Join us Tonight in Fargo as we Celebrate 20 Years of the ADA!

5:00 to 7:30 pm
Lindenwood Park

CELEBRATE THE 20th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Commemorative Walk to Support the ADA

FREE PICNIC

Join our community at the Rotary Universal Playground at Lindenwood Park where people of all abilities will come together to celebrate the
ADA
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 7/26/2010 at 10:29 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Free Picnic Tonight in Jamestown to Celebrate 20 Years of the ADA

5:00 to 7:00 pm
National Buffalo Museum
Jamestown, ND

Free public picnic to Celebrate each one of our abilities and the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Join us for a fun filled night with lots of games & prizes!

For questions call Andrea Nelson at Freedom Resource Center 252-4693
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 7/22/2010 at 1:32 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Your Help Needed TODAY!

ACTION ALERT
Help Centers for Independent Living Expand their Services
Call Today and ask your Senator to Support H.R. 5610

Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living would like to ask your support as the United States Congress works to send a message that bureaucracy cannot stop Centers for Independent Living from providing our services.
H.R. 5610 is a bill that resolves a technical adjustment that the Rehab Services Administration is attempting to administer that would impact how Centers for Independent Living across the nation provide their services. This is money that has already been allocated, and has already had state plans on how it will be spent. However, Government red tape is preventing it from getting to the places it is supposed to go.
We need you to act today. This bill has already passed the US House on 7/1/2010 and we are seeking bipartisan consent from the Senate in order to get it moved. In order for this to be effective, it must be passed THIS WEEK. This bill has no opposition in the Senate. The only enemy is time.
So please call your Senator TODAY at the number below and tell him/her that you support your Center for Independent Living and ask him/her to support HR 5610 TODAY. It is important for future funding and services in our state.

ND Senators
Sen. Kent Conrad (D) (202)224-2043 -
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) (202)224-2551 –

-MN Senators
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) (202)224-3244-

Sen. Al Franken (D) (202)224-5641 -

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 7/21/2010 at 2:01 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Come Work at Freedom!

Freedom Resource Center, a disability rights organization, seeks Independent Living Advocate to provide general services from its Fargo office. Duties: skills training and advocacy for people with disabilities, information and referral, outreach, and community involvement. Candidates should have knowledge and experience in disability-related services and issues. Good interpersonal and communication skills essential. Reliable transportation required. Send resume, letter, and work history to: Program Director (markb@freedomrc.org) , 2701 9th Ave. S., Suite H, Fargo, ND 58103. Applications accepted until position filled. Persons with disabilities encouraged to apply.

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 6/22/2010 at 3:24 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

White House Launches Celebration Of 20th Anniversary Of Americans With Disabilities Act

Posted by Kareem Dale on June 08, 2010 at 02:40 PM EDT
 

Sunday night, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, kicked off the President’s and White House’s celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act while delivering remarks to over 2,000 people from around the World at the VSA International Festival at the Kennedy Center. Valerie’s remarks, which you can find below, noted the significance of this historic landmark civil rights legislation, highlighted some of the President’s initiatives thus far related to people with disabilities and previewed that senior administration officials will be commemorating this historic anniversary in the weeks to come with new policies and events.

So, stay tuned for more announcements and information in the upcoming weeks.

2010 International VSA Festival Opening Ceremony June 6, 2010
Valerie Jarrett Remarks

Thank you, David for that very kind and generous introduction and for your new chairmanship of this extraordinary Center. We know your tenure will be marked with many accomplishments, and the support of you and your wonderful wife Alice as the principal underwriters for this evening is a wonderful start. We thank you, David. Let's please give him a round of applause.

What an exciting night. I am having so much fun already, and it's just beginning. It's always an honor for me to be able to represent the President and First Lady of the United States who bring you greetings and wish they could be here with you this evening, and I can't wait to report what a treat this has been. David recognized Soula Antoniou who-and I know she is up in the box, and I want to say just your passionate advocacy for people with disabilities and all that this conference stands for is just tremendous. So, one more round of applause for Soula, please.

