Disaboom cherylberyl Blog

Disability Rocks Reality TV

cherylberyl — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:27:00 GMT

I was watching TLC recently and saw a commercial for a new reality show, Table for 12. ANOTHER ONE??? I said. Good God. Who cares? TLC already has Little People, Big World, Jon & Kate Plus 8, & 18 Kids and Counting. C'mon, regular families, tons of kids. We have enough of that. Well apparently not. I was lucky enough to start reading media dis & dat and caught an article about the show this morning. Rebecca, one of the 4 year old sextuplets has CP--LIKE ME!!! Except, well, she is legally blind and is much higher tone, but whatev. In the article the parents said they are doing the show to educate the public about CP. HOW COOL!!!

I once got into an arguement with a friend who said the Rolloffs were exploiting themselvess for the money. I got all uppity (as is my nature). They are doing it for the money of course, but they are really doing it as a service to this country. They are educating people about dwarfism and disability in general and showing people that we don't have the plague or something. "How's Your News?"? Same thing.

I think it is so cool that disability is all over TV, bringing awareness all over the country. But why? Why now? Why has disability become so popular? What do you think? I don't know, but I also don't know if I care why. I'm just happy, end of story.

On the second episode tonight the family went to the aquariam and the staff made sure that Rebecca had a sensory experiance with some creatures that they brought over for her to touch. I had sympathy pains. I was hypersensitive when I was little. A lot of people with CP do. I went through a lot of therapy to get over that. Feeling for her if she is hypersensitive. Touching a starfish... EWWWWW! To be hypersensitive and blind (if she is) could cause problems I imagine. The 2 episodes repeat Saturday and then there are 2 new episodes next Monday, one that centers on taking Rebecca for her first hypotherapy session. I LOVE PONIES!

Please watch Monday and support disability awareness. This show could break down a lot of barriers for all of us.

Maryland HB281 is no longer

cherylberyl — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:24:00 GMT

Today, as I already said in yesterday's post on my other blog , I went to Annapolis to testify at a bill hearing for a bill about including disability rights/awareness education in schools for K-post secondary students. A parent of a child with Danny Walker syndrome who works for the Danny Walker syndrome association, someone who works for the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, and another friend from CDRC, as well as the Secretary of the MD Department of Disabilities testified. The two other people who testified told me they went to check and the bill did not pass the house. WTF??? Apparently they grouped it with a bunch of other "days" and people don't like days. But, they said African American Baseball day got voted on seperately and that passed. WTF???

If the bill is voted on on its own in the senate and is seen for its own merit it should pass. It's not a "day" or even a month. It's an educational initative. When it passes it goes back to the house. So if you are a Maryland resident, please find out who you're state senator is and urge them to support the bill. If you're reading this post I don't think I have to tell you how important it is.

Remember to Check Out uppity-crip.blogspot.com

cherylberyl — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:52:00 GMT

I've had a ton of really great posts so far in 09, way more then have been X-posted here...

For Maryland Residents: Leadership Empowerment Advocacy Project (LEAP)

cherylberyl — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:47:00 GMT

The Leadership Empowerment Advocacy Project (LEAP) began in 1990 and is supported and funded by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Mental Hygiene Administration. Through the years, LEAP has offered an opportunity for mental health consumers to learn the leadership and advocacy skills necessary to make a positive impact on Maryland’s mental health system. Through intensive training the participants are provided an opportunity to network and acquire resources enabling them to further consumer involvement in the public mental health system. Individuals who graduate from LEAP have gone on to become directors of peer support groups, members of workgroups and boards that affect mental health care, and testify, lobby and provide important information to our legislators in Annapolis. This year we will also provide information about federally funded programs that promote recovery.

Each workshop is taught by an expert in their field. Workshops for this year include: Leadership Skills, Advocacy Communication, the Recovery Experience and Concepts, Partnering with Policy Makers: Technical Assistance Needed by Administrators, How to Engage in Changing Mental Hygiene Administration Policies, Federally Funded Wellness and Recovery Models, How to Engage in Changing Federal Policy, Medicaid 101, and Using Medicaid Monies to Support Recovery Efforts.

