In this edition, ENDependence Campaign and COVID-19 resources.Register for upcoming virtual workshops and social groups. April is World Autism Awareness Month.
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Dear Community,
ECNV staff has been working hard to stay connected to our consumers and we need your help!
ECNV’s mission is to empower people with disabilities to live independently. Our goals are to enable individuals with disabilities to improve the quality of their lives ,determine their own lifestyles, participate in all aspects of society, secure their human and civil rights, exercise self-advocacy; and ensure a system for consumer control and policy direction. We continue to provide these services during these unprecedented times.
A public health crisis like the coronavirus causes uncertainty and stress for our consumers. We need your help to enable us to continue our mission. To support those in need, ECNV is launching its Endependence Campaign to raise $20,000.
We value your past generosity and appreciate your support during this difficult time. Your donation will have an enormous impact on our consumer’s lives as they deal with the many medical, psychological and physical barriers and constraints caused by the coronavirus. As a member of ECNV’s community your assistance will allow us to continue to provide services to those in need.
The CARES Act allows for a donation of up to $300 to be tax deductible.
There are two ways to donate:
1. Send a check made out to ECNV at
2300 Clarendon Blvd, suite 250 Arlington, VA 22201
Sincerely,
The ECNV Team
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Sponsored by: Association of University Centers on Disabilities
When: April 29, 2020
Where: ONLINE 4:00pm-5:30pm
Description:
Hear from self-advocates and allies on how to deal with COVID-19 as they share tips and strategies on hand washing, mental health, nutrition, and exercise. Steps on how to work with personal care attendants and direct support providers will be reviewed. Be safe in your relationships - what does social distancing mean in your friendships and relationships.
Please Note:
There is no cost for this webinar.
CEUs are not offered for this webinar.
You can test your connection to AdobeConnect prior to the scheduled time by visiting this
test webpage.
This webinar will be archived.
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Presenters
Tracee Garner : Disability Advocate and Author
Lori Daly : Disability Employment Advocate & CEO of
Diversifyi Consulting Group ,Inc.
When: May 5, 2020
Where: ONLINE via Zoom 1:30pm-2:30pm
Description:
Advocates Tracee Garner and Lori Daly will present how people with disabilities can prepare for employment post COVID-19. Topics will include:
Employment Resources
Virtual Interviews
Issues Unique to People with Disabilities
Mental Health and Physical Disability Resources
Who is Hiring Right Now
What to do NOW!
and much more.......
This is a free virtual program but you will need to register to receive a password to access the event.
Email
[email protected]
to register and to request reasonable accommodations at least 3 business days prior to the event.
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Transportation: Options and Concerns for those with ASD
Presented by: EARNST ILANG-ILANG II, MSW, LGSW
When: June 25, 2020
Where: ONLINE 11:00am-12:12pm
Description:
Meaningful community participation is important for increased social interaction, access to services, and overall quality of life. Transportation plays a critical role in providing individuals access to such services and activities. Conversely, public transportation can act as a barrier to integration for those who are unable to independently utilize it. This webinar will discuss transportation services, challenges, and remedies for individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The presentation will include general topics such as:
Safety
Security
Boundaries
Travel Training
Specific information will also be offered for those living in the DC Metro Area:
Transportation options
WMATA Services
Training Services at ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia
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Social / Support Groups
TGIF Social Group
(VIRTUAL SOCIAL VIA ZOOM)
When: May 1, 2020
Where: Zoom Online Social 4pm - 5pm
Description: We will have our first virtual social hour May 1st at 4pm. Once you rsvp to Ruchika Lalwani ( [email protected] | 703-719-1369)
you will get a zoom invitation with password the morning of the event.
The TGIF Group is a chance for local non-disabled and disabled people to relax together after a long week and feel the energy of the disability culture (yes, there IS such a thing!)
Our goal in hosting these get-togethers is to further the mission of ECNV; for individuals with disabilities to improve the quality of their lives,determine their own lifestyles,participate in all aspects of society and secure their human and civil rights.
Sometimes, the greatest barrier is attitude. These get-togethers are an attempt at lowering this barrier by socializing together and creating opportunities to develop friendships in our community that might not otherwise happen!
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Blog Post by: Alexa Mavroidis, Peer Mentor
April is Autism Awareness Month and April 2 is Autism Awareness Day. I am not myself autistic, but I have had the privilege of serving as a peer mentor to many people of all ages on the spectrum, helping with everything from practice for a first job interview to helping people learn how to take care of the daily chores and tasks they need to do to live on their own. I can think of few moments in my career at ECNV more fulfilling than seeing someone learn a skill they felt worried they might never figure out or seeing them begin to discover ideas and solutions on their own that they felt too overwhelmed to notice before.
It’s important for people who are not autistic, whether we’re providing support or mentoring or just being family members or friends, to know that the autistic community has created a thriving sub-community of advocacy and mutual support within the disability community. While many groups encourage awareness of and research into what autism is and how it affects people, it’s of paramount importance to listen to and understand the voices of people who live with this disability and to try to understand their needs as they experience them.
In fact, groups like the Autistic Self Advocacy Network proclaim the month of April not to be merely Autism Awareness Month, but Autism Acceptance month:
https://www.autismacceptancemonth.com/ They work to ensure that their own voices are heard within the national conversation by encouraging organizers of events to be sure to include autistic presenters and participants, as the experts on their own lives.
As a staff person at a Center for Independent Living, this outlook is familiar to me, and one that I value and welcome. Disability affects our lives in many ways, and sometimes can make things difficult or impossible. But for decades now the community has fought to ensure that there is “nothing about us without us”—that we know our own lives best and that we must be included in any social planning or understanding.
I hope that, when any of us undertake to become more aware of autism and how it affects our friends, family members, peers, and colleagues, we remember to consider not just lists of symptoms or behaviors, but the perspectives of those who live with this disability and their understanding of it and its effect on their lives. And that we remember that, ultimately, the point of awareness is to better understand and accept those around us, including those who may not think or live exactly as we do.
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We are all in this together. Our team at ECNV is continuing to stay connected with each other, our consumers and partners. We have a working document to bring you up to date resources during this pandemic. Please email [email protected] if you have resources you would like to add to this list.
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Traveling to the DC Metro Area and need a personal assistant? ECNV maintains a PAS registry which is a list of individuals who are available to provide personal assistance. The registry offers consumers and social workers in different counties a resource for finding providers. Many of them have home health care training and are willing to work at a mutually agreeable rate that can be lower than prevailing rates charged by home care agencies. The registry, which is updated on a regular basis, may be obtained by request from the PAS Coordinator. Assistants listed in the registry have completed an application that provides information about their experience and qualifications including personal references. The applicants are then required to attend a training workshop, orienting them to the philosophy of consumer-directed services before being added to the registry.
If you wish to apply to be a personal assistant please fill out the
application and submit to Ruchika Lalwani. Her information is below.
Please contact Ruchika Lalwani at [email protected] or (703) 525-3268 for further information about the PAS registry.
ECNV does not conduct background or reference checks but encourages consumers to do so before hiring a provider. ECNV does not offer personal assistant management training to consumers.
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Click here for more information about our program, how to donate and to view many of the equipment we have in our inventory.
HOSPITAL BEDS AVAILABLE** Pediatric Nasal Cannula 6 ***
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If you have received any services from the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV) or LEND, we’d like your feedback. Your input helps improve the quality of our services and ensures we are meeting your needs.
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AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to ECNV
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