Sad news. Sara over at the blog Moving Right Along has passed away. Kay writes about it here, Penny highlights some tributes and some of Sara's blog links here, and Elizabeth writes about Sara too.
Sara left great comments and wrote great posts. I loved her piece on serendipity - the story of the apple. She saw the beauty in our world and her words will echo forever.
"And that," she told her son, "is what we call 'serendipity': finding something especially pleasant where we never would have expected."
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Reading Rights Coalition Urges Authors to Allow Everyone Access to E-books
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org
Everyone Access to E-books
Informational Protest to be Held at Authors Guild Headquarters
New York City (March 30, 2009): The Reading Rights Coalition, which represents people who cannot read print, will protest the threatened removal of the text-to-speech function from e-books for the Amazon Kindle 2 outside the Authors Guild headquarters in New York City at 31 East 32nd Street on April 7, 2009, from noon to 2:00 p.m. The coalition includes the blind, people with dyslexia, people with learning or processing issues, seniors losing vision, people with spinal cord injuries, people recovering from strokes, and many others for whom the addition of text-to-speech on the Kindle 2 promised for the first time easy, mainstream access to over 245,000 books.
When Amazon released the Kindle 2 electronic book reader on February 9, 2009, the company announced that the device would be able to read e-books aloud using text-to-speech technology. Under pressure from the Authors Guild, Amazon has announced that it will give authors and publishers the ability to disable the text-to-speech function on any or all of their e-books available for the Kindle 2.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The blind and print-disabled have for years utilized text-to-speech technology to read and access inform
other print disabilities from reading these e-books. This is bl
Mike Shuttic, president of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), said: “AHEAD envisions educational and societal environments that value disability and embody equality of opportunity. This vision of AHEAD is directly aligned with the efforts of this coalition. Although much rhetoric is made about potential obstacles and problems that exist, the basic goal is clear and simple––access for everyone. And why create something that prevents it?”
Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind, said: “Removing the text-to-speech features closes the door on an innovative technological solution that would make regular print books available to tens of thousands of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.”
Andrew Imparato, President and Chief Executive Officer for the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), said: “It is outrageous when a technology device shuts out people with all kinds of disabilities. AAPD works to remove barriers to accessibility and usability in technology, and we don’t expect to see people with disabilities singled out by having to pay more for access. New technologies, such as electronic books, should be available to everyone regardless of disability.”
....
The coalition includes: American Association of People with Disabilities, American Council of the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind, Association on Higher Education and Disability, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Burton Blatt Institute, Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), IDEAL Group, Inc., International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet, International Dyslexia Association, International Dyslexia Association––New York Branch, Knowledge Ecology International, Learning Disabilities Association of America, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Disability Rights Network, National Federation of the Blind, NISH, and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. In addition to the April 7
Federal Employment of People with Disabilities report released
Read it and weep.
The Federal Employment of People with Disabilities Report states that barriers to federal employment remain and that the number of people with disabilities employed is low. This language is an understatement.
Take a look at the statistics following this statement. They listed the statistics of the agencies with the highest rate of employment and those came in at a range of 2.65% for EEOC down to Education, which is 1.36% (see page 7 of the report). In 2007, the number of people with targeted disabilities employed in the total workforce was under 1%. And there's more.
From FY 1998 to FY 2007, the total workforce increased by 128,973 employees, a net change of 5.20 percent. However, the number of federal employees with targeted disabilities 1 decreased from 28,035 in FY 1998 to 23,993 in FY 2007, a net loss of 14.42 percent.
The rate of leaving the workforce was twice the usual rate, which prompted those writing the report to say that it's necessary to hire at a rate that exceeds the separation rate to raise the number of people with disabilities. (employees with targeted disabilities accounted for 0.55 percent of total new hires but 0.92 percent of separations)
The recommendations begin at page 11 of the report. They include training, more studies, marketing and allowing CAP to provide accommodations. (Good idea.)
The recommendation to job seekers with disabilities at page 13 is to seek employment in agencies with critical hiring needs (that makes sense for everyone, doesn't it and has nothing to do with disability or addressing the problems) and to seek employment in those agencies that have shown a commitment to hiring people with targeted disabilities.
This same suggestion was worded this way: One recommendation is for job seekers, encouraging people with disabilities to take advantage of the information available on opportunities in the Federal Government.
But when you read the report, it reads to seek employment in the same agencies that have the most hiring of people with disabilities. What if we want to work somewhere else and our skill base doesn't fit in those agencies? And how will that bring about change?
Despite this, the following statement was issued:
The Federal Employment of People with Disabilities Report states that barriers to federal employment remain and that the number of people with disabilities employed is low. This language is an understatement.
Take a look at the statistics following this statement. They listed the statistics of the agencies with the highest rate of employment and those came in at a range of 2.65% for EEOC down to Education, which is 1.36% (see page 7 of the report). In 2007, the number of people with targeted disabilities employed in the total workforce was under 1%. And there's more.
From FY 1998 to FY 2007, the total workforce increased by 128,973 employees, a net change of 5.20 percent. However, the number of federal employees with targeted disabilities 1 decreased from 28,035 in FY 1998 to 23,993 in FY 2007, a net loss of 14.42 percent.
The rate of leaving the workforce was twice the usual rate, which prompted those writing the report to say that it's necessary to hire at a rate that exceeds the separation rate to raise the number of people with disabilities. (employees with targeted disabilities accounted for 0.55 percent of total new hires but 0.92 percent of separations)
The recommendations begin at page 11 of the report. They include training, more studies, marketing and allowing CAP to provide accommodations. (Good idea.)
The recommendation to job seekers with disabilities at page 13 is to seek employment in agencies with critical hiring needs (that makes sense for everyone, doesn't it and has nothing to do with disability or addressing the problems) and to seek employment in those agencies that have shown a commitment to hiring people with targeted disabilities.
This same suggestion was worded this way: One recommendation is for job seekers, encouraging people with disabilities to take advantage of the information available on opportunities in the Federal Government.
But when you read the report, it reads to seek employment in the same agencies that have the most hiring of people with disabilities. What if we want to work somewhere else and our skill base doesn't fit in those agencies? And how will that bring about change?
Despite this, the following statement was issued:
NCD Employment Committee Co-Chair Linda Wetters added, “Recognition of continuing barriers to federal employment has led to some promising solutions that could create opportunities for agencies seeking qualified workers and for persons with disabilities seeking employment with the Federal Government.”
Update: Who does the Federal government hire? from Bad Cripple
Mencap report on death by indifference
A reader has asked to post a link on this.
Mencap has issued a report on death by indifference cases involving people with disabilities. Serious failure to provide minimal health care, such as feeding or assessment of physical care, led to the death of these six individuals. Full reports are linked to at the site.
The site also includes an audio version of the report.
Mencap has issued a report on death by indifference cases involving people with disabilities. Serious failure to provide minimal health care, such as feeding or assessment of physical care, led to the death of these six individuals. Full reports are linked to at the site.
The site also includes an audio version of the report.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Obama signs the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act
A new law signed today will "coordinate research on paralysis and rehabilitation", according to USA Today.
The Reeve measure is intended to improve coordination of research and treatment for paralyzed persons and others with disabilities. The late Christopher Reeve became an advocate for embryonic stem-cell research after he was paralyzed in a 1995 horseback riding accident in Virginia. Reeve died in 2004 of heart failure.
The Reeve measure is intended to improve coordination of research and treatment for paralyzed persons and others with disabilities. The late Christopher Reeve became an advocate for embryonic stem-cell research after he was paralyzed in a 1995 horseback riding accident in Virginia. Reeve died in 2004 of heart failure.
Obama said the new law "will connect the best minds and best practices from the best labs in the country and focus their endeavors through collaborative scientific research into the cure for paralysis, saving effort, money and, most importantly, time."
The law designates the National Institutes of Health to coordinate research and work with other agencies and private groups to enhance paralysis research, rehabilitation and treatment programs.
National Council on Disability Opens Phone Access for Release of Two Reports
NCD Opens Telephone Access for Release of Two Reports: Federal Employment of People with Disabilities and National Disability Policy: A Progress Report
In response to numerous requests, NCD has arranged for telephone access for those who would like to listen to the release proceedings of two important NCD reports on March 31, 2009, at the NCD quarterly meeting in Washington.
The toll-free, call-in, listen-only number for each event is 888-790-6568, and the pass code is “NCD Meeting.”
The two releases include
1. Federal Employment of People with Disabilities (An evaluation of the employment of people with disabilities within the Federal Government):
10:15 a.m. EDT – 11:00 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Speaker:
Susan Parker, Director of Policy Development, Office of Disability Employment
2. National Disability Policy: A Progress Report (This is the mandated report to the President and Congress prepared by the Council which includes 17 recommendations):
3:45 p.m. EDT – 5:00 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Speakers:
Elizabeth Leef, Policy Analyst, National Council on Independent Living
John D. Kemp, Principal, Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville
Peter Thomas, Principal, Principal, Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville; Co-Chair, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Health Task Force
Specific times are also designated to receive public comment, supported by a toll-free call-in line, and input is encouraged and greatly appreciated. Individuals or organizations can also provide written comments by e-mail, fax, or mail. Public comment sessions will be held Monday, March 30 from 11:30 a.m. until noon EDT, and on Tuesday, March 31 from 1 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. EDT. The toll-free call-in number is 888-790-6568, and the pass code is “NCD Meeting.”
The reports will be posted prior to each release at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/index.htm.
via NCD list serve
A fearless principal heads a revolutionary school for inner city youths
via YouTube:
ACCELERATING AMERICA tells the story of a revolutionary school in Rhode Island that gives inner-city youths who are at risk of dropping out a second chance by accelerating their studies. At the head of the school is a fearless principal, Robert DeBlois, who as a quadriplegic knows something about overcoming adversity.
He offers 130 middle school students a chance to catch up by completing two years of studies in one. The longer trailer states that without this intervention, 80 per cent of the students will drop out of school by the age of 16.