The LEAP training involves a four day commitment to participate in intensive workshops. The dates of the training are June 22^nd through June 25^th. The training is provided at no cost to you with room and board included. You must be able to provide your own transportation to and from Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsvile, Maryland. Transportation costs will be reimbursed. Participants are chosen by an application process with a total of 12 consumers accepted. If chosen, you will be expected to make the commitment to attend the entire four days and to continue the vision and goals of LEAP by positively impacting the mental health system with your advocacy and leadership.

For more info contact:

Susan Kadis
Mental Hygiene Administration
SGHC – Dix Building
55 Wade Avenue
Catonsville, Maryland 21228
skadis@dhmh.state.md.us
410-402-8407

What About ME!?!?!

cherylberyl — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:36:00 GMT

[image description: b/w clipart of a girl in a manual chair w/her hand raised high]

I feel rather odd not having blogged for a whole entire week. I think I ODed on the whole blogging thing in Jan/Feb and I need a break, even though I wrote down a long list of things I want to blog about (this one not included). Anyway, the post now...

Today I went to the CMS MFP conference (Center for Medicare/caid Services Money Follows the Person) which was down in Harbor East (Baltimore). For my senior seminar in family studies class we have to go to 2 conferences, so this is #1. #2 is tomorrow evening. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's bright horizons conference is held in the union every spring. I chose the CMS conference because I have a very good friend who was presenting today who wanted as many Sunshine Folk there as possible, and my other friend and fellow CDRC member works for CMS and was in charge of the whole thing.

The day started by having to get up 2hrs before usual, earlier then I remember getting up in a long time, because the conference was downtown and started at 9am. It was still dark out when I had to get up *whine* and very cold in my room. It was extremely hard to get out from under the covers. So I missed my paratransit ride :-( I can't take a cab into Baltimore anymore because the state cut how far I can get on the discounted rate, and, well, I lost the card again the other day anyway... So in the freezing cold 13 degrees fahrenheit I raced over to the library to use google maps to figure out my route via bus, which is totally free w/a paratransit ID. The route seemed easy enough, but I got totally lost. Anyone who knows Baltimore, I somehow randomly ended up at the inner harbor after I got off the bus, which was good being that I was looking for E Pratt st, but I guessed wrong, turned the wrong way, and ended up at the convention center (off of W Pratt st, totally missed the fact I had crossed over) when the hotel is in Harbor East. I was an icicle by the time I texted someone, turned myself around, and miraculously found my way there. To top it all off, my chair battery was blinking angerly at me on 1 bar this whole time and I was petrified it was going to die. Thankfully it didn't. So I was late, yes, but the requirement for class is only to be there for a minimum of 3hrs.

*sigh* It makes me feel better to get that out.

I went to 3 sessions today. I can't even remember what my sessions were technically on. All the names sounded very interesting except what they all were really about was needs assessing, dressed up in different contexts. Employment, person centered planning, and community organizing. I've done some theoretical needs assessments, in fact I turned one in yesterday for sr sem that everyone in the class has to answer and give back to me, and frankly I've had enough of needs assessments over the years. I've had to do them in too many classes. And right after I just did one, gag me. Even so, I was able to pick up a little tidbit in each session and really did learn something. In fact, I had had a return paratransit ride for 2pm that I canceled during lunch so I could stay for the 2 afternoon sessions.

I've totally gone off from what this post was supposed to be about: the first session. "What about ME!?!?!" The session was about employment & community inclusion. Getting people employed post-nursing home? I dunno, but employment is a hot topic nowadays, so I picked that one. That was not what the session turned out to be about. It was somewhat about SSI and ticket to work, medicaid buy in, etc, but then I stood up, asked a question and totally derailed the entire conversation.

[image description: b/w clipart of a girl wearing AFOs w/forearm crutches (left) talking to a girl (right) w/a backpack on]

The person presenting started briefly talking about how there is this big unemployment rate for PWDs 18-26 and after that it seems to go down some. PWDs aren't steered towards thinking about work post-high school. They're steered towards adult service providers and day recreation programs. Academics need to be balanced with work preparation she said. She very briefly mentioned the big statewide transition program in New Hampshire (where she is from) for 18-21. Someone stopped and asked a question, and then before she could get another word in and try to get back on track after she answered, I stood up and forcefully asked a question.

"This transition program that you're talking about, is it for students still being serviced by their public schools? Because what about people transitioning from high school to college? I'm 24 (it feels weird to say that), I'm about to graduate, and I feel like we are a very underserved and ignored population."

