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Welcome to IEC's Website

Independence Empowerment Center, Inc. (IEC) is a community-based, non-profit, non-residential service and advocacy organization operated by and for people with disabilities in the state of Virginia. Our service area covers Prince William and Fauquier Counties, as well as the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

IEC is a fully registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1999. IEC promotes disability rights, equal access, and full community participation for persons with disabilities. We work with individuals with disabilities to maintain or take back charge of their own lives and make their own choices and decisions in order to be as self-sufficient as possible. With our consumers' assistance, we lead efforts to break down barriers and prejudices within our communities. When these barriers are removed and prejudices are replaced with positive attitudes, persons with disabilities will have equal access to society. Independence Empowerment Center is associated with a national movement of almost 500 Centers for Independent Living. These Centers are advocacy-based organizations governed and operated by persons with disabilities for persons with disabilities.

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ADA FAIR 2012
  6TH ANNUAL
A good thing just keeps getting better!!

July 14, 2012 at the Harris Pavilion.
(see announcements for forms)

TSA Helpline for Travelers with Disabilities

Please see the below links and press release regarding a new service from the TSA for travel.

http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2011/1222.shtm

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/disabilityandmedicalneeds/tsa_cares.shtm

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the launch of TSA Cares today, a new helpline number designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical
conditions, prior to getting to the airport. Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at 1-855-787 2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint.

“TSA Cares provides passengers with disabilities and medical needs another resource to use before they fly, so they know what to expect when going through the screening process,” said TSA Administrator John Pistole. “This additional level of personal communication helps ensure that even those who do not travel often are aware of our screening policies before they arrive at the airport.”

Since its inception, TSA has provided information to all travelers through its TSA Contact Center and Customer Service Managers in airports nationwide. TSA Cares will serve as an additional, dedicated resource for passengers with disabilities, medical conditions or other circumstances or their loved ones who want to prepare for the screening process prior to flying.

When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a representative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition, or the passenger may be referred to disability experts at TSA. TSA recommends that passengers call approximately 72 hours ahead of travel so that TSA Cares has the opportunity to coordinate checkpoint support with a TSA Customer Service Manager located at the airport when necessary.

Every person and item must be screened before entering the secure area of an airport and the manner in which the screening is conducted will depend on the passenger’s abilities and any specific equipment brought to the security checkpoint.

TSA strives to provide the highest level of security while ensuring that all passengers are treated with dignity and respect. The agency works regularly with a broad coalition of disability and medical condition advocacy groups to help understand their needs and adapt screening procedures accordingly. TSA holds quarterly meetings with this coalition to inform them about current training and screening procedures used in airports. TSA recently hosted a teleconference with members of these groups to announce the long-standing plans to implement TSA Cares for travelers and inform them of the upcoming launch.

All travelers may ask to speak to a TSA supervisor if questions about screening procedures arise while at the security checkpoint. The hours of operation for the TSA Cares helpline are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST, excluding federal holidays. After hours, travelers can find information about traveling with disabilities and medical needs on TSA’s website. 

All travelers can contact TSA using Talk To TSA, a web-based tool that allows passengers to reach out to an airport Customer Service Manager directly, and the TSA Contact Center, 1 866-289-9673 and TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov, where travelers can ask questions, provide suggestions and file complaints. Travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to contact TSA Cares or can e-mail TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov

 Stay Connected

 

Call for Stories: ASAN Investigating Use of Personality Tests

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is investigating employers' use of personality tests to screen job applicants as part of applications for employment and the broader hiring process. These tests may unfairlyscreen out qualified Autistic applicants and those with other hidden disabilities through the use of subjective questions unrelated to job performance.

If you live in the United States and have recently been turned down for a job that used personality tests as part of the application process, please contact Samantha Crane at samanthac@bazelon.org and Melody Latimer at mlatimer@autisticadvocacy.org. Please include the name of the employer, the approximate date on which you applied for the job and any additional information you feel may be relevant.

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Teylor, part of the Fauquier County , loves to bead and make jewelry. She is now selling her creations at the WARF 800 Waterloo Rd Warrenton from 12-2:00 pm on Thursday's and from 1-2:00 pm on Tuesday's. This is part of her Community Based Instruction, so money skills, initiating conversation, making eye contact, service with a smile, etc. are some significant areas that Teylor will be working on. After 3 days 'on the job’, she has sold 25 bracelets!  (All proceeds will be donated to Fauquier High Schools Art Department: )  Please go to 

the WARF 800 Waterloo Rd Warrenton

on the days and times listed above to support Teylor’s work.

------------------------------------------------------The Military--Chronic Diseases

Source:  Military Report, September 19, 2011


For Gulf War Veterans with certain ailments like: Chronic fatigue syndrome; Firbromyalgia; Functional gastrointestinal disorders; and other undiagnosed illnesses the current deadline for when the condition must have "appeared" is on or before December 31, 2011. If you have any conditions that are "undiagnosed" and you did a tour in the Middle East, this could apply to you. The VA is working to extend the deadline to December 31, 2018. If this occurs, it will be great news for veterans and military members who develop symptoms after the 2011 cut-off. However, since there is no guarantee that the deadline will be extended, veterans suffering from undiagnosed conditions are encouraged to talk with their Veteran Service Officer about filing a disability claim for these conditions.

These con­di­tions are sup­posed to be con­sid­ered “pre­sump­tive.” Pre­sump­tive con­di­tions are gen­er­ally con­di­tions that vet­er­ans are assumed to have received due to par­tic­u­lar tours of duty or expo­sures.

These pre­sump­tions apply to vet­er­ans who served on active duty in the South­west Asia the­ater since 1990.  The coun­tries and areas con­sid­ered for this are:

·         Iraq

·         Kuwait

·         Saudi Ara­bia

·         The neu­tral zone between Iraq and Saudi Ara­bia

·         Bahrain

·         Qatar

·         The United Arab Emi­rates

·         Oman

·         Gulf of Aden

·         Gulf of Oman

·         Waters of the Per­sian Gulf, the Ara­bian Sea, and the Red Sea

·         The air­space above these loca­tions

Additional Information on Gulf War Illness:  http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/research.asp

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MEDICAID MATTERS

Capitol Hill Washington, DC
September 21st at Noon


In the discussions about the deficit and need to control federal spending, the conversation has almost solely focused on the cost of Medicaid. In the general public, few people understand what Medicaid is or the impact that this federal funding stream has on the lives of people with disabilities, seniors, their families and those that work to support them.

Disability, aging and civil rights organizations  banded together to organize a national rally on Capitol Hill to show Congress that My Medicaid Matters! The rally highlighted that:

o Medicaid provides vital home and community-based services that allow seniors and younger people with disabilities to live independently in the community.

o Medicaid provides services that support families in caring for their children who have significant disabilities.

o Medicaid provides vital jobs for direct care workers who support their families.

Arbitrary cuts to Medicaid will result in the loss of home and community-based services that allow people to live independently, reductions in medical care as well as lost jobs of direct care workers. The rally will begin at noon on September 21stand will kick off organizing efforts in all 50 states to show that My Medicaid Matters!

Rally Sponsors

o ADAPT
o American Association of People with Disabilities
o The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
o The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
o The Caring Across Generation Campaign
o Coalition for Community Integration
o Easter Seals
o Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Association
o Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
o The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
o National Council on Independent Living
o National Disability Rights Network
o Not Dead Yet
o Self Advocates Becoming Empowered
o Service Employees International Union
o United Cerebral Palsy
o United Spinal Association

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See "Announcements for valuable information related to Accessibility Modifications"

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2011 ADA FAIR Was a huge success, with the best weather ever!