News


Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee recently launched a program to assist adult travelers who have disabilities. Through the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, adult travelers who have hidden disabilities can get a bright green lanyard with sunflowers on it to identify to airport employees that they may need a little extra assistance. The Airport staff will make sure people wearing those lanyards will get the extra assistance they need. 

Read more

Posted in: default | 0 comments

The Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC) is now accepting applications for fellows for a one-year self advocacy project. Learn more and apply here.
The project should help the fellow grow their own skills as a leader and may include work on finding new ideas to help solve problems many people have. It must end with a report or products others can use after the project is over. Fellows will work with a host organization (such as a nonprofit) over the year. SARTAC will select six fellows.
A fellow will work on their project about six hours each week. SARTAC pays fellows $5,000 to complete their projects. The fellowship begins on March 1, 2022, and goes to February 28, 2023.
The deadline for applications in Wednesday, December 22, at 9:00 pm ET. 
SARTAC will choose fellows and contact all applicants by February 14, 2022.
Apply for a SARTAC Fellowship
SARTAC was created to share self advocacy ideas and help others across the country. It operates with support from ACL. To learn more about the fellowship and the previous classes of fellows, visit: selfadvocacyinfo.org/fellows.
Posted in: default | 0 comments

Member Spotlight: Stefanie Primm


By SD Network, 2021-12-06

64201062667__F35B603D7EBC4129AF07D783087302E6.jpegMeet Stefanie. Growing up with a sibling with a disability shaped her outlook and passion in life. She runs an organization that supports families who have loved ones with disabilities. She enjoys making self-determination the center of peoples lives. She encourages people to set goals for the future. and tell your family and friends about them, so they can support you. We’re so fortune to have Stefanie as a member of the Self-Determination Network.

What's your story?  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Stefanie grew up in Colorado and Wisconsin with a brother with autism. She shares that growing up with him really shaped her worldview about disability and belonging. She attended UW-Madison studied child development and then got a Masters Degree in Social Work. As a student intern, she heard about the Self-Determination Conference and got to attend for free. As her college career wrapped up, she learned about an incredible opportunity through the Waisman Center, where she could work with families like hers to help create a better future for their loved ones. “That work with families led to the creation of LOV-Dane, which became LOV Inc. (Living Our Visions Inclusively) in 2020. I've been the Executive Director of LOV Inc. for the last four years and feel very lucky to get to do work that I'm so passionate about. I love talking to families from different parts of the state and hearing about their hopes and dreams for their loved ones with disabilities. It is such a privilege to be able to be part of their journey while they make the best possible life for their loved one. At LOV Inc. our focus is on helping people figure out what they want in life and claim the power to make it happen,” she says.

How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?

While most of her work nowadays is with parents and siblings of people with disabilities, Stefanie explains that LOV Inc. has a major focus on self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Their staff team is part of the Living Well project and they spent the last few months reviewing the Rights Toolkit, which was a great starting point for many discussions. When they work with families or individuals with disabilities, they always make space for listening deeply to what is important to them in their life, and helping to navigate through any barriers they're experiencing. “I love being part of the SD Network to connect with other people doing similar work to us, and learning about new ideas people come up with,” she excitedly exclaims!

Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms self-determination?

Stefanie explains that in recent years, LOV Inc has focused on diversity and equity, in addition to inclusion. This year, they've been able to expand their work with Spanish speaking families by hiring a Family Resource Specialist who is Latina. Alejandra Espejo has been connecting with families and helping them dream big for their child's future, including their child living a self-determined life. They've done a lot of education on supported decision making and rights, though these terms have different meanings to Spanish-speaking families. “Bringing the idea of self-determination to a new culture is challenging, but definitely worthwhile,” she says.

What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?

Stefanie thinks it is easier to be self-determined when you know what you want. She encourages people to set goals for your future, talk with close friends and family about what you want your life to look like, and then ask for the support you need to get there. She says, “If the future feels too far away, think about the life you want to have six months or a year from now, and find a way to take small steps toward that life. Many people are rediscovering who they are after COVID, so you're likely to find a lot of other explorers on your journey.”

What are some of your hobbies?

When she’s not busy working, Stefanie likes to do calm and soothing activities. She attends yoga classes at a studio near her house, work on jigsaw puzzles with family and connect with my friends. She’s looking forward to life after COVID when it will be easier to travel safely. There's a lot of places in the world that she still would like to see. London is probably at the top of her travel list right now, but she would be happy to even be able to visit friends in Washington state next year.

***We love hearing the views and opinions of Network members. We need to mention that the views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the person who is sharing them. They do not necessarily reflect InControl Wisconsin or any of our supporters and funders.

 

 

The Southwest ADA Center is conducting a study on video game accessibility for people with disabilities.


Are you 18 years of age or older? Do you play or like video games? Do you have a disability or limitation? If so, then you may be just right for our study! We want to learn what we can do to make the process of gaming better for those individuals with disabilities. 


The questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey before it closes on February 28th, 2022.


This non-scientific survey is a collaborative effort of the Southwest ADA Center, Dell, and Intel.


For inquiries please contact George Powers at George.Powers2@memorialhermann.org.


To take the survey or for more information visit:

Posted in: Surveys | 0 comments

A $1.9 trillion bill that includes many different supports for home-and-community-based care and senior services was passed by the House of Representatives recently. The next stop is the Senate. Advocates are urging the Senate to follow suit. 

Read more

Posted in: default | 0 comments

A bill that would make a historic investment in Home-and-community-based services and other supports for people with disabilities is one step closer to becoming law. The House recently approved the "Build Back Better Act" which would invest millions in disability services.  The amount is much smaller than what Biden originally proposed, but, if passed, it'd be the largest amount ever to go to home-and-community-based services. The bill now goes to the Senate which is likely to be quite a hard bill to pass. 

Read more

Posted in: default | 0 comments

Why doesn't the disability community have more political power? There are over 61 million people living with a disability and yet  they still have little involvement in the political arena. There are several different factors that cause this. Things such as ableism and being forced to live in poverty to qualify for needed services attribute to this this. This article lays out several different factors and explains what needs to be done to fix this. 

Read more

Posted in: default | 0 comments

Advancements in video game technology have made it possible for people with disabilities and health conditions to be able to experience outdoor environments without having to leave their house.   At a time when visitation to national parks and other outdoor sites is booming, video games have become an unlikely assistive tool, a new pathway into nature tourism for people  with a disability or chronic illness.

Read more

Posted in: default | 0 comments

A research firm recently did a study on the affects Electronic Visit Verification ( EVV) has on care. It found that evv has a significant impact on care a person receives. Many interviews were conducted of participants and workers, and it revealed that the evv has major burdens on both parties. It also found that the system was built based on a poor understanding of how the services are given. 

Read more

Posted in: default | 0 comments

Although many people with COVID-19 get better within weeks, some people continue to experience symptoms that can last months after first being infected, or may have new or recurring symptoms at a later time. People with this condition are sometimes called “long-haulers” and this condition is commonly known as “long COVID.”

Many people with long COVID may be experiencing disability for the first time. The national network of state and territory Assistive Technology (AT) Act programs funded by ACL has spent decades serving individuals of all ages with all kinds of disabilities wherever they live, learn, work, and play. They provide a stigma-free environment for people with disabilities (and those who serve or love them) to learn about, try out, and acquire the assistive technologies that maintain or improve independence.

A new issue brief from the National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training (AT3) Center describes how AT Act programs are supporting people experiencing long-term effects from COVID-19 and provides examples of common assistive technology solutions.

Use this tool to find the AT Act program in your state or territory.

Posted in: default | 0 comments
   / 194