David also mentioned Vicky, you grace us with your presence, and of course we want to recognize the contribution of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and the critical role that he played in the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. And throughout the course of his long career was a steadfast champion for people with disabilities, and we miss him dearly, and his impressive legacy and good works and service certainly continue, and he is here with us tonight.

I am honored to represent the White House and the President who is so deeply committed to honoring and enforcing the rights of all people with disabilities. But disability rights are human rights, and to be recognized and promoted from both here at home and certainly around the world and we should lead by example.

That's why the President was so proud to add America to the list of 140 countries that signed onto the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This was the first new human rights treaty of the 21st Century.

It's also why president Obama lifted the ban on stem cell research.

It's why he provided more than $12 billion in funding in the Recovery Act for individuals with disabilities education act.

It's why he signed into law the Christopher and Dana Reeves Paralysis Act. And it's why the President launched the Year of Community Living, to affirm the fundamental right of people with disabilities to live with dignity and respect wherever they choose, and we're just beginning. This is just the beginning.

We will celebrate our successes, but we will not stop, and we will know that there is still lots of hard work ahead.
But tonight, I am so pleased to be able to kick off the administration's recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was a landmark civil rights legislation. It was a bill of rights for persons with disabilities, a formal acknowledgement that Americans with disabilities are Americans first and that they're entitled to the same rights and freedoms as everybody else.

So over the course of the upcoming weeks we will honor this commitment across the country, senior White House officials, cabinet members, members of our administration, and of course the general public will commemorate this historic anniversary through various events, new policy announcements, and other recognitions.

This festival and the ADA's 20th anniversary are both an opportunity to recommit ourselves to making sure that we see those with disabilities for what they can do rather than for what they cannot. And that everyone has the right to pursue the American dream, everyone, just like everyone else.

And of course this has been the life's work of tonight's honoree, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, VSA's founder, and you will be hearing from her in a moment. But I would like to add our congratulations to the very important work that she's done over the course of her lifetime for people with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, and her commitment to VSA. So thank you, Ambassador, for your hard work.

For more than 35 years, VSA has made the arts both accessible and enjoyable to people with disabilities. And in so doing, VSA has changed social attitudes and just as important, it has changed the lives of those it seeks to serve. Tonight we celebrate this incredible organization's legacy, and just as important, we celebrate the artists, those who show us that with passion and hard work and incredible talent, absolutely anything is possible.

Although you will not be seeing me on that skateboard, I will say, we have already enjoyed the wonderful performance so far this evening, and I look forward to the rest of the evening and the duration of the festival. And again, we want to thank you for coming tonight for the support that you give this organization and this cause each and every day, and for being a part of this extraordinary celebration.

Thank you all, and enjoy the night.

Kareem Dale is Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 6/08/2010 at 2:40 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Jamestown Mayors Race 2010

Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living is a disability rights organization. Our mission is to work towards equality and inclusion for people with disabilities through programs of empowerment, community education and systems change.

In order to inform Jamestown area voters about their mayoral candidates, we sent each of them a questionnaire asking them about their vision for people with disabilities in Jamestown. Below are those answers.

Please remember to vote on June 8th.

Name : Charlie Kourajian

1. What do you see as the biggest barrier facing people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging in Jamestown?

Overall I think we do pretty good in eliminating barriers for people with disabilities. We have a few businesses that are not in compliance, but the city and the Mayor’s Partnership Committee is working on them. One big negative is inadequate markings on the handicapped parking space at some businesses. Some handicapped restrooms are still not in compliance with ADA, but the city is doing all it can to remedy that.

2. How would you work to make people with disabilities bigger participants in the community of Jamestown?

I have worked with the handicapped community for years as a councilman and as the city’s mayor. I personally have employed people with disabilities in my private life and have always tried to work with the agencies that work with the disabled. While on the council we have placed people with disabilities on important committees and will certainly continue to do so, if they meet the qualification.