People thanked me for bringing up the point. I said that I was never in special ed, got rid of my IEP in 3rd grade and had a 504 plan all through school, and there was no "transition" for me. "What about trying to steer students to college? Many students don't realize that they can go to college, that they are capable of it. It isn't easy, it certainly hasn't been for me, it's been 6 years, but many students can do it." There's just things like school systems not realizing that students not in special ed are still eligible for voc rehab funding. Who knew the state pays for crips to go to college?

The state of Maryland I think puts on a big transition conference every fall. I know of the one that happened in 07 because I got on this list after I got my workshop grant. I had wished I didn't have class so I could have gone. I got the thing w/all the sessions on it. There were so many broken up into all sorts of categories. Pediatric to adult health care transition, school to employment transition etc. I was particularly impressed by how much they had geared towards health care. But, there was nothing in all of those sessions covering transitioning to a higher education setting. Not even one. It got me enraged, just as the session today ticked me off unintentionally (although more so because that conference had been completely organized by our state's voc rehab). If voc rehab doesn't even know what to do w/the kids whose educations they're going to be footing the bill for, then, well, we're all doomed.

Another thing, it seems as though a lot of the honest to g-d professionals that were in that room w/me had gotten into their field as a byproduct of having a crip kid. Which was totally cool because they were so passionate about what they were doing on the policy level even. But one of them mentioned how the expectation that professionals (mainly drs and such) have for kids very early on in life is projected onto the parents who are then completely brainwashed by the time their kid is 18 that they truly believe that their kid is incapable of working (which by and large is not the case). So then, um, the kid believes that too of course.

Another parent-professional brought up how important it is to get the parents involved, to get them engaged, to get them totally on board with this 'hey your kid is going to go out and get a job' thing. Ticked off lately by some conversations I've had recently with the person who runs the 18-21 high school to work program right here on campus, I had to say something to that of course. I had to say that I semi-disagreed w/her. "What about getting the student involved? It's more important to get the student involved then the parent. I mean, yeah, parents are important too, but your other child all along gets other messages about planning post high school and figuring out what they want to do w/their life. Do that. The students need to believe that they can do something even more then their parents do."

Sheesh. Treat your special ed students like they're no different then their regular ed peers and they will be. Treat them like they should have goals and aspirations that are just a little bit of a reach for them, and they will meet those goals, just like most other students. By golly, even some students who have spent the majority of their time in special ed or in inclusion settings with tons of intensive pull out services can go on to college. It is possible. I've heard the stories. Refer to The Short Bus. Work with both your special ed and regular ed students w/disabilities to find strength-based strategies that will help them to be successful in life. Strategize and problem solve with them. As the guy said today in the community organizing session I went to, don't come at a problem w/the answer and try to fit the problem (or fabricate a problem) into the answer. Come at the problem w/a question. Or questions. Seek out the answer and then ask some more questions if you have to. Then the solution will actually work. What a concept!

I wish I could attach a flow chart here. Ask yourself, 'can this kid go to college? Do I think they might be able to succeed?' That is the essential question. If the answer is no, ask yourself if there is even the tiniest voice in the back of your head that says maybe. If the answer to that is yes, or if the answer to the first question is yes, then you have come up w/your problem. How? How can we make sure s/he succeeds? Start asking yourself, the kid, their parents, their outside support system, the professionals they work with. The kid in particular might have no f*cking clue. Their shrink is a good place to start in figuring this out. Refer to the bottom of my blog roll. Everyone Needs Therapy. I truly believe that.

I went through freshman year failing everything, but surrounded by people who wanted to help me. Except that they kept waiting for me to be self-directive; to tell them exactly how to help me, exactly what to do. I didn't know. I was in uncharted territory that year. I'm all for person centered planning. It works way better then systems centered planning. But sometimes (most of the time) it needs to be a collaborative effort between the client and the professional. Get down and dirty in the trenches with your client. You need to be on equal footing with them. As a professional don't assume that you know better then your client. You don't. Who could possibly know better what is best for me then me? Help your client to fill in the gaps. Strategize with them, facilitate.

As the guy in the person-centered planning session said, you have to look at what is important to your client as well as what is important for your client. For example, it may be important to your new crip college student to make friends, establish social connections. But, it is important for them to go to class. That's what they're there for. Don't discredit your client's need to have a social life and tell them that the only way for them to ever graduate is to live their life for the next how ever many years in the library like a recluse. Help them to find their best balance between socializing and studying. Based on that particular student and their disability issues this may mean altering their course load in order to accomplish both goals. That idea may be unsettling to you at first, or the kid, or their parents. But work your way through that--or send them to a good shrink.

