March 7, 2008
This is the weekly e-mail newsletter from the Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
RSC seeking feedback
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1. Legislators invited to March Board of MR/DD meeting
Our state legislators are being invited to attend the March Board meeting, March 17. The event will be part of our commemoration of MR/DD Awareness Month. Prior to the Board meeting, legislators will be taken on a tour of Educare followed by a visit to the Hill Avenue facility. The Board meeting will begin at 5:30 at Hill. Plans for this special event are still being developed. Circle the date and join the Board for its March meeting. Hopefully, the more people present, the more impact it will have on legislators that mr/dd issues should receive priority attention. Remember, the location for the meeting has changed to Lott Industries on Hill.
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2. Court Case Helps Link Childhood Vaccines To Autism
from MetroSource news
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has ruled the family of a nine-year-old autistic girl from Athens, Georgia should be compensated from a federal vaccine injury fund. Autism families say the decision is confirmation of their contention that there is a link between Autism and childhood vaccines. A court document in the case of Hannah Poling says the government concluded that vaccines aggravated a rare underlying metabolic condition that resulted in a brain disorder with features of Autism. Jon and Terry Poling, Hannah's parents, told the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" that the government's admission will help pay for the medical treatment their daughter needs. The decision focuses on the ongoing debate over whether vaccines play a role in the growing number of children diagnosed with Autism. Although it has not been used since 2001, the mercury-based preservative thimerosal has been singled out by Autism families as suspect.
Public health officials worry the admission may set back efforts to convince parents that vaccines for diseases such as polio, tetanus, and measles are far less dangerous than the diseases they protect against.
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3. Recreation/Leisure information
The IREC committee has another fun event for adults coming up on March
31. Bingo Bonanza! See attached for
more information.
CheerWorks Gym has a cheer team for kids with Special Needs called Sparklers. They meet on Mondays from 6-7:30 pm. There is no membership fee or competition fee. CheerWorks is at 5270 Lewis Ave, Toledo. For more information contact Brittany Gessner at 419 476-6764, or go to www.Sparksignite.com
Gliding Stars is a not for profit organization that provides adapted ice skating instruction to kids and adults with disabilities. There is a Gliding Stars group that has been meeting in Findlay for a few years. A local group is now forming. They must have a certain number of skaters to begin their program, so if you are interested, please contact Bill Himmel, 419 882-1582 (himmel6163@verizon.net) or visit www.glidingstars.org. Skating instruction is scheduled to start in Sept. 2008 in Sylvania. There is a fee for this program, however, scholarships will be available.
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4. RSC seeking feedback
The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC), the state agency charged with helping Ohioans with disabilities get jobs and achieve independence, is looking for input on its State Vocational Rehabilitation Plan and strategic plan. A copy of the state plan is available at http://rsc.ohio.gov/strategic_plans/strategic_plan_state.html A copy of the strategic plan is available at http://rsc.ohio.gov/strategic_plans/strategic_plan_rsc.html
RSC is especially interested in feedback on the following items:
A public forum will be held on March 11 at the Kent Library, 3101 Collingwood in the auditorium from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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5. March 11 meeting with Superintendent John Trunk is cancelled
The March 11 public forum with Superintendent John Trunk has been cancelled. The next forum will be April 8, at 7:30 p.m., at the Educare Center, 1932 Birchwood.
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6. Futures Committee Reviews 33 Subcommittee Recommendations with an Eye Toward Results
As a critical step in the process of moving forward with specific priority issues, the ODMRDD Futures Committee met on February 27, 2008 to review the 33 recommendations presented by the group’s four subcommittees:
Recommendations are listed at http://odmrdd.state.oh.us/futures/recommendations.htm on the ODMRDD website.
Director John Martin, noted, “I believe the process of working together to get to this point has been a rewarding one, and I am gratified by the level of participation by stakeholders and the overall spirit of cooperation throughout the past several months. We now will take the next step, distilling these recommendations into a strategic plan that will attain positive outcomes for the nearly 80,000 people across Ohio who receive MRDD services.
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7. YMCA Scholarship Program
The Lucas County Board of MR/DD Community Inclusion Unit has set aside funds for YMCA/JCC scholarships. 3-month scholarships are available to adults who have been determined eligible to receive Board services. If the individual regularly uses the YMCA membership and wishes to continue beyond the initial three months, the scholarship may be extended by applying for a scholarship from the YMCA branch they most typically use. Attached is more information.
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8. Upcoming Events
A Round & Square Dance featuring live music by “Five O’Clock Rush” will be Saturday, March 8, from 7 to 11 p.m., at Hope United Methodist Church, on State Route 64, next to the Fire Station in Whitehouse. Tickets are available at the door: $7.50 for Adults and $4.00 for Children. All the proceeds benefit Sunshine Foundation, Inc. to help children and young people with developmental disabilities. For more information, please call Lindsay Graham at 419-392-6868.
March 8 the Accessible Expressions Ohio art exhibit will be open at Toledo Botanical Garden. Opening ceremonies are 1:00 to 3:00. All of the artwork in the exhibition is created by artists with disabilities. The Lucas County Board of MR/DD is a sponsor. The opening reception is free and open to the public. RSVP to 614-241-5325 or by e-mail to info@vsao.org
March 9 is the date for the Acoustics for Autism Fundraiser at the Village Idiot on Conant Street in Maumee. This is a fundraiser for Project iAm. Doors will open at 11:00. The silent auction will begin at 11:00. The live auction will start at 6:30. Music begins at noon.
The Lott Dinner Dance is coming up! This event is open to individuals who attend Lott Industries for their day programming and their guest. This is an event that fills up fast. If you know someone who would like to attend, please tell them to register right away! (All individuals who attend Lott day programming were mailed an invitation last week.) Registration form attached.
The People First of Ohio Conference, March 14 – 16, will be held at the Robert's Convention Centre in Wilmington, Ohio, celebrating the theme, "Advocacy Under The Big Top." People First of Ohio spokesperson, Sadie Hunter, notes, “Our conference chairperson, and our working committees are people with disabilities who plan and make this conference come to life! Advocates will learn about issues that are so important for them to continue to advocate for themselves and others across Ohio. But this conference is not just for self-advocates, it is for everyone.” Registration is $190 for the conference, and includes all meals. Rooms are $100.00 per night, and accommodate up to four persons each. “Advocacy Under the Big Top” begins at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 14, and ends March 16 at 3:00 p.m. Contact Sadie Hunter at shunter@columbusrr.com for more information, or obtain a registration form by calling 1-740-397-6100 fax 740-397-6118.
The annual Sibling Conference will be November 7-8 in Columbus. For more information visit the website.
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