News from The Arc of Northern Virginia

Welcome back to our Cafe!
Café on the Road in Arlington:

Guest(s): Barbara Favola, Board Member, Jay Fissette, Board Member and the staff of the County Board Office.

Hosts: Pete Scampavia (Arlington), Erin Thompson (Fairfax), Lynn Ruiz (Annandale), Jill Egle' (Vienna), Nancy Mercer (Fairfax) visited Barbara Favola, Arlington County Board, in her Arlington on Thursday July 17, 2008. The Arlington Board office was busy today with lots of people waiting for meetings, staff members juggling space to accommodate folks, offering refreshments and there was even a reporter and camera crew on site when we were leaving. Pete took the lead this morning, introducing each of his colleagues and facilitating the meeting.
self-advocates with Barbara Favola

Note: It was interesting to see that Pete is a celebrity of sorts in the Arlington County Board office-two years ago Pete was a mentor to then Chairman Jay Fisette. During Pete's visit he talked about traffic safety in his neighborhood and requested the county look into building a crosswalk-well Chairman Fissette and his staff did just that.Pete was right a crosswalk was needed and was built as a result of acting on his civic duty. Pete is now known as "That Crosswalk Guy in Arlington."

Key Issues Discussed:
Building our Message and our Movement: We discussed how to build our message of "A life like yours" with Barbara Favola, Arlington County . People with ID/DD are in the process of educating the community that they have the same hopes, dreams and challenges as their non-disabled peers. People with ID/DD want to be treated with the same respect and expectations as everyone else.

A Self Advocate Set of Expectations has been drafted as guide for the community and it is attached below:

What We Expect of Our Service System

We are self-advocates in Virginia. We met together at the 2008 Arc State Convention in Waynesboro. During our time together we talked about the dreams we have in life and our support needs. Many of us wanted to have someone to love in our life, even get married and have children. One of us even said that she wanted to skydive! We talked about what we could give each other or other people. We talked about what we expect of a service system and what needs to change about services in Virginia.
We also found out that people have to wait to receive services. People end up on wait lists. That isn't right! We also heard that some people live in institutions. We didn't think that was a good idea. We talked too about some people with nothing to do during the day. They just sit home and hang out. That is boring! Sometimes people go to day programs and there isn't much to do there either.

We saw that some of us are living where we want and have jobs. But too many self advocates are on wait lists, not living where they want or don't have a good job. Most of all we want to be in charge of our own decisions and have a life like other people.
In the future here are some things that we expect of the service system. We expect that:
The state will take the "R" word out of the name of the Department.
Even at Arc meetings that we won't hear the R word being used.
We will live in the community, like other people.
We won't live in institutions.
We will have something to do during the day, like a JOB that pays OK money.
We will have a way to get around town.
The service system will acknowledge the failure of stereotypes like ones that say that we are not capable of doing things or making our own decisions.
We will have authority over the services we get.
We will have authority over our own life; that is, power over our life.

We will be part of any decision making in our life to help us stay safe and healthy.
People won't tell us what to do.
Our parents and others will listen to us and not tell us what to do like we are children. Sometimes parents don't listen well. We can make decisions! But we want to stay safe too.
You will respect that we want to date like other people do, have boyfriends and girlfriends and maybe even get married.
We also talked about what we can do to make things better in Virginia. We think that we are stronger when we work together like a team. When we don't, our voice is too weak and we are not strong. When we come together and speak as one, we are stronger. We want to do that. We hope you will help us work together to stand up for our rights?

Employment: Pete asked Chairwoman Favola to support hiring people with disabilities in Arlington. People with ID/DD want to have the opportunity to enjoy a career, make good money, friends, and have a place to live and play. Barbara Favola is a big supporter of people with disabilities working and feels Arlington Pete Scampavia with Barbara Favola

does a good job of hiring all people in both the public and private setting.

Institutions: Did you know the General Assembly approved 43 million dollars to re-build Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg Virginia? Did you know there are approximately 1500 people with ID/DD living in large, old institutional settings across Virginia? This is the way the state used to "take care of people with ID/DD." Many states have worked to close institutions and make the move to creating supportive communities-Virginia is ranked 48th in the nation in terms of funding community supports. Self Advocates spoke candidly with Barbara Favola about the need to move money out of institutional settings and into the community- Jill shared her vision
"Take the money (capitol money) and talk with community based companies like Berry Rio and build apartments and duplexes so everyone with ID/DD can have his/her own home with the right supports wrapped around them, then people really could decide if they want to get married and do the things THEY want to do."

I have a dream session (includes self advocates back at The Arc):

Pete: Work as an aide at Montessori kindergarten and get married.
Jill: Get drivers license and have a special relationship.
Erin: Become CEO of a magazine company for teens.
Catherine: Get into George Mason University and finish college.
Alex: I have a couple of short term goals. "Get my learners permit and get a paid job!"
Barbara Favola, Arlington County Board: "Craft and implement a national health insurance program."

I have a Life Interview:

Barbara Favola: "Your "R" word campaign was brilliant on so many levels." She was very impressed by Erin's reading of the Credo listed above and felt this would be a very good piece to share "EVERYWHERE!" Barbara is a long time Barbara Favola, Arl. Co. Board

supporter of people with disabilities-she "gets it!" We strategized on how to build our message, how to fund our communities better and how to support one another. When you are in the room with Barbara Favola you can feel her positive energy-she is always thinking and working to make Arlington a better community for all- as well as Virginia! Barbara Favola has been comes from Connecttiuct, but has been proud to call Arlington home for the last 24 years. Barbara Favola has served as Chairwoman of the County Board twice-and is excited to think her turn is coming again soon.