Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
355008765
label
Accessible Resources [n.d.]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
355008765
contentType
document
title
Accessible Resources [n.d.]
citationUrl
collections
Lex Frieden Collection: Records on Disability Rights
Printed Materials
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
355008765
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
8844acde1fdf2a32
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
Donated Historical Materials
Collection/Office of Origin:
Frieden, Lex, Collection
Series:
Printed Materials
Subseries:
Reference Materials
OA/ID Number:
52134
Folder ID Number:
52134-002
Folder Title:
Accessible Resources [n.d.]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
Ask for Accessible Resources
The greatest obstacle to getting help can be knowing who to ask
Accessible Resources is the connection to critical support and services for
people experiencing physical, mental, sensory or cognitive difficulties.
What is Accessible Resources?
Through a free printed and online directory, Accessible Resources provides a
comprehensive collection of national, regional, state and local resources. It also offers a
forum for professionals and businesses to reach people with the products and care that
will improve the lives of the aging, people with disabilities, and their families.
Accessible Resources links people in need to professionals, government agencies,
nonprofit services, and consumer companies with solutions for a full range of
circumstances. It can help you find:
The right tutor for a dyslexic 5-year-old
A firm to revamp your home so you can care for your mother after hip
replacement surgery
Temporary care for your sister with mental retardation so you can finally take
that break
Financial help to replace a manual wheelchair with a motorized one
Emotional support from someone who understands what it is like to raise a
bipolar teen
The right gadget to help you garden on days when your joints throb
The Need for Accessible Resources
With the dawn of the new millennium, America's baby boomers turned 55 and started to
confront the challenges of aging - for themselves and their parents. Within the next 25
years, the men and women of this generation will celebrate their 65th birthdays. In
Houston, 24 percent of the population is older than 501. In addition, 54 million Americans
live with some kind of disability². This translates into nearly 1 in 5 Houstonians.
For most families, the future almost certainly holds an occasion when you will need to
call on some extra expertise or a simple helping hand.
Founded by a Houstonian with a lifetime of experience as a professional advocate, a
family support giver, and a patient, Accessible Resources is designed to navigate
every corner of Houston's vital and growing health care and social support maze.
With Accessible Resources, help is here.
I
The Greater Houston Partnership www.houston.org/blackfenders/09FW001.pdf
2
National Council on Disability www.ncd.gov
A Life Story and a Life's Work
Accessible Resources founder Rachel Kosoy knows what it is like to need help.
She has battled a painful childhood disease and struggled, along with her family, to
assist a brother with a crushing mental illness.
But Rachel also knows help is out there. And she knows how to find it.
As a professional, Rachel has devoted decades to helping people with physical, mental,
sensory or cognitive impairments find the assistance they need to live happy and
productive lives. Whether working in a school, a public relations firm, a hospital, or
answering a telephone hotline, she has been the link between people with disabilities
and the care and services they need.
For Rachel, Accessible Resources is personal and professional: It is a reflection of her
life story and an accumulation her life's work.
Childhood pain
Pain, the piercing kind that induces a child to scream in the middle of the night, first
visited Rachel when she was four years old.
A visit to the emergency room was followed by years of uncertainty as Rachel and her
parents sought the help of multiple doctors. None could pinpoint the cause of the pain.
Sometimes they unkindly dismissed the concerns of patient and parents. Five years
later, when Rachel was nine, she was finally diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid
Arthritis. But despite the diagnosis, Rachel still struggled with the preteen indignities of
missed gym classes and sleepover parties and explanations to schoolmates and
teachers.
In retrospect, they were indignities that might have been managed by a specialist or an
organized support system if Rachel and her family had known where to turn.
A Death in the Family
Over the years Rachel learned to manage arthritis. But as Rachel overcame illness, her
younger brother Joshua became engulfed by it.
Just two years younger than Rachel, Josh had difficulties as a child. At first it seemed he
was hyperactive. By the time he was school age, the term added was "learning
disabled."
From there, the problems escalated and the labels pinned to his troubles multiplied. His
difficulties were called depression, drug abuse, and a menu of mental illnesses.
Eventually, the diagnosis that stuck was bipolar disorder.
Josh's illness plunged Rachel's family into a lifelong search for therapists, rehab clinics,
hospitals, schools, and support groups. They sought help for Josh and support for
themselves.
The struggle to help Josh was costly - financially and emotionally. Sometimes Rachel's
family found the right treatment. But without a clear guide, they often stumbled into help
by chance. Sometimes, help eluded them.
In 2002, Josh killed himself. He was a month shy of his 32nd birthday.
