Legislative/Advocacy Updates
The ADA 20th Anniversary Event
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) 20th Anniversary Event was held at The Boston Common with a strong show of support from The Merrimack Valley. Northeast Independent Living Program (NILP), organized more than 60 local folks to join the major gathering at the Common to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
NILP, along with a coalition of organizations state-wide enjoyed a gala day of speakers, and festivities, featuring performers with disabilities and representatives of the community speaking on the importance of the ADA in their lives. Governor Patrick, Mayor Menino, Journalist John Hockenberry, and Comedian Jonathan Katz joined more than 1300 people on The Common to mark 20 years of the ADA in Massachusetts. The NILP provides advocacy and services for people with disabilities throughout the Merrimack Valley.
The Gala “No Surrender 22” Conference
The Gala "No Surrender 22" Conference for Mental Health Consumers in the Merrimack Valley, was held recently at the U Mass Inn & Conference Center in Lowell, MA. "If I Try I Can Succeed" was the message to over 150 people with disabilities who came together from throughout Northeastern Massachusetts to celebrate our recovery and successes; to learn new skills and enjoy new and old friendships. "“No Surrender" is a two-decades-old tradition, sponsored by Northeast Independent Living Program’s (NILP’s) North East Recovery Learning Community.
At The conference, we also shared information about The Five Fundamental Rights. On February 25, 1998, important amendments to the Massachusetts mental health laws took effect. It is important for us to be aware of The Five Fundamental Rights Law because it guarantees certain fundamental rights to persons receiving services from programs or facilities operated by, licensed by, or contracted with the Department of Mental Health (DMH). In public or private settings, we have the following rights:
- The right to "reasonable access" to a telephone to make and receive confidential calls, unless making the call would be a criminal act or cause an unreasonable infringement of another's access to the telephone.*
- The right to send and receive "sealed, unopened, uncensored mail." If the person is present, staff may open and check mail for contraband, but may not read it.
- The right to receive visitors of your "own choosing daily and in private, at reasonable times." Visiting hours may be limited only to "protect the privacy of other persons and to avoid serious disruptions in the normal functioning of the facility or program and shall be sufficiently flexible as to accommodate individual needs and desires."*
- The right to a humane environment including living space which ensures "privacy and security in resting, sleeping, dressing, bathing and personal hygiene, reading and writing and in toileting."
- The right to have legal representation.
- The right to be visited (even outside normal visiting hours) by your attorney or legal advocate (as well as by your physician, psychologist, clergy person or social worker), regardless of who initiates the visit.
- The right of an attorney (or legal advocate) to access, with client consent: the person's record; clinical staff; and meetings regarding treatment or discharge planning which the person is entitled to attend.
- The right to "reasonable access by attorneys and legal advocates, [including those] of the Massachusetts Mental Health Protection and Advocacy Project [of the Center for Public Representation] and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee", so that they may "provide free legal services." Upon admission and upon request, facilities must provide the name, address and telephone numbers of the legal agencies and must assist persons in contacting them. These agencies may conduct unsolicited visits and distribute educational materials, at times the facility designates as "reasonable". All programs must post a notice of these rights "in appropriate and conspicuous places". The notice must be provided upon request and must be in a language "understandable" to the person.
(Please be sure to check out our feature that is found on our North East Recovery Learning Community Page).
Advancing Careers through Connection: The Peer Employment Network
Spread The Word About The Peer Employment Network
Advance in your line of work or start a new career.
Expand your network of business contacts.
We invite you to come to the third meeting of the Peer Employment Network to reconnect and/or make new contacts and learn more about career advancement, reasonable accommodations and other issues relevant to individuals with disabilities who are interested in maximizing their employment opportunities.
If you are a working person with a disability or, you are actively seeking employment and would like to connect to people with similar interests, you owe it to yourself not to miss this opportunity. Space is limited. Please RSVP by 2/22/10. To register using the form on the back of this page fax to the attention of Drew Glazier at 617.287.4352 or e-mail the electronic version to Andrew.Glazier@umb.edu. To register by phone contact Marie Hennessy at 781.321.1071.
If you have any questions or need any accommodations, please contact Rick Kugler: at rick.kugler@umb.edu
Download Reservation Form Here
Affordable Homeownership Opportunity
Bread & Roses Housing (BRH) is pleased to announce the opening of its application process for affordable home ownership. Please help us to get the word out by posting, publishing or announcing the following information:
Interested in buying an affordable home?
BRH is currently accepting applications for 3-bedroom homes to be built (duplex style) in Lawrence, MA. Each 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath home will be sold for $75,000 to a low income first time homebuyer. The homes will remain owner-occupied and affordable through all future sales and re-sales.
To receive information and to learn about how you can apply:
You must attend a BRH seminar. Applications are only available by attending a BRH seminar. See below for more information.
¿Esta interesado en comprar una casa económica?
BRH esta aceptando aplicaciones para comprar casas de 3-dormitorios que estarán en construcción en Lawrence, MA. Cada unídad (la mitad del duplex) tiene un coste de $75,000 y serán vendidas a propietarios de bajos ingresos y ser primeros compradores. Las casas deben permanecer ocupadas y mantenerse a bajos precios en ventas futuras.
Para recibir más información y una aplicación
Tiene que asistir a una.
Maximum Household Income / Ingreso Máximo de su Familia
2 persons - $33,900, 3 persons - $38,150, 4 persons - $42,400, 5 persons - $45, 800
Minimum Household Income/ Ingreso Mínimo: $20,000
For more information, contact:
Lidia Rivera-Garcia
Bread & Roses Housing
PO Box 7 Lawrence, MA 01842
(978) 685-1823 x 1
infoatbrh@aol.com
2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business Bureau
Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson.
With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.
The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:
** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.
** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.
While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.
AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.
Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.
Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.
For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org.
PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
Employment Now Coalition Meeting
Please join us for the next meeting of the Employment Now Coalition, which will be held on Friday, September 10 at 1:00 pm in the first floor ballroom of the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center, located at 806 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge.
We'll be discussing the re-invigoration of the Executive Strategic Planning Committee, upcoming initiatives to be funded with the new contract from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the expansion of ENC membership, Disability Employment Month in October, and much more.
Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome to attend.
We're looking forward to an ambitious schedule with monthly meetings between now and the end of the year. Upcoming meetings are tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 8, Friday, November 5, and Friday, December 10. These meetings will most likely take place outside the Boston area in order to reach out to our members in other parts of the state, but video conferencing will enable people who can't attend the meetings to participate.
To request a reasonable accommodation, including ASL interpreters or CART, please contact DeAnn at delliott@employmentnowcoalition.org by 9/7/10.
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