Chapter Happenings
Our chapters have continued to meet over zoom each month. Each group has shared some highlights from the last month.
In Caribou we have talked about self-advocacy and communication. We watched a couple of videos on self-advocacy that we liked. Next, we would like to learn about therapy animals.
In Presque Isle, we had Mary Green from Disability Rights Maine attend one week and it was beneficial for all of us. We have started talking about self-advocacy and look forward to continuing with that topic.
In Houlton, we talked about scams and we talked about Self-Advocacy. We also want to learn about coping skills especially in winter months.
In Lincoln, we have been connecting with each other over zoom. It has been great to see each other this way.
The Bangor chapter was able to have Denise Tuggle visit one week to talk about accessibility in our community. We have started drafting a living document that explains what issues we have with accessibility, especially in the winter months. In addition, we are going to be working on a document that explains what questions we should ask before one rents or leases an apartment. We also took on the task of writing a plain language guide to how the covid-19 vaccine works. We hope to release that soon.
Our Portland chapter has been educating themselves on topics such as self-advocacy, how the covid-19 vaccine works, and how to contact their legislator. One of our favorite meetings was called "Wing-It Tuesday" where we discussed various current events that related to people who live with disabilities. It was an opportunity for us to hear from each other and learn more about what was happening in our communities, state, and country.
Casco has become a very tight knit group in encouraging each other in their jobs, and lives. We have talked about self-advocacy and what that means to us. In addition, we were able to also spend some time hearing the story of someone who had lived at Pineland. It was beneficial for us to understand that period of history in our state.
In Springvale, we have spent the whole month talking about self-advocacy. We learned what it means to be a good self-advocate through discussion, videos, and even self-advocacy jeopardy. We want to be good self-advocates and grow in our lives.
If you would like to visit one of our chapters, we would be honored to have you there. You can find all our zoom links on our website.