For more information, visit the film's site.
ACCELERATING AMERICA tells the story of a revolutionary school in Rhode Island that gives inner-city youths who are at risk of dropping out a second chance by accelerating their studies. At the head of the school is a fearless principal, Robert DeBlois, who as a quadriplegic knows something about overcoming adversity.
He offers 130 middle school students a chance to catch up by completing two years of studies in one. The longer trailer states that without this intervention, 80 per cent of the students will drop out of school by the age of 16.
For more information, visit the film's site.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Bus route closings affect most vulnerable
Those with disabilities and the poor are devastated by the cutbacks to bus routes in the St. Louis area, eliminating their only form of transportation, reports CNN. A reporter who rode the route writes about a couple in wheelchairs who are losing their form of transportation, as the result of one of two dozen routes being cut as of March 30. [Related: Commuters Already Trying to Cope Before Cutbacks]
Riding the buses this week offered a glimpse at the impact.
At one stop Wednesday, a handful of developmentally disabled passengers boarded outside a local facility where they work. One told CNN she optimistic "something will get done about it" but said she isn't sure how she is supposed to get around after Friday.
200 drivers will also lose their jobs. The stimulus money, the reporter noted, can't be used for operational costs.Fabulous blogger award
I've received the Fabulous Blogger Award from Processing Counselor- thanks so much! And now it's time to pass it on:Thanks -- you have the best links!
And that's one reason I've given you a Fabulous Blogger award at my place. Here are the rules: You must pass it on to 5 other Fabulous Bloggers in a post. (You might find their email addresses on their Profile page or, if not available, post as a "comment" to their latest post.) You must include the person who gave you the award, and link back to them. You must list 5 of your Fabulous Addictions in the post. You must copy and paste these rules in the post. Right click the Award icon and save it to your computer, then post with your own awards.
So here are my 5 nominees:
1. More Meredith Gould: Meredith writes with wit, humor and faith on her blog when she's not writing books and has the best piece on the Vatican turtle.
2. The Gimpy Girls: These gals write about solutions for baby boomers, the disabled and the Just Plain Lazy- another witty blog with practical suggestions!
3. Barriers, Bridges and Books: Terri writes with passion and insight about disability issues affecting all communities. She is the parent of a child with a disability and also a nurse and brings her experiences to her blog in such a helpful way that I often suggest it to parents
4. Midlife and Treachery: who writes brilliantly about inclusion at church with passages like this:
I did make it to church last weekend without getting gut sick.
[I haven't made a big deal about the sickness over there...but the speaker/officiant didn't need to squeeze my shoulder in support on their way to the pulpit the way that they did...or actually hug me (carefully) as I waited for the gimp bus to go back home...but they did.
It made me pretty (privately) emotional, a relative stranger just being nice.
5. Nick's Crusade: Nick is waiting on paperwork for his home care so he can come home after being in the hospital for six months and somehow manages to run blogswarms from his bed. 'nuff said.
As for my five addictions:
1. chocolate
2. movies - I like reading Roger Ebert's column and he's a fabulous blogger too!
3. sports! especially women's basketball
4. books - I'm always reading at least six to ten books simultaneously
5. folk music - I like to find new artists and just listen to their music
[visual description: The Fabulous Blog logo is shown. It reads Your Blog is Fabulous! over the image of a woman dressed in high fashion who has a small dog on a leash.]
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Ah yes, those so called "access" signs!
see more pwn and owned pictures
visual description: a steep concrete staircase is photographed with a sign that shows a handicap logo and the words public toilets beneath it and an arrow pointing down the stairs. The word FAIL is in the upper left side of the photo, which is from failblog.org
h/t Nick's Crusade
Song, brownies and wonder
Give me music and brownies and I'm happy.
I was over at the Unitarian church last night, seeing Craig Rubano, a Broadway talent, perform. He played lover Marius Pontmercy in Les Miserables for years and now attends theological seminary, which means if you like his music, by all means buy his CD's, available at his site and on amazon. He's a tremendous talent and puts on a great show, although these days he spends most of his time reading and studying.
I know he's an ally, because he spent a few minutes talking to my friend Sue's guide dog, Wonder. He also spoke about Cole Porter and his forty or so surgeries resulting in disability as he penned song after song after song.
I particularly loved Craig's Spanish-English version of the Impossible Dream last night, influenced in part by the fact that he grew up in Buenos Aires.
And the brownies. Whoever made the brownies, they were great.
And I want to thank my dear friend who treated me to the ticket for my birthday. A trip through Broadway was just what I needed, how did you know?
I was over at the Unitarian church last night, seeing Craig Rubano, a Broadway talent, perform. He played lover Marius Pontmercy in Les Miserables for years and now attends theological seminary, which means if you like his music, by all means buy his CD's, available at his site and on amazon. He's a tremendous talent and puts on a great show, although these days he spends most of his time reading and studying.
I know he's an ally, because he spent a few minutes talking to my friend Sue's guide dog, Wonder. He also spoke about Cole Porter and his forty or so surgeries resulting in disability as he penned song after song after song.
I particularly loved Craig's Spanish-English version of the Impossible Dream last night, influenced in part by the fact that he grew up in Buenos Aires.
And the brownies. Whoever made the brownies, they were great.
And I want to thank my dear friend who treated me to the ticket for my birthday. A trip through Broadway was just what I needed, how did you know?
Friday, March 27, 2009
So what do you do for exercise?
I met a fellow yesterday who lives with a back injury. He was told to exercise and this has helped him a great deal.
So, after we were introduced, his first question to me was "Do you do any exercise?"
As my friend helped me take my coat off, I responded that I played wheelchair tennis for over a decade. And he said "So what do you do for exercise now?"
I wanted to reply that I get dressed, transfer into bed, activities which can take upwards of thirty minutes. Instead I told him I do exercises at home now, although I know that some of the activities I do really do more to help maintain my function as a quadriplegic.
He clearly wasn't impressed by my at-home exercise program. But there are reasons I don't use gyms. Gyms don't have the machines I need to exercise independently, such as the Uppertone system. Doing an activity like swimming or those which would require bringing an attendant would mean paying them. Not to mention that the cost of a gym membership is prohibitive, at least for me right now, on top of the costs I already have for my disability.
As I was thinking this, I looked down at my power chair and grinned, wondering if perhaps I should do without that so I can go tone at the gym instead. Nah.
The reality is that there are exercises you can do without going to a gym. For those of us with disabilities who find the cost factor of a gym membership out of range, it's possible to set up an exercise program at home after consulting with a PT, OT or your doctor. That ensures safety and reasonable expectations, especially when it comes to lifting weights.
I always put on music I enjoy while exercising. It may not be as much fun as going to a gym, but I still get the benefits.
And I get to keep my power chair without the cost of that gym membership. Whew.
So, after we were introduced, his first question to me was "Do you do any exercise?"
As my friend helped me take my coat off, I responded that I played wheelchair tennis for over a decade. And he said "So what do you do for exercise now?"
I wanted to reply that I get dressed, transfer into bed, activities which can take upwards of thirty minutes. Instead I told him I do exercises at home now, although I know that some of the activities I do really do more to help maintain my function as a quadriplegic.
He clearly wasn't impressed by my at-home exercise program. But there are reasons I don't use gyms. Gyms don't have the machines I need to exercise independently, such as the Uppertone system. Doing an activity like swimming or those which would require bringing an attendant would mean paying them. Not to mention that the cost of a gym membership is prohibitive, at least for me right now, on top of the costs I already have for my disability.
As I was thinking this, I looked down at my power chair and grinned, wondering if perhaps I should do without that so I can go tone at the gym instead. Nah.
The reality is that there are exercises you can do without going to a gym. For those of us with disabilities who find the cost factor of a gym membership out of range, it's possible to set up an exercise program at home after consulting with a PT, OT or your doctor. That ensures safety and reasonable expectations, especially when it comes to lifting weights.
I always put on music I enjoy while exercising. It may not be as much fun as going to a gym, but I still get the benefits.
And I get to keep my power chair without the cost of that gym membership. Whew.
The Voices of Spinal Cord Injury
This NY Times interactive features people with spinal cord injuries, who talk about their experiences, their feelings, and their lives. What they say may surprise you.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
National Council on Disability - a chance to participate!
The National Council on Disability invites you to provide comments on important issues via their toll free call in line, email, fax or mail.
Public comment sessions will be held Monday, March 30 from 11:30 a.m. until noon (EDT: undefined, undefined, undefined%), and on Tuesday, March 31 from 1:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. The toll-free call-in number is 888-790-6568, and the pass code is "NCD Meeting."
from the National Council on Disability Monthly Bulletin for March 2009 via foxbusiness.com
Public comment sessions will be held Monday, March 30 from 11:30 a.m. until noon (EDT: undefined, undefined, undefined%), and on Tuesday, March 31 from 1:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. The toll-free call-in number is 888-790-6568, and the pass code is "NCD Meeting."
from the National Council on Disability Monthly Bulletin for March 2009 via foxbusiness.com
On Tuesday, March 31, NCD will hear from Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, who will brief the Council on Administration policies regarding disability. Later that morning, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., NCD will release a paper entitled Federal Employment of People with Disabilities, which examines the status of employment of people with disabilities in the Federal Government and makes recommendations for improving federal hiring and advancement of employees with disabilities. This paper follows on the heels of a similar Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report issued in 2008 which called attention to the problem and also raised alarm about the diminishing percentage of federal employees with disabilities over the past few years.
On Tuesday afternoon, from 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., NCD will release its annual report to the President and Congress entitled National Disability Policy: A Progress Report, which is a congressionally-mandated snapshot of the current state of disability in the United States. Also on Tuesday afternoon, NCD will hear from congressional staff members about the latest news from Capitol Hill, and will host a reception at the meeting location beginning at 5:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet NCD members and staff and offer your comments during the public comment sessions.
The agenda will also include sessions on emergency preparedness, healthcare, employment, housing, civil rights and several other subjects of interest to the disability community.
The Council's website is located here and I've added it to the blogroll.
