Find Fulfillment With A Career In Special Education

Unfortunately, children who have disabilities do exist, and they need teachers who have compassion, patience, and the knowledge to help them strive to reach their potential, no matter what it is! This is the field of special education, which has grown in its importance and demand, and makes a very fulfilling career choice.

You are such a person but you also have others depending upon you to put food on the table. No worries, this is not an impossible dream! You can enroll into an online degree program and do the work from home.

First of all, you will more than likely need a Master's degree to find employment, which is required by most states and is regulated by the National Teacher's Association. Upon your completion, there will be an exam for licensing, so don't forget to research the various institutions offering degrees to make sure of their accreditation. However, if you do not have an undergraduate degree in education, you can still enroll into the special education Master's degree.

Balancing General and Special Education Services

Historically, special education services delivery was on a pull-out model. This means that the child was removed from the general education classroom for separate instruction. It may be the child was in a self-contained classroom (all day placement) or in a resource classroom (maximum of half-day placement).

As a result of lawsuits, most districts have shifted from pull-out to inclusion models for everything except speech and language, occupational and/or physical therapy, and specialized assistance for the hearing or visually impaired students. These remain pull-out because the instruction is individualized and intense for short lengths of time, usually 1-3 times per week for 15-30 minutes a session.

In the inclusion model, students receive the same instruction as their general education peers. Sometimes the special education teacher or assistant is in the classroom with the child to assist instruction and/or task completion. Most of the time, the student remains in the general education classroom and is expected to behavior and work as all other students.

Three Types of Therapy to Motivate Students

Three Types of Therapy to Motivate Students are: Touch therapy, music therapy and visual therapy. In my experience, these tools have proved beneficial in the achievement of my students.

   1. Touch therapy can be used in the classroom with wisdom. Many teachers employ touch therapy as part of the morning routine. Shaking the hand or giving a high five to each student as they walk through the door proves very beneficial in building that necessary teacher/student relationship required for learning. We must be very careful in this day and age with hugs and light touches in the regular classroom. However, with the developmentally delayed students touches are a necessary part of their learning. Lightly touching a student's hand or arm or leg can give them the stimulation they need to respond to an instruction to move. Sometimes smoothing on lotion can calm a child to get them to perform the task required. When working in preschool and especially with developmentally delayed students touch is very important. Pulling a child close or holding a hand can calm the child and get them to do the necessary task required.

Special Education Language - 10 Acronyms You Should Know

The Special Education system in Ontario has a language of its own. If you are the parent of a child who has been recently identified as exceptional by the school board, you can get lost in the language during your first school meetings. There are many acronyms that are used by school administrators and school staff and most often they don't think about the fact that parents may not understand their "language". So it's up to the parents to become knowledgeable about the language of special education. In this article, I am going to explain the meanings of ten of the most important acronyms in special education.

IEP - Individual Education Plan.

The IEP is a document that lists the strengths and needs, and the programs, services, accommodations and supports that are required by a particular student. It lists the annual goals in each alternative or modified subject area, as well as the learning expectations for each term, which are determined by the student's strengths and needs. A student does not have to be formally identified as an exceptional student to receive an IEP. But if the student is formally identified by an IPRC, it is a requirement of the Regulation 181/98 of the Education Act that they receive an IEP.

IPRC - Identification, Placement and Review Committee.

The IPRC is composed of at least three persons, one of whom must be a principal or supervisory officer of the school board. At annual meetings, where the parents are invited to attend, the committee decides whether or not the student should be identified as exceptional and if so, which category of exceptionality. They also decide on an appropriate placement for the student. The parents can either agree to the decisions, or appeal the decisions.

Educating Special Needs Children in Mainstream Schools

These days finding a special needs child in a mainstream school would be like finding an "Enter" key on a keyboard.

The concept of institutionalised care and education is almost a thing of the past. Though some circles still feel special needs kids and adults do not have a place in mainstream society, thankfully these groups are diminishing as the decades roll on.

The placement of Special needs kids in mainstream school has many benefits to the special needs child but also the school community as a whole. Mainstream school kids get to know the disabled child for the person inside the body, not the outward disability. This goes a long way to improving social acceptance of the special needs kids both now as a child in school and later as an adult in the community.

As a parent of a disabled child I often liken the use of Special School facilities to taking a bath without any water or taking a flight in a plane without wings.

Just like we need water to take a bath we also need a "normal" social setting to educate special needs kids about society and interacting in it. The use of Special Education facilities is like taking a mainstream school student to the desert to teach them to swim.

Deadbeat state: Illinois owes 5 Billion in unpaid bills - forcing businesses & non for profits to borrow money, cut jobs services

SPRINGFIELD — Drowning in deficits, Illinois has turned to a deliberate policy of not paying billions of dollars in bills for months at a time, creating a cycle of hardship and sacrifice for residents and businesses helping the state carry out some of the most important government tasks.

Once intended as a stop-gap, the months-long delay in paying bills has now become a regular part of the state’s budget management, forcing businesses and charity groups to borrow money, cut jobs and services and take on personal debt. Getting paid can be such a confusing process that it requires begging the state for money and sometimes has more to do with knowing the right people than being next in line.

As of early last month, the state owed on 166,000 unpaid bills worth a breathtaking $5 billion, with nearly half of that amount more than a month overdue and hundreds of bills dating back to 2010, according to an Associated Press analysis of state documents.

