Monica J. Foster
BellaOnline's Disabilities Editor

Yoga, an ancient Indian practice which involves moving the body and training the mind to achieve balance and well-being, can be beneficial for individuals with disabilities or chronic health conditions through both physical postures, meditative visualizations and breathwork. It is an Eastern form of relaxation and exercise that has become increasingly popular in various forms here in the West.

If you are not comfortable with yoga, explore other mind and body-linked practices such as meditation or Tai Chi. The most important thing is to begin connecting your mind and body in whatever way works best for you and your disability's challenges.

As for yoga, each pose can be modified or adapted to meet the needs of the student. Yoga postures can be performed while seated in a chair or wheelchair. Look up yoga studios and practitioners in your area, as well as call your rehabilitation centers to see if they incorporate yoga in their work. You might be surprised what's out there for you.

Having mentioned the benefits of yoga practice, it should be noted that yoga is used to complement an individual's already established medical care, therapy program and exercise regime. Yoga should not be a replacement for any of these things and a doctor should be consulted before pursuing a yoga practice.

The overall health perks that can be gained include:

•Digestive system - Bending and stretching poses help move and stimulate the digestive system

•Cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems - Specific types of yoga can be a good form of aerobic exercise that increases one's heart rate. The practice of pranayama helps expand lung capacity and heart strength.

•Lymphatic system - This is a primary component of an individual's immune system. It relies on muscle activity and body movement for circulation.

Physical activity and stretching develops strong muscles that continually encourage lymph movement. Regular practice stimulates the lungs, diaphragm, and thorax.

•Skeletal system and muscular systems - Various postures encourage the individual to keep his or her body in proper alignment. Regular yoga practice strengthens the muscles and increases flexibility.

There are also various developmental benefits as well. They may include:

•Developmental milestones being are reached.

•Enhanced motor skills.

•Increased body awareness and orientation.

•Sharper focus and concentration.

•Encouragement of learning, creativity and imagination.

A welcome advantage to yoga practice is that it does not require any fancy equipment. Yoga can be practiced indoors, outdoors on the grass, or even on sand at the beach. Typically, a yoga mat or rug is used. Latex-free and eco-friendly mats are also available for folks like myself who have spina bifida and are more sensitive to latex. Yoga props such as blocks and straps aid in practicing postures safely, as well as help the individual go deeper into a pose. An eye pillow and a light blanket can be used during deep relaxation.

Your development as a self-aware individual with a disability and the growth of your caregiver (both professional and personal) are intertwined on a very deep level. Mind-body work such as yoga promotes the best outcomes for everyone involved. Yoga practice emphasizes the role of both the individual with a disability or chronic illness and the caregiver or loved one in the healing process. Also, it enhances your bond and mission to working together for one purpose -- your overall well-being.

Yoga creates an inner capacity for survival, grace, and acceptance, no matter the circumstance of your disability or chronic illness. Whether you are new to your disability as an injured veteran, born with your disability or are a parent wanting to establish a deeper relationship with your child who has special needs, yoga goes beyond the body to the heart and spirit's connections to each other forming the whole person. The practice, when kept constant, builds discipline, stamina, focus and patience in those who take on this mode of mind-body connection.

Patients who have undergone a single-level lumbar microdiskectomy for lumbar disk herniation experienced significant improvement in physical function following an intensive, progressive physical therapist guided exercise and education program, according to a research report published in the November issue of Physical Therapy (PTJ), the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

Low back pain continues to be the most prevalent musculoskeletal problem, and one cause is lumbar disk herniation accompanied by sciatica - with many cases resulting in lumbar diskectomy. Up to 35 percent of patients continue to have pain and impaired function after surgery, which may be related to the type of postoperative care that they receive.

"An important goal of physical therapy interventions is to resolve functional deficits associated with low back pain," said physical therapist and lead researcher Kornelia Kulig, PT, PhD, associate professor of clinical physical therapy in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "There is strong evidence that intensive exercise is effective in restoring functional status in patients who have undergone lumbar diskectomy. The exercise intervention in our study consisted of an intensive, graded strength and endurance training program targeting the trunk and lower-extremity musculature."

In this study, 98 participants who had undergone a single-level microdiskectomy were randomly allocated to receive education only or exercise and education. The education-only group received one session of back care education 4-6 weeks after surgery. The education and exercise group received one back care education session followed by a 12-week USC Spine Exercise Program initiated 2-3 days after the education session. The exercise program consisted of back extensor strength (force-generating capacity) and endurance training as well as mat and upright therapeutic exercises. The back extensor strength and endurance training portion was designed to load the back extensor muscles in a graded manner by varying the time and angle at which the trunk was held against gravity, using a variable-angle Roman chair.

The goal of the program was for participants to be able to maintain a horizontal body position for 180 seconds. The purpose of the mat and upright therapeutic exercise portion of the program was to progressively and dynamically develop strength, endurance, and control of movement by the trunk and lower-extremity musculature.

Testing on all outcome measures began 4-6 weeks after surgery, prior to intervention, and was repeated for comparison after the 12-week program. Participants showed improvement in their ability to engage in activities of daily living as well as performance on the Repeated Sit-to-Stand Test, the 50-Foot Walk Test, and the 5-Minute Walk Test. In addition, some participants opted out of their allocated intervention group to pursue physical therapy care outside of the study, but agreed to remain in the study. This allowed researchers to include a third group. The three-group analysis still showed greater improvement in activities of daily living scores, 5-minute walk distance, and 50-foot walk time in the exercise and education group.

"These results suggest greater effectiveness of the current exercise program in reducing disability and improving walking performance than that expected from usual physical therapy," remarked Kulig. "An intensive 12-week strength and endurance training program of the trunk and lower-extremity musculature is safe and results in a greater reduction in disability and a greater increase in walking performance immediately following the intervention."

This study was funded by a grant from the Foundation for Physical Therapy.

Source: Jennifer Rondon
American Physical Therapy Association

THE River and Rowing Museum in Henley is one of only four Oxfordshire attractions to win a place in a guide to the best visitor attractions for disabled people.

The museum, which was built 10 years ago, was designed to be fully accessible to all visitors but improvements have been made, including automatic electronic doors and programmes designed specifically for disabled people.

The Rivertime Boat Trust, which operates from the museum’s jetty, uses a specially constructed boat which can carry 12 people and is fitted with a wheelchair ramp and hydraulic lift for the disabled.

The museum also hosts Breaking Barriers, a project involving adults with sensory, physical and learning disabilities to develop new ways of learning.

It is also working with organisations including the Reading Association for the Blind and the Learning Disabilities Group in Henley to improve access, understanding and enjoyment of the galleries.

Chief executive Paul Mainds was "delighted" to be included in the Rough Guide To Accessible Britain.

He said: "It’s a great compliment, not only to our building but to our staff and the programmes we run.

9 October, 2009

Leading specialist employment service Remploy is urging the NHS to give more jobs to disabled people.


Chief executive Tim Matthews, former chief executive of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Trust, was speaking at a diversity conference in London organised by the trust.

Questioning whether the NHS is doing enough to promote diversity, he said health service organisations have an important leadership role in finding work for disabled people.

He said that although much has been done to develop disability equality schemes, they have been slow in ensuring more and better jobs for disabled people.

He stressed that the NHS and care sectors play a central role in helping people with learning disabilities and mental health problems achieve their employment potential.

He said that the NHS must ensure that their own workforces represent the communities in which they operate, including employing more disabled people.

By Nancy Badertscher


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

1:34 p.m. Saturday, October 10, 2009

Cody Holloway travels the halls of his Sandy Springs high school in a motorized wheelchair.

“The real deal on wheels,” says the sign on the back.

That combination — chair and slogan, disability and attitude — tells you something important about Cody, 14. Children with cerebral palsy may or may not think about the future in a different way from children without it. But in Cody’s case, they run for class president.

“Believe it or not, it actually started out as a joke,” Cody said recently.

Maybe so, but the idea took hold. It was last year in Jennifer Macke’s eighth-grade science class at Ridgeview Charter School that students sat pondering major milestones that might be reached by the time they celebrate their 100th birthdays.

Each student’s timeline was discussed, and when they got to President of the United States Cody Holloway, all of the class “loved it,” Macke said.

And last month he was elected ninth-grade class president at Fulton County’s Riverwood International Charter School.

“If Cody had said he was going to rule the world, I would have said: ‘That sounds about right,’ ” Macke said. “He’s certainly not one to let his disabilities hold him back in any way, shape or form.”

Cody navigates the halls in his wheelchair. A full-time aide at school helps him maneuver through crowded class changes, scribe his answers on standardized tests and interpret his labored speech, especially first meetings.

As candidate for class president, Cody billed himself “the real deal on wheels” and vowed to be “a voice” for students with teachers and faculty.

