Building a world where everyone is Known, Valued, & Included

[Image description: Below The IC logo, the words "ADA Fest-Able 2024" in various colors. At the bottom, yellow text says "July 26, 2024. 10 am to 2 pm." White text below says "729 South Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903."]

It's almost time! The IC's annual ADA Fest-ABLE is next week, July 26!

Join us on Friday, July 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at The IC's offices as we open our doors and welcome our community to learn more about the history of the ADA in a fun and interactive way! You'll experience assistive technology, try different adaptive games, learn a few American Sign Language (ASL) signs, enjoy food from local food trucks, meet community partners who also work to serve the disability community, and so much more!

Follow The IC on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date on the event.

We're looking forward to seeing you at The IC on July 26!

[ID: In front of a blue-gray background, a man with short-cropped hair wearing a dark gray shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

[Image description: The Disability Pride flag, which consists of five bands of color arranged diagonally from top left to bottom right on a dark gray background, waves over a blue sky with wispy white clouds. From left to right, the colors are light red, yellow, white, light blue, and green.]

This July, Observe Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride began as a day of celebration in 1990 just a few months after the historic signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, since 2015, the entire month of July has been marked as Disability Pride Month to recognize and celebrate people with disabilities, and their history.

Rather than viewing disability as a tragic and stigmatized misfortune, Disability Pride re-frames the idea of disability entirely: people with disabilities are part of the natural diversity of human beings, and they live lives that are as valuable and worthy of dignity as anyone else's. Any misfortune and tragedy comes from the social stigma or shame within society and has nothing to do with the inherent worth or value of a person with a disability. Disability Pride Month shares its mission with the The IC's, which is to build a world where everyone, regardless of disability, is Known, Valued, and Included.

[ID: In front of a blue-gray background, a man with short-cropped hair wearing a dark gray shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

In Colorado, July has been officially recognized as Disability Pride Month since 2022, and there are a number of ways you can celebrate this month!

You can learn about the resources available to people with disabilities in our community by calling us at 719-471-8181 or visiting our website at the following link:

the-ic.org

If you've read our newsletter in the past year, you may have noticed the block in each story that contains a link to that story's American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. The interpreter was The IC's Deaf/Hard of Hearing Specialist, Chelsea Elstad, who worked tirelessly to inform and empower everyone in our community.

Chelsea is leaving The IC to find new adventures! Since she has been a vital part of these newsletters, we wanted to shout her out for her delightful stint at The IC.

As we say goodbye to Chelsea, we welcome a new Deaf/HoH Specialist, Ben Chittenden, who has already shown himself to be a great fit to The IC team!

Please join us in welcoming Ben who now provides ASL interpretation for our monthly newsletter.

[ID: In front of a blue-gray background, a man with short-cropped hair wearing a dark gray shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

June 22, 2024 was the 25^th anniversary of the Olmstead Act. The IC's Advocacy Specialist Scott Bartlett shared this reflection on this landmark case because of its importance to the Independent Living movement:

"With the passing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in 1990 came new protections and opportunities for persons with disabilities. Despite being a robust work of legislation, it left gaps in protections and rights for people with disabilities. Olmstead is based upon ADA provisions but goes further to state that the segregation of people based upon disability in institutional facilities is unlawful and is discriminatory.

[ID: In front of a blue-gray background, a man with short-cropped hair wearing a dark gray shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

Olmstead requires that states provide home and community-based services (HCBS) for people with disabilities and that they have the right to live in the community. Prior to the independent living movement and the ADA, there was a rapid expansion of institutions and nursing homes where people with disabilities often had to reside to receive care. Institutions and nursing homes were often places that had high incidents of abuse and neglect and did not feel like homes to the people residing in them. Also important to note is that they segregated people with disabilities from their communities. They had no access to school or employment. They were disallowed relationships of their choosing, not provided choice in their daily activities, what they ate, what they wore and when they woke up or went to sleep. There were few to no alternatives to receive the care that was needed.

As is the way in many instances of social injustices, change occurred because people advocated for change. In 1999 the case, Olmstead v. Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, made its way to the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in the case were individuals with disabilities who had a history of being institutionalized and then leaving institutional care and failing, causing them to be readmitted into institutions. The argument made by the plaintiffs’ attorneys, was that people with disabilities have the right to receive care in the community rather than an institution. Furthermore, that to truly bring about the change that the ADA promised there must be HCBS services and people must have access to those services. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff of course.

What does this mean for us at the IC? There is so much work to be done to truly create independence and equality for all. Still, through our work we carry forward the efforts of so many advocates in the past. What you do in your work at The IC is important in providing people with independence, but also in realizing the promise of Olmstead that so many fought for. You don’t have to do something so grand that you get a conference room named after you, but being here, no matter your position, you are protecting the rights of people to be independent and to be Known, Valued, and Included in the life of their communities."

This summer, get out in the wild with the Trailability Program!

Our partners at El Paso County Parks and Recreation are once again helping everyone, regardless of mobility, to experience the beautiful trails and open spaces of our region with their Trailability Program!

The Trailability Program is available at both the Bear Creek Nature Center and Fountain Creek Nature Center and offers guests the free use of their TerrainHoppers.

TerrainHoppers are off-road mobility vehicles that allow people with disabilities access to the nature center’s hiking trails.

El Paso County Parks and Recreation purchased one of the two TerrainHoppers located at the Nature Centers with a gift from The IC Fund.

[ID: In front of a blue-gray background, a man with short-cropped hair wearing a dark gray shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?

Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Peer Support Calendar

Classes and events at The IC provide opportunities to learn new skills, meet new people, and try new things in a supportive environment! Up to date classes and events can always be found on our website's event calendar.