Additional contact information from their site:
Contact Information:
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW,
Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004
202-272-2004 Voice
202-272-2074 TTY
202-272-2022 Fax
Comments and Feedback:
ncd@ncd.gov
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Terri Schiavo documentary now in DVD
Media dis&dat reports that a documentary about Terri Schiavo has now been released in DVD. Entitled the Terri Schiavo story, the film was first produced as an episode for the Joni & Friends television series, and Joni Tada was involved in the real life story.
“The story remains relevant because there are countless people like Terri Schiavo whose lives are in grave danger because of unclear custody and guardianship laws,” Tada said. “Plus, more states (under futile care policy directives) are quietly removing the feeding tubes from brain-injured people when families abandon their responsibilities. Feeding tubes are providing basic care, not medical treatment.
“I hope that people understand that Terri Schiavo’s story is really our story,” Tada said in the release. “We have a special obligation to protect the weak and vulnerable in our society. We have a responsibility to uphold their human dignity—because we are of equal dignity, we are not at each other’s disposal. The weak and the vulnerable need their rights safeguarded and protected... we must not allow them to become eroded. For when we do, we are jeopardizing the rights of us all.”
via FloridaBaptistWitness.com
Visit here for the site of the movie.
h/t Media dis&dat
“The story remains relevant because there are countless people like Terri Schiavo whose lives are in grave danger because of unclear custody and guardianship laws,” Tada said. “Plus, more states (under futile care policy directives) are quietly removing the feeding tubes from brain-injured people when families abandon their responsibilities. Feeding tubes are providing basic care, not medical treatment.
“I hope that people understand that Terri Schiavo’s story is really our story,” Tada said in the release. “We have a special obligation to protect the weak and vulnerable in our society. We have a responsibility to uphold their human dignity—because we are of equal dignity, we are not at each other’s disposal. The weak and the vulnerable need their rights safeguarded and protected... we must not allow them to become eroded. For when we do, we are jeopardizing the rights of us all.”
via FloridaBaptistWitness.com
Visit here for the site of the movie.
h/t Media dis&dat
Thanks, Shakesville
Thanks to my friends over at Shakesville for their support of the Community Choice Act and their action after reading my guest post.
Here's a link to an audio of Sen. Tom Harkin reintroducing the bill yesterday.
Here's a link to an audio of Sen. Tom Harkin reintroducing the bill yesterday.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Why we need the Community Choice Act
In my post yesterday, I wrote about the reintroduction today of the Community Choice Act and linked to testimony by people with disabilities who were put in nursing homes. Reading their stories is chilling to anyone who values their freedom and autonomy. The waste of human potential when people are forced into institutions is, as the UCCB wrote in their letter supporting this bill, against our Catholic beliefs.
But the question may remain for some - - what does community care do for a person with a disability? I live independently with the help of an aide forty hours a week. Some people think that having an aide is no different than having a maid - or is something that can be replaced by other services. This isn't true and is why people have wound up in nursing homes when they can't get funding for an aide in their home.
The reality is that aides provide help that fills in the cracks so a person with a disability can remain living at home. They don't just prepare food, they also feed you if you need that. They help you dress and shower. Aides empty catheter bags, they help with using a lift, they help with transfers, and they sit patiently and turn pages so you can read your mail. They dial phones, open mail, pay bills, run errands, shop, help you get to the doctor and show up at midnight if you have a flood from a plumbing issue. They fill wheelchair tires with air and cut up food.
And their help not only keeps people in their home, it keeps them working and paying taxes. The cost of in home help is cheaper than institutionalized care. It is more flexible and tailored, through a plan of service, to the needs of the person so that costs are kept down. Other available services are used, when possible, along with the services of the aide. There may be volunteers or programs that deliver meals. In the long run, keeping people with disabilities in the community simply costs much less and promotes the dignity and well being of the person.
It's a win-win.
The Community Choice Act will also help families with children with disabilities and seniors. This is a bill that promotes our belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every person and their value to their families and communities. It can end shutting the door on lives, premature deaths and the heartbreak of exclusionary treatment through forced institutionalization. And, in addition to all of that, it provides alternatives to the expensive institutionalized care now thrust upon people.
The only reason I can work and be productive is because of the community care I've received. I know many people with disabilities who were institutionalized and came back as much different people and some who gave up and died in nursing homes at young ages. I've seen mothers and fathers have to put their child with a disability in a nursing home because they couldn't get aides. The heartbreak of these situations can't be described, but needs to be stopped.
As someone who's been blessed and fortunate to stay in the community, I ask you to take the time to read about this bill in my post and support it by writing your representatives in Washington DC and asking them to co-sponsor and support this bill.
But the question may remain for some - - what does community care do for a person with a disability? I live independently with the help of an aide forty hours a week. Some people think that having an aide is no different than having a maid - or is something that can be replaced by other services. This isn't true and is why people have wound up in nursing homes when they can't get funding for an aide in their home.
The reality is that aides provide help that fills in the cracks so a person with a disability can remain living at home. They don't just prepare food, they also feed you if you need that. They help you dress and shower. Aides empty catheter bags, they help with using a lift, they help with transfers, and they sit patiently and turn pages so you can read your mail. They dial phones, open mail, pay bills, run errands, shop, help you get to the doctor and show up at midnight if you have a flood from a plumbing issue. They fill wheelchair tires with air and cut up food.
And their help not only keeps people in their home, it keeps them working and paying taxes. The cost of in home help is cheaper than institutionalized care. It is more flexible and tailored, through a plan of service, to the needs of the person so that costs are kept down. Other available services are used, when possible, along with the services of the aide. There may be volunteers or programs that deliver meals. In the long run, keeping people with disabilities in the community simply costs much less and promotes the dignity and well being of the person.
It's a win-win.
The Community Choice Act will also help families with children with disabilities and seniors. This is a bill that promotes our belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every person and their value to their families and communities. It can end shutting the door on lives, premature deaths and the heartbreak of exclusionary treatment through forced institutionalization. And, in addition to all of that, it provides alternatives to the expensive institutionalized care now thrust upon people.
The only reason I can work and be productive is because of the community care I've received. I know many people with disabilities who were institutionalized and came back as much different people and some who gave up and died in nursing homes at young ages. I've seen mothers and fathers have to put their child with a disability in a nursing home because they couldn't get aides. The heartbreak of these situations can't be described, but needs to be stopped.
As someone who's been blessed and fortunate to stay in the community, I ask you to take the time to read about this bill in my post and support it by writing your representatives in Washington DC and asking them to co-sponsor and support this bill.
Investigation of homeless crime will emphasize whether motivated by discriminatory attitudes toward disabilities
A few miscellaneous homeless videos and articles in the news, first.
Students at FGCU spent the night on campus in boxes as part of raising awareness for homelessness. One student couldn't use the box - she had experienced homelessness already.
The students now plan to take action on the issue.
In Baltimore, where homelessness has increased by 12 per cnnt over two years, the city council approved a proposal for a 275 bed shelter. Services for the homeless are needed in rural areas.
In other places, tent cities are sprouting up. Homelessness is increasingly becoming a problem for schools and their students.A promotional campaign will "encourage more compassion for people living on the street" in L.A. to cut down on crime against the homeless.
In the hate crime training it provides to law enforcement agencies, the commission will also place an emphasis on investigating whether a crime against a homeless person is motivated by discriminatory attitudes toward mental and physical disabilities.
Students at FGCU spent the night on campus in boxes as part of raising awareness for homelessness. One student couldn't use the box - she had experienced homelessness already.
The students now plan to take action on the issue.
In Baltimore, where homelessness has increased by 12 per cnnt over two years, the city council approved a proposal for a 275 bed shelter. Services for the homeless are needed in rural areas.
In other places, tent cities are sprouting up. Homelessness is increasingly becoming a problem for schools and their students.A promotional campaign will "encourage more compassion for people living on the street" in L.A. to cut down on crime against the homeless.
In the hate crime training it provides to law enforcement agencies, the commission will also place an emphasis on investigating whether a crime against a homeless person is motivated by discriminatory attitudes toward mental and physical disabilities.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Community Choice Act reintroduced tomorrow
The Community Choice Act will be reintroduced tomorrow in Congress. It provides alternatives to nursing homes and other institutions for those with disabilities, offering a solution to our present system.
Our long term care system has a heavy institutional bias. Every state that receives Medicaid MUST provide nursing home services, but community based services are optional. Sixty seven (67%) percent of Medicaid long term care dollars pay for institutional services, while the remaining thirty three (33%) must cover all the community based waivers, optional programs, etc. via adapt.org/casaintr.htm
ADAPT points out that this bill doesn't create a new entitlement, but allows flexibility for alternative care. Community services cost less than institutional care and this bill would allow us to explore more cost efficient ways of care. Community care allows recipients to remain working and in the community.
The Justice for All blog notes that the CCA is being reintroduced right before the 10 year anniversary of State v. Olmstead, which held that forced institutionalization is discrimination.
Related:
National Report from 2006 Hearing on ending the institutional bias (includes testimony from people with disabilities who have been instutionalized)
Letter in Support of Community Choice Act from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, dated June 5, 2007 (pdf file) which reads in part:
"In recent decades, our Church has come to a greater understanding of the needs of our brothers and sisters with disabilities. In 1978, the bishops issued their Pastoral Statement on People with Disabilities. In that statement, the bishops called upon all people of good will to work with people with disabilities to improve their living conditions and ensure that each individual is able to achieve the fullest measure of personal development of which he or she is capable. It is in that spirit that we are pleased to support the Community Choice Act. With the services that the bill would make available, more people with disabilities will be able to move from institutional care to lives of independence in their communities."
Nick's blog post about the importance of the CCA, which asks:
Who is more disabled? The successful banker who happens to be quadriplegic, and gets up each weekday (with the help of assistants) and goes to work, contributing to the community and pulling down over $100,000 a year? Or the dude who still lives in his mom’s basement, who can do chin-ups, run and jump, but is unwilling or unable to contribute to society? Who is more disabled?
