DAILY DARES

Libby and the Cape of Visitability

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:58:18 -0400

Book Overview:

Libby, Aria and Benjamin have been best friends since they were babies. But now Aria has moved to a new house and Libby, who uses a wheelchair, doesn’t get invited to Aria’s birthday party because the house has barriers. Hurt feelings follow…Then the kids meet Everett, an adult wheelchair athlete, who tells them how the disability rights movement gained successes through years of public demonstrations and pressing for laws. Everett shows them a picture from the 70’s showing people with disabilities blocking inaccessible buses. The kids are inspired to their version of public action to achieve the goal that every new house would have a step-free entrance and wide bathroom doors. Learn how the kids get on the front page of their hometown paper, as their method gets them in trouble – and how they achieve a sweet victory. “Libby and the Cape of Visitability” is the diary of Libby, a KWD (Kid with Disability). Written for children ages 8-13, this book raises awareness of the exclusion created when houses are not built with simple features that allow wheelchair users to visit or live in them. For those grownups (teachers, parents and others) who engage in meaningful dialogue with children, this book provides not only a captivating story and relatable characters, but a Reader’s Guide with discussion questions and resources as well. Eleanor Smith is a well known civil rights worker and Nadeen Green is a teacher, writer and blogger on the topic of fair housing.

supercrip: “If you pet me, I’ll bite.”

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:43:54 -0400

supercrip:

“If you pet me, I’ll bite.”

Sea Change Ripples: The special education that we really need…

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:12:24 -0400

Sea Change Ripples: The special education that we really need…:

seachangeripples:

Rob called his audience to arms, saying “the fight for equality for children and adults with disabilities will be the next great civil rights battle in this country.” Join the fight. Be enraged that individuals with disabilities are treated as second-class citizens and not given opportunities to have meaningful relationships. Call out your peers for making assumptions based on abilities and disabilities. And most of all, be open to deep and meaningful relationships with people with disabilities. Give yourself the opportunity to have friendships that transcend social norms and do it for yourself and the world, not out of pity or saintliness.

Expect as much from a friendship as you put in. Chat online, go for a drink, make each other laugh, cry into each other’s arms, piss each other off, be wingmen, make mistakes, get in trouble, post silly pictures to Facebook and set the world on fire.

laughingsquid: Le Petit Prince, Photo Series Imagines an...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:50:31 -0400

laughingsquid:

Le Petit Prince, Photo Series Imagines an Ordinary Life for a Boy with Muscular Dystrophy

Feelings, not facts, base of forced sterilisation

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 21:31:00 -0400

Feelings, not facts, base of forced sterilisation:

The matter of forced sterilisation forms the subject of a Senate inquiry in Australia. The deadline for submissions to the inquiry was last month and the Senate committee will report on its findings in June. Already, the topic is garnering much attention from the media and the public.

Sadly, an overwhelming majority of opinions seem to be in favour of the practice - a poll conducted in the Brisbane Times last week showed at least two-thirds of respondents approved of the forced sterilisation of disabled people. Many of the respondents cited reasons such as practicality, concern for the welfare of children and the best interests of all concerned.

As Women With Disabilities Australia pointed out in its excellent submission to the Senate inquiry, the reasons used to justify forced sterilisations - which almost always are aimed at disabled women - generally fall into four broad categories: maintaining a ”strong” gene pool for the good of the state, community or family; recognising the incapacity for parenthood; and, bizarrely, the prevention of sexual abuse. (A uterus alone isn’t required to facilitate sex - the ”prevention” in this case is really about removing the evidence of abuse and lessening its more immediate consequences.)

Despite the truth being that these justifications really adhere to the best interests of carers, guardians, the state and a public whose experience of the disabled is almost solely governed by feelings rather than facts, ”all [of them are] couched as being in the ‘best interests’ of women and girls with disabilities”.

