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In this Issue:
President's Message
1 In 6 Voters Has A Disability. Why Don't Candidates Campaign For Their Support?
Google Improves Tool To Help People Who Are Nonverbal
7-year-old Boy with Down Syndrome Celebrates Beating Cancer After Three-year Fight
Chris Nikic Wants to Be the First Ironman Finisher With Down Syndrome
This is Where We Will Be...
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Dear Clients and Friends,
November is a very special month. We celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is our time to share gratitude and love for those we care so much about, to share food and clothes to families who might not have enough, and to provide thanks to everyone in our lives. I've had so many discussions with clients this month about how the holidays are going to look different, smaller and virtual, in order to keep our families safe. But in those conversations, I hear with more clarity than ever before the real gratitude for many things we have forgotten. Life isn't about the "things"; it is about the "who's". It is about those we don't talk to enough, haven't seen enough, and those who have just been plain forgotten.
We wanted to share some wonderful success stories this month about individuals who haven't said
"can't", believing in themselves beyond what was expected. In those successes, we can all smile and feel that anything is possible. And in those stories, we find our own families stories. I hope you share those during your virtual Thanksgiving dinners.
And now it's my turn to say thank you to the many families who have joined us this year in our Parent University™ sessions. I have learned from you what is important to learn, and the feedback you have given us has been so nice to hear. Thank you. We look forward to our 2021 Parent University™
sessions. We'll be announcing class topics and dates next month. We are using the ideas many of you have shared to expand our curriculum and our entire staff is excited! Watch for PT Podcasts next year as well!
I will close with wishes of good health and happiness for you all. Happy Thanksgiving!
Warmest regards,
Mary Anne Ehlert,
Founder & President
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1 In 6 Voters Has A Disability. Why Don't Candidates Campaign For Their Support?
by Ellie Rushing | The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS
Zachary Lewis has watched politicians compete for votes from the middle class, Latino voters, and LGBTQ communities. He has listened to presidential candidates debate how they'll support farmers or fight for racial justice.
But Lewis, 38, who is paralyzed from the waist down, said he rarely if ever hears politicians speak to people with disabilities -- or advocate for the policies they need.
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"When I hear [politicians] talk, I don't hear them talking to me at all -- as a human being, as a person with a disability," said Lewis, who lives in West Philadelphia and is executive director of Disabled in Action, a civil rights group that fights disability discrimination. "I am constantly making noise to be heard, but I don't feel like anyone is listening."
People with disabilities have the potential to be a powerful voting bloc, research shows. More than 38 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote -- about 16% of the American electorate, according to a September Rutgers University study. In Pennsylvania, a pivotal swing state that could determine who wins the White House, people with disabilities represent more than 17% of the electorate. Click here to read more. |
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Google Improves Tool To Help People Who Are Nonverbal
by Shaun Heasley | Disability Scoop
Google is introducing new technology designed to help people who are nonverbal communicate with those around them while also making strides toward more inclusion at the company.
The internet giant said this month that it is tweaking an Android app called "Action Blocks" to make it a more seamless experience for people with disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, devices.
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The Action Blocks app, which launched earlier this year, allows users to create a one-touch button that displays on their smartphone home screen to complete actions that typically require multiple steps like calling mom or turning on the lights.
With the latest update, Google said that Action Blocks can be quickly set up to speak simple phrases like "yes," "no" or "excuse me, I have something to say." And, the app now incorporates thousands of picture communication symbols from the Tobii Dynavox library to permit people with disabilities to create actions using icons they are already accustomed to from their AAC devices.
"Action Blocks works on Android phones without any additional hardware, making communication more convenient and accessible to people whether they are on the go, without their AAC devices, or don't have access to an AAC device," wrote Eve Andersson, director of accessibility at Google, in a posting announcing the enhancements.
Action Blocks can also be triggered using physical adaptive switches, Andersson noted.
Separately, Google is also pushing to expand inclusion in its own workforce. The company has launched a new web page to help attract potential employees with disabilities.
"We know that one of the first steps to finding a job at a new company is visiting their careers website, but those resources may not be designed with people with disabilities in mind," Andersson wrote. "Prospective candidates can find career resources and tips for applying, as well as read stories about Googlers with disabilities and our employee-led Google Disability Alliance community."
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7-year-old Boy with Down Syndrome Celebrates Beating Cancer After Three-year Fight
by Newsner
Tommy Calder was just five years old when he was diagnosed with Leukemia.
Their parents described the moment on February 18, 2018 when they heard every parent's worst nightmare saying: "It felt like a big punch in the stomach."
Dad Robert Calder was forced to give up his job so he and wife Tina Flier could make the two-hour trip from their home in Warren, Minnesota to the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo so their son could get the life-saving treatment he needed.
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Tommy has received treatment for nearly three years and throughout it all his parents say he has never cried once. Click here to read more. |
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Chris Nikic Wants to Be the First Ironman Finisher With Down Syndrome
by Jenny McCoy | Runner's World
Chris Nikic knows what he wants in life. "My dream is to buy my own house, buy my own car, [and] get a smoking hot blonde wife from Minnesota," the 21-year-old tells Runner's World.
But Chris, who has Down syndrome, realizes this reality won't be handed to him. "My dad says if you sit on the couch and play video games, you'll never get your dreams," he says. So instead, the Maitland, Florida, resident is doing the exact opposite by training for an full-distance Ironman triathlon, which is widely considered one of the most brutal athletic events on the planet.
An Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile open-water swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run, with no breaks in between-it's a take-no-prisoners test of mental and physical stamina. Completing the event, which demands up to a full day's worth of continuous effort, is the type of brag-worthy accomplishment one might slap on a bumper sticker, highlight on a resume, or tattoo on a bicep. Click here to read more.
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This is Where We Will Be...
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