Waiting
Our long term care system has a heavy institutional bias. Every state that receives Medicaid MUST provide nursing home services, but community based services are optional. Sixty seven (67%) percent of Medicaid long term care dollars pay for institutional services, while the remaining thirty three (33%) must cover all the community based waivers, optional programs, etc. via adapt.org/casaintr.htm
ADAPT points out that this bill doesn't create a new entitlement, but allows flexibility for alternative care. Community services cost less than institutional care and this bill would allow us to explore more cost efficient ways of care. Community care allows recipients to remain working and in the community.
The Justice for All blog notes that the CCA is being reintroduced right before the 10 year anniversary of State v. Olmstead, which held that forced institutionalization is discrimination.
Related:
National Report from 2006 Hearing on ending the institutional bias (includes testimony from people with disabilities who have been instutionalized)
Letter in Support of Community Choice Act from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, dated June 5, 2007 (pdf file) which reads in part:
"In recent decades, our Church has come to a greater understanding of the needs of our brothers and sisters with disabilities. In 1978, the bishops issued their Pastoral Statement on People with Disabilities. In that statement, the bishops called upon all people of good will to work with people with disabilities to improve their living conditions and ensure that each individual is able to achieve the fullest measure of personal development of which he or she is capable. It is in that spirit that we are pleased to support the Community Choice Act. With the services that the bill would make available, more people with disabilities will be able to move from institutional care to lives of independence in their communities."
Nick's blog post about the importance of the CCA, which asks:
Who is more disabled? The successful banker who happens to be quadriplegic, and gets up each weekday (with the help of assistants) and goes to work, contributing to the community and pulling down over $100,000 a year? Or the dude who still lives in his mom’s basement, who can do chin-ups, run and jump, but is unwilling or unable to contribute to society? Who is more disabled?
Waiting
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Gethsemane's Lesson
Have you not seen enough tears,
heard enough feverish prayers for mercy
to know that Gethsemane’s lesson remains unlearnt
that a soul, forsaken, abandoned by humans too weak
to witness suffering is Supremely Comforted
There is no alone
Mysteries confound those who seek only to understand
just as miracles inspire those who believe
and you, the one who confesses with reservation
a sinner who thinks repentance is outdated
who secretly believes you haven’t read the right books
do you think God cares about footnotes
The divine trinity leads you in circles
if you intone Father Son and Holy Spirit
yet turn your head from the suffering of your brother or sister
There is no alone
Jesus wept at Gethsemane
for those who turned away.
heard enough feverish prayers for mercy
to know that Gethsemane’s lesson remains unlearnt
that a soul, forsaken, abandoned by humans too weak
to witness suffering is Supremely Comforted
There is no alone
Mysteries confound those who seek only to understand
just as miracles inspire those who believe
and you, the one who confesses with reservation
a sinner who thinks repentance is outdated
who secretly believes you haven’t read the right books
do you think God cares about footnotes
The divine trinity leads you in circles
if you intone Father Son and Holy Spirit
yet turn your head from the suffering of your brother or sister
There is no alone
Jesus wept at Gethsemane
for those who turned away.
Nancy Eisland, Theologian and Sociologist, Dies at 44
Nancy Eisland, author of “The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability,” has died.
She pointed to the scene described in Luke 24:36-39 in which the risen Jesus invites his disciples to touch his wounds.
“In presenting his impaired body to his startled friends, the resurrected Jesus is revealed as the disabled God,” she wrote. God remains a God the disabled can identify with, she argued — he is not cured and made whole; his injury is part of him, neither a divine punishment nor an opportunity for healing.
Ms. Eiesland (pronounced EES-lund), who was an associate professor at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, died not of her congenital bone condition, nor of the spinal scoliosis that necessitated still more surgery in 2002, but of a possibly genetic lung cancer, said her husband, Terry.
via NYTimes.com
She pointed to the scene described in Luke 24:36-39 in which the risen Jesus invites his disciples to touch his wounds.
“In presenting his impaired body to his startled friends, the resurrected Jesus is revealed as the disabled God,” she wrote. God remains a God the disabled can identify with, she argued — he is not cured and made whole; his injury is part of him, neither a divine punishment nor an opportunity for healing.
Ms. Eiesland (pronounced EES-lund), who was an associate professor at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, died not of her congenital bone condition, nor of the spinal scoliosis that necessitated still more surgery in 2002, but of a possibly genetic lung cancer, said her husband, Terry.
via NYTimes.com
Saturday, March 21, 2009
4 residents die in fire in NY group home
An early morning fire took the lives of four residents with developmental disabilities at the Riverview state-run home in the southern Adirondacks.
They are: 52-year-old Anthony Vitti, 60-year-old Theresa Williams, 43-year-old Gloria Bonilla, and 32-year-old Corey Desotelle.
Five of the home's nine residents survived. One, 71-year-old Blaine Edwards, is being treated at a Utica hospital. The other four were relocated to another home. The two staff members also survived.
According to the article, five of the nine residents were plaintiffs in NYCLU's landmark class action suit over inhumane conditions at Willowbrook State School in 1972.
An investigation of the fire was called for by NYCLU "claiming a sprinkler system was knocked out immediately - possibly because a generator was too small."
They are: 52-year-old Anthony Vitti, 60-year-old Theresa Williams, 43-year-old Gloria Bonilla, and 32-year-old Corey Desotelle.
Five of the home's nine residents survived. One, 71-year-old Blaine Edwards, is being treated at a Utica hospital. The other four were relocated to another home. The two staff members also survived.
According to the article, five of the nine residents were plaintiffs in NYCLU's landmark class action suit over inhumane conditions at Willowbrook State School in 1972.
An investigation of the fire was called for by NYCLU "claiming a sprinkler system was knocked out immediately - possibly because a generator was too small."
DJ's Dream
They said it couldn't be done when D.J. Gregory, who has cerebral palsy, decided to walk the entire 2008 professional golf tour. He did it - and talks about why.
The question
Hours before the Leno show was taped, at the town hall meeting in L.A., Gary Karp, author and activist, asked President Obama a question:
Q I’m Gary Carr [sic], and Mr. President, thank God for you. (Applause.) Sir, my question regards the true renaissance that’s happening with people with disabilities. They are an emerging population — millions of people with more potential in capacity, more mobile, more educated, more healthy, more empowered technology, but still trapped in very, very old social models that see them in terms of tragedy and charity and need and care. And the modern population of people with disabilities simply does not fit that model.
And as your plan succeeds and you generate these jobs, and as baby boomers retire, we’re going to need every single person of capacity to work that we can. And that must include many, many, many thousands, if not millions, of people with disabilities. (Applause.)
So — I see you nodding your head, so my first question is, do you subscribe to what I’m saying, and next of all, can you talk about how your disability agenda will release this emerging potential that’s currently wasted and untapped?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, you are exactly right, that we need everybody. And every program that we have has to be thinking on the front end, how do we make sure that it is inclusive, and building into it our ability to draw on the capacities of persons with disabilities.
That’s true on the education front, where our recovery package increases funding for children with disabilities. It is true in terms of how Hilda Solis, our Secretary of Labor, will be thinking about our training programs, to make sure that we are not excluding from training for high-tech jobs, the new jobs of the future, persons with disability.
It means enforcing the ADA and fighting back on some court opinions that have tried to narrow in ways that I think are inappropriate the original intent of that legislation.
So one of the things that I think is important is to make sure, as you pointed out, that we don’t see this as an afterthought, a segregated program, but we are infusing every department, every agency, every act that we take with a mindfulness about the importance of persons with disabilities, their skills, their talents, their capacity.
That I think is the approach that my administration is going to take, and we hope that by taking that approach that attitude will infuse state and local governments that are also receiving federal money. Okay? (Applause.)
The president spoke about infusing 'every department, every agency, every act that we take with a mindfulness about the importance of persons with disabilities, their skills, their talents, their capacity.' Hours later, he made the Special Olympics joke.
Negative attitudes toward those with disabilities are so ingrained that many who watched the show tell me they didn't even notice the joke. Of course not. We hear these kinds of jokes every day. People with disabilities are still openly mocked. Many who would recoil with horror at being called bigots still laugh at jokes like this and still make jokes like this.
Raising this topic inevitably brings a knee jerk reaction from some who cry out that we are thin-skinned, overly sensitive. They fail to make the connections between the underlying negative attitudes toward people with disabilities that dehumanize them and the fact that it leads to subhuman treatment. We don't even call crimes against the disabled that. We call it neglect when a person with a disability is found living in circumstances that horrify us and are considered criminal for others. When our institutions fail people with disabilities, whether through abuse or neglect, we as a society fail to address it until the media becomes involved and, even then, take years to address one instance. We pay caregivers for people with disabilities such low wages that many go hungry or dirty. Thank God I don't have to live like that, people say.
No wonder jokes like this abound. It's the tip of the iceberg of what's really going on in our treatment of people with disabilities. In fact, we are so busy as a society laughing at these jokes that we don't even take time to look at solutions to the problem. What if we changed our attitudes and took the issue of employment of people with disabilities seriously? What if we built housing that was accessible and provided transportation that was both affordable and available? What if we stopped making jokes about the Special Olympics and volunteered for it instead? What if we started looking at the potential of people with disabilities rather than warehousing them and excluding them from opportunities?
This would require change. First, people would have to realize that joking about disability is adolescent and dehumanizing. They'd have to believe that people with disabilities are fully human, with the same inherent dignity and worth as - well - the able bodied. Some people don't believe this. Others believe they believe it, but they laugh along. They would deny they believe stereotypes, but they laugh at them all the same. And their children laugh along, perpetuating this behavior.
Perhaps some people are laughing out of embarrassment at the way people with disabilities are treated. Unfortunately, although some of those laughing may simply need to change their attitude and are open to change, others are true bigots. These kinds of jokes just encourage them in their bigotry and reinforce their contempt for people with disabilities.
