour-long show, which was broadcast live both on the HITN-TV station out of Brooklyn as well as on the internet (via Streaming Audio), was a Spanish-speaking affair which addressed the issue of "Can a person with a disability lead a normal life?"
"I feel like this was a good kind of communication because it was heard not only in New York City , but coast-to-coast," said Mari, who is an Independent Living Specialist at Tri-County and participated in the broadcast via telephone. "It went out to people who were unaware that these kinds of services are even available."
Dorenstreich was a panelist for the show along with: Maria Victoria Diaz of Closed Caption Latino; and, Stephen A. Rosenbaum of Protection & Advocacy. Each of the panelists were given the opportunity to talk about the agency they work for and the programs and services it provides. The remainder of the program was dedicated to addressing questions.
"I think this is a remarkable thing for the Hispanic community," said Chris Jones , Executive Director of Tri-County Independent Living. "Hispanic listeners get to hear about disability issues from someone with a disability and who is a positive role model."
SUB-HEAD: Inservices available
TEXT:
Would you, your organization, or your business like to have Tri-County Independent Living pay you a visit and talk about the kinds of programs and services we offer?
Tri-County offers inservice presentations to discuss its programs and services as well as talk about ways that we can all collaborate in the future. These presentations, which are free of charge, are available to anyone in the tri-county ( Humboldt , Del Norte and Trinity) region. They include information about the history of the Independent Living Movement, Independent Living Centers throughout the country, as well as all the latest information about our agency.
For more information or to set up an inservice, call 707- 445-8404.