But above all, just start thinking about kids like me. Start discussing kids like me. Keep them somewhere in your mind, even if it is not the very front (hey, we all have to start somewhere). We're out there, we exist, and we need just as much person-centered strength-based goal direction as the next kid. We're not in special ed (or we are, but we're more high functioning then your "typical" special ed student) but we need more specific, more custom tailored person-centered plans then regular ed students. We're lagging behind because we're being left to fall through the cracks (someone please correct me if I am wrong and this is not as dire as I am presenting). It doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to struggle quite as much. Just do something.

*off my soapbox* If you like my clipart go to
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/category/stud.html
There is never enough good crip clipart to go around. I have such a hard time finding it when I need it. Found it by accident tonight, wasn't looking.

NaBloPoMo

cherylberyl — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:30:00 GMT

I found out about NaBloPoMo from Emma over at The Life and Times of Emma and I just now thought, hey, yesterday I sort of committed myself to blogging everyday so I might as well join, right? So I just did and then I realized I was planning on taking Saturdays off. Anyone know if that is allowed?

Is it OK to Laugh at Intellectually Disabled People?

cherylberyl — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:50:00 GMT

See my post from Sunday over at Uppity Crip about how's your news. Here are some posts about How's Your News? from www.patricaebauer.com :

'Hows Your News?'--Laughing at or Laughing with?
Rewiew: MTV's 'How's Your News?'
I read the Article on the Philadelphia Daily News

So that's what I'm wondering. Are we "Laughing at or Laughing With?" When I first posted Is It Funny? over at my Disaboom Blog I got the full range of responses. One yes it is funny, one it's never funny to make fun of anyone's difference, and one you are not laughing at the disability but at the situation.

Here's another real world example. For those of you who watched or have watched How's Your News?, is it funny or not? I did watch How's Your News Sunday night although I unfortunately missed the first 5 minutes. I thought it was GREAT! I am worried though that it is not going to last. Several years ago there was a show State of Grace about a Jewish family in the south in the 60's. I loved it, my mom loved it (we watched it together), my aunt watched it with her kids, and I feel like every other Jewish person we know loved it as well. But the show didn't last long. 1) Because ABC Family moved it from Sunday to Friday and many Jews will not watch TV on the Sabbath, and 2) I think it was geared towards too small of a niche audience. I'm afraid it's going to be the same for How's Your News? and that the show is not going to last. People are afraid to laugh with intellectually disabled people for fear of how it will make them look to others. I'm afraid they'll be afraid to watch. I'm afraid the show is geared towards too small of a niche audience. What do you think?

Get Ready for Almost Daily (if not multiple times a day) Blogging

cherylberyl — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:25:00 GMT

Over at uppity-crip.blogspot.com

I think for awhile at least, I am going to be blogging every single day that I am awake (I have had my share of days where I sleep through all daylight hours). My autonomic nervous system requires it, and who am I to deny myself what I desperately need? I want to breathe, and have normal blood pressure, and sleep through the night. So much for slowing down for school...

Horseback riding? $50/lesson and I don't think paratransit goes there...
Massage therapy? Runs about $75/hr around here...
Personal trainer: $70/hr.
Shrink: $80/hr. It's agreed by all parties involved that I need to be there 2-3X/week, but at $80/hr 1X/week is a stretch in this economy.
BUUUUT... BLOGGING is free! (I feel like a mastercard commercial)

Does it do the trick? Better then any of the other options I have left. I mean, there's running and drawing, but blogging is where it's at! So check back for my daily rambling y'all.

For All You Maryland Locals

cherylberyl — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:26:00 GMT

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Skate towards a cure...Help put cancer on thin ice.

The 3rd Annual

Lace Up For A Cure

To Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Welcome to your weekly newsletter for the 2009 Lace Up For A Cure.

We're just about 4 weeks away

from this year's Lace Up For A Cure!

1. REGISTER NOW!

Call Tim Christofield, Campaign Manager

at 410-891-1873

Email Tim at tim.christofield@lls.org

Time is quickly running out to reserve your spot on the ice. Space is limited so don't delay. The process to join us couldn't be easier. So no excuses!

