Fwd: Abilities Buzz - March 2006

[Guest guest]

ABILITIES BUZZ

Keeping you abreast of current news and trends in the disability and senior markets

March 2006

Welcome to the March 2006 edition of ABILITIES BUZZ, a monthly newsletter that keeps you updated on the latest news and trends in the disability and senior markets. This month we feature the personal story of Joslin who has two children with CP and started Ability Plus Therapy in Florida. We also feature a story about the Coalition for Disabled Musicians; and provide an inspiring story about a 3-foot dynamo who fought the system. Then, we provide a report on “Arts in School,” to assist children living with a disability; and we provide etiquette tips for the treatment of people living with a disability. We review the story of McElwain’s magical moment at his high-school’s basketball game and also provide information on the new SmartHome 1 that will be introduced at Abilities Expo/New York Metro in April. Read on for a synopsis of the latest industry news and trends. For complete text on any of the articles, email amy@....

WELCOME: First we would like to welcome the folks at Free Living Design, a brand new exhibitor to the Abilities Expo events and our first architecture firm. Free Living Design will be in booth #737 and will offer free 30 minute consultations with a registered architect. They will also be giving away an iPod Nano at the end of the event. http://www.freelivingdesign.com/

PARENT OF CHILDREN WITH CP PROVIDES INTENSIVE SUIT THERAPY

Facility built out of love and need

As a parent of children with CP, Joslin understands what other parents go through. saw her children struggling with their bodies. As a result of her desire to affect positive changes in her children’s condition, in May of 2004, opened Ability Plus Therapy in Melbourne, Florida, an Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy Center. Using the TheraSuit™ and the Universal Exercise Unit, along with intensive physical therapy programs, administered by licensed therapists, children usually make significant gains in just 3 weeks. They also offer modified physical therapy programs, tailored to fit everyone’s needs.

The therapy has resulted in allowing her 14 year old to walk a little on his own and her 8 year old can push to sit-up and walk with his walker. They have helped many children with this treatment. The rigorous therapy program and use of the TheraSuit™ help to “re-train” the child’s brain to understand and eventually duplicate the signals from the proper muscle movement. The point is to never give up.

Ability Plus Therapy’s mission is to help children with cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular disorders achieve greater independence by providing intensive therapy programs designed to fit the needs of each individual child. Intensive therapy can accelerate progress in children’s motor skills, by providing strengthening, flexibility, increased endurance and enhanced functional skills. Many children acquire skills like rolling, crawling, sitting, standing, and/or walking, which they may have not been able to achieve prior to participating in this type of therapy.

believes the best advice she can give to parents of children with CP is to always look to the fullest potential of your children. Expect much and do not settle. “My children are both success stories and it is all due to Intensive Therapy,” said . also created the American Association of Intense Pediatric Physical Therapy (AAIPPT) www.aaippt.org to show parents that there are clinics that they can access all over the country. The AAIPPT will be exhibiting at the Abilities Expo/New York Metro. For more information, please contact Ability Plus Therapy Inc. at , or visit the web at www.abilityplustherapy.com.

MUSICIANS WITH DISABILITIES FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS

The Coalition for Disabled Musicians

On February 3rd, the Coalition for Disabled Musicians reports that for twenty years, they have been performing music and making a difference in the lives of those they perform with and for. Take co-founder Jaeger's as an example. His lifelong dream was to play the drums. In 1975, he purchased his first set, the drums were his passion. However, in 1981, he sustained a severe spinal cord injury. For five years he was faced with physical limitations, which kept him confined to bed for several hours a day. He merely existed. By 1986, Jaeger returned to the drums, but only for limited amounts of time, he was unable to keep pace with able-bodied musicians. However, with the support of his wife Lynn and the rest of his family, he became active and alive again. “I realized that I was limited with an endurance and pain problem. I needed to find people to jam with me who understood.” Thus, The Coalition For Disabled Musicians, Inc. (CDM) was born.

CDM musicians range in age from their twenties to their seventies. As varied as their ages are, so are their disabilities, including Neuro-Muscular, Cerebral Palsy, Communication, Visual and Hearing Impairments, Diabetes, Spinal Cord Injuries, Arthritis and others. Over the years, CDM has formed several bands. “TLC” is their current pop/duo group comprised of a guitarist/ keyboardist and two vocalists. They perform mainly at receptions, cocktail parties and smaller events. “Range of Motion” is CDM's first and premier performing band featuring pop, rock and roll, and original songs. Their performances are filled with a variety of music that pleases everyone and includes interesting information about the musicians. Each member has their own unique story that they freely share with their audience and fans.

