The Future Doc Wilson

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ACCESSIBLE TAXI CAB

2008-07-12T04:12:00.002-05:00

Accessible Taxicabs Will Roll

Federal Funds Back Purchase of 21 Vans for D.C. Fleets

By Michael Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 19, 2008; B04

Wheelchair users in the District will have a new way to get around starting in January, thanks to a decision yesterday to fund 21 wheelchair-accessible cabs. Until now, wheelchair users have had to call one of two suburban cab companies, and the taxis are not always available.

"In the District, for emergency evacuations, quick trips, somebody's wheelchair breaks down, what are you going to do?" asked Bobby Coward, 44, a quadriplegic who uses an electric wheelchair. "You don't have an option. So a cab is that solution."

Coward has agitated for accessible cabs and has worked on an accessibility task force under D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), whose Committee on Public Works and the Environment oversees the D.C. Taxicab Commission.

The decision, made by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, will use $1 million in federal funds to purchase 21 accessible vans and create a centralized dispatch center. Three cab companies will get seven vans each and will pay about 30 percent of the cost of the cabs.

The decision puts the District in line with comparable-size and larger cities, said Wendy Klancher, senior transportation planner with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

"The hope is that once these companies get up and running, the business will be self-sustaining and they won't need any more funding," Klancher said. Roy Spooner, general manager for Yellow Cab Co. of D.C., said he doesn't expect the accessible taxis to be profitable. "We feel it's something that we need to do as part of our social service offering," he said.

Liberty Cab and the Mohebbi Group also will have the accessible vans.

Not everybody on the transportation board was convinced of the need for the
vans. "If these [taxi] companies were being hit by requests, they'd have come up
with something already," said Charles A. Jenkins, a commissioner in Frederick County , who was one of two members of the 42-member board to oppose the proposal.

Leon J. Swain, chairman of the Taxicab Commission, called the decision "a real victory for D.C." The commission will contribute about $200,000 to the effort.

Though all buses and Metro stations in the District are wheelchair accessible, station elevators are often broken, and bus drivers won't always stop for people in wheelchairs when the bus is crowded, Coward said. There are also MetroAccess paratransit vans, but they must be booked at least 24 hours in advance, and not all wheelchair users are eligible to use them.

Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), who is quadriplegic and uses an electric wheelchair, usually makes his way around the District in a van and welcomed yesterday's decision.

"There was a day, for example, when my van for whatever reason didn't work, and I had to use the Metro," he said. "It would have been really nice to have that option to call a cab -- using one of the regular cabs around here would never have been an option for me."

Coward, the disability activist, found himself stranded one day last summer when his electric wheelchair broke down near Alabama Avenue and Seventh Street SE.

"I had to call my uncle," Coward said. "He brought his car -- it took him an hour and 20 minutes."

Coward's wheelchair couldn't fit in the car, and it was too heavy to push by hand. So Coward had his uncle push him down the street with the car.

"We would get so many stares," Coward said. And then they passed the 7th Police District station.

"They went ballistic," Coward said. "Like, you can't be pushing a wheelchair with a car. . . . As fate would have it, a MetroAccess vehicle happened to drive by" and offered him a ride.

He would rather have called a taxi.

"Imagine if I was in inclement weather," Coward said. "Good thing it was a great day."
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For more information, check out the following website links:

Disability Blog Carnival #40

2008-07-10T20:14:00.001-05:00

Thi sis the link to the new Disability Blog Carnival.
Enjoy!

Bush Proposal Seeks Greater Access for Disabled

2008-06-20T21:37:00.002-05:00

The Bush administration is about to propose far-reaching new
rules that would give people with disabilities greater access to tens of
thousands of courtrooms, swimming pools, golf courses, stadiums, theaters,
hotels and retail stores.

The proposal would substantially update and rewrite federal standards for
enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act, a landmark civil rights
law passed with strong bipartisan support in 1990. The new rules would set
more stringent requirements in many areas and address some issues for the
first time, in an effort to meet the needs of an aging population and
growing numbers of disabled war veterans.

More than seven million businesses and all state and local government
agencies would be affected. The proposal includes some exemptions for parts
of existing buildings, but any new construction or renovations would have to
comply.

