Bullying and independent living

A big part of independent living is bullying. Bullying is when a person or group uses physical harm, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, dominate or intimidate as well as persuading someone to do something by using force or threats. It is intended to hurt another individual, physically, mentally or emotionally. Who are the victims? Boys, girls, men and women. Often times people think of school age (in the schools, or on the playground) when it comes to bullying. It is much more. It is out in the community and even in the workplace. It happens to adults too. For adults it often times can be in the workplace or even at home. Signs of adults being bullied, can be lost of self worth, loss of interest, increase health problems, decrease in job performance and even thoughts or acts or hurting themselves. What are the signs in children? Unexplainable injuries, lost or destroyed items, feeling sick or faking illness, changes in eating, difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares, declining in school performance, loss of interest, or not wanting to go to school, sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations, feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem, self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide. When a person is being bullied ALWAYS take it seriously especially when a victim says it is happening. It is very difficult for a victim (children and adults) to admit they are being bullied for fear of retaliation, being ignored or told it will pass. For children keep in contact with the school teachers and staff, or other adults if it is occurring outside of the school about the situation. For adult victims tell them to talk to someone like a person in Human Resources when its at work or a counselor. If it happens at work tell them to document and even send emails to HR so they can keep track of what's going on.

Volunteering

A big part of independence is volunteering.  Volunteering helps with self-confidence and future employment as a person works on independent living.  Many people think volunteering is just helping out at a food pantry or soup kitchen. Volunteering is so much more. There are so many other ways to volunteer. How do you find ways to volunteer? Go to your county, city or town website, a hospital website, school district website or nonprofit website and see if there are any volunteer possibilities. One thing I love to do is join local and state boards of directors and committees for nonprofit agencies. When I do that, I volunteer my time to help people and make sure their needs are being met. Even if you simply attend a board or committee meeting as a citizen to talk about a concern is volunteering your time. You are advocating for people they serve who may not have a voice for themselves.

For me, volunteering on boards and committees via the computer is a great way to work on independence if I am dealing with health issues and am unable to hold a paying job.

PARAEDUCATORS IMPACT ON INDEPENDENT LIVING

Schooling is a big part of a person's independence. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires schools to provide needed accommodations and modifications to students with disabilities to enable equal access to education. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities receive free appropriate public education specific to their needs.

Disabilities that students have vary and can include learning disabilities, physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, emotional disabilities, developmental disabilities, etc.

It's important to understand that not everyone with a disability requires the same accommodations. For example, not everyone with a learning needs the same accommodations, not everyone with a physical disability (for example spina bifida) needs the same accommodations and not everyone with autism needs the same accommodations etc.

Often times enabling a student with a disability to have equal access to education requires having a Paraeducator in the student's classrooms. Paraeducators can be a crucial part of a student's education. They don't just provide one on one service to their student(s) teaching a specific subject. Paraeducators have many different roles. A paraeducator may work in special education classrooms, resource rooms or in mainstream classrooms.

Each student has different goals. Their goals are identified in their IEP’s (Individualized Education Program). The assistance that the paraeducator provides varies from student to student based upon those goals. The goals often times include adjusting lesson plans to meet the student's needs, providing social and emotional support, providing physical assistance as well as many other things.

When paraeducators work with their student(s) in the mainstream classes they often times work with students who don't have disabilities. They may need to work with other students to redirect them and keep them on task at the same time they are working with their student(s) on de-escalation when they are upset.

Equity and People with Disabilities

I decided to become a social worker and ADA coordinator because I wanted to work with individuals with disabilities on independent living. I wanted to work with people on self-confidence teaching them that they CAN be contributing members of society. Disabilities have always been a big part of my life. Not only do I use a wheelchair, but I have learning disabilities and epilepsy.

When it comes to enabling people with disabilities to be contributing members of society you don't need to think of just equality. It isn't just making sure places have ramps etc. It is both disability equity and equality.

Equality is having the same resources or opportunities for everyone, no matter what their individual needs are. Equity is understanding that there are individual differences and providing resources to meet those specific needs. Disability equality is ensuring that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as people without disabilities. Disability equity addresses barriers and provides additional support to those with disabilities. Equality might lead to unequal outcomes if individuals have different situations. Equity seeks to achieve fair outcomes. Equality might mean everyone receives the same things whether they have a disability or not. Equity would provide additional resources enabling equal outcomes. Equity may require listening to individuals with disabilities to understand their unique challenges and needs. Understand that equity doesn't mean a person with a disability isn't looking for handouts. They want the same opportunity as everyone else.

ACCESSIBLE VOTING

Through the history of our country people with disabilities weren’t thought of with voting rights. The laws that were passed didn't include people with disabilities. Even though some laws were passed like the civil rights act making sure that minorities had equal rights based on race, gender etc., it didn't include people with disabilities.

Many laws didn't say people with disabilities officially were not allowed to vote (although some laws though history did say people with disabilities couldn't), they just couldn't because voting places or voting ballots were not required to be accessible. When the ADA was passed in 1990 part of it included voting. Accessible accommodations protected by law include:

Allowing someone to help you vote (cannot be your employer or union representative)

Providing handrails on all stairs at the voting locations

Accessible parking at voting places

Voting and election materials in large print

Entrances and doorways at the voting location that are at least 32 inches wide

Wheelchair-accessible voting locations, both inside and outside

At least one accessible voting device at EVERY location. These devices help voters who are blind, visually impaired, or have other accessibility needs.

Allowing service animals

Poll workers to help you use accessible voting devices

***Drop off boxes are also required to be accessible for people with disabilities.

If you have any questions contact your local election office. The information should be on their website as well.

Budgeting

Budgeting is a big part of life and a person's independence.  It can be overwhelming to anyone.  This is especially true if you're just starting to learn how. 

You can start by understanding and defining what budgeting is.  I try to keep the definition simple.

Budgeting can be summarized in two things:

1.  Understanding how much money we have

2.  How we spend your money

That may seem like common sense but not necessarily, especially when we're stressed out overwhelmed with just the idea of budgeting.  By keeping it simple it makes it easier to do one thing at a time.

Even though there are many ways to spend our money during a month, what it really comes down to is wants and needs

Independent living involves figuring out the essential monthly expenses first. Once you figure those out then you know how much you have left over for other things we enjoy like doing things with friends etc.  Many times people don't realize that then they run into trouble because they don't have enough money to pay for essential things like rent.  

I have a budgeting sheet I give to students working on independence.  This is to put on the refrigerator.  With technology you can just put them on your phone calendar and or computer as a reoccurring event on the due date.   

Not everyone has the things I have below.  The idea is to list things that fit you specifically. 

1. Rent or mortgage                Due date

2. Utilities                                  Due date

3. Groceries                              Due (N/A)

4. Secured debts                       Due date

5. Child support                        Due date

6. Auto insurance                     Due date

7.  Medical insurance              Due date

8. Prescriptions                        Due date

9. Transportation (bus tickets, pass, gas) Due

10. Phone                                  Due date

bullying

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