Center for Independent Living

December 2016 - February 2017

Register Educate Vote!!

In the past decade, Tex-

as has led the nation

with its efforts to in-

crease ballot accessibil-

ity for all voters, includ-

ing elderly voters, vot-

ers with disabilities, and

voters who do not read

or speak English or

Spanish. Texas has created laws requiring all

polling places to be accessible to persons who

are elderly or physically disabled. And Texas

was the first state to require that all electronic

voting systems purchased after September 1,

1999, provide voters who have disabilities a

practical way to cast a secret ballot. The fact

remains, people with disabilities are under-

represented at the polls.

You are eligible to register to vote if:

You are a United States citizen.

You are a resident of the county where you

submit the application.

You are at least 18 years old on Election

Day.

You are not a convicted felon (you may be

eligible to vote if you have completed your

sentence, probation, and parole); and you

have not been declared by a court exercising

probate jurisdiction to be either totally men-

tally incapacitated or partially mentally inca-

pacitated without the right to vote.

YOU HAVE RIGHTS!

As a registered voter in Texas, you have the

right to:

A ballot with written instructions on how to

cast a ballot.

Ask the polling place official for instructions

on how to cast a ballot.

Cast your vote in secret and free from intimi-

dation.

Receive up to two more ballots if you make a

mistake while marking the ballot.

Bring an interpreter to assist you if you do

not understand the English language.

Help to cast your ballot if you cannot write,

see the ballot, or understand the language in

which it is written.

At Disability Connections, we offer voter regis-

tration forms on-site and can provide you with

information about how, where and when you

can vote. For additional information go to:

www.votetexas.gov

Page 2

Accessibility In Progress

Lego said it will include a boy in a wheelchair in

a forthcoming set of it’s iconic minifigures!

The toymaker confirmed the plan after a handful

of websites that report on Lego revealed pic-

tures and video of the new product taken at an

industry event recently.

The wheelchair will be part of a LEGO City set

called “Fun in the Park” that will be available in

June, This is not the first time that Lego has in-

cluded a wheelchair in it’s product line but it

does mark the first wheelchair in minifigure

scale.

Have you ever changed

a person’s life in a sin-

gle day? The Texas

Ramp Project does it

hundreds of times a

year! They build wheel-

chair ramps for people

with disabilities who

can’t afford to buy one. In a few hours on a Sat-

urday morning, they give these folks the free-

dom to leave their home again—the home

where they want to remain but steps have im-

prisoned them.

If you would like to refer someone in need of a

ramp, contact Disability Connections at : (325)

227-6625

We need to make every single thing acces-sible to every person with a disability.”

Stevie Wonder 2016 Grammy Awards

Welcome our new Resource Navigator!

Hello my name is Sandra Zarate, I am a na-

tive Texan and ASU graduate. San Angelo

Texas has been my home for over 29 years. I

look forward to serving our consumers in San

Angelo and the surrounding counties.

Center News

Not Your Mother’s Hearing Aid

Page 3

Forget everything you know about hearing

aides. Gone are the days when devices were a

hidden eyesore Imagine bright colors, bling and

lots of accessories. Do a quick search online

and you will find charms, stickers, coils and

wraps; just about anything to fit your personali-

ty and tastes. Below you will find just a few

ideas and resources to dress up your hearing

gear.

Charms, wraps, bling and just for fun accesso-

ries for sale at:

www.etsy.com/shop/

HayleighsCharms

Tons of links to all the lat-

est hearing technology at

your fingertips on

Soundzoff.org.

www.soundzoff.org

Get great ideas including seasonal decals and

embellishments go to:

pimpmyhearingaids.wordpress.com

My favorite, Pinterest!

pinterest.com/NDCSUK/hearing-aids-

decoration

One cautionary note: be sure not to put stickers

on the device that will leave a sticky residue,

which will rule out many types of stickers. Also

be sure not to place stickers over the micro-

phones of the device. If you aren’t sure, ask

your Audiologist!

The West Texas Hearing and Balance

Center is located at 3001 S. Jackson

St., San Angelo, Texas

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday

8 am to 5 pm

If you would like information regard-

ing services and referral process

please contact them directly at: (325)

223-6300

Page 4

Independent Living Philosophy

Independent Living is a philosophy and a

way of life. It is a movement of people with

disabilities who work for self-determination,

equal opportunities and self-respect.

