Fifty Years in America
Agency & Executive Director Mark Milestones
By Barry Fox-Quamme, ILR Executive Director
Over the decades our human experience brings forth joy, sorrow, and surprise. Each of us creates a frame for our lives ~ and words shape our sense of identity: Ability ~ Disability ~ Resilience ~ Bad Luck ~ Opportunity
While our stories are unique, we are each connected by a shared thread ~ life is fragile, and unpredictable. On one level, we are proud of our shared experience of being temporarily able-bodied. Yet, we enter and leave this life profoundly vulnerable. Along the way, our sense of confidence rarely avoids some chaos. In the midst of uncertainty, however, we discover and build joy, fulfillment and meaning.
Fifty years ago this October, I began this journey as the 10 « pound, first born son of my Polish speaking mother from Michigan. Diminutive, resilient, fragile and creative, she barely tops 100 pounds and five feet tall. Along the way, I’ve been blessed with my parents’ optimism and persistence. It’s lifted me at times from the chaos and despair of life to discover its joys. I’ve been an able-bodied athlete all my life, except when I wasn’t.
At 23 years, I shattered my left ankle bone (fibula) and faced a future with a drop-foot and nerve damage. Eight months later ~ after wheelchairs, surgery, and rehab ~ I learned first to swim and then to walk again. Recovery exceeded expectations.
At 25 years, I was walking barefoot to get a candle during a hurricane black-out in Mexico and had a close encounter with a baby scorpion. This time my right leg was useless, the result of learning the true meaning of -fire in my veins,- as the neurotoxin spread. Stopping at my hip and sparing my life, I was offered the opportunity to discover how to slowly use my right leg again.
As I was closing in on 40, it was a smaller bug that brought me down. A virus decided to have a picnic in my spine and brain, leaving years of nerve damage from which to slowly recover.
Life seemed dark and the future uncertain for years, but patience and perseverance led to progress in fits and starts. After years of using a cane and developing new routines, the help of friends and family got me through difficult times. Making it to 45, it seemed that I still had half of my life ahead of me.
In a similar spirit, ILR has just marked a milestone ~ 50 years of people with disabilities serving people with disabilities. If only we could hear the stories ~ the inspiration of the founders of Volunteer Braille Services, the vision of consumers at Tri-County Independent Living, the hopes of those who ran Access Oregon.
I trust they are alive in each of us, especially as we share our stories with each other. We honor each of them and their untold stories with the inspiration that we provide each other as peers. ILR employee Gloria Garbutt knows this history in a special way after 22 years of service. With her retirement soon, Gloria, like so many others, will be remembered. Keep telling your stories everyone, and together we’ll build a strong foundation for the next 50 years!
NW Independent Living Matters is the quarterly newsletter of Independent Living Resources distributed to consumers, families, professionals, and friends.
We welcome comments and articles. Submission deadlines are: 2/15, 5/15, 8/15 and 11/15.
Please send submissions to NWILM Editor, at:
E-mail: , or
Mail: Independent Living Resources
2410 SE 11th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214-5308
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Advertising in NWILM implies no endorsement of any product, service or individual by ILR, its staff, or Board of Directors. Each advertiser bears sole responsibility for the accuracy of their advertisement, and for any liability that may result.
ILR Board of Directors
Steve Weiss-President
Connie Kramer-Vice-President
Barbara Spencer-Treasurer
Roger Meyer-Secretary
Matthew McClellan
Marc Pettibone
Sue Vonderheit
Barry Fox-Quamme, Executive Director
Cathy’s Corner
By Cathy Blahut, ILS Services Coordinator
Our Resource Guru!
Rebuilding Together in Portland . . .
Rebuilding Together in Portland provides housing repairs and rehabilitation. The work is preformed by volunteers for people with low incomes. Some examples of the work preformed are:
plumbing, electrical, carpentry, yard work and debris removal.
Non profit organizations are also eligible for assistance.
Main Phone:(503) 943-7515 Fax Number: (503) 943-7322
Internet Site:
5000 N Willamette Blvd.
Portland, OR97203
OpenDoorHousingCounselingWashingtonCounty
This organization provides a mortgage foreclosure prevention program. This includes advocacy with lenders, loss prevention, and money management. First time home buyers can participate in pre-ownership counseling and workshops covering topics such as obtaining a mortgage, shopping for a home, life as a home owner, and Reverse Equity Counseling for homeowners sixty-two and up.
Program Phone (503) 640-0952 Fax Number (503) 640-9374
Internet Site:
34420 SW Tualatin Valley Highway
Hillsboro, OR97123
People Are Talking About STEPS!
By Suzanne Huffman, IL Training Coordinator
On July 17, State STEPS Coordinator Joan Claypool joined ILR’s STEPS Training Coordinator, Suzanne Huffman, to commend the TillamookCounty branch of Northwest Senior and Disability Services for outstanding participation in the STEPS program. While TillamookCounty constitutes the smallest of ILR’s three Service Areas, it has achieved the highest percentage of STEPS participation of any county in Oregon.
Suzanne presented a certificate of achievement during a luncheon honoring case managers, eligibility and support staff and the branch administrator, who have worked to make STEPS services available to such a large percentage of TillamookCounty consumers of in-home services.
STEPS is a win-win program for clients and case managers, said Don Weisel, NWSDS Services Manager. It helps our clients better manage their services, and reinforces what our case managers tell them, that they are the employer.
If you receive in-home services through the Client/Employed Provider (Medicaid), State Plan for Personal Care (for people with physical disabilities) Oregon Project Independence, or Spousal Pay program, you can receive 1) Free Training, 2) Snacks & Lunch, 4) A Comprehensive Handbook and 5) A $25 Gift Card.
Find out for yourself how STEPS supports your independence! Attend one of the Fall Workshops below:
To Register, or for more information, please call Suzanne or Marcia (503) 232-7411 or email
STEPS Fall Workshops
Portland
Monday, October 20th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Monday, November 17th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Monday, December 15th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
All at Independent Living Resources2410 SE 11th Ave.Portland, OR97214
Tillamook
Thursday, October 9th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
NWSDS Office 4670 East 3rd Tillamook, OR
Program Updates!
Healthy Lifestyles Workshop Adapted for VR Consumers
Through a special arrangement between ILR and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVRS), consumers receiving OVRS services recently attended a new version of OHSU’s acclaimed Healthy Lifestyles Workshop.
?Healthy Lifestyles for Employment? takes the traditional ?Healthy Lifestyles? model and focuses on the how healthy routines help a person prepare for and maintain employment. The curriculum, developed by OHSU in collaboration with ILR, presents a holistic model to wellness, from physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It not only includes modules on nutrition, how to eat on a tight budget, stress reduction such as yoga and massage, but it also has unique components of how to deal with the stress of seeking employment, staying employed, asking for reasonable accommodations under the ADA, and other specific issues faced by people with disabilities in the workplace.
Arts & Crafts Class Resumes Soon!
After a long layoff, ILR’s popular Arts & Crafts class will resume this fall. Volunteers Shirley Reynolds, and Katherine Sorrels will work together to create fun and creative projects to bring out the artist in you! This class is always well attended and gets early sign ups, so if you want to come, let Jeanne know. Limit for the class is 8.
Women's Group Offers New Type of Support
ILR’s long-running Women's Group is starting again with a new format on Tuesday, September 23. The group will meet for eight consecutive Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. The theme of the eight-week group is, "Expressing Our Inner Child: Taming the Monster Inside You!" The title is a tongue-in-cheek way to say we will be free to express all of our feelings - including anger or frustrations caused by negative experiences related to our disabilities, our perceptions of ourselves, or other issues from our childhood that can sometimes cause pain or discomfort. This group is intended to help members address those feelings in a safe and supportive environment, and transform negative attitudes into positives.
New Independent Living Specialist - Sarah Gerth
ILR welcomed Sarah Gerth to our staff in July 2008. Her duties include general Independent Living Specialist responsibilities, facilitating the TBI Support Group, the Women’s Group and coordinating Healthy Lifestyles Workshops. Sarah has worked with people with disabilities for more than 25 years in case management, counseling, information and referral, intake assessments, and advocacy.
She has been associated during that time with Columbia River Mental Health, Sequoia Mental Health, Lifeworks NW and Cascadia. Her educational background includes a BS in Anthropology, and an M.ED in Special Education. In her free time, Sarah enjoys classical music, walks in the park, and spending time with her family. Look for Sarah at -A Roll in the Park- and introduce yourself. Welcome Sara!
New Advocacy Intern
ILR is also pleased to welcome Graham Wingenfeld as an intern. Graham is focusing about 15 hours a week during September on Advocacy and -A Roll in the Park.- Graham comes to us with experience in communications, as well as direct service as a home care worker. Take a moment to say hello and welcome!
HOUSING HELPS
By Lina Bensel, Independent Living and Housing Specialist
Some Things to Consider on Your Next Move
If you have a pet or pets, or even companion or service animals, try making an -Animal Resume- for each one.
In that you can have your animal’s picture, veterinarian’s name and groomer’s name, when s/he last had vaccines, and a statement as to this animals behavior (scratches a post, uses a litter box, does not bark at children, etc.) Note: This is not REQUIRED anywhere, but it is a courtesy and if you are moving with pets can increase your likelihood of being accepted with the pet.
Other Information Many Landlords Appreciate
Statements from employers, from Social Security or the Veterans Administration, that say how much your income is. Public Housing and landlords that accept section 8 vouchers, will require this information to prove eligibility. Many private for profit landlords like to have it too.
What they Cannot Ask For
They cannot ask about your disability. You can disclose your disability if you are asking for reasonable accommodation in housing, and it still does not have to be in detail. Landlords who ask for more than that amount of information about your disabilities are breaking the law.
Hope this helps with your next move.
Lifts Tips: Three Menu Options When Calling LIFT on the Phone
By Lina Bensel
Option 1: Setting Up Rides & General Questions.
Open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you need to schedule a ride for the next day, you need to call by 5 p.m. Ideally, try to call by 4 p.m. to avoid getting stuck in a queue that shuts off at 5 p.m.
Option 2: Customer Service
This option is for general questions, but primarily takes complaints, comments and recommendations from customers. They are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday only.
Option 3: Dispatch
The Dispatch option will tell you when your bus is likely to arrive, whether it is a bus, sedan or Broadway cab. Dispatch is open from 4 a.m. until midnightas long as there are LIFT vehicles on the road. At a pick-up site with many doors, dispatch can take information about your exact location and tell the driver how to find you. They can also tell you if your ride will be late, and sometimes tell you why. If you miss a ride, you will need to call Dispatch to see if they can send you another vehicle or call a Broadway cab. If Dispatch can’t help, you may want to contact a friend or family member or order a cab at your own expense.
-Road to Freedom- Yields Results! ADA Amendments Act Passes!!
In May 2007, the -Road to Freedom- bus tour rolled through Oregon promoting the ADA Restoration Act before congress. ILR co-sponsored the tour in Oregon, promoting a legislative forum in Salem and hosting a community education event at OaksAmusement Park in Portland.
A little more than a year later, the U.S. House of Representatives & the U.S. Senate passed the ADA Amendments Act in the late summer. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by President Bush by the end of September 2008.
Barry Fox-Quamme
ILR Executive Director
ILR board Takes Positions on Four Oregon Ballot Measures
In August, the ILR Advocacy Committee recommended that the agency take positions on a variety of ballot measures set before the voters in November. Following analysis and discussion theILR Board of Directors recommended the following positions:
ENDORSED
Measure 54Standardizes voting eligibility for school board elections @ 18 years of age.
Rationale: Equal access to voting process for all people.
Measure 57Increases sentences for drug trafficking, theft against the elderly, and specified repeat property and identity theft crimes; requires addiction treatment for certain offenders.
Rationale: Calls for addiction treatment for offenders.
Opposed
Measure 58Prohibits teaching public school students in language other than English for more than two years.
Rationale: Prefer individualized response to needs of children with disabilities who speak a language other than English. Most able-bodied students are hard pressed to become fluent in a foreign language within two years. A two-year limit would likely harm people.
Measure 61Creates mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain theft, identity theft, burglary, drug, and forgery crimes.
Rationale: Applies to first-time offenders and does not address drug treatment. Worse of the two options when compared with measure 57.
Disability Awareness Month
A month long schedule of events promoting and celebrating the inclusion of people with disabilities
Oregon Commission for the Blind
Open House
Oct. 1st, 3-7 p.m., 535 SE 12th Ave.
Contact: Melissa H. 971-673-1629
Portland Citizen’s Disability Advisory Committee Roll & Stroll in Partnership with the MS Society
Oct. 6th, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.,
City Hall to MS Society
Contact: Teckla Anderson 503-823-3881
Mentorship Day
Oct. 13th Patricia Kepler 503-232-7411
White Cane Day
Oct. 15th, 10:00 a.m. Walk begins at ILR
11:45 a.m. Rally @ Comm. for the Blind
Contact: Frank Synoground 971-673-1588
Blind Ambition Annual Blind
Spaghetti Dinner (Tanasbourne)
Oct. 15th, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Spaghetti Factory @ Tanasbourne
Contact: Ayla Kraley 971-222-6604
Portland Citizen’s Advisory Committee Make a Difference Award Reception
Oct. 21st 4:30 - 6:30 p.m., City Hall
Contact: Teckla Anderson 503-823-3881
DBA Trade Show
Oct. 22nd, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 23rd, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Contact: Kedma Ough 503-998-9560
Oregon Business Leaders Network & NWEEO/AAA Roundtable Forum:
Experiences in the Workplace
Oct. 22nd, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Multnomah Athletic Club
Contact: Lucy Baker 503-281-1424
City Hall Lunch-Time Brown Bags
PortlandBuilding Auditorium, 2nd Floor
Noon-1:00 p.m. on the following dates
Oct. 2Disability Rights Movement
Oct. 7Triumph & Challenge for
Blind Athletes
Oct. 9Accessing Resources to Independence: ILR
Oct. 13 PCDAC Panel Discussion
Oct. 20 Entrepreneurs with Disabilities
Oct. 28 Elders in Action Program Info.
Elder Adults with Disabilities, Housing, Health Care, Abuse
Contact: Nickole Cheron 503-823-997
Independence Lost . . . Independence Found!
By Jeanne McClellan, ILR Associate Director for Programs
Katherine Sorrels is a survivor, in every sense of the word. Her journey to independence, lost and then reclaimed, is one that should point the way for anyone who loses hope.
Katherine has been coming to ILR for about five years. She first came here looking for assistance in going back to school to get her GED and to meet others with disabilities. She has learning disabilities and had not finished high school, and has always wanted to work.
She had moved out of her parent's home back in the l970s, and had been on her own, off and on, ever since that time. There were ups and downs, she says, and times when she needed her parents help. But she had always managed to get back on her feet.
Katherine has done a lot of volunteer work over the years, especially working with children and the elderly, as well as here at ILR, where she does clerical tasks, and also helps run ILR’s Art Class. "She has been a dedicated volunteer and we all think the world of her", reports Jeanne McClellan, who oversees the Volunteer Program at ILR.
But in early 2008, Katherine's world was turned upside down. She became suddenly ill one day, had a severe sore throat and was unable to breathe. Her parents rushed her to the emergency room, where she was seen by a specialist, who immediately performed a tracheotomy on Katherine.
"They told us I would die if they didn't do the trach," reports Katherine. "Everything happened very fast."
Due to these sudden events, Katherine was instantly moved out of her apartment and went to live with friends of her family, who began to take over as her caregivers.
"At first I was happy and everything was going well," Katherine recalls. But she had been told she would have to live with the trach for the rest of her life, and she began to feel very depressed. "I wanted my life back," says Katherine. She had surgery at one point and had a lump on her throat and her tonsils removed, but still had the trach.