That's all it takes...

These are phrases that really involve the reader, so they are following your
every word. They can include questions, words that create curiosity, and
words that cause the reader to create a scene in their imagination. Here are
some examples:
Imagine having the house of your dreams...
You probably already know...
Are you beginning to see...
Wouldn't it be amazing if...
Picture this...
That's all it takes...
Whether you believe it or not right now...
What would you do if...
How would it feel if you could...
This is just a tiny glimpse into the power of...
The choice is yours...
Free gift...
You...
Why not do it right now?

Notice when this type of marketing is being used on YOU.

Disability Resources and Self Advocacy

Below is a list of disability related resources found on the Internet: General Information - Disability Awareness Education Employment and Training Family Supports Health Policy and Legislation Research Self-Advocacy - Consumers with Disabilities General Information / Disability Awareness American Association on Mental Retardation www.aamr.org An interdisciplinary organization of professionals and others concerned about mental retardation and related disabilties. Cornucopia of Disability Information (CODI) codi.buffalo.edu CODI serves as a community resource for consumers and professionals by providing disability information in a wide variety of areas. Developmental Disabilities Centre www.ualberta.ca/~jpdasddc Information and resources from the University of Alberta's Developmental Disabilities Centre. Disability Rights Movement Virtual Exhibition www.americanhistory.si.edu/disabilityrights A virtual exhibition created by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Disability World www.disabilityworld.org DisabilityWorld is a new Web-zine dedicated to advancing an exchange of information and research about the international independent living movement of people with disabilities. Promote Awareness www.promoteawareness.com This site offers videos and training manuals aimed at improving the public's perception about people with disabilities. Top of page Education National Center to Improve Practice www2.edc.org/NCIP This Center promotes the effective use of technology to enhance educational outcomes for students with sensory, cognitive, physical, and social/emotional disabilities. Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) www.pacer.org A statewide parent coalition of Minnesota disability organizations assists parents to obtain appropriate educational services and supports for their children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Top of page Employment and Training ETA disAbility Online www.doleta.gov/disability The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration's disAbility Web site provides information on removing the barriers to employment opportunities faced by adults with disabilities. National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) www.naric.com The National Rehabilitation Information Center's library and information center on disability and rehabilitation. Workforce Development - Electronic Service Center www.wdsc.org The Electronic Service Center provides communication and collaboration services to the Employment and Training community, and highlights workforce development initiatives within ETA. Top of page Family Supports The Family Village www.familyvillage.wisc.edu A global community on the Internet for families of persons who have disabilities. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) www.nichcy.org A Web site with factsheets, general resource sheets, parent guides, news digests, and other publications on disabilities and disability issues. Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) www.pacer.org A statewide parent coalition of Minnesota disability organizations assists parents to obtain appropriate educational services and supports for their children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Health & Safety Resources for Parents www.seattlechildrens.org/child_health_safety/info/parents/ A Web site devoted to the interests and well-being of family members of people with disabilities, chronic health impairments, and mental health concerns. Top of page Health Health A to Z Home Page www.HealthAtoZ.com Comprehensive search engine and database of thousands of sites in health and medicine. Searchable categories include disabilities, developmental disabilities, and mental retardation. The National Women's Health Information Center: Illnesses and Disabilities www.womenshealth.gov/illness-disability This site addresses numerous issues of particular interest to women with disabilities, such as abuse, access to health care, financial assistance, laws and regulations, minorities, aging, parenting, reproductive health, services and support, sexuality, and more. Top of page Policy and Legislation US Department of Justice: Americans with Disabilities Act www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm Provides up-to-date information from the U.S. Department of Justice on the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also contains links to other ADA and disability-related sites. Top of page Research ACCESS ERIC www.eric.ed.gov The online version of the Educational Resources Information Center, hosted by the National Library of Education, including the searchable ERIC database. Disability Statistics Center dsc.ucsf.edu A Rehabilitation Research and Training Center located at the University of California, San Francisco, funded to produce and disseminate statistical information on disability and the status of people with disabilities in America. National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) www.ncddr.org Established in 1995, the NCDDR performs research, technical assistance and demonstration activities focusing on the dissemination and utilization of disability research funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr Created in 1978, NIDRR is one of three components of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education. It's mission is to generate, disseminate and promote new knowledge to improve the options available to disabled persons, with the ultimate goal of allowing these individuals to perform their regular activities in the community and to bolster society’s ability to provide full opportunities and appropriate supports for its disabled citizens. Top of page Self-Advocacy / Consumer-Oriented ADDResource.com www.addresource.com First launched in January 2001, this search engine and directory is dedicated exclusively to Attention Deficit Disorders and Learning Disabilities. With their new ProFinder(TM); directory, the ADDresource.com site brings together the expertise of Internet specialists and hundreds of ADD/ADHD and LD professionals worldwide, to help you find relevant information on the Web quickly and easily. Advocating Change Together (ACT) www.selfadvocacy.com A self-advocacy Web site for interested individuals worldwide. The Arc of the United States www.thearc.org A national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related disabilities and their families. Disability.gov: Online Resources for People with Disabilities www.disability.gov Disability.gov is an award-winning federal Web site that contains disability-related resources on programs, services, laws and regulations to help people with disabilities lead full, independent lives. Disability Resources Monthly (DRM) www.disabilityresources.org A guide to disability resources on the Internet. National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) nadc.ucla.edu An information, training, and resource center whose mission is to promote the full inclusion of children and adults with disabilities into the visual, performing, media, and literary arts communities. National Disability Rights Network www.napas.org This network provides legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States. Learn about your rights as a person with a disability and locate the office(s) in your state that can help with protection and advocacy issues (see right sidebar where you can choose your state). Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) www.sabeusa.org SABE aims to ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals and that they are given the same decisions, choices, rights, responsibilities, and chances to speak up to empower themselves; opportunities to make new friends; and to learn from their mistakes. Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities www.fetaweb.com/help/states.htm This feature on the FetaWeb Web site provides self-advocacy resources nationwide, viewable by U.S. state or territory. FetaWeb is a companion guide to the book, Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, which is a practical "survival guide" that teaches parents and others how to advocate for children with disabilities.

