Disability Access News

John Lamb

Disabled people have so far lost out on many of the benefits that technology has brought. But changes are on the way

Technology is supposed to make it easier for everyone to live and work, but for the 10 million disabled people in the UK, many of whom find it difficult to use a conventional keyboard and screen, life is much harder than it need be.

Everyday business activities such as accessing information or using email are complicated or impossible for those with physical or sensory impairments, because websites and in-house systems cannot be adjusted to cater for their needs.

On the face of it these adjustments seem simple enough: the ability to make text bigger, change colors, have onscreen text read aloud or to plug in special hardware and software. In fact many alterations that disabled people need can be achieved just by changing Windows settings.

Wake-up call

However, many organizations have struggled to make their IT accessible. Until recently only organizations with a high proportion of disabled users, such as government departments and banks, took much account of the fact that their customers and employees might not be able to use a screen and keyboard unaided.

Accessible IT may sound like a good idea, but to many CIOs it looks complicated and expensive to provide for a comparatively small number of users. But things are changing. Firms increasingly recognize that the UK's Disability Discrimination Act puts the onus on them to carry out "reasonable adjustments" to their websites and in-house systems to make them usable by everyone.

Improved and less expensive accessible technology makes it easier for even severely disabled people to access IT, and more difficult for IT departments to cite cost as a reason for not taking action. So far as expertise is concerned, there is an increasing number of accessibility specialists.

And there is pressure from a generation of tech-savvy older people determined to stay online and work into their 60s and beyond -- one-third of disabled people are now between the ages of 50 and 64.

The business case for accessible IT is that companies without it are missing out on a market among disabled people worth at least £80bn (US$159 billion) per year; and passing up a hardworking and loyal addition to their workforce. The case though is being made more cogently than ever before.

In response, CIOs are taking on the accessibility agenda. Last year the Royal Mail , a public company with a long track record of catering for its disabled employees, put its money where its mouth is and paid for the publication of the IT directors' guide to accessible IT, produced by the Information Technologists' Company.

"There is a big opportunity for IT directors to take a lead on this issue," explains Royal Mail Group's enterprise IT director, Wendy Powney, who was behind the initiative. "You can ensure that accessibility is part of your policy. You can make certain that members of your department are aware of their responsibilities and enrol them in the process. You can talk to suppliers about the accessible systems you require."

Royal Mail has set up a 20-strong diversity group, which has built accessibility into the company's formal design processes. Behind the diversity group are individuals who have an interest in disability and can use their authority to get things done. However, Powney acknowledges the organization still has some way to go, particularly in being able to get a fast turnaround on requests for special equipment and adaptations.

Business taskforce

More recently, a group of IT heads from a clutch of blue chip organizations held an inaugural meeting in London of the Business Taskforce on Accessible Technology, which aims to put the business case for accessible IT, influence regulators and lobby suppliers to improve the accessibility of their products.

The group, chaired by chief operating officer at HMRC, Steve Lamey, could provide a boost to the uptake of accessible IT with a heavyweight line-up that includes B&Q, BUPA, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Goldman Sachs, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Intercontinental Hotels, KPMG, Lloyds TSB, Royal Mail, Sainsbury's and the Serious Organized Crime Agency.

The taskforce is the brainchild of Susan Scott-Parker, head of the Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD), which represents some 400 companies in the UK.

"EFD's job is to make it easier for companies to get it right in employing disabled people and serving disabled customers -- accessible IT is crucial to that," says Scott-Parker.

User viewpoint

"Our members are only just beginning to understand the procedures that allow disabled people to use their systems. Buying IT that is not accessible is like buying a car without wheels -- it is no use. Our objective is to see IT accessibility positioned in the same way as IT security."

Scott-Parker points to insurance company Legal & General's experience in redesigning its website to make it more accessible. The move increased sales by 90 percent, achieved a return on investment in 12 months and produced savings of £200,000 per year on site maintenance.

The lesson has not been lost on other organizations. Ford Motor Company, for example, set up a taskforce in January to look into website accessibility with a brief to revamp all the company's internal sites by this autumn.

Meanwhile, the taskforce aims to spearhead work on improving IT by defining and communicating the business benefits of accessibility. The group wants to help CIOs develop practical corporate governance on accessibility and to work on producing better standards.

Accessibility standards are particularly important because there are few clear guidelines for CIOs at present. The World Wide Web Consortium has produced standards relating to website content accessibility although they are difficult to apply. There are no all encompassing standards.

The taskforce aims to plug the gap by circulating standards that its own members have developed. Members such as the DWP, Lloyds TSB and HMRC, which is currently reviewing the accessibility of its systems, already have considerable experience in developing inclusive IT.

One area that Scott-Parker hopes that the taskforce will also be able to make an impact is in boosting the training and accreditation of IT professionals. She wants to make it impossible to hire an IT person who doesn't know how to make a system accessible.

Suppliers and regulators are also in the taskforce's sights. "We want suppliers to do more to adapt their products to the needs of disabled people. It is a matter of raising our game on both sides," she maintains. "We need to help suppliers to better meet the needs and expectations of their corporate clients."

Many suppliers are already taking action. A group which includes Adobe, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Novell recently formed the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance to help make it easier for disabled people to plug devices such as screen readers, magnifiers and text-to-speech systems into their products.

Supplier reaction

Disability discrimination law in the UK focuses on employers, which are required to make adjustments. There is no equivalent requirement for suppliers to build accessibility into their systems, although many US companies may have already done so in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which includes a section insisting that all federal agencies provide adaptations.

That has not stopped some well-known suppliers from being pursued by disabled civil servants. In one recent case a blind employee of the State of Texas sued Oracle because he could not access information about his expenses from its systems.

The taskforce also wants to influence EU lawmakers so that they push accessibility standards more rigorously. "It is a case of some of the largest spenders (on IT) coming together to make sure that the regulations that are emerge are useful," Scott-Parker explains.

Accessibility specialists welcome the taskforce. "A high-level initiative to wake up CIOs and suppliers could be a very significant development, although it depends on what happens next," says Bill Fine, consultant at AbilityNet, a charity that provides information on accessible IT to employers. "CIOs need to help each other in this area."

IT departments may have a steep learning curve on accessibility, but if efforts by a small group of pacemakers pay dividends then millions of people stand to benefit. The big question now is whether these leaders can persuade the rest to follow in their path.

Paterson As a Person, Not a 'Disability Case'
By Susan LoTempio

With the overload of breaking news about New York's new governor, David Paterson, the media placed initial emphasis on Paterson's race, and only later started to explore the fact that he is the state's first legally blind governor.

One radio station I listened to reported that he is the first disabled governor. Not so. Franklin Roosevelt, who had polio, led the state from 1928 to 1932.

Once the media started to develop the disability story, the old stereotypes came into play: His "rise to governor has served as a great source of inspiration to blind Americans," The Associated Press reported. The headline on that story: "Paterson's Ascension Inspires Disabled." "Inspiring" is one of those clichés that the media use to describe just about all people with disabilities. But in Paterson's case, the "inspiration" tag faded away when he and his wife admitted to extramarital affairs.

In a political profile, the New York Post hinted at how Paterson views his own disability. According to the Post, Paterson told The New York Times in 2006 that "he disparaged efforts to make him a 'disability' case. 'Every single white political consultant that I ever worked with likes to promote my disabilities. And I suspect it's to mitigate race -- to give me, in their eyes, an honorary white status.'"

Let's take heed of his words, and avoid labeling him either black or disabled. Just governor will do.

From correspondents in China
March 21, 2008 12:23am

CHINESE police have rescued 33 intellectually disabled people forced to work at a building site by slave labour merchants after the apparent suicide of a detainee alerted authorities.

The case in Hulan, a city in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, echoes a major scandal involving more than 1,000 people forced to work in brutal conditions at brick kilns in Shanxi province last year.

More than 30 captives were discovered crammed in a tiny room in a residential building, the Beijing Times has reported, after students at a neighbouring police college saw a man jump from a seventh-floor window.

``As the students ran over, the man jumped,'' the paper reported.

They found the captives in a ``reeking'' room piled with straw mattresses and shabby blankets.

Police later found many of them ``could not speak coherently, or clearly remember their names or where their families lived''.

One had been held for three years.

All had been rounded up at a train station in nearby Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, and were duped into getting into cars by a gang offering work.

They were sent to do manual labour on a building site, and those that attempted to escape were ``beaten and terrorised'', the paper reported.

China announced a nationwide crackdown on enslavement and child labour last year after reports of hundreds of poor farmers, children and intellectually disabled were forced or lured to work in kilns and mines in Shanxi and neighbouring Henan.

ANGUS HOHENBOKEN
Tasmania Mercury

March 20, 2008 12:00am
THE family of disabled teenager Scott Holmes said they were furious at having two weeks of respite cancelled at a day's notice.

Leanne and Chris Smith spoke with the Mercury last week about their frustration at waiting three years for disability day-care funding.

Following a story in the Mercury on March 12 they were pleased to get a call from Disability Services assuring them he had been moved to the top of the priority list.

But the next day Mr Smith received a call from Lutana Disability Services Respite Care Centre informing him respite booked for Scott from March 14-28 had been cancelled.

Scott has the intellectual capacity of a two-year-old and requires constant supervision.

One week out of every month he does not sleep.

Mr Smith this week said he and Leanne had been severely disappointed at having to cancel holidays.

"(Another client) was supposed to be picked up (at the care centre) on Thursday and the family said they wouldn't be coming to pick them up basically."

He said the centre had also cancelled respite for another two people that were going away on holidays.

"Another couple was going to Melbourne and they've been dealt with the same," Mr Smith said.

"I don't know if there are others not being picked up or if they have just over-booked.

"But we know for a fact there are people in there permanently."

What most annoyed the couple, who have two other children at home, was the short notice.

They were initially told the dates were not available and then they were approved, so Mrs Smith had taken time off work and they booked accommodation in Launceston.

Mr Smith said he didn't blame the respite centre.

"Respite's hands are tied, they can't put the kids out on the street," he said.

"The Government needs to be doing more to help them out."

Disability Services director Wendy Quinn denied the family's respite accommodation had been cancelled.

She said there had been a mix-up with a booking and alternative care options were offered to the family.

"No other bookings have been cancelled," she said.

"Families with booked clients were advised of a recent emergency admission of a client with some behavioural issues and some chose themselves to make other arrangements."

By Julian Whittle

DISABLED pass holders will still be able to travel free on Carlisle buses before 9.30am on weekdays – even though pensioners will soon have to pay.

Carlisle City Council is planning changes to its concessionary fares scheme from May to save £124,000 a year.

At present concessions can travel free all day. But from May 1, pensioners will have to pay before 9.30am on Mondays to Fridays although they can still travel free all day at weekends.

The restriction on free travel was to have applied to disabled pass holders too.

But the city council’s executive, meeting yesterday, changed its mind after hearing that some disabled passengers would suffer hardship.

Belah Conservative councillor David Morton, who is registered blind, campaigned for disabled travellers to be allowed to travel free all day.

He said after the meeting: “I know of a 44-year-old man who works three days a week and helps out at James Rennie School for two days.

“He earns £15. If he had to pay bus fares, £9 of that would be swallowed up leaving him with £6 a week.”

At first, bus company Stagecoach argued that it could not distinguish between disabled pass holders and pensioners. But it changed its mind after Mr Morton pointed out that tickets issued to disabled travellers were different.

A report to councillors said there had been “a number of approaches” from disabled people and their representatives. These argued that stopping free travel before 9.30am would hit disabled people attending college and those in low-paid work or with early-morning medical appointments.

The council’s deputy leader, Ray Bloxham, said: “This is a welcome step forward for those people with disabilities that are, in many cases, youngsters going to college or other appointments.”

The council is still planning to curtail free travel for pensioners, however.

It says it has to claw back cash because changes imposed by the government will leave it out of pocket.

From April 1, pensioners and other concessions will be able to travel free off peak anywhere in England.

At present they are entitled to free travel only in the district where they live.

The city council will have to foot the bill if a Carlisle pensioner, for example, travels to Newcastle. And it will have to pay if a visiting pensioner from somewhere else in England takes a ride along Hadrian’s Wall.

Labour has pledged to restore free all-day travel for pensioners if it wins control of the council after the elections on May 1.

Carlisle City Council says pensioners and other concessions will automatically be sent new bus passes valid from April 1.

There is no need to apply direct to the council.

Professor Knoles' Class
Issue date: 3/18/08

Sitting in front of the class, Jeannie Felton laughs and says "My motorized wheelchair makes me stand out in a crowd!" But what really makes Jeannie stand out is her determination to live life to the fullest and use her experience with Multiple Sclerosis to help others.

During the month of March, Jeannie Felton, Elaine Kneeland, and representatives of the Multiple Sclerosis Society visited the composition classes of Professor Lucia Knoles to help students understand the experience of living with M.S. and the importance of raising awareness and money to support those with the disease.

Since being diagnosed with MS in 2001, Felton has had to deal with constant fatigue and pain. She said, "I wake up in the morning tired. I'm never not tired" Sometimes the problem is so bad that she has difficulty even holding up her head or breathing. It frustrates her that by the end of a day, "I can't think well. I can't talk well. I can't even stand hearing someone else talk. I love my dog but sometimes I want to hang him when he barks because I just can't stop it." Felton acknowledges that MS can sometimes lead people into depression, when she said "The dark side is always there beckoning me into the pit."

However, Felton fights to live as full a life as possible. She walks, stretches, and does yoga to maintain her strength. Even though she doesn't always need a wheelchair, she uses one to expand the number of things she can do. Prioritizing is also important, as she explains, "What I want to do and what I'm able to do are not the same. So I have to choose wisely because . . . I don't want a wasted day, a wasted moment."

Humor is an important tool Felton and her family use. When she starts having trouble with her coordination and drops things in the kitchen, her children say to the dog: "Look out, Patches, mama's throwing knives again."

When she feels the need for support, Felton turns to her family, the MS Society, and God. She said, "My daughter was 12 when I was diagnosed, and her response was to learn and understand all about it, and she's been incredibly supportive." Members of the MS society have become a kind of extended family for Felton, who explains, "Some of the most gracious and loving people I know are people who have MS and are in the MS Society."

What helps Felton the most is her perspective on life. When she has problems, she reminds herself, "It's not my fault," and "Tomorrow is always a new day." Her relationship with God lets her see MS in a positive light. She said, "I thought I had [God's] will for me figured out, but he changed the plan on me. I don't pray for him to make me well or to make me walk." Instead, Felton believes that "God can take anything or everything and use it for some good." So now she uses each day to make a difference. She said, "My goal today is the one that was written under my picture in my high school yearbook: to help people. One thing about M.S. is that it's made me better prepared to help others."

Eileen Kneeland is a 45-year-old mother of two college age boys. One day in 1999 she felt ill, and two days later, she couldn't walk. She had been a swimmer and played field hockey at Holy Cross and worked at a hospital after graduation. Now she is living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Since her diagnosis, Kneeland has kept a positive attitude. She said, "When I first got sick I was in Fairlawn Rehabilitation [Hospital] for six weeks learning to walk again. And when I got my first weekend pass, my husband took me out to Tatnuck Bookstore, rolled me in my wheelchair to the doorway and went back to park the car. And I remember saying: 'You're going to park me here? At least you could park me next to the self-help section where I could read something interesting while I wait.' And I remember thinking at least I can laugh."

Kneeland recognizes that the key to coping is making adjustments. At first, she said, "I stayed at home and worked on my art, but I missed people, so I had to get out and keep trying jobs." One thing was holding her back: "It's very embarrassing for me to be in a wheelchair-I'm a very proud person. But then I realized I didn't want to let it keep me from being out in the world." So she asked herself, "What am I going to do to take advantage of my strengths, to help people, to have fun, and to make this an opportunity?" She realized, "This is an opportunity. What you learn from this will affect everything you do."

Now Kneeland works with a district attorney as a victim's advocate and said "now I'm helping other people in a much worse situation that I'm in. Now I'm off to the next adventure."

In fact, MS has helped Kneeland take a more adventurous approach to life. "I think: 'What the hell? What do I have to lose?' I was always afraid of flying, but last year I said to my mother: "Let's go to Ireland. If I'm nervous, I'll take a pill." And now I love flying!" She concluded, "[M.S.] does damage our bodies, but it does not damage our spirits."

Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY
Posted 12 hours ago

An accessible children's water play facility could be the next project partially paid for by the Tollington Park Endowment Fund, the city arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee decided yesterday.

To get the project approved for funding from the endowment fund, both city council and trustees of the fund must sign off on the proposal.

If approved the fund would pay about $387,000 over the next three years towards the estimated $700,000 water play facility, city staff told the committee.

Coun. Shirley Eggleton supported the recommendation that will go to city council.

"It's something in this day and age that we need. Accessibility is extremely important to the children," she said. "Anyone can play in this facility and join in."

Public works manager Peter Southall told the committee the fund has about $2.1 million.

The city uses the fund's accumulated interest to help pay for eligible projects.

Gordon Tollington established the fund with a $100,000 deposit in October 1995.

Tollington, a retired General Electric engineer, died in 2001. He established the fund to assist in the betterment of all city parks. The Tollington Bridge in Beavermead Park was the fund's inaugural project in 1998. The trust fund contributed $85,249 to the project. The city used $382,257 for the completion of a high-level pedestrian bridge over the Trent Canal to extend the Rotary Trail just south of Trent University.

An accessible children's water play facility would offer outdoor water facilities in the summer for children with a disability, staff state in a report.

Rogers Cove on Little Lake has been identified as a possible location for the play facility.

SMH Mark Metherell
March 19, 2008

THE Rudd Government, shamed over the carers' bonus debacle, stands accused of an uncaring attitude to disabled people fighting unfair dismissal.

Hundreds of the disabled who have been sacked are seeking to be heard by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission but will have to wait longer because the Government has axed special funding for their cases.

The Government has removed $1.8 million in funding targeted to help disabled people caught by the removal of the unfair dismissal provisions under Work Choices, says the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes.

"On the one hand the Government is saying we need to get people with disabilities back in employment, but on the other they are taking away money which protects the same people being discriminated against at work," Mr Innes said.

An irony was that the special funding for the commission had been instituted by the Howard government to protect those with disabilities when it axed unfair dismissal laws. The new Government was now axing the funding but not yet restoring the protection against unjust sackings.

Mr Innes said typical cases included those who were dismissed after being disabled because of an accident at work.

Since 2006 when the unfair dismissal provisions were removed in the Howard government's Work Choices legislation, the number of disability cases before the commission has jumped from 560 to 802 in the following year. Cases this year are expected to top 900. The cut in funding meant commission staff would have to be pruned and a backlog of cases would mean claimants may have to wait up to a year to have their cases dealt with.

A spokesman for the federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, confirmed that the Government announced last month "a reversal of spending by the previous government that formed part of its extreme Work Choices laws, which were expected to increase complaints of breaches of human rights.

"The abolition of Work Choices will ease the pressure on HREOC that was expected to be caused by these extreme laws."

BY: Vivian Collazo Montano*, E-Mail: serviex@prensa-latina.cu

Havana.- An important study, unique in the world, was done recently in Cuba as part ot the National Program for the Handicapped that covered genetic, psycho-social and teaching factors of all those persons with physical, motor and mental disorders.

Prevalence, the main causes of these pathologies such as Mental Retardation (MR), hearing disorders, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Schizophrenia, Autism and Hereditary Ataxia, among others as well as the social impact on the family and society, were revealed.

The statistics were presented in a resent summary meeting on studies that counted with the participation of geneticists doctors, technicians, professors and local authorities among others in representation of the 34 thousand who carried out this task in two years.

For the development of this research, one of the broadest in Latin America and that could prove useful to humanity, the specialists applied diagnostic systems of the World Health Organization to reduce the possibility of errors.

The combined focus of biomedical, teaching and social tools was a more efficient and widespread cover.

This offered knowledge in the Island that the rate of handicapped persons was 3,26 per hundred inhabitants while Mental Retardation registered 1,25, data comparable to those of the most developed countries.

At the same time, due to the diagnostic tests, it was observed in the attention to the pregnant woman that only 0,078 percent of the births in the country presented Down’s syndrome, considered the primary cause of genetic MR.

According to the analysis made during the study, advanced maternal age was an important risk factor for this syndrome. For women over 40 the possibility of giving birth to a child with a disease is one for every 100 while those under 35 registered one out of every 275.

Another factor to consider is that 19 percent of the children with this pathology (Downs’s) had family histories of the handicap.

Other non genetic factors associated to MR are the environment, such as alcoholism, exposition to high temperatures during the first three months of pregnancy, viral affections and infections and maternal health, the study revealed.

The second genetic cause of MR in the country was the Fragile X syndrome, a dynamic mutation reported for the first time in the world in 1943.

However, Cuban health authorities assure that the country has the means to detect this mutation, give genetic advice and early diagnosis during the prenatal stage and determine the stage of affectation.

Work is on going on new treatments that include neurological and rehabilitation aspects.

Preventive actions on the community level, diagnosis and risk of recurrence, clinical knowledge of the physio-pathological features of the disease as well as genetic studies are combined to reduce the incidence of these illnesses and will cover the entire country.

As part of the effort of specialists of different institutions to achieve a better quality of life of the handicapped, importance is given to work links and an early insertion in the community, regardless of the degree of disability presented.

As a result, 76,87 percent of the mentally retarded have received specialized attention and education.

In addition to the decisions brought about by this study, aimed at a greater attention, including economic factors, of these persons, the study provided more objective statistics that permit working towards a higher level of health level and quality of life of this population group.

All this work was inspired by the words expressed by the Cuban National Hero, Jose Marti, who, while visiting Mexico in 1875, visited a home for deaf children when he said: Blessed are that hands that correct the errors of blind Mother Nature.

By Dirk Perrefort Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 03/14/2008 12:42:38 PM EDT

NEWTOWN -- Ryan Silveira, a senior at the high school, knows that it takes more than just having perfect pitch to put on a great musical production.

It also takes a great team.

Silveira, who will be portraying Rudolph the headwaiter during tonight's performance of "Hello Dolly," said the cast is one of the most dedicated and talented yet.

He has performed in many productions at the school and was selected to perform in the All-State Music Festival every year since he was a freshman.

"Everyone is putting their all into the performance," Silveira said.

He added that Sydney Russell, another student in the show, has done a fantastic job of bringing the character of Dolly to life. Quinlan Mitchell, he said, has also done a wonderful job portraying Horace, one of nine lead roles in the musical.

"It's been an extraordinary experience working with the entire cast," he said.

Besides having perfect pitch, which the director said he has only seen three times in his life, Silveira, 18, is also blind. The disability, however, does little to stop the student from pursuing his passion.

"It's all about making modifications," he said. "I'm no different than anyone else. I just can't see."

John Harned, who directs the school's chorus and the musical, said theater productions have been a tradition at the high school.

"You can throw just about anything at these students and they'll pull it off," he said. "They are all of a very high caliber."

An emphasis of music throughout

the town's schools definitely helps, he said.

"The performance you'll see on the stage tonight is the result of all the hard work and dedication of teachers in all the schools," he said.

Harned added that Silveira is a real asset to the program and "part of an outstanding cast of kids who have all put in a lot of effort."

"Hello Dolly," which is playing at the school through Sunday, is a 10-time Tony-awarding winning musical about two overworked store clerks and Dolly -- a matchmaker -- who finds the greatest match of all for herself.

Posted Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:22pm AEDT
Updated Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:21pm AEDT

The Tasmanian Government plans to reduce the number of people on waiting lists for wheelchairs.

The Health Minister, Lara Giddings, has told Parliament an extra $855,000 dollars will be put into the Community Equipment Scheme.

The money will also fund walkers, hoists and powered scooters.

Ms Giddings says demand for this equipment has been growing in recent years.

"We all receive calls from people each day seeking assistance to get access to equipment or aids which make their life a little easier, to allow them to maintain their dignity, in managing their own personal care," she said.

"This funding will support these people to be more safe in their own home and more independent in in their own community."

March 12, 2008 05:45pm

A DAMNING report into disability accommodation in Victoria shows one in three people who need help from the state doesn't receive it.

The Department of Human Services is unable to currently help about 1,370 people, or 30 per cent of all those requesting support, and demand is growing by up to five per cent per year.

The report into Accommodation for People with a Disability says the department has no strategy to close the gaps in capacity or expertise and "has not accurately quantified future support needs or the associated needs for resources''.

Community Services Minister Lisa Neville could not say how many beds the government had added to the system in the last four years.

The Opposition claims the government has added none.

"This government has fundamentally failed to address a crisis that has been brewing for many, many years,'' Opposition community services spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge said.

Ms Wooldridge said some parents of disabled people were "too scared to die'' because they had no confidence the system would look after their child.

The department provides shared supported accommodation (SSA) for about 4,600 severely disabled people, usually in groups of four or six with 24-hour rostered support.

The report says the department had created 77 new facilities to replace unsuitable facilities in the last four years, but had not increased bed capacity for shared houses.

Ms Neville said not all disabled people wanted to live in shared supported accommodation and the government was focused on individualised solutions.

"We've established the disabilities support register in order to understand the individual needs of people who need accommodation,'' she said.

"We are starting to both improve the current quality of accommodation that's available, but also to make inroads into meeting the needs of people who need accommodation.''

The report by Auditor-General Des Pearson says the department itself identified about 200 of its 914 houses as not meeting building access requirements for disabled people.

"Many SSA houses we visited were easily identifiable from the street as SSA by factors such as ramps, the style of construction and sometimes their state of disrepair,'' the report says.

In the last financial year the department allocated $395 million for SSA, including $156 million through community service organisations, the report says.

The department says in the report that it has started to systematically measure future demand and develop strategies to address it.

There are close to a million Victorians with a disability, the report says.

More than 320,000 of them are considered to have a severe or profound limitation that inhibits their ability to care for themselves, communicate clearly or perform normal cognitive or motor tasks.

POSTED: 5:47 pm EDT March 13, 2008
UPDATED: 6:01 pm EDT March 13, 2008

NORCROSS, Ga. -- The morning commute to work became a bit more complicated Monday for a Gwinnett County woman.

Rhonda Wilson, who has cerebral palsy, was riding her motorized wheelchair to work when a police officer pulled her over and gave her a ticket for driving with an expired license.

“This is my wheelchair. This is my legs,” Wilson said.

Wilson uses the chair to travel the mile from her house to the dental office where she works.

“It’s crazy. This is a wheelchair. It gets me from point A to point B,” Wilson said.

Gwinnett police said for the past two years they've received complaints about Wilson as she tools down the street. There are no sidewalks and officers said her wheelchair impedes the flow of traffic

Wilson insists the ticket is not valid because she's not driving a car or a moped. “I want to be a productive member of society,” Wilson said.

Wilson said Thursday that she will not pay the ticket. But she will begin paying for city transit to pick her up.

by Heather L. VanDyke | The Muskegon Chronicle
Thursday March 13, 2008, 10:06 AM

Some people see Kathy LeMieux's wheelchair and think it is a means of transportation, a way of getting where her legs cannot take her.

But to LeMieux, it is a platform.

Her wheelchair is a launching point from which to speak — and inspire.

As the newly-crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2008, LeMieux will spend the next year "speaking out, speaking up and speaking to" others as a public advocate for people with disabilities.

She will start with her own story.

LeMieux, 37, works as the administrative assistant for the MOKA Foundation, which raises funds to support the work of MOKA, an agency that provides support and services to more than 650 individuals with disabilities in Muskegon, Ottawa, Kent and Allegan counties.

"It couldn't be a better fit," she says. "They pay me to fulfill my beliefs and my mission which is to include me ... include us ... in everything."

LeMieux, who lives in Fruitport with her husband, David, and her service dog, Sugar, has been in a wheelchair almost since birth. She was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, a genetic hereditary muscle disease that causes progressive muscle weakness as an infant.

Her mother has only one photograph of LeMieux standing.

The rest of the pictures — through her school days in Rockford to her graduation from Ferris State University in Big Rapids to her wedding to David LeMieux in 2005 in Muskegon — are all in a wheelchair.

Even the pictures of her hiking, riding horses, driving a specially equipped van or riding aboard a personal watercraft, show her in a wheelchair.

"I don't know if you can understand this," she says, "but I really forget that I'm in a chair. I've always been in one."

Yet the realities of her life are unavoidable.

LeMieux's mobility is so limited by her muscular dystrophy, she cannot do something as simple as reach across the desk to retrieve a tissue when she is spontaneously overcome with emotion.

Ask her what it means to be named Ms. Wheelchair Michigan which automatically enters her in the national contest in July, and she doesn't talk of barriers or restrictions. She believes her crown and a sash are invitations to conversations, the start of questions that lead to issues of advocacy and inclusion.

As she speaks, her tears flow unchecked, rolling down her cheek. She can neither brush them away or reach for a tissue.

"I'm not going to be a mother. I'm not going to live to be old. This is a way to leave something of myself," she says.

A woman whose words usually trip over each other because she speaks so quickly, LeMieux suddenly is silent.

"I have to take this opportunity," she finally whispers. "I have to seize it."

Muscular dystrophy runs in her family.

LeMieux is one of six daughters, three of whom were diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, all of whom were raised with an intense streak of independence. Though it is hereditary, neither parent had the disease.

"I come from a family of strong-willed women. My oldest sister who had muscular dystrophy taught me to be a firecracker," she says. "Believe me, I've enjoyed life."
As her friends, family and co-workers well know.

To celebrate her new title as Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, one of LeMieux's friends posted the motto: "Live well. Love much. Laugh often." on the wall of her office as a daily reminder of her zest for life and almost-limitless energy.

"Sometimes I think God put me in this chair to slow me down," she says.

But over the past three years, LeMieux's disease has progressed more rapidly than either doctors or she anticipated.

"I've had to learn to accept: This is what I can do. This is what I want to do. This is what my body will let me do," she says. "I want to do everything, but my body can't keep up."

LeMieux's mobility is extremely restricted by her form of muscular dystrophy, which is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3. She is only able to move a few fingers on each hand, enough to type, operate her wheelchair and drive her van. But she can no longer transfer in and out of her wheelchair by herself. She cannot fix her own hair, bathe, dress herself or attend to her toilet needs.

"I can't lift a gallon of milk," she says, trying to put things in perspective for those who cannot understand the realities of her life. "I'm about as strong as a baby."

She has scoliosis of the spine and limited lung capacity because of the muscular dystrophy. Bronchitis and pneumonia are "my worst enemy," she says, and both have hospitalized her for extended recuperation.

But she does not face either the challenges -- or joys -- of life alone.

Not only is LeMieux a MOKA employee, she also employs the services of an aide through the agency who helps her dress, get ready for work and do housework.

And then there's Sugar, LeMieux's Paws for a Cause service dog. Sugar is so skilled, he can open doors, push elevator buttons and pick up whatever LeMieux drops -- whether it's her car keys, a credit card, a two-litre pop bottle or even a dime. A Labrador-retriever mix, Sugar is LeMieux's second service dog.

"He is part of me all day every day," she says.

But what makes life so special is her husband.

"I really believe he's been sent to me," she says.

This is her second marriage. Her first was "turbulent," she says, adding only that it lasted 10 years. About five years ago, LeMieux was going through a great personal transformation. She had majored in business management at Ferris State University, drawn to the high-powered world of corporations and business.

"I don't know if this makes any sense," she says, "but I love the sound of a businesswoman walking down the hall ... the sound of her shoes hitting the floor."
It is a poignant image from someone who will never walk.

"On the other hand, I'll never wear out my shoes," she says, turning everything into a positive.

As much as she loved the corporate world, the doctor warned her that she had to slow down "if I wanted to live past 30," so she went searching for a job in the nonprofit sector. At the same time, she had a spiritual conversion.

And of all things, at some fundraiser somewhere, she won a free membership to a matchmaker service. One of the people with whom she was paired was David LeMieux of Fruitport, a maintenance technician at an apartment complex in Norton Shores. They talked on the telephone several times. Before meeting in person, Kathy LeMieux decided it was time to "divulge" that she was in a wheelchair.

That's when he told her that he had a mild case of cerebral palsy.

In 2005, they were married. He modified their home to accommodate her wheelchair and welcome her service dog. He keeps her 1995 van running, despite its 130,000 miles and finicky technology. Most important, he brings to life her motto of "Live well. Love much. Laugh often."

"We are so madly in love," she says.

For LeMieux, even this part of the story is an opportunity to spread the gospel of inclusion and advocacy.

Every experience is the chance to teach people what it means to be disabled; that women in wheelchairs can be in love and married; that women with a debilitating disease can hold jobs and give back to the community.

"She'll be an eloquent spokesperson and an incredible advocate," says her boss, Thomas Zmolek, who is CEO of both MOKA and its supporting foundation. The agency sponsored LeMieux's entry in the Ms. Wheelchair Michigan pageant.

Zmolek was unable to provide the number of how many people with disabilities are MOKA employees, although he reported that 1,200 individuals with disabilities have been placed in the community with local employers since 1988.

"I want to teach people to ask questions about those of us with disabilities," LeMieux says. "That's how I want to spend the next year. I feel like my opportunities are limitless."

13 March 2008 15:30

The government's much heralded welfare reforms could damage disabled people's chances of finding work, leading campaigners have warned.

The British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) has written to work and pensions secretary James Purnell expressing fears that welfare-to-work firms will be discouraged from finding jobs for disabled people by the reforms announced last month.