But he had more than a catchy slogan. His classroom aide, Brady Radford, was his strategist and helped take the campaign to Facebook. His dad had the title of campaign manager but insists he was strictly on the sidelines.

“He did his own thing, and I got out of the way,” Jeff Holloway said.

Two teachers pitched in so his televised message to voters was closed-captioned, bringing clarity to some of Cody’s pronunciations.

Whizzing around in his chair with “the real deal” slogan on the back, Cody solicited votes up-close from classmates, many of whom he knew in middle school.

“He decided since he drives this baby everywhere, why not use it as rolling advertising,” Radford said with a hand on Cody’s wheelchair.

Cody keeps up — especially with news and sports. As a candidate, he promised to keep his classmates abreast of the latest at school and in the community.

Students, like friend and fellow ninth-grader William Cormier, rallied behind him.

“He’s really friendly with everybody,” William said. “He also was very determined.”

Hannahkohl Almire said she watched Cody’s televised campaign speech and was impressed. She also liked his “real deal” slogan. “It was really cute,” she said.

Elections for class president were held in early September. Cody was declared the winner for the ninth grade, though the actual vote counts are never revealed.

“The biggest part was for students to realize that Cody’s cerebral palsy didn’t affect his mental abilities, only his communication and mobility,” said Joel Kadish, a Riverwood teacher and the faculty sponsor for student government.

The win was no surprise to Cody’s mom, dad, brother and sister. “We expect him to do good,” his dad said. “[He] quickly becomes Mr. Popular” wherever he goes.

Cody, who blogs on his beloved Detroit Red Wings and the Crimson Tide, ponders new places he might go — new what-ifs along his timeline. There’s nothing serious in it about himself as U.S. president, but Cody said he would like see one more “open to the needs of the disabled.”

Cody wants to be a sportswriter.

“He told me that all he wants is for everyone to see that just because someone has a disability doesn’t mean that they are not capable of being successful. They just have to work a little harder sometimes,” Cody’s dad said.

How many times have you honestly and earnestly shared your hopes and dreams with not only the people closest to you, but friends, collogues and those who claimed they could help; only to hear words that hamper you and held you back. How many times were you stifled? And, how many times were you and your abilities to move forward held back. Did you feel trapped, frustrated, and beside yourself? Did you wonder when your chance was going to pan out? But instead, you were no further along on the pathway to the life you wanted to lead.

Well, my dear friends, I am writing this article because I have spent a lifetime not listening to those “Pearls of Wisdom.”

Again and again in every aspect of my life, I have turn the other check and found a way to accomplish what every expert and even my beloved family thought was impossible. But I “dreamed the impossible dream, and fought the unbeatable foe.” There are many times in my own personal life when I can remember reaching out to my mother, asking for help to get an education at a time when disabled people, with learning disabilities were not getting degree’s at all, and hearing my mother say… “Why don’t you just accept yourself the way you are instead of forcing and fighting your learning disability to make the impossible happen. Upset, and even more determined, I kept walking through the storm. I kept forging forward even though I was told what I was told. I smiled, grinned and beard it, but was not going to let my mother’s words and her beliefs about me affect me or hamper my quest.
While I knew my mother was being very loving toward me, I also knew that I would not have a place in society, and at the table if I did not push forward and make every attempt and effort to make my life happen.

When I finally got my degree no one was happier than my mother and me. She was the only one who knew what I went threw day in and day out. She came up to me, wrapped her loving arms around me, and hugged and kissed me in the fashion I knew so well. Then, all of a sudden, I found her whispering in my ear… I’m sorry Kranalala” You don’t know, or maybe you do know what this meant to me. It made me radiate with happiness. It made me radiate from within out. And, it made me radiate with sheer joy and bliss because I had reached one of my first unreachable dreams. It was not just hearing my mother’s words of acceptance and love, but knowing that I listened to myself, my heart, and my drummer, and followed a long and arduous pursuit of mine, of which I had just accomplished.

On that day of mine, I learned one very important lesson. That lesson was to always follow your own heart and to stay true to your own dreams and what you know about yourself. People can say what ever they want. But, if you know the truth within yourself that’s what matters! No matter what is said, there are always ways one can still make things happen. You can set yourself free and you can set yourself apart from everything other people say and think about you. You can hold your head high, reaffirm the truth of your own self and own abilities, and walk past and through all obstacles. It is all up to you. It is in your own attitude and belief. Know one can take that away from you if you truly believe in yourself. It may not be the next day, week, month, or year that you get whatever you desire. But it will happen if you stay the course.

You don’t have to be mean, nasty, or get in people’s faces for giving there own opinion, but you can rise above, be eloquent and poised, and accomplish your goals with dignity in a timely, peaceful manor.

www.fdlreporter.com
By Stacy Ellingen
Special to The Reporter

Is the economy ever going to get better?

Where are the jobs?

Will I ever get a job?

These are the questions going through the minds of recent college graduates.

I ask myself these same questions daily, except I have some extra concerns to worry about.

Because of oxygen loss at birth, I was diagnosed, at age 3 months, with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy .

CP affects every part of my body. My muscle tone fluctuates, which makes simple tasks seem impossible. Except for when I'm sleeping, my body is always moving. I need help with all of my basic needs (dressing, toileting, feeding, etc.) I use a power wheelchair to get around and a communication device to speak with others.

Despite having a disability, I've been able to accomplish far more than many people expected. After a couple of years of early childhood classes, from kindergarten on, I attended regular classes. A one-on-one assistant was assigned to help me in the classroom. I did almost all of my schoolwork on the computer and had accommodations as needed. Even though assignments took me much longer to do, I never took any assignment modifications. I graduated from Fond du Lac High School in June of 2003.

Moving on to college

Graduating from high school was a big accomplishment, certainly, but I knew I wanted to go on. In the fall of 2003, I started at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Before deciding on UW-Whitewater, my parents and I did a lot of research. We had to look at different things other than what a "normal" prospective college student would. Things such as accessibility, academic support services and personal care services were critical when I was looking at colleges.

UW-Whitewater is nationally known for specializing in serving students with physical disabilities. There's a center called the Center for Students with Disabilities where all of services for students with disabilities are located. Services include note taking, testing services, alternative media, transportation, physical therapy, and many others. There are also in-class aides for classes that have labs.

I started out majoring in business, but after struggling through a couple econ classes and an accounting class, I switched my major to advertising with a multimedia minor. Because assignments took me longer to complete, for the first few years, I was unable to take the full number of credits. Therefore, it took me a little longer, but I graduated in May. I can't even begin to express how thankful I am that I went on to college. It helped me become so much more independent and self-confident.

After graduation, I moved back home to Fond du Lac. Currently, I'm looking for a job and working on getting an apartment set up. I'm working very part-time as an online mentor for high school students with disabilities.

Dream career

My dream career is to design publications for a company. I'm working with the Division of Vocal Rehabilitation and disability employment agency to help me get a job. With the job market as tight as it is today, it will be a challenge for me to land a job. I will have to prove that, despite my disability, I will be beneficial to the employer. This isn't an easy task.

To be fair to the employer, I'll have to explain my situation and the accommodations I will need. I'm well aware that revealing this will automatically put me at a large disadvantage, but it's something that needs to be known.

In my classes, I've learned that because of tight deadlines, some companies work in a very fast-paced environment. That will be something that I will have to discuss with the employer.

Because of my physical limitations, things take me much longer to complete. People who know me know that I'm a very hard worker, and I won't stop working until the project is done. I'll have to prove that I'm dedicated to the job.

I have a portfolio that I can show which not only includes articles I've written for the paper, but also projects I've done. This will provide the employer with a sample of my capabilities.

Eventually, I'd like to work in an office setting, but I'm aware that when I first get a job, I'll most likely be working from home. If and when I work in an office, DVR will work with the employer to provide the accommodations I'll need. I'll need accommodations such as accessible doors, an accessible restroom, an adapted computer desk and an adapted keyboard.

Hiring people with disabilities adds diversity in the workplace, which builds companies' reputations. It shows that the company is willing to work with people with disabilities. It may take awhile, but I'm confident that I will find something right for me. I'll put it this way — I won't give up until I do.

Additional Facts
Disability series
Today’s personal stories by Stacy and Deb Elligen are part of a 4-part series by The Reporter that focuses on people with disabilities.

Monday’s feature talks with employers and services that help the disabled find employment and highlights the U.S. Census Bureau latest disability figures in Fond du Lac County.Tuesday we talk with Alto resident Don Saffron, who has started his own business.

October is observed as Disability Awareness Month to help empower Americans with disabilities through awareness.

