ANNOUNCEMENTS are divided into sections:
GENERAL INFORMATION
REGULAR MEETINGS

In the GENERAL INFORMATION section we have added a topic called TIPS ON SURFING THE WEB for persons with physical disabilities.  If you would like to post an announcement, click on NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS after the section on REGULAR MEETINGS.

General Information

VIRGINIA'S DISABILITY SERVICES HELP LINE 
You can get information about services provided by the state including: Employment, Financial Assistance, Rights, Independent Living, Education and Technology by calling toll-free, 24 hours a day .

DISABILITY ADVOCACY FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
The FY99 Program Priorities for DRVD are posted on their website. These priorities are for October1998 through September 1999. To review the priorities go to www.cns.state.va.us/drvd. Scroll down and click onto the box that says: FY99 Program Priorities.

NEW ADDICTION RECOVERY SUPPORT
A new Addiction Recovery Advocacy Group has been established. For information about the group, called SAARA - Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance, contact June Gertig at or e-mail: .

NEW COUNSELING RESOURCES
The Center For Brief Counseling has recently added a child psychiatrist, a female psychologist and an adult psychiatrist to their staff. For more information, call .

EXPANDED MEDIATION SERVICES
The Rappahannock Mediation Center now offers parents mediation services for early intervention situations, for infants or toddlers, under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Future plans are to expand this service to special education. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities or conflict resolution or anger management training for your staff or organization, call or e-mail: .

VIRGINIA SPECIAL OLYMPICS VOLUNTEERS
The Virginia Special Olympics provides year round athletic training and competition for mentally retarded citizens ages 8 and up. They are in need of volunteers, athletes and funding (donations). If you can help, call or .

ASSISTIVE MEDIA - ON-LINE AUDIO RECORDINGS
Assistive Media is a non-profit entity that produces on-line audio recordings of literary works. Two examples are IN SEARCH OF THE ELECTRONIC BRAIN by Michael Guber and WHY I WROTE "THE CRUCIBLE" by Arthur Miller. To access this service on the Internet, go to "http://www.assistivemedia.org". For questions, contact Warren King at e-mail address: "".

SUMMER CAMP FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Information about residential camp and day camp for children and adults with disabilities can be obtained from the Association for Retarded Citizens-Rappahannock at .

PROJECT LINK EQUIPMENT NEEDS
Project Link is looking for cribs, high chairs, toys and car seats to loan to clients. If you can make a donation, call .

ACTIVITIES FOR FREDERICKSBURG AREA LUPUS CHAPTER
We have speakers often. October is Lupus Awareness month. Our annual dinner is a night meeting for everyone including families in October. Watch the Free Lance Star for details. We have placed much literature, that we hope will be helpful to you, here in the library. For more information, call .

WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER SERVICES
A complete list of services, dates and times for the Women's Resource Center can be found in our quarterly calendar at the Resource Desk in all libraries.

VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION NUTRITION PROGRAM
The Smart Choices Nutrition Education Program (SCNEP) is a free program primarily targeted to low-income families, with the goal of changing behaviors related to improving the nutritional quality of diets, handling food safely and stretching food dollars. Participants learn skills related to wellness and disease prevention; planning and preparation of delicious, low-cost meals; management of food stamps/food resources and tips for saving money in the grocery store - all in a series of 6-10 lessons. For more information, contact Samantha McClung at or e-mail: .

MOTHER MENTOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS
The Mother Mentor Program is looking for volunteer mother and father mentors to be trained (we do quarterly training) and matched with a teen mother or young father to provide added support and guidance in their role as parents. Call or e-mail: .

RAPPAHANNOCK AREA KIDS ON THE BLOCK SERVICES
Services are offered in nine topic areas: automobile and bike safety, blindness, cerebral palsy, emotional disturbance, literacy, mental retardation, physical abuse, sexual abuse and teen pregnancy. E-mail for more information.

TIPS ON SURFING THE WEB
Here is information on using the web for persons with physical disabilities plus an e-mail or web reference if you want additional information:

Keyboard shortcuts - A good article reviewing keyboard shortcuts can be found at: http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag/OL1998/net5.html.

Voice recognition software - Depending on the situation, you might want to explore "dragon dictate." It allows the computer, including the mouse cursor, to be controlled by voice. Kyle Harriss at SMPT:)

Assistive Technologies- There are a number of Assistive Technologies that enable persons with disabilities to surf the Net. Check http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Wave.htm. (Gerry Mckieman at SMPT:)

Accessibility options in Windows 95 - Check out the options in the control panel for "accessibility options." (John Benedetto at SMPT:).
 

Regular Meetings

 

SPECIAL AGING SUPPORT
The Carriage Hill Nursing Home and Residential Facility now provides quarterly programs on various Aging topics that are advertised in the Free Lance Star. An Alzheimers Support Group is held the third Tuesday of every month beginning at 7:00PM in the recreation room at Carriage Hill. For further information, call .

KING GEORGE PRC SUPPORT GROUP
The King George Parent Resource Center "Coffee, Cookies and Conversation Support Group" is a time for parents to exchange information and more. Some meetings include special guest speakers. Meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 9:30am-11:00am. For more information, call the Center at .

COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS MEETINGS
The Compassionate Friends - Fredericksburg Area Chapter, meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Hospice Support Care, 2119 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 from 7:30pm-9:00pm. For more information, call .

PROJECT LINK SUPPORT GROUP
Project Link, offering services to at-risk and substance using pregnant & parenting women and their children, holds an Educational Workshop/Support Group the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 10:00am to 11:30am. Child care is provided. Assistance with transportation is offered. Call for more information.

HEART-TO-HEART SUPPORT GROUP MONTHLY MEETINGS
The Heart-to-Heart Support Group meets the 3rd Thursday of each month, except July and August, at 7:00pm in Auditorium #2 at Mary Washington Hospital. Guest speakers at every meeting highlight a topic on Heart Disease.

AUTISM SOCIETY MONTHLY MEETINGS
The Rappahannock Area Chapter of the Autism Society of America meets the first Thursday of the month at the Spotsylvania Presbyterian Church on Leavells Road from 7-9PM. For more information, call Rick Turner at .

SNOWDEN SUPPORT MEETINGS
Snowden at Fredericksburg supports and conducts a variety of support/self-help group meetings, educational presentations, screenings and special community events throughout the year. For more information, call Snowden at .

FREDERICKSBURG AREA MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUPPORT GROUP
The Fredericksburg Area MS Support Group meets the third Friday of each month from 10:00-11:30AM at the Snow Library at 8800 Courthouse Rd., Spotsylvania. For more information, call Alice , Jeanne or The Central VA. MS Chapter Office .

RAPPAHANNOCK ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL (RAMI)
RAMI meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:30PM at the Kenmore Club, 632 Kenmore Avenue, Fredericksburg. 

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