CDM assists musicians of all levels from the wannabe's to the professionals. “Our organization has helped a lot of people get past their limitations. Whether they are newly disabled or born with a disability, a lot of people who wouldn't be playing music are playing music today because of us”, said Jaeger. Each of the group's members is conscious of each other's limitations, but they emphasize that the public enjoys listening to their music and does not patronize them because of their disabilities. They take a unique tag-team approach to their music that goes unnoticed to the public during a performance. When one member fatigues another member takes over to cover.

CDM is a voluntary, non-profit group which receives a few small grants and maintains its services through private donations. CDM is always in need of financial assistance to improve and repair their equipment, volunteers to help move and operate the equipment, teach an instrument, or help out in the office. CDM has performing groups available for hire. Performance fees support the organization and help defray the expenses of the participating volunteer musicians. They currently perform for community arts programs, local fairs, corporate parties and for disability awareness programs all over Long Island and at scattered locations along the east coast. They have developed a fun and educational, BOCES approved, program for schools (grades K - 8). References are available. For more information, get in touch today: www.Disabled-Musicians.org

THREE-FOOT DYNAMO STARTS COLLEGE AT FERRIS STATE

On March 20, The Associated Press reported on an inspiring story. Put up for adoption as a baby because she might be too much to handle, 20-year-old Valarie lin has become an expert at overcoming challenges.

She's somewhat of a celebrity in her hometown of 5,500 people and has met a fair number of celebrities herself, including golf legend Tiger Woods and former Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer. lin likes shopping for clothes, listens to Blink 182, chows down on pizza and catches every horror flick that comes to the big screen.

She has a passion for animals, especially a golden retriever named Sunny who's been at her side every day for four years, including the past two years at Ferris State University where she is studying to be a pharmacist. Sunny fetches items out of reach, opens doors and stands up on counters when store clerks are oblivious to lin's presence.

lin, who is 3 feet tall, was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, a condition that makes her bones prone to breaking. The dark-haired dynamo with a squeaky voice is persistent when it comes to being treated like others, and her biggest challenge has not been from peers or insensitive clods. The biggest have come from institutions: a suburban school district unwilling to install an elevator so lin could get to class, and most recently, a scholastic powerhouse unnerved by Sunny.

The on School District near Flint eventually installed the elevator a week before lin started class, and Hartcourt Assessment let Sunny accompany her while she took a delayed pharmacy school entrance exam. She and Sunny were ejected from a previously scheduled test last summer in Grand Rapids.

" They honestly thought Sunny would bark or bite someone, " lin said while running a brush across the sleeping dog's coat. " Can you see that? This is what he does. He was already asleep when they told me I had to leave. "

lin's pursuit of a college degree is a natural progression for this voracious reader, who in fourth grade breezed through more than 100 books during a two-month program. She graduated in the top 10 of her high school class and was described by teachers as " balanced " and " motivated. "

" I've been lucky, and with all the people I've ever known in my life, no one has ever made it an issue, " lin said of her physical limitations. " She has a spark that draws people in because she never feels sorry for herself and wants to do everything other people do each day, " said Binkley, of on, a Shriner and Masonic Lodge member who has known lin since the Shriners began helping her with medical expenses when she was a toddler.

Numerous events have been held to help the lins pay their bills, including an annual golf outing called " On the Tee for Valarie. " When she needed a customized van for college, a spaghetti dinner sold 275 tickets, part of $8,000 collected. Since her arrival at Ferris State University in 2004, she has met dozens of people who've come up to introduce themselves and talk to her. Part of the attraction is Sunny, which suits her just fine.

VSA ARTS CELEBRATES “ARTS IN SCHOOL MONTH”

Spotlights arts in education

In a salute to March as National Arts in Schools Month, VSA arts on March 6 reports the roll out the 2006 arts in education programs. These programs are initiatives that raise awareness of the arts' power to connect across school curriculums to promote learning and self confidence in students of all abilities. VSA arts, an affiliate of The F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, develops and provides programming that supports and encourages arts in education throughout schools and communities across the nation.

