It seems like an easy question, but if you ask five people what advocacy is, you’ll get five very different responses. Advocacy can be thought of as giving active support for a cause or position. Advocacy can be done by an individual or by an advocacy group, and may be motivated by morality, ethics, faith, self-interest, etc. Advocacy can also take many forms: from dousing people in fur jackets with red paint, to sending mailings entreating one to preserve the planet and its resources, to offering personal testimony at a public hearing.
Why is advocacy important?
Advocacy is important because YOU are important. Despite the progress made in our society over the years, many people still experience inequality in their lives, or see unfairness that compels them to action. You may feel like advocating for certain causes or people at times. As long as you are respectful in your advocacy, go for it! Advocacy reinforces the idea that we all have a voice, and we will be heard. Remember, many people may not be aware of the injustices you see or experience in your life, and advocacy is a great way to change attitudes and misconceptions.
What do you need to advocate?
All you need to advocate is an idea, a strong commitment to a cause, and the willingness to learn all there is to know about the issue. Remember: you always have the right to ask questions about why something is the way it is, and what can be done about it. Your rights as a human being are just as important as anyone else’s. Advocating gives you an opportunity to address an issue that is important to you, and allows you to learn more about the world you live in.
Why advocacy at RCIL?
RCIL has offered advocacy services for over 27 years. This includes advocacy on an individual level (advocating for a person to receive services), and on a systemic level (advocating for greater access to home and community based services). RCIL engages in advocacy because, although our country has progressed in the way it treats persons with disabilities, there is still a bias toward segregation and isolation, and a lack of access. That is something we want to change.
What do you want to change?
- Quinton
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
3 Steps to Making a Difference in Politics
With everything that’s going on in your life, it may not seem like you can change anything that’s wrong in your life or the world. You may believe that no one wants to hear your story or that you might know the best way to make the world just a little easier. Keep reading to find out some steps to take when you’re ready to be heard. It’s not nearly as hard as you might think.
1. Remember that your voice counts
It may seem a little surprising, but elected officials like hearing from people that live in their districts about what’s important to them. Yes, special interests and powerful people are often good at finding ways to have their voices heard by decision-makers. But, since we live in democracy – a millionaire gets one vote.
And so do you.
If you’re 18 or older, you can probably vote. (There are some restrictions in New York). If you want to sign-up on-line, see http://www.elections.state.ny.us/Voting.html.
Better yet, have a friend or family member sign-up too and when November comes, you’ll have someone to go to the polls with you. Once you’re there, there’s information how to vote. Plenty of people ask questions, so don’t be afraid to mention that you’re not sure what to do. If you’d like we can also help you fill out the forms at RCIL. Just call us at 797-4642.
2. Decide what’s important to you
Everyone has issues or programs, and ideas that they think are important. Maybe for you, you see that your child’s school needs more money or that there aren’t enough jobs for everyone in your neighborhood or that you can’t get your mom out of the nursing home.
It’s helpful to find out more information about the issues that you think are important. One of the best ways to learn more is to read, listen or watch the news. If you want even more information, you can read on-line or go to your local library and ask for some guidance from the reference desk.
If you’ve figured out what is wrong, and even better, a good way to fix it, you’re ready for the next step.
3. Take action!
Once you know what’s important, you can…
Send information to your network
If there’s an issue that important to you, start talking about it with your friends and family. Post information on Facebook. Start a text that can be forwarded. It’s very helpful if you can tell them what action to take.
Write a letter to your elected officials
You can look up on-line to see who the right official is. See http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
In your letter, say why you are writing and who you are and provide your e-mail or home address. Provide factual details, if you can. If there is a certain bill or program involved, be sure to name it correctly. Also, provide specific rather than general information about how the topic affects you and others. End your letter, by requesting the action you want the official to take (for example, voting for a bill or asking for a change in policy).
Start a petition
There are plenty of on-line tools, such as http://www.change.org/ that make it really easy to gather other people that believe in the same idea that you do and collect signatures (mini votes) to bring to an elected official – a senator, congressman, the governor or even the president.
Ask RCIL for local and regional opportunities
If you’re new to making a difference, you can always ask for assistance from someone at RCIL. We have advocates with experience in finding ways for your voice to be heard. If you’re interested in learning more, we’d be happy to talk with you.
- Ellen
1. Remember that your voice counts
It may seem a little surprising, but elected officials like hearing from people that live in their districts about what’s important to them. Yes, special interests and powerful people are often good at finding ways to have their voices heard by decision-makers. But, since we live in democracy – a millionaire gets one vote.
And so do you.
If you’re 18 or older, you can probably vote. (There are some restrictions in New York). If you want to sign-up on-line, see http://www.elections.state.ny.us/Voting.html.
