Access Quarterly The Voting Issue
Even with increased accessbility in the United States, are people with disabilities seen as equals at the polls?
Fall | 2020
In This Issue Spotlight 01 Volunteer Meet Ardel Cheffer Catch Up! 02 Let’s 2019-2020 CIL Annual Report 03
04 Making Your Voice Count! 05 A guide to the 2020 General Election 06 Celebrating International week 07 of the deaf
Meet Ardel,
Volunteer Spotlight
As the status and danger of the Coronavirus pandemic grew into a reality this March, Ardel Cheffer and a few
other members at the Rotary Club of Casselberry completed what would be their last ramp build for numerous months. Of course hearing things on the news about COVID-19, Ardel and other volunteers knew that they needed to take extra precautions, but they also knew that cancelling the ramp build would not be a solution. So they followed the guidelines that were put in place at that time, kept the amount of volunteers at the site under 10, and they completed the ramp for James Campbell, a 75-year-old man who had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Ardel has been volunteering with the Rotary Club of Casselberry and CIL for the last three years, and throughout this time she has noticed how much of an impact she can make on someone’s life one project at a time.
“They are stuck in their house, and they are only mobile in their house, but I can’t imagine not having the freedom to come and go,” Ardel said when describing the CIL ramp build projects. “The ramp obviously gives them that freedom and it is impacting their quality of life. I know that every ramp that we build is just changing someone’s life.” Through her love and passion for giving back, Ardel has passed some of that on to her children. She has a 20-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son who have both grown up volunteering in their community. Now, she brings them along to assist with the many volunteer projects that CIL and the Rotary Club create. Ardel believes that it is extremely important that her children gain a new perspective, and that these types of projects and opportunities can provide that to them. While working on a project at Lake Catherine Estates in 2017, Ardel was introduced to members of CIL and the Rotary Club. It was at that moment that she knew she wanted to learn more about CIL and potential ways that she could get involved. She spoke with Brittany Pilcher, Development Director, and the rest is history. During the three years that Ardel has been involved with CIL, she committed herself in numerous ways; she has volunteered over 40 hours to CIL projects, made monetary donations to the organization, volunteered on three ramp builds, baked cookies and treats for CIL’s annual Silent Night holiday event, and has dedicated herself to numerous fundraising events. Ardel’s favorite part about ramp builds with CIL is that she gets to personally meet and learn more about the recipient of the ramp, making the overall experience very personal for her.
“At CIL, ultimately seeing the client in the end is the absolute best, Ardel said. “It makes getting up early on a Saturday and working hard, totally worth it.”
Ardel getting hand s on with a ramp build.
p effort! u o r g a is ramp Building a
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Let’s Catch Up!
Our 2019-2020 Annual Report is here 2019 was a year full of many things: success, growth, happiness, inclusion, and independence. 2020 came and turned the lives of countless people upside, including those that we serve, those who’ve we’ve made connections with, and those who we’ve helped to gain their independence. The Coronavirus pandemic uprooted and changed many things for many people- but one thing that it didn’t affect was our mission and our drive to help those in our communities that needed it the most. We are proud to share some of greatest wins from July 2019 to July 2020, in our recently released Annual Report. Here are just a few of the successes that you’ll see in the report.
Over $200,000 raised through fundraising efforts
92 Deaf Consumers served through Free tax prep amounting to $152,082 in returns
! 107 volunteers volunteered 1327 hours = $33,745 in value of volunteer service hours
Read the full 2019-2020 Annual Report at www.cilorlando.org /2020AnnualReport
73 pieces of durable medical equipment distributed
16 ramps built with the help of community partners
119 clients received home modifications such as ramps, ADA toilets, grab bars, and roll-in showers
122 amplified telephones distributed to hard-of hearing clients
137 clients received assistance through our employment program
What Else Will You Find in the Report? • Letter from Elizabeth Howe, Executive Director, and Mellissa Slover- Athey, Board Chair • 2019-2020 Financial Statement • Demographics of those we’ve served • Program updates • Unique consumer stories • Thank you shoutouts to donors, sponsors, and partners! AND MORE!