" VSA arts believes that students of all abilities and learning skills should have access to the arts in education. There is no more exciting and creative teaching tool, " said Soula u, president of VSA arts. " 'Arts in Schools Month' is an opportunity to laude the importance of inclusion in school, and in life, and that's what arts in education does. It levels the playing field for students of all abilities. " VSA arts programs provide resources for teachers, facilitate partnerships between arts organizations and public schools, and encourage teachers to infuse the arts in their classrooms. The VSA arts programs address the national standards for math and literacy and most are available at no cost through http://www.vsarts.org.

The 2006 roster includes The Writing Project, which challenges young writers, ages 11-14, who are living with a disability or connected to someone with a disability to explore their world from different points of view through the art of writing. The program encourages teachers to engage their students in creative writing and the selected works are published online at http://www.vsarts.org. VSA arts, an affiliate of The F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Kennedy to create a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world.

SEE ME (NOT MY DISABILITY)

Seeing past the impairments and tips for etiquette

The March 1 st issue of Current Health 2 provides a helpful story about treatment of people living with a disability. What does disability mean? The word usually describes an impairment that limits how a person can do everyday activities. People who need wheelchairs are considered to have a disability; so are people who wear eyeglasses. About one in five Americans has some disability, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and that number is growing.

In Her Shoes: In most ways, Marina Mayaud is a typical teen. " I'm a couch potato, " admits the 17-year-old from Bronxville, N.Y. " I love retro TV shows. And I like all kinds of music--but no heavy metal. " Marina is also an unusual teen: She's an assistant schoolteacher, works at a family center, and has written a screenplay. " It's called Mr. Big Mouth, " she explains. " It's about a teacher with a disability who's always talking. " Marina knows about disability. She has cerebral palsy, a condition that results from a brain abnormality and that affects her muscle coordination. " My hand and leg and mind don't work as well as other people's, " Marina says. " Some people notice, and some don't. But being disabled is nothing to be ashamed of. " Despite her positive outlook, Marina has faced teasing, starting in preschool. " Everybody was saying, 'She's an idiot, she's stupid, she's ugly.' But now I ignore those kinds of people. I think to myself, 'If that's who you are, then I am glad to be who I am and not you.' "

Making fun of someone who has mental or physical challenges " is common if your own self-esteem is shaky. Instead of feeling bad about yourself, you displace those feelings onto someone else in a lesser position. It's a form of bullying, " says Dr. M. Ellis, co chairperson of the Autism and Intellectual Disabilities Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Marina says she leaned on certain people to help her deal with intolerance. " and I have been friends since kindergarten, " says Marina. " She knew what I was going through. She'd say, 'Don't listen to them. You're beautiful and lovely.' "

The National Organization on Disability offers the following tips to make communication easier around people living with a disability. For a complete list of etiquette tips, visit the organization's Web site at www.nod.org.

Dignity and respect are key. Each person has a different personality and preference about how to do things. To find out what someone with a disability prefers, ask.

Don't ask personal questions until you've become real friends. Usually people with disabilities don't want to make their disability the main topic of conversation.

Don't define by a disability. Some terms used in the past, such as crippled and wheelchair-bound, are not acceptable to people with disabilities. Instead, say " person with a disability, " " Joe is deaf, " or " uses a wheelchair. " Such wording focuses on the person first.

Just be yourself. Don't let fear of saying something " wrong " prevent you from getting to know someone who has a disability. If you are unsure of what to say when you first meet, try " hello. "

HIS MAGIC MOMENT – JASON MCELWAIN, WHO IS AUTISTIC, BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE

Wins the game at his high-school basketball game

People Magazine on March 13 reports on the inspiring story of McElwain, the 17 year old autistic student manager of Rochester, N.Y.'s Greece-Athena High School basketball team. Coach Jim granted him a cameo in a game against rival Spencerport. " He's a good shooter, " says his dad, , 51. " I thought he had a chance of making a basket. " With the crowd roaring its approval, put in with four minutes left. " I usually stand the whole game, but I sat down and tears started rolling down my face, " says of the feel-good moment.

missed his first two shots badly. Undeterred, he hoisted another. " It rattled the backboard and went in, " says . " The place just erupted. " From then on, later told a TV reporter, " I was on fire. " Altogether he hit six three-pointers and one two-pointer for a total of 20 points. When the final buzzer sounded Athena's 79-43 victory, the students rushed out of the stands and carried off the court in triumph. Then he gave high fives and autographs. " He was really happy on the way home, " says his father, who works as a manager of auditors for the state tax department. " He didn't sleep a lot that night. " Says teammate Rickey Wallace: " He's an incredible kid. I knew he could shoot, but I didn't know he could score 20 points. "

