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Endependence Center, Inc.

Disability Advocacy and Services

 

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Endependence Center Services

 

Column list of services that are hyperlinked to go to that section of the services page.

 

Left Column:

Information and Referral

Peer Counseling/Individual Advocacy

Advocacy Group/Independent Living Skills Training

Housing Assistance/Placement

Education

Transportation

 

Right Column:

Medicaid Advocacy

Employment

Hearing/Visual Disability Outreach

Systems Advocacy

Community Education/Training/Technical Assistance

De-Institutionalization

 

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL:

Current information on programs, resources and equipment is provided to the public.  Referrals are also made to other community organizations and programs.

Adaptive Equipment/Home Modifications

Assistance is provided to individuals to identify resources to acquire and receive training in the usage of adaptive equipment.  Equipment loan services are available for individuals with hearing and visual disabilities. Assistance is available to select and design home modifications and ramps and to identify resources for these expenses.
 
PEER COUNSELING/INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY:

Peer Counseling/Mentoring

This one-to-one peer mentoring model is based on the concept that a staff mentor with shared experiences is the best guide to independence.  The goal of peer mentoring is to assist the participant to attain his/her greatest level of independence.  The staff Peer Mentor, who also is an individual with a disability, provides motivation, emotional support, and is a role model for achieving full potential.  The Peer Mentor helps the participant to establish goals for independence and assists with self-  exploration and adjustment.  The Peer Mentor also makes referrals to appropriate community resources.
 
Peer Counseling/Mentoring is available for youth with disabilities starting at age 13 to assist in establishing independent living goals and action plans to reach their goals.

Individual Advocacy:

Assistance is provided to individuals with disabilities to resolve discrimination complaints in all areas of life such as housing, education, employment, transportation, public accommodation and community programs.

 

ADVOCACY GROUP/INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING:

 

Celebrating the Disability Community in South Hampton Roads

“The Mix and Mingle!”

 

Once a month, there will be an opportunity to get together and meet new friends from our local disability community.  All participants are welcome to attend “The Mix and Mingle!”  Just come to ECI any time between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month.  Bring your own cards, music, games, food, and hang out.  The upstairs conference room will be open and the activities are up to you. As an ECI sponsored event, Handi-Ride tickets can be provided if needed, our personal attendant will be available if you need assistance, and we can provide accommodations if you request them when you sign up to attend. You choose when you come and how long you stay, but be sure Handi-Ride picks you up before 5:00 p.m. when ECI closes! To sign up for this monthly social event, please contact Linda Johnson at (757) 461-8007 or by email at ljohnson@endpendence.org. 

 

Advocacy Group

 

 

Are you interested in working on advocacy projects?  ECI is hosting an advocacy group that will meet once a month to identify advocacy goals and work together to advance our civil rights.  You will have the opportunity to stay updated on local advocacy issues and join committees to be part of changing our community for the better.  Look at the calendar for dates and times and please invite friends from the community who also support disability issues.  Handi-Ride tickets and accommodations will be provided to ECI participants as needed.  Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

 

Independent Living Skills Training

The purpose of independent living skills training is to provide participants with basic skills that support their independent living goals.  Training is provided in areas of need identified by participants such as literacy, attendant management, decision making, self-advocacy, money management, rights and responsibilities and assertiveness.  Training is provided individually and in a classroom setting.
 
Literacy - Individual tutoring is provided by trained volunteers to increase basic literacy skills.  Deaf literacy classes are held and JAWS computer training and Braille instruction is provided individually.  Since 1988, ECI has recognized and acted on the need to provide literacy services for people with disabilities, allowing them to work towards literacy goals that will improve the quality of their lives.  We remain committed to providing opportunities for community members with disabilities to develop and improve their literacy skills.  ECI continually seeks qualified volunteers to serve as literacy tutors.
 
Participant Newsletter - The participants’ newsletter, “The Voice of Disability”, has succeeded in capturing the attention and loyal readership of supporters throughout the disability community to address serious issues confronting people with disabilities.  Most newsletter articles are written by Center participants and edited by the Participant News Team.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE/PLACEMENT:

Staff coordinates with public and private housing agencies to secure housing options that are accessible, affordable and suited to participant needs.  Individuals receive services to assist them to prepare for independent housing.  Assistance is provided to secure resources for emergency housing needs.

EDUCATION:

ECI staff provide students and their parents with information, guidance and advocacy training in all areas pertaining to the educational rights of students with disabilities.  ECI maintains a high profile in the local school systems advisory boards as well as statewide committees.  Staff stay current with all legislation changes regarding special education, serving as a watchdog committee for families statewide.  Staff serve as a resource for students, families and educational professionals including assisting with IEP development when needed.  Staff focuses on children from their start with the school system, through their transition out of the school system and into adulthood.  Staff are involved in local, state and national efforts to inform legislators on issues related to disability education legislation.  Click this link for information about the Virginia Coalition for Students with Disabilities and upcoming activities related to changes in the Regulations.

TRANSPORTATION:

ECI assists individuals with Para-transit transportation (Handi-Ride) services as needed to attend Center services.

MEDICAID ADVOCACY:

The Endependence Center provides advocacy with individuals who are having difficulty accessing appropriate Medicaid services.

VIRGINIA MEDICAID WAIVER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

Through a grant from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the Endependence Center has established and administers the Virginia Medicaid Waiver Technical Assistance Center (TAC).  The TAC provides workshops, materials, information, and technical assistance regarding Medicaid Waivers.  TAC services are available statewide through a cadre of Medicaid Waiver Mentors.