RULES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

1) Speak directly rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter who may be present.
2) Offer to shake hands when introduced. People with limited hand use or an artificial limb can usually shake hands.
3) Always identify yourself and others who may be with you when meeting someone with a visual disability.
4) If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted.
5) Treat adults as adults. Never patronize people in wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulder.
6) Do not lean against or hang on someone’s wheelchair.
7) Listen attentively when talking with people who have difficulty speaking and wait for them to finish.
8) Place yourself at eye level when speaking to someone in a wheelchair or on crutches.
9) Tap a person who has a hearing disability on the shoulder or wave your hand to get his or her attention.
10) Relax. Don’t be embarrassed if you happen to use a common expression, such as “See you later” or “Did you hear about this?” that seems to relate to a person’s disability.
More information is available from American Association of People with Disabilities at www.aapd-dc.org

Words by Geoff Abbott and Pictures by Steve Ford




Nik Royale climbing mountains close to his home near Llanberis


A rock climbing enthusiast is hoping to become one of the first disabled instructors in the UK.

Nik Royale is in the final stages of a training process which will allow him to instruct at indoor climbing centres.

The 36-year-old, who lives near Llanberis, Gwynedd, has a progressive form of cerebral palsy and needs to use a wheelchair at times.

If successful, he hopes to set up disabled rock climbing clubs "to break down the barriers".

Mr Royale said: "I need the wheelchair because I can't walk all the time and after I've been climbing my legs go all shaky because it puts a lot of pressure on them.


There is a lot of misconception about the sport that it's only suitable for the very fit and very strong... it's open to absolutely everybody and Nik is very passionate about the sport and wants to publicise that fact

Jude Hargreaves, Awesome Walls, on Nik Royale, pictured
"If I pass my assessment I would like to help set up disabled rock climbing clubs because it can help with balance, coordination, physical fitness, stamina and confidence.

"I would like to break down the barriers so people in wheelchairs can actually do it," he said.

He has recently started training at a centre in Liverpool as part of a requirement to climb at three different centres, and said the more challenging facilities had helped him develop.

"Awesome Walls is huge and they're constantly changing their routes," he explained.

"It's very wheelchair-accessible and the staff are friendly and they've made me feel very welcome.

Technical skills

"They've let me train there for free and that includes two friends who can climb with me.

"I've increased my technical skills and I'm climbing a grade higher now."

He is helping at the centre as an assistant instructor and has been a hit with the younger climbers.

The centre's assistant manager, Jude Hargreaves, said people could forget his disability because he was already a "very good climbing instructor".

"He knows his stuff which is essential and we're really pleased to have him on board," said Jude, who has worked at the centre for two years.

"The way it works at the climbing wall is that we like it to be open to absolutely everybody.

"There is a lot of misconception about the sport that it's only suitable for the very fit and very strong.

"That's not the case. It's open to absolutely everybody and Nik is very passionate about the sport and wants to publicise that fact."

Whether you are entering the workforce for the first time, returning to the job market, or seeking advancement, the challenges of a job search are similar. Your goal is to find the position that best meets your needs. You must be qualified and able to sell yourself as the best applicant for the jobs for which you apply. Here are some tips that can help you in meeting your job search goal.

Have a strong sense of who you are. Know your assets and how to market them to employers. Be as confident as possible that you are the best applicant for the job and reflect that in all communications by voice and in writing.

Follow the current job trends. Take the initiative to maintain cutting edge skills that match changing employer requirements. Take classes that are not only of interest to you, but also bolster your workforce qualifications. Learn another language. Take a computer course. Join job networking groups.
Be prepared to increase your technical computer skills with various software and office equipment. Computer skills and offerings change quickly. Be flexible and ready. This always increases your marketability in the job market.
Conduct online job searches in addition to searches in the classifieds and personal referrals. Visit employer Web pages and key job sites such as:

• CareerPath: http://www.careerpath.com/
• Monster Board: http://www.monster.com/
• CareerMosaic: http://www.careermosaic.com/
• CareerBuilder: http://www.careerbuilder.com/

Consider doing informational interviews with various companies. This not only gets your presence and qualifications before a potential employer, but helps you practice and prepare for varied interview processes and styles. Practice one-on-one as well as panel interviews. You never know which job will require which style of interview.

Keep your resume current and have different copies of it prepared to meet different job objectives. Be ready to customize your resume to reflect the assets you bring to each job. Use key words that can be electronically scanned by potential employers to positions you want. Reflect continuous employment in your skill area and fill in gaps with education and volunteer work whenever possible. Summer employment should support your field of interest. Volunteer in your community or at your house of worship, or obtain temporary jobs if you are currently unemployed. Get out there and stay active to the best of your ability be seen and heard. Select the resume format that minimizes any gaps in employment. Seek the help of a professional resume writer or use a resume writing program to help you highlight your strengths in the best way possible.
Locating a job can be as full time an endeavor as actual employment. Give full attention to all that you do and be mindful of any errors in your information. Errors will knock you out of the running quickly. Keep your employment dates up to date as best you can. Call your previous employers to double check those dates.

It is crucial to have a written personal plan for growth opportunities when you are working. Seeking other opportunities does not stop simply because you are already employed. You are looking to grow in each opportunity you take on. Know what you must do each day to move closer to your goal for a promotion or the next job. Stay focused and motivated.

Maintain and continuously strive to broaden your network. If you are working, network inside the company. Join professional groups. Choose opportunities that match your skills and goals. Request and study annual reports of select companies. Reflect each company’s image in all communications with each company’s representatives. Make good use of your local library. Read trade journals and business publications in your chosen field. Get to know your chosen career track and its emerging trends inside and out.

Develop your personal presence. A pleasant personality is a necessary asset. Your eagerness to adapt and to be a team player is essential. Show flexibility and eagerness to move forward with emerging change. A sense of humor and positive attitude are essential as well.

You should only disclose a disability if you require an accommodation for an interview (such as asking for forms in alternate formats, locating an accessible interview site or if you think you might need an interpreter during the interview). Also when it comes to performing the essential functions of a particular job, you will need to discuss with your employer your accommodation necessities. Your resume and cover letter should focus on the abilities you bring to the job, not on your disability.

Look your best from head to toe. A clean wheelchair, crutches or cane also goes along way to set off your interview outfit. Dress conservatively. Be brief and to the point when answering interview questions. Maintain a demeanor of success and reflect the company image when you respond to the interviewer’s questions. Have full confidence in what you bring to the employer and show how your skills meet the company's specific hiring needs.

Also, be prepared to ask thoughtful questions about the job and the company. Show you are interested in the company by doing research on the company beforehand and never say anything negative. Follow up immediately after your interview with a thank you letter or e-mail transmission. This keeps you in the employer’s mind well after the interview and sets the standard for courteous correspondence and behavior

Join us at Naidex 2010...the UKs largest disability, homecare and rehabilitation event held at the NEC.

Naidex is the ideal opportunity to raise your profile and get your message across to thousands of healthcare professionals and members of public with a disability.

Charities who have already booked a stand include the Disabled Living Foundation, British Polio Fellowship, Canine Partners, Guide Dogs, Health Professions Council, Holidays for All, Mobilise, Motability, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, National Trust, RNIB, RNID, Treloar Trust, Stroke Association and Vitalise.

This year was the most successful show to date with over 360 exhibitors and 10,978 visitors (ABC audited).

For Naidex 2010 we are growing the show even further and introducing a new Car Zone, Communication Village and Sensory Garden feature.
Over 70% of space has already been booked - so contact us now to find out about availability and book your stand!
Call Charlotte or Dean on 0207 728 4203 or email naidex@emap.com

ICT applications should consider handicapped users from the start,
Writer: Sasiwimon Boonruang

Nong Oay and Nong Note enjoy taking photos for visitors and editing them with the Photoshop program.

The Mattayom 1 student cannot articulate, but she is able to communicate with teachers and friends with a picture notebook and the Talking Switch speech assistive equipment, which helps her to partake in activities in the classroom.

Beside Nong Kob, at the United Nation building recently, was fellow wheelchair user Nong Oay, who has weak bones due to the inherited disorder of collagen synthesis, and Nong Note, who suffers muscle weakness.

All are students at Srisangwal School who today enjoy using not only the assistive technology, developed by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec), but also computer programs such as Photoshop.

Visitors and delegates at the "ITU Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities" recently witnessed the students' capabilities in decorating and editing snaps.

"I didn't think I would look so good in the photo, thank you!" said one visitor, chuckling over a picture and inserting a 100-baht banknote into the donation box.

One woman who had Nong Kob take her photo and decorate it with a yellow butterfly was surprised when she received the photo and said even able-bodied adults could not produce such a high quality of work.

"How old are you?" she asked Nong Kob, who answered "11" on the computer screen.

These are technologies that help bridge the gap between people with disabilities (PWDs) and those without.

However, exposure to ICT for PWDs has been limited in some aspects.

Sawang Srisom, officer of Disabled Peoples' International Asia Pacific, noted that technology has progressively developed but there is still a conflict between demand and supply.

It will help, at least in the short term, if the government puts measures in place to enable PWDs to buy equipment at a lower price. In the long term, the state should have a policy for PWD employment.

In the workplace, he said, employers should install technology such as speech synthesis software for the visually impaired, or special mice designed for physically disabled people.

Sawang further encourages the introduction of closed caption or sign language options on television, adding that this would be useful not only to deaf people but also anyone trying to watch TV in a noisy environment.

Furthermore, Shadi Abou-Zahra, W3C web accessibility specialist, said graphical images on the internet are not suitable for sight-impaired people. They might be able to use screen readers for the text but the graphical information can not be output automatically. Video online will become more widely available, but captioning is rare.

If the website cannot be navigated by keyboard, PWDs may use a special mouse to do so. But the majority of websites have not been designed with the principles of accessibility and are therefore difficult for PWDs to use.

In order for the web to become truly accessible to all, it had to be coded properly, said Shadi.

The specialist noted that W3C has developed a technical standard for the web to adopt internationally recognised guidelines.

"The biggest challenge is not technology, but awareness-raising," he said, adding that people who develop websites typically don't consider the requirements of PWDs.

Training the developers, policy makers and decision makers is very important because they have to work together.

The issue of ICT accessibility for PWDs has significantly raised awareness.

Thailand recently hosted the first forum to be staged in the Pacific region.

In the knowledge-driven information age and society, it is timely to design and implement an inclusive ICT policy to provide digital opportunities to PWDs, according to Dr Eun-Ju Kim, head of the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Citing the World Health Organisation, Kim said 10 percent of the world's population - or about 650 million people - have some form of disability, with the number increasing every year due to various factors such as war, natural disasters, unhealthy living conditions, and the absence of knowledge about disabilities and how to manage them.

In Thailand, there are around 1.9 million PWDs, or 2.9% of the population, many of whom encounter barriers when using ICT products and services.


Dr Eun-Ju Kim says the industry should have more R&D to come up with the right design products and services for disabled people.
ICT accessibility has been practiced to a very limited extent. Existing ICT products and services were not designed with principles of accessibility in mind and are therefore difficult for PWDs to use. The most obvious example is web accessibility.

"It costs dramatically less to implement web accessibility at the design stage than to retrofit it later," said Kim.

"Thus, it is worth emphasising the important roles of not only policy-makers and regulators but also industries, which can contribute not only to appropriate designs but also to affordable ICT products and services for PWD, taking into account the potential markets in the aged society."

The ITU Regional head urged that it is time to present PWDs with digital opportunities through ICT inclusive policy and regulations such as code of conducts in the information society so that assistive technologies, devices and applications specifically designed for PwD can be accessible and affordable to use.

She pointed out the ITU program of "Building the Capacity of Harnessing ICT for Disempowered/Marginalised Communities in Sri Lanka" from which representatives came to Thailand to exchange experiences.

They feel Thailand enjoys far more advanced technology in ICT applications and for PWDs and when they go back to Sri Lanka they can raise awareness of the issue to encourage more and better technology and applications available for their disabled people.

"I want to continue this kind of exchange program in the future as part of this project," said Kim.

"Next year, the program may be carried out with Mongolia and another countries."

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who Kim said is a leader in the field, and who is also the one of ITU patrons, is supporting ICT in a wide range.

However, she said this is not the end, but just a beginning which still requires a lot of work to ensure equal access for all to ICT.

Kim is encouraging the industry to focus more on research and development to come up with right design products and services for PWDs to help them enjoy as full a life as possible.

Significantly, she said, many developed countries such as Japan and around Europe are seeing a rapid increase in population age, so their ICT industries are adapting to support the socio-economic needs of a growing and ageing demographic, including the different forms of disabilities that accompany the trend, such as the loss or reduction of dexterity and senses.

A decade from now, it is envisioned that these countries will have adapted so that their entire populations should be able to benefit from ICT, regardless of disabilities.

"I want to use this momentum to raise awareness for the industry, operators, and regulators," said Kim, adding that ITU will deliver appropriate training to various stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators and others interested in mainstreaming, developing and implementing ICT accessibility issues for PWDs at national, sub-regional and regional levels, and will continue implementing projects through close collaboration with various partners such as the ICT Ministry, Nectec and the National Telecommunications Commission, and others.

According to Axel Leblois, executive director, Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict), ICT has become a significant factor for economic and social development in all countries around the world. People's ability to use mainstream ICT applications and devices directly affects their ability to fully participate in education, employment, culture and leisure, civic or social activities.

Television, mobile phones, radios, computers, websites and multiple automated digital interfaces are used every day by billions of persons to communicate, access information in their jobs, at school, at home or to interact with government services or e-commerce.

The pervasive usage of ICTs in all aspects of society around the world thus creates a significant risk of exclusion if ICT is not accessible to PWDs.

For Thailand, the government which has ratified the UN CRPD (Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities) is working on implementation by establishing learning centres nationwide that include assistive technologies such as braille printers and digital talking books for use by the visually impaired. There are also plans to use closed captioning for television programming to promote use by hearing-impaired users.

By Sharon Sullivan

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — In the spirit of Jackson Pollock, local amateur artists created a painting at The Art Center Tuesday, by rolling wheelchairs across a canvas stretched over a portion of the parking lot.The Pollock Project was named for the famed late abstract expressionist artist known for painting on the ground, and flinging paint randomly on the canvas.

Although not every painter Tuesday could cut out his or her own stencil — which was then applied to a roller in front of the wheelchair — most could at least choose the shape and color they wanted to add to the canvas.“We have quite a few clients who love doing art — especially the explosive colors,” said Nikki Benning, day program supervisor at Mesa Developmental Services.“A lot of people didn't show much interest in anything until we started doing these art projects. When you mention going to The Art Center, or doing art projects, they're ready. There are lots and lots of smiles.”The Pollock Project was a collaboration between The Art Center, MDS and Very Special Arts of Colorado and their Arts for All program. The nonprofit's executive director Damon McLeese, and his daughter, Zoe, helped supervise the event.VSA of Colorado is a branch of Very Special Arts — an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974.

McLeese calls it an “Arts for All mobile art studio. With a home office/gallery in Denver, he brings adaptive art equipment to communities around Colorado at least 20 to 30 times a year for similar projects.”“The nice thing about this, everyone has added something to this,” McLeese said. “So often things are done for them, or to them. This is a much more inclusive process.”Although it may look like one huge abstract painting, there are “lovely compositions within,” McLeese said.

Clients chose all kinds of shapes, including a chocolate chip cookie, birds, fish, and big geometric shapes.Three of the canvases within the larger painting were later stretched and placed in frames to be hung at the Art Center and at MDS, 950 Grand Ave.The Pollock Project was initiated by local artist Mark Saro, owner of Unishape Adaptive Equipment, a national company that builds products for people with developmental disabilities. Saro contacted Denver's Very Special Arts to bring the project to Grand Junction. Saro began sponsoring art classes for MDS clients a couple of years ago. Since then other groups have helped provide art classes for handicapped individuals.“Our goal is to bring back art programs for the disabled,” Saro said.Tuesday was the first time The Art Center has collaborated with the nonprofit VSA of Colorado.“We'll probably bring them back. People are having so much fun,” said Art Center Director Cheryl McNab.The Art Center offers an art program once a month for the disabled. This month's event was sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank.MDS clients have a wide range of disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, scoliosis, degenerative spine disease, quadriplegia, and cerebral palsy. Jessica Snarr is a 22-year-old with spina bifida. She enjoyed maneuvering her wheelchair across the canvas, Tuesday.“I like it. It's really neat for us,” Snarr said. “I love art.” Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.

By SUE GYFORD
WHEN Mark Cooper arrived in the pub, he thought he was all set for a good night out.

He had no trouble getting through the door in his wheelchair, and settled down for a couple of pints with friends. It was only later he had a problem.

He explained: "I went up to the bar and said 'Where's your disabled toilet?' and they said 'We don't have one'. "I thought 'What am I supposed to do now?'"

The customer toilets were down a steep flight of stairs, so he had to leave 56 North in West Crosscauseway with friends, and go 200 yards down the road to another bar, The Native State, which he knew had an accessible toilet.

The 24-year-old was inspired to launch a campaign to improve the lot of disabled pub-goers in Edinburgh. He has the support of MSP George Foulkes and Councillor Angela Blacklock, who has tabled a motion for today's meeting of the full council calling on the city to publish a list of pubs detailing their accessibility.

