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What is Home Health Care? - Our team of health care professionals work with clients of all ages and their families to develop a traditional physician-directed (skilled) or client-directed (unskilled) care plan, or a mix of both if you qualify. We offer our clients control over how and when they receive these services. Our Caregivers The IC also offers an excellent […]
Know Your Rights With Your Service Animals - by Nikki Stewart Colorado Assistance Animal Law- Part 2 In the second part of our “Know Your Rights With Your Service Animal” series we take a look at the Colorado Assistance Animal Law. Where does the ADA allow my animal access? Access for service animals and emotional support/assistance animals permitted with penalties […]
Community Organizing – Making a Difference - Have you ever wondered how a community bands together to address an issue affecting the people living there, and change the things that aren’t working for them? In most cases, change comes from understanding the issues and dynamics of power within a community, and assertively advocating for the necessary changes. This process is usually advanced […]
Recovering from a Spinal Cord Injury - by Carrie Baatz Most of us only get so far in life before we encounter events that challenge us – or even break us. When these events happen, they have a way of changing what we thought we knew. Oftentimes, those of us in the disability community have unique perspectives because we have faced […] Know Your Rights With Your Service Animals - by Nikki Stewart Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – Part 1 In the state of Colorado, we have four laws which address service animals. We will cover each of these laws as an overview within this series. It is important when owning a service animal to fully understand your rights and how each of […]
Know Your Sources for Accessible Emergency Alerts - by Michelle West When it comes to being ready for an emergency, the best advice we can give is plan! One aspect of that is knowing HOW you are going to get your information. There are several options available: TV: Ensure you are turned into a credible source. The IC is working with local news […]
ADA – Celebrating Progress in the Pikes Peak Region - On July 26th, The Independence Center celebrated our 3rd annual ADA celebration luncheon with members of the community and numerous consumers from The IC. Team members told stories of their experiences working to improve the lives of the consumers who they serve, and the audience left with a better understanding of the meaningful work that […]
Disability Etiquette for People With Disabilities - by Michelle West Traumatic Brain Injury, Part 4 In this final post of the TBI series on traumatic brain injuries, The Independence Center will summarize the statistics found on the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website regarding traumatic brain injuries. (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/) Disability etiquette starts with understanding where the other person is coming from […] 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 […]
