ECNV Newsletter: September
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In this edition, Register for upcoming virtual workshops that include celebrating NDEAM , Navigating path to independent housing and Disability Rights and Resources Expo. ECNV Spotlight Know your Voting Rights! Blog posts: Celebrating SCI Awareness Month and ECNV's young adult social group. Updated COVID-19 Resources
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Hosted by: disAbility Law Center of Virginia'
When: September 16th 2020 10am - 5pm EST
Where: ONLINE
Description:
The disAbility Law Center of Virginia will be hosting our first ever disAbility Rights and Resources Expo on September 16th, 2020 from 10 am – 5 pm. We are looking to attract up to 500 attendees from all over the Commonwealth who are interested in learning more about the available resources and services that both dLCV and other providers can offer to members of the disabilities community. Additionally, dLCV will be hosting “Know Your Rights Educational Clinics” during the expo on topics ranging from Social Security Benefits, Assistive Technology and Special Education, Self-Advocacy, Vocational Rehabilitation, and more!
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presented by: Asya Haikin, MA, C-IAYT
When: 9/25, 10/16, 11/20, 12/11 11am - 12pm EST
Where: Zoom Virtual Workshop
Registration Links Coming for 11/20 & 12/11
Please contact elizabethk@ecnv.org for additional accessibility requests. This event will have closed captioning.
Description:
This 4-week series will give participants practical tools to help reduce stress, improve physical well being, develop self-awareness and emotional awareness. We will use the tools of mindfulness, breath, gentle movement, and healing sound. We’ll also explore the science of how our nervous system responds to stress and to our environment. Each workshop will build on the previous one, so they are better attended as a series, but can also be taken individually.
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About the Presenter:
Asya Haikin, MA, C-IAYT, is a yoga therapist specializing in adapting and individualizing yoga for those with physical limitations, chronic pain, anxiety,
and neurological conditions. She empowers her clients to develop internal awareness, make yoga practices their own, and tap into yoga’s healing potential. She sees it as her mission to educate the public about the benefits of yoga therapy. You can find out more and connect with her through her website:
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Presented by : Emily Hoban, Disability Resource Coordinator at the Arlington Employment Center
When: October 8th 2-3:30 EDT
Please contact elizabethk@ecnv.org for additional accessibility requests. This event will have closed captioning.
Description:
Are you interested in receiving support to return to work or find a new job? Would you like to improve your professional skills, learn how to get ready for interviews or understand the impact your earnings have on your Social Security disability benefits? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this workshop is for you! Workshop attendees will be provided with an overview of the resources available to job seekers through the Arlington Employment Center (AEC), with a special focus on the Ticket to Work program.
A proud partner of the American Job Center network, the AEC has a variety of services to help community members obtain employment and also provides resources for career advancement including assessments, career counseling and continuing education programs. The AEC offers the Ticket to Work program to individuals receiving Social Security disability benefits who are interested in becoming financially independent and self-sufficient. This workshop will give an overview of the Ticket to Work program, explore the work incentives available to SSI and SSDI recipients and discuss the impact earnings can have on each program.
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About the Presenter:
Emily Hoban has served as the Disability Resource Coordinator at the Arlington Employment Center since April 2020 and was previously in the role from April 2017 to February 2018. Emily has also worked with ServiceSource as a Supported Employment Program Manager as well as an Employment Development Specialist on the organization’s autism services team. Before moving to Virginia in 2015, Emily worked with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Employment Services Department in Cleveland, OH for seven years. Emily is passionate about assisting individuals with disabilities achieve success in the workplace and become more independent. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
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Presented by The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Services (DBHDS), Office of Community Housing
When:
October 20, 2020, 7pm - Session 1: Housing Resources for
Virginians with Developmental Disabilities
October 27, 2020, 7pm Session 2: Preparing for the Transition to Housing
Description:
Session 1: Housing Resources for Virginians with Developmental Disabilities
Do you know what “living with supports independently” means? It means that, regardless of the level of communication, physical, medical and behavioral support people need, people with developmental disabilities can live independently in their own housing with quality supports. Join us to learn about the financial assistance programs that make housing affordable for people with developmental disabilities, including Housing Choice Vouchers, the State Rental Assistance Program, Virginia’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs and Flexible Funding.
Session 2: Preparing for the Transition to Housing
Planning is the key to successfully living with supports independently. This session will review the major steps that individuals with disabilities must take to prepare to "make a move" from their current housing setting to living in their own rental home with supports.
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Social / Support Groups
TGIF Social Group (Virtual Via Zoom)
When: October 2, 2020
Where: Zoom 4pm - 5pm
TTY: (703) 525-3553
Description:
Once you RSVP to Ruchika Lalwani ( ruchikal@ecnv.org | 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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Endependents Social Group (Virtual Via Zoom)
When: September 18, 2020
Where: Zoom 4pm - 5pm
Description
The ENDependents is a monthly social group that meets for pizza at the ECNV office at 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 250, Arlington, 22201. Everyone is welcome! Join us for food and fun for just $5! Check the calendar for dates and times. Because of the pandemic we are meeting virtually until further notice so bring a snack and join us for games and make new friends on Zoom!
Contact Ruchika Lalwani at ruchikal@ecnv.org | 703-719-1369 | TTY: (703) 525-3553 to find out what we're doing next.
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Young Adult Knights (ages 18-30)
When: September 11, 2020
Where: Zoom at 6:00pm
RSVP: Email michellew@ecnv.org or call 703-719-1379 for more information. TTY: (703) 525-3553
Description:
Young Adult Knights has gone virtual. If you are between the ages of 18-30 and want to make connections and friends in a relaxed fun atmosphere then please join us. We will meet once a month via Zoom. So far we have had so much fun playing online games and having virtual movie nights. RSVP to Michelle Williams if you are interested!
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Blog by Elizabeth Kumar, Communications Manager
Did you know September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month? The US Senate designated this month for SCI to bring awareness to education, better treatment and prevention. My injury happened in November 2004. I just started by second year teaching 5th grade and during Thanksgiving break my life changed forever. Since then I learned a lot about disability rights, my rights. I also met amazing people in our community. This month is the time to bring awareness to the daily challenges people with spinal cord injury face from getting equal treatment when it comes to employment, preventing pressure ulcers from sitting in the chair to being able to travel comfortably like everyone else. Simple tasks can be challenging but conquering those challenges turns into independence and peace of mind. Through blood, sweat and tears, I have met most of my goals and I continue to push myself though patience and understanding. I believe we all have challenges in this life that may not be obvious to all, it is how we deal with these challenges that help us grow as human beings. Some general statistics for people with SCI according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center include:
- There are approximately 294,000 Americans currently living with SCI, and 17,810 new cases each year.
- About 78% of new SCI cases are male. The average age at injury has increased from 29 years during the 1970s to 43 since 2015.
- Vehicle crashes are the most recent leading cause of injury, closely followed by falls; acts of violence (primarily gunshot wounds); and sports/recreation activities are also relatively common causes.
- Lengths of stay in the hospital acute care unit have declined from 24 days in the1970s to 11 days recently. Rehabilitation lengths of stay have also declined from 98 days in the 1970s to 31 days recently.
- Less than 1% of persons experienced complete neurological recovery by the time of hospital discharge.
- Since 2015, about 30% of persons with SCI are re-hospitalized one or more times during any given year following injury. Among those re-hospitalized, the length of hospital stay averages about 18 days.
- The average remaining years of life for persons with SCI have not improved since the 1980s and remain significantly below life expectancies persons without SCI.
As a board member of United Spinal I am proud to share this resource page that includes SCI facts and figures, secondary health complications, disability etiquette and much more! #WeRollUnited #SCIAwareness #morethanmydisability
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Blog by: Michelle Williams and Pansy Walker
The Young Adult Social group started in September 2019 for Western Fairfax and Loudoun Counties serving those with disabilities from the ages of 18-30. Participants voted on and named the group Young Adult Knights. The focus and purpose of the group is to provide and facilitate opportunities for socialization among peers. The group helps those who struggle with anxiety, depression to stay connected and positive. We have participation from Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Fauquier Counties along with the cities of Falls Church, Fairfax and Alexandria. A natural outcome has been friendships, bonds and connections developing within the group structure and flowing over into the daily lives of participants. There are more than 50 group participants in Young Adult Knights.
Young Adult Knights met the 4th Friday of every month at 6pm. The group shared a meal together and then participated in an activity. The connection forged over sharing a meal together was and remains vital to the core of this group. Examples of activities the group has enjoyed are bowling, Monster Mini Golf and Games, a holiday party at a gracious member’s home, Thrill Zone etc. In April, due to Covid, we moved the group to a virtual platform. We have a strong participation of 16-20 at each meeting. The group requested to meet twice per month due to the social isolation caused from the quarantine. We have conducted Zoom training sessions with some individual participants to learn how to video conference. During virtual groups, we have enjoyed a variety of games like Hangman, Jeopardy, Would you Rather, Mad libs, etc. We have had a movie night, shared our favorite snacks followed by a discussion. We have even enjoyed Tik Tok together and shared our favorite dance moves. We hosted a Virtual Graduation party for our group’s seniors. We share in a monthly birthday celebration together.
The success of this group has garnered great interest, from as far as New York City and FEMA, especially looking for positive amidst the Pandemic.
We are on a hiatus for Summer during the month of August, meeting again September 11th at 6pm. We will continue meeting twice a month virtually. One meeting will be facilitated by ECNV staff and the other will be facilitated by a small group of participants with attendance by ECNV staff. We are excited to see participants stepping up to the plate to take on the facilitation of their group. These are skills they will be able to add to their resume and serve as life skills. As facilitators, Pansy and I are excited about the future and trajectory of this group. Along with continuing activities mentioned previously, we will have special guests and presentations. Some of the groups will focus on education, giving participants an opportunity to discuss social justice issues in our country in a safe space and how to express and be heard in their communities safely and create opportunities to learn how to be the best advocate for themselves and social change. If you have any questions please contact Michelle at michellew@ecnv.org or Pansy at pansyw@ecnv.org
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Virginia Department of Elections
Did you know?
You can vote early at your local registrar’s office beginning 45 days before Election Day and ending the Saturday before Election Day. Before visiting your local registrar’s office, you may wish to check your registration status or call your registrar’s office. You can find your registrar’s phone number here. To vote early in-person, do the following:
>>> Starting 45 days before Election Day, visit your local registrar’s office or a satellite voting location in your county or city to vote early. Remember, the Saturday before Election Day is the last day to vote early.
>>> You do not have to have a reason or fill out an application to vote early.
>>> At the registrar’s office or satellite voting location, you must provide your name and address and show an acceptable form of ID or sign an ID Confirmation Statement. To view a complete list of acceptable IDs, please visit our Voting In-Person page. If acceptable identification is not provided, you must sign an ID Confirmation Statement or a provisional ballot will be offered and you are allowed until the Friday at noon following the election to provide a copy of acceptable identification to the electoral board or sign an ID Confirmation Statement. Provisional voters receive a notice to remind them of the deadline and right to attend the electoral board meeting.
>>> Accessible equipment and/or curbside voting is available upon request.
KEY DATES
Oct 13
General Election Registration Deadline
Sep 19 – Oct 31
General Election Early Voting
Oct 23
General Election Vote By Mail Request Deadline (Mail/Online)
For more information on absentee voting, accessible voting and voting the day of the election go to
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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 elizabethk@ecnv.org 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 ruchikal@ecnv.org or (703) 525-3268 for further information about the PAS registry. TTY: (703) 525-3553
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.
For more information please contact selving@ecnv.org.
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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