Under the new commissioning structure, private and voluntary sector specialists will be able to bid for about £1bn-worth of five-year state contracts to find work for the long-term unemployed.

BASE chairman Huw Davies believes this will see firms focus all their energy on the easiest-to-help people to keep costs down - leaving those with more intensive needs out in the cold.

"Companies will want to make profit, they will cherry-pick the easiest individuals, and we think that will drive specialist providers out of business," he told Personnel Today.

The recent demise of welfare-to-work providers Carter & Carter and Instant Muscle showed just how tight the margins are in this field, said Davies.

"If they are both going into administration, it says something about the risks they are taking in tendering at low profit margins," he said. "The competition means organisations will not resource the services that are needed to help disabled people move into employment."

Davies has asked Purnell to meet with him as a matter of urgency to discuss these concerns. He has also called on employers to complain.

"Employers will lose out under this system," he said. "There is a business case for employing people from a diverse background and people with an understanding of disabilities."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman rejected claims that disabled people would be sidelined, adding that the commissioning strategy would reward organisations from all sectors that were best placed to provide work for the long-term unemployed.

By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
Ellen Brehm, a retired nurse who walks with cane, was stranded last September after flying home from California following the annual trip she's been taking with college friends since 1947.

Her flight, had which departed six hours late, landed at Newark at about 1:20 a.m. The wheelchair service she'd requested was nowhere in sight. Brehm returned to the plane to sit and wait, but a flight attendant told her she must get off so the crew could leave.

She then stood on the jet bridge, balancing on her cane, to wait. About 30 minutes later, another flight attendant exited the plane and asked if she needed help. The woman eventually returned with a wheelchair attendant.

"Here I am, at 2 a.m., 83 years old, all by myself," Brehm says. "There wasn't one person in this whole huge airport. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't come out."

Airlines are obligated to provide free, prompt wheelchair assistance between curbside and cabin seat to comply with the 21-year-old Air Carrier Access Act, an anti-discrimination law.

Meghan Foley, Senior Reporter

A New Hampshire photojournalist was at Keene State College on March 11 to present a documentary about an 8-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. The boy was his son.

Dan Habib, photography editor at the Concord Monitor and soon-to-be resident filmmaker for the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, directed and produced, "Including Samuel," which was about his son, Samuel, and the inclusion of children with disabilities into public school classrooms and the community.

"I hope one day people see disability as a natural part of our culture," said Habib, after the presentation.

KSC students, faculty, local community members and children viewed the film, which was shown in the Mabel Brown Room of the L.P. Young Student Center at 4 p.m. A second showing was held at 7:30 p.m.

Besides following Samuel through his daily life, the documentary also focused on the challenges the Habib family faced, and included the testimonies of four other families each with a child who had a disability.

"I remember being really afraid because all the things I imagined for my child, those things I worry about," said Habib's wife, Betsy, in the film.

With the documentary, Habib said he hoped he could create something as a father as to why inclusion was important, and as a journalist he wanted to show a balance in looking at inclusion.

"I've been obsessed in including [Samuel] in everything his peers do," said Habib, in the film.

The film brought up the prejudices toward people with disabilities.

Keith Jones, a disability rights activist and hip-hop artist, talked about his experience growing up in the 1970s when kids with disabilities were segregated in school.

"People really did not have high expectations for people with disabilities," he said. "Looking back on it now, it was like a nursing home facility."

In the film, Habib said he found out Samuel probably had cerebral palsy when he was about 1 year old, and it made him think of his own prejudice.

"I wasn't ready to accept that Samuel had a disability," said Habib, in the film

Both Samuel and his brother, Isaiah, 11, attend Beaver Meadow Elementary School in Concord, which had an inclusion program.

"Now my son goes to Beaver Meadow, and I think about inclusion everyday," said Habib, in the film.

As part of the film, Habib included brief interviews with the children in Samuel's class asking them what his son liked. One student said spaceships, another baseball, and a third said Samuel liked hot dogs.

In addition, Habib included interviews with several educators both at Beaver Meadow Elementary School and elsewhere, and representatives from the UNH Institute on Disability about educational inclusion.

In the film, Habib said he struggled to find a vision for his son's future, and sought out powerful people with disabilities like speaker Norman Kunc, who has cerebral palsy. The neurological disorder effects the body's movement and muscle coordination.

When Habib asked his son what he wanted to be when he grew up, Samuel answered an astronaut "because I can fly up to the moon."

The film showed the technology Samuel used including communication devices, a laptop with a joystick so he could draw and write, and a power-assist chair, which was also referred to as a "zoom chair," said Habib, in the film.

Following the documentary, there was a panel featuring four local mothers from Monadnock Developmental Services who each has a child with a disability.

Marianne Whipple, Lisa Cochran, Marilyn Houston and Gil Truslow each spoke about their experiences raising a child with a disability, and the struggles they faced with the education system and finding the right place for their child to be educated.

March 12, 2008 05:45pm

A DAMNING report into disability accommodation in Victoria shows one in three people who need help from the state doesn't receive it.

The Department of Human Services is unable to currently help about 1,370 people, or 30 per cent of all those requesting support, and demand is growing by up to five per cent per year.

The report into Accommodation for People with a Disability says the department has no strategy to close the gaps in capacity or expertise and "has not accurately quantified future support needs or the associated needs for resources''.

Community Services Minister Lisa Neville could not say how many beds the government had added to the system in the last four years.

The Opposition claims the government has added none.

"This government has fundamentally failed to address a crisis that has been brewing for many, many years,'' Opposition community services spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge said.

Ms Wooldridge said some parents of disabled people were "too scared to die'' because they had no confidence the system would look after their child.

The department provides shared supported accommodation (SSA) for about 4,600 severely disabled people, usually in groups of four or six with 24-hour rostered support.

The report says the department had created 77 new facilities to replace unsuitable facilities in the last four years, but had not increased bed capacity for shared houses.

Ms Neville said not all disabled people wanted to live in shared supported accommodation and the government was focused on individualised solutions.

"We've established the disabilities support register in order to understand the individual needs of people who need accommodation,'' she said.

"We are starting to both improve the current quality of accommodation that's available, but also to make inroads into meeting the needs of people who need accommodation.''

The report by Auditor-General Des Pearson says the department itself identified about 200 of its 914 houses as not meeting building access requirements for disabled people.

"Many SSA houses we visited were easily identifiable from the street as SSA by factors such as ramps, the style of construction and sometimes their state of disrepair,'' the report says.

In the last financial year the department allocated $395 million for SSA, including $156 million through community service organisations, the report says.

The department says in the report that it has started to systematically measure future demand and develop strategies to address it.

There are close to a million Victorians with a disability, the report says.

More than 320,000 of them are considered to have a severe or profound limitation that inhibits their ability to care for themselves, communicate clearly or perform normal cognitive or motor tasks.

Gerard McManus and Natalie Tkaczuk Sikora
March 12, 2008 12:00am

KEVIN Rudd was forced last night to guarantee full bonus payments to carers and seniors in the coming Budget.

The PM's switch followed three days of repeated declarations they would not be worse off -- rhetoric that stopped short of guaranteeing the method of payment.

The sudden change came as carers and pensioners made a plea to Mr Rudd to be true to his word over their annual bonus payments, worth $1600 and $500 respectively.

"Any payment paid this year will be up front," a spokesman for the Prime Minister said.

The emerging controversy dominated Parliament yesterday as the PM issued repeated guarantees that the cash was safe.

But he would only go so far as telling the House carers and pensioners would not be worse off under any changes to payments in the Budget.

"We, the Government . . . are examining ways in which we can place payments to carers and pensioners on to a more secure, long-term footing," he said.

It also emerged yesterday that the bonus payments were not guaranteed by the Coalition had it won government.

The fine print in the Coalition carers policy said continuing payments would be considered "depending on the economic circumstances at the time".

Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson yesterday seized on the Government's failure to elaborate on how the bonuses would be paid in future, launching the first censure motion against Mr Rudd.

Dr Nelson claimed the Government had left 400,000 carers and more than two million elderly in a state of uncertainty over their future.

Carers of disabled children and partners said Mr Rudd must honour his guarantee.

Sally Bailey, who cares for 15-year-old son Daniel, said she never considered the $1600 payment a bonus, and remained angry about the threat to cut it.

"That money has always been put aside for when the big expenses come up, such as a mattress . . . or wheelchair," Ms Bailey, 39, said. "I seriously regret my vote in November."

Daniel -- who is blind, physically disabled, intellectually disabled and has epilepsy -- is just one of her responsibilities. Ms Bailey and her husband, a business services manager, also support their two-year-old toddler and two daughters aged 20 and 18.

Ms Bailey said the carers' bonus had saved the family from falling further behind each year and provided Daniel with much-needed funds for extras such as splints or specialist appointments.

"We don't consider this money a bonus, but a need," Ms Bailey said.

Another carer, Debbie Deery, looks after husband Alan, who suffered a stroke, a heart attack, renal failure and was on dialysis for four years -- all by the age of 44.

Since his kidney transplant three years ago, Mr Deery has suffered blackouts, which have baffled doctors, and has been unable to work.

"My wife and children have been my rock and we've gone through hell together," the Frankston North father of four said.

"God knows how many times I've found her crying, it breaks my heart."

Mornington mum Cathlin Sheridan says the financial stress is constant.

Mrs Sheridan said she had to resign from a promising career to become a full-time carer for Rian, 9, Kayla, 7, and Emily, 5. Early intervention is essential for children with autism spectrum disorder, and little government money is provided, she says.

"It would be disgusting to lose the bonus -- we are struggling so much already to provide the therapy they need," Mrs Sheridan said.

Book chronicles Plano girl's battle with disability that's left her unable to talk

12:00 AM CST on Sunday, March 9, 2008

By ANNETTE NEVINS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Like many 8-year-old girls, Schuyler Hudson lives in a world of princesses, castles and ponies. She has her favorite characters, and if you ask, she won't hesitate to beat her chest like King Kong, or imitate a dinosaur.

When Schuyler touches a button on a small machine she carries with her, it roars.

Schuyler, pronounced Sky-ler, doesn't communicate the way most children do. She can make sounds but can't enunciate consonants or use her mouth to form complete words. But that hasn't stopped her from finding her voice.

Schuyler was born with a rare brain malformation known as bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria, which prevents her from being able to talk.

Her parents, Julie and Rob Rummel-Hudson, endured numerous doctor visits and frustration before finally finding a name for what Mr. Rummel-Hudson refers to as Schuyler's monster.

Mr. Rummel-Hudson, a communications coordinator in the University of Texas at Arlington School of Architecture, chronicled the family's journey in a recently released book. In it, he writes about how the stress of caring for a child with a disability challenged him personally, tested his marriage and ultimately strengthened his family.

"The book is a love letter to my daughter," said Mr. Rummel-Hudson, who has blogged about Schuyler since before she was born. "Someday she may read it and write a rebuttal," he joked.

On a recent weekday, Schuyler sat with other students on the classroom floor at Gulledge Elementary School in Plano reading Flat Stanley, a book about a boy who tries to adjust to being flat after a bulletin board falls on him as he sleeps.

"Flat Stanley can go under doors," said 8-year-old Kayla Stevens-Schmit.

Schuyler's hair is tinted red and styled as a short bob framing her large green eyes and round cheeks. She touched several onscreen keys to form a sentence on the machine that she carries like a purse, her "box of words."

"Peter can fly," a female electronic voice chimed in.

Her classmates took turns guessing what she meant. Schuyler folded her arms across her chest and tucked her head into her chin.

Camryn Evans, 8, came to the rescue, giving Schuyler a pink and purple eraser shaped like a cellphone. Schuyler held it to her ear and began to sign with her hands.

"I know Schuyler's language easy," Camryn said, coaxing her to punch more buttons. "She's talking about Peter Pan."

Search

The search for Schuyler's monster began when she was 18 months old. Schuyler squirmed through numerous evaluations, all sparked by a question from her Yale University pediatrician about why she wasn't talking at her age.

Her condition, a brain malformation that can be seen on MRI scans but is hard to detect, paralyzes the tongue and slows motor skills. It also can cause seizures. The disability, thought to be genetic, is extremely rare – fewer than 1,000 cases have been reported since 1984.

As in his book, Mr. Rummel-Hudson has employed his personal blog to express feelings about the challenges he has faced and how the experience has taught him to be a better father.

"In my dreams, Schuyler talks to me, telling me that things are going to be okay," Mr. Rummel-Hudson wrote in a recent blog entry. "I think she means more than just her own monster battle."

Schuyler's "box of words" is a $7,500 voice machine paid for by donations made through Mr. Rummel-Hudson's Web site, including many from people who knew Schuyler only from his blog, he said.

At school

She's enrolled in a unique program offered through the Plano school district, where 11 children with varying degrees of speech disorders split their time between a regular classroom and one equipped with advanced speech technology.

It's one of only a few programs of its kind in the nation that serve children with disorders that rob speech, including autism and cerebral palsy.

Every child is given a voice machine to help them participate in the program, launched when Schuyler was entering kindergarten. The program is designed to follow the children through high school, school officials said.

Teachers Linda Conerly and Kathy Williams immediately fell in love with Schuyler, snapping pictures of her and a classmate sharing girl talk between their voice machines.

"She is a happy child of joy who has lots of friends, and we all love her," Ms. Conerly said.

Her parents are happy that Schuyler is finally getting a peer group and enthusiastic teachers – a luxury they say she did not have before. She even rides the bus to school.

"This little girl who cannot speak is teaching us about persistence, commitment and compassion," teacher Kathy Tripp said. "That's more than any word can express."

Schuyler touched a button on her small machine, and it roared.

By Fred W. Robinson
frobinson@arcvc.org

Have you ever used the word "retard" in a derogatory way? The phrase, "You're such a retard," can be especially damaging to young children and those who have been diagnosed with a developmental disability.

Before the 1960s, if you had a developmental disability, you would have been placed in a state institution.

Since then, much progress has been made. Now, most state institutions are closed and the developmentally disabled have joined the mainstream as active, participating members of our communities. But while much progress has been made, discrimination and misunderstanding continue to persist. Disrespectful references to people with mental retardation and other disabilities far too often surface in our language, public institutions and entertainment industry.

At The Arc of Ventura County, we have joined other national organizations in a campaign to eliminate the R-word from our vocabulary. It is too often used as a demeaning, hurtful and unnecessary reference to a person who otherwise offers both value and significance to our community.

Last year, our board of directors officially changed our name from the Association for Retarded Citizens, Ventura County Inc. to The Arc of Ventura County Inc. All references to the R-word in our signage, literature and communications have been eliminated.

In November 2006, the nation's oldest group in our field, the American Association on Mental Retardation changed its name to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. And Special Olympics has advocated that the word "retarded" be dropped from our vernacular. This obsolete word no longer has a meaningful place in our everyday language. It remains appropriate only for reference in history books as a reflection of the last vestige of discrimination against a select group of people.

Instead of the R-word, we recommend reference to people with "intellectual and developmental disabilities." They are a glorious and equal patch in the vast quilt of society.

But there are other issues, too. Healthcare remains substandard for many with developmental disabilities. Although living much longer, basic medical and dental services are often neglected. Additionally, we are seeing dramatic increases in problems related to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. Proposed cuts in Medi-Cal, as outlined in the governor's proposed budget will only exacerbate the problem and ultimately cost us more.

And unemployment for people with developmental disabilities remains at 70 percent — an astonishingly unacceptable level. While community employment programs have successfully demonstrated that people with developmental disabilities can and want to work in our community, more can be done. Many have successfully transitioned off public assistance and now are productive tax-paying members of our community. But there are many more who could benefit from access to these programs.

We ask that you join us at The Arc of Ventura County, along with other agencies and organizations, as we provide appropriate educational and community services for the people we support. They are, after all, people first. Simply put, people with developmental disabilities are entitled to the same benefits of full citizenship as everyone else, including a free and appropriate education, community-based employment, adequate healthcare, clean and affordable housing, and the respect they deserve as contributing members of our community. We needn't unwittingly contribute to the segregation of this community when we can harness opportunities every day.

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Please join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of all people with developmental disabilities, not only in March, but every day.

— Fred W. Robinson of Santa Paula is chief executive officer of The Arc of Ventura County. His e-mail address is frobinson@arcvc.org.

SDSU President Stephen L. Weber appointed Mary Shojai to head the 2007-08 SDSU Disability Access and Compliance Committee (DACC), which met for the first time on Feb. 22 and is charged with implementing CSU requirements for disability support and accommodations.

Shojai, director of Student Disability Services in Student Affairs, is particularly well qualified for this role, and her expertise on disability issues is often sought by other CSU and California institutions.

"I believe there is no one at this university more suitable or more dedicated to advocate for our students, faculty, staff and visitors on these issues than Mary," Weber said.

About Shojai

Shojai serves on the campus steering committee and instructional materials committee for the CSU Accessible Technology Initiative, the CSU Directors Council for Services to Students with Disabilities and the Cooperative Programs Advisory Committee for the California Department of Rehabilitation.

She has formerly served on the CSU advisory committee on services to students with disabilities. She is the legislative co-chair for the California Association on Postsecondary Education and Disability, and she recently assisted CSU Los Angeles, CSU Sacramento and University California San Diego in reviewing aspects of their disability services programs.

"It is a privilege to work with this group of campus leaders, all of whom are committed to sustaining and improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities at San Diego State University," Shojai said.

DACC Background

In December 2007, Weber formed the 2007-08 SDSU Disability Access and Compliance Committee, including a majority appointment of new members and the committee's first strategic redesign since its creation in 2005.

The 2007-08 DACC carries on the work of its predecessor in implementing the requirements formalized in Executive Order 926, the California State University Trustees' Policy on Disability Support and Accommodations, issued to the CSU Presidents by Chancellor Charles Reed in December 2004.

The responsibilities of the DACC include the monitoring and evaluation of current disability policy on campus, the development of future programs and services, and the recommendation of priorities and timelines.

The committee is composed of staff, faculty and students selected to broadly represent all university divisions and departments and the disability community. And because the earlier committee's experience demonstrated that narrowly focused assignments would achieve the most effective results, the 2007-08 member appointments were carefully made to specifically assigned working roles, based on areas of individual expertise.

How the health service caters for women with disabilities in relation to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood is to be the subject of new research.

The research is to be carried out by TCD's School of Nursing and Midwifery and is aimed at exploring the strengths and weaknesses of publicly-funded health services in these areas.

The researchers would like to talk to women with disabilities who have experience of publicly-funded maternity services.

They include women who are blind/vision impaired; women who are deaf/hard of hearing; women with a physical disability; women with mental health difficulties or women with an intellectual disability.

"Women with disabilities have very little voice and their needs in relation to maternity services are not well understood. We are interested in meeting women who have a disability and who are willing to talk about their experiences of the maternity services either before, during or after having a baby", said Prof Cecily Begley of TCD.

Women interested in taking part in the study or who would like further details are invited to contact Denise Lawler, Lecturer in Midwifery/Research Assistant, School of Nursing and Midwifery, TCD. Email lawlerde@tcd.ie/Tel 086 378 9758.

Visit irishhealth.com's Pregnancy Clinic at http://www.mum.ie

The case of a five-year-old British girl with Down Syndrome who underwent plastic surgery three times has come under fire from Australian disability advocates.

Parents Kim and David Bussey, from Pimlico in south-west London, chose to alter their daughter's protruding tongue, "slanty" skin around her eyes and prominent ears to help her "fit in" with her peers, London's Daily Mail reported.

"We live in a society that judges people by the way they look," Ms Bussey said. "Society is not going to change overnight, so Georgia has to fit into society, rather than society fitting into the way she is.

"The people who criticise us are usually people who don't have Down's children of their own. They don't see the teasing that goes on and the problems Down's children have. I just want to give Georgia a helping hand - an edge to get on in life."

Critics, including the parents of other Down Syndrome children, told the paper the operations were equivalent to "child abuse".

Another London couple, Chelsea and Laurence Kirwan, said they would consider plastic surgery for their toddler daughter Ophelia if she was unfairly judged on her appearance in the future.

Mr Kirwan, a renowned plastic surgeon, said the procedures would correct her "eyes slightly wide apart, flat nasal bridge, thin lips, tongue that sticks out, thick neck".

Mother Chelsea said plastic surgery could help her daughter be more accepted by society.

"It's a matter of self-esteem," she said. "If you're not happy with yourself then why shouldn't you fix something? All I want is for Ophelia to be happy."

The executive officer of Disability Rights Victoria, David Craig, said he sympathised with families who wanted to protect their children from discrimination in society.

"A parent's fear of their child being rejected by society is a very powerful emotion and is unfortunately based on experience for many people with a disability," he said.

However, he said surgery on children without a medical need was not the answer.

"It's much better to change the way society thinks and aim for an inclusive society accepting of difference. People with a disability should be seen as part of life's diversity."

Misha Schubert
March 8, 2008

KEVIN Rudd faces a backbench revolt over his budget razor gang's plan to axe annual bonuses of $1600 to carers in a bid to cut spending and curb inflation.

Furious advocates for the nation's 400,000-strong army of carers for sick, disabled and elderly relatives swamped politicians' offices yesterday, calling for a reprieve on behalf of those struggling below the poverty line.

Labor MPs vowed to demand a rethink from the Prime Minister and their senior colleagues, variously branding the proposal "stupid", "madness" and "sheer lunacy".

"I am furious about it," one told The Age. "Why on earth would you target carers who have such huge physical, emotional and financial burdens? I will not be letting this rest."

Another said: "They are on the bones of their bum, most of these people. Even 10 cents is important to them."

Senior ministers refused to rule out axing the bonuses, sticking to the line that they could not comment on the budget.

But Labor figures have argued for years that the system of "one-off" yearly bonuses was not ideal, and should be replaced by a boost to the fortnightly Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.

Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin conceded that many carers were "doing it very tough" and were making a "huge contribution".

Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson demanded a guarantee that the bonuses would continue.

"For God's sake, Mr Rudd, please rule out an attack on Australia's carers. These are the saints in Australian society," he said.

His community services spokesman, Tony Abbott, branded it a callous bid to "use carers as kind of human shields in its fight against inflation".

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said any plan to cut payments to carers was "unimaginable". "I'm very surprised that a Government (that) says it's about social inclusion … can think that it's now acceptable to cut funding and support for carers," Senator Siewert told Sky News.

Carers Australia chief executive Joan Hughes said there had been no reassurance from the Government despite the outcry.