2. What is Lace Up for A Cure?

Lace Up For A Cure is a skate-a-thon that has helped raise funds to fight blood cancers nationally, over the past ten years. This is a great opportunity for skaters of all skill levels and backgrounds to "lace up" their skates and hit the ice in the fight against cancer.During the event's first two years in Maryland

, local participants and supporters raised over $25,000. Come out and help us raise even more! Proceeds will benefit (LLS), Maryland Chapter, in support of our mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

3. Center Ice Dedication

What has inspired you to Lace Up for the Cure?

As a participant in the Center Ice Dedication, you will have the opportunity in the spotlight to devote a unique message, song or poem to all those who have inspired you to Lace Up for A Cure. Feel free to be creative with your presentation.To qualify, an individual participant must pre-register and raise a minimum of $500 by the day of the event.

Pre register by March 1, 2009 ~ $25

Register after March 1, 2009 ~ $30

Skate rentals will be provided free of charge.

Again spaces are limited so reserve your spot on the ice today!

Please contact Tim Christofield at the Maryland Chapter office at 410-527-0220 or email for more information or to register over the phone.

My Posts From the 2nd Half of Jan

cherylberyl — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:28:00 GMT

All on uppity-crip.blogspot.com

listed are those that have not been cross-posted:

If You're a Tard and you Know it
Thankful Thursday
Back to School
Thankful Thursday
ICE
51% of Workplace Accomodations Cost NOTHING

Are You Ever Embarassed Asking for Help?

cherylberyl — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:03:00 GMT

Tuesday night there was an ice storm. I woke up to a campus covered in ice and when I left at 12 to go to class I found that a lot of it hadn't been dealt with yet. I'm lucky I take my chair to class and didn't have to walk. It warmed up and late this afternoon a steady rain started. All of that rain is going to freeze overnight. I doubt the school is going to deal with the new ice very well either.

That brings us to 3pm today when I have an appt with my shrink. I've never been over there in ice before. Do they deal with it well? I don't know. I called her cell phone yesterday and left her a voicemail. "When you get to work can you call me and let me know how the ice is over there. You might have to come out and help me in." I'm lucky that she gets to work at 2 and will actually know what the current situation is outside. I hate ice. It scares me and if I slip and fall I can't get up.

What I don't understand is why making that call left me with a slight twinge of embarassment. This is not a situation in which I should feel embarassed. Especially not with her. She certainly knows enough about me. When I was younger I would get embarassed of course. But why now? Why do I care? As and adult who has been disabled since birth, why is it that something so small and insignificant (in the scheme of things) is getting to me? I wish I knew.

People on the Move: Using All Transportation Options

cherylberyl — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:02:00 GMT

Project ACTION Hosts Free Audio Conference

People on the Move: Using All Transportation Options

(ADA and beyond…) 2008-09 Distance Learning Series

Environmental Barrier Analysis and Options for Remedy

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 (Part I) Webinar 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 (Part II) Audio Conference 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time

Register by Jan. 28. This is a two-part conference and sign-up for both sessions will be required.

About this event

“Environmental Barrier Analysis and Options for Remedy" is part of a free train-the-trainer series to increase accessible transportation in your community. The Feb. 4 (Part I) and Feb. 11 (Part II) program will feature Penny Everline, ESPA training and technical assistance specialist, sharing basic information about conducting an environmental barrier analysis. Below is an outline of the presentation.

Part I: Webinar 2 - 3 p.m. EST Feb. 4

· Brief highlighting of features and potential barriers on:

1. Transit vehicles;

2. Transit facilities (i.e., stops and stations);

3. The pedestrian circulation network (path of travel);

· Review of a user-friendly environmental barrier analysis tool;

· Preparation for participants to conduct a brief environmental barrier analysis activity, which will be the basis for discussion in Part II (i.e., homework assignment).

Part II: Audio Conference 2 - 3 p.m. EST Feb. 11

· Facilitated discussion regarding participants’ findings from the environmental barrier analysis activity to be conducted after Part I;

· Discussion of the purpose and benefits of conducting a community-wide environmental analysis;

· Discussion of how and why transportation authorities complete this analysis;

· Facilitated discussion regarding the role participants can play in publicizing, implementing or reviewing this analysis.

