JFActivist

ABC to Air "A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities"

From a Diva Communications Press Release (11/16/09):

Diva Communications' Interfaith Documentary Explores Pressing Issue of Faith and Persons with Disabilities

Diva Communications, Inc., a three-time Emmy award-winning programming and production company, has complete 'A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities,' a unique interfaith documentary due to begin airing on ABC stations in December.  The documentary, produced in conjunction with the New York Board of Rabbis, had the support of an extraordinary lineup of faith groups including the National Council of Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ and the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops.  The faiths' relationship with persons with persons with disabilities is a critical issue since it is estimated that 1 out of 5 Americans has a disability.

'A Place for All' explores the courageous stories of persons with disabilities as the succeed in making their faith communities truly inclusive.  It features people such as Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh, a spiritual leader at Congregation Bnai Keshet in New Jersey and one of the handful of deaf rabbis in the world; members of ELCA's DAYLE program where Definitely Abled Youth unite at the 40,00 strong triennial Evangelical Lutheran youth gathering; Rev. Beth Lockard, the pastor of Christ the King Deaf Church; and Brandon Kaplan, a severely disabled boy with limited sigh and speech who recently had the privilege of becoming a Bar Mitzvah...

... ABC  stations nationwide will begin airing the program December 6, 2009 as a part of ABC's Vision and Values series, a presentation of the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission. Check your local station for times. 

>>>For More Information or To watch the trailer

>>>For A Listing of Stations and Times

Survivor, the Disabled Version, Comes to U.K. TV

From Time (11/17/09):

Survivor, the Disabled Version, Comes to U.K. TV
By Catherine Mayer / London

To television executives depressed over the dwindling audiences for reality TV shows and looking for ways to reinvigorate the once hugely profitable genre, the following pitch might be compelling. "We've got this great show for you. We're going to take six strangers and strand them somewhere really remote; we'll film them as they struggle to survive. You say it's already been done — there's  I'm a Celebrity — Get Me Out of Here! and Survivor and, here in Britain, Castaway. But here's the twist: our participants will be ... disabled! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Cast Offs, a uniquely challenging reality TV show."...

...The show, scheduled to begin airing on Britain's Channel 4 on Nov. 24, is a mockumentary-style drama that apes the reality format it satirizes and seethes with sex, profanity and gloriously politically incorrect dialogue. But it stars actors who in real life share the same disabilities of the characters they portray...

...It's the twisted brainchild of producer Joel Wilson, ...[who]originally envisaged Cast Offs "as something broadly satirical that would poke fun at the way disability is generally viewed ... We wanted to show the disabled were no more and no less f___ed up than anyone else."

>>> For the Full Article

Not Everyone Is Happy about 'Glee'

From the AP (11/10/09):

`Glee' wheelchair episode hits bump with disabled
By LYNN ELBER

LOS ANGELES – The glee club members twirl their wheelchairs to the tune of "Proud Mary" and in joyful solidarity with Artie, the fellow performer who must use his chair even when the music stops.

The scene in Wednesday's episode of the hit Fox series "Glee," which regularly celebrates diversity and the underdog, is yet another uplifting moment — except to those in the entertainment industry with disabilities and their advocates.

For them, the casting of a non-disabled actor to play the paraplegic high school student is another blown chance to hire a performer who truly fits the role.

"I think there's a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable," said Robert David Hall, longtime cast member of CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

All of that is nonsense, said Hall: "I've made my living as an actor for 30 years and I walk on two artificial legs."...

>>> For the Full Article

New Study: Disability is a Cause and Result of Poverty

From the Chicago Tribune(11/4/09):

Poverty and disability greatly correlated, new study shows
By Mike Ervin

Hard economic times are even harder when you have a disability. But poverty and disability don't have to be synonymous if we design our policies well.

A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (a Washington-based think tank) titled "Half in Ten" states that almost 50 percent of working-age adults who experience poverty for at least a 12-month period have one or more disabilities.

People with disabilities, the report says, account for a larger share of those experiencing poverty than people in all other minority, ethnic and racial groups combined and are even a larger group than single parents.

The extra costs associated with living with a disability such as purchasing expensive equipment like wheelchairs and catheters or obtaining specialized medical attention keep many disabled people and their families in poverty, the report notes.

The report also astutely observes that direct care workers who assist people with disabilities in their homes and communities are often themselves in poverty. The median income for the 3 million direct care workers in the United States is only $17,000 a year, the report says.

Fortunately, there are several steps we can take to ensure that disability doesn't spell poverty...

>>> For the Full Article

>>> For the Report

'Meet Sue' Wins 'What Can You Do?' Contest

Press Release from the Campaign for Disability Employment (10/26/09):

Best Buy and The Campaign for Disability Employment Announce National Video Contest Winner
Blake Watson’s "MEET SUE" wins the What Can YOU Do? Video Contest

Flowood MS, October 26, 2009 – Today, Best Buy and the Campaign for Disability Employment, a newly-formed collaborative of leading disability organizations, announced the winner of the What Can YOU Do?  Video Contest.  The national competition, which attracted more than 130 videos promoting the talent and skills that people with disabilities bring to America’s workplaces and economy, was won by Mississippi native Blake Watson.  Mr. Watson’s innovative video, “Meet Sue,” is showcased on the Campaign’s Web site (www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org) and was screened publicly for the first time at the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) Annual Conference and Career Fair held in Washington D.C. in September.

The Campaign for Disability Employment sponsored the What Can YOU DO? Video Contest as part of its national effort to increase the employment of people with disabilities.  Their goal is to promote the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities and dispel negative stereotypes about disability and employment.  In that spirit, the video contest invited aspiring filmmakers to produce creative, fun and compelling 60-second videos that illustrate what people with disabilities can do at work when given the opportunity.  An objective of the video contest was to help viewers re-think their assumptions about people with disabilities and employment. 

The success of the What Can YOU Do? Video Contest was also due in large part to Best Buy, the nation’s largest consumer electronics retailer, who will be hosting Mr. Watson during an in-store celebration today at Best Buy Store number 938 in Flowood, Mississippi.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Campaign for Disability Employment in sponsoring the What Can YOU Do video contest,” said John Pershing, executive vice president, human capital, Best Buy. “We believe a diverse environment is critical to the success of our business. We value all of our employees for their individual talents, ideas and innovative approaches used to meet the needs of our customers every day.”

Mr. Watson, who will be awarded a $1,500 Best Buy gift card, is a 24 year old Web designer based in Central Mississippi.  He has an undergraduate degree in information systems and masters in business administration, both from Mississippi State University.  During his college career, Mr. Watson was the co-director of Students with Disabilities Affairs and served as president of United Students, an advocacy group for students with disabilities.  He is also a writer who regularly blogs about disability issues.

In addition to Mr. Watson’s first place honor, the contest recognized several honorable mention entries.   Tiffany Navarro and Ian Cinco were recognized for their animated video entitled, “Working Together,” and Isaac Taleno for his video, “Let’s Come Together.”  All of the winning videos, along with the Campaign’s flagship public service announcement, “I Can,” are featured on the Campaign’s Web site, www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org.  Visitors are encouraged to view and forward the videos to help advance the What Can YOU Do? outreach effort and spread the word that at work, it’s what people can do that matters.

About the Campaign for Disability Employment
The Campaign for Disability Employment seeks to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers, and others, to recognize the value and talent that people with disabilities bring to the workplace, as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including people with disabilities at work. The Campaign is a collaborative effort between the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); the National Business and Disability Council (NBDC); Special Olympics (SO); and the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN). The Campaign for Disability Employment is supported by West Virginia University, receives technical assistance from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and is funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)/U.S. Department of Labor. For more information, visit www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org. 

LPA: October is National Dwarfism Awareness Month

From LPA (10/2/09):

LITTLE PEOPLE OF AMERICA RECOGNIZES OCTOBER AS

NATIONAL DWARFISM AWARENESS MONTH

 

October has been declared National Dwarfism Awareness Month by Little People of America.  Little People of America (LPA) is a national support organization for people with dwarfism and their families.  LPA provides peer, parent and medical support for the dwarfism community. 

LPA began in 1957 with actor Billy Barty and 20 short-statured friends.  The first LPA meeting was monumental for a group of people who were severely mislabeled and misunderstood by society.  Today, Little People of America is a thriving international organization providing much needed support, education, educational scholarships, and community outreach.

In declaring Dwarfism Awareness Month, LPA hopes to raise positive awareness around dwarfism, address common misconceptions, and increase opportunities for people with dwarfism around the country. 

“People with dwarfism are no different than any other person.  We may just need a well-placed stool.  Our members are children, college students, business professionals, doctors, engineers, mechanics, artists and teachers.  We can do anything an average-height person can do,” says Lois Lamb, LPA President and a person with dwarfism.

