Last Month In Review ~ June, 2009 |
~ This News Review Is Dedicated To Our #1 Goal ~
Institutions: Close Them!
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Obama Commemorates Olmstead; Announces "Year of Community Living"
As many of our readers know, our board of directors have been thoughtful and passionate in wanting to do their part in helping to close institutions across the planet. Last month we shared with you the board's decision to make closing institutions the #1 goal for People First of New Hampshire. We are organizing action events to happen across the world. We are collecting evidence of rallies and vigils from around the globe to put in one DVD and share with everyone to send our message that institutions must be closed. We have heard from several states and countries who want to contribute with us for this cause.
Our timing could not be more perfect! Last week, President Barack Obama helped our country by recognizing the tenth anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of Olmstead v. L.C., and launched "The Year of Community Living". For further information and reading, please visit the Justice For All Blog of the American Association Of People With Disabilities.
Members and friends of People First of New Hamsphire are extremely passionate about wanting to see that nobody lives in institutions, anywhere. We held two events this month. The first event on June 17th started as a short visit to the cemetery where former residents of Laconia were buried. This was followed by a candlelight vigil later that evening hosted by the Lakes Region Self-Advocacy Group and People First of NH, with a slideshow of photos from friends who lived at Laconia and have since died.
Our second event was a rally held at the state house on Saturday, June 20th.
We wish to encourage everyone to join us in our efforts. Here are ways that you can learn and help:
Highlights Of The Vigil ~ By Chrystal Johnson, Board President of People First of NH and President of Lakes Region Self-Advocacy Group and by Richard Johnson, Vice-President of Lakes Region Self-Advocacy Group
Just before our vigil, some of us went to the cemetery where people who had lived at Laconia are buried. It was not good. There was vandalism there. It was very interesting and really a moving thing, seeing the gravestones. You never expect to see that. We would not want to be there.
What we would like to see is a big wall with everyone's name on it who is buried in the cemetery, like a wall to memorialize everyone who is buried there. We also need to help clean-up the cemetery.
The slideshow was very interesting to see the people who lived at Laconia. The candlelight vigil was very touching. Harry Woodley, a former pastor at Laconia State School, helped us with the candlelight vigil. "It made me think we were doing something important to remember our old friends. We want to get other institutions closed."
The Rally ~ By Roberta Gallant (Former Resident Of Laconia State School For 25 Years) and Self-Advocacy Consultant
On Saturday, June 20, 2009, People First of New Hampshire rallied outside the front of the New Hampshire State House holding signs to encourage all the other states in America and all the other countries to close their institutions because citizens with disabilities do not belong at the facilities. Institutions are nothing but a pain in the butt, dangerous to people with disabilities, and negative. Keeping people at the institutions is wrong! They also ruin the lives of people with disabilities and make life so miserable for them. However, many citizens with disabilities remain at institutions in the other states and countries with lack of alternatives today. This makes the entire world look bad!
Next month's online news will feature:
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Our vigil on Wednesday, June 17th
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Our rally on Saturday, June 20th
Come meet us at Market Days in downtown Concord on July 16, 17 and 18th. |
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Who We Are And What We Are About
People First of New Hampshire is a statewide non-profit directed by citizens who experience disability for the purpose of self-advocacy.
What is self-advocacy?
Self-Advocacy is a way in which people speak-up, voice their opinion, and take responsibility toward being equal within society. Self-advocacy is a movement for people who experience disability. In many places across the world, there are organizations called "People First" for the self-advocacy movement. The title "People First" means that labels for people are not respectful, and, that everybody should be considered PEOPLE with ability first. People First of New Hampshire started in 1992 and has 17 chapters and groups across the state. |
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Ways To Financially Support People First of NH
There are a couple of ways in which you can support our work. You can visit our website and find our donate button at the top of the page, or, you can visit our cause on Facebook and join our challenge to raise funds for our goals. You can always send us a check to our mailing address below.
Click-on these links:
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This is what our friends from across the planet are saying about our March issue!
- "Wonderful issue! Just plain terrific." John Agosta Ph.D., Human Services Research Institute, Portland Oregon
- "Keep up the good work." Ricky Broussard, Self-Advocate, Texas
"Wonderful....all of it! From coast to coast wishing People First well!" Robin Keehn, Area 2 DD Board, Chico California
- "Thanks you so much for sending me this! You guys did a great job editing [video of The Subject Of Relationships] into a little 4-minute clip! Thanks so much for the opportunity" Angela Amado, Ph. D., Executive Director of the Human Service Research and Development Center and also a Research Associate, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Minnesota
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