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Health Care Experiences – Obstacles People with Disabilities Face - by Carrie Baatz What is health care like for people who have severe disabilities? We conducted a qualitative research study1 to find out. People with Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injuries and Paraplegia or Quadriplegia talked to us about their health care experiences. Many people with […]
The 2017 ADA Celebration Luncheon – A Celebration of Progress - The twenty sixth of July holds a special place in the hearts of most everyone who works at The Independence Center (The IC). It’s a time when we have the opportunity to reflect on the obstacles and challenges faced by individuals within the people with disabilities community, and behold the progress that has been made. […]Medicaid Cuts Issue Brief - Medicaid Cuts Would Force People With Disabilities Into Nursing Homes Colorado is in danger of losing $14 billion in Medicaid funding, if the American Health Care Act (AHCA) passes.1 The Colorado Health Institute estimates that this will likely cause nearly 600,000 Coloradans to lose their eligibility for Medicaid by 2030. These people would be left with little to […]
Here We Go Again – Medicaid Cuts - Prior to the July 4th Congressional break, the Senate is poised to take up and vote on the House American Health Care Act with its draconian cut to the long term care program under Medicaid. In Colorado, this program serves close to 100,000 children and adults with significant disabilities and seniors, all of whom would […] Letter from the CEO – Medicaid Cuts - by Patricia Yeager CEO, The Independence Center Friends, The Senate is planning to vote on the Affordable Care Act before leaving for the 4th of July and that there are proposed changes to the House’s new American Health Care Act (AHCA). While these changes are not certain, some believe the changes might be minor […]
Disability Etiquette for People With Disabilities - by Michelle West Traumatic Brain Injury, Part 3 In this series of 4 blog posts, The Independence Center will be sharing information on traumatic brain injuries. The Independence Center’s hope is that this information will help those without traumatic brain injuries learn a little about disability etiquette to apply when supporting and interacting with […]
Assistive Technology – A Means to a More Independent Future - Imagine how your life would change, if all of a sudden, you were to become a person with a disability. Whether its vision or hearing loss, or the loss of one’s mobility, most people don’t think that it will ever happen to them. But the reality is, that nineteen percent of Americans currently live with […]
Make Me Your Friend, Not Your Hero - by Carrie Baatz People with disabilities are some of the most resilient people I know. The Independence Center is a hub for the disability community in Colorado Springs; if you come here, you’ll find a wide variety of people, each thriving in their own way. We are impacted by all kinds of disabilities. Some […] Disability Etiquette for People With Disabilities - by Michelle West Traumatic Brain Injury, Part 2 In this 4-part series of blog posts, The Independence Center will be presenting information on traumatic brain injuries. This series is meant to help those without traumatic brain injuries learn a little about disability etiquette for those with TBIs. “Disability etiquette is a set of guidelines […]
Giving Veterans a Second Chance - One topic that has always been near and dear to my heart is the treatment and care of our veterans. Though I never served in the military myself, both of my grandfathers were veterans of foreign wars. One of them fought in World War II, and the other was an officer and medical doctor in […]
Thrive - by Carrie Baatz “Life isn’t about surviving the storm. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Green I love the ocean. Something in me is drawn to it, so I visit as often as I can. When I’m there, I want to hang around for hours and watch the […]
Disability Assessment Rural Tour - If you live in any of the towns outside of Colorado Springs please check out our up and coming Disability Assessment Rural Tour. We are interested in hearing about the needs, wants, and barriers regarding people with disabilities in your community. The Independence Center will be going to all the rural communities we serve to […]
The Right to Rest - by Carrie Baatz It’s been a long day. You’re anxious to come home, where you can take off your shoes, start dinner and relax. I never used to think twice about coming home. My safe space, where I retreat, recharge and recover, is always there. It is a bedrock that sustains my vitality in […]
Building Services Beyond Colorado Springs - The Independence Center offers Independent Living skills classes, peer support groups, benefits guidance, as well as many assistive technology opportunities and transition assistance. But, did you know that we have more than one location that offers these services? As we have grown as an organization, so has our ability to reach more areas outside of […] Disability Etiquette for People With Disabilities - by Michelle West Traumatic Brain Injury, Part 1 In this series of blog posts, The Independence Center will be giving advice on how to work with a person with a traumatic brain injury. In this first part, The Independence Center has pulled together general information about how a person with a TBI might think […]
The Independence Center – A Mission & Vision to Get Behind - When people ask what it is that we do here at The Independence Center (The IC), I often find myself trying to come up with a cohesive answer. This isn’t because I don’t know what it is that we do, but rather because of the wide assortment of services that we provide. Officially, I […]
How to Prepare Your Home for a Loved One with a Visual Impairment - by Jackie Waters My husband and I love our old farmhouse. It’s the perfect home for us and our boys. But recently, my husband’s sister, Emily, came to live with us. We were thrilled to have her join our crazy bunch, but I was a bit worried. She has been visually impaired since childhood, and […]
Medicaid cuts would leave people with disabilities high and dry - by Carrie Baatz As long as Medicaid is funded, 1 in 5 people in Colorado are receiving medical benefits that enable them to be healthy and independent. Discussions led by the Trump Administration have been underway about replacing Obamacare and converting Medicaid into a block-grant program, which would give states more power to minimize […]
Emergency Preparedness Tips for People with Chemical and Food Sensitivities - by Michelle West The Independence Center has an Emergency Preparedness department that informs the public on how to best prepare for an emergency, whether it be fire, flood, weather-related, or any other type of disaster. Before a disaster happens, be prepared for an emergency! You can also anticipate that emergency personnel will probably not […]
Effective Documents for People with Disabilities - When people think of accessibility for people with disabilities they typically think about physical accessibility for wheelchair users, clear access pathways for low vision or blindness, interpreters for people who are Deaf, along with other clearly defined visible accommodations. While these are necessary and make a world of difference to those they effect, there is […]
Disability Etiquette - Have you ever considered the impact your interactions have on the people you communicate with on a daily basis? How about people with disabilities? If you aren’t familiar with disability etiquette, don’t feel bad, you aren’t alone. Disability etiquette can be a complicated topic and many not involved in the disability advocacy community might not […]
