The MS Runway by FTemple917 - I had my eyes opened over the Labor Day weekend. You know, the Telethon, Jerry's Kids... all that. This has been the first year that I watched it with an eye that has become a little more critical because of the MonSter. It used to be that I only paid a little attention to the event. You know, watch a little of it to see how much Jerry changed since the year before, see the 'poor' kids, see how much money was donated. In general, feel pretty good about myself, say a less than heart felt prayer of thanks that I wasn't one of THEM. Then forget about the whole thing for another year.
A year ago MS was something other people got. The idea of some day owning a wheelchair was as likely as owning a Corvette, and Jerry Lewis was a God, an absolute God, for all the good he was doing.
Now, I'm one of the 'other people'. I don't drive a 'Vet' and probably never will, but the day when I'll be using a wheel chair seems to be getting closer and closer. And Mr. Lewis seems less of a hero and much more human.
I don't think there was ever any intent to be insulting to the disabled. "Jerry's Kids" got free wheelchairs, and all the ABs in the audience could feel pretty good about themselves. Jerry could sure make us feel good about ourselves. But at what cost?
"Jerry's Kids" aka Jerry's Ego Boosters were always less important than the telethon itself. If you doubt that, think about how many people would have watched/contributed if another person hosted the affair. It was, is, and always will be the Jerry Lewis Telethon. And THAT WOULD BE OK if the 'KIDS' weren't portrayed as helpless creatures with no chance in life except for the ones doled out by the efforts of The Great Man himself. Every shot of Mr. Lewis with one of his 'kids' was always taken from a distance, it had to be to get both individuals in the picture and Jerry was ALWAYS towering over the 'KI D'.
I never realized how subtle and insidious it is, how the media portrays people with disabilities. We need to work at changing the public perception of people with disAbilities.
Just my thinking. How about you? Send your ideas to me at FTemple917@aol.com
************************************************* Something to ponder.....Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
Been There...Done That by Blue55Wing - Submission by FLWeather
The sun's rays sparkled on the ocean like liquid gold as I eased into the water, leaving behind an environment where I am less than agile. As I sank below the surface, it became readily apparent to me and not surprising, why scuba diving is the fastest growing recreational sport for disabled people. The underwater world holds many mysteries and it’s beauty is constantly changing and is always inspiring. For disAbled people, the water environment allows improved freedom of movement and affords the opportunity to get out of a wheelchair for a while. When you've made the decision to give diving a try, the place to start is at a local dive shop.
Diving equipment is easily altered, relatively affordable and diving skills are quickly learned. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is the largest dive organization in the world and oversees training standards and procedures for all of it’s member schools. In a coordinated effort with the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), PADI has instructors who have been trained in the special needs of disabled divers. Dive instructors undergoing HSA approval actually do pool dives with their legs or arms restricted to simulate a disability. Your local dive shop will know if their instructors are HSA certified and can make recommendations for how to find a suitable instructor for you.
Surprisingly, the physical strength needed for diving is minimal. Much more important than ability is the student’s comfort level in the water. Of course, the more that one can do in the water, the more freedom and confidence they will have. This is something that you and your instructor will spend some time on.
Once you’ve found an instructor, you will begin classroom instruction and pool work. The class work consists of learning about physiology, physics and the marine environment. In the pool, you will become familiar with your equipment and master basic skills which you will need for your open water dives. Depending on your disability, some adaptations may need to be made to the skill requirements in order for a disabled diver to complete them. This is where the experience of an instructor familiar with disabled diving will really be valuable.
The last step of the certification process is also the most exciting: the open water dives. This is where you will dive under the supervision of your instructor in a large natural body of water. This is usually in the ocean, although some parts of the country train in lakes or quarries. Four dives are usually done on two consecutive days. After you have successfully completed your open water dives, you will receive your Open Water Diver certification card.
Dive resorts are popular around the world with the Florida Keys and the Caribbean being the closest to most Americans. Red Sail Sports, Inc. is a resort company with dive operations in Grand Cayman, Aruba, the Bahamas and Hawaii. They offer disabled certification courses and accessible dive vacations. Call for their Disabled Scuba Diving Handbook at 1-800-255-6425. Most dive resorts also offer a resort dive or introductory dive. This is a dive for a novice with an instructor which allows a prospective student to see if they like the diving experience. It is an unforgettable way to see what most other tourists do not.
After certification, you will be able to rent diving equipment and have scuba tanks filled. All dive boat operators will require a diver to show proof of certification before embarking on a dive trip.
For disabled divers, the most difficult part of diving is usually getting on and off the dive boat or negotiating the beach on a shore dive. Once again, HSA can be helpful with their newsletter. Each year, several accessible dive trips are organized to destinations all over the world by the HSA. Dive resorts and boat operations are also rated for their access and ease of entry. Many of the popular dive destinations around the world now have accessible boats for the disabled. The HSA newsletters are a great way to benefit from the experience and knowledge of those who have already been to a particular destination.
Scuba diving can literally open a whole new world and many disabled individuals have discovered that it is a very achievable goal for them. If you are interested, I encourage you to "take the plunge" and go diving! GET WET!
Handicapped Scuba Association - 1104 El Prado - San Clemente, CA 92672 - (714) 498-6128
PADI International - 1251 E. Dyer Road #100 - Santa Ana, CA 92705-5605 - (714) 540-7234
Red Sail Sports, Inc. 909 Montgomery St., Suite 601 - San Francisco, CA 94133 - (800)-255-6425
************************************************* WE DID IT!!!!! - Justice For All - We are very pleased to be able to report that on September 26, the President signed the Department of Veteran's Affairs and Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 1997 - AND - that the legislation includes the $50 million of Section 8 funding to replace housing lost through designation of elderly-only housing by Public Housing Authorities. Further, the language is the Senate version -- better ensuring that any person with a disability impacted by designation has access to the Section 8 funds. NOTE: you can download the bill from the net: (1) search for "http://thomas.loc.gov/", (2) search for "h.r.3666", (3) search for "prevention of resident displacement"
More pondering.....If a cow laughed real hard, would milk come out her nose?
Election '96' From The Disability Rights Activist - ( http://www.teleport.com/~abarhydt/) is now available on the World Wide Web. Compare Bill Clinton and Bob Dole based on their positions on issues of interest to people with disabilities. Learn how your current Senators and Representative voted on those issues. Get instructions on how to register to vote and how to hold your own voter registration drive. There are 49 million people with disabilities of whom 35 million are eligible to vote IF they are registered. We are the largest minority in the U.S. Working together we can determine the outcome of any election in America.
Free Educational Program For Veterans - Submitted by randal.d.wilson@wku.edu
Veterans Upward Bound is a free educational program for veterans who served on active duty for at least 180 days and who have better than a dishonorable discharge. The program is designed, and its goal is to provide refresher classes and other services so veterans can prepare themselves to enter post secondary school.
Services vary slightly from program to program, depending on the grant proposal that was funded at that location, but most programs include the following services: Academic preparation in English, Writing, Literature, Math through pre-calculus, Lab, Science, Foreign Language, and Computer use. Other services include post secondary school pre-admissions advising, financial aid and scholarship application help, career exploration, and cultural activities and field trips.
Veterans Upward Bound is one of several Federal TRIO programs that are funded through the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Other sister programs include Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, Ron McNair Graduate Programs, Upward Bound Math/Science Programs, and Training Grants. Veterans Upward Bound is the smallest of all the TRIO Programs, having less than 40 programs across the US and are located in the following Cities and States.