These aren’t new arguments. Our society has, quite rightly, agreed to stand against the abhorrent practice of eugenics - at least in theory. The genetic argument made in favour of sterilising the disabled indicates that, while we may not be comfortable euthanising our ”defectives” now, we have no problem with the flawed science of trying to breed them out.

Yet we have failed to adequately understand that morality and ethics don’t allow us to paternalistically deny people the rights to bodily autonomy or dignity simply because we’ve allowed them to live.

Two voices. One goal.

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:18:19 -0400

Two voices. One goal.

Petition to Support Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:04:01 -0400

Petition to Support Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities:

We, the undersigned, are Americans with disabilities who are adversely affected by subminimum wage payments to workers with disabilities; representatives of organizations made up of, and working on behalf of, Americans with disabilities; friends and family members of individuals who have disabilities; and other concerned citizens who believe in fairness and equality. We all speak in support of the repeal of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which authorizes Special Wage Certificates that permit employers to pay workers with disabilities subminimum wages, some as low as 3 cents per hour.

We reject the low expectations for, the false view of the true capacity of, and the misguided compassion used to justify this discrimination against workers with disabilities. This provision has existed for over seventy years, and rather than creating real employment opportunities for workers with disabilities, it has relegated hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities to segregated, subminimum wage work environments, perpetuated the misconception that workers with disabilities do not have the capacity for productive employment, and masked the need for further development and implementation of innovative employment strategies for the competitive integrated employment of people with disabilities.

We all believe that the future prospects for workers with disabilities are limited only by the spirit, ambition, and imagination of Americans with disabilities, and by the willingness of society to expand and implement enlightened policies that will help them succeed. We adamantly assert that as long as workers with disabilities are denied the same workforce protections as every other American citizen, and the solution to the employment dilemma of workers with disabilities is thought to be their continued segregation in subminimum-wage work environments, our society will never truly implement the innovative employment strategies that empower workers with disabilities to fully participate in the workforce.

For these reasons, we, the undersigned, urge the repeal of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act in order to abolish the unfair, discriminatory, immoral practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum wages; to reverse over seventy years of mistaken institutionalized thinking about the employment capacity of people with disabilities; and to incentivize the development, implementation, and use of innovative strategies for their competitive, integrated employment.

The Onion: Amputee Inspires Others Not To Lose Limbs

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:56:00 -0400

The Onion: Amputee Inspires Others Not To Lose Limbs:

Kurstin has motivated all who come into contact with him to not lose use of their legs or arms.

EAGLE POINT, OR—Though local man Bret Kurtsin has had to overcome many personal obstacles since having his legs amputated seven years ago, it has been said that his greatest achievement may lie in what he has given to others: the inspiration not to lose any limbs of their own.

Many of those who have met him and heard his story credit Kurtsin, who became a double amputee after he was hit by a drunk driver at the age of 20, with motivating them to always retain the full use of both their arms and their legs.

“Bret’s story is really uplifting,” said Rebecca King, 17, who heard Kurtsin speak during an assembly at her high school Wednesday. “After learning how much he struggles every day of his life to do things the rest of us take for granted, I’ve realized how much I want, in my own life, to go through each day with my legs attached to my body.”

“And my arms, too, for that matter,” she continued. “He really helped me put all of that into perspective. I now know the loss of a limb is something I never, ever want to go through.”

Several community members told reporters that the grueling hours of rehabilitation and physical therapy Kurtsin has endured shows a determination and resilience they hope never to have to summon from within themselves, saying the 27-year-old’s necessary resolve has further encouraged them to keep each of their four limbs intact.

Others noted that Kurtsin has taught them a lot more than the simple value of never having both legs amputated a few inches above the knee. They said watching him has also inspired them not to have any part of a leg amputated, not to suffer an injury causing leg or arm paralysis, and not to be born with a congenital limb deformity that would in any way make it harder to move around and grab things.

