All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is Atlanta's preeminent resource on developmental disabilities, providing support services to families for more than 55 years. We are often the one place where people with developmental disabilities can go to achieve personal empowerment, family stability and community participation. AADD provides family support; public policy and advocacy; and community engagement.
Monday, August 31, 2009
New Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
July 1, 2009 the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health was established through the reorganization of the former Department of Human Resources. We recently received an organizational chart and a guide to services for the new Department and attended the first Board Meeting of BHDD last Friday, August 28th. Commissioner Frank Shelp presented the budget proposal for fiscal year 2011. Take a quick look at the PowerPoint Presentation from the meeting.
Beloved Senator Laid to Rest
Larger Than Life, Teddy Kennedy Will Be Greatly Missed
More than any other U.S. Congressman and more than any other American family, Senator Edward Kennedy and his family did more for the disabled and the underprivileged so that they could live and fulfill their dreams!
Senator Kennedy will be greatly missed – a great leader – writer and supporter of many social legislation he was always willing to reach across the aisle to get bills passed. His booming presence and his booming voice almost always secured passage of legislation having to do with the less fortunate, foreign affairs, and the nation.
Teddy Kennedy’s love for life was just as consuming as his infectious laughter and booming voice. He had many attributes: gifted artist; lover of sailing; lover of dogs; a great sense of humor; fun loving and selfless; lover of music; generous; a man of high standards who knew how to work hard. Beloved by family, friends, colleagues, and countrymen, Senator Kennedy was a man of passion, purpose, conviction and of service to others.
His greatest attribute, though, was his kindness and thoughtfulness towards anyone who needed to be uplifted. Senator Kennedy never missed an opportunity to be a friend – always encouraging others. He was usually the first one to call to see how a colleague and others were doing even when he was so sick in the final weeks of his life.
In the end, Senator Teddy Kennedy left the world a better place and his family and friends smiling!
Donna Hall
Donna@aadd.org
More than any other U.S. Congressman and more than any other American family, Senator Edward Kennedy and his family did more for the disabled and the underprivileged so that they could live and fulfill their dreams!
Senator Kennedy will be greatly missed – a great leader – writer and supporter of many social legislation he was always willing to reach across the aisle to get bills passed. His booming presence and his booming voice almost always secured passage of legislation having to do with the less fortunate, foreign affairs, and the nation.
Teddy Kennedy’s love for life was just as consuming as his infectious laughter and booming voice. He had many attributes: gifted artist; lover of sailing; lover of dogs; a great sense of humor; fun loving and selfless; lover of music; generous; a man of high standards who knew how to work hard. Beloved by family, friends, colleagues, and countrymen, Senator Kennedy was a man of passion, purpose, conviction and of service to others.
His greatest attribute, though, was his kindness and thoughtfulness towards anyone who needed to be uplifted. Senator Kennedy never missed an opportunity to be a friend – always encouraging others. He was usually the first one to call to see how a colleague and others were doing even when he was so sick in the final weeks of his life.
In the end, Senator Teddy Kennedy left the world a better place and his family and friends smiling!
Donna Hall
Donna@aadd.org
Legacy of Ted Kennedy
By Sharon Capers
August 29, 2009
Even though I come from a conservative background, I was captivated by the Eulogy for Senator Edward Kennedy. I was most moved by the words of his son, Edward Kennedy Jr. He spoke about losing a leg when he was 12 to cancer and trying to adjust to an artificial limb. He mentioned a time when it was snowing outside and his father suggested they sled down a big hill.
The son slipped on the icy steep driveway and began to cry saying "I can't do this; I will never be able to climb up that hill." Edward Kennedy Jr's voice broke as he spoke of his father's reply, "I know you can do it, there's nothing that you can't do and we're going to climb that hill together even it takes us all day." And they did.The son went on to speak about how his father admired perseverance and told him, " It is what we do with that loss that transforms it into a positive event". Senator Kennedy was a HUGE advocate for those with disabilities and much more. I hope that with his loss we each can carry on his legacy in some small way. It may be an uphill battle with many budget cuts and the proposed health care reform. But together we can change the world.
Sharon Capers
sharoncapers@yahoo.com
August 29, 2009
Even though I come from a conservative background, I was captivated by the Eulogy for Senator Edward Kennedy. I was most moved by the words of his son, Edward Kennedy Jr. He spoke about losing a leg when he was 12 to cancer and trying to adjust to an artificial limb. He mentioned a time when it was snowing outside and his father suggested they sled down a big hill.
The son slipped on the icy steep driveway and began to cry saying "I can't do this; I will never be able to climb up that hill." Edward Kennedy Jr's voice broke as he spoke of his father's reply, "I know you can do it, there's nothing that you can't do and we're going to climb that hill together even it takes us all day." And they did.The son went on to speak about how his father admired perseverance and told him, " It is what we do with that loss that transforms it into a positive event". Senator Kennedy was a HUGE advocate for those with disabilities and much more. I hope that with his loss we each can carry on his legacy in some small way. It may be an uphill battle with many budget cuts and the proposed health care reform. But together we can change the world.
Sharon Capers
sharoncapers@yahoo.com
Kennedy Touched Lives Of Many With Disabilities
By: Michelle Diament
For: Disability Scoop
August 28, 2009
As the nation mourns the passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., people with disabilities are among those grateful for the long-serving senator’s personal contribution to their lives.
Evelyne Milorin didn’t know what to do after her son Reggie, who has autism, lost all of his government assistance at age 21. She turned to countless elected officials for more than a year to no avail. That is, until Milorin contacted Kennedy’s office.
Within three weeks Milorin had results. Kennedy’s staff helped Reggie get vocational and life skills training. Thanks to that assistance, today, at age 37, Reggie lives independently and has a job, his mom says.
“I have my life back and my son is no longer under my care 24-hours a day. He made my dream come true,” Milorin told USA Today. To read more click here.
Kennedy, who died Tuesday, had a sister with an intellectual disability. As a senator, Kennedy championed legislation to improve access and affirm the rights of Americans with disabilities.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/28/kennedy-mourn/4782/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
For: Disability Scoop
August 28, 2009
As the nation mourns the passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., people with disabilities are among those grateful for the long-serving senator’s personal contribution to their lives.
Evelyne Milorin didn’t know what to do after her son Reggie, who has autism, lost all of his government assistance at age 21. She turned to countless elected officials for more than a year to no avail. That is, until Milorin contacted Kennedy’s office.
Within three weeks Milorin had results. Kennedy’s staff helped Reggie get vocational and life skills training. Thanks to that assistance, today, at age 37, Reggie lives independently and has a job, his mom says.
“I have my life back and my son is no longer under my care 24-hours a day. He made my dream come true,” Milorin told USA Today. To read more click here.
Kennedy, who died Tuesday, had a sister with an intellectual disability. As a senator, Kennedy championed legislation to improve access and affirm the rights of Americans with disabilities.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/28/kennedy-mourn/4782/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Alcohol Use in Pregnancy
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD) is 100% Preventable
The CDC has updated the FASD portion of their website. Check it out at:
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/index.html
Watch 'The Story of Iyal' here:
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/videos/index.html
There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink and no safe kind of alcohol. CDC urges pregnant women not to drink alcohol any time during pregnancy.
Women also should not drink alcohol if they are planning to become pregnant or are sexually active and do not use effective birth control. This is because a woman could become pregnant and not know for several weeks or more. In the United States half of all pregnancies are unplanned.
FASDs are 100% preventable. If a woman doesn’t drink alcohol while she is pregnant, her child cannot have an FASD.
Remember, the International Awareness Day for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is September 9,2009. Read about it here:
http://aaddpolitical.blogspot.com/2009/08/nofas-national-organization-on-fetal.html
The CDC has updated the FASD portion of their website. Check it out at:
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/index.html
Watch 'The Story of Iyal' here:
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/videos/index.html
There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink and no safe kind of alcohol. CDC urges pregnant women not to drink alcohol any time during pregnancy.
Women also should not drink alcohol if they are planning to become pregnant or are sexually active and do not use effective birth control. This is because a woman could become pregnant and not know for several weeks or more. In the United States half of all pregnancies are unplanned.
FASDs are 100% preventable. If a woman doesn’t drink alcohol while she is pregnant, her child cannot have an FASD.
Remember, the International Awareness Day for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is September 9,2009. Read about it here:
http://aaddpolitical.blogspot.com/2009/08/nofas-national-organization-on-fetal.html
Very Special Arts Singapore
About VSA:
Very Special Arts Singapore (VSA Singapore) is a charity launched in September 1993 to provide people with disabilities with opportunities to access the arts for rehabilitation and social integration.
Mission:
To provide every individual with disability the opportunities to access the Arts for the purposes of Rehabilitation and Social Integration.
Objectives:
We run Visual and Performing Arts programs for children, youths and adults with disabilities; as well as special education teachers, trainers, volunteers and parents of these special people.
Our programs range from Handicraft workshops, Saori Handweaving fashion show, Art Seminars, Children's Arts Camp, Art and Handicraft Exhibitions, public performances to dance therapy sessions, overseas arts exchanges and artist attachments.
To learn more about this organization, or to make a donation, please click here: www.vsa.org.sa
Very Special Arts Singapore (VSA Singapore) is a charity launched in September 1993 to provide people with disabilities with opportunities to access the arts for rehabilitation and social integration.
Mission:
To provide every individual with disability the opportunities to access the Arts for the purposes of Rehabilitation and Social Integration.
Objectives:
To promote the educational, rehabilitative and therapeutic benefits of Visual and Performing Arts.
To integrate individuals with disabilities into mainstream society through the Arts.
To assist individuals with disabilities obtain financial assistance/independence through Arts-Making.
We run Visual and Performing Arts programs for children, youths and adults with disabilities; as well as special education teachers, trainers, volunteers and parents of these special people.
Our programs range from Handicraft workshops, Saori Handweaving fashion show, Art Seminars, Children's Arts Camp, Art and Handicraft Exhibitions, public performances to dance therapy sessions, overseas arts exchanges and artist attachments.
To learn more about this organization, or to make a donation, please click here: www.vsa.org.sa
Movement for the Intellectual Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore) is one of the oldest and largest non-governmental organizations catering to the educational, vocational, social and welfare needs of the Intellectually Disabled in Singapore.
We operate 4 Special Education Schools, 3 Employment Development Centers, 3 Training & Development Centers, 2 Residential Homes and 1 Hostel, serving around 2400 persons with intellectual disabilities.
The Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) was founded in 1962 under the name of the Singapore Association for Retarded Children (SARC). It is a voluntary welfare organization catering to the needs of the intellectually disabled.
MINDS Vision
To be a world-class voluntary welfare organisation that advances the development, well-being and aspirations of persons with intellectual disability and their integration into society
MINDS Mission
To maximize the development and well-being of persons with intellectual disability through the provision of a comprehensive range of quality services
To empower persons with intellectual disability and their families so as to enable them to maximize their potential and fulfill their aspirations
To advocate the interests and causes of persons with intellectual disability so as to enable them to participate as fully as possible in society
To learn more, click here: www.minds.org.sg
We operate 4 Special Education Schools, 3 Employment Development Centers, 3 Training & Development Centers, 2 Residential Homes and 1 Hostel, serving around 2400 persons with intellectual disabilities.
The Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) was founded in 1962 under the name of the Singapore Association for Retarded Children (SARC). It is a voluntary welfare organization catering to the needs of the intellectually disabled.
MINDS Vision
To be a world-class voluntary welfare organisation that advances the development, well-being and aspirations of persons with intellectual disability and their integration into society
MINDS Mission
To maximize the development and well-being of persons with intellectual disability through the provision of a comprehensive range of quality services
To empower persons with intellectual disability and their families so as to enable them to maximize their potential and fulfill their aspirations
To advocate the interests and causes of persons with intellectual disability so as to enable them to participate as fully as possible in society
To learn more, click here: www.minds.org.sg
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Speech Disabilities
Written by:
Lori Hansmeyer, M.S. CCC/SLP lori.hansmeyer@norris160.org
Denise Petsche, M.S. CCC/SLP
Taken from: http://www.norris160.org/hansmeyerl/Speech/Speech%20Disabilities.htm
Speech difficulties may interfere with a child’s ability to successfully communicate. Speech disabilities may occur in any of the three areas of speech. A speech disability alone DOES NOT affect a student's performance in the classroom.
If a student has a speech disability, some of the following errors may occur:
Articulation
*Substitutes one sound for another sound (e.g., “ The ball is wed.” for “The ball is red.” or “The cwown is thilly.” for “The clown is silly.” )
*A sound is omitted in a word (e.g., “Pay the piano.” for “Play the piano.”)
