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Employment Resources Available at Philadelphia FIGHT
Searching for employment can be a daunting task. Philadelphia FIGHT offers several resources that may be useful for job seekers. Be sure to contact the AIDS Library at library@aidslibrary.org if you would like additional information about any of the resources spotlighted in this post. Please make sure to call each program directly to check eligibility in order to participate in the services highlighted below.
IN THE AIDS LIBRARY
Here are some titles that we have in the AIDS Library that could be helpful for job seekers.
Job interview preparation:
- Job Interview Tips for People with Not-So-Hot Backgrounds: How to Put Red Flags Behind You to Win the Job, by Caryl and Ronald L. Krannich
- Networking and Interviewing for Jobs, by Ronald C. Mendlin
Resume and cover letter tips and examples:
- Resume, Application and Letter Tips for People with Not-So-Hot Backgrounds: 185 Tips for Landing the Perfect Job, by Ronald L. Krannich
- Best Resumes and Letters for Ex-Offenders, by Wendy S. Enelow
- Gallery of Best Resumes: A Collection of Quality Resumes by Professional Resume Writers, by David Noble
Job hunting advice and tips for retaining employment:
- Job Hunting Tips for People with Not-So-Hot Backgrounds: 101 Smart Steps That Can Change Your Life, by Ronald L. Krannich
- JIST’s Putting the Bars Behind You Series: Instructor’s Resource Manual, by Ronald C. Mendlin
- The Job Loss Recovery Guide: A Proven Program for Getting Back to Work — Fast!, by Lynn Joseph
- The 2004 Philadelphia County Assistance Office Employment and Training Programs, by Philadelphia County Assistance Office
Tips for navigating the workplace:
- Managing AIDS in the Workplace, by Sam B. Puckett
- AIDS in the Workplace: Legal Questions and Practical Answers, by William F. Banta
- AIDS Issues in the Workplace: A Response Model for Human Resource Management, by Dale A. Masi
- Gay Issues in the Workplace, by Brian McNaught
- Public Library Services for the Poor: Doing All We Can, by Leslie Edmonds Holt and Glen E. Holt
- AIDS and the Public Workforce: Local Government Preparedness in Managing the Epidemic, by James D. Slack
- AIDS in the Workplace: Employee Attitudes and Perceptions and the Impact of Educational Programs, by Vincent Gerard Kownacki
- Returning to Work: A Helpful Guide, by the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania
- Your Rights in the Workplace, by Barbara Kate Repa
Educational resources for job seekers:
- McGraw Hill’s GED: The Most Complete and Reliable Study Program for the GED Tests, by Patricia Mulcrone
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Computer Basics, by Joe Kraynak
- Office 20013 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies, by Peter Weverka
- Office 2007 for Dummies, by Wally Wang
DVDs exploring HIV/AIDS and employment:
- All of Us – Documentary about two women struggling with the social factors that put them at risk for HIV.
- Philadelphia – Fictional account of an HIV-positive man challenging discrimination (set in Philly!).
INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY JUSTICE
Employment Resource Guide
The Society for Employment and Equal Rights of the Institute of Community Justice publishes a resource guide for formerly incarcerated people seeking employment in the Philadelphia area. The resource guide includes:
- Job searching tips
- Job training for people with a criminal record
- Information about staffing agencies and part-time work
- Companies that have hired formerly convicted people
- Computer access resources
- Tips for creating a resume
Download the Employment Resource Guide 2013 [PDF]
To open the PDF, you need Adobe Reader. Click here to download Adobe Reader for free. To get copies of the printed and bound Employment Resource Guide, please Contact Us.
The Institute for Community Justice offers two comprehensive programs that may be useful for job seekers in Philadelphia.
Access to Recovery Life Skills Program
When: Every Thursday, 2-4pm Where: Institute for Community Justice 21 S. 12th Street, 7th Floor (Between Market and Chestnut) Philadelphia, PA 19107
Details: This course consists of 9 classes and some topics covered are setting goals, violence prevention, parenting, and stress management.
For more information contact Akua at (215) 525-0460 ext. 403
Access to Recovery Career Development Workshops
When: Every Thursday, 11am-1pm Where: Institute for Community Justice 21 S. 12th StREET, 7th Floor (Between Market and Chestnut) Philadelphia, PA 19107
Details: Come learn various career development skills including –
- Resume creation
- Tips for keeping a job
- Entrepreneurial skills
- Interviewing skills
- Using a computer for your job search
- Completing online job applications
- Overcoming a criminal record and getting employed
CRITICAL PATH PROJECT
Career Development – Job Readiness Classes (ENROLLMENT REQUIRED)
Call 215-985-4448 ext. 279 to enroll in this course. Classes meet on Monday and Wednesday afternoon for 2 hours over an 8 week period Details: Enroll in this class if you would like to learn valuable career development skills including:
- Writing a great resume and cover letter
- Interviewing skills
- Learning how to understand job descriptions
- Research potential employers
Special Note: You must have some basic computer skills to enter this class. In addition to valuable job and computer skills, students that enroll in the class will also:
- Leave with both a hard and digital copy of their new resume, cover letter, and thank you letter for future updates and changes
- 2 SEPTA tokens at the end of each session
- A certificate of completion at the end of class
- A graduation party
(Visit www.critpath.org for more information.)
Please be on the lookout for the next installment of our employment series! The next post will feature employment resources available for job seekers in the Philadelphia, PA area.
Filed under Job Hunting
HIV/AIDS Education Resources
June is AIDS Education month! Here are resources, including many freely available curricula and lesson-plans, that you can use to educate about HIV/AIDS in June or any time of the year.
Click here to learn more about Philadelphia FIGHT’s activities for AIDS Education Month 2012!
IN THE AIDS LIBRARY
Here are some titles we have in the library that could help an educator create an HIV/AIDS education class or program, or to supplement such a class or program.
Educational material about HIV/AIDS:
- 52 ways to create an AIDS-free world, Donald E. Messer.
- The Complete HIV/AIDS Teaching Kit, Josefina J. Card et al – A multimedia teaching kit with activities, discussion questions, quizzes, PowerPoint slides, and more.
- HIV Prevention Among Drug Users: A Resource Book for Community Planners & Program Managers, Academy for Educational Development.
- Our Whole Lives: Sexual Education, Unitarian Universalist Association – Separate instruction books and workbooks for grades K-1, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and adults.
- Sexualidad y el VIH/SIDA: Modulos innovadores de enseñanza, Ineke Cunningham et al – HIV/AIDS curriculum materials in Spanish.
- Talk with Young People About HIV: Information and Guidance to Get You Started, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Teaching Adults to Communicate with Youth from a Christian Perspective, and Teaching Adults to Communicate with Youth from a Muslim Perspective, Family Health International – Sections on sexual health, sexually-transmitted infections, and HIV/AIDS.
General information about HIV/AIDS:
- 101 Questions & Answers About HIV & AIDS, by Joel Gallant.
- The AIDS Awareness Library series: What Is AIDS, Myths and Facts About AIDS, What You Can Do About AIDS, and Heroes Against AIDS, Anna Forbes.
- HIV/AIDS: A Very Short Introduction, Alan Whiteside.
- The Inside Story on AIDS: Experts Answer Your Questions, Seth C. Kalichman.
- Our Stories Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS, Deborah Ellis.
- My Grandma Has AIDS: Annisha’s Story, Valerie Reeder-Bey & Annisha Wilburn.
- Teen Life: Frequently Asked Questions About AIDS and HIV, Richard Robinson.
DVDs exploring HIV/AIDs:
- All of Us – Documentary about two women struggling with the social factors that put them at risk for HIV.
- And the Band Played On – Historical fiction account of the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
- 3 Needles – Fictional portraits of people around the world facing the AIDS crisis.
- Life Support – Based on a true story of an HIV-positive woman (played by Queen Latifah).
- One + One – Documentary about two couples of mixed HIV status “choosing to love in spite of fear.”
- Out of Control: AIDS in Black America – ABC Primetime documentary about AIDS among African-Americans.
- Philadelphia – Fictional account of an HIV-positive man challenging discrimination (set in Philly!).
- Pandemic: Facing AIDS – Documentary profile of individuals facing the AIDS epidemic around the world.
- What if You’re 15 and HIV-Positive: Amanda’s Story – Short profile of a young woman living with HIV.
INTRODUCTORY CURRICULA
The New York City Department of Education’s HIV/AIDS Curriculum is available in its entirety. It’s broken down by grade, from K through 12. That page also includes brochures and letters for parents (available in 11 different languages) of kids who are being educated.
The Washington State Department of Education publishes the KNOW Curriculum, including materials in Spanish.
The Population Council publishes a book of curriculum and activity materials, It’s All One, developed by the International Sexuality and HIV Curriculum Working Group, available to download freely. It’s also available in Spanish and French.
The Hispanic leadership organization ASPIRA has an extensive HIV Curriculum with facilitator scripts, activities, and other tools. The entire curriculum is available in Spanish as well.
The British non-profit AVERT has an HIV/AIDS Lessons and Activities webpage, as well as pages for:
- HIV/AIDS quizzes (and quizzes on sex ed, condoms, and pregnancy)
- A dynamic web-based HIV/AIDS game
The United Church of Christ publishes a Curriculum for Multicultural Christian Education, with particular focus on grade school youth.
Partners in Health publishes an HIV Curriculum, with a strong emphasis on international health, human rights, TB co-infection, and women’s health.
Stanford University’s Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education TeachAIDS Educator Handbook: A Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention Curriculum.
UNAIDS sponsors a Grassroot Soccer Skillz Curriculum, aimed at teens. Topics include making healthy decisions, avoiding risks, building support networks, reducing stigma and discrimination, increasing knowledge about testing and treatment, and addressing gender issues.
MORE SPECIFIC CURRICULA
The Vermont-based Center for Health & Learning has six pages of Curriculum Activities that Support the Use of HIV Positive Speakers.
The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care published an Adaptation of a Curriculum Targeted at Older African-American women.
The UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies has a page of Intervention Curricula, including a program for people living with HIV, a harm reduction program aimed at middle schoolers, a prevention program for men who have sex with men, and an adherence program for HIV+ homeless people.
The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research has a multimedia HIV Vaccine Curriculum that explores the life cycle and structure of HIV, different vaccine types, and related ethical issues.
The CDC’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis Project has a page of “Best-Evidence” Interventions. Folks designing programs can read about them there. Be aware, though, that many of the materials for these interventions are not available for free.
The CDC publishes guides for educators and administrators developing HIV/AIDS education programs. These are not curricula, but advice on creating and evaluating curricula.
- Adolescent and School Health: Sexual Risk Behavior Guidelines and Strategies
- Handbook for Evaluating HIV Education
- The Eleven Elements of Successful Prevention Programs
EDUCATING HEALTH PROVIDERS
AIDS Education is for the pros too!
The AIDS Education & Training Center provides targeted Education Programs for Health Providers treating people living with HIV. They have slide sets and full curricula on adherence, cultural competence, testing, “prevention with positives,” women, and many more topics.
Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, UNICEF, and PEPFAR, provides a 376-page HIV Curriculum for the Health Professional.
Family Health International has a training manual for health professionals on Contraception for Clients with HIV.
The International Training & Education Center for Health provides materials to support the development of International HIV Health Programs.
CURRICULUM SUPPLEMENTS
For people who are designing their own program or curriculum, but want supplements, there are materials to draw on all over the web.
For facts about different aspects of HIV/AIDS, we always point to a few different sets of factsheets (short documents that summarize a topic).
- For factsheets on the epidemic in the United States, see the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Factsheets page.
- For factsheets on the epidemic around the world, see the UNAIDS Factsheets page.
- For factsheets on the nature of the virus, its transmission, and its treatment, see the University of New Mexico’s AIDS Info Net.
- For factsheets specifically on HIV prevention, sorted by demographics, risk behaviors, and more, see the University of California, San Francisco’s HIV Prevention Factsheets.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a page of AIDS Info Graphics and an AIDS Awareness Toolkit.
The PBS series Frontline has a documentary called The Age of AIDS that’s available to watch online. It’s four hours long, but it’s broken up into chapters that could be good for showing to classes or groups.
The TEACH program at FIGHT has a YouTube channel of educational videos on many HIV/AIDS topics.
The United Nations AIDS Multimedia Gallery has a collection of videos (including PSAs), photo slideshows, and audio presentations and interviews, mostly focusing on the epidemic worldwide. UNAIDS also publishes a current Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic with more charts, slides, graphics, and multimedia materials.
The website Annenberg Learner publishes many HIV/AIDS Animations and Images on its Rediscovering Biology page.
The Kaiser Family Foundation has a Global HIV/AIDS Timeline.
AVERT has a History of AIDS with an extensive list of news and journal articles for each era of the epidemic
For a collection of news articles about HIV/AIDS going back to 1983, see the New York Times AIDS/HIV page.
If any of these sites use terminology that’s unfamiliar, we recommend the National Institute of Health’s searchable HIV/AIDS Glossary. The glossary is also available in Spanish.
Filed under HIV/AIDS Education Resources
Apps & Mobile Sites about Health
Do you use apps on a smartphone or other mobile device? Did you know that there are thousands of great apps and mobile websites to learn about health, from practical tools like medication schedulers to comprehensive resources like the MedlinePlus Mobile site, from calorie counters to Narcotics Anonymous meeting finders to a game called “Catch the Condom”?
The AIDS Library and the Critical Path Project have created a series of guides to spread the word about how many great apps and mobile sites are available to be used by anyone with a mobile device. Below are six guides, each aimed at a different population:
- People Living With HIV/AIDS: APPlify Your Health – PLWHA
- Men Who Have Sex With Men: APPlify Your Health – MSM
- Women: APPlify Your Health – Women
- Youth: APPlify Your Health – Youth
- Healthcare Providers: APPlify Your Health – Providers
- Anyone interested in Addiction & Recovery: APPlify Your Health – Addiction & Recovery
Use these guides to learn more about apps and mobile sites that can help you learn more about health.
In addition, the Critical Path Project is offering a workshop on this issue, APPlify Your Health. Go to their website to learn more and get signed up.
Filed under Apps & Mobile Sites about Health
Free Tax Help in Philadelphia – 2013
Free Tax Help 2013 – Click here to download the AIDS Library’s printable pathfinder to free tax help in Philadelphia, updated for 2013.
WHERE TO GET FREE HELP FILING TAXES
Volunteer Income Tax Program – The IRS runs VITA to give free tax-filing assistance to low- and moderate-income individuals and families. See flier attached to this email for a complete list of sites in Philadelphia
Remember:
- These sites are not VITA centers. They are places that host VITA volunteers. Although some VITA sites for 2013 are walk-in only, call the phone numbers (on the flier) before going to any of these locations. Availability and hours will vary.
- People must bring the following to VITA appointments:
- proof of ID
- Social Security card for you, your spouse and dependents; if not eligible for a Social Security then, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter for you, your spouse and dependents
- birth dates of all family members
- all wage and earning statements from employers (W-2, 1099)
- a copy of last year’s returns if available
- bank routing numbers and account number for Direct Deposit, such as a blank check
- total paid for day care provider and the day care provider’s tax identifying number (the provider’s Social Security Number or the provider’s business Employer Identification Number)
- any other tax information received in the mail
***To file taxes electronically on a married filing joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.
To find VITA sites beyond Philadelphia, search here, or call the free hotline: 1-800-906-9887.
Honickman Learning Center – A program of Project H.O.M.E. For more info about free tax-filing or to schedule an appointment, call 215-235-2900.
The Campaign for Working Families – The CWF website includes a chart of who is eligible for their services. Their website includes a map of their 11 Philadelphia tax prep sites. Anyone hoping to use this service should call the number of the location (listed at that website) to make an appointment.
American Association of Retired Persons – Folks of low-to-middle income who are 60 or older can get free services through AARP, as part of the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program. To locate the nearest site, call 1-888-227-7669, or search for a site online.
DOING TAXES YOURSELF
The Benefit Bank’s Self-Serve Edition – A free online tax service for anyone who has an Adjusted Gross Income of $60,000 or less, designed to be a self-serve program.
MyFreeTaxes.com – Despite a name that makes it sound like a commercial scam, this is a collaboration of Campaign for Working Families, United Way, and Wal-Mart, to provide free online tax software, as well as additional tax tips.
Paper Tax Forms – all tax forms are available free to download from the IRS’s website. Here are webpages with:
- The IRS’s Federal forms
- The PA Revenue Department’s State forms
- The Federation of Tax Administrators’ Map for finding forms from other states
- The Philadelphia Department of Revenue’s City forms
Order Tax Forms by Phone – You can also call the IRS at 1-800-829-3676 to order forms by US mail. Individuals can order up to 10 forms (or other IRS publications).
Disability and Non-English Speakers – The Philadelphia Revenue Department also offers large print bills, Braille bills, audio cassettes and foreign language telephone interpreter services for folks doing taxes. To request these, call 215-686-6600.
MORE TAX INFORMATION
Earned Income Tax Credit – An IRS.gov webpage about EITC, which helps people who work but make low salaries reduce their tax payment or get a refund. Also see EITC and Disability webpage.
Taxpayer Rights – An IRS.gov webpage about rights regarding taxes, including various publications and factsheets. A few highlights of the page that may be of use to our clients (or us):
Identity Theft – The IRS also offers an Identity Theft Hotline at 1-800-908-4490 for anyone who believes:
- That their tax records are currently affected by identity theft and that they have not been able to resolve the matter
- They may be at risk of identity theft due to a lost/stolen purse or wallet, questionable credit card activity or credit report
IRS.gov also has a webpage with additional information regarding Identity Theft and Your Tax Records.
Plain Talk Tax Guide – a 13-page guide from the Philadelphia Revenue Department. This page also has videos that offer tax assistance, though they focus mostly on business taxes.
Filed under Free Tax Help in Philadelphia, Uncategorized
Health Videos Online
The AIDS Library has many movies and documentaries in its collection. In addition, we maintain a list of online videos that we recommend to learn more about HIV/AIDS, activism, medical news, and other topics, from reliable sources including the National Library of Medicine, Planned Parenthood, PBS, and our very own YouTube page.
Click on the links below to get our printer-friendly handouts about these recommended videos. We update this information regularly, but we do not control any of this content (other than our YouTube page), so we cannot guarantee that it will be available when you try to access it. If you find broken links, please contact us so we can remove them.
- Health Videos Online – Complete List
- Health Videos Online – HIVAIDS Info
- Health Videos Online – HIVAIDS & LGBT Activism
- Health Videos Online – Medical News & Healthcare
- Health Videos Online – General Health & Wellness
- Health Videos Online – Safer Sex, Drugs, & Harm Reduction
- Health Videos Online – Women’s Health
- Health Videos Online – Documentaries about Medicine & Science
- Health Videos Online – Local Philadelphia Videos
If there is something you don’t see here but would like to, such as a specific video or a broader topic, please contact us about that as well.
Filed under Online Health Videos
Hepatitis C Information
In the AIDS Library
These materials are available in the AIDS Library. Come on down when we’re open and check them out!
- HCV/HIV Coinfection Information, by the American Liver Foundation
- Hepatitis & Liver Disease: What You Need to Know (Revised Edition), by Melissa Palmer, M.D.
- Hepatitis C, The First Year: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (2nd Edition), by Cara Bruce and Lisa Montanarelli
- The Hepatitis C Handbook, by Matthew Dolan
- HIV, Hepatitis C, and You: A Guide for Coinfected People, by The Body
- What You Need to Know About HIV/HCV Coinfection, by the National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project
Info for People Living with Hepatitis C
For the basics, see:
- What I need to know about Hepatitis C, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – with easy-to-read text and lots of pictures
- Patient Education Resources, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – for printer-friendly color materials
- First Steps with Hepatitis C for the Newly Diagnosed, from the Hepatitis C Support Project
People with further questions can call 877-HELP-4-HEP, a national support line from The Support Partnership (TSP), a collaboration of four national hepatitis C organizations.
For info on HCV treatment
- Treatment Factsheets from HCV Advocate, including:
- Herbal Dietary Supplements Glossary, from HCV Advocate – with special comments for people with liver problems
For help paying for treatment, see Project Inform’s list of Patient Assistance Programs.
For specific issues for people living with HCV, see:
- Hepatitis & Tattoos, from the Hepatitis C Support Project
- Diet and Nutrition for people living with HCV, from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
- Alcohol and Hepatitis C, from the DVA
- Vaccinations of Adults with Hepatitis C Infection, from the Immunization Action Coalition
For info about HIV/HCV coinfection, see
- A Guide to HIV and Hep C Coinfection, from the Hepatitis C Support Project – colorful, printable, and aimed at patients
- HIV and Viral Hepatitis, from the CDC – including statistical info
- TheBody.com’s Ask the Experts Hepatitis and HIV Coinfection forum
For HCV info in language other than English, see
- A enormous amount of info in Spanish, from HCV Advocate
- Multilingual HIV and Hepatitis C Factsheets, from Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service – in Akan, Amharic, Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese, Chinese, Croatian, Greek, French, Indonesian, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, Portuguese, Serbian, Spanish, Shona, Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
- Foreign Language Publications, also from HCV Advocate, in Bulgarian, Chinese, French, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Somali
- HCV Info in Urdu, from the Hepatitis Trust in the United Kingdom
For issues around benefits, see A Guide to Hepatitis & Disability, from the Hepatitis C Support Project
For personal stories about HCV, see:
- HCV Advocate’s Personal Stories
- The Hepatitis C Trust’s Personal Stories
- Hepatitis Australia’s Treatment, Life, Hep C, and Me
Research, Provider Info, and More
To follow clinical research and other HCV news, see
- NAM AIDSmap’s Hepatitis C news page
- Hepatitis C Research and News
- HIVandHepatitis.com, for news focusing on co-infection
- Recent News in HCV Care, from Project Inform
For statistics, see:
- Hepatitis C Statistics and Surveillance, from the CDC – for in-depth statistics
- Hepatitis C FAQs for Health Professionals – for a narrative that puts those statistics in context
For provider info, see:
- HIV & Hepatitis Coinfections: Management & Treatment Guidelines, from the Hepatitis C Support Project
- Considerations for Antiretroviral Use in Patients with HIV/HCV Coinfection, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Testing Recommendations for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection, from the CDC
For prevention with certain populations, see:
- Viral Hepatitis And Men Who Have Sex with Men, from the CDC
- Injection Drug Users and Viral Hepatitis, from the CDC
For multimedia, see:
- The CDC’s 5-minute interactive Hepatitis Risk Assessment
- The Patient Education Institute’s Hepatitis C Interactive Tutorial
Filed under Uncategorized
The New PA Voter ID Law
The information below reflects what was current in the run-up to the election in Fall 2012. Much of this information is now old, and it is likely to change based on policies and laws implemented before future elections. We have decided to keep this information here for reference, but please be aware that some of it may be old. Please contact the AIDS Library if you need assistance.
In the AIDS Library
There’s a special display about this law in the AIDS Library, just to your left when you walk in the door. You can send folks by any time we’re open to pick up:
- Know Your Voting Rights: Pennsylvania, by the ACLU of Pennsylvania
- Need a Photo ID? I Can Help, by the office of State Senator Shirley M. Kitchen
- Specific Voter ID Issues for Homeless Voters, by the Committee of Seventy
- Voting Rights of Ex-Felons in Pennsylvania, by the ACLU of Pennsylvania
- Official voter registration forms
- Information about the free photo ID that PennDOT will give out, adapted from the PennDOT website
- Information about obtaining a birth certificate in Pennsylvania adapted from the PA Dept of Health website
Making Sure Your Clients (or You!) Can Vote
The Committee of Seventy has a comprehensive PA Voter ID Law website on this law, including:
- Education Guides for specific populations, including Seniors, Students, and the Homeless
- Palm cards on the ID law in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, and Vietnamese
The ACLU of Pennsylvania has a Voter ID Law website, which includes:
- A list of acceptable IDs for voting
- How to get a free PennDOT ID for voting
- A site where you can order free materials to educate people around this law, as well as many PDFs of these materials that can be printed online
There are two hotlines to help people with this law:
- The Voter ID Coalition: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683), answered live, Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm
- The Department of State’s Voter ID Hotline:1-877-VotesPA (215-868-3772)
For folks without the necessary ID, PennDOT offers instructions for Obtaining a Free PennDOT Secure ID for Voting, as well as list of documents needed to get that ID.
Getting the documents needed to get an ID can be difficult. Here are the government’s instructions on how to get:
- A birth certificate
- A social security card
- A certificate of U.S. Citizenship
- A certificate of U.S. Naturalization
More About Voting
For comprehensive instructions on how to register to vote, see the PA Department of State’s How to Register page. To confirm that a person is registered to vote, see their Voter Registration Status page.
For folks who’ve been incarcerated, see the ACLU’s Voting Rights of Ex-Felons in PA
The Vote for Homes Coalition is running a free Voter Registration Training with special attention to this new law. You can sign up here.
Learn More About the Voter ID Law
To learn more about the law and the issues surrounding it, see:
- The PA Department of State’s website about the law
- The text of the law itself
- Info about the lawsuit being brought against the state around the law
There’s been a lot of news coverage and opinions about the law. Here are some highlights:
- Pa. Supreme Court Takes Up Voter ID Law This Week – recent news about the status of the law in the PA courts
- City, Groups Working to Spread Word on Voter ID Law – recent news on voter education around the law
- Corbett: No SNAFUs on Election Day because of Voter ID – with Governor Corbett’s take on the issue
- Partisan Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Wrongly Upheld by Court – for a more critical take
- A Whopping 43 percent of Philly Voters May Not Have Voter ID, According to New Data – for more on how this might affect Philadelphia
- Voter-ID Trial Puts Trans, Elderly Constituents on Stand –local LGBT-focused take on the issue
- Voting Rights Issue Heats Up in Battleground States Ohio, Pennsylvania – for some national context and comparison to our neighbor state to the west
Filed under The New PA Voter ID Law
The International AIDS Conference (roundup)
This blog post was written in the period following the IAC. Some of the news stories and round-ups below may be removed or altered. Please contact the AIDS Library if you need assistance.
The AIDS Library has many publications brought back from the International AIDS Conference 2012. These cover a broad range: comprehensive reports from global organizations, focused reports on new prevention and treatment techniques, studies of drug policy in specific countries, special HIV/AIDS issues of academic journals, and much more.
We have compiled a complete list of Materials from AIDS 2012 in the AIDS Library (click that link for a PDF listing these materials by subject). Anyone interested in global AIDS policy should have a look, as many of these publications are not available anywhere else in Philadelphia.
Highlights of these materials are currently in a special display in the AIDS Library. The rest are available to be viewed in the Library.
For webcasts of all opening plenaries and many important workshops, see the Kaiser Family Foundation’s AIDS 2012 Wrap-Up.
For a general report, see the International AIDS Society’s:
- photo gallery
- YouTube page – including interviews with many of the major speakers
- daily bulletins with highlights of each days events
For a report on clinical research, see NAM AIDSmap’s extensive conference bulletins (available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Italian!)
For reports from U.S. government agencies, see AIDS.gov and the AIDS.gov YouTube page, including the video of speeches from Hillary Clinton, Anthony Fauci, Eric Goosby, and more.
There are a many other reports on the conference. Here are some that might be of interest:
- Many voices from TheBody.com
- Many voices from the Prevention Justice Alliance
- Kevin Fenton and Akiba Solomon at The Root
- Local coverage from The Washington Post
- Legal coverage from TrustLaw
- Opinions from Health Affairs magazine
- Radio reports from Democracy Now
For reports on the We Can End AIDS mobilization that took place during the week of the conference, see:
- The Inquirer’s covereage
- A slideshow from TheBody.com and another from The Washington Blade
Filed under AIDS 2012 (roundup)
The International AIDS Conference 2012 & AIDS Activism
Information about The International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012)
Webcasts of the many conference sessions will be available to watch online (not available until the sessions take place) via the Kaiser Family Foundation’s AIDS 2012 page.
The AIDS 2012 Website has lots of info including:
- The official promotional video
- Conference FAQs
- Bios of the plenary speakers
- Info about youth programming
- Info about the Global Village – for networking and sharing between organizations from all over the world
- How to organize a Conference Hub – “mini conferences” held during or after the international conference by local organizations, which can be registered as late as September 15, 2012
The International AIDS Society, which organized the conference, has proposed The Washington D.C. Declaration to “turn the tide” against the epidemic, which you can read and sign.
For Science News Coverage from AIDS 2012, see NAM AIDSmap’s AIDS 2012 page, which includes:
- A sign-up for Email Bulletins with daily round-ups of science news from the conference
- Background Reading on major themes of the conference
For Community Events, see AIDS 2012 Reunion, which lists events from film screenings to dance parties, that aren’t officially part of the conference.
Facebook users can check out the conference’s Facebook page.
Twitter users can follow updates at:
- @AIDS2012 – for general updated
- @GVAIDS2012 – for updates about the Global Village
- @YouthAIDS2012 – for updates about Youth
There are many Youth Organizations with web presences about AIDS 2012, including:
Many people have published Opinions & Commentary about AIDS 2012. Here are a few that may be of interest:
- Countdown AIDS 2012 page – a collection of articles by the Prevention Justice Alliance, about Treatment Access, Social Justice, Queer & Trans Justice, HIV Criminalization and more
- A talk by Dr. Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, at the Brookings Institution
- A blog post by Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with many official U.S. government statements and documents relevant to AIDS 2012
- Statements by the World YWCA, especially about women’s issues
- Brown Bag webinars by the National Latino AIDS Action Network on AIDS 2012
On July 24th, there will be a huge Activist Mobilization called We Can End AIDS outside the conference.
- Read the platform
- Find out about free transportation to D.C. on the 24th
AIDS Activist Resources in the AIDS Library
The following books and movies cover the AIDS epidemic from the perspectives of activists and social critics.
