I am a member of Voice for Independent Living, a group that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities to live independently in their communities. We write to, and visit our legislator's offices, and attend rallys. The group also provides training in advocacy and community organizing.
Most of the work of the group these days focuses on programs, such as Medicare, MediCal, Social Security, and IHSS (In-home Supportive Services). All these programs, in one way or another, make it possible for people with disabilities, and the elderly, to live independent lives in their communities, and in their own homes.
In the present political, and economic climate, these programs are under attack. Severe cuts to these programs could make it more difficult for many people with disabilities, and the elderly to live at home. That would mean that many more people would end up in nursing homes.
This group also aims to fight an institutional bias, which tends to favor institutionalization over community based programs. Although there has been great progress over the years in independent living, this institutional bias still exists.
The group is part of Access to Independence of San Diego (A2I), a non-profit, non-residential center for independent living (CIL) that serves the city and county of San Diego. We meet twice a month at the A2I office in Mission Valley (8885 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 131, San Diego, CA 92108). There is teleconference equipment for those who can't physically be there. We are a fairly small group and are in need of more members. The group is run by Raquel Vega, a community organizer. If anyone in the San Diego area would like to be a part of this group, please contact Raquel Vega at (619) 293-3500 ext. 236 or e-mail at rvega@a2isd.org
Showing posts with label Disability Advocacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disability Advocacy. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Visit to the Office of State Senator Mark Wyland
On Tuesday, June 29 ( This blog post is over a month late. Blame it on summer procrastination) , I paid a visit to the local office of State Senator Mark Wyland. I went to his office to discuss my concerns about possible cuts to IHSS (In-home Support Services) and Medi-Cal and how cuts to these programs could adversely affect the ability of people with disabilities to live independent lives, and to be a part of the community
This is part of my work with Access to Independence of San Diego to advocate for the disabled community. Again I was accompanied by Rachel Vega from A2I. But, this time I did most of the talking. Senator Wyland was not available, so we met with his assistant instead.
I told Senator Wyland's assistant how important it was for a person with a disability to live in the community and to get in-home care or assistance. If I didn't have in-home care to help me with my everyday needs, then it would be very difficult for me to live at home and I would end up in a nursing home. A nursing home is a terrible fate for an independent person; in a nursing home there are all kinds of germs and viruses and it isolates people from the community. If cuts are made to programs that enable people with disabilities to live in the community, such as IHSS and Medi-Cal Waiver Program, then it be comes a quality of life issue. It would also violate the Olmstead Act, which is supposed to allow people with disabilities to choose to live in the community, and not to be forced into nursing homes.
His assistant seemed attentive to what I was saying and appeared to grasp the importance of what I was saying. Whether or not what I said will influence Senator Wyland or not is difficult to know, but it is still important to let my voice be heard and to try to give voice to an important issue for the disabled community.
This is part of my work with Access to Independence of San Diego to advocate for the disabled community. Again I was accompanied by Rachel Vega from A2I. But, this time I did most of the talking. Senator Wyland was not available, so we met with his assistant instead.
I told Senator Wyland's assistant how important it was for a person with a disability to live in the community and to get in-home care or assistance. If I didn't have in-home care to help me with my everyday needs, then it would be very difficult for me to live at home and I would end up in a nursing home. A nursing home is a terrible fate for an independent person; in a nursing home there are all kinds of germs and viruses and it isolates people from the community. If cuts are made to programs that enable people with disabilities to live in the community, such as IHSS and Medi-Cal Waiver Program, then it be comes a quality of life issue. It would also violate the Olmstead Act, which is supposed to allow people with disabilities to choose to live in the community, and not to be forced into nursing homes.
His assistant seemed attentive to what I was saying and appeared to grasp the importance of what I was saying. Whether or not what I said will influence Senator Wyland or not is difficult to know, but it is still important to let my voice be heard and to try to give voice to an important issue for the disabled community.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Visit to Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher's Office
Yesterday I visited the local office of Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher to discuss proposed cuts to IHSS (In-home Supportive Services) and Medi-Cal. This was my second visit to the office of an elected official in my efforts at advocacy for the disabled community. (Last month I visited with Assemblyman Martin Garrick). I went on the visit with Rachel Vega and Connie Soucy, both from Access to Independence of San Diego. We met with a staff member of his to discuss our concerns. She seemed to be receptive to what we were trying to say. Though I am not a constituent of his, it is important to talk to as many elected officials as possible to let them know how devastating cuts to these programs would be to so many people with disabilities.