“Bret has taught me that I enjoy walking quite a bit and that I would like to continue doing so in the future,” said family friend Leo Harris, 43, remarking upon how hard it would be to perform simple tasks such as getting into a car or putting on pants without the use of both legs. “I look at him and appreciate how much I don’t ever want to be an amputee or a paraplegic or bedridden or anything like that. It’s a lesson I really owe to Bret.”

“If even one of my limbs were amputated, I’d probably just give up completely,” he added.

According to teachers at Central Meridian High School, where Kurtsin spoke Wednesday, it wasn’t merely the double amputee’s story that resonated with the 200 students in attendance, but also his walk across the stage, for which he reportedly required the help of sophisticated prostheses.

“The effect he had on the kids was amazing,” said ninth-grade social studies teacher Therese Murray, adding that Kurtsin’s difficult daily existence made her thankful her own legs have never been cut off. “They look at this man who has no legs, then they look at themselves, and something clicks: They’re so glad they’re not him.”

Kurtsin, meanwhile, said he is just glad he can make a difference in the lives of young people.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than making that connection with kids,” he said. “That moment when you reach them and you can tell they completely understand how much it sucks not having legs.”

Kickstarter Campaign for ABL Denim: Adaptive Jeans

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:44:00 -0400

Kickstarter Campaign for ABL Denim: Adaptive Jeans

Secret from PostSecret.com

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:43:00 -0500

Secret from PostSecret.com

Internship Opportunities

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:31:02 -0500

Internship Opportunities:

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), a non-profit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation’s leading experts on social insurance, is uniquely qualified to provide students with challenging internship opportunities. These are nationally-competitive internships with a select number of placements made each year. To find out more about the specific internship programs, click on the links below or contact us at internships@nasi.org.

Washington Internship on Social Insurance

Application Deadline: March 1, 2013

This internship program seeks students to serve as interns on social policy research and policy analysis projects in Washington, DC.

Somers Aging and Long-Term Care Research Internship

Application Deadline: March 1, 2013

This internship program on aging and long-term care research encourages young scholars to study aging and long-term care policy projects.

Eileen Sweeney Graduate Internship in Disability Policy

Application Deadline: March 1, 2013

This internship program is geared to graduate students aspiring to a career in social policy with a focus on disability.

Nathan J. Stark Internship for Non-Profit Development

Application Deadline: March 13, 2013

This internship provides students with the opportunity to learn how non-profit organizations work, from the board of directors and staff to how they raise funds and achieve their goals.

Schools Must Provide Sports for Disabled, Dept. of Ed. Says

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:52:22 -0500

Schools Must Provide Sports for Disabled, Dept. of Ed. Says:

Students with disabilities must be given a fair shot to play on a traditional sports team or have their own leagues, the Education Department says.

Disabled students who want to play for their school could join traditional teams if officials can make “reasonable modifications” to accommodate them. If those adjustments would fundamentally alter a sport or give the student an advantage, the department is directing the school to create parallel athletic programs that have comparable standing to traditional programs.

…

The groundbreaking order is reminiscent of the Title IX expansion of athletic opportunities for girls and women four decades ago and could bring sweeping changes to school budgets and locker rooms for years to come.

Tell Congress and the President to Include People With Disabilities on the Commission on Long Term Services and Supports

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:54:00 -0500

Tell Congress and the President to Include People With Disabilities on the Commission on Long Term Services and Supports:

The deal that averted the “fiscal cliff” created a new Commission to look at long term services and supports. The Commission will be charged with developing a plan for the establishment, implementation, and financing of a comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system that ensures the availability of long-term services and supports for individuals in need of such services and supports. The Commission will be made up of 15 people appointed by the President and Congressional leaders and are supposed to represent the broad range of groups affected by or interested in these issues.

TAKE ACTION above to tell the President and Leaders in Congress that ADAPT and NCIL need to be represented at the table!

NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!

Happy Ed Roberts Day!