A Professional Choice
Personal experience taught Rachel that people with physical or mental disabilities and
their caregivers have many needs. Some of these needs have clear symptoms. Others
are silent pains.
In her career, Rachel has worked to meet those needs. Her path has bridged medical,
legal and public relations fields as she served people with a range of physical and
mental needs.
Her experience includes:
Co-managing a $1.1 million budget as the deputy director of The Institute for
Rehabilitation and Research's (TIRR) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Resource Center in Houston
Developing programs on the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and
training personnel in the public, private and non-profit sectors
Offering expertise to lawyers and their clients on their cases and their rights
Managing a 12-site program that taught life skills to teens and adults with mental
illness
Training young volunteers for a service corps
Supervising staff and high profile accounts in a public relations firm
Answering and managing telephone hotlines for people with physical
impairments, people with cystic fibrosis, and special education students
Rachel earned degrees from:
Harvard University, Ed.M.
The University of Pennsylvania, B.A.
No matter the arena, Rachel repeatedly discovered that help was often elusive for
people with mental and physical disabilities. In their quest for assistance, the biggest
obstacle was knowing who to ask.
With Accessible Resources, Rachel can now say: Help is here.
The Need for Accessible Resources
In a life that can span more than 90 years, most people will need a place to turn for help.
For some, the need will be great, sudden and shocking. For others, it will result from the
subtle march of time through the body and mind.
Accessible Resources provides the most comprehensive way for people to find the
services and products they need. In turn, it also offers a forum for businesses,
professionals and non-profit organizations to directly reach a customer base with
particular needs and money to spend.
People need help
54 million Americans - that's almost one in five - live with disabilities¹. This number does
not begin to count the spouses, parents and siblings for whom disability is also part of
their daily lives.
In the Houston area, more than 18 percent of the population lives with a disability, a
figure that does not include children under the age of five or nursing home residents².
Accessible Resources also caters to the growing number of aging Americans. Take a
look at the numbers:
Currently, more than 36 million Americans are older than 65.
That is 12.4 percent of the population3.
By 2030, 71.5 million Americans will be older than 654.
In Houston, 24 percent of the population is 50 or older5.
With Accessible Resources, help is here
Like all consumers, the disabled and elderly are discerning customers, often with
specific needs. They are not served well by catch-all human service directories aimed at
a general audience. With her expertise in multiple social service fields, Accessible
Resources founder Rachel Kosoy presents the services products and resources in
ways that will actually help. No more rabbit-hole web searches and connect-the-dot
telephone calls.
Instead, Accessible Resources offers detailed information organized according to
categories of disability, products, services and types of assistance. The categories are
cross-referenced to serve those with multiple disabilities as well those with rare or
specific needs. The information is constantly updated to reflect changes in the market,
private and public funding, and innovations in health care.
For example, Accessible Resources can:
tell a parent how to find a summer camp with horse back riding for a child in a
wheel-chair
help an adult daughter apply for a free phone for a hard of hearing mother
list lawyers experienced in establishing guardianship or power of attorney
provide a directory of social workers who cater to the needs of families of
schizophrenics
direct those with mental illness to employment services
find a yoga class for breast cancer survivors
offer names of home health care aides
list the area's hospice care programs
Accessible Resources makes the connection
Locally and nationally people with disabilities represent an economic force:
73 percent are the heads of households
58 percent own homes
48 percent are the family's principle shoppers
They have an estimated $175 billion - $220 billion in discretionary income6
In addition, baby boomers have lived through a period of prosperity. Many have
resources set aside for services and leisure as they age.
Accessible Resources offers business owners, social service providers, medical
professionals and non-profit organizations a forum to meet consumers and clients.
Business owners and professionals served by Accessible Resources include:
Hearing aid providers
Optometrists
Psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers
Dialysis centers
Contractors who specialize in fitting homes for wheelchairs
Pharmacies
Assisted living centers
Travel agencies that cater to the disabled or elderly
Specialty shoe stores
Message therapists
By connecting businesses and professionals with the people they aim to serve,
Accessible Resources functions as more than a directory. It is a gathering place where
people seeking help and those seeking to help will find the products, services and
customers they need.
I
National Council on Disability www.ncd.gov
2
U.S Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3
3
Administration on Aging www.aoa.gov/prof/Statistics/statistics.asp
4
Administration on Aging www.aoa.gov/prof/Statistics/statistics.asp
5
Greater Houston Partnership www.houston.org/blackfenders/09FW001.pdi
6
U.S. Census Bureau
One of a Kind
Accessible Resources offers help others can't
Many directories aim to serve the aging or disabled. Many fall short of that goal.
Some are too specific for general use; others are too general to serve a population with
particular and urgent needs. Some offer information about a disability but do not link
people with the services or support. Many are not updated frequently enough to keep up
with changes in the marketplace or innovations in science and technology.
Accessible Resources is the alternative. The printed and online guide provides
answers for the aging, the disabled and their family members who have been frustrated
by out-of-date directories, time-consuming Internet searches, and endless phone calls.
Combining her years of social service work experience with her understanding of what it
means to be a patient and a sister of a brother struggling with illness, Rachel Kosoy has
created a truly accessible resource.
Accessible Resources guide is:
Free
Available at numerous businesses and healthcare facilities
Accessible around the clock on the website
Compliant with online standards for those with visual and physical impairments
Accessible Resources is also the most comprehensive guide available, offering:
Local, state, regional and national information
Non-profit, government and retail resources
A link to professionals, products and services ranging from seamless socks for
sensitive children to case managers for seniors
Constantly updated information online
Annual print revisions
A link to services, professionals and products
Certainly there are other guides on the market. But take the The Complete Directory for
People with Disabilities. It is a national resource that costs $165 and is not even
available at all libraries.
In the Houston area, some of the most commonly found guides include:
Senior Guidance Directory: An excellent non-profit venture. Aimed only at the
aging.
New Lifestyles: Supported by advertising, a guide of senior housing options.
United Way Directory: A catch-all guide to social services, not aimed
specifically at the disabled or elderly. Available by phone, internet or hard copy,
though hard copy costs $45. Only lists non-profits.
The Blue Book: A non-profit bilingual guide to HIV/AIDS resources in Houston.
TexasAutismAdvocacy.org: A homespun website created by the mother of a
child with autism.
Resource Guide for Parents of Children with Disabilities: A print only
pamphlet with Houston area resources. Rarely updated.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: A general
state-by-state online guide.
Often the guides on this list eschew advertisements, limiting the opportunities for
professionals and business owners. These guides miss out on the chance to provide a
"Yellow Pages" kind of service.
Online, searches can seem endless. Websites devoted to particular disabilities or issues
often offer links to other resources. But these links often are not comprehensive and are
not organized or cross-referenced for easy access.
Accessible Resources is Houston's only comprehensive and up-to-date guide for the
elderly and disabled. Whether in print or online, with Accessible Resources, help is
here.
The Accessible Resources Professional Team
Accessible Resources engages people who know how to help
The success of Accessible Resources relies on the expertise and talents of the people
creating and supporting it. With a team of experienced professionals in social work,
marketing, advertising and computer fields, Accessible Resources is the Houston
area's only reliable and comprehensive source of information and help for the elderly
and disabled.
Compelled by her personal history as a patient and a sister coping with a mentally ill
brother, founder Rachel Kosoy has dedicated her life to helping people with physical,
mental, sensory or cognitive impairments. Her professional experience spans decades
and has taken her into the legal, educational, medical and public relations fields.
In addition to Rachel, Accessible Resources is guided by an advisory board of experts.
Members include representatives from groups dedicated to a particular disability such as
the AIDS Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It will also include leaders from
local, state and national organizations with proven commitment to the concerns and
welfare of the elderly and disabled.
The Accessible Resources team also relies on three key advisors with years of
experience in advertising sales, marketing and computer technology.
Barry N. Mandel
A well-known member of the Houston health, downtown and arts communities, Barry
currently serves as CEO of Legacy Community Health Services. He was recently
president and CEO of the Houston Downtown Alliance. Barry brings to Accessible
Resources a proven record in maximizing marketing opportunities, managing the
media, and reaching a wide spectrum of the Houston area's diverse communities.
IT Specialist
Nicole Snow
Nicole combines expertise in two vital fields for Accessible Resources: magazine
advertising and social work. After a successful career in advertising sales for Sports
Illustrated and People Magazine, Nicole left the corporate world to pursue a master's
degree in social work. She now works with children and adolescents in the psychiatric
outpatient division of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
The team of experts Rachel has engaged knows how to make critical connections
between those who need help and the professionals, agencies and resources that can
provide this help. Her team knows that in order for the guide to be useful, it must be truly
accessible: Free, easy to use online for those with visual and physical impairments, and
as easy to find in print as the nearest drug store. With a creative and accomplished team
behind it, this guide delivers truly Accessible Resources that meet the needs of the
Houston area's vital and diverse elderly and disabled communities.