How Much Do You Really Know?
Content adapted from Awakening to Disability by Karen G. Stone.

True or false?
1. Two-thirds of adults with disability wish to work but are
unemployed. Yet many are educated and qualified to work.

True or False?
2. Only 30 percent of women with disabilities work full-time.

True or false?
3. The most frequent age of injury is 19, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.

4. 7 barriers are commonly confronted by the newly disabled.
What are they? Hint: Financial, architectural, and transportation are three of them.

5. The largest cause of trip and falls is
A. Poor coordination
B. Lack of medical checkups to detect hidden motor skills issues
C. Floor sills, steps, loose rugs, floor level changes

6. True or false?
Adapting a workplace for a person with disability cost on average $500 or less.

7. Teens are one of the largest groups of people who end up in
wheelchairs after a disabling accident.

8. True or false?
In the U.S., accessible housing is not often available because it
is costly to design and build.

9. True or false?
Able-bodied travel agents specializing in accessibility travel are an
often-overlooked resource for travelers with disabilities.

10. True or false?
Falls are twice as likely to cause disability rather than traffic accidents

11. True or False?
Trip and falling accidents are three times higher than injuries or fatalities from fire and earthquake evacuations.

12. True or false?
The Boston Globe recently reported that one in six doctors in the city refused to schedule appointments for callers posing as disabled patients in wheelchairs, according to medical researchers.

13. True or false?
One in four families has a member with a disability and one in five worldwide has a disability.

Answers posted at end of post

“You ask what can I do to be more compassionate, helpful person when facing someone within a disability?” Well, a little awareness of the multitude of barriers persons with disabilities is an enormous step toward understanding any disability.”

 This excerpt from “Awakening to Disability: Nothing About Us Without Us,” by Karen Stone, courtesy of the publisher, Volcano Press.
To view and purchase this book:  www.volcanopress.com

Answers 

1. True

2. False, 12 percent  or one out of eight women, according to Karen Stone in the chapter “Women and disabilities.”

3.  True

4. The remaining major barriers are

A. Society’s subtle and overt paternalistic attitude, which directs counterproductive  behavior toward people with disabilities…
B. Man made and natural. For example,  certain building materials, new carpeting, cigarettes, perfume…

C. Communication…at times, unclear communication…
D. Myths or  common beliefs about disability interfere with
effective social interaction and is  the seventh barrier…

5. C

6. True

7. True

8. False

9. Nope, the author while traveling often encountered faulty
assurances about accessibility issues…

10. True

11. Six times higher not three…

12. True, according to  news story posted last week on Boston.com

13. True, according to the World Health Organization

References

http://www.lifehappens.org/

http://usdailyreview.com/most-unprepared-for-disabling-injuries-or-illness

Karen G. Stone
People sometimes pursue self-employment when health issues make it difficult to pursue their previous occupations.

The following story also illustrates how a challenging circumstance can be the basis for meaningful productive work.

The late author Karen G. Stone, an able-bodied photographer and marketing executive, began writing a popular series of newspaper columns for a New Mexico newspaper on topics related to disability after a major illness left her disabled. She became an activist and later wrote Awakening to Disability: Nothing about Us without Us.

The book is a collection of author’s newspaper columns.
And is written for both able-bodied readers as well as people with disabilities trying to adjust and create a new normal.

Written in a simple easy-to-read style, it’s free of legal and medical language.

Topics are discussed using a short chapter to illustrate day-to-day realities. And the author dismantles common myths and misconceptions. She gives readers an overview of life for more than 50 million Americans living with disabilities, including her own.

Numerous themes include 7 major barriers for people with disability, visible and invisible disabilities, childhood and disability, language, accessible housing, recreation and leisure, education, travel, money and change, diet exercise & health issues, parking, wars, and other battles, employment… or lack thereof, attitude, exercising your spiritual muscle, mentors, on the job, and how to deal effectively with injustices.

Stone compares and contrasts lifestyles and cultural attitudes in the U.S. versus other countries and offers insight on how wasteful government policies are influenced by powerful moneyed lobbying groups in the U.S., which play a major role in the choices available to the American public.

Although the book was written in 1997, the content is still relevant and useful, and for many people, even more so in 2013. Stone’s goal is to educate able-bodied readers and inspire those with disabilities. She uses Awakening to Disability to symbolize equality, dignity, and independence.

For able-bodied readers, the book’s contents may be an unsettling and sobering wake-up call for those who may not be able to answer the following questions:

If you suddenly had a disabling injury how many barriers would you confront ? How would you handle the financial situation?

At the very least, some readers with foresight will take a closer look at the fine print in their health policies and shop for the best possible alternative.

“Awakening to Disability: Nothing About Us Without Us”, by Karen Stone, courtesy of the publisher, Volcano Press.
To view and purchase this book:  www.volcanopress.com

Vigil
“Dedication… grit… human spirit…
Run with endurance the race that is run before us…” -President Obama.

As our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who lost their lives or suffered injury in Boston, certain life-changing consequences are settling in for some of the survivors. For instance, the self-employed carpenter who lost the use of both hands.

Boston survivors are part of a larger less publicized group. More than a billion people around the world suffer injury related disability, according to World Health Organization estimates. And in some countries, as many as 25 percent of the cases are from injury or violence by someone the victim did not know.

Consequences on a personal level and ripple economic effect on communities are enormous…figures are in the billions of dollars, according to World Health Organization. And how do people place a value on cherished family members lost through senseless crime?

