Focus Group and Study: Individuals with Disabilities from Underserved Racial or Ethnic Groups

OHSU is  looking at  health care for people with disabilities who are from underserved racial or ethnic groups, focusing on people with physical, sensory and/or intellectual disabilities.  They will study problems with getting health care, and look for ways to help solve these issues.   This project will take three years to finish.

One part of this project is to conduct national focus groups to learn about problems people of color with disabilities have when trying to get the health care they need.   They are conducting the first focus group here in Portland with African Americans, Asians, and Latinos with disabilities so they can share their experiences with accessing health care.

Focus Group Participants Needed

Are you a Person of Color with a Disability?

Who: Persons of color with a disability – Age 22 to 65 (vision, hearing, physical, or cognitive)
What
: Focus group about your experiences with trying to get the health care you need.
When:
You will attend on one of the following days: Thursday, February 17th from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM or Friday, February 18th from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Where:
Independent Living Resources 1838 NE Couch Street Portland, OR 97232 (Light refreshments will be offered)

You will receive a $40.00 Fred Meyer gift card for your time
Accommodations will be provided with at least 1 week advance notice

To see if you qualify for the focus group or to ask questions:

Please call Danielle Bailey at 503-494-4858 or
email at
baileyd@ohsu.edu

The Faces of Independence Northwest

Independence Northwest celebrated its fourth year as an Oregon nonprofit just this past December. We’ll celebrate our fourth year as a support services brokerage this summer. In recognition, we recently contracted with Shelby Brakken, an extraordinarily talented PDX photographer, to create portraits of some of our customers for use on our office walls, our website and promotional materials.

The first subject was April, pictured above. She has been a brokerage recipient since 2003 and an INW customer since the time we opened our doors. She, her INW Personal Agent Hilary and Shelby took to the town for a series of beautiful images that perfectly capture April.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be overhauling our website and will continue to post more portraits as they’re created. If you’d like to see more photos of April out and about Portland, check out Shelby’s blog here.

Stay tuned.

MUSIC FOR ALL PROGRAM: $5 Concert Tickets for Oregon Trail Recipients

Twelve of Portland’s classical music groups are offering $5.00 concert tickets for select performances, subject to availability, now through July 2011 to anyone who receives food stamps (SNAP) and has the Oregon Trail Card.

The Details

Q. Who can buy $5 Tickets?
A. Anyone who receives food stamps (SNAP) and has the Oregon Trail Card.

Q. How many tickets can I buy for $5 each?
A. Two per Oregon Trail Card, but ask the performing group if you can buy more.
Q. Where do I get $5 tickets?
A. Contact the group. They will tell you where and when you can buy them. (Some groups will sell $5 tickets only in advance and some will sell them at the door.)
Q. How do I buy the tickets?
A. You must show your Oregon Trail Card at the time of purchase and pay with cash or credit card. SNAP credit on the Oregon Trail Card cannot be used for purchasing concert tickets.
Q. Which concerts have $5 tickets?
A. Check with the individual group (below) to find out when their concert are and if $5 tickets are available.

 

Participating groups to contact for concert information:

Thanks to Jennifer Bickett for the tip.

DRO: THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP THE LEGISLATURE MAKE GOOD PUBLIC POLICY

From Disability Rights Oregon:
THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP THE LEGISLATURE MAKE GOOD PUBLIC POLICY

  1. BE INFORMED: Follow the updates by reading Disability Rights Oregon’s newsletter each week and checking DRO’s Executive Director, Bob Joondeph’s blog at http://www.disabilityrightsoregon.org/the-dro-blog.  You can also follow DRO on Facebook and Twitter.  Visit www.disabilityrightsoregon.org for links to both.  You can follow significant pieces of legislation’s progress here: http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/
  2. BE HEARD: Write your legislator about a bill that matters to you.  A short handwritten note to your State Representative and State Senator can make a very big difference.  Phone calls are also effective.  An email to your legislator is another way to get in touch.  Be sure to refer to the “bill number” at the beginning of your note.  DRO can help get you more information about a particular issue or bill.  Find out who your legislative representatives are and how to contact them here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/
  3. BE VISIBLE: Attend an event at the Capitol in Salem.  Organizations meet frequently on a variety of issues important to the disability community.  There are citizen lobby days and gatherings at the Capitol.  Keep an eye on DRO news for updates about events.  You can also attend legislative hearings for bills you are interested in.  Hearings are open to the public and are also streamed online.

MEET OREGON’S NEW LEGISLATORS

New Oregon House Members:
– Rep. Wally Hicks, House District (HD) 3, Grants Pass, has worked as a Deputy District Attorney.
– Rep. Katie Eyre Brewer, HD 29, Hillsboro, is a Certified Public Accountant.
– Rep. Shawn Lindsay, HD 30, Hillsboro, is an intellectual property, e-commerce and business lawyer.
– Rep. Julie Parrish, HD 37, Tualatin and West Linn, is a small business owner.
– Rep. Matt Wand, HD 49, Troutdale, is an attorney in Gresham.
– Rep. Patrick Sheehan, HD 51, Clackamas, owns an advertising agency.
– Rep. Mark Johnson, HD 52, Hood River, owns a general contracting business.
– Rep. Jason Conger, HD 54, Bend, is a lawyer.

New Oregon Senate members:
– Sen. Chuck Thompson, Senate District (SD) 26, Hood River, is an orchardist and county commissioner.
– Sen. Alan Olsen, SD 20, Canby, owns a general contracting business.
– Sen. Lee Beyer, SD 6, Springfield, is a former legislator who served in the Oregon House and Senate from 1991 to 2001.  He also served as Chair of the Oregon Public Utility Commission.

SAAL Seeking Self Advocates for Capitol Connections

From SAAL (Self Advocates as Leaders): SAAL Capitol Connections 2011

Do you want to make a difference at the legislature next January?  Would you like to make a difference about important things like to…

  • Keep more of the money you make working
  • Get better health care for everyone
  • Help people get jobs
  • Help direct care staff have the wages and benefits they need to keep on helping you to live a good life
  • Are you interested in telling legislators “No more budget cuts!”

SAAL is looking for 12 self-advocates who are available and ready to work in Salem.  WE NEED YOU to help our legislators understand the issues that are important to self-advocates across Oregon.

If you are excited about doing something about these issues then please fill out an application and send it to SAAL.

We will provide you with training and information to get ready for the 2011 legislative session

You will learn how to…

  • Talk to legislators
  • Attend hearings
  • Track bills
  • Testify on issues and work with other advocates
  • Build relationships with your local legislators
  • Help other self-advocates get active in the issues that affect their lives

If this is interesting to you then we want to hear from you! Please fill out an application and send it to SAAL and we will get in touch with you about what happens next.  If you have questions, please call Marcie at 503-725-8129 or 1-866-835-0659, or email alvarezm@pdx.edu.