OVER 30 YEARS OF PROMOTING AND ENCOURAGING INDEPENDENCE FOR ALL PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
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Our annual fundraiser has gone virtual. We've tried to recreate as many aspects of the Feathers and Fedoras experience you've come to love over the past five years. We hope you'll join our honorary chairs, Shauna and Paul Barbeau for a fun evening benefiting DNMM's independent living programs for people with disabilities.
Click on an image below to register!
YOUR DOLLAR GOES FURTHER!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, all donations will be matched up to $50,000!
EVENT SPONSORS
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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
DAY OF SERVICE
Disability Network is once again proud to be a part of The Arc of Midland's 3rd Annual Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many families hard. The isolating effects of business closures and stay-at-home orders have been especially hard on people with disabilities, many of whom already faced isolating circumstances. Times are increasingly difficult and many people with disabilities are facing food insecurity and even homelessness.
In order to attempt to lessen the burdens caused by COVID on people with disabilities, DNMM will be joining staff and volunteers from The Arc of Midland, Corteva Agriscience, the Great Lakes Loons, the Michigan Baseball Foundation, Hidden Harvest, and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in a food packaging and distribution drive at the Midland Mall, Yonkers Entrance on Monday, January 18.
Over 500 boxes of food - a full two semi-trucks full - will be distributed during two shifts. The first starts at 10:00am and the second at 2:00pm. If you are in need, please consider attending this food drive. For safety concerns, the food drive is Drive-Thru only. There is no need to get out of your vehicle.
If you have questions or need additional information about the Food Drive, please contact Rachel Baker at the Arc of Midland. 989-631-4439.
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ED ROBERTS DAY IS JANUARY 23
Who was Ed Roberts (1939-1995) and why did the US House of Representatives designate January 23 to honor his life?
After contracting polio at 14 in 1953, which left him paralyzed from the neck down, Roberts spent 18 months recuperating in the hospital. When he consciously decided to live, he decided to live his life with a vengeance, no matter what obstacles might lay ahead of him. People with disabilities in the 1960s were not as visible as they are today. The barriers to inclusion in the community were physical as well as attitudinal. Ed set out to change all that. He advocated to get admitted into the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) and to get one of the hospital infirmaries changed into a dorm for students who, like himself, needed wheelchair accessible housing. Several of these students formed a group they called "The Rolling Quads."
They were champions of independent living in the community for all people with disabilities and instrumental in getting the first curb cuts installed in Berkeley which they recognized made the physical world accessible to more people than just wheelchair users.
That was just the beginning. Ed earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, taught at Cal and went on to help found the first center for independent living. He was named to head the California Department of Rehabilitation, founded the World Institute on Disability, married, had a child, and traveled the world to spread the word about disability rights, accessibility, and inclusion. He is widely considered to be the father of the Independent Living Movement. To learn more about Ed Roberts and his contributions and to get a feel for what a great spirit he had, click here to visit a special section of the Minnesota Council on Developmental Disabilities.
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| | Ed Roberts: Free Wheeling |
Click the image above to view a short film about Ed Roberts and his philosophy called: "Free Wheeling."
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DNMM has launched a virtual book club open to everyone. We'll be focusing on books dealing with issues of diversity - from stories about people with disabilities to books pertaining to social justice. Our hope is to offer a wide range of life perspectives and experiences.
Our next book is "Riding The Bus With My Sister" by Rachel Simon. Rachel Simon's sister Beth is a spirited woman who lives intensely and often joyfully. Beth, who has an intellectual disability, spends her days riding the buses in her unnamed Pennsylvania city. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. One day, Beth asks Rachel to accompany her on the buses for an entire year. This wise, funny, deeply affecting true story is the chronicle of that remarkable time.
The next meeting of "Off The Shelf" is Wednesday, January 20th at 6:00pm. Copies of the book can be found on Amazon for around $6, Kindle for $1.99 and it is available on Audible and on Thriftbooks.
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Virtual Peer Groups
Please note the new times for Wednesday Bingo and the "Amazing Women" peer group.
Mondays - 11:00am
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Tuesdays - 11:30am
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Tuesdays - 3:00pm
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Wednesdays - 3:00pm
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Matinees - Monday & Friday
1:00 - 3:00pm
January selections include:
Wonder Woman 1984, Soul, Zookeeper, and Mulan. Mondays will be devoted to series that the peers select.
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Thursdays - 2:00pm
January Activities include:
Virtual Craft days, a Virtual tour, and a cooking demonstration of Chili and Corn Bread |
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DNMM MEDICARE SPECIALIST:
HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
Do you need extra help paying for your Medicare Part D prescription plan?
Call our MMAP-certified Medicare Specialist to see if you are eligible for the Low-Income Subsidy for Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage. We can help with screening questions and do the application over the phone in as little as 15 minutes!
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| | Medicare Low-Income Subsidy Webinar |
Our certified MMAP counselor can also assist you with general questions about your Medicare Part D coverage. We can help you compare plans to find the best fit for your needs.
CALL US TODAY! WE'RE HERE FOR YOU!
1-800-782-4160
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At Disability Network of Mid-Michigan, inclusion is a universal human right for all people, regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other discernible quality. To be inclusive is to promote a sense of belonging, respect, and value for who you are as a person. It is about equal access and opportunities for everyone. Inclusion is an integral part of our Independent Living philosophy and of our agency's vision of "Accessible and Inclusive communities that provide opportunities for individual choice."
In the twelve counties we serve in Mid-Michigan, Disability Network offices have been, and continue to be, places of solace, understanding, and information for all. We are committed to promoting and protecting diversity and inclusion, within our offices, among our community partners, and throughout the 15 Centers for Independent Living in Michigan.
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DNMM advocates for the removal of barriers to independence and full inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the Mid-Michigan area. DNMM pledges to ensure accessibility. Each year, DNMM conducts a review of its own architectural, environmental, attitudinal, employment, communication, transportation, and other barriers that may exist which prohibit full access to our services.
If you have any issues of concern regarding the accessibility of DNMM services and facilities, we encourage you to share that information with us.
Please send your concerns or suggestions to:
Executive Director
Disability Network of Mid-Michigan
1705 S. Saginaw Road
Midland, MI 48640
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