DISABLED ADVOCATES WORKING FOR NORTHWEST, INC.

DAWN AWAKENINGS

AWAKEN TO INDEPENDENCE

MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE

If you are a beneficiary in the PAAD program and receive Medicare benefits, you will be able to participate in the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Program. PAAD beneficiaries who receive Medicare benefits:

PAAD benefits will be used with the new Medicare Rx program, beginning 01/1/06. Medicare would become your primary coverage. In order to continue PAAD benefits, you must enroll in a drug plan that offers the new Medicare Rx Drug Coverage in NJ.

PAAD program will cover all costs except the co-pay.

If you are low-income PAAD beneficiary you must complete a "Revised PAAD Application" Federal Rx drug law requires asset information.

Asset information will also help determine eligibility for other valuable federal benefits.

State of NJ Dept. of
Health & Sr. Services

NGA PASSES MEDICAID REFORM RESOLUTION

ADAPT activists braved Washington weather to assure that the National Governors Association (NGA) would pass a "Community First" resolution. The language of the final document contained some of what ADAPT has been demanding, but omitted language on Olmstead.

"In fact, in the final document the NGA refused to include listing MiCASSA, the Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act of 2005, or the Money Follows the Person legislation:" said Randy Alexander, ADAPT organizer from Memphis, TN. "And they frankly rejected any so-called federal mandates like the Olmstead decision."

NGA document did request Congress and the Administration change the institutional bias currently in Medicaid and seeks Congressional support to help states build "..the infrastructure needed to provide home and community based long term care services" both in terms of workforce, and other supports and services necessary for transition from institutional to community based living.

Now each state must hold their Governor accountable to the principles they approved in this document, and to the law of the land.

Bob Kafka &
Marsha Katz in D.C.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DESK

Summer is upon us and hopefully that will mean some nice weather also. I, for one am anxious to have cold weather behind us even if it is for a short period of time.

With the warm weather comes the opportunity for us to plan some outdoor activities for our members. Be on the lookout for flyers for these events.

As I have mentioned in my previous reports, DAWN is in the process of a long range plan and as such, we are reviewing programs, policies and procedures. One of these changes is the format for our newsletter. This is the first glance at the new format. We hope you find it easier to read and informative. Let us know what you think!

For those of you who attend our recreational programs and use the transportation we provide, there will be some changes in our policies and procedures. You will receive something in writing shortly that will address these changes and how it will impact you.

Finally, on behalf of the board and staff, I would like to thank those of you who supported us at our Charlie Brown fundraiser.

The funds raised go directly to programs we provide, so every little bit helps. For those of you that were unable to attend, I hope to see you at our annual Chevy's fundraiser and Cardinals baseball game. Details will follow. Please show your support and join us.

ADA - PEOPLE AND THEIR SERVICE ANIMAL

Under ADA, privately owned businesses that serve the public are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. These businesses are required to allow people with disabilities to bring their services animals (any animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability) onto the business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.

Taxicab companies may not refuse to provide services to individuals with disabilities nor may they charge higher fares or fees for transporting individual & animal.

A business may exclude any service animal from its facility when that animals behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others such as vicious behavior towards other guests or customers.

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers: The Morris County Board of Elections-has been wonderful. Last year after being informed by the state that they must insure the poling places are accessible they checked all 218 locations. The Board called the DAWN office for our technical assistance and now they are taking steps to either fix all the problems that were found or move the poling places to more accessible locations.

JEERS to the Mount Olive Library Board, they do not want to place accessible parking around the loop in front of the building because "It would interfere with the façade of the building."

STEREOTYPES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
By Nancy Judge

In America today, there are over 54 million people with disabilities. For decades, most of them have been thought of as being incapable of working, caring for themselves or contributing to society. History shows us that, even in colonial America, prejudice against people with disabilities began early. In colonial America, the settlement of a vast new rural society meant that early colonists put a premium on physical stamina. The early colonies tried to prevent the immigration of those who could not support themselves and would have to rely on state help. People with physical or mental disabilities who were potentially dependent could be deported, or forced to return to England.

In the 500 years since the colonists landed, attitudes against people with mental or physical disabilities have undergone little change. There are many stereotypes of the disabled; such as they are dependent, childlike, incompetent and asexual. People with disabilities did not create these negative images. As a result of the perpetuation of these deeply ingrained images, employers, educators, community workers and family members too often perceive people with disabilities as unable to fulfill productive roles in society. They are viewed as needing care rather than opportunity. Persons with disabilities, themselves, are likely to believe the stereotypes to some degree, resulting in low self-esteem, limited aspirations, and a lack of awareness of their oppressed minority status. These internal barriers compound the external obstacles and further limit their potential achievements.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1990, was supposed to ensure that no person with "a physical or mental impairment, that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities, may be discriminated against in employment, public services or public accommodations". In theory, no job that a woman with a disability is capable of performing should be closed to her.

