Special Issue of Independent Living Network Newsletter in Response to 9/11 Events in USA
All of us at ILRU are horrified and deeply saddened by the recent attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as the crash of the hijacked plane that plummeted into a Pennsylvania field. We extend our deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and friends and whose lives have been disrupted by the attacks.
We‰ve prepared a special edition of ILRU Network to help centers, State Coalitions of Independent Living Center (SILCs) and other organizations meet many unexpected challenges in these difficult times. It is our hope this will help begin the process of healing for all of us. In the newsletter you‰ll also find several useful resources and links, including addresses to which you may send donations to support those continuing the important work of our movement, even while in the very midst of crisis.
Our crisis, our community and our challenge
By Richard Petty, Program Director
We were working on what was going to be the next issue of ILRU NetWork when terrorists violated our nation on Sept. 11. Like so many other things, that newsletter was instantly rendered insignificant compared to the events unfolding around us. To call the impact on our country and fellow citizens "tragic" is a gross understatement. But we struggle to find the word that accurately reflects the shock, pain, sadness, outrage, fear-myriad emotions-we have all experienced in recent days.
Like most other Americans, the majority of us in the independent living community experience these events from a distance. There are some, however, who are literally digging out of the rubble and living the hellish nightmare the terrorists left behind.
We hurt for Colleen Fraser's family, friends and associates who are missing her and, at the same time, still working to advance her vision for independence for people with disabilities. Fraser, director of the Progressive Center for Independent Living in New Jersey, was aboard the hijacked plane that plummeted into a Pennsylvania field.
We are in awe of the staff of the Center for Independence for the Disabled in New York (CIDNY)-so close to "Ground Zero." Not only are they dealing with their own personal losses and concerns, they are working diligently to restore personal assistance services, transportation, communication and so many other services and supports that are vital to people with disabilities for independence and, in some cases, survival. And they-along with other CILs in the area-are already reaching out to some of the projected 2,500 people who acquired disabilities in the attack.
We are impressed by the IL community's lightening-quick aid to the people and centers in need. The New York SILC, in collaboration with the state's CILs, created and started carrying out a crisis service plan just one day after the attack. The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) wasted no time in setting up and publicizing an emergency fund to help centers affected by the crisis pay for unexpected and unbudgeted needs. And the generous, heartfelt response-from people and organizations throughout the country-is truly inspiring.
Of course, that's what you'd expect from this community of ours. Just as you might expect that we will have an important role to play in the months to come, as our nation works to recover and move forward. Few professions are better equipped for the hard work that's ahead. The independent living philosophy, our focus on individuals, our knowledge of the service delivery system, our experience providing all kinds of support to people struggling to remain independent in strange, new circumstances-these are the qualities that make us unique and allow us the opportunity to make a real difference in these difficult times.
The need for what we can offer extends far beyond those who were in the terrorists' direct path-right into our own communities. Who among us is not affected by these dark events? And how are we prepared to help those who, for any number of reasons, will need our support and access to our resources today-and tomorrow, as the nation makes ready for war.
For many of us, the place to start helping our communities will begin with the faces in our own mirrors. The more we acknowledge and deal with our own feelings, the better we will be able to support and help our staff and colleagues-and the better we all will be able to support and help the people in our communities.
With that in mind, rather than continuing with the newsletter we had planned, we offer some thoughts, ideas and resources we hope will be helpful as the IL community-like the rest of the nation-moves from stunned shock to purposeful action. It seems like a small offering in these colossally sad and uncertain times. We make it with sincere pride in our community and faith that, by working together, we can make an important and positive contribution to our neighbors and our nation.
Heroic leadership" called for in crisis aftermath - Providing effective leadership in times of crisis requires understanding and patience
The nation has witnessed countless acts of heroism in the days since Sept. 11. Selfless police officers and firefighters, brave office workers, defiant airline passengers, determined rescue workers-their stories were often our only source of inspiration and hope in one long day after another of mind-numbing, unbelieving shock.
With those heroes forever etched in our minds, the country is gradually starting to look toward the days ahead. How do we go back to our routine, day-to-day lives when so much has happened, so many are hurting and so much about the future is uncertain?
Dr. Karen Ballard believes it will happen with the leadership of a whole new wave of heroes. They won't be facing terrorists or rushing into burning buildings. Instead, she says, they'll be providing strength, caring, understanding and support to their families, neighborhoods, coworkers and communities.
Ballard is a program development and evaluation specialist at the University of Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service. She has focused her career on helping individuals, families and others regroup and rebuild in the aftermath of devastating crisis. In a conversation about the attack's impact-direct and indirect-on the independent living community, Ballard discussed the concept of "heroic leadership" and what that means in these strange and difficult times.
"Heroic leaders," Ballard says, "are those that will identify how they can support the short-term grief process of their agencies and families, provide mechanisms for respectful and meaningful mourning, and work with others to develop strategies to respond to the emotional and physical needs of their communities and our country."
Easy enough to say, but this is a difficult time, Ballard says, for leaders-including those in the independent living field. "They're experiencing the crisis at two levels," she says.
On one level, leaders have their own personal feelings and reactions to the events. "But they don't have the luxury to just experience those feelings," she adds. "They also have people looking to them to set the tone and for what happens next. "
To effectively respond to others' needs, Ballard says, heroic leaders must first take stock of their own feelings and needs. "You have to have the courage to look inside and see 'how am I doing?'" Then, she adds, you have to figure out what kinds of information and tools you need to collect in order to provide the kind of leadership the people around you are counting on. Leaders who skip the self-evaluation step, Ballard cautions, "may not be able to help anyone else."
Having assessed their own feelings and needs, Ballard says, leaders are then ready to take on the important work of supporting and guiding others through the healing process. She offers a number of suggestions that constitute what she describes as a "framework" for a response that supports and empowers people-however vulnerable they feel today.
* Learn about grief, its symptoms and the progression of responses and emotions most people experience. "This might be a good time to schedule and participate in staff training on the grief process," Ballard suggests. "It would undoubtedly help the organization support consumers and others it comes in contact with, and it may also benefit staff members in their own efforts to cope with the tragedy."
* Understand that we were all touched by this tragedy, Ballard says, even if we were far away from the events and didn't suffer the personal loss of loved ones. "The series of terrorist attacks did change us-there can be no doubt about this. Grief is not just about the loss of a loved one," she explains. "There's also what's known as 'anticipatory grief' that relates to people's perceptions of their risk or their loss. Are we safe? Can we fly? Should we work in tall buildings? Questions such as these reflect our collective anxiety and fear-feelings we must acknowledge."
* Realize that no two people experience or express grief in exactly the same way. Avoid being judgmental about how people react to the tragedy. "One of the problems with grief," Ballard explains, "is that it sometimes comes packaged as raw emotions, and can be expressed from one unpredictable extreme to another. It's important that we demonstrate tolerance to the range and magnitude of emotions."
* Bear in mind that people who have previously gone through tragic accidents or events are "clearly more vulnerable to stress reactions." This, she says, is especially pertinent for people who have disabilities as the result of an accident or other traumatic event.
* Take an "informal inventory" to determine how individual staff members are faring in dealing with the crisis and their own feelings. "But don't take a survey or do it in a staff meeting," Ballard advises. While some people are willing and able to discuss their feelings openly, others will not be comfortable expressing themselves publicly.
* Understand that you can't control the range of emotions and reactions the people around you are experiencing. "Many good managers," Ballard says, "have been taught that they should be in control, and consequently are not too comfortable when they feel that they are losing control of the situation, or cannot 'fix' the problem at hand."
* Recognize that it may be a while before your organization can return to business as usual. "It's natural and normal," Ballard says, "for an administrator to want to move on-especially if his or her organization wasn't directly impacted by the crisis." Moving too quickly, she cautions, may actually prolong the healing process because it forces staff members who are still grieving to submerge feelings that are not resolved.
* Be aware that you will likely need to develop two distinct strategies for responding to this tragedy. There's a need for a short-term strategy to support staff, consumers and others who are still absorbing and reacting to the initial event, says Ballard. Then, she says, it's important to "think strategically" and plan ways to continue to support them and conduct your business on a long-time basis, given a future that holds so many unknowns.
* Consider that members of your organization may feel a strong need to respond as well-individually and/or as a group-to the events unfolding around them. Ballard says, "As we mourn, we often want to show honor or provide some type of assistance-to act unselfishly, heroically. Organizations and individuals across America can empower employees, friends and consumers by identifying constructive opportunities for a local response. Extending ourselves in service diminishes the vulnerability we all face for anxiety and a sense of powerlessness. Heroic leaders can provide the mechanisms through which individuals and groups can come to terms with what has happened, and move forward in meaningful ways."
Manhattan CIL back in business, needs "flexible funds" to respond to emergency
"In Manhattan, people with disabilities have encountered extreme barriers and crisis."
That according to Susan Scheer, executive director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled of New York (CIDNY), quoted in a Sept. 21 news release issued by the center. "As we move from shock to the reality of last week's attack, our center has committed itself to address the crisis needs of the greater disability community in Manhattan."
The news release offers a glimpse of the kinds of challenges some people with disabilities-and those who work to support them-are facing as a result of the attacks:
* More than 400 home care attendants were among the "heroic workers" who responded to Mayor Giuliani's request for essential personnel to return to duty the day after the attack. Assuring that these critical services continue to be provided is a priority.
* TV stations stopped closed captioning in the midst of the attacks. As an example of the impact on people with hearing impairments, a CIDNY volunteer reported that his aunt, who is deaf, was unable to receive news accounts and was "frantic" for information about her husband-a firefighter who was missing for 36 hours.
* A 21-year-old girl with a traumatic brain injury was afraid to leave her apartment in the frozen zone, but she had no food or money for two days. A CIDNY volunteer took cash and food, and is working to expedite benefits and emergency food stamps for this woman.
* A woman discovered that the bed at the Red Cross shelter was too low for her daughter, who uses a wheelchair. She had to rent a hotel room she could not afford. CIDNY has been providing medical equipment and support to the family.
Located just blocks away from Ground Zero, the Manhattan CIL is determined to meet the demand created by the unprecedented crisis, but it won't be easy. "Staff can't do needed outreach due to barriers in transportation and communication or a lack of critical technology, like computers or TTY services for the deaf community," Scheer said.
Representatives from CILs throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are working alongside CIDNY staff. Some were in place as soon as 24 hours after the attack, guided by a crisis response plan coordinated by the New York State Independent Living Council. Brad Williams, NYSILC executive director, says the primary focus of the plan was to help CIDNY regain control of its operations as quickly as possible. In the early stages, he says, the plan focused on providing support in three strategic areas-resources, advocacy and media/public relations.
Now, Williams says, the SILC's role will shift from direct operational support to assisting in generating resources that will support the CIDNY's long-term response to the crisis. For example, he says, "we are working with the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) to secure funds to assist the CIL with staffing needs through September 2002."
Whatever the outcome of that effort, Williams says, there is still an immediate and critical need for "flexible funds"-money that can be used to fill a wide variety of needs, at the CIL's discretion. For example, Williams says there are costs associated with supporting the host of volunteers who are helping out. Beyond that, he says, piecing together supports and services for consumers in dire circumstances is resulting in expenses that no one could have anticipated or planned for.
In Memory of Colleen Fraser
Colleen Fraser, recently hired as executive director of the Progressive Center for Independent Living in New Jersey, was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it was hijacked and crashed in Pennsylvania. She was on her way to a grant writing seminar to boost her skills for her new job.
An advocate for people with disabilities for 20 years, Fraser was vice-chair of the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council, having served as chair for five years previously. She also served as board president for Community Access Unlimited, a nonprofit agency providing housing, employment and support services for 7,000 people with disabilities.
Fraser was well known in New Jersey and elsewhere as a leading voice and fiery advocate for people with disabilities. Among many other things, she advocated strongly for community living options for people with developmental disabilities and worked tirelessly to promote the importance of listening to people with disabilities about their support needs and making sure those needs are met.
Recently, Fraser led a group of people with disabilities to a Speak Out on deinstitutionalization in Washington, D.C. This event typified her passionate support of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. She believed this landmark decision is a key component to ongoing efforts to get people with disabilities out of institutions and nursing homes.
Fraser, 51, is survived by her sister, Christine. Memorial donations in Fraser's memory may be directed to the Progressive Center for Independent Living, Unit B-2, Parkway Plaza Shopping Center, 831 Parkway Ave., Ewing, NJ 08618.
Thanks to the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council for permission to use information from their website for this article. -Ed.
Starting points...
Editor: These links provide a variety of information about coping with, responding to and/or supporting others in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. We're maintaining an updated list on the ILRU website: www.ilru.org.
American Liberty Partnership - http://www.libertyunites.org
American Red Cross Disaster Counseling Materials - http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/attack.html
American Psychological Association - http://www.apa.org/psychnet/coverage.html
Getwell.org (Live, online counseling) - http://www.getwell.org/
Helping.org - http://www.helping.org/index.adp
National Organization on Disability - http://www.nod.org/ (see disaster preparedness links)
National Mental Health Association - http://www.nmha.org/
New York City Emergency Information - http://www.nyc.gov/
Print Our Flag - http://www.printourflag.com/
University of Illinois Extension Disaster Resources - http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/Sept112001.html
You can help!
To assist CIDNY in providing medication, transportation, assistive equipment, food, supplies and meals/lodging for volunteers, send checks payable to
"CIDNY" (designate "Emergency Fund"):
CIDNY
841 Broadway, Suite 205
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-674-2300
TTY: 212-674-5619
To contribute to NCIL's emergency assistance fund to help CILs directly affected by the terrorist attacks (checks, Visa and MasterCard accepted):
National Council on Independent Living
1916 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 209
Arlington. VA 22201
Phone: 703-525-3406
TTY: 703-525-4153
ILRU NetWork is published quarterly by IL Net, a collaborative project between ILRU and the National Council on Independent Living to provide training and technical assistance to centers for independent living and statewide independent living councils nationwide.
For more information, contact:
Carri George
IL NET Publications Coordinator
Independent Living Research Utilization
TIRR
Mail Stop: ILRU
1333 Moursund
Houston, Texas 77030
Voice: 713-520-0232
TTY: 713-520-5136
Fax: 713-520-5785
Lex Frieden, ILRU Director
Richard Petty, IL NET Director
Laurel Richards, ILRU Training Director
Dawn Heinsohn, IL NET Materials Specialist
Kaye Beneke, Newsletter
Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.
ILRU -- Independent Living Research Utilization
2323 South Shepherd, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019
Phone: 713.520.0232
TDD: 713.520.5136
Fax: 713.520.5785
Fax on Demand for Latest Information on All Programs: 800.795.7118
Worldwide Web Site: www.ilru.org
|
