Disability is Natural Free Press

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Disability is Natural DVD on Sale!

For a limited time, the Disability is Natural DVD is 20 percent off! Regular price $25.00; sale price is $20.00. Order yours today—for trainings at provider agencies, schools, or other organizations; to show at IEP, IHP, IFSP, or other PP meetings; or to share with friends and family!

While you're visiting the Disability is Natural Online Store, peruse the books, posters, bookmarks, note cards, and other goodies that promote positive attitudes and new ways of thinking!

Featured Article:

DO DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS PRESUME COMPETENCE?

This is the second of three articles on this topic. The first article (in the August newsletter) focuses on challenging conventional wisdom and the third article (coming soon) explores the inadvertent perpetuation of the “presumed incompetence” mentality in advocacy efforts.

We talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Whether we’re leaders or participants in disability organizations, we can ask questions with a critical eye in order to move in a new direction.

Organizations which claim to represent the interests of children and adults with disabilities often create, promote, operate, and/or fund services and activities that perpetuate the Presumed Incompetence paradigm of people with disabilities. Many organizations started as true grassroots efforts, but with growth and expansion, some shift their underlying purpose and come to resemble players in the service system. This resemblance—and the outcomes—can be alarming.

Read the article...

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Please contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) if you have difficulty opening or accessing this article.

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Copyright 2007 Kathie Snow; www.disabilityisnatural.com; all rights reserved. Permission is granted for non-commercial use of this newsletter and/or featured article: you may print and/or photocopy this newsletter and/or the PDF version of this article (in their entirety and unedited) to share with other individuals and list serves (non-commercial use only). As a courtesy, please let me know (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) how/when you use it. This is the intellectual property of Kathie Snow and is protected by Copyscape. Newsletter editors: The featured article may be purchased ($4.00) for republication in your newsletter, visit www.disabilityisnatural.com/store/page3.html.

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NEW TELECONFERENCES!

Face-to-face presentations at conferences are great, but what if your organization or group doesn't have the time or money? Now you can make the most of your training time and budget with one of my new teleseminars! A variety of topics are available—including new attitudes and perceptions/People First Language, school and community inclusion, self-determination, and more—or we can work together to design a training for your disability organization, parent group, human service agency, school/child care center, self-advocacy group, college class, church/synagogue, community organization, or any other group!

Participants have described my face-to-face presentations as "life-changing," "unique," "inspiring," "valuable," and more. I'd love the opportunity to help create positive change for your group! Click here to download an information packet that includes topics, costs, and other details.

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ET CETERA . . .

 

---PONDER THESE BITS OF WISDOM

The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so.

Mark Twain

Some [charities] may have been started with truly beneficent intentions, but even these finally give way to a pragmatism that shifts focus away from "helping the poor" and toward sustaining the institutions. These dual objectives come increasingly to be at odds.

Theresa Funiciello, Tyranny of Kindness

Benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.

Elizabeth A. Johnson, She Who Is

Laws will not eliminate prejudice from the hearts of human beings. But that is no reason to allow prejudice to continue to be enshrined in our laws to perpetuate injustice through inaction.

Shirley Chisholm, in The Congressional Record (1970)

 

---NEWS TO USE

Mayoral Proclamation on People First Language

Nanette Bowles, the Disability Advocate for the City of Surprise, Arizona, shared some great news from her fair city. She is the Disability Advocate and staff liaison for the monthly meetings of the city's Disability Advisory Commission. The Commission has worked hard to make the use of People First Language part of the culture of the Surprise city government (www.surpriseaz.com/disabilityinfo). The City of Surprise purchased People First Language bookmarks and posters from the Disability is Natural Online Store, and have distributed these to all city departments. The People First Language bookmarks are also shared with all new employees! And in June, Mayor Joan Shafer signed a proclamation encouraging the use of Person First Language by all residents and public officials! What would it take for your city to follow in the footsteps of Surprise, Arizona? To learn more, contact Nanette at Nanette.Bowles@surpriseaz.com. Congratulations Mayor Shafer, the Disability Advisory Commission, and everyone else who worked so hard to make this a reality!

