The Year of Unanticipated Changes

Of course, aren't all years like that to a degree? This year was full of change for me on a very personal level in many ways. What's been interesting is that those changes resulted in the opening of doors to new relationships.

It will forever be the year that my youngest nephew began high school and conquered the Iliad and the Odyssey with sheer determination and grit. Some very excellent grades despite the tough coursework. Well done.

The year my sister cheerfully came on board as my personal care assistant to help,out after Meredith moved to Baltimore where she continues to thrive as a writer and remains a wonderful friend and ally.

The year two of my nephews graduated college and are moving on to earn Master degrees. So proud. A third nephew switched his major to journalism, a bold brave move. And my sole niece continues to study at U of Penn.

Dear in my heart are the prayers surrounding my oldest nephews serious motorcycle accident this fall. He's recuperating after surgery, in much less pain and moving around better. Hopefully back to college as his health allows.

It was also the year my Buddy of Blessed Memory passed away, a companion cat with a personality as large as any room. And the arrival of my kitten Riley who rescued me.

I'm looking forward to another year of unanticipated changes. I hope yours will be happy and healthy. Thanks for reading my blog (and enduring all the cat posts especially ) and for your emails and prayers during my nephews ordeal.

Happy New Year! On to 2011.....

The tri city melt down

The mailman emerged from the frozen tundra for the first time yesterday since the blizzard over the weekend. He brought a Christmas card in a red envelope dated December 21 I bet it had quite the journey

I haven't seen UPS around although some folks say Fed Ex is delivering in some places. although we're plowed out somewhat the openings are narrow and none of it is wheelchair friendly. Hopefully the big meltdown will occur the end of the week as temperatures rise.

Of course temperatures have already risen in New York city as you've probably heard. Streets haven't even been plowed in many areas leading to tragic deaths, stuck ambulances and an inability of people to get out to shop for food, medical care or work. These are the kinds of situations where words like crippled or paralyzed get tossed around in headlines because people still don't get that it's a lack of equipment and services that keep disabled folks immobilized, not our disability .

Given the right circumstances any of us can become stuck At least Mother Nature, however, can and will melt the snow eventually

Quadtools reacher demo

Doug demonstrates how the Cripper helps him in daily tasks. He uses the regular length Cripper and the Shorti model in this video. They are made by quadtools.com

I have a regular size one which I purchased months ago. I'm saving up for the Shorti.

It's designed by a quad and is a great help because it's made for exactly what we need.

Christmas memories

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I had quite the Christmas haul this year. A Lady Vols sweatshirt, hot cocoa, a new pillow for my bed and candy.

Not just any candy but ribbon candy. If you've never seen it, it's hard candy made into thin strips and wrapped back onto itself like a ribbon. It comes in a box with different flavors

As a child I used to go to my grandmother's bedroom every Christmas morning to share her box of ribbon candy. Because it's so thin the candy breaks during shipping so there were always loose pieces on the box which I'd eat first no matter what flavor they were. Irresistible!

This year was no different. We opened the box. "Some of it's broken," my sister said. I offered my nephew some. He tried some of the broken off pieces before checking out the different flavors.

Some things never change.

Disability & Discrimination FAQ Video

A college student who is a congenital amputee talks about her experiences involving school and employment opportunities.

Merry Christmas

I wish a Merry Christmas to all my friends too.

Here are the lyrics to the song.

Sleep eat pray love our neighbors

The somewhat frenetic activity of the holiday season was matched here by my kitten's schedule of sleep eat love. After hearing so much about pray eat love I vaguely wonder what the movie is about but don't have time to check

It's Christmas eve although it's 6:30 am The kitten has gone back to bed after eating and waking me up to let me know he loves me. I have been praying. For friends at war both actual and internally. For those who lack basic necessities this year. For the many who find themselves unloved, lost or forgotten. For those in prisons and other institutions. For our many brothers and sisters who need love but cannot find it. And for those who bring it to others in the form of a caring word, a hot meal or a hug.

Many still sleep. They have the day off and Christmas eve is still far away, an event to be held after final chores of last minute shopping, cooking and cleaning. These things are done with love for family and friends.

I pray that people also find time to reach out to someone in need this Christmas. Perhaps drop off a gift or meal for a neighbor in need or donate time or money to a food bank.

There's still time although it may not feel like it in the rushing around. But it's not really going to feel like Christmas eve until we find the time to love our neighbors.

Radio show on Glee

I was listening last night to a discussion by disability advocates and artists about the controversial treatment of disability in Glee . The discussion went beyond the casting of a non disabled actor for a wheelchair using part. it was well worth listening to. Here's the link.

Participants emphasized that myths a d assumptions about disability continue to be perpetuated in the popular show. Instead of using the show as a vehicle to turn this negativity around another generation is being honed on plots that include ablest notions. For example the Christmas show portrayed walking and a cure as every disabled persons wish. The plots include Artie wanting to play football, wanting to dance and do other things but never deal with the fact that sports and dancing are done by people in wheelchairs. Rather Artie is portrayed as depressed because he can't do these things.

It's a real slap in the face to those of us who live with a disability to see this kind of thing week after week. It completely ignores our disability culture and reinforces old and backward notions about disability.

FAQ about walking

Sometimes people ask me if I forget that I'm paralyzed and try to walk when I wake up

The answer is no. It's been seventeen years since I became paralyzed and I'm quite used to the fact. In the very beginning I did wake up a few times and momentarily forget. But of course if I tried to move and just get up I couldn't So there you have it.

Ive also been asked if I frequently think about walking again I don't really think about walking at all. That's not how I get around or do things. I know I'm able to get from point a to point b in a wheelchair and do many other things as well, including sports, dancing, etc.

My philosophy is to live a full life with my disability. That's been easier for me because i work at a job, earned an education and have access to certain resources, like equipment and care hours. I've been very fortunate and have supportive people around me

But I know people who think about walking a lot. Everyones circumstances are different.

We interrupt this blog for a message from Riley

I understand Santa will be stopping by with gifts this week. I'd like some tuna and more cat toys. And a louder horn on the wheelchair for when it comes around corners.

Passing it on...

This is a great story about community.

After his death, a farmer in a small Minnesota town of 925 people spreads $3 million dollars around and then the recipients continue to help put the money where it's most needed.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

AXIS Dance Company Demo 2010

Never read the news alone

Mornings aren't the same around here since my cat Buddy passed.

Our routine was set. I'd get up between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. Before I started work, I'd blog and read the news. Buddy perched behind me. When I came to a particularly upsetting news item, I'd shake my head or exclaim out loud. Suddenly a big white paw would be on my cheek or he'd lean over and snuggle me.

Anyway here's my schedule for the past three or so weeks: my kitten Riley meows and whimpers at about 6 a.m. After unsuccessfully trying to get him back to bed and to sleep, I get up and check to make sure he has food. He usually does, so then I coax him onto my lap in my wheelchair, where he plays for a while, then falls asleep for a bit. Sometimes we both do. By the time I settle him down, it's time to start work.

However the past few days Riley seems to be calmer in his new surroundings. Some mornings he even spends time looking out the window after he wakes me up.

This morning he jumped up behind me and settled into Buddy's old spot. So I began to read the news. I groaned at one point. I felt a small tiny paw touch my cheek.

"Aww," I said.

I've come to believe that everyone should have that same kind of support as they read the news these days.

How fortunate am I to find it twice.

Year of Our Lord book

Introduction to T.R. Pearson's Year of Our Lord: Faith, Hope, and Harmony in the Mississippi Delta_ featuring photographs by Langdon Clay and music by the Trinity House of Prayer choir with Lucas McCarty from Mockingbird Publishing about a member of a church choir with cerebral palsy.

Looking for assistive technology?

Check out blind bargains.

Ramp Up 2010

ShrevCORPS, Shreveport Green's AmeriCorps team, partnered with the Shreveport District United Methodist Ramp Ministry to build a wheelchair ramp on the home of a young man who survived a tragic car accident but incurred paraplegic injuries.

