Thursday, June 11, 2009

On coming together...

On coming together…

Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart once said, “Individuals don’t win. Teams do. “ Well, let me tell you about the great great teamwork that I see happening in Indiana to enhance the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and disabilities in general:

· There is now an active Government Action Committee in Indiana that meets via conference call monthly to discuss public policy initiatives that affect our community. This committee is made up of Down syndrome organizations from throughout the State of Indiana that want to form a more unified movement. In addition to giving us a stronger voice and the ability to mobilize quickly on important issues, the committee is also putting together a map of what counties each organization covers, identifying gaps and then coming up with a plan to make sure all of Indiana has access to the information and support that it needs! Ever hear of the Autism Health Insurance mandate? Well, hopefully through the work of this committee you will see a Down syndrome Health Insurance mandate as well.

· I just got off the phone with an amazing group of individuals representing Down Syndrome Indiana, the ARC of Indiana, the National Down Syndrome Society, the Autism Society of Indiana and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community to improve post secondary education options for individuals with developmental disabilities in Indiana. There will be a meeting on July 28th, 2009 that is open to everyone to talk about this wonderful topic. The meeting will be held at St. Lukes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis from 6 to 8pm and everyone is invited to attend!

· A group of Master of Public Health students at IUPUI along with Riley Children’s Hospital are teaming up create a transition packet for individuals with Down syndrome that are transitioning from high school into the adult world. This will help to fill an unmet need in the community for more information for adults with Down syndrome.

· The Autism Society of Indiana is working to identify the needs of minorities with a disability and what type of support groups would be helpful to these families. In fact, the Autism Society and Down Syndrome Indiana are also combining the Hispanic parent groups during the summer months. Many of the issues that are discussed during parent group meetings are the same even though the disability may be different therefore it makes sense to try to reach a broader population instead of segregating this growing community.

· Get ready for green office space for nonprofits in Indianapolis! There is a committee that will begin meeting regularly to create a green office building for health related nonprofits. The focus of the building will be a healthy workplace and the goal is to create a building where nonprofit organizations can share resources to further their mission. Everything will be designed with the environment and easy access for individuals with disabilities in mind. How exciting is that?! Look for it in 2010 or 2011! (You guessed it, DSI gets to be part of the planning process.)

And those are just the tip of the iceburg! I am so proud of the Down syndrome community and disability community as a whole for really coming together to enhance the lives of , well, everyone! As Harry Truman once said, “ It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Keep up the great work everyone!!!! Until next Thursday….

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