In This Issue:

• Stronger Together: People First and Board Members Connect
• Join Research Opportunity for Adults with IDD
• Teens & Young Adults: We Want to Hear from You!
• Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities
• Sign Up for Second Wave of LTSS Sustainability Feedback Sessions
• Free Webinar: IEP Goals for College
• Disability Disclosure Workshop: What Should You Tell Employers?
• Library Program for Adults with Disabilities

Stronger Together: People First and Board Members Connect

Last month brought an exciting opportunity for connection between our Board of Directors and People First, a self-advocacy group supported by our chapter of The Arc! The board invited People First to join them at their meeting, where People First President Jeff Alexander shared a presentation, followed by a wonderful opportunity for Q&A between the members of both groups.

“The joint meeting with People First gives our Board an important opportunity to listen and learn directly from the people we serve,” said Board Treasurer Don Thompson. “Meaningful inclusion is more than having a seat at the table—it means having a voice in the conversations and decisions that affect your life. My hope is that this meeting is not simply an annual event, but the beginning of an ongoing conversation that helps shape the future of The Arc.”

“It was great to connect the two groups,” Alexander agreed. “We should have more combined meetings in the future and do that sooner rather than later.”

Interested in learning more about People First? Click here to learn more.

Join Research Opportunity for Adults with IDD

We’re excited to share a research opportunity for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)!

Project ENGAGE is seeking to create tools that help researchers ensure people with IDD understand all the facts before they say yes or no to being in medical research.

Right now, the Project ENGAGE team is developing a new tool for people with IDD. They are seeking adults with IDD to participate in an interview to help shape the new tool. In the interview, participants will try out the new tool and answer questions.

The interview will:

• Happen online using Zoom
• Take 1-2 hours
• Help Project ENGAGE make sure the new tool works well for people with IDD

Participants may receive up to a $75 Amazon gift card for being in the interview.

Would you like to participate? You can contact the research team to sign up for an interview or ask questions. Call 1-800-295-2187 or email the researchers at engageinpmr@syr.edu.

Teens & Young Adults: We Want to Hear from You!

Help us create new self-advocacy programs and activities for teens and young adults with IDD! We're looking for self-advocates ages 14-30 to take a quick online survey sharing what matters to them and what activities interest them.

If you are a teen or young adult with IDD, we want to hear from you! Your responses will help us develop new opportunities for younger self-advocates that are fun, accessible, and meaningful.

The virtual survey should take about five minutes to complete.

Thank you for helping us shape something new—with you, not for you.

Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities

Are you or your loved one with a disability prepared for an emergency? If there is a long-term power outage, an evacuation order, or a disaster, do you have a plan to help you stay safe?

Preparing for a disaster is critically important for people with disabilities, who may have extra considerations in an emergency like securing accessible transportation, keeping medications and medical equipment close at hand and operational, and more. Make sure you have a plan! The below resources can help you plan what you’ll do if a disaster happens.

For everyone:

• Disaster Safety for People with Disabilities: Helps people with disabilities understand their needs and how an emergency may affect them. You may choose to read this resource with a support person and write out answers to the questions listed in the resource.
• Ready.gov Guide for People with Disabilities: Covers a checklist for people with disabilities to consider before an emergency, disability-specific tips, and receiving benefits electronically (in case a disaster disrupts mail service).
• Remember, people with disabilities should always call 9-1-1 if they are currently under evacuation orders and need assistance to evacuate.

For people living in Jefferson County:

• Jefferson County Emergency Info & Resources
• LookOut Alert: Sign up for this system to receive real-time alerts about situations that may impact your safety, including disasters, evacuations, and more. For communities throughout Jefferson County, Broomfield, and Clear Creek County.

For people living in Clear Creek County:

• Clear Creek County Emergency Info & Resources
• LookOut Alert: Sign up for this system to receive real-time alerts about situations that may impact your safety, including disasters, evacuations, and more. For communities throughout Jefferson County, Broomfield, and Clear Creek County.

For people living in Gilpin County:

• Gilpin County Emergency Info & Resources
• Hyper-Reach: Sign up for this system to receive direct alerts about emergencies.

Sign Up for Second Wave of LTSS Sustainability Feedback Sessions

Join the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) for virtual feedback opportunities overviewing potential cuts to Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS).

The upcoming Feedback Sessions, previously called Roundtables, are the second in a series of opportunities to give input on a new wave of LTSS cuts. In the upcoming sessions, HCPF will gather feedback on potential cost-cutting measures that are being considered for the broader package of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers and Community First Choice (CFC) services.

Option 1

Tuesday, October 27th , 11:00am-12:30pm

Online via Zoom. Register here.

Option 2

Wednesday, October 28th, 8:30am-10:00am

Online via Zoom. Register here.

You can review the potential proposals that are being considered and access an online survey to provide written feedback by clicking here.

It’s critical that HCPF hears from the people who will be directly impacted by cuts to HCBS and CFC. Take action! Now is the time to tell HCPF how cuts could impact you. Click here to learn more about the feedback sessions.

Free Webinar: IEP Goals for College

Tune in to an upcoming webinar for students with IDD who would like to attend college! This free webinar from IN!, a local nonprofit, will help students in high school and 18-21 Programs prepare for college with useful IEP goals. The webinar will feature a speaker from the Colorado Department of Education.

When: Wednesday, November 4th, 5:00pm-6:00pm

Where: Online via Zoom

This webinar is free to attend, but please note that registration is required. Click here to register now.

Disability Disclosure Workshop: What Should You Tell Employers?

Registration is now open for a free online learning opportunity to help jobseekers and employees with disabilities navigate disclosing their disability or health concerns.

Participants in this free workshop from the Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center will learn what to disclose to employers and how to share their story in a way that showcases their strengths. They will also practice requesting necessary accommodations in a confident and respectful manner.

When: Tuesday, October 27th, 1:00pm-3:00pm

Where: Online via Zoom

Click here to register or learn more.

Library Program for Adults with Disabilities

Looking for something fun, inclusive, and social to do? Join Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) for Library for All!

Held regularly at libraries across Jefferson County, these free events are a time for adults with disabilities and their caregivers to create art, play games, explore the library, and more. Each program is tailored to participants’ interests and ability levels.

Click here to browse upcoming Library for All events.