Ability Specialists Blog

FEMA has no disaster plan for disabled, official testifies

// June 17th, 2010 // Feature Articles

12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Dana Amihere, Hearst Newspapers  

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledged Tuesday that it has failed to implement a natural disaster plan for the disabled and told a congressional panel that the agency lacks the resources to put a plan in place.

Marcie Roth, FEMA’s senior adviser on disability issues and director of the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, said FEMA has developed a plan to evacuate, shelter and supply disabled people in a disaster. Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-fema_16nat.ART.State.Edition2.297c953.html

Colorado Summer Weather

// June 2nd, 2010 // Feature Articles, News That Affects You

The air is turning warm and the days are getting longer as another Colorado summer arrives. Along with the new season comes the return of summer hazards. Many Coloradoans, especially those who work outside, are at risk this time of year for injuries ranging from severe sunburn to heat exhaustion. It is important for you to understand and protect yourselves from Colorado’s summer hazards. 

Sunscreen

Everyone should wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 on all exposed body parts. The higher the SPF, the better the protection against a sunburn and potential skin cancer. Reapply sunscreen every two hours to maintain its effectiveness. Workers can also benefit from wearing a brimmed hat and sunglasses.

Hydration

While spending the day in the hot sun, remind everyone to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of clear liquids, including water or something with electrolytes, such as sports drinks. Sodas can actually prevent hydration and may contribute to heat stroke. If you or your employees feel dizzy or nauseous, take a break. Find a cool, shady place and rest until you feel better. Heat stoke can impair a person’s ability to make sound judgments and may cause accidents. It is better to rest and avoid injuries, then to continue working.

Weather

Colorado summers also bring the chance of severe weather. Thunderstorms can bring hail, wind, and lightning, all of which pose risks to workers. Remind everyone to take cover during thunderstorms, but not under trees, where lightening risk increases. Lightening kills more workers each year than tornadoes, so if you or your group are working off the ground and see lightening, get down immediately. If it begins to hail, find a covered shelter such as your car. Hail in Colorado ranges from pea size to golf ball size, both of which can cause injuries. 

To be safe this summer, use common sense. Pay attention to the weather and help avoid workplace injuries. Be prepared for anything with sunscreen, water, and a plan of action if severe weather strikes.

Disability Advocates Reserving Judgment On High Court Nominee

// June 2nd, 2010 // Feature Articles

Disability advocacy groups are taking a wait and see approach with Elena Kagan who the president nominated to the Supreme Court on Monday.

Kagan, who currently serves as the country’s solicitor general, will replace Justice John Paul Stevens if she is confirmed by the Senate. A former Harvard Law School dean, Kagan has never been a judge. She would be the court’s youngest member at age 50 and the fourth woman to serve on the court.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/05/11/nominee-kagan/7992/

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

// April 20th, 2010 // Feature Articles

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/

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

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/

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/