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The Good News - Senior and Disability Advocates See Increased Funding in Budget
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Many groups that engaged in budget advocacy saw some good news in the budget. Expansion of the Community Living Fund, more support for Senior Centers and Aging and Disability Resource Centers, money for food security, cost of doing business increases for non-profits more.
See a complete list of funding increases for seniors and persons with disabilities. The final budget will be presented on July 14, with the the first vote on July 21.
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The Bad News - Many Issues and Neighborhoods Overlooked
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Despite a year with record revenues to distribute, seniors and people with disabilities received proportionally less than other groups and many have noted that the add-back process has become increasingly political, leaving out some neighborhoods. Despite a vigorous campaign, there was little support for funding for computer training and support for seniors and people with disabilities, fixing broken elevators, eviction defense and much more. Over the next year, we will be working with other groups to promote a better way to tie existing needs assessments and planning to the budget process.
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Digital Inclusion Helps CLC Strengthen Neighborhoods and Transform Lives
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Keep Us Connected Campaign
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A delegation from the Keep Us Connected Campaign visited the Supervisors and the Mayor's Office to bring home our request to expand training and support and other initiatives to make sure this tech-rich City is not leaving seniors and people behind. They left behind over 2,000 postcards from across the City. They shared their hopes for themselves and their friends and neighbors. And when all was said and done, they left empty handed. See more pictures here.
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Time to Re-Frame the Issue Around Fairness
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We understand why policymakers prioritize food and emergency services over computer training for seniors and people with disabilities. It is not seen as an essential service, even though not a single policymaker could function without their smart phones and computers.
What we don't understand is why the City continues to invest mega-millions in its own technology systems and innovations without investing more to help people use them.
SF Digital Divide Budget Fact
Consider this...The City is poised to invest $223,398,000 to upgrade its Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system for its hospital and clinics over the next 5 years. Part of the Affordable Care Act requires patients be given the tools and support to help them access their records. But a recent UCSF survey in SF health clinic waiting rooms found that a staggering 40% of patients don't use email even though 71% would like to use it to communicate with their health care providers. Even among those who do use email, only 59% are able to do so from home.
If the City is not going to expand funding for programs like SF Connected, what exactly is the plan for increased training and support to help close this growing divide?
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Advancing Our Rights to Health Care and Economic Social Security
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Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Ends Social Security Discrimination Nationwide
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The recent historic Supreme Court ruling touches the lives of millions of
Americans and their families in many ways. It ends the discriminatory patchwork of laws that has given some same-sex partners legal rights that were denied to their neighbors in other states. It will also impact access to federal benefits like Social Security. For those Americans who rely on Social Security for retirement, disability, spousal and survivor benefits this ruling finally clears the way for the universal and fair distribution of benefits to all who have earned them. To learn more about the far reaching impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on same sex marriage, go to the
National Committee to Preserve and Social Security and Medicare
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Medicare Should Pay for Good Hearing Aids
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Medicare does not cover the cost of hearing aids, though studies confirm that hearing loss affects more than 20 million Americans over 45 years old and is a disability that can increase with age. Left untreated, hearing loss causes a downward spiral of isolation, depression, and loss of neural circuits in the brain. It is a major disability health issue for older Americans. The cost of good hearing aids average $4,500 in the USA and even more in California. Rep. Debbie Dingell has introduced
HR 1653, the Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act of 2015. Call your Congress member today and say you want her to sign on as a co-sponsor of this vital health initiative. You can reach Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Jackie Speier at 202-224-3121.
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Medicare Turns 50! Rally July 30
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ADA 25th Anniversary Celebration Highlights Disability Rights are Civil Rights
On July 1 at City Hall, the Americans with Disability Act supporters celebrated a quarter of a century of progress and put focus on the work yet to be done. If you missed, the event or just want to re-live it,
you can watch it all on SFGovTV. On Tuesday, July 7 at 2:00 Supervisor Eric Mar is introducing a resolution to honor July as Americans with Disability Month and the group is hoping to create a tradition with leaders in this movement in various neighborhoods are honored by the Supervisors.
To see more pictures from the celebration, visit our blog.
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Transportation Fair Showcased Real Choices
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 When members of the St. Francis Episcopal Church participated in a Connections for Healthy Aging workshop, one persistent issue was the lack of transportation options in their neighborhood in the Southwest side of San Francisco. Taxis tended not to arrive, or they came so late that people missed their doctors' appointments. And the newer options required apps on a Smartphone. So they hosted a Transportation Fair on June 26th with ten transportation exhibitors, including some who cater specifically to seniors and people with disabilities. To learn more, visit our blog.
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Calendar of Up-Coming Events of Interest
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CLC Keeps Up Its AIDS Walk Tradition
Calling all walkers, rollers and/or donors! Take a moment now to make a small and very much appreciated donation to the
2015 AIDS Walk on July 19th. Come walk and roll with us. CLC is team 1529 and use this link to
Support the CLC AIDS Walk Team! Only $375 more to reach our goal! We will meet at 9:30 in the main stage area and head out at 10:30. If we know you are coming, we will make you a special team t-shirt. For more information, contact
[email protected].
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Tenant Boot Camps Continue To Empower
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Renters need to know their rights as escalating housing costs are resulting in more illegal rent increases and no-fault evictions. The u
pcoming schedule of these popular workshops includes:
Wed, July 8 - Fillmore
7pm @ West Bay Conference Center (1290 Fillmore St)
Thu, July 9 - Fillmore
7pm @ West Bay Conference Center (1290 Fillmore St)
Wed, July 15 - Western Addition
6:30pm @ Western Addition Library (1550 Scott St)
Sat, July 18 - Western Addition
3:30pm @ Western Addition Library (1550 Scott St)
Mon, July 20 - Hayes Valley
7pm @ Mercury Cafe (201 Octavia St)
Wed, July 22 - Hayes Valley
7pm @ Momi Toby's Revolution Cafe (528 Laguna St)
For more information or to register, visit
http://www.tenantbootcamp.org/
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Upcoming Computer Classes
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360 Valencia Street Computer Lab Free computer classes and one-on-one assistance continues at 360 Valencia on Mondays starting at 9:00 a.m. This month's classes include Internet Safety, Earth Cams, and Blogging.
And bring your phones, tablets, laptops and questions to our ever popular
"Help Desk"
on
Monday, July 20,10:00 to 3:00.
 Presentations On The Road Join us this month for a lively array of free presentations on
Online Shopping, Online Health Research, Help with Technology Tools, Point, Shoot and Share Photos, and Genealogy.
For information about these and other hands-on presentations, contact Judy Auda at 415-826-3194 or [email protected].
Hands-on Help Traveling to the Western Addition
Gather around and get help using your "devices" - cell phone, tablet, laptop in one of two workshops on
Navigating Technology Devices
Wednesday, July 22, 2015, 1:00 pm at Rosa Parks Senior Center,
1111 Buchanan Street
Wednesday, July 29, 2015, 1:00 pm at the Western Addition Senior Center,
1390 1/2 Turk Street
Regular CLC-Supported Computer Labs - CLC sends tutors and trainers to senior and community centers around the City as part of the San Francisco Connected program.
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