"I don't get why they would be picking on some of the most vulnerable people, who are really struggling to survive," she said.

About 400,000 carers have been eligible for bonuses in the past four budgets. About 100,000 of them would still qualify for a new utilities payment from federal coffers this year, but the others would miss out entirely if the annual bonus were scrapped without a replacement.

Newport carer Vicky Merritt urged a rethink, saying she had used last year's bonus to buy a washing machine that she would otherwise not have been able to afford.

Others had used it to buy shower chairs and wheelchairs that made their job a little easier.

"If you don't support us as carers … we will be forced to give up those we care about and it will cost you a lot more in housing and nursing homes if we do that," she said.

Andreas Schapitz, a Mooroolbark man whose three-year-old son has autism, was outraged that the $400 million carer bonus was under threat while the $1.5 billion baby bonus was left untouched.

(ARA) - It usually takes a big win by the football team or some great news about academics to bring a stadium full of Stillwell High School students to their feet; but not long ago, Dennis Rhoads, 58, a counselor at the Oklahoma school did something even more impressive.

"I came into the gymnasium, waved to everyone and did a 360 in my wheelchair," says Rhoads. "There was a lot of hooting and hollering as I spun around. The kids were very supportive."

You could say that rally was a rebirth of sorts for Rhoads, who has worked at the school as its guidance counselor and athletic director since 1994. About five years ago, his spirit was crushed when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. It happened on a cold April night less than 10 miles from his home. Some animal ran out in the road in front of him and he slid into a ditch while trying to avoid it.

"When I first came home from the hospital, I was frustrated all the time," says Rhoads who quickly tired of having to ask everyone around him for help. "I went from being completely strong and independent to being unable to do even the simplest things, like get a book down off the shelf for myself," says Rhoads. "It was very demoralizing."

Right away, he decided things happen for a reason and he had to make the best of his situation, but it was hard. "It seemed like every time I turned around, I was faced with a limitation," says Rhoads.

With his manual chair, he could no longer attend games at rival schools that did not have wheelchair friendly stadiums; he couldn't complete a lot of work tasks without the help of an assistant; and in his off time, he could no longer play the way he used to with his best friend, Oreo, a Labrador/Australian Shepherd mix.

"My old wheelchair just wasn't capable of maneuvering over the rough terrain we have in our neighborhood," says Rhoads. Fortunately his new one, the chair that got the students so excited, can do that and more.

The INDEPENDENCE iBOT 4000 Mobility System is a unique wheelchair that uses multiple computers to help its users overcome their mobility restrictions. The chair enables people with disabilities to easily perform such feats as climbing curbs and stairs, moving over rough terrain, like sand, gravel and grass, and even elevating themselves up to eye-to-eye height with able-bodied people. Click here for a demonstration of how the chair works.

"The chair has opened a lot of doors for me," says Rhoads. "I'm not as confined as I used to be, and I've gained back a lot of my confidence."

Rhoads says the feature he likes best is the Balance Function which gives him the ability to raise himself up so he can look people in the eye again. "I like my life a lot better with the iBOT Mobility System than I did without it. I wish I could buy everyone with a mobility disability one. They're life changing. I'm glad to have one," he says.

To find out if the iBOT Mobility System can improve your quality of life, or help someone you know, log on to www.ibotnow.com and fill out the quick online form. A customer service representative will follow up with you in the manner you request -- by phone, email or by sending an informational packet through the U.S. Mail.

This article was commissioned by Independence Technology, L.L.C., manufacturer of the INDEPENDENCE iBOT 4000 Mobility System.

Quadriplegic student highlights some of the barriers she faces just to get to class on time

For most students, having a 9:30 a.m. class on Monday means sleeping in until 9 a.m. and making a mad dash for the door.

For Katie Charboneau, ArtSci ’11, the day begins at 7 a.m. with a wake-up call from her nurse, who helps her get out of bed and get ready in the morning.

Charboneau’s quadriplegic because of a car accident she was in two years ago. She has limited grip in her arms and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around.

She lives in Leggett Hall. It takes her nearly half an hour to get to her classics class in Etherington Hall, just a few buildings down Stuart Street.

She said she misses a lot of class time when the weather’s bad.

“If it’s raining I can’t go because I have a motorized wheelchair,” she said. “A lot of the time, the snow removal hasn’t come yet or they’ll plough the road and not plough the [wheelchair] ramp.”

She also misses classes when she can’t get into buildings because nobody’s there to open the door for her. Buildings such as Etherington Hall and Stirling Hall don’t have powered door openers.

“Because I can’t get to class, I feel kind of isolated,” she said. “I feel like I’m not getting the most breadth out of my education.” This year Charboneau had to choose courses based on whether they were held in accessible buildings. She also didn’t sign up for 8:30 a.m. classes because she can’t get out of bed without a nurse, who comes from the Community Care Access Centre because the University doesn’t provide one for her. Charboneau also privately hires Queen’s nursing students.

When Charboneau came to Queen’s for a campus tour in 2005, she and the tour guide got stuck in the elevator. The handyperson told her the wheelchair exceeded the 1600-kilogram weight limit. Her wheelchair weighs approximately 136.4 kilograms.

“The handyman ended up having to take me through the back elevator—the freight elevator,” she said. “I felt really stupid.”

Charboneau chose to come to the University in spite of that uncomfortable welcome.

“I wanted to come here even before the accident,” she said, adding that the wheelchair was one bad experience among many good ones.

“[My room] was prepared for a quadriplegic. … I have buttons everywhere and they’ve always been quick to fix things.”

Charboneau said the University added a fuse box in her room to give her more electrical outlets because most things she owns are electronic.

The carpet had to be taken out because she couldn’t manoeuvre the wheelchair on it, she said. The room next to hers is also kept empty for nights her caregivers need to sleep over. Queen’s has been accommodating, Charboneau said, but should ask wheelchair users for suggestions on what they should improve.

“You can’t actually plan it unless you’re in [a wheelchair],” she said. “They don’t think of placements of buttons.”

She said some door-opening buttons are too high for a person in a wheelchair to reach and some are placed beside door hinges.

“People have the door open on them and they’re stuck behind after the door opens.”

The University has a lot of work to do before it becomes fully accessible, Charboneau said.

“They’re trying to accommodate one person at a time but it’s not accommodating the disability as a whole,” she said.

Disability Services Advisor Theresa Richard said her main role is to support individual students who register with the service.

“We can advocate to professors on what kind of accommodation they require based on what their diagnosis is,” she said.

“In terms of accessibility at Queen’s there’s a commitment on the part of the administration [to make Queen’s more accessible.] … That’s going to be a big task because it’s such an old university and lots of the buildings do require some major, major renovations.”

Richard said she hears the most complaints about Stirling, Ellis and Etherington halls.

“Etherington has an outside accessible door but not an inside accessible door,” she said.

The first step towards campus accessibility is to make it a value on campus, she said.

“Sometimes people will use a washroom for disabled people when it’s the closest one to them,” she said. “I think sometimes people think no one uses those and they use them for storage.”

She said there are more than 500 students registered with Disability Services. Thirty-eight of them have mobility disabilities. There are more students and some staff around campus who choose not to register with the service, she said. Although it’s expensive to make buildings accessible and it only seems to benefit a small group of people, the University has to continue improving accessibility on campus, Richard said.

“It could be we don’t have people [with disabilities] at Queen’s because we’re not as accessible as we could be,” she said. “Accessibility is not a choice. … People with disabilities ought to be able to go where they want to go without being judged for that.”

Jeanette Parsons, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act program co-ordinator, said the University receives $50,000 to $75,000 each year from the provincial government for service improvements.

“That’s used every year to correct physical barriers to the existing infrastructure,” she said. “We [the University] don’t take out a budget on top of that.”

Parsons said new, accessible infrastructure is part of the general renovations of a building.

“It’s all woven into the cost of the project.”

Jeannette Kobelka, ArtSci ’08 and AMS Accessibility Queen’s co-chair, said she thinks the University should put more money into making the campus fully accessible.

“Each year there isn’t enough to get the projects done fast enough,” she said.

Accessibility Queen’s collects a $3 mandatory student fee from undergraduate and graduate students every year. The committee uses the money for small maintenance projects such as putting in door-opening buttons in buildings students identify as inaccessible.

“But we don’t have $60,000 to put in a lift,” she said.

Joyce Zhu, Kobelka’s co-chair and ConEd ’08, said Accessibility Queen’s paid for the lift for the stage in Grant Hall in 2006. The committee was able to do this because of a budget surplus due to previous years’ unused funds.

Zhu said the University should try to raise its accessibility budget.

“It sounds like a lot but when you think about how much [accessibility] costs, it’s not.”

Pushing his wife in her wheelchair, Anthony Richards hardly looked like a terrorist on a mission. But the shopping centre security guards were taking no chances.

Spotting the 79-year-old pensioner taking a photograph of his wife at the entrance of a new £200million retail centre in Hull, they swooped instantly.

"You are not allowed to take photographs," one said sternly.

Mr Richards and his wife Betty were told the ban was to stop terrorists gathering intelligence, and staff were instructed to follow "anyone acting suspiciously".

A few minutes later, the couple left the St Stephen's Centre, still holding their camera but baffled as to why anyone would suspect them of being a threat to security.

Mr Richards, a retired ambulance worker from the city, said yesterday: "It's quite ridiculous. It makes you wonder what is happening to the world.

"They don't stop people taking photographs in Paris of the Eiffel Tower or the Millennium wheel in London.

"It makes you wonder if Hull has any ambition. This sort of thing can put visitors off.

"I was taking some pictures to send to my daughter but they weren't very good anyway."

Mrs Richards, his 75-year-old suspected "accomplice", was injured in a serious road accident years ago and needs to use a wheelchair when she goes out.

Mr Richards said: "Betty couldn't help making a joke of it. She was laughing at the thought of being considered a terrorist.

"I told her not to make any jokes about bombs under her wheelchair or we could have got locked up.

"I can't blame the security guard. He was quite nice and held the door open for us when we left. It's just the instructions he was given."

Centre manager David Laycock backed his guards' vigilance. He said: "It's our duty of care to check that all pictures taken are for legitimate reasons."

He said public places such as shopping centres had been highlighted in Home Office guidance as being vulnerable to attack.

"Photographic reconnaissance is a proven potential risk," he said. "It is not realistic for security staff to assess who might be taking photographs innocently or otherwise.

"We therefore operate a blanket ban on photography without prior authorisation."

The centre introduced the ban after receiving a 66-page document from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office on security advice for shopping centres.

It warns staff to look out for people taking pictures, sketching or taking notes.

For most college students and people my age, a new vehicle or a new cell phone is a huge deal.

Since I can't drive or use those cool phones, I get excited about getting a new communication device or a new wheelchair.

Though laws and policies have changed recently, generally speaking, medical equipment usually can be replaced every five years or so. It's a long, drawn-out process, so when we start this, we are well aware that I won't actually get it for many months or even up to a year.

It was 2003 when I got my last wheelchair and communication device, so this past summer, it was time to start the process. In July, we started looking at wheelchairs and started the paperwork for the insurances.

We are still looking at different chairs. There are so many different options. We're looking at a chair that tilts electronically, so I can stretch out my back by myself. There are also chairs that are on pedestals that electronically go up and down, so I'd be able to be eye level with people or reach something on a higher shelf.

The issue we're having is that the chairs with both options would be too tall to fit in the van. Whatever I get has to fit in the van. They have another chair for me to try out when I go home for spring break. Hopefully, I'll get one ordered then.

In August, I had an evaluation done at the UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) Center in Green Bay for a new communication device. Thanks to my friend Brad, I had an idea of what I wanted. They had a rep from Prentke Romich (the company that makes a lot of the devices) there to show me the Eco-14 and the updated version on the Pathfinder, which is what I have.

They had devices from other companies for me to try as well. The Eco-14 was definitely the best. It's a computer as well as a communication device. It has the same sequencing program as the Pathfinder, but it also has a word prediction program that predicts words when I start typing. When the word I want pops up, I can just press it and it'll appear.

I can also program common phrases I use in it. As I may have said before, I'm not a big fan of the sequencing program, but I'll use the word prediction program a lot more. The Eco-14 also has wireless Internet. I decided that it was what I wanted and we got the paperwork started that day.

One morning about two weeks ago, I woke up to a message on the computer from my dad saying my device was being shipped to Green Bay. I was so excited. Mom made me an appointment during spring break to go pick it up and have a little training.

These pieces of equipment are very expensive, but are essential for my independence.

Although I'd give anything to be able to drive a new car or use one of those phones, for me, getting new equipment is pretty exciting.

An advocate for the disabled takes on cities and transit agencies, pushing to ease access.

By David Reyes, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 5, 2008
Arnie Pike's never met a curb he didn't want to have cut.

Pike, 68, began using a wheelchair after suffering a stroke 12 years ago. The Placentia resident has become a voice for disabled people, arguing before city councils and transit authorities throughout Orange County for smoother sidewalks, wheelchair ramps and better access.

"We never ask for more than any other person, just what is fair," he said during a recent interview with his service dog, Fort, at his side.

Pike is a prickly thorn in the side of bureaucrats. At transportation planning meetings, he often holds officials accountable, reminding them that disabled people pay taxes and, despite their legal protections under the Americans With Disabilities Act, are not always provided the same services as able-bodied individuals.

Take bus stops, for instance.

Pike, joined by other wheelchair users, has kept a vigilant eye on the Orange County Transportation Authority, which had said that by December 2007, the county's 6,500 bus stops would have been modified.

"They're supposed to have fixed all these bus stops by now, but they're not done in north Orange County and they're definitely not all done in Placentia or Brea," he said.

Last week, OCTA approved $812,830 to modify bus stops in Brea, La Habra, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Seal Beach, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach.

The agency now says bus stop modifications should be done by June -- at a final cost of $15.8 million. OCTA observers credit board members -- including Gregory Winterbottom, who uses a wheelchair -- and testimony of passengers such as Pike.

"Arnie is the real thing," said Christie Rudder, an advocate for the disabled with the Dayle McIntosh Center in Garden Grove. "But you have to understand that we have people in wheelchairs having to travel in the street because the curbs aren't cut and they have nowhere to go but find the next driveway.

"Some of the bus stops, like at the Brea Mall, leave you on an island stuck in the middle of the street with no curb cutoffs," she added.

The OCTA program is unique among Southern California transit agencies. Riverside Transit Authority has recently stepped up its bus stop improvement program by teaming with the city of Riverside in response to complaints from the disabled community, Bradley Weaver, an RTA spokesman said. Of 3,800 total stops, 36 were modified in 2006 and 76 are targeted for upgrades, he said.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the largest transit agency in Southern California, has 18,500 bus stops. The agency provides transportation programs for seniors and the disabled but refers ADA compliance upgrades for bus stops to the 89 cities in its service area.

"That's because the cities own the land the bus stop is on," said David Sotero, an MTA spokesman. The MTA pays for a portion of the improvements by cities, he added.

Before his stroke, Pike wasn't as outspoken. An event planner, he retained the ability to speak but lost the use of his legs and control of his right arm.

He takes his duties seriously. Pike totes a fanny pack with tools of the trade: A measuring tape for sidewalks and narrow store aisles, a gauge to measure whether doors comply with ADA rules about the force needed to open them, and warnings for vehicles parked illegally in handicapped spaces.

Pike works for the day that bus stops are accessible, with wide sidewalks and tall curbs cut down so he can roll his wheelchair up and board a bus. In reality, many stops built decades ago have narrow sidewalks or none at all and are sometimes blocked by hydrants, poles and shrubbery.

"Until you get in a wheelchair," Pike said, "you don't know the problems. Many bus stops are surrounded by grass or sandy soil. I can't roll my chair through that; it just clogs down."

The responsibility for bus stops is a gray area, Rudder said. Although the bus stop and sidewalk are owned by the city they're in, the buses belong to OCTA. "Each one says it's the other one's responsibility for improvements," she said.

For years, OCTA failed to address the need, Winterbottom said. "It was never a policy not to do it," he said. "It just never registered on anyone's radar and it was the cities' responsibility. But the board has since voted to fix them up."

The OCTA targeted those stops most often used by disabled bus riders, providing improvements as a service. "The agency is not legally required to do this," said Thomas Bogard, an OCTA official. "But the board made a decision to do it as a service for all bus riders."

Not all bus stops can be improved, he said. Access at some is limited and will remain so because removing poles or hydrants and dealing with private property issues are too costly, he said.

The agency has made minor adjustments, such as relocating bus stops a few feet in either direction, Bogard said, adding that OCTA is in negotiation with the owner of the Brea Mall to fix its bus stop.

But Pike criticized OCTA for moving sluggishly. "The law says that if you receive public funds or provide a public service, that service has to be accessible for everyone."

He will stay vigilant, he said, and he is taking the fight to another front. During a brief trip to Balboa Island in Newport Beach, Pike's wife, Marilynn, parked in a handicapped space, but the high curb prevented their van's wheelchair ramp from fully extending. He now has the city in his sights.

Curbs on the island are high to prevent flood waters from going into homes and businesses, according to City Manager Homer Bludeau, who said sufficient handicapped parking spaces are available.

Not good enough for Pike: "All we wanted to do was shop around and get something to eat. They need to have a space that we can use. Otherwise, why call it a space for the handicapped?"

Around 2.5 million people worldwide are wheelchair bound because of spinal injuries. Half of them are quadriplegic, paralysed from the neck down. European researchers are now offering them new hope thanks to groundbreaking technology that uses brain signals alone to control computers, artificial limbs and even wheelchairs.

People left paralysed by spinal injuries or suffering from neurodegenerative diseases could regain a degree of independence thanks to a new type of non-intrusive brain-computer interface, or BCI, developed by the MAIA project.

Using electrical signals emitted by the brain and picked up by electrodes attached to the user’s scalp, the system allows people to operate devices and perform tasks that previously they could only dream of. So far, the team, led by the IDIAP Research Institute in Switzerland, has carried out a series of successful trials in which users have been able to manoeuvre a wheelchair around obstacles and people using brainpower alone.

“We have demonstrated that it is possible for someone to control a complex mechanical device with their minds, and this opens up all sorts of possibilities,” says MAIA coordinator José del R. Millán.

Though BCIs, for people with impaired movement and for other uses, have been under development for many years, they have had varying degrees of success, largely because of the difficulties of turning brain signals into accurate mechanical movement. What sets the EU-funded MAIA system apart is that it does not rely on the human brain alone to do all the work, instead incorporating artificial intelligence into the device being used.
Intelligence meets artificial intelligence

A person using the MAIA BCI to control a wheelchair, for example, only has to think about going straight ahead or turning left and the chair follows their command. However, they do not have to worry about colliding with obstacles – even moving ones such as people – because the wheelchair itself monitors and reacts to its environment.

“A user can tell the chair to go straight ahead, but it will not just randomly roll in that direction if there is a wall or a flight of stairs in the way,” Millán notes. “What we have done is combine the intelligence of the person with the artificial intelligence of the device.”

In a sense, the artificial intelligence embedded in the chair acts much like a human’s subconscious. People, for example, do not consciously send commands to every muscle in each leg in order to walk and do not think where to step to avoid an obstacle – they do it subconsciously. Similarly, a wheelchair-bound user of the MAIA BCI simply has to send the signal to go in a certain direction and the chair figures out how to get there.

But the user always stays in control!
Keeping the user in control

“We wanted to see how much of the movement was down to the user’s brain signals and how much was due to the intelligence of the chair. It turned out that the wheelchair intervened between 10 and 40 percent of the time depending on the user and the environment.

“In one demonstration in which someone was manoeuvring the chair for six hours, the computer intelligence kicked in more frequently later on as the person became increasingly tired and made more mistakes,” Millán says.

Importantly, the chair can recognise from the user’s brain signals if it has made a mistake, and, through tactile devices similar to the vibrators used in mobile phones, it can send feedback to users about the direction they are going that enhances their sense of awareness beyond the visual.

Millán notes that the same technology could be applied to artificial limbs to allow quadriplegics to pick up objects or unlock a door. By using the BCI to interact with computer systems, meanwhile, they could control the lighting in their homes, surf the internet, or change the channels on the TV. Those simpler brain-computer interactions, which have the potential to become the basis for commercial systems sooner, will be the focus of a follow-up EU project called TOBI that is due to begin in September and which will also be led by Millán.

“For a wheelchair, such as the one developed in MAIA, to reach the market would take extensive trials to prove that the technology is robust enough. We can’t have it breaking down when someone is in the middle of the street,” Millán notes.

Carrying out such validation trials remains a goal of the project partners who are actively seeking further funding and investment to continue their work.

Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, March 7, 2008

Mayor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that businesses in San Francisco should sue the city in response to a vote by the Board of Supervisors earlier this week against a project to build a $1.1 million wheelchair ramp in the board chambers.

Newsom said it was "unconscionable" that the city forces private entities to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and yet voted down the ramp leading to the podium used by the board president.

"If I were the private sector, I would sue the city and county of San Francisco right now," Newsom said, adding that hundreds of businesses have had to pay thousands of dollars to make such improvements.

The Board of Supervisors voted 6-5 Tuesday against the project, which would have lowered the podium and added a 10-foot-long ramp to it.

Audio and visual cables throughout the chamber also would have been reconfigured.

The project would have been forced to adhere to strict construction guidelines because of the historic nature of City Hall.

Supervisors opposing the project said they believed it could be done at a lower cost, though the Tuesday vote was on the appropriateness of the work, not the funding of it.

Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, said Tuesday she planned to sue the city to force immediate compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Newsom said he would "get it done" and Alioto-Pier would not have to follow through on the threat of a suit, though he said both she and the private sector in the city should be furious.

Contributor: Andrew, Infoxchange Australia.
Source: Deaf Children Australia.
Posted: 08-01-2008

AFS International and Deaf Children Australia are offering a deaf or hearing impaired secondary school student a scholarship in Norway for 11 months.

The student will stay with a host family from August 2008 and attend a local school, experiencing the benefits of student exchange that they would otherwise not be able to experience.

The scholarship is worth $12,000 and covers return travel, orientation, enrichment activities and medical costs.

To be eligible, the deaf or hearing impaired student must:

* Be aged between 15.8 and 18.8 in August 2008;
* Have good health;
* Be able to demonstrate to work consistently through their academic records;
* Be mature enough to cope with the challenges of living in another country and feeling part of an entirely different community.