*An extra sound is inserted in a word (e.g., “bulue” for “blue”)
*Distorts or mispronounces words or sounds when speaking (not attributed to dialect or accent)
*Has difficulty imitating speech sounds
*Student is aware of own speech errors and shows signs of frustration when he/she is frequently misunderstood
*Speech sound errors distract you from what he/she is saying
*Speech is markedly delayed in comparison with that of his/her classmates
*Has sound discrimination problems
Information about Speech Disorders
http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/speech.html
Fluency
*Flow of speech is interrupted during conversation by part word repetitions, whole word repetitions, prolongations or interjections
*Secondary characteristics are present while speaking
*Dysfluent speech causes unfavorable listener reaction
*Student shows signs of frustration because of “stuttering”
*The student appears to be avoiding speaking in class
Information about Stuttering
http://www.cmi.k12.il.us/~inglemjo/flunarts.html
Voice
*Voice quality sounds harsh, breathy, and/or hoarse
*Voice quality sounds hypernasal (e.g., sounds like the student is talking through his/her nose) or hyponasal (e.g., sounds like the student has a cold)
*Volume is too loud or too soft for the situation
*Pitch is too high or too low for age and gender
*Voice quality causes unfavorable listener reaction
*Voice is monotone (lacks inflection)
*School medical records indicate presence of cleft in teeth ridge or palate, history of allergies, medical diagnosis of voice problems
*Difficulty with adequate breath support
****In order for a student to receive services in the area of voice, they must have a doctor report.
Information about Voice Disorders
http://www.voicedisordercenter.meei.harvard.edu/disorders/
Handout Created by:
Lori Hansmeyer, M.S. CCC/SLP, lori.hansmeyer@norris160.org
Denise Petsche, M.S. CCC/SLP
Norris School District #160
25211 South 68th Firth, NE 68358
http://www.norris160.org/hansmeyerl/Speech/Speech%20Disabilities.htm
Lori Hansmeyer, M.S. CCC/SLP lori.hansmeyer@norris160.org
Denise Petsche, M.S. CCC/SLP
Taken from: http://www.norris160.org/hansmeyerl/Speech/Speech%20Disabilities.htm
Speech difficulties may interfere with a child’s ability to successfully communicate. Speech disabilities may occur in any of the three areas of speech. A speech disability alone DOES NOT affect a student's performance in the classroom.
If a student has a speech disability, some of the following errors may occur:
Articulation
*Substitutes one sound for another sound (e.g., “ The ball is wed.” for “The ball is red.” or “The cwown is thilly.” for “The clown is silly.” )
*A sound is omitted in a word (e.g., “Pay the piano.” for “Play the piano.”)
*An extra sound is inserted in a word (e.g., “bulue” for “blue”)
*Distorts or mispronounces words or sounds when speaking (not attributed to dialect or accent)
*Has difficulty imitating speech sounds
*Student is aware of own speech errors and shows signs of frustration when he/she is frequently misunderstood
*Speech sound errors distract you from what he/she is saying
*Speech is markedly delayed in comparison with that of his/her classmates
*Has sound discrimination problems
Information about Speech Disorders
http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/speech.html
Fluency
*Flow of speech is interrupted during conversation by part word repetitions, whole word repetitions, prolongations or interjections
*Secondary characteristics are present while speaking
*Dysfluent speech causes unfavorable listener reaction
*Student shows signs of frustration because of “stuttering”
*The student appears to be avoiding speaking in class
Information about Stuttering
http://www.cmi.k12.il.us/~inglemjo/flunarts.html
Voice
*Voice quality sounds harsh, breathy, and/or hoarse
*Voice quality sounds hypernasal (e.g., sounds like the student is talking through his/her nose) or hyponasal (e.g., sounds like the student has a cold)
*Volume is too loud or too soft for the situation
*Pitch is too high or too low for age and gender
*Voice quality causes unfavorable listener reaction
*Voice is monotone (lacks inflection)
*School medical records indicate presence of cleft in teeth ridge or palate, history of allergies, medical diagnosis of voice problems
*Difficulty with adequate breath support
****In order for a student to receive services in the area of voice, they must have a doctor report.
Information about Voice Disorders
http://www.voicedisordercenter.meei.harvard.edu/disorders/
Handout Created by:
Lori Hansmeyer, M.S. CCC/SLP, lori.hansmeyer@norris160.org
Denise Petsche, M.S. CCC/SLP
Norris School District #160
25211 South 68th Firth, NE 68358
http://www.norris160.org/hansmeyerl/Speech/Speech%20Disabilities.htm
Hospital To Focus On Treating Adults With Autism
By Shaun Heasley
For Disability Scoop
August 24, 2009
A Massachusetts hospital will create one of the nation’s first medical programs devoted entirely to adults with autism.
The new adult program will expand upon a pediatric autism center already in place at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the hospital is expected to announce Tuesday.
The need for an adult-focused medical center is great, experts say. Autism diagnoses began to explode in the 1980s and those children are now becoming adults. Many of these individuals have difficulty communicating, which can make doctors uncomfortable treating them. In fact, a report earlier this year from The Arc of Massachusetts found that adults with autism and other developmental disabilities often continue to see pediatricians well into adulthood because they lack other options.
The program at Massachusetts General Hospital is expected to be far more comprehensive than any other in existence. In addition to treating adults with autism, the new center will help train primary care doctors, emergency room staff and those involved with surgery to better treat and interact with adult patients who have autism, reports The Boston Globe. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/24/adult-autism-medical/4720/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
For Disability Scoop
August 24, 2009
A Massachusetts hospital will create one of the nation’s first medical programs devoted entirely to adults with autism.
The new adult program will expand upon a pediatric autism center already in place at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the hospital is expected to announce Tuesday.
The need for an adult-focused medical center is great, experts say. Autism diagnoses began to explode in the 1980s and those children are now becoming adults. Many of these individuals have difficulty communicating, which can make doctors uncomfortable treating them. In fact, a report earlier this year from The Arc of Massachusetts found that adults with autism and other developmental disabilities often continue to see pediatricians well into adulthood because they lack other options.
The program at Massachusetts General Hospital is expected to be far more comprehensive than any other in existence. In addition to treating adults with autism, the new center will help train primary care doctors, emergency room staff and those involved with surgery to better treat and interact with adult patients who have autism, reports The Boston Globe. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/24/adult-autism-medical/4720/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Very Special Arts
VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Taken from www.vsarts.org
Arts in Action - VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities.
Education Programs- VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities.
Vision of an inclusive communityStrength through shared resourcesArtistic expression that unites us all.
The Value of the Arts in Education
Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world.
VSA arts programming and initiatives are guided by four essential principles:
· Every young person with a disability deserves access to high quality arts learning experiences.
· All artists in schools and art educators should be prepared to include students with disabilities in their instruction.
· All children, youth, and adults with disabilities should have complete access to cultural facilities and activities.
· All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills.
Inclusion teaches us that all means all. Everybody. No exceptions. The arts invite people to leave familiar territory, to explore new answers and seek new questions. The arts offer a means to self-expression, communication, and independence. By learning through the arts, students become lifelong learners, experiencing the joy of discovery and exploration, and the value of each other's ideas.
VSA arts is committed to driving change - changing perceptions and practice, classroom by classroom, community by community, and ultimately society.
For more information contact
818 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20006(P) 202-628-2800, 800-933-8721 (F) 202-429-0868 (TDD) 202-737-0645© 2003-2007,
VSA arts, www.vsarts.org
Taken from www.vsarts.org
Arts in Action - VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities.
Education Programs- VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities.
Vision of an inclusive communityStrength through shared resourcesArtistic expression that unites us all.
The Value of the Arts in Education
Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world.
VSA arts programming and initiatives are guided by four essential principles:
· Every young person with a disability deserves access to high quality arts learning experiences.
· All artists in schools and art educators should be prepared to include students with disabilities in their instruction.
· All children, youth, and adults with disabilities should have complete access to cultural facilities and activities.
· All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills.
Inclusion teaches us that all means all. Everybody. No exceptions. The arts invite people to leave familiar territory, to explore new answers and seek new questions. The arts offer a means to self-expression, communication, and independence. By learning through the arts, students become lifelong learners, experiencing the joy of discovery and exploration, and the value of each other's ideas.
VSA arts is committed to driving change - changing perceptions and practice, classroom by classroom, community by community, and ultimately society.
For more information contact
818 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20006(P) 202-628-2800, 800-933-8721 (F) 202-429-0868 (TDD) 202-737-0645© 2003-2007,
VSA arts, www.vsarts.org
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Abilities Expo: Fostering the Capabilities of the Differently-Abled
From: http://abilitiesexpo.com/about.html
For the last 30 years, Abilities Expo has been the one show dedicated to educating and improving the lives of Americans with disabilities, senior citizens, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, professional therapists and corporate ADA administrators. It has been the nation’s foremost event for companies to demonstrate their products and services to the largest community of end-users and industry professionals.
Now under new management in 2009, Abilities Expos will continue to evolve to meet the needs of this growing community. With 25 years of experience producing a variety of successful trade shows, the new management team has devised a strategy that will more effectively serve people with disabilities, healthcare professionals and the businesses that cater to this market.
We have added compelling new features—a career fair, a professional focus, new geographic markets and conference programs which appeal to a wider audience—to enhance the event experience. Likewise, Abilities Expo veterans can also expect to see a significant number of new faces as a result of the revamped approach to attracting attendees. Not only will we conduct a high-visibility local advertising campaign, but we have also instituted a hardcore grass roots initiative which is distinguished by our new Ambassador program. This venture enlists the aid of members of the local community of people with disabilities, or Ambassadors, to lead community outreach efforts.
Despite new innovations, the show’s principles have remained constant since Richard Wooten first launched the event in the late 1970s and will continue into the future. Abilities Expo recognizes the prodigious effort that people with disabilities make every day and is determined to make their lives a little less challenging.
To read more about Abilities Expo click here: http://abilitiesexpo.com
For the last 30 years, Abilities Expo has been the one show dedicated to educating and improving the lives of Americans with disabilities, senior citizens, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, professional therapists and corporate ADA administrators. It has been the nation’s foremost event for companies to demonstrate their products and services to the largest community of end-users and industry professionals.
Now under new management in 2009, Abilities Expos will continue to evolve to meet the needs of this growing community. With 25 years of experience producing a variety of successful trade shows, the new management team has devised a strategy that will more effectively serve people with disabilities, healthcare professionals and the businesses that cater to this market.
We have added compelling new features—a career fair, a professional focus, new geographic markets and conference programs which appeal to a wider audience—to enhance the event experience. Likewise, Abilities Expo veterans can also expect to see a significant number of new faces as a result of the revamped approach to attracting attendees. Not only will we conduct a high-visibility local advertising campaign, but we have also instituted a hardcore grass roots initiative which is distinguished by our new Ambassador program. This venture enlists the aid of members of the local community of people with disabilities, or Ambassadors, to lead community outreach efforts.
Despite new innovations, the show’s principles have remained constant since Richard Wooten first launched the event in the late 1970s and will continue into the future. Abilities Expo recognizes the prodigious effort that people with disabilities make every day and is determined to make their lives a little less challenging.
To read more about Abilities Expo click here: http://abilitiesexpo.com
Texas Man Steps Up To Help Kids With Disabilities In Iraq
By Shaun Heasley
July 31, 2009
A Texas man who went to Iraq as a contract worker is now the only provider of pediatric wheelchairs for children with disabilities in that country.
One in seven children in Iraq between the ages of 2 and 14 is estimated to have a disability. Without wheelchairs, many of these kids literally couldn’t move unless carried by their parents.
Since starting Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids in 2005, Brad Blauser has distributed 650 wheelchairs.
His dream is to provide wheelchairs for every Iraqi child who wants one.
The mobility devices not only improve the lives of the children who often don’t even have a diagnosis, but also relieve significant stress for their families, reports CNN. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/07/31/iraq-wheelchairs/4367/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
July 31, 2009
A Texas man who went to Iraq as a contract worker is now the only provider of pediatric wheelchairs for children with disabilities in that country.
One in seven children in Iraq between the ages of 2 and 14 is estimated to have a disability. Without wheelchairs, many of these kids literally couldn’t move unless carried by their parents.
Since starting Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids in 2005, Brad Blauser has distributed 650 wheelchairs.
His dream is to provide wheelchairs for every Iraqi child who wants one.
The mobility devices not only improve the lives of the children who often don’t even have a diagnosis, but also relieve significant stress for their families, reports CNN. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/07/31/iraq-wheelchairs/4367/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Rucker: Disabled Kids Deserve Camp
By Gabriella Boston (Contact)
The Washington Times
Originally published 04:45 a.m., August 26, 2009,
Updated 08:08 a.m., August 26, 2009
"You gotta make some stances and take some chances" and "You gotta live and learn so you can learn to live."
Those are lyrics from the Darius Rucker (aka Hootie from rock band Hootie and the Blowfish) smash-hit country solo album, "Learn to Live," which just landed its third No. 1 single ("Alright") on Billboard's Hot Country Chart.
But they're also prophetic words for another of Mr. Rucker's passions: helping educate and care for children with multiple and severe disabilities in his hometown of Charleston, S.C.
"I have a cousin with a 6-year-old child who's severally handicapped, and when I found out that children with severe disabilities don't have a place to go to school, it just saddened me," Mr. Rucker said during a recent phone interview.
"I wanted to do something to improve the quality of life for these children," said Mr. Rucker, a father of three.
South Carolina, like all other states, is mandated by federal law to provide education to all children. Mr. Rucker and others say children with disabilities need much more than the 30 minutes per week of occupational-physical therapy that public schools provide, along with daily special education.
So, Mr. Rucker teamed up with Pam Sloat and other staff members at Pattison's Academy (www.pattisonsacademy.org), which provides five-week summer camps for children with severe disabilities in the Charleston area. The organization is named after Ms. Sloat's daughter Pattison, 6, who has multiple disabilities, including spastic quadriplegia, severe cognitive disabilities and vision impairment.
