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Easter Seals Crossroads

Easter Seals Crossroads

The Adult Day Services at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana is offering a transition skills program for adults with autism or developmental disabilities.

Individuals who will benefit from Transitional Skills programming should meet the following criteria:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Must not be a “flight” risk
  • Must not demonstrate behaviors that put self or others at risk of injury
  • Must not demonstrate intentional or continuous disruptive behaviors that interrupt the program services for others
  • Must have an attention span of greater than 10-15 minutes per activity
  • Must be able to complete 1-2 step directions
  • Must be able to communicate needs
  • Must be able to have needs met by the resources of the center
  • Must have a desire to increase independent living skills

The Transitional Skills Curriculum is designed to promote life skills for adults with goals of independent or semi-independent living and/or employment.   Skills such as cleaning, laundry, cooking, budgets and money handling, relationship skills, personal safety, basic employment skills, and community skills will just be some of the skills covered for adults enrolled in the program.  Activities will take place in a home-like environment and in the community.  Adults will be supervised by trained staff and with a low adult to staff ratio.

Contact Tracy Wright at 317.466.2008 or email twright@eastersealscrossroads.org for more information.

Limited scholarships are available.

Friday Night Festivities

Friday Night Festivities

Please join the Easter Seals Crossroads Adult Day Service program for Friday Night Festivities. Each month’s activities will feature a special theme. The theme might include an activity, a special event, a holiday party, a craft; there will always be entertainment, friendship, and fun! In addition, snacks will be provided.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to enjoy time out with confidence that their loved ones are enjoying themselves at Friday Night Festivities!

On Friday, May 20, 2011 the them for Friday Night will be “Monte Carlo Madness.” Reservations are required in order to participate. Call Kate Eickstead at 317.455.2011 x3083 or email her at keickstead@eastersealscrossroads.org for more information or to make a reservation.

National Federation for the Blind

National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind is an organization that seeks to provide security, opportunity, and equality for all blind people. The NFB holds fundraisers throughout the year in order to support community outreach initiatives and to provide scholarships to blind children and adults. One such fundraiser is next month’s “It’s a Family Affair.” This event will take place on May 15, 2011 from 11am-4pm at the Moose Lodge at 7055 East 16th Street in Indianapolis.

The event will feature 8 full hours of community fun while providing attendees the opportunity to become more educated about blindness and the members of the blind community. Festivities include a day of fun with games that give sighted and blind children the opportunity to play together, face painting by clowns, door prizes, Twister and  hula hoop competitions, and much more. In addition, entertainment will be provided by the Butler University Jazz Band, singer and NFB member J.W. Smith, as well as a number of local artists and musicians.

This event is an affordable day of fun for families. Children 12 and under will be admitted for $3, youth age 13-19 for $5, and adults will get in for $15 for a single and $25 per couple. Meals will be$5 and the event is catered by the Moose Lodge.

Money raised from this event will go into the state treasury and will be used for community outreach at schools and businesses as well as for scholarships for children to have the opportunity to meet with legislatures on a trip to Washington, DC.

State Fundraising Chair for the NFB, Jean Brown said, “Enhancing the lives of the youth through a strong philosophy allows the NFB to educate future generations. Blind children are being deprived of Braille orientation and mobility skills training in schools, often causing them to fall behind sighted children in the education process. This event is a chance to raise awareness and funds to ensure that blind children are granted every opportunity for sufficient growth and education.”

The general public is encouraged to attend this event. “It’s a Family Affair” promises to be a day of entertainment and education.

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The National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States.  The NFB seeks to improve blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. The NFB has affiliates and over seven hundred local chapters in all fifty states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. To this day the NFB continues to conduct research in order to improve the quality of life for people across the country who are blind or visually impaired. One way that they are able to do this is through quantitative research methods such as surveys. Presently, the NFB is in need of survey participants.

The NFB is seeking information about accessibility barriers in the digital technology used by all students, teachers, and administrators in K-12 schools, universities, and colleges in the United States. If you are a student or a teacher, administrator, or parent of blind students, completing the survey from the NFB will aid the organization in learning more about educational technology that is either helping or hindering the learning process for blind students.

To complete this survey and to learn more about The National Federation of the Blind, continue to the NFB’s website.

Gizmo's Freeware

Gizmo's Freeware

In a previous post, we featured a program from the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library that allows library card holders to download and listen to audio books. This program is similar to the traditional library loan process, in that the books have to be returned within a specified amount of time. For individuals who want to enjoy  books in their audio format, but may not have a an account with the IMCPL or may want book options beyond the library’s limited selection, Gizmo’s Freeware has compiled a list of 87 sites that offer audio books legally and free of charge on the Internet.

Gizmo’s Freeware is a non-commercial community website staffed entirely by volunteers. The site’s primary function is to help individuals select the best freeware product to fit one’s particular needs. Gizmo’s has compiled a list of 87 websites that offer free audio books that are available for online streaming or for download. The featured websites offer a wide range of genres including children’s books, science fiction books, family books, romance novels, history books, comic books, travel guides and many more.

Audio books are useful for anyone who may want to hear their favorite stories read aloud, but in the context of aid for individuals with a disability, access to audio books can be priceless. For an individual who is blind or has a visual impairment, audio books may be their only means of reading if they don’t read Braille. For an individual who has a disability that hinders their mobility or dexterity and finds it difficult to hold a book or turn the pages, an audio book can provide them with their only opportunity to enjoy literature.

This list by Gizmo’s Freeware is an extensive and invaluable resource that will provide a great number of people the chance to access their favorite books, free of charge.

To view the complete article by Gizmo and to access the links to the 87 websites, click here!

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