Applications close on Monday 31 March 2008. There is a non-refundable application fee of $80.

For more information, visit the AFS website.

Book chronicles Plano girl's battle with disability that's left her unable to talk

12:00 AM CST on Sunday, March 9, 2008

By ANNETTE NEVINS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Like many 8-year-old girls, Schuyler Hudson lives in a world of princesses, castles and ponies. She has her favorite characters, and if you ask, she won't hesitate to beat her chest like King Kong, or imitate a dinosaur.

When Schuyler touches a button on a small machine she carries with her, it roars.

Schuyler, pronounced Sky-ler, doesn't communicate the way most children do. She can make sounds but can't enunciate consonants or use her mouth to form complete words. But that hasn't stopped her from finding her voice.

Schuyler was born with a rare brain malformation known as bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria, which prevents her from being able to talk.

Her parents, Julie and Rob Rummel-Hudson, endured numerous doctor visits and frustration before finally finding a name for what Mr. Rummel-Hudson refers to as Schuyler's monster.

Mr. Rummel-Hudson, a communications coordinator in the University of Texas at Arlington School of Architecture, chronicled the family's journey in a recently released book. In it, he writes about how the stress of caring for a child with a disability challenged him personally, tested his marriage and ultimately strengthened his family.

"The book is a love letter to my daughter," said Mr. Rummel-Hudson, who has blogged about Schuyler since before she was born. "Someday she may read it and write a rebuttal," he joked.

On a recent weekday, Schuyler sat with other students on the classroom floor at Gulledge Elementary School in Plano reading Flat Stanley, a book about a boy who tries to adjust to being flat after a bulletin board falls on him as he sleeps.

"Flat Stanley can go under doors," said 8-year-old Kayla Stevens-Schmit.

Schuyler's hair is tinted red and styled as a short bob framing her large green eyes and round cheeks. She touched several onscreen keys to form a sentence on the machine that she carries like a purse, her "box of words."

"Peter can fly," a female electronic voice chimed in.

Her classmates took turns guessing what she meant. Schuyler folded her arms across her chest and tucked her head into her chin.

Camryn Evans, 8, came to the rescue, giving Schuyler a pink and purple eraser shaped like a cellphone. Schuyler held it to her ear and began to sign with her hands.

"I know Schuyler's language easy," Camryn said, coaxing her to punch more buttons. "She's talking about Peter Pan."

Search

The search for Schuyler's monster began when she was 18 months old. Schuyler squirmed through numerous evaluations, all sparked by a question from her Yale University pediatrician about why she wasn't talking at her age.

Her condition, a brain malformation that can be seen on MRI scans but is hard to detect, paralyzes the tongue and slows motor skills. It also can cause seizures. The disability, thought to be genetic, is extremely rare – fewer than 1,000 cases have been reported since 1984.

As in his book, Mr. Rummel-Hudson has employed his personal blog to express feelings about the challenges he has faced and how the experience has taught him to be a better father.

"In my dreams, Schuyler talks to me, telling me that things are going to be okay," Mr. Rummel-Hudson wrote in a recent blog entry. "I think she means more than just her own monster battle."

Schuyler's "box of words" is a $7,500 voice machine paid for by donations made through Mr. Rummel-Hudson's Web site, including many from people who knew Schuyler only from his blog, he said.

At school

She's enrolled in a unique program offered through the Plano school district, where 11 children with varying degrees of speech disorders split their time between a regular classroom and one equipped with advanced speech technology.

It's one of only a few programs of its kind in the nation that serve children with disorders that rob speech, including autism and cerebral palsy.

Every child is given a voice machine to help them participate in the program, launched when Schuyler was entering kindergarten. The program is designed to follow the children through high school, school officials said.

Teachers Linda Conerly and Kathy Williams immediately fell in love with Schuyler, snapping pictures of her and a classmate sharing girl talk between their voice machines.

"She is a happy child of joy who has lots of friends, and we all love her," Ms. Conerly said.

Her parents are happy that Schuyler is finally getting a peer group and enthusiastic teachers – a luxury they say she did not have before. She even rides the bus to school.

"This little girl who cannot speak is teaching us about persistence, commitment and compassion," teacher Kathy Tripp said. "That's more than any word can express."

Schuyler touched a button on her small machine, and it roared.

By Saiqa Chaudhari

BOLTON Community College is one of the nation's best when it comes to helping disabled people into work.

It has a 93 per cent success rate in finding jobs for people with disabilities or learning difficulties. And it is in the top five establishments in the country for providing courses for people in these groups, according to the National Institute of Adults Continuing Education (NIACE).

Now the NIACE has invited the college to help it to lead a national project on how to improve employment opportunities for people with special needs.

The Manchester Road campus is one of only a handful of colleges across the country to be involved in the project.

The courses are provided by the college's Skills for Independent Learning team and employment placement officer Linda Hossaini develops links with local employers to provide students with work experience.

Former students have gone on to work with, or gain work experience with, major employers, including Asda and fast food chain Subway.

Skills for Independent Living's curriculum leader Suzanne Watson said: "Over a third of the students that finished in September have gone on to paid work which is credit to the hard work and dedication put in by our team.

"This fantastic success rate is why NIACE has turned to us for best practice, to enable other colleges to benefit from our success. Some of our students aspire to be a plumber or a hairdresser but lack the necessary literacy or numeracy skills.

"This course enables them to gain relevant experience so they can have a career in their favoured industry."

The department currently has 240 students studying part and full-time courses. The highest level of qualification is an NVQ Level 1 which is available in either retail or catering, but the syllabus also caters for people who cannot read or write and offers them the chance to gain the equivalent of a low-level GCSE pass in English and Maths.

Peter Little, adviser for the Learning Skills Council which funds further education colleges, said: "At the NIACE conference one of the major highlights was the "Learner voice", led by Sami Berdi and Gurpal Singh, who described their positive experiences within the Skills for Independent Living department, and their successful transition to employment. This was a great inspiration to the audience. I was particularly thrilled to hear of the college's success with these and other disabled learners."

Contributor: Rachelle Irving.
Source: Mental Health Council of Australia.
Posted: 31-01-2008

Disability organisations delivering services relating to mental health such as counselling or family support are eligible for a $40,000 one off grant and a series of free full day workshops across the country.

The Department of Health and Ageing has provided the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) with $6 million to assist in the development of the capacity of non-government mental health organisations and other organisations delivering services relating to mental health. There are two opportunities:

* One-off grants of up to $40,000;
* Fourteen free, full day workshops around the country, designed to build stronger organisations;

About the Grants:

MHCA invites a broad range of services to find out more and apply. MHCA is keen to hear from organisations working in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, counselling, telephone help lines, family support services, men's services, asylum seeker support, eating disorders, suicide prevention and addiction.

Grant application forms and info available at the MHCA website from Friday 1 February 2008.

About the Workshops:

Providers of mental health services can also attend the 14 free, full day workshops around the country designed for building smarter and stronger not for profit organisation and also better projects. Everything from HR, IT and maintaining staff in a not for profit organisation will be covered.

For more information or to book please contact Rachelle Irving at rachelle.irving@mhca.org.au or 02 6285 0812.

Attached file 1: More information (PDF document, 80 kilobytes).

Contributor: Andrew, Infoxchange Australia.
Source: Deaf Children Australia.
Posted: 08-01-2008

AFS International and Deaf Children Australia are offering a deaf or hearing impaired secondary school student a scholarship in Norway for 11 months.

The student will stay with a host family from August 2008 and attend a local school, experiencing the benefits of student exchange that they would otherwise not be able to experience.

The scholarship is worth $12,000 and covers return travel, orientation, enrichment activities and medical costs.

To be eligible, the deaf or hearing impaired student must:

* Be aged between 15.8 and 18.8 in August 2008;
* Have good health;
* Be able to demonstrate to work consistently through their academic records;
* Be mature enough to cope with the challenges of living in another country and feeling part of an entirely different community.

Applications close on Monday 31 March 2008. There is a non-refundable application fee of $80.

For more information, visit the AFS website.

Source: Joint Councils Access for All Abilities.
Posted: 23-01-2008

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre's popular Modified Sports Program is recommencing in 2008 with a 'bring a friend for free' day.

Every Saturday during school terms Modified Sports will be held from 2pm to 4pm.

Fully supervised, the program includes swimming, indoor sports including cricket, soccer, hockey, badminton and much more.

The 'bring a friend for free' day will include give-aways, prizes and lots of fun.

When: Every Saturday during school terms, 2pm to 4pm ('Bring a friend for free' day on Saturday 2 February).

Where: Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, Aughtie Drive, Albert Park.

Cost: $8.50 per person, payable on arrival.

Download the attached flyer for further information.

Contact Name: Jeff Torney, MSAC Program Coordinator.
Contact Phone: 03 9926 1547
Contact Email: programsteam@msac.com.au
Attached file 1: Flyer (PDF document, 190 kilobytes).

Source: Pam Dolan.
Posted: 21-02-2008

The South Australian Ombudsman is currently investigating claims of poor service, failure to arrive, overcharging or giving incorrect information in response to complaints or not responding at all by Access Cabs South Australia.

Those people would have had recent bad experiences with Access Cabs South Australia are urged to contact the Ombudsman before Wednesday 30 April 2008 and quote: ombudsman reference 74307A01.

If you would like to email or submit a written statement details are as follows.

* Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.sa.gov.au

* Postal address:

Ombudsman SA
5th Floor, East Wing
50 Grenfell Street
Adelaide SA 5000

recently attended an event, Techshare India 2008, which was India's first technology event to promote accessible technology for people with disabilities. It was amazing to see some of the products, standards, and technologies that were showcased to empower people with disabilities. We've talked about some of them in this issue. Most of these were aimed at making things more accessible for disabled people, thereby empowering them to become more independent. In a country like ours, where nearly 6% of the population is disabled, which amounts to roughly 6 million people, these technologies are definitely a blessing in disguise.

But even more interesting is the revelation that some of these technologies and standards can impact a far wider number of people than the physically challenged alone. Take for instance a website. It doesn't take too much effort to make a website more accessible for the disabled. The website developer simply has to conform to a few standards, and pay a little more attention to the user experience. But the fruits of such an effort can be tremendous. The website would be more neatly organized, which would automatically make it easier to browse. This would automatically draw more traffic than a disorganized and cluttered one. So in the process of creating an accessible site for the disabled, you make your site more usable, which can thereby improve employee productivity or even increase business.

There are ample success stories to prove that this actually works. A leading bank in the US for instance, made its banking website more accessible much before the others. So while other banks considered it a waste of time, lots of people with physical disabilities became customers of this bank and started using its site for online banking. Looking at this trend, the other banks had no choice but to follow suit, but they had lost the first mover advantage by then.

There's a similar success story of an online store that made its site more accessible. Shopping in a grocery store can be quite a challenging task for anybody with physical disabilities. For them, placing an online order to a grocery store would be much more convenient. So the online store in question made its site more accessible. This resulted in an increase in traffic, and interestingly, a majority of them were normal people without any disabilities. They just found the site more usable.

Besides websites, lots of other things can be made more accessible as well. It just depends upon your imagination. A bank could make its ATMs more accessible, by putting text to speech or fingerprint scanners in them. A cellphone manufacturer could make cellphones with larger font displays and voice based operation, and much more. By doing this, companies can help themselves as well as the society.