Many people with disabilities are living proof that the right attitude is a very important plus in the lives of a person who has a disability. Not only the attitude of able-bodied persons, but the attitude of the disabled person themselves. They have gained an insight into the human condition, which enabled them to see their disabilities, as simply a part of who they are. Just as some people have lost parents, gone through divorces, grown up in poverty, overcome major illnesses, a person with a disability is no different. It is just a challenge in life that has to be met. Attitude makes the difference.

While most disabilities are products of birth and accident, the debilitating impact on a person's life often results not so much from the "disability" as from the manner in which others define or treat the person. The infant born with a birth defect and the adult who is crippled later in life, will be limited not so much by the actual disability as much as by society's "attitude" regarding the disability. It is society, for the most part, that will define the disability as a handicap and it is the individual who will suffer from the definition. In our culture, what is to be considered normal or beautiful is constantly being defined or redefined.

Standards of beauty, like standards of physical perfection, may differ not only within a society, but also among societies. While the standards for the United States, at one time, may be the slim, boyish look for the female, the Italians, for instance, may continue to admire the "Titian-like ladies" - pink, soft, round, ample, satisfying the age old desire to "have something to hold on to". Thus, individuals are preconditioned by their cultures to standards of physical perfection from childhood, long before they are able to decide for themselves and create their own individual standards.

The influence of society upon expectations of physique and beauty may be observed in the behavior of very young children. They do not seem to be much disturbed at their early age by cultural standards. They play freely and joyfully at ease with the pockmarked little girl, the skinny boy, the lame child or the young athlete. It is only later, after they have learned and incorporated the cultural standards of perfection and beauty, the we hear them taunt Mary for her "crossed eyes", call Pete a "retard", mimic Fred's "stutter" or pantomime Anna's "palsy".

Joseph Shapiro, in his book No Pity, chronicles the story of disabled people struggling for inclusion from the 17th century's Deaf communities on Martha's Vineyard to the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. His many personal stories depict the struggles of individuals with disabilities who, in many instances, had to fight for the right to be educated, that most people take for granted. Many, not all, school districts see the students with disabilities as burdens, to be separated and given low priority, and teachers who often expect too little, coddling disabled kids and teaching them less.

Despite this often-begrudging commitment by schools, a better-educated class of young disabled people is providing the shock troops for the disability rights movement. The first generation of students with disabilities (protected by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) began graduating from colleges in the early 1990's. They, who have known prejudice and bias, will be the educators of the future and they will teach the younger children to settle for no less than full inclusion in our schools and in society as a whole. In writing this article, I still see myself, a graduate of college, as still struggling to be accepted by society. They look at my outward appearance first and do not look at me. I am one of the pioneers who had to overcome many barriers, and hope that a new and more accepting perception of people with disabilities is coming in the future.

UPCOMING EVENTS

General Members Rec.

• Saturday, June 25 Lunch at Perkin's Restaurant, Budd Lake 1:00-3:00 p.m.
  
  
• Saturday, July 16 Annual Summer Picnic, Hedden Park, Dover 12:00-4:00 p.m.
  
  
• Friday, July 29th Baseball Game and Fireworks at Cardinals Park, Augusta 6:30-9:30 p.m.
  
  (Ticket price & information to follow)

Next general meeting will be in September

Deaf Seniors Meetings 1st Friday of month at St. Peter's Episcopal Church Mountain Lakes 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Young Adults Recreation 2nd Friday of Month at Montville Rec. Center (unless otherwise noted) 7:00-10:00 p.m.

MT. OLIVE LIBRARY

We are seeking our members input on the issue of the new Mount Olive Library's accessibility.

If you have used the Library and experienced any difficulty or been inconvenienced due to your disability, we would like to hear from you. Please call with details (date, time, issue) (973) 361-5666.

NEW PRODUCTS

If you like to go camping and are looking for a new tent check out the following. The new Eureka Freedom tent is the first shelter offered for campers with physical disabilities. The universal design provides people with disabilities a camping tent they can set up and use independently-easily set-up from a wheelchair. It sleeps 2 people with room for sitting, eating , etc. For more info go to the following websites: blueskydesigns.us or eurekacamping.com or JohnsonOutdoors.com.

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A new computer mouse adapter that enables people with hand tremors to eliminate excessive cursor movement is now available from Montrose Secam Limited. The new mouse adapter filters out the shaking movements of the hand. No additional software is required. The adapter is simply plugs in between the computer and the mouse and can be switched on or off, as well as adjusted depending on the tremor severity. Visit their website at montrosesecam.com

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Buck and Buck now offers a line of moderately priced adaptive clothing, underwear, pajamas, outerwear and accessories for men and women. The company specializes in providing quality clothing for home health care consumers and nursing home residents who might have arthritis, MS, ALS, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease or limited range of motion. For information visit on-line: buckandbuck.com