DAWN, Inc. (Center for Independent Living, Inc.)

Member's Notice - Second Quarter
Issued: June 03

Road Trip:

A Journey of Discovery
A National Juried Exhibit for Young Artists with Disabilities, Ages 16—25
15 finalists - $30,000 in awards
Sponsored by: VSA Arts and Volkswagen of America

VSA Arts and Volkswagen of America have partnered for a second year to offer a unique opportunity for young artists with disabilities.

VSA arts and Volkswagen of America have issued a call for artists with disabilities, ages 16—25 living within the United States, to participate in a juried exhibit entitled "Road Trip: A Journey of Discovery."

Fifteen finalists will be awarded a total of $30,000 and the top three finalists will be honored in a public exhibition in Washington, D.C. in October 2003. The following awards will be given: $10,000 Grand Prize $5,000 First Award $3,000 Second Award twelve $1,000 Awards of Excellence.

In 2002, ten finalists were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. That exhibit may be found online at: http://www.vsarts.org/gallery/exhibits/vw/index.html

The theme "Road Trip: A Journey of Discovery" invites artists to take the viewer on a pictorial journey, imaginary or real, and to evoke the feelings associated with the experience through their work. Entries may be abstract or representational, and may also depict how living with a disability affects the artist’s journey.

The artwork may illustrate actual aspects of the road trip such as the route taken, the places visited, and your discoveries. Abstract work that relates to your feelings during the journey or the impact on you as an artist is also encouraged. Work may also reflect your experience of living with a disability and its role in shaping or transforming your journey.

Art must be an original work that has been completed in the last three years. Eligible media include: paintings and drawings (oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil or charcoal), fine art prints (lithographs, etching, intaglio, or woodcuts), photography, and two-dimensional mixed media.

There is no entry fee and each artist may submit up to five entries.

For complete entry instructions or for additional information or entry forms:

Phone: 800-933-8721 ext. 3877
Fax: 202-737-0725
e-mail: voa@vsarts.org
Web-site: http://www.vsarts.org/gallery/callsforart/vw/index.html

From the Executive Director’s Desk

Well, summer is finally here. We were starting to wonder if the sun would ever come out. Along with the seasonal changes we have also had changes in our office. Now when you call into the office you may be hearing a new voice. We have a new Information and Referral specialist on staff, Marc Molde. Marc joined us in May and is anxious to assist with any questions you may have.

We are also sorry to say Laura Curtis has had to leave us. Laura moved to Pennsylvania in the beginning of the year and found the commute to be too difficult. We will all miss her, but Laura has promised to keep in touch and plans to join us for the annual picnic on August 10th.

I hope you are pleased with the new format for our newsletter. If anyone is interested in submitting articles, you can forward them to the office via, mail, email or fax. They will be reviewed and a decision will be made as to whether it can be used. Just a reminder that the newsletters are now being sent to you on a quarterly basis and effective October, 2003 we will no longer be sending the newsletter to unpaid dues members. Membership dues are only $15 per member and help cover costs of creating and printing the newsletters. It is a small price to pay for all the valuable information provided. Remember, all dues received go directly towards the programs and services we provide to you. We will continue to send the recreational activities list out at least every month. Please be sure to sign up for the activities you are interested in well in advance to ensure accommodations can be made.

As I mentioned last quarter, we have started an advocacy committee and had our first meeting in May. As a result of that meeting, we decided to implement a "Cheers and Jeers" column for members to write in and let us know about experiences with access to places of public accommodations. When you are out a dinner, shopping or the doctors, let us know what is and is not accessible. We will put it in the newsletter so all our members can be aware of the accessibility of these places. We will also be letting those business owners know where they stand by either thanking them or politely suggesting they make the necessary changes to accommodate people with disabilities. Anyone interested in being involved in the advocacy committee can contact the office.

Also, a reminder that the location for the membership meetings has been changed beginning in July. The time and date will be the same but we will now be meeting at Paragon Village in Hackettstown.

