A   QUARTERLY   NEWSLETTER   FOR   THE   DISABILITY   COMMUNITY

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you, never excuse yourself.”

~Henry Ward Beecher~


Spring 2008 CommunicAbility Vol. 8, Ed. 2


New Horizons Un-Limited Inc. (NHU) is a non-profit organization based in Milwaukee with a mission to make information and life experiences accessible to people with life-long disabilities, their families and caregivers. To learn more about our mission and activities, please visit the New Horizons Un-Limited website at www.new-horizons.org or e-mail horizons@new-horizons.org.


6th Annual Flower Bulb Fundraiser

Our bulbs will not only bring beauty to your home, but opportunity and hope to hundreds of individuals with disabilities in Southeastern Wisconsin.

VanBourgondien, our fundraiser partner, delivers the most brilliant spring-blooming flower bulbs around! Our satisfied “customers” come back year after year to order these magnificent bulbs.

Our 6th annual Flower Bulb Fundraiser offers a terrific assortment of Tulips, Daffodils, Alliums, Lilies and more! Each package of bulbs costs just $10, with 50% going to New Horizons Un-Limited.

Help us make this year’s sale the best yet! Contact your friends, family and neighbors and ask them if they have a spot or two in their gardens for flowers that will not only bring beauty for years to come, but also support programs for our community members with disabilities.

To request a fundraiser packet, please contact us at (414) 299-0124 or download the packet from our website at www.new-horizons.org/08bulb.pdf.

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5th Annual Benefit Golf Outing; Another successful day, on and off the course

Here we are, at the close of another successful New Horizons Un-Limited Benefit Golf Outing. Each year we add a few more golfers, a few more sponsors and are thrilled to see a great deal of smiles and laughter on and off the course.

Thanks to repeat Gold and Silver Eagle Sponsorships from Johnson Controls and Miller Engineering Information Technologies Group, as well as sponsorships from dozens of other companies and of course, the generosity of our golfers, our 5th Annual Outing proved to be the best yet!

We'd like to extend a special thank you to all of our generous sponsors.

Gold Eagle Sponsor:
Johnson Controls

Beverage Cart Sponsor:
Uilein Electric

Golf Cart Sponsor:
Eaton Powerware

Putting Contest Sponsor:
Electrical Energy Experts

Tee Sponsors:
Boldt Company
CDP Inc.
FABCO CAT
Good Electric
Great Lakes Distillery
Hartmann Electric
Liebert
Nu-Art Dental Laboratory
Staff Electric
Strass Maguire and Associates
Syska Hennessy
US Bank Private Client Group

Silver Eagle Sponsor:
Miller Engineering Information Technologies Group

Driving Range/Driving with a Pro Sponsor:
Kramer Datapower

Lunch Sponsor:
Chicago Switchboard Company

Gift and Prize Sponsors:
Ace Hardware
Airtran Airways
Gold'n Treasures
Good Electric
Green Bay Packers
Grunau
Harley Davidson
Kramer Datapower
la Perla
Metavante
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Sportservice
Mitsubishi UPS
PDI
Pike, Jim
Russelectric
S&C Electric
Sprecher Brewery
Target Corp.
Travel Advantage Network

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National Interest

2008 Presidential Election

With the primary season at a close, the nominees for this year’s Presidential election are presumptively set. Barring an extraordinary turn of events, Barack Obama will represent the Democratic Party, and John McCain will represent the Republican Party. It is up to you to decide who is the better candidate to lead our country into the future.

Visit the candidates’ websites.

Barack Obama
www.barackobama.com
Contact the campaign: (866) 675-2008

John McCain
www.johnmccain.com
Contact the campaign: (703) 418-2008

Check out the following web resources to see how the candidates compare on issues that matter to you?

New York Times Election Guide: The Issues
politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/index.html
See a side by side comparison on McCain’s and Obama’s positions on abortion, climate change, economy/taxes, health care, housing, immigration, and Iran/Iraq.

health08.org
www.health08.org/sidebyside.cfm
See a more in depth side by side comparison of the candidate’s positions on health care.

taxpolicycenter.org
www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/election_issues_matrix.cfm
See a more in depth side by side comparison on how the candidates’ stand on tax-related issues.

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2008 Presidential Election Action Center
www.aapd-dc.org/News/election/peac2008.php
See how the candidates compare on disability-related issues.

Check out the following web resources for the latest candidate and election news.

CNNPolitics.com Election Center 2008
www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008

C-SPAN Politics
www.c-span.org/Politics
See and hear recent interviews and speeches.

Fox News Election Headquarters
elections.foxnews.com

GET OUT THE DISABILITY VOTE!

People with disabilities continue to be one of the most underrepresented populations at the polls. It’s time to buck the trend! Join other disability advocates in “getting out the vote”.

Contact the AAPD Disability Vote Project at (800) 840-8844 (V/TTY) to learn how you can join in this movement.

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Working from home, a trend worth looking into

In recent years, the concept of telecommuting, otherwise referred to as working from home, has become more acceptable, and in many cases encouraged within corporate America. The idea is that employees will be able to accomplish more without the stress of having to travel to and from the office. Of course, given the transportation barriers many people with disabilities face, it is only natural that telecommuting has become a goal of many workers with disabilities.

There are many different types of work from home opportunities. Some common work at home positions may include:
  • Customer Service/Call Center
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Data Entry
  • Medical Billing and Coding
Of course, as with any position, it is expected that you will have the skills necessary to complete the job’s tasks successfully.

