Check out our New Location! 317 N. Willis St. Abilene, Texas 79603

first Semi-annual Edition 2016
Check out our New Location!
317 N. Willis St. Abilene, Texas 79603
Since Disability in Action first opened its doors in
because there wasn’t enough room. This was
2008, the commitment to serving people with dis-
completely unacceptable. As an organization
abilities in the Big Country has always been the
that advocates for people to fully participate in
priority. DIA occupied 3 different suites in the
the activities of their communities, DIA was not
Corporate Place building; starting out as some
fulfilling it’s mission.
may remember as “Not Without Us!” Center for
Independent Living. The continued growth has
been so amazing and such a great experience.
The agency outgrew Corporate Place. New employees were in open cubicles and did not have
privacy to meet with consumers.
The biggest motivating factor for the move was
the fact that having parties/functions/seminars at
Corporate Place did not accommodate all of the
guests! There were those who could not attend
The new building meets the needs of staff and
most importantly, the people we serve. We look
forward to
meeting everyone’s needs at the
new location. Keep an eye out for a grand
opening celebration, an introduction to
new
programs and the brand new 14 passenger
bus!
Thankfully, the agency phone/fax numbers as
well as email addresses have all remained the
same. We are still open M-Th 8:00 to 6:30 pm.
Growing up…..and being Independent.
Editorial by Leah Beltran, Executive Director of Disability in Action
I realized this week that many people may be
sense of humor. Ian is kind, caring and compas-
wondering “what is her disability?’ As an agency
sionate. He is wise beyond his 20 years of age
that hires people with disabilities to serve people
and teaches me about patience, courage and
with disabilities, I can understand the validity of
hope on an every day basis.
this question. It would only be appropriate to talk
about what qualifies me to be the director of such
an organization.
As a parent of a child with a disability, it was hard
to let go of some of the things that I thought were
important for him. Goals that I believed were prior-
I have been working with people who have disabil-
ities. It’s his life, not mine. Disability in Action and
ities since my early twenties. Clue: that’s a long
its philosophies focus on what people choose for
time! But from a very young age, I had friends who
their own lives, not what other people believe is
were people with disabilities too. I worked in the
best or right for them. I had to start living what I
field of direct care in several group homes across
was telling others!
Texas and then went to the University of Texas at
the Permian Basin and got my degree in Psychology in 2001. After that, my family and I moved to
Abilene in 2002 and I became the Administrator of
two large group home facilities. In 2008 I discovered Disability in Action, which was then called
“Not Without Us!”. What a refreshing change! The
mission of “Not Without Us!” was and still is, to
give people choices about their lives and encourage independence.
My son Ian is a person with Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy. But of course, that is only part of who
he is. He graduated from Cooper High School in
Abilene in 2013, at the top 25% of his class. He
loves movies and can tell you the in’s and out’s of
just about any video game. He is very good at
math, but doesn’t really like it. He has a quick
Also as a parent, it was my job for many years to
keep him safe, keep him as healthy as he could be
and as happy as the world would allow him to be.
But Ian is a grown man now and I had to learn to
let go of what I thought was best. My dreams are
not his dreams. Having control over our own lives,
at least control over what we can change, is part of
living.
There are so many things he cannot do; the list is
long. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy leaves your
body with little abilities. But Ian does not focus on
these things.
There is a new respect between us now. He
knows that he can depend on me when he needs
me, but he takes care of the important things in his
life.
I understand many of the daily struggles parents
have when caring for someone who has a physical
disability. But I also understand the meaning and
purpose behind the independent living philosophy.
Be on the look out! Ian may be one of this generations next disability advocates!
Or...maybe not! It’s his choice.
Welcome to our new staff member Katherine Ballard
Howdy! I was born in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and
will help reduce communication barriers so that
raised in Tyler, Texas. I have now been in Abilene for
they can fully access everything they might need.
18 years. I have been married to an amazing deaf
Please feel free to contact me .
man for 20 years and I have 3 beautiful deaf children.
I am at the Center from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon,
I am blessed to have deaf children and I truly love my
Monday through Thursday.
family and the life we have together. I worked for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in Abilene for
10 years and I have also worked with Deaf students
at Abilene ISD school for about 6 years.
Now I am the new Advocacy Specialist for Disability
in Action. I am so excited to be a part of the team
here.
I will be assisting consumers who are Deaf and Hard
of Hearing to get the services they need from local,
state and federal government entities; service organizations, employers and private entities. My advocacy
Welcome to our new staff member Wyester Sincere
Wyester Sincere was born Wyester Wright in Green-
foster friend to three residents at the Abilene
ville, Mississippi on April 7,1949. At the age of six her
State Supported Living Center. Wyester enjoys
family moved to Detroit, Michigan and she lived there
out of town trips to visit her children and grand-
until she was 16. Wyester is the first of eight siblings,
children, out to eat and spending quality fun time
the proud mother of three, grandmother of nine and
with her friends.
great grand mother of three.
She is the new Independent Living Specialist here
Wyester was employed as a cosmetologist for eight-
at the Center and can assist with all the core ser-
een years in Mississippi before relocating to Abilene,
vices the Center provides plus many other things.
Texas where she was employed at the Abilene State
Supported Living Center for thirty-one years, retiring
in April 2015. Wyester received degrees in Psycholo-
gy and Gerontology from Abilene Christian University.
She is a member of the Greater Macedonia Baptist
Church where she serves as an usher and youth
church bus driver as needed, she also drives the
curb to curb paratransit for Abilene City Link. She has
volunteered for The Boys and Girls Clubs , Meals on
Wheels and The SNAP program with the Abilene Police Department and continues to participate as a
Ravioli Lasagna
Ingredients



1 jar pasta sauce
2 bags frozen square cheese ravioli
1½ c. shredded Italian cheese blend
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-in. square
baking dish and a sheet of foil with
nonstick spray. Put pasta sauce in a
bowl; stir in 1/2 cup water.
2. Spread 1 cup sauce in dish. Top with 20
ravioli (or 1/3 of the total), flat sides up
and just touching each other. Spread
with 3/4 cup sauce; sprinkle with 1/2
cup cheese.
3. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining
ravioli, sauce and cheese. Cover tightly
with foil, sprayed side down.
Bake on a sheet of foil (to catch any drips) 1
hour or until bubbly around edges. Uncover
and bake 5 minutes until cheese is barely
golden.
Resource Round up
The More You Know, the More You Grow
What is Respite?
Taking care of an of a friend or family member with a Want to learn more about how your volunteer organidisability can be enormously rewarding — but it can zation or church group could provide respite care to
be physically and emotionally draining as well. That’s your group or congregation?
why it’s important for caregivers to seek occasional
respite from their responsibilities. Whether it’s for a
few hours a week to run errands or a few weeks a
year to take a much-needed vacation, respite care
offers the chance reduce stress, restore energy and
keep life in balance. Here are some *tips in planning
respite care.
1. Involve your loved one. When planning for time
off from your caregiving duties, make sure to keep
your loved one in the loop. Get their input in deciding
Disability in Action is now training groups to be volunteer respite care providers.
The new program is called “Caregiver Connection”.
Caregiver Connection provides information and train-
ing on a variety of topics such as sensitivity training,
communication techniques, disability basics and also
valuable information in regard to liability issues.
Anyone interested should contact Tinnia Bass at
(325) 672-5460.
how much time you will be away — and who will fill in *Tips courtesy of www.aarp.org
for you when you’re gone. Make sure to tell them that
they will benefit from you being more relaxed and
refreshed. And assure them that they will also reap
rewards from socializing with other people.
2. Assess your needs. Make a list of what care will
be needed in your absence. Also decide if the respite
care provider will need any special skills or training to
be able to stay with your family member or friend. If
so, understand that your options for respite caregivers may be more limited.
Come Join our Book Club!
3rd Wednesday of the Month
Call us for more information
325-672-5460
A New Level of Independence!
By Michele Nall, Community Integration Specialist for Disability in Action
Getting a new guide dog from Guide Dogs of Amer-
try not to change this too much since we go out in
ica has greatly changed my travel and life experi-
public to local businesses where she can’t eat, drink
ences. We are both still trying to get used to each
water, or relieve herself.
other, even though I brought Tabor to Abilene on
December 13th last year. I have introduced her to
the routes I have learned before while using my
cane, and she usually learns these new routes after
three times of walking them.
I have enjoyed learning our new building and continue to find areas which I have not visited. I guess you
could say that Tabor is my left hand dog, and I depend on her greatly to guide me around obstacles,
and to warn me when we come to a sidewalk or
Tabor eliminated most of the confusion I experienced when Disability In Action moved to our new
location. I had to be trained by an Orientation and
Mobility Instructor by the name of Vance Lankford.
rough patch in the road.
She has truly changed my life and given me a much
higher level of independence.
I had originally picked out my own office before we
moved to this building, but that in no way prepared
me for travelling around from office to office or finding the other rooms that are available in the Center.
I had to learn the routes around the inside of the
building first, then Vance taught Tabor and I how to
go from my office to wherever I needed to go cor-
rectly--but not without mistakes on my part. Tabor
had already learned the routes during our training
together, so she was able to straighten me out without too much trouble.
Tabor has a lot of experience at being a guide dog.
I’ve just had to re-learn how to utilize her skills
since I have been without a guide dog for over 2
years. Tabor’s puppy raisers and trainers used her
as an example guide dog, since she was so welltrained and excellent at guide work.
She is the
fourth guide dog I have had and I can honestly say
that she has been one of the best at her job.
Each dog has been different; they had their own
personalities and skill sets. Tabor takes the prize at
being a guide for me. She works with me from the
time we get up in the morning, until the time we go
to bed at night. We have set up a schedule, and I
Michele Nall and her Guide Dog Tabor
Meeting Your Needs: Planning for a Interpreter
Have you been to a place where a business or ser-
sure that a sign language interpreter will be
vice provider is telling you that they cannot provide
there. Be sure that the office informs the inter-
a sign language interpreter? Have you been asked
preters the purpose for the meeting. For exam-
to bring your own sign language interpreter? Have
ple, a type of assignment would help interpret-
you been denied access to a sign language inter-
ers to determine if they are qualified to inter-
preter?
pret. For example, you have jury duty at a mu-
Part of my job is to ensure that communication for
people who are deaf and hard of hearing is effective and successful. What can you do to secure
your communication access at a place of business
or service?

First of all, make a plan. Give a place of business or provider two weeks notice and request
an accommodation to find a sign language interpreter. The best bet is to request or discuss
an accommodation with a person in charge, an
office manager, a director of business or service
or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator. They are the ones who would be familiar
with ADA rules, Effective Communication and
nicipal court. It’s a state law to hire a certified
court interpreter with strong vocabulary, accuracy, and impartiality. Arranging a sign language
interpreter requires more time to set up. That’s
why you need to make a plan ahead of time.
Last, if a place of business or service keeps saying
no: In the Americans with Disabilities Act, it says a
place of business or service must accommodate
people who are deaf and hard of hearing to com-
municate effectively and equally as communication
with people without disabilities. Write a letter to a
director of business about why you really need an
interpreter. Keep all written communication, and a
copy of the letter you send.
accommodation using auxiliary aids. If they say
Next, call or contact the Deafness Resource Spe-
no, you must calmly explain your rights to com-
cialist at Disability in Action, and ask for an advo-
munication access. Tell them that English is not
cate. If nothing above is successful, you may write
your first language, you could not read or write
a complaint for being denied an accommoda-
English or you could not read lips or speak and
tion. We can provide and assist people at busi-
that you need a sign language interpreter for
nesses or agencies the necessary resources re-
effective communication.
garding the ADA laws, Effective Communication,
 Second, many places would ask for an inter-
preter agency’s phone number that they could
call for a sign language interpreter. Have the
phone number or a business card ready! Be
sure to tell the them your communication preference. Let them know your preference for an
interpreter.
For example, you need a female
interpreter to discuss your OB/GYN’s visit.
 Third, a week or a few days before your ap-
pointment, check with an office manager to be
and tax incentive information in order to accomplish
the goal of successful, accurate communication.
317 N. Willis St.
Abilene, Texas 79603
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This publication is supported by funding
through DARS. Opinions expressed in this
newsletter do not necessarily represent
Check out our website
those
of Disability
www.disabilityinaction.org
sources.
Disability in Action Staff
Leah Beltran
Tim Evans
Diana Mendoza
Wyester Sincere
Michele Nall
Casey Hertel
Kendal Johnston
Ricky Harris
Jim Wise
Katherine Ballard
Michael Gilmer
Executive Director
Director of Programs
Mobility Manager
Independent Living Specialist
Community Integration Specialist
Community Integration Specialist
Relocation Specialist - Abilene
Relocation Specialist - Wichita Falls
Deafness Resource Specialist –Abilene
Hearing Loss Resource Specialist –Wichita Falls
Advocacy Specialist
Driver for Disability in Action
in
Action
funding
Contact Us!
325-672-5460 Phone/TTY
325-672-2903 Fax
888-672-5460 Toll Free
Hours of Operation
8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday