Published by IL NET / ILRU NetWork Quarterly

March 2000

SILC Congress 2000 Builds National Agenda

What Happens Next?
SILC Congress 2000--Only the Beginning

...by Richard Petty, IL Net Director

While the rest of us were just getting around to putting up the Y2K party favors, more than 100 independent living movers and shakers were gathering in San Diego for SILC Congress 2000. The third annual SILC Congress, the focus of this issue of ILRU NetWork, consisted of three days jam-packed with opportunities to learn and share information on a wide variety of topics of interest to the independent living movement. Perhaps most important, the assembly adopted a set of resolutions that provide guideposts for SILCs to follow in their individual efforts to advance independent living philosophy and practice.

Through our Research and Training Project, ILRU provides major financial support to the SILC Congress--and we're very proud to be able to do that. But the real heroes behind the Congress are the dedicated independent living advocates who devoted precious time and effort to putting together a program that had substance and meaning to such a diverse collection of SILC representatives. You'll find a list of the SILC Congress 2000 planning committee elsewhere in this newsletter. They deserve big thanks!

Special thanks to Alaska's Patrick Reinhart, SILC Congress chairperson, for his leadership and commitment to the effort. Patrick was also instrumental in collecting, coordinating and even writing much of the information included in this newsletter--service above and beyond the call of duty!

By most accounts, this year's Congress was a great success. That comes as little surprise given the careful planning in advance of the meeting and the enthusiastic participation by most of the SILC reps during it. The real test of SILC Congress 2000's success, however, has as much to do with what happens now and in the future as with what happened in San Diego. The Congress can only be truly successful if the ideas, energy and activities generated during those four days in January are put to good use every day by SILC advocates and others in the independent living movement.

SILC Congress 2000 Builds National Agenda

...by Patrick Reinhart, Alaska SILC & SILC Congress 2000 Chair

SILC Congress 2000 convened Jan. 3-6, in San Diego, Calif. This was the third annual SILC Congress and the first held outside of Houston, Texas--home of the Congress' sponsor, ILRU.

One hundred eleven participants representing 46 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia registered for this year's Congress. Missing were delegations from Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Saipan.

SILC Congress 2000 was funded by a $15,000 grant from ILRU and $50 individual delegate fees. The total budget was around $20,000-a very low price for a meeting of this length and size. We could not have pulled this off without the "in-kind" support we received from both the California SILC and the Region IX RCEP at San Diego State University. They deserve our thanks.

I am very proud of the job the planning committee did putting together the SILC Congress. But in planning an event of this size with such a diverse group of delegates, you learn a lot. Of course, there was no shortage of ideas on how to make the next SILC Congress even better. As chair of this group, I can promise that all of these great ideas will be considered, and where they conflict with each other, we will strike the best balance we can. See a few of the ideas for changes submitted with the participant evaluations on page 5.

This was also the first Congress in which we asked delegates to come empowered to vote on resolutions. There was some confusion regarding the purpose of this-and quite a bit more regarding the process-but it was clear that most states came prepared to vote. And, vote we did.

Of 13 resolutions that were brought to the floor on the last day, 12 were passed, many by unanimous consent. The process was grueling--made even more difficult by the fact that the Brailling machine broke down without back up available. This meant all resolutions were read aloud and no one had written copies available. This is not how we had hoped it would go, but we pounded through the process--one state at a time. Generally, the crowd was pretty respectful of each other's opinions. (I had to remove my prosthesis only once to call the group to order and-despite the call for it-no one had to be forcibly removed from the room by a sergeant-at-arms). See page 2 for a summary of the resolutions passed by SILC Congress 2000.

There were some questions regarding what happens with all the information that was generated at the SILC Congress. Hopefully, each of the delegates has already received a copy of the resolutions from Ann Meadows, courtesy of the West Virginia SILC. In the near future, all the Congress materials-including the participant roster, resolutions, speakers' overhead notes and an evaluation summary-will be available electronically via the National SILC list-serve and the ILRU NetWork Online website.

Finally, I want to say that it has been my distinct honor and privilege to chair SILC Congress 2000. I can promise you that the next SILC Congress will be even better. Please feel free to contact me, and/or your regional representative (see back page) with your ideas for speakers, topics, etc.

Call me at 907-269-3571, or send e-mail to Patrick Reinhart at Patrick_Reinhart@labor.state.ak.us

SILC Congress 2000 resolutions create a blueprint for action at state level

SILC Congress 2000--the event--may have ended January 6th when delegates returned to their home states to get back to their lives and the business of advancing the independent living philosophy and practice. Before they left, however, Congress participants spent several tedious, frustrating, energizing and/or enlightening hours (depending on who's doing the reporting) crafting and debating a series of resolutions. Congress leaders hope the 12 resolutions the delegates passed will keep the spirit of this Congress--including several important issues--alive until the SILC Congress meets again next January.

Patrick Reinhart, chairperson, says participants had a lot of questions about the purpose of the resolutions and what would happen once they were passed. "Some of them are simply statements of a philosophy that we hope all SILCs will adopt, while others call for some type of action to happen, either as individual SILCs or together," Reinhart says. "What each state does is up to each state."

"The fact that we passed these resolutions at SILC Congress 2000 doesn't commit any state council to any particular course of action," he adds. "However, we hope that each state will consider including some or all of these `calls for action' and philosophical statements in the ongoing work plans of the SILC or, where appropriate, in the state independent living plan."

Reinhart says it may be a good idea to devote some time during the next SILC Congress to discuss how states promoted or made use of the resolutions. "Hopefully," he says, "there won't be a shortage of stories to share."

The following are brief summaries of each of the resolutions approved by the full SILC Congress. To see the full version of each, check out ILRU NetWork Online at http://www.ilru.org.

RSA Settlement

Sponsor: Shannon Jones, Kansas
Last June, SILC representatives attending a conference hosted by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) walked out of the meeting because materials were not provided in formats that were accessible to all participants. Citing RSA's pattern of ignoring requests for reasonable accommodations, SILC participants refused to attend "any future meetings that are not fully accessible to all participants." This resolution calls for a continued boycott of meetings with RSA until the federal agency agrees to:

• allow SILC/CIL staff and/or board members to determine agenda items;
• include both SILCs and CILs in meetings/training (as opposed to having separate events for each);
• hold all meetings/training in accessible environments and provide all materials in accessible formats; and
• provide 90-day advance notice of meetings/training directly to SILCs and not through any intermediary.

$75 million Federal Appropriation

Sponsors: Kelly Buckland, Idaho; Ann Meadows, West Virginia & Corey Rowley, Utah
With the passage of this resolution, SILC Congress 2000 endorses a campaign to increase Title VII, Part C independent living funds by $75 million. The Congress calls on each statewide independent living council "to actively initiate and participate in activities that will result in this appropriation." The language establishing the background for the resolution acknowledges centers for independent living as integral parts of the overall independent living network. The number of CILs "needs to double to ensure the quality of life of all Americans with disabilities."

SILC Congress Purpose, Composition and Principles

Sponsor: Marilyn Mitchell, Utah
With the passage of this resolution, Congress 2000 participants adopted a set of guiding principles and a structure in which to carry them out in future SILC Congress gatherings. The resolution recognizes the SILC Congress as a "dynamic and interactive forum for SILC delegates" which serves as "a unified voice of independent living councils" that "strengthens advocacy and systems change" for people with disabilities. Beyond that, it establishes a framework for annual meetings, the designation of state delegates and the election of regional representatives to serve as communication links for delegates and function as a steering committee to plan and arrange future SILC Congress gatherings.

SILC Peer Support and Technical Assistance

Sponsors: EZ Buchand, Arizona; Maris Parmerter, South Carolina; Rand Stenhjem, Minnesota & Brad Williams, New York
Recognizing the need for "the promotion of independent living philosophy, SILC autonomy and a complete understanding of the total amount and allocation of Title VII, Part B and C funds in each state," this resolution provides a support system for SILCs and CILs that want to learn more about federal funding issues. Each of the 10 federal regions with designated SILC representatives will assume responsibility to provide peer support and technical assistance to their respective regional networks.

State Plan Development by SILCs

Sponsor: Brad Williams, New York
With this resolution, SILC Congress 2000 calls upon all SILCs to step up to the responsibility of developing, implementing and monitoring a state plan for independent living for review and sign off by the designated state unit (DSU).

Distribution of Part C Funds by SPIL

Sponsors: Pat Puckett, Georgia & Wisconsin SILC
This resolution is an attempt to strengthen each SILC's role in determining where and how Part C funds are dispersed at the state level. It calls upon RSA to work with SILCs to ensure that dollars are allocated in accordance with the approved state plan for independent living, including the design for the network of CILs established in the plan.

Deinstitutionalization

Sponsors: Jeff Hughes, Oklahoma & Region 6 SILC Representatives
This resolution recognizes that people with disabilities have a right to live free in their communities outside of nursing homes, ICF-MRs and other institutions which represent philosophies diametrically opposed "to the principles of integration, freedom and choice." The resolution promotes the concepts of allowing people in institutions opportunities to make fully informed choices and "closing" institutional slots as people with disabilities vacate them to live in the community. (Adopted by unanimous consent.)

Dedicated Funding for SILCs

Sponsors: SILCs of California, New York, Arizona, Minnesota & Wisconsin
With this resolution, SILC Congress delegates call upon the Department of Education to dedicate federal dollars to fund SILC operations in each state and territory. The resolution lays out a series of actions to alleviate the current situation in which many SILCs do not have sufficient funding to support professional staff, travel, administrative costs and other activities related to carrying out the federal mandate. The creation of a SILC Funding Committee to advise the SILC Congress on funding options is central to the resolution.

Olmstead Implementation Meetings in States

Sponsor: Rob Kilbury, Illinois
As a result of this resolution, SILC Congress 2000 will ask the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) and its individual members to work with their respective SILCs to convene meetings to develop transition plans for community living. The resolution is in response to the recent Olmstead decision which requires states to develop comprehensive, effectively written plans to move people with disabilities from institutions into the community.

MiCASSA Support

Sponsor: Sandi Weber, Pennsylvania
With this resolution, SILC Congress 2000 went on the record in support of MiCASSA and other legislation that promotes consumer-directed, community-based services to people with disabilities. Congress participants resolved that "each individual SILC and its members will actively advocate and cooperatively work with groups such as ADAPT, NCIL, local CILs and others" on the national and local levels "to ensure that legislation such as MiCASSA is enacted into federal law." Beyond that, Congress participants committed to collecting individual state policies regarding consumer directed services such as the Nurse Practice Act, Home Health Act and other laws that regulate services. SILC members are sending the laws from their state to Mike Oxford, Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, 500 SW Jackson, Topeka, Kansas 66603. (Adopted by unanimous consent.)

Youth Leadership

Sponsor: Mark Derry, West Virginia & Region 3 SILC Representatives
Acknowledging the importance of developing new leadership, with this resolution SILC Congress participants vowed to "aggressively promote initiatives for youth empowerment and leadership development" and call upon each SILC "to develop and financially support strategies to recruit, train, and empower youth to be active participants in every aspect of the independent living movement." (Adopted by unanimous consent.)

Advocacy

Sponsor: Corey L. Rowley, Utah & Shannon Jones, Kansas
This resolution seeks to strengthen state efforts to advocate for systems change by calling on each SILC "to ensure that advocacy and systems change and building a statewide grassroots network" are integral parts of their state plan. (Passed by unanimous consent.)
There were some questions regarding what happens with all the information that was generated at the SILC Congress. Hopefully, each of the delegates has already received a copy of the resolutions from Ann Meadows, courtesy of the West Virginia SILC. In the near future, all the Congress materials--including the participant roster, resolutions, speakers' overhead notes and an evaluation summary--will be available electronically via the National SILC list-serve and the ILRU NetWork Online website.