 

State of New York and People First Language

Joyce Steel, of the Advocacy Center and Coordinator of New York Partners in Policymaking, notified me that New York Governor Elliott Spitzer signed the People First Language Bill on August 1, 2007! Joyce added, "It was your message about People First Language that motivated the 2004 Partners class to pursue this legislation." The previous Governor had vetoed the bill, so heavy-duty congratulations are in order to the dedicated activists who persevered and didn't give up in the face of defeat! Has your state passed a respectful language law?

New Book

My Child, My Gift: A Positive Response to Serious Prenatal Diagnosis

Madeline Pecora Nugent has written a beautiful, important book that's a must-read for parents, extended family members, clergy, and professionals. Madeline's book includes real-life stories that explode the myths about babies who have been diagnosed with serious prenatal conditions and their families. In story after story, parents share the hopes and joys they experienced, even as professionals predicted "the worst." I'm proud to add that Madeline invited me to write the preface for this powerful book. To learn more or to order, visit www.mychildmygift.com/index.htm.

 

National Award for Partners in Policymaking

On a regular basis, I mention the Partners in Policymaking leadership development program I participated in many years ago—it was a life-changing experience for me, and is the same for many thousands of othersI don't know where I would be—or where my son and the rest of my family would be—without this training. Today, I feel very fortunate to be invited to present at many Partners programs around the country. I love Partners!

So I was excited to learn that the Partners in Policymaking online training program is the recipient of a 2007 Digital Government Achievement Award from the Center for Digital Government! Here's some information from the press release:

 

The Center for Digital Government awards, presented Sept. 21 in Las Vegas, recognize innovative, creative and user-friendly state and local government web sites. A national panel of experts in digital government, technology and communications served as judges for the competition.

The online Partners builds on the original “live” program developed 20 years ago by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (GDCC). Today, more than 15,000 individuals from 47 states, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other countries are program graduates.

The lively online program includes personal testimonials, life stories, slide shows, articles and videos that enhance the learning experience. Training materials are available in both PDF and text versions, eliminating printing and distribution costs and the challenge of fundraising to pay for them. Now, anyone can receive the materials at any time, at no cost.

Partners in Policymaking (www.partnersinpolicymaking.com) is an intensive leadership and communication skills training program for people interested in working with elected officials and influencing change in public policy.

Congratulations to Colleen Wieck and everyone at the MN Council for this award!

Whether you're a parent, a person with a disability, a teacher, or are involved in disability issues in any capacity, the Partners in Policymaking online training can provide you with an extraordinary learning opportunity—take the time to visit soon!

 

"Child Monitoring Products"

Check out www.ion-kids.com to see a new "child monitoring product." (This company could use a little help with language. The website states: "The ionKids system allows you to monitor up to four tagged objects at once. Children, seniors, pets or anything you might lose and want to keep safe." Well, "children, seniors, pets" are not objects or things...At any rate, this looks like a device that might be of interest to many.

 

---REVOLUTIONARY COMMON SENSE ARTICLES

Check out the variety of thought-provoking articles on the Disability is Natural—Revolutionary Common Sense page.

 

---PRESENTATIONS

I'll be presenting in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Ontario, Canada in the coming months---visit the Presentations page for more details (and check back often for new dates/events that are added). Contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) if you'd like to know more about my presentations for your conference or organization, or click here for information about my new teleseminars.

 

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Thanks for your interest in new ways of thinking! Please contact us with your comments and ideas about this E-Newsletter, the Disability is Natural website, or anything else of interest. If you received this E-Newsletter from a friend and would like to subscribe, visit www.disabilityisnatural.com and sign up at the bottom of any page, or send an Email to kathie@disabilityisnatural.com with your request.

And thanks for all you do to create an inclusive society where everyone belongs!