Is an event happening in your area that would be of interest to
persons with disabilities as well as family and friends? Let us know!

Keep checking back for new current events as this page will be updated
on a regular basis.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program?? Under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), the Governor's Council on Developmental
Disabilities must make a reasonable accommodation to allow a person
with a disability to take part in a program, service, or activity. For
example, this means that if necessary, the Council must provide sign
language interpreters for people who are deaf, a wheelchair accessible
location, or enlarged print materials. It also means that the Council will
take any other reasonable action that allows you to take part in and
understand a program or activity, including making reasonable changes to
an activity. If you believe that you will not be able to understand or take
part in a program or activity because of your disability, please let us
know of your disability needs in advance if at all possible. This document
is available in alternative formats by contacting 602-277-4986.

Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
3839 N. 3rd St., Ste 306
Phoenix, AZ 85012





College Scholarships for Individuals with Parents with Disabilities

In recognition of the more than nine million parents with disabilities in
the U.S. and their families, Through the Looking Glass (TLG), non-profit
organization, is pleased to announce the 2006 College Scholarship Fund
specifically for graduating high school seniors who have parents with
disabilities.

Scholarships funds are available to graduating high school students who:

1. demonstrate academic and personal achievement;
2. have grown up with at least one parent with a disability; and
3. will be a high school graduate or graduating senior by Summer 2006

Up to ten separate $1,000 awards will be given out in Summer 2006. These
awards are one of several projects of Through the Looking Glass' National
Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities. This National Center is funded
by the National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation (NIDRR),
U.S. Department of Education.

More information and application forms are available on Through the Looking
Glass' website: www.lookingglass.org Forms may also be requested by calling
1-800-644-2666.

Founded in 1982, Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is a nationally recognized
center that has pioneered research, training, and services for families in which
a child, parent or grandparent has a disability. Since 1998, TLG has been funded
by NIDRR as the National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities. The
overall goal of this national center is: To increase knowledge regarding
parenting with a disability and support more accessible and disability-appropriate
resources for diverse parents with disabilities and their children. The Center's
services and activities include: national toll-free information and referral;
technical assistance and consultations; professional trainings, workshops and
presentations; national library and resources clearinghouse; publications and
training modules; a national parent-to-parent network of parents with disabilities;
international newsletter; website and bulletin boards; and regional and statewide
systems development.

If anyone who is dually eligible (AHCCCS/Medicare),is having difficulties
getting their prescriptions filled, PLEASE have them call Az Center for
Disability Law at 1-800-927-2260 for assistance.

ACDL is tracking and documenting these issues and will provide assistance
to individuals to obtain their medications. Please feel free to pass on this
information to any community organizations, vendors or others.

Citizens Health Care Working Group

Starting this month, community meetings are scheduled around the country to
jumpstart a nationwide public debate on the health care system. NACHC is urging
CHCs and PCAs to take part. The community meetings are being organized by the
Citizens Health Care Working Group (CHCWG). The CHCWG was established through
legislation sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). The
organization was created to act as both a mediator and liaison for a nationwide
public debate on the health care system. It will receive recommendations from
citizens across the country and relay them to the President and to Congress. You
can find out where and when a meeting is happening near you by visiting
http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov.

The Governor's Council on Spinal and Head Injuries has agreed to sponsor
26 registrants. The Social and Recreation Committee will create a selection
process for the scholarships. You may also register online at www.azspinal.org,
click on the Calendar section and scroll to the month of May. Click on the event
name and that will walk you through registration. For more information please
call the office. Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association, 901 E Willetta St #2306,
Phoenix, AZ 85006 Phone: 602-239-5929, Fax: 602-239-6268,
E-mail: info@azspinal.org.
We're on the Web! www.azspinal.org

New AzSCIA Web site!!
If you have not yet done so, please visit the newly designed web site at
www.azspinal.org

Pilot Parents of Southern Arizona announces:

PARTNERS IN POLICYMAKING

A FREE leadership training for self advocates and parents of children
with disabilities!!

Click HERE for
information and application. (Adobe Reader required).

Possibly exciting information for you artists!

The AZ Small Business Association has offered for survivors of brain injury
to exhibit at their upcoming conference. We are looking for survivors who paint,
media art, photography, sculpture, etc. to exhibit. I am hoping that we will get
enough interest from survivors to start an annual art show to display their work.
Attached is an information flier for a meeting concerning the exhibit. Please feel
free to forward, or distribute to people who may be interested or know someone
who may be interested.

For the flier - Click Here!

Mattie Cummins
Executive Director
Brain Injury Association of Arizona
4250 E. Camelback Rd., K-280
Phoenix, AZ 85018
602-508-8024
www.biaaz.org

Service Animal Study

I study about service animals (the generic term of the dogs that work for
people with disabilities) at Laboratory of Human and Animals Interaction,Azabu
University in Japan. There are approximately 300,000 people with visual
disabilities, 350,000 people with hearing disabilities, and 1,650,000 people
with mobility impairments in Japan. Among them, people who want to have their
service animals are counted as about 5,000 for guide dogs (the dogs for people
with visual disabilities), 15,000 for service dogs (the dogs for people with
impaired mobility), 6,000 individuals for hearing dogs (the dogs for people with
hearing disabilities). However there’re only 948 guide dogs (in July of 2004),
and only 23 service dogs and 10 hearing dogs are in service (December 2004).
The service animals aren’t enough and they aren’t popularized in Japan. There are
some reasons why the service animals don’t catch on in this country: a low
recognition of the service animals in Japan, the lack of service animals’
trainers and their training ability, and unclear understanding of the people
with disabilities toward the service animals. Among them, the awareness`of the
people with disabilities toward the service animals hasn’t been researched well.
However to understand the people with disabilities’ attitudes toward service
animals is essential to familiarize the dogs in Japan without being restricted
to the general public's idea and so that people with disabilities who have
service animals can participate in society equally and live their own lives.
I am presenting here a questionnaire for people with disabilities (especially
people with mobility impairments) in the US, where service animals are
familiarized and in Japan, where they aren’t. From these results I’m going to
reveal the differences of awareness and attitudes toward service animals between
the Japanese and Americans, and find out the means to increase the popularity of
service animals in Japan.

Click HERE to take
the Survey! Copy and Paste completed Survey form and submit by email to
the email address below.

If you have any questions on this survey, please contact me.

ACCESS TO TRANSIT FOR ALL

Come discuss how to improve access to public transit at the 2007 National Youth Transit Talk. The Talk will be held July 27-28, 2007 in Washington, DC. Young leaders with disabilities will have a chance to network with national leaders and public officials, and other active young leaders from across the country.

Goals

This Talk is part of an ongoing effort to bring together transit system providers and the disability community. Adding Young voices to our talks gives youth a chance to share their experience and ideas on how to improve access to public transit. Transit system providers include bus, motor coaches, paratransit, rail and taxis. Young Leaders will

PLEASE NOTE:

SAVE THE DATE!!

“FAIR HOUSING IN THE TRENCHES”

A must-attend fair housing seminar designed for real estate agents, HOA boards and managers, and rental property owners, managers and leasing staff. Learn how to identify and prevent housing discrimination.

Hear a victim’s real-life experience with housing discrimination Vignettes based upon actual Arizona fair housing cases with analysis by a panel of industry and government experts and audience discussion; Assistive animal presentation and demonstration

*The Arizona Fair Housing Partnership is a statewide coalition of real estate and rental housing trade associations, government agencies, social service organizations and housing advocates who support and promote fair housing.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting Monica Schulik at: (602) 248-7787. Requests should be made as early as possible to arrange the accommodation.