While telecommuting is a viable option for many, it may not work for everyone. Before considering working from home you must assess your situation to determine if it is an option that can work for you.

Following are a few things you must consider if you wish to work from home.

  • Do you have an up to date computer that can handle software required to work from home?
  • Do you have a reliable, high-speed internet connection?
  • Do you have a phone line that can be dedicated exclusively to your work?
  • Do you have a quiet and organized space in your home to designate as your home office?
  • Do you have the organizational and computer skills required to work from your home?
  • Are you a self-starter?
  • Are you able to stay on task and not get easily distracted?

If you’ve answered no to any of these questions, then you may need to spend a little more time preparing.

There are several resources available to help you prepare for work at home as well as help you identify such opportunities.

Your State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Office

Your local VR office can help you secure a job that is in line with your abilities and skills through local job searches and awareness of self-employment and telecommuting opportunities. Your counselor will also help you identify job skills training programs. To locate your local VR office, visit the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) online at www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?902.

National Telecommuting Institute (NTI)

One program your VR counselor should look into is the National Telecommuting Institute (NTI). They work with vocational rehabilitation agencies to enable individuals with disabilities to train for and work online primarily as Customer Service Representatives. For more information, visit NTI online at www.nticentral.org.

Your Local Center for Independent Living (CIL)

Your local CIL offers a range of services to people with disabilities. Most CILs offer employment counseling and should at the very least refer you to employment programs in your area. To locate a CIL in your area, visit ILRU online at ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html.

Your State Telework Financial Loan Program

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) oversees grant programs that help individuals with physical or mental disabilities obtain employment. One program funded by the RSA is the Telework Financial Loan Program, which assists individuals with disabilities purchase computers and other equipment needed to work from home. To identify the organization that administers the program in your state, contact the RSA office via phone at (202) 245-7468 or visit RESNA online at 69.89.27.238/~resnaorg/AFTAP/state/RESNA.html.

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Wisconsin Interest

Voting in Wisconsin: A Guide for Citizens with Disabilities

If you’ve never voted before, this is the year to do it! If you’re not quite sure how to vote, this is the guide to read! Voting in Wisconsin: A Guide for Citizens with Disabilities, details everything you need to know to ensure that your vote is counted in this year’s election.

The guide, produced by Rehabilitation For Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers, and the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, explains the four different ways of registering, how to vote by absentee ballot and polling place accommodations, among other topics.

To read the guide online, visit www.rfw.org/ADA/Voting/Whyvote.htm. If you do not have access to the Internet, contact Rehabilitation for Wisconsin to request a printed copy, (608) 244-5310.

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ACCESS makes finding assistance programs easier

ACCESS, an online resource of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, is a quick and easy way for people in Wisconsin to get answers to questions about health and nutrition programs.

More specifically, you can take a “quiz” to determine if you may be eligible to receive:
  • Help with buying food
  • Low- or no-cost health care
  • Help with buying prescription drugs
  • Home energy assistance
  • Special tax credits

You may also apply directly to the following programs via the ACCESS website.
  • FoodShare
  • BadgerCare Plus
  • Family Planning Services
  • Medicaid

Once you apply for benefits, you may also monitor your application status, review benefits that you are already receiving, and report changes to the local agency administering your benefits.

To use ACCESS, visit www.access.wisconsin.gov.

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Wisconsin Telework Program

If you are serious about working from home, you will want to check out the Wisconsin Telework Program. This program provides loans to Wisconsin Residents with Disabilities for the purchase of equipment needed to work from home. More specifically, the loan can help you pay for such things as, computers, software, printers, fax machines, telecommunication devices, office furniture, and home modifications to create an accessible home office, or assistive technology.

Loans will only be considered for equipment used specifically for the purposes of working from home or starting a home-based business (with an approved business plan). Approval is based upon your ability to repay the loan. A poor credit rating or prior bankruptcy may not necessarily eliminate you from this program.

To learn more, download the Wisconsin Telework Loan Program brochure by visiting, dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/pdf_files/telework_brochure.pdf. You may also contact the Telework Coordinator at Independence First via phone at (877) 463-3778.

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New Wisconsin accessible cabins officially open for business

While thinking back on the development of the first wheelchair accessible cabin at Mirror Lake State Park in 1990, Arthur Miller, founder of New Horizons Un-Limited, recalled, "We believed that this was only the beginning and that more [cabins] should be built throughout the state."

What Art and others had started as a seed of an idea has grown now to include the 6th and 7th accessible cabins for the Wisconsin State Parks. The original cabins have become the Tom Sawyer fence that others have embraced and continue to expand upon.

The cabins at Richard Bong State Recreation Area near Burlington and Kohler-Andrae State Parks in Sheboygan, will hopefully serve as inspiration for other groups to continue to open the outdoors to people with disabilities via accessible cabins in even more Wisconsin State Parks.

If you would like to stay at either of these cabins, contact the Richard Bong office at (262) 878-5600 or the Kohler-Andrae Office at (920) 451-4080. To learn about all of the accessible cabins available in the state parks of Wisconsin, visit the DNR website: dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/access/bigcabin.html.


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Please share this information with all that may benefit.


If you have questions or ideas, information and solutions that you would like to share with us, we can be reached by e-mail at: horizons@new-horizons.org or to use our NHU E-Mail Form or NHU Community Discussion Board, click on the links below.
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