I Linå'lå-ta, OUR LIFE August 13, 2013 • Vol. 7, Issue 3 Administration on Intellectual Developmental Disabilities Tri-Agency Pages 1-2 GSAT: Bringing Assistive Technology to the Community by Carla Torres The Guam System for Assistive Technology (GSAT) runs a comprehensive, statewide program focused on improving access of Assistive Technology (AT) that is user-responsive. Being responsive to our customers is what GSAT strives to be! Whether it be learning how to maximize the use of a tablet or helping an individual _ gure out how to get around the barriers within their home, GSAT responds to island residents’ challenges with the determination to see them through it. Ray Barcinas is a UOG student who uses a BrailleNote device for word processing and internet access. When he misplaced his device’s charger, he came to GSAT for help. He utilized GSAT’s charger in the interim until he was able to purchase a replacement. Ray also came to GSAT to connect his BrailleNote to a monitor, creating a visual display for the sighted person providing him academic assistance. Whether the need is big or small, GSAT is always available to keep an individual moving forward with their technology. When Linda Leon Guerrero received her new tablet, she knew that she could call on the friendly staff at GSAT to help her learn how to use it to make video calls. Linda had a great desire to learn this, for there were extra special people on the other side of the calls that were as eager to see and hear from her as she was from them. Linda’s grown sons don’t live on island anymore; one son lives in Korea, and the other in Georgia. Needless to say, it has been a really hard and sad time since they’ve moved away. Being able to see one another and have a face to face conversation, as opposed to only hearing each other’s voices, has really helped to cut the physical distance between this mother and her sons. Seeing the joy on Linda’s face as she made that _ rst call to her son reminded Leah Abelon, GSAT Center Assistant, how valuable her work at GSAT really is. When the Unpingco’s built their house, the staircase leading to their front entrance was a deliberate design choice that they never imagined would keep them from welcoming anyone into their home, especially their mother. However, after Geri Unpingco’s mother became a wheelchair user, that is exactly what happened. Through a device loan from GSAT, the Unpingco family now use the Garaventa Stair Trac device to transport their mother in and out of their home, avoiding the physical toll on family members to carry her up and down those stairs and providing greater dignity for their mother. Carla Torres, AT & Special Projects Program Coordinator, stated that, “GSAT is about technology. But more than that,“ she continued, “it is about how technology is used to improve, enhance, and support the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families.” Photos with captions: Page 1: Ray Barcinas, UOG student, connects his BrailleNote to a monitor at the GSAT AT Center. With the visual display, Eric Depamaylo, AmeriCorps member, can see and assist Ray with his academic assignments. Page 2: Linda Leon Guerrero learned to use Skype on her tablet with the help of Leah Abelon, AT Center Assistant. Now Linda keeps in touch with her sons in Korea and Georgia through video calls, making the experience all the more delightful! Bottom photos: Ray Unpingco has an easier time getting his mother-in-law Maria Mesa in and out of their home with the loan of the Garaventa Stair Trac from GSAT. Page 3 Personal Reflections By Rebecca Eclavea If you have an understanding family– dealing with your disability is easier. Sometimes their patience may run out. Dealing with my disorder, is like a figurative cross to bear. I learned the hard way that the best thing in dealing with my disability is to love myself. It can be tremendously difficult at points. When you are manic, everything is up, up, up. I’m floating through delusional clouds and self-proclaimed importance. Inevitably I go down; isolate myself from the world because I’m scared of the judgement from my embarrassing manic episodes. I forget to love myself and am crushingly insecure, wondering, “Am I pretty?” “Can anyone love me with my condition? I’ll be the first to admit that I can be unstable. I’m constantly balancing normality and my condition. People with mood disorders hardly tell anyone that they have a condition. The judgement will be there. The stigma of my condition scares most people. The media depicts those with mood disorders as violent and malevolent in their thoughts and actions. It only makes sense, right? They have to be crazy to do that! I don’t think so. I believe everyone, disabled or not, is capable of understanding and practicing morals. What stops me and fellow individuals with mood disorders? Medicine? Perhaps. That helps. What really helps is compassion for yourself and others. Photo of Rebecca Eclavea Negative Emotion is a Choice By Maria Bontogon Emotions sometimes get the better of us, but it doesn’t have to be that way! I may be a kid, but not too young to know there’s neither West nor East, breed nor border exempted from acts of violence– bullying, hatred, crimes or war. Locally, we celebrate Independence Day and Liberation Day in July, commemorating peace and freedom. But why do