Media – Page 11 – TACONIC RESOURCES FOR INDEPENDENCE, INC.

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.