We have some exciting activities planned for the next few months and hope to see you all there. Enjoy the newsletter, give us your opinion and be sure to visit our updated website: www.dawncil.org

OOH, My Back

Quick, tense your shoulders. Lift them an inch or two higher than normal, hold for about 15 seconds, then let go. Now tense them again. This time, stick your head forward at an awkward angel and squint. Hold this position for, say, 35 years. Welcome to the world of the hard of hearing.

Dr. Samuel Trychin, hard of hearing himself, shared several anecdotes about the hard of hearing experience, but as he pointed out, it is not entirely a laughing matter. Included in the daily grind of being hard of hearing are some not so funny physical and emotional symptoms. The mental stress of constantly trying to keep up with what people are saying can bring forth some very real problems such as muscle tension, fatigue, high blood pressure, anxiety, irritability, and much more.

Soon afterwards, I came across an intriguing book called Healing Back Pain, by Dr. John Sarno. He insists that a great majority of back problems, save for the rare few serious conditions, are a result of being under too much stress. He even has a name for it: Tension Myositis Syndrome.

Dr. Sarno’s book clearly demonstrates how a lot of our emotional stress is suppressed and, consequently, emerges in other ways—namely, back pain. Among the symptoms of TMS are muscle tension, fatigue, high blood pressure, anxiety, irritability, and ...wait a minute! The physical symptoms of being hard of hearing and of Tension Myositis Syndrome were practically identical.

And while the focus of this article is on the hard of hearing, I don’t think the culturally deaf are immune to Hard of Hearing Tension Myostitis Syndrome, either. Many deaf people have grown up in families where few or no people sign. Many have been pressured into accepting a communication method that is not comfortable for them.

So, if you are hard of hearing [or culturally deaf] and you have some kind of back or neck pain, I strongly suggest reading up on both Dr. Trychin and Dr. Sarno.

Ooh, My Back
by Mark Drolsbaugh
Pages 3-4

Adaptive Joysticks

Adaptive joysticks are made that enable you to play most games on SONY’s Playstation, Nintendo 64, SEGA Dreamcast, and Super Nintendo. They give you access to all the buttons on a regular controller but are easier to maneuver. They can be mounted on wheelchairs and tables too. Their cost is quite reasonable ranging from $20—$50. There are also mouth controllers for people who have no use of their hands.

For more information, contact KY Enterprises by calling: 562-433-5244 Or e-mail them at: info@quadcontrol.com

National Registry for the Do-not-call List

Are you tired of answering your phone only to hear a telemarketer at the other end of the line? Or of deleting those calls from the answering machine? Well now you can add your phone number to a new national "DO NOT CALL" registry. New Jersey residents will be able to register after July 7th by calling the following telephone number. The number is: 888-382-1222.

You can register on line at anytime at: www.donotcall.gov

Therapeutic Riding / Hippotherapy

Therapeutic Riding is governed by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. NARHA is a national non-profit organization that promotes the benefit of the horse for individuals with physical, emotional and learning disabilities.

Equine-assisted activities have been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development and emotional well-being. Most of all, it is fun!

In Hippotherapy, the rider takes part in fun activities in a controlled environment. The therapist modifies the horse’s movement to "grade" sensory input. Specific riding skills are not taught, riding skills are the focus of therapeutic riding.

There are over 650 NARHA centers in North America providing equine assisted activities and therapy for people of all ages with various disabilities.

For further information or to find a center near you, go to website: www.narha.org

Cheers and Jeers

We would like to make this section a standard part of the newsletter, but in order to do so we are dependent upon our members providing us with pertinent information. What we seek is input regarding the businesses you have visited and whether the building is or isn’t accessible. We would like the name of the business, its address and a brief description of accessibility. You can send the information to the Dawn office.

Cheers

Parsippany Kwik Pik at 2959 Route 10 East, next to Parsippany Inn and behind the Exxon. This is a drive-in deli. You can phone your order in at 973-605-5356 and pick up your food at the drive-by window.

Long Valley Brew Pub at 1 Fairmount Road in Long Valley. Has lots of parking, ramps and an accessible main floor. The restaurant has music on weekends, but it is crowded.

Gifts & Stuff—J&R Cigars at 301 Route 10 East in Whippany. (It ain’t just tobacco.) Gifts, notions, perfume, jewelry — all at discount prices. Accessible with attentive staff and clerks.

Jeers

Long Valley Professional Center, a mall with doctors, dentists, veterinarian, pizzeria, pub & restaurant, bank, among others, that has failed to provide adequate signage, sufficient number of handicapped parking spaces, or safe curb cuts. The facility manager has not initiated reforms despite statements of intent made to representatives of DAWN and EPVA over a period of several years.

The Artisan is a wine and liquor store/deli/caterer located on route 24 south in Chester Township. Over the winter of 2001—02, new owners spent $25,000 in remodeling without providing access other than steps without railings. In March of 2002 the code enforcement granted a CO (certificate of occupancy) and responded to our complaints that the owner and architect had to apply through the zoning board of adjustment to install a ramp. EPVA has been tracking the situation.

Study Announcement

If you are a wheelchair user who sits in your wheelchair while riding public buses and you can complete a survey on the Internet or have a family member or personal assistant help you complete it, we have an opportunity for you! The University of Pittsburgh is investigating the real-world usage patterns of wheelchair transportation safety equipment on public buses, and we would like your input.

To participate in the study, you must:

• be eighteen years or older;
  
  
• sit in your wheelchair while riding public buses;
  
  
• have access to the Internet; and
  
  
• live in the United States of America.

If you would like to participate or would like more information about this study, please point your browser at: http://www.wheelchairnet.org/survey/bus.html

Experienced Bankruptcy Because of Medical Bills?

Have you declared bankruptcy because of medical expenses or know someone who has? The Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is looking for examples to support the notion that the proposed reforms will make it more difficult for persons with Medicare to discharge their debt (including health care expenses) in bankruptcy.

If you know of such a person, or would like to share your personal story, please contact:

Kim Glaun
Washington Counsel
Medicare Rights Center
Phone: 410-752-3292
e-mail: kglaun@medicarerights.org

Unseen Beauty

A number of years ago I was attending a ceramic workshop at Peter’s Valley in Sussex County, NJ. Another Class member and I decided to work at the pottery wheel blindfolded and really focus on feeling the clay. Never before did I feel the developing form with such intensity, being aware of the thick and thin areas as if they were an extension of me.

I am currently involved in a program where I am developing a community based project. With my previous experience in mind, and my work as a ceramic teacher, I am reaching out to a community of people that is keenly aware of its’ sense of touch, the blind community.

Working one instructor per pair, 12 blind people will have the opportunity to attend three 1 1/2 hour ceramic classes in our Morristown studio. There will be options to build by hand or create pieces on the potter’s wheel. All instruction, materials and firing are included in this free program. The program will finish up with an exhibit/reception.

In addition to the program we will work on providing rides for the participants.

Classes: Times: 7:30—9:00 p.m.

Mondays July 21st thru August 4th and the reception/ exhibit on August 11th.

Share in the passion, joy & creativity.

If you would like to assist or attend the program, contact Douglas Vorolieff at 973-682-9453.

Post Polio Oral History Project

If you are interested in being interviewed or know someone who has an interesting story that should be preserved, contact: Anna Rubin the Polio Education & Outreach Coordinator at IRCP, 570 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA 01702 or you can e-mail her at: agrubin@partners.org

NCD’s Youth Advisory Committee Needs Your Help

NCD’s Youth Advisory Committee is seeking input from former and current college students with disabilities. Information about the inquiry — How Do Students with Disabilities Pay for College? — can be found at: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/advisory/youth/yac_inquiry.html

Responses can be sent to NCD’s Youth Advisory Committee by fax at (202) 272-2022 or through e-mail to: youthfeedback@yahoo.com

New Web-sites

A new web-site has been created for women business owners. The site is: www.women21.gov and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration, along with several partner organizations.