The group - with Mr. Rucker's financial and promotional help - is now planning to open a school in the fall of 2010 that will provide therapy and education for up to 78 children with severe disabilities.
"We want to have everything these kids need under one roof," Ms. Sloat said over the phone from a Charleston water park, where she and her other daughters, Amelia, 8, and Marian, 2 (neither of whom has disabilities), were spending an afternoon with Pattison in a specially made, waterproof wheelchair. "Because occupational and physical therapy need to go hand in hand with educational goals."
Ms. Sloat is working on Pattison's cognitive abilities - specifically teaching her decision-making - by training her to move her head a certain way to indicate "no" and a different way to indicate "yes" in response to questions.
Continue reading 12Next
Click here for reprint permissions! Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/rucker-disabled-kids-deserve-summer-camp/
The Washington Times
Originally published 04:45 a.m., August 26, 2009,
Updated 08:08 a.m., August 26, 2009
"You gotta make some stances and take some chances" and "You gotta live and learn so you can learn to live."
Those are lyrics from the Darius Rucker (aka Hootie from rock band Hootie and the Blowfish) smash-hit country solo album, "Learn to Live," which just landed its third No. 1 single ("Alright") on Billboard's Hot Country Chart.
But they're also prophetic words for another of Mr. Rucker's passions: helping educate and care for children with multiple and severe disabilities in his hometown of Charleston, S.C.
"I have a cousin with a 6-year-old child who's severally handicapped, and when I found out that children with severe disabilities don't have a place to go to school, it just saddened me," Mr. Rucker said during a recent phone interview.
"I wanted to do something to improve the quality of life for these children," said Mr. Rucker, a father of three.
South Carolina, like all other states, is mandated by federal law to provide education to all children. Mr. Rucker and others say children with disabilities need much more than the 30 minutes per week of occupational-physical therapy that public schools provide, along with daily special education.
So, Mr. Rucker teamed up with Pam Sloat and other staff members at Pattison's Academy (www.pattisonsacademy.org), which provides five-week summer camps for children with severe disabilities in the Charleston area. The organization is named after Ms. Sloat's daughter Pattison, 6, who has multiple disabilities, including spastic quadriplegia, severe cognitive disabilities and vision impairment.
The group - with Mr. Rucker's financial and promotional help - is now planning to open a school in the fall of 2010 that will provide therapy and education for up to 78 children with severe disabilities.
"We want to have everything these kids need under one roof," Ms. Sloat said over the phone from a Charleston water park, where she and her other daughters, Amelia, 8, and Marian, 2 (neither of whom has disabilities), were spending an afternoon with Pattison in a specially made, waterproof wheelchair. "Because occupational and physical therapy need to go hand in hand with educational goals."
Ms. Sloat is working on Pattison's cognitive abilities - specifically teaching her decision-making - by training her to move her head a certain way to indicate "no" and a different way to indicate "yes" in response to questions.
Continue reading 12Next
Click here for reprint permissions! Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/26/rucker-disabled-kids-deserve-summer-camp/
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
NOFAS – The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
The International Awareness Day for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, September 9,2009
NOFAS – Georgia will be honoring The International Awareness Day for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with “Pregnant Pause” on September 9, 2009
http://www.nofas.org
The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) is the leading voice and resource of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) community. Founded in 1990, NOFAS is the only international non-profit organization committed solely to FASD primary prevention, advocacy and support.
NOFAS seeks to create a global community free of alcohol-exposed pregnancies and a society supportive of individuals already living with FASD. NOFAS effectively increases public awareness and mobilizes grassroots action in diverse communities and represents the interests of persons with FASD and their caregivers as the liaison to researchers and policymakers. By ensuring that FASD is broadly recognized as a developmental disability, NOFAS strives to reduce the stigma and improve the quality of life for affected individuals and families.
Strategic Plan
NOFAS - For the future of our children
Vision
A nation where all children are born alcohol free.
Mission
NOFAS strives to prevent alcohol use during pregnancy through primary prevention, advocacy and support.
Purpose
NOFAS educates the public, practitioners and policymakers about alcohol use during pregnancy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects, and a leading known cause of learning disabilities in children and adults.
Shared Values and Beliefs
We believe FASD is a national health crisis. Over 125,000 newborns every year are exposed to heavy or binge drinking—the highest risk for FASD. Alcohol and pregnancy education must be elevated to a higher public health priority, and medical and mental health care systems must better serve all families in need.
We believe society still does not see or understand the magnitude of FASD. Many myths and misconceptions about the risk of alcohol use during pregnancy remain despite more than thirty-five years of clinical research. Broad public education and media outreach must be sustained to teach the facts about FASD.
We believe that to open the minds of those who can make a difference, we must remove the addiction and maternal stigma. Alcohol dependence is a chronic, progressive disease that can be treated. Treatment works, saves money and prevents future FASD births. Shaming and punishing birth mothers perpetuates the crisis and misunderstanding of the issue.
We believe that …
FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects, and a leading known cause of learning disabilities.
FASD annual births are higher than autism, and downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida and sudden infant death syndrome - COMBINED.
FASD prevention is at least ten-times more cost effective than the $1.4 million lifetime cost to treat one person with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
FASD can affect anyone regardless of ethnicity, income or educational level.
FASD is completely preventable.
FASD children and adults can succeed with treatment and appropriate strategies.
FASD birth mothers deserve therapeutic intervention and treatment.
FASD families and caregivers deserve a voice among researchers and policymakers
Strategic Objectives:
Effectively communicate the significant risk and harm of prenatal alcohol exposure.
Promote national policies that enhance knowledge of FASD and ensure services for families.
Extend our reach through partnerships and coalitions.
Enhance our governance structure to lead the organization to our vision, mission and objectives.
Diversify and increase the revenue streams and resources to accomplish our mission.
Maintain our credibility and distinguished public standing within the FASD community and among the public at-large.
Ensure that our team has the focus of mission, the resources to be productive, and the passion to succeed.
For more information please click http://www.nofas.org/about/
NOFAS – Georgia will be honoring The International Awareness Day for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with “Pregnant Pause” on September 9, 2009
http://www.nofas.org
The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) is the leading voice and resource of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) community. Founded in 1990, NOFAS is the only international non-profit organization committed solely to FASD primary prevention, advocacy and support.
NOFAS seeks to create a global community free of alcohol-exposed pregnancies and a society supportive of individuals already living with FASD. NOFAS effectively increases public awareness and mobilizes grassroots action in diverse communities and represents the interests of persons with FASD and their caregivers as the liaison to researchers and policymakers. By ensuring that FASD is broadly recognized as a developmental disability, NOFAS strives to reduce the stigma and improve the quality of life for affected individuals and families.
Strategic Plan
NOFAS - For the future of our children
Vision
A nation where all children are born alcohol free.
Mission
NOFAS strives to prevent alcohol use during pregnancy through primary prevention, advocacy and support.
Purpose
NOFAS educates the public, practitioners and policymakers about alcohol use during pregnancy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects, and a leading known cause of learning disabilities in children and adults.
Shared Values and Beliefs
We believe FASD is a national health crisis. Over 125,000 newborns every year are exposed to heavy or binge drinking—the highest risk for FASD. Alcohol and pregnancy education must be elevated to a higher public health priority, and medical and mental health care systems must better serve all families in need.
We believe society still does not see or understand the magnitude of FASD. Many myths and misconceptions about the risk of alcohol use during pregnancy remain despite more than thirty-five years of clinical research. Broad public education and media outreach must be sustained to teach the facts about FASD.
We believe that to open the minds of those who can make a difference, we must remove the addiction and maternal stigma. Alcohol dependence is a chronic, progressive disease that can be treated. Treatment works, saves money and prevents future FASD births. Shaming and punishing birth mothers perpetuates the crisis and misunderstanding of the issue.
We believe that …
FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects, and a leading known cause of learning disabilities.
FASD annual births are higher than autism, and downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida and sudden infant death syndrome - COMBINED.
FASD prevention is at least ten-times more cost effective than the $1.4 million lifetime cost to treat one person with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
FASD can affect anyone regardless of ethnicity, income or educational level.
FASD is completely preventable.
FASD children and adults can succeed with treatment and appropriate strategies.
FASD birth mothers deserve therapeutic intervention and treatment.
FASD families and caregivers deserve a voice among researchers and policymakers
Strategic Objectives:
Effectively communicate the significant risk and harm of prenatal alcohol exposure.
Promote national policies that enhance knowledge of FASD and ensure services for families.
Extend our reach through partnerships and coalitions.
Enhance our governance structure to lead the organization to our vision, mission and objectives.
Diversify and increase the revenue streams and resources to accomplish our mission.
Maintain our credibility and distinguished public standing within the FASD community and among the public at-large.
Ensure that our team has the focus of mission, the resources to be productive, and the passion to succeed.
For more information please click http://www.nofas.org/about/
James Marsters, Deaf Inventor, Dies at 85
by DENNIS HEVESI
The New York Times
Published: August 22, 2009
Sign language, lip reading and speech training helped James Marsters get through college and dental school and made it possible for him to succeed as an orthodontist. He could communicate very well face to face.
But for most of his first 40 years, the telephone was a barrier.
“All of us in the family, whenever a call came for my dad,” his son James Jr. said on Friday, “we picked up this handset attached to the phone so that we could listen in and relay to my father what the caller was saying. He would read our lips and then reply in his own voice.”
Dr. Marsters and two deaf colleagues broke that barrier for themselves and tens of thousands of other hearing-impaired people in 1964 when they converted an old, bulky, clacking Teletype machine into a device that could relay a typewritten conversation through a telephone line. It was the first example of what became commonly known as a TTY and is now, in a greatly updated and compact version, called a text telephone.
Dr. Marsters died of natural causes at his home in Oakland, Calif., on July 28, his son said. He was 85.
A mutual acquaintance, aware that two of his friends were thinking along the same lines, introduced Dr. Marsters to Robert H. Weitbrecht, a physicist at Stanford University, in 1964. Both were soon fiddling with the nearly obsolete Teletype machines cluttering Dr. Marsters’s garage.
Mr. Weitbrecht came up with the idea of using an acoustic coupler — now called a modem — to connect two of the Teletype machines. The coupler changed electrical signals coming from one Teletype machine into tones sent through a telephone wire; at the other end, the tones were changed back into electrical signals so that the message could be printed on the receiving machine.
Another tinkerer, Andrew Saks, an electrical engineer and a grandson of the founder of Saks Fifth Avenue, was soon working in the garage as well. Dr. Marsters and Mr. Weitbrecht had gone to him for financing.
With the intention of building a network of TTY users, the three men began collecting and reconditioning the Teletype machines that were being discarded by news services and companies like Western Union. They formed a company, the Applied Communications Corporation, to refurbish and donate TTYs. Dr. Marsters traveled around the country, educating the deaf community about the new technology, forming partnerships with other organizations and lobbying for support from government officials.
There were only 18 TTYs in operation in 1966, Karen Peltz Strauss, the author of “A New Civil Right: Telecommunications Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans” (Gallaudet University Press, 2006), said in a telephone interview on Thursday. By 2006, there were about 30,000 listings in the Blue Book, a national directory of TTY users.
Pointing out that the Internet has since greatly reduced the need for text telephones, Ms. Peltz Strauss said, “I would say that by the mid-1990s it had peaked at tens of thousands of people who had and used them regularly.”
Dr. Marsters, she said, “got the ball rolling for future generations of people with hearing loss to achieve telecommunications equality.”
To read more click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/us/23marsters.html?scp=4&sq=disabilities&st=nyt
The New York Times
Published: August 22, 2009
Sign language, lip reading and speech training helped James Marsters get through college and dental school and made it possible for him to succeed as an orthodontist. He could communicate very well face to face.
But for most of his first 40 years, the telephone was a barrier.
“All of us in the family, whenever a call came for my dad,” his son James Jr. said on Friday, “we picked up this handset attached to the phone so that we could listen in and relay to my father what the caller was saying. He would read our lips and then reply in his own voice.”
Dr. Marsters and two deaf colleagues broke that barrier for themselves and tens of thousands of other hearing-impaired people in 1964 when they converted an old, bulky, clacking Teletype machine into a device that could relay a typewritten conversation through a telephone line. It was the first example of what became commonly known as a TTY and is now, in a greatly updated and compact version, called a text telephone.
Dr. Marsters died of natural causes at his home in Oakland, Calif., on July 28, his son said. He was 85.
A mutual acquaintance, aware that two of his friends were thinking along the same lines, introduced Dr. Marsters to Robert H. Weitbrecht, a physicist at Stanford University, in 1964. Both were soon fiddling with the nearly obsolete Teletype machines cluttering Dr. Marsters’s garage.
Mr. Weitbrecht came up with the idea of using an acoustic coupler — now called a modem — to connect two of the Teletype machines. The coupler changed electrical signals coming from one Teletype machine into tones sent through a telephone wire; at the other end, the tones were changed back into electrical signals so that the message could be printed on the receiving machine.
Another tinkerer, Andrew Saks, an electrical engineer and a grandson of the founder of Saks Fifth Avenue, was soon working in the garage as well. Dr. Marsters and Mr. Weitbrecht had gone to him for financing.
With the intention of building a network of TTY users, the three men began collecting and reconditioning the Teletype machines that were being discarded by news services and companies like Western Union. They formed a company, the Applied Communications Corporation, to refurbish and donate TTYs. Dr. Marsters traveled around the country, educating the deaf community about the new technology, forming partnerships with other organizations and lobbying for support from government officials.
There were only 18 TTYs in operation in 1966, Karen Peltz Strauss, the author of “A New Civil Right: Telecommunications Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans” (Gallaudet University Press, 2006), said in a telephone interview on Thursday. By 2006, there were about 30,000 listings in the Blue Book, a national directory of TTY users.
Pointing out that the Internet has since greatly reduced the need for text telephones, Ms. Peltz Strauss said, “I would say that by the mid-1990s it had peaked at tens of thousands of people who had and used them regularly.”
Dr. Marsters, she said, “got the ball rolling for future generations of people with hearing loss to achieve telecommunications equality.”
To read more click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/us/23marsters.html?scp=4&sq=disabilities&st=nyt
Aide for the Disabled, a Companion, and Nice, and Ferry
By Walecia Konrad – Health
August 21, 2009
The New York Times
BECAUSE she suffers from a rare genetic disorder, 17-year-old Siobhan O’Connor walks with braces and cannot speak. Her assistance dog, Gaynor, helps Siobhan keep her balance and navigate crowds when she leaves her Santa Monica, Calif., home. The dog can also pick up dropped items or open and close doors.
“Gaynor has been a tremendous help for my daughter physically, and a great bridge socially,” said Siobhan’s mother, Linda Karr O’Connor.
That is why Ms. O’Connor was so surprised when the company that administers her employer’s flexible spending health account rejected her claim for hundreds of dollars of veterinary bills and other maintenance costs for Gaynor. (A flexible spending health care account lets employees use pretax dollars to pay for qualified medical expenses.)
To read more click here:
http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch?query=disabled&srchst=cse
August 21, 2009
The New York Times
BECAUSE she suffers from a rare genetic disorder, 17-year-old Siobhan O’Connor walks with braces and cannot speak. Her assistance dog, Gaynor, helps Siobhan keep her balance and navigate crowds when she leaves her Santa Monica, Calif., home. The dog can also pick up dropped items or open and close doors.
“Gaynor has been a tremendous help for my daughter physically, and a great bridge socially,” said Siobhan’s mother, Linda Karr O’Connor.
That is why Ms. O’Connor was so surprised when the company that administers her employer’s flexible spending health account rejected her claim for hundreds of dollars of veterinary bills and other maintenance costs for Gaynor. (A flexible spending health care account lets employees use pretax dollars to pay for qualified medical expenses.)
To read more click here:
http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch?query=disabled&srchst=cse
Monday, August 24, 2009
Court: Service Dog Can Accompany Boy To School
By Shaun Heasley
August 21, 2009
An Illinois boy with autism will be allowed to bring his service dog to school with him, at least temporarily, a judge ruled Thursday.
Carter Kalbfleisch, 5, began working with his service dog, Corbin, just a month ago, but already is more focused and less likely to have behavioral problems. But school district administrators recently told the boy’s parents that he would not be able to take the dog to school. So Kalbfleisch’s parents sued the Waterloo, Ill. school district, saying that separating the boy from his dog during the school day would disrupt his therapeutic progress.
A judge sided with the parents Thursday granting a preliminary injunction against the school district. The parents and school district officials will meet Monday to discuss how the dog can be incorporated into the classroom.
The ruling will allow the dog to go to school with Kalbfleisch until a full court hearing is heard on the matter, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. To read more click here.
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/21/dog-to-school/4716/
August 21, 2009
An Illinois boy with autism will be allowed to bring his service dog to school with him, at least temporarily, a judge ruled Thursday.
Carter Kalbfleisch, 5, began working with his service dog, Corbin, just a month ago, but already is more focused and less likely to have behavioral problems. But school district administrators recently told the boy’s parents that he would not be able to take the dog to school. So Kalbfleisch’s parents sued the Waterloo, Ill. school district, saying that separating the boy from his dog during the school day would disrupt his therapeutic progress.
A judge sided with the parents Thursday granting a preliminary injunction against the school district. The parents and school district officials will meet Monday to discuss how the dog can be incorporated into the classroom.
The ruling will allow the dog to go to school with Kalbfleisch until a full court hearing is heard on the matter, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. To read more click here.
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/21/dog-to-school/4716/
Jamie's A Winner in Carrie's War
A Play at Appllo Theater In Piccadilly Square, London
By Cathy Reay
For Disability Now
Hearing that disabled actor Jamie Beddard, who first came to notice in the ground-breaking TV movie Skalegrig, was appearing in a stage adaptation of the children’s novel Carrie’s War raised cause for both concern and excitement. Concern because in the book his character, Mr. Johnny, is laughed at by other characters for being “scary”, excitement because, if pulled off correctly, his portrayal might have a powerful influence on theatres reluctant to hire disabled actors.
Originally penned by popular author Nina Bawden, this is the story of Carrie and her younger brother Nick who are evacuated to Wales during the Second World War. The children are sent to live with a horrible councilman and his nervous, quiet sister (played by ex-Eastender Kacey Ainsworth). Miserable, Carrie stumbles across the councilman’s other estranged sister, who is dying, the boy she fosters and their friend Mr. Johnny (Beddard). In her new relationships with two sides of the separated family, Carrie fights her own internal war as she is forced to choose who to remain faithful towards.
Staged at the Apollo Theatre, where, less than a year ago, non-disabled actor Adam Godley played the stage version of autistic Raymond Babbit in Rain Man, Carrie’s War, lacking in either a famous cast or director, unfortunately hasn’t drawn much of a crowd on our matinee visit and those that are present average at an age of about eight years old.
It’s not entirely surprising then that, when Mr. Johnny first staggers on stage, a purposeful swagger to his walk and exaggerated impaired speech, silhouetted against the night sky backdrop and screamed at by Carrie, children in the audience echo her fearful sentiment. At first it seems that Mr. Johnny is a character that only serves to further widen the boundaries between what children classify as normal and abnormal. But, with subtle direction and gentle exposure of Mr. Johnny’s good-natured character, we find that as the performance progresses, we are taken with him on his on-stage journey. To the kids in the audience it is no longer a shock when he appears, if anything it is a delight. Beddard immerses himself completely in the role, bringing his natural charm to the character and creating an instantly likeable bloke.
It is a shame that Jamie’s first west end appearance had to be in a play that trudges along with no real climax or excitement. This isn’t a reflection of the acting abilities of the cast as their portrayals are all praise worthy, but while Carrie’s War makes for a cute family production, those outside that circle might find themselves looking at their watch. But for Jamie we’re sure this is a new beginning; it would be criminal, based on this performance, to suggest otherwise.
Carrie’s War runs at the Apollo Theatre in Piccadilly, London until 12th September every day except Sunday and Monday with matinee performances on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets are available through www.apollo-theatre.co.
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/entertainment/theatre/jamies-a-winner-in-carries-war
By Cathy Reay
For Disability Now
Hearing that disabled actor Jamie Beddard, who first came to notice in the ground-breaking TV movie Skalegrig, was appearing in a stage adaptation of the children’s novel Carrie’s War raised cause for both concern and excitement. Concern because in the book his character, Mr. Johnny, is laughed at by other characters for being “scary”, excitement because, if pulled off correctly, his portrayal might have a powerful influence on theatres reluctant to hire disabled actors.
Originally penned by popular author Nina Bawden, this is the story of Carrie and her younger brother Nick who are evacuated to Wales during the Second World War. The children are sent to live with a horrible councilman and his nervous, quiet sister (played by ex-Eastender Kacey Ainsworth). Miserable, Carrie stumbles across the councilman’s other estranged sister, who is dying, the boy she fosters and their friend Mr. Johnny (Beddard). In her new relationships with two sides of the separated family, Carrie fights her own internal war as she is forced to choose who to remain faithful towards.
Staged at the Apollo Theatre, where, less than a year ago, non-disabled actor Adam Godley played the stage version of autistic Raymond Babbit in Rain Man, Carrie’s War, lacking in either a famous cast or director, unfortunately hasn’t drawn much of a crowd on our matinee visit and those that are present average at an age of about eight years old.
It’s not entirely surprising then that, when Mr. Johnny first staggers on stage, a purposeful swagger to his walk and exaggerated impaired speech, silhouetted against the night sky backdrop and screamed at by Carrie, children in the audience echo her fearful sentiment. At first it seems that Mr. Johnny is a character that only serves to further widen the boundaries between what children classify as normal and abnormal. But, with subtle direction and gentle exposure of Mr. Johnny’s good-natured character, we find that as the performance progresses, we are taken with him on his on-stage journey. To the kids in the audience it is no longer a shock when he appears, if anything it is a delight. Beddard immerses himself completely in the role, bringing his natural charm to the character and creating an instantly likeable bloke.
It is a shame that Jamie’s first west end appearance had to be in a play that trudges along with no real climax or excitement. This isn’t a reflection of the acting abilities of the cast as their portrayals are all praise worthy, but while Carrie’s War makes for a cute family production, those outside that circle might find themselves looking at their watch. But for Jamie we’re sure this is a new beginning; it would be criminal, based on this performance, to suggest otherwise.
Carrie’s War runs at the Apollo Theatre in Piccadilly, London until 12th September every day except Sunday and Monday with matinee performances on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets are available through www.apollo-theatre.co.
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/entertainment/theatre/jamies-a-winner-in-carries-war
UVM Team Improves Sketch Pad for Blind
Images Can Be Erased, Corrected on New Device
By Tim Johnson
Free Press Staff Writer
August 12, 2009
Instructor Marti Woodman likes to draw graphs for students in the accounting classes she teaches at the University of Vermont. When she wants to modify one of her sketches, though, she faces a challenge most of her faculty colleagues don’t, because she can’t see what she has drawn.
Blind for 7½ years, Woodman makes ample use of tactile sketch pads designed for people with visual impairment. Drawing on such a pad produces a raised line that can be felt by the sightless and seen by the sighted. The trouble is that there’s no way to erase the line once you’ve drawn it on the pad — you have to start from scratch.
Enter students and faculty in UVM’s engineering program. A capstone senior engineering class this past year developed a thermal eraser, an innovation that was demonstrated on a tactile sketch pad last month at the National Federation of the Blind convention in Detroit. UVM developers hope that, after some design modifications, their device will be commercially available.
One selling point, Woodman said, is that the erasable sketch pad is “low technology” — easy to use.
“There are a lot of people going blind who aren’t technically savvy, especially the older population” she said Tuesday, before demonstrating the device. “Also, they don’t know Braille. But they can use a tactile pad to make a list — imagine a grocery list.”
Other applications are likely to be found in art, architecture, education. Erasability would mean, for example, that a blind student working on a math problem could revise an incorrect answer.
A tactile sketch pad brings to mind a child’s toy called “magic slate” — a plastic sheet that adheres lightly to a dark-colored board. You can draw on the sheet and “erase” everything by pulling the sheet off the board.
Similarly, the common tactile sketch pad consists of a plastic sheet on a clipboard. Drawing on the sheet produces raised lines that consist of tiny bubbles. Unlike in the “magic slate,” though, the bubbles don’t disappear when you pull the sheet off the board — the elevated lines are there to stay. If you want to draw something different, you have to use a new sheet.
What the UVM designers devised was a hand-held instrument to get rid of the bubbles — and in effect, to erase the elevated line. The device is a heated stylus that can be dragged along behind a finger that’s moving along the line to be erased.
As engineering faculty members Michael Rosen and Michael Coleman watched, Woodman showed how it works. She drew a face on the pad. Then she traced the line for the chin with one finger and followed it with the stylus. The raised line marking the chin was almost entirely gone.
“Erasing is never perfect,” Rosen said.
The project grew out of SEED (Senior Experience in Engineering Design), a course taught last year by Rosen that puts teams of students to work on yearlong design projects funded by companies or other outside sponsors. The collaborative organization in this case was the National Federation of the Blind.
Students Jon Paquette, Andrew Haas and Jacob Flanagan worked with advisers Rosen and Coleman. They not only developed the thermal eraser, they came up with an improvement in pad design that keeps the sheet taut and flat.
The new pad and eraser were “enthusiastically received” in Detroit, NFB spokesman Christopher S. Danielsen said. “The production of drawings is one of the most significant challenges that blind people face in the course of their educational and professional lives, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” Danielsen said in an e-mail. “Improved technology for producing meaningful tactile drawings will enhance educational and professional opportunities for the blind and allow them to share pictorial information with their sighted peers and colleagues.”
At UVM, the next step is to produce a slimmer version of the stylus and distribute the prototype to about 20 users, Rosen said. Their feedback could lead to further refinements and eventually, he hopes, to commercial production. UVM and the federation would share any revenue.
Meanwhile, Rosen and Coleman are also working on developing a system for transmitting tactile graphics digitally — from one place to another. They’re not ready to say much about that, though.
To Woodson, who has learned Braille but is also able to draw on her visual memory, the tactile sketch pad has another benefit that might not be apparent to a sighted person.
“When I could see, I would see a word like ‘hope’ and get a visceral feeling,” she said. “I don’t get that feeling with the dots in Braille.”
The sketch pad, however, allows her to “see” the written word again and experience that feeling.
Contact Tim Johnson at 660-1808 or tjohnson@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090812/NEWS02/90811017
By Tim Johnson
Free Press Staff Writer
August 12, 2009
Instructor Marti Woodman likes to draw graphs for students in the accounting classes she teaches at the University of Vermont. When she wants to modify one of her sketches, though, she faces a challenge most of her faculty colleagues don’t, because she can’t see what she has drawn.
Blind for 7½ years, Woodman makes ample use of tactile sketch pads designed for people with visual impairment. Drawing on such a pad produces a raised line that can be felt by the sightless and seen by the sighted. The trouble is that there’s no way to erase the line once you’ve drawn it on the pad — you have to start from scratch.
Enter students and faculty in UVM’s engineering program. A capstone senior engineering class this past year developed a thermal eraser, an innovation that was demonstrated on a tactile sketch pad last month at the National Federation of the Blind convention in Detroit. UVM developers hope that, after some design modifications, their device will be commercially available.
One selling point, Woodman said, is that the erasable sketch pad is “low technology” — easy to use.
“There are a lot of people going blind who aren’t technically savvy, especially the older population” she said Tuesday, before demonstrating the device. “Also, they don’t know Braille. But they can use a tactile pad to make a list — imagine a grocery list.”
Other applications are likely to be found in art, architecture, education. Erasability would mean, for example, that a blind student working on a math problem could revise an incorrect answer.
A tactile sketch pad brings to mind a child’s toy called “magic slate” — a plastic sheet that adheres lightly to a dark-colored board. You can draw on the sheet and “erase” everything by pulling the sheet off the board.
Similarly, the common tactile sketch pad consists of a plastic sheet on a clipboard. Drawing on the sheet produces raised lines that consist of tiny bubbles. Unlike in the “magic slate,” though, the bubbles don’t disappear when you pull the sheet off the board — the elevated lines are there to stay. If you want to draw something different, you have to use a new sheet.
What the UVM designers devised was a hand-held instrument to get rid of the bubbles — and in effect, to erase the elevated line. The device is a heated stylus that can be dragged along behind a finger that’s moving along the line to be erased.
As engineering faculty members Michael Rosen and Michael Coleman watched, Woodman showed how it works. She drew a face on the pad. Then she traced the line for the chin with one finger and followed it with the stylus. The raised line marking the chin was almost entirely gone.
“Erasing is never perfect,” Rosen said.
The project grew out of SEED (Senior Experience in Engineering Design), a course taught last year by Rosen that puts teams of students to work on yearlong design projects funded by companies or other outside sponsors. The collaborative organization in this case was the National Federation of the Blind.
Students Jon Paquette, Andrew Haas and Jacob Flanagan worked with advisers Rosen and Coleman. They not only developed the thermal eraser, they came up with an improvement in pad design that keeps the sheet taut and flat.
The new pad and eraser were “enthusiastically received” in Detroit, NFB spokesman Christopher S. Danielsen said. “The production of drawings is one of the most significant challenges that blind people face in the course of their educational and professional lives, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” Danielsen said in an e-mail. “Improved technology for producing meaningful tactile drawings will enhance educational and professional opportunities for the blind and allow them to share pictorial information with their sighted peers and colleagues.”
At UVM, the next step is to produce a slimmer version of the stylus and distribute the prototype to about 20 users, Rosen said. Their feedback could lead to further refinements and eventually, he hopes, to commercial production. UVM and the federation would share any revenue.
Meanwhile, Rosen and Coleman are also working on developing a system for transmitting tactile graphics digitally — from one place to another. They’re not ready to say much about that, though.
To Woodson, who has learned Braille but is also able to draw on her visual memory, the tactile sketch pad has another benefit that might not be apparent to a sighted person.
“When I could see, I would see a word like ‘hope’ and get a visceral feeling,” she said. “I don’t get that feeling with the dots in Braille.”
The sketch pad, however, allows her to “see” the written word again and experience that feeling.
Contact Tim Johnson at 660-1808 or tjohnson@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090812/NEWS02/90811017
Friday, August 21, 2009
28th Annual Perspectives on Employment of Persons with Disabilities Conference
Date: December 9-11, 2009
Place: Bethseda, Maryland
Take advantage of the early bird registration special for this year's Perspectives conference which will take place from December 9-11, 2009 in Bethesda, MD. Learn the latest information on federal personnel policies and practices, developments in technology, legal updates, and resources that will help your agency achieve its goals. Federal HR and EEO specialists, hiring managers, and others who manage employment matters concerning persons with disabilities should attend.
Posted: 08/13/09 to Employment
http://www.disability.gov/news/list
Place: Bethseda, Maryland
Take advantage of the early bird registration special for this year's Perspectives conference which will take place from December 9-11, 2009 in Bethesda, MD. Learn the latest information on federal personnel policies and practices, developments in technology, legal updates, and resources that will help your agency achieve its goals. Federal HR and EEO specialists, hiring managers, and others who manage employment matters concerning persons with disabilities should attend.
Posted: 08/13/09 to Employment
http://www.disability.gov/news/list
Quality Care and Development for Orphans and Children with Disabilities in China
Orphans and Children with Disabilities Project, China
May 5, 2009
There are 573,000 orphans or children without parental care in China, many of them living with disability. Roughly 495,000 of these children live in the rural areas and only 66,000, or 11.5 per cent of the total orphan population, are under the care of the State Child Welfare System. The majority of orphans live with their relatives (78.5 per cent). Others receive care from non governmental and charity organizations (1.3 per cent), while still others live with non-relatives or become street children (8.7 per cent). Most foster homes are low income families (202,000 children are living in low income families and do not receive any assistance from the state) that cannot meet children’s needs in basic care and education. For most orphans who live with disabilities, insufficient treatment and rehabilitation services are available.
The existing State Child Welfare System is unable to meet orphaned children’s needs because 1) the capacity of the country’s 224 child welfare institutions is limited and only care for 31,839 children; 2) there are no qualified social workers to work with children in the current child welfare system, as there are no universities or training programs that train or certify social workers specializing in child protection; and 3) no effective monitoring and evaluation system has been established to track the welfare and development of children living outside the child welfare system.
There are approximately 20 million children with disabilities in China, only 2 per cent of whom have access to special education that can meet their needs. Children with disabilities, especially in the rural area and particularly girls, face a great level of discrimination and do not have access to education, health, and other basic services. According to the China Federation for People with Disabilities, although China’s overall school enrolment rate is 99 per cent, only 75 per cent of children with disabilities are enrolled in school. In rural areas, many children with disabilities are confined in their households by their parents, and many schools refuse to admit children with disabilities. The quality of education for children with disabilities in regular schools is compromised, because schools often cannot provide facilities and instruction to meet their special needs; teachers are not trained to accommodate the varied learning needs of children with disabilities; and children with disabilities are not prepared with required social and learning skills.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs is implementing a nation-wide campaign, the Blue Sky Project, to build the capacity of state-run child welfare institutions (orphanages), and to transform these agencies into child protection resource centres that are open to communities and provides services to children both inside and outside the institutions. However, the project is very focused on physical infrastructure. The entire child welfare system in China lacks effective skills and management training to care and service providers who work directly with children, and lacks technical knowledge on 1) holistic development to children without parental care, and 2) physical treatment to children with disabilities integrated with child development services.
The goal of the program is to create an environment that is conducive to the holistic development of orphans and children with disabilities. The program will achieve the following specific objectives:
• Objective 1 - To help children living with disabilities access effective treatment, rehabilitation, and development;
• Objective 2 - To ensure orphans have access to quality care and upbringing;
• Objective 3 - To strengthen the capacity of child welfare institutions and families to provide integrated care for orphans and children living with disabilities.
Right To Play works at all levels, from children, local government agencies and NGOs to central government agencies in China, to bring sustained systematic change using well-designed, practical, and cost-effective sport and play programming. In terms of customized implementation strategies, Right To Play works with existing local organizations, agencies, or government bodies, who affect the lives of children. The existing structures, systems, plans, and operations of implementation organizations are taken into account when Right To Play adapts its tools and resources to enhance existing programming.
Right To Play works with its partners by
i) promoting child-centred sport and play tools and methodology;
ii) promoting participatory methodology in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of sport and play-based programs;
iii) impact-focused programming integrated with policy and field-based research;
iv) identifying innovative, replicable, and cost-effective solutions and operation models;
v) building the capacity of government agencies and local peer NGOs to efficiently enlarge the choices of and education to children, drawing from global Sport for Development best practices and experiences;
vi) facilitating the establishment of partnerships in child participation, education and protection among government agencies, civil society, communities, and families.
The program will work at two levels - at the national level to establish national standards and create policy impact by working with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Social Welfare and Charity Development Division; and at the community level to provide direct child development and treatment services to orphans and children with disabilities by partnering with one orphan program in Sichuan and three public child welfare institutions in Shanxi, Henan, and
Guangxi.
To Read More Go To:
http://rtpca.convio.net/site/DocServer/PSD_China_Disability_and_Orphans_May_2009.pdf?docID=12562
Right To Play - Orphans and Children with Disabilities Project, China
May 5, 2009
There are 573,000 orphans or children without parental care in China, many of them living with disability. Roughly 495,000 of these children live in the rural areas and only 66,000, or 11.5 per cent of the total orphan population, are under the care of the State Child Welfare System. The majority of orphans live with their relatives (78.5 per cent). Others receive care from non governmental and charity organizations (1.3 per cent), while still others live with non-relatives or become street children (8.7 per cent). Most foster homes are low income families (202,000 children are living in low income families and do not receive any assistance from the state) that cannot meet children’s needs in basic care and education. For most orphans who live with disabilities, insufficient treatment and rehabilitation services are available.
The existing State Child Welfare System is unable to meet orphaned children’s needs because 1) the capacity of the country’s 224 child welfare institutions is limited and only care for 31,839 children; 2) there are no qualified social workers to work with children in the current child welfare system, as there are no universities or training programs that train or certify social workers specializing in child protection; and 3) no effective monitoring and evaluation system has been established to track the welfare and development of children living outside the child welfare system.
There are approximately 20 million children with disabilities in China, only 2 per cent of whom have access to special education that can meet their needs. Children with disabilities, especially in the rural area and particularly girls, face a great level of discrimination and do not have access to education, health, and other basic services. According to the China Federation for People with Disabilities, although China’s overall school enrolment rate is 99 per cent, only 75 per cent of children with disabilities are enrolled in school. In rural areas, many children with disabilities are confined in their households by their parents, and many schools refuse to admit children with disabilities. The quality of education for children with disabilities in regular schools is compromised, because schools often cannot provide facilities and instruction to meet their special needs; teachers are not trained to accommodate the varied learning needs of children with disabilities; and children with disabilities are not prepared with required social and learning skills.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs is implementing a nation-wide campaign, the Blue Sky Project, to build the capacity of state-run child welfare institutions (orphanages), and to transform these agencies into child protection resource centres that are open to communities and provides services to children both inside and outside the institutions. However, the project is very focused on physical infrastructure. The entire child welfare system in China lacks effective skills and management training to care and service providers who work directly with children, and lacks technical knowledge on 1) holistic development to children without parental care, and 2) physical treatment to children with disabilities integrated with child development services.
The goal of the program is to create an environment that is conducive to the holistic development of orphans and children with disabilities. The program will achieve the following specific objectives:
• Objective 1 - To help children living with disabilities access effective treatment, rehabilitation, and development;
• Objective 2 - To ensure orphans have access to quality care and upbringing;
• Objective 3 - To strengthen the capacity of child welfare institutions and families to provide integrated care for orphans and children living with disabilities.
Right To Play works at all levels, from children, local government agencies and NGOs to central government agencies in China, to bring sustained systematic change using well-designed, practical, and cost-effective sport and play programming. In terms of customized implementation strategies, Right To Play works with existing local organizations, agencies, or government bodies, who affect the lives of children. The existing structures, systems, plans, and operations of implementation organizations are taken into account when Right To Play adapts its tools and resources to enhance existing programming.
Right To Play works with its partners by
i) promoting child-centred sport and play tools and methodology;
ii) promoting participatory methodology in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of sport and play-based programs;
iii) impact-focused programming integrated with policy and field-based research;
iv) identifying innovative, replicable, and cost-effective solutions and operation models;
v) building the capacity of government agencies and local peer NGOs to efficiently enlarge the choices of and education to children, drawing from global Sport for Development best practices and experiences;
vi) facilitating the establishment of partnerships in child participation, education and protection among government agencies, civil society, communities, and families.
The program will work at two levels - at the national level to establish national standards and create policy impact by working with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Social Welfare and Charity Development Division; and at the community level to provide direct child development and treatment services to orphans and children with disabilities by partnering with one orphan program in Sichuan and three public child welfare institutions in Shanxi, Henan, and
Guangxi.
To Read More Go To:
http://rtpca.convio.net/site/DocServer/PSD_China_Disability_and_Orphans_May_2009.pdf?docID=12562
Right To Play - Orphans and Children with Disabilities Project, China
Struggling, Haitian Parents Increasingly Abandon Children With Disabilities
By Shaun Heasley
August 11, 2009
Without resources to help them cope, parents in Haiti regularly abandon their children with disabilities at hospitals or on the streets, advocates say.
In a country where starvation is not uncommon, the burden of having a child with a disability is too much to bear for many parents. So, despite recent government efforts — through the creation of an office of inclusion and a public awareness campaign about the capabilities of those with disabilities — abandonment is a regular occurrence. The practice is fueled by the stigma many Haitian parents feel for giving birth to a child with a disability.
It is unclear how many children with disabilities are abandoned each year, but many end up in hospitals where they are left with practically nothing to do all day.
Advocates are pushing the government to do more and recently implored former President Bill Clinton, who is now the United Nation’s special envoy to Haiti, to take up their cause, reports The Miami Herald. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/11/haiti/4551/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
August 11, 2009
Without resources to help them cope, parents in Haiti regularly abandon their children with disabilities at hospitals or on the streets, advocates say.
In a country where starvation is not uncommon, the burden of having a child with a disability is too much to bear for many parents. So, despite recent government efforts — through the creation of an office of inclusion and a public awareness campaign about the capabilities of those with disabilities — abandonment is a regular occurrence. The practice is fueled by the stigma many Haitian parents feel for giving birth to a child with a disability.
It is unclear how many children with disabilities are abandoned each year, but many end up in hospitals where they are left with practically nothing to do all day.
Advocates are pushing the government to do more and recently implored former President Bill Clinton, who is now the United Nation’s special envoy to Haiti, to take up their cause, reports The Miami Herald. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/11/haiti/4551/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) Awarded $2.6 million UCEDD Grant
Angela Arnold Go
University Relations
July 14, 2009
ATLANTA — The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University received a $2.6 million, five-year grant and the designation as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, & Service (UCEDD). The UCEDD grant is funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The CLD, which is housed in the Center for Healthy Development in the College of Health and Human Sciences, translates research into sustainable community practices that support individuals with developmental disabilities to lead independent, fulfilling, productive lives.
UCEDDs provide training, technical assistance, service, research, and information in working with people with disabilities, family members, state and local government agencies, and community providers. Centers have played key roles in every major disability initiative over the past four decades. Many issues, such as early intervention, health care, community-based services, inclusive education, transition from school to work, positive behavior support, employment, housing, and assistive technology have directly benefited by the research, services, and training provided by UCEDDs.
For more information about the Center for Leadership in Disability, visit http://www.cld-gsu.org/ or contact Daniel Crimmins at dcrimmins@gsu.edu.
Contact:Angela Arnold Go,
404-413-1083
The News & Events Page is maintained by the Department of University Relations at Georgia State University.
University Relations
July 14, 2009
ATLANTA — The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University received a $2.6 million, five-year grant and the designation as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, & Service (UCEDD). The UCEDD grant is funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The CLD, which is housed in the Center for Healthy Development in the College of Health and Human Sciences, translates research into sustainable community practices that support individuals with developmental disabilities to lead independent, fulfilling, productive lives.
The CLD is charged with:
- Providing community education and technical assistance to people with developmental disabilities, family members, service providers, educators, and professionals on a range of topics, such as positive behavior support, person-centered planning, autism, individuals services and supports, and the SafeCare® training model.
- Researching the implementation of evidence-based practices and the supporting policies.
- Disseminating information about services, supports, and resources for people with developmental disabilities, families, and providers.
- Offering educational opportunities and leadership training for graduate students, professionals, and advocates.
“This is truly exciting news for us at the Center, for GSU, and most importantly for Georgians with developmental disabilities and their families. This will give us the chance to partner with people, providers, and communsubstantially improve lives,” says Daniel Crimmins, CLD director and clinical professor of public health.ity organizations to
There are 67 UCEDDs in the U.S., with at least one in every state and territory. Centers are in a unique position to facilitate the flow of disability-related information between community and university.UCEDDs provide training, technical assistance, service, research, and information in working with people with disabilities, family members, state and local government agencies, and community providers. Centers have played key roles in every major disability initiative over the past four decades. Many issues, such as early intervention, health care, community-based services, inclusive education, transition from school to work, positive behavior support, employment, housing, and assistive technology have directly benefited by the research, services, and training provided by UCEDDs.
For more information about the Center for Leadership in Disability, visit http://www.cld-gsu.org/ or contact Daniel Crimmins at dcrimmins@gsu.edu.
Contact:Angela Arnold Go,
404-413-1083
The News & Events Page is maintained by the Department of University Relations at Georgia State University.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Clayton Family Of 24 Moves Into New House
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- The Murphy family, all 24 of them, moved into their new house in Clayton County Wednesday.
The family is so big because John and Jeanette Murphy have adopted 23 children with special needs since 1983. That's in addition to their four biological children. Several of the adopted children have passed away.
SLIDESHOW: Tour Murphy Family's New House
"They just kept coming," John explained. Their children have various disabilities, including Down Syndrome, autism, and heart defects.
"We just kept getting calls," said Jeanette. "Another call would come in and another call and another. We loved what we were doing so we said 'yeah, we'll take another." Over the years, the Murphys renovated their 45-year-old house, adding bedrooms as they added children. But the years were taking their toll on the house. Kids were crammed four to a room. Kitchen appliances stopped working. Plumbers and electricians made repeated visits.
Then the Keenans Kids Foundation, an Atlanta-based child advocacy group, stepped in, offering to help with a new house. After breaking ground in June 2008, the 7,100 square foot home was finished in May.
The new house includes an independent transitional wing for the older children with its own living room, kitchenette, bedrooms and bathrooms. The main house includes a spacious kitchen and dining room, a family room, a classroom, an office, eight bedrooms and six bathrooms.
E-mail
Images: Inside Murphy Family's New House
Posted: 12:01 pm EDT August 19, 2009
Updated: 12:40 pm EDT August 19, 2009
Copyright 2009 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
The family is so big because John and Jeanette Murphy have adopted 23 children with special needs since 1983. That's in addition to their four biological children. Several of the adopted children have passed away.
SLIDESHOW: Tour Murphy Family's New House
"They just kept coming," John explained. Their children have various disabilities, including Down Syndrome, autism, and heart defects.
"We just kept getting calls," said Jeanette. "Another call would come in and another call and another. We loved what we were doing so we said 'yeah, we'll take another." Over the years, the Murphys renovated their 45-year-old house, adding bedrooms as they added children. But the years were taking their toll on the house. Kids were crammed four to a room. Kitchen appliances stopped working. Plumbers and electricians made repeated visits.
Then the Keenans Kids Foundation, an Atlanta-based child advocacy group, stepped in, offering to help with a new house. After breaking ground in June 2008, the 7,100 square foot home was finished in May.
The new house includes an independent transitional wing for the older children with its own living room, kitchenette, bedrooms and bathrooms. The main house includes a spacious kitchen and dining room, a family room, a classroom, an office, eight bedrooms and six bathrooms.
Images: Inside Murphy Family's New House
Posted: 12:01 pm EDT August 19, 2009
Updated: 12:40 pm EDT August 19, 2009
Copyright 2009 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
Summer Camp Still Delights After 55 Years For Man With Disability
By Shaun Heasley
August 17, 2009
At 64, Freddie Cobb is old enough for retirement, but the spry Texas man with an intellectual disability went to sleep away at camp for the 55th straight year, happy as ever to be there.
Cobb has attended Camp Summit — a unique program for people with disabilities of all ages — longer than anyone else, but he is always happy to return to familiar surroundings where he can feel comfortable just being himself.
Now mostly bald, Cobb first came to camp at age 9, but today is surrounded by many peers, with adults making up more than 70 percent of participants.
With a 2-to-1 staff ratio, campers get to do just about whatever they want, regardless of any challenges they may have. The highlight of the week-long camp for Cobb was the Friday night dance where he sported a Hawaiian shirt. College-age counselors help him remember to give others personal space.
The program is available regardless of a person’s ability to pay and it fills a huge void for caregivers struggling to find activities for adults during the summer, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/17/camp/4657/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
August 17, 2009
At 64, Freddie Cobb is old enough for retirement, but the spry Texas man with an intellectual disability went to sleep away at camp for the 55th straight year, happy as ever to be there.
Cobb has attended Camp Summit — a unique program for people with disabilities of all ages — longer than anyone else, but he is always happy to return to familiar surroundings where he can feel comfortable just being himself.
Now mostly bald, Cobb first came to camp at age 9, but today is surrounded by many peers, with adults making up more than 70 percent of participants.
With a 2-to-1 staff ratio, campers get to do just about whatever they want, regardless of any challenges they may have. The highlight of the week-long camp for Cobb was the Friday night dance where he sported a Hawaiian shirt. College-age counselors help him remember to give others personal space.
The program is available regardless of a person’s ability to pay and it fills a huge void for caregivers struggling to find activities for adults during the summer, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. To read more click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/17/camp/4657/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Asperger’s Secret To Pro Surfer’s Success
By Shaun Heasley
August 7, 2009
Clay Marzo is one of America’s best surfers and Asperger’s syndrome may be the reason why.
Marzo, 20, began surfing as a child and by age 14 won the sport’s top amateur title. But everyone always knew there was something a little different about him. As a boy he struggled in school and in interacting with others and always felt most comfortable in the water.
Many people found him rude, stuck up, lazy, dumb or shy, his mom says, simply because they didn’t understand him.
A diagnosis proved elusive, however, until 2007 when doctors confirmed that Marzo has Asperger’s syndrome. The diagnosis brought relief and also helped explain why Marzo is so talented at surfing, but struggles with simple things like shaking hands.
“All I can do is surf and say hello and good-bye,” Marzo tells ESPN. “I don’t really talk. I don’t have much to say.”
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/07/surfer/4506/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
August 7, 2009
Clay Marzo is one of America’s best surfers and Asperger’s syndrome may be the reason why.
Marzo, 20, began surfing as a child and by age 14 won the sport’s top amateur title. But everyone always knew there was something a little different about him. As a boy he struggled in school and in interacting with others and always felt most comfortable in the water.
Many people found him rude, stuck up, lazy, dumb or shy, his mom says, simply because they didn’t understand him.
A diagnosis proved elusive, however, until 2007 when doctors confirmed that Marzo has Asperger’s syndrome. The diagnosis brought relief and also helped explain why Marzo is so talented at surfing, but struggles with simple things like shaking hands.
“All I can do is surf and say hello and good-bye,” Marzo tells ESPN. “I don’t really talk. I don’t have much to say.”
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/07/surfer/4506/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Disability Issues At Center Of Heated Healthcare Debate
by Michelle Diament
August 14, 2009
Advocacy groups and White House officials are fighting back after Sarah Palin and other critics recently charged that proposed health care reform would be bad for people with disabilities.
Last week, Palin said on her Facebook page that the government would “ration care” for those with disabilities under the reform plan proposed in Congress. Palin went on to suggest that under the plan the elderly and people with disabilities, like her son who has Down syndrome, would “have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide… whether they are worthy of health care.”
Soon after, a Michigan man made headlines when he confronted Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., at a raucous town hall meeting to allege that his son with cerebral palsy “would be given no care whatsoever” under the health care reform plan.
“That simply is not true,” says Mike Strautmanis, a White House staffer whose son has autism. In a new video posted on the White House Web site Strautmanis talks directly to people with disabilities and their families, saying that contrary to rumors out there, health reform will be beneficial for people with disabilities. The plan would ensure that individuals won’t be denied insurance coverage because of any pre-existing condition and it would expand access to Medicaid, Strautmanis says.
Meanwhile, some of the nation’s top disability advocacy groups are also pushing back. United Cerebral Palsy announced its endorsement of the health care reform bill this week. And, in a weekly email to members, The Arc’s executive director Peter Berns asked members to “dispel the growing number of myths” about health care reform.
In addition to the arguments Strautmanis made, Berns said people with disabilities should also be happy that the proposed legislation would increase doctor reimbursement levels for services covered under Medicaid, eliminate all annual and lifetime caps on coverage and create a long-term care insurance program.
Nonetheless, critics continue to impact the debate. The top Republican on the Senate finance committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday that that committee will not include an end-of-life provision which led to talk of a “death panel” because of the way it could be “misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly.”
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/14/health-care-debate/4604/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
August 14, 2009
Advocacy groups and White House officials are fighting back after Sarah Palin and other critics recently charged that proposed health care reform would be bad for people with disabilities.
Last week, Palin said on her Facebook page that the government would “ration care” for those with disabilities under the reform plan proposed in Congress. Palin went on to suggest that under the plan the elderly and people with disabilities, like her son who has Down syndrome, would “have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide… whether they are worthy of health care.”
Soon after, a Michigan man made headlines when he confronted Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., at a raucous town hall meeting to allege that his son with cerebral palsy “would be given no care whatsoever” under the health care reform plan.
“That simply is not true,” says Mike Strautmanis, a White House staffer whose son has autism. In a new video posted on the White House Web site Strautmanis talks directly to people with disabilities and their families, saying that contrary to rumors out there, health reform will be beneficial for people with disabilities. The plan would ensure that individuals won’t be denied insurance coverage because of any pre-existing condition and it would expand access to Medicaid, Strautmanis says.
Meanwhile, some of the nation’s top disability advocacy groups are also pushing back. United Cerebral Palsy announced its endorsement of the health care reform bill this week. And, in a weekly email to members, The Arc’s executive director Peter Berns asked members to “dispel the growing number of myths” about health care reform.