people go through war, only to suffer from various diseases, acquire disabilities, and end with devastating loss of property and precious lives in the First place? Violence is a social disorder deeply rooted from negative emotion. When nothing seems to go right, we feel unfocused… weighted down by weariness, frustration or anger. For some, what makes them tick can trigger devastating consequences. By instinct, humans can walk in other people’s shoes to empathize, but why does empathy easily get lost when anger occurs? Do we have choice of control over negative emotion? It’s a fact– humans are evolved, gifted with will power to choose between right and wrong, choosing a unified society versus a chaotic one. Emblems of modern life exist through technological revolution via complex machines that enable us to zoom anywhere. Cell phones, internet, Wi-Fi, instant messaging, and tweets are evidence of humanity’s intelligence. These are stunning revelations of how we can make our brain work for us, shape it by a_ ecting cells throughout our bodies, down to the level of our genes impacting our emotion– for good. According to neuroscientists, yes… we have a choice to control negative emotions! Meaning we have the abilities needed to positively transform our negative thinking and feelings or undisciplined social behavior. By learning emotional literacy at early stage of life, nurturing strong community sense, social etiquette, and empathy skills, we can reduce negativity, aggression, misunderstanding, and anti-social behavior. Learning how to keep our cool in any situation can produce better decisions. No doubt we all want to achieve positive growth and excellence for maximum living. But excellence doesn’t happen overnight, I tell you! It comes from hard work, purpose, passion, consistency and commitment. With the right attitude and mind set, we can reshape the world! Photo with caption: (L-R): Carla Torres, Guam CEDDERS AT Specialist, and Maria Bontogon, Self-Advocate and soon-to-be Senior at Simon Sanchez High School, celebrate a major accomplishment: Maria recently, for the first time, downloaded a book independently from Bookshare.org, an online library for individuals who have visual and print disabilities, onto her BrailleNote assistive technology device. Page 4 Text in a colored box: Top 10 Survival Tips for By Rebecca Eclavea 1. Believe in yourself. Don’t let society define you. You have a disability, you’re not crazy. 2. Let go of your past mistakes and learn from it. No one is perfect, even those without conditions. 3. Pick up a hobby. This way you won’t be second-guessing yourself all the time. 4. Be passionate. Passion, to me, is what gets me going when I’m in my low moods. 5. Write. Write about your dreams. Write about your day: the good, the bad and the ugly. This will give you peace, in a way that only self-reflection can. 6. Go outside! We live in a tropical paradise. It’s scientifically proven that UV rays help with depression. 7. Be passionate. Passion, to me, is what gets me going when I’m in my low moods. 8. Read a good book. Reading is the oldest escapism. So, pick up a book and get lost in another world; a world unlike your own. 9. Don’t put up with toxic people. No one deserves to be treated like they are second-rate. You’re worth more than that, and if you don’t believe it, START! 10. Love. There is nothing more amazing than love. Let your heart swell with happiness. Let yourself love FULLY. Love yourself, love others and love life. JOB Poetry by Gian Magana Photo of Gian Magana Hello, everyone like us needs a job A job that we can work for a stipend. There is no easy way to get a job But we’ll have to wait for your time. To get a job You need to amass talents To get a job You may see a “help wanted” sign To get a job You need to fill an application To get a job You dress casually or nicely for an interview These are four simple steps In order to win a job Why do we need to follow these steps? In case you didn’t know You might see people with disabilities in a job and also being seen in media. Oh, yes abilities do play a vital role on the job Even if you have a disability Say that you have an ability Everyone applying for a job Should not be discriminated by anybody regardless of their marital status, race, disability, and ethnicity. Sometimes you can just ask for an application but sometimes you have to wait for a paper that says “job opening.” There is a victory when we hunt for a job In conclusion, to achieve this victory, it’s by matter of chance of getting a job. Everyone should be humble when you get a job Don’t give up if you didn’t get a job Try and try again until you get it But you should be prepared. In a Job you will be like in a classroom where you will do your duties requested by the manager. I have to end this by one quote, “Never underestimate yourself when you are in an interview for a job.” Page 5 Exploring Career Opportunities By Maria Bontogon Most often than not, when new graduates get together, finding a job is the hottest topic on the menu. To leap into a foreign world of work crowded with today’s web-empowered systems is a pulse-pumping and intimidating situation… especially for people with unique needs. So to start a foundation, I need to explore the workplace culture. My thoughts are racing with burning career questions: How do I