Self-Advocacy December 2005 Page 1/Front Cover
The Newsletter of the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State
At our 2005 Annual State Conference we really “opened up a can of... change!” (Go to www.sanys.org for more pictures!)
Season’s Greetings & Happy New Year.
By the way, 2006 is SA’s 20th Anniversary!

Self-Advocacy News December 2005 Page 2
Presidents Corner
Hi everyone,
First of all, I want to say how much I have enjoyed being President of the SA Association for the last two years. I have learned a lot and have really enjoyed meeting so many of you. My term has ended and the SA Board will be electing new officers at the December board meeting. One thing that I’m really happy about is that I will become the Immediate Past President and that means I will still be involved with all the good work we are doing across the state.
Speaking of changes, sadly our board must say goodbye to a number of people who have served you well as board members. We wish to thank the following whose terms ended as of September 30th, 2006: Meryl Jackelow and Ricky Lane (Long Island), Tina Krietzman and Joey Perez (NYC), Rosemary Gravenese (Hudson Valley), and Richard Hermanson (Western). It was a real pleasure for me to work with Ricky, Tina, Joey and Richard on the executive committee. We will miss you all! It is also my pleasure to inform you that the following
were elected as new members this year and will join our very active group: Rosalind Adler and Shaun Nitz (Long Island), Melissa Rose (Capital District), Michelle Touche (NYC), and Tyrone Barnes (Western).
This year’s conference was really terrific with so many great workshops and presentations. We really ‘opened up a can of... change’ for a few days. The band Flame was fantastic – people were dancing up a storm! Our presentations about individualized services were great and very important. Helping people to create the life they want will continue to be a big part of SA’s work.
I am proud to announce that we raised $300 at the Conference to support self-advocates from New Orleans who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina. We all have to stick together, especially in time of crisis.
In September several of us attended a conference in Washington DC called the “Alliance for Full Participation”. This was a key national gathering of organizations supporting people with developmental disabilities, including our national group “Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered”. We were there as part of the NY State team. The conference focused on leadership, selfdetermination, community participation, and the future of Medicaid. You can find out more on the Alliance’s website: www.allianceforfullparticipation.org.
You can read about our State team’s goals on SA’s website: www.sanys.org
There are lots of interesting things for you to read in this newsletter, including some important changes that our board is proposing for our by-laws (see p.4). We need your feedback. Our goal is to strengthen our grassroots
by solidifying and clarifying our work with self-advocacy groups. Please send any questions or comments to Steve Holmes at the SA Statewide office.
I want thank you all for your support during my term as president. I look forward to working with the board again this year as Immediate Past President. 
Sincerely,
Rain Rippel

2005-2006 SA Board of Directors
Rain Ripple: Immediate Past-President; Shawn Nitz , Joann Ripp , Rosalind Adler: Long Island; Michael Rappaport , Michelle Teutsch, Ramon Aldecoa:
New York City; Jessica Granger, Stephen Muller, Sharon Hagar: Hudson Valley; Judy O’Connell , Melissa Rose: Capital District/Northern; David Liscomb,Yolanda Zehr, Lisa Obrist: Central; Kelly Schultes, Tyrone Barnes,
Larenz Pickens: Western 

Advisors
Steve Klein: Capital District/Northern
Robin Erb: Long Island
Dan Flanigan: Central
Beverly Kaufman: Hudson Valley
Ann Hardiman, Chester Finn, Bonnie Shoultz: Statewide
Steve Holmes: Administrative Director


Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 3
The cold and rain on Saturday, October 22 did not deter members of
Hudson Valley self-advocacy groups from heading out to Wassaic and
Letchworth Developmental Centers in New York to participate in ‘Make a
Difference Day’ – a day dedicated to restoring the dignity of people buried
in unnamed graves in the cemeteries there.
Up until the mid-seventies, people with developmental disabilities who
lived in institutions and who did not have family burial plots were buried
in unnamed graves on the grounds of institutions. At that time, names
were withheld due to laws and concerns about confidentiality.
There are several groups seeking ways to restore the dignity of those
buried in these unnamed graves. One example is the 1033 Group
– self-advocates and supporters who came together with the mission
of memorializing each person buried on the grounds of Wassaic and
other institutions in New York State. The group’s name was taken from
one of the first grave-markers excavated and made visible – which was
numbered ‘1033’.
At the recent gathering at Wassaic, some sixty people were present at
one of the two cemeteries located near the institution. In a very moving
ceremony, Commissioner Tom Maul, SA’s President Rain Rippel, and
members of the 1033 Group read aloud the names of those buried there.
At Letchworth, a group of twenty people held a similar service at the
cemetery located near the grounds of the former institution.
Commissioner Maul took this opportunity to announce his support for
the placement of plaques at all cemeteries on the grounds of institutions
in New York State, plaques that would note the name, and the date of
birth and death, of each individual buried there.
In the coming year, OMRDD, SA, the 1033 Group and others will work on
plans to memorialize the lives of all individuals buried in unnamed graves
in at least nine such cemeteries in New York.
Please call Steve Holmes at the SA Statewide office if you are interested
in helping to work on a memorial in your area. Go to www.sanys.org for
more information and photos.
(caption for photo)
Rain Rippel, SA’s Board
President, shares some
welcoming remarks
with those gathered
at the cemetary in
Wassaic just prior to
the reading
of the names
of those
buried in
unmamed
graves.
Inset: The
excavated
1033 grave marker Names, Not Numbers


You've Got OPTionS

What is your dream? What do you
want to do with your life? Where
do you want to live? What type of work
or other activities are you interested
in? How do you want to be involved in
your community? These are important
questions for everyone of course, but
for those who need or receive support
services through agencies funded by
OMRDD the news is—you’ve got a new
option.
One of the main goals of SA is to increase
the opportunities we all have for
individualized, person-centered supports.
In the past year, OMRDD has developed
a new way for people to receive support
services from provider agencies. It’s called
OPTS.
What OPTS does is change the way
agencies and organizations provide
services. There are a number of guiding
principles for OPTS but the first one,
and the one that has to be part of every
proposal, is:
Maximize opportunities for individual
choice through person-centered services.
This means that supports provided
through OPTS have to be based on your
dreams, your goals, and what you want in
life. Commissioner Maul describes OPTS
as a way of supporting people differently,
based on what people want, with a focus
on people’s satisfaction with the supports
they receive.
At this point, close to two-hundred OPTS
proposals have been submitted, over fifty
approved and twenty-three are actually
Continued on page 8

Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 4
Strengthening Our Grassroots:
Some Proposed SA By-Law Changes
Self-Advocates everywhere have done their job and spread the word about speaking up and getting the lives we
want. As a result, the Self-Advocacy Association of NYS (SA) is growing by leaps and bounds. As our organization
grows, it’s good to stop and think about the way we do things. When our board reviewed our growth as an
organization, one thing became clear: we need to stay focused on the grassroots of SA, teaching about self-advocacy
and starting and supporting groups. The following proposed by-law changes will help to do just that by ensuring we
have board representatives from all parts of the state and additional representatives in New York City, and by putting
more emphasis on strong groups and grassroots leadership. A by-law is a rule a group uses to govern itself.
Board changes
SA is broken up into six regions. Right now there are three board members for each of the six regions of New York State
plus the immediate past president. The regions are: Long Island, NYC, Hudson Valley, Capital District/North, Central
and Western.
New suggested by-laws have been drawn up. The board considered the following things when deciding on the
changes:
¦ population of the region
¦ size of the region
¦ location of key regional State offices such as DDSOs: we want one board member for each DDSO
Based on our research, these are the proposed changes (please see a full and detailed explanation at our website):
¦ NYC: 5 (one for each borough)
¦ Long Island: 2 (one for Nassau County and one for Suffolk County)
¦ Western: 3 (one for the Western area (Buffalo), one for the Finger Lakes and one for the Southern Tier)
¦ Central: 2 (one each for the Syracuse and Broome DDSO areas)
¦ Capital: 3 (one for the Sunmount area, two for the Capital District/North region)
¦ Hudson Valley: 3 (one for the Taconic DDSO area and two for the Hudson Valley DDSO area, including one for
Westchester County due to it’s large population)
County realignment
¦ Jefferson County, which is in the Sunmount DDSO area, would become part of the Capital District/North Region.
¦ Cayuga County, which is in the Syracuse DDSO area, would become part of the Central Region.
¦ Thomkins and Tioga Counties, which are in the Broome DDSO area, would also become part of the Central region.
The difference between Self-Advocacy Groups and Advisory Councils
There’s a lot of confusion about the difference between self-advocacy groups and advisory councils, so let’s clarify:
¦ Self-advocacy groups are formed and controlled by self-advocates themselves, and function independently of
agencies.
¦ Advisory Councils are formed by agencies to seek input and advice about the supports the organization offers.
This is a good thing: agencies need to get feedback and involve people in decision-making – that is part of
self- advocacy too.


Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 5
The SA Board proposes the following by-law
changes to clarify what SA considers to be a
SA self-advocacy group:
¦Groups elect their leaders —
president and vice-president, etc..
¦ Groups choose their own advisor(s).
¦ Groups develop their own agenda and
activities. They participate in regional
and state SA activities (even if only one
person goes to the regional meeting,
conference, etc.).
¦ The main purpose of the group is
self-advocacy activities.
¦ If affiliated with an agency, the group
remains independent of that agency and
of the way that agency functions. These
groups would not be SA groups unless they
also have the above listed elements.
¦Groups maintain membership records and a
list of current officers with SA’s main office.
Proposed additional criteria & qualifications
to be a member of the SA Board
¦ One year in a leadership role (officer) of an
SA group , and a recommendation from the
group.
¦ Available to travel to four board meetings.
¦ Willing to speak for self and others
including in public (at meetings, etc.).
¦ Available to attend regional meetings.
¦ Commitment to activities within the region
he or she represents.
¦ Have a developmental disability.
(Grassroots flow chart)
The structure of SANYS ‘from the ground up’:
individuals come together to form groups;
groups affiliate with regions; board members
‘filter-up’ from the grassroots level

Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 6
Speakers Bureau
The Speakers Bureau of the Self-Advocacy Association has been
active around the state giving presentations to community organizations,
putting emphasis on a message of community participation and inclusion. Here are a few examples of speaker bureau members’ activities:
¦ In May, Speakers Bureau members Clint
Perrin and Darren De Luca delivered a
presentation to the Graduate Association
of Political Science at the State University
of New York’s Albany campus. Presenters
fielded questions from students and faculty,
which led to an interesting and informative
exchange.
¦ At the 2005 Conference on Inclusive
Schools and Communities for Children
and Youth, Mitch Levitz and Scott Fowler
presented ‘Building Partnerships for the
Future’. They promoted the inclusion of
students with developmental disabilities.
¦ The members of the Speaker’s Bureau in New York City
have also completed the first in a series of thirty-minute
documentaries for the Manhattan Neighborhood
Network cable access channel. The documentary, made
with the assistance of CIDNY, deals with the access issues
that prevent or discourage people with disabilities from
voting at the polls.
In one week, speakers may address the upper level
management of an agency, five-year old children, and
self-advocates working towards better lives and better
communities. This reflects the broad but common
Self-advocacy Project Updates
message of community inclusion delivered by the Self-
Advocacy Speakers Bureau. Presentations are available
for: provider agency administration, staff and boards
of directors, government officials and legislatures, faith
communities, community service boards and local
planning councils, members of the general community
and students with and without disabilities.
If you are interested in, or know of others who may be
interested in, scheduling a presentation please see the
box of contact names and numbers on page 7.¦
(Captions for photos)
Left: Michael Cardella
doing a Speakers Bureau
presentation; on the screen
is a picture of Michael and
fellow Speakers Bureau
member, Sujeet Desai, from
the Central region.
Below: Clint Perrin discusses
Self-Determination at an
inclusion retreat in the
Adirondacks.

Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 7
SA/AmeriCorps
In October SA started its 8th year of AmeriCorps. This year there
are teams in Long Island, New York City, the Capital District,
the Broome area, Watertown, Rochester and Buffalo. The main
focus of AmeriCorps continues to be ‘Our Experience is the Best
Teacher’ presentations for staff of agencies and students with
and without disabilities in schools. AmeriCorps members also
speak to self-advocacy groups and community organizations.
The purpose of AmeriCorps presentations is to promote
the importance of self-advocacy, bring general awareness
of disability issues and, like the Speaker’s Bureau, reinforce
the importance of people with developmental disabilities
participating in the community. To schedule an AmeriCorps
presentation, see the contact box on this page.¦
Self-Determination in
New York State
People are really starting to create
their own supports and lives
through self-determination and
Consolidated Supports and Services
(CSS). Over 60 people are already
using CSS! There are many more folks
who are putting their plans together
and are well on the way to having
an approved plan. For some, selfdetermination
has totally changed
their lives. For others it means
having control over the staff that
support them and managing their
budget of supports and services with
their Circle.
Self-advocacy continues to play a key role
in working out all the details of the selfdetermination
pilot. Self-advocates are involved
in all the planning meetings and policy
discussions with staff of OMRDD. Over the past
year we have made presentations about the
opportunities offered by self-determination.
Each DDSO has sponsored a training for
advocates, families and providers to learn more
about CSS, as well as offering more trainings for
Start-Up Brokers.
In addition, self-advocates put together their own
training tools to teach other advocates about all
the elements of Self-Determination using CSS.
This coming year SA will be updating training
materials and helping to clarify the role of
Circles, the Medicaid Service Coordinator,
Fiscal Intermediary, and Providers. Updated
information on Self-Determination and CSS
and a Start-Up Broker Directory can be
found on the Self-Advocacy website at
www.sanys.org. See the first issue of the selfdetermination
newsletter, ‘New Beginnings,’ for
lots of good information and some stories of
people who are changing their lives. ¦
If you would like to schedule a Speakers Bureau or AmeriCorps
presentation, or would like more information about our projects,
please call us.
Capital/Northern
Pat McBride:
(518) 382-1454
Hudson Valley
Daniel Borgia:
(518) 382-1454
New York City
Kate Buncher:
(212) 627-2104
Western
Sophia Roberts:
(716) 674-6300 x3170
Rochester & Central
Lyn Zyla:
(585) 461-8776
Long Island
Robin Erb:
(631) 493-3222
(Caption for photo)
Robert Klein and
Tom Techman man
the AmeriCorps booth
at the Amsterdam
Latin Fest in August

Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 8
(Continued from You've Got Options on page 3)
supporting people today. Many more
are starting up soon. A number of
the proposals involve organizations
sitting down with people living in
group homes or participating in day
services and asking the important
questions about what they want. Then
the organizations work with them
to create a new home, or to develop
new work options or other daytime
activities.
For example, the Rennselaer ARC
conducted a number of meetings with
people living in a group home and their
families. Through the use of personcentered
planning techniques they
helped people to decide what type of
living situation they wanted and where
and who they wanted to live with. Over
time this process evolved into an OPTS
project for twenty people who will live
in 11 separate and very individualized
homes and apartments. That means
twenty people living the life they want
– the life they helped to create – with the
supports they need and have asked for.
This is what OPTS is meant to be.
So do you have a dream? Do you want
to change the supports you currently
receive from an organization? Here’s
where your self-advocacy skills become
important. Speak-up for yourself! Talk to
your service coordinator or your family
and friends about what you want. Talk
to the staff of the agency that supports
you. Tell them you’ve got OPTionS and
start creating the life you want.
For more information on OPTS, go to
www.nysopts.com or SA’s web site at
www.sanys.org; or call one of our SA
offices and we’ll help you get started.¦

In Memorium: Ethel Pacht
Harvey Pacht gave the following eulogy at Ethel Pacht’s funeral
service in Brooklyn on November 4th. Many of Ethel’s family and
friends were present.
On Wednesday
November 2nd,
2005 the world
lost a very special
person. Her name
was Ethel Pacht; she
was my wife for over
23 years. She was
very instrumental
in advocating for a
better quality of life for
people with disabilities.
For example, she
helped to start our selfadvocacy
organization.
Ethel was a true friend
and champion to
people with disabilities.
Ethel and I, her husband Harvey Pacht, were pioneers in pursuing
adoption at a time when it was not common for people with disabilities
to adopt children. It was something incredible because, whoever
thought people with disabilities could raise children? We had to
overcome many obstacles before we could reach our goal.
Ethel was a very loving and caring person. I fell in love with her because
she was a very nice person and I wanted to have a relationship with
her. She made me feel happy. I remember our first Thanksgiving after
we met. I introduced Ethel to my mother and sister. We drove from the
Bronx to Brooklyn to attend a dinner. It was the first Thanksgiving of our
relationship. I got to meet one of Ethel’s brothers and his family. It felt
very good. I met her other brother later on.
As in every marriage, life was not always easy for us. Like all couples we
went through our good times and bad times. But nevertheless we still
stuck together because of our love and devotion towards each other.
Today we are here to celebrate her life and honor her achievements.
She will be missed by all of us. I, Harvey, her surviving spouse and our
daughter Samantha, are going to continue to live our lives to the fullest
extent possible. This is what Ethel would have wanted us to do.¦


Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 9
On September 9, 2005, Richard Hermanson, co- vice president of SA, George Suess, executive director of
Delaware ARC, and Jim Wilson, executive director of the Arc of Schuyler County, met with about thirty selfadvocates
at the SANYS Conference. They talked about how self-advocates and agency leaders could work
together to help people problem-solve. The results of the conversation were a series of tips that everyone decided
should be shared. These tips can be the
basis for discussions between local selfadvocacy
groups and agency leaders.
PROBLEM SOLVING TIPS
What works for you?
¦ Keep trying - don’t take no for an answer.
Try, try again and say ‘thank you’ when
someone helps
¦ Be patient – it may take time to get the
problem solved
¦ Think about solutions
¦ Speak up for yourself
¦ Help each other
¦ Use the chain of command
(lots of discussion identifying the chain)
¦ Use your family members, advocates or
friends to help you speak up
¦ Get your facts together- get the details
¦ Have a positive attitude
¦ Present your own solution(s)
¦ Use your Medicaid Service Coordinator
¦ If you get angry, walk away until you calm down
What’s hard about problem solving?
¦ Fear of speaking up, being put down,
not being taken seriously, being made fun of,
angering staff
¦ Might get into trouble with staff
¦ Why bother trying? – I’ve done it before and it
didn’t work. (Remember: results take time)
¦ Staff might hold it against me at the house and
take away privileges
¦ May be unsure of who to talk to
Problem-Solving With Executive Directors
From L to R: Richard Hermanson, George Suess, and
Jim Wilson run a problem-solving brainstroming
session at the SANYS Annual State Conference in
September
What would you like us, as Executive Directors,
to say to other Executive Directors about
problem solving?
¦ Have an open door policy
¦ Don’t allow bullying or threatening behavior by either
staff or others that I live with
¦ Listen to both sides of the issue
¦ Don’t let other people in the home hurt us
¦ Hire us
¦ Have us on boards of directors and board committees
¦ Take us seriously
¦ Learn about new options (OPTS/self-determination, etc.)


Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 10
The Self-Advocacy Association of New York State, Inc. proudly recognizes:
Awards 2005
Self-Advocacy Association
Conference
Seaway Industries Advisory Council
Self-Advocacy Group of the Year
Nominees:
The Advisory Board
People Helping People
Rochester ARC & Self-Advocacy Group
Self-Advocacy 2
People Inc.
Agency of the Year
Nominees:
Heritage Centers
Orange County ARC
Rochester NYSARC
Kristina Krawchuk:
Capital 9 News
Self-Advocacy Media Award
Nominees:
Monica Moshenko
Disability News & Views Radio Show
Cathy Van Laar
Self-Advocate of the Year
Nominees:
Dora Becker
Cindy Colavita
Charles Degraffenreid
Becky Ellsworth
Russell Johnson
Tina Kreitzman
Sean Simms
Kate Yool
Yolanda Zehr
Denise Ranaghan
Self-Advocacy Advisor of the Year
Nominees:
Ron Kurtz
Amy Upham
Pat Willis
John Kelly
For his many years of service
to Self-Advocacy
Commissioner Tom Maul
‘Thanks For Helping Us Get
The Life We Want’ Award
 
Self-Advocacy News, December 2005, Page 11
For generous support of the 2005
Annual Conference Souvenir Journal,
SANYS gratefully acknowleges:
‘SA Opens Up a Can of Change’ pages:
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises;
Rensselaer ARC; Central New York DDSO;
Dutchess ARC; Crystal Run Village;
Northeast Career Planning
‘Speaking for Ourselves’ pages:
New York State Developmental Disabilities
Planning Council; Westchester Arc;
United Cerebral Palsy of Suffolk; NYSACRA;
Delaware Co. ARC
‘Don’t Just Say It, Do It!’ pages:
Enable; Heritage Centers; Executive
Directors Association of NYSARC;
Developmental Disabilities Institute;
Schenectady ARC; CP Rochester
‘Our Voices Count’ pages
Occupations, Inc.; New Horizons Resources;
Job Path; Saratoga ARC; Massachusetts
Advocates Standing Strong; Orange County
AHRC; Adults and Children With Learning &
Developmental Disabilities (ACLD);
Community Living & Advocacy Supports,
Inc.; Life’s WORC; Cerebral Palsy Association
of the North Country; The Arc of Schuyler
County; AHRC Nassau; The Self-Advocacy
Group of Southeast Bronx Neighborhood
Centers, Inc.; Lifestyles for the Disabled;
Aspire of WNY; The Irwin Siegel Agency;
NYSARC; Catholic Charities Disabilities
Services; Living Resources; Prospect Child
& Family Center; Madison-Courtland ARC;
Jefferson Rehabilitation Center; Cerebral
Palsy Associations of New York State; Liberty
‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ page
Ulster-Greene ARC; Tom Ott, Amy Bittinger,
Marriette Bates; Walk the talk page;
Cantalician Center for Learning; The Center
on Human Policy; Norman & Kay Nogaj.

Medicare Part D -
Prescription Drug Coverage:
What You Need to Know!
If you have Medicare and Medicaid, the new Medicare Part D drug
coverage will replace your Medicaid drug coverage on January 1,
2006. Medicaid drug coverage will end for you on this date.
You will be assigned to a “Prescription Drug Plan” (PDP) by Medicare
and enrolled in a subsidy. By November 15 a notice will be mailed
telling you the plan you have been enrolled in.
It is important that you check your mail for notices about Medicare
Part D coverage and discuss this with your Medicaid Service
Coordinator and people who help with
your benefits and medicine.
Not all of the Prescription Drug Plans
will carry all medicines; you need to
see if your plan has the medicines you
need. If not, you can switch plans.
Your new plan will start the beginning
of the next month.
The formulary, a list of drugs each plan covers, will be announced on
November 15 and your plan should send you a copy. Information for
other plans will be available on each company’s website or by request.
The Prescription Drug Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov
lets you enter in the name of the medications you take and
recommends the plans that carry your medicines. If you don’t use the
Internet, get the same information by calling 1-800-MEDICARE .
Also check your pharmacy to make sure they accept your plan.
What you should do
¦ Check your mail for notices about Medicare Part D
¦ Speak with your MSC or benefits person and give them notice
¦ Check your plan’s formulary for your medicines after November 15
¦ Ask your pharmacy if they accept this plan
¦ Change plans if needed, talk with your MSC or benefits person
¦ Have a supply of medicine in case of problems on January 1, 2006
Check www.sanys.org to learn more about Medicare Part D.¦ Thank you!
¦ President’s Corner 2
¦ Names, Not Numbers: Cemetary Project Update 3
¦ You’ve Got OPTionS 3
¦ Proposed By-law Changes 4-5
¦ SA Project Updates 6
¦ Eulogy for Ethel Pacht 8
¦ Problem-Solving With Executive Directors 9
¦ 2005 Annual State Conference 10-11
¦ Medicare Part D - What You Need to Know 11

Page 12/Back Cover
what’s inside: contact information:
SANYS Statewide Office:
500 Balltown Road, Bldg 5,
Schenectady, NY 12304
Tel: (518) 382-1454
Fax: (518) 382-1594
sanys@sanys.org
Western Region .Western (Buffalo Area)
Tel: (716) 674-6300 x3170
western@sanys.org
.Finger Lakes (Rochester area)
Tel: (585) 461-8776
fingerlakes@sanys.org
Central
Tel: (315) 473-6927
central@sanys.org
Capital District/North
Tel: (518) 382-1454
capitaldistrict@sanys.org
Hudson Valley
Tel: (845) 382-1899 x120
hudsonvalley@sanys.org
New York City
Tel: (212) 627-2104
nyc@sanys.org
Long Island
Tel: (631) 493-3222
longisland@sanys.org
Help us save time and
money. If you received
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prefer not to be on our
mailing list, or need
to notify us of a new
address, give us a call
at: 518-382-1454.
Thanks!
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SCHENECTADY, NY
PERMIT #11
SA Self-Advocacy
Association
of New York State
500 Balltown Road
Schenectady, NY 12304
518-382-1454
sanys@sanys.org
http://www.sanys.org
SA Loses a Great
Leader and Friend
Ethel Pacht, a great
self-advocate leader,
founding member of SA,
AmeriCorps member, wife
of Harvey Pacht, mother
of Samantha, and a friend
to us all, passed away on
November 2nd 2005. We
will miss her. Please read
Harvey Pacht’s eulogy for
Ethel on page 8
FLASH: Board Elections
The following poeple were elected as officers at the December 2005
board meeting:
President: Kelly Schultes
Co-Vice President: David Liscomb Co-Vice President: Michael Rappaport
Secretary: Joann Ripp Treasurer: Larenz Pickens
Immediate Past President: Rain Rippel