There are many ways to make a difference in the disability community. Here are some events, organizations and ideas on how create change:

Events
ADA
Inaccessible Technology
Medicaid
Medicare

Events

JOIN US for MCIL's Annual Fair and Flea Market!

Date: SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2007
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Making Choices for Independent Living
3011 Montebello Terrace
Baltimore, MD 21214
410-444-1400

LIVE MUSIC!

Food! Face Painting! Vendors! 50/50 Raffle!

Rain date: Saturday, June 9, 2007

For information about purchasing a table, please call MCIL at 410-444-1400.

For information about donating items to be sold or raffled, please call MCIL at 410-444-1400.

Attend a two-day training on Olmsted
Hosted by: The Cross Disability Rights Coalition
Saturday, June 16 and Saturday, July 14
Both sessions start at 11 am, drinks available at 10:30 am
Quality Inn and Suites, 1 2nd St, Laurel, MD 20707

For more information see the Cross Disability Rights Coalition (CDRC) webpage: http://www.thecdrc.org/

Flyer about event: http://www.thecdrc.org/index_files/training_flyer.htm

Registration: http://www.thecdrc.org/index_files/training_registration_form.htm

W.E.A.N.'s Game Night Fundraiser
June 30,2007
Time: 4:00pm to 8:00pm

Govans Presbyterian Church
5828 York Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21212

Donation:
Adults: $10
Kids: $5

Board Games, Card Games, Mind Games, Children's Games, Raffles, Silent Auction, Karaoke Contest (Adult and Kid), Bake Sale, Entertainment, Food, and Much, Much More!

This event is Gamble and Alcohol Free!

For more information:
Janice Jackson
410-444-1400, 410-433-0614
E-mail: ablejan@aol.com

Please submit disability-related events you would like posted here to mcil@mcil-md.org.

See events MCIL is sponsoring by clicking on MCIL news in the menu to your left.

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Americans with Disabilities Act

The national network of ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers (also known as Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, or DBTACs) needs your input! Share your experiences in employment, participating in public programs and activities, or gaining access to buildings and facilities. Tell us what has worked for you, what barriers you still encounter, and how the ADA has made a difference in your life.

This information will help the Centers identify issues that may need additional training or technical assistance development for our next five year funding cycle. The online form is short and simple; go to www.adata.org and click on the “Share Your Opinions!” link. Comment only on topics of interest or concern to you; submit comments as often as you like. No personal or identifying information is necessary; we ask only to know the state in which you live so that we can see if we are reaching all areas of the country.

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Inaccessible Technology

Personal computers, world wide websites, intranets, email, voicemail, cell phones, pagers, PDAs, fax machines, copy machines... all can be so useful, if only they were accessible! Nothing will change if consumers don't speak out! To learn about the basics of speaking out about inaccessible technology, your legal rights, which complaint procedure applies to you, and much more go to the Information Technology Technical Assistance Training Center's "Speak Out!" publication at http://www.ittatc.org/technical/speakout/ or call them at 1-800-949-4262 (Voice/ TTY) and ask them to send you the "Speak Out! About Inaccessible Information and Telecommunication Technology" guide.

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Medicaid

Medicaid Matters! Maryland

Medicaid Matters Maryland has excellent information about what is happening with Medicaid in Maryland and how you can get involved in improving and preserving this program. Go to their website at http://www.medicaidmatters2005.org/ and see how you can help!

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Medicare

Learn about current issues and legislation surrounding Medicare and take part in actions:
The Medicare Rights Center has an excellent e-mail publication called Asclepios. You can subscribe at http://www.medicarerights.org/maincontentsubscribeasclepios.html or just view and take part in their actions at http://www.medicarerights.org/action/.

Prescription Drug Coverage/ Part D:

Tell your stories:
Many agencies are trying to establish what problems people are having with the new Medicare "Part D" program. Your information can be vital to improving the program. To report problems that you have had with the new Medicare "Part D" fill out the Make Medicare Work Coalition's "Story Collection Form" at http://www.hdadvocates.org/MMW/your_stories.htm, write to your legislators, or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE.

Medicare Part D Penalty :
Did you know people who do not have "creditable coverage" and enroll in Medicare "Part D" after May 15, 2006 will have to pay an additional premium every month afterwards for the rest of their lives? Learn more by searching the web for "Medicare Part D Penalty" and/ or write to your representatives to let them know how you feel about this penalty or how it affects you.

Two year waiting period:

Did you know that recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance must wait two years to obtain Medicare insurance coverage? This means that many people who are severely disabled must wait two years before they have any insurance! You can work to change this by writing to Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Finance Committee, to ask for a hearing on the 24-month waiting period. (http://www.medicarerights.org/action)

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