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

markets

July 2004

Welcome to our July 2004 issue of ABILITIES BUZZ, a monthly newsletter that

will keep you updated on the latest news and trends in the disability and

senior markets.

This month's issue features a timely story on a summer camp horseback riding

program for children with disabilities; a report on the dontblockmyvote.org

campaign to increase voter registration for people with disabilities; a review

of the first ever Disability Pride Parade in Chicago; and a review of Project

Mobility-Cycles for Life, an organization which provides " adaptive cycling " -

bicycles for people with disabilities. This organization will be exhibiting at

the upcoming Abilities Expo/Metro Chicago from August 13-15 at the E.

s Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

Read on for a synopsis of the latest industry news and trends. For complete

text on any of the articles, email amy@....

Children with disabilities gain independence with therapeutic riding program

Horseback riding for kids with special needs

As reported over the Associated Press Wire on June 23, Equi-librium, a

Northeastern, PA nonprofit organization that offers therapeutic horseback riding

for

people with special needs, has kicked off its third annual integrated summer

camp. The six-week program at Ice Stone Farm mixes children ages 6 to 17 who

have disabilities with those who do not.

As the children socialize, they develop friendships that may not normally

happen, said Pat Sayler, Equi-librium's president and chief executive officer.

" Back at school, they're waving to (each other) in the hall, " she said. Polly

Beste, Chairman of the organization's Board of Directors, said the integrated

summer camp offers a rare opportunity for disabled children and their siblings

to participate in the same activity.

Six sets of siblings are among the 31 campers registered for the program.

Regina and Marisa LaBar of Plainfield Township, PA are among them. " During other

summer camps they have attended, the sisters were part of different groups, "

their mother Jo LaBar said. " This will be 10-year-old Marisa's first

horseback riding experience. But for Regina, 12, who is mentally challenged,

therapeutic riding once a week since she was 5 has helped the disabled girl

develop

better self-esteem, balance and muscle tone, " her mother said. " It's like the

happiest day when she knows she's going horseback riding, " LaBar said.

Michell Ressler, an instructor and director of equine operations at

Equi-librium, said the campers work together as teams to tack up the horses and

they

take turns riding. The interaction shows them " everybody's unique, everybody has

their own particular strengths and weaknesses, " Ressler said. The campers

also learn how to groom and feed the horses and clean their stalls, Sayler said.

" We try to correlate the care of the horses with the care of ourselves, " she

said. After lunch, the campers make arts and crafts related to horses. They put

them along with photographs in a scrapbook they take home at the end of the

week.

United Cerebral Palsy Launches DontBlockMyVote.org Campaign

Trying to advance equal access for voters with disabilities

The US Newswire on July 14 reported that United Cerebral Palsy launched

http://www.dontblockmyvote.org/, a national campaign for equal access to the

polls,

to call on Members of Congress to fully fund the Help America Vote Act of

2002 (HAVA). By logging on to http://www.dontblockmyvote.org/ activists can send

a free letter to their Members of Congress asking them to fully fund HAVA and

provide all Americans equal access to the polls. Congress is currently

negotiating the 2005 budget.

Additionally, through a partnership with Rock the Vote, visitors to

http://www.dontblockmyvote.org/ can use an online voter registration tool to

register

to vote. " Too many Americans with disabilities cannot exercise their

constitutional right to vote because polling places are inaccessible to those

who use

wheelchairs, voting machines are inaccessible to people who are blind or have

limited use of their hands, and ballots are inaccessible to people with limited

literacy skills, " said UCP President and CEO .