In addition to the arguments Strautmanis made, Berns said people with disabilities should also be happy that the proposed legislation would increase doctor reimbursement levels for services covered under Medicaid, eliminate all annual and lifetime caps on coverage and create a long-term care insurance program.
Nonetheless, critics continue to impact the debate. The top Republican on the Senate finance committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday that that committee will not include an end-of-life provision which led to talk of a “death panel” because of the way it could be “misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly.”
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/14/health-care-debate/4604/
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
New Monthly Data Series on the Employment Status of People With a Disability
In June 2008, questions were added to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to identify persons with a disability in the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older. The addition of these questions allowed BLS to begin releasing monthly labor force data from the CPS for persons with a disability. The collection of these data is sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Publication of CPS disability data began in February 2009 with the issuance of labor force data for January 2009. Explanatory materials are available on the frequently asked questions page. These materials provide information on comparisons with other data sources, variability of the data, and the types of data available. Additionally, links to historical data and alternate formats are located below.
In July 2009, the unemployment rate of persons with a disability was 15.1 percent, compared with 9.5 percent for persons with no disability, not seasonally adjusted. The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability was 19.5 percent, compared with 65.0 percent for persons with no disability.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm
In July 2009, the unemployment rate of persons with a disability was 15.1 percent, compared with 9.5 percent for persons with no disability, not seasonally adjusted. The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability was 19.5 percent, compared with 65.0 percent for persons with no disability.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm
GEORGIA CANINES FOR INDEPENDENCE
Georgia Canines for Independence (GCI) is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people living with physical disabilities and other special needs.
GCI provides trained service dogs to increase the independence of people with various medical conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Friedrich's ataxia, Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, stroke, and seizure disorders.
Did you know? Insurance does not cover assistance animals or animal therapy. There are no government grants that pay for service dogs. Yet, GCI gives every service dog away at absolutely no cost to someone in need. There is absolutely no charge to apply for or to receive a canine partner.
Service dogs increase independence, self-esteem, and social interactions. Many service dogs have provided their owner the ability to attend school and gain employment. Service dog ownership has been associated with improved health, fewer doctors visits, and better self-care.
In the U.S., about 1200 people apply for a service dog every year, while only about 500 assistance dogs are placed annually. Most people wait many years to receive a service dog. There are over 50 children and adults on GCI's waiting list - all are hoping and dreaming of a chance to receive a lifelong canine companion and partner. You can help GCI change a life today!
GCI provides trained service dogs to increase the independence of people with various medical conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Friedrich's ataxia, Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, stroke, and seizure disorders.
Did you know? Insurance does not cover assistance animals or animal therapy. There are no government grants that pay for service dogs. Yet, GCI gives every service dog away at absolutely no cost to someone in need. There is absolutely no charge to apply for or to receive a canine partner.
Service dogs increase independence, self-esteem, and social interactions. Many service dogs have provided their owner the ability to attend school and gain employment. Service dog ownership has been associated with improved health, fewer doctors visits, and better self-care.
In the U.S., about 1200 people apply for a service dog every year, while only about 500 assistance dogs are placed annually. Most people wait many years to receive a service dog. There are over 50 children and adults on GCI's waiting list - all are hoping and dreaming of a chance to receive a lifelong canine companion and partner. You can help GCI change a life today!
Phone: (404) 735-DOGS (3647)
E-mail: gcidogs@aol.com
Georgia Caninesfor Independence, 1540 Heritage Cove, Acworth, Ga. 30102
Georgia Canines for Independence is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The European Disability Forum (EDF)
The Representative Organisation of Disabled People in Europe
European Disability Forum (EDF)
39-41 Rue du Commerce
1000 Brussels Belgium
The European Disability Forum (EDF) covers all fields of European Union competence and a great number of initiatives. Although the European institutions might seem far for many citizens, the decisions taken by the European Union, which are the result of negotiations between all Member States, have a direct impact on disabled people’s lives. That is why, the role of EDF is so important in monitoring all EU initiatives and in proposing new legislation to advance disabled people’s rights.
One of the many projects done by the EDF is the European Disability Action Plan.
European Disability Forum (EDF)
39-41 Rue du Commerce
1000 Brussels Belgium
The European Disability Forum (EDF) covers all fields of European Union competence and a great number of initiatives. Although the European institutions might seem far for many citizens, the decisions taken by the European Union, which are the result of negotiations between all Member States, have a direct impact on disabled people’s lives. That is why, the role of EDF is so important in monitoring all EU initiatives and in proposing new legislation to advance disabled people’s rights.
One of the many projects done by the EDF is the European Disability Action Plan.
Following the European Year of People with Disabilities in 2003, the European Union launched the Equal opportunities for people with disabilities: A European Action Plan. The aim of this action plan, revised every two years, is to mainstream disability in the relevant Community policies and to implement specific measures in key areas.
This action plan covers the period from 2004 to 2010, with a view to achieving significant progress in the integration of people with disabilities by this date. The current Action Plan for 2008-2009 identifies accessibility as a priority for active inclusion and access to rights. The Action Plan foreseens the following actions for inclusive participation through accessibility:
1. Fostering accessibility of the labour market
2. Boosting accessibility of goods, services and infrastructures
3. Consolidating the Commission’s analytical capacity to support accessibility.
E-mail: secretariat@edf-feph.org
http://www.edf-feph.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=10910&id=1&langue=EN
A Wonderful Theater in NYC
Theater Breaking Through Barriers
http://www.tbtb.org/history.htm
Theater Breaking Through Barriers began 29 years ago as Theater By The Blind, an integrated company of blind, low vision and sighted artists aiming to change the image of the blind from dependence to independence by working together so seamlessly that, as both The New York Times and Time Out NY have pointed out, you can’t tell who’s who. Increasingly we feel that we must include all people with disabilites in our work. 52,000,000 Americans, 18% of us, are disabled. Yet only 2% of characters on TV exhibit a disability and only 0.5% are permitted to speak. We need to get the reality of our active and productive lives in front of people.
We do two kinds of plays - original material by and about disabled people, such as our June, 2007 production of John Belluso’s The Rules of Charity which The New York Times called “a dark, scalding play (in) a sharp New York premiere,” and traditional plays which give our artists great parts to play. Last season this was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Times said the show was “an inspired choice for Theater By The Blind… fascinating… ingenious,” with “the most intriguing thing (being) how the company stages the play with just six actors” and with the use of an actress in a wheelchair adding a “most delightful extra layer of meaning in the production.” Our growth has been most powerful in the last 4 years. In FY04 we went on Equity's LOA contract making us officially Off-Broadway.
Last fall we started work under a two-year $65,000 audience development matching grant from Theater Communications Group and the Mellon and Doris Duke Foundations to help us become the home base theater for all disabled people by increasing touring and workshops and expanding our mainstage season from one to two plays and from four week runs in FY05-06 to five in FY06-07 and six in FY07-08. The grant has been matched by $60,000 from the New York Community Trust, $30,000 from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and $25,000 from the Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust. These will extend the grant work into FY08-09. This past season we increased earned income from $16,619 to $40,741, a growth of $24,122 or 145%, and total income from $281,190 to $387,713, a growth of $106,523, or 138%.
Since 2001 we have represented the U.S. every other October at an amazing event, the International Theater Festival of the Blind and Visually Impaired, held in Zagreb, Croatia, where we have joined artists from England, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Israel and Poland.
Theater Breaking Through Barriers put on a play this spring called A Nervous Smile. A Nervous Smile is the final, most powerful play by John Belluso, a wonderful playwright with a disability who passed away tragically more than two years ago, on the cusp of a promising career. In the play, the wealthy parents of a girl severely disabled with cerebral palsy are strained to the breaking point by the burden of caring for their daughter. With a friend whose son also has CP, they decide to leave the burden of their children and fly off to South America and Europe. The play presents the consequences of their actions in a taut, riveting, fierce yet funny 80 minutes.
A Nervous Smile was directed by Ike Schambelan and it opened this spring and ran from April 17 – May 17, 2009. It received excellent reviews.
HISTORY OF MAJOR PRODUCTIONS
http://www.tbtb.org/history.htm
© 2003 Theater Breaking Through Barriers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.tbtb.org/history.htm
Theater Breaking Through Barriers began 29 years ago as Theater By The Blind, an integrated company of blind, low vision and sighted artists aiming to change the image of the blind from dependence to independence by working together so seamlessly that, as both The New York Times and Time Out NY have pointed out, you can’t tell who’s who. Increasingly we feel that we must include all people with disabilites in our work. 52,000,000 Americans, 18% of us, are disabled. Yet only 2% of characters on TV exhibit a disability and only 0.5% are permitted to speak. We need to get the reality of our active and productive lives in front of people.
We do two kinds of plays - original material by and about disabled people, such as our June, 2007 production of John Belluso’s The Rules of Charity which The New York Times called “a dark, scalding play (in) a sharp New York premiere,” and traditional plays which give our artists great parts to play. Last season this was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Times said the show was “an inspired choice for Theater By The Blind… fascinating… ingenious,” with “the most intriguing thing (being) how the company stages the play with just six actors” and with the use of an actress in a wheelchair adding a “most delightful extra layer of meaning in the production.” Our growth has been most powerful in the last 4 years. In FY04 we went on Equity's LOA contract making us officially Off-Broadway.
Last fall we started work under a two-year $65,000 audience development matching grant from Theater Communications Group and the Mellon and Doris Duke Foundations to help us become the home base theater for all disabled people by increasing touring and workshops and expanding our mainstage season from one to two plays and from four week runs in FY05-06 to five in FY06-07 and six in FY07-08. The grant has been matched by $60,000 from the New York Community Trust, $30,000 from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and $25,000 from the Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust. These will extend the grant work into FY08-09. This past season we increased earned income from $16,619 to $40,741, a growth of $24,122 or 145%, and total income from $281,190 to $387,713, a growth of $106,523, or 138%.
Since 2001 we have represented the U.S. every other October at an amazing event, the International Theater Festival of the Blind and Visually Impaired, held in Zagreb, Croatia, where we have joined artists from England, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Israel and Poland.
Theater Breaking Through Barriers put on a play this spring called A Nervous Smile. A Nervous Smile is the final, most powerful play by John Belluso, a wonderful playwright with a disability who passed away tragically more than two years ago, on the cusp of a promising career. In the play, the wealthy parents of a girl severely disabled with cerebral palsy are strained to the breaking point by the burden of caring for their daughter. With a friend whose son also has CP, they decide to leave the burden of their children and fly off to South America and Europe. The play presents the consequences of their actions in a taut, riveting, fierce yet funny 80 minutes.
A Nervous Smile was directed by Ike Schambelan and it opened this spring and ran from April 17 – May 17, 2009. It received excellent reviews.
HISTORY OF MAJOR PRODUCTIONS
http://www.tbtb.org/history.htm
© 2003 Theater Breaking Through Barriers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Remembering Eunice Kennedy Shriver
A Cheerful Gladiator Who Opened a World of Possibilities to Those With Disabilities
Washington Post Editorial
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
"IN ANCIENT ROME, the gladiators went into the arena with these words on their lips. 'Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.' . . . Let us begin the Olympics."
On a sunny July day in 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver spoke these words at Chicago's Soldier Field to an assembled group of 1,000 intellectually disabled athletes and 100 fans from 26 states and Canada. They are now the official oath of the Special Olympics.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was a gladiator for a new age. Born into the closest thing America had to a royal family, this middle Kennedy child had a love of sports and an ability to see potential where others saw disability. Moved by the experience of her developmentally disabled sister, Rosemary Kennedy, and by the struggles of other people with disabilities at the facilities where she visited and worked, Ms. Shriver became an advocate for a population that had long lacked a voice.
She attended Stanford University and served in the State Department before taking the helm of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, established to combat the causes of intellectual disability and to improve the way society dealt with individuals with disabilities. Beginning in the summer of 1962, she hosted Camp Shriver at her Maryland farm, an outdoor camp for mentally disabled children to whom other summer programs were shut. Ponies roamed the lawn, children raced and threw balls, and the dream of a new kind of life for those with disabilities was born.
So when someone suggested a race for Chicago children with intellectual disabilities, the vision sparked to life: not a one-time race but a biennial Special Olympics, founded on the principle that, as Ms. Shriver later said, "all human beings are created equal in the sense that each has the capacity and a hunger for moral excellence, for courage, for friendship and for love."
Much was given to Ms. Shriver, a Kennedy whose life was destined to play out on the national stage. But she used her influence not to build her own capital or advance her own interests but to help others, to open a world of new possibilities to a population that had been confined to silence and darkness.
Under her guidance, the Kennedy Foundation transformed a seemingly impossible vision into an inspiring reality. Where once scarcely 1,000 athletes competed, the Special Olympics now encompasses nearly 3 million athletes from 180 countries.
Yet the numbers alone fail to convey their impact. Founded in an era when those with intellectual disabilities were institutionalized and shut out of the mainstream, the Special Olympics offered participants the opportunity to transcend their limitations and become athletes.
The games promote health and self-reliance, inspire friendships, and give rise to tremendous courage. By giving men, women and children with disabilities the ability to compete on a global stage, Eunice Kennedy Shriver proved that they could play on other playing fields, hold jobs, and be students and neighbors.
Her legacy lives on in the millions of people she empowered to strive on the field of competition and beyond -- and to be brave in the attempt.
