January, 2006
Wow! Another year has passed and 2006 is beginning. It's hard to believe I've been writing this column for over 5 years. My parents always told me that if you enjoyed what you did, then you never had to work a day in your life and writing this column has been an absolute pleasure. Sometimes it's a little harder to come up with a fresh idea, but there is never a shortage of material. This is especially true in these changing times, with shrinking budgets, changing political philosophies and reductions in social programs. With this in mind I thought this would be a good time to update you all on some changes that are occurring in our county that may affect your lives, or the lives of a family member or friend.
If you are one of those that depend on public transportation you are probably recovering from the affects of the recent bus strike. I know my son is very glad to have the buses back in service. For those using ADA Para-transit, you may have started getting notices in the mail as METRO begins another 3-year certification cycle that may cause some of you to see changes in your eligibility. Please remember that if this happens, you do have the right of appeal and, we at the Central Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL) will be happy to assist you. METRO Para-Cruz is also only providing door-to-door service and no longer will assist the individual to their office destination within the building. So if your friend or family member using Para-Cruz gets lost or confused, it might be a good idea to have someone ride with them. Additionally, Medi-Cal rides provided by Liftline for non-emergency medical visits require a form completed by your doctor that says that your medical condition prevents you from using public transportation before that ride can be authorized. While both of these changes are within the requirements of law they do represent a tightening of services provided in this county, in some cases caused by budget constraints.
The lack of affordable housing remains a hot topic in this area. Even though the county still does not have an approved housing element as part of its general plan, there do seem to be some builders who are willing to build units for low-income tenants. If you are using a section 8-voucher expect possible increases in your share of rent as the Housing Authority conducts the yearly review of your finances and the number of people allowed on the voucher. Again, we have an organization coming more in compliance with their governing laws in the hopes of making their shrinking budgets provide assistance for more families.
If your child is either on a 504 plan or in Special Education, I'm sure
you've noticed the tightening budgets and reduced services in this area.
Based on the comments we have received from many parents this seems to be
having an adverse affect on their children as they become adults and enter
the community to live independently. In order to help in this area, CCCIL
is developing a Youth Transitions Services Program to
help improve the independent living skills of the county's youth with
disabilities. If you are the parent of a child who might benefit from
such a program, or just want to get some more information, then please
contact Anji Buckner at abuckner@cccil.org or 462-8720 ext *815. If there
is enough interest in the community, we would like to start some classes in the spring.
I hope you all had a good holiday season and had a Merry Christmas! Happy
Chanukah! Enjoy Kwanzaa! Whichever you celebrate, remember - Disability is a random
event that can occur in any life, at any moment.
- Michael Bradshaw, Central Coast Center for Independent Living