Archive for April, 2010

Down Syndrome Takes Center Stage On Fox’s ‘Glee’

// April 20th, 2010 // Feature Articles

glee

The hit show “Glee” returns Tuesday for a nine-episode run on Fox this spring and so too does the show’s inclusion of characters with disabilities.

Last fall, actress Lauren Potter, 19, who has Down syndrome, debuted on the show as Becky Jackson, the school’s newest cheerleader, or Cheerio. Now, Potter is back for two more episodes — “The Power of Madonna,” airing April 20, and “Home,” airing April 27.

The experience mirrors real life for Potter in many ways. The bubbly teen tried out to be a cheerleader at her Riverside, Calif. high school, but didn’t make the squad. Then, after graduating last year, Potter beat out 13 other girls for the role on Glee. Nowadays, Potter splits her time between acting and attending a life skills program.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/04/12/lauren-potter-glee/7618/

Higher pay for disabled employees could put them out of work

// April 20th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Faith Millburn earns about $1.25 an hour working for Goodwill. She knows that’s less than minimum wage, and she thinks it’s fair.

The 21-year-old with cerebral palsy, who on Thursday was typing labels at Goodwill of the Heartland in Iowa City, is at the center of a complex debate over what to pay people with disabilities for their work.

Part of the fallout from the mistreatment of workers in Atalissa is renewed scrutiny of a federal law that allows employers to pay disabled workers less than federal minimum wage. Even a distant threat to that legislation is troubling to organizations like Goodwill, who say they can’t afford to employ as many workers at higher wages, and to Millburn, who thinks she would have trouble finding a job working for minimum wage.

“I think it’s funny that they want to change it,” she said. “The way it is now is fair.”  Read full article: http://gazetteonline.com/breaking-news/2010/04/05/higher-pay-for-disabled-employees-could-put-them-out-of-work

Disability Advocates Among Candidates For ‘Time 100′

// April 14th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Among this year’s contenders for the influential “Time 100″ list are a handful of pop culture’s most recognizable faces when it comes to disability issues.

The list of 200 candidates, released by Time Magazine earlier this month, include Temple Grandin — who has written and lectured widely on her experiences as a person with autism — and Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor who has a son with Down syndrome and often remarks on special needs issues.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/04/09/time-100/7589/

Upcoming Events

// April 14th, 2010 // Workshops and Seminars

Mile High Down Syndrome Association

The HILLs BBQ Birthday Bash Saturday 4/17.
Click here for more information: http://mhdsa.org/media/HillsBBQ_flyer.pdf

MHDSA
April 22 – Free Seminar on Special Needs Planning
Click here for more information: http://mhdsa.org/media/Special-Needs-Seminar-4222010.pdf

Project Angel Heart

Dining Out for Life® Impact

On April 29, 2010, over 300 participating restaurants will agree to donate 25% of their food sales to Project Angel Heart. Diners simply eat out for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner at participating restaurants. By eating out on Dining Out for Life® day, they support their favorite eateries, enjoy delicious food, and benefit Project Angel Heart, all at once. In 2009, 335 restaurants and over 80,000 diners participated, raising over $340,000 for Project Angel Heart.

Friends of Horses

// April 14th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Learn a little more about one of our volunteer sites:

Friends of Horses Rescue & Adoption (FOHRAA) is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to horse rescue, adoption and education based in metropolitan Denver, Colorado.    With over 100 horses currently being cared for, FOHRAA is not a “typical” rescue.   A majority of our horses came from loving homes that were no longer able to care for them.   They’re GREAT horses!  Read more: http://getahorse.org/index.html

Colorado urging businesses to hire people with disabilities

// April 7th, 2010 // Feature Articles

The state government is encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities such as Down syndrome and bipolar disorder.

 

Nine people dispatched throughout Colorado since July are telling businesses about the capabilities of people with disabilities and programs providing incentives to hire them.

 

Many people with disabilities have a hard time getting work. In Colorado Springs, an estimated 29,299 people age 16 to 64 are disabled. About half of them were unemployed last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The statistics don’t reveal how many people with disabilities sought employment.  More: http://www.gazette.com/articles/people-27832-disabilities-colorado.html

Upcoming Events

// April 7th, 2010 // Support Your Community

Brent’s Place

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!


Friday, May 7,2010
6AM-5PM

PURA VIDA Fitness and Spa
2955 East 1st Avenue
Denver, CO 80206

Layoffs Force Special Needs Families To Cut Back

// April 7th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Job losses are leaving many middle class parents unable to help their adult children as they would have years ago. But when those adults have disabilities, it’s not so easy to scale back.

Across the board, parents who once paid for their kids’ college tuition or offered a helping hand to young adults looking for their first job or seeking to buy their first home are cutting back, as job losses are leaving six-figure earners with a fraction of their former incomes. Parent of adults with disabilities have little choice, however.  Read the full article: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/04/05/cutting-back/7521/

St. Patricks Day Dance/Awards Ceremony

// April 7th, 2010 // What's Happening At Ability Specialists

Since the March dance was cancelled due to poor weather conditions, the wearing of the green happened a week late but was still a blast!  Check out our photos of the dance and the awards ceremony.  Seven participants achieved their goals in March-Way to go!!!!

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Feds Ill-Equipped To Hire People With Disabilities, Survey Finds

// April 1st, 2010 // Feature Articles

Most federal workers say their agencies are committed to hiring people with disabilities, yet many managers report being woefully unprepared to do so, a new survey finds.

The survey released Monday by the Federal Managers Association and the Telework Exchange indicates that the federal government has a long way to go to make good on efforts to close the employment gap. Just last fall, President Barack Obama called on federal agencies to take the lead in hiring people with disabilities. But the survey of federal managers and recruiters suggests fundamental problems are impeding the effort.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/03/29/federal-hiring-survey/7468/