Print E-mail
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/11/AR2009081100917.html
Washington Post Editorial
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
"IN ANCIENT ROME, the gladiators went into the arena with these words on their lips. 'Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.' . . . Let us begin the Olympics."
On a sunny July day in 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver spoke these words at Chicago's Soldier Field to an assembled group of 1,000 intellectually disabled athletes and 100 fans from 26 states and Canada. They are now the official oath of the Special Olympics.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was a gladiator for a new age. Born into the closest thing America had to a royal family, this middle Kennedy child had a love of sports and an ability to see potential where others saw disability. Moved by the experience of her developmentally disabled sister, Rosemary Kennedy, and by the struggles of other people with disabilities at the facilities where she visited and worked, Ms. Shriver became an advocate for a population that had long lacked a voice.
She attended Stanford University and served in the State Department before taking the helm of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, established to combat the causes of intellectual disability and to improve the way society dealt with individuals with disabilities. Beginning in the summer of 1962, she hosted Camp Shriver at her Maryland farm, an outdoor camp for mentally disabled children to whom other summer programs were shut. Ponies roamed the lawn, children raced and threw balls, and the dream of a new kind of life for those with disabilities was born.
So when someone suggested a race for Chicago children with intellectual disabilities, the vision sparked to life: not a one-time race but a biennial Special Olympics, founded on the principle that, as Ms. Shriver later said, "all human beings are created equal in the sense that each has the capacity and a hunger for moral excellence, for courage, for friendship and for love."
Much was given to Ms. Shriver, a Kennedy whose life was destined to play out on the national stage. But she used her influence not to build her own capital or advance her own interests but to help others, to open a world of new possibilities to a population that had been confined to silence and darkness.
Under her guidance, the Kennedy Foundation transformed a seemingly impossible vision into an inspiring reality. Where once scarcely 1,000 athletes competed, the Special Olympics now encompasses nearly 3 million athletes from 180 countries.
Yet the numbers alone fail to convey their impact. Founded in an era when those with intellectual disabilities were institutionalized and shut out of the mainstream, the Special Olympics offered participants the opportunity to transcend their limitations and become athletes.
The games promote health and self-reliance, inspire friendships, and give rise to tremendous courage. By giving men, women and children with disabilities the ability to compete on a global stage, Eunice Kennedy Shriver proved that they could play on other playing fields, hold jobs, and be students and neighbors.
Her legacy lives on in the millions of people she empowered to strive on the field of competition and beyond -- and to be brave in the attempt.
Print E-mail
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/11/AR2009081100917.html
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Managing “Special” Education for your Child
Announcing a Special Needs Workshop
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009
Time: 8:30am-3pm
Place: Mt Bethel United Methodist Church -- Room F011
4385 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068
Cost: $50 per person or $70 per couple before August 24th; after August 24th
$65 per person or $80 per couple.
Deadline: Deadline is Sunday, August 23.
Go online: http://www.mtbethel.org/upcoming1613/Special-Needs-Workshop
Questions – please contact Kim McGarr @ 770-579-9224 ext 25, or kim.mcgarr@mtbethel.org
http://www.mtbethel.org/upcoming1613/Special-Needs-Workshop
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009
Time: 8:30am-3pm
Place: Mt Bethel United Methodist Church -- Room F011
4385 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068
Cost: $50 per person or $70 per couple before August 24th; after August 24th
$65 per person or $80 per couple.
Deadline: Deadline is Sunday, August 23.
Go online: http://www.mtbethel.org/upcoming1613/Special-Needs-Workshop
A Workshop to Equip Parents
Designed to provide parents with the tools necessary for the IEP process. Learn basic rights, entitlements, and how to manage the IEP meeting & documents.
Other topics include: Evaluations, Consent, Least Restrictive Environment, Researched Based Methodologies, Placement decisions, and Progress Reporting.
Speakers:
Jonathan A. Zimring lives in Atlanta and is a principal in the Zimring Law Firm. He has his principal practice in education law and special education. He has served as the Director of the Georgia Mental Disability Law Project, as well as being the chairman of the State Bar of Georgia Mental Health and the Law Committee. He has lectured in numerous Continuing Legal Education programs on educational rights, special education and civil rights issues. His extensive litigation work includes cases which, established the definition of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, extended school year services for children with disabilities, and addressed least restrictive environment for children with disabilities. He is author of “Education Law - A Manual for Advocates.”
Heidi J. Moore elected to stay home after the birth of her first son, who has Down syndrome, to ensure his needs were met. Heidi is very involved in many organizations and committees. Currently, Heidi has a distribution list of more than 2,500 plus members to promote awareness of the advocacy issues that affect children and adults with disabilities and empower parents with information to help make necessary changes in Georgia. In October 2008, Heidi was appointed by Governor Perdue to be on the Olmstead Planning Committee for home and community based services for individuals with disabilities and mental health concerns.
Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church located in East Cobb County 4385 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA 30068 770.971.2880
Questions – please contact Kim McGarr @ 770-579-9224 ext 25, or kim.mcgarr@mtbethel.org
http://www.mtbethel.org/upcoming1613/Special-Needs-Workshop
Are You Raising a Child with FAS or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders?
NOFAS Georgia announces Training for Parents!
“Triumph Through the Challenges of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome”
A 12-hour course offering parents - birth, adoptive, foster, grandparents - the information and tools needed to work more effectively with their children living with FASD
“Triumph Through the Challenges of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome”
A 12-hour course offering parents - birth, adoptive, foster, grandparents - the information and tools needed to work more effectively with their children living with FASD
Come learn how to better:
Cope with challenges faced by families living with FASD
Deal with melt-downs
Work with sensory integration disorders
Practice social skills training
Practice social skills training
Advcate for the rights of your child
Set realistic expectations for your child
Set realistic expectations for your child
Connect with other parents
This same course will be offered in 2 different locations at 2 different times.
MIDTOWN
When: Four Saturday mornings
This same course will be offered in 2 different locations at 2 different times.
MIDTOWN
When: Four Saturday mornings
Time: 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. (3 hrs.)
September 12th * September 19th * September 26th * October 3rd
September 12th * September 19th * September 26th * October 3rd
Where: AADD –All About Developmental Disabilities
1440 Dutch Valley Place
Suite 200 Atlanta, Ga. 30324-5371
Deadline for registration is September 5th, 2009
######
Suite 200 Atlanta, Ga. 30324-5371
Deadline for registration is September 5th, 2009
######
NORTH METRO
When: Six Monday evenings
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (2 hrs.)
October 5th * October 12th * October 19th
October 26th * November 2nd * November 9th
Where: Temple Kehillat Chaim
Where: Temple Kehillat Chaim
1145 Green Street, Roswell, Ga. 30075
Cost: $108 per person for the 12 hour series, including workbook
Deadline for registration is September 26th, 2009
######
Professional Childcare is provided at no additional cost. Space is limited; please register early.
Classes are taught by certified facilitators who have been trained in the
“Triumph Through the Challenges” Curriculum
For more information or to register
Call: NOFAS Georgia 404 207-1068
Please leave your email address and phone number when you call.
Thanks!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Man With Asperger’s Expected To Be Standout On British Talent Show
By Shaun Heasley
August 5, 2009
A man with autism is set to become the next Susan Boyle.
Scott James is so shy that he didn’t leave his house for seven years, but an astounding singer, he will be one of 50 contestants on the British show X Factor, which is similar to American Idol.
James told the show’s judges — one of whom is American Idol’s Simon Cowell — about his diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome. He explained that he hadn’t left his house in seven years but that his singing teachers helped him build confidence. James has performed in clubs near his home in England.
When James auditioned for X Factor before a live audience he received rousing applause. Many are comparing his unexpected talent to that of Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish woman whose performance on Britain’s Got Talent became a viral sensation on YouTube.
James is currently being stashed away by X Factor producers until the show begins later this month, reports The (London) Daily Mail. To read more click here.
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/05/x-factor/4476/
August 5, 2009
A man with autism is set to become the next Susan Boyle.
Scott James is so shy that he didn’t leave his house for seven years, but an astounding singer, he will be one of 50 contestants on the British show X Factor, which is similar to American Idol.
James told the show’s judges — one of whom is American Idol’s Simon Cowell — about his diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome. He explained that he hadn’t left his house in seven years but that his singing teachers helped him build confidence. James has performed in clubs near his home in England.
When James auditioned for X Factor before a live audience he received rousing applause. Many are comparing his unexpected talent to that of Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish woman whose performance on Britain’s Got Talent became a viral sensation on YouTube.
James is currently being stashed away by X Factor producers until the show begins later this month, reports The (London) Daily Mail. To read more click here.
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/05/x-factor/4476/
Asperger’s Hits The Big Screen
By Shaun Heasley
August 4, 2009
Asperger’s syndrome plays a starring role in three upcoming films, leading many to suggest that the days of “Rain Man” are long gone in favor of a broader view of the disorder.
The films have little in common besides a character with the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, but with debuts this summer and next year, the collective presence of three films reflects the increasing public awareness of autism.
“Adam” has already received significant attention after winning an award for outstanding feature film at the Sundance Film Festival. It focuses on an astronomy-obsessed man with Asperger’s syndrome and his romance with a neurotypical neighbor.
An animated feature “Mary and Max,” also screened at Sundance and tells the story of a middle aged New Yorker with Asperger’s syndrome who develops a pen-pal relationship with a young girl in Australia. The film has already earned over $1 million since opening in that country in the spring.
And finally, next year HBO will air a biopic of Temple Grandin, a Colorado professor with autism who is highly regarded for her work with livestock.
In the words of one advocate who advised makers of two of the films, Asperger’s is “becoming less of a threat and part of our culture,” reports The New York Times. To read more click here.
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/04/aspergers-hits-the-big-screen/4472/
August 4, 2009
Asperger’s syndrome plays a starring role in three upcoming films, leading many to suggest that the days of “Rain Man” are long gone in favor of a broader view of the disorder.
The films have little in common besides a character with the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, but with debuts this summer and next year, the collective presence of three films reflects the increasing public awareness of autism.
“Adam” has already received significant attention after winning an award for outstanding feature film at the Sundance Film Festival. It focuses on an astronomy-obsessed man with Asperger’s syndrome and his romance with a neurotypical neighbor.
An animated feature “Mary and Max,” also screened at Sundance and tells the story of a middle aged New Yorker with Asperger’s syndrome who develops a pen-pal relationship with a young girl in Australia. The film has already earned over $1 million since opening in that country in the spring.
And finally, next year HBO will air a biopic of Temple Grandin, a Colorado professor with autism who is highly regarded for her work with livestock.
In the words of one advocate who advised makers of two of the films, Asperger’s is “becoming less of a threat and part of our culture,” reports The New York Times. To read more click here.
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/08/04/aspergers-hits-the-big-screen/4472/
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Join Us October 10-15, 2009, for ADAPT'S National Action in Atlanta
Atlanta ADAPT, disABILITY LINK, and the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia invite you to participate in ADAPT’s National Action in Atlanta
For more information:
http://www.adapt.org
http://www.disabilitylink.org/docs/adapt
Host Committee Contacts:
Linda Pogue - GreenPogue@aol.com or 404-687-8890 x114
Becky Ramage-Tuttle - rrtuttle@disabilitylink.org
Thing to do to support us:
· Participate – for all, or part, of the event
· Volunteer – there are lots of things to do
· Sponsor – provide funds to help others attend
We will recognize our major sponsors and supporters!
Sponsorship:
$25 – funds one advocate’s meals for one day
$50 – helps buy a tank of gas for advocate/s drive to Atlanta
$100 – purchases twelve discounted MARTA passes
$150 – covers PA services for one advocate for one day
$200 – pays for one hotel room for one night for three/four advocates
$250 – purchases a scooter/wheelchair rental for the week
$500 – close to the cost of one day of sign language interpretation
$1,000 – sponsorship of the Welcome Lunch on Sunday, October 11
$2,500 – for all of the above and more
Other! – funds of any amount are gratefully received and put to good use
Support:
Post a link on your organization’s web site to www.ADAPT.org or www.disABILITYLINK.org
- Be a greeter/guide (and/or help with luggage) at the airport/Amtrak/Greyhound and MARTA stations to help out-of-town visitors travel to the hotel (especially October 10 and 15)
- Be a guide at the hotel – directing people to elevators, etc. (especially October 10 and 11)
- Be a runner at the events, help with errands, messages, etc. (especially October 12, 13 and 14)
- Help serve food at the Welcome Lunch on Sunday (October 11)
- Make signs – we will let you know the messages we need
- Create “orange for change” ribbons for people to wear
- Help research relevant local information, statistics, history, etc.
- Help find contents and “stuff” 500+ welcome packets for the out-of-town visitors
"Free Our Brothers, Free Our Sisters, Free Our People Now!"
ADAPTers, friends, colleagues, supporters, etc. - please share the attached flyer - please help us connect with people who are willing to advertise, participate in, volunteer for and sponsor the ADAPT in Atlanta events, October 10 to 15 -
many thanks and best wishes,
Linda
Linda Pogue, Advocacy Director, 404-687-8890 x114 GreenPogue@aol.com
disABILITY LINK, 755 Commerce Drive #105, Decatur GA 30030, 404-687-8890, 1-800-239-2507 (V/TDD)404-687-8298 (FAX)www.disabilitylink.org
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