3. How would you work to make Jamestown a more accessible community for people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging?

I would continue my association with the Mayor’s Partnership Committee and CABLE to make any remodeling projects in the city ADA compliant and see to it that any sidewalk repairs meet the codes for accessibility. For the elderly community, which we have quite a few in our community, we have given tax breaks to apartment developers for building assistant units in their facilities.

4. What is your vision for people with disabilities in Jamestown?

Jamestown is a caring community and I think always will be. We value what the people of the Anne Carlsen Center, Alpha Opportunities and Progress Enterprises for what they do for their students and clientele. As mayor I will continue to advocate for them and do what I can to promote the programs they have in place. I think there has been significant progress with showcasing what people with disabilities can do and employers are starting to appreciate that.

Name: Dwaine Heinrich
1. What do you see as people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging in Jamestown?

Other than the disability I would guess the financial issues that seem to go hand in glove. I have lived in a number of state and cities. I find Jamestown residents very accepting. I do not believe I can see the barriers as clearly as someone with disabilities and those disabilities vary so greatly. The answer would not be the same for all.
2. How would you work to make people with disabilities bigger participants in the community of Jamestown?
I would encourage all Jamestown residents those with disabilities and those without to participate in our community. I do not see a distinction nor do I believe there should be one.
3. How would you work to make Jamestown a more accessible community for people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging?
As with other issues facing the city I see the mayor's role as a leader and consensus builder. I am not a single-issue person. I will work with all and for all to make Jamestown the best it can be for all of it's residents.
4. What is your vision for people with disabilities in Jamestown?
For all to be recognized by themselves and others as valuable contributing members of our community.
Name: Katie Hemmer Andersen
1. What do you see as the biggest barrier facing people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging in Jamestown?

I think one of the biggest barriers facing people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging in Jamestown is the climate. The cold, harsh winters are difficult for everyone in the North, and the need to use wheel chairs, walkers and canes multiply some mobility issues. I think that Jamestown does have good a public transportation system for the people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging, but I know that snow removal from roads, parking lots and sidewalks still make mobility challenging. Jamestown needs to improve the snow removal policy, and the benefits will be shared by all citizens.


2. How would you work to make people with disabilities bigger participants in the community of Jamestown?
Again, accessibility is the key to making it possible for the people with disabilities to participate in the community of Jamestown. I think that we see building remodeled and new construction through economic development incentives, we will see improved accessibility for those with disabilities.

3. How would you work to make Jamestown a more accessible community for people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging?
I believe we can encourage businesses that do not have accessible facilities to update and remodel using the economic incentives offered through renaissance zone tax abatement, JSDC grants and loans, South Central Regional Council programs as well as state and federal incentives.

4. What is your vision for people with disabilities in Jamestown?
My vision for the people with disabilities in Jamestown is the same as my vision for every citizen.
I want Jamestown to be a warm, inviting community for all ages with employment opportunities, a variety of recreation and leisure activities and a quality of life unique to a community with less than 20,000 residents.

Name: Damian Hoyt

1. What do you see as the biggest barrier facing people with disabilities and those living with the effects of aging in Jamestown?

The biggest barrier I see in Jamestown is the lack of handicap accessible businesses and restaurants.

2. How would you work to make people with disabilities bigger participants in the community of Jamestown?

I believe we need to make events more accessible to the disabled population. We need to make sure that these citizens feel welcome at all functions.

3. How would you work to make people with disabilities bigger participants in the community of Jamestown?

Something as simple as a handrail on stairs could make a huge difference. We would need to get the word out to businesses that changes can and should be made.

4. What is your vision for people with disabilities in Jamestown?

I think that the disabled should have all the same opportunities as everyone else in Jamestown. Most people laughed when I said I was running for mayor. I wasn’t a business person or a politician. I ran and I feel that I am doing well. Win or lose I am showing people that anyone can so something if they put their mind to it.