Also the Department of Health and Human Services has a website: The National Women’s Health Information Center can be found at: www.4women.gov

SWIM Away Winter Doldrums

Get in the SWIM. SWIM, Inc. is a non-profit organization with seven pool locations in New Jersey. Their purpose is to provide recreational therapy for muscle-impaired adults for free.

Volunteers are on hand to help swimmers in the dressing room and in the water. At most locations, there is a social hour following the hour-long swim period.

For pool locations and more information, call and leave a message at the SWIM office 908-685-0040 or write to SWIM, Inc. at 120 Finderne Avenue, Bridgewater, NJ 08807

If none of the locations are near you, try contacting your local YMCA about programs that can get you in the swim.

Vassar Eye Center At Bayshore Community Hospital

A free community service for people with diminishing vision or blindness. Staffed by trained volunteers who: Demonstrate high-tech equipment to help in maintaining an independent lifestyle; Explain household aids from the Lighthouse Foundation in NY City; Discuss the many resources available from job training to programs featuring audio-vision; and Inform about scheduled lectures by physicians and hospital staff.

All services are free and provided by trained volunteers. Open Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Call (732) 888-5268.

The Vassar Eye Center is one of many health services provided for you at:

Bayshore Community Hospital
727 North Beers Street
Holmdel, New Jersey 07733

For additional services offered by Bayshore Community Health Services:

Call for fees and details.
Diabetes Self-Management Program 732-888-7362
Audiology Testing 732-739-5955

Club Roland

The Mission of Club Roland is to create a fun, social wellness enhancing lifestyle through shared enjoyment in keyboard music activities. They are searching for adults who desire to play music for fun! No musical experience is needed.

Classes are every Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 10:20 a.m.

The classes include 8-weeks plus 2 private lessons. Groups can be set up if there are enough interested.

For all inquiries about this or any other program, please contact Patricia at: 973-927-5800.

DAWN Events — (Transportation provided.)

1. Call the office (973) 361-5666 no later than one week prior to an event to schedule transportation; and
   
   
2. If you need a special accommodation (assistant, interpreter, Braille, etc), please inform us at least two weeks prior to an event. Attention Deaf Members: Please call (TTY 973-361-6032) if you need an ASL interpreter.
   
   
3. Call your county’s transportation department two days prior to an event to establish your pick-up time.
   
   
4. To assist the scheduler and to show consideration for your fellow travelers, if you need to cancel pick-up, call transit at least two days in advance, or as soon as possible.

DAWN Programs — (Transportation NOT provided.)

Young Adult Recreation

Deaf Senior Citizens of Northwest Jersey

DAWN, Inc. (Center for Independent Living) sponsors this program designed to meet the needs of all deaf and hard of hearing seniors.

We usually meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Saint Clare’s Hospital in Dover, New Jersey in the hospital conference rooms C & D on the first floor.

Activities include monthly speakers on various related topics of interest to seniors, such as health, crime prevention, resources available for seniors, and safety issues. Occasionally trips are planned, such as to a local restaurant for lunch and socializing. All meetings and activities are fully accessible and modifications are made to insure inclusion for all. This provides an opportunity to socialize and meet new people and to keep abreast of events happening within the deaf community. ALL seniors are welcome.

ASL interpreters are provided for all our meetings and refreshments are served.

DAWN, Inc. also has a staff member, proficient in ASL and deaf culture, available to assist with accessing Independent Living Skills or to help resolve issues of concern. An appointment is required due to time allowances.

Parking is available in the hospital Visitor Parking Lot.

The next meeting is:

Wednesday, July 16
Saint Clare’s Hospital
Dover 1:00—4:00 p.m.
Overview of Alzheimer’s Disease

DAWN, Inc., 400 South Main Street, Suite #3, Wharton, New Jersey 07885

Phone: 973-361-5666 (voice) 973-361-6032 (TTY) 973-361-7086

e-mail: info@dawncil.org

In memory of

We note the recent and unexpected passing of Harry Russell, a Morris County resident.

Harry was not only a Dawn member but he had also been a devoted volunteer in the office until he joined the Board of Directors where he served as Treasurer.

Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family members.