Cuts to these programs would make it harder, if not impossible for people with disabilities to continue to live at home and be a part of the community, and many would end up in the nursing home gulag. The nursing home industry would like this. More people would mean more profit for them, but it would do nothing for the quality of life and dignity of people with disabilities.
Though I understand the need for cuts to the California state budget, they can't cut everything. Cuts in programs that allow people with disabilities to be a part of the community would be devastating as well as more expensive to the state in the long run: warehousing people in nursing homes is far more expensive than giving people in-home care and support.
In-home care and support, though it allows people with disabilities to be a part of the community, and is cheaper than nursing homes, has many more benefits. In-home care and support creates thousands of jobs for health care workers and home health care aids; allows people with disabilities to hold jobs; it makes the quality of life and well-being of people with disabilities so much better; people with disabilities spend money in the community, and if they work, they pay taxes in addition to spending money. Also, making it harder for people with disabilities to live in the community would be a violation of the Olmstead Act of 1999, which affirms the right of people with disabilities to live in the community.
Governor Schwazenegger, the State Assembly, and State Senate, would be well-advised to reconsider devastating cuts to IHSS and Medi-Cal. I hope my efforts as a representative of the disabled community to protect it's interests, though small, will have some influence on the politicians in Sacramento.
Cuts to these programs would make it harder, if not impossible for people with disabilities to continue to live at home and be a part of the community, and many would end up in the nursing home gulag. The nursing home industry would like this. More people would mean more profit for them, but it would do nothing for the quality of life and dignity of people with disabilities.
Though I understand the need for cuts to the California state budget, they can't cut everything. Cuts in programs that allow people with disabilities to be a part of the community would be devastating as well as more expensive to the state in the long run: warehousing people in nursing homes is far more expensive than giving people in-home care and support.
In-home care and support, though it allows people with disabilities to be a part of the community, and is cheaper than nursing homes, has many more benefits. In-home care and support creates thousands of jobs for health care workers and home health care aids; allows people with disabilities to hold jobs; it makes the quality of life and well-being of people with disabilities so much better; people with disabilities spend money in the community, and if they work, they pay taxes in addition to spending money. Also, making it harder for people with disabilities to live in the community would be a violation of the Olmstead Act of 1999, which affirms the right of people with disabilities to live in the community.
Governor Schwazenegger, the State Assembly, and State Senate, would be well-advised to reconsider devastating cuts to IHSS and Medi-Cal. I hope my efforts as a representative of the disabled community to protect it's interests, though small, will have some influence on the politicians in Sacramento.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Visit to Assemblyman Martin Garrcks Office
On Friday, April 16, I paid a visit to the local office of Assemblyman Martin Garrick(R) to discuss possible cuts to IHSS (In Home Support Services) and Medi-Cal (Medicaid). Since I am a constituent of his, it was important that he hear from one of his constituents who could be adversely affected by cuts to in-home care. I went with Rachel Vega and Connie Soucy, both from Access to Independence of San Diego. The Assemblyman was up in Sacramento, so we met with his staff.
With the serious budget problems in California there is a need to make cuts, but they are looking at these programs which are beneficial to people with disabilities to save money. IHSS, which is faced with cuts or even worse--elimination, is a very important program for people with disabilities and the elderly. It allows these people to get assistance so that they are able to live in the community, rather than being shut away and isolated in institutions. It also allows people with disabilities to hold jobs and to contribute to the community. I get my in-home nursing care through the Medi-Cal waiver program, which allows me to live at home and be part of the community rather than a nursing home. If Governor Schwarzenegger can think about making cuts to or even eliminating IHSS, there is no reason to think he won't put his sights on the Medi-Cal waiver program. I had to impress on them the importance of letting people with disabilities live in the community, be it through IHSS or the Medi-Cal waiver program.
I spoke to them about the benefits of a person with a disability living in the community through my personal experience. Since I was trached and vented almost sixteen years ago, I was able to live at home and not end up being sentenced to a nursing home. Being able to live at home, has allowed me to be a part of the community, to get out in the community, spend money in the community, and have a better quality of life. I told them people are more susceptible to all kinds of bugs and viruses in a nursing home and that it is much cheaper for a person to live at home than a nursing home. (With IHSS, for example, it costs about $10,000 a year for a person to live at home, versus $50,000-$70,000 a year for a person to be in a nursing home.). If the IHSS cuts occur home health care aides could lose jobs, or if the program were eliminated, over 24,000 people in San Diego County would be out of work. At a time of high unemployment in the state this would be unwise.
