No hero here

No hero here. (Disability Action Center, NW's very own Michelle Porter)

By ALECIA WARREN/Staff writer. CDAPress.com

COEUR d'ALENE - Some stop to offer help when Michelle Porter is working out. Some are determined not to stare.

What irks her, though, is when someone tells her she's a hero.
"I'm not a hero. I just work out," Porter said with a shrug. "It's no big deal."
It's hard to avoid that kind of thinking, though, when watching Porter, paralyzed from the waist down, conquer the resistance machines at 360 Fitness.

The petite 38-year-old has tailored her own method of swinging her frame in and out of her wheelchair onto the resistance machines. Sometimes it requires muscling herself into a perch, sometimes spreading her legs and throwing her body - in "unladylike" fashion, she jokes - to mount the padded seat.

"At first it was embarrassing," she admitted. "I didn't know how to get out of the machines. Once I tried to lift myself out and I flew out onto the ground. There was a guy next to me who wanted nothing to do with it, and I was grateful. I just wanted to get back into my wheelchair and keep going."

Falling didn't stop her from trying again, though. It hasn't before.
Not when she was first learning to use a wheelchair after the accident when she was 16. Not when she learned to monoski or plant an orchard by herself in her Athol yard.

She has taken on fitness like she has any other activity: Keeping at it until she gets it, in whatever way works.

"That's how I've adapted. I just do things because it's out of necessity," she said. "If people ask me, 'How did you know you could do that?' I say, 'Nobody told me I couldn't.'"
So far, it's working.

With taut biceps and a chart of how her waist has slimmed several inches in two months, Porter has effectively proven how a fitness regimen can benefit anyone, wheelchair-bound or not.

Now well past her shy stage at the gym, she's determined to help others achieve her success.
Porter is in the midst of creating a cycling group in Kootenai County that allows disabled cyclists to integrate with the non-disabled, which locals can learn about by calling her at 664-9896.

On top of that, she plans to film her own DVD teaching other disabled people how to work out in a regular weight room, which she has arranged to advertise in Chloe Magazine.
"I just think a lot of people don't even know what to do. I know I didn't even know what to do until I did it," she said.
Porter says she wants to spread multiple messages: First, as she has learned working at the Disability Action Center in Coeur d'Alene, that disabled people can assimilate into regular society.
And second: If she can get fit, anyone can. And everyone should.
"I believe that being in shape and doing the things you want to do are important," she said. "If I can inspire somebody to work out and they feel good about themselves, they'll inspire somebody else, and so on and so on."

She didn't always have such a jubilant outlook. But then, she was only a teenager when the car accident occurred. She admits it was silly, letting her 14-year-old friend drive her car when she was still living in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Porter was sitting in the passenger's seat, more friends packed in the back, when everyone was distracted by boys, she remembered. Suddenly the Jeep Cherokee drove up on a curb, hit an oak tree and rolled several times, beating up the car until it looked like a "Cracker Jack box," she said. Still in shock when the car had come to a stop, Porter tried to move out of her seat, and grabbed a leg. "I said, 'Whose leg is this?'" she remembered. "I realized it was my leg, and I couldn't feel it." After reality sunk in that her spinal injury had left her unable to walk, she reacted obstinately, she said. She lashed out at those trying to help her in the hospital, and later acted the reluctant student in learning to adapt to her disability.

"I never learned from the people who were supposed to teach me, because I never let them. If I fell, that's how I learned," she said. "I'd do everything the hard way, basically. That's the type of person I am." Distraction was appealing, too. She became a partier, she said, experimenting in drugs and alcohol. "I didn't feel worthy, I think. Not ready," she said.

Things started to improve after she moved to Post Falls in 1994 to be near her parents, where initially she felt depressed and isolated. It suddenly struck her that it didn't have to be that way.
She missed being involved with people, she said, and realized there was no reason she couldn't integrate back into society. "I realized I just didn't want that lifestyle anymore. I pretty much dumped all the party people I hung around with," she said.

She moved to Athol and started looking for God, she said. She examined how others dealt with their problems, and spent a year as a foster parent. "You look at other people's lives, and it's amazing what they go through and how they adapt to things," Porter said. "Anytime you look at other people's lives who have gone through something hard, you read just what you feel."

