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March 2007
Click here to view previous
months of the Signs of Independence Newsletter
Mention of any
product, service, or event in this newsletter does not
constitute
any endorsement or recommendation by OSCIL.
S
Highlights of OSCIL’s 19th Annual Meeting
OSCIL’s 19th annual meeting and awards ceremony was held April 25th at the Warwick Public Library. Board President Henry Tarlian reported on some of our Center’s programs and accomplishments, noting that over 6,000 individuals were served by OSCIL in the past fiscal year.
A total of 567 persons received direct, one-to-one services, a 10% increase from last year – with the same number of staff. One reason for this increase might be as a result of our RIPTA bus signage. Mr. Tarlian noted that a high number of these referrals were from consumers who were homeless or facing eviction - a reflection of the current housing crisis in our state.
Noteworthy highlights of 2006 include:
· OSCIL’s housing advocate worked
with 65 consumers to address goals to secure affordable, accessible housing.
· Twenty-one individuals worked on
goals to transition out of nursing homes.
· Our home modification and
equipment program gave 159 consumers the opportunity to live in homes that have been made more accessible through the acquisition of assistive technology or home modifications.
· OSCIL received over 2,000 calls for
information. There were 160,000 visits to our Web site. Another 946 persons took part in education/ outreach presentations. Two hundred twenty-eight consumers received benefits planning and assistance.
· OSCIL’s involvement with the
Disability Vote Project, including outreach and training on the new Automark voting machine, encouraged consumers to get out and vote.
Guest Speaker Dr. Raymond Mis gave an inspiring presentation, Blind-Sighted, that had the audience’s rapt attention as they listened to the story of his life’s journey to overcome barriers and adversity.
Dr. Mis is Chief of the Gastroenterology Dept. at Kent County Memorial Hospital and was voted one of Rhode Island Monthly magazine’s top docs in 2000 and again this year in 2007. He is legally blind and hearing impaired as a result of a medical condition he developed at the height of his career.
How did Dr. Mis get through the difficult times and overcome these obstacles? He gave us his definition of courage: being able to face your fears. And this is just what he did - with determination, perseverance, the help of devoted co-workers, and assistive technology to correct his vision and hearing loss. Dr Mis is the first visually impaired gastroenterologist to receive accreditation by the State of Rhode Island and the RI Medical Society, paving the way for other professionals with physical limitations.
OSCIL Scholarship Winners
OSCIL’s scholarship committee had a difficult job this year selecting the recipients of three $1,000 Catherine T. Murray Memorial Scholarship awards. We thank the following committee members: Jack Walsh, John Howell, Caldy Shire, Anne McDonald, Pat McCrone, and Lorna Ricci.
Congratulations to the winners!
· Christina Battista will be a senior
at Rhode Island College. She is majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology and hopes to counsel persons with disabilities.
· John-Paul Caparco has been
accepted at Johnson & Wales University and plans to study culinary nutrition. John-Paul has diabetes and knows first-hand the importance of good nutrition in managing diabetes.
· Christina Labriola attends
Plymouth State University, majoring in special education with a minor in child welfare and family studies. She hopes to help children overcome barriers to education.
Election of Board of Directors
James Bateman, Lydia LeFebvre, and John Nakowicz were reelected to the OSCIL Board of Directors, joining Henry Tarlian, Stephanie Booth, Kristen Connors, Richard DeGregorio, Mary Leeman, Jose Lobaton, Pat McCrone, Anne McDonald, Rep. Eileen Naughton, and Susan Shapiro.
OSCIL Volunteers Recognized
On behalf of the entire staff, Linda Bradley thanked the following dedicated volunteers (our worker bees) for their valuable service to OSCIL: Ruth Clark, Scott Fayerweather, Lillian Freeman, Pat McCrone, Tony Ricci, Dylan Turner, and Alisa Ricci.
Mention of any product, service or event in this newsletter does not constitute any endorsement or recommendation by OSCIL.
Signs of Independence is made possible by the generosity of our advertisers. OSCIL wishes to thank Lift & Care Systems, Inc. and Michael Warner for sponsoring this edition of our newsletter. To advertise your agency or services in the OSCIL newsletter, call Susan at OSCIL.
OSCIL thanks everyone who responded to our call for household items that could be utilized by our consumers. We are in need of kitchen items such as toasters, can openers, dishtowels, cookware, small microwaves and toaster ovens as well as fans, hand vacuums, and lamps in good to excellent condition. Please contact Lezlee at the OSCIL office.
Avoiding Foreclosure
OSCIL is receiving an increase in calls from persons at risk for foreclosure, and often we get these calls just before foreclosure is scheduled. At this point, it is too late to stop the process The subject of foreclosure was covered in a recent article in the April 22 Providence Journal by Christine Dunn entitled If foreclosure looms, get the right help. Some of the information below is from this article.
Help may be available for people in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure, but consumers must be careful to work with a HUD-approved counseling agency. These are nonprofit agencies that charge little or no fees for their services. They work with the lenders and owners to work out a repayment plan, refinance, or possibly sell the property before it goes into foreclosure.
Consumers must be cautious of scams and fraudulent foreclosure advisors offering deals too good to be true. Some of these fraudulent agencies charge high fees and may convince homeowners to sign over homes to them or offer cash payments to owners.
One HUD-approved agency in Rhode Island is The Housing Network. John Nimmo of The Housing Network has seen a drastic increase of homeowners seeking foreclosure counseling. Two years ago, Nimmo saw 127 clients for foreclosure counseling. In the last fiscal year, he counseled 515 persons at risk of foreclosure.
In general, it is easier to help clients stay in their homes if help is obtained early in the process before falling far behind in mortgage payments. Homeowners should not ignore letters from lenders. Instead, homeowners should immediately explain their circumstances to lenders and contact a HUD-approved counseling agency. To find a HUD-approved agency, call (800) 569-4287 Voice or (800) 877-8339 TTY. To contact The Housing Network, call 521-1461.
Paralysis Online Network
The Paralysis Resource Center, a program of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, has recently created The Paralysis Community – a first-of-its-kind, international online health and wellness community for people living with all forms of paralysis and their caregivers.
The Community, located at www.paralysis.org, will allow registered members to take part in moderated discussion groups and post personal blogs, enabling them to support one another. This ad-free social networking site will help fulfill the Center’s mission of providing vital information services to those living with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury, MS, stroke, ALS, traumatic brain injury or other diseases. It will also serve as an emotional outlet – providing a support structure for members to share ideas and solutions to common problems.
Membership is free, but requires registration, including a valid email address that will not be shared. To join, visit www.paralysis.org.
Home Access Seminar
· How do I stay in my home and
make it accessible? What programs are out there to help me get started?
· How do I find an affordable,
accessible apartment?
These are just some of the questions addressed at OSCIL’s April 19th seminar held at the Warwick Public library covering a spectrum of alternatives to improve home access. Here are some of key points made by the panel of experts:
Linda Bradley, OSCIL’s Home Access Coordinator, emphasized the need to plan ahead and to identify what needs to be done and then prioritize. Homeowners not sure where to begin might request a home assessment from a center for independent living.
OSCIL’s Home Access Coordinator suggested incorporating universal design features when remodeling or building. Not all modifications are major or expensive. Doorknobs can be replaced with lever handles, for example, or thresholds could be beveled. Special door hinges can add an inch or two to a doorway opening. When replacing a refrigerator, consider a side-by-side or a bottom freezer model. Place a microwave at a height that makes it easy to use.
If you have questions about universal design or need recommendations to make your living environment more accessible, call the OSCIL office.
Why hire an architect? How does one find a contractor? Architect Michael Warner explained that architects are trained to solve problems in creative ways within budgetary constraints and have knowledge of products and resources. (OSCIL contracts with an architect on many of our home modification projects.)
Additionally, Warner stated that RI law requires contractors be licensed. Persons interested in hiring contractors could ask neighbors for names, should get multiple bids, and thoroughly check references. Use local contractors, make certain the contractor is insured, and do not pay a large percentage of the cost at the start of the project. Once a contractor is hired, monitor each phase of the project, making sure the plans are followed.
Panelist Richard Catrambone noted that with falling home prices in Rhode Island, renovating a ranch-style home, the most easy to modify, might be an option for some.
Funding for home renovations may come from various sources. Ramps or grab bars might be covered under a state Medicaid waiver program. Veterans can request funding from the VA hospital. Cities and towns often have grants or low-interest/deferred loan programs. Check with your town hall’s community development office or call OSCIL for assistance.
Some homeowners use home equity loans to pay for home modifications. Seniors who no longer have mortgages might consider a reverse mortgage. Rhode Island Housing is the main resource for information about the pros and cons of reverse mortgages. OSCIL has limited funding for home modifications and assistive technology. There is a waiting list; however, all are encouraged to call for home access information.
Panelist Harvey Salvas from the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities said that most private rentals are not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Renters with private landlords can ask for a reasonable accommodation; however, the tenant may have to pay for the alteration and in some cases, set aside funds to make changes back to the original condition.
Under RI law, if the modification improves the building, then the landlord cannot ask for restoration funds. Adding grab bars or widening doorways are considered improvements. In subsidized apartments, tenants can ask management for reasonable accommodations such as widening doorways or door openers.
OSCIL’s Housing Advocate Hal Fayerweather noted that due to increasing demand and limited supply, waiting lists for affordable apartments are very long, averaging between one to five years. Planning ahead becomes even more essential with such long waits. If you are uncertain if you will be ready to move when your name comes up for an affordable apartment, you have the right to turn down an apartment three times and still remain on the waiting list. After declining three times, your name is taken off the list and you must wait one year to reapply.
OSCIL’s Housing Advocate explained why some persons might wait longer than others for apartments. In general, HUD policy states that out of four available apartments, three apartments must be allocated to persons in the very low-income bracket and one apartment will be given to someone in the low-income bracket. For apartments exclusively for persons 62 or older, there may be different eligibility criteria.
Consumers may call the local HUD office at 277-8300 to request a Housing Resource Guide with listings of subsidized housing sites throughout our state. The booklet lists the income limits for low and very-low eligibility guidelines. For online listings of subsidized rentals, visit www.hud.gov or www.rihousing.com. For further assistance, call the OSCIL office.
Based on positive feedback from the attendees at this seminar, OSCIL hopes to hold a similar event at a later date.
Affordable Housing Update
Canonchet Cliffs I and Canonchet Cliffs II on Main Street in Hope Valley are taking applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments. These units are for elderly and disabled persons who meet income eligibility criteria. Some units are handicapped accessible. The buildings are located behind Wood River Health Services. The estimated waiting period is six months to one year. To request an application for Canonchet Cliffs I, call 539-7490; to request an application for Canonchet Cliffs II, call 539-2223.
Advocacy Newsletter
The Rhode Island Disability Vote Project is a coalition of people and organizations within the disability community in Rhode Island with a goal to increase voter registration and turnout. Its mission is to mobilize the disability vote through building a nonpartisan voting bloc of persons interested in disability issues. This coalition has an informative email newsletter with updates about the Project, notices about local disability events, and action alerts. If you wish to be added to the newsletter email list, please send an email to ampersand1@cox.net.
Low Vision Products
In-Sight has expanded its low vision products store. The store carries such items as talking watches, talking clocks, writing guides, 20/20 pens, large remote controls, large button phones, large print address books, sewing equipment, and large face playing cards. The In-Sight store is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Warwick facility at 43 Jefferson Boulevard. To check on the availability of a particular item, call 941-3322.
Sign Language Classes
The RI School for the Deaf offers sign
language classes for varying skill levels. An intensive summer session is being held July 16-20 from 9 to 4 for students new to learning ASL. The cost is $195 and the method is total immersion. For details, call 222-7433 voice or visit www.rideaf.net.