BOOKS
- AIDS and Accusations: Haiti and the Geography of Blame, by Paul Farmer
- AIDS and the Policy Struggle in the United States, by Patricia D. Siplon
- AIDS: Cultural Analysis, Cultural Activism, ed. by Douglas Crimp
- AIDS in the Twenty-First Century: Disease and Globalization, by Tony Barnett and Alan Whiteside
- The AIDS Pandemic: Complacency, Injustice and Unfulfilled Expectations, by Lawrence O. Gostin
- Ashamed to Die: Silence, Denial, and the AIDS Epidemic in the South, by Andrew K. Skerrit
- Body Count: Fixing the Blame for the Global AIDS Catastrophe, by Peter Gill
- The Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics, by Cathy J. Cohen
- Fighting for our Lives: New York’s AIDS Community and the Politics of Disease, by Susan M. Chambre
- From ACT UP to the WTO: Urban Protest and Community Building in the Era of Globalization, ed. by Benjamin Shepard and Ronald Hayduk
- Global AIDS Myths and Facts: Tools for Fighting the AIDS Pandemic, by Alexander Irwin, Joyce Millen, and Dorothy Fallows
- Globalizing AIDS, by Cindy Patton
- How to Have Theory in an Epidemic: Cultural Chronicles of AIDS, by Paula A. Treichler
- Impure Science: AIDS, Activism, and the Politics of Knowledge, by Steven Epstein
- Infections and Inequalities, by Paul Farmer
- Inventing AIDS, by Cindy Patton
- Moving Mountains: The Race to Treat Global AIDS, by Anne-Christine d’Adesky
- Not in My Family: AIDS in the African-American Community, ed. by Gil L. Robertson IV
- Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor, by Paul Farmer
- Policing Public Sex, ed. by Dangerous Bedfellows
- Righteous Dopefiends, by Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg
- The Tragedy of Today’s Gays, by Larry Kramer
- Sexual Ecology: AIDS and the Destiny of Gay Men, by Gabriel Rotello
- Stitching a Revolution: The Making of an Activist, by Cleve Jones
- We Make Change: Community Organizers Talk About What They Do – and Why, by Kristin Layng Szakos & Joe Szakos
- When Bodies Remember: Experiences and Politics of AIDS in South Africa, by Didier Fassin
- Will to Live: AIDS Therapies and the Politics of Survival, by João Biehl
- Women, AIDS & Activism, by the ACT UP New York Women and AIDS Book Group
- Women, Families, and HIV/AIDS: A Sociological Perspective on the Epidemic in America, by Carole Campbell
MOVIES
- Pills Profits Protest: Chronicle of the Global AIDS Movement, directed by Anne-Christine D’Adensky, Shanti Avirgan, and Ann T. Rosetti
- Sex in an Epidemic, directed by Jean Carlomusto
- Voices from the Front, directed by Sandra Elgear, Robyn Hutt, and David Meieran [note: In-house Reference copy. This item does not circulate]
The History of AIDS Activism
There is no one history of AIDS activism. For some tellings of the history, see
- Drugs Into Bodies! A History of AIDS Treatment Activism, from Body Positive
- The ACT UP Oral History Project (focusing on ACT UP New York), archived by the Harvard University Library
- ACT UP New York’s Capsule History, its Chronology, and other writings at its Documents webpage
- POZ Magazine founder Sean Strub’s Denver Principles Empowerment Index & A Brief History of the Empowerment Movement
- MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow’s report ACT UP Marks 25 Years of AIDS Activism
For many more personal accounts, see TheBody.com’s collection of HIV/AIDS Activist Profiles & Personal Accounts, and their collection of HIV/AIDS Activist Obituaries.
For further research, ACT UP New York has a bibliography of books and articles on the AIDS activism at their Research Info page.
For more information can on the history of AIDS activism in Philadelphia, see:
- Pascal Emmer’s essay on ACT UP Philly and “queer futurity” – note: not available in full text without database access, contact us for assistance
- The Gay History Wiki – note: as a wiki, the content of this website may not be verified
AIDS Activism Now
For news about AIDS activism, see TheBody.com’s webpage, HIV/AIDS Activism News.
There are many organizations that do activist work around the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To learn about their actions, join them, or support their causes, see the contact information at their websites:
Filed under AIDS 2012 & AIDS Activism
AIDS Librarian 