For all to be recognized by themselves and others as valuable contributing members of our community.
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 6/03/2010 at 2:54 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

FVND Family Leadership Institute

Providers and Professional Partners....Please share this with your families. We would love to have families that you work with attend the Leadership Institute. If you have families who are on your advisory councils, families who may want to expand their knowledge to better understand how systems work...this is the opportunity for them.
Thank you in advance...
See below



Family Leadership Institute 2010.

Each year we have hosted 25-30 individuals to the Leadership Institute.

This is a weekend of fun, education and personal growth. This year the Family Leadership Institute will be held August 6-8th in Edgeley North Dakota. Space is limited, so it is important to get your application in early. Applications are due soon. Just click on this link to complete the application http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/656JH5Z

(Please note, if you are applying with your spouse or significant other, we will need to know this in advance to plan accordingly, so please indicate this on your application) At this time we do not have child care accomodations.

We partner with Pathfinder Family Center, Designer Genes, Children's Special Health Services, ND Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, DD Council, P&A and others to bring to you a wonderful weekend.

All families of children with special health care needs are invited and encouraged to apply.

Travel and Lodging are provided for you to attend.

Leadership Purpose:
The purpose of the Leadership Institute is to provide family members with the tools to expand their grassroots advocacy efforts through coalition building and mentoring activities.
Learning Objectives:
1. State leadership --increase capacity and knowledge for family leaders regarding health policy in order to strengthen partnerships and policy development.
2. Individual families - increase awareness and understanding of impact of health issues and services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs. Additionally, there is ample opportunity to network with other families.
3. Promote and support family/professional partnerships.
4. Increase the families’ ability to navigate the complex service system and access needed services.
5. Provide families with access to information and the opportunities for training.
6. Provide skills necessary for family support and leadership development by bringing together community resources based upon identified family needs.
7. All accepted applicants will be matched with a Leadership Mentor, this is a family who has attended the Leadership Institute in years past. This is to help prepare you for the weekend, and assist you in the days ahead.
We hope you will complete the application to attend. Please complete all questions to the best of your ability, any application with questions incomplete will not be considered. The planning committee consisting of the partners above review all applications.
Just click on this link to complete the application http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/656JH5Z
Following application review we will contact you directly, to assist in preparation for the weekend.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the FVND office at 888-522-9654
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 5/19/2010 at 4:02 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

PARTNERS IN POLICYMAKING® SEEKING RECRUITS

Claudia from Dakota County believes that Partners in Policymaking® made her confident enough to go out into the world and make changes. Brian from Meeker County credits his ability to live independently and to follow his dreams to the Partners program. Tom from Carver County, an advocate for his son, Nick, says Partners was a "godsend," offering not only information about systems and services, but also emotional support from other parents.

These individuals are just three of over 750 graduates of the Partners in Policymaking leadership training program, created in 1987 by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. The program is for adults with disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities. It is currently seeking recruits for Class 28, which will meet monthly beginning in September. The deadline for application is July 23, 2010.

To learn more about Partners in Policymaking, or to request an application form, visit www.mngts.org/partnersinpolicymaking or contact Government Training Services by E-mail (cschoeneck@mngts.org) or phone (metro: 651-222-7409, x205 or non-metro: 1-800-569-6878, x205).
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 5/18/2010 at 3:30 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Its Our Story - Why So Important

Its Our Story - Why So Important  Click Here

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 5/17/2010 at 1:42 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Wilderness Inquiry Family Adventure

Are you looking for a kid-friendly vacation the entire family will enjoy? Our family trips appeal to all abilities and ages, including younger children and teenagers. There are many different trips to choose from, and we can create a custom trip for your family. We'll make it easy for your family to enjoy an outdoor adventure.

Check out the NEW Wilderness Inquiry Family Adventure website at:
www.familyoutdooradventures.org
 

Posted by: Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living on 5/07/2010 at 4:04 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink