Annual ADA Celebration a Great Success

J UNE 2014- AUGUST 2014
Annual ADA Celebration a Great Success
“This Ain’t My First Rodeo- Living the Dream with a Disability”
Thanks to the Fine Businesses and Individuals that
Contributed to our ADA Celebration 2014
Hilton Garden Inn
Amerigroup
Academy Sports Center
Superior Health Plans
Ya Ya Gurlz
Autozone
Dream of the Decorator
Play Faire Park
United Supermarket
Sharon Riley’s Restaurant’s
Your Salon by Brandy
Michele Nall
Town Crier
Lou Ann Hertel
Walmart
El Chico Café
Play n Trade
Century Theaters
Communities of Abilene
Casa Herrera
Federal Credit Union
TaMolly’s Mexican Food
Monterrey Restaurant
Rick’s Collectables
Barbara Reynolds
A Fair Advantage
Palateria Garcia
Miller International
Mynt BoutiqueAAA Vacuums
Alpha Omicron Delta
Total Nutrition
Sonic
Honeycomb Tree
Dollar General
A & A Gifts
Creative Cakes
The Legacy Complex
City Councilman Anthony Williams
Domitien Nibizi
Old Navy
Redwing Shoes
Condley and Company
Vandervoort Vending
One Person Can Make a Difference
Mental, Emotional, Cognitive, Behavioral, Learning, Intellectual and Physical Disabilities are issues that our community or society does not yet
fully understand or accept. There has been progress made throughout the years however in our
community the progress seems to have seized.
There are injustices being made every day to individuals with disabilities starting at the federal level
(budget cuts) and trickling down to a local level.
How does one advocate for themselves or someone with a disability? By being proactive in our
community and society.
On a federal level we can make a difference by
voting for individuals who are interested in assisting people with disabilities, being informed of the
budget cuts that are proposed, calling state representatives and requesting that they do not vote for
items that reduce money to state agencies and
organizations that serve people with disabilities,
and most importantly register and go out and
VOTE.
We can make a difference on a local level by getting involved in community organizations, attend
board meetings or even serve on a board for organizations that serve and support people with
disabilities, most importantly report injustices and
discriminations. For example if a mental health
provider has changed a diagnosis in order to disqualify the individual for services or if a building is
not accessible.
Being proactive is essential in order to keep and
obtain assistance and recognition for people with
disabilities. Be as active as possible and let our
voices be heard.
You can find out who your representative is by
going to www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us or calling your
local voting center. If you have problems voting
you can call 1-866-687-8683 or go to
www.866ourvote.org. To seek assistance with an
injustice or discrimination you can go to
www.DisabilityRightsTX.org or the statewide intake line at 1-800-252-9108.
Disability in Action is here to help. Making the
Center staff aware of concerns is the beginning step.
Finding out more about how an individual can make a
difference in the issues that affect them comes next.
The Center can help find the resources and assist in
making connections with an agency or lawmaker that
needs to hear your voice.
Remember that you are not alone. If one person has a
problem with a program or a system, more than likely
someone else has the same issue. Advocacy begins
with speaking out .
Push America “Journey of Hope” Comes to Abilene
In July of this year, the staff at Disability in Action
was able to meet an organization that shares a
common goal. A primary focus at the Center is to
bring awareness and acceptance of people with disabilities. Disability in Action was pleased to connect
with the team members of Push America who promote the same mission of understanding and integration. While on their annual trip that’s called the
“Journey of Hope”, cyclers charted through Abilene
in support of people with disabilities.
newspapers, radio and television, civic groups and
community leaders, reaching millions of people annually and sharing the message of ability and not
disability. Starting with the inaugural team of 21
members that raised $20,000, the team has since
been expanded into three different routes of 35 Pi
Kappa Phis and annually raises more than
$500,000.
The “Journey of Hope” cross-county bike ride is
comprised of three different routes. The teams
begin in Seattle (TransAmerica), San Francisco
(North), Los Angeles (South), and finish together
with all teams in Washington, D.C.
Launched in 1988, today the “Journey of Hope” covers 32 different states, cycling over 12,000 miles
combined; it is solely comprised of members of Pi
Kappa Phi and has become a well known group of
advocates.
“Journey of Hope” reaches out to people through
Our Grand Opening on August 8, 2008. Thank You Big Country for another successful year!
Finding Support is Easier Than You Think
Student/Child Resource Connections
With school back in session, many parents are
seeking resources for their child/student who has a
disability or chronic illness. It’s never too late to find
what options and programs are available to your
student or pre-school child. Some include:
Region 14 Educational Service Center offers a significant array of services for children/students from
birth to the transitional age at high school graduation.
Contact Trudy Little @ 325-675-8614 or
search their website at www.esc14.net , including
for information via the West Central Texas WrapAround Services portal.
A primary contact is PEN Project. Parents EducaReach For A Difference is an Autism Spectrum
tion Network Project offers a wide variety of serPartnership Network and our local Autism Revices including referral, assistance, and workshops
source. They conduct monthly public community
1-806-762-1434 or www.partnerstx.org
action meetings the first Tuesday of every month at
Texas Parent to Parent is a statewide non-profit the United Way Building, 240 Cypress Street, 2nd
created by parents of experience to assist families Floor from 6-7:30pm. Childcare volunteers availathrough family support, information, and parent/ ble. Contact Stephanie Prosser @ 325-514-4989
professional education.
1-866-896-6001 or or www.reachforadifference.org
www.txp2p.org
The West Texas Rehabilitation Center has a vast
program for children with several types of challenges, including Low Vision Rehabilitation, and The
Food Program which uses a unique approach to
getting your student/child to eat food. 1-800-2910387 or www.WestTexasRehab.org
The Children with Special Health Care Needs
(CSHCN) is a Texas Department of State Health
Services. Child must live in Texas, have a physical
condition that is expected to last 12 months, must
be under the aged of 21 (or any age for people with
cystic fibrosis), and family must meet financial eligibility.
Call 1-800-252-8023 for number to local
office or www.dshs.state.tx.us/cshcn
City Bus Tickets are provided to anyone who needs to access the
Center. If you want to attend an event and ride the Handivan, call the
Center at least 24 hours prior to the time that you want to come and
staff will arrange the trip. If you live outside of the Abilene area, City
and Rural Rides may be able to bring you . Call us to find out more.
(325) 672-5460 or (888) 672-5460
Need a Ride to Work or School?
Call Us! We can help!
Call 325-672-5460
Ask for Tim Evans
Transportation Works Program
3
ent
i
d
e
r
Ing
es
Recip
Christmas Mint Cookies
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Melting Chocolate (almond bark or
baking chocolate)
2-3 drops of Peppermint Extract
Serving Size: 1 (682 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 1
1 package of Butter round crackers
Calories 251.6
(such as Ritz crackers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Calories from Fat 234
93%
Total Fat 26.0 g
Melt Chocolate over low heat
40%
Saturated
Fat 16.1 g
Add 2 to 3 drops of Peppermint oil
80%
Mix
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
0%
Line a cookie sheet with foil
Sodium 12.0 mg
Dip crackers into chocolate and lay on
0%
cookie sheet, making sure they do not Total Carbohydrate 14.9
touch each other. Add colored sugar
g
sprinkles if you wish.
4%
Dietary Fiber 8.2 g
Chill until firm
33%
Sugars 0.5 g
2%
Protein 6.4 g
Tast
es li
ke
Girl
Scou
t
Thin
Mint
s!
Resource Round up
Texas Family Institute
Check out our New Website
Will begin
www.disabilityinaction.org
“Adults from
Dysfunctional
Coming on Saturday
Families”
This working therapy group begins
on September 4, 2014
October 11, 2014
Disability in Action hosts a
Classes will be held at the Texas
Family Institute offices:
“Disability Awareness Fun Fair”
100 Chestnut
Rose Park Adaptive Recreation Building
Abilene, TX..
Upstairs
Call (325) 676-8963
Games! Food! Fun!
For more information
1:00-3:00pm
Community Event
The More You Know, the More You Grow
What is ALS?
involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or
breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to
function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become
smaller). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised
over 88.5 million dollars as this publication goes to
print.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to
as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the
brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from
the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord
to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive
degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually
leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the (article and picture courtesy of the ALS association)
ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle
movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the
disease may become totally paralyzed.
A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A"
means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and
"Trophic" means nourishment–"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it
"atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the
areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the
nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are
located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring
or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region.
As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer
send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS
often include increasing muscle weakness, especially
www.alsa.org
Non Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Abilene, TX
Permit No. 777
3305 N. 3rd St., Suite 320
Abilene, Texas 79603
Find us on Facebook!
Disability in Action, Inc.
Check out our new website
www .disabilityinaction.org
This publication is supported by funding
through DARS. Opinions expressed in this
newsletter do not necessarily represent
those
of
Disability in
Action
funding
sources.
Disability in Action Staff
Michelle Crain
Executive Director
Nancy Penland
Director of Programs-Lubbock
Leah Beltran
Center Coordinator
Tim Evans
Director of Programs– Abilene
Mary Rivera
Independent Living Specialist
Michele Nall
Community Integration Specialist
Casey Hertel
Community Integration Specialist
Kendal Johnston
Relocation Specialist - Abilene
Relocation Specialist - Wichita Falls
Contact Us!
325-672-5460 Voice
325-672-2903 Fax
888-672-5460 Toll Free
Hours of Operation
8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday