Category: Media

Community workshops to address COVID-19 and its impact on students with special needs

May 21, 2020: Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. (TRI) will host a virtual workshop entitled: “Ask the Advocate” on June 3^rd from 9:30 – 10:30 am to provide information to parents, family members and guardians of students with special needs and community providers during this time of extended school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Upcoming monthly workshop topics and dates to be announced. 

TRI Special Education Advocates Karen Lynch and Jennifer O’Neill will answer questions from participants and provide information regarding modifications to Individual Education Plans (IEP), understanding the CSE (Committee on Special Education) process, and transition services available to students with disabilities. 

“The workshops are designed to address the concerns we are hearing at CSE meetings from parents and guardians about protracted school closures and the challenges that virtual educational platforms pose to students with disabilities,” says Lynch.  Lynch and O’Neill maintain their advocacy services are especially crucial during this difficult time.  “We assist parents and students to navigate the school system, which now includes virtual or teleconference meetings and helping parents and students to be more effective self-advocates,” says O’Neill.  

To register, contact: Karen Lynch k.lynch@taconicresources.org / 845-249-8293  or Jennifer O’Neill j.oneill@taconicresources.org / 845-214-7893.  Participants will receive a confirmation email for a Zoom link upon registration.

Anyone requiring a Sign Language Interpreter in order to participate in this meeting should contact  j.oneill@taconicresoures.org by May 27, 2020 by 5:00pm

Funding for TRI’s Special Education Advocacy program is provided by OPWDD Family Support Program, ACCES-VR and Dutchess County Agency Partner Grant.

Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. (TRI) was founded in 1986 and is Dutchess County’s leading disability advocacy organization, dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to lead self-directed lives. TRI works within the community to provide disability awareness and advocacy for the removal of barriers.

The Mid-Hudson Valley Benefits Advisory Group (BAG) has been successful in its first year as a stand-alone benefits networking conference in Dutchess County for human service professionals to share their expertise and resources. BAG meetings are held bi-monthly on 3^rd Fridays in 2020: February 21, April 17, June 19, August 21, October 16, December 18, from 2-4PM.

TRI’s Mobility Benefits Counselor, Mandi Sheraden formed the group in August of 2019 as a way for community partners to stay up-to-date with ongoing changes to local county, state, and federal programs. “BAG participants have the opportunity to share resources and information in order to guide and assist the people we serve,” says Sheraden. “If you are not able to travel out of county, we encourage you to start a BAG meeting in your own community and reach out to the entire BAG network to build support and momentum,” she adds.

BAG participants share a wide variety of relevant topics, and schedule presenters who are experts in their field. Topics include: Social Security Administration’s SSI and SSDI programs, Department of Community and Family Services programs, Medicaid/Medicare, Special/Pooled Trusts, and ABLE accounts.  Group members and participants work together to connect each other to community and/or governmental resources to better assist the people they serve.

Those interested in attending upcoming BAG meetings should contact Sheraden at least two days in advance of meetings at:  845.452.3913 or m.sheraden@taconicresources.org.  Special accommodations need to be requested two weeks in advance. Light refreshments are provided.

Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. (TRI) was founded in 1986 and is Dutchess County’s leading disability advocacy organization, dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to lead self-directed lives. TRI works within the community to provide disability awareness and advocacy for the removal of barriers.

Taconic Resources for Independence (TRI) will host its first LGBTQ+ ABILITIES Discussion and Support Group on March 10 beginning at 5:30 pm at its office on 82 Washington Street.  TRI has partnered with the Kingston based Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center to form the group, which is open to all members of the LGBTQ+ community, including people with disabilities. The group will meet at TRI on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7:30.     

Agique Anderson (AJ), group facilitator says, “Topics range from disability identity, self-advocacy, gender Identity, to living independently. In addition to discussions, the group will present educational videos and incorporate games. We provide a safe space for everyone to express themselves freely and openly.”

30 percent of men and 36 percent women who identify as LGBTQ+ also identify as having a disability (June 29, 2018 PRNewswire). This intersection of disability and LGBTQ underscores the need for more supports and services. However, both people who identify as LGBTQ and people who have disabilities traditionally face barriers to receiving the supportive services needed to stabilize them in their communities. According to a University of Chicago report, LGBTQ young adults had a 120 percent higher risk of reporting homelessness compared to youth who identified as heterosexual and cisgender.

 “We are a group of people with different abilities and identities and together we strive to be productive members of our community,” notes AJ.  We are not defined by our disabilities and identities, what defines us is our character and abilities. Our community is strongest when it is inclusive,” he adds.

The LQBQ group will meet at TRI on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month from 5:30 – 7:30. For more information and/or to request an accommodation, please call: 845.452.3913. 

Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. (TRI) was founded in 1986 and is Dutchess County’s leading disability advocacy organization, dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to lead self-directed lives. TRI works within the community to provide disability awareness and advocacy for the removal of barriers.

Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. (TRI) in collaboration with Gellen Law PLLC will host a live discussion platform for families of students with disabilities to discuss the educational impacts of COVID-19. The presentation: Special Education in the time of COVID-19 will take place on April 22 beginning at 9:00 AM. TRI Special Education Advocates, Karen Lynch and Jennifer O’Neill will present and participants can register by using following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85606540155

“COVID-19 presents a unique crisis for many students with disabilities,” states TRI Executive Director, Lisa Tarricone. “Students with intellectual and visual disabilities and those on the autism spectrum are disproportionately impacted by inaccessible virtual platforms and the lack of individualized instruction,” she says.

Lynch and O’Neill support and work with the parents of students with disabilities to assist them with navigating through the school system, and find that advocacy services and legal support are especially essential during these difficult times.  “Some of our parents have raised concerns about how to attend a meeting by phone and/or video. Unfamiliarity with technology, lack of personal communication and/or disability may pose additional challenges or barriers for some of the individuals and families we work with,” says O’Neill.

The interactive presentation will provide legal guidance and advocacy strategies to address some of these concerns.

Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc. (TRI) was founded in 1986 and is Dutchess County’s leading disability advocacy organization, dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to lead self-directed lives. TRI works within the community to provide disability awareness and advocacy for the removal of barriers.