Newsletter4-4

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		Issue 4-4 July - September 2008

Skip Navigation\| Connections for Community Leadership Links: Program Areas: Connections for Community Leadership Home LeaderLINKS Leadership Development Training Supports and Connections Informed Communities Proud and Powerfull CONNECT Other Links: Information for Participants Information for Partner Organizations Disability History Models of Disability Model of Leadership CCL Newsletter CCL Publications Contact Us Communities of Power Links: Communities of Power Home About MDRC Join MDRC		rrent LeaderLINKS \| Disability Pride Parade \| Proud and Powerful \| Voting Forums \| We Lead! Curriculum \| CCL Committee \| Warriors on Wheels \| MDRC Board \| Support CCL \| Lansing ADAPT \| Feistywear \| Subscribe Annual CONNECT Conference CONNECT teamed up with the Grand Valley State University’ Organization for Advancement for Students with Disabilities to hold the Third Annual CONNECT Conference in Grand Rapids July 22-25, drawing college students with various disabilities from across the state to “Start a Movement.” The students began the first day of the conference by exploring their own history as people with disabilities. To that end, students participated in activities and facilitated discussions that centered on the long history of oppression of people with disabilities. Next, they reviewed and discussed how their brothers and sisters with disabilities had resisted these acts of oppression. At the end of the day, participants constructed a visual timeline of their history and added their own instances of oppression and actions of resistance. On the second day, the conference gave students the opportunity to practice their leadership by teaching their peers. Five of the CONNECT Conference participants taught their peers, presenting information of importance to young leaders, such as: What leadership is; How to speak to your legislator; Determining who is in your network; The role of community service in building leadership; and How to build an effective student organization. The third day of the conference was dedicated to putting the students’ leadership skills into action. Participants were joined by Aimee Sterk of Michigan Disability Rights Coalition and Joe Stramando, a doctoral student at Michigan State University. With the assistance of Joe and Aimee, participants explored what it would take to make disability history a mandated part of the K-12 public school curriculum in Michigan. Participants discussed why learning the history of people with disabilities and the disability rights movement would be important to K-12 education students with and without disabilities, as well as members of the greater Michigan community. As the conference drew to a close, the participants discussed how they planned to stay connected and help create a positive impact on the disability rights movement in Michigan. Participants agreed that they were eager to continue their work together in the future. Return to the top of this page. Get to Know LeaderLINKS If you don’t know about LeaderLINKS, you should. LeaderLINKS is a statewide database used to link emerging leaders with one another and with leadership opportunities throughout Michigan. It is a unique tool allowing people with disabilities to learn about leadership opportunities and resources, while at the same time enabling leadership organizations as well as for leadership organizations to promote their programs to emerging leaders in Michigan. There are currently more than 2,000 leadership opportunities in the database, including: Conferences Workshops Groups/Clubs Camps Internet Courses Trainings How to Access LeaderLINKS Accessing the database is simple. You can call us toll-free and we will do the searching for you or you can search the database online. You can search by opportunity type, topic, or location. To become a member of LeaderLINKS, simply call us toll-free at 866-532-2669 or register online. Return to the top of this page. Disability Pride Parade CCL staff Melinda Haus-Johnson and her father spent the weekend in Chicago where they attended the 5th Annual Disability Pride Parade. On July 26th, the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, hundreds of people with disabilities, their families, friends, and allies, gathered to show their disability pride. The weekend’s festivities began with an open mic poetry slam during which people with disabilities shared their experiences as community. The stories touched everyone’s hearts and the room was filled with emotions and motivation for change. Saturday morning, Parade Grand Marshall Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, led disabled and proud activists down the city streets of Chicago. Disability pride could be seen from blocks away and heard as the chants echoed through the tall buildings. The parade concluded with a program including speeches, performers, live music, and dancing in Daley Plaza. For more information, visit the Parade website. Interview with Melinda’s father Tom Haus Q: Why did you decide to go to the Disability Pride Parade? A: “To support my daughter and experience something that I never thought I would.” Q: How did you feel as people were lining up for the parade? A: “I found myself in awe of so many different types of disabilities. And for the first time, I felt like I was in the minority.” Q: What did you learn from the experience? A: “The bond between everyone is strong, and their desire to fight