Wasted and untapped. That's how Gary Karp described the potential of people with disabilities. It's so true. I see it in so many lives. I've cried many tears about it.
But, no, I've never ever found it amusing.
The level of suffering caused by our nation's failure to address the needs of people with disabilities so they can attain their potential is staggering.
I hope people can hear the question being asked over the laughter.
Q I’m Gary Carr [sic], and Mr. President, thank God for you. (Applause.) Sir, my question regards the true renaissance that’s happening with people with disabilities. They are an emerging population — millions of people with more potential in capacity, more mobile, more educated, more healthy, more empowered technology, but still trapped in very, very old social models that see them in terms of tragedy and charity and need and care. And the modern population of people with disabilities simply does not fit that model.
And as your plan succeeds and you generate these jobs, and as baby boomers retire, we’re going to need every single person of capacity to work that we can. And that must include many, many, many thousands, if not millions, of people with disabilities. (Applause.)
So — I see you nodding your head, so my first question is, do you subscribe to what I’m saying, and next of all, can you talk about how your disability agenda will release this emerging potential that’s currently wasted and untapped?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, you are exactly right, that we need everybody. And every program that we have has to be thinking on the front end, how do we make sure that it is inclusive, and building into it our ability to draw on the capacities of persons with disabilities.
That’s true on the education front, where our recovery package increases funding for children with disabilities. It is true in terms of how Hilda Solis, our Secretary of Labor, will be thinking about our training programs, to make sure that we are not excluding from training for high-tech jobs, the new jobs of the future, persons with disability.
It means enforcing the ADA and fighting back on some court opinions that have tried to narrow in ways that I think are inappropriate the original intent of that legislation.
So one of the things that I think is important is to make sure, as you pointed out, that we don’t see this as an afterthought, a segregated program, but we are infusing every department, every agency, every act that we take with a mindfulness about the importance of persons with disabilities, their skills, their talents, their capacity.
That I think is the approach that my administration is going to take, and we hope that by taking that approach that attitude will infuse state and local governments that are also receiving federal money. Okay? (Applause.)
The president spoke about infusing 'every department, every agency, every act that we take with a mindfulness about the importance of persons with disabilities, their skills, their talents, their capacity.' Hours later, he made the Special Olympics joke.
Negative attitudes toward those with disabilities are so ingrained that many who watched the show tell me they didn't even notice the joke. Of course not. We hear these kinds of jokes every day. People with disabilities are still openly mocked. Many who would recoil with horror at being called bigots still laugh at jokes like this and still make jokes like this.
Raising this topic inevitably brings a knee jerk reaction from some who cry out that we are thin-skinned, overly sensitive. They fail to make the connections between the underlying negative attitudes toward people with disabilities that dehumanize them and the fact that it leads to subhuman treatment. We don't even call crimes against the disabled that. We call it neglect when a person with a disability is found living in circumstances that horrify us and are considered criminal for others. When our institutions fail people with disabilities, whether through abuse or neglect, we as a society fail to address it until the media becomes involved and, even then, take years to address one instance. We pay caregivers for people with disabilities such low wages that many go hungry or dirty. Thank God I don't have to live like that, people say.
No wonder jokes like this abound. It's the tip of the iceberg of what's really going on in our treatment of people with disabilities. In fact, we are so busy as a society laughing at these jokes that we don't even take time to look at solutions to the problem. What if we changed our attitudes and took the issue of employment of people with disabilities seriously? What if we built housing that was accessible and provided transportation that was both affordable and available? What if we stopped making jokes about the Special Olympics and volunteered for it instead? What if we started looking at the potential of people with disabilities rather than warehousing them and excluding them from opportunities?
This would require change. First, people would have to realize that joking about disability is adolescent and dehumanizing. They'd have to believe that people with disabilities are fully human, with the same inherent dignity and worth as - well - the able bodied. Some people don't believe this. Others believe they believe it, but they laugh along. They would deny they believe stereotypes, but they laugh at them all the same. And their children laugh along, perpetuating this behavior.
Perhaps some people are laughing out of embarrassment at the way people with disabilities are treated. Unfortunately, although some of those laughing may simply need to change their attitude and are open to change, others are true bigots. These kinds of jokes just encourage them in their bigotry and reinforce their contempt for people with disabilities.
Wasted and untapped. That's how Gary Karp described the potential of people with disabilities. It's so true. I see it in so many lives. I've cried many tears about it.
But, no, I've never ever found it amusing.
The level of suffering caused by our nation's failure to address the needs of people with disabilities so they can attain their potential is staggering.
I hope people can hear the question being asked over the laughter.
Friday, March 20, 2009
President apologizes for Special Olympics remark on Leno
The President called Tim Shriver of Special Olympics last night from Air Force One to apologize for his inappropriate remark on the Leno show about Special Olympics, which he referred to when speaking about his bowling. Shriver said he hopes this can be a "teachable moment" for the country.
"He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population," Shriver said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America." Obama, Shriver said, wants to have some Special Olympic athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.
Still, Shriver said, "I think it's important to see that words hurt and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seem as humiliating or a put down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes."
via Associated Press
Pitt Rehab covered the story this morning with a post and a video.
And Terri writes about how even our friends don't recognize ableism. She also writes about opportunities that exist this month to do things that matter.
UPDATE: Thanks to Media dis&dat, which provided a roundup of disability bloggers' responses
"He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population," Shriver said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America." Obama, Shriver said, wants to have some Special Olympic athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.
Still, Shriver said, "I think it's important to see that words hurt and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be seem as humiliating or a put down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes."
via Associated Press
Pitt Rehab covered the story this morning with a post and a video.
And Terri writes about how even our friends don't recognize ableism. She also writes about opportunities that exist this month to do things that matter.
UPDATE: Thanks to Media dis&dat, which provided a roundup of disability bloggers' responses
Fast tracking production of electric vehicles: what about the safety issues for pedestrians?
Ford's electric Focus that will roll out for sale in early 2011 was made by a company named Magna. It's purely electric - and goes 100 miles without recharging, while the Chevy Volt goes 40 miles on electric before going on gas. The Focus uses no gas reserve. Ford is also introducing a small electric work van next year that was also made by an outside supplier.
Magna plans to sell the system used on the Focus to others, part of their deal with Ford, which lowers Ford's cost. Using Magna has allowed Ford to bring the car to market quicker.
The pedestrian safety issues are addressed in this video. The Ford representative minimizes the issue and says "We'll be prepared, when the vehicle goes into production, to address that issue."
They need to be held to this, since these cars, as well as hybrids, present an enormous mobility and safety issue to legally blind pedestrians and others.
Related: That Blissfully Quiet Electric Car Might Just Kill You
H.R. 5734 Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, introduced April 9, 2008
National Federation of Blind information page on Quiet Cars (a plethora of information, including interviews, sample legislation, safety task force reports, resolutions, etc.)
This video shows one type of audible warning that has been developed.
Magna plans to sell the system used on the Focus to others, part of their deal with Ford, which lowers Ford's cost. Using Magna has allowed Ford to bring the car to market quicker.
The pedestrian safety issues are addressed in this video. The Ford representative minimizes the issue and says "We'll be prepared, when the vehicle goes into production, to address that issue."
They need to be held to this, since these cars, as well as hybrids, present an enormous mobility and safety issue to legally blind pedestrians and others.
Related: That Blissfully Quiet Electric Car Might Just Kill You
H.R. 5734 Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, introduced April 9, 2008
National Federation of Blind information page on Quiet Cars (a plethora of information, including interviews, sample legislation, safety task force reports, resolutions, etc.)
This video shows one type of audible warning that has been developed.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Coach Vivian Stringer attending White house dinner this evening
Rutgers women's basketball coach Stringer was invited as part of Women's History Month. The First Lady has spent the day visiting schools "throughout the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region to talk to high school students about setting career goals."
Stringer will join actors Kerry Washington, Alfre Woodard and Phylicia Rashad for the evening portion of the day, a dinner which will include several young men and women from the area schools. Others in attendance for the special event are recording artists Cheryl Crow and Alicia Keys, Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes and basketball great Lisa Leslie, Dr. Mae Jemison, the first women of color to go into space, Ambassador Nancy Brinker, who helped to found Susan G Komen for the Cure, and Bobbi Brown, make-up maven and Montvale, N.J., resident join in the festivities.
Coach Stringer's Rutgers team will play Saturday in the NCAA Women's basketball tournament at 2:30 p.m. at the RAC.
Stringer will join actors Kerry Washington, Alfre Woodard and Phylicia Rashad for the evening portion of the day, a dinner which will include several young men and women from the area schools. Others in attendance for the special event are recording artists Cheryl Crow and Alicia Keys, Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes and basketball great Lisa Leslie, Dr. Mae Jemison, the first women of color to go into space, Ambassador Nancy Brinker, who helped to found Susan G Komen for the Cure, and Bobbi Brown, make-up maven and Montvale, N.J., resident join in the festivities.
Coach Stringer's Rutgers team will play Saturday in the NCAA Women's basketball tournament at 2:30 p.m. at the RAC.
I think these guys have been in charge of the economy
In this famous apple scene from The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, three men discuss whether apples have a will of their own.
There's a limit to frugality
I was in the supermarket the other day picking up a box of cereal and I saw a sale on Cheerios for $2.79. A very well dressed woman who was nearby reached over to hand the cereal to me and put back the Cheerios box she had, which was marked $3.99 and said "I'm getting that one too" and took three boxes of the marked down variety.
She complimented me on finding the sale and I told her that I always shop sales, which we did growing up. She told me that she grew up with money and had no idea how to do that, but was trying to be frugal so she just wasn't buying certain things. I saw that her cart was almost empty and her brow was furrowed, so offered to show her.
We went up and down a few aisles and I pointed out to her how there were sales in almost every section, if you just - well -kept your options open. She went off merrily on her way.
And it was then that I saw a woman standing over her cart, crying. She had a list in her hand and tears were rolling down her face. Two small children were with her - one in the cart, the other toddling around, looking a bit dazed. I rolled over and asked if she was okay.
She nodded and then more tears flowed. "My husband lost his job. I can't afford these prices. What are we going to do?"
There was a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread and cereal in her cart. I looked at the kids and listed a few programs she might qualify for.
"I couldn't," she said.
I asked her how much she had to spend on food. It wasn't enough, not to feed four people. I explained quietly that these programs were for families who needed the help. Her face changed. She looked at the kids. She stopped crying.
She asked for the information again. Wrote it down. "We're losing our house," she said.
"But you - and they- have to eat."
"I should be able to figure this out," she replied, dazed.
And that's when I knew there was a message in all of this. There's a limit to frugality. It's where hunger begins.
She complimented me on finding the sale and I told her that I always shop sales, which we did growing up. She told me that she grew up with money and had no idea how to do that, but was trying to be frugal so she just wasn't buying certain things. I saw that her cart was almost empty and her brow was furrowed, so offered to show her.
We went up and down a few aisles and I pointed out to her how there were sales in almost every section, if you just - well -kept your options open. She went off merrily on her way.
And it was then that I saw a woman standing over her cart, crying. She had a list in her hand and tears were rolling down her face. Two small children were with her - one in the cart, the other toddling around, looking a bit dazed. I rolled over and asked if she was okay.
She nodded and then more tears flowed. "My husband lost his job. I can't afford these prices. What are we going to do?"
There was a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread and cereal in her cart. I looked at the kids and listed a few programs she might qualify for.
"I couldn't," she said.
I asked her how much she had to spend on food. It wasn't enough, not to feed four people. I explained quietly that these programs were for families who needed the help. Her face changed. She looked at the kids. She stopped crying.
She asked for the information again. Wrote it down. "We're losing our house," she said.
"But you - and they- have to eat."
"I should be able to figure this out," she replied, dazed.
And that's when I knew there was a message in all of this. There's a limit to frugality. It's where hunger begins.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
March Madness and women's sports
USA Today reports on which colleges have sent both men and women's basketball teams to the NCAA over the years and the factors, such as having a football program, which support that. Several are quoted as saying that recruitment opportunities are important as well, which includes draws to schools with already successful programs and state of the art facilities.
I follow women's basketball, in part, because of my own interest in sports, but also because I worked in an EEOC office while earning my law degree years ago at a college and met one of the women who pushed for Title IX. I remember her predicting how long it would take for women's sports to achieve recognition and success and have watched its evolution in different sports over the years with interest.
Women's basketball has followed a unique path. In part it's because of the work of people like coach Pat Summitt and Vivian Stringer, who were willing to work so hard for so little at first, who expect their players to be successful and who coach in a way that not only emphasizes sports, but the development of the whole person. This has led to a legacy of graduates of women basketball programs who have played in the WNBA, Olympics, and work as sportscasters, coaches and in other related jobs.
It's exciting to see growing opportunities and increased coverage of women's basketball and I hope that this kind of interest will expand to other women's sports, as well as sports for people with disabilities. As someone who traveled the local wheelchair tennis tournament for many years, paying my own expenses, playing on weekends and returning to work weary Monday morning, I know what it's like to do sports for the love of it.
And so I was delighted to see that the Tennis Hall of Fame will be inducting wheelchair members. (h/t to Wheelchair Dancer, btw.)
Printable brackets for the women's NCAA basketball tournament can be found here.
I follow women's basketball, in part, because of my own interest in sports, but also because I worked in an EEOC office while earning my law degree years ago at a college and met one of the women who pushed for Title IX. I remember her predicting how long it would take for women's sports to achieve recognition and success and have watched its evolution in different sports over the years with interest.
Women's basketball has followed a unique path. In part it's because of the work of people like coach Pat Summitt and Vivian Stringer, who were willing to work so hard for so little at first, who expect their players to be successful and who coach in a way that not only emphasizes sports, but the development of the whole person. This has led to a legacy of graduates of women basketball programs who have played in the WNBA, Olympics, and work as sportscasters, coaches and in other related jobs.
It's exciting to see growing opportunities and increased coverage of women's basketball and I hope that this kind of interest will expand to other women's sports, as well as sports for people with disabilities. As someone who traveled the local wheelchair tennis tournament for many years, paying my own expenses, playing on weekends and returning to work weary Monday morning, I know what it's like to do sports for the love of it.
And so I was delighted to see that the Tennis Hall of Fame will be inducting wheelchair members. (h/t to Wheelchair Dancer, btw.)
Printable brackets for the women's NCAA basketball tournament can be found here.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at United Cerebral Palsy Association
Students from Long Beach Catholic did step dancing to make it the "best St. Patrick's Day ever".
All about St Patrick's Day
Did you know the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held back in 1737 in Boston? And blue, not green, was the color of the day.
For more fun facts, go here.
If you want to celebrate with music with the Pogues or Dropkick Murphys, go here. Or try this St Patrick's Day music playlist. Or have some corned beef and cabbage pizza. Find some ways to celebrate at home. And I love this post about how to celebrate the holiday with kids, including making infamous leprechaun traps.
And don't forget the Irish dancers!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
For more fun facts, go here.
If you want to celebrate with music with the Pogues or Dropkick Murphys, go here. Or try this St Patrick's Day music playlist. Or have some corned beef and cabbage pizza. Find some ways to celebrate at home. And I love this post about how to celebrate the holiday with kids, including making infamous leprechaun traps.
And don't forget the Irish dancers!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Monday, March 16, 2009
A creepy crawly mobility device
It's called the Cajun Crawler. h/t Engadget
Looks like a Segway platform on top of bug legs.
Here's a link to an interview with more information.
Looks like a Segway platform on top of bug legs.
Here's a link to an interview with more information.
A world where aversion is not normal
I woke up this morning to a number of responses from readers who said the video below bothered them and that what it showed was not "normal".
I think this is a really good opportunity for me to explain that the purpose of these videos is at least two fold. First, it provides an opportunity for people to learn about disability. I am peppered with questions almost every day about my disability. Videos are a good way to show people how things can be done and I try to emphasize those that accentuate what can be done.
But it also provides a chance for those with disabilities to see how others live independently and do things, with a certain level of function. I know for myself that traveling with people with disabilities during the time I played wheelchair tennis was valuable for learning skills and methods. I found out there were things others were doing that I'd been told I couldn't. Many of us living with disabilities have spent long periods of time learning how to do things beyond what conventional PT and OT teaches because those skills fall short of what we needed to live independently.
What is shown in this video is of enormous importance. Jon, myself and others who move around their beds this way are able to live independently without being dependent on others for transfers. Getting in and out of a wheelchair, dressing oneself - these aren't "givens" for quads, and , depending on the level of injury, it takes long hours of practice to do these skills. Some quads can do them, some can't.
But we need to put all of this into perspective, especially when we start to emphasize things like "it's not normal". I suppose all I can say is that it is what it is. When I get up in the morning to work, I'm not concerned about how the way I do things looks. Quite frankly. I'm enormously grateful that I can do what I can independently, as well I should be.
I realize that some people have an aversion to seeing things done differently by people with disabilities. I've run into it when I eat out and use special utensils or someone has to cut up my food. I've run into it when dealing with money highlights my hand and wrist paralysis. I use what function I have to do things independently and I know there will be some staring. I'm used to encountering both curiosity and aversion.
So I'm not surprised by this feedback. When I hear that it's not normal, I smile. A world where people practice inclusion also develops a "new normal", where people with disabilities and the way they do things is accepted, where aversion is not normal either.
I think this is a really good opportunity for me to explain that the purpose of these videos is at least two fold. First, it provides an opportunity for people to learn about disability. I am peppered with questions almost every day about my disability. Videos are a good way to show people how things can be done and I try to emphasize those that accentuate what can be done.
But it also provides a chance for those with disabilities to see how others live independently and do things, with a certain level of function. I know for myself that traveling with people with disabilities during the time I played wheelchair tennis was valuable for learning skills and methods. I found out there were things others were doing that I'd been told I couldn't. Many of us living with disabilities have spent long periods of time learning how to do things beyond what conventional PT and OT teaches because those skills fall short of what we needed to live independently.
What is shown in this video is of enormous importance. Jon, myself and others who move around their beds this way are able to live independently without being dependent on others for transfers. Getting in and out of a wheelchair, dressing oneself - these aren't "givens" for quads, and , depending on the level of injury, it takes long hours of practice to do these skills. Some quads can do them, some can't.
But we need to put all of this into perspective, especially when we start to emphasize things like "it's not normal". I suppose all I can say is that it is what it is. When I get up in the morning to work, I'm not concerned about how the way I do things looks. Quite frankly. I'm enormously grateful that I can do what I can independently, as well I should be.
I realize that some people have an aversion to seeing things done differently by people with disabilities. I've run into it when I eat out and use special utensils or someone has to cut up my food. I've run into it when dealing with money highlights my hand and wrist paralysis. I use what function I have to do things independently and I know there will be some staring. I'm used to encountering both curiosity and aversion.
So I'm not surprised by this feedback. When I hear that it's not normal, I smile. A world where people practice inclusion also develops a "new normal", where people with disabilities and the way they do things is accepted, where aversion is not normal either.
Getting around in bed
I love making up blog post titles!
This video by Jon Sigworth, a C5-6 quadriplegic, shows how he moves around in bed and gets dressed. This answers a lot of questions people ask, but also shows the need to have a method if you have enough function to do this.
This video by Jon Sigworth, a C5-6 quadriplegic, shows how he moves around in bed and gets dressed. This answers a lot of questions people ask, but also shows the need to have a method if you have enough function to do this.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Definitely inclusive.org
The folks over at Definitely inclusive.org are having a contest about definitions of inclusion and inclusive education. Go on over and check it out.
via their site:
we are looking for definitions used in scientific discussion and definitions people formulate for themselves. In this context, we are interested in the differences just as much as in similarites in the internationally used definitions. We also want to discover how clearly the idea and term of "Inclusion" is delineated compared to concepts and terms like "Integration" or "Mainstreaming".
