Transcription

1 A C a m p a i g n f o r t h e C o a l i t i o n o f T e x a n s w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s

2 A Campaign for the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD), founded in 1978, is a IRS-approved 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to insuring that people with disabilities enjoy equal opportunities to live, work, play, and participate fully in the community of their choice. CTD has consistently delivered important results for persons with disabilities for the past 23 years, and continues to fight the discrimination that still faces individuals with disabilities in almost every aspect of their lives. In order to better serve individuals with disabilities, CTD is constantly participating in and organizing campaigns and advocacy events to help raise funding and awareness for disability related issues. This year, our biggest and most exciting event is TEAM EVEREST 03, an expedition to the 17,388 base camp of Mt. Everest and climb to it s summit. This expedition celebrates the achievement of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first climbers ever to summit Mt. Everest marks the 50th anniversary of that historic climb. TEAM EVEREST 03 also represents 50 years of progress for people with disabilities and will "Challenge the Myth" that having a disability equates to a lack of capability and potential. By taking on this challenge, we will show the world that anything is possible. Team Everest 03 will be one of the most important historical events in the disability community, radically changing the way individuals with disabilities are perceived. The expedition will be a highly publicized event utilizing a progressive marketing and fundraising campaign. Press coverage, media events, an interactive website, and video and photo documentation will ensure maximum exposure for Team Everest 03 supporters while promoting the potential of people with disabilities. Team Everest 03 is an 18-month campaign beginning in Austin, Texas in January 2002 and culminating in a Spring 2003 expedition to the base camp of Mt. Everest and the climbing expedition to the highest summit in the world at 29,039. A diverse team of determined individuals representing the very best of America, the team s ultimate objectives are to empower individuals with disabilities, to assure them the freedom to explore and to achieve their goals. They will carry this message to the top of the world with the generous support of individuals, groups, corporations and the media. By trekking to the 17,388 base of the world s highest peak, Team Everest 03 will Challenge the Myth that people with disabilities are not strong and capable. Supported by assistants, medical staff and the finest high altitude Sherpa in the world, Team Everest trek members will embody responsibility, leadership, physical determination and strength. For more information about joining the Challenge Trek to Everest base camp, contact Jodi Park at trek@teameverest03.org or

3 Team Leaders TEAM EVEREST Including people with disabilities in all aspects of life represents the very best of America. 03 Kirk Watson, Mayor of Austin, TEAM EVEREST 03 is proud to have the support and guidance of all of our leaders on this mission. Dennis Borel Project Director, USA Dan Steinborn Communications & Media Director, USA Joni Rogers Logistics Coordinator Gary Guller Expedition Leader Mike Trueman Expedition Co-leader Everest Summiteer Janis Tupesis, M.D. Lead Physician Jodi Park Disability Communications Director, USA Chris Masey Communications & IT Director, Nepal Stacy Zoern Disability Consultant, USA Trip Blackford Communications & IT, Nepal Rhys Davies Challenge Trek Leader Amy Trost Volunteer Coordinator Jake Zortman Productions Videography Nima Dawa Sherpa Technical Climbing Sherpa Everest Summiteer Andy Cockrum Firelight Productions Videography Kipa Sherpa Expedition Sirdar Three-time Everest Summiteer