"Raising a child with dwarfism is new for most parents.  Being part of LPA has made a tremendous difference.  My daughter and I both have great friends and role models.  High school is not an easy time for most teens, but neither of us feels alone in dealing with any extra challenges," says Joanna Campbell, average-height mother of a teen with dwarfism.

More about LPA and dwarfism:

• There are over 200 distinct forms of dwarfism and skeletal dysplasias.
• People with dwarfism are generally not taller than 4' 10" at adult height. The typical height range is 2'8" to 4'5".
• Eighty percent of people with dwarfism have average-height parents and siblings.
• There are an estimated 30,000 people in the United States and 651,000 internationally with a type of dwarfism.
• In July 2009 the word "midget" was declared inappropriate and offensive. Preferable terms are: having dwarfism, short stature, little person, lp, and the medical terminology use of dwarf.  A person's name is always the most preferred.
• LPA has registered a complaint with the FCC over the use of the "m" word.  Our goal is to raise awareness around the offensive impact of the word in order to eliminate use of it in media, popular culture and in everyday language. 
• LPA has 6500 members across the United States and includes 70 chapters active in all 50 states.
• Skeletal Dysplasias affect bone growth, but generally do not affect cognitive abilities.
• LPA hosts an annual national conference each July which draws 2500 attendees for a week of activities, including educational and medical workshops, sports, and social networking and events.

For more information about National Dwarfism Awareness Month, please visit www.lpaonline.org or call 1-888-LPA-2001.  Events supporting National Dwarfism Awareness Month will be occurring throughout the United States all during the month.  Contact the chapter in your area, or the Regional Coordinator for Dwarfism Awareness Month listed on the website.

The National Dwarfism Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about people with dwarfism. 

Mission of LPA    "LPA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with dwarfism throughout their lives while celebrating with great pride Little People’s contribution to social diversity.  LPA strives to bring solutions and global awareness to the prominent issues affecting individuals of short stature and their families."

The LPA National Office is located in Southern California. You may also contact Joanna Campbell, Executive Director at info@lpaonline.org or (714)368-3689.

OH and OR: Autistic Self-Advocacy Takes Action

See below an excellent example of local groups coming together to make change. If you have news stories about what your group or your community has done, send them to jfa@aapd.com

From ASAN, SW Ohio (9/22/09):

Self Advocacy at Ohio State University
By Melanie Yergeau, ASAN-OSU Chapter Director

On the afternoon of Monday, September 21st, the Ohio State chapter of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) worked a table at the student involvement fair, a community event that boasted over 500 student and community organizations. The members of ASAN-OSU distributed informational handouts during the event, including a flyer entitled "Why Autism Speaks Does Not Speak for Us," authored by Meg Evans of ASAN-Southwest Ohio. Members also solicited signatures for a petition against the upcoming Columbus Walk for Autism Speaks and OSU President E. Gordon Gee's continued support of the walk. In keeping with themes of self-advocacy and protest, on display at the ASAN table was a poster with prominent slogans such as nothing about us without us; we're people, not puzzles; and autistic people can speak for themselves. ASAN-OSU also distributed candy in ziploc bags with ASAN labels attached.

At the event, ASAN-OSU distributed approximately 450 flyers to community members, students, faculty, and staff...

>>> For more on the OSU Action

ASAN Protests Autism Speaks Fundraiser in Portland
Transcript for KBOO-FM Interview w/ Phoebe Loomis

Announcer: The group Autism Speaks held a march this weekend in Portland and raised over $50,000, which they say will go to research on autism.

But some people with autism and parents of kids with autism protested the march, saying that it does not represent them. KBOO's Jenka Soderberg spoke with Phoebe Loomis, one of the protest organizers and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Soderberg: Can you tell us about the protest, and why you decided it was important to come out this weekend?

Loomis: There's been a long pattern of Autism Speaks excluding and exploiting autistics in the name of helping us. They always have dehumanizing sort of ad campaigns that portray us as being diseased, or kind of describe having your child diagnosed as autistic as being equivalent to a car wreck or other things that are much farther tragic.

They had a recent ad campaign that was the most bothersome and one of the things that got us feeling we really needed to get out there. It was labeled "I Am Autism," and it had this pretty haunting voiceover describing all of the horrors of autism...

>>> For an Audio File of the Full Interview
>>> For a Transcript of the Full Interview

Just In: Health Care Includes Community Choice!