Disability Connections is a Center for Inde-

pendent Living (CIL). We operate under the

Independent Living philosophy. We are not a

residential establishment. We are people

with disabilities and family members assist-

ing people with disabilities in removing barri-

ers and finding the essential resources need-

ed for everyday life.

The Independent Living philosophy says that

every person, regardless of disability, has

the potential and the right to exercise indi-

vidual self-determination. We expect the

same choices and control in our everyday

lives that everyone else takes for granted.

We want the same freedom to try, and fail,

and learn from our failures. We want to

grow up in our families, go to the neighbor-

hood school, use the same bus as our neigh-

bors, work in jobs that are in line with our

education and abilities, start families of our

own. We need to be in charge of our lives,

to think and speak for ourselves. We need to

support and learn from each other. We must

organize ourselves and work for political

changes that lead to the legal protection of

our human and civil rights.

The Independent Living (IL) philosophy is

very different from the traditional rehabilita-

tion model. The IL philosophy includes the

core values discussed above. The outcome

we want is self-determination and full com-

munity participation for persons with all dis-

abilities.

The traditional, medical model tends to fo-

cus on what is wrong with the person with a

disability, and making efforts to “fix what is

broken.” In our philosophy, a person with a

disability is someone identified as someone

who has limited choices regarding participa-

tion in community life due to community

barriers, low community- and self-

expectations, stigma, prejudice, and discrim-

ination. Participation in community life in-

cludes getting an education, working, living

independently, shopping, worshipping, using

public transportation, and political activities.

Societal barriers, not the disability itself, are

the major reason many people with disabili-

ties have problems living independently.

Centers for Independent Living do not

“rehabilitate” the person, but instead focus

on reducing and removing the barriers that

limit our choices.

Copy Cat Chick Fil-a Chicken

Page 5

Ingredients •1 lb. chicken breast •1/2 c. pickle juice •1 Tbsp. sugar •1/4 c. milk •1 egg •1 Tbsp. powdered sugar •1/2 tsp. paprika •1/2 tsp. salt •1/4 tsp. black pepper •1/4 tsp. garlic powder •1/4 tsp. dried basil •1/4 tsp. celery seeds •oil for frying Instructions Slice up one chicken breast into strips. Place your chicken strips in either a bowl or zip-lock bag. I like to bag it. Add enough pickle juice to cover the chicken. Now add 1 tablespoon sugar. Allow to marinate for up to 1 hour. In a small bowl whisk together ¼ cup of milk and 1 egg. In a pie plate mix together ½ cup flour with the spices.

Remove the chicken strips from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chicken in the egg mixture and turn to coat. Allow to sit in mixture for 15 minutes. Coat chicken strips into the flour mixture. Heat about ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in small batches fry the chicken strip for a few minutes on each side or until nice and golden brown. Place on a clean kitchen towel to drain any ex-cess oil. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

You can have high

blood pressure and

not know it. That is

why it is called the si-

lent killer. It is also

why it is so important

to have your blood

pressure checked.

Blood pressure has

two numbers, systolic and diastolic. Systolic

pressure (the top number) is the force on the

blood vessel walls when the heart beats and

pumps blood out of the heart. Diastolic pressure

(the bottom number) is the force that occurs

when the heart relaxes in between beats.

If your blood pressure is less than 120 systolic

and less than 80 diastolic, then your blood pres-

sure is normal; between 120 and 139 systolic

and 80–89 diastolic, you have prehypertension.

Systolic of 140 or greater, or diastolic that is 90

or greater, is hypertension.

Healthy habits, that can help keep your blood

pressure under control are; achieve and main-

tain a healthy body weight, participate in 30

minutes of moderate physical activity a day, eat

a healthy diet, and manage stress.

Healthwise

You can check your blood pressure at the Center in our Wellness room any-time during operating hours!

Page 6

Lighthouse for Blind of San Angelo

The West Texas Lighthouse

for the Blind is a manufactur-

ing facility in San Angelo,

Texas which employs people

who are blind or have se-

verely impaired vision. The

Lighthouse was established

in 1963 as a non-profit organization and now has

over 60 team members.

The Lighthouse creates jobs, and not just any

jobs. They provide stable jobs with competitive

pay and benefits to blind people.

