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Forwarded for your information.

It's from Sweden.

Frankhb
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[log in to unmask] wrote:

> INSTITUTE ON INDEPENDENT LIVING NEWSLETTER 4/99
> ==================================================
>
> Personal Assistance
> ----------------------------
>
> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> Anti-discrimination legislation stipulating universal design in
> construction, transportation and equal opportunities in education and
> employment meets only some of the needs for those of us who have
> extensive disabilities and depend on personal assistance in their
> everyday lives. To get on the bus, we first have to get out of bed. And
> if you cannot do this by yourself, you will need help from somebody. If
> we do not want to depend on relatives or volunteers, then most of us
> will need money from other sources to pay for personal assistance.
>
> Some of us claim that in a completely non-discriminatory society we
> would be able to earn our living and pay for our assistive devices and
> personal assistance ourselves. Maybe, if you earn a lot and labor is
> cheap where you live. I don't earn $100,000 a year and I don't know that
> many assistance users who do. That's about how much my 15 hours/day of
> assistance costs in Sweden.  $100,000 for assistance still doesn't pay
> the mortgage or the groceries. Without my disability I would not make
> that much money either - my interests lie elsewhere -  why should it be
> easier with a disability?
>
> How should this be organized to best meet our needs? Through tax-funded
> schemes, mandatory private insurance or something in between?  Who
> should be the employer of your assistants: the local government, a
> charity, a private corporation, or you yourself?  Whom do you want to
> work for you: trained nurses, ex-convicts, female body builders with a
> degree in rehabilitation psychology? Can we learn how to recruit better
> assistants? How can you get the best quality work from your assistants?
>
> We try to address these and many other questions in our Personal
> Assistance Network, and in our constantly growing collection of
> documents, legal texts, training manuals and other resources.  Join our
> network and share your experience and insights with other assistance
> users. At http://www.independentliving.org/PANetwork
>
> Adolf D. Ratzka, Ph.D.
> Institute on Independent Living
>
> [note: long URLs may have to be copied and pasted into your browser's
> address (location) bar.]
>
> **************************************************
> Personal Assistance Network
> http://www.independentliving.org/PANetwork
> **************************************************
> The Personal Assistance Network provides information, examples of good
> practice, advice and support for people with extensive disabilities and
> their organizations so that they can improve their posibilities to:
> - live and work in society with personal assistance
> - function as employers for their assistants
> - support one another in these functions
> - organize themselves in a user cooperative for personal assistance
> - work politically for  direct payments
>
> **************************************************
> Independent Living Virtual Library - Personal Assistance
> http://www.independentliving.org/Library/Library_Contents17.html
> **************************************************
>
> Under the sub-heading "Personal Assitance" in our on-line Library,
> you'll find over 80 texts on Definitions & ideology; Country profiles;
> Examples of good practice; Financing issues; Legal issues; Research &
> evaluation; and Training issues.
>
> Here are just a few titles:
>
> Attendant Care, Position Paper
> A description of private and publicly funded attendant care (personal
> assistance) programs in Australia, especially within the province of New
> South Wales, including recommendations for the local/national
> governments.
> http://www.independentliving.org/LibArt/pa/australia.html
>
> The ABCs of hiring PCAs
> Personal care attendant work pays little, and much of the work is menial
> - so the search for caring, competent, reliable people is arduous.
> Karen Breisky relates to her own experiences in offering tips for hiring
> assistants.
> http://www.independentliving.org/LibArt/breisky.html
>
> Gateshead Personal Assistance Pilot Project: a guide to self-assessment
> The Guide provides information and advice to disabled people who wish to
> live independently by using personal assistance. The Guide focusses on
> assessing your needs.
> http://www.independentliving.org/LibArt/Gateshead1.html
>
> We publish texts about your organization, its mission and activities,
> achievements, needs and plans in our full-text virtual Library. To have
> something published on our site, free of charge, contact
> http://www.independentliving.org/Publish.html
>
> **************************************************
> State of the art in personal assistance services in your country
> http://www.independentliving.org/PANetwork/questionnaire.html
> **************************************************
> Contribute to our international survey.
>
> The Institute, as part of its Personal Assistance Network project,
> compiles examples of good practice in personal assistance from around
> the world in order to further the state of the art in this area.  This
> questionnaire is used to describe personal assistance services in your
> country, with an example from Sweden provided..
>
> **************************************************
> Assistant Referral Service
> http://www.independentliving.org/assex/index.html
> **************************************************
> Many persons with extensive disabilities use employed workers for such
> daily tasks as getting bathed and dressed, shopping, driving their car
> or anything else which they cannot do by themselves.
>
> Our ambition is to match assistance users and assistants in their
> hometown, within their country or in other parts of the world.  For
> example, if you as an assistance user plan to take a trip abroad, you
> might want to put in an ad offering a position in the city you will be
> visiting.  In this case, you might want to use English.  If you need an
> assistant in your hometown, use your own language.  In this case it is
> easier to match your request.
>
> Assistance users can find assistants through the Personal Assistance
> Exchange, while assistants can regularly check the site for job
> openings.
>
> **************************************************
> Discussion Forums
> http://www.independentliving.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/indliv/forum/bbs_entrance.cgi
> **************************************************
> Current threads under the Personal Assistance Forum are:
>
> - Is purpose-built housing for people with disabilities
> "ghetto-ization"?
> - Are there any Independent Living organisations in Menorca, Spain?
> - I need assistance for my mother who lives in Andover, Ohio.
>
> Regardless of what you have on your mind, you'll find an appropriate
> discussion forum that allows you direct contact with the thousands of
> visitors to our site each month. Among the variety of themes such as
> human rights; personal assistance; and relationships, sexuality &
> family, there is also one for personal assistance.
>
> **************************************************
> Books on Personal Assistance
> http://barnesandnoble.bfast.com/booklink/click?sourceid=256763&is_search=Y&keyword=disability+personal+assistance&match=exact&options=and
> **************************************************
> The Institute's Bookstore offers a selection of books directly related
> to personal assistance.
>
> If you've recently read a book you think is relevant to the Institute
> and would like to offer a short review, please contact our webmaster.
>
> **************************************************
> New "Events" section
> http://www.independentliving.org/news.html
> **************************************************
> Send us information about your meeting, conference, protest action or
> whatever. We'll keep it posted until the date of the event, and, if
> appropriate, follow it up with a text in our Library. Contact Kris
> Walmsley at mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> **************************************************
> The previous newsletter
> -----------------------------
> Our previous newsletter on Networking increased traffic on the
> Institute's website, and helped put people in touch with other groups
> and individuals.  Especially popular was the list of Centers for
> Independent Living (CILs or ILCs).  We've updated and added to this
> list, but are dependent on you to keep us informed of changes.  This is
> also true of the Links page.  Check if your website is listed correctly,
> and get in touch with us.
>
> The Disability Organizations Network (DisOrgNet) now has over 190
> organizations from around the world offering information to partner
> organizations for joint projects, events, sharing resource persons for
> lectures, training or technical assistance, for study visits,
> internships or other cooperation including funding.  Add your
> organization now at:
> http://www.independentliving.org/donet/index.html
>
> Coming issues of the newsletter
> --------------------------------------
> In upcoming newsletters we take up themes such as Universal Design and
> Assistive Technology. These issues determine to a large degree the
> quality of our every day life. In order to improve our situation,
> individually and as a group, nationally and internationally, we need
> better information about legislation, financing, design solutions and
> user support. Send your articles, references to useful source of
> information, reviews, etc. to mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> **************************************************
> Don't forget to visit our other on-line services
> **************************************************
>
> Accessible Vacation Home Exchange
> http://www.independentliving.org/VacationHomeSwap.html
> Swap your home during your next vacation with somebody in such
> destinations as France, Egypt the UK or Canada. We have nearly 100
> attractive offers waiting for you! Our base of participants list the
> accessible features of their homes and dates they wish to travel.
>
> Get published
> http://www.independentliving.org/Publish.html
> Expose your articles, reports, training manuals or other resources to
> disabled people, researchers, service providers, government officials
> and policymakers all over the world.
>
> ==================================================
> You are receiving this mail either because you registered directly with
> the Institute, or because of your apparent interest in independent
> living or disability issues.
>
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>
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>
> If you need to get in contact with the owner of the list, (if you have
> trouble unsubscribing, or have questions about the list itself) send
> email to
> <[log in to unmask]>.
>
> © 1999 Institute on Independent Living
> http://www.independentliving.org
>
> Dr. Adolf Ratzka, Director
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> Terry Skehan, Administrator
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> Kris Walmsley, Webmaster
> mailto:[log in to unmask]


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