Latest News « The Ability Center of Greater Toledo

Campaign Contributions=Power

February 1st, 2010

by Sue Hetrick, Director of Public Policy
(via Ohio Disability Vote Coalition)

Think elections aren’t worth your time and effort? Think again.

According to an article in the Columbus Dispatch on Saturday, January 30, 2010 both Republicans and Democrats raised record campaign gifts in 2009.

Representative Jay Goyal, D-Mansfield, the Democrat’s caucus campaign chairman, said that the amount they have raised “represents the outpouring of support for our caucus’ accomplishments and priorities in fighting for middle-class Ohioans”.

House Minority Leader William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, commenting on the record contributions raised by House Republicans, said that “Ohioans are fed up with the quagmire of the current leadership and are looking for representation in Columbus from people who share their values and truly understand the districts”.

The article states that Armond Budish, Speaker of the House and fundraising leader for the Democratic Caucus, accepted contributions of $10,000 or more from nine unions, FirstEnergy, the Acedemy of Nursing Homes and the Dental Association. His biggest individual donors include the family of Cincinnati nursing home operator Barry Bortz (($22,500), Parma nursing-home operator Bruce Daskal ($10,000) and the family of Lyndhust real-estate developer Mitchell Schneider ($24,500).

In the Senate Democrats are in a deep 21-12 minority and continue to struggle to build financial support. Senate Republicans have more than $2.7 million in the bank, nine times as much as democrats.

Senate President Bill M. Harris, a term-limited Ashland Republican and his No.2, Senator Tom Neihaus, R-New Richmond, have accepted $10,000 or more from a variety of sources, including Akron-based charter school operator David Brennan ($24,150), the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association ($12,000), legal/lobbying firm Calfee Halter ($15,000), and American Electric Power ($13,895).

Follow the money…Elected officials are alligned with those who get and keep them elected, and legislative agendas and priorities are influenced accordingly.

Jim Dickson, Vice-President of the American Association Of People With Disabilities, states that only two factors have power in elections…organized people and organized money. We obviously don’t have money but we could have organized people if only it were a priority.

Can we really afford NOT to make voting a priority?

Tags: campaign contributions, political campaigns
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Join Ohio Disability Vote Coalition in Planning for 2010 Elections

January 15th, 2010

On Thursday January, 21 Jim Dickson, VP for Government Affairs of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will be delivering the keynote address for Ohio Election Officials.

Because Jim will be in town the day before the conference, ODVC is taking this opportunity to discuss with him Ohio’s activities around the May Primary and the November General Election. We look forward to as many ODVC members, and other interested parties, as possible in joining us for this important discussion/planning session. We must become more proactive and organized in order to become a powerful voting block in Ohio.

The meeting will be:
Wednesday, January 20 at 3:00 pm.
Ohio SILC Office
670 Morrison Rd, Suite 200
Gahanna, OH 43230

You may participate “live” or you may phone in via conference call. Please RSVP to Sue Hetrick if you will be calling in and she will provide you with the phone number.

shetrick@abilitycenter.org
(866) 575-8055
(614) 892-0390

The mission of the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition is to maximize the political power of Ohioans with disabilities through nonpartisan voter education, registration and participation of all people with disabilities at all levels of the election process.

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ACT Holds Grass Roots Event

December 21st, 2009

Grass Roots Program Cover Art

The New Year is right around the corner and, at this time of the year, many folks resolve to tackle challenges as the New Year begins. On December 15, 2009, The Ability Center hosted a “Grass Roots Advocacy” event to get a jump start on one of its “New Years Resolutions” — that of improving grass roots advocacy in northwest Ohio.

“New Years is a time when many folks make resolutions with a dogged determination to make changes in their lives.” says Marianne Huff, Director of Advocacy for ACT, “Our promise is to make advocacy at the grass roots a priority in 2010!”

There were approximately sixty people in attendance from a broad range of groups including persons with disabilities, their friends and families, and staff from other organizations. The event began with a catered dinner and musical entertainment, followed by a formal program that included watching “The Power of 504”, an award-winning documentary on early Disability Rights advocacy, and a panel discussion on the importance of advocacy at the grass roots level. At the conclusion of the program, groups were assembled to provide feedback as to “how” to create such a group and keep it going. The grass roots group will be targeting issues that impact persons with disabilities at the local, state and federal level.

Marianne Huff Addresses Attendees

“The idea that common people can and should have a voice in their society and in their government is not a new one, so there is nothing revolutionary about The Ability Center’s efforts.” explains Huff, “However, we are trying to take a new approach to an old idea. You see, we don’t want this group to be about us; about The Ability Center and what it represents in the community. There is nothing grass roots about an agency that has been around for 90 years doing the work and taking control of something as fundamental as “speaking out”, with and on behalf of others. This is something that has to be owned by the community, and not just by the disability community. It has to be owned by all interested parties: persons with disabilities, persons without disabilities, persons who simply care about the world around them, persons who realize that we are all connected.”

Sharing a message worth hearing

The goal of the group is to give persons with disabilities a voice so that they can speak up and speak out regarding issues that impact them. The group will be meeting on a monthly basis and the next meeting is yet to be scheduled, but it will be held in January of 2010.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the grass roots advocacy group, please contact Marianne Huff at 866-885-5733 ext. 223 or via email at mhuff@abilitycenter.org.

Nathan Watt sings "Unstoppable"

Participant Recap:

The name of the participants: Tami Williams, Ana Ulrich, Cindy Shunk, Sheilah Wilson, Jessica Weinberg, Tami Williams, Toby Fey, Paula Lewis, Renee Woods–these folks helped to create the program and they guide the group. Tami Williams was the emcee. Cindy Shunk spoke about
Advocacy. Jessica Weinberg spoke about Public Policy and how it affects all of us. Tami Williams talked about the definition of disability and the fact that persons with disabilities are the largest minority in the United States. Marianne Huff gave a speech that discussed the importance of “speaking up”.

The audience also viewed the film, “The Power of 504″, which captures the sit-ins that occurred around the United States in 1977 when regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were not created.

Musician: Don Binkley

Additional musical treat: Nathan Watt, a young chair-using guitar player sang a song that he wrote entitled, ‘Unstoppable.”

Sharing Appreciation

Enlightened Conversation

Don Binkley Sings

More pics are on our Facebook page.

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Big Trash – Big Problem? ACT Wants Your Input

November 5th, 2009

The Ability Center of Greater Toledo is interested in your comments regarding the City of Toledo’s decision to use larger trash cans in residential situations. These trash cans benefit the City because their design allows them to be picked up easily by a truck with an automatic arm, in most cases without need for the driver to exit the vehicle. Our concern is their size and weight. We are worried they may be much more difficult for persons with disabilities to access and/or take to the curb independently on trash day.

We would like to know if you have had any issues with these larger bins or have any concerns about “how” they might cause undue hardship for older Toledoans and/or those citizens living with disabilities. Some (in City government) have commented that ” this is what neighbors are for.” What do you think about a person (out of necessity and to avoid a fine) having to ask a neighbor for assistance, someone with whom they may or may not be well-acquainted; or a friend or family member (who may or may not live nearby)? As a reasonable accommodation, should the city be providing additional services to persons with disabilities who may not have a neighbor, friend or a family member who is ready, willing and able to help. Please, tell us what you think!

Posted in Advocacy, Disability Culture, General News, Independent Living, Legal Cases | No Comments »

Ability Center of Greater Toledo Successfully Resolves Complaint Against Toledo Public Schools

September 20th, 2009

On September 4, 2009, the Toledo Public Schools entered into a “Resolution Agreement” with the United States Department of Education—Office of Civil Rights, regarding a complaint filed by the Ability Center of Greater Toledo. The complaint, filed against the District on March 12, 2009, cites the District’s failure to adopt Board-approved policies and procedures that address the implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794).

The Ability Center filed the complaint citing the District’s failure to provide students with disabilities access to Section 504 plans created in accordance with federal regulations. In May of 2008, The Ability Center sent a public records request to the District requesting information regarding its policies and procedures. The District responded that it had “none”. Since The Ability Center provides advocacy representation on behalf of approximately 350 students with disabilities every year and had first-hand knowledge of the District’s failure to properly respond to the request for “504” plans, the Center filed its complaint with the United States Department of Education.

According to a letter received by The Ability Center on September 14, 2009 from Catherine D. Criswell, Acting Director of the United States Department of Education, “… on September 4, 2009, the District responded to the Office of Civil Rights with a signed agreement to resolve the complaint allegation. The agreement provides that the District will draft Section 504 policies and procedures to provide for the identification, evaluation, and placement of students with disabilities, including a system of procedural safeguards at the time that a decision is made about the identification, evaluation, placement, or reevaluation of such students. The agreement also requires the District to draft Section 504 grievance procedures in accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 104.7(b).”

The Department of Education is also requiring the District to submit the draft policies and procedures to their offices by September 30, 2009 for review. Once the Department of Education has approved the policies, the District is required to distribute the policies to “the District’s educational community including, but not limited to, parents/guardians, students and teachers.

In addition, the agreement requires the District to provide training to its administrators, teachers, and to other school staff, who have responsibilities for referring students for evaluation and implementing Section 504 plans, regarding the District’s new policies and procedures and its Section 504 obligations regarding identification, evaluation, and placement.

A link to the “Resolution Agreement” is here:

tps-resolution-agreement The Official Resolution Agreement

act-pressrelease-091809 This Press Release in PDF format.

The Ability Center of Greater Toledo is a Center for Independent Living that provides a variety of services to individuals with disabilities living in Northwest Ohio. One of our core services is the provision of both individual and systemic advocacy representation to persons living with disabilities and their families.