I felt that his staff was attentive to what we had to say. It is my hope that we made some impact, and that maybe what we said will help in the effort to save IHSS and allow people with disabilities to continue to live in the community and keep their dignity. This proposed cost-cutting action, if enacted would end up costing the state more in the cost of housing many more people in nursing homes (The nursing home industry would benefit from more inmates to take care of). It would make it harder for those people with disabilities who hold jobs and who rely on in home care to get them ready for work, to hold their jobs. This could make the 70% unemployment rate for people with disabilities higher, and without a job, they will not make money, and without money they won't be spending money or paying taxes. Some people will say that family members should help take care of their own. That would be true in an ideal wold, but family members can only do so much, especially if they have jobs and have other responsibilities. I felt good being able to do my part in the fight to allow people with disabilities to continue living in the community, without fear of ending up in a nursing home and losing their quality of life. The disabled community has made great strides in it's fight for independent living and it would be a shame to take such a big step backwards.
With the serious budget problems in California there is a need to make cuts, but they are looking at these programs which are beneficial to people with disabilities to save money. IHSS, which is faced with cuts or even worse--elimination, is a very important program for people with disabilities and the elderly. It allows these people to get assistance so that they are able to live in the community, rather than being shut away and isolated in institutions. It also allows people with disabilities to hold jobs and to contribute to the community. I get my in-home nursing care through the Medi-Cal waiver program, which allows me to live at home and be part of the community rather than a nursing home. If Governor Schwarzenegger can think about making cuts to or even eliminating IHSS, there is no reason to think he won't put his sights on the Medi-Cal waiver program. I had to impress on them the importance of letting people with disabilities live in the community, be it through IHSS or the Medi-Cal waiver program.
I spoke to them about the benefits of a person with a disability living in the community through my personal experience. Since I was trached and vented almost sixteen years ago, I was able to live at home and not end up being sentenced to a nursing home. Being able to live at home, has allowed me to be a part of the community, to get out in the community, spend money in the community, and have a better quality of life. I told them people are more susceptible to all kinds of bugs and viruses in a nursing home and that it is much cheaper for a person to live at home than a nursing home. (With IHSS, for example, it costs about $10,000 a year for a person to live at home, versus $50,000-$70,000 a year for a person to be in a nursing home.). If the IHSS cuts occur home health care aides could lose jobs, or if the program were eliminated, over 24,000 people in San Diego County would be out of work. At a time of high unemployment in the state this would be unwise.
I felt that his staff was attentive to what we had to say. It is my hope that we made some impact, and that maybe what we said will help in the effort to save IHSS and allow people with disabilities to continue to live in the community and keep their dignity. This proposed cost-cutting action, if enacted would end up costing the state more in the cost of housing many more people in nursing homes (The nursing home industry would benefit from more inmates to take care of). It would make it harder for those people with disabilities who hold jobs and who rely on in home care to get them ready for work, to hold their jobs. This could make the 70% unemployment rate for people with disabilities higher, and without a job, they will not make money, and without money they won't be spending money or paying taxes. Some people will say that family members should help take care of their own. That would be true in an ideal wold, but family members can only do so much, especially if they have jobs and have other responsibilities. I felt good being able to do my part in the fight to allow people with disabilities to continue living in the community, without fear of ending up in a nursing home and losing their quality of life. The disabled community has made great strides in it's fight for independent living and it would be a shame to take such a big step backwards.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Disability Advocacy
For far too long I have sat on the sidelines and watched while others have fought for the rights and interests of people with disabilities. I have decided to get off the sidelines and enter the fight to protect the rights and interests of people with disabilities. It is time for me to make a contribution to society and to stop doing nothing.
I am getting involved in disability advocacy through Access to Independence (A2I), an independent living center (ILC) in San Diego and with the help of Rachel Vega, an organizer. Through her I am learning how to be an advocate. I am also getting involved in advocating and educating about assistive technology (AT). I got in to this also through A2I and the help of Maria White, the AT specialist there.
My involvement in disability advocacy will give me a purpose in life and something to be involved with. It also has the potential to help many people, not just myself.
I am getting involved in disability advocacy through Access to Independence (A2I), an independent living center (ILC) in San Diego and with the help of Rachel Vega, an organizer. Through her I am learning how to be an advocate. I am also getting involved in advocating and educating about assistive technology (AT). I got in to this also through A2I and the help of Maria White, the AT specialist there.
My involvement in disability advocacy will give me a purpose in life and something to be involved with. It also has the potential to help many people, not just myself.
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