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If you have ever wondered what a Center for Independent
Living does, here is the answer cloaked in bureaucratic lingo. The "704
Report" is the report to the federal government that CILs do each year but
only a few pencil-pushers ever see.
MCIL wants you to take a look and give us more
insight and advise on what direction to take. This year the "needs
assessment" was very good, but we are always looking for more ideas.
Subpart IIF - Next Year's Plans
In the space provided, discuss the CIL's proposed activities for each category listed below. Additional space and/or pages may be added as needed for each category.
Please refer to the instructions for Subpart IIF to ensure all requested information is detailed in your responses.
Subpart IIFI - Narrative
(A) Advocacy Efforts - Discuss the CIL's advocacy goals.
Our advocacy goals and efforts will remain the same. These efforts will cover the following areas:
1.Community-based services/community integration
2 Housing
3 Transportation
1 Community Integration
Tennessee remains at the bottom of the list of states that are entrenched in relegating its citizens with disabilities to lives behind the walls of institutions. Until there are significant changes such as the passage of
MiCASSA or the enforcement of Olmstead, our citizens remain trapped by a repressive and inhumane system.
MCIL will continue its work to educate our state and local organizations as well as our elected officials in order to change the bias toward institutional placement of individuals with disabilities
MiCASSA will remain the focus of our efforts to effect meaningful change in the way we response to citizens with disabilities who need services in their homes. As part of his efforts, we will continue to support and assist Tennessee ADAPT in organizing and advocating for
MiCASSA and other similar legislation. Other groups such as AARP, The Aging Commission, Coalition for Tennesseans with Disabilities,
Mid-South Arc, Tennessee State Council on Independent Living and Tennessee Olmstead Coalition will continue to be part of our systems change network.
2 Housing
MCIL. will actively work for compliance with the Fair Housing Amendments Act as well as other state and local housing ordinances.
We will continue and expand our partnership with the Memphis Fair Housing Center as well as other Fair Housing organizations and groups in order to promote accessible multi-family housing, waiting list reforms, and Visitability. MCIL will work to support the amendment of ordinances or passage of a new ordinance that would require all new multi-family residential housing as defined by the federal Fair Housing Act comply with the accessibility requirements established by this act. These amendments or new ordinances would require all persons seeking to obtain building permits to design and build multi-family housing that lies with the requirements of The Fair Housing Act and Tennessee building accessibility requirements. This will ensure that all newly constructed multi-family housing would be accessible. Builders and developers would benefit by having assistance and uniformity in compliance with existing construction laws. City and county funded housing projects would be prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities.
Advocate for a new ordinance that would require all housing providers receiving government assistance to maintain and post a waiting list with a clearly stated policy that would be available to prospective home seekers and public upon request. This would assure that all applicants would be treated fairly and confidence in the system be maintained.
Advocate for a Visitability Ordinance to be added to the city of Memphis and Shelby County housing codes. The accessibility requirements similar to the Fair Housing Act will be met and will be known as the Visitability Requirements. The regulations of the ordinance will apply to all newly constructed housing receiving city, county, state, or other assistance this would assure that all new single-family dwellings, duplexes and larger units constructed within the city and county with governmental assistance will be constructed using design features that will provide accessibility and usability for persons with disabilities. Thus persons with physical disabilities will not be limited to government subsidized housing units and programs. By expanding this market to allow more inclusive housing for persons with disabilities as well as providing greater integration into their communities by enabling neighbors with disabilities to visit their nondisabled neighbors.
As part of our continuing involvement in systems change and advocacy in the area of housing, MCIL will be involved in an ongoing effort to assure Fair Housing Act compliance by working with consumers to face discrimination in housing on a daily basis. Our current apartment accessibility survey covers 22 private apartment complexes in Memphis (new construction) with multiple accessibility problems in the majority of the sites survey. Four of the sites have been selected for federal lawsuits with a local legal service organization handling the case on behalf of the Memphis Center for Independent living. The Tennessee Human Rights Commission is investigating the remaining properties as we write this narrative. A date for the final resolution of this lawsuit is not known at this time.
3 Transportation
MCIL will continue to aggressively advocate for improvements in public transportation i.e. MATA mainline services and MATAplus paratransit services.
Continue to support Barrier Free Memphis. This group maintains a strong history and ability to organize and channel riders' frustrations into productive advocacy.
Continue to press MATA management for an up-to-date MATAplus Riders Guide consistent with written policies and procedures in order to keep the guide's usefulness as a tool for new customers.
Maintain and strengthen MCIL's position on accessibility of expansions to Memphis
light rail system.
General improvements will include: bus operator to announce stops, remedial training on operation of accessibility features on mainline buses.
Actively promote and provide orientation and mobility training for Center consumers who desire to learn to use mainline services.
Actively promote the use of mainline services by individuals with disabilities by staff role modeling and incentive programs.
MCIL will hire a part-time mobility instructor for consumers who wish to learn to use mainline services. The services will be provided to Center consumers at no charge.
In response to our needs survey, MCIL will actively pursue venues to provide low interest loans to qualified individuals with disabilities who seek to finance vans, lifts and hand controls for private vehicles.
(B) Outreach Efforts - Describe the CIL's plans for outreach to unserved/underserved populations.
Our outreach efforts will continue to focus on individuals who have been institutionalized in nursing homes and other repressive or restrictive environments. These individuals are often denied funding for durable medical equipment and are rarely seen as " serious" candidates for employment training and placement.
MCIL will provide outreach to a minimum of 10 new consumers who are living in institutions or other restrictive environments.
MCIL's PALs Program (teen and young adults) will continue to develop strategies for transitioning young adults into greater independence Network with other systems to identify collaborative strategies for these young adults.
MCIL will demonstrate its commitment to individual advocacy and outreach by the following goals:
Assist a minimum of three consumers in moving from institutions or other repressive and restrictive living environments into the community.
Provide assistive technology to unserved and underserved persons with disabilities in our community. Twenty individuals with the most significant disabilities living in nursing homes or other repressive/restrictive environments will be given priority in receiving environmental control systems as part of a local grant award.
Provide on-site computer training and access to Internet via accessible computer workstations and software through our Microsoft grant program.
Provide a minimum of 10 consumers with appropriate individual or group peer matches.
(C) Community and Individual IL Services - Identify the community and IL services the CIL anticipates providing during the next Federal fiscal year.
MCIL will continue to provide the four core services as described in section 6 (17) of the Rehabilitation Act. Further, we will continue our strong history of systems advocacy and such areas as community-based services, transportation, housing and ADA compliance.
Areas identified in our consumer survey and focus groups included (listed in order of importance): transportation, accessibility, housing, accessible parking, employment, education, personal assistance, support group's, assistive technology, homeownership, social interaction, peer counseling, and recreation.
Although areas such as employment, education, homeownership, and recreation have not been part of our program, advocacy in assuring ADA compliance in these areas has long been held as an important part of our mandate to protect for our constituency.
MCIL will continue to actively pursue removal of physical attitudinal behaviors and barriers in our community by assisting individuals with disabilities in asserting their civil rights
This goal will be accomplished by our continued support an involvement with groups such as
Barrier Free Memphis, ADAPT and
Not Dead Yet. MCIL will continue to encourage the practice of self-advocacy through training and technical assistance in resolving individual and systems issues.
Continue to use formal and informal skills training as well as formal and informal technical assistance in filing appropriate complaints. These processes will be used to educate and empowered persons with disabilities and our community to face discrimination in accessing their civil rights to equalization. Empowerment tools such as a Web based Pro Se complaint sites has been developed and will be made user friendly.
Assist a minimum of four consumers in filing ADA as well as state and local civil rights complaints.
Assist a minimum of four consumers in attending grassroots organizing activities on a local, state and national level.
Actively pursue and promote media coverage of accessibility issues in our community by continuing to cultivate and educate media professionals.
(D) Individuals Served by County - List the counties the CIL proposed to serve and the anticipated number of consumers that will be served in each county.
Shelby County will continue to be our primary focus for services however we will continue to provide I & R to anyone who calls and will provide other services as possible to those seeking our assistance.
(E) Consumer Satisfaction Appraisal - Describe activities planned to access consumer satisfaction.
MCIL will continue to gather information from consumers through evaluation forms completed at each workshop, feedback from support groups and advocacy groups and informal responses received from website usage and others reading our newsletter.
We also plan to conduct more focus groups with a varied consumer base.
(F) Response to Needs - Describe the CIL's proposed response to needs identified in consumer satisfaction appraisals and needs assessments.
All feedback and responses will be used to monitor the progress and success of our various programs. We will also take seriously any areas of interest that arise for future planning.
(G) Resource Development Plans - Describe the CIL's plans for obtaining and increasing funding.
A grant from Microsoft has been awarded to help set up the new consumer computer training lab
Our SILC Executive Director reports that next year, Part B funding will be available through a competitive grant proposal basis. The Center will be actively engaged in this competitive process.
Other plans include: proposals to local foundations and other philanthropic organizations.
No fundraising events are planned by our Board of Directors as yet, however, with the addition of several new board members, activity in this area may be greatly improved.
(H) Training Plans - Describe plan for training the CIL staff and governing board.
Training plans include:
- Spring 2002 Attend National ADAPT training in Washington DC (include staff , board and consumers)
- United Way and other available local training including The Grant Center offerings.
- Meeting with staff and board to be facilitated by a local consultant. Purpose of this meeting will be to try and resolve problems between MCIL board and staff.
(I) Innovative Activities - Describe any significant activities not accounted for elsewhere in this report.
In early 2002 MCIL will begin a new program that we are calling Technology Outreach Program. This project will combine 2 grants and one VISTA to take technology to the underserved. Our starting priority will be to open new doors for consumers in restrictive environments such as nursing homes. We will be providing environmental controls to 20 individuals to allow them more freedom and independence within their confined quarters. This project will further offer basic computer training and the opportunity to decrease their isolation by successfully obtaining transportation to MCIL for this training. The computer lab will also offer these individuals email and internet access to open more doors of communication.
(J) Consistency with the SPIL - Discuss how the CIL's proposed activities are consistent with the SPIL.
Tennessee's four-year plan has been submitted. MCIL will continue to work closely with the State Independent Living Council to actively promote Independent Living in Tennessee.
(K) Description of Substantial Problems - Discuss any anticipated problems and potential solutions.
Although we hold high hopes for the upcoming facilitation between our staff and board we do anticipate continuing problems. The recruitment of additional new board members is seen as a potential solution.
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