even get my foot in the door? How am I suppose to perform my job? Or how will I conquer the able-bodied business world? But still, eager to feel how it is being in a workplace… approach it with enthusiasm and build valuable relationships to achieve professional goals. Unable to get into AHRD’s work program, Ms. Terry, the Public Library Manager opened the door to welcome a work explorer like me through the effort of Mr. Allan San Nicolas (Transition Dept.). Thanks to their assistance. On my first working day at the Barrigada Public Library, it felt like my knees were turning into jelly! But I needed to face the challenge. Upon entering the library, the Supervisor-- Ms. Cindy Ignacio greeted me and introduced me to everybody. Ms. Irish gave me a tour of the place. Their welcoming attitude helped ease my anxiety. I participated in various learning opportunities…assisted with arranging catalogue cards, cutting papers for kids’ art projects and being a receptionist—receiving phone calls while assisting library patrons. Being one of the book readers to a group of kids who signed up for the summer reading program, a worthy cause that benefits the young population, is another thing that I really enjoyed. The professionalism and upbeat attitude of Ms. Cindy, Gina, Irish, and Paul make up for a strong sense of teamwork, and I could say the same thing about the Agana team as well. They were serious, yet happy, driven, yet able to add a healthy dose of fun and jokes into their routine. These work habits were contagious and promoted productivity. Beyond learning and acquiring hands-on work experience, participating in their literacy program even in the Agana branch was indeed fantastic! This experience made me also realize that the number one weapon in the arsenal of work is education. And that’s what I plan to do-- invest more in studying to help empower myself and be ready next time in real work. Photo with caption: Maria Bontogon, (background in blue shirt), reads a story to visitors at the Barrigada Public Library as part of her summer job duties. Maria, a high school student and Self-Advocate, uses a BrailleNote assistive technology device to carry out her job responsibilities. Page 6 Photos with captions: Guam Self-Advocates Share Knowledge with CNMI On March 14 & 15, 2013, SiñA Facilitators Andrew and Lynn Tydingco, under the mentorship of Ginger Porter from Guam CEDDERS, conducted self-advocacy training on the campus of the College of the Northern Marianas in Saipan. The collaborative effort between self-advocates supported the development of core team leaders for a Self-Advocacy Summer Camp held in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in July. In May of 2013, the core CNMI leadership team took their training to Saipan’s high school and enlisted 11 new members in Voices of the Marianas, CNMI’s new Self-Advocacy organization. Standing (L-R): Claudia Magofna, Evander Iderbei, Lynn Tydingco, Pam Sablan, JJ Stephen, Relina Ripis, Floyd Masga, Alvin Tagabuel, Andrew Tydingco, Ed Rabauliman, Emiterio Fitial, Ray Diaz, Ruth Pangelinan, Ginger Porter, and Les Ogumoro-Uludong. Seated (L-R): Estella Cabaobas, Rosa Pahnos, Resimin Ripis, Jameel Islam, Rudy Atalig, and John Demapan. SRC Hosts Training on Robert’s Rules of Order Robert’s rules! Guam CEDDERS collaborated with the Guam Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council and the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC), to provide training on Robert’s Rules of Order to members of the SRC on May 16 and May 23 at the request of the Council Chair. After the presentation and a series of Q&A with discussion following, Council members stated that they were more comfortable with using the rules in order to conduct more efficient meetings. Shown at the May 16th session is: Front Row (L-R): Presenter Ginger Porter, Guam CEDDERS; Sarah Leon Guerrero, SRC, Presenter Lynn Tydingco, SRC; Lou Mesa, SRC Chair; Kasinda Ludwig, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; Rosanne Ada, Executive Director, DD Council; Roberta Perez, SRC. Back Row (L-R): Benito Servino, Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Director; John Payne, SRC; Kavita Faasuamalie, SRC; Tim Murphy, SRC; Edmund Cruz, Client Assistance Program; and Peter Blas, SRC. Page 7 Recent Guam Developmental Disabilities Council Activities July 8, 2013 - The 2013 Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) Technical Assistance (TA) Institute theme “Increasing Impact” was chosen by the members of the FY 2013 ITACC Project Advisory Committee’s TA Planning Sub-Committee in which Erlinda Tydingco, GDDC Chairperson was involved in as recommended by Rosanne Ada, Executive Director. The impact that a DD Council has in a state or territory is the measurable change within communities that is achieved through DD Council initiatives, which further promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion system wide. Increasing impact means achieving measurable outcomes that have a greater effect than previous results reported by each state and territorial DD Council. The TA focused on how the executive director, staff and Council members can increase their impact within their state or territory through: a) Engaging in opportunities to be a part of key state and community level conversations, b) Achieving quality outcomes, and