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Debt Collectors Have Rules THEY have to follow:

Debt Collector's Rules Update 01:    Debt collectors have rules that must be followed when they contact you about a debt. Debt collectors' guidelines are outlined in the federal law known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, aka the FDCPA. When your rights under the FDCPA have been violated, you can file a lawsuit against the collector in state or federal court. Before you file suit, make sure you have solid proof of the violation. These are things a debt collector can't do. If you need to reference the law, citations have been provided.

1. Ask you to pay more than you owe - The collector cannot misrepresent the amount you owe. [15 USC 1692e] § 807(2)(a)
2. Ask you to pay interest, fees, or expenses that are not allowed by law - The collector can't add on any extra fees that your original credit or loan agreement doesn't allow. [15 USC 1692f] § 808(1)
3. Call repeatedly or continuously - The FDCPA considers repeat calls as harassment. [15 USC 1692d] § 806(5)
4. Use obscene, profane, or abusive language - Using this kind of language is considered harassment. [15 USC 1692d] § 806(2)
5. Call before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm - Calls during these times are considered harassment. [15 USC 1692c] § 805(a)(1)
6. Call at times the collector knew or should know are inconvenient - Calls at these times are considered harassment. [15 USC 1692c] § 805(a)(1)
7. Use or threaten to use violence if you don't pay the debt - Collectors can't threaten violence against you. [15 USC 1692d] § 806(1)
8. Threaten action they cannot or will not take - Collectors can't threaten to sue or file charges against you, garnish wages, take property, cause job loss, or ruin your credit when the collector cannot or does not intend to take the action. [15 USC 1692e] § 807(5)
9. Illegally inform a third party about your alleged debt - Unless you have expressly given permission, collectors are not allowed to inform anyone about your debt except your attorney; the creditor; the creditor's attorney; a credit reporting agency; your spouse; your parent (if you are a minor) [15 USC 1692c] § 805(b)
10. Repeatedly call a third party to get your location information - The collector can only contact a third party once unless it has reason to believe the information previously provided is false. [15 USC 1692b] § 804(1)
11. Contact you at work knowing your employer doesn't approve - A collector is not allowed to contact you at work if you’ve let them know your employer doesn’t approve of these calls. [15 USC 1692c] § 805(a)(3)
12. Fail to send a written debt validation notice - Within five days of the collector's initial communication, it must send you a notice include the amount of the debt, name of the creditor, and notice of your right to dispute the debt within 30 days. [15 USC 1692g] § 809(a)
13. Ignore your written request to verify the debt and continue to collect - A collector can't continue to collect on a debt after you've made a written request to verify the debt as long as the request was made within 30 days of the collector's written notice. [15 USC 1692g] § 809(b)
14. Continue to collect on the debt before providing verification - After receiving your written dispute, the collector must stop collecting on the debt until you have received verification. [15 USC 1692g] § 809(b)
15. Continue collection attempts after receiving a cease communication notice - If you make a written request for the collector to cease communication, it can only contact you one more time, via mail to let you know one of the following: that further efforts to collect the debt are terminated, that certain actions may be taken by the collector, or that the collector is definitely going to take certain actions. [15 USC 1692c] § 805(c)