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Welcome to Equip for Equality’s first e-newsletter! We are excited to share stories and updates about our organization. This issue talks about our new Disability and Aging Legal Center, a group of volunteer lawyers from Latham & Watkins who did a significant pro-bono research project, and an interview with Mari Monteiro and Beth Karpiak, who advocate for people with traumatic brain injury. We hope you will enjoy reading this first issue. We will be in touch soon with information about our plans to celebrate Equip for Equality’s 30th Anniversary, so stay tuned. Warm regards,
Illinois Department on Aging and Equip for Equality Establish Disability and Aging Legal Center
In partnership with the Illinois Department on Aging, Equip for Equality has initiated a Disability and Aging Legal Center (Legal Center) to address the legal needs of older adults and people with disabilities who are served by the Department on Aging’s statewide network of local private and public agencies. The Legal Center is managed by Barry Lowy, Senior Attorney in EFE’s Springfield office. Programs and services include legal rights training and educational resources, technical assistance in self-advocacy, direct legal representation and pro-bono attorneys and law students to help expand the Legal Center’s reach and scope. The Legal Center will also identify systemic problems commonly faced by people with disabilities and older adults and make recommendations to state officials for prevention of future problems. Equip for Equality is delighted to expand our services to reach this population and we look forward to partnering with the Department on Aging and its network on this important initiative.
Contact: Barry Lowy, 217-303-8541
Latham & Watkins Provides Significant Help in Volunteer Project for Special Education Clinic
Students with disabilities are regularly disciplined for behavior related to their disability. When behavioral needs are not addressed effectively, students with disabilities end up expelled, hospitalized, restrained, or institutionalized in segregated schools or the juvenile justice facilities. To help combat these outcomes, EFE enlisted a team of five attorneys at Latham & Watkins to provide research on laws and policies for developing behavior intervention plans across the country. The Latham team turned up many model policies for supporting students with behavior needs and developed legal arguments EFE will use to negotiate better behavior evaluations for students with disabilities. Latham & Watkins’ research forms the backbone of our efforts to secure appropriate behavior supports for hundreds of students over the coming year.
Thank you so much!
Sandhya Chandrasekhar (not pictured)
Jennifer Lindsay
Martha O’Connor
Catherine Sullivan
Kelly Thomason Self
Interview with Traumatic Brain Injury Project Staff:
Mari Monteiro and Beth Karpiak
Mari Monteiro Beth Karpiak
EFE: Can you talk about what distinguishes Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from other disabilities and what types of issues you have seen working with people with TBI?
Mari – TBI can happen at any time in someone’s life and can be the result of an accident or injury causing damage to the brain. It’s important to understand that every brain injury is different – while some might impact memory, other injuries might impact vision or decision-making abilities. TBI can also be an invisible disability, which sometimes leads to difficulty in receiving accommodations in an employment situation, for example.
Beth – While all brain injuries are different, some brain injuries can leave individuals vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Through my Equal Justice Works Fellowship, I’m working to address these issues in communities and facilities across Illinois.
EFE: How did you get interested in TBI work?
Mari – Our stories are quite different. When I started practicing at EFE almost 11 years ago, I had an opportunity to become involved with the TBI project and later became the project manager. At the time, I had never worked with people with brain injuries. The leadership at EFE was really supportive. I was encouraged to attend clinical conferences where information about brain injuries was presented to non-medical professionals and I had lots of support from colleagues. I’m so glad I took this opportunity because it has become my professional passion.
Beth – My brother sustained a brain injury when he was 12. My parents dropped everything to care and advocate for him. Nineteen years later, my brother is enjoying a healthy and full life. I know that not everyone in my brother’s situation has the resources or family support needed to sucessfully navigate the system of recovery. I’ve learned that early and persistent advocacy made a huge difference. That’s why I was thrilled to have the opportunity to develop a fellowship with EFE to advocate for individuals with TBI.
EFE: Can you talk about a case you’ve worked on? What legal services did EFE provide?
Beth – I worked with a veteran with TBI who was getting terrible care at a nursing facility. Neither he nor his wife was aware of how to advocate for him. He had his teeth extracted and wasn’t given the diet that he required to prevent choking. He was not ambulatory, and often sat in soiled clothes for hours. I met with the facility director, who immediately corrected the most urgent problems. It took some time to get other issues resolved, but he is now receiving the care he needs. His wife called a few months later to tell me how much better he was doing. It was great to hear this, and her call gave me an opportunity to provide suggestions for self-advocacy in the future.
Mari- Being armed with self-advocacy tools can change a person’s life dramatically. I recently spoke with an individual with TBI, who also lives at a nursing home. He recently experienced some health problems and was sent to a hospital for tests. When he called me, he was extremely anxious because he did not understand what the tests were for. I provided him with the step-by-step tools he needed to obtain this information from the nursing home and set up a meeting with the clinical staff to discuss concerns. He was successful in his self-advocacy efforts. He set up the meeting and got the information he needed.
EFE: This sounds like really important work. What do you think drives you to do it?
Mari –I really enjoy working with my clients and their families. Being their advocate gives my work meaning.
Beth – When people who have TBI don’t get appropriate care and end up in facilities without knowing how to exercise their rights, I see injustice. That’s what motivates me.