Determined to keep active, she started landscaping her yard, problem-solving around her wheelchair by using a spade instead of a shovel to plant trees. To build her strength, she started exercising. It affected her more than she expected. After only a couple months, she said, she has better balance and can lift her neighbor's toddler over her head, which she could never do before.
"I thought it would be good for my looks. Come to find out, oh my gosh, it's beneficial in so many ways," she said. "Everything in my life has improved."

She's making an impression on others, too, said Lynda Peters, general manager at 360 Fitness.
"When you first see her, you think, 'If she can do that, I can certainly reach my own goals,'" Peters said. "She gets back there and lifts with the guys. She's one of them. It's awesome." Porter never asks for help, Peters added. "People walk in (to the gym) and say, 'I can't do this,'" she said. "Well, you can. You can change your body and change your life."

Porter now bubbles over with plans: Maybe training for Ironman, maybe earning a personal trainer certification. But above all, she wants people to look beyond her wheelchair, and see a woman with drive, commitment. And some serious abs.

"I want to be like everyone else. I just happen to be in a chair," she said. "I don't think people have the right to tell anyone else what they can or can't do."

Break barriers

Bryan F. Cranna
Former Executive Director of Taconic Resources for
Independence Inc.
Tivoli

This year will mark the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by former President George H. W. Bush. This historic and groundbreaking legislation has been instrumental in providing access for persons with disabilities.

Due to the ADA, accessibility is becoming the norm in society.

It breaks barriers that prevent inclusion.

However, we will never see a completely barrier free society if there is not an end to the attitudes that exist surrounding people with disabilities. Inflammatory language and crude references create barriers as well. In many ways, these barriers are the hardest to break down.

That being said, I am appalled by the recent derogatory comments by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel; in which he referred to members of his own political party with a slur that is offensive to individuals with developmental disabilities. This statement follows a similar derogatory comment made by President Obama, in which he referenced the Special Olympics in a joke.

Individuals with disabilities should not be defined by their disability; it is simply a part of who they are. They are a person with a disability, not a disabled person. However, understanding and accepting that fact will never be the norm if we continue to hear jokes and insults referencing persons with disabilities.

President Obama and White House staff members have the ability to break down these barriers, as they have the world’s ear on a daily basis. They should not waste those opportunities.

Writing's on the cinema wall when it comes to equal access

KAREN MCQUIGG

Before I was five, like most people, I knew my place in the community and soon discovered many of its benefits, including access to the public library, swimming pool and, of course, the local cinema. If I had thought about anyone missing out on these basics, it would simply have been that there must be a good reason for it. That's what entitlement means. People with disabilities would not have crossed my mind back then as they were still largely hidden from view in institutions. As for deaf people, I'd never met one.

Then a chance visit to the doctor when I was in my 30s resulted in surgery that, eight years ago, left me completely deaf. Acquired disability is a challenging thing. It is easy to think one has liberal ideas on disability and to applaud the recent drive to make communities accessible to the disabled. The confronting truth is that being on the receiving end of these attitudes is a different matter. On one hand, the message from government is that people with disabilities should have equal access to community life; on the other, the prevailing attitude from community organisations and industry, no matter how liberal in tone, is that allowing people with disabilities to come to your event is an act of largesse.

Having been sidelined from the community in their formative years, and denied decent access to education, health and leisure, many people who have grown up with a disability may unwittingly support this view. They may be encouraged by talk of how they can participate in community life, but hesitant about asking to access aspects of it, such as going to the movies.

The debate over cinemas refusing to provide a decent level of access to deaf, hearing impaired, blind and vision impaired people should be considered in this context.

Take audio description technology. This allows people with poor vision to have visual aspects of the movie described through headsets. It is commonly available overseas but rarely provided in Australia.

To vision impaired people, captioning for deaf and hearing impaired people must seem generous in comparison (in metropolitan Melbourne, apart from the independent Nova, one movie is shown three times over one week). Less publicised has been the impact on deaf people of unpopular time slots (10am Wednesday anyone?), lack of choice, location, and the cinemas' refusal to give a time when the movie will be shown until the day itself.

This low level of access has been the norm for years. The tipping point came in November, when the four main cinema chains applied to the Australian Human Rights Commission for an exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act for 2½ years, in exchange for minimal access improvements. When the commission asked for public comment, more than 400 submissions were received from communities that until now have endured too much.

This is one of the first tests of state and federal governments' stated commitment to inclusion.

Despite weekend protests outside cinemas of the big offenders – Greater Union, Hoyts, Village Roadshow and Readings Cinemas – it must be asked what chance these small communities have of succeeding against the wealthy cinema industry.

In a recent online posting supporting the government's policy of refusing to accept people with disabilities moving to Australia, one commentator, said: "After the bizarre assertion that cinema-goers should have to endure subtitles for the benefit of the deaf … we have … some soft-headed rubbish about how we should celebrate profound disability as helping us expand our 'view of how human beings should be'.''

Therein lies the rub. Now that people with disabilities are gamely stepping forward and saying, "I am entitled to go to the movies because I am part of the community", it is going to be up to the majority to either support inclusion or not. The government must step up to the plate on the issue, or at least have the moral courage to tell it like it is so we know where Australia stands on this human rights issue.

Karen McQuigg is a freelance writer.

Grant to pay for schools’ special needs playgrounds

By Adam Prestridge
news reporter

Published:

Monday, March 1, 2010 4:27 PM CST

Special needs children across the county will soon have the freedom to go down a slide and cross the monkey bars, activities that many take for granted, when the construction of four playgrounds is complete later this school year.

Thursday afternoon, the Escambia County Board of Education approved a $249,772 bid to Kidz Zone for construction of four special needs playgrounds at schools countywide including Rachel Patterson, A.C. Moore, Flomaton and W.S. Neal elementary schools.

“The majority of our playgrounds are not (Americans Disabilities Act) compliant,” Suzanne Barnett, special education coordinator for Escambia County School System, said. “Students that have physical limitations, in wheelchairs or use walkers cannot readily access or play on the playgrounds independently.”

The money for the project was made available through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, which are based on the population of special needs children in each county. There are currently 538 special needs children in Escambia County that meet IDA (Individuals with Disabilities Act) criteria, Barnett said.

As part of standards set forth by the AARA, the project chosen by school systems had into include “innovative” and “instructional” materials for special needs children.

“These are fully accessible playgrounds,” Barnett said. “Part of instruction is socializing with other children and learning how to play and interact with other children.”

The playgrounds are also considered a “green projects,” Barnett said. All the materials used in the construction of the playgrounds are recycled materials mostly milk cartons. The playgrounds are also safe for the children with no exposed metal that resists heat and materials that do not splinter. The playgrounds will also be constructed on poured in place safety surfaces made out of chipped rubber, which have give in them in case of falls.

Barnett said that the new playgrounds would afford the students in the county with special needs endless opportunities.

“They will have the opportunity to access a playground with no limit or boundaries,” she said. “All students whether they are able to walk or not will be able to maneuver the safety zone due to the solid surfacing. Those same children will also have the freedom to move about the play structure without assistance, which many have never experienced before.”

The project, which has been eight months in the making, is under a 120-day contract, but Barnett said Kidz Zone officials said it would take 6-8 weeks to construct all four projects, which will be built simultaneously. She added that it was a relief that the project will finally become a reality.

“It feels wonderful. I’m excited,” Barnett said. “The teachers are excited and the principals are excited.”

The playgrounds at Rachel Patterson and W.S. Neal Elementary will allow 54-58 children to play at the same time, the one at A.C. Moore will allow 44-48 children and the one at Flomaton has the largest playing capacity allowing 56-60 children to play.

Students Raise Disability Awareness on Campus | The Hoya

Interesting article from Georgetown:

Students Raise Disability Awareness on Campus | The Hoya

How did you come up with the idea to begin a group that fosters diversity in such a unique way?