The Feb. 4 event is a Webinar and will require Internet access and a telephone connection to fully participate. Instructions for connecting via the Internet and dialing in for the audio portion will be provided to those who register. We will also provide free training resources and materials. In return, we ask that you use the materials to train others in your community.

The Feb. 11 event will be an audio conference and will require a telephone connection only. Instructions for dialing in for the audio portion will be provided to those who register. We will also provide free training resources and materials. In return, we ask that you use the materials to train others in your community.

“Environmental Barrier Analysis and Options for Remedy” is among topics in ESPA’s series, "People on the Move: Using All Transportation Options (ADA and Beyond)."

How to participate

Registration is now open and will remain available until Jan. 28. After you register, related information, including dial-in and Internet access, will be provided in a confirmation email.

If you and other members of your organization wish to participate, we encourage you to register once and to use one computer and phone line, inviting others to join you in the room. This will allow for maximum participation.

In order to give Everline an opportunity to learn about the interests of participants, everyone is invited to send email to POTM@easterseals.com stating areas of interest and/or questions prior to the conference. She will review these comments and do her best to address these issues during the presentation. Please type “Environmental Barrier Analysis” in the subject line and submit the questions no later than Jan. 28.

If you have any questions regarding this or other People on the Move Distance Learning events, contact Kristi Ross at (800)659-6428 or through POTM@easterseals.com.

About the presenter

Penny Everline joined Easter Seals Project ACTION in 2006 as a training and technical assistance specialist. Prior to that, she worked for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) where she authored materials for print publication and the Web site and provided technical assistance to Assistive Technology Act grantees. In addition, she worked for six years in university settings in student services where she oversaw staff training and taught several undergraduate courses. Everline currently serves on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Working Group and on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Riders Advisory Council. She holds a master of social work degree from George Mason University.

Resource materials for this event

The use of two publications, (1) Personal Transit Experience and (2) Environmental Barrier Analysis and Options for Remedy, is required. Please indicate a desired format.

The following resources are optional:

· ESPA's Toolkit for the Assessment of Bus Stop Accessibility and Safety

· U.S. Access Board Web site and Guidelines for Accessible Public Rights-of-Way

· ESPA's The Rights and Responsibilities of Transit Customers with Disabilities

· ESPA's ADA Bookmark

· ESPA's Transit Operator's Pocket Guide

· Transcript from the 2007 distance learning event titled, "You Can’t Get There from Here: Increasing Access in Pedestrian Circulation to and from Public Transportation" in plain text or PDF formats

About the People on the Move series

For several years, People on the Move was provided as in-person training scheduled annually in five cities. In 2008, the format for POTM was changed to extend the learning opportunity to a much wider audience through incorporation into our distance learning formats of audio conferences and Webinars.

There are several remaining programs in the series. Each of the sessions provides a basic look at the topic being presented. While most of the sessions are stand-alone events from which participants can pick and choose, the more sessions you participate in, the more complete your People on the Move experience will be. Registration for each event is available three to four weeks prior to the event. For the full event schedule, visit the People on the Move Web site.

NOTE: If you have attended our People on the Move workshop in the past couple of years, this series of events will be a repeat of the information you received.

My Posts From the Last Week

cherylberyl — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:50:00 GMT

Janurary has proven to be a high posting month just like last year. Here are the titles of my posts from the last week, all at uppity-crip.blogspot.com:

Thankful Thursday
I Found a Guy and I Lost Him. Or, It Isn't a Big Deal.
Comments Work Now!!!
Third Grader with Cerebral Palsy Gives Her All in the Nutcracker
For anyone with Comcast Digital Cable
Anyone Want to Make me a Photobanner? (someone already volunteered)

DBC 52: Things That are Therapeutic

cherylberyl — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:35:00 GMT

**If you're wondering why your post got 2 trackbacks, I am in the process of moving all my posts one by one to blogger. So I've cross posted from uppity-crip.blogspot.com and will slowly start only posting there. There are a few reasons, the main one being that I've wanted a sidebar back and they are never going to give us one here. If you're not on my blogroll yet, don't be insulted, I only put a few so far for placement. **

I'm very distressed over the turn out for this blog carnival. I got only 6 submissions. I wonder if it was too far from the last blog carnival and people forgot all about it? Or I wonder if people were too stressed to post with all that goes on this time of year? I've also noticed that a lot of old regulars have not submitted in a VERY long time. I wonder... The lack of submