Outreach and Public Awareness
We send out a Quarterly newsletter (e-mail Roger to be added to our mailing list). We will attend conferences and Health Fairs or make classroom presentations in schools regarding the prevention of spinal cord injuries and how you can help people with disabilities living in the Bering Strait and NW Arctic Regions.

Please contact us regarding people you know with disabilities – limitations involving illness, trauma, or old age, or physical, hearing, vision, mental or emotional disabilities. We'd like to make direct contact with them and their families to identify specific interests and needs to remain in their village in rural or remote Alaska.

Peer Counseling and Independent
Living Skills Training
A person with a disability who has achieved a level of independence is available to share knowledge and experiences with any potential consumer of services. Counseling and Skills Training can be provided face to face, on the phone or on the internet. Consider topics such as "Coping with a Disability," "Self Advocacy," "Managing Your Own Attendant," "Computer Use."

A small Consumer Service Fund can be used to help purchase adaptive equipment, ramps or services. We've gotten adaptive phones and visual aides for several elders in the villages, and we've worked together with numerous housing agencies to get wheelchair ramps for those in need.

Individual & Systems Advocacy
Arctic Access will speak up for the rights of people with disabilities. We help you talk to agencies to get the changes you want. Advocacy can help you be that voice of change in your own community.

We're working on getting housing authorities to build all new homes more wheelchair accessible using 'universal design.' We're advocating for more services to support elders and people with disabilities to live (and die naturally!) in their own village.

Information & Referral
People with disabilities may want information to help them live more independently. We research and follow up on funding, housing modifications, adaptive equipment, and special programs. We'll help you get signed up for the Consumer Directed Personal Care Services program.

We also have a library of disability resource information, and we send out a Quarterly newsletter (e-mail Roger to be added to our mailing list).

Deinstitutionalization
There are elders and people with disabilities in our nursing homes who would prefer to be in their own homes. Perhaps you have a family member in a nursing home who you would like to have at home. We could help develop a plan and put together the services to support this process.

©2007 Arctic Access Inc.