They say, give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. That’s the idea behind Fifth Freedom.
We provide tools to people with disabilities so they can organize themselves and tackle common problems. Maybe some buildings aren’t physically accessible. Or local public transportation needs to be improved. Or perhaps, legislators need to hear what 20% of their constituents think about how they spend their tax money. Whatever the case, Fifth Freedom is here to empower people with disabilities to remove the barriers that thwart their potential. So if you’re the self-reliant type, contact us. We’re assembling a cast of thousands statewide who are willing to invest a little time to make a big difference.
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An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom
Information courtesy of Citilink
Citilink Summer Fun Pass
Kids can ride all summer for $25!
It’s that time of year again. The Citilink Summer Fun Pass is back! With the high cost of gas, many parents are looking for low cost alternatives to get their kids around town this summer. Citilink is again offering the Youth Summer Fun Pass. (more…)
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Navigating Advocating
Introduction: Nothing about us without us!
Welcome to Navigating Advocating! This training series will take you on a voyage exploring a vital part of disability advocacy: the world of civic involvement. The central idea of disability advocacy is “nothing about us without us.” This is the idea that representatives should not make decisions that impact a group without that group’s full and active participation in the decision making process. Learning how to participate in that process is what civic involvement is all about.
The first and perhaps most important step is voting. We’ll show you how to register to vote, update your registration info when you move, preview your ballot, and find your polling place, all online.
After that, we’ll explain some ways to track what your legislators are up to. We’ll show you how to track state and federal bills as they go through the legislative process. After a bill is passed, government organizations have to pass the regulations that actually enforce and enact the new law. We’ll show you how to find proposed regulations.
Finally, we’ll show you the best ways to share your thoughts with legislators and other officials. Learn how to find your representatives’ contact information and some basic tips for letter and email writing. We’ll also explain how to correctly cite laws and regulations. It doesn’t do any good to write your representatives about a bill if they don’t know which bill you’re talking about!
NOTE: Much of this training consists of mini guides through various online resources. The guides will be a lot easier to understand if you open the websites in another window and follow along.
(more…)
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Find your federal and state representatives
Find and contact federal, state, and local officials.
This search form allows you to find information about your federal and state representatives. Just enter your ZIP code. If your ZIP code contains multiple districts, you will need to enter your ZIP + 4. (Example: 46835-2321).
Contact information is under the “Contact” tab at the top of each person’s page.
You can also find contact information for your representatives at the official state and federal pages:
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An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom
Information courtesy of ADA-Indiana, the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and the Great Lakes ADA Center
Tuesday, May 15 at locations across the state
Being Prepared:
Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning
On Tuesday, May 15, tune in to an audio conference from ADA-Indiana. This session will feature a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discussing the inclusion of people with disabilities in local emergency planning. The speaker will provide examples of how progress is being made in communities to address the requirements of people with access and functional needs.
This audio conference will be 2:00 to 3:30 pm ET at eleven locations: Bloomington, Columbus, Corydon, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Gary, Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, Versailles, and West Lafayette. For location addresses, click here . (more…)
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An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom
Information courtesy of Hamilton County and the Autism Society of Indiana
Hamilton County seeking public comments on ADA Transition Plan
Comment by June 29
Hamilton County is creating a Transition Plan to guide accessibility improvements in public areas and public services, policies, and programs. Once the plan is complete, Hamilton County will outline its strategy for prioritizing improvements. Priorities will be determined by factors like the extent of the deficiency, identified need, the available budget, and a realistic schedule. (more…)
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