Illinois: Pace Suburban Bus (& Paratransit) 2012 Budget Presentation Online Webinar - Video Oct 14, 2011

Uploaded by PaceSuburbanBus on Oct 14, 2011



Public Hearing Locations, Dates and Times follow:



Dates and Locations





City of Chicago:



Monday, October 24, 2011

City of Chicago (North) Budget Public Hearing

11:00 am –1:00 pm

Sulzer Regional Library

4455 N. Lincoln

Chicago, IL 60625



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

City of Chicago (West) Budget Public Hearing

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Garfield Park Conservatory

Community Room

300 North Central Park Ave.

Chicago, Illinois 60624



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

City of Chicago (Southwest) Budget Public Hearing

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Arturo Velasquez

Westside Tech. Inst.

2800 S. Western Ave.

Chicago, IL 60608



Thursday, October 27, 2011

City of Chicago (South) Budget Public Hearing

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Olive Harvey College

Cafeteria

10001 S. Woodlawn

Chicago, IL 60628



Suburban:



Monday, October 17, 2011

Lake County Public Hearing

4:00pm - 6:00pm

Waukegan Public Library

Bradbury Room (lower level)

128 N. County Street

Waukegan, IL 60085



Monday, October 17, 2011

North Cook County Public Hearing

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Pace Headquarters

Board Room

550 W. Algonquin Road

Arlington Heights, IL 60005



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

McHenry County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Crystal Lake Municipal

Complex, Council Chambers

100 W. Woodstock St.

Crystal Lake, IL 60014



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Will County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Joliet Public Library

Meeting Rm. B (second level)

150 N. Ottawa St.

Joliet, IL 60432



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Kane County Public Hearing

4:30 pm -- 6:30 pm

Kane County Government Center

Auditorium, Ground Floor

719 S. Batavia Ave

Geneva, IL 60134



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Southwest Cook County Public Hearing

4:30 pm -- 6:30 pm

Oak Lawn Village Hall

Auditorium

9446 S. Raymond

Oak Lawn, IL 60453



Thursday, October 20, 2011

West Cook County Public Hearing

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Howard Mohr Community Center

7640 Jackson Blvd.

Forest Park, IL 60130



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

DuPage County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

DuPage County Government Center

Auditorium

421 N. County Farm Rd.

Wheaton, IL 60187



Thursday, October 27, 2011

South Cook County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Homewood Village Hall

Board Room

2020 Chestnut

Homewood, IL 60430



If you have any questions, please contact Pace Customer Services at (847) 364-7223 "Option 3" (voice) or 847-364-5093 (TTY)



For more on Pace Suburban Bus visit: http://www.pacebus.com/

Letters on Closing Illinois State Institutions - shared by The Arc : Oct 13, 2011

There are a number of Letters to the Editor in the Chicago Tribune today reacting to the Governor’s call to close Mabley and Jacksonville.



Community care for the disabled



Congratulations on your great Sept. 30 editorial “Moving to community care; State-run centers for the developmentally disabled are finally on the way out.”



State institutions for people with developmental disabilities that have an annual cost per resident of $181,700 a year are expenditures that the state can no longer afford.



Small, more normalized community group homes can serve almost anyone presently residing in the institutions for an average of half the money Illinois is now spending on those outmoded facilities.



Let’s start with the Jacksonville and Mabley Centers, as you suggested, and then let’s finish the job over the next few years by downsizing and closing the other six relics of outdated warehousing of people with disabilities.



— Don Moss, executive director, United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois, Springfield



State-run centers



I hope that state-run centers for the developmentally disabled are not on their way out.



There is no such thing as “one size fits all.”



Yes there should be less restrictive settings available for those who can live and flourish in those settings.



Not all can.



My daughter has lived at Shapiro Developmental Center for 26 years. Some of the staff have been there longer. She has thrived there. She needs a much more structured setting than a group home could give her and Shapiro gives her that. Members of the staff truly care about the residents they watch over and should be given salutes and not be called “entrenched union” workers.



Yes, care there might be more expensive than in a group home; but just as those who need that setting should have it, so should those who need the other setting have it as well.



— Nancie Blatt, Highland Park



Community support



The Chicago Tribune underscores the point that closing institutions for people with disabilities should not be guided by politics or the budget.



The decision should be guided by the needs, the rights and the quality of life of people with disabilities.



For decades, the disability community has organized to compel Illinois to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead ruling, which give people with disabilities the right to receive supports in the most integrated setting. Yet, Illinois lags far behind the rest of the country, institutionalizing people with disabilities at a rate much higher than the rest of the country, even though institutions typically cost more money and many people currently institutionalized would rather receive supports in their own homes.



Disability advocates interpret Gov. Pat Quinn’s closure announcement as an opportunity to decrease Illinois’ reliance on institutions.



But in order for the transition to community care to be successful, Illinois must transfer resources from the institutions that will be closed into the community.



— Gary Arnold, Access Living, Chicago



Plans for transition



The editorial on “Moving to community care” for people with developmental disabilities is right. People with disabilities can and should be supported in their communities. My adult son is on the autism spectrum and has been living in an apartment successfully for four years with community supports. He has gained independent living skills that many people would not have predicted.



The community system mentioned can better serve the nearly 200 residents of the two institutions to be closed. For a responsible transition, the governor and legislators must see that the money saved follows those individuals into the community for group homes and other supportive services. Planning for the transitions must be based on the needs of the individuals.



Research surveys of parents of formerly institutionalized individuals report that in the community, their loved ones changed for the better in a number of ways: being more communicative, independent, responsible and happier; showing positive behavioral changes; and gaining daily living skills.



Both chambers of the Illinois Legislature have adopted a resolution calling for a plan to enhance and expand access to quality community services and supports for people with developmental disabilities. Those community services are woefully underfunded in Illinois. Closing two institutions presents both an opportunity and a responsibility.



Our elected officials have the responsibility to provide appropriate funding for Illinois citizens with developmental disabilities.



— Bonnie Dohogne, Evanston, member, Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities



Tony Paulauski

Executive Director

The Arc of Illinois



# Thank You Tony for sharing....

Morton Grove, IL Library Addresses Accessibility, Transparency Issues : Oct 2011

Board members continue to try to clear the air.



Ever since news broke of the previous Morton Grove Library board violating the Open Meetings Act, the new library board has been trying to turn the page toward a fresh start.



At last night's board meeting members continued to discuss various topics focusing on how to make the library a more transparent and accessible place for patrons.



Complying with accessibility standards



Board member Paul Berg said troubleshooting has begun regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance for the library.



ADA lists various standards for building designs in order to assist those with disabilities including wheelchair ramps and accessible routes.



The library currently doesn’t meet certain accessibility code standards for those with disabilities. Berg said the library will work with an outside consultant to determine the scope of work and a timeline for the project, which is still in its infancy.



“Obviously nothing is in cement,” he said. “We are just starting the proposal.”



Resident Laura Frisch voiced her concern about the library’s current lack of accessibility during the public participation portion of the meeting.



“My mother is wheelchair-bound and she lives in Morton Grove and she couldn’t come to activities in (the Baxter Room). She couldn’t access 90 percent of the non-fiction books that are here in the library. I do appreciate that circulation and reference is wonderful about getting books for people," she said. “But it’s still a matter of we’re living in the 1970s, early 1980s, in this library for accessibility.”



Berg said it would cost an estimated $4.1 million dollars to get the building up to Illinois Accessibility Code standards.



Library appoints FOIA officers



Board members approved the appointment of Natalya Fishman, head of Reference Services, and Kevin Justie, interim co-director, as library Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) officers. Both Fishman and Justie will "receive Open Meetings Act training from the Illinois attorney general.”



At last month's board meeting Justie noted that the library also made FOIA request information available on the bulletin board and on the library's website.



Recently Patch obtained a series of papers through a FOIA request regarding issues with the previous board. The papers allege that previous board members had a “scheme” to hide a tax increase so that the library could fund a new building.



Also during the meeting, the board adopted a email and record retention/destruction policy. The policy requires that all library-related emails between personnel be retained for one year.



New Head of Youth Services



Board members announced their new head of the Youth Services Department Ann Finstad. Finstad previously served as a children’s librarian at the Winnetka Public Library. She started her position at the Morton Grove Public Library this past Monday, Oct. 10.







Stay tuned to Patch for more information on the Morton Grove Library board.



#Source: Morton Grove Patch By Collin Czarnecki Oct 2011

http://mortongrove.patch.com/articles/library-addresses-accessibility-transparency-issues

CCDI ACTION ALERT : Illinois Jacksonville Institution Closure : WLDS Radio Questionable Agenda

As Shared By the Coalition for People with Disabilities in Illinois (CCDI)

This morning we learned that Bill Gorman from SILC was interviewed on WLDS radio in Jacksonville regarding the closure of Jacksonville State Operated Developmental Center. The WLDS radio host informed him that Bill was the ONLY person who he had heard of who supported the closure. !!! We at CCDI know that disability advocates across the state support closure. We must make our voices heard!

We have got to take action here to let this radio station know that the disability community across this state wants and needs Jacksonville SODC to close. We want Illinois to be free of large long term care institutions that warehouse people with disabilities! Community integration is our civil right.

Below you can find the contact info for WLDS and WEAI radio stations in Jacksonville. Call and/or email them today to let them know why the closure of Jacksonville SODC is important for disability rights in Illinois. Here is an example of what you can say:

“Hello, my name is _________ and I am a member of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois. I am calling to let you know that the disability community here in Illinois and across the country supports the closure of Jacksonville Developmental Center. People with all types of disabilities are better served in the community, and it is time for Illinois to get rid of large long term care institutions that waste taxpayer dollars and violate civil rights. We need to change to a system of community based supports that both integrate people with disability in the community, and provide jobs for workers.”

In particular if you are a family member of a person with a severe disability, or a person with a severe disability living in the community, please, please call this radio station and tell them your story. They need to know that community integration works for people with disabilities, and that it creates jobs.

Here is the contact info. Please call or email WLDS today!

WLDS/WEAI

2161 Old State Road

Jacksonville, IL 62650

Business Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM



Main: (217) 245-7171

Fax: (217) 245-6711

WLDS/WEAI Newsroom: (217) 243-4712

WLDS On-Air Line: (217) 243-4351

WEAI Request Line: (217) 243-2800



To contact WLDS/WEAI News about a news story or event, please email us at news@wlds.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .



To communicate a show idea, topic or guest, please email each station directly.

WLDS: wlds@wlds.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

WEAI: weai@weai.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it



###



Thanks to CCDI, and please share this ACTION ALERT and let our thoughts and voices be heard...TY

Illinois : Group preps for Oct. 24, 2011 Jacksonville Developmental Center hearing

A five-hour “marathon” meeting requires planning.



That’s why a group of concerned people met Wednesday to discuss ways to mobilize the community in its effort to save the Jacksonville Developmental Center at an Oct. 24 hearing.



The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability will hold a hearing at 5 p.m. Oct. 24 at Illinois College’s Bruner Recreation Center, 1121 Edgehill Road. The meeting is expected to last several hours — at least five, according to Lonnie Johns, who was involved in a similar effort to save the Jacksonville Developmental Center 25 years ago — and buses will be there to transport people from other parking areas.



The Jacksonville Developmental Center employs about 420 people, who provide round-the-clock care for an estimated 200 people with developmental disabilities. Gov. Pat Quinn has suggested closing it and other state facilities by the end of February.



About 35 people showed up on Wednesday, representing a broad spectrum of Jacksonville residents — educators, religious representatives, state employees, city officials and representatives for state politicians.



Ideally, the group wants to see 2,000 people attend the hearing.



“If we show up with just 200 people, it looks like we don’t care,” said Michael Dillion, AFSCME Council 31 staff representative.



The numbers are feasible, as a circulating petition has already garnered more than 18,000 signatures.



The goal is to present a petition with 20,000 signatures or more.



The group encourages different community groups to share their perspectives on the impact of the Jacksonville Developmental Center, including personal stories from residents’ relatives, from employees and also from business leaders regarding the impact the closure could have economically.



Jenny Geirnaeirt, Jacksonville alderman and legislative director at the district office of State Rep. Jim Watson, said she would prefer to have those who would like to speak at the hearing let them know.



AFSCME Council 31 Regional Director Jeff Bigelow was pleased with the response because the issues surrounding the proposal make it “a battle on many different fronts,” he said.



Politicians are about to enter into the Illinois fall veto session on Oct. 25 and a union arbitrator has ruled that closing the Jacksonville Developmental Center and other state facilities would violate a no-layoff agreement signed last year.



In addition to shuttering the center, Quinn proposed closing Tinley Park Mental Health Center, Singer Mental Health Center, Chester Mental Health Center, Jack Mabley Developmental Center, Logan Correctional Center and Illinois Youth Center in Murphysboro.



There has already been strong representation at some of the other hearings, Bigelow said.



About 350 people showed up at a hearing for the Singer Mental Health Center in Rockford and about 200 in Murphysboro for its hearing on the Illinois Youth Center.



Not only could the closing of the center impact those currently employed and the community as a whole, it could potentially traumatize evicted residents who do not adapt well to change and in many cases would be left with few places to go, Bigelow said.



On top of all that, the governor has announced no plans for how the people will get services if it closes at the end of February, Bigelow said.



Jeffery Lamb, a mental health technician at the Jacksonville Developmental Center, shared a story about a man he’s worked with in his 14 years there. It took 11 years, but after taking walks with him around the facilities, after crossing the street with him to get a soda and snack from the gas station, after reaching the point where they could sit in a restaurant together, the man was able to go to a group home.



“It does start to feel like family,” Lamb said. “You can’t work with these folks and not form an emotional attachment.”



This kind of attachment does not exist in nearly all private group homes, argues Bigelow, who has worked with developmental centers for most of his 25-year-tenure with AFSCME.



Dealing with many of the situations at these kinds of centers requires skill, ability and loving care, he said.



“As an employee, it’s nice to see the community response,” Lamb said. “It’s encouraging. If we can just get everybody here together, I think we can really make a difference. I think we can keep this open.”



#Source: My Journal Courier, Jacksonville IL : by JAKE RUSSELL

http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/jdc-35794-oct-five.html

Illinois Closing Institutions is sensible : Opinions : William Gorman and Ruth Burgess Thompson Oct 2011

William Gorman and Ruth Burgess Thompson: Closing 2 centers is sensible



The State Journal-Register | Springfield, IL - Opinions



Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed the closure of Mabley and Jacksonville developmental centers because of fiscal reasons. There are times when a fiscal crisis can provide an opportunity to do the right thing and also save money. This is one of them.



The Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois and the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois support the closure of Mabley and Jacksonville developmental centers. The facts to support closure are overwhelming. Fourteen states have already closed all of their state institutions. Illinois institutionalizes more people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities than 48 other states with our eight state developmental centers.



Numerous national studies indicate that the vast majority of parents feel their loved ones are safer, healthier and have a higher quality of life in the community rather than in an institution.

We understand the fears of parents who have a loved one residing at Mabley and Jacksonville; however, with adequate transition funding, services can be provided in the community to meet their needs. We now have the opportunity to rectify this situation by re-allocating funds during the veto session, to ensure the smooth transition of individuals to the community.



A supplemental appropriation may also be needed next year since the savings from the closure of an institution lag one to two years behind the closure. Rates of reimbursement for community providers should be increased to ensure a smooth transition for individuals leaving the developmental centers into the community.



We urge the legislature to support sufficient funding to rebalance Illinois’ system of service provision toward community services.



The other concern frequently raised in opposition to the closure of the state institutions relates to the loss of state employee jobs. The reality is that as jobs in the institutions are reduced, new jobs will be created in the community. Therefore, the net job loss will be minimal.



There is a reason that 14 states have closed all of their state institutions and this is not based on programmatic or quality of life considerations alone. It also happens to be true that community services, in general, are also more cost effective than institutional services.



The average cost of an Illinois state institution is $181,700 per person per year while the average Community Integrated Living Arrangement cost is $52,454. Therefore, in this time of fiscal austerity, how can we justify the continuing existence of these two developmental centers?



We hear time and time again the need to reduce government expenditures. We can no longer justify, fiscally or programmatically, the continued operations of Mabley and Jacksonville.



William Gorman is executive director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois.

Ruth Burgess Thompson is executive director of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois.



#Source: The State Journal-Register Oct 13, 2011

Copyright 2011 The State Journal-Register. Some rights reserved

http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x95961140/William-Gorman-and-Ruth-Burgess-Thompson-Closing-2-centers-is-sensible

Tasting Event to Benefit People with Disabilities - Rolling Meadows, IL on Oct 24, 2011

Countryside Association for People with Disabilities will host the 7th annual Recipe for Success at The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows on Monday, October 24th. This popular culinary-based fundraising event will feature food and drink samples from dozens of area restaurants. Other event activities include a live and silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, live music by the Bruce Blanck Quartet, and other special surprises. Recipe for Success is open to the public and kicks off at 5:30 PM.



Individual tickets are available for $75 each and can be purchased online; you can also purchase a table of 10 for the discounted price of $675. $40 of each ticket price is tax-deducible and all proceeds from the event will support the program participants of Countryside Association for People with Disabilities, a 58-year-old agency that supports children and adults with developmental disabilities who reside in northern Cook and Lake County.



This year’s participating restaurants include Dinner by Design, Egg Harbor Café, El Torero Mexican Restaurant & Bar, Enzo & Lucia Ristorante, Francesca’s Famiglia, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House, Indulge Cheesecakes, Kyriaki – A Greek Eatery, Morkes Chocolates, Rivers Casino Restaurant, Season’s 52 and more! For a complete listing, visit www.countrysideassn.org. Event sponsors include BMO Harris Bank, Xerox Corporation, American Family Insurance, United Healthcare and Advanced Data Technologies, Inc.



Each year, the programs that Recipe for Success supports decrease the number of individuals with disabilities who are unnecessarily institutionalized and increase their autonomy, access to independence and participation in their community. Countryside Association develops work opportunities and job training to reduce unemployment, as nearly all program participants Countryside supports fall below the poverty line. They agency also offers support to help individuals and their families maintain community independence and remain in less restrictive, less costly residences. Planned and emergency in-home respite services are available to families that support children and adults with disabilities when caregivers must leave the home. And, Countryside also offers healthy, individualized activities each day to persons with severe disabilities and seniors in our community centers to combat social isolation and compensate for any age-related decline. Find us on YouTube to learn more!



So mark your calendars and tell your friends to stop by The Meadows Club (2950 W. Golf Road, Rolling Meadows) to learn a little bit about a wonderful cause and, more importantly, enjoy some awesome cuisine and place bids on some fabulous prizes! For more information, please contact Countryside Association for People with Disabilities at (847) 540-3705, visit www.countrysideassn.org, or email info@countrysideassn.org.



About Countryside Association for People with Disabilities



Through a continuum of services and supports—at facilities in Palatine and Waukegan, Illinois—Countryside Association serves over 650 children and adults with disabilities and their families who reside in northern Cook and Lake Counties. The agency operates on the opinion that people with disabilities have a wealth of potential as employees, community members, volunteers, friends, and next door neighbors. Countryside is committed to providing choices and opportunities for individuals to reach their goals of independence, employment, and full participation in their community. To find out more about Countryside, visit our website or find us on Facebook



For Countryside Association for People with Disabilities:

http://www.countrysideassn.org/



#Source: Trib Local By Amy Barker - Oct 12, 2011

http://triblocal.com/lake-zurich/community/stories/2011/10/tasting-event-to-benefit-people-with-disabilities/

PACE RELEASES PROPOSED 2012 BUDGET - Bus Service & Paratransit : Oct 12, 2011

PACE Suburban Bus PROPOSED 2012 BUDGET



Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



October 12, 20114:00:00 PM

Media Release Office: (847) 228-4295

Contact: Patrick Wilmot (847) 228-4295



No fare increases or service cuts included in budget as public hearings begin October 17



The Pace Board of Directors officially released the agency's 2012 budget for public review and comment, with the first of 13 public hearings beginning next week. Despite the struggling economy, the agency plans no fare increases or service reductions in its balanced budget for the second straight year.



"We've been aggressively containing our costs and restructuring service to maximize efficiency," said Pace Chairman of the Board Richard Kwasneski. "The actions we've taken in recent years have put us in good position to release a positive budget message- one that not only calls for no negative impacts on riders, but increases service in some areas."



The Suburban Services operating budget, which includes fixed route bus service, vanpool and Dial-a-Ride service, totals $195 million and includes some new service to be implemented in late 2011 and early 2012. These include two new Call-n-Ride routes in the Wheaton/Winfield and St. Charles/Geneva areas, additional trips on I-55 express service, and a federally-funded route connecting the southwest suburbs with employment centers near OHare Airport and in the northwest suburbs.



The Regional ADA Paratransit budget is set at $126.6 million to provide complementary transportation to people with disabilities in Chicago and the suburbs. The RTA has set contingencies on funding requiring Pace to implement certain efforts to increase efficiency on the service in Chicago. These include setting trip reservation hours to regular business hours and continuing progress toward implementation of a centralized dispatch system.



Thirteen public hearings have been scheduled regionally throughout the city and suburbs, and take place October 17-27. For the first time, Pace will host an online webinar to provide access to those unable to attend a hearing. Details and registration are available at www.pacebus.com. "Our budget message is very positive this year, but we still encourage people to participate in the public hearing process," said Kwasneski. "We're always interested in hearing ideas on how we can improve." The budget document is available at public hearings and has been distributed to municipalities and libraries to be made available to the public. It can also be downloaded from Pace's website. Those unable to attend the hearings can submit written comments to Pace Government Affairs, 550 West Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 or through the Public Hearings section of www.pacebus.com.

# # #



Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the RTA



Public Hearing on Pace's Proposed 2012 Operating and Capital Programs,

2012-2014 Financial Plan for Operations, 2012-2016 Capital Plan.

Notice is hereby given that Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, is holding public hearings on its proposed program and budget for the year 2012 (January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012), the operating financial plan for 2012-2014, and the capital plan for 2012-2016.

Pace proposes a balanced and stable budget for 2012 as no fare increases or service reductions are anticipated for Suburban Service or Regional ADA Paratransit.

RTA funding for Regional ADA Paratransit service is contingent upon Pace’s pursuit of centralized dispatch and reduction of paratransit reservation hours to normal business hours. Pace proposes reservation hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Any person wishing to comment on the proposed budget may present views orally at the public hearings or by submitting written material on or before the last date of the hearings, which is Thursday, October 27, 2011, or by accessing our website at www.pacebus.com in the “Public Hearing Comment Form” area. Copies of the proposed program and budget are available for public inspection at:

• Pace

• 550 West Algonquin Road

• Arlington Heights, Illinois

• 60005-4412

Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend these hearings and who require certain accommodations other than transportation in order to allow them to observe and/or participate in these meetings, are requested to contact Pace at (847) 364-7223 option 3 (voice) or (847) 364-5093 (TTY) ten days prior to the scheduled meeting.

Budget information will be available at most public libraries, as well as townships, city and village offices in the six county Pace region. You can also view the document via the Internet at www.pacebus.com by clicking on “About Pace” and selecting the link “Annual Budget,” followed by “2012 Annual Budget Document.” Pace will conduct a Webinar on the 2012 Budget on Friday, October 14, 2011 from 10:00 am to 10:30 am. Participants can register at www.pacebus.com.

Public Hearing Locations, Dates and Times follow:



Dates and Locations





City of Chicago:



Monday, October 24, 2011

City of Chicago (North) Budget Public Hearing

11:00 am –1:00 pm

Sulzer Regional Library

4455 N. Lincoln

Chicago, IL 60625



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

City of Chicago (West) Budget Public Hearing

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Garfield Park Conservatory

Community Room

300 North Central Park Ave.

Chicago, Illinois 60624



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

City of Chicago (Southwest) Budget Public Hearing

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Arturo Velasquez

Westside Tech. Inst.

2800 S. Western Ave.

Chicago, IL 60608



Thursday, October 27, 2011

City of Chicago (South) Budget Public Hearing

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Olive Harvey College

Cafeteria

10001 S. Woodlawn

Chicago, IL 60628



Suburban:



Monday, October 17, 2011

Lake County Public Hearing

4:00pm - 6:00pm

Waukegan Public Library

Bradbury Room (lower level)

128 N. County Street

Waukegan, IL 60085



Monday, October 17, 2011

North Cook County Public Hearing

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Pace Headquarters

Board Room

550 W. Algonquin Road

Arlington Heights, IL 60005



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

McHenry County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Crystal Lake Municipal

Complex, Council Chambers

100 W. Woodstock St.

Crystal Lake, IL 60014



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Will County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Joliet Public Library

Meeting Rm. B (second level)

150 N. Ottawa St.

Joliet, IL 60432



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Kane County Public Hearing

4:30 pm -- 6:30 pm

Kane County Government Center

Auditorium, Ground Floor

719 S. Batavia Ave

Geneva, IL 60134



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Southwest Cook County Public Hearing

4:30 pm -- 6:30 pm

Oak Lawn Village Hall

Auditorium

9446 S. Raymond

Oak Lawn, IL 60453



Thursday, October 20, 2011

West Cook County Public Hearing

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Howard Mohr Community Center

7640 Jackson Blvd.

Forest Park, IL 60130



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

DuPage County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

DuPage County Government Center

Auditorium

421 N. County Farm Rd.

Wheaton, IL 60187



Thursday, October 27, 2011

South Cook County Public Hearing

4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Homewood Village Hall

Board Room

2020 Chestnut

Homewood, IL 60430



If you have any questions, please contact Pace Customer Services at (847) 364-7223 "Option 3" (voice) or 847-364-5093 (TTY)

Danica Patrick Brings "COPD" to Capitol Hill : interview -article & video : Oct 13, 2011

Racing star Danica Patrick visited Capitol Hill today to lobby for COPD, the respiratory disease that killed her grandmother and that’s been a major focus of Patrick’s work in the public-policy arena.



“I’m just here to use my platform as who I am, and obviously with my experience with it, to relate to those who do suffer from someone in their family having COPD — to try and urge them to do something about it,” Patrick told us on ABC’s “Top Line” today.







“I don’t know what government needs to do about it. But the bottom line is is that pure awareness is going to be enough to do something about this disease and change its statistics.”



Patrick joked that she didn’t “do so well in school on my Constitution test,” but said she’s gaining a new appreciation of how hard it is to move things along in Washington.



And she said she’s excited about focusing exclusively on NASCAR racing next year.



“We all do best when we’re doing something that we really, really enjoy and I just actually really love driving, and especially racing those cars,” she told us.



“You’re just gonna see a lot more of me, that’s for sure. There’s gonna be a lot more racing. But I think it’s gonna kinda bring out a racier side to me. In Indy car it’s — it’s not very good to bump, but in NASCAR it’s something that is pretty useful and it’s very self-policing out there.”



“Have you ever driven down the highway and you think to yourself, ‘man, I just want to bump this guy?’ Well, guess what? In stock cars, you can.”



