July 19, 2000

BACIL mission far from impossible

Bay Area Coalition for Independent Living launches LIFE class

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       So, there was a meeting. And nobody came but the sponsor and the speaker.
      It happens and you move on.
      For the Bay Area Coalition for Independent Living, the low attendance at the first of their monthly summer consumer meetings was just a small setback in a year of numerous successes. A year that included winning an Emmy for best regional public service announcement, sponsoring a strawberry social and launching a new independent living class.
      With an ambitious mission of helping people with disabilities achieve their maximum potential, BACIL staff members look on the bright side and see opportunities at every turn.
      "A lot of people don't know we exist and we want to get the word out," said Patty Tucker, executive director of BACIL for the past two years. "We have a very exciting mission because of the numbers showing that one out of three people have a permanent disability in the nation."
      Serving a five-county region, including Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Kalkaska and Antrim counties, that means a projected consumer base of nearly 31,000 people with disabilities, based on projected 2001 population estimates. The organization also offers outreach programs in Manistee and Wexford counties. To meet the needs of their consumers, BACIL offers core services that include community advocacy, information and referral, peer support and skills training.
      The new Learning Independence From Experience (LIFE) program launched this spring is a 12-week course that teaches independent living skills. It will help people with disabilities with social skills, employment skills, money management, housing, transportation and volunteer service.
      "This is one of the core services that a center for independent living offers," Tucker said. "Other agencies in the area were doing it in bits and pieces but we wanted to do it across all disabilities and all ages."
      Tucker and her staff of two tackle their mission piece by piece. With more than 850 people on their mailing list, they sponsor monthly consumer meetings (that usually draw more attendees). Previous consumer meeting topics have included the 10 commandments of communicating with people with disabilities, assistive technology and developing social skills for kids with disabilities.
      BACIL staff members also write and distribute a newsletter and plan to hold an annual meeting this year for the first time. They recently completed a web site listing the services they offer and links to other related topics.
      When Munson HealthCare recently decided not to sponsor the annual Strawberry Social, BACIL stepped in at the last minute and took on the ambitious project with just three weeks of preparation. While they did not break even this year, BACIL staff and volunteers plan to make the Strawberry Social an annual fundraising and community outreach event.
      Volunteers help the organization in a variety of ways and staff members are always on the lookout for more.
      "We want to develop a strong base of volunteer mentors in our five county area," Tucker said. "Another goal is to expand the LIFE program to ages 14-18 and maybe have a residence to teach in, subleasing the rooms to give people a chance to try it and them move out on their own."
      Accomplishments and ambitions aside, another core component of BACIL outreach is the chance meeting and socializing with other people with disabilities.
      "I've made a lot of friends I wouldn't have otherwise," said Tom Gribbell, an information referral specialist with BACIL, who has disabilities stemming from a severe head injury in a car accident. "I've met a lot of people who can relate to my circumstances and it's not just me against the world anymore."
      Upcoming BACIL monthly consumer meetings will feature Sue Soderburg talking about Social Security disability benefits in August and Diane Butler discussing integrative medicine in September. Call the BACIL office at 929-4865 to confirm date, time and location or check their website at www.bacil.org.