Disability is Natural Free Press

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FEATURED ARTICLE #1:

Marketing 101

In the Real World, it seems just about everyone understands the value of marketing. Businesses advertise—showcasing their products and services to make us want them! Politicians and policymakers work diligently to market themselves or their ideas. Before a job interview, we polish our resumes, along with our shoes, to create the very best impression. Even very young children seem to recognize the value of marketing (since they’re constantly barraged with it via TV commercials): they want the “best” toys! In the Real World, the most positive attributes—of a product, service, or person—are valued and marketed.

Shouldn’t all IFSP, IEP, or ISP meetings begin with the person’s strengths?

But in Disability World, a person’s problems, deficits, and/or other “negatives” are valued and—unfortunately—promoted. This is not news, nor is it unexpected, for in the system of special services for people with disabilities, a person’s “deficiencies” are the ticket to services.

Think about what works in the Real World . . . (Click here for the entire article.)

 

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FEATURED ARTICLE #2:

Personal Responsibility vs. The Nanny State

Personal responsibility is something most of us take pretty seriously—in our individual lives, within our families, on the job, and in other areas of life. As parents, we take responsibility for our children and, in turn, attempt to instill a sense of responsibility in them, expecting them to assume more and more responsibility as they grow. But for people with disabilities, personal responsibility is skewed, aberrant, or nonexistent. Instead, the Nanny State—allowing professionals, experts, and others to take charge—seems to be the norm!

Should you fail to pilot your own ship, don’t be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked. Tom Robbins

Why have we allowed people with disabilities to become exempt from personal responsibility and the many wonderful opportunities that are part and parcel of autonomy and self-direction? Why have parents invited a “third parent” into their families?

Like a giant with open arms, the Nanny State catches and holds children and adults with disabilities, making them helpless and dependent on others. Some parents and people with disabilities are unaware they’re entering the Nanny’s firm grip. Others go willingly, erroneously believing it’s the only choice.

In the Nanny State, children and adults with disabilities are not expected to be responsible . . . (Click here for the entire article.)

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

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Copyright 2008 Kathie Snow; www.disabilityisnatural.com; all rights reserved. Permission is granted for non-commercial use of this newsletter and/or featured article(s): you may print and/or photocopy this newsletter and/or the PDF version(s) of the featured article(s) (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 any article(s). This is the intellectual property of Kathie Snow and is protected by Copyscape. Newsletter editors: Permission is required before any articles can be republished in newsletters, training manuals, and/or other publications. Contact Kathie for more information.

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VISIT DISABILITY IS NATURAL

—Message to people with disabilities and family members: I want to be able to send information to people with disabilities and family members that's specific to your state. If you haven't already, would you take a moment to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Update Profile/Email Address" link? This will take you to a page where you can tell me what state you live in. Thanks for your help!

 

—A revised and updated People First Language article is now available. Click here to visit the People First Language page.

 

—The Disability is Natural Online Store includes one-of-a-kind products that focus on positive images, new attitudes, and effective strategies. Two life-changing books—Disability is Natural and 101 Reproducible Articles—and the Disability is Natural DVD are generating positive change in homes, schools, and communities across the country! Bright and colorful posters, bookmarks, magnets, note cards, and other goodies are great "attitude adjusters," and can enhance your efforts to ensure children and adults with disabilities live Real Lives, successfully included in all environments of the Real World!   Click here to browse the store!

—Revolutionary Common Sense articles will stimulate those gray cells with thought-provoking articles. A listing of the articles is below. Click here to visit the Revolutionary Common Sense page.

—The 10 Commandments of Creating Community
—When Less is More
—Ask . . . And You Shall Receive
—Curriculum Modifications 102—Computers: Opening Doors to Learning
—The Disability Business
—Reflections on Early Intervention Services
—The "Set-Up" for Grief
—Home, Sweet Home (and Other Friendly, Welcoming Environments): Finding Things in Regular Stores (#4)
—Why Do We Have Parallel Worlds?
—Going for the Gold: Self-Employment
—The Value of Being a Skeptic
—It's About Trust

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ET CETERA . . .

 

—WORDS OF WISDOM

Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold—but so does a hard-boiled egg.
Anonymous

 

It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.

Eleanor Roosevelt

 

If you do not hope, you will not find out what is beyond your hopes.
St. Clement

 

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, but the unreasonable man tries to adapt the world to him—therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.

Samuel Butler

 

On the whole, once we have adopted a belief, we give particular attention to cases that seem to support it, we distort other cases in order to make them seem to support it, and we ignore or belittle other cases. We feel deeply that somehow it is a sign of weakness to "change our minds."

Wendell Johnson

 

—NEWS TO USE

 

What Every Person Needs to Know about People with Disabilities: Overcoming Attitudinal Barriers Towards People with Disabilities is a new book by Jessica Rodriguez—an expert on the subject since she's a person with a disability!

Visit www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~49748.aspx to learn more.

 

Communication Bracelets were created by Sherri Goehring, a paraprofessional/educational assistant. Featuring a variety of universal icons, the Feelings Bracelet, Needs Bracelet, and Schedule Bracelet may be helpful to many children and adults, according to Sherri, as they enable the "wearer to be independent by pointing to and expressing their 7 feelings, 13 needs, 19 school schedules, or asking for help. Because the bracelets are worn and accessible, they become an efficient, easy, and understandable way to communicate." Visit www.luvnhugsbooks.com for more information.

 

The WatchMinder2 Personal Assistant was originally designed by a psychologist to help children "stay on task" at school and home, but it could be beneficial for many children and adults. The website states: "Having trouble remembering daily chores? Wouldn’t you like to have a private reminder to take your medication, complete an important task or manage a medical condition? The stylish WatchMinder2 personal assistant is here to help!" Visit www.watchminder.com for more info.

 

The Out of the Box Reading Program, according to its creators, "has been specificially designed for visual learners...Children born with Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger's syndrome, PDD, Fragile X syndrome, or have been diagnosed with Dyslexia or a Nonverbal Learning Disability are all typically visual learners, and would greatly benefit from this program."  Visit www.outoftheboxreading.com to learn more.

 

"Social Skills Programs for Children with Autism are Largely Ineffective" is the title of a study (released on June 2007). Per the article, "The study, conducted at Indiana University, found that outcomes for social skills training were poor overall, but programs held in normal classroom settings were more likely to result in positive changes than programs held in other environments." (Italics added.) Yep, this study seems to validate what many of us have learned through the application of common sense, as well as real-life experiences: skills learned in isolation seldom transfter into wider environments. Visit www.newswise.com/articles/view/531080 to see the article.

 

Free—yes, free—state-of-the-art online courses on inclusive education and successful employment for people with disabilities are available from the Partners in Policymaking website, sponsored by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. Parents: check out the education course for yourself, and recommend it to the teachers and administrators at your child's school! The employment course will also be helpful to parents, educators, service providers, and, of course, people with disabilities! They can learn how to jump start their careers and find meaningful employment. Visit www.partnersinpolicymaking.com to take these extraordinary courses and learn about the other free online courses available.

 

Nanette Bowles, City of Surprise Disability Advocate (Nanette.Bowles@surpriseaz.com) shared that her Arizona city recently passed an Administrative Policy "to increase the level of accessibility that exceeds current Federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines." This is awesome! Click here to see the summary document. Could your community follow in the footsteps of Surprise, AZ?

Note: The inclusion of any websites, products, and/or organizations in this newsletter are for informational purposes only, and does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

 

—PRESENTATIONS

I'll be presenting in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Washington 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 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!