2007 SILC Congress
New Orleans, Louisiana
January 12-15, 2007
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2007 SILC Congress
New Orleans, Louisiana
January 12-15, 2007
The purpose of the 2007 SILC Congress "Building for Our Future" is:
- to provide orientation for new SILC appointees in pre-conference sessions
- to better understand the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and demonstrate the necessity of building for a future that includes accommodations for travelers and residents with disabilities
- to continue to explore the future of Statewide independent Living Councils across the nation utilizing the Standards and Indicators we adopted and in regards to new federal reporting requirements in the 704 Part 1 and any changes in the new State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL);
- to explore the roles of the SILC in state emergency preparedness and in rebuilding efforts after a disaster
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| Bob Michaels Presents SILC 101 for new SILC Staff and Board from across the country at the SILC Congress Pre-Event. |
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| Jennifer from RSA gives a federal update at the Friday night reception. |
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| Panel Presentation from Katrina Survivors. |
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| Hurricane Katrina - The Levees Break in New Orleans! |
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| Scene of severe street flooding in New Orleans. |
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| A New Orleans bridge disappears... |
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| The "Road To Freedom" Tour Bus. This tour is a national awareness campaign inspired by the historic journey of Justin and Yoshiko Dart to mobilize support for passage of the ADA. This cross country bus journey begins in Washington, DC, and aims to engage audiences across the United States in the story of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the history of the disability rights movement. The tour hopes to mobilize ALL of us to keep the promise of the ADA - freedom, inclusion, and opportunity for children and adults with physical, mental, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. The "Road to Freedom" tour WILL BE IN IOWA August 9-11, 2007. On August 9th the tour will be in Des Moines for the State Fair. On August 10th the bus will be in Cedar Rapids for the ADA Celebration there. |
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| The "Road To Freedom" Tour Photographer, Tom Olin. Tom's stunning photographs of the struggle for disability rights, shown on the outside of the bus, are the centerpiece of the "Road To Freedom" tour. Tom's work has been featured at the Smithsonian Institute. The exhibit also includes a narrative of the history of the disability rights movement and the ADA. |
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| Kathy Hoell, Nebraska SILC Executive Director, next to the "Road to Freedom" tour bus. Kathy had an unfortunate accident on her way to the SILC Congress this year, one that points out the trials and tribulations that people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Kathy was in her motorized scooter, going down the air ramp to the plane, when she hit the big bump near the end of the ramp and went flying out of her chair, landing on her head! While she was fortunately not seriously hurt, she did sustain a nice purple eye, which she cheerfully coordinated with several purple outfits she had brought with her! We discovered that Kathy's chair was missing a bolt, which is what made the chair tip and send her flying. The bolt was in the chair when she boarded the plane in Nebraska, but probably due to handling and storage by the airline, it was not in the chair when she changed planes in Houston, thus causing the accident. |
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| Mike Collins, Executive Director of the California SILC, presents a workshop on "Emergency Preparedness for Individuals With Disabilities". Mike strongly encouraged SILCs and CILs in every state to go back home from this SILC Congress and GET INVOLVED in our own state's disaster planning and preparedness, to ensure the needs of persons with disabilities are addressed in both state and local comunities plans. |
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| Flooding disaster picture from Mike Collins' presentation. |
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| Red Cross van destroyed in a flood, from Mike Collins' presentation. |
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| Bob Michaels presents on Measuring Outcomes from the work of the Task Force. |
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| SILC Congress voting members raise their state flags to vote at the annual meeting... |
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| Louisiana SILC and CIL staff hold a Mardi Gras Parade at the 2007 SILC Congress, presenting their case for holding next year's 2008 SILC Congress in New Orleans. SILC Congress participants overwhelmingly voted to hold the SILC Congress again in New Orleans next year! Folks really wanted to see if there were more positive changes for Katrina survivors over the next year. Of course, the other option offered was to have the SILC Congress at a beautiful ski resort in Alaska... and while many of us would love to see Alaska, most felt that Alaska in January would not be a good choice... so maybe in some future year we can move the SILC Congress to a warmer month so we can go to Alaska! |
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People and Sights in New Orleans...
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| Mike from Long Island, New York SILC, and Mary from Nebraska SILC... |
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| Gryf from Delaware SILC. |
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| Bill from Delaware SILC. |
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| Brad from Nebraska SILC, Dawn from Iowa SILC, and Bob Michaels at a pub on Bourbon Street... |
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| Billy Altom (on right), Arkansas CIL, & Friends on Bourbon Street... |
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| SILC Congress participants taking a break on Bourbon Street... |
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| Brad, Nebraska SILC, engaging with a tuba player on Bourbon Street... |
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| Roxan from the Wisconsin SILC, collecting loads of Mardi Gras beads on Bourbon Street during the celebration of the Saints win! |
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| Making New Friends! Roxan from the Wisconsin SILC meets a new friend, Scotty, who was in New Orleans to play in a wheelchair basketball tournament! |
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| After the Saints won... Bourbon Street at night... |
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| Bourbon Street sidewalk jazz in motion! |
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| New Orleans own "Steamboat Willie", jazz trumpet player... |
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| Funky Pirate Blues Bar on Bourbon Street... famous live jazz performances... |
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| Beautiful wolf dog, lying in the doorway of a bar on Bourbon Street to help guard the bar... |
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| View of New Orleans landmarks at night from a river bridge... |
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| ELVIS!!! This is a picture of the balcony where Elvis Presley sang in one of his movies. The picture was taken with no flash, and when we looked at it the blue orb appeared... the ghost of Elvis??? |
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| New Orleans Church with lighted statue casting a huge shadow on the wall... prior to Hurricane Katrina, there were large trees in front of the church, so the shadow was only seen AFTER the hurricane had eradicated the large trees... |
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