Happy 2nd Anniversary to “A View from My Window”

December 22nd, 2011 by


“Everyone deserves to not have that disability define them.
They just need that window to sort of open up 
and for them to see themselves as an individual
instead  of someone with a disability.”

So began the first show of Michelle Fischer’s audio cast, A View from My Window, on December 22, 2009 – two years ago today!  Happy Anniversary Michelle, and thanks from The Arc for sharing your wonderful gifts with your audience.

Listen in to Michelle’s first show, Introducing A View from My Window, and then check out a few of Michelle’s shows from the past two years.

Michelle Fischer, Host, A View from My Window,
on location at Special Olympics Indiana
Listen in to, A View into Special Olympics Indiana with Mike Furnish

 

 Listen in to Michelle’s personal reflection, A View into Building My Career Pathway

 

Michelle and The Arc Master Trust Director Melissa Justice
Listen in to, A View into The Arc Master Trust  and  A View into Trust II

 


Michelle and her Mother, Gail Fischer
Learn more about Michelle, watch Michelle’s Story

 Michelle and State Representative Sheila Klinker
Listen in to, A View into the DD Commission

 

Michelle and Melody and Joe Cooper
Listen in to, From Day Dreamer to Dream Catcher

 

Michelle and her personal photo from Anderson Cooper
Listen in to, Thank You Anderson Cooper!

 

Michelle and INARF Executive Director Jim Hammond
Listen in to, 2011 INARF Conference, A View from Jim Hammond and Jill Dunn

 

Michelle and the WISH-TV News Team

 

Michelle and her A View from My Window team, Producer Sally Morris and Sound Engineer Bryce Dickerson.

Michelle, it has been a great two years!  You are more than a joy to work with, and we can’t wait to see what the years to come bring!

Sally Morris is The Arc of Indiana’s Assistant Director of Public Relations



Making Every Day Independence Day!

July 1st, 2011 by

The Arc of Indiana wishes you a happy, safe, relaxing, fun Independence Day!  Celebrating Independence 

Earlier this week, we received a postcard, pictured here, from Wabash Center, an associated organization of The Arc that provides programs and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Lafayette, celebrating the special meaning of Independence Day to people with disabilities.  What a great message to share. 

Thanks to our local Arcs, volunteers, direct support professionals, advocates, families and individuals with I/DD for all that you do to help make every day Independence Day!

Sally Morris is the Assistant Director of Public Relations for The Arc of Indiana



Blogging Offers an Opportunity to Share and Connect

June 24th, 2011 by

By Cris Goode
www.GOODEnessGracious.com

Cris Goode

Are you someone that has a loved one with a disability, or someone with a disability who wants to connect , share information, resources and insight with others – including those who share the same disability, others with disabilities, and those who might seek to understand more about people with disabilities? 

Or, perhaps you might be frustrated with the status of services and how you or your loved ones are viewed and treated.  

Or you are looking for a platform to share a unique area of knowledge or point of view, or to just have a creative outlet?

Blogs and social media now offer you the power that once only belonged to the media. You now have the ability to make your own stories and news for your own audience and sometimes that even translates into traditional media attention as well.

In a time where the world is so busy and disconnected, blogging offers people with disabilities and their loved ones the opportunity to actively connect and engage with hundreds, thousands and sometimes millions of readers with their own voice.  A personal blog that shares a family’s story, including how disabilities touch their lives, provides you the opportunity to put a face to a disability for those who may not otherwise understand. And, perhaps even more importantly it holds the potential to offer support, knowledge and resources to others who share the same needs from someone they can relate to and trust.

So, what is a blog? Blogs, or web-logs as they were first known, are simply websites on the internet that contains an author’s regular journal-like entries or “posts” of commentary, photographs, links, etc. regarding the subject or subjects of the blogger’s choice.

Many websites online offer you free space and tools to create your own blog and begin building a network of bloggers and readers to regularly engage. Some of the more popular sites with free options are Blogger (www.blogger.com ), WordPress (www.wordpress.com ) and Tumblr (www.tumblr.com ). Most beginner users find Blogger to be an easy to learn site with flexibility to meet their needs as they grow. Advanced tech savvy users sometimes enjoy the horsepower of WordPress more. Tumblr is an option popular with those who like to make frequent but smaller entries known as micro-blogging.

Regardless of your platform, your content will be your most important part of your site.  Consistently posting authentic and relatable content to your family’s site will help you build stronger connections with family, friends and acquaintances while opening the door to new relationships with fellow bloggers and readers.

Making your own news is free. Creating content that engages the reader to want to learn more about you and what you are passionate about is critical to building an interested audience. The key to your success will be your ability to relate to the audience you wish to engage.

Blogging Basics and Networking WorkshopsThe Arc of Indiana will soon be holding workshops to teach interested individuals how to start their own blogs and begin to engage in social media to share their own unique stories.

We are hoping to find bloggers who may be particular interested in, have something to share, on the key elements of our Pathways project- in addition to sharing your own stories:

  • Employment and Career Pathways / From Paid to Volunteer
  • Discovering and realizing the unique gifts that all people have to offer
  • Supporting Creativity and Resourcefulness
  • Using What You Need (being mindful of limited state and federal resources)
  • Focusing on What Works

If you are interested in possibly attending a basics workshop for those with little-to-no blogging experience or if you currently actively blog and would like to join a network of bloggers that work together to support and encourage each other, please contact Cris Goode at crisgoode@gmail.com or Sally Morris, The Arc of Indiana at smorris@arcind.org for further details.



Why I like My Aktion Club

April 7th, 2010 by

Norma Jean Schwering, a Self-Advocate for The Arc of Indiana’s The Arc Network, blogs about why she likes being in the City Of First Aktion Club in Kokomo, Indiana.

I have been involved with the City Of First Aktion Club for five years.   

I help out with the fund raisers that we have.   I like going to the mid year conference.  I like going to the Indiana Fevers game and to a softball game. 

I like volunteering on the second and fourth Thursday of the month.  I had done some volunteering when I lived in Shelbyville, and so what I had learned from volunteering I just packed it all up and moved it here to Kokomo. 

I like it.  I get to help with dances and like helping with the candy sales and helping with chili dinners and and I like volunteering at Kokomo Rescue Mission.  I also do some volunteering at Trurle Creek where I go and talk to one of my neighbors for about four hours and watch TV with her.  I even walk some neighbors dogs outside so that can go potty outdoors!

I like being in the club because I can do things that I didn’t before.

Learn more about Aktion Clubs, and see photos of folks at Indiana Aktion Clubs, by visiting  http://slp.kiwanis.org/aktionclub/home.aspx



Bidding for Good – The Inside Scoop on How a Phil Simms Autographed Jersey Came to be in The Arc of Indiana’s Online Auction

December 1st, 2009 by

There is less than TWO DAYS to start or complete your holiday shopping on The Arc of Indiana’s online auction, Holiday Shopping through The Arc.   The auction will close and bidding will end on December 2nd at 8:00 p.m.  The highest bid wins!

There are many wonderful items in this year’s online auction, including a Phil Simms hand autographed jersey: https://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=100826791

How The Arc came by the jersey makes for an interesting story, and shows the generosity of Phil Simms - one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the league with numerous titles including two time Super Bowl winner, two time Pro Bowl selection, 1987 Super Bowl MVP and 1985 Pro Bowl MVP.

So here is the inside scoop … While attending The Arc US Conference in Pittsburgh in November, folks from Indiana who had gathered in the hotel lobby noticed Phil Simms walking by (most likely in town for the upcoming Steelers game.)  Deb Seman, Executive Director of Arc Opportunities, local chapter of The Arc in LaGrange County, did not hesitate to walk right up  and say, “Are You Phil Simms?  Would you mind giving us your autograph for an auction to help people with developmental disabilities?”

Mr. Simms replied, “Oh, I can do something better for you than that!  Here is my cell phone number.  Text me tomorrow and I promise I will send something.”

Well, Jill Vaught, The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement (and staff person responsible for the auction), was thrilled.
She followed up with (the world’s longest) text message the following day, and the next day Mr. Simms had overnighted the signed jersey. 

So there’s the inside scoop … now that you know, wouldn’t owning that signed jersey be even more fun?  But, if sports wear is not your thing, there is plenty more to check out, and still time to place your bid!

Just go to:  Holiday Shopping through The Arc.

Special thanks to Phil Simms for his generosity, and to Deb Seman for her gumption!



Blogging about . . . Blogging and Such

June 2nd, 2009 by

Welcome to The Arc of Indiana’s new web site and blog. We are glad you have found us! 

So, blogging and such. The Arc is excited to find new ways to connect with families, self-advocates and professionals through this new world of “social networking.”

A little over a year ago we took our first step into this new medium by creating The Arc of Indiana’s Facebook page. To do this, I needed to create my own page on Facebook – much to my teenage daughter’s chagrin. While I was skeptical at first, I have found Facebook to be a way not only to connect with old friends, but also a new way to connect with people I know through work. I have particularly enjoyed “Facebooking” with our Arc Network family advocates and self-advocates. Because they work for The Arc throughout the state, I do not have many opportunities to get to know them. Through Facebook I have enjoyed learning more about them and a little more about what goes on in their day to day lives – Renee’s tears of joy when her daughter said, “Mama, mama, mama” for the first time; Jennifer’s adventures in teaching and learning along with her daughter, Gracie; and Jill’s pride when her boys were honored by Junior Achievement – all dressed up and looking fine in their tuxes.

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