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:44:00 -0500

Happy Ed Roberts Day!:

Ed survived the onset of polio at 14, and on the morning after the crisis when his fever had broken, he overheard his mother Zona tell a doctor that she was happy and relieved that her son was still alive and the doctor snapped back, “ How would you like to live your life in an iron lung?”

Ed battled through depression and despair to discover sources of healing - not cure – that carried him on for four decades in defiance of all the odds, assumptions and barriers stacked against him. Along the way he coined a slogan on behalf of his brothers and sisters who, like him, were most in danger of being written off - a slogan that captures the essence of ‘disability cool’!

“The vegetables of the world are uniting and we’re not going away!”

And if you want to know what kind of vegetable?

“I decided to be an artichoke”, said Brother Ed, “prickly on the outside but with a big heart!”

ED ROBERT’S BRILLIANT CAREER

In ’59 at the age of twenty he graduated from Burlingame High School over objections of administrators that failure to complete physical education and driver’s education requirements cheapened his diploma.

Over three years he earned an Associates Degree at the College of San Mateo giving up his infeasible vocational objective of sports writer to focus on changing the world through government, politics and public policy.

In ’62 he was the first severely physically disabled student admitted to the University of California at Berkeley where he lived in a wing of the Campus Health Center breaking the ice for the men and women who launched the first wave of the Berkeley movement for empowerment and independent living.

Photograph courtesy of Zona Roberts and Joan Leon

By ‘69 the group were styling themselves the Rolling Quads, and when an authoritarian rehabilitation counselor tried to expel two of them, they staged a revolt and followed Ed’s lead in using the press to win the battle in the court of pubic opinion and the state capital in Sacramento.

In ‘70 Ed earned unofficial honors as High Flying Transcontinental Frog Breathing Champion when he flew 3000 air miles from the Bay Area to Washington DC – with no mechanical respiratory support – to advise on the distribution of anti-poverty funds used to create the Physically Disabled Students Program - forerunner to the Center for Independent Living.

In ‘72 he was one of a group who founded the Center for Independent Living Center, the first disabled people’s independent living service and advocacy organization in the nation.

In ‘73, after a stint teaching political science at Nairobi College, he returned to Berkley to lead the fledgling CIL from a duck tape and chewing gum operation to the ground breaking organization that changed national disability policy and elevated the aspirations and esteem of people with disabilities across the United States and internationally.

In ‘75 when Jerry Brown succeeded Ronald Reagan as Governor of California Ed went to Sacramento to run the Department of Rehabilitation - the agency that had once tried to write him off too severely disabled to get a job - and to lead it into the new age of rights and empowerment.

In ‘83 when California again shifted hard to the right, Ed went back to Berkeley and founded the World Institute on Disability with Judy Heumann and Joan Leon, and he won a MacArthur ‘genius grant’ that gave his message and activism global reach until his sudden death in 1995.

What is January 20th, International Day of Acceptance and how...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:03:53 -0500

What is January 20th, International Day of Acceptance and how did it start?

3E Love’s founder and creator of their “wheelchair heart” symbol, Annie Hopkins was an advocate, entrepreneur, artist, and student, and she demonstrated what is possible when you love life. She created 3E Love with the idea that our symbol unified people of all abilities and it ignites conversations every day that will help change attitudes for the better. She believed that 3E Love could be a vehicle to introduce people to the symbol and her message. Her ideas didn’t stop there: she wanted to create a social entrepreneurial endeavor, disability owned and disability operated, that one day, when successful, would be further empowerment and a statement that we can achieve without charity. Social acceptance is the key, not pity and ignorance. Embrace diversity. Educate your community. Empower each other. Love life!

On January 20th, 2009, the survival of the symbol and the idea behind Annie’s 3E Love movement was threatened when she passed away from unexpected complications to a simple medical procedure. Overwhelming support from friends, family, and the disability community helped keep her ideals alive! Stevie Hopkins, her brother who helped her start 3E Love, took the reins and never looked back.