Much of 's life has been spent exceeding others' expectations. He was diagnosed with autism at age 2 when his father and his mother, Debbie, 53, a dental hygienist, noticed he was listless and had him tested. Though he scores low on standardized tests, he has an impressive memory, especially when it comes to sports trivia. And while he didn't start talking till age 51/2, " he probably hasn't stopped since, " says his father. " He's very social, he's a charmer. " At Athena High he attends a few mainstream classes to go along with his special-ed instruction. But, as his father points out, one manifestation of 's autism is that he is fearless--at times a bit reckless--which perhaps helped him to keep shooting even after he missed. " He's never had any fear of doing anything or fear of what other people think, " says Dave. " He loves roller coasters, and he loves to jump in the water. "

During 's shooting spree, the Spencerport squad didn't try to play overly aggressive defense against him, but they did guard him and attempt to block his shots. Meanwhile, Dave McElwain marveled at the unselfishness of the Athena players in the game at that point, second- and third-stringers who would have loved to score themselves. " Every time his team had the ball they passed it to , " says McElwain. " No one else tried to take a shot--and a lot of these kids didn't get any playing time either during the season. "

In the aftermath, became an instant celebrity, with highlights of his game played over and over on news shows and even ESPN. Disney contacted the family about a possible movie. But tried to play it cool. " My plans are to graduate and go to MCC [Monroe Community College] and work at Wegmans [grocery store], " he says. But he wasn't fooling anyone. " I think he floated to school the next day, " says coach . " His feet never touched the ground. "

SMARTHOME 1 TO BE INTRODUCED AT ABILITIES EXPO/NEW YORK METRO

The LifePortal4000 , by www.smarthome1.com will be introduced at the Abilities Expo this year. The system is unique to the disabled community. With over 500,000 deployed to the Military and industrial markets it is now available. Features of the product include:

The support of 4 Radios including EV-DO, EDGE/GPRS, 802.11 LAN, WWAN, Blue Tooth and GPS. No need to look for Area Hot Spots.

Five different SINGLE SWITCH mouse controls built into the software.

Voice Recognition for commands and dictation.

Six different languages

Automatic Phone dialing and Answer pick up.

All X-10 controls supported as well as Z-wave, UPB, IR and RF, Controls for Lights, TV, DVD, Video surveillance cameras, automatic doors and more.

Wheel Chair, and Van mounts, Home Docking stations to connect to larger computers screens.

Open Architecture which allows other software programs to coexist with the system, which features the Advanced Intel processor.

Advanced real male and female voices to speak for those who can not.

The System will read aloud both Web Pages and email.

Three year warranty with Battery replacement

A rugged case hardened exterior, Water, Dust and Vibration resistant.

ABOUT ABILITIES BUZZ

ABILITIES BUZZ is sponsored by Questex Media, producers of Abilities Expo. We encourage our readers to submit information on news and articles of interest that can be shared within the industry. Send story ideas to Amy Riemer at amy@.... Our goal is to keep you abreast of the latest news being reported in the industry to improve the lives of people with disabilities, senior citizens, their families and caregivers – as well as healthcare and education professionals.

Following is the list of dates and locations for the five shows to be held in 2006:

Abilities Expo/New York Metro: April 21-23 at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison, NJ.

Abilities Expo/Southern California: June 16-18 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

Abilities Expo/Metro Detroit: August 18-20 at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, MI.

Abilities Expo/Northern California: November 3-5 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA.

Abilities Expo/Texas: December 1-3 at R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX

SEEKING SPEAKER PROPOSALS

The Abilities Team is seeking proposals for speakers for its 2006 shows. Key areas of interest include children with disabilities, hearing and visual impairments, respite care, feeding, and hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT). If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please visit our website www.abilitiesexpo.com, and submit a speakers proposal.

Questex Media Group provides certain customer contact data (such as customers' names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses) to third parties who wish to promote relevant products, services and other opportunities which may be of interest to you. If you do not want Questex to make your contact information available to third parties for marketing purposes, simply call between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm CT and a customer service representative will assist you in removing your name from Questex's lists. Outside the U.S., please phone . Contact us by mail at Questex, PO Box 5071, Brentwood, TN 37024-5071.

You are currently subscribed to abilities_buzz as asabroward@.... To unsubscribe click here or visit Unsubscribe.