Weekly Update - Week of 8/30/10

August 31, 2010

Disability Policy Consortium Weekly Update

Greetings,

I am sorry this is late - I don't know where Monday went!

Tomorrow night is the State Auditor and Treasurer Candidates Forum.  I hope you are able to make it!  This is one of the most important forums.  They decide how our money is spent!  People with disabilities must show up in numbers and make our concerns heard!  ASL interpreters available.

Sincerely,

Robyn Powell
Assistant Director, Disability Policy Consortium
rpowell@dpcma.org| 617-542-3522

Get Out the Vote!
Get informed. Get empowered. Meet your candidates.
 
State Auditor & State Treasurer
Candidate Forum
Reggie Lewis Athletic Center
 
1350 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02120
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Start 6:00pm, Doors open at 5:00pm
ASL Interpreters available!!

Employment Now Coalition Meeting 
Please join us for the the next meeting of the Employment Now Coalition, which will be held on Friday, September 10 at 1:00 in the first floor ballroom of the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center, located at806 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. We'll be discussing the re-invigoration of the Executive Strategic Planning Committee, upcoming initiatives to be funded with the new contract from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the expansion of ENC membership, Disability Employment Month in October, and much more. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome to attend.
 
We're looking forward to an ambitious schedule with monthly meetings between now and the end of the year. upcoming meetings are tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 8, Friday, November 5, and Friday, December 10.  These meetings will most likely take place outside the Boston area in order to reach out to our members in other parts of the state, but video conferencing will enable people who can't attend the meetings to participate.
 

To request a reasonable accommodation, including ASL interpreters or CART, please contact DeAnn at delliott@employmentnowcoalition.org by 9/7/10.

Boston Disability Commission Seeks New Members
Mayor Thomas M. Menino would like to announce that the City of Boston is now accepting applications for the City of Boston Disability Commission. The commission is made up of 9 members whose goal is to help the City meet the needs of persons with disabilities who live and work in Boston. The commission will advise the City on policies and procedures affecting the disability community. We are seeking applications from people with all disabilities that reflect the diverse needs of the community. Applicants should be residents of the City of Boston. Letters of interest are due September 30 and should be sent to the attention of Jay Walsh. Any questions can be directed to Jay Walsh as well at Jay.Walsh@cityofboston.gov or by phone at 617-635-4316.
Please send letters of interest to
 
Jay.Walsh@CityofBoston.gov
 
Or to
 
Jay Walsh
Director
Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services
Boston City Hall
Room 708
Boston, MA 02201

Disability Reframed: A Free Community Film Series
Presents "My Left Foot" with Daniel Day-Lewis (1989)

Saturday, September 11th, 2010 from 2 pm - 5 pm at the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center,
806 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square

Irish poet and painter Christy Brown started out life with the odds stacked against him: no one except his Mum believed he could think or remember, let alone contribute to society and create works of art of the highest caliber. 

Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for this unforgettable film, which is a 1989 adaptation of Brown's 1954 autobiography about growing up in working-class Ireland. 

The screening will be followed by a discussion lead by Mr. Chris Hart, who is lead staffer for public transit issues at the Institute for Human Centered Design.  Chris has cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair.

This is a scent free event. Out of consideration for people with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity, please refrain from using perfume or other scented products.  For sign language
interpreters or other accommodations, please contact the Commission for Persons with Disabilities by September 11th at 617-349-4692 (voice) or 617-492-0235 (TTY) or email kthurman@cambridgema.gov

Sponsored by the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities

Employment Now Coalition Seeks Co-Chair
It is with regret that we pass on to you the news that Phil Zukas, who has served the ENC well as co-chair, has decided to resign from his position effective September 10 in order to pursue  other career goals. We will miss his enthusiasm and hard work, and are mindful of the need to find another good person to fill his shoes.
 
We are seeking nominations for the role of co-chair, to be filled on September 10 at our next ENC meeting. The ideal candidate will be an active ENC member and will have personal and professional experience in the field of disability and employment.  Candidates should be able to provide leadership during meetings and throughout the year, be able to devote approximately 10 hours per month to the position, and participate in monthly conference calls of the Executive board (generally held on Wednesday afternoons) and in monthly meetings (usually held on Friday afternoons). Candidates who can help establish connections and identify opportunities where advocacy efforts would be effective are strongly encouraged to apply.
 
Members may nominate themselves or another member by emailing a few paragraphs outlining qualifications, background, interest, and any other relevant information to DeAnn Elliott, ENC Coordinator, at delliott@employmentnowcoalition.org. Nominations should be received by September 3, 2010 in order to receive full consideration. The Executive Strategic Planning Committee will review nominations and present a candidate for approval at the September meeting, which will be held at 1:00 at the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center, located at 806 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge.
 
In addition to filling the position of co-chair, we will be discussing the addition of a youth representative to the board, the upcoming October meeting and initiatives for October Disability Employment Month, the first-year report of the Model Employer program, and more. We sincerely hope you can join us!