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Canaday Center faculty receive national award for exhibit on disability history

September 15th, 2009

Barbara Floyd receives Award

(from UT News: Link at bottom of post)
By Vicki L. Kroll : September 11th, 2009

The Society of American Archivists recently recognized the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections for its outstanding efforts to promote its regional disability history archive.

The center received the Philip M. Hamer and Elizabeth Hamer Kegan Award for the exhibit and catalog titled “From Institutions to Independence: A History of People With Disabilities in Northwest Ohio.” The honor is given to individuals or institutions that have increased public awareness of archival documents.

Barbara Floyd, director of the Canaday Center, university archivist and professor of library administration, accepted the award last month at the joint annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists and the Council of State Archivists in Austin, Texas.

“The Canaday Center is proud to have been recognized by our national professional association for our work to document the history of people with disabilities in northwest Ohio,” Floyd said.

“For most of our country’s history, people with disabilities have been invisible, locked away in their own homes by families who felt shamed by them, or in custodial institutions,” she said. “It is important to all of us that disability history is finally being discovered, and we are happy that we can play a role in discovering that history and educating the rest of the community about it.”

In making its selection, the society’s award committee noted the exhibit and its catalog “sought to highlight a segment of society that has too often been omitted from the historical record. While the exhibit largely focused on institutions and groups from northwest Ohio, it sought to place the local experience within a national context to provide viewers with the larger picture of disability history.”

Floyd and Kim Brownlee, manuscripts librarian, assistant university archivist and assistant professor of library administration, worked with Canaday Center staff and student assistants about one year preparing archival materials and artifacts the center has collected since 2001 when the Disability Studies Program was established at the University.

In addition, Floyd and Brownlee organized accompanying public lectures that brought authors to campus last fall to talk about their books and the premiere of “My Black Bird Has Flown Away: The Life of Hugh Gregory Gallagher,” an original one-man production by playwright Carlton Spitzer, starring Broadway actor Jeremy Lawrence. The Canaday Center preserves the personal papers of disability scholar and activist Gallagher, who wrote the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968.

“From Institutions to Independence: A History of People With Disabilities in Northwest Ohio,” which opened last September, proved so popular it remained on display through spring semester.

Not only was the exhibit educational and popular, it was award-winning. The Canaday Center received the Ability Center of Greater Toledo’s 2008 Community Access Award in recognition of extraordinary efforts to raise awareness and/or improve the lives of persons living with disabilities and an Ohio Public Images Award from the Public Images Network for the promotion of positive awareness of persons with developmental disabilities.

And Floyd and Brownlee received the University’s Edith Rathbun Outreach and Engagement Excellence Award last spring. The annual award applauds exceptional community-engaged scholarship in research, teaching or professional service.

The virtual exhibit can be seen here. And the UT Urban Affairs Center Press is publishing a revised and expanded version of the catalog as a monograph, which is expected to be published in spring 2010.

“We hope that the exhibit’s success and popularity will encourage other individuals and organizations to add their records to the regional disability history archive,” Brownlee said.

Link to Article: http://utnews.utoledo.edu/index.php/09_11_2009/canaday-center-faculty-receive-national-award-for-exhibit-on-disability-history

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ADA Awareness Day A Huge Success!

July 27th, 2009

A view of the day at the Zoo

Those who attended the Ninth Annual ADA Awareness Day at the Toledo Zoo were treated to an absolutely beautiful day. A mix of clouds and sun, light breeze and temps in the mid-80’s made it a delight to travel the sidewalks, taking in the sights, sounds and disability-related information distributed by the 100 different Community Partners manning booths. Numbers aren’t in yet but the place was busy. It was difficult to take pictures with all the passers-by.

A view of the day at the Zoo

Thank you to all of the staff that participated with set-up, guiding folks to their booths, getting people settled smoothly. Thank you to those who acted as area support, running for water, watching booths for lunch and bathroom breaks. Thanks to those who manned the Ability Center booth. Thank you to the 100 Community Partners for participating and the thousands who visited. You all are the ones that made this event such a success. And a very special thank you to ACT Zoo Day Coordinator, Barb Manning. Her long hours of preparation and serious attention to detail gave us the foundation on which to build such a positive, smooth-running experience for everyone.

A view of the day at the Zoo

Thank you to Suzanne Carroll and 101 The River for her wonderful energy and the remote broadcast. Always an Annual hit! Last, but not least, thank you to Toledo Zoo’s Events Coordinator, Jennifer Brassil, and the Toledo Zoo for providing such a beautiful space for our big day and the support and professionalism to pull it off. Thank you, thank you all.

If anyone is interested, there are a very few of this year’s Zoo Day shirts (with the butterfly design) left over in various sizes Small through 4X (no MD or LG). If interested, call Dan Wilkins at the Center or email him: dwilkins@abilitycenter.org.

Also, if you were part of the experience, either manning a booth or visiting, we’d love to hear about your experience. Email Dan at the address above or Barb Manning at barb@abilitycenter.org.