Last week, the FAAST Program had its first vendor demonstration at our satellite office in Ocala!  We were happy to host Enhanced Vision representatives, David and Tish Christensen.  Enhanced vision is a leading developer of assistive technology for the visually impaired, dedicated to helping individuals maintain their independence. They provided excellent information about their low-vision products, and participants were able to try out the easy-to-use devices with a hands-on demonstration.  Discounts will be offered to those who order any Enhanced Vision products through our FAAST Program!

Everyone who attended enjoyed the presentation and also learned more about the FAAST Program from CIL Assistive Technologies Specialist, Claudia Avendano and CIL Consumer Specialist Brandon Palermo. 

To learn more about Enhanced Vision and all it has to offer people with visual disabilities, please visit https://www.enhancedvision.com/

To learn more about our FAAST Program, please contact Claudia Avendano at 352-378-7474 or cavendano@cilncf.org.

Image is a picture from the FAAST event at the Ocala CIL.  From left to right is Brandon, Claudia, Tish and David, standing behind a table displaying the Enhanced Vision products, with a FAAST banner to their left. 

With the new variants of COVID-19 circulating, now is the best time to consider getting vaccinated!

Come out to our accessible vaccine clinic next Friday, July 22^nd anytime from 10am to 2pm to get your (free!) vaccine/booster shot and be entered into our raffle. There will be three winners selected for a $50 giftcard. ASL interpreters will be provided on site.

This event will take place at the Center for Independent Living, 222 SW 36^th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607, and you will need to bring your vaccine card and a mask. We have COVID-19 vaccines available for seniors, Floridians with disabilities, their families, caregivers, and direct service providers.  Learn more at DisablityRightsFlorida.org/vaccine

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Images are informational flyers in both English and Spanish, and contain all the information listed above, with a picture on the bottom left of a nurse providing a vaccine to a patient. The bottom right contains logos of the CIL, Disability Rights Florida and the UF Clinical and Transitional Science Institute.

We finally got the in-person Independent Living Skills (ILS) classes up and running again for a couple of weeks in June.  The picture attached is of our welcome back pizza party in the CIL’s activity room, where we played some card games and bingo with grab bag prizes.  Everyone was very happy to be back together again.  However, classes are unfortunately closed again temporarily, until the positivity rate for COVID goes down.  So stay tuned and hopefully we will all be back together again soon!

Last month, CIL staff members, Claudia and Sada took a trip to visit the FAAST State Headquarters in Tallahassee. Their mission was to collect as much gently used assistive technology and durable medical equipment as they could fit in their trailer – and that they did! Much of this haul has already been distributed to our consumers in need, including an adjustable bed and a power chair a consumer is borrowing while she awaits her replacement from her insurance, after her old chair broke down.

If you or someone you know needs AT or DME, please reach out to The Center for Independent Living. These donations are going “FAAST” and we look forward to making another trip soon to get more of these valuable tools for independence to our community members in need!

Image is a picture of Sada and Claudia standing in front of the FAAST office, at the foot of a white picket ramp that leads up to the side door. Various DME items are in front of them, such as walkers and a powerchair.

We couldn’t run our High School High Tech (HSHT) programs so successfully without the support of such fabulous administrative teams and staff at each of our high school sites!  Recently, one of our HSHT coordinators, Drew Dees, visited with each of his sites, and gave them all a certificate of appreciation for all they do for students and the HSHT program.  We would like to give a shout-out to the following people for all of their hard work and dedication to the HSHT program this past school year:

Santa Fe High School – Amy Grunder and Debbie Warner (pictured with Drew); Newberry High School – James Sheppard and Melissa Mauldin (not pictured); Williston High School – Benjamin Hawkins and Dede McLeod (not pictured)

THANK YOU ALL for your commitment to helping students with disabilities succeed! 👏🏻👏🏻🏅🌟😁

And Special Thanks as well to Drew for all of your hard work and dedication to the HSHT program and your students!

Image is a picture of (from left to right), Debbie Warner, Drew and Amy Grunder, sitting and smiling in a reception area at Santa Fe High School.  Debbie and Amy are holding their certificates.

All of us here at the CIL want to wish you a fun, safe and very Happy 4^th of July!  We hope everyone has a wonderful day full of picnics, fireworks, friends and family! 

Image Description:  Light blue background with wording in the middle of the graphic that reads, “Happy 4^th of July!” in red lettering, and “From all of us here at the CIL” in white lettering.  Red, white and blue images border the wording; top left is a firework, top middle are two American flags crisscrossed, facing away from each other, top right are three balloons, with stars on one and stripes on the other two, bottom left are two firecrackers, with stars on one and stripes on the other, bottom right is another firework and bottom middle is the CIL logo.

Summer is here and it’s already a hot one!  Get out of the heat for a bit and join us online for our classes in July!  In-person classes will now resume sometime in August, and we will be sure to keep everyone posted.  In the meantime, online classes remain the same, with our Youth Leadership and Social Group on Tuesdays from 3:30-5pm and our Independence Hacks (ILS) on Wednesdays from 10:30 – 12pm.  The meeting username is 352-378-7474 and the password is cilclass for every class, every week!

Please be sure to share this with anyone who would like to participate, and contact Terri Poucher at 352-378-7474 or tpoucher@cilncf.org with any questions!

Image Description: Light pink sunset beach background, with sand on the bottom and CIL Logo in the top center.  Below the CIL logo in the top center is a black heading that reads, “July Online Calendar”.  Underneath to the left are light purple seashells with “Tuesdays” and “Wednesdays” inside.  The class titles and meeting times are to the right, next to their corresponding weekday, and the meeting ID and password is written at the bottom of the image.   

Join us for a FREE presentation with the CIL and FAAST Program this month!  Enhance Vision representatives will be visiting our CIL office in Ocala to introduce their company, and demonstrate how to use their various devices for individuals with low vision.  The event will take place on Thursday, July 7^th from 11am to 12pm at 2760 SE 17^th Street, Suite 300, Ocala, FL.  We hope to see you there! 

For more information about this event or the FAAST Program, please contact Claudia Avendano in our Gainesville office at 352-378-7474 ext. 2100, or Brandon Palermo in our Ocala office at 352-368-3788 ext. 1012.

Image is the event flyer, with a colorful blue, yellow and dark pink border on the left and right side of the graphic.  Within the border colors, there are white and blue confetti and circle designs.  Wording on the flyer includes all of the information mentioned above.   

We’re continuing to celebrate 40 years of service here at the CIL!  This month, we wanted to highlight our Emergency Preparedness Program! 

Within the past 6 years, people with disabilities were more of an after-thought when it came to preparing them for emergencies, and resources were extremely limited.  The CIL’s Emergency Preparedness Program helped to fill this gap, by consistently providing information and planning assistance to help people with disabilities prepare for emergencies.  We also work with organizations and emergency preparedness officials to help educate and train personnel for how best to assist people with disabilities in the event of emergencies, accommodations at shelters and more.

When Kevin Towles started working in our Emergency Preparedness Program, he was instrumental with creating partnerships and growing the program.  Every year, the CIL hosts Emergency Preparedness Expos in Marion and Alachua Counties, providing speakers and vendors to help educate people with disabilities about the steps they must take before, during and after an emergency. 

Also, when an emergency occurs, Kevin assists the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) within our local area and the state EOC.  Kevin states, “It is so important to me to help people with disabilities understand what is going on and also the government groups to understand where people with disabilities are coming from.  That is why we conduct events and participate in speaking opportunities to government agencies, to help them understand how we can work together, so that no one is left behind.”

Thanks so much to Kevin and our amazing Emergency Preparedness Team for helping people with disabilities gain even more independence throughout the seasons!

Please visit https://www.cilncf.org/emergency-preparedness/ for updated information, as well as the State of Florida Emergency Contacts listed by county.

The JP-PAS Program continues to change lives by providing monthly stipends to qualified Floridians with disabilities who are employed and require personal assistance services for daily living.  Please read Danny’s testimonial below about how the JP-PAS Program empowered him to live a more independent life.

“As a working individual with a 35-year SCI, finding the JP-PAS program has allowed me to plan for a different future. The financial assistance toward the burden of needing a personal care assistant is an immeasurable relief. As I enter into the 26^th year of my career, I can now actually foresee a day where I may be able to retire. The JP-PAS program has been a blessing I will always be thankful for!”

If you or anyone you know would benefit from this amazing program or if you would like to learn more, please visit http://www.floridacils.org/pca-services-program!

Image description:  Sky background, blue up top and white clouds in the middle and bottom of the image.  Top of the image reads: “The JP-PAS Personal Attendant Services and Employment Assistance Program” in large dark blue lettering.  In the bottom center of the graphic, there is a picture of Danny.  He is smiling and sitting in his wheelchair at his desk in his office, with his computer in front of him, and a cherry colored desk hutch in the background.  It is covered with office supplies and personal mementos at the top.  Danny is wearing a blue polo shirt, with a white, black and blue diamond checkered pattern on the right side of the shirt.  The FACIL logo is in the center of the graphic on the left side and the JP-PAS logo is in the center on the right side. In between them is the program’s website, written in the above paragraph.