Join the All-Youth KASA Advisory Board or Task Force

Kids As Self Advocates [KASA] has positions open on our Advisory Board and Task Force. We are looking for disabled youth, between the ages of 12 and 24, to serve on the Advisory Board or Task Force.

KASA Advisory Board
KASA is organized to be a youth-led network, led by a youth Advisory Board consisting of 7-9 youth ages 13-24. The Advisory Board figures out how the project is run, how decisions are made and what work is done. This is generally a 2 - 4 hour/week commitment, with regular conference calls and some in-person meetings {as funds allow}. This is the highest level of KASA project leadership. The Advisory Board members help create many of the documents that are on our website and that we give out to other people and groups. They also present at conferences and work with other national and local groups to get young people involved. The KASA Advisory Board can be a great way to learn how youth can lead a project, and to gain other advocacy and leadership skills.

KASA Task Force
The KASA Task Force has 6-8 youth from around the country as members, ages 12-18. The Task Force members are asked to put in an average of about 1 - 2 hours/week, with monthly telephone conference calls and ongoing email communication. The Task Force will help the Advisory Board and Naomi (the KASA Project Director) by giving advice about what information young people with disabilities need to know. The Task Force members will have the opportunity to help develop these materials and will also review {look over} what the KASA Advisory Board and staff write to make sure it is youth-friendly {helpful and clear}. The Task Force members will have lots of opportunities to learn. If funding is available, they will have training at an in person meeting as well as opportunities to represent KASA at other conferences and meetings. Youth on the Task Force also get to learn how a project can be led by young people with disabilities, with the staff only giving support.

For more information, see http://www.fvkasa.org Application deadline: May 30, 2008

"Green Light " Call for Entries, Young Artists with Disabilities

Sponsored by VSA arts and Volkswagen of America, Inc. Open to young artists with disabilities, ages 16 -25, living within the U.S. No entry fee. "Driven" challenges artists to pinpoint the motivational force behind their artistic expression and to identify the catalyst that sustains their creative energy. Art must be an original work that has been completed in the last three (3) years. Eligible media includes: paintings, drawings, fine art prints, photography, computer-generated prints, and mixed media; must be presented in two dimensions. Artwork should not exceed 60 inches in either direction. Fifteen (15) finalists will be awarded a total of $60,000 in awards during an awards ceremony on Capitol Hill in September 2007, and artwork will be displayed in a nation-wide touring exhibition that debuts at the Smithsonian.

For additional information and to access the application visit: http://www.vsarts.org/PreBuilt/showcase/gallery/exhibits/vw/current/ Phone 800.933.8721 x3885; Email: jenniferw@vsarts.org Alternative formats of the application are available upon request. Deadline: Friday, July 11, 2008

Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation to Support Programs for Adults With Disabilities
Deadline: September 15, 2008

The Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation awards funds in the areas of arts, advocacy, and education to nonprofit organizations that are led by or support adults with disabilities.

The foundation encourages distinctive projects that change the face of disability in a community. These programs impact the lives of people with disabilities and are supported by the local community, including foundations, corporations, and individual funders. It is ELA's vision to "Change the Face of Disability on the Planet" by providing grant support for the implementation of "cutting edge" programs.

The grant request must be for a program in the area of arts, advocacy, or education and must serve adults over the age of 22 with disabilities. Applicants must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3) designated organizations that have been in existence for two years or longer.

The program must be approved for submission via the online grant application form in order for the full grant application to be accepted. The online grant application form must be submitted by March 15 for the May 1 deadline and by September 15 for the November 1 deadline. No hard copy grant application packets will be accepted unless the program is approved through the online application process.

Visit the foundation's Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

New Program to Assist Disabled Refugees in U.S.
In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of newly arrived refugees with disabilities resettled in communities throughout the U.S. Newly arrived disabled refugees are in great need of information and services related to living and working with their impairments in the United States, but they face several barriers to access. Considering this trend and the implications, the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) established the Disabled Refugees Program to address the needs of this population and those who serve them, and to bridge the gap between refugee service providers and mainstream disability service providers and advocates. Accessing services such as employment or vocational training, medical care, and state or federal benefits programs can be challenging for refugees with disabilities or caregivers who are unfamiliar with the services available to them. The Disabled Refugees Program aims to enhance disabled refugees' understanding of their rights and available benefits, and to increase their access to services that facilitate self-sufficiency and early integration into local communities in the following ways:

* Increase refugees' access to culturally appropriate information related to disabilities, including understanding benefits programs, obtaining medical care, and accessing services to increase their self-sufficiency (e.g. rehabilitation services, special education, mental health services, independent living skills);
* Conduct outreach beyond the USCRI network to include all resettlement sites serving disabled refugee clients;
* Increase refugee resettlement organizations' knowledge of services
available to people with disabilities;
*Raise awareness in mainstream disability organizations and promote dialogue with the refugee resettlement organizations to improve service provision and access for refugees with disabilities.

For program activity information and technical assistance go to their website or contact Dawn Blankenship at dblankenship@uscridc.org or 202-347-3507 ext 3006.

Seeking Perspectives on Personal Assistance Services at Work

Are you a person with a disability who uses Personal Assistance Services (PAS)* at work? The Center for Personal Assistance Services will be talking with people with disabilities across the United States that have experience in using PAS at work. The staff wants to understand the needs, approaches, and questions. The goal is to improve information and to identify what works. If you are interested in participating or for more information, please contact InfoUse, Phone: 510 549-6520, E-mail: workplacePAS@infouse.com.
*Workplace Personal Assistance Services (PAS), also called personal attendant services or personal care, assist people with physical, sensory, mental or cognitive disabilities to do tasks at work that they would perform themselves if not for the disability. Center for Personal Assistance Services, Sponsored by the US Department of Education, National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Grant #H133BO31102, InfoUse is a subcontractor of University of California, San Francisco.

Mexican Senate Passes General Law Protecting People with Disabilities
The Senate passed a General Law to Protect People with Disabilities that will affect 7.7 million Mexicans with different abilities and calls for the creation of a national council to deal with issues related to people with disabilities, among other provisions. The law defines steps to help ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities; mandates access to equal opportunities for all people; recognizes the human rights of people with disabilities and charges the federal government with providing mechanisms to enforce the new law. The law calls for all new public buildings to be universally designed to facilitate access for everyone. In addition, these buildings will be accessible to people who use assistive technology, service animals or other supports. For updates, go to El Universal online http://www.el-universal.com.mx/noticiash.html.

ADA Compliance for Restaurants
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), published "How to Comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Restaurants and Other Food Service Employers." The guide is designed to assist restaurants and other food service employers in complying with the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/restaurant_guide.html

Travel and Disability Publication
A how-to travel book for people with disabilities, Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities, focuses on academic, volunteer, short-term work and other types of cross-cultural exchange for a cross-disability audience. It compiles tips and stories from 20 individuals with disabilities who have traveled extensively in many parts of the world. The book addresses disability-related aspects of international exchange such as choosing a program, applying, preparing for the trip, adjusting to a new country and returning home. For information or to place a book order, contact Mobility International USA. http://www.miusa.org/publications

No Child Left Behind Parents Guide in Spanish
"No Child Left Behind: A Parents Guide" is available on the web in Spanish. It summarizes No Child Left Behind, answers questions about the law, and explains the implications for parents.

A to Z of Blindness and Vision Loss Online
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) added information and resources to its website for the 10 million Americans who are blind or have low vision. All the site's content is either new or updated to reflect the growing demand for current and reliable information for a population that is expected to grow dramatically as the baby boomers age. New features on the site include a glossary of eye conditions, "etiquette tips" for interacting with a person who is blind, and a home page function called "Where can I find?," allowing visitors to locate organizations in their state that provide services--from dog guide training to newspaper reading services to education services.

Washington State Announces Youth Employer Award
This innovative program was recently announced by the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) in partnership with ACCESS (Allying Companies, Communities and Employees with Skills for Success). The "Youth Employer Award" honors an employer that sponsors youth with disabilities programs or events promoting employment preparation and job skills training. For more information contact the ACCESS Foundation at: or email Abletowork@aol.com.

San Diego Youth With Disabilities Entrepreneur Program
"The Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP!) San Diego is an exciting,innovative, and most-unique entrepreneurial program," says Urban Miyares, program coordinator and president of the Disabled Businesspersons Association. "Youth and young adults with disabilities have few, if any, role models or mentors,and learning about business from those already in the field will help them tremendously when they enter the workforce.YEP! San Diego introduces these future leaders to other successful business owners, executives and professionals with disabilities and, together, they will work to develop a product or business that the youth can launch independently, as a viable business venture." YEP! San Diego is a free program, offered to youth with disabilities, from 16 to 24 years of age, others with disabilities, family andfriends of program leaders, professionals in vocational rehabilitation, career and business counseling, educators, businessowners, professionals and executives with disabilities, role modes/mentors. For information contact Urban Miyares, Disabled Businesspersons Association, at Urban@DisabledBusiness.com or call (619) 594-8805.

Proyecto Visión Brochure/Poster Available
Proyecto Visión staff produced a bilingual brochure about the project that folds out into a poster. The four-color, glossy brochure includes information on all the projects services as well as contact information. If you would like include Proyecto Visión information on your community bulletin board, or at an upcoming event, please contact project staff for a copy at (866) 367-5361 or gabriel@wid.org.

Be a Mentor or Find a Mentor in New York
The Coro Leadership Center’s website lists opportunities for mentoring in programs for urban youth, teenagers who are struggling emotionally or academically, and young people from under-served communities who are looking for academic and professional guidance. There are a variety of programs that provide flexible ways for busy adults to work with youth. Details for individuals who wish to participate as mentors or mentees are on the website.

Disability Social History Project
The Disability History Project is a community history project that offers a space for disabled people to reclaim our history and determine how to define ourselves and our struggles. The website includes information about events, resources, literature listings, exhibits, people, and a disability timeline that dates back to 3000 BC.  The team at the Disability Social History Project welcomes reader participation. Email Content Editor Stephan Dias at sdias@disabilityhistory.org about anything that you would like to see become part of the Disability Social History Project, including disabled heroes, important events in disability history, and resources.

Disabled & Proud! T-Shirts, Bumperstickers Available

Sarah Triano, activist and co-founder of the National Disabled Students Union, teamed up with Dan Wilkins at The Nth Degree to bring you a line of Disability Pride products as part of Sarah's National Disability Pride Tour (funded by an AAPD Hearne Leadership Award). Through the sale of powerful, thought-provoking products, the team hopes to change the way people think about disability, break down the internalized shame among people living with disabilities, and promote the belief in society that disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity that people living with disabilities can take pride in. A portion of the profits from these Disability Pride products go to the Leadership/Organizing Project for Youth with Disabilities at Access Living in Chicago (Y.I.E.L.D) to help develop the next generation of leaders living with disabilities. Go to the Disabled and Proud website to see a full list of products. They also are available in Spanish.