The new standards would affect everything from the location of light
switches to the height of retail service counters, to the use of monkeys as
"service animals" for people with disabilities, which would be forbidden.
The White House approved the proposal in May after a five-month review. It
is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, with 60
days for public comment. After considering those comments, the government
would issue final rules with the force of law.

Already, the proposal is stirring concern. The United States Chamber of
Commerce says it would be onerous and costly, while advocates for disabled
Americans say it does not go far enough.

Since the disability law was signed by the first President Bush, advances in
technology have made services more available to people with disabilities.
But Justice Department officials said they were still receiving large
numbers of complaints. In recent months, the federal government has settled
lawsuits securing more seats for disabled fans at Madison Square Garden in
New York and at the nation's largest college football stadium, at the
University of Michigan.

The Census Bureau says more than 51 million Americans have some kind of
disability, with nearly two-thirds of them reporting severe impairments.
The proposed rules, under development for more than four years, flesh out
the meaning of the 1990 law, which set forth broad objectives. The
215,000-word proposal includes these new requirements:
Courts would have to provide a lift or a ramp to ensure that people in
wheelchairs could get into the witness stand, which is usually elevated from
floor level.

Auditoriums would have to provide a lift or a ramp so wheelchair users
could "participate fully and equally in graduation exercises and other
events" at which members of the audience have direct access to the stage.

-Any sports stadium with a seating capacity of 25,000 or more would have to
provide safety and emergency information by posting written messages on
scoreboards and video monitors. This would alert people who are deaf or hard
of hearing.

Theaters must provide specified numbers of seats for wheelchair users (at
least five in a 300-seat facility). Viewing angles to the screen or stage
must be "equivalent to or better than the average viewing angles provided to
all other spectators.

-Light switches in a hotel room could not be more than 48 inches high. The
current maximum is 54 inches.

-Hotels must allow people with disabilities to reserve accessible guest
rooms, and they must honor these reservations to the same degree they
guarantee other room reservations.

-6At least 25 percent of the railings at fishing piers would have to be no
more than 34 inches high, so that a person in a wheelchair could fish over
the railing.

-At least half of the holes on miniature golf courses must be accessible to
people using wheelchairs, and these holes must be connected by a continuous,
unobstructed path.

-A new swimming pool with a perimeter of more than 300 feet would have to
provide "at least two accessible means of entry," like a gentle sloping ramp
or a chair lift.

-New playgrounds would have to provide access to slides, swings and other
play equipment for children who use wheelchairs.

The Justice Department acknowledged that some of the changes would have
significant costs. But over all, it said, the value of the public benefits,
estimated at $54 billion, exceeds the expected costs of $23 billion.
In an economic analysis of the proposed rules, the Justice Department said
the need for an accessible environment was greater than ever because the
Iraq war was "creating a new generation of young men and women with
disabilities.

John L. Wodatch, chief of the disability rights section of the Justice
Department, said: "Disability is inherent in the human condition. The vast
majority of individuals who are fortunate enough to reach an advanced age
will benefit from the proposed requirements."

By 2010, the department estimates, 2 percent of the adult population will
use wheelchairs, and 4 percent will use crutches, canes, walkers or other
mobility devices. Likewise, it said, as the population ages, the number of
people with hearing loss will increase.

Under the 1990 law, businesses are supposed to remove barriers to people
with disabilities if the changes are "readily achievable," meaning they can
be "carried out without much difficulty or expense."

The Bush administration is proposing a safe harbor for small businesses.
They could meet their obligations in a given year if, in the prior year,
they had spent at least 1 percent of their gross revenues to remove
barriers.

Curtis L. Decker, executive director of the National Disability Rights
Network, a coalition of legal advocates, said: "Safe harbors make us very
nervous. A small business could spend the requisite amount of money and
still not be accessible."

Randel K. Johnson, a vice president of the United States Chamber of
Commerce, said the proposed rules "are so long and technically complex that
even the best-intentioned small business could be found out of compliance by
a clever lawyer looking to force a settlement."

The Justice Department cited the "monetary cost cap" as one of several steps
it was taking to limit the rules' impact on small businesses. But Mr.
Johnson said he feared that courts would view the ceiling as a floor and
tell businesses they should spend 1 percent of their revenues on removing
barriers.

The proposed rules affirm the right of people with disabilities to use guide
dogs and other service animals in public places, but they tighten the
definition to exclude certain species.

When the existing rules were adopted in the early 1990s, the Justice
Department said, few people anticipated the current trend toward "the use of
wild, exotic or unusual species" as service animals.

The proposed rules define a service animal as "any dog or other common
domestic animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks" for a
person with a physical or mental disability.

Under this definition, the administration says, monkeys could not qualify as
service animals, nor would reptiles; amphibians; rabbits, ferrets and
rodents; or most farm animals.

Under the rules, a hotel, restaurant, theater, store or public park could
ask a person with a disability to remove a service animal if the animal was
out of control or not housebroken, or if it posed a direct threat to the
health or safety of others.

By way of example, the rules say that a theater could exclude a dog that
disrupted a live performance by repeated barking.The rules confirm that people with disabilities can use traditional wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and electric scooters in any public areas open to pedestrians.

But shopping centers, amusement parks and other public places could impose
reasonable restrictions on two-wheeled Segway vehicles, golf carts and
"other power-driven mobility devices" used by those with disabilities.

By ROBERT PEAR June 16, 2008 New York Times

Tennessee has seen the Light- thanks to ADAPT!

2008-06-20T21:20:00.004-05:00

People who say activism and civil disobedience are ineffective tools of social change, take note...

The ADAPT Community can celebrate a VICTORY for Tennesseans! Because of the
actions of many, definitely including the 2006 National ADAPT Action in
Nashville and the Real People, Real Voices Day of Testimony the Tennessee
General Assembly has passed and Governor Bredesen has signed the Tennessee
Long Term Care Community Choices Act!

Wednesday June 18, 2008 during the bill signing in Memphis Governor Bredesen saw many
local ADAPTers holding up signs reading "OUR HOMES not nursing homes". (The Governor was beseiged in 2006 by protesters at the Capitol. To his surprised, and the Conserative media, access to community based services is not a racial, age, Democratic or Republican issue. It cuts across all socio-economic lines of demarcation.)He went on to say that, "We must also thank the advocates that worked so hard to keep this issue in the forefront over the years."

To read the bill, as amended go to www.mcil.org

CONGRATULATIONS ALL!!!!

ADAPT Announces 10 Best and Worst States for Community Services

2008-05-29T06:09:00.000-05:00

ADAPT Announces 10 Best and Worst States for Community Services

Washington, D.C.--- In the plaza of the Hall of the States, ADAPT
announced the 2008 Ten Best and Ten Worst States in the delivery of home
and community services to people with disabilities and older Americans.
The Hall of States building is home to the National Governors Association,
an organization that has been very vocal in recent years about the
preference of community services over nursing homes and other
institutions, yet has not been able to inspire its own members to improve
their provision of those services.

Speakers representing states inB both the best and worst categories spoke
at the press conferenceB about the horrors of nursing home life and the
joys of living in the community in those states that provide good
community services. Randy Alexander from Tennessee ADAPT and LaTonya
Reeves from Colorado ADAPT also spoke of the
disability-underground-railroad that assists people in states without
community services to move to states where they can live quality lives in
their own homes with the supports and services they need.

The grouping of states into the top and bottom tenB was based on publicly
available data from highly respected researchers, supplemented by the
results of an informal survey widely distributed across the country by
ADAPT. As has so often been the case over the years, there were few
surprises. Many of the ten states doing the poorest job of providing
services that allow citizens to receive long term care in their own homes
in the community have been on the "worst" list over and over.

The states are listed alphabetically, not ranked numerically;

TEN BEST STATES
Alaska
Colorado
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Hampshire
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont

HONORABLE MENTION
Kansas
New York
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

TEN WORST STATES
Arkansas
Georgia
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Mississippi
North Dakota
Tennessee
Texas

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Alabama
District of Columbia
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania

"No state is ideal, and no state is all bad in how it provides home and
community services," said Bob Kafka, ADAPT National Organizer. "This, as
always, is simply a snapshot based on current information from the Kaiser
Commission, the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the
University of Minnesota, Thomson Healthcare, and our survey. People are
welcome to email me at bob.adapt@sbcglobal.net for more information."

# # #
FOR MORE INFORMATION on ADAPT visit our website at http://www.adapt.org/

NYS Budget Puppet Show

2008-05-29T06:03:00.002-05:00

This is an interesting parody of the politics of decision making in new york state government. Check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk2pnemUREg

Lobbyist Expendatures Report 2007

2008-04-27T14:32:00.004-05:00

Here is some interesting information about the power of lobbyists. We are seeing a great deal of accusations with the Democratic candidates about who is more beholden to corporate interests. The State Commission on Public Integrity has created a list of lobby groups who spend the most to get the attention of our elected officials by business group...

Health & Mental Hygiene $26,766,948
Real Estate & Construction $21,391,827
Education $13,274,202
Trade Associations $12,394,754
Public, Community Interest $12,266,413
Communications $8,449,809
Marketing & Sales $8,406,970
Insurance $8,234,363
Banking & Financial Services $7,312,382
Environment & Natural Resources $6,935,807
-------
They have also compiled a list by corporations....

Clients and Public Corporations Ranked by Total Lobbying Expenses for 2007*

1. Verizon $3,216,488
2. Trustees of Columbia University in the City of NY(The) $2,260,706
3. United Teachers (NYS) $2,125,226
4. O'Brien & Gere Limited $1,585,113
5. Greater NY Hospital Association $1,562,439
6. Healthcare Association of NYS $1,546,723
7. Medical Society of the State of NY $1,48,128
8. Forest City Ratner Companies $1,160,186
9. Trial Lawyers Association (NYS) $959.733
10. United Federation of Teachers $876,952

*Minimum of figures reported in 2007 Client and Public Corporation Reports as of February 25, 2008

St. Mary's School for The Deaf- Update

2008-04-27T06:40:00.000-05:00

The teachers union at St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo has voted “no confidence” in the school’s superintendent, high school principal and Board of Trustees’ executive committee.

Teachers also voted to support opening board meetings to the public and having a staff member and a student attend board meetings.

A union official hailed the vote as a sign of unity among the teachers.

“[Superintendent William P.] Johnson has been saying on the news that it’s only a few people that have a problem with what’s happening, that there’s only a few disgruntled employees. This proves that it’s not just a few people,” said Ron Czech, second vice president of the teachers union.

Forty-one of the union’s 49 members voted last week. The results were announced at a union meeting Monday afternoon, and the union sent certified letters on Wednesday to board members and Johnson, indicating the outcome of the balloting.

“This action was taken with a sense of duty and devotion to the students and the school, and was not motivated by malice toward individuals, but concern regarding administrative decisions,” union officials wrote in the letter to school officials.

Eighty-seven percent of the teachers voted no confidence in Johnson and high school principal Patricia Michalek; and 84 percent voted no confidence in the board’s executive committee, Czech said.

In contrast, 92 percent of the teachers voted in support of elementary principal Patricia Velocci. Ninety-five percent of the teachers favored opening board meetings, and 88 percent would like to see a staff member and student attend the meetings.

Neither Johnson nor Michalek responded to requests to comment.

Johnson’s contract runs through September 2009. However, Johnson or the school can terminate the agreement with no penalty, as long as they provide four months’ written notice.

St. Mary’s has been in turmoil for months, with parents complaining about a series of staff changes they say are taking a toll on the quality of education their children receive. Staff complain of an atmosphere of intimidation and, some say, harassment by Johnson and Michalek.

In response to the parent complaints, the board of trustees in March created a parent advisory group that began meeting last week. Parents met with three board members, who are promising to bring parent concerns to the full board.

Also, after the last board meeting, chairman Joseph S. DePaolo resigned, citing health concerns. The board is expected to meet Monday to elect a new chairman.

Negotiations are continuing with Nettie Brewer, the popular math teacher who was fired in early March. The board at its last meeting voted in favor of reinstating Brewer, and the school made an initial offer. Brewer and the union are working on a counter-offer.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, a member of St. Mary’s board, said his office is still researching issues related to a bill he is considering introducing that would force St. Mary’s School and similar schools around the state to open their meetings to the public.

April is Autism Awareness Month

2008-04-06T19:31:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I watched Autism, the Musical on HBO. I was pleased at the variety of children displayed in the autism diaspora. It has been reviewed by Autism Speaks, the Boston Globe and also has a few videos on YouTube.

