DIG is excited to announce that we will be participating in The Miami Foundation’s Give Miami Day 2015. Give Miami Day is an annual 24 hour online giving event. It allows anyone in our community to make an impact by supporting local non-profit organizations. It will begin midnight November 19th and go until midnight November 20th. To support DIG and donate on the day of the event, visit http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc.
International Visitor Leadership Program
Taiwanese Delegation Visit
DIG was honored to spend the afternoon with Tarry Lee, Chun-Chieh Lin and Grace Chang. They came to the United States from Taiwan to learn about protecting the rights of the disabled. They were visitors to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
The Miami Foundation is having their 3rd annual Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014. The event starts at midnight on November 20th and lasts for 24 hours. Disability Independence group will be a part of this amazing event. Support DIG and join the movement. http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc
By: Aaron Carter Bates, Esq.
A big issue in the disability rights community is self-determination and representation within key community stakeholders. In the disability arena there are two models organizations follow: the medical model and social models of disability. An organization that ascribes to the medical model compares a disability to a fatal disease and places its inordinate resource priorities on seeking a cure for people with disabilities or “patients.” It starts from the assumption that those living with certain disabilities are not capable. These groups ground the disability experience in human physiology, viewing disability as a physical condition intrinsic to the individual which decreases a person’s quality of life. The top priority of this model is to focus on a “cure,” or, in the words of the WHO, make the person more “normal.”
In short, disability means illness or impairment under a medical model. Because it views its disabled constituency as too hopelessly afflicted by disability to make informed decisions, its constituency and leadership are comprised of those without the disability – including parents and supporters of the particular disability group – not the people who are actually disabled. This model has dominated the formulation of disability policy for most of the 20th century.
Organizations that primarily engage in advocacy ascribe to the social model of disability, which seeks to create a more inclusive society instead of putting the onus to change on individuals with disabilities. For example, the National Federation of the Blind formulates this model of disability by framing the problem as the misconceptions surrounding blindness, not blindness itself. These are organizations who presume the competence of people with disabilities and then set out to change the world to get the accommodations necessary to achieve equal treatment.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, however, uses the social model and maximizes independence and control over one’s decisions regardless of how disabled someone is (including severe intellectual disability) using a “supported decision-making” model. “Nothing about us without us” was the rallying cry during negotiations/lobbying for this treaty.
http://www.disabilitytreaty.org/app/make-a-call?2&engagementId=38236
The Miami Foundation is having their 3rd annual Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014. The event starts at midnight on November 20th and lasts for 24 hours. Disability Independence group will be a part of this amazing event. Support DIG and join the movement. http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc
The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial was just opened in Washington D.C. The Memorial, which sits at the corner of Washington Ave. and 2nd Street, is the first of its kind in the nation’s capital to honor both living and deceased disabled war heroes. The project was initially proposed in 1998 by the Disabled Veterans’ Life Memorial Foundation, Inc. It was immediately endorsed by many in Congress, who sought to get the project to President Bill Clinton’s desk, which they finally accomplished in 2000.
The Memorial consists of a star-shaped fountain and pool with a flame protruding towards the sky in the middle of the star. Surrounding the reflecting pool is a grove of trees “signifyin
g the persistence of hope.” The Memorial uses granite pieces, glass panels showing important quotes and images, and bronze sculptures depicting disabled warriors in action. All of these pieces are meant to “convey a combination of strength and vulnerability, loss and renewal” and remind us of those who have given great sacrifices for our freedom.
The Miami Foundation is having their 3rd annual Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014. The event starts at midnight on November 20th and lasts for 24 hours. Disability Independence group will be a part of this amazing event. Support DIG and join the movement. http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc
We have finished filming the video and we are now in the editing 
stage. The video looks amazing! We want to thank all of our actors. They did an amazing job.
Coming soon: our wallet card commercial.
You can order your own wallet card for free on our website at: http://www.justdigit.org/wallet-cards/.
Just fill out the online form and we will have them mailed to you within a week. If you want to customize the card, please add the details in the comments section.
The Miami Foundation is having their 3rd annual Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014. The event starts at midnight on November 20th and lasts for 24 hours. Disability Independence group will be a part of this amazing event. Support DIG and join the movement. http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc
By: Sharon Langer
I LOVE THIS WORD, “VISITABILITY,” and I am hoping that it will become the next buzz word for the idea that universal design of buildings is not just good, but great.
There is a growing (slowly growing but still growing) trend in this country to change construction practices so that virtually all new homes and apartments are built accessible. What does that mean? It is very simple:
The spirit of this movement is what I find the most important, that “IT IS SIMPLY UNWISE TO BUILD NEW HOMES OR APARTMENTS WITH BARRIERS… GIVEN HOW EASY IT IS TO BUILD THEM WITHOUT THOSE BARRIERS.” We build so well these days that a building could last 100 years, so why not construct buildings that don’t need to be retrofitted for our elderly or disabled population at an added expense, but simply build them accessible in the first place?”
The harsh effects of barriers, such as isolation suffered by a person with disabilities who can’t visit friends and family, are forcing people to choose to live in an institution because accessible housing is not readily available. It makes no sense to block people out when it is cost effective to let people in.
Representative Jan Schakowsky introduced federal legislation, repeatedly, that would have required any new home built with federal dollars to be built this way. Unfortunately, after years of trying, the bill still has not passed.
There are lots of little things that make big differences, and I believe that VISITABILITY will be one of them.
So if you believe in VISITABILITY, send an email to your representatives.
Thanks, Sharon
The Miami Foundation is having their 3rd annual Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014. The event starts at midnight on November 20th and lasts for 24 hours. Disability Independence group will be a part of this amazing event. Support DIG and join the movement. http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc
Paws in the Court
11th Judicial Circuit of FL and
Children’s Courthouse & Juvenile Justice Ctr
This project is a collaboration between the Humane Society, Volunteers, Court Teams and Administrative Office of the Courts. This project will provide victims and witnesses comfort and reassurance during court appearances including depositions and trials. Research has shown that interaction with pet therapy has helped many persons by reducing anxiety, providing comfort and a calming presence so that the victim or witness can testify; reduce apprehension or fear of the court process especially when testifying against an alleged abuser, as well as assist in the healing process. To meet the dogs click here.
Like our animal partners Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/animalpartners
The Miami Foundation is having their 3rd annual Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014. The event starts at midnight on November 20th and lasts for 24 hours. Disability Independence group will be a part of this amazing event. Support DIG and join the movement. http://givemiamiday.org/#npo/disability-independence-group-inc
GIVE MIAMI DAY 2014
DIG has officially been approved to participate in The Miami Foundation’s Give Miami Day on November 20, 2014! This is our first time participating in the 24-hour online giving event, and we are so excited to make this day a success. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter leading up to the event for updates about the projects we are working on. Also be on the lookout for the link to our direct donation page, which we will be receiving soon. Gifts can be made through our individual link using either a credit or debit card and must be a minimum of $25. We can’t wait to see how much money we can raise, but we need your support!
DIG is excited to announce that we will be participating in TheMiami Foundation’s Give Miami Day 2014! Give Miami Day is an online giving event that encourages people to donate to nonprofits in Miami. This is our first year participating, and we couldn’t be more excited. The competition will take place from midnight on November 20, 2014 until midnight on November 21, 2014. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter over the next two months for updates about the competition, as well as about our many projects.
Disability Independence Group Blog 