Open Letter to Indiana SILC

	The following letter to the ICOIL Council on Sunday April 15th.
Subject Heading: Official Repeated Request to be Kept Informed. 

ICOIL Council,
 
	I get that you all have decided to treat me like dirt, and hoped
that I didn't accidentally stumble on your obscure posting that lists a
random date not even a weds for an April meeting which you all voted not
to have. 
 
	I requested at the last public facilitated discussion to be kept
informed...and now discover that I have not been, even though I gave my
e-mail address to Dee Ann both orally and in writing on the sign in
sheet....and even though Dee Ann herself acknowledged she had my e-mail. 
Nobody bothered to inform me of this substantial change. 
 
	That is bad enough, but I am not the only member of the public who
was directly told there would not be a meeting in April who was not
subsequently contacted when their was a change.  Dee Ann told an
acquantance of mine there would not be a meeting in April, and even though
this person has done nothing but try and be involved, her interest was
ignored by the council.  Nobody bother to contact her to let her know
there had been a change.  All it would have taken was a simple e-mail. 
 
	No matter what it is you think I may or may not have done, this
person did nothing to you.  She is just a person with a disability who
wants to be informed and get involved...instead of putting her on a list
and keeping her informed you disregarded her.  How on Earth do you expect
to represent people you don't even respect enough to keep informed? 
 
	I understand that ICOIL is not consumer controlled at this point
and has not been for as long as I have been involved, but don't any of you
get that the big reason why the council is SUPPOSED to be consumer
controlled is because the council is SUPPOSED to REPRESENT people with
disabilities.  How can you do that when you are afraid to communicate with
them? 
 
	I wish to again ask that the council keep me informed of all
public meetings, whether they are committee meetings, public hearings,
business meetings, or any other special meeting, in general terms that
means any and all meetings which fall under the auspices of ICOIL
 
	Dee Ann, indicated at the training, which was open to the public,
that she did not have my e-mail attached to the COIL mailing list.  This
is strange because the only reason Dee Ann ever had my e-mail address in
the first place was because of ICOIL and I have requested several times
both as a council member and officer and member of the public to be kept
informed of all meetings.  I ASK AGAIN: 
 
Please re-associate my e-mail address with ICOIL
 
Thank you,
Ramona M. Harvey
 

For further info visit the secretary's chronicles at
www.onecandream.com/ICOIL The chronicles not only gives a chronological
overview of events, but contains an extensive documents page. One such
document worth looking at is an overview chart found at:
http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/icoil_overviewchart.html

Also see ICOIL video archive at www.everybodycounts.org/icoil.htm

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 because 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