Mr Cooper, who has cerebral palsy, will make a deputation to the meeting and would like to see it be a condition of receiving a licence that pubs be made completely accessible to all, with the exception of a few older buildings where it is impossible.

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 rules that pubs cannot discriminate against disabled people, but critics say it is too easy for them to opt out as long as they can provide a reasonable excuse.

Cllr Blacklock said: "This isn't a huge ask of the council. We have licensing standards officers in place who could carry out the work. It is the very least we can do for wheelchair users."

Mr Cooper added: "When I run into problems I feel angry because it's disrupted my evening. My friends just see me as normal, so why can't I just go out for a pint instead of having to think that I can't go to bar 'X' because I can't make full use of it?

"I'm quite an independent guy, so I don't like having to ask anybody if they can help me to go to the toilet.

"I'm hoping to get out of this a kind of good pub guide so that people can say I'd like to go out on Friday to a particular pub and have a look in the book and see if it's got disabled access. Disabled people have the right to have as much fun as anybody else."

Mr Cooper, who lives in Gracemount, has launched a petition on Facebook under the campaign title, Barred!, whose membership is more than 200 and rising fast.

James Sutherland, director of 56 North, said he sympathised with Mr Cooper's situation, but the building was leased and predated the introduction of regulations.

He added: "We take access very seriously but we're constrained by the building. There's not really any scope."

How many times in your life have you not been given credit for something you outstandingly accomplished? How many times were your efforts gone unnoticed? And, how many times did some body else take the credit for your hard work? This happens a lot to people with disabilities. Too often our work is seen as something to keep us busy and occupied, rather than something of meaning and purpose. Because people outside the disabled circle seem to believe that our lives don’t need the same kind of depth, acknowledgement, praise, or honor to express warm approval or admiration for the work we have done. We are given little recognition which is so deserved. Time and time again, our efforts, our ethics, and our labor get either brushed over or disregarded. Persons in high raking positions, who have no disabilities of there own, have a special way of usurping every opportunity that comes our way.

They seem to have a unique and inimitable way of allowing us to do the work for which they take full credit for. There are many deceitful examples. One time, in transition, while waiting for the verdict of my Civil Rights Case, I was working as an assistant recreation director. I went above and beyond, and took on responsibilities that normally would fall to my boss. But me being me, I took them on. Unfortunately, my efforts were not valued or taken seriously.

Once again, I was treated as though I was mentally retarded; and should go back to the workshops. It was thought and non-verbally expressed that I should do his work, while he received all the accolades. This idea was demonstrated in the general approach which was taken towards the management of our responsibilities within this care facility. I naturally grasped and took upon myself the many details in organizing care plans, putting on events, and teaching fitness classes; along with giving each client the respect, the dignity, the decorum, and care they unconditionally needed and deserved.

Most the time, my boss would show his face in the early part of the morning, disappear for eight hours, and reappear at the days end. Meanwhile, I had been progressing, and achieving and doing all his work. I put in long, grueling hours out of the goodness of my heart. I learned the ropes of the trade due to his negligence and unconcern. He was cold and hardened and looked out just for himself. He did not think of others around him and what his affects would be on them.

This man had the nerve to claim, “all I did was visit patience and make them happy…” His inaccurate, condescending and disdainful statements made me look as if I was incompetent of doing my job. He made me look as though I was incapable of holding my position or caring out the duties at hand. He also damaged my reputation and caused much strife.

Why is it that these people have to cause others such horrific and horrendous, pain? Why does our society promote one- manship of cruelty, instead of goodness? Why are there clicks where mean and cure things are said, and act performed? And why are people so jealous of those who give there all? Are they threatened Of us? Tell me, please! Why does mankind turn on there own? Is it ego, or greed? Is it power because they have something missing within themselves? Is it revenge because of something that happened in childhood? Are they just outright mean and cruel and have to hurt those who try their hardest and give there all!

What happened to being happy for someone else, and working together for the good of all? What happened to doing unto others as you would like done unto you? These irrefutable acts hurt the people who want to be included in society the most. While these people know how to sniff us out, and put us where they think we belong. They get off scott free for a while, but it always comes back.

It is the primary task of all of us who have a disability to demonstrate our own achievements in every aspect of our life. We need to show and teach the world by action and deed just how much we have to offer the world, and will accomplish. We need society to treat us seriously. We need society to get honest and stay honest. And, we need society to own up to the many narratives they have done to hold and keep us back. We need our country, and our members of government officially responsible to begin to recognize our untapped leaders in our own communities. It is far better for society if its leaders come from a people which have born “the heat of battle in the noon day sun.” Because you see, as a community, we have been tested and hardened by the struggle to survive. We have also understood the need to work interdependently for mutual benefits. These are the skills which our country requires of it leaders. So why not us, too! Why not then give us a voice and a say so in the leadership of the republic. Why keep us hidden in the shadows?

What does one think about when writing or sharing written material with other people through Twitter, You Tube, Disaboom, or Myspace. These modes of communication are to fill and enrich peoples lives, not bring unpleasant experiences. I know how uncomfortable it can be as when I was younger I could not write. As an infant, I was paralyzed due to a DPT shot. My body became paralyzed, and I had a severe learning disability which made me struggle pretty much my entire life, although, today, I have learned new ways to compensate, new ways to work through my fears, and I have found new ways to work under pressure. That is why having a common courtesy is so very, very important as one does not know who they are meeting over the World Wide Web. While my learning disability is not as severe as it once was, I still have my moments to this day. That is when being kind, caring, and tolerable comes in. One never knows whom they may encounter or meet. One never really knows what they may say while communicating that will offend someone deeply. Now, when I meet individuals like this I don’t let it get to me. I shrug it off. I use my positive tools to let it go with ease.

I want you to know that this is not always easy. In the past 3 decades I have not only learn to overcome and succeed in dealing with my problem, and what others may say, but I have supper seeded all my expectations of what I thought I would become. It is very humbling to remember that which I came from; as in my late teens, I could not even write a letter by myself. I remember my mother doing it for me. So, remembering this helps me to keep my communication skills up. It helps me to stay very humble and modest. The other thing that keeps me unpretentious is being myself and not coming off knowing that I know it all, egotistical, or un-kind. I have never for the sake of it just been un-caring, to others. I have always reach out with a warm concern about others and a concerned feelings to rise people up, not to tear them down! That is a common courtesy we aught all have. While speaking to other people and communicating with others it is nice just to be nice- I think twice about how I would like to be treated when I write back to someone writing to me. I don’t want to come across too abrupt, too conceded, or even too contrived. I remember always that people have feelings too, and that their feeling count just as much as mine. I remember you can’t take back words once you’ve spoke or written them- I also remember that while reading other peoples emails, writings, and blog entries to be kind always as I know what I reflect out to others, is a direct indication of my attitude and well being. So, I am not so quick to judge anyone.

I also remember when I was in my mid twenties, I remember a dear, dear friend lifting me up by sweetly saying…” write what comes to your heart and mind and put it to paper. And so I do the same now. I pay it forward. I want you to know I took to heart my friends empowering words and have been writing ever since. So I am the last to say a critical word! I have not only written an autobiographical, “THE BROKEN HOOF" but I write for two different disability magazines. I make sure my writing can help someone in some way. I make sure I write a whisper of hope to encourage and empower. A whisper to lift and rise. And a whisper to show that one truly cares!

My writing has become a tool in which I express myself. It is something I love to do, and find fulfillment in. I take much pride, and joy, in the things I write and share with the world. They have meaning. I try to teach and impart a personal closeness in what I am trying to convey to my readers. Writing for me is very therapeutic. It is an instrument to meet others that have the same interests as me; as well as helps me get comments and informal come backs from others. It is a way for me to center myself after an especially busy day. And, it calms me down, as helps me listen to that quiet, still, inner-voice of mine. Moreover it gives me a reason to sit down for a few minutes, all alone in the quietude of my own inner being. This is something I can give my all to. Something I can rejuvenate myself with, and something I can transcend, surpass, and go beyond any thought I might have or chose to develop. It gives me that sound strength to scribe on.Writing has not only become fun for me, but it has become a vital implement to share, teach, and express my feelings and emotions by which I choose to share as a messenger. It has become a certain kind of vehicle to which I can convey. Thus, we who have been selected and gifted with this amazing tool and means, let us be a positive instrument for all to convey this common courtesy.

Able Radio launches its new Summer schedule Monday at www.ableradio.com including a live interview with George Johnson, the man behind www.uhad2bthere.co.uk. Able Radio recommences programmes at 10 am with a new 7 day schedule of live shows covering disability related issues. At 2pm there will be a live interview with George, the man behind www.uhad2bthere.co.uk

Unique to the UK, Able Radio broadcast daily shows covering all aspects of living with disability and limiting medical conditions. The project is addressing the under representation of people with disability in the media, with all presentation by a team of volunteers who have a disability. Able Radio is proud to be associated with www.uhad2bthere.co.uk acting as an important source of news and events for all disabled people.

You can ask questions directly to uhad2bthere or to ableradio by writing to studio@ableradio.com or joining the forum at www.ableradio.com The live interview can be heard at www.ableradio.com


Able Radio - A voice for all
Now live at www.ableradio.com

Thunder Bay lawyers spent two years devising equipment suitable for the journey
KATE HAMMER
April 14, 2009

The most accessible parking spaces are often reserved for the disabled, but now so is one of the world's least accessible slices of real estate: the North Pole.
Over the weekend, David Shannon, a resident of Thunder Bay, became the first quadriplegic to reach the North Pole.

Almost 100 years to the day after Robert Peary claimed to have planted a U.S. flag on the spot, Mr. Shannon, 46, planted a wheelchair access sign at the northern end of the Earth's axis.

"This sign represents all peoples who have faced challenges or adversity in their lives and have dreamed of overcoming them. If we as people, work together in our homes, our cities, our countries and in our global village, there is no dream that cannot be realized," Mr. Shannon said, according to a post on the expedition's website, teamindependence.ca.

Mr. Shannon reached the pole in a specially crafted sled, under the power of his own triceps and with the assistance of fellow lawyer and Thunder Bay resident Christopher Watkins.
The two men spent the past two years devising equipment suitable for the journey, training along the snowy trails in their hometown.

"It took about two years to work out all the planning necessary to get the technology together, remembering that David would be heading to the North Pole but he does not move from the neck down, so therefore the winter protection that he needed was quite remarkable," Mr. Shannon's father, Bill Shannon, 70, said yesterday in an interview from his home outside Vancouver.

As a member of the University of Waterloo's rugby team, Mr. Shannon was injured during a team practice shortly before the first game of the season and only a week after his 18th birthday.

An angled break across his fourth and fifth vertebrae left him with some use of his triceps muscles, but very little else below his neck. Despite his injury, Mr. Shannon rolled his wheelchair across Canada in 1997, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, studied law and human rights at the London School of Economics and maintains his own law practice in Thunder Bay.
Bill Shannon said news of his son's arrival at the North Pole brought a mixture of pride and fear. The trip across Canada led to two broken ribs and he worried that without feeling in his lower body, frostbite and infection pose a constant threat.

Mr. Shannon and Mr. Watkins both suffered injuries in the final stages of the expedition, but the two men are now safely recovering with a third teammate, Darren Lillington, in Norway.

Please read before viewing picture - it's worth it!

A picture began circulating in November. It should be 'The Picture of the Year,' or perhaps, 'Picture of the Decade.' It won't be. In fact,unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably
Would never have seen it.

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner.

The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta . She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable
Surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr.Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger.

Dr.Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, 'Hand of Hope.' The text explaining the picture begins, 'The tiny hand of 21-week- old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.'

Little Samuel's mother said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. She said, 'The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person.' Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.

Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....







Don't tell me our God isn't an awesome God!!!!!

March 11, 2009 04:26 PM
Kyle Stewart
By Keitha Nelson -

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - President Barack Obama lifted the ban on federal funding for stem cell research this week, fueling the argument about whether it's a vital medical advancement or murder, but for one seven-year-old Louisiana boy with a brain disorder, stem cell treatment may be his only hope.

Watch Him

On any given day, Kyle Stewart can be found rolling around in his wheelchair. He doesn't let his disability get in the way of being a kid. He fishes, plays baseball, and loves to ride horses. Kyle aspires to be a professional bull rider when he gets older and his mom wants to make sure his dream comes true.

Patricia Stewart and her only child are headed to China for umbilical cord stem cell treatment. Kyle will get stem cells through an IV. "They say that it could help with trunk control," Stewart said. "And his hand movements and his head control." She says the treatment for neurological disorders is not available in the United States, but she thinks it should be. Stem cell research has a number of opponents because in some cases, embryos are destroyed to create the cell lines. Stewart argues that if it helps people, there shouldn't be a big issue. "It's so hard until you're in the position and it's your child," she said. "Then you believe that whatever needs to be done you would do."

Determined to help her son, Stewart and her family have planned fundraisers and benefits, with the hopes that a trip to China and some tiny cells will make a huge difference. "We just hope that maybe something can help, a little change, a little better. We would be completely happy with that," she said.

Kyle is not alone. Connor Corken is a two-year-old boy from Amite who returned from China in August of last year after receiving umbilical cord stem cell treatments. He was blind. Little Connor can now see light, shadows, and movement. If you would like to help Kyle get his treatment in China, click here.

An Op/Ed Piece in The Springfield (MO) News-Leaderby Gary Presley

I watched through a 21-inch window illuminating a world in black-and-white as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the civil rights movement.I watched sitting down, not "sitting in."I watched from a wheelchair, newly crippled by polio, mesmerized as our nation took a few tentative steps along Freedom Road after being paralyzed by racial discrimination for centuries.It was a time when the n-word was not uncommon, when I was termed a "shut-in" and "an invalid confined to a wheelchair." And I too yearned not to be separate and unequal.And then Dr. King stood at the Lincoln Memorial and said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."Rotten segregation began to crumble.

But not for me or other people with disabilities. Most of us remained isolated by inaccessible architecture, minimal higher education and employment opportunities and a patronizing preference for segregation through custodial care."You know, being in a wheelchair is almost like being black," I sometimes thought. I was right. And I was wrong.A person of color and a person with a visible disability are both identifiable by appearance, of course. And I felt excluded, discriminated against not only because of lack of accessible opportunities but also because of perceptions based entirely on appearance: "Don't hire people in wheelchairs.

They're sick all the time."Even after I ventured out into the world and confronted prejudices generated by a visible disability, I understood no one would beat me, kick me out of a restaurant or deny me the right to vote. I had no understanding of the black experience. No one turned fire hoses on people with disabilities. Nor lynched us.But when African-Americans rose up and demanded to be heard, people with disabilities remained invisible. The lucky were supported by families. Others were warehoused in nursing homes or state institutions.King voiced his dream in 1963, and ten years later The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provided the first step toward integration for people with disabilities.

Things became better with the passage of Americans with Disabilities Act in 1991, and we began to integrate ourselves into the educational sector, into businesses and professions, and even into the entertainment industry. And as more of us became visible, words and phrases like "confined to a wheelchair," "invalid" or "shut-in" began to disappear from the language.Today we remember Jim Crow, the lynchings, the riots, the bombs and the assassinations, and we celebrate the courage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.I will join in, but I will also remember heroes whose names should be written in every history book -- advocates like Justin Dart, who worked tirelessly for the Americans with Disabilities Act; Wade Blank, who had been with King at Selma and moved on to found ADAPT; Ed Roberts, the father of the disability rights movement who fought hard for everything from curb cuts to access to higher education.There's work left, of course. And to paraphrase Dr. King, I say, "I have a dream that people with disabilities will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by what they can or cannot do but rather by the content of their character."

The Times
February 26, 2009

In an extract from their book, David Cameron's biographers explain the impact of Ivan
Francis Elliott and James Hanning

Ivan Cameron was born in Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London on Monday, April 8, 2002. The birth was by a Caesarean section, made necessary at the last minute because Ivan was the wrong way round in the womb. Otherwise it was a normal delivery of an apparently healthy baby boy. It was a joyful event but even then a period of mixed emotions: in nearby Hammersmith Hospital at the same time, David Cameron's godfather Tim Rathbone, Ian Cameron's schoolfriend and a significant personal and political inspiration, was having tests for cancer. He visited Samantha in hospital but was to die some weeks later. “The fact that he was dying while my son was being born seemed to have some kind of symbolism. It made his birth all the more poignant and moving,” Cameron later told a friend.

Although Ivan was their first child, they quickly sensed that something was wrong. At Queen Charlotte's he seemed to have occasional spasms. Otherwise he seemed a very sleepy child and Samantha struggled with breast-feeding. But the health visitor paying the routine postnatal call to Ginge Manor, where mother and baby had gone after leaving Queen Charlotte's, saw no reason to be alarmed.

Within a week of his birth it was clear that Ivan, still very sleepy, was losing weight. Sometimes his hand would spring open in a series of small but repetitive impulses. As first-time parents, David and Samantha Cameron had nothing to compare their son's behaviour to and, reassured by the advice of the health visitor, showed off their son to Dominic and Tif Loehnis that weekend.

But, as Ivan entered his second week, the jerks were becoming more pronounced. Annabel Astor had become sufficiently concerned to drive her daughter - on her birthday - and grandson to the local GP.

