IN SILC: Public Hearing and Facilitated Discussion

	I am sick and tired of the Indiana Statewide Independent Living
Council (ICOIL) thinking their time is more valuable then that of the
people they are supposed to be serving....and I am tired of Center
Directors using their titles like swords...If you are a director of a
Center, and doing what you should be doing, then you work for people with
disabilities not the other way around. 

	I have just now had a chance to look at the January ICOIL meeting. 
http://www.everybodycounts.org/icoil.htm Again, what actually occurred,
and what Al Tolbert claims occurred were vastly different... but what I
want to draw your attention to is Part 3 of the video of this meeting
(about 4 mins in). 

	Danny Grissom asks why there was not any public hearings in
southern Indiana...he wondered why there was not a hearing in Evansville. 
For those of you who don't know Evansville is my home town. 

	What Danny should have been told was that Ramona Harvey, who used
to be Secretary, volunteered to facilitate the public hearing in
Evansville and that she even said that she could help get a location when
she was a member of the state plan committee...but when we decided that we
did not like her telling the truth, we kicked her off. Now we are not sure
she will help us because we lied about her. But even if she would help we
don't want her coming to any meetings so we are not telling her when
meetings are. Besides, we don't care about the people in Evansville
anyway, so we aren't having one there. Beth Crain lives in Bloomington and
does not cause much trouble so we can have one there. 

	Instead Al Tolbert states that this was discussed and it was
determined that the more central location of Bloomington would be
better....because at some time in the past they had gone to Evansville and
not many people showed up. (not many means some did)

	The Central location of Bloomington was better apparently for
everyone... even though it is only an hour away from Indy. 

______________________________

	I know that they say it would be more cost effective or whatever
to have the hearing in a more centralized location, but how in the world
is that Central to us?  Bloomington is two hours away on a different time
zone then we are. 

	Maybe it is because I just got back from the March two day
facilitated discussion which started out open to the public, but ended up
closed.  By the way, before the meeting there was no indication given to
the public stating that they could not participate in this meeting. 

	But after I drove three hours on my own dime to participate in
this facilitated discussion, the public was told not only could they not
participate, but that during the entire two days (including the normal
meeting) they could not talk, clap, or even laugh.  No comments would even
be taken at the meeting because the new chair Dee Ann did not put public
comment on the agenda. 

	I just wanted to be allowed to introduce myself, and asked to be
allowed to.  The council choose to vote to call the police rather then
allow me to say 'Hello, I am from Evansville, and I used to be on this
council, and have lots of experience both personally and professionally in
the disability field'

	I sat with my hand up for about 30 minutes while center directors
talked about how important IL was to them.  Then later I had to listen to
how important they were and how valuable their time was...while they
ignored the value of mine. 

	They talked about me as if I was not even in the room. So much for
nothing about me without me. They justified not allowing me to talk saying
I could comment at the public hearings...Yet the council specifically
decided not to have a hearing in the largest city in the south...a town
which happens to be mine. 

	Anyway they basically told me to shut up and be quiet, and that I
could comment about the plan at the public hearing in my community that
they were not going to have. 

The only problem with that is all I wanted to do was introduce myself.

Ramona Harvey

We the people with disabilities can think for ourselves.  We can ask our
own questions and come to our own decisions.  We know what it is like to
be treated differently, and we know what it is like to be excluded because
we cannot get in the door or becau se people are afraid we will be hurt. 
We are important.  Our lives, needs, and dreams are important and we
deserve respect.  We are just like every other person driving down the
road. We demand our needs be met and that we be included in the decisions
that impact our lives - we do not wish to sit on the sidelines anymore
and watch others play.  We want to be allowed on the playground just like
anybody else. www.onecandream.com