THE ADVOCATEQ U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

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October 4!

2014 Prader-Willi Syndrome ConferenceThe Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Michigan is sponsoring and hosting a Behavioral PWS Conference at the Bronson Gilmore Center for Health Education in Kalamazoo to explore the various challenges that families, educators and providers face over time and come away with great hints and tools needed to managing behavior and what affect the environment plays in the behavior. !!Lunch will be provided at no charge for professionals and $10.00 per person for family and friends. Click here for additional information and to register. Deadline is Sept. 26th. Send questions to carolynloker@yahoo.com. !Sunday, October 12 @5:00PM!

Concert Benefit The 1st Presbyterian Church of Allegan has chosen The Arc as a beneficiary of one of their awesome monthly concert series events. Join us in checking out the musical stylings of Grammy Award Winner, Peter Madcat Ruth, a blues harmonica player!!

Thursday, October 30 @6:00PM!

Fall Frolic Dance The dance will take place at the Griswold Auditorium’s basement level from 6-8PM. Must be 18 or older to attend. $3.00 admission. Costumes encouraged! !

December 11!

Christmas Dance Once again, the dance will take place at the Griswold Auditorium from 6-8PM. Food, friends, and fun! $3.00 admission. 18 and older only!

Upcoming EventsHello Friends,!

Fall is in the air today and it won’t be long until we shut those open windows and doors more often than we’d like. The holidays will be here before we know it! Our holiday wish is for a new roof in order to keep

our clients, staff, and tenants safe, dry, and warm this winter and for years to come! On that note, we just kicked off one of our biggest fundraisers of the year: our booklet sale for Younker’s Community Days! These little booklets are a great value. For just a $5.00 donation, you receive up to $500.00 in savings--perfect for Christmas shopping! The Community

Letter From the Director

Days Event will take place on November 14 & 15. You can also pre-order items from the booklet if you’re not a big shopper. This way, you can just go and pick up your items on the day of the sales without having to deal with the hustle & bustle! !

Pick up your booklets today! They’re available at our office and online. 100% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit The Arc of Allegan County.!

We also have been selected as a beneficiary for one of the 1st Presbyterian Church’s fabulous concert benefits! On Sunday, October 12, 2014, Grammy Award winning harmonica virtuoso, Peter ‘Madcat’ Ruth, will be performing. He is a very talented musician from right here in Michigan whose talent is astounding. Not only does he play harmonica, but he also sings, plays

Sept 1-!Oct. 31, 2014!

guitar, banjo, ukelele, and other instruments from around the world. All are welcome, admission is FREE, and there will be a reception following the show. !

The 1st Presbyterian Church of Allegan will accept a free-will donation on our behalf. 90% of the proceeds will benefit The Arc, and 10% will help the church continue to bring awesome entertainers to Allegan! This event is a great way to connect to the community and to show your support for The Arc of Allegan County. !

Thank you for all you do each year to help us make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.!

Warmest Regards,!

Rose Mary Wood!

Have you been interested in buying an iPad because you have difficulty using a traditional computer? Thought about buying a track chair to go places a standard power chair won’t? Are there other things that would help you address personal barriers but you just don’t think you can afford them?!!

The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund (ATLF) provides loans to make purchasing assistive technology devices and services easier. If you are a person with a disability, family member, or guardian you may qualify! For more information contact Lewis Whalen at 269-345-1516 x 107.

Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund

In Mich igan peop le e l i g ib le for medicaid get their health care either through a mana ged care p l an or through fee-for-service.!!If you get Medicaid through fee-for-service and need a ride to a Medicaid health appointment (like a doctor or a dentist), contact the person who works for your county ’s Department of Human Services (DHS) . If you get Medicaid through a managed care plan and need a ride to a Medicaid health appointment, contact your managed health care plan.

Do you need a ride to a medicaid health appointment?

This year, The Arc and Specialisterne USA began work to expand an employment model to increase job opportunities for people with autism in the technology industry through an exciting new partnership. By utilizing The Arc’s strong network of chapters, Specialisterne USA and The Arc will expand the model to sites across the country with a goal of serving technology companies nationwide. !!

Partnership Creates Employment Opportunities for Individuals on the Autism Specialisterne USA is a 501(c)3 charitable organization established by The Specialist People Foundation, a not-for-profit Danish organization that works to create meaningful employment for people with autism and similar challenges by building relationships. The organization works with technology companies that need employees whose skill sets match the characteristics of many people on the autism spectrum.!

!To learn more about The Arc’s initiative with Specialisterne USA, please contact Jonathan Lucus, Director of Employment at lucus@thearc.org.!

You can benefit The Arc simply by shopping on Amazon! !Simply visit smile.amazon.com, sign in to your account (same as your regular Amazon

log in), select the organization you wish to benefit, and shop! Amazon will donate to The Arc every time you spend.

Allegan County Community Foundation’s!Non-Profit SpotlightStay up to date on all the latest from your local community agencies! The Non-Profit Spotlight is a quarterly publication focused on bringing you vital information about services in your county. The Arc of Allegan County has participated in the last three issues, and we look forward to the next one on October 1st!