During [Resident Assistant] training this year, we were talking about the seven identities of diversity, and that includes age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, et cetera, and I was just thinking about how on campus there are an abundance of student groups that represent each facet of diversity — except for disability. Disability is something that has played a large role in my life. I just thought it was important to create a group at Georgetown that brings together students with disabilities and their allies to raise disability awareness on campus [to] just have a conversation.

Why do you think this idea has never been proposed before?

People who have disabilities, whether they are invisible or visible, especially if they’re invisible, don’t feel comfortable disclosing [them] because of the negative connotations that come with having a disability. On the other hand, people who don’t have a disability feel uncomfortable talking about it, because they don’t want to seem like they’re ignorant or insensitive.

How did the Accessing Difference Conference help the group get started?

In October, I participated on a student panel at the Accessing Difference Conference. I introduced the idea of creating this group. The group would not be a support group but rather a supportive group; students who simply wanted to raise awareness — there was no need for anyone to feel pressured to disclose. Given the fact that disability is still a very sensitive topic, I didn’t think that something like this would be possible. The conference gave me the encouragement I needed to get this off the ground. I definitely could not have done this by myself, and I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve received from my peers and the Georgetown community.

Do you think that there is an interest from the student body to join Diversability?

I definitely think there is, because disability affects all demographics. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your sexual orientation is or where you come from. It can either affect you directly, whether you have a [permanent] disability, or even a temporary disability like breaking your foot and having to get around campus on crutches, or it can affect you indirectly — say your sister has cerebral palsy or has a learning disability. So people have encountered disabilities before and are interested in getting involved.

What are some of the main goals you have for this group?

We have two goals. The first goal is to raise disability awareness on campus and the second is to reshape conceptions of disability. And I think eventually I’d love to make [the concept of] disability an integrated part of what it means to be diverse at Georgetown.

Do you have any specific ideas for reaching out in the community and educating the student body about the challenges and opportunities for those with disabilities?

I think the best way is just giving people an avenue to start a conversation.

Since it may take a while for this group to be recognized by the SAC and receive funding, do you plan on doing anything in the interim to further your ideas?

We applied for a Reimagine Georgetown grant in October, and luckily enough the committee believed in our idea, so we have a little bit of seed money to get ourselves off the ground. The thing is, a group like this can wait until we go through the entire SAC process, but I think something needs to be done now. We have a working group put together filled with faculty members, staff members, and other students who just really care about our cause, and knowing we have that base now makes this the perfect time to keep this momentum going.

What are some of the events you will be planning to jumpstart this group?

Right now, we’re just working on getting interested students involved. Our working group has met twice this semester and we’re open to any student who wants to get involved. At this point, we just want students to know that this group does exist. We are going to be meeting again in January to map out the next couple of months, but we are anticipating a February date for our launch event.

What are some obstacles students with disabilities face at Georgetown?

I definitely can’t speak for the entire community here. From my own experience, I was often afraid that I would not be accepted among my peers because I had a disability. What was important for me, though, was relaying the message to my peers that it was OK. I didn’t want to be a pity case.

What are some of the ways Georgetown can become more accommodating to students with disabilities?

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the person who can answer this question adequately. This isn’t something that can happen overnight or even in a semester. But we can definitely take steps toward making Georgetown a more inclusive campus with a group like Diversability dedicated to educating the student body about disability. The creation of a group is meant to relay a message that disability is an important part of this university. I also think disability etiquette is really important and just understanding that disability does exist at Georgetown.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Online Auction

Welcome to Guide Dogs for the Blind`s very first online auction! We invite you to bid on packages ranging from travel and excursions, to exquisite wine and fine dining experiences. With so many exciting lots, make sure to bid early and bid often! Please share this link with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. Proceeds from the auction will go to support GBD`s programs and services, all provided free of charge to those we serve.

Online bidding begins Friday, March 19, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. All bids close on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 10:00 p.m. Winners will be notified within the following week.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has been creating life-long partnerships since 1942. We are supported entirely through private donations (we receive no government funding). We have campuses in San Rafael, California (north of San Francisco) and Boring, Oregon (east of Portland). For more information visit www.guidedogs.com and/or call toll-free at (800) 295.4050.