The doctor's initial diagnosis was that the newborn was suffering from a kidney malfunction. He directed them to the accident and emergency department of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. It was here that the baby had his first major seizure in front of a doctor.
The nature of Ivan's condition was beginning to be shockingly apparent.

David Cameron, joining his wife at the hospital, shared her distress as their tiny child was subjected to 48 hours of blood tests, brain scans and lumbar punctures. Of all the tests, the one that was picking up the most identifiable evidence of Ivan's problem was the electroencephalogram (EEG). The EEG records brainwave patterns from electrical signals emitted by the brain. This showed the high-voltage “spikes” that occur in epilepsy, but they were followed by very little activity.

After one last confirming EEG, Mike Pike, a paediatrician, took the couple into a side room to talk. With ominous purposefulness, he placed a box of Kleenex beside them. He told them that this was very serious, that the pattern he had seen was consistent with “a very poor outcome and severe disability”. Ivan, he said, would have “very serious difficulties”. Cameron, struggling to take the gravity of the diagnosis on board, said: “When you say he's got serious difficulties, does that mean he's going to have trouble doing his maths, or does that mean he's never going to be able to walk and talk?” Pike said simply: “I'm afraid it means he probably won't walk or talk.” Within a few days they had a name for Ivan's condition: Ohtahara syndrome.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) provides the following definition: “a neurological disorder characterised by seizures ... most commonly caused by metabolic disorders or structural damage in the brain, although the cause or causes in many cases can't be determined”. Most infants “show significant underdevelopment of part or all of the cerebral hemispheres. The course of Ohtahara syndrome is severely progressive. Seizures become more frequent, accompanied by physical and mental retardation. Some children will die in infancy; others will survive but be profoundly handicapped.” Unsure whether Ivan would live for weeks or years, Cameron ensured that his son was christened at the earliest opportunity.
Cameron has said that the news hit him “like a freight train”. A friend observes that the couple entered “a very, very grim and difficult period” Emotionally, they had to overcome the discrepancy between the elation they had felt at the birth of their first child and the reality of what lay ahead. “You are depressed for a while because you are grieving for the difference between your hopes and the reality,” he has said.

There were immediate practical issues to address, the most pressing of which was how best to manage his condition. Ivan went through further tests at Great Ormond Street and Queen Mary's hospitals in London as doctors experimented with cocktails of drugs. David and Samantha Cameron, taking it in turns to sleep beside their son on hospital floors, were given a brutal lesson in the reality of life as the parent of a disabled child. After his initial shock Cameron has described how he began to surface. “There was a moment driving home from hospital and just thinking ‘We are going to get through this. If we can't do a good job and look after him, then we have failed'.” Initially the Camerons tried to look after Ivan themselves, without the support of their local authority's social services department. For a year the couple struggled with the situation largely on their own, although they had help from a special-needs-trained nurse during the day. Three and a half months after Ivan was born, Samantha had returned to work - as planned - for two days a week, and after five months she was back doing nine-day fortnights. It was a difficult decision.

On the one hand she worried inconsolably about Ivan's minute-to-minute care, but, on the other, her career was important to her and she had always intended to carry on working.
Childcare was shared between them. Journalists spotted Cameron bottle-feeding his son in Westminster that summer and cited it as evidence of the changing nature of the Tory party, not knowing the fullness of that truth. The young Tory MP also took Ivan to meetings at Carlton, where he remained a consultant. Former colleagues could hardly fail to notice the difference in him. At Edwina Paine's engagement party, one said he seemed a “different man ... he seemed much less frivolous”. Another senior colleague said: “He'd walk around with that baby in a basket, he'd come to every meeting.” Where previously Cameron had appeared “arrogant”, “this was a real leveller”.

Giles Andreae has said that Ivan's handicap had given Cameron “more humility”. Cameron has admitted as much himself. “Having a severely disabled son does bring you into contact with a lot of other elements of life. You do spend a lot of time in hospitals, you meet a lot of other parents and families in the same situation. It's an eye-opener.” At one point, Ivan's blood pressure shot up and he had to be rushed to the renal unit at Great Ormond Street. Cameron found that hospital visit in particular a strange experience. “He was struck by the fact that there were all these kids there who had been on dialysis for months, being incredibly courageous with these awful, awful problems,” says a friend. “I think it made him realise that there are other people in similar situations. On one occasion he was there all night, and at about 4am he was reading Jack and Jill to someone else's kids, and then had to go to Parliament early the next day to carry on with life as normal.”

© Francis Elliott and James Hanning 2007. Extracted from Cameron: The Rise of the New Conservative (Fourth Estate, £18.99) Available from Times BooksFirst for £17.09, free p&p. 0870 1608080, timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst. The Times, on behalf of the authors and the publisher, has made a donation to Mencap and St Mary's Hospital

For more than 10 years, Special Olympics has been serving athletes by offering free health screenings and health information at local, regional and World Games. In the process, Special Olympics has become the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities.

An athlete gets his hearing tested at a Healthy Athletes event. Healthy Hearing is one of seven health screenings Special Olympics provides to its athletes.
By listening to athletes at events and conducting research over many years, Special Olympics leaders became aware of the lack of quality health care for people with intellectual disabilities and found it unacceptable. We found that people with intellectual disabilities have a 40 percent greater risk for health issues, and that health care professionals are not trained in or experienced with caring for people with intellectual disabilities.

Called into action, we began to explore ways to help using Special Olympics’ unique global reach and access to people with intellectual disabilities. The result was the launch of the Healthy Athletes® initiative in 1997. Today, Healthy Athletes provides health screenings free of charge at Special Olympics competitions. Offered in a welcoming, fun environment, these screenings educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up.

Healthy Athletes currently offers health screenings in seven areas: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNFitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision) and Special Smiles (dentistry).

Through a global team of health-care volunteers, Healthy Athletes works to improve access and health care for Special Olympics athletes; make referrals to local health practitioners when appropriate; train health care professionals and students about the needs and care of people with intellectual disabilities; collect, analyze and dessiminate data on the health status and needs of people with intellectual disabilities; and advocate for improved health policies and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.

Healthy Athletes has a presence in more than 100 countries. Its influence is evident with more than 76,000 healthcare professionals trained, free health screenings provided to more than 700,000 athletes, and 50,000 free pairs of eyeglasses given to athletes. And it is just beginning – Healthy Athletes continues to grow each year with help from a global network of volunteers, in-kind donations and other financial support.

For more information on Healthy Athletes, contact Karl Hejlik, Senior Manager, Health and Research Communciations, at +1 (202) 824-0308 or khejlik@specialolympics.org.

My friends, as a community of unique people, it is a great source of encouragement to become aware that we are not alone in carving out a place for ourselves in this world. As a historian, I take inspiration and encouragement from finding links between the past and the present. It was therefore, a great pleasure to discover parallels between the creator of this website, and an even earlier pioneer of the movement for inclusion, noted architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.


Karen took on the organized establishment, and their corrupting limitations about what was manageable and possible for a woman with cerebral palsy.



By learning to dance, fighting to earn a college degree, against overwhelming opposition, and refusing to settle for an isolated mediocre, she is restoring our hopes, and giving strength to our dreams.


Frederick Law Olmsted, himself a person with disability, as the result of an injury, had for the nineteenth century, an overwhelmingly progressive viewpoints on the role which people should play, in the lives of their community. He designed central park, in New York, and hundreds of others throughout the nation, as showplaces, "people’s parks" fully accessible, and open to all, an unheard of idea for the 1870’s!


Here, rich, and poor, young and old could spend time in rich surroundings in harmony. Leslie Fanelli’s masterwork "Promise of the Park" details his quest to build Central Park, and his commitment to providing gathering points, for people far more joyous than the graveyards, in which most of the people could gather on Sunday’s their one day off.


"Promise of the Park", details the story in musical format in Ms. Fanelli’s usually brilliant style. She shows through the teenage minds of Amy and Leslie her joint protagonists, what Olmstead saw as his vision, how he took on the ruling class of the glided age, to create an oasis of peace in the blusting city. Eighty five years before "Salient Spring", Olmstead had a holistic vision of environmental harmony, and conservation.


For a person of his disability to be active in this era, was unheard of. But Olmstead, like Karen dug in his heels, and remained true to his better self. I ask every reader of this blog, to give careful attention to my dear friend, Ms. Fanelli, as she shares a review of her fabulous work… Sean Dineen


"Disability Pride" is an exciting new music CD by Theatre in Motion! This beautiful, robust music appeals to not only the millions of folks with disabilities, but also to their families and friends. Musical Theatre that is intergenerational appealing! Anthems of the Disability Rights and Disability Pride Movements!


