[Ohio-Talk] Black Leaders Serving for advancement Program, January 31, 7 PM EST

[Maggie Stringer]

Show our very own Dr. Carolyn Peters some federation love and support
tomorrow night!

The Black Elected Leaders and the Black Seniors Work Groups under the Black
Leaders Serving for Advancement present a panel discussion on preparation
in the event of hospitalization.

Join us to hear from a licensed social worker and the National Federation
of the Blind’s legal program coordinator to discuss your rights to be
treated with dignity and respect in the event of a hospital stay.

When: January 31, 2022
Time: 7:00 EST, 6 PM CST, 5:00 PM MST, 4:00 Pm PST
Where: Zoom
Topic: Black Elected Leaders and Black Seniors
https://zoom.us/j/3123438396?pwd=ZFVJeW8zZDNrV0p0RmpWME83Zm85UT09
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,3123438396#,,,,*6324# US (Chicago)
+13017158592,,3123438396#,,,,*6324# US (Washington DC)
Moderator: Denise Avant, NFB Board of Directors and immediate past
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

Our panelists will be Dr. Carolyn Peters, THD, MSW, LSW and  Valarie
Yingling, NFB’s Legal Program Coordinator.

Every day, blind people face misunderstandings and misconceptions about how
we handle matters that arise in our lives. These misunderstandings and
misconceptions can sometimes rob us of our dignity. Healthcare
professionals seem unable to work with blind people on terms of equality
when it comes to our healthcare needs. No one wants to stay a night(s) in a
hospital. But, should a hospitalization become necessary, blind people have
the right to expect that we will be treated with dignity and respect before
during and after a hospital stay.
All too often, the medical profession becomes over bearing and over
protective of us because of our blindness rather than our medical
condition. But, there may be some steps we can take to avoid unwanted and
unnecessary precautions taken by medical personnel based on blindness.

Dr. Peters and Ms. Yingling, will discuss several things you can do to
advocate for the treatment you need based solely on your medical condition.
Dr. Peters will talk about how a social worker might assist you if you need
to be hospitalized and help you navigate the relationship with medical
professionals during and after your stay. Valerie Yingling will give a
general overview of how we might use the Americans with Disabilities Act,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and  Section 1557 under the
Affordable Care Act to advocate for equal access in health care.

They will answer the following questions:
If you know you are going to be hospitalized, what steps should you take
prior to your hospital stay to let hospital personnel know what you need
and what you do not need?
Once hospitalized, how can you advocate with the staff to allow you to use
your skills to navigate your environment, e.g. your room?
Once your stay concludes, what can you expect in the way of accessibility
as it relates to bills, medications and follow up treatment?
What is the National Federation of the Blind doing to advocate for
accessible at home tests such as the COVID-19 home test kits?
Finally, there will be time for questions.

 Dr. Carolyn Peters serves on the Board of Directors of the NFB of Ohio and
is also the president of the Ohio Communities of Faith, which is a division
of the NFB of Ohio. Dr. Peters serves as the Chair of the Black Seniors
Work Group under the Black Leaders Serving for Advancement. She is an
experienced licensed social worker, who has worked in hospital and nursing
home settings.
Valarie Yingling has worked in NFB’s legal program for nine years. She
provides resources to blind people about blindness related legal issues and
assists in connecting them to tools for advocacy. Please remember that Ms.
Yingling cannot give legal advice. She is only giving us information that
will help us advocate for ourselves in the event of a hospital stay.


Maggie Stringer
Phone: (443) 750-0070
Email: ravensfan784 at gmail.com
Community Service Facebook Page
<https://www.facebook.com/CommunityServiceDivision/>
NFB Website <http://www.nfb.org>
NFB Ohio Website <http://www.nfbohio.org>
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