April 2015 - Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance for Change
Issue The Alliance News 43 April 2015 In This Issue Advocacy & Learning Opportunity Page 2 Campaign Training Rewind Page 3 This and That Page 4 Advisors Corner Page 5 Going Home Rally Rewind Advocacy Opportunity Pages 6 - 8 Page 9 Vision Our vision is for self-advocates to work together to get the support we need to live the life we want in the community. Mission Our mission is to speak up for ourselves and each other while working together to make changes in our communities and in Illinois. The Alliance is proud to be an Initiative of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities Introducing The Alliance’s logo for Operation: Community Access campaign selected by the members of the campaign’s Steering Committee! The Alliance’s Operation: Community Access campaign is all about people having choice in what they do during the day. The Steering Committee members are: Heather C., Self-Advocates of Lake County Adam C., The Network Deb F., Sertoma United Michael J., Speak Out QCA Kevin L., Advocates in Motion Ravell McD., CTF Advocacy Center Tavarus W., ROHSA Stay tuned to learn more about the campaign! Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance PO Box 666 Park Forest, IL 60466 618.806.9431 Email: [email protected] Website: www.selfadvocacyalliance.org Find us on Facebook at Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance Advocacy and Learning Opportunity Page 2 Welcome The Alliance’s Newest Member Group… CTF Illinois Advocacy Group in Charleston, Illinois! CTF’s Illinois Advocacy Group in Charleston, Illinois is a busy group! The 15 members of the group meet every weekday from 8am – 4pm to focus on their goal of being active community members and community leaders, and making a difference in the lives of others. Whether it is writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper, speaking at Eastern Illinois University, presenting an Alliance webinar, participating in the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, or the Going Home Rally at the state capital, the group is always looking for opportunities to advocate for themselves and for others. Check out the Advocacy Group by logging on to www.ctfillinois.org/what_we_do/advocacy-center/. Check Out How Self-Advocates from CTF’s Advocacy Group Spread the Word to End the Word on 03.04.15 I spoke to people and I handed out flyers and bracelets on campus at EIU and I had so much fun doing it. It was a lot of work but we had get it all together and we managed to finish it all in time. I worked with EIU students and they were really friendly. I also was in a video and I told everyone that I am not my disability but instead I am a mother. ~ Kimberly E., self-advocate We had a ball at EIU on the second floor I handed out the bracelets and I spoke to students to Spread The Word to End the Word. We will be going to Charleston High School on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. We will ask the students to sign a pledge to no longer use the hurtful “R” word and to use a new “R” word – RESPECT! ~ Melissa J., self-advocate We signed R’s with our name on the R’s then we placed these Rs on posters. I spoke up to students and I said “Spread the word to end the word - the new R word is respect!” Everyone smiled at me when I said this! Students signed a pledge to end the demeaning use of the R-word then placed a R on the posters at EIU campus. I had fun doing this! I was happy! I can do something like this again sometime soon – we are going to “Spread the Word to End the Word” at Charleston High School on March 31, 2015. I like doing these events so much! ~ Brandy C., self-advocate Operation: Community Access Regional Training Rewind Page 3 The Alliance’s Operation: Community Access first regional training was held on March 19, 2015 in Bloomington, Illinois. During the morning, more than 20 participants learned about community organizing and the focus of Operation: Community Access campaign. Following lunch and some great “Would You Rather” decision making activity, the afternoon focused on individual Alliance member groups designing a strategy plan to increase community access in their agencies/organizations by July 2015. The challenge is big and the self-advocates are determined that they can meet and exceed that challenge! The next regional training will be held in Chicago Heights in April; check out the May newsletter to see pictures from the event! Please register for The Alliance's Operation Community Access Campaign webinar on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 10am CDT at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3869752429800501762 Join Tara Wickey and Leanne Roth as they take you through the journey of community organizing and The Alliance's Operation Community Access Campaign including what you can do in your community to educate agencies/organizations, family members, friends and allies. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. This and That Page 4 Travels with Tara Wickey, The Alliance’s Community Organizer Hi friends! What an exciting month it has been at The Alliance! We hosted one of two leadership trainings in Bloomington & are looking to see more of you at our Chicago Heights training in a couple of weeks! For those of you who may not know, we have a new staff member! Her name is Leanne Roth and she comes to us from SouthStar Services and will be doing our financials as well as serving as a connector to some member groups, assisting in community organizing, and training for Alliance events and activities. Leanne & I recently attended an intense, week-long community organizer training hosted by an organization called Midwest Academy. We learned all the necessary steps to leading a successful campaign & made a LOT of new friends & allies along the way. One of the main lessons we learned is that "being right isn't enough!" Using the skills, tips and tricks from the training, we have a better understanding of how to mobilize self advocates, agencies & allies to WIN campaigns & change policy in Illinois, helping to give YOU the lives you want to live in your communities. You can learn more about Midwest Academy at www.midwestacademy.com. Leanne and I will be doing a webinar that breaks down ALL that we learned at the training as well as discuss our current campaign, Operation Community Access. Join us on Thursday, April 30th at 10am.to learn more about the campaign and how you can be involved! Check out page 3 of the newsletter for webinar registration information. Riia Talve, international artist and self-advocate who presented the webinar “A Life Through Pictures” in October 2014, has a new Facebook page. Go to Facebook and type in “Riia Talve Group” to get to her page. Could you let the advocates know or put a my message on the self advocacy page that I have a new page called Riia Talve group to join type Facebook Riia Talve group and click join The Alliance Staff Contact Information Riia thanks for everything Megan Norlin, Advocacy Coordinator [email protected] Tara Wickey, Community Organizer [email protected] Krescene Beck, Program Coordinator [email protected] Leanne Roth, Organizational Coordinator [email protected] Advisor’s Corner Page 5 Welcome to our newest feature ~ Advisors Corner! Each month we will profile one of the advisors who is an ally for an Alliance member group. Jessica Delgado has been the advisor for the CTF Tigers since the group began. As with many advisors, Jessica was assigned with the task of advising the self advocacy group in addition to her regular duties as an administrator. When asked how she finds time to advise the group and help them to be involved in so many events around the state Jessica said that the Alliance newsletter is a great tool! Each month, Jessica prints the newsletter, and the group goes through it together to decide what events they would like to participate in for the month. The CTF Tigers are very busy both outside CTF, like helping at a food pantry and attending classes at Prairie State College, and inside CTF interviewing all staff who want to work at CTF. The next project for the CTF tigers is to create a video for new staff about what the people who live in the CILA’s want from their staff! The Alliance wants to thank Jessica and the rest of the advisors who work with Alliance members for their hard work and dedication to the self advocates and the self advocacy movement in Illinois! We could not do it without you! Even though the Going Home Rally is over, you can do to continue supporting the Going Home Campaign! Educate. Educate. Educate. Going Home is all about sharing the success of full community inclusion with everyone you know, the general public, and especially legislators who need to understand why funding for services and supports in the community is so important to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Share your story of success in the community – post online on the Going Home Facebook page and website, like and share stories and information you find on our Facebook page, talk informally to friends about your hopes and dreams, or make a more formal presentation to your faith community or other organizations you belong to. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about your life in the community and why funding for community supports is so critical (letter to the editor templates are available online). Visit your legislators (talking points you can use and fact sheets and infographics are also available online at www.goinghomeillinois.org). Invite your legislators to see where you live and/or work. Keep in touch with the Going Home Campaign for more ideas and support. Facebook - Going Home: A Full Life in the Community Website - www.goinghomeillinois.org Check out the next several pages in the newsletter to see pictures from the rally at the state capital on March 25, 2015! Going Home Rally Rewind Page 6 Photographs © Willow Lane Photography 2015 Going Home Rally Rewind Page 7 Photographs © Willow Lane Photography 2015 Going Home Rally Rewind Page 8 Photographs © Willow Lane Photography 2015 Advocacy Opportunity Be a Part of Advocacy in Action by attending your local Advisory Council Meeting North Suburban To Be Announced Community Alternatives Unlimited 8765 W. Higgins Road Chicago, IL North Central Tuesday, April 7, 2015 10am Freedom Hall (Morton Park District building) 349 W. Birchwood Morton, IL Northwest Tuesday, May 12, 2015 4.30pm Milestone Training Center 4504 Shepherd Trail Rockford, IL City of Chicago Tuesday, May 12, 1015 UIC’s Institute on Disabilities and Human Development (Auditorium) 1640 W. Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL Central Region Thursday, May 14, 2015 12.30pm Centrum Building 319 East Madison Springfield, IL Southern Region Wednesday, May 20, 2015 10.30am Bel-Air Bowl (downstairs meeting room) 200 South Belt West Belleville, IL South Suburban Thursday, May 21, 2015 2pm Suburban Access 900 Maplewood Avenue Homewood, IL Page 9
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