4 03 FEBRUARY 2002 MEDIA EVENT he expedition T I M E L I N E JANUARY 2002 KICK-OFF Press Release Local, state, national and international print, television & radio media coverage Website launch Fund raising & educational events MT. KILIMANJARO (19,344ft), TANZANIA Press Release Local, state, national and international print, television & radio coverage Fund raising & educational events MARCH 2002 CTD NEWSLETTER Distribution to 5,000+ people in the disability community Mt. Everest is 29,035 above sea level. The Jet Stream blasts the rocky, icy summit of Everest nearly all year long with winds of 118+ miles/hour. During the month of May the jet stream is pushed northward over Tibet making our expedition to the summit possible. Because of the extreme altitude and harsh conditions, the Team Everest 03 expedition is scheduled to take over two months and will require a diverse team of determined individuals to make it successful. APRIL 2002 TEAM EVEREST CHALLENGE TREK APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 2002 MEDIA EVENT CHALLENGE TREK TEAM SELECTION JUNE 2002 PRINT ADS BEGIN AUGUST 2002 CTD NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2002 SPECIAL EVENT CTD ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SAN ANTONIO, TX SEPTEMBER 2002 MEDIA EVENT MT. CHO OYU (26,899ft), TIBET Press Release Local, state, national and international print, television & radio coverage Fund raising & educational events NOVEMBER 2002 CTD NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2003 MEDIA EVENT MT. ACONCAGUA (22,826ft), ARGENTINA Press Release Local, state, national and international print, television & radio coverage Fund raising & educational events MARCH MAY 2003 MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION (29,035ft), KATHMANDU, NEPAL Daily satellite transmissions from Everest Team progress, weather reports, photo & video documentation Anticipated 5 million website hits per day High visibility of sponsors name & logos Local, state, national and international print, television & radio coverage Educational events The pull of Everest was stronger for me than any force on Earth. Tenzing Norgay APRIL 2003 CHALLENGE TREK TEAM RETURNS TO USA MAY 2003 CLIMBING TEAM MAKES SUMMIT ATTEMPT JUNE 2003 POST EXPEDITION MEDIA EVENTS Corporate meetings and public events Local and national interviews and speaking engagements Commemorative publication

5 itinerary *ORANGE AND BLACK = Trekking Team *BLUE = Climbing Team Day March Day March Day 06 March 20 Depart USA on Thai Airlines; arrive Bangkok; overnight Hotel. Morning flight to Kathmandu (4,264 )! Arrive into sea of smiling Nepali faces. Visit disability clinic; final trek/gear preparations & team meetings. Hotel. Rise early for spectacular helicopter or Twin Otter flight to Lukla (9,184'), the trailhead into the Khumbu region. Begin trek north to Phakding village (9,184'); yaks transporting gear to Everest base camp. Dinner & overnight Arun Lodge. Day 07 March 21 Day March Day March Early start to Monjo village (9,300 ) through forests of Dudh Kosi ("Milk River") Valley. Sherpa prepare dinner on first night of tent camping. Trek into Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park to Sherpa capital Namche Bazaar (11,283'); climb slowly as there s significant altitude gain; rest & acclimatization days. First views of Mt. Everest! Day hikes to Khunde & Khumjung villages. Teahouse or tent camp. Trek to Lo Sasa (11,150 ) & along relatively level trail to Tengboche (12,694'), spiritual center of the Khumbu. On to Deboche (12,350 ). Lodge or tent camp. Day March Day Mar. 31 Apr. 02 Day April Day April Day April Day April Day April Day April Day April Day April Day 44 April 27 Day April Day April 30 May 05 Day May Trek to Pangboche (12,660 ) & Dengboche (14,465') villages dwarfed by surrounding mountains world s 4th highest mountain Lhotse (27,890') & Ama Dablam (22,493'); day hike to small summer settlement Chukkung (15,514'); rest & acclimatization days. Teahouse or tent camp. Trek to Tuglar (15,150 ) & Lobuche (16,170') via memorials to lost climbers; landscape quite stark; rest & acclimatization day in Lobuche. Teahouse or tent camp. Trek along Khumbu Glacier moraine to Gorak Shep (16,925'), a small group of herders' huts: evening & sunrise treks to the 18,188' summit of Kala Pattar (Hindi meaning "Black Rock"). Challenging ascent with rewarding 360 panoramic view of Himalayan peaks! Teahouse or tent camp at Gorak Shep. Everest base camp (17,388 )! Establish base camp. Rest; explore. Assist Sherpa in climb preparations: Rest at BC; check/recheck all telecommunications (computers, phone, etc.).; test gear & equipment; establish contact with Team Everest USA; prepare and inspect loads for higher camps; confirm weather-forecasting support. Trekking team departs base camp; descend to Gorak Shep, Lobuche & Pheriche; visit trekker's aid post supported by the Himalayan Rescue Association. Teahouse or tent camp. From Pheriche, take chartered helicopter back to Kathmandu. Big celebration meal! International departures from Kathmandu; arrive home via Bangkok. Begin altitude training at higher camps: Climb through Khumbu Ice Fall to establish Camp 1 (6,200m); sleep at C1 to aid acclimatization; weather updates; test communication between C1-EBC-USA. Establish Camp 2 (6,600m); prepare loads for Camps 3 & 4; weather updates; test oxygen; communications with Team Everest USA; training climbs to Lhotse Face. Establish Camp 3 (7,400m) on Lhotse Face & Camp 4 (8,000m) on South Col; sleep at C3; haul loads (oxygen, food, etc.) to Camps 3 & 4 in preparation for summit push. Return to Camp 2; rest; recheck all communication equipment; ration Camp 4 food; double check oxygen regulators. Return to BC; rest; establish contact with Team Everest USA; double-check all communication equipment; health checks; continue daily weather forecast check. Summit Push As weather dictates, team commences summit push: Climb to Camp 1; climb to Camp 2; climb to Camp 3; climb to Camp 4; summit attempt (8,850m). After summit, descend to BC; breakdown BC & obtain government clearance; return to Kathmandu by early June. International flights home.

6 WOW! CTD has really put in work on our behalf as well as those who need to access housing. I am duly impressed and know that we can count on your organization to be among the ones who really get things accomplished! Nancy Cates, Board Member Mary Lee Foundation It is good to be working with someone that is knowledgeable... on the various programs, etc. that are available to people with disabilities. It is amazing how many rules can be broken when you know the right contacts like CTD. Troy L., 28, working with CTD to move out of a nursing home and into the community CAPABILITY. Thank you for not taking no for an answer and helping me get the assistance I need. I don t know where I d be without CTD. Tommy M. Brain Injury Survivor

7 So,what is CTD anyway? OUR MISSION Founded in 1978, the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD) is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals controlled by Texans with disabilities. It works to insure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to live, work, learn, play and participate fully in the community of their choice. CTD is an IRS-approved 501(c)3 non-profit organization. What makes CTD different from other non-profit agencies? CTD brings together a diverse group of individuals, organizations, service providers and state agencies. founded 1978 CTD Coalition of Texans with Disabilities Its by-laws require leadership by persons with disabilities. At present, 67% of the board members are persons with disabilities. CTD impacts the daily lives of millions of people with disabilities throughout Texas by providing community organizing and advocacy on state regulations and practices. OUR PROJECTS Cross-Disability Community Organizing and Advocacy CTD services create a unique and unified front extending and enhancing the efforts of individual members and member organizations. Among our many advocacy services, we provide policy analysis, input to state agencies about current regulations, information to the disability community, and awareness of disability issues to policymakers. Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP) CTD provides outreach efforts, which allow Texans who have trouble using a regular telephone to receive specialized telecommunications equipment at no cost. Promoting and Advancing Unrestricted Living Project The PAUL Project is in direct response to the U. S. Supreme Court s 1999 decision in the Olmstead case, obligating states to allow people who live in institutions access, when appropriate, into integrated community based alternatives. CTD is convening people with disabilities, family members, service providers, social service professionals and government officials to impact policy and practice during the next few years as Texas adopts the Olmstead changes. Keys to Home Helps individuals with disabilities work the maze of confusing regulations, agency information, and referral procedures so they can return to or stay in their community. Youth Leadership Program This empowerment and leadership development program for youth with disabilities awards the annual Kenny Murgia Memorial Scholarship to a high school senior who has demonstrated activism in disability issues and provides a part-time paid internship for a college student in the CTD offices. Long term disability advocates Dolores and Marc Salazar accepting the Justin Dart, Jr. Meritorious Achievement Award, Sept Information and Referral CTD is often the first point of contact for people with disabilities, and families and friends who are seeking service and resource information. Where we ve been... Where we re going Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay are the first climbers to summit Mt. Everest The number of persons with disabilities in public institutions increased at twice that of the general population. The practice of institutionalizing people with disabilities became common in the 1800s, a period of human devaluation in which women were not allowed to work or vote, African Americans were enslaved, and Native Americans were either eradicated or segregated onto reservations

8 We ve come a long way... ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CTD Working with only limited resources, CTD has consistently accomplished goals that directly benefit persons with disabilities by organizing people within the community and developing win-win partnerships. Expanded the number of facilities that are in compliance with architectural barriers building codes. Wrote and secured adoption of a state plan for critical personal assistance services. Secured the adoption of the Telecommunications Relay System (Relay Texas) and Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP). (Photo courtesy of Human Policy Press) We have a situation that borders on a snake pit... there is very little future... for those who are in these institutions. Robert Kennedy, after his 1965 state school visit. Incorporated input into the new operating rules for the Texas Department on Housing and Community Affairs to promote more accessible units in subsidized housing. Secured a mandate for the transportation-disadvantaged to have a seat on all major Texas transit authorities boards. Secured a franchise tax credit that provided an incentive to employers to hire a person with a disability. CTD collaborated with state agencies to develop a Medicaid Buy-In pilot program, which provided alternatives and removed the disincentive for people with disabilities to seek employment. CTD worked to give people with disabilities a fair shake, to be free from unreasonable, sometimes ridiculous, practices and regulations. CTD worked to remove motorized wheelchairs from the Motor Vehicle Code; to give personal assistants more latitude; and to eliminate cumbersome annual reporting requirements for a retired educator with a permanent disability. Won the Barbara Jordan Award for Excellence in the Communication of the Reality of Disabled People. A promise was made and that shameful wall of exclusion has begun to come down. President George Bush Signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990 WHY DOES CTD NEED FUNDING? CTD is a grass-roots non-profit organization whose primary work is in community organizing and advocacy. Two traditional sources of non-profit funding, the government and private foundations, focus their grants overwhelmingly on direct services to individuals, not the systemic change resulting from community organizing and advocacy. Another typical source of funding is individual contributions, but because CTD s service population people with disabilities has the lowest income of any demographic group, there is simply a very limited ability to contribute. Team Everest 03 represents an innovative way to raise necessary operating funds while simultaneously raising public awareness of the capabilities of people with disabilities and providing a means to publicize supporters of such a fundamentally important cause Funding for care for persons living in institutions was half that of animals living in U.S. zoos. The Civil Rights Act, a model for subsequent disability legislation, is passed $ for Burton Blatt, a Syracuse University professor, and Fred Kaplan used a hidden camera to capture life inside public institutions. Their disturbing photographic essay entitled Christmas in Purgatory shocks America. The Social Security Act of 1972 authorized a consolidated, federally administered cash benefits program needy individuals with a disability Disability advocates simply fought to maintain rights previously granted them.

9 but not nearly far enough! Here s the shocking REALITY of what some able-minded individuals actually think out loud! (we shall refrain from publishing their names) I believe my rights should be respected as much as the rights of the person in the wheelchair maybe more so, because I am normal and she is not Such Disability rules are salvos in a war against reality. They presume that the disabled can be made equal to the able-bodied and able-minded by arbitrary decree Nationally Syndicated Radio Host Reader mail in Ann Landers Column Restaurants should have a special section for handicapped people partly hidden by potted palms or other greenery so they are not seen by other guests Reader mail in Ann Landers Column The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. This landmark legislation affirms the rights of citizens with disabilities and prohibits discrimination in employment public services and accommodations, services operated by private entities, and telecommunications. 2001? Amidst national protest and pending lawsuits, the state of California plans to reconstruct Laguna Honda, the nation s largest nursing home. While running contrary to the Olmstead Supreme Court decision, this $400 million dollar plan will cause over 1,200 people with disabilities to remain institutionalized, when allowing them to live in the community would cost taxpayers far less Nine U.S. states have closed all of their public institutions in favor of community inclusion Team Everest 03 succeeds in raising public awareness!

10 - 20% of the population has a disability - 10% of the population has a severe disability - Only 25% of people with disabilities are employed - Among children ages 6-14, 1 in 8 have a disability - 32% of all people living to the age of 65 will aquire a disability Help us increase awareness. Give us a call today to find out how you can make a difference. From left to right: Gary Guller, Stacy Zoern, Dolores Gonzalez, Chase Bearden, Dennis Borel, Phillip Bellard W. 12th Street, Ste. 405 Austin, TX Ph Fax Sponsored In Part By: info@teameverest03.org