c) Enhancing communication methods. July 9-10, 2013 - The 2013 National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) Annual Conference theme was “Mission Possible” - advancing expectations invour communities and demand integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities and related issues such as transition from school to work or college. The program included a mix of keynote addresses, panel discussions and breakout sessions that featured a wide array of experts, including leaders from the federal government, state Councils and other agencies, and the private sector. This was an opportunity to learn, share ideas and resources, and network with friends and colleagues. Guam DD Council (L-R): Marie Libria, Program Coordinator, Erlinda Tydingco, Chairperson, Sharon Lewis, Commissioner, and Rosanne Ada, Executive Director. The Guam Developmental Disabilities Council (GDDC) Executive Committee Meeting was held on April 17 at the GDDC Conference room. Discussion included: State Plan implementation, Program Performance Report, Amendments to the By-Laws, AIDD TA Institute, NACDD Conference, Employment Conference, and Sequestration. Photo (L-R): Erlinda Tydingco- Chairperson, Hank Parker-Cross Cutting Committee Chairperson, Carol Darlow-Children & Family Committee Chairperson, Esther Arca-1st Vice-Chairperson, Josephine Cortez-Secretary, Rosanne Ada, Executive Director, and Evelyn Duenas, 2nd Vice-Chairperson. Members and guests review documents during the May 15th DDC General Membership meeting held at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. Guam DD Council representatives posed with their counterparts from American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, and Hawaii during 2013 NACDD Conference held on July 9 - 10. Acknowledgement: I Linå'lå-ta is a newsletter published and funded through an Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) Tri-Agency partnership comprised of Guam Developmental Disabilities Council (Guam DDC), Guam Legal Services Corporation - Disability Law Center (GLSC-DLC), and the University of Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, & Service (UOG CEDDERS). Comments may be sent to: Guam CEDDERS Office of Academic & Student Affairs University of Guam, UOG Station Mangilao, Guam 96923 Phone: 735-2480/1 Fax: 734-5709 TTY: 734-6531 Email: terrie.fejarang@guamcedders.org Guam DDC Executive Director: Rosanne Ada GLSC-DLC Director: Harold Parker, Esq. UOG CEDDERS Director: Heidi San Nicolas, Ph.D. Editors: Ginger Porter, Terrie Fejarang Layout & Design: Sean Lizama This issue of I Linå'lå-ta was made possible by contributions from the following individuals: Rebecca Eclavea, Marie Libria, Gian Magana, Ginger Porter, Erlinda Tydingco & Heather Zimmerman. Alternative formats (e.g. Braille, large print, audio tapes, or electronic file) of I Linå'lå-ta will be made available upon request. Please contact Margaret Johnson at 735-2477 (v) or 734-6531 (TTY), or email: margie.johnson@guamcedders.org for more information. The University of Guam is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Page 8 Photo with caption: The Guam Developmental Disabilities Council (GDDC) conducted the Disability Sensitivity Awareness Workshop on May 23, 2013 at the Department of Administration, Training and Development Room. The goal of the training is to improve services by providing participants with an understanding and awareness of the issues surrounding disability, including: An overview of relevant anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation, and general and specific information on disabilities, perceptual awareness exercises and disability etiquette. Photo (L-R): FrancesScott Perez, Guam Memorial Hospital Authority (GMHA), Jennifer Sevilla, GMHA, Rodelia Mandapat, GMHA, Darlene Blas, UOG, Marie Tedtaotao-Libria, GDDC, Pearl Cruz, GMHA, Robert Darlow, Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA), Joann Iseri, GHURA, Frances Cruz, GHURA, Teresita Quenga, GHURA, Toni Villavicencio, GMHA, Angela Iglesias, GHURA, Sebastian Quenga, GHURA, Remedios Taitague, GHURA, Joyleen Debibar, GHURA, and Greg Calvo. Announcement: The Program for Protection and Advocacy for Individuals Rights (PAIR), Developmental Disabilities (PADD, and Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIM) with Guam Legal Services Corporation Disability Law Center (GLSC-DLC) will be holding a Public Input Session on Proposed Goals and Objectives for FY2014 Saturday, September 14, 2013, 9:00a.m. to 11:00a.m., Sinajana Community Center. The proposed Goals & Objectives are now available for public review. To request a copy, request reasonable accommodations, or for more information, please contact GLSC-DLC, Telephone no. 477-9811, TDD/TTY: 477-3416. Written comments will be accepted until September 23, 2013 at 113 Bradley Place, Agana Or via email at information@guamlsc.org. This publication is made possible by the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD), the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals Rights (PAIR) and the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) programs at Guam Legal Services * Disability Law Center, funded respectively by grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for children and Families, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.