Archive for September 2008
Mike Hines of Peru to serve on council for the disabled
Handicapable’s very own, Mike Hines, has been selected to be part of the 2008-2009 class for the Partners in Policymaking Academy, the Council’s advocacy training program for Hoosiers wishing to influence change in Indiana’s disability policies.
According to Suellen Jackson-Boner, executive director of the Council, “These individuals have been selected based on their passion for encouraging change that will benefit the lives of people with disabilities and all members of society”.
The academy’s curriculum utilizes national and state presenters and promotes the values of integration and inclusion in society, and the belief that all people with disabilities should be respected and contributing members of their communities.
The Partners in Policymaking Academyoffers eight weekends of intensive training designed to educate participants to be active partners with those who make policy. Each year 35 people with disabilities and family members are selected.
For those of you within our community that are unfamiliar with Handicapable and their mission, I encourage you to visit their website to learn more of how they are collectively and individually positioned to assist and encourage those within Miami County to lead productive lives.
Congratulations Mike Hines!!!
September Board Meeting Minutes Updated
The Board Meeting Minutes for September 17, 2008 have been added to the website.
The next board meeting is scheduled for September 24, 2008 @6:00 P.M.
Don’t forget…BRING A STAPLER AND EXTRA STAPLES!
Health Coverage Grants for Hoosier Children
Families who have children ages 16 and younger with medical needs not covered, or not fully covered by their commercial health benefit plan may now receive assistance.
The United Health Care Children’s Foundation is providing grants to help families pay for medical services and items children need when their commercial health benefit plans don’t provide enough assistance. Recipients are awarded $5,000 or 85 % of the fund balance, whichever amount is less, over a 12 month period. Any one individual may only receive a maximum of $7,500 over a lifetime.
Individuals who receive Medicaid, Medicare or other state or federally subsidized health insurance programs are not eligible for funding.
2008 Conference for People with Disabilities
The 2008 Conference for People with Disabilities will welcome several highly accredited speakers for the two-day event, taking place December 2nd and December 3rd, 2008 in Indianapolis.
Attendees will hear from Dale DiLeo, president of the Training Resource Network in St. Augustine, Fa. DiLeo is a highly sought after speaker and consultant, having trained more than 75,000 people around the world on community inclusion.
Also presenting will be Juliette Rizzo, Ms. Wheelchair America 2005. She’ll provide an uplifting presentation as she shares her personal experience as a person with a disability who pursued her dreams and succeeded. Rizzo works for the U.S. Department of Education where she raises awareness of educational opportunities for all Americans.
The lineup of speakers continues with David Braddock, Ph.D., executive director of the University of Colorado’s Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, who will present the findings of a study he conducted on Indiana’s disability services. Braddock, nationally recognized for his contributions to cognitive disability research and policy, has published more than 200 books, book chapters, articles and technical reports.
Curtis Decker, JD, will share his take on the results of the federal election and its impact on people with disabilities. Decker is the executive director of the National Disability Rights Network, a membership association comprised of 90 protection and advocacy agencies and client assistant programs. Decker is also the chair of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), a coalition that includes more than 100 national consumer, advocacy, provider and professional organizations that advocate on behalf of people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Indiana Governor’s Council Seeking Candidates for Board of Directors
The Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities is actively seeking candidates for board of directors. The Governor’s Council is a state agency whose mission is to advance independence, productivity and inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. The board has adopted the Carver Policy Governance Model as its method for conducting board business.
The ideal candidate must:
- Support the Council’s mission;
- Be Visionary;
- Be global in perspective;
- Able to set aside personal agendas;
- Do the necessary homework to contribute to the board’s discussions and deliberations; and
- Adhere to the Carver Policy Governance Model
Council board members are appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels. Sixty percent of those appointed must have a disability or have a family member who has a disability. Members would be responsible for attending quaterly meetings, which are usually held at the Council’s office in downtown Indianapolis.
Interested candidates can contact the Council at 317.232.7770 (voice/TT) or GPCPD@gpcpd.org to request an application.