About 70% of Americans with severe vision loss

are unemployed. Lighthouse employees share

stories of being turned away by potential employ-

ers over and over again before finding meaning-

ful work at the Lighthouse. “We have never

turned away a blind applicant--if they're at the

door looking for work, then we have a job for

them.”

By using adaptive technologies, legally blind indi-

viduals are employed in every department, in-

cluding manufacturing, logistics, eCommerce,

marketing, and accounting. Over 90% of the di-

rect employees are legally blind and nearly 75%

of all of the employees are legally blind.

They are constantly developing new products

and expanding existing product lines in order to

grow the business, increase employment for

blind Americans, and serve customers in the

Federal Government, State of Texas, and local

communities. The Lighthouse offers a huge

range of products: lanyards, badge holders, over

50,000 office products, safety gloves and glass-

es, earth-friendly items, and much more.

The main facility is located in San Angelo, TX,

and a second facility in Abilene, TX.

Many visitors have been amazed by the opera-

tion itself as well as the capabilities of blind em-

ployees. Call to schedule a tour. (325) 653-4231

Did you know ? The Submarine Wet Bag is made here in San

Angelo Texas for the United States Military !

These bags were designed to

store biodegradable kitchen

waste when the submarines

are submerged . A weight is

placed in the bottom of the bag and trash is com-

pressed until the bag weighs about 50 pounds.

The bags are then placed in a vertical torpedo

and launched to the bottom of the ocean. These

bags were designed during World War II so fish-

erman and other vessels could not gather float-

ing trash and go through it to collect valuable in-

formation. These bags are made by West Texas

Lighthouse for the Blind right here in San Ange-

lo!

Page 7

Brain Injury Awareness

More than 3.5 million children

and adults sustain an ac-

quired brain injury (ABI) each

year, but the total incidence is

unknown. An ABI is any injury

to the brain that is not heredi-

tary, congenital, degenerative,

or induced by birth trauma.

Typical causes of ABI in-

clude: electric shock, infectious disease, light-

ning strike, near drowning, oxygen deprivation

(Hypoxia/Anoxia), seizure disorders, stroke,

substance abuse, toxic exposure, trauma and

tumors.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a subset of ABI

and is caused by trauma to the

brain from an external force. Eve-

ry 13 seconds, someone in the

U.S. sustains a TBI.

There are many causes of TBI:

falls, struck by/against, motor ve-

hicle accidents and assaults. At

least 5.3 million Americans live

with TBI-related disabilities.

Aerobic exercise is especially beneficial for brain

health, and even better when combined with

strength training. Exercising for longer periods —

at least 30 minutes or more at a time — appears

to be better for brain health than shorter ses-

sions. And it's never too late to start. People old-

er than 65 showed more benefits than those 55

to 65.

Stay socially and intellectually active. Activities

that challenge your brain — including reading

books, writing letters and learning a new lan-

guage — all help preserve brain function, as do

social activities such as volunteering, playing

cards, attending worship services and talking

with friends.

Sleep quality is linked to cognitive ability. Several

studies have found treating sleep disorders im-

proved cognitive ability and memory.

What's good for your heart is also good for your

brain. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and

diabetes ,especially in midlife, are linked to poor

brain health later in life. Lowering blood pressure

with medication seems to help prevent brain

problems, but it's unclear whether lowering cho-

lesterol with drugs helps.

If you or a loved one is suffering from a brain injury and do not know where to turn, we can help. Contact the Center for an appointment find out what services are available for you. You are not alone. (325)227-6625

Brain Health and Wellness

2809 Southwest Blvd. San Angelo, Texas 76904

Michelle Crain

Nancy Penland

Anita Guy

Dana Sercos

Lupe Perez

Dolores Pina

Terri Irby

Kristi Ramirez

Sandra Zarate

Disability Connections - A Center for Independent Living

This publication is supported by funding through the Depart-ment of Assistive and Rehabil-itative Services (DARS) and the Department of Aging and Disability Services, (DADS). Opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent those of Disability Connections’ funding sources.

Executive Director

Director of Programs

Center Coordinator

Special Projects Coordinator

Independent Living Specialist

Independent Living Specialist

Community Integration Specialist

Independent Living Specialist

Independent Living Specialist

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