Despite initial efforts to correct problems widely publicized during the 2000

election, Congress has yet to back up HAVA with appropriate funding,

effectively denying millions of Americans with disabilities equal access to the

ballot. President Bush requested only $65 million for HAVA in his 2005 fiscal

year

budget, though HAVA authorizes $650 million. As of April 2004, only 18 percent

of the total funds authorized for HAVA have been disbursed according to the

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

HAVA requires states to provide at least one accessible voting machine at

each polling place. The legislation also sets aside funding for polling place

accommodations, outreach programs, training for election officials, and

technology research grants. " With more than 45 million eligible voters with

disabilities in the United States, members of both parties ought to make voting

accessibility a priority, " added . " We implore Congress to fully

fund

the Help America Vote Act to ensure all Americans can participate in the

electoral process. "

Pride drives new parade for people with disabilities

Participants back rights of disabled

The Chicago Tribune, July 19 reports on the first Disability Pride Parade in

Chicago. People like LaKeisha Parnell, who has no ankles since a car accident

reduced them to fragments who now uses a wheelchair, has had to endure another

kind of hardship: convincing people that she does not need their pity, just

access. " People kind of think I can't do the same things as before, " said

Parnell, of Chicago as her daughter, le Bullock, 6, stood next to her.

" They

try to baby me, pacify me. "

On Sunday, July 18, Parnell, le and more than 600 other people walked

and rolled down Solidarity Drive near Shedd Aquarium in the first Disability

Pride Parade, an event created to instill pride and self-esteem in people with

disabilities, according to organizers. " We don't need to be fixed, " said

co-organizer Triano, 29. " Disability is a natural and beautiful part of

human

diversity. We're never going to advance if we're ashamed of who we are. "

Imparato, president of the American Association of People with

Disabilities, lauded the event as the first disabled-rights parade of its kind

in the

country, though festivals in Denver and marches in Boston have celebrated

disabled pride. That many younger disabled activists organized the parade

impressed Imparato and other longtime activists. " These are young people who are

passionate about owning the fact that they have a disability, " said Imparato,

who

is bipolar. " I'm hoping this is the beginning of a natural phenomenon where

Chicago is the anchor. "

On a roll with Project Mobility-Cycles for Life

Providing adaptive cycling for people with disabilities

Chicago Parent recently reported on Project Mobility: Cycles for Life. Hal

Honeyman, founder of Project Mobility: Cycles for Life, Inc. has been involved

with bicycles as a sport, business, and recreation for nearly thirty years.

Hal's interest in " adaptive cycling " - bicycles for people with disabilities -

was spurred when his own son was born with Cerebral Palsy. Hal wanted to

find a way for to join the family when bicycle riding. Hal designs bikes

for people with motor impairments due to spinal cord injuries, head trauma,

strokes, amputation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, etc. Hal witnessed first-hand

the positive difference cycling made in his own son's life, and Project

Mobility was born out of a desire to share this gift of freedom and hope with

others.

Bicycles for those who are disabled often go beyond being a means of

transportation. These specialized bikes create a sense of freedom as they

restore a

sense of possibility and ability to those whom are often told by society that

their life is about limitations and disability. The mission of Project Mobility

is to make a positive difference in the lives of children and adults with

disabilities by providing them with the resources, equipment, and programs to

promote better health, independence, and most of all the freedom of mobility.

The organization provides adaptive cycling day camps, weekly adaptive camps,

overnight camping trips, individual cycling clinics, specialized bike clinics,

accessibility fairs, disability awareness workshops and seminars. Since its

formation, Creative Mobility has transported adapted bikes all throughout the

United States for people with disabilities to experience the freedom of

mobility. Because of the overwhelming demand for these programs, Project

Mobility was

formed in November of 2002 as the charitable arm of Creative Mobility in

order to meet the increased demands for these programs. For more information

about

Project Mobility visit http://www.projectmobility.org/.

About Abilities Buzz

ABILITIES BUZZ is sponsored by Advanstar Communications, 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.

About Abilities Expo

Abilities Expo is the leading consumer event for individuals 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

three remaining shows to be held in 2004:

· Abilities Expo/Chicago Metro: August 13-15 at the E. s

Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

· Abilities Expo/Metro Detroit: September 17-19 at the Novi Expo Center in

Detroit, MI.

· Abilities Expo/Northern California: November 12-14 at the Santa Clara

Convention Center, CA.

For information about exhibiting at or attending any of the Abilities Expo

events visit http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/ or call 800-385-3085 or email

abilities@....

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