Newsletter | January 2024

Download a text-only version of this newsletter

Ed Roberts Day – January 23rd

Ed Roberts Day is celebrated on January 23rd every year to honor disability rights activist Edward Roberts. He was the pioneering leader of the disability rights movement and is often referred to as the “father of Independent Living.”

After contracting polio at 14, Ed was left with severe muscle and respiratory weakness that required him to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He lived as a quadriplegic for over 45 years and slept in an iron lung at night.

Ed started his career as an activist after a high school administrator threatened to deny him his diploma on the grounds of non-completion of driver's education and physical education. He eventually became the first student using a wheelchair to attend the University of California.

Changing the World

Roberts stood up for the rights of differently-abled students at UC Berkeley and was the key driving force behind the Physically Disabled Student's Program (PDSP) – the first student-led disability services program in the world. He worked closely with other activists, advocating for the equality of disabled individuals while pushing for the implementation of laws aimed at protecting their rights, interests, and benefits. He was responsible for opening the nation's first Independent Living Center instead of institutionalization.

Ed traveled around the world in his one-of-a-kind wheelchair, which now rests at the Smithsonian Museum.

Planning for an Emergency 

Are you prepared to handle an emergency situation? Do you have a plan?

Disability Network Mid-Michigan is excited to once again offer MY3P (My Personal Protection Plan) — an emergency preparedness series that will help you make a plan, build a kit, and be informed.

Session dates and topics are:

January 8 from 4 - 6pm | Part One

Creating My Action Plans and Support Network

January 15 from 4 - 6pm | Part Two

Creating My Go Kit and Evacuation Plan and Assistive Technology For Your Go Kit

January 22 from 4 - 6pm | Part Three

Advanced Care Directives and Personal Safety

All sessions are FREE and will be conducted virtually on Zoom. Participants will be given flash drives with all the essential resources to customize their plan. Class size is limited so register now!

MLK Day | January 15th

This month, we join millions across the country in recognizing and celebrating the remarkable life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. May we continually devote ourselves to working to realize his dream where people are judged not by the color of their skin - or by a disability—but by the content of their character.

Nursing Facility Transition

We believe people faced with decisions about long-term care should know their options. Through our Community Transition Services program Disability Network of Mid-Michigan provides individuals, regardless of their ability, an opportunity to choose community-based living as a viable alternative to nursing facility residency. The program is open to anyone who resides in a nursing facility, receives Medicaid, and requests to return to their own home or to a more independent living environment. 

Anyone can make a referral – the individual, family member, friend, or agency representative – by simply calling our office at 989-835-4041. Once this referral is received, a meeting will be arranged to see if you qualify and to determine your barriers to living independently. 

Stay Safe and Get Vaccinated

If you’re immunocompromised or a person with a disability, get vaccinated to stay healthy during the flu season. We make getting your flu & COVID-19 shots easy! We provide

• Help scheduling a vaccine.
• Transportation to a vaccine appointment.
• Access to an in-home vaccine or booster.
• Companion support during your vaccine appointment.

If you are an older adult or person with a disability and get an influenza vaccine or a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, you can enter to win. Contact us to learn how to enter at info@dnmm.org or (989) 835-4041, or to learn about our vaccine support services.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology (AT) is any item, product, system, or equipment that improves life for people with disabilities. AT includes everything from walkers, reachers, grab bars, and hospital beds to power scooters, custom vans, Braille machines and computer screen-reading software. 

Disability Network can help you find the AT you need and the resources to pay for it. The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund is specifically set up for people with disabilities and it offers a low-interest loan for the technology you may need. We can help you apply for the loan and provide demonstrations of several low-cost AT items that can help you maintain your independence.

For information about available assistive technology devices, please call (989) 835-4041 today!

Stay Active for Good Health

Physical activity plays an important role in maintaining health, well-being, and quality of life. It can help control weight, improve mental health by reducing depression and anxiety, and lower the risk for early death, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Adults with disabilities are more likely to have these conditions, and for people with disabilities, physical activity can help support daily living activities and independence. 

Being Active in Your Neighborhood

Engaging in physical activity outdoors can help improve your physical health, as well as your mental health and well-being. Most people can engage in an active lifestyle through walking—including people with disabilities who are able to walk or move with the use of assistive devices, such as wheelchairs or walkers. In fact, walking is the most common form of physical activity reported among active adults with mobility disability.

Being Active in Your Home

Being active in your home can also be a good option. Here are some resources that can help you stay physically active while at home.

• The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) has created a playlist of the top “exercise from home” videos on their YouTube channel, which includes several options for all abilities.
• NCHPAD also offers “14 Weeks to a Healthier You,” a FREE, personalized, web-based physical activity and nutrition program for individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
• Special Olympics’ Fit 5 program challenges individuals to live by the 3 simple goals of staying active 5 days per week, eating fruits and vegetables and drinking 5 bottles full of water each day. It includes fitness cards and videos that offer simple exercises to target endurance, strength, and flexibility, all of which can be done at home.

Decide how much physical activity is right for you and your fitness level, pick an activity you enjoy—for example, gardening, doing chores around the house, wheeling yourself around in your wheelchair, walking briskly, or dancing—and find ways to include your favorite physical activity into your everyday life.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Office Closure for the Holidays

The office will be closed for the holidays on the following days:

Monday, 12/25/23

--------------------

Tuesday, 12/26/23

--------------------

Friday, 12/29/23

--------------------

Monday, 1/1/24

--------------------

Monday, 1/15/24

If you or someone you know needs assistance,

please call us at 989-835-4041 or email us.

Do you need food?

Statement of Inclusion

Inclusion is a universal human right for all people, regardless of race, age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other discernible quality. To be inclusive is to promote a sense of belonging, respect, and value for who you are as a person. It is about equal access and opportunities for everyone. Inclusion is an integral part of our Independent Living philosophy and of our agency's vision of accessible and inclusive communities.

DNMM offices have been, and continue to be, places of solace, understanding, and information for all. We are committed to promoting and protecting diversity and inclusion, within our offices, among our community partners, and throughout the 15 Centers for Independent Living in Michigan.

Disability Network Mid-Michigan

989-835-4041 | dnmm.org