รายละเอียดกระทู้

By John Kennett jkennett@mdn.net http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article_a106d30a-f14f-5056-ae09-7f9f5dc5c330.html Helping disabled individuals achieve independence is the goal for Disability Network of Mid-Michigan (DNMM). To achieve that goal, they enlist a community of individuals. “Sometimes when folks think about independence, particularly in the world of disabilities or in community living, there is that notion that people have to do things all by themselves,” said Terri Cady, DNMM community education and outreach program leader. “And really none of us do. It’s not just one person, it’s about community.” For DNMM, education and empowerment go together when building community. “Sometimes people need to know what individual resources are available and then it becomes about empowering somebody,” said Cady. “Depending on how you were raised and resources in your community, some folks haven’t had opportunities to figure how many different ways they might be able to contribute.” Inventive thinking goes a long ways to providing independence for individuals with disabilities. “A lot of time we have this picture of traditionally what’s worked,” said Cady. “Individuals with disabilities will sometimes come at (situations) in a creative way or in a way that might not be so traditional. So, opening this thought process up to community groups and saying, ‘This might happen in a different way and that might be great.’ And it probably will be. We do a lot of education in our communities to keep those lines of possibilities open.” The awareness of disabilities got a boost in 1990 with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But there’s still a long way to go. “So many families are impacted by disabilities one way or another,” said Cady. “When I think about disability rights, we’re still fighting for independence. But, it’s worth fighting for. There is a long history of oppression of people with disabilities. A lot of our advocacy comes from laws. But they put the law in place, but nobody is enforcing it. It is 2013 and the ADA is still not fully appreciated.” Nearly a quarter of a century later, barriers still exist, limiting independence for those with disabilities. “There are four big barriers: transportation, housing, education and employment,” said DNMM Executive Director David Emmel. “How do we work with those individuals to overcome those barriers and they are different for everyone? The ADA is approaching its 23rd anniversary this year. So, when we look back on that, how it removed physical barriers to independence and we look at how today we may take for granted a lot of those things like curb cuts on sidewalks at an intersection. How much easier has that made life for everyone?” The physical barriers may be disappearing, but changing beliefs is tougher. “The big overreaching barrier is around inclusion,” said Emmel. “If we think about disability, we might look at it across the spectrum and say, ‘Physical disability was kind of the easy one.’ As we move into the behavioral health disabilities, things become more complex. Oftentimes they do not feel accepted in communities. That’s the challenge of the barrier to inclusion. Our big focus is around, ‘What is an inclusive and accessible community? What does that look like?’ Of the 12 counties that we serve, every community defines that a little differently.” How is Midland proceeding in overcoming the barriers? “Midland is an awesome community,” said Emmel. “I grew up here. It is a very inclusive and accessible community. We have a long way to go. But there are other communities that are much farther behind than Midland.” Cady had a similar assessment. “We’re on the right track,” she said. “Midland has some pretty accessible places, but there are a lot that we know of that are still not.” For more information regarding DNMM call 800-782-4160 or visit: dnmm.org