#Source: ABC News By Rick Klein Oct 13, 2011

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/danica-patrick-brings-racier-side-to-capitol-hill/

The Red Kite Project - complementary link to watch Autism Documentary - Chicago Childrens Theatre

(click above headline for Full Movie Presentation at IMDB) or http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi3221162265/



Preview



YouTube Uploaded by RascalsAndRogues on Feb 22, 2011



"The Red Kite Project" - a moving new documentary by award-winning filmmaker Kerry Shaw Brown.

The Red Kite Project follows Jacqueline Russell, the Artistic Director of Chicago Children's Theater, as she sets out to create the first interactive, multi-sensory theatrical performance installation for children with autism. Having spent 13 years volunteering in classrooms of autistic children, Russell's mission is to assemble a team of artists, educators and parents to create a program (The Red Kite Project) that brings joy, excitement and education tothe autistic children who need it. Brown captures her incredible and often challenging journey over a three year period, as she touches the lives of autistic children and families across Chicago, and offers a fascinating perspective on how the disorder affects those who come into contact with it and theimportant role that art can play in shedding more light on it.



The documentary came to fruition as a sort of happy accident for Brown, who initially connected with The Red Kite Project only to create video images for a test performance. As he learned more and more about the people involved in bringing to project together, he began to realize that he had stumbled upon something compelling. With a small but generous grant from The Children's Brain Research Foundation, Brown began filming. The finished product documents the program as its influence spreads across the US and the world, changing lives and education on the autistic landscape along the way.



The documentary was completed in the winter of 2011. It is available on Amazon and can also be viewed here. Brown is the Director of Rascals & Rogues, a Chicago-based production company.

Ability Chicago Response on Illinois Governor Quinn Announcement of Closure of State Institutions : Oct 12, 2011

Thank You…



Governor, Pat Quinn, announced plans to reduce and restructure the number of state-operated facilities for people with developmental and psychological disabilities. This will result in the closure of:

• Singer Mental Health Center in Rockford

• Chester Mental Health Center in Chester

• Tinley Park Mental Health Center in Tinley Park

• Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon

• Jackson Developmental Center in Jacksonville



As the State of Illinois has found it more convenient to place People with Disabilities in Institutions, by Gov Quinn's action we as a State move forward on having the 'choice' of a Group Home.



For years so many advocates and originations have worked for this day to happen, we all owe these people our support and gratitude.



The ruling against the State of Georgia in the case Olmstead v. L.C and E.W; the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of individuals with disabilities to live in their own community.



As the cost to institution an individual is more then double to offer a Group Home setting, with the proper support system in effect. With Illinois participating in a CMS-funded Money Follows the Person demonstration grant for a number of years. In providing these grant funds, CMS intent was to change the biased thinking that has made states like Illinois to Institutionalize Individuals, instead of allowing people with disabilities to participate in there communities and to live there lives to the best of there 'Abilities'.



While there is a very organized opposition to the closure of the above 5 Institutions, we need to be just as organized in our support for those individuals that want to live in there own communities, with group homes with the proper support system in place.

________________________________________



Our friends at the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois (CCDI)



Have put together Talking Points for Legislative Calls/Emails on Closure; it is a pleasure to share the information CCDI has put together:

ACTION NEEDED NOW!

Proposed closure of two Developmental Centers

The Governor has proposed closing Jacksonville and Mabley Developmental Centers and anti-closure forces are rallying to stop him. Please email or call members of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and let them know that people with developmental disabilities CAN AND SHOULD be served in the community, not in institutions! Tell them both institutions must be closed with a reasonable plan to transition residents safely into community based settings where possible.

Also, talk with your own representatives, especially if you live in the districts that include those two centers (Jacksonville and Dixon).

COGFA MEMBERS ARE:

NAME EMAIL PHONE



*Jeffrey Schoenberg jschoenberg@senatedem.ilga.gov

(217) 782-2119

*Michael Frerichs frerichs@senatedem.illinois.gov (217) 782-2507

*Matt Murphy senatormattmurphy@gmail.com

(217) 782-4471

*Suzi Schmidt statesenatorschmidt@gmail.com (217) 782-7353

*Dave Syverson info@senatordavesyverson.com

(217) 782-5413

*Donne Trotter senatortrotter@yahoo.com

(217) 782-3201

*Patricia Bellock rep@pbellock.com

(217) 782-1448

*Kevin McCarthy Kevmac37@sbcglobal.net

(217) 782-3316

*Elaine Nekritz enekritz@repnekritz.org

(217) 558-1004

*Raymond Poe poer@housegopmail.state.il.us

(217) 782-0044

*Al Riley rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net

(217) 558-1007

*Michael Tryon mike@miketryon.com (217) 782-0432



REPRESENTATIVES WHOSE DISTRICTS INCLUDE JACKSONVILLE AND MABLEY:

NAME EMAIL PHONE

Mabley Developmental Center

*Senator Tim Bivins tim@timbivins.com 217-782-0180

*Representative Bill Mitchell repmitchell@earthlink.net 217-782-8163

Jacksonville Developmental Center

*Senator William (Sam) McCann SenatorSam@frontier.com

217- 782-8206

*Representative Jim Watson jimwatson@localnetco.com 217-782-1840



Frame this issue in your own words, but feel free to use any of the talking points or facts below:



TALKING POINTS ON CLOSING MABLEY & JACKSONVILLE



1. Everyone can live in the community with appropriate services and supports. For every one person in an institution who has severe disabilities, there are five people in the community just like them.



2. Illinois MUST develop and aggressively implement an Olmstead plan – Olmstead decision was in 1999. What other minority group would wait to realize their civil rights after a landmark decision? The state should have begun moving toward community supports twelve years ago.



3. The community knows how to support individuals who have lived in state institutions BUT money from closure of institutions MUST be re-allocated to community services and supports.



4. People with intellectual and other developmental disabilities live safer, healthier and fuller lives in small community settings.



5. Research shows that parental attitudes change after their loved ones move into small community settings.



6. Yes, people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities have moved backed into state institutions. That is a failure of the system, not a failure of that person.



7. There are now fourteen states without state institutions.



8. Illinois now has eight state institutions with about 1,975 residents.



9. The daily costs of an Illinois state institution is $ $181,700 per person per year, BUT the average Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) cost is $52,454 according to the Division of Developmental Disabilities, March/2011



10. In 1998, there were 3,405 individuals in Illinois state institutions. In 2011 there are now 1,950 individuals in state institutions a 58% decrease. - The rest of the nation is trending away from institutionalization and toward community-based services and supports. More importantly, today families are not institutionalizing their children as they were urged to in the past. They are keeping them in their homes, or at least in their communities. It is probable that within the next two decades, there will be no families whatsoever institutionalizing their children and those who are currently living in institutions will have died. To continue to fund, let alone increase funding to institutions is fiscally irresponsible and not sustainable.



14 States Without State-Operated Institutions*



1. District of Columbia (1991)

2. New Hampshire (1991)

3. Vermont (1993)

4. Rhode Island (1994)

5. Alaska (1997)

6. New Mexico (1997)

7. West Virginia (1998)

8. Hawaii (1999)

9. Maine (1999)

10. Michigan (2009)

11. Oregon (2009)

12. Alabama (2012)

13. Minnesota (2000)

14. Indiana (2007)



* (Source) Challenges in Developmental Disabilities: State of the States, State of the Nation, 2011, D. Braddock, Ph.D., Arc US Convention.



Editorial Support for Community Services



Chicago Tribune, May 23, 2011

“Disability advocates say the state could save roughly $170 million by closing four of its eight institutions. This needs to happen in a way that’s least disruptive for the people at these institutions. But it needs to happen.”



State Journal-Register, May 22, 2011:

“For years, advocates for the developmentally disabled have tried, with very limited success, to persuade the state to move away from reliance on institutions and toward greater use of residential group homes and community programs for those with developmental disabilities.”

“Illinois must move out of the dark ages in treating its most vulnerable citizens.”



Pantagraph.com, May 22, 2011

“… the trend in recent years has been moving toward community-based settings – and Illinois lags far behind other states that have scaled back or eliminated state-run institutions for those with developmental disabilities.”

“It is a matter worthy of consideration – for financial as well as humanitarian reasons.”



Rockford Register Star, April 27, 2011

“Illinois has its priorities exactly backward.”

“ Is it any wonder why Illinois is ranked 51st in the nation for supporting citizens in their communities?



Chicago Sun-Times, June 15, 2011

“For a state looking to cuts costs wherever it can, moving away from expensive institutional care is imperative.”

“States that have seen the light have moved away from warehousing people with disabilities in large, residential facilities in favor of placing them in smaller, community-based settings.”



# For CCDI, please visit: http://www.ccdionline.org/index.html

State of Illinois Launches Free, One-on-One Medicare Counseling Sessions Statewide During Early Medicare Open Enrollment Season Oct 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 11, 2011



State Launches Free, One-on-One Medicare Counseling Sessions Statewide During Early Medicare Open Enrollment Season

Gov. Quinn Proclaims Oct 10th-15th as Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Week;

Highlights State’s Volunteer Effort to Help Elderly, Persons with Disabilities





CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Insurance today announced free counseling sessions at more than 25 locations statewide to help thousands of seniors and people with disabilities learn more about Medicare insurance coverage and how to apply for benefits. The Department’s Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) volunteers will be on site to provide one-on-one assistance during the Medicare open-enrollment season, which this year falls on October 15th through December 7th. Governor Pat Quinn proclaimed this week, October 10 – 15, 2011, as “SHIP Week” in Illinois to applaud the volunteer effort and to help remind Medicare-eligible residents that open-enrollment begins sooner this year.



“Especially during the open enrollment season, many Illinois residents have questions about Medicare and how to apply for a plan that best meet their healthcare needs,” said Acting Director Jack Messmore. “I am proud of the dedicated SHIP volunteers who help seniors and people with disabilities navigate through the Medicare application process and towards obtaining necessary healthcare coverage.”



SHIP assists Illinoisans who have questions about or problems with Medicare, Medicare supplemental insurance, Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, PPO, and PFFS), Medicare claims and appeals, prescription drug coverage through Medicare and other sources, and long term care insurance. Throughout the year, hundreds of trained SHIP volunteers staff 204 sites in every county to help elderly residents learn more about available Medicare insurance options. Since SHIP’s inception, volunteers have provided nearly 700,000 hours of counseling, assisted more than 900,000 clients, and saved Medicare beneficiaries an estimated $75 million in customer service costs.



In addition to the year-round services provided by SHIP volunteers, the Illinois Department of Insurance is conducting a series of free, one-on-one counseling sessions throughout the state to assist Medicare-eligible individuals with the Medicare open-enrollment season, which runs this year from October 15th – December 7th.



A list of upcoming SHIP events during open-enrollment season is available on the Department’s website at:

http://insurance.illinois.gov/SHIP/



or by calling the SHIP toll-free hotline at (800) 548-9034.