In This Issue: Conference Information  Statewide Meetings Jon's Corner Kile's Corner Blog

July 2021 Newsletter We have reached the point in the year where it time for conference registration! The SUFU staff have been busy working on getting registration forms sent out, talking with self-advocates about workshop proposal ideas and more. We are looking forward to seeing you all in September for the 2021 Virtual Statewide Conference!

2021 Speaking Up For Us Conference Announcement

The 2021 Speaking Up For Us Conference will be held virtually this year on September 21, and 22. This year we are planning workshops, a virtual vendor fair, and as always our Annual Meeting. Registration is now open for the conference. Registration is available online on our website or by requesting a registration form from Jon McGovern.

Workshops at the Conference. Do you have an idea for a workshop for the SUFU Conference? We want to hear from you! Workshop Proposal Forms are available on our website or by emailing Laurie Coldwell. This year's theme is "We Are Still Here" Sessions should incorporate a wholistic view of a person’s life and incorporate themes of personal health, growth and access to be fully included in their communities. SUFU feels it is important to approach growth and change by offering opportunities to our participants that will help them strengthen their communities and improve their lives. Workshops can be focused on any topic from history, rights, services, finances, health, wellness, legal, hobbies, enrichment, physical activity, mindfulness and more.

Jon's Corner The SARTAC Meeting on Ableism & Violence went very well. This is a tough subject to talk about and some people did not want to talk about it. I liked ableism really puts people down. Violence can accompany ableism. If you think you have been the victim of violence you need to talk to someone about this like calling Disability Rights Maine. I liked the ADA Now Podcast that we listened to on our statewide meetings. We listened in two parts. People shared what they related to in the podcast. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here. I also appreciated our Bangor chapter meeting on what our Body Language is and how we communicate.

Statewide Meetings This month we were able to listen to a podcast from NPR on the Americans with Disability Act. As we celebrate 31 years of the ADA it's important to remember how this started. We talked about how there is still work to be done for all to be included and our communities accessible. If you are interested in listening to the podcast you can find it here.  At our last meeting of the month, we talked about International Day of Friendship and how having friends is important to us. Some of the self-advocates shared personal experiences of how they were making connections and friends with people in their community. We also talked about how it takes work to keep our friendships growing and what we need to do to make that happen. We were also happy that some of our allies from Disability Rights Maine were present and shared how each person has the right to have friends in the community. SUFU Staff has been planning out our statewide meetings for the months of August and September and we look forward to these continued statewide meetings!

What's on the blog? July saw us finishing out our series of self-advocates sharing what they learned from the Career Exploration Series presented by Voc Rehab. This workshop series provided valuable tools for self-advocates to continue their journey in finding a career that best suits them. If you are a self-advocate that would like to submit an entry for our blog please reach out to Laurie Coldwell or Jon McGovern.

Kile's Corner Hello it's Kile here. Hope you are having a good day. I went to the the SARTAC meeting where we talked about the 31st anniversary of the signing of the ADA. It is always a good idea to look back at the history of the disability movement. Anyone can come to the SARTAC. I was able to view a news clip from 60 minutes that Anderson Cooper did on recruiting talented potential employees who happen to live with Autism. I hope that we will show this at a future statewide meeting and talk about jobs. In the news clip they talked about how they changed the interview process and how companies are making it easier for people who live with Autism to work for them.

Finally We invite you to check out our website . Read our most recent blog post and subscribe to future blogs. You can also find the list of our chapter meetings, or follow us on Facebook. If you are a SUFU member we want you to join our members only Facebook Group. To do that please email Laurie Coldwell or Jon McGovern. We don't want you to miss anything.

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Have an Idea for Something to be in The Connector? Contact: Laurie Coldwell Program Coordinator and Administrator (207) 956-1004 / Ext. 4 lcoldwell@sufumaine.org

SUFU CONNECTOR Speaking Up For Us of Maine 207-956-1004 www.sufumaine.org