SILC Congress 2000 in a Nutshell

Editor's Note: Every SILC Congress 2000 delegate we've talked with says they left San Diego with a head full of information and ideas and at least a suitcase full of handouts, resolutions and other materials collected in the course of the meeting.

There's no way we can do justice to the proceedings in this newsletter. However, thanks to the help of our volunteer field reporters, we are able to offer the following session highlights. And, thanks to the miracle of cyber-communication, you can access many of the materials distributed during the meeting on the `ILRU NetWork Online website.

Check out the following summaries for more details. Then, check out the website-- www.ilru.org--for links to the materials.
Finally, MANY thanks to the folks who volunteered to report on sessions for us!

Round Robin with the States

Moderator: Chris Clay, California
While the participant evaluations include suggestions for how this session might be streamlined the next time around (stay within the time limit, please!), participants generally agreed it was good to hear what SILCs in other states are doing. The session offered each delegation the opportunity to describe one project and ask two questions.

Our note takers made a valiant effort to capture the projects and the questions. The notes and contact information for the delegations from each state appear on the website under States' Round Robin.

The Olmstead Decision

Presenters: Steve Gold, attorney, & Sandra Weber, Pennsylvania
The SILC Congress devoted a major block of time to learning about the Olmstead Supreme Court decision from Steve Gold, prominent and respected disability rights attorney, and Sandra Weber, Pennsylvania SILC executive director.
Gold and Weber provided background on the court ruling and the funding and civil rights issues surrounding it. They emphasized four ways SILCs and other advocates can help to assure that Olmstead is fully implemented:

• organize/build a grassroots movement to force implementation;
• develop an overall coordinated strategy that includes understanding state programs, a legal component, a political component and direct action;
• get involved in writing your state's implementation plan; and
• work to build support for MiCASSA as a way to provide the community-based supports needed.

Check out ILRU NetWork Online for handouts and other useful information related to this session, including:
Olmstead Overheads - Steve Gold's presentation overheads which are chock-full of good information.
Take Me to MiCASSA -a link to ADAPT's website and tons of information about the MiCASSA legislation.

Drive for $75

Presenters: Bob Michaels, ILRU; Corey Rowley, Utah & Patrick Reinhart, Alaska
This session focused on the National Council on Independent Living's campaign to raise $75 million additional federal dollars for Title VII, Part C independent living programs. Congress participants were called upon to support the initiative as well as carry the drive back to their home states and Congressional delegations.

The handouts for the session rated good reviews in participant evaluations. They're posted on the website under Drive for $75.

On March 8, Idaho SILC Director Kelly Buckland presented the Drive for $75 position to members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Services. Buckland's testimony is posted on the site, too.

Media Impact: A Defining Role for SILCs

Presenter: Brad Williams, New York
The New York SILC believes SILCs can play a major role for their statewide networks by increasing public awareness about independent living and CILs. Williams described three strategies the New York SILC has implemented to increase awareness including a cable access television show, a statewide public service announcement campaign and targeted media services to promote specific advocacy related activities.

There was a lot of interest in the PSAs and whether the New York SILC would sell them to other states. They're working on it. Meantime, Williams shared two handouts that will be of interest to states developing their own media plans:
CIL Community Awareness Survey - the script and directions for conducting a telephone survey to determine the community's IL awareness.
Media Product Assessment Outline - things to think about as you create your own media campaign.

Formula for success: Planning + collaboration + hard work

The SILC Congress 2000 was organized by a group of SILC representatives from around the country who volunteered their time outside their regular job duties. Many thanks to the members of the SILC Congress 2000 Planning Committee:
Region 1-- Gil Vickery (New Hampshire) and Andrea Schein (Massachusetts)
Region 2 -- Jack Merrit and Patricia McShane (New Jersey)
Region 3 -- Anne Meadows (West Virginia) and Kimball Gray (Maryland)
Region 4 -- Pat Puckett (Georgia) and Kimberly Hines (Tennessee)
Region 5 -- John Eckert (Illinois) and Dale Block (Wisconsin)
Region 6 -- Jeff Hughes (Oklahoma)
Region 7 -- Shannon Jones (Kansas)
Region 8 -- Corey Rowley (Utah)
Region 9 -- Chris Clay (California)
Region 10 -- Kelly Buckland (Idaho) and Patrick Reinhart (Alaska)

ILRU's Research and Training Center contributed $15,000 for this year's SILC Congress. ILRU also provided technical assistance and support in planning the Congress through Bob Michaels.

The Region IX RCEP at the San Diego State University Foundation provided administrative support to SILC Congress 2000. Bob Brockman and Sharon Davis handled the finances, registration and many of the accommodation issues.

A great big "thanks" goes out to the California SILC for many hours of support of this Congress. Mike Collins, executive director, helped us quite a bit with the planning. But his greatest endeavor was giving us his staff person, Chris Manson. Chris handled a huge number of details, from interpreters to hotel accommodations. We could not have held SILC Congress without Chris' help.

Delegates Hold Up on Resolution to Withhold Federal Funds

Of the 13 resolutions considered, SILC Congress 2000 delegates adopted all but one. Region 6 SILC representatives offered a resolution that, if implemented, would withhold federal funding from states that do not have a "fully empowered" SILC. Stating that a "fully empowered" SILC has full budgetary control and is fully appointed, the resolution was an attempt to put pressure on state leaders who fall behind on their obligations to make timely and qualified appointments.

The controversial resolution was discussed, debated--and in the end--defeated by a majority of delegates uncomfortable with the notion of interfering with funding mechanisms.

From fajitas to format
Delegate evals offer guidance for next time

Thanks to 66 of the 111 participants who filled out evaluation forms covering all aspects of SILC Congress 2000. As you might expect, the opinions run the gamut. The positives ranged from "great networking opportunity" to "best SILC Congress yet." The negatives included complaints of the smell of jet fuel (in that we were so close to the airport) to "cliquishness" among the more regular SILC Congress participants.

Congress planners will keep all the comments in mind as they begin preparing for next year. In the meantime, the following are recommendations that received a lot of support from SILC Congress 2000 participants who submitted evaluations:

• Hold the event at a more centrally located facility and/or have contracted accessible transportation available during the evening hours.
• Lighten the schedule.
• Have an orientation for new Congress participants and make them feel welcome.
• Do not serve fajitas or other difficult to eat food.
• Appoint a parliamentarian for the resolution process and make sure we have multiple backup systems for getting resolutions out to everyone in advance and in writing, Braille, etc.
• Raise the fee and have more catered food options.
• Appoint a "fun committee" to help plan pre-, post- and after-hour social and recreation activities.
• Split up the "States' Round Robin" and hold states to their time limit.
• Make the SILC training (i.e. Bob Michael's session) an optional pre-conference training activity.
• Provide more information to everyone before the Congress, from tourism related stuff to the resolution process.

If you attended SILC Congress 2000 and didn't submit an evaluation, we'd still like to have your comments. Call, write, fax or e-mail your evaluations to ILRU (see the box on the back page for the contact information). Or, check out the special e-mail link on ILRU NetWork Online--http://www.ilru.org.

Words to the wise
OSERs official urges advocates to speak up

..reported by Shannon Jones, Kansas

Independent living issues compete against a lot of priorities when it comes to getting attention from authorities responsible for implementing federal policies and programs. Curtis Richards, deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS), encourages advocates to "flood" his office with information about IL programs on the state level.
Richards was the keynote luncheon speaker for SILC Congress 2000. He spoke on behalf of his boss, assistant secretary Judith E. Heumann, who was invited but unable to attend the meeting.

Richards acknowledged that the demands of their jobs require him and Heumann to focus large amounts of time and energy on a variety of issues. If there are independent living issues that need their attention, the IL community must communicate with OSERS "en masse and loudly."

Contact information for Heumann and Richards is as follows:
Dept. of Education
Office of Special Education
& Rehabilitation Services
330 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20202-2500
Phone: 202-205-5465
Richards' e-mail: curtis_richards@ed.gov
Heumann's e-mail: judy_heumann@ed.gov

SILC Congress Regional Representatives

These regional representatives comprise the planning team for SILC Congress 2001. Contact the representative for your area with suggestions and ideas for next year's Congress! (Note: * indicates alternate)

REGION 1
Gilbert "Gil" Vickery
New Hampshire
603-225-3304
mailto:gil.vickery@gsil.org

Andrea Schein *
Massachusetts
617-482-8099
mailto:masilc@do8.dimenet.com

REGION 2
Jack Merritt
New Jersey
973-977-0065
mailto:njsilc@worldnet.att.net

Patricia McShane*
New Jersey
603-624-1828
moceans@moceans.org

REGION 3
Ann Meadows (Secretary)
W. Virginia
304-766-4624
mailto:annwv@citynet.net

Kimball Gray*
Maryland
410-319-4455
mailto:kimball.msilc@ste.net

REGION 4
Patricia Puckett
Georgia
770-452-9928
mailto:silcga@mindspring.com

Maris Parmerter*
South Carolina
803-731-1607
mailto:scilcdir@usit.net

REGION 5
John Eckert
Illinois
217-777-7777
mailto:silc@fgi.net

Roxanne Perez*
Wisconsin
414-764-9338

REGION 6
Jeff Hughes
Oklahoma
405-624-4080
mailto:hughesj@okstate.edu

Maurice Lamothe*
Louisiana
318-688-3413
mailto:mauricel@softdisk.com

REGION 7
Shannon Jones (Vice-Chair)
Kansas
785-234-6990
mailto:shanoz@aol.com

Tim Azinger*
Missouri
573-756-4314
mailto:lifec@il.net

REGION 8
Karen Flagg
Wyoming
307-635-4992
mailto:theflaggs@aol.com

Corey Rowley*
Utah
801-463-1592
mailto:clrowley@uswest.net

REGION 9
Mike Collins
California
916-445-5973
mailto:mcollins@calsilc.org

Mark Obataki*
Hawaii
808-522-5400
mailto:mobatake@DiverseAbilities.org

REGION 10
Patrick Reinhart (Chair)
Alaska
907-269-3571
mailto:Patrick_Reinhart@labor.state.ak.us

Kelly Buckland*
Idaho
208-334-3800
mailto:kbuckland@silc.state.idaho.us

ILRU & NCIL announce innovative programs

ILRU and NCIL are pleased to announce the programs selected as Innovative CILs and SILCs 2000. A panel of experienced leaders in the independent living movement selected this year's winners. The committee was impressed by the quality of the submissions and the high degree of participation and enthusiasm from centers and statewide councils.

Look for detailed descriptions of these innovative programs and tips for launching similar projects in upcoming issues of Readings in Independent Living. And make plans now to hear from the innovative people behind the programs in Washington, D.C., July 24-30, at the NCIL Annual Conference: 2000 Not Just Responding to Change, But Leading It: A Celebration.

IL NET congratulates all who participated this year and hopes the competition helped renew your excitement about your programs and inspired you to look at other innovative ways to bring about change in your community. We encourage everyone to participate next year!

AD LIB, INC.
Pittsfield, MA
Drop In Center

CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
Camp Hill, PA
Midtown Sweep

DISABILITIES NETWORK OF EASTERN CONNECTICUT CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
North Franklin, CT
Outreach to Adolescents with Disabilities

GEORGIA STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL
Advocacy

GRANITE STATE INDEPENDENT LIVING FOUNDATION
Concord, NH
Technical Assistance to Drop In Centers

ILLINOIS/IOWA CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
Rock Island, IL
Quad City Deaf and Hard of Hearing

YOUTH GROUP
Independence, Inc.
Lawrence, KS

HUMAN DIVERSITY TASK FORCE
Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Outreach to Underserved Populations

MCIL RESOURCES FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
Baltimore, MD
Living in the Community

ILRU Network Readership Survey

The March 2000 issue of ILRU NetWork is our fifth since we launched the publication last August. Some of you have already contacted us with compliments, constructive criticisms and suggestions to improve the newsletter--and we're grateful for that. Your feedback is important to our effort to produce a publication that is meaningful and useful to the independent living community.

We'd like to hear from more of you and hope this short survey will serve as a convenient way for you to provide input. Please take few minutes to respond to our questions. Then, separate the survey from the rest of the newsletter and return it to us. See the back page of the survey for return options and brief summaries of our past newsletter issues.
Thanks!

The issues examined in the ILRU NetWork newsletter are relevant and of interest to me:

___Always ___Sometimes ___Hardly ever ___Never Comments:

The newsletter addresses a good variety of topics:
___Strongly agree ___Sort of agree ___Don't agree Comments:

The newsletter presents balanced viewpoints on each topic:
___Strongly agree ___Sort of agree ___Don't agree Comments:

I apply things I learned in the newsletter to my independent living advocacy:
___A lot ___Sometimes ___Hardly ever ___Never Comments:

My organization has made changes and/or is doing some things differently as a result of what I've learned from the newsletter:
___A bunch of changes ___Some ___No changes Comments:

What can ILRU do to make the newsletter more useful to you?
Comments:

What is your primary relationship with the independent living community?
___ Staff/board member of a center for independent living.
Please specify: ________________________________________________________________
___ Staff/board member of a statewide independent living council.
Please specify: ________________________________________________________________
___ Independent living advocate.
___ Other _____________________________________________________________________

Whose copy of ILRU NetWork do you read?
___ Each issue comes directly to me.
___ Somebody shares their copy with me.
Who? _____________________________________________________________________
___ I read the online version of the newsletter posted to the ILRU website.
___ Other ____________________________________________________________________

Do you share your copy of ILRU NetWork with others?
___ I don't share my copy.
___ I share my copy with others
Who? ____________________________________ About how many? ________
___ I use information from ILRU Network in my own agency publications.

What subject matter would you like to see covered in future issues?
___ CIL planning, management and evaluation
___ Advocacy
___ Services (Specifically __________________________________________________ )
___ Outreach
___ SILC responsibilities
___ Other ________________________________________________________________________________

General comments/observations/criticisms/suggestions:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

ILRU Network Issue Recap

To help with the survey, here's a summary of the topics covered in the previous four issues of ILRU NetWork:

• August 5, 1999 - Focused on two centers for independent living and their impressive grassroots advocacy campaigns on behalf of Kelly Dillery, the "wheelchair mom" from Sandusky, Ohio.
• September 16, 1999 - Examined the "services versus advocacy" debate and presented a variety of CIL positions on the matter.
• October 18, 1999 - Featured the Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing (DRACH) and its battle against housing discrimination, with advocacy tips useful to the independent living community.
• December 15, 1999 _ Highlighted challenges and solutions related to getting public input and putting it to work in independent living planning efforts.

We want to hear from you!

Your response to the ILRU NetWork Reader Survey is important to us. Please fill it out, detach it from the rest of the newsletter and return it using the method most convenient for you:

Fax: (713) 520_5785

Mail:
ILRU Network Reader Survey
2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019

E-mail:
A copy of the survey is included on ILRU Network Online: http://www.ilru.org/
Copy and paste the text from the website into an e-mail, plug in your comments and transmit it to: mailto:ilru@ilru.org

Mailing list update
Please help us keep our mailing list up to date! If you are on our mailing list and want to update your address info, please fill out this slip and return it via one of the methods described below.

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________________ Fax: _________________________ E-mail: ________________________________

If you're not on our list and want to be, give us the information we need and we'll be glad to add you!

For more information, contact:

The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field.

ILRU is a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), a nationally recognized, free-standing medical rehabilitation facility for persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, which is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities.

Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.

©2005 ILRU Program, All rights reserved