What Every Driver Must Know Now Available in Audio Format!!Thanks to Disability Network of Southwest Michigan, the State of Michigan's ADA Coordinator, and the staff in the Office of Communications, "What Every Driver Must Know" has been recorded in an audio format. What began as advocacy to assist ONE person in accessing the study guide became a project to ensure access for people with reading disabilities all across the Michigan!!!This audio recording is now available for free through the Braille and Talking Book Library, part of the National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. If you would like to borrow an audio copy of the booklet, you need to be registered with the library. !!To register, call 1-800-992-9012!!Excerpt taken from The LINK. Visit www.dnswm.org for full article...

Interested in volunteering? We may have options for you. Call Kali at 269-673-8841, Monday through Thursday, 9AM until 2PM

The Arc has long partnered with Sprout, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing innovative programming to people with I/DD, to create a national film festival. Participating chapters are scheduling events across the country featuring films for, about, and by people with I/DD.!

Sprout Film Festivals Promoting Inclusion !

“Making the Most of Early On” is designed to help parents better understand and access the system of supports and services for children from birth through age three.!!This video is chaptered into six easy to navigate topics:!!

• What is Early On?!• Natural Environments!• Transition: Leaving Early On!• Parent to Parent Advice!• Problem Solving!• Parent Survey!!

Each topic includes options for Spanish subtitles, Arabic subtitles, and English closed caption. In addition to the DVD, parents can find more early intervention resources at:!www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/babies-and-toddlers

Michigan Alliance for Families is excited to announce that their website (www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/eo) now includes information to help families become more involved in the growth and development of infants and toddlers.!!Michigan Alliance for Families, in partnership with Early On Michigan, announces resources to help families know their rights, better communicate their child’s needs, support the development of infants and toddlers, and prepare for the transition out of Early On into the preschool years. These resources are available to families, Early On Service

Michigan Alliance for Families Website Offers Resources to Help Families

In 2014, chapters with The Arc have hosted film festivals in Maryland, Massachusetts, Idaho, New York, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. The film festival in Pennsylvania was unique because students from local schools joined with The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties to host an inclusive and inspirational event. !!

Michigan Alliance for Families Announces Release of New DVD “Making the Most of Early On”

Coordinators and Service Providers to increase the involvement of Michigan families in the growth and development of infants and toddlers. Website resources include:!!

• handouts and video information on developmental milestones and how to promote development and learning through play!!

• Handouts and video information to help families prepare to leave Early On and move on to Preschool!!

• Learning tools to help families improve communication skills!

• Information to help families know their rights (Procedural Safeguards), including evaluation, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development, natural environments, and service coordination!

The Arc of Allegan County is funded in part by:

Employment Trends for People with Disabilities in MichiganIn  Michigan,  81  percent  of  people  with  intellectual  and  developmental  disabilities  (I/DD)  are  unemployed  compared  to  9  percent  of  individuals  without  disabilities.  This  is  despite  individuals  with  disabilities  having  marketable  skills  and  a  true  desire  to  work.  In  fact,  the  National  Core  Indicators  Adult  Consumer  Survey  (NCI)  shows  that  60  percent  of  individuals  with  disabilities  in  Michigan  want  a  job  in  their  community;  however  only  17  percent  of  them  have  one.  !Many  vocational  rehabilitation  service  providers  fail  to  provide  adequate  training  that  results  in  meaningful  community-­‐based  employment.  As  a  result,  many  Michiganders  with  disabilities  who  are  “employed”  are  perpetually  limited  to  work  in  sheltered  workshops  that  segregate  individuals  with  disabilities  from  individuals  without  disabilities.  Moreover,  the  options  of  the  type  of  

employment  are  predominantly  limited  to  piece  work  and/or  contract  work,  often  paying  wages  below  the  minimum  and/or  prevailing  wage.  Currently,  there  are  over  70  non-­‐proQit  Community  Rehabilitation  Programs  operating  sheltered  workshops  (located  in  39  Michigan  counties)  paying  their  workers  with  disabilities  signiQicantly  less  than  minimum  wage.  These  sheltered  workshops  account  for  over  8,000  individuals  with  disabilities  being  compensated  an  average  wage  of  $2.75  per  hour.  This  is  a  practice  allowed  through  a  14(C)  waiver  to  the  Fair  Labor  Standards  Act  (FLSA).  !Individuals  with  disabilities  are  maintained  in  these  positions  for  years  without  the  proper  supports  and  job  matching  techniques  which  would  facilitate  advancement  and  community  employment.  Therefore,  many  individuals  with  disabilities  are  working  

and  earning  far  below  their  real  potential  in  segregated  facilities.    !This  article  comes  from  Michigan  Protection  &  Advocacy  Service,  Inc.  1-­800-­288-­5923  !4095  Legacy  Parkway,  Ste  500  Lansing,  MI  48911  !www.mpas.org  

Phone: 269-673-8841 Email: info@arcallegan.org Web: www.arcallegan.org

School Supports for Children with Challenging Disability Related BehaviorMichigan Protection & Advocacy Service continued its systemic initiative to improve outcomes for children with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are excluded from school because of a disability-related behavior. !!A questionnaire has produced over 2,900 survey results to date and has helped MPAS identify individual casework and systemic issues in several school districts. A review of a sample of MPAS individual complaint allegations showed that 52% of MPAS school complaints have been substantiated. !!One charter school network updated and revised its special education procedures based on MPAS’ input, while another charter school was required to make sweeping changes in its policies and practices due to a complaint. Systemic initiatives are pending in two districts, one intermediate school district, and one state-run district. !!