Broadway’s Harold Prince declared, "What a feel-good project . . . You and your colleagues deserve such praise."

The Honorable Judith Huemann wrote, "Beautiful music and history sung by disabled activists. This will be a wonderful addition to the Disability Studies movement. A great gift for anyone who likes good music."


Available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/theatreinmotion2
Theatre in Motion is an award-winning theatre company that features intergenerational creative and performing artists with and without disabilities–serving inclusive, intergenerational audiences.






Tracks for "Disability Pride"
1 Disability Rights
2 Disability Boogie Woogie
3 Lake Erie
4 My Wheelin’ Chair
5 History Of The ADA
6 We’ll Speak Out
7 Let’s Reach An Understanding
8 Rolling To Washington

9 Disability Rights (reprise)

Event in February more information

LOGICALLY ILLOGICAL
Information and insight into autism
Ros Blackburn
4:15pm – 6:15pm

Ros Blackburn is an adult with autism. At three months old she appeared withdrawn, isolated and very much in a world of her own. At eighteen months she was diagnosed very severely autistic but with average intellectual ability. Now at 39 Ros lectures nationally and internationally giving insight into her own experiences and the care and education practices she has observed. In spite of the severe limitations imposed by her condition, Ros displays great courage (and a strong sense of humour) in facing her fears and tackling life’s challenges.

In this talk Ros will draw on her experience of living with severe autism and her considerable experience both as a recipient of services and increasingly as an observer of education and care approaches. Ros brings a perspective that is unique and yet speaks to all her audience: people with an autism spectrum disorder, carers, families, educators and the planners and providers of these services. Ros tells it ‘as it is’. She does not disguise the fear and limitations which are part of her daily experience. Yet she is also able to convey her wonderful capacity for fun and zest for life and her refusal to accept ‘second best’ for herself or for others. She describes the approach taken by her parents to give her what she now describes as the ‘veneer of social competence’ that enables her to engage in a still largely autism-unfriendly world. She explores with humour and passion the ‘mistakes’ from which she has had to learn and some of her coping strategies. From these she is able to offer helpful advice on practical strategies (and even more helpful advice on what not to do!) Her talk also illustrates the problems of having an uneven profile of strengths and weaknesses, where often the strengths mask her very real difficulties and needs. She does not advocate any one approach except that we should remember that people with ASD are people too and that ‘common sense’ should apply. Her position can best be summarised as an insistence on the need for high expectations for people with ASD linked with equally high levels of support. In a quote from her mother, Ros pleads that one should ‘never make autism the excuse, but help the person overcome the problems caused by it’.

Finally, it is Ros’ wish that all those who attend her talks find them helpful and informative but above all that the experience is entertaining and full of fun.

Sitting in the quiet solitude of my own four walls, my mind and thoughts will gently carry me back to very clear images of my past. These vivid memories are a touch tone towards greater understanding and healing of past experiences that I have had. In a blink of an eye, it doesn’t seem real all the time that has gone by since my father’s passing and my grandmother and Uncle’s physical deterioration with Parkinson’s disease.

These three important people in my immediate circle, where products of another era. It was difficult for them to express how they felt and what they desired. But, they were all souses of life giving lessons to me whether I agreed with them or not. They were an instrument towards my understanding the generations of dysfunction and lack of hands on affection in my family, and the wisdom of a young child who saw beyond the whelm, and wanted to move beyond, and towards the light of a better way of living, interacting with others, and being harmonic within the world around me.

All of these people were viewing someone very close to them, dealing with a disability, in a time that was thought to make a normal life impossible. I was from the very beginning, determined to live as though I didn’t have the limitations of my body, or, the “crippling attitudes” of the larger society to deal with. It would never have seemed possible for me to go out into this world and thrive with the attitudes and beliefs I was brought up with. Because, most of my family; especially my mother, was caught up in the daily business of dealing with a disable child and everything that came along with it. While my father came from even an earlier generation than my mother, and he had lost his mother, and was raised by a grandmother, so his focus was on earning a living. That left little time for anything else.

I had to figure out a lot for myself because my father passed away when I was only fourteen. This was just one experience in a period of several years that I lost loved ones. This forced me to be very self reliant, confident, and interdependent. So, it was all put upon my mother to raise my older sister and myself. Although, my dear Mama Katie didn’t quite know how much I could handle, or, how to totally express herself to me or say what was on her mind; she truly understood that I needed a lot more to become the person I was meant to be.

It is hard to remember what a radical idea this was in a time of separation for our community very similar to the segregated south. My mother had to remember the balance I needed, so that I could thrive, grow and develop my inner and outer self. My mother needed to understand two great truths. First, that there needed to be time to relax, regroup, and rest. And secondly, this was even harder, I knew there were thing I needed to accomplish which she wanted to protect me from.

The first time my mother ever had the courage, the strength, and the ability to acknowledge her own error in thinking there were limits to what I could do, was the day I earned my college degree. Who would have thought, that a dysfunction so deeply rooted, could have melted 35 years of pain, hurt, and lose. I was able to use my own positivity to help heal my own wounds, as well as try to restore the physical strength of loved ones in agony. It takes a really strong person to not fall into the trap of isolation and self pity.

All of us reading this magazine had channeled this kind of strength and will power to lead a life and beyond that which experts tried to limit us too. I never fully recognized my inner strengths. But each and every hurdle, blockade and barrier I came across, which called me to full attention, I knew I had to face. I knew I had to deal with it, and I knew I could not run. I had to take the bull by its horn, and all that came with it.

I also knew that I could neither avoid, or refrain, nor deny. My strengths came out of experiences that I just mentioned. This would help me to help others when they needed me the most. When my uncle struggled with Parkinson’s, I was able to give him my positive ways of thinking to deal with his disease and the pain it inflected upon him for well over 10 years. Throughout my life, achievements have come out of my own struggle and the inner resources I have used to maintain a strong mind, body and spirit.

Beyond Boundaries Live, the UK's leading event for people with disabilities, has undergone a major transformation following this year's event. The 2009 show is set to be the biggest and best yet as it moves to Farnborough's FIVE venue and extends both its exhibitor and feature content. The next event, which is based on the highly acclaimed Beyond Boundaries TV series, takes place on 4th & 5th July 2009. Offering an inspirational and fun day out for people with disabilities, their families, carers and those working in the disability market, the 2009 event has been re-designed and expanded to provide an even greater visitor experience.

The new look show will see a host of activities and features - ranging from sporting challenges, a rock climbing wall and a ski slope through to a Paralympic experience, cooking demonstrations and an off road test track. There will also be a larger number of exhibitors than ever before offering a comprehensive range of products and services for the disabled market. Zinc Events, organisers of the event, has appointed AEO Award winning Event Director, Mark Brewster to lead a new team to bring Beyond Boundaries Live to life within its new home. The team has been appointed with the specific remit of creating a truly experiential event, providing fresh and exciting content for an audience eager to live life the full.

Commenting on plans for 2009, Mark Brewster says: "Beyond Boundaries is already firmly established as the most dynamic event for people with disabilities. We are now working with a host of new partners and sponsors, all of whom share a vision of the exciting possibilities for its further growth. We are looking forward to engaging with an even wider audience via a national marketing campaign and delivering an event that provides huge value for exhibitors and sponsors on a commercial level, whilst also offering an inspirational and exhilarating experience for visitors."Mark adds: "The new venue allows for the natural expansion of the show year-on-year, whilst Farnborough also offers ideal access to a wider audience in a more central location, at the heart of the Southern counties." Beyond Boundaries will also have a fresh new logo and interactive website to be launched mid-January 2009. For further details about Beyond

Boundaries Live visit http://www.beyondboundarieslive.co.uk/Beyond Boundaries Live

PhysioFunction Event

UK’s leading provider of private outpatient and community Neurological Physiotherapy, look forward to seeing you at the open day for their new clinic at ...

The Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE) on the
12th February 2009
10am – 4pm
Drop in at your convenience

We hope you will be able to pop in during your busy day for some light refreshments and a chat, to learn more about how PhysioFunction helps clients with:-
Stroke, Spinal Injury, Head Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and other Neurological conditions, to maximise their physical independence.

· Our team of expert Neurological Physiotherapists will be on hand to answer your questions
· Demonstrations of some innovative technology – Functional Electrical Stimulation, the Saeboflex hand retrainer and Kitcool in action
· Talk to current clients about how they have maximised their independence with our help
· Book a talk or demonstration for your practice while you are with us

We look forward to seeing you on the day.

Physiofunction Ltd, 50 High Street, Long Buckby, Northants. NN6 7RD Registered Office as aboveRegistered in England and Wales No. 4878929 Tel: 0800-043-0327 Fax: 0871-661-3008 Mob: 07798-780364 http://www.physiofunction.co.uk/