Navigating Today™

In This Issue

Center News                         

·    Happy 200th Birthday Braille!

·    Who is Louis Braille?

·    Mission Accomplished

Independence Matters

Technology News                         

·    Control Your House with High-Tech Gadgets

Community News                         

·    Healthy Eating for People with Disabilities

·    Accessible Gardening

State of Illinois News                          

·    Free Rides On Public Transportation

WCICIL Staff

Executive Director ………………Glenda Farkas

Outreach Director ………………Ryan Jansen

Program Director ……………..Dale Winner

Youth Services ………………Dustin Gorder

Home Services &     Reintegration Coordinator ………………Jennifer Kelly

Transitional Case Manager

..……………Jason Finney

Independent Living Specialist                    …..…………Patricia Bissell

Independent Living Specialist                         ……………..Joe Pashka 

Independent Living Specialist

……………..Karen Burnham

Experience Works Participants

Judith Longcor

Linda Shaw

Robert Livingston

WCICIL Board Members

Chris Bunch, President   Marcia Holmes,Vice-President Mike Killebrew, Secretary                    Shari Jones                       Karye Willard                   Susan Goodwin

WCICIL Services

Main Services

·         Advocacy

·         Independent Living Skills Training

·         Information and Referral

·         Peer Counseling

Additional Services

·         Reintegration Program

·         Youth Services

·         Equipment Loan Program

·         ADA  Technical Assistance

·         Braille Services

·         Personal Assistant Program

Contact Us

West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living

Main Office:

300 Maine Street              Suite 104               Quincy, IL  62301

(217) 223-0400

(800) 225-0407

TTY (217) 223-0475

FAX (217) 223-0479

Satellite Office:

440 N. Lafayette          First Bankers Trust Bldg.  Lower Level                    

Macomb, IL  61455

(309) 833-5766

(888) 309-5766

FAX (309) 836-5867

cilod@adams.net

www.wcicil.org

SEMINAR NOTICES

Supports & Services for

Students Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act & Section 504

on

 Thursday

 January 29, 2009

6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Held at Quincy Senior & Family Resource Center

639 York Street

Quincy, Illinois

Effective Participation in the Development of Individualized Education Programs

on

 Thursday

 February 19,  2009

6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Held at Quincy Senior & Family Resource Center

639 York Street

Quincy, Illinois

Supporting Student During Transition From School to Adult Life

on

 Thursday

March 19, 2009

6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Held at Quincy Senior & Family Resource Center

639 York Street

Quincy, Illinois

For more information on seminars listed above

Call Dustin Gorder

 (217) 223-0400

TRAINING NOTICE

Personal Assistant Training

Thursday

February 13, 2009

9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

@ WCICIL

 Call Jenny Kelly

 for more info

217-223-0400

University of Illinois Extension

Adams/Brown Master Gardeners

JWCC and the City of Quincy Present:

2009 Gardener’s Palette

Gardener’s Go Green is the theme for this year’s annual gardening conference

        Saturday

    March 7, 2009

9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Paul Heath Center

John Wood Community College

1301 S. 48^th

Quincy, Illinois

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact

 (217) 223-8380

Support Group Schedule

Blind\Low Vision

( Adams County )

Every first Thursday of the month

 10:00 a.m.-12 p.m.

(Brown County )

Every last Tuesday of the month

 10:00 a.m.-12 p.m.

Call Patricia Bissell

for more info

(217) 223-0400
 

Cross Disability Support Group Schedule

Every first Thursday of the month

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

 
Call Ryan Jansen

for more info

(217) 223-0400

Center News

By the American Foundation for the Blind

A blind child or adult 200 years ago had no effective way to read and write independently. Today, thanks to the ingenious invention of Louis Braille, children and adults throughout the world can read and write as well as their sighted counterparts. Braille's invention was a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingertips.

The American Foundation for the Blind celebrates the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birthday on January 4, 1809, this year. We also celebrate the Braille code, named after its young inventor, and the expanded possibilities for literacy, independence, and self-expression Louis Braille opened up to blind people everywhere.

West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living has recently donated several adult and children’s Braille materials to the Quincy Public Library and is proud to support the independence of persons with disabilities.

By Great Idea Finder.com 

Less than 200 years ago, it was said that the blind would never be able to read. People thought that it was only eyesight that could help humans see and read words. A young French boy Louis Braille, who was blind, was determined to find the key to access new methods for himself and all other blind persons of the world.

Louis Braille was born on 4th January, 1809, at Coupvray, near Paris, France. His father, Simon-René Braille, was a harness and saddle maker. At the age of three, Braille injured his left eye with a stitching awl from his father's workshop. This destroyed his left eye, and sympathetic ophthalmia led to loss of vision in his right eye.  Braille was completely blind by the age of four. Despite his disability, Braille continued to attend school with the support of his parents until he was required to read and write.

Louis Braille was unhappy in school because his blindness prevented him from reading books.  At age 10 he was sent to Paris to live and study at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, the world's first of its kind.  At the school, the children were taught basic craftsman skills and simple trades. They were also taught how to read by feeling raised letters (a system devised by the school's founder, Valentin Haüy). He thought there had to be a better, easier, and faster way for the blind to read. He was determined to invent it.

From age 12 to 15 he experimented with codes, using a knitting needle to punch holes in paper to represent letters. He shared his progress with officials at the institute but wasn't taken seriously. Braille, a bright and creative student, became a talented cellist and organist in his time at the school playing the organ for churches all over France.

When Louis was fifteen he developed an ingenious system of reading and writing by means of raised dots. Two years later he adapted his method to musical notation. He used a pattern of 6 raised dots to represent letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and mathematical symbols. Louis showed his Braille method to his classmates who liked it and began using it, in spite of the fact that it was banned from the institute. At age 17 Louis graduated, became assistant teacher at the institute, and secretly taught his method. Mr. Braille accepted a full-time teaching position at the institute when he was nineteen.

Braille later extended his system to include notation for mathematics and music. The first book in Braille was published in 1827 under the title Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots, for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them. After some slight modification it reached its present form in 1834 and is the system which has since borne his name.

In 1839 Braille published details of a method he had developed for communication with sighted people, using patterns of dots to approximate the shape of printed symbols. Braille and his friend Pierre Foucault went on to develop a machine to speed up the somewhat cumbersome system.

He had always been plagued by ill health, and he died in Paris of tuberculosis in 1852 at the age of 43; Not one newspaper in all of Paris wrote of his death. Although he was admired and respected by his pupils, his Braille system was never taught at the Institute during his lifetime.

Six months later, the institute officially adopted his 6-dot method. By 1868 his raised 6-dot system became a worldwide standard helping the blind read books, clocks, wristwatches, thermometers, sheet music and even elevator buttons.

In 1952, on the 100th anniversary of his death, newspapers everywhere printed his story. His portrait appeared on postage stamps and his home is now a museum. In his honor, the French government moved his remains to the Pantheon in Paris. There Louis Braille was laid to rest with other great French heroes.

He was a kind, compassionate teacher and an accomplished musician. He gave his life in selfless service to his pupils, to his friends, and to the perfection of his raised dot method. Today, Braille has been adapted to almost every major national language and is the primary system of written communication for visually impaired persons around the world. The name of Braille will always remain associated with one of the greatest and most beneficent devices ever invented.

By Joe Pashka

Sixth grader has new freedom after
collaboration of five area agencies.

Jesse a sixth grader from Quincy, Illinois
has been using a wheelchair his entire
life.  While a school bus comes to his
house, his parents have had to carry him
from the house to the bus every day.  There was no way Jesse could navigate down the steps from his house that is on an elevated lot.  This only became a problem when Jesse grew too big for his parents to safely carry him.  As with any 12 year old, Jesse wants to have more independence and desperately wants to do this on his own.   

His physical therapist was the first to see this problem coming.  As a physical therapist at school she knew Jesse would soon be too big to be carried.  She began her search in 2006 for a community resource to address this accessibility problem.  It was not until Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials received an Illinois Housing Development Authority “Home Modification” grant that a solution was in sight. 

Many hurdles existed in making the Mullis house wheelchair accessible.  With the house being on an elevated lot a ramp would be cost prohibitive if even possible.  The City of Quincy was even willing to trade homes for one they had ownership of and could be more easily made accessible.  The family, however, did not want to be uprooted.  West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living has had this case open since 2006 looking for a viable solution.  The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) at University of Illinois at Chicago was contacted in 2005, but this was beyond their resources. 

The final solution came from the Home Modification Grant, which allows for up to $13,000 worth of work to be done to make a home accessible.  It was decided that a chair lift could be installed at the front of the house.  With DSCC covering the $6,848 cost for the chair lift, Two Rivers Regional Council could cover the cost of installing and housing the lift with their grant.  Jesse can now leave his home without assistance.  Thanks to the persistence of the Independent Living Specialist at West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living, the flexibility and oversight of the City of Quincy, and the generosity of DSCC at University of Illinois and Two Rivers Regional Council through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Jesse is on his way to becoming a very independent young man.  

By Mary Keller

After being in a nursing home for 15 years and being given everything, it is very hard to get in your mind once again how to be independent.  For a long time I have waited for someone to give me a fair shake and to try me on the outside of a nursing home.  The community reintegration program at West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living gave me the opportunity to live independently in the community.  The process felt like forever, but good things come to those who wait.  I did wait too and it felt like a lifetime was passing before me, but I had confidence in Jenny Kelly to find me a place and the right kind of help so I didn’t end up back in a nursing home. On September 22, 2008 I moved from the nursing to my very own apartment in the community of Quincy.  The Center for Independent Living and my personal assistants had the apartment furnished and completely set up when I arrived.  I have personal assistants who come in to my home daily and assist with things from personal care to cleaning, cooking, and shopping.  Without them I would not be able to remain independent. 

There have been those who want to see me fail, but as long as I pay my bills and take my meds like I should no one will force me back into a home.  I know this because of how the program works.  You don’t have time to worry about what others think or want.  As long as you put one foot in front of the other and take it slow nothing will get in your way and you won’t fail. 

By John Hudson of Enable Link.org

For people with disabilities, there are unprecedented opportunities for greater independence that take quantum leaps beyond the utilitarian. Speech-to-text software, ultra-miniature hearing aids and talking books have all become commonplace and affordable. Perhaps the most remarkable advancements, however, have taken place in the production of home automation devices. In particular, X-10 technology has produced powerful new home controls that are invaluable to many people who have disabilities. X-10, simply stated, is a language that instructs wall switches or plug-in modules to turn on or off. This language is transmitted along existing house wiring, so there is no need for additional electrical work. Most X-10 modules or switches cost between $25 and $30, making them an affordable addition to any home.

A typical X-10 layout consists of wall switches and plug-in modules, each with its own identifier code, or “address,” consisting of a house code and unit code. A control console, which can be plugged in anywhere within the house, is then used to turn the wall switches and plug-in modules on or off. Lighting and appliances can then be remotely operated from the control console without additional wiring. This equipment can be a great asset to an accessible home, enabling the user to control lights and appliances from a single location of his or her choice. Further additions to the X-10 hardware lineup allow functionality for people with disabilities that is anything but typical. Key-chain remotes enable users to turn house lights on from inside the car, or even signal an automatic dialer to phone friends or neighbors in the event of a fall or medical emergency. Digital thermostats and home security hardware can also be added to an X-10 network, adding a new dimension to independent living.

“The X-10-based systems are definitely our most popular consumer product,” says Ken Fairbanks of Smarthome, a home automation product retailer in Irvine, California. “They can be a huge benefit for people with disabilities because of the convenience they offer. And you can expand the system at any time to suit your own particular needs.”

What about reliability? The technology isn’t perfect, but will operate trouble-free provided the consumer is aware of possible pitfalls. “Home entertainment systems and computers can absorb the X-10 signals,” Fairbanks says. “So we always recommend a noise filter for these devices. I also advise customers to consult a professional installer, whenever possible.” Smart-home engineers have spent the past four years working on a new home automation system to improve upon existing X-10 technology. The new product line, known as Insteon, boasts a switching speed 15 times faster than X-10. A single wireless key fob controller can unlock a battery-operated door lock and turn on selected house lights with the touch of a button.

Speech recognition capability offers a whole new level of independence for people who have difficulty operating light or appliance switches. Imagine being able simply to say “lights on” or “lights off” to operate room lighting. With control modules like the IntelaVoice, lighting can even be dimmed by the simple phrase “lights low.” These stand-alone controls work right out of the box, and are easily plugged in between a lamp and its wall socket. Voice-operated power outlets can also be installed as permanent fixtures, at low cost.

The convenience of voice control for individual lamps and power outlets, however, is really just the beginning. Innovations to completely harness the potential of total home control by interfacing with the PC have resulted in software packages capable of performing virtually any household function, from security to climate control. One such package, marketed as HAL (Home Automated Living) Deluxe, offers almost endless home control and security combinations, bringing new meaning to the term “accessible home.” The software enables the PC to generate the X- 10 commands needed to switch modules on or off. The PC is connected to a power line adapter that plugs into the wall, allowing it to transmit the X-10 commands along the house wiring. The HAL software is capable of understanding voice commands using preprogrammed phrases or commands created by the user. For example, a user can tell HAL to turn on the outdoor lights at dusk and off at dawn. Voice input can be accepted by the PC through a microphone or from any telephone. Synthesized voice feedback is provided after the execution of each command, allowing users with vision disabilities to perform home control commands with confidence. The text-to-speech abilities of the software also offer another advantage: HAL can also be prompted to read your e-mail.

Who ever thought that a house could be smart? Through the use of pattern recognition, these advanced automation networks can be set up to remember times of day when events occur, and “learn” the usage pattern of lights or appliances. If the alarm system is usually turned on at 11 p.m., the system can perform the task for you, without any intervention, and arm the system at 11 p.m. daily. The system can also remember to turn the heat down for you at bedtime or turn the lawn sprinklers on in the morning. If you’re on the road, you get peace of mind away from home, too. Programming can be accessed and changed from any Internet-connected computer by logging onto your home’s own secure web page, and you can monitor your home’s status through a PC microphone or web cam.

What exactly might the future of home automation look like? Fairbanks is enthusiastic about the possibilities. “If your elderly father is living alone, and usually turns the lights and TV off before going to bed at 10, an intelligent system will expect this as routine. If the lights and TV are still on at midnight, an alert message can be sent to your cell phone or PDA [personal digital assistant], telling you things aren’t right, and maybe he’s fallen. We’ll only be limited by our imaginations.”  

Eating well enhances our well-being and health. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines

recommends about 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day. Amounts can be adjusted to meet individual needs and recommendations. Try to include fruits and vegetables at every meal and during snack times. In fact, the more the better, because fruits and vegetables are natural sources of important nutrients such as fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. For tips, recipes and other information, go to www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. 

Eat a Variety!

Remember, too, that different forms of fruits and vegetables count – you can try fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100 percent juices. By eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in all colors, it assures a variety of nutrients in your daily diet and helps prevent chronic disease and illnesses.  

Enjoy the Benefits!

Adding certain nutrients to your diet may provide important health benefits.  While there are many nutrients in fruits and vegetables, the more common ones are:

•     Fiber -- Has been shown to lower risk of coronary heart disease.

•     Magnesium -- Supports muscle and nerve function, a steady heart rhythm and a healthy immune system.

•     Folate -- Plays an important role in making new body cells by helping to produce DNA and RNA, the cell’s master plan for cell reproduction.

•     Potassium -- Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure.

•     Vitamins A and C -- Help keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps protect against infections.

For More information about nutrition classes in your area, visit the University of Illinois Extension Web site at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/calendar.cfm. 

This information sheet was prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Disability and Health Program, with a goal of promoting health and preventing secondary conditions among citizens with disabilities. Funding is provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a cooperative agreement.  To learn more about the program and how to become involved, call 217-782-3300 or TTY 800-547-0466. 

Informational brochures are available at the WCI/CIL please stop by 300 Maine Street, Suite 104 and pick up more information. 

By Master Gardener

Gardening can be a strenuous activity, so stretch your body before you start working it.  Nothing worse than waking up the next morning with every muscle in your body aching from the digging, planting, weeding, and all the other steps to get your garden ready for the season.  

Set attainable goals for your gardening day and pace yourself.  First of all, keep your garden in scale with your preferences, motivation, and skill level. 

A smaller scale usually works best so as not to be overwhelmed or discouraged.  Gardeners help each other so ask for help if you need to move a heavy object.  Install levers (rather than round handles) on gate latches, doors and water faucets.  Stash tools around your garden at various locations or keep a cart set up in a convenient location with supplies to save steps.  If you can not bend or kneel for any length of time or for blind or visually impaired gardeners, it is recommended to grow in beds 2 to 3 feet high.  The raised beds are closer for locating, touching, and smelling and minimize bending and stooping.  A metal grid running across a garden bed provides a guide for people who garden by touch.  Vertical wall gardens or tabletop gardens are a perfect option for gardeners who can only work sitting down.  Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses and mulches around plants to cut down the time required for watering and weeding.  Whatever garden you decide make sure you have access to the front, back, and sides of your planting beds, either by reach or using long-handled tools.   

You may want to consider planting in containers.  Plastic pots are recommended for potted plants.  Vegetables, flowers, herbs even fruit trees grow well in containers which can be placed for you to reach.  Use pots that are at least 24 inches across to prevent the soil from drying out.  Place the pots on caddies with casters to be easily moved.  You can even make your own containers by bolting several large pieces of PVC Pipe together.  Smaller hanging planters can be attached to hooks making them possible to work with on a table or in someone’s lap.  Hang baskets from tree limbs, fence posts and similar stands with a pulley to lower for watering, and you have your garden just about eye level. 

Whether you are weeding, cultivating or watering you stay more upright if using long-handled tools that have 3 to 4 foot-long handles.  Believe it or not you do not need to go out and buy special new tools.  For example, a long-handled barbecue fork works well for cultivating and chopsticks easily open holes in the soil for seeds and transplants.  To adapt existing tools the solution is to fix Velcro straps to standard hand tools.  Depending on the tool and how it is used, two straps usually work best.  Using 1-11/2” Velcro is more comfortable then smaller strips.  Terrycloth or other padding can be sewn to the side touching the skin for comfort.  The straps can be stapled, nailed or screwed to the handle of the tool.  Straps with loops on the end work best, but plain Velcro strips will work too.  Another favorite adaptation is to ad a “T” handle to tools.  This provides extra control as well as more comfortable gripping position.  This is especially true with longer handles when Velcro straps are used.  The “T” can be as simple as a large piece of dowel rod.  A nicer touch is to use one that is tapered to fit more comfortably in the palm.  These can be attached from the bottom with crews.  It is recommended to pre-drill a hole through the tool handle to prevent it from cracking.     

Add elements to your garden that appeal to all five senses – herbs or flowers with a nice fragrance and plants distinguishable by texture, such as ferns and soft petal flowers or plants to listen to when they rustle in the breeze.  Consider the height, expected life span, and the amount of attention a plant needs when selecting such for your garden.  Certain flowers attract birds or butterflies.  Hang up a wind chime to orient yourself to a specific part of your garden.  Most importantly, enjoy your garden in a resting area from the sun.  

Everyone benefits from working in a garden.  The therapeutic benefits of gardening are unending.  Physical benefits: Increase mobility; Improves fine motor skills; Improves coordination and balance; Increases muscular strength.  Mental benefits:  Increases independence; Provides an outlet for stress, anger and emotional expression; Increases self esteem; Increases attention span; Provides choices and abilities to use problem solving; Encourages self expression and creativity.  Social benefits:  Provides an environment to interact with others; Provides an environment to learn and be inspired by others; Reverses the dependency of others; Creates commitment to living things.   

An enabling garden is barrier free and designed for people with disabilities and older adults.  For pain-free gardening and maximum enjoyment this type of garden is for everyone! 

 Beginning Friday October 23^rd 2008, low-income disabled individuals will be allowed free rides on all regularly scheduled buses and trains that run on fixed-routes throughout the state. Governor Rod R. Blagojevich welcomed the implementation of the new People with Disabilities Ride Free program for which he signed Senate Bill 1920 in August, which requires transit systems throughout the state to provide free rides to people with disabilities who meet the income requirements of the State’s Circuit Breaker program.

Since August, the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) has contacted approximately 114,000 current Circuit Breaker enrollees with disabilities to notify them of their eligibility to receive free transit rides. “Building on the success of the Seniors Ride Free program, people with disabilities who are enrolled in Circuit Breaker will now be able to ride public transportation free of charge,” said Governor Blagojevich. “Given the economic slowdown that is causing tough choices, it’s the ideal time to launch a program that will enable more people to enjoy the benefits public transit.”

Senate Bill 1920, sponsored by Senator Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) and Representative Kathleen Ryg (D-Vernon Hills), received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Illinois Senate, where it passed 55-1-0 and in the Illinois House where it passed 95-15-0.  “This new law will make the daily lives of individuals with disabilities easier by limiting the burden of transportation costs. I am proud to have co-sponsored this bill, and look forward to seeing it take effect,” said Senator Garrett.

People with disabilities who wish to take part in the free transit benefit must enroll in the Circuit Breaker program in order to be eligible, and they must register with their local transit agency. The Circuit Breaker program provides support to senior citizens and persons with disabilities to help them reduce the impact of taxes and prescription medications on their lives. When the costs of property taxes and prescription medicines begin to “overload” our seniors and persons with disabilities, this program can help, just as a circuit breaker prevents overloads in an electrical system.

“This law will help to provide for people with disabilities who are greatly impacted by rising medical and transportation costs during tough economic times,” said Kathleen Ryg. “I am proud to have worked on a bill that will help alleviate financial burdens for our citizens.”

The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) has mailed letters and postcards to approximately 114,000 individuals who meet Circuit Breaker income eligibility requirements and who have a qualifying disability. We are very pleased to provide this new benefit and hope that it helps getting to work, school, and medical appointments or with any activity of daily living,” said IDoA Director Charles D. Johnson.

Those already enrolled in Circuit Breaker can contact their local transit agency to learn about the free rides policies they have established. Individuals with disabilities who are not eligible for Circuit Breaker are still be eligible for reduced fare, half-price transit rides as provided under current law. Eligibility for reduced fare service is generally determined at the local level. For a list of local transit agencies and policies, log on to www.illinois.gov/transit.

“We are pleased that this new free ride benefit will be available to people with disabilities on a limited income,” said Janice Stashwick of Civil Rights Advocate for Access Living. “Public transportation is critical to the everyday lives of many people with disabilities. This free ride benefit will offer more independence to get to work, school, medical and social appointments, etc., and thus will benefit us all.”

“The enactment of a free ride program for people with disabilities will help them to be more active and achieve the goals and daily necessities of importance to the entire community,” said Tony Paulauski, executive director of The Arc of Illinois.  To apply for Circuit Breaker, people with disabilities can visit www.cbrx.il.gov or call 1-800-624-2459 [1-888-206-1327 (TTY)] to request an application.