Click the link below to see the auctions!

http://www.bluetreemarketing.com/site/include/public/newnpo/npo_page.php?npoid=42&auctioneventid=42

Arthritis simulation gloves aid companies in designing easy-to-use products

Arthritis simulation gloves aid companies in designing easy-to-use products

"As the U.S. population ages, manufacturers of consumer goods are realizing that many customers may not be as nimble-fingered or sharp-sighted as they once were. To help product designers and engineers address those changing requirements, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have been developing evaluation methods and design techniques to identify and address the needs of all consumers, including those with functional limitations.

GTRI's latest product is a pair of arthritis simulation gloves, which reproduce the reduction in functional capacity experienced by persons with arthritis. The gloves help those responsible for consumer products better understand how arthritis affects a person's ability to grasp, pinch, turn, lift and twist objects.

"A product manager or designer can put these gloves on and attempt to open their company's products or packaging," explained GTRI principal research scientist Brad Fain. "If they are unable to open a product or package, then chances are high that people with moderate to severe symptoms of arthritis will also have difficulty opening it."

Three companies, including Kraft Foods, are currently using the gloves in-house.The gloves can be used with a variety of consumer products, including medicine bottles, beverage containers, office supplies, medical devices, vehicles, cell phones and many other consumer products. They can also be used with many different types of packaging, including clamshell packages, cardboard boxes, cereal containers and foil packages.

"Maxwell House always keeps our consumers' needs in mind when designing packaging," said Linda Roman, senior group leader for packaging strategic research at Kraft Foods. "For example, we used the gloves created by the Georgia Tech Research Institute to verify that the lid on our new instant coffee jar is accessible for those who have difficulty opening jars with regular caps. The gloves helped us evaluate the EZ Grip lid to be sure that our lid is, in fact, easy for our consumers to use."

The gloves were designed to reduce a wearer's functional ability to grasp something and either pull or rotate it by 33-50 percent. They also stiffen an individual's finger joints and restrict the range of motion of his or her fingers. To create the finger stiffness and reduced finger strength experienced by individuals with arthritis, the gloves were designed with metal wires between layers of neoprene and other fabrics.

In addition to identifying ease of use issues with products, the gloves are also intended to raise awareness about issues faced by people with disabilities and to support programs focused on ease of use in design. Currently, the Arthritis Foundation in the United States and Arthritis Australia are using the gloves for such educational purposes.

The gloves can be purchased alone, or as part of GTRI's disability awareness kit, which also includes a low-vision simulation kit, a finger strength simulation kit and a CD training program. The finger strength simulation kit consists of finger exercises that are calibrated to certain amounts of force recommended for packaging and the training program teaches individuals how to use the gloves.

The low-vision simulation kit contains a pair of glasses that simulate common visual disabilities, including various degrees of cataracts, visual acuity problems, contrast sensitivity issues and age-related macular degeneration.

This Too Shall Pass

I just wanted to share this very awesome video...It must have taken these people a very long time to film the vid and get it just right!

Watch and be entertained!

Oh, and there is a message in the song.

Getting2Tri

Getting2Tri is a one-of-a-kind organization that spans its focus from athletic endeavors to the changing of people’s lifestyles. We build communities for the coaching, training and mentoring of individuals with disabilities in the sports of swimming, cycling, and running. Individuals with disabilities participating are called "paratriathletes" and their backgrounds are just as varied as their goals; wounded veterans from recent conflicts to individuals with limb loss due to disease or paralysis or injuries inflicted through some form of trauma.

"I have the fortunate role of surrounding myself with heroes. We've created an organization that uses sports as a vehicle for goal accomplishments in the lives of people with physical disabilities. Every individual the foundation touches is unique and special. We never grow tired of sharing his or her successes.

It was always my hope to have an impact on individuals with disabilities and I believe we're doing that. But what I didn't anticipate was the impact we'd have on the able-bodied community. It's been amazing to witness some truly life-changing things happen to our community of athletes and volunteers. It has certainly forever changed my life and I know it will change yours. Consider getting involved today."

-- Mike Lenhart, Founder and President

Visit getting2Tri here

Think Beyond The Label