From the ADAPT Community Choice Listserv (9/22/09):

The Community First Choice (CFC) Option has been included in the Chairman's Mark.  This means that the CFC Option amendment offered by Senator Schumer is incorporated into the Senate Finance Committee bill and won't need to be debated or approved by the Committee.

Yes!  You read that correctly!  Yeah!  Yippee!  

Of course the language needs to be in the final version approved by the Committee and full Senate, but this is a HUGE step forward.

(Can you hear Dawn Russell in Denver screaming with joy?)

As we get more details, we will keep you informed, but it will be important to thank Senator Baucus (MT) and David Schwartz (from the Senate Finance staff) who made this happen. We also appreciate the efforts of Senator Schumer (NY) for submitting the CFC Option amendment and Senator Harkin, our Senate champion who has tirelessly fought to eliminate the institutional bias.

We have more work to do, but this a great step forward!

The cost of the CFC Option is estimated to be 1 billion dollar for 5 years.  There is a sunset provision.  This means that after the five years, Congress will need to go back and approve keeping the CFC Option  in place.  This should not be of any great concern one way or another at this point.

Another great feature of the Chairman's Mark language is that the MFP program would be modified to move the basic eligibility for MFP of needing to be in an institution for six months down to only needing to be in for 90 days.

Please contact your Senators and let them know that you support this language and that it is critical they keep it in the final version they approve. You can call using this toll-free number: 866-324-0787.  A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request. 

Keep up the good work!

On behalf of the ADAPT Community,

Mike Oxford
Bruce Darling

Mental Health Policy Adovcate Wins $500,000 MacArthur Award

From the MacArthur Foundation (9/22/09):

24 New MacArthur Fellows Announced
Out of the Blue — $500,000 — No Strings

(Chicago, IL) — The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today named 24 new MacArthur Fellows for 2009. The new Fellows work across a broad spectrum of endeavors. They include an infectious disease physician, an ornithologist, a painter, a photojournalist, a bridge engineer, a climate scientist, an economist, a papermaker, a mental health lawyer, and a poet. All were selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future.

This past week, the recipients learned by a phone call out of the blue from the Foundation that they will each receive $500,000 in “no strings attached” support over the next five years. MacArthur Fellowships come without stipulations and reporting requirements and offer Fellows unprecedented freedom and opportunity to reflect, create, and explore. The unusual level of independence afforded to Fellows underscores the spirit of freedom intrinsic to creative endeavors. The work of MacArthur Fellows knows neither boundaries nor the constraints of age, place, and endeavor.

>>> For the full release

[Among the 24 recipients for 2009 is Elyn Saks,] a mental health lawyer expanding the options for those suffering from severe mental illness through scholarship, practice, and policy informed by a life story that adds uncommon depth and insight.

Elyn Saks is a legal scholar and mental health-policy advocate whose work and life story are expanding the options for those suffering from severe mental illness. Trained at Oxford in philosophy, at Yale in jurisprudence, and currently a Ph.D. candidate in psychoanalysis, Saks is recognized by the mental health profession and by legal scholars alike as an important contributor to national debates on mental health policy. She has played a major role in contemporary discussions of mental health law, patients’ rights, and multiple-personality disorder, including such issues as involuntary commitment, competency to be executed, proxy consent, and the right to refuse treatment.

Her contributions and commitment to mental health law took on a personal dimension with the publication of her 2007 memoir, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness. In this memoir, Saks made public for the first time her lifelong struggle with schizophrenia, including severe episodes of psychosis as well as experiences with misguided or harmful treatments. Remarkably, she has been able to overcome this usually debilitating illness, bringing to her work both expert and firsthand perspectives. Though Saks achieved professional acclaim as a legal scholar before most friends and colleagues knew of her own battle with mental illness, the publication of her memoir has provided additional gravity to her contribution to scholarship, practice, and policy.

>>> For her full bio
>>> For a Huffington Post Article on the MacArthur Awards

Guest Column: The Disability We Don’t See

Contributed by AAPD's Coalition Partner, the Islamic Society of North America (7/26/09):

The Disability We Don’t See
By Khansa Padri

Confession isn’t Part of Islam, but I reason to make one.  I used to harbor anxious feelings about people with physical and mental disabilities.  That’s why when the prospect of volunteering for the Special Olympics recently came my way I hesitated.

The inner debate was on.  Did I really want to get up on my Saturday morning and bake in the sun for innumerable hours to help with a program for people that made me uncomfortable?  But the social benefits for children in need!  Shouldn’t I help the feeble?