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General Election Morrow written by Chance
As the 2020 Presidential Election approaches, it is important to remember that all voices count and that your vote matters- yes YOU! Every voter should be able to cast a ballot, but the accessibility of our polling sites and election systems sometimes make voting much harder than it should be. This page was created to be a resource of information for voters who have disabilities, and who have questions about the voting process and where they fit into it.
Know your Rights as a
A voter with a disa
?
According to new projections from researchers at Rutgers University, more than 38 million eligible voters have disabilities. That’s more than 16 percent of the electorate.
Voter with a Disability
bility has the right to
:
Vote privately and ind Have an accessible po
ependently
Wheelchair-accessible Entrances and doorw Handrails on all stairs
lling place with voting voting booths
ays that are at least 32
machines inches wide
Voting equipment that blind or who have low is accessible to voters who are vision Bring your service an imal with you into yo ur polling place Seek assistance from been trained to use thwor kers at the polling place who have Bring someone to he e accessible voting machine, or lp you vote (including member, caregiver, assis ted living provider, or a friend, family else). almost anyone
* Along with pollin vote must also beg place accessibility, the way you ca requires at least on accessible. The Help America Vost your e voting machine in te Act accessible to anyone ev who has a disability. er y polling place to be
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In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Act recognized that people with disabilities had been precluded from fully participating in all aspects of society because of discrimination. In enacting the ADA, Congress found that there was still consistent discrimination against people with disabilities, even in “critical areas” like voting. One purpose of the ADA is to “provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Register to Vote In order to cast your ballot during election, you must first be registered to vote. Online registration can be done at www. RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. You must have a current Florida driver’s license or Florida identification card to register online. To register by mail or in person, print the application (available at www.RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov) or pick one up at you local library, post office, DMV, or election office. You’ll need your ID that shows your name and photo, and a document (like an electric bill or paycheck) with your current address on it.
Assistance Registering to Vote People with disabilities can use registration assistance in order to vote. Staff at your local Supervisor of Elections Office or private provider (contractor with a state agency providing assistance or services to individuals with disabilities) may assist by explaining the requirements for correctly filling out a voter registration application, and can even help you complete the form itself.
Important Dates
You may also choose to receive assistance from your spouse, parent, or child. And, a variety of organizations can also provide assistance including the Florida League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote.
• Election Day- Tuesday, November 3, 2020 • Deadline to register online to vote- Monday, October 5, 2020 • Deadline for registering by mail to vote (postmarked by)- Monday, October 5, 2020 • Deadline to register in person to vote- Monday, October 5, 2020 • Deadline to request a ballot by mail- (received by) Saturday, October 24, 2020 • Early voting- Saturday, October 24, 2020-Saturday, October 31, 2020 (dates and hours may vary based on where you live)
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CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF THE DEAf International Week of the Deaf (abbreviated as IWDeaf) is celebrated annually the last full week of September (Monday through Sunday). You may also hear this week called Deaf Awareness Week, but the official name is International Week of the Deaf. It is celebrated by national and regional associations of the Deaf, local communities, and also by individuals across the globe. History The first International Day of the Deaf was celebrated by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in 1958. The day of awareness was later extended to a full week, becoming the International Week of the Deaf (IWD). The purpose of Deaf Awareness Week is to increase public awareness of deaf issues, people, and culturealllowing those not familiar with the community to learn. Activities and events throughout Deaf Awareness Week encourage individuals to come together as a community for both educational events and celebrations. International Week of the Deaf is the only week in a year that sees highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf Community on various levels. It is about gathering together, becoming united, learning and educating, and showing that unity to the rest of the world. International Week of the Deaf strives to promote the human rights of deaf people and highlight topics that merit attention.
