Occasionally, we hear the same question from several people. Our new blog is helping us to answer FAQs when they come up. The latest question we’ve been hearing is:
I want to skip the Annual Meeting and just come to the Winter Party. What time does the Winter Party begin?
Good news! They are happening simultaneously, so you don’t have to worry about timing.
We also have noticed over the last couple years that our Annual Meeting was…well, a little dry. So, this year we are trying a new strategy. We are interweaving elements of the Annual Meeting into our Winter Party. We are hoping that it will liven things up while keeping all of our members and friends informed. If you aren’t looking closely, you won’t even know that the meeting is happening all around you. Here’s what you can expect:
Mocktails (fun, non-alcoholic drinks)
An entertaining and informative multimedia presentation with pictures, video, and info about the ACL
Dinner (Delicious and hearty soup provided by Live Well, Eat Smart caterers)
Mingle with current board members, board candidates, and ACL staff
Talk with friends
Listen to music
If you are an ACL member, you will be handed a ballet and info sheet when you enter the door.
Learn about board candidates by watching short videos mixed into our multimedia presentation on the “big screen.”
After dinner, stay to sing, listen, or sing-along from your chair to our very own karaoke party. If you know a song you want to sing right now, email it to Caitlin, so she can have it cued up for you.
Let us know if you have any other questions. We’ll see you at the party!
Recently, an infographic that one of our former interns created showed up on The Colorado Initiative for Inclusive Higher Education’s (IN!) website. We were all pretty excited, mostly, because we thought that was pretty cool.
But, it also got us thinking about inclusive higher education. There are tons of economic and financial reasons for a push towards inclusive colleges and universities. You can read about some of them here. However, we are also aware that fewer than 35 percent of students with disabilities who enroll in a four-year college graduate within eight years.[1] There’s many reasons for this, but rarely is the reason because these students have an intellectual disability. Some recent information [2] [3] shows that students who are graduating from Special Education programs lack the basic soft skills necessary to navigate the pressures and responsibilities of college. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has identified six major areas for teaching soft skills to students in transition: [4]
Communication
Enthusiasm and attitude
Teamwork
Networking
Problem solving and critical thinking
Professionalism
These skills and the opportunity to practice them are a likely indicator of students’ success in higher education. The earlier your kids with disabilities (and without) begin learning these skills the better. Set your goals for your children high and start practicing today!
Our website team has toiled away for months to bring you ACL’s new website!
You can now:
Request individual advocacy online
See a calendar of ACL’s upcoming events
Learn more about “Our Story”
And, of course, much more!
We are very grateful to those who assisted us through beta testing. Our website beta-testers told us they found our new site to be visually appealing, user-friendly, and informative about the breadth of the ACL’s work in our community.
Take some time now to learn something new about the ACL!
ReWriting Our Worlds is organized around mythologist Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. The Hero/Heroine answers the call to the journey, is tested and challenged as she/he sees the allies, obstacles, mentors and gifts of the journey and then has to find a way to integrate the adventure into their daily lives. We are already all on this road, this class will give us the language and format to make better sense of it as we deepen our understanding of our personal story.
No writing experience is required. Our writing sessions are guided by readings and writing prompts. Please bring a laptop or notebook along with a water bottle.
Saturday, December 1st from 1-5 PM at the ACL in Lafayette.
For more information, contact facilitator Anna Stewart at astewart@aclboulder.org.
Self-advocates are invited to join S.A.B.E. members and talk with Representative Jonathan Singer about issues affecting people with disabilities in our community.
Join us at our ACL Meet-up at the Lafayette Farmers Market on the 3rd Thursday of the month. In July that is on the 19th from 4:30 to 6. Don’t forget you can use your SNAP benefits through the Boulder County Double Up Food Bucks program at all the local farmer’s markets.
ACL has staff trained to register adults to vote through the Public Participation Project (part of Community Resource Center). We can help you register as a new voter, change your address and take your pledge to vote in the November election. We will have our clipboards ready at our events and meet-ups, at our office and in the community.
Did you know you can vote for only one race or ballot issue if you want? Everyone has the right to vote and have your voice count about issues that matter to you!
