2018 July News

From CIDA Newsdesk
Welcome to CIDA’s July 2018 newsletter!

This month, a few sections won’t be showing due to the reconstruction of our website. We promise we will see you in September with a beautiful and improved design.

Laws & Things
You Must Know
Selective Service Systems (SSS)

Almost all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service.

With very few exceptions, all males between ages 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System (SSS) within 30 days of arriving in the United States. This includes U.S. born and naturalized citizens, parolees, undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, asylum seekers, refugees, and all males with visas of any kind which expired more than 30 days ago. The few individuals who are exempt from this requirement are those on current non-immigrant visas. A complete list of acceptable documentation for exemption may be found.

Person with Disability

Disabled men who live at home must register with Selective Service. A friend or relative may help a disabled man fill out the registration form if he can’t do it himself.

Men with disabilities that would disqualify them from military service still must register with Selective Service. There is a difference between exemption of the requirement to register, and classification of ability to serve in times of National emergency. Selective Service does not presently have authority to classify men for National service, but even men with obvious handicaps must register now, and if needed, classifications would be determined later.

The criteria for exemptions from registration are:

• If a man is placed in a hospital, nursing home, long-term care facility, or mental institution on or before his 18th birthday, had no breaks of institutionalization of 30 days or longer, and remained institutionalized until his 26th birthday, he is not required to register.
• If he is confined to home, whether his own or someone else’s (including group homes), on or before his 18th birthday and cannot leave the home without medical assistance (for example, by ambulance, or with the help of a nurse or EMT), and remained homebound until his 26th birthday, he is not required to register.

Depending on the condition of the young man, while he would not be able to serve in the military in a crisis, it does not exempt him from the Selective Service registration requirement. Even though this may not seem to make any sense, the facts are neither the Military Selective Service Act nor the Presidential proclamation provide an exemption from registration because of a man’s mental or physical condition unless Selective Service is provided with documented evidence that the man is hospitalized or institutionalized; or homebound and unable to function outside the home, with or without physical assistance; or is in such a physical or mental condition that he would not comprehend the nature of his registration with the Selective Service System. In these cases, a determination can be made by Selective Service as to whether or not the man qualifies for exemption from registration. Otherwise, Selective Service is not allowed to “classify” men until the Congress and the President authorize a return to the draft in an emergency. Thus, all men must register even those with obvious disqualifying disabilities. Men are considered no longer draft eligible at age 26. However, if you do not register SSS on time, it may cause problems for being qualify for citizenship.

For more information regarding the Selective Service System, see here: https://www.sss.gov/Registration/Who-Must-Register/Men-With-Disabilities

What’s Up at CIDA

Self Determination Academy II
High School Students June 26-July 3

We successfully completed the 2nd round of Self Determination Academy with four high school students with disabilities. Five interns and Program Coordinator Hae Li Her spent a whole month to prepare the curriculum and lesson plans for the amazing five days of the journey in order to teach self-determination skills, including learning how to participate in IEP meetings and become self-advocates.

Self-determination Academy will re-open in Spring 2019.

CIDA is moving
New Office Space

CIDA is moving to a bigger space in October. Due to increasing numbers of service requests, we made the decision to expand our office space. CIDA will move to Suite A-2 in the same building starting October 2018.

Rock Your Day
5 minute Music Break

It’s a good day to have a good day!
Bounce! Bounce!