Gadsden, AL (205) 549-8200
Fayetteville, AR (501) 575-2064
Tempe, AZ (602) 965-2944
Arcata, CA (800) 826-4971
Los Angeles, CA (213) 721-1655
Denver, CO (303) 556-3947
Miami, FL (305) 237-0940
Atlanta, GA (404) 577-4095
Chicago, IL (312) 342-6383
Indianapolis, IN (317) 536-4439
Bowling Green, KY (502) 745-5310
Ft. Campbell, KY (502) 798-4691
Hammond, LA (504) 549-3386
Lafayette, LA (318) 482-5819
New Orleans, LA (504) 483-2064
Boston, MA (617) 287-5870
Detroit, MI (313) 571-9500
Minneapolis, MN (612) 341-7076
Billings, MT (406) 265-3783
Fargo, ND (701) 237-7312
Newark, NJ (201) 877-3271
Cincinnati, OH (513) 556-6812
Cleveland, OH (216) 987-4944
Ada, OK (405) 436-2883
Seminole, OK (405) 382-0167
Philidelphia, PA (215) 898-6892
Rio Piedras, PR (809) 768-1985
Clarksville, TN (615) 647-7894
Johnson City, TN (423) 929-6188
Knoxville, TN (615) 974-4466
Ogden, UT (801) 626-7173
Norfolk, VA (804) 683-2471
Bluefield, WV (304) 327-4000
Elkins, WV (800) 624-3157Requirements that must be met to be eligible for the programs. The veterans must be in a low-income category using federal low-income tables, or must come from a family where neither parent received a baccalaureate degree (4 year) from college. Age, race, physical ability, gender, etc, has no bearing on eligibility. Each program has limited openings so I encourage interested participants to contact the program nearest you.
If there is no program to serve you where you live, you might contact the nearest post secondary institution, usually a college or university, and encourage them to write a grant proposal.
************************************************* ARE YOU A VICTIM of online stalkers, voyeurs and devotees because they have a "thing" for disAbled men and women? These are generally one-way street relationships for most people with disabilities and several members, male & female, have been hurt by these "odd" AB's who have sought them out. Be cautious of what you post in your online "screen profile" . Be careful what you tell someone about your personal life. Many of us live alone and can unwittingly reveal too much about ourselves to strangers. Flattery and attention online can be a great ego boost...it can also be dangerous.
THE ADVOCATE - AN EDITORIAL - CLINTON vs DOLE: NAOTD/AccessHOPE comprises approximately two hundred (200) disAbled members. The Alliance does not, as a whole, support ANY political party....nor will it ever. A member's political affiliation is their own private business and the Alliance will NEVER ask any of you to vote for any official running for public office; state or federal. What the Alliance WILL ask of each one of you who is elligible to vote, is to examine the history of each candidate on DISABILITY issues. For those of you who do not receive "Justice For All", an online disabilities political monitor, the Alliance has a data base of information regarding the two primary candidates Disability Issues histories. If anyone is interested in where these two candidates stand on the issues that are so important to all of us, please feel free to e-mail Weefiend@aol.com with a request in the Subject & Text field: "Campaign 96".
************************************************* LOL - Submiited by KSFLYS2 -This guy is stranded on a desert island, all alone for ten years. One day, he sees a speck on the horizon. He thinks to himself, "It's not a ship." The speck gets a little closer and he thinks, "It's not a boat." The speck gets even closer and he thinks, "It's not a raft."
Then, out of the surf comes this gorgeous blonde woman wearing a wet suit and scuba gear. She comes up to the guy and says, "How long has it been since you've had a cigarette?" "Ten years!" he says. She reaches over, unzips a waterproof pocket on her left sleeve and pulls out a pack of fresh cigarettes. He takes one, lights it, takes a long drag and says, "Man oh man! Is that good!" Then she asks, "How long has it been since you've had a drink of whiskey?" He replies, "Ten years!" She reaches over, unzips her waterproof pocket on the right, pulls out a flask and gives it to him. He takes a long swig and says, "Wow, that's fantastic!" Then she starts unzipping this long zipper that runs down the front of her wetsuit and she says to him, "And how long has it been since you've had some REAL fun?" And the mans replies, "My God! Don't tell me that you've got golf clubs in there!
In closing - It's fall and there's a lot to do out there! Hay rides, apple picking, county fairs, or just a nice drive to see the fall foliage color changes. GO FOR IT!!! ENJOY IT!!!! Remember though, carry a sweater or jacket along to protect yourself from getting a chill. ;D
Thank you to all members for their submissions....these are due to Weefiend by the 3rd week of each month.
COMING SOON - A special edition of "Been There...Done That". Because of the amount of "travel" article submissions, "Toronto" will be posted in next month's Newsletter.
"Whatever you may do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it." Ghandi
STAY WELL, ALL! KEEP THE FAITH.................
NAOTD/AccessHOPE