On the first year anniversary of her passing, Stevie and family wanted to turn the memory of a terrible day into the best day of the year! January 20th would now be an International holiday and we will celebrate Annie’s life, her ideas, and the 3E Love movement instead of mourning the tragedy.

So on January 20th, 2013, we ask you to join us in celebration of social acceptance! Get involved by “wearing your heart on your sleeve”. You can do that in many ways! Draw our symbol on your hand or cheek, wear our temporary tattoos, buttons, t-shirts, whatever you have! Change your profile picture and cover photo to ours! Invite your friends to get involved!

Friends, tell the world you embrace who you are; a person with social rights, who has an opinion, who has interests, who has goals and who loves life; a person who is empowered to make a difference in the world and not be without a voice in society. You are not living disabled, you are living.

To our supporters, join us in telling the world that you are accepting of people with disabilities. As our parents, siblings, relatives, spouses, children, lovers, coworkers, teachers, personal assistants, friends, and anyone else - you also have a role in our culture and life. And you can have an impact on the future if you demonstrate your acceptance to others.

Start the conversation of acceptance today!

Learn more at http://www.dayofacceptance.com/

Kroll Show: Wheels Ontario - “Roll With It”

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:35:49 -0500

Kroll Show: Wheels Ontario - “Roll With It”

Physical Disability Bingo

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:48:47 -0500

Physical Disability Bingo

"Another myth that is firmly upheld is that disabled people are dependent and non-disabled people are..."

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:21:57 -0500

““Another myth that is firmly upheld is that disabled people are dependent and non-disabled people are independent. No one is actually independent. This is a myth perpetuated by disablism and driven by capitalism - we are all actually interdependent. Chances are, disabled or not, you don’t grow all of your food. Chances are, you didn’t build the car, bike, wheelchair, subway, shoes, or bus that transports you. Chances are you didn’t construct your home. Chances are you didn’t sew your clothing (or make the fabric and thread used to sew it). The difference between the needs that many disabled people have and the needs of people who are not labelled as disabled is that non-disabled people have had their dependencies normalized. The world has been built to accommodate certain needs and call the people who need those things independent, while other needs are considered exceptional. Each of us relies on others every day. We all rely on one another for support, resources, and to meet our needs. We are all interdependent. This interdependence is not weakness; rather, it is a part of our humanity.””

- AJ Wither (via ceedling)

IO Echo - “Outsiders” (Slow Version)

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:06:00 -0500

IO Echo - “Outsiders” (Slow Version)

Goodwill Pays Disabled Employees Less Than Minimum Wage

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:27:13 -0500

Goodwill Pays Disabled Employees Less Than Minimum Wage:

mdsh:

The FLSA contains a little known provision that allows certain organizations to pay employees with disabilities less than minimum wage, in some cases just over $1 an hour. The National Federation of the Blind has been trying to change that provision for years with no success. Now, they’re going after Goodwill in hopes that other non-profits will follow suit.

“This is simply unfair, discriminatory, and immoral,” said Anil Lewis with the National Federation of the Blind.

The organization filed a Freedom of Information Act request and obtained Goodwill’s certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor that authorizes special minimum wage rates for workers with disabilities.

“The thing that’s so very frustrating for me is that the reason this whole law exists is because people don’t believe that blind people and people with other disabilities have the capacity to participate in the workforce,” said Lewis.

According to the documents, a deaf employee at a Goodwill location in Hinesville, Georgia makes just $1.44 an hour.

“The irony is that the CEO of Goodwill industries is a blind person. He has benefited from our particular efforts in touting to the world that blind people have capacity to the tune of making over $500,000 a year,” said Lewis. “I don’t know how he reconciles paying other people with disabilities less than minimum wage. To me, that is hypocrisy.”

wait… i had no idea there is an exception that allows you to pay below-minimum wages to disabled people. wow.