It is a strong, powerful story of the Miracle Project-- a theatre experience for children with autism. It was not preachy, focused on causation, therapeutic interventions, nor gave a 'happy ending'. Instead, it focused on being a person with autism and the parent of a person with autism. The HBO website has some good resource links, and background on the film makers, the families, etc.

Spot on HBO!

'Twas cool.

RatifyNow CRPD Blog Swarm 2008!

2008-03-30T14:26:00.002-05:00

There is an international movement to gain ratification of the International disability rights convention. Through medium of the Internet and world opinion, called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

This effort has not met with much success, particularly in the US. The hope is that an international response would increase awareness and develop sensitivity to full inclusion of people with disabilities in society. There is a link for data and statistics on people with disability.

St. Mary's School of The Deaf Protests

2008-03-20T05:36:00.004-05:00

Students, faculty, alumni and parents picket Tuesday outside St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, their only recourse because they are barred from meetings of the board that runs the educational facility on Main Street.

Parents and staff will air their concerns at the St. Mary’s School for the Deaf board meeting this afternoon — by picketing with placards outside the front entrance of the Main Street school.

That’s the closest they are likely to get to the board meeting, since they are not allowed in.

Along with 10 other such schools serving the blind and deaf in New York State, St. Mary’s is state-funded but is run as a nonprofit private institution. Decades ago, the State Legislature exempted such schools from the state’s Freedom of Information Law.

That means St. Mary’s enjoys the funding of a public school and the shroud from public scrutiny of a private school.

Like any public school, St. Mary’s gets nearly all its money from taxpayers, in this case about $11.65 million annually.

But unlike public schools, St. Mary’s conducts all its business out of public view. Among actions the board has taken in recent years behind closed doors:

• Extending the superintendent’s contract, with an immediate 10 percent pay hike to $159,000 this year, as well as a car, lifetime health coverage and a six-month consultant stint upon retirement.
• Hiring the current superintendent’s son as a teacher. A previous superintendent’s wife and daughter had been hired to oversee the school’s video repository.
• Enacting a policy putting more authority in the hands of the board’s executive committee, while, at the same time, making it more difficult for employees to bring concerns to individual board members.
• Considering removal of two members — including a nun who had worked at the school for 44 years — from the board for talking to employees. The motion was on the agenda but never brought to a vote.

The school’s board meetings are closed. No parents, staff or students are allowed in. The 15-member board is not required to release minutes from its meetings or even to tell what was voted on.

What’s more, the board basically appoints itself. When a member leaves, the board appoints a replacement. Recently, for example, attorney John P. DePaolo, the son of board Chairman Joseph S. DePaolo, was appointed to a three-year term.

With parents, students and staff concerned about recent decisions by the school’s superintendent, William P. Johnson — including staff reassignments and the dismissal of a popular math teacher — there have been requests for open board meetings.

“It’s a huge disservice to the board as well as the parents and staff that they cannot attend meetings,” parent Jane Wilkes said during a meeting parents had with school officials.

Some employees agree. “CSEA supports having open board of trustee meetings and direct access or communication with members of the board of trustees if we feel Superintendent Dr. Johnson is ignoring or neglecting our concerns,” Local 891, Civil Service Employees Association, wrote to the board.

Board chairman DePaolo said the board has considered opening its meetings but has consistently rejected the idea.

“We have discussed it many times and decided to keep our meetings closed,” he said.

But at least one board member — Assemblyman Sam Hoyt — says he wants the meetings open.

“While it may be statutorily or legally a private school, in essence it is a public school, with large public funding. The parents and taxpayers ought to have access to what is going on at the meetings,” Hoyt said.

As an assemblyman, he could propose legislation requiring St. Mary’s to open its meetings, but he would prefer not to.

“I’d rather we make a decision as a board [to open the meetings],” Hoyt said.

St. Mary’s finances are also exempt from public scrutiny. Not even the state Education Department knows exactly who’s on the payroll or how much each employee earns.

The state spends about $111 million on all the schools for the deaf and blind in New York State but only loosely oversees how the money is spent. Each school is required to submit an annual report to the state detailing spending by category, rather than providing the specifics that public schools are required to provide.

