Action Leads to Recreation Survey of Families with Disabled Children in Montgomery Township!
In a clear example of the efficacy our effort, in Montgomery Township the recreation department has issued a survey of families of children with disabilities to see what sorts of recreation programs they would like to see happen. Below is the letter that Jerome Carr of APIECE http://APIECENJ.org has placed in the local paper about the issue. Here are some links including the initial letter - you can reference these links to get ideas to accomplish a similar gain for the residents with disabilities in your own neighborhood:
http://apiecenj.org/recreation_for_disabled.htm
Mayor
Response Generally Supportive of Proposal for Disabled Oriented Recreation
Programs
Information
Requested About When Report from Recreation Director to Committee Will Be Made
Packet Coverage of Recreation
Department Campaign of APIECE
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14650523&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=425702&rfi=6
Princeton Packet Letters to the Editor, June 7, 2005
People should respond to recreation survey
To the editor:
Our organization, APIECE, is pleased to learn of the Montgomery Township
Recreation Department survey that has been circulated to special-education
families in Montgomery Township. The survey is asking for input on what sorts of
Recreation Department-sponsored programs we would like to see geared toward
children and other residents with disabilities. The survey is no doubt a
response to the March 1 letter that our organization, APIECE
http://APIECENJ.org had sent to the Township Committee calling for
recreation programming for those with disabilities and to the fine investigative
piece that The Packet ran on this topic on March 18.
The ball is now in the court of the families with children and adults with
disabilities. The Recreation Department is asking for the responses to be
completed by June 15. We urge all families with members with disabilities to
respond to the survey in a timely way. Let us make clear to the Recreation
Department that there clearly is a need for such programming in our community
and that we will support such programming, assuming that the Recreation
Department will be responsive to our suggestions.
We are also hoping that families give feedback and use the "other" category
to provide their own ideas in addition to checking off the suggested categories
for the survey. Particularly, we believe it is of utmost importance for there to
be serious adapted swimming programs utilizing the new high school swimming
pool.
Finally, our organization offers cheers to all involved in making this
happen, including our own members who initially raised this issue with the
Township Committee, members of the committee, the Recreation Department staff,
those who will respond to the survey, and the school district for assisting by
administering the mailing.
This development is an example of what can occur when diverse forces within a
community put our heads together to develop innovative approaches to address
needs of a community.
Everyone will benefit. Children and adults with disabilities and their
families most obviously reap the benefit of having specially designed programs
to meet the needs of our family members with challenges. The township
administration and Recreation Department will benefit because they will
recognize the value of our children and they will stand apart as leaders in the
administration of such activities. Volunteers who assist with these programs
will greatly benefit by the opportunity to appreciate the value of our disabled
community members and what they can learn from those with challenges. Our
community will benefit because these activities will unite us in a common
purpose. Hopefully, our organization APIECE will also benefit and will receive
some recognition from some segments of this community who so far have shunned
recognition of our concerns and the role we are trying to play in creating a
better community for all.
Jerome Carr
Parsons Court
Montgomery
Ask the Advocate
NJ Complaint Form (MS Word)
(PDF)
On Line Public Hearing on IDEIA 2004
Survey on NJ OSEP Complaint
Process
Past Activities
IEP Wkshp
Rec. Programs for
those w/ Disabilities
An Evening of Educational Advocacy
September 8, 2005 Edison, NJ
What The Student Advocate Has Done for Our Children
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NJ IDEIA 2004 Organizing Committee
Minutes of IDEIA 2004 meeting on Thu., May
26
Student Rights Radio
Discussion, October 31
Effort to
Reach Gubernatorial Hopefuls and Acting Governor / Candidates
IDEA: An Update
Dec. 5, 2005
Middletown
January 18,
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50 Strong For Our
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No. Jersey Radio Interview Aired, 1/22
Petitioning for Rights Children: Legal in Princeton
Interview on NJ IDEIA Rights
- Racial Disparities in Sp-Ed
Call
is Heard in Montgomery Twp: Inclusive Recreation
NJSAU Minutes 2/18/2006
Playing and Singing for
Our Rights, 4/1/6
Better IDEA Laws for Special Education
Students?
Better IEPs? Anything is Possible!
April
1 Report: Student Advocacy Union - Fundraising Concert
Mobilization for Rights
of Our Children, May 17, 2006, Trenton
Nationwide Internet Radio Rally for Sp-Ed Parent Rights
9pm EST, Sat. May 20
Parents’ Rally @ Statehouse in Trenton Thursday, June 8, 2006
Piscataway Parents Mtg, June 19, 2006