The Progressive Center for Independent Living

P R O G R E S S I V E C E N T E R F O R

I N D E P E N D E N T L I V I N G, I N C.

The Forward Summer 2004

Americans with Disabilities 2004 Convention

September 18, 2004 // Atlantic City Convention Center

The Mercer County Monday Morning Network and the Progressive Center for Independent Living, Inc. (PCIL) invite you to join us at the Americans with Disabilities Convention on Saturday, September 18, 2004. The convention will take place at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

The presidential candidates have been invited to address the convention. People with disabilities want the candidates to know that our issues belong in the political forefront. The New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council has a petition on their website to encourage President Bush and Senator Kerry to attend the convention, go to www.njddc.org.

PCIL is in the process of putting together transportation to the convention. Seating is limited. First come, first served. If you want to attend the convention you must contact PCIL as soon as possible.

To register for the convention or for more info: contact Nicole Davis at (609) 530- 0006 ext. 12, Susan Jacobsen at (609) 530-0006 or Cater Patterson at (609) 419-4418. You must call and register by Monday, August 2, 2004. There will be a $5.00 refundable fee that will hold your place on the bus. This will be returned after the trip. In order to cancel and receive a full refund, you must cancel by Wednesday, September 1, 2004.

We need to let the candidates know that the disability community is an important voting block and that we are not going to be ignored.

With election time fast approaching we all must be registered to vote in November. When you vote you make a difference in your own life and toward the lives of others.

When younger I did not vote saying it made no difference, that is so incorrect. Look at Florida and New Mexico in the 2000 election, only a few hundred votes made the difference.

The Progressive Center for Independent Living is working closely with the Mercer County Monday Morning Network to get as many people as possible to join us and attend the Americans with Disabilities Convention in September. If John Kerry can come to Atlantic City to address NJAFL-CIO members then he certainly can come

and address people with disabilities in NJ whom outnumber the NJ AFL-CIO members by approximately 288,000 people. President Bush better take notice of this as well and attend the convention.

It may not be immediate but with the growing number of voters with disabilities we will get and hold the political ear. Voting is truly about opening doors and the key is voting in larger numbers on a unified front.

Remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but no one will hear your squeak unless you vote.

Executive Director

legislative/advocacy

Ready or Not : Election Year 2004

ell folks it's about time again, time to elect a President. Wow, has it really been

four years already? Just the other day I was watching a movie called Mississippi Burning. The movie is about three young men who were murdered because they

were registering people of color to vote. Many times we get discouraged because

we think our vote does not count. Some people say "Well just look at what

happened four years ago," or "they're just going to do what they want anyway

so why bother." I understand your concerns however,this is no excuse. Just like

the men in the movie many people have fought and died for the right to vote so

it is up to us to take advantage of their sacrifices and get out and vote.

I think that we need to take a lesson from the millions of black South Africans

who stood in line for hours to cast their vote for Nelson Mandella when he ran

against F. W. de Klerk in the first multicultural election of South Africa in 1994.

As a result of their actions Nelson Mandell became president of that country. If

they had taken a lackadaisical attitude that we Americans often do then who

knows what may have happened.

So you see your vote can make a difference. Republican, Democrat or Independent,

it does not matter how you vote as long as you vote. Remember, if you do not exercise your right to vote then you have no right to complain.

For more information about registering to vote contact Nicole L. Davis at

(609) 530-0006 Ext. 12 or Carter Patterson at (609) 419-4418.

Life is a challenge - meet it

Life is a gift - accept it

Life is an adventure - dare it

Life is a sorrow - overcome it

Life is a tragedy - face it

Life is a duty - perform it

Life is a game - play it

Life is a mystery - unfold it

Life is a song - sing it

Life is an opportunity - take it

Life is a journey - complete it

Life is a promise - fulfill it

Life is a beauty - praise it

Life is a struggle - fight it

Life is a GOAL - achieve it

Life is a puzzle - solve it

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Rules To Live By

Celebrate your success and find humor in your failures.

Don't take yourself so seriously.

Loosen up and everyone around you will loosen up.

Have fun and always show enthusiasm.

When all else fails put on a costume and sing a silly song.

Business Executive Sam Walton

thumbsupthumbsdown

thumbsup to the Supreme Court for upholding the

rights of George Lane.

thumbsup to the following golf courses in our area

that are wheelchair accessible: Bohem's AL Golf

Center, 468 Hwy. 22 West, Whitehouse Station;

Holey Moley, 529 Milford-Warren Glen Road, Milford, NJ;

Hole in One, 530 Hwy. 33 North, Clarksburg

thumbsdown to the following golf courses

in our area that are not wheelchair accessible:

Paradise Golf, Route 12, Flemington;

Pine Creek, Route 31 South, West Amwell;

Fox Meadow, Route 73, Maple Shade;

Windsor Green, Princeton-Hightstown Road, Princeton Junction

thumbsdown to police officers in the Dallas suburb of

Highland Park for the handcuffing of a 97-year old woman

for an outstanding traffic warrant.

didyouknow ... ?

Cigarettes and booze often share each other's company, and Duke University

scientists believe they have found a physiological reason why. Even a small

mount of alcohol seems to significantly boost the pleasurable effects of nicotine.

The researchers are testing drugs that can break this link, hoping to find a

treatment that can help people kick both addictions. That's good news, considering that 80% to 90% of alcoholics smoke and alcoholism is ten times as prevalent among smokers as among nonsmokers.

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Tune in while you work out. That's the recommendation of researchers who

studied the combined effect of music and exercise for cardiac rehab patients.

All reported feeling better after exercise, but those who worked out while

listening to Vivaldi scored higher in a test of cognitive function.

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More than 3 out of 10 employed people with disabilities (36%) say they have encountered some form of discrimination in the workplace due to their disabilities,

the most prevalent of which is not being offered a job for which they are qualified.

This statistic was taken from the 2000 N.O.D./Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities.

ShopRite From Home

Your Exclusive Personal Shopping Experience.

ShopRite of Flemington invites you to experience the new Personal

Shopper Service. ShopRite From Home. Available exclusively online

at www.shoprite.com. ShopRite From Home brings you the convenience

and flexibility of online grocery shopping with a personal touch - a select

team of Personal Shoppers dedicated to giving you the special attention

you deserve as a ShopRite From Home client. You can shop online...

anytime...anywhere and place your order via a secure internet ordering

system. Then choose a convenient pick up time from our schedule that

fits with your schedule. Your Personal Shopper will do the rest!

ShopRite of Flemington

Route 202 & Route 31, Flemington, New Jersey

Phone: (908) 782-2553

ShopRite from Home Hours:Pick Up Time

Sunday thru Saturday 9am to 9pm

Log on to www.shoprite.com for additional

information or contact ShopRite's Customer

Care Center at 1-800-SHOPRITE (746-7748).

Our customer service hours are 24 hours a

day and 7 days a week. Or call Flemington's

ShopRite From Home Personal Shopper

team at (908) 782-2553.

N.O.D. Announces September Conference

on Disability and Emergency Preparedness

The National Organization on Disability, in partnership with the

U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Capital

Region, announces:

"CONFERENCE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR PEOPLE

WITH DISABILITIES"

This conference is the first to focus on disaster preparedness,

response, and recovery specific to the unique emergency needs

of people with disabilities.

High-level authorities from the emergency management, disability,

and special needs communities, government agencies, private business,

and the service, advocacy, and care networks will be at this forum to

share and learn about each other's experiences, resources, and best

practice models.

Wednesday, September 22 to Friday, September 24, 2004

Hyatt Regency Crystal City,

Two and a half day conference with workshops, networking

opportunities, concurrent professional training sessions,

and a vendor/exhibit hall.

Vendor/exhibit space is still available. Please contact

Sarah Campbell at 202.833.

Further information on the conference, including a detailed

agenda, list of speakers, and hotel and registration information,

will be posted as it becomes available.

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2004 Disability Mentoring Day Announced

National "Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development

for the 21st Century" will be held on October 20, 2004.

Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is designed to enhance

internship and employment opportunities for people with

disabilities by bringing them together with employers for

a day of job shadowing and other hands-on career

exploration activities.

DMD is a partnership activity between the U.S. Department

of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

and the American Association of People with Disabilities.

This national event supports ODEP's goals of improving

transition outcomes for youth with disabilities and building

partnerships with employers and federal, state, and local

agencies to increase awareness of the benefits of hiring people

with disabilities.

For additional information, please visit the Disability Mentoring Day

The Progressive Center for Independent Living (PCIL) advocates for the rights of people with disabilities to achieve and maintain independent lifestyles. Through promotion of choice, self-direction and inclusion, PCIL works with people with disabilities and their families to ensure the same freedoms and civil liberties as everyone else.

· transportation

· education/training

· medical coverage

· social security

· accessibility

· voting rights

· assistive technology/devices

· emergency preparedness

Sponsored/Hosted Programs Includes Workshops & Conferences:

· Emergency Planning That Includes People with Disabilities

· Understanding Your Health Insurance

· Cross-Disability Peer Support Group (monthly)

· Home Finance and Budgeting

· Disabilities and Addictions

· Disability Awareness & Sensitivity Training

· Social Security

· Deaf Awareness

· Advocacy Group (monthly)

· Deaf or Hard of Hearing/Substance Abuse Support Group,

· Americans with Disabilities Act

· Law Enforcement and PwD

Volunteer Program Activities:

· programs supports

· database updates

· building maintenance

Emphasized Outreach Efforts:

· Deaf Services