Strategies and Resources for Effective Advocacy
- Accessible Event technology to display relevant and useful web pages, Microsoft Word documents, Excel Spreadsheets and Powerpoint slides; to equip interested persons with the tools they need to effectitvely advocate for change.
- Email Resources@SeroTalk.com with any Useful Web Sites and Resources for Inclusion on this Page
- Visit the SeroTalk Blog and Podcast Web Site
- Kelly Pierce,
- David Lepofsky,
- Brian Charlson each successful in a variety of different initiatives.
- AODA Alliance disability consumer advocacy group for Ontario
- Listen to 45 Minute Presentation by David Lepofsky on Advocacy, November 7, 2007
- The Carroll Center for the Blind, located in Newton, Massachusetts and serves as vice President of Computer Training Services. Brian has been instrumental in developing the training program for the Adaptive Technology Center. His work has led to the successful employment of many persons with visual impairment who had been considered unemployable. Previously, Brian was a VicePresident of Talking Computer Systems. After he graduated from Oregon City High School, he attended Clackamas Community College, also in Oregon City, and then Willamette University in Salem, majoring in political science. He also served as Assistant Sergeant at Arms during three terms of the Oregon State Legislature. He also worked as the Human Rights Coordinator for the city of Salem and ran a food service stand in the state agriculture building. Brian has used his nationally recognized leadership and consensus building skills to advance the employment and education of persons who are blind through the use of adaptive technology. He is currently a director and Chairman of the Budget Committee, American Council of the Blind (ACB); member, Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB); Chair, Information Access Task Force, (Washington, DC); member of the World Blind Union North American Regional Board, Chair of the Rehabilitation Advisory Council Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, the Consumer Advisory Council of the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Partnership (MATP), and the Watertown Commission on Disability.
- Overview: How to Choose Appropriate Adaptive Technology
- Organize a Circle of Support to Help You Choose Adaptive Technology That Is Right for You
- 16 Qualities of a Model Adaptive Technology Team Member
- How to Create Your Adaptive Technology Team
- How to Help an Adaptive Technology Team Agree on a Solution
- How to Help an Adaptive Technology Team Generate Potential Solutions
- Questions to Ask in Choosing Adaptive Technology
- How to Help an Adaptive Technology Team Identify and Define Specific Needs
- Overview: What You Should Know About Obtaining Funds for Adaptive Technology
- Overview of ADA and Adaptive Technology: Your Civil Rights to Information Access
- How to Address Problems with Follow Up Once A Solution Is Implemented
- How to Gain Technology Access in Training Programs
In SeroTalk Tech Chat 52, our focus is effective advocacy. We'll cover advocating for internet and web site access, travel and transportation, ATM and banking, service animals, education, creating effective letter writing and email campaigns, using radio, tv and print media, online petitions, social networking, contacting elected officials, giving presentations and more. We'll also utilize the power of
Three Advocacy specialists
We are honored to have a distinguished group of three accomplished guests:
Kelly Pierce works as an advocate for victims of crime with disabilities at the prosecutor’s office in Chicago. He has been active in helping people get adaptive technology at their college, obtain free talking cell phones and free cell phone screen readers, training and equipment from rehabilitation agencies, high quality audio interfaces for transit bus stop calling systems, voting machines and meaningful and useful ATM access at large banks; has written several guides on choosing adaptive technology and qualified trainers, and on forming assistive technology teams for acquiring technology.
David Lepofsky, located in Toronto Ontario Canada, successfully navigated the complaint process to force the Toronto transit agency to install automatic stop calling equipment on its buses. He also worked to include people with disabilities into Canada’s Charter of rights and Freedoms.
Brian Charlson has been one of the driving forces behind several of the transformational legal settlements in the past few years. Recently he was one of the claimants that worked extensively with Major league Baseball on making its website and digital services fully accessible to the blind. He also worked with Fleet Boston financial on ATM and banking access. Brian was one of the most visible disability leaders that challenged the claims of Sun Microsystems and International Business Machines Corp, (IBM) regarding the accessibility of the OpenDocument file format and the Open Office software suite that the State of Massachusetts wanted to use instead of Microsoft Office. Sun, IBM and the state said the technology was as accessible as MS Word and MS Office. Brian currently works at The