Better yet, have a friend or family member sign-up too and when November comes, you’ll have someone to go to the polls with you. Once you’re there, there’s information how to vote. Plenty of people ask questions, so don’t be afraid to mention that you’re not sure what to do. If you’d like we can also help you fill out the forms at RCIL. Just call us at 797-4642.
2. Decide what’s important to you
Everyone has issues or programs, and ideas that they think are important. Maybe for you, you see that your child’s school needs more money or that there aren’t enough jobs for everyone in your neighborhood or that you can’t get your mom out of the nursing home.
It’s helpful to find out more information about the issues that you think are important. One of the best ways to learn more is to read, listen or watch the news. If you want even more information, you can read on-line or go to your local library and ask for some guidance from the reference desk.
If you’ve figured out what is wrong, and even better, a good way to fix it, you’re ready for the next step.
3. Take action!
Once you know what’s important, you can…
Send information to your network
If there’s an issue that important to you, start talking about it with your friends and family. Post information on Facebook. Start a text that can be forwarded. It’s very helpful if you can tell them what action to take.
Write a letter to your elected officials
You can look up on-line to see who the right official is. See http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
In your letter, say why you are writing and who you are and provide your e-mail or home address. Provide factual details, if you can. If there is a certain bill or program involved, be sure to name it correctly. Also, provide specific rather than general information about how the topic affects you and others. End your letter, by requesting the action you want the official to take (for example, voting for a bill or asking for a change in policy).
Start a petition
There are plenty of on-line tools, such as http://www.change.org/ that make it really easy to gather other people that believe in the same idea that you do and collect signatures (mini votes) to bring to an elected official – a senator, congressman, the governor or even the president.
Ask RCIL for local and regional opportunities
If you’re new to making a difference, you can always ask for assistance from someone at RCIL. We have advocates with experience in finding ways for your voice to be heard. If you’re interested in learning more, we’d be happy to talk with you.
- Ellen
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Adult Day Services - A win-win-win solution
Most people as they age want to remain living in their home even when they need assistance. There are many studies that reveal that older people fear losing their independence and moving to a nursing home more than they fear death. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of a unique service that can allow your family member to be cared for during the day while you work easing the challenges of care.
Adult Day Services provides coordinated, compassionate, and professional care for your family member who can no longer be safe on their own. These services include door to door transportation, social and therapeutic activities, meals, and personal care. Adult Day Services allows spouses, children and other caregivers the ability to both care for their family member and have time to work or complete needed chores without fear. This is a compassionate service which can save people numerous disruptive moves in and out of care facilities or eventual settlement in a nursing home.
Adult Day Services is not only a humane alternative to nursing home care but is also tremendously cost-effective and saves tax payers millions of dollars every year. While nursing homes cost over $200 per day, Adult Day Services costs around $70 per day - nearly 1/3 the cost. Health care reformers should take serious notice of this.
With the continued growth in the baby boomer generation and the natural increase demand for long-term care service, public and political awareness of community-based services such as Adult Day Services will play an important role in ensuring individuals age in place. Our seniors deserve dignity without the fear of a loss of independence or an impending departure to a nursing home.
Adult Day Service is an excellent choice for many families:
• Individuals can age in place – the clear preference for most people
• Caregivers have the best of both worlds – caring for their family member, but retaining their independence
• Taxpayers pay 1/3 the cost of nursing home costs thus saving millions
For more information on Adult Day Services, go to the National Adult Day Services Association Website at www.NADSA.org. For information on Adult Day Services in Oneida County contact Michelle Murphy, Director of Elderly Services at 797-4642.
- Ken M.
Adult Day Services provides coordinated, compassionate, and professional care for your family member who can no longer be safe on their own. These services include door to door transportation, social and therapeutic activities, meals, and personal care. Adult Day Services allows spouses, children and other caregivers the ability to both care for their family member and have time to work or complete needed chores without fear. This is a compassionate service which can save people numerous disruptive moves in and out of care facilities or eventual settlement in a nursing home.
Adult Day Services is not only a humane alternative to nursing home care but is also tremendously cost-effective and saves tax payers millions of dollars every year. While nursing homes cost over $200 per day, Adult Day Services costs around $70 per day - nearly 1/3 the cost. Health care reformers should take serious notice of this.
With the continued growth in the baby boomer generation and the natural increase demand for long-term care service, public and political awareness of community-based services such as Adult Day Services will play an important role in ensuring individuals age in place. Our seniors deserve dignity without the fear of a loss of independence or an impending departure to a nursing home.