I like to say that the greatest handicap of deafness does not lie in the ear, it lies in the mind. I hope that through my example, such as my role on ‘The West Wing,’ I can help change attitudes on deafness and prove we can really do everything... except hear. -Marlee Matlin
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Common misconceptions about people who are deaf 6. Hearing aids instantly make you hear
1. Deaf People Cannot Drive Deaf people can totally drive! They just need to be more cautious of their surroundings. It’s all about visuals. 2. Sign language is one universal language Sign Language is as diverse as spoken languages. Each country has one or more sign language, you may be surprised that there are about 130 different types! Some people with hearing loss use sign language, and others don’t! 3. Deaf people are good lip-readers Lip-reading is difficult, and not always accurate. Depending on how long someone has had hearing aids, or how well they can hear, some people lip read better than others. There are so many different lip-shapes and patterns, most of it is just guesswork.This is why Deaf people appreciate gestures, clues or signs to indicate the subject!
7. Deafness is hereditary Deafness is not always hereditary. Sometimes multiple family members are Deaf, and somtimes only one person in a family line is Deaf . 8. If you talk louder, deaf people can hear
4. Hearing loss only affects the older generation Some people are born with a hearing loss, others lose it later in life. Hearing loss can affect people of all ages. 5. Deaf people only listen to someone when they feel like it Due to concentration fatigue, people with hearing loss might not always have the energy to lip-read or focus on their hearing, especially if there’s background noise.
Familiar Faces
Nyle DiMarco shot to fame when he won America’s Next Top Model in 2015. “Not many people realize, actually, my entire family is deaf,” DiMarco said in an interview with Yahoo Life. “I myself am the fourth generation in my family — meaning my two brothers, my parents, my grandparents and even my great-grandparents were all deaf.”
Star of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown is deaf in one ear. Born with hearing loss in one of her ears, the condition has become more profound over time, leaving her deaf in her right ear.
Unlike glasses that can instantly correct your sight, people with hearing loss can’t just pop in a hearing aid and instantly hear! Depending on the level of someone’s hearing loss, hearing aids vary on power, and often need some fine tuning by the audiologist or hearing care professional to create the best listening features in each users’s technology. While hearing aids can make a big difference in one’s hearing ability, it’s not the same as someone with “normal” hearing.
No matter how loud you talk, if a person has severe enough hearing loss they won’t understand you.That’s what hearing aids are for; make sounds like voices sound clearer and limit sounds like background noise. If you talk louder, it just sounds like you’re shouting 9. Hearing loss can be repaired by medicine or surgery Currently, there is no “cure” for hearing loss, but there are studies and research around this topic. For some people with severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant surgery may help them hear better, but when it comes to repairing hearing loss through medication or non-implant surgery, it’s still an open topic.
Linda Bove is a deaf American actress who earned her fame as Linda the Librarian in the beloved children’s series, Sesame Street. In her role, Linda introduced millions of children to sign language, and helped raise awareness about Deaf culture. Playing the role for over 30 years, Bove earned the title of longest-running role on American television for a person with disability.
American actress, voice actress, singer, author, and comedian well known for her role as Sue Sylvester in the TV series Glee, Jane Lynch is completely deaf in her right ear. She says her deafness was a result of a suffering a high fever which left her with nerve deafness when she was just a baby. However, Lynch did not discover this until she was seven years old when she was playing with her brother and a transistor radio.
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our mission CIL, in partnership with the community, promotes inclusion of people with disabilities by eliminating architectural, communication and attitudinal barriers. CIL provides education, resources and training to enhance self-determination through informed choice.
our board Chair Mellissa Slover-Athey Past Chair Kim Byerly Vice Chair Maxine Moul Treasurer Steve Beres Secretary Cheryl Stone
Michelle Blake Hector Del Valle Kyle Len Tamara Mackroy James Moody Christopher Nelson Christopher Pruitt Maxine Ruddock