On Wednesday, August 24th, ACI hosted an evening of sharing poetry at the Summit Library. The evening started with a fervent discussion on what poetry is and why it is important to the people who attended. The group bonded over a discussion about how poetry allows them to express feelings and emotions that they are not able to share easily. Some of the participants shared works that they use as a form of self-advocacy. Additionally, the attendees listened to recordings of famous poets reading their works. The evening concluded with members of the group reading some of their favorite works from iconic poets.
Get Educated and Registered for the 2016 Election!
The following NJ Centers for Independent Living/REV UP NJ will be holding Voter Education/Registration events.
• Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) - September 14th - Voter Registration Day, 629 Amboy Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837. 732.738.4388 or ctonks@adacil.org. Register to vote and get a free REV UP NJ t-shirt: adacil.org
• Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) - September 2nd - Voting Rights/Registration- The Arc of Middlesex County, Raritan Center, Edison NJ, 732.738.4388, ctonks@adacil.org, adacil.org
• Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) - September 6th - Voting Rights/Registration- Edison Workshop, Edison, NJ, 732.738.4388, ctonks@adacil.org, adacil.org
• Resources for Independent Living (RIL) - Voter Education/Registration, October 11th - 1:30 to 3:30 PM, 351 High Street, Suite 103, Burlington, NJ, 609.747.7745
• Center for Independent Living-SJ - Voter Registration- August 26th, 10am to 3:30 pm. - 1150 Delsea Drive, Suite 1, Westville, NJ 08093, 856.853.6490. Free water ice if you register to vote!
• Heightened Independence & Progress - (Heightened Independence Project) September 10th, Voter Registration, 35 Journal Square, Jersey City, NJ (outside of the HIP building) 201.533.4407
• MOCEANS Center for Independent Living - 279 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740- Voter Registration/Education Workshop coming in September - 732.571.4884
• Progressive Center for Independent Living - Voter Registration/Education Workshop coming in September - 3525 Quakerbridge Road, Hamilton, NJ 08619, 609.581.4500
• Heightened Independence & Progress/Bergen - Voter Registration Workshop - Date to be announced. 131 Main Street, Suite 120, Hackensack, NJ 07601, 201.996.9100
• Camden City Independent Living Center - Voter Registration events in September and October. Virtua Campus, 1000 Atlantic Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104. For information, please call 856.966.0800 or email vedasmithccilc@aol.com
• DIAL, Inc. - Voter Education/Registration Workshop coming in September. 2 Prospect Village Plaza, First Floor, Clifton, NJ 07013, 973.470.8090
WANTED: Interested Wheelchair Basketball Players!
Are you interested in learning how to play wheelchair basketball? The Alliance Center for Independence wants to teach you!
REQUIREMENTS
- Ages 15 and up
- Must have your own wheelchair
- Minimum of 10 people must RSVP to hold event
RSVP deadline is September 14th.
REV UP New Jersey Disability Voting Campaign Officially Kicks Off in Trenton
Thank you to everyone who braved the heat and participated in the REV UP New Jersey Kickoff at the NJ State House. About 30 people heard speeches about the importance of the disability vote and our participation in the election process. Among the speakers were: NJ Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling of Monmouth County, Kevin Casey, Executive Director of the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities and Norman Smith, Associate Executive, Project Freedom.
The event was organized by Alliance Center for Independence and REV UP New Jersey and funded by the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Make the Disability Vote Count at the REV UP New Jersey Kickoff!
The REV UP New Jersey Kickoff is going to be a great event! Come out this Monday, July 25th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM and learn about how your vote can make an impact in this year's election! Sign the pledge, take a selfie, grab some promotional items, enjoy live music, hear from voting rights activists, and help us make our vote count!
Make Your Community Accessible with NJ's Barrier Free Subcode
Thank you to Emily Templeton of the NJ Dept. of Community Affairs and Edward Haas of the NJ Division on Civil Rights for their informative workshop on NJ's Barrier Free Subcode and the NJ's Law Against Discrimination. The workshop, entitled Making Your Community Accessible, is another of a series of workshops on disability rights and the law.
Disability Advocates Will Conduct Trump Campaign Call-In Day on July 14th to Bring Attention to 54 Million People Americans with Disabilities
On July 14, the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) in Edison and REV UP NJ, will organize a Call-In Day to the Trump for President Campaign Headquarters in New York City to demand that Donald Trump address the concerns of 54 million people in the United State with disabilities.
The disability community is outraged that the Trump Campaign has refused to respond to the questionnaire posed to it in January by RespectAbilityUSA, a disability advocacy organization based in Baltimore. All the major candidates for president on both sides of the aisle were sent the 16- item questionnaire which addressed disability issues and policy. Several candidates responded prior to dropping out of the race including Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, John Kasich and Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton’s response to the question can be viewed on the RespectAbility website. With less than one week before the Republican Convention, the Trump Campaign has yet to respond.