for their rights of equality was even stronger.” Q: If you could sum up the experience in a few words, what would you say? A: “Eye opening.” Return to the top of this page. Proud and Powerful Connections for Community Leadership is asking people with disabilities to send us your Proud and Powerful thoughts, work, stories, pictures, movies, ideas, examples of experiences, events, and activities you are proud of and that give you a sense of personal value and power. By submitting your work, you agree that your submissions can be shared publicly through our newsletter, website, CONNECT E-zine, and other publicity materials. Proud and Powerful submissions can be mailed to us. If you prefer, you may email them to leadership@prosynergy.org or fax them to 517-333-2677. Photo Submission By Janice Fialka Micah, Marissa, and Yoshiko Dart at the Disability Pride Parade in Chicago, Ill. What You Don’t Know By Jillian Bogater She's such a quiet girl C'mon! Gimme a smile! Beneath thick amber curls and cool blue eyes Lies a firestorm. I'm a girl who walks in wide steps who can rebuild a lawnmower, fix a furnace without a man's watchful gaze. I can change not one — but two tires in minutes. I know how to edge. Watch yourself I'll paint you into a corner. She stays in line. Keeps production moving. Never loses composure even when the deadline looms. She signs off in purple ink. I'm not afraid to fall apart, I'm terrified. Some days I feel the pavement beneath my feet and in a whisper it dissolves wet sand between my toes. But she's so solid, they say. What a shock! We never saw it coming. Hmmm ... she must be looking for attention Otherwise, what does it say about us? What you don't know ... I'm glad I wore black pants today because I pissed myself during the one-hour commute. Even limiting myself to one cup of coffee is no match for my daily dose of Neurontin. What you don't know … I hang the Sunday comics over the window on my office door so you can't see me cry when I can't concentrate. What you don't know … The scar on my wrist isn't from my mother's cat. It evolved over years. My nails picking away against bone, like steady water on stone. What you don't know … I changed cigarette brands a half-dozen times hoping it would stop the burning on my tongue before realizing it was a side effect from increased lithium. What you don't know … When I'm on my meds I'm allllll good When I'm on my meds I sometimes slip When I'm on my meds I wield the whip When I'm on my meds The world can manipulate, distort perception of love/hate When I'm on my meds I'm bound by chains When I'm on my meds I'm "not" protected from pain When I'm on my meds Tears continue to fall When I'm on my meds I still fear losing it all But When I'm on my meds I know I have a chance. View other Proud and Powerful submissions. Return to the top of this page. Voting Forums As part of the Informed Communities project, Connections for Community Leadership is holding two additional public forums on accessible voting. A similar forum was held on May 9 in Marquette, where 67 people with disabilities spent the day learning about voting. Because the forum was such a success and because it is such an important election year, CCL strongly encourages you to attend one of the following forums: September 3, 2008 in Alpena County September 16, 2008 in Allegan County Both forums will focus on how and where to vote, how to research candidates, how to obtain an absentee ballot, what rights we have as voters with disabilities, how we identify elected officials, and much more. For more information about the forums or to register, contact Carolyn Lejuste at 517-333-2477, ext. 321. Registering to Vote To register to vote, you must be all of the following: A U.S. citizen; At least 18 years old by Election Day; A resident of Michigan; and A resident of the city or township where you are applying to register to vote. Step 1: Verify that you are eligible to vote. You must meet the requirements listed above. Step 2: Fill out the application. You can get an application at any of the following locations: Your local Secretary of State branch office; Your local county, city, or township clerk's office; Offices of several state agencies, like the Department of Human Services, the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Labor and Economic Growth; Military recruitment centers; Voter registration drives; or Online at www.Michigan.gov/sos Step 3: Submit the application. You can submit the application to your local city or township clerk’s office. You can also submit it to the Secretary of State’s office. Once your application is processed, you will then receive your voter registration card. This card will have your name and address on it, as well as important voting information, such as your district numbers and polling locations. If you want to check to see if you are registered, visit: www.michigan.gov/vote. There you will find information about registering to vote and voting, voting booth equipment, polling place locations, state and local ballots, the candidates, campaign finance and more. Your local clerk can help with questions about your voter registration, polling place location, and working at the polls. Return to the top of this page. We Lead! Curriculum Version 3.0 The We Lead! curriculum has been updated and reformatted based on the feedback from several organizations that have implemented it. It has a new design that is much more user friendly. It also includes more detailed information on implementing the