The contest ends on 31.8.2009. But even after this deadline you can insert further definitions.
What can you win?
There are many prizes in four different categories:
* the most definitions,
* the most definitions from different countries,
* the oldest definition and
* a definition drawn by lot.
via their site:
we are looking for definitions used in scientific discussion and definitions people formulate for themselves. In this context, we are interested in the differences just as much as in similarites in the internationally used definitions. We also want to discover how clearly the idea and term of "Inclusion" is delineated compared to concepts and terms like "Integration" or "Mainstreaming".
The contest ends on 31.8.2009. But even after this deadline you can insert further definitions.
What can you win?
There are many prizes in four different categories:
* the most definitions,
* the most definitions from different countries,
* the oldest definition and
* a definition drawn by lot.
About using a wheelchair
Nancy talks about the benefits of using a wheelchair and offers a few tips to those who are having difficulty getting around and may be considering using one.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
I don't have to blog today
because you can go read the Disability blog carnival 54 which is up
the March edition of the Disability Blog Carnival, freshly posted at Charming BB. It's a fine carnival: don't miss the poetry, grills, mini-golf... rudeness, fear, inaccessibility, hate speech online, segregation...and communication, advocacy, change, independence, community, and hope.
The April edition (#55) is slated for April 9, at Yet Another Never Updated Blog (YANUB), with another potluck theme.
via Disability Studies, Temple U
the March edition of the Disability Blog Carnival, freshly posted at Charming BB. It's a fine carnival: don't miss the poetry, grills, mini-golf... rudeness, fear, inaccessibility, hate speech online, segregation...and communication, advocacy, change, independence, community, and hope.
The April edition (#55) is slated for April 9, at Yet Another Never Updated Blog (YANUB), with another potluck theme.
via Disability Studies, Temple U
Friday, March 13, 2009
Designated Shooter
Matt Steven is legally blind, but he did the free throws for his CYO team at a tourney in February. It was his brother Joe's idea to have Matt be the designated shooter since his brother usually gets no chance to play in the games.
The first game, Matt came in and -- to the crowd's shock -- made his first two. He was escorted back to the bench, where he grinned as if he had just kissed the head cheerleader. He was 4-for-8 that day.
In the second game, the star player , with the game on the line, waits for Matt to do the free throws, which he makes, putting his team ahead by one point. His brother said "I think it helped that he's blind. He couldn't see the crowd, the scoreboard, his teammates' faces."
The other team frantically tried to score, forgetting to let Matt off the court- but couldn't get any points and Matt's team won. His teammates now call him the Shooter.
The first game, Matt came in and -- to the crowd's shock -- made his first two. He was escorted back to the bench, where he grinned as if he had just kissed the head cheerleader. He was 4-for-8 that day.
In the second game, the star player , with the game on the line, waits for Matt to do the free throws, which he makes, putting his team ahead by one point. His brother said "I think it helped that he's blind. He couldn't see the crowd, the scoreboard, his teammates' faces."
The other team frantically tried to score, forgetting to let Matt off the court- but couldn't get any points and Matt's team won. His teammates now call him the Shooter.
Two flix
Two movies I've seen this week - very much at opposite ends of the spectrum, both in tone and treatment of disability. Both films are available at Netflix.
The Color of Paradise (1999)
In this award winning 1999 film from Iran, a blind boy's father is unable to see what his son can do, and rejects him repeatedly, leading to a tragic end.
The film juxtaposes scenes showing what the child can do with those where his father leads him around, treating him as an object and - worse yet - an obstacle to his own dreams. Reviews of this film range from low for its moralistic ending to high for its beautiful filming.
Killer Diller (2006)
A movie about a youth in a halfway house who befriends a young man with autism and recruits him to play in the halfway house's gospel group. Few inroads here dealing with assumptions about disability.
The Color of Paradise (1999)
In this award winning 1999 film from Iran, a blind boy's father is unable to see what his son can do, and rejects him repeatedly, leading to a tragic end.
The film juxtaposes scenes showing what the child can do with those where his father leads him around, treating him as an object and - worse yet - an obstacle to his own dreams. Reviews of this film range from low for its moralistic ending to high for its beautiful filming.
Killer Diller (2006)
A movie about a youth in a halfway house who befriends a young man with autism and recruits him to play in the halfway house's gospel group. Few inroads here dealing with assumptions about disability.
Busier than Grand Central Station?Try Google Voice
Google bought Grand Central years ago and is now reintroducing it as Google Voice, along with several new features, including one number for all your phones and SMS. This free phone service adds text message organization, free conference calling, free voice mail transcription and cheap international calling along with the original features of Grand Central which unifies your phone numbers, blocks telemarketers, phone routing, forwarding phones, call screening, personalized greetings, free US calling, alerts you of new voice mail by email, and more.
The new service was introduced yesterday and will be available to everyone in a few weeks after the bugs are worked out with an initial group of users.
Related: Google Voice Speaks of World Domination
CNET News Daily Podcast: Listening in on Google Voice
Google Voice site
The new service was introduced yesterday and will be available to everyone in a few weeks after the bugs are worked out with an initial group of users.
Related: Google Voice Speaks of World Domination
CNET News Daily Podcast: Listening in on Google Voice
Google Voice site
Fraud cited in Medicare in-home service billings
Fraud and abuse helped boost Medicare spending on home health services 44% over five years as some providers exaggerated patients' medical conditions and others billed for unnecessary services or care they did not provide, a Government Accountability Office report out Friday says.
The GAO reviewed home care payments from 2002 to 2006, when spending reached $13 billion. The number of Medicare enrollees using in-home services rose 17% during that period to 2.8 million. via USAToday.com
Recommendations made included increased oversight, "criminal checks on home health operators and ...new rules to remove problem providers more easily".
GAO reports in the late 1990's questioning improper payments resulted in a drop in spending, but also an overreaction. According to William Dombri of the National Association for Home Care "There were bona fide people … entitled to home health services who couldn't find it."
The GAO reviewed home care payments from 2002 to 2006, when spending reached $13 billion. The number of Medicare enrollees using in-home services rose 17% during that period to 2.8 million. via USAToday.com
Recommendations made included increased oversight, "criminal checks on home health operators and ...new rules to remove problem providers more easily".
GAO reports in the late 1990's questioning improper payments resulted in a drop in spending, but also an overreaction. According to William Dombri of the National Association for Home Care "There were bona fide people … entitled to home health services who couldn't find it."
Thursday, March 12, 2009
New iPod shuffle offers VoiceOver feature
The $79 shuffle is the size of a tie clip, measuring smaller than previous models and offers a VoiceOver feature that reads the song title, artist and playlists. The earbuds have controls on this model. You can find a review by Edward Baig at USA Today here.
But he's stealing
I saw him do it too. I saw him take five dollars out of the collection basket.
He is a young man in his early 20's, living with a brain injury, shuffling around the neighborhood during the day. Mostly I see him alone. He always wears the same clothes- black jeans, black jacket, white T, silver chains, black hi tops. Skinny. Sad. Always close to tears or anger.
He sat there next to this woman staring acusingly at him, peppering him with questions like "What did you put in that basket?" and "How much did you take out?" and finally "I saw you..."
And he put the five dollars into his pocket and stared ahead, saying nothing. And then left early.
She shook her head at me and said "That's not right."
It's not. It's also not right that he's probably hungry either, I thought. Les Miserables. I told her I'd talk to him because she wanted to call the police.
So I went outside and asked him if he was hungry. He nodded yes at me. I asked if he had a place to live. He said he lives with his father, but his mother had died and no one made food. He gives his check to his father, but needs money for food. We had a talk about where he can go for food and I had a talk with his father.
We also had a talk about stealing but that came after he ate. Something.
I'm watching news about Madoff this morning, who ripped off so many for so much. And I think of all those who rip off others on much larger scales and receive less censure than this hungry young man did for five dollars. Even though they use the money for penthouses and yachts, not a slice of pizza.
I'm not defending stealing, but sometimes the why of it can be fixed with feeding someone. And when it's not, that, to me, is a crime.
He is a young man in his early 20's, living with a brain injury, shuffling around the neighborhood during the day. Mostly I see him alone. He always wears the same clothes- black jeans, black jacket, white T, silver chains, black hi tops. Skinny. Sad. Always close to tears or anger.
He sat there next to this woman staring acusingly at him, peppering him with questions like "What did you put in that basket?" and "How much did you take out?" and finally "I saw you..."
And he put the five dollars into his pocket and stared ahead, saying nothing. And then left early.
She shook her head at me and said "That's not right."
It's not. It's also not right that he's probably hungry either, I thought. Les Miserables. I told her I'd talk to him because she wanted to call the police.
So I went outside and asked him if he was hungry. He nodded yes at me. I asked if he had a place to live. He said he lives with his father, but his mother had died and no one made food. He gives his check to his father, but needs money for food. We had a talk about where he can go for food and I had a talk with his father.
We also had a talk about stealing but that came after he ate. Something.
I'm watching news about Madoff this morning, who ripped off so many for so much. And I think of all those who rip off others on much larger scales and receive less censure than this hungry young man did for five dollars. Even though they use the money for penthouses and yachts, not a slice of pizza.
I'm not defending stealing, but sometimes the why of it can be fixed with feeding someone. And when it's not, that, to me, is a crime.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
You can't batten down the hatches alone
My great uncle Bill served in the US Navy for decades as a deep sea diver, a sailor through and through. Over the past months, I know Bill would have been going around saying "Batten down the hatches", telling everyone to get ready, prepare themselves for the storm.
The storm is here. I woke up this morning to CNN's headline that 1 in 50 children are homeless, mostly due to foreclosures. Over at USA Today, the headline reads that 24 million go from thriving to struggling. The American dream is in peril, many say. Retirees and those facing retirement have lost large percentages of their investment accounts. Unemployment figures are so high that headlines no longer shock us. This in an economy in which many already struggled with costs of health care, a burgeoning problem as many who join the ranks of the unemployed are unable to afford to keep health insurance.
