For additional details, click on this link to go to our PIRATE PALOOZA page on this web site.

Texans politicians (and our local Assemblymember, Dan Logue) like to tout the state’s economic growth, but more and more Texans are finding themselves teetering on the edge of poverty.

… a study by the Corporation for Enterprise Development has found that 27.7 percent of Texas households have no financial cushion in case of an emergency. If you exclude homes and automobiles from the calculation, a full 50 percent of Texans have no assets they could use to survive if they suddenly lost their income.

The findings match up with the latest U.S. Census data on Texas, which found that 17.9 percent of Texans — or 4.4 million people — live below the poverty line. That’s 2.6 percent higher than the national average and ranks Texas 40th in the nation.  When compared to the rest of the country, Texas ranks 41st in financial security.  Is Texas really a good model for California as we go forward out of the latest recession?

For the rest of the story, go to: http://blogs.cfed.org/cfed_news_clips/2012/02/many-texans-earn-low-pay-hold.html

Assemblymember Dan Logue explains "voodoo economics".

The U.S. Dept. of Labor has released the first disability employment statistics for 2012. 

Labor force participation for people with disabilities was 20.0 percent, compared to 68.9 percent for people without disabilities, while the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 12.9, compared to 8.7 for people without disabilities. 

Among youth age 16-19, the employment rate was 15.0 percent for those with disabilities, compared to 23.6 for those with no disabilities.  For youth age 20-24, the employment rate was 26.7 percent for those with disabilities, compared to 61.0 for those with no disabilities.

Universal Design table

Detailed information on the state of employment for disabled American workers can be found at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/DisabilityEmploymentStatistics.htm

Tub Xiong (age 17) and Leng Xiong (age 16) have contracted Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy, a sex-linked recessive genetic disorder.  This rare form of MD progresses rapidly, has no known cure and usually results in death around the age of mid-20’s.  The rapid progression leaves most youth in need of wheelchairs by the early teen years, as is the case with the Xiongs.  The parents were struggling to provide transportation for both of the boys.  With only standard automobiles at their disposal, it required two vehicles to get the two boys anywhere.  It was necessary to perform a difficult lift by a family member to maneuver in and out of the vehicle with their wheelchairs.   The parents turned to many agencies looking for assistance, but no agency could help them.

 The parents turned to Independent Living Services of Northern California for assistance.  Independent Living Services of Northern California took their request seriously and granted the family $500.  The Clifton Lewis Foundation contributed an additional $1000. By combining the two gifts, the Xiong family finally purchased a used accessible van for their two lovely children.  Leng and Tub stated that “our wish comes true.”  They also stated that “we can go anywhere we want to go together now.”

Additional information about Duchene’s MD is available at:  http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000705.htm

Additional information about the services provided by Independent Living Services of Northern California can be found at:  http://www.ilsnc.org/services

The reduction would have slashed one-fifth of service hours for In-Home Supportive Services recipients to save the state $100 million over the next six months.

U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken converted her temporary December order blocking the state into a preliminary injunction.

Last month, Wilken said the IHSS cut “raises serious questions” about whether the state had violated several federal laws, including those protecting people with disabilities.

The full story can be read at:

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/20/4201434/federal-judge-blocks-budget-cuts.html

Additional details are available in a press release from Disability Rights California

Wednesday January 18, Noon on the South steps of the Capitol.  Transportation will be provided by ILSNC, 1161 East Ave.  Leave Chico at 9:30 sharp.

Click on this link to view the flyer.

01 18 12 Sac State of the 99% Flyer 1

January 3, 2012

A new app designed to help people with disabilities locate accessible restaurants, stores and other venues in their communities is getting a boost after being named a winner in a national contest.

The software called “Access Together” is a Foursquare-style app that allows users to check-in from various locations and answer simple questions about accessibility. The crowd-sourced information is then publicly searchable.

Access Together was recognized as a runner-up in the Apps for Communities Challenge, a contest sponsored by the Knight Foundation and the Federal Communications Commission. The competition honored developers that created apps offering “personalized, actionable information to people that are least likely to be online.”

In addition to being a runner-up, Access Together was also named the “most replicable” among the nearly 70 entrants in the contest. Those behind the software will receive $11,000 in prize money.

Currently, Access Together is an early-stage application that’s available as a mobile website compatible with iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. The software includes a database of locations across the country available for individuals to rate based on accessibility, but most of the reviews entered thus far are for businesses in New York City.

Other contest winners included an app providing bus riders real-time transit schedules, software to help job seekers learn about and apply for employment through text messaging and a tool to help the homeless identify resources in their communities.

Copyright © 2012 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Source:  http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/01/03/prize-winning-app/14704

Tis the season for celebration of various holidays throughout the world.  On Sunday, many of us will stop to celebrate Christmas.  We hope that this season finds you healthy and reasonably happy.  We offer for your enjoyment and edification this cartoon from Tom Meyer, which appeared in the Sacramento Bee on Dec. 20.

Wolves Return to California

Reprinted by kind permission of the artist (http://www.meyertoons.com)

Tong Vang & Mai Lor

They enjoy the health benefits of outdoor activity as well as having fresh, organic produce available to eat and share.  Both Tong and Mai are members of the Hmong Disability Rights Council and are frequent participants in disability advocacy events and campaigns. ILSNC is proud of what Tong and Mai have accomplished.

As other garden plots become available, we will be expanding with new opportunities for community gardening/agriculture for our consumers in the near future.  To learn more and to volunteer with our Community Garden Project, go to: http://ilsnc.org/services/garden-project/