Ramp funding provided by the Louisiana Serve Commission.

technology and a Spelling bee

You can read the article here:http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=13654478

What's disability to me? Faustina's story

Dog retrieves neighbors to help injured owner

I've heard many stories about acquiring a spinal cord injury, but this one caught my attention. After Paul fell off his motorcycle and had a spinal cord injury, his dog Yogi went out to the road where he was spotted by neighbors who went to Paul's aid.

Brent tells his story

You can find Brent's Organized Confusion Podcast here.

Checking out the NLS digital player

I use several forms of technology to read. I subscribe to Bookshare, which allows me to use software to read books on my computer. I also get books from NLS.

For years, I had a cassette player from NLS. It wasn't of much use to me since it used 4 sided cassettes that had to be turned over repeatedly which meant that my reading would be interrupted at the end of a cassette when I needed help to do that. So I put my name on a waiting list about a year and a half ago for a digital player. I just received one yesterday.

The model I was sent is the basic model. The photo shows the machine, with controls for power on/off (red) volume (yellow) play/stop (green) sleep (halfmoon white button) and arrow shaped white buttons for rewind and fast forward. At the bottom of the machine is the spot to insert the digital book. On top of the machine are buttons for tone and volume, as well as a speaker. The advanced model has additional navigation features.

The digital player not only accepts digital books in physical form which only have to be inserted once, but also allows the user to download books on a jump drive. You insert the drive into the side of the machine and listen. There's a photo of the jump drive inserted into the side of the machine at right. The download process involves unzipping files and placing them onto the jump drive, but it's not difficult and the library sent instructions along to help.

I'm enjoying the machine very much. Once the book is loaded, I can read the entire book without having to do much of anything except hit the very large play/stop button. The power goes off on the machine after it's idle for 30 minutes and it charges up to 29 hours which makes maintenance very easy. All in all, it's a huge help for someone with quadriplegia to have these updated features.

If you or a loved one or friend have difficulty reading due to a disability, check out the National Library for the Blind's free services.

National Council on Disability Partners with U.S. Department of State to Recognize International Day of Persons with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) is cosponsoring three panel discussions with the U.S. Department of State in observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3. The panels will include discussions on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), violence against women and girls with disabilities, and HIV/AIDS and disability.

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3 was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons in 1981. The Day is set aside topromote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of people with disabilities and societal gains that com e from the integration of people with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic, and cultural life of their communities. The World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons developed the goal of full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society and development, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982.

”NCD has a long and rich history of involvement with the international community in advocating for the rights of all people with disabilities. We are proud to have worked in collaboration with so many on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in 2006 and signed by the United States. We must continue to work together to create measurable goals to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in every corner of the globe,” said Joan Durocher, NCD’s General Counsel and Director of Policy, who presented at the World Standards Cooperation accessibility workshop held recently in Geneva, Switzerland. NCD also participated in the recent meeting of the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT (G3ICT) forum co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and George Washington University, where Ms. Durocher discussed NCD’s upcoming overseas accessibility study, which examines Article 32 of the CRPD and the inclusion of people with disabilities around the world.

According to NCD Chairman Jonathan Young, “We are delighted that this collaboration continues today with NCD participating in the State Department’s observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is our intention to continue to work with people with disabilities around the world to achieve equal opportunities to better themselves as they live, learn and earn their way to success as they define it.”

“It is estimated that there are 50 million people with disabilities in the United States and 650 million people with disabilities worldwide. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we know that our work is far from over. We have made great accomplishments in this country and around the world, but much more needs to be done,” said NCD Executive Director Aaron Bishop.

NCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal officials and entities on all policies, programs, practices and procedures affecting people with disabilities. NCD’s mission is to further the goals enshrined in the ADA of 1990: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities. NCD also provides technical assistance on disability issues to countries around the world.

For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of Communications, Mark Quigley, at mquigley@ncd.gov or by telephone at 202-272-2004.