curriculum, including adapting it for different audiences, accessibility information, examples, pictures, and feedback from previous facilitators. What is the We Lead! Curriculum? CCL has created a leadership development curriculum entitled “We Lead!” This curriculum offers information about disability history, disability pride, and leadership skills. Participants practice this knowledge as they work together to identify, organize, and deliver a community service project. The We Lead! curriculum was first implemented in Kent County in 2005. Since then, several organizations throughout the state have replicated We Lead! or adapted it to fit the needs of a specific community. The most important part of the curriculum (and what makes it so successful) is the facilitators’ role. At the beginning, facilitators are running the show, doing the organizing, making decisions, etc. However, throughout the program the responsibilities are transferred to the participants. By the end of the program, the participants are taking ownership in the process and doing the majority of the work. Get Your Copy Today! The Curriculum is available on our website or on CD free of charge. Printed copies are available for $10. To request a copy, please contact at 866-532-2669 or leadership@prosynergy.org. Return to the top of this page. Join the CCL Steering Committee CCL is always looking for leaders with disabilities to be part of our Steering Committee. You are the experts, so join us and let us know what you want and need for leadership development. Committee meetings are two hours in length and are held four times a year in Lansing. Can’t get to Lansing? Don’t worry! All meetings are accessible via free teleconference. If you are interested in joining the Steering Committee, please contact us at 866-532-2669. Return to the top of this page. About Warriors on Wheels Warriors on Wheels (W.O.W.) of Metropolitan Detroit is an organization of determined, dedicated wheelchair users making a difference in the lives of all citizens. When: First Monday of every month Time: 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Where: Fellowship Chapel, 7707 W. Outer Dr., Detroit, MI 48235 For more information, contact W.O.W. at 313-404-3770 or email lfranklinwowinc@yahoo.com. Join Us...Together we CAN make a change! Return to the top of this page. MDRC Board of Directors Come tell your story to the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition’s Governing Board. All meetings are open to the public and we encourage people to attend. The next meeting is scheduled for October 23, 2008 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and will include setting the 2009 meeting schedule. Please join us. All meetings are held at 3498 E. Lake Lansing Rd., Ste 100, East Lansing, MI 48823 Return to the top of this page. Support CCL Through IGive.com CCL and MDRC invite you to change your shopping into support for leadership initiatives at MDRC by shopping online at more than 681 well-known stores. You’ll receive free deals and coupons for being an iGive.com member. If you join iGive.com and make a purchase within 45 days, iGive.com will donate $5 FREE to MDRC! To date, MDRC has raised more than $930 through iGive.com. Just imagine the donation total if 100 supporters like you would shop online using iGive. HOW IT WORKS: 1. Join at http://www.iGive.com/mdrc 2. Shop the Mall at iGive.com. You'll see many familiar stores. 3. Up to 26% of EACH purchase is donated! Return to the top of this page. Get Involved with Lansing ADAPT Lansing ADAPT is a group of feisty activists with disabilities striving together to maximize individual freedom and control in their lives and create change at the local, state and national levels. ADAPTers use tactics of advocacy, collaboration, negotiation, and, as a last resort, nonviolent direct action (civil disobedience) to affect change. Currently, the group is working to help pass the Community Choice Act (CCA), national legislation that would give people the choice to live at home rather than in a nursing home. The CCA would create a financial infrastructure that would allow money that would typically go to nursing homes to now fund supports in the community. Members of Lansing ADAPT will be traveling to Washington, D.C. this September to advocate for national issues. On the home front, the group is making plans to address accessibility issues in various parts of Lansing. Lansing ADAPT members typically meet from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month at Disability Network/Michigan, 1476 Haslett Road, Haslett, MI 48840. Lansing ADAPT is open to members from all areas, and teleconferencing is available. For more information, please contact Laura Hall at laura@dnmichigan.org or 517- 337-3098. Return to the top of this page. Get your “ Feisty and Non-Compliant” Paraphernalia Pins T-Shirts Sweatshirts Hooded Sweatshirts Lanyards Mugs To order, or for more information, contact Aimee Sterk at 800-760-4600, ext. 329. Order online at Zazzle. Return to the top of this page. Subscribe To subscribe to the CCL newsletter, please send an email to leadership@prosynergy.org with "Subscribe" in the subject line. If you need to receive the newsletter in an alternative format such as large print or plain text, please note that in the email or call 1-866-532-2669. Return to the top of this page. Issue Connections for Community Leadership is funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council.
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