Resource of the Week

The Campaign for Disability Employment is a collaborative effort to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace.

The web site offers a range of education and outreach tools, all designed to engage employers, people with disabilities, family and educators, and the general public. These include on-line forums which offer users the opportunity to express their commitment to disability employment efforts and share what they “can do”; grassroots tools and tangible ideas for supporting the Campaign’s goals; links to trusted resources that provide disability employment related information; and video public service announcements (PSAs).

Resource of the Week

BenifitsSF.org is one website to bookmark immediately! Simple to use, yet packed with key and straightforward information, you can use this as a reference for reliable information about these public benefits available to San Francisco residents:

• Food stamps
• Medi-Cal
• School meals
• WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
• Earned Income Tax Credit
• Working Families Credit

Want to know if you qualify for food stamps or Medi-Cal? Use the eligibility tool (10-minute process). You can also apply for benefits from the website, and also re-certify your benefits.

Information available in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Residential Wheel Chair Elevator Available

The DPN is all about resource sharing and mutual support. That's why we love it when fellow disability community members share important news and/or resources to share with our blog readers.

Stephen Beard, of The Beard Realty Team, Keller Williams Realty -- whom we have highlighted as a Resource of the Week -- recently contacted the DPN to announce the availability of a residential wheel chair elevator for best offer or charitable donation.

If you know of anyone looking for a wheelchair lift, please call (415) 798-0481. 

This is what Stephen Beard shared with us about the Wheel Chair elevator:

A residential Wheel Chair Elevator is available for best offer or charitable donation.  This elevator allows a person in a wheel chair to travel independently between floors in a two story house.  It can be installed inside the house or outside.  Outside installation requires purchase or construction of housing for the assembly.  Pre-fabricated outside housing is available for purchase from retailers separately.  

Elevator is made by Trus-T-Lift and has an Open Sesame remote controlled gate opener.  The gate opener allows the person in wheel chair to open the gate by push of remote button on their wheel chair.  We mounted the remote button next to other wheel chair controls when we used it.  

Only one gate of the elevator is unlocked when reaching the top elevation.  Both gates are unlocked when reaching the bottom elevation.  It was used for only one half year and is in "like new" condition.  It is battery operated, so the user will not be stranded during power outages.  Batteries are recharged continuously using standard residential electrical power using a standard residential power outlet.  

We will leave it in place, so anyone who wants it can see how it works before dis-assembly and removal.

Resource of the Week

Ever wish there was a yellow pages directory where you could find all the information on free food, shelter, medical and mental health resources in San Francisco?

Look no further!

Freeprintshop.org can be your one-stop shop for printable directories with information in English and Spanish on all these topics.

Charts available for:

• Food pantries
• Shelters
• Medical services
• Mental health services
• Neighborhood repairs

Resource of the Week

California Relay Service
http://www.ddtp.org/california_relay_service/

California Relay Service (CRS) provides specially-trained operators to relay telephone conversations back and forth between people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled and all those they wish to communicate with by telephone. This CRS page offers useful information about how to use the relay service, relay service providers, 711 Choice and Customer Profiles.

Simply dial 7-1-1 to reach CRS. 

CRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to assist with calls. You can make as many calls as you wish and talk as long as you like. There is no extra charge to use the relay service. All operator services, including directory assistance, are also available via CRS.

Resource of the Week

Project Read
www.projectreadsf.org

Project Read is the adult literacy project of the San Francisco Public Library. This is a truly extraordinary and inspiring project that provides basic instruction in reading and writing to English-speaking adults.

Each year, professionally trained volunteer tutors provide over 10,000 hours of one-on-one literacy instruction to adult learners through Project Read.

Continuing support is available through support groups, workshops, group events, consultations with specialists, teaching resources and more!

Contact Project Read at (415) 557-4388.

Resource of the Week

Deaf Services Center (DSC)
San Francisco Public Library
http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=0200002001

Did you know that San Francisco Public Library has been providing specialized services for the deaf or hard of hearing since 1977?

The Deaf Services Center (DSC) is located on the 1st floor of the Main Library of San Francisco Public Library at 100 Larkin St.

It was specially designed, constructed and furnished to make it possible for individuals to communicate effectively using sign language or speech reading. Bilingual staff is available to assist those using the DSC resources and can make referrals to appropriate agencies.

There are fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, videotapes, and other materials on American Sign Language (ASL), sign language study, deafness, Deaf culture and related topics of interest to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, their families and associates.

Open Tuesday - Saturday. See DSC website for hours.

Resource of the Week

Real estate services for people with disabilities

The Beard Realty Team, Keller Williams Realty

www.accessiblehomesforyou.com

There are very few realtors who specialize in services for people with disabilities and their families, and The Beard Realty Team offers expertise in this area. Check out their website for a wide range of real estate and financial planning resources for people with disabilities, including:

• Online listing of available accessible properties in the Bay Area
• Lenders who offer special financing programs for people with disabilities
• Contractors with experience in accessible home modifications 

Consider attending a Free Accessible Home Ownership Workshop in Walnut Creek, organized by the Beard Real Estate Team and MetLife!

DATE: Saturday April 17th, 2010

TIME: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

LOCATION: MetLife, 2001 N. Main Street, Suite #380, 
Walnut Creek, CA

Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact:

Stephen Beard, Real Estate Consultant & Accessibility Specialist
The Beard Realty Team, Keller Williams Realty
4341 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611   DRE #: 01432150
510-899-8163  

Resource of the Week

Social Security 2010 Red Book
http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/

The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.

Access the URL to link to download full PDF versions of the 2010 Redbook in English and Spanish.

What’s New in 2010

[This information has been excerpted directly from the website.]

• SSA increased the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) amount for individuals with disabilities, other than blindness, from $980 to $1000 for 2010.
• The SGA amount for individuals who are blind is $1,640 for 2010. The amount is unchanged from 2009.
• SSA increased the monthly earnings amount that it uses to determine if a month counts for the Trial Work Period (TWP) from$700 to $720 for 2010.
• For 2010, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Federal Benefit Rates (FBR) is $674 for an eligible individual and $1,011 for an eligible couple. The amounts are unchanged from 2009.
• For 2010, the income amounts that will have no effect on eligibility or benefits for SSI beneficiaries who are students is unchanged from 2009. For 2010, the monthly amount is $1,640 and the yearly maximum is $6,600.
• For 2010, the monthly Medicare Part A Hospital Insurance Base Premium is $461, and the 45 percent Reduced Premiums is $254. The Part B Supplementary Medical Insurance monthly Base Premium is $110.50.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK service for One Stops: Each week the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) will highlight a  tool including resources on hot topics, policies, tools from other DPNs statewide, and special issues in SF disability services. Featured resources will be posted on this blog, so bookmark http://disabilityprogramnavigator.blogspot.com and check back weekly!

National Stuttering Association Event

The Bay Area Chapters of the National Stuttering Association

and the

Office of Disability Services at

Alliant International University is proud to sponsor an evening with

Nan Bernstein Ratner, Ed.D,:

"Translating recent stuttering research into info you can use"

When: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 7:00
Where: Alliant International University, Room 135
1 Beach Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, California 94133 (across from Pier 39)
RSVP to Nina Ghiselli at drghiselli@yahoo.com or 415-955-2164

Dr. Ratner is the co-author of the book, Handbook on Stuttering, Professor and Chairman, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland at College Park. She holds degrees in Child Development, Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Psycholinguistics. Dr. Ratner is the editor of six volumes, and the author of more than 30 articles and 20 chapters addressing stuttering and language acquisition in children. She currently serves as Co-editor of Seminars in Speech and Language, Associate Editor of the Journal of Fluency Disorders and The American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, and is Coordinator of the Steering Committee for ASHA's Special Interest Division #4 (Fluency and Fluency Disorders).

The local chapters of the NSA are pleased to sponsor this esteemed speaker and would like to thank Dr. Ratner for her willingness to reach out to the stuttering community in the Bay Area.

For more information on the Bay Area Chapters of the NSA: BayAreaNSA.com.

Information on Dr. Ratner: http://www.bsos.umd.edu/hesp/facultyStaff/Ratnern.htm