Ugh, but how well I remembered my own uneasiness in being around disabled children.  I could be cozy in bed, sleeping in late after a hectic week.  Then the little voice within spoke up, though I tried repeatedly to shut it out.  It kept asking: “What would Khadijah, the Mother of the Believers do, may God be pleased with her – the woman who gave everything to the budding Muslim community in Makkah, for the sake of Allah?”

At last, with a deep sigh and a quick bismillah, I signed my name on the dotted line.

Saturday morning I found myself decked in a white hijab and tons of sun-block lotion.  I can do this, I kept telling myself.  I tried to psyche up.  I envisioned myself happily and successfully getting through the day.  But most importantly, I renewed my intention to participate in this event solely for the pleasure of my Creator.

When I got to the Special Olympics site, abruptly I beheld a flurry of people-in wheelchairs, on crutches, cast in varied apparatus and motions all mingling with one another.  For a moment, I was taken aback.  My eyes swallowed the un-synched scene, and my heart gave a quick flutter.

I swiftly pulled myself together and registered, got my volunteer badge, and headed off to my event.  My task was mercifully simple:  Keep the relay race lines moving and physically assist anyone in need of a hand here or arm there.

One by one, the unique athletes, some trudging, others hopping, slowly struggled down the 50 yard track, never taking their eyes off the finish line and always surpassing it.  Each time a member made it across the trodden path, the entire team broke out in pride-screams of victory.  With each passing race words of encouragement instinctively spilled out of my mouth and  gentle touches of aide was a simple matter of reflexes.  I soon became a member of not just one team but all three.

The day moved faster than I expected. Even the blazing sun didn’t seem so bothersome anymore.  I was actually enjoying myself.  I ate some scrumptious food and even conversed with a number of participants, listening to their wholesome dreams of growing up and leaving their mark on the world.  Yes I had a bit of difficulty understanding  the speech of a few, but I never failed to see the eagerness and  determination to succeed that illuminated their faces.

The day wound down, only a couple of contests left.  I felt immensely satisfied with how the even unfolded for me.  Little did I know, that my day was just about to begin?

It was a 10-yard baton relay race between two teams.  Things were flowing smoothly as before with the athletes engaged in friendly competition. A small boy of about 7 in a wheel chair, with one full leg and one amputated to the knee, unexpectedly began struggling to stand up.

Naturally, I asked him what he was doing.  He would use his crutches in this final race, he said.  As I looked at him, it was clear that there was going to be on convincing this boy to stay in his wheelchair.  I had to think fast.  So instead of disallowing him, I simply gave him the keys to his independence.

Intently I watched him.  He began to wobble down  the lane.  He moved with laborious determination, stopping every so often to take a breath.  Whether  there was a rock along the way or Allah had just determined to teach me a hard-learned lesson, I don’t’ know. But before I could react, the young boy flipped onto the ground, his crutches lying close by.  Within seconds, I was beside the boy, feeling as if my heart was going to come out of my mouth.  I helped him turn over and checked for any injuries or signs of bleeding.  Except for a few minor scratches on his knees and palm, the boy appeared unhurt, alhamdulilah!

The race was over for him.  He’d turn around and call it a day.

But to my shock, he tightly grabbed hold of his crutches and fiercely stared in to the finish line.  His intent was clear.  So I helped him to his feet and then stood by in disbelief as the boy continued his arduous journey to complete the race.

Every eye was fixed upon him, step after grueling step.  By the time he reached that deeply coveted line, the entire audience was on its feet applauding raucously.  I myself literally jumped for joy and ran to meet him at the other end.

The satisfied look of accomplishment he wore, beads of perspiration on his forehead, is forever etched in my mind.  I congratulated him, exclaiming wildly: “You did it! You did it!”  He just looked at me.  And calmly he said: “No We did it.”

My heart dissolved. My eyes misted.  This 7-year old child, with a physical disability, yet the will and poise of  a hero, helped me more than anything I did that day.  He became my teacher.

For Allah had reminded me through him that the real disabilities in human beings lie not in their forms or intellects, but dwell in their hearts.  And all of them veil a single thing: A spirit imbued with arrogance that proud feeling which hinders us from acceptance of one another because of superficial differences; that prevents us from our native state of happiness for each other and mutual joy in togetherness; that keeps us from hymning our inborn will to express collective thanksgiving to the sole Creator and all His many splendid creatures.

I was humbled.  I was grateful.  By a miracle, I had been cured.