The most recent financial statement St. Mary’s submitted to the state — for 2006-07 — shows 37 teachers making a total of $3.1 million and 20 teacher’s aides making $765,437. State aid to the school, which serves 130 students — including 35 residential students — was $11.65 million that year.

The statement does not list all employees. It does not, for example, show Johnson’s son was hired part time last year and full time this school year.

But it does state that Superintendent Johnson was paid $145,000 in 2006-07.

His salary jumped to $159,000 this school year after the board, at a closed-door meeting, extended his contract until September 2009, when he plans to retire.

That contract says Johnson could receive another merit raise next year. It also allows him, upon retiring, to work as a consultant for six months — at his full rate of pay — training a new superintendent.

Prior to retirement, Johnson gets a car and seven weeks’ vacation. Upon retirement, he gets lifetime health insurance.

His contract is not public information, but The Buffalo News obtained a copy of it.

Beyond the money the school gets from the state, St. Mary’s also has a foundation that raises money for expenses the state doesn’t cover.

The Foundation for Deaf Education is not required to detail its finances. However, as a nonprofit, it must, like the school itself, file federal tax reports.

The foundation raised about $26,000 last year, had net assets of more than $900,000 and gave the school $147,356 last year for the purpose of “education,” according to the report. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News

mpasciak@buffnews.com and sschulman@buffnews.com
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The following is an on the ground report from Dean DeRusso, Deaf Systems Advocate at the Regional Center for Independent Living out of Rochester, NY:
------------------
Anita Cameron, Frank Kimmes and I were there. Yesterday from 3 to 5 pm. They need people wearing white and supporting them with funds to continue their work.

Based on my understanding from speaking with staff, people and students, the students were tired of the system being changed for worst than ever.

For one, they were given an Athetic Director who they do not want and can not communicate with them. They were given new teachers who they claim was not certificated and did not know how to communicate the resources to them. They even claimed that one of the teacher played Chess in the class rather than teach them anything.

This teacher Nettie did not do any of above, she gave them full lecture in ASL helping them. She even brought visual aids of resources to classrooms to help them understand math better than ever in their lifes. She gave them all education they needed. They can not figure why the teacher was fired. And, they still do not understand why they were given an Athetic Director who can not sign or communicate with them.

I spoke with some people about the Dr. Johnson of St. Mary School for the Deaf wants to hire staff and board officers who will not speak up to him. That's the only reason they suspect that he requested that this teacher was released was because she can speak up to him. Nettie had a strong relationship with the students and she would always stand for the students and it appears that he did not appricate that.

The students are going to fight. And from an Advocate point of view it's sad that the newspapers reporters did not contact any deaf people while they were interviewing. They are getting information from the union or hearing people who are in favor of the students.

More information about it can be found below:

St. Mary’s School for the Deaf board keeps its meetings closed
By Mary B. Pasciak and Susan Schulman
Updated: 03/19/08 9:10 AM

Thank you,

Dean DeRusso
Deaf Systems Advocate
Regional Center for Independent Living
Advocacy and Independent Living Services for Individuals
497 State Street
Rochester, NY 14608

Sorenson VP: 585 546-7598
VP: 74.39.189.195
Voice Callers 1: (877) 467-4877 ext 07598
Voice Callers 2: 866-327-8877 ext 585.546.7598
TTY: (585) 697-1604
Fax: 585.546.7577
E-Mail: dderusso@rcil.org

-------------------

Below is an email from Tom Coughlin:
-------------------
Hello Millie and friends: thanks for sending me news about SMSD. It is
shocking to hear about Mr. Johnson not showing respect to our beloved
Sisters. Please see the attached Open Letter I have written to our
Alumni. Please share this letter with all who you know via your email
as I do not have many of their email address. the more this letter is
circulated the better we can defend our Sisters. We must defend Sister
Virginia and Sister Loretta. Sr. Mary Delaney would have done the
same. Fr. Tom C.

---------------
Online articles about this controversy are availabe on the following websites:

http://www.wivb.com/global/story.asp?s=7977682

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/297185.html

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/298127.html

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/298794.html

2008-03-14T08:43:00.004-05:00

Well, dear readers, New York State is making history. A man who is African American and legally blind will be sworn in Monday March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) as our Governor. It is unfortunate that is is under such inauspicious circumstances-- in sports they call this an 'ugly win'. But it is a momentous occasion.

What will this bode for the future of people with disabilities in New York State? Or African Americans? How will Governor-elect Patterson ride out the local, state and national media storm and gossip-column type frenzy of his predecessor? We can read some of his speeches, to get an indication of his perspective.

Stay tuned.

GOVERNOR SPITZER & LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATERSON DISABILITY PROCLAMATION

2008-03-09T12:06:00.001-05:00

Month-Long Celebration of "Success Stories" of Individuals with Disabilities
to be Held in Albany
_____

Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson today
proclaimed March Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, honoring the
tens of thousands of people in New York State who live with developmental
disabilities, their contributions to the state, and the families, friends,
caregivers, and advocates who support them.

The New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities (OMRDD) will host a month-long exhibit in Albany chronicling
the history of disabilities in New York State and celebrating the "success
stories" of individuals with developmental disabilities.

"New York leads the nation in ensuring that persons with d evelopmental
disabilities are provided critical support through carefully designed and
innovative programs," said Governor Spitzer. "We have seen bold advancements
in the rights of people with developmental disabilities and we must continue
working to expand opportunities. As we applaud these achievements we must
also commend the family members and caregivers who play an integral role
every day in helping individuals with developmental disabilities lead
productive lives."

The exhibit will run from March 5 through March 31 in the Empire State
Plaza's South Concourse in Albany. It will feature displays from the Museum
of disABILITY History near Buffalo and profiles of accomplished individuals
with developmental disabilities.

Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson said: "As a society we now know that a
developmental disability no longer means that an individual cannot achieve
his or her dreams and contribute to society. In fact , we have come to
realize the exceptional contributions people with disabilities can, and do,
make every day. This awareness month established by Governor Spitzer is a
time to reflect on these contributions."

OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter said: "We applaud the Governor for his
leadership in continuing New York's State's extraordinary legacy of
supporting people with developmental disabilities and for commissioning this
month-long celebration and observance. Our goal is to help the community
at-large see the merits and abilities of the whole person - not simply a
disability."

Ramon Aldecoa, Co-Vice President of the Board for the Self-Advocacy
Association of New York State, Inc. (an organization run by and for people
with developmental disabilities) and a subject of one of the exhibits at the
Empire Plaza said: "For me, it was very important to learn about my rights
as a person with a developmental disability. No w, it's time for me to use
all I've learned to help teach other people with disabilities to do the same
thing. We all have the same rights. I feel it's my job as an advocate to
make sure all individuals know this, so they can act on those rights."

Nearly 350,000 New Yorkers live with a developmental disability. Initiatives
like NYS-CARES III, which provides out-of-home community residential
alternatives for adults, and other programs such as supported employment,
which helps individuals enter the workforce and become productive members of
society, are vitally important in creating opportunities for New Yorkers
with developmental disabilities.

For more information about the exhibit or about programs and services offered through OMRDD, visit the OMRDD website at http://www.omr.state.ny.us/state.ny.us.

Presidential forum on Disability

2008-03-09T11:09:00.000-05:00

FEEL THE POWER OF THE DISABILITY VOTE!

Celebrate the 18th Anniversary of the ADA at a National Presidential Candidate Forum on Disability Issues

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Veteran's Memorial, Columbus OH

Free! Everyone welcome!

Hosted by: Ohio Disability Vote Coalition and major national sponsors

Additional information will be posted on JFActivist Blog.

Ashley Treatment- Update

2008-02-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

The Roving Activist has an update on her blog on the Ashley X issue. Some ADAPT activists protested a presentation by the Head of the Seattle Children's Hospital's Institutional Review Board (which makes decisions on medical research and experimentation).

Voluntary Suicide Bomber with Down's Syndrome?

2008-02-03T09:13:00.000-05:00

I felt the need to express my anger and revulsion at the Iraqi people this week. There was another suicide bombing last week. This one was of note to me, as more information trickled in The suicide bomber mistimed the US convoy-- no damage occurred to Americans, only to herself. Subsequent information disclosed that it was two women with a disability-- believed to be Down's Syndrome.

Shame on the Iraqi insurgents-- the whole suicide bomber thing is a cultural orientation that we do not share. (I get that.) However, it is based upon personal choice and the ability to knowingly understand and consent. I am not so sure that the persons recruited were able to give consent and fully understand what it was they were suppose to do. (Evidenced by the person watching the convoy, letting it all go by, and then blowing themselves up.)

Or maybe they DID understand what was wanted of them, and did not want to do it. They may have seen they had no other option- failure would not be tolerated. There is a posting about this on JFActivist blog (on the left margin under Disability Diaspora)-- and some additional research which shows this is not an abboration, but an ongoing strategy.

Man who uses Prosthetic Limbs disqualified from Olympics

2008-01-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

Oscar Pistorius has been disqualified for Olympic competition due to his prosthetic limbs. These have been identified as giving him an unfair advantage over those without prosthetics.

Bob's House

2008-01-27T20:48:00.000-05:00

Pepsi is running a 60 second spot, at the beginning of Super Bowl XLII, featuring deaf actors. The commercial has no sound, and tells a story of two guys trying to find the house of a friend, to watch the Super Bowl. This is unique in that it is centered around a deaf culture joke.. check it out!

Culturally sensitive and cool? Culturally cheesy? You decide!!

Disability Blog Carnival #30

2008-01-27T20:44:00.000-05:00

Disability Blog Carnival #30 is up for your viewing, reading and listening pleasure.

uppity disability dot net: 1-14-08 Blogging Against Aversives

2008-01-18T17:33:00.000-05:00

Uppity Disability has an excellent posting about public hearings in Mass. against aversives (legalized torture, physical pain and humiliation in the name of behavior control and correction).

uppity disability dot net: 1-14-08 Blogging Against Aversives

Please share your stories and support this initiative to recognize and respect the humanity of people with disabilities.

The Death of Brent Martin

2008-01-13T13:49:00.000-05:00

The following story has been brought to my attention from the Disability Studies blog:

A young man was the victim of random ugly violence in the UK. The tragedy of this situation was that he was targeted because he had a mental disability-- who could knock him down first-- on a bet. These three youth beat Brent Martin to death....

Please:

1. Share this information with as many people as you can. Education and awareness is a 24/7 job...evil never sleeps

2. Consider wearing a black armband in his memory-- and share the story when asked.

3. Post a comment to the online condolence book of his local newspaper

4. UK residents-- advocate for the full measure of the law to be applied. Send a message that all life is valuable-- all violence again all life must have grave consequences.

Ransom Notes Ad Pulled!

2007-12-22T23:13:00.000-05:00

The Disabilities Studies Blog has a post by Stephen Drake of the Autism Self Advocacy Network updating the situation. I am republishing it here...
------------------
I am pleased to inform you that this afternoon the NYU Child Study Center
announced that they will be ending the "Ransom Notes" ad campaign in response to widespread public pressure from the disability community. You can read that
announcement here. The thousands of people with disabilities, family members,
professionals and others who have written, called, e-mailed and signed our
petition have been heard. Today is a historic day for the disability community.
Furthermore, having spoken directly with Dr. Harold Koplewicz, Director of the
NYU Child Study Center, I have obtained a commitment to pursue real dialogue in
the creation of any further ad campaign depicting individuals with disabilities. We applaud the NYU Child Study Center for hearing the voice of the disability community and withdrawing the "Ransom Notes" ad campaign.
-------------

Again, this goes to reinforce the power and importance of advocacy and how the Internet can get the word out, and mobilize a constituency group.

Hurrah!

Inspirations on the Internet

2007-12-18T15:37:00.000-05:00

I have also started an additional blog-- focused on the motivational, and spiritual. Lots of Thomas Kinkade artwork and poems. It also has a great link for online Christmas Carols-- with sheet music and instrumental music.

Check it out!

"Ransom Notes" Ad Campaign Reinforces Stigma

2007-12-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

There is an ad campaign by the New York University Childhood Center that is upsetting quite a few folks in the autism community. These ad presents ransom notes, threatening to 'make' someone autistic. There is an online petition, to speak out against it.

The Future Doc Wilson: The Real Meaning of Christmas..

2007-12-12T01:49:00.000-05:00

As I was reviewing the traffic on my blog, one posting came up quite a bit. I re-read it, and can not improve on it-- so enjoy!The Future Doc Wilson: The Real Meaning of Christmas..