A fund of more than $7 million has been started in Boston.
However, when you consider that a state of the art prosthetic could cost $60,000, and more than a dozen people have lost limbs, and you factor in living expenses, lost wages, extensive long-term rehabilitation, and other related medical care for almost two hundred people one begins to understand how $7 million can be used up quickly.

People disabled by crime in other less high profile confrontations may have access to state victim’s compensation, but the funds may be inadequate to restore them to their pre-injury status.

Disability happens more often than people think, and it many ways,
but a defense strategy of prevention and avoidance is a tool that people can practice.

Having the right type of disability insurance, savings, resources, creating a self-employment emergency plan, and having a strong support system will help ease the challenges and adjustment.

In the case of the Boston Marathon, experts agree, that it’s impossible to protect a wide-open public event, 26 + miles in distance. Perhaps… but I can’t help but think that rethinking how the events are planned is in order.

And I can’t help but think that someone out there with a vision and the right skill set could develop a new app or cost-effective technology that could dramatically reduce the risk at these events.

Israel is renowned for it’s security measures. “No-one understands security as the Israelis do…,” so adapt, borrow, and innovate from them.

References
Anderson Cooper 360
Injured Marathon Survivor
http://tinyurl.com/bvyh4fw

Disabilitycanhappen.org
http://tinyurl.com/ycydfke

World health organization
Injury-related Facts
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/disability/en/

Huffington Post
$7 million-dollar fund
http://tinyurl.com/c7py4zc

ABC News.com
U.S./Marathon Security Practices
http://tinyurl.com/c365nxu

Charlie Rose
BostonMarathon
Update April 17
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12878

Homeland Security
Newswire
http://tinyurl.com/d4wuhd2

Why Some Singers Should Not Write Their Own Songs

The music industry entrepreneur and producer discuss his autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life with Charlie Rose. And one of the topics discussed is the struggle that some singers, including famous ones, confront about whether or not to write their own songs.

While many singers decide to write their own material, the strategy can backfire if they lack the right skill set, according to Clive Davis a Harvard trained lawyer.   

Did you know?
Writers and lawyers have the same aptitude pattern in general, according to Margaret Broadley in Your Natural Gifts.

References
Clive Davis on Charlie Rose
April 5            12 Min.
http://www.charlierose.com/guest/view/2903

New York Times .com Book Review
6th para.
http://tinyurl.com/bq7m8a3

Understanding Your Aptitudes
Johnson O’Connor
http://www.jocrf.org/resources/books.html

Amazon
Your Natural Gifts
http://tinyurl.com/cut2eh7

The Midwest Book Review is a respected industry
source for small press publications writes publishing
pioneer Marilyn Ross.Reviews from the organization
are posted with Cengage Learning, Gale interactive
CD-ROM series for academic
corporate and public library systems.

The Review
Small Press BookWatch: October 2011
The Business Shelf

Finding Your Niche: Discover a Profitable Idea for a Business
at Home— Or Elsewhere lives up to its title with practical advice
for starting up one’s own business.  From assessing one’s own skills
and finding profitable ideas suitable for business, to marketing tips
for startups, warnings against common pitfalls, learning to devise a
business plan, and more.

Finding Your Niche is a solid and invaluable resource
for any would-be entrepreneur, especially since it’s wisdom i
s couched in plain terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

“People won’t buy what they don’t understand.  Develop your
explanations beforehand and test them out on students, family
or friends to measure comprehension before trying to sell your ideas.”

Highly recommended, especially in today’s tough economic times
when more and more people need to look into self-employment
as a career path!

Sources

Book Excerpt

Book Excerpt

Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/index.htm

Inspiration
The iconic movie critic loved his work, and entertained and educated the masses in the process.

Read his reviews of “Freddy Got Fingered” or “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” and it’s hard not to laugh aloud while gaining some insight into the American movie industry and the culture.

Roger Ebert was also an astute businessman, credited with advising Oprah Winfrey to syndicate her talk show. He will be remembered as a popular and beloved movie reviewer. But I think he is an inspiration for another reason.

You see, millions of people each year find themselves struggling with major injuries or illness, which disrupt their ability to work; and many abandon or change their occupations. Despite tremendous circumstances, Ebert found a way to persevere, against tremendous odds, adapt and resume doing the work that he loved for as long as it was possible.

References

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/showbiz/roger-ebert-obituary/index.html

New York Times
http://tinyurl.com/cfsev7c

Roger Ebert’s journal
How I gave Oprah her start
http://tinyurl.com/bs98p9l

Oprah.com/Video Shows
How Technology Gave Roger Ebert His Voice
http://tinyurl.com/yftjphj

Dee Adams’ Online Class
Entrepreneurial trends in the academic world was the topic of a previous post
that included references to the article
Me, Inc. The content reveals how some non-business majors
are showing an interest in becoming their own boss by enrolling in entrepreneurship classes.
For instance, students in music, art, and journalism.

However, you don’t have to enroll in business school to find  inspiration for a social venture.
Class assignments from other disciplines can provide ideas too.
For example, communications or sociology.

After choosing a topic of interest, write a short term paper, fill out an index card,
produce a 2-3-minute podcast, or use a pinboard on Pintrest to create an illustrated
response for the following activity:

Homework Activity for Inspiration

1. Find an article that discusses a major social problem that troubles you greatly.

2.  What solutions would you create to address the problem?

Note: Several years ago, I wrote a term paper for a sociology class that addressed some of the major problems in public education. While I have never attended a school as was described in Kozol’s essay, the piece read like a horror story, and my values regarding fair play and equity, the importance of learning, and dislike of abusive bureaucracy led me to choose the assignment.

PDF
Sociology Assignment