Adult Day Service is an excellent choice for many families:
• Individuals can age in place – the clear preference for most people
• Caregivers have the best of both worlds – caring for their family member, but retaining their independence
• Taxpayers pay 1/3 the cost of nursing home costs thus saving millions
For more information on Adult Day Services, go to the National Adult Day Services Association Website at www.NADSA.org. For information on Adult Day Services in Oneida County contact Michelle Murphy, Director of Elderly Services at 797-4642.
- Ken M.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Earning a dollar an hour?
Would you work for less than a dollar an hour?
As a recent report from the National Disability Rights Network reports, for 3 out of every 4 individuals with a developmental disability, participation at a “sheltered workshop” is the best option offered for employment.
A dollar an hour?
How is that even legal?
Our current labor laws allows for some exemptions for employers of people with disabilities that can pay as little as 10% of the minimum wage which means that many individuals in our communities are working for less than a dollar an hour. Reports on “sheltered workshops” show that these workers may take home about $175 a month.
Although the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) was intended to provide broad protection against discrimination, individuals with disabilities have continued to be marginalized and be encouraged to participate in these “training programs”. Often taught non-transferrable skills, these dead end jobs provide no opportunity for advancement, interaction with non-disabled age peers or an expectation of self-sufficiency.
The original “sheltered workshops” started in 1840.
When we wore corsets, churned butter, and drove horse and buggies.
When women couldn’t vote.
And when slavery was still legal in many states.
Thankfully in so many other ways, humanity has grown to understand that all people have value and have something to offer to the world. It’s pretty simple – segregation and exploitation cannot and should not be justified.
And a dollar an hour for work is not acceptable.
As a recent report from the National Disability Rights Network reports, for 3 out of every 4 individuals with a developmental disability, participation at a “sheltered workshop” is the best option offered for employment.
A dollar an hour?
How is that even legal?
Our current labor laws allows for some exemptions for employers of people with disabilities that can pay as little as 10% of the minimum wage which means that many individuals in our communities are working for less than a dollar an hour. Reports on “sheltered workshops” show that these workers may take home about $175 a month.
Although the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) was intended to provide broad protection against discrimination, individuals with disabilities have continued to be marginalized and be encouraged to participate in these “training programs”. Often taught non-transferrable skills, these dead end jobs provide no opportunity for advancement, interaction with non-disabled age peers or an expectation of self-sufficiency.
The original “sheltered workshops” started in 1840.
When we wore corsets, churned butter, and drove horse and buggies.
When women couldn’t vote.
And when slavery was still legal in many states.
Thankfully in so many other ways, humanity has grown to understand that all people have value and have something to offer to the world. It’s pretty simple – segregation and exploitation cannot and should not be justified.
And a dollar an hour for work is not acceptable.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Help knock down the barriers of misconception and misinformation
"Disabled worker" really sounds like a contradictory term. Yet at many companies (including RCIL), we have colleagues with some type of disability. They are very productive in roles from administrative assistant to directing programs.
There are 13.5 million1 Americans who currently receive either Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability payments with much potential that is being stymied by misconceptions and misinformation. A sobering fact is that about one in three persons who are disabled lives below the poverty level.
Can we still be the "land of opportunity" for all?
The recent economic environment has made it difficult for anyone to obtain a job. However, as our businesses begin again to hire, persons with disabilities who have the will should be able to pursue their life’s goals.
Prospective workers should be aware there are actually many tax advantages that employers can obtain by hiring persons with disabilities. These include the Disability Access Credit, Barrier Removal Tax Deduction, and the Work Opportunity Credit.
Persons who return to work can continue to receive much of their benefits under what are known as work incentives. The Social Security Administration is under pressure from Congress to improve the rate of those who progress from the disability roles to self sufficiency through employment. As a result new incentives are being made available. We will bring these to you in future posts.
RCIL, like other Independent Living Centers across the country, runs programs named Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) and Ticket to Work. They can provide a range of supports from information about how monthly benefits would or would not be affected, to job coaching. You may also contact The Social Security Administration at 1 (800) 772-1213 or search http://www.socialsecurity.gov/.
So follow us.
Be in the know.
And help others be in the know.
- Dave L.
1www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/index.html
There are 13.5 million1 Americans who currently receive either Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability payments with much potential that is being stymied by misconceptions and misinformation. A sobering fact is that about one in three persons who are disabled lives below the poverty level.
Can we still be the "land of opportunity" for all?
The recent economic environment has made it difficult for anyone to obtain a job. However, as our businesses begin again to hire, persons with disabilities who have the will should be able to pursue their life’s goals.
Prospective workers should be aware there are actually many tax advantages that employers can obtain by hiring persons with disabilities. These include the Disability Access Credit, Barrier Removal Tax Deduction, and the Work Opportunity Credit.