Although the storm is here, we're still struggling as a society to come to terms with the fact that we're all in this together. Some days when I try to find help for people, it seems as if Scrooge has taken over, and his disgust for the poor seeps out via the old 'pull yourself up by the bootstraps' theory, even in economic times that are causing global havoc.
Scrooge is not a nice guy by any stretch. "The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice..." That's why he needed to be yanked out of his bed in the wee hours of the morning and given a reality check by those ghosts. If he was living today, maybe he'd be given a tour of Wall Street and GM, then taken to a homeless shelter, but most likely, the Scrooge of today grew up middle class, a child raised by parents with the American dream intact, cautioned by those who remembered the Depression, but not old enough to be touched by it. So today's Scrooge who made it, wants to - even needs to - convince people (but mostly himself) that those who have fallen into trouble have done so because it's their fault. Each one of them. He sees no need to help others, or even to have gratitude for what he has.
Even the sight of a homeless child yanked out of school after school, losing not only her home but falling behind in her ability to read and learn, doesn't bother the modern day Scrooge. Part of that is because his past doesn't include that kind of hardship. There is no child within the modern day Scrooge who went hungry, who felt abandoned, who was cold. The modern day Scrooge whose heart is not touched by what is going on around him is not cold and indifferent because he is suppressing his own traumatic past, but is willfully indifferent to that kind of suffering.
Who is this Scrooge? Where can we find him, you might ask, and I bet a few of you would volunteer to drag him around to enough places to shake him up, to get him to understand that our collective future depends on him having a wake up call.
We don't have to go far, because Scrooge is in all of us when we refuse to live more kindly, to share with those who have it worse. It is when we ignore those times we can choose kindness, not selfishness, when we can give, not take. It is when we choose fear rather than crying "batten down the hatches!" and recognizing that we are going through a storm - together. I am Scrooge. You are Scrooge. We are all capable of being Scrooge-like, but we are also capable of so much more. Yes, we are all at peril and our instinct may be to hunker down with what we still have, but that's not going to get us through this.
Bill would have told us that, on any ship, one sailor can't batten down the hatches alone. The ship's crew would have to work together, so that everyone would survive. And, in this economic crisis we're in the midst of, the same is true for us as citizens. We need to start seeing each other as brothers and sisters in this together, not as free agents somehow wandering around, disconnected. That's easier to do on a ship, with the ocean waves rising and the peril immediate and visible. But how much more is it going to take before we realize that we need to work together - quickly - to stem the suffering of those most affected by the economic crisis? If we are one of the lucky ones with money still at our disposal, how best to spend it? How can we practice good stewardship with what has been given to us and recognize not that we are better than those who don't have it, but that having it makes us responsible and accountable to God?
So the question we need to ask ourselves is this: what can I do today to help? What do I have that someone needs? Can I volunteer services? Goods? Time? Who can I comfort today? Can I feed someone? In other words, can I set aside my own fears and find a place to help on the ship?
We live in times that truly call us to serve others. We can see this as a terrible inconvenience or as an opportunity to connect in ways that we otherwise may not have chosen.
The storm is here. I woke up this morning to CNN's headline that 1 in 50 children are homeless, mostly due to foreclosures. Over at USA Today, the headline reads that 24 million go from thriving to struggling. The American dream is in peril, many say. Retirees and those facing retirement have lost large percentages of their investment accounts. Unemployment figures are so high that headlines no longer shock us. This in an economy in which many already struggled with costs of health care, a burgeoning problem as many who join the ranks of the unemployed are unable to afford to keep health insurance.
Although the storm is here, we're still struggling as a society to come to terms with the fact that we're all in this together. Some days when I try to find help for people, it seems as if Scrooge has taken over, and his disgust for the poor seeps out via the old 'pull yourself up by the bootstraps' theory, even in economic times that are causing global havoc.
Scrooge is not a nice guy by any stretch. "The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice..." That's why he needed to be yanked out of his bed in the wee hours of the morning and given a reality check by those ghosts. If he was living today, maybe he'd be given a tour of Wall Street and GM, then taken to a homeless shelter, but most likely, the Scrooge of today grew up middle class, a child raised by parents with the American dream intact, cautioned by those who remembered the Depression, but not old enough to be touched by it. So today's Scrooge who made it, wants to - even needs to - convince people (but mostly himself) that those who have fallen into trouble have done so because it's their fault. Each one of them. He sees no need to help others, or even to have gratitude for what he has.
Even the sight of a homeless child yanked out of school after school, losing not only her home but falling behind in her ability to read and learn, doesn't bother the modern day Scrooge. Part of that is because his past doesn't include that kind of hardship. There is no child within the modern day Scrooge who went hungry, who felt abandoned, who was cold. The modern day Scrooge whose heart is not touched by what is going on around him is not cold and indifferent because he is suppressing his own traumatic past, but is willfully indifferent to that kind of suffering.
Who is this Scrooge? Where can we find him, you might ask, and I bet a few of you would volunteer to drag him around to enough places to shake him up, to get him to understand that our collective future depends on him having a wake up call.
We don't have to go far, because Scrooge is in all of us when we refuse to live more kindly, to share with those who have it worse. It is when we ignore those times we can choose kindness, not selfishness, when we can give, not take. It is when we choose fear rather than crying "batten down the hatches!" and recognizing that we are going through a storm - together. I am Scrooge. You are Scrooge. We are all capable of being Scrooge-like, but we are also capable of so much more. Yes, we are all at peril and our instinct may be to hunker down with what we still have, but that's not going to get us through this.
Bill would have told us that, on any ship, one sailor can't batten down the hatches alone. The ship's crew would have to work together, so that everyone would survive. And, in this economic crisis we're in the midst of, the same is true for us as citizens. We need to start seeing each other as brothers and sisters in this together, not as free agents somehow wandering around, disconnected. That's easier to do on a ship, with the ocean waves rising and the peril immediate and visible. But how much more is it going to take before we realize that we need to work together - quickly - to stem the suffering of those most affected by the economic crisis? If we are one of the lucky ones with money still at our disposal, how best to spend it? How can we practice good stewardship with what has been given to us and recognize not that we are better than those who don't have it, but that having it makes us responsible and accountable to God?
So the question we need to ask ourselves is this: what can I do today to help? What do I have that someone needs? Can I volunteer services? Goods? Time? Who can I comfort today? Can I feed someone? In other words, can I set aside my own fears and find a place to help on the ship?
We live in times that truly call us to serve others. We can see this as a terrible inconvenience or as an opportunity to connect in ways that we otherwise may not have chosen.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Serve America Act
The Serve America Act, sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch "would increase opportunities for community service in a variety of ways from offering tax incentives for employers who allow workers to take time off for service to setting up funds to help non-profit groups recruit more volunteers." A Senate committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on this bill.
USA Today reports that applications are rising for government service programs. At AmeriCorps, online applications are up from 3,159 last February to 9,731 this year, attributed in part by the economy and the president's call to service. At the Peace Corps, applications are up 16%.
Budget director Peter Hatch was quoted in the article as saying that community volunteers doing more will mean government will "have to do less to provide for those in need".
The blog New Service has been tracking the bill and links to the Times piece by the senators entitled 21 Ways to Serve America.
Related : National Service Inclusion Project (provides training and technical assistance to include people with disabilities as participants in national service programs. Online requests can be submitted at the link.)
USA Today reports that applications are rising for government service programs. At AmeriCorps, online applications are up from 3,159 last February to 9,731 this year, attributed in part by the economy and the president's call to service. At the Peace Corps, applications are up 16%.
Budget director Peter Hatch was quoted in the article as saying that community volunteers doing more will mean government will "have to do less to provide for those in need".
The blog New Service has been tracking the bill and links to the Times piece by the senators entitled 21 Ways to Serve America.
Related : National Service Inclusion Project (provides training and technical assistance to include people with disabilities as participants in national service programs. Online requests can be submitted at the link.)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
The Lady Vol's SEC tournament ended last night in a loss to number one seeded Auburn. They led at the half, even after Cain reinjured her knee, but Stricklen had an off shooting night and Angie Bjorklund just didn't get much offensive help as Auburn raced past the Lady Vols at the end of the game.
LSU lost to Vanderbilt, but the great news is that injured Eason started after tests showed that her neck injury wasn't serious and apparently she had no concussion or other complications.
***
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, as JF Activist points out, and this year's focus is on Sports and Concussions, especially youth sports. And it's important to note that studies show that just as young bodies react differently to concussions, female and male athletes' bodies have been shown to react differently to concussions.
To learn more about what events are taking place in your community, or state during March, or to get involved contact your local chartered state affiliate, or the BIAA office today.
For a clip of ESPN's Outside the Lines: Girls and Concussions, see the video below.
Related:
Concussions in Youth Sports
Female Athletes Bear Brunt of Concussions
Concussions in Youth Sports: It's Better to Miss One Game
New Data on Multiple Concussions in Youth Football
Concussions warrant longer time on sidelines for young athletes
Female Athletes suffer more head injuries than males
Mahalo: Fast facts about concussion
Brain and Spinal Cord.org
LSU lost to Vanderbilt, but the great news is that injured Eason started after tests showed that her neck injury wasn't serious and apparently she had no concussion or other complications.
***
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, as JF Activist points out, and this year's focus is on Sports and Concussions, especially youth sports. And it's important to note that studies show that just as young bodies react differently to concussions, female and male athletes' bodies have been shown to react differently to concussions.
To learn more about what events are taking place in your community, or state during March, or to get involved contact your local chartered state affiliate, or the BIAA office today.
For a clip of ESPN's Outside the Lines: Girls and Concussions, see the video below.
Related:
Concussions in Youth Sports
Female Athletes Bear Brunt of Concussions
Concussions in Youth Sports: It's Better to Miss One Game
New Data on Multiple Concussions in Youth Football
Concussions warrant longer time on sidelines for young athletes
Female Athletes suffer more head injuries than males
Mahalo: Fast facts about concussion
Brain and Spinal Cord.org
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