SOCIAL SECURITY WORK INCENTIVES:

PROJECT WORK INCENTIVE SERVICES FOR EMPLOYMENT (WISE)

This project provides work incentive planning assistance, and outreach and management support to SSA beneficiaries and recipients with disabilities who are exploring career development, and/or pursuit, maintenance or advancement of employment.  The Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC) collects data on individual’s current benefit status, provides critical analysis of impact of work and earnings on these benefits, and makes recommendations to the individual and other stakeholders in their life as to safety nets and work incentive management plans that should be put into place as the individual develops a plan for employment.  The Coordinators integrates work incentives support plans into existing service delivery constructs to ensure continuity of the employment planning and benefits advisement and management process.  These services are available to individuals with disabilities who are between the ages of 14-65.  Click this link for more information.

HEARING/VISUAL DISABILITY OUTREACH:

Hearing Disability Outreach Services

Technical assistance, training, equipment loan and disability awareness services are available to the community regarding individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.  An equipment demonstration site is available.  ECI is under contract with the   Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) to provide outreach services to the Cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, Smithfield, Suffolk, and James City, York, Isle of Wight and Southampton Counties.  Workshops and forums educating and empowering individuals with hearing disabilities are offered on a variety of topics.  ECI is one of seven demonstration sites where consumers can try out various equipment before purchasing them from an independent vendor.  These items include a baby cry monitor, a visual/audio smoke detector, a pocket talker, a loop system, a door knocker sensory and a television infrared system.  Staff also assist consumers with applying for a TAP Program through VDDHH and loaning tele-communicating or alerting devices.  Outreach staff members serve on the TCC Advisory Board - ASL Program, VBCPS Deaf/HOH Task Force and were appointed to the Virginia Relay Advisory Council.

Visual Disability Services

Participants are expose to the community to independent living services, assisted communication and adaptive equipment and technology that increases the ability of persons with visual disabilities to live independently and   perform daily life tasks.  Adjustment counseling for those dealing with vision loss and training and exposure to adaptive equipment is provided.  Information tables are displayed at community events to provide information about various resources and services, educational information, assistive technology and other related topics.  ECI has received funding to establish an adaptive equipment display and testing site at the Center.

SYSTEMS ADVOCACY:

Staff members participate in various activities that result in positive changes and greater accessibility to the various systems of government and bureaucracy on the local, state and national levels.  Staff engage in systems advocacy in the same areas as in individual advocacy services such as transportation, education, employment, housing, benefits, accessibility and Medicaid.  ECI is involved in a number of systems advocacy efforts locally, regionally and across Virginia.  Some advocacy is sparked from a single complaint, while other efforts are initiated as part of a larger education and advocacy plan for Virginia.
 
  • Are you interested in working on advocacy projects?  ECI is hosting an advocacy group that will meet once a month to identify advocacy goals and work together to advance our civil rights.  You will have the opportunity to stay updated on local advocacy issues and   join committees to be part of changing our community for the better.  Look at the
    calendar for dates and times and please invite friends from the community who also support disability issues.  Handi-Ride tickets and accommodations will be provided to ECI participants as needed.  Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
  • ECI maintains a contract with the Disability Business and Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) for the Mid-Atlantic region to serve as the State ADA Coalition Coordinator, an assignment that entails educating Virginians from all backgrounds on the Americans with Disabilities Act.  As a function of that contract, trainings are offered on a variety of ADA topics to different audiences.  As a part of this same grant, ECI maintains a bi-monthly educational listserv on the ADA with the latest training opportunities and court rulings on disability rights legislation and the ADA.  ECI also has a steering committee of disability advocates and business community leaders to identify statewide ADA training needs and develop a plan to meet these needs.

    COMMUNITY EDUCATION/TRAINING/TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

    Speakers are provided to organizations interested in learning more about disability related issues and Center services.  Staff organizes and conducts training on disability related topics such as housing law, building code, employment law, disability awareness/sensitivity training, programmatic and physical accessibility, general disability issues, disability rights and other specific areas of interest.  The Center also continues to respond to requests from the community to provide outreach and trainings in the areas of educational advocacy, Medicaid waivers, transportation issues, deaf and hard of hearing and visual disability outreach.  ECI remains committed to providing the highest level of outreach and education about disability issues and civil rights of persons with disabilities to our community.
     
    ECI has planned workshops around various disability related topics for the entire year.  Information about the various workshops can be found on the calendar located on this website by clicking the Calendar of Events link.

    DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION:

    The process of transitioning from a nursing home to community-based living can be complex and lengthy or it may be easier than commonly expected depending on the needs of the individual.  There is a lack of awareness among many individuals living in facilities, their family and the community-at-large that options exist which allow individuals to choose whether to receive their personal care in a facility or in the community in their own homes.  ECI is pro-actively addressing the obstacles on institutionalization by providing residents of facilities the informed choice and consumer control to live independently.  Teamwork exists within ECI through a process where staff join together to assist persons with a goal to move from a facility   to the community with housing options, Medicaid Waiver options, Independent Living Skills Training and support coordination.  ECI networks with other community and state programs to support the person with a disability's move to the community.
     
    Do you live in a nursing home, group home or training facility and would you like information on other types of housing options?
     
    Nursing Home Outreach Services are designed to provide a participant in a nursing facility or other type of living facility, the four core services:
    Within those four core services being provided could be information on how to advocate for nursing home rights, assist with discharge planning for community-based living, and information on housing options for community-based living.

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    Endependence Center, Inc.
    6300 East Virginia Beach Blvd.
    Norfolk, VA 23502-2827
    Phone:  (757) 461-8007 Voice
    (757) 461-7527 TDD
    Fax:  (757) 455-8223 or (757) 461-5375

     

    Last updated on 3/4/08