Persons who return to work can continue to receive much of their benefits under what are known as work incentives. The Social Security Administration is under pressure from Congress to improve the rate of those who progress from the disability roles to self sufficiency through employment. As a result new incentives are being made available. We will bring these to you in future posts.
RCIL, like other Independent Living Centers across the country, runs programs named Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) and Ticket to Work. They can provide a range of supports from information about how monthly benefits would or would not be affected, to job coaching. You may also contact The Social Security Administration at 1 (800) 772-1213 or search http://www.socialsecurity.gov/.
So follow us.
Be in the know.
And help others be in the know.
- Dave L.
1www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/index.html
Friday, February 4, 2011
Far better for your wallet than a "get rich quick scheme" - The Volunteer Income Tax Program
The Mohawk Valley Asset Building Coalition, a partnership of agencies in Herkimer and Oneida Counties, seeks to increase the availability of free tax preparation assistance through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.
The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $49,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Trained community volunteers may help with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, VITA sites also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in half the time compared to returns filed on paper – even faster when tax refunds are deposited directly into one's bank account.
Certified volunteers sponsored by Mohawk Valley Asset Building Coalition partner agencies receive training to help prepare basic tax returns across the Mohawk Valley.
For more information about VITA locations, or the Mohawk Valley Asset Building Coalition, please contact Danell Libby, Project Coordinator at (315) 797-4642.
The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $49,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Trained community volunteers may help with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, VITA sites also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in half the time compared to returns filed on paper – even faster when tax refunds are deposited directly into one's bank account.
Certified volunteers sponsored by Mohawk Valley Asset Building Coalition partner agencies receive training to help prepare basic tax returns across the Mohawk Valley.
For more information about VITA locations, or the Mohawk Valley Asset Building Coalition, please contact Danell Libby, Project Coordinator at (315) 797-4642.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
No one ever says “When I grow up, I want to live in a nursing home”
I once worked for 34-year old man with a spinal cord injury who was diagnosed with a serious infection. Rather than go to the hospital and be discharged to a nursing home for an undetermined period of time, he decided to decline medical care and, in his words, “die at home”. Our failure in the long-term care system is forcing young people to choose between a life of isolation or death. In a country that prides itself on freedom and choice, we are robbing persons with disabilities of both.
Young people can end up in nursing homes for a variety of reasons – brain or spinal injuries, disabilities from birth including developmental disabilities, and complex medical conditions. Often, as a young person becomes older their care needs become more complex and family caregivers do not have the financial or emotional reserves to look after them. It’s not easy for the person or the family. But the long-term care system prioritizes nursing home care over home and community-based supports, regardless of individual preference. And so, in New York more than 6,000 young people under age 21, and thousands more in their early 20s are forced to live in nursing homes.
Alone.
Without friends. Without family.
It’s strange that nursing home care is a mandatory item under the Medicaid program, while cost-effective home and community based alternatives are not.
We owe more to our young people than to place them in facilities designed to manage end-of-life events and remove them from the presence of family and friends. We need to develop sustainable opportunities for people to have a choice in where they live and how they receive care. We need to urge legislators that state and other agencies need to be held accountable for forcing young persons into segregated facilities like chattle, and that home and community based services can offer a viable solution to escalating Medicaid costs. More than that, we need to work together towards a shared vision for young persons with disabilities that allow them to be vibrant, healthy, and contributing members of the community. We owe at least that much to the thousands of young people who are living in remote facilities across the country, hoping to one day return to where they belong.
- Quinton
Young people can end up in nursing homes for a variety of reasons – brain or spinal injuries, disabilities from birth including developmental disabilities, and complex medical conditions. Often, as a young person becomes older their care needs become more complex and family caregivers do not have the financial or emotional reserves to look after them. It’s not easy for the person or the family. But the long-term care system prioritizes nursing home care over home and community-based supports, regardless of individual preference. And so, in New York more than 6,000 young people under age 21, and thousands more in their early 20s are forced to live in nursing homes.
Alone.
Without friends. Without family.
It’s strange that nursing home care is a mandatory item under the Medicaid program, while cost-effective home and community based alternatives are not.
We owe more to our young people than to place them in facilities designed to manage end-of-life events and remove them from the presence of family and friends. We need to develop sustainable opportunities for people to have a choice in where they live and how they receive care. We need to urge legislators that state and other agencies need to be held accountable for forcing young persons into segregated facilities like chattle, and that home and community based services can offer a viable solution to escalating Medicaid costs. More than that, we need to work together towards a shared vision for young persons with disabilities that allow them to be vibrant, healthy, and contributing members of the community. We owe at least that much to the thousands of young people who are living in remote facilities across the country, hoping to one day return to where they belong.
- Quinton
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