Telling Our Stories

Mark needed our help in advocating for his legal rights in what could have been a very scary outcome. Mark has been connected with Disability Network for over three years; he sustained a childhood brain injury which was further complicated by a stroke in his adult life. Mark is a kind, giving man who is easily taken advantage of because of his good nature.

Nearly two years ago, Mark was wrongfully charged with a crime which started a nightmarish chain of events. Due to his brain injury, Mark did not understand his options and followed the advice of a court-appointed attorney which resulted in his being sentenced to jail for a crime he had not committed.

Even a short jail sentence would be emotionally devastating for Mark and would cause him to lose his apartment and benefits. When Mark told staff at Disability Network what was happening our staff helped him work through the court system which resulted in a suspended sentence until Mark could be evaluated. During the ordeal Mark was remanded to a psychiatric hospital which was completely inappropriate – Mark does not have a psychiatric condition, he has a brain injury. During this time his apartment and benefits where again threatened.

Disability Network staff again helped Mark advocate for his rights. Nearly two years after the original charges were filed, the Judge re-evaluated Mark’s case and dropped all charges. Advocacy and Education are one of the core services at Disability Network Southwest Michigan. After two years of fearing he would be wrongfully imprisoned or institutionalized, Mark is once again living in his own apartment and has resumed the peaceful life he previously enjoyed.

Sharon has been attending peer support groups at Disability Network for more than twenty years. She enjoys the camaraderie, as well as the opportunity to learn new things, meet people, and attend local outings. Sharon finds the support groups offer a safe and comfortable environment for people to share their experiences. When she was having a difficult time with depression, the support groups gave her a reason to get out of bed and an opportunity to focus on something positive in her life.

Sharon has been an active member of the Brain Injury Survivors Group for many years and joined in celebrating the group’s thirtieth anniversary this year.

When Eva first came to Disability Network for Information & Referral services she was looking for housing because she felt unsafe where she was living. She felt the apartment management was taking advantage of her by charging her for services she did not need or request. Disability Network Information & Referral staff connected Eva to services available through Fair Housing and Legal Aid to address these issues and provided her with a space to call these agencies and discuss her case with them in private.

Because she was new to the community, our staff encouraged Eva to participate in our Women’s Support Group. Since becoming involved with the peer support group she has grown personally from a tearful, stressed and very quiet woman to someone who confidently participates in group meetings.

Since first coming to Disability Network three years ago, Eva has located new housing for herself and has become a strong self-advocate. Eva currently volunteers with the Recovery Institute and is a Board Member there. Eva was the recipient of Disability Network’s 2016 Bob Davis Independent Living award.

Marjorie, age 70, was living in a nursing facility after being hospitalized for an infection. Prior to being hospitalized she wasn’t getting the care she needed or deserved in her home and her finances were being mismanaged, resulting in a foreclosure and loss of her home. After several months in the nursing facility, Marjorie realized that living in a nursing facility was not for her and she wanted to return to community-based living but she was concerned there were too many barriers.

The Nursing Facility Transition staff at Disability Network began working with Marjorie to identify housing options and fill out the appropriate paperwork. Disability Network staff connected Marjorie to agencies in the community that could help her address her financial barriers and establish a representative payee so that she could feel secure that her income would be safe and available for her to use to pay her rent and living expenses. Once housing was secured, Disability Network staff provided furniture, household goods and groceries to get Marjorie settled in her new home.

Marjorie continues to live independently where she “is the boss” and in charge of her own life.

Patricia has a mobility disability; she can walk very little and usually uses a power chair when she is in the community. Patricia’s house has four steps at the entrance which doesn’t seem like a lot, but if you can’t navigate stairs, four steps presents a significant barrier. Patricia often needed to be carried out of her home, and the lack of access created a significant safety hazard in the event of an emergency.

Disability Network coordinated volunteers from Harbor Habitat for Humanity and funding used from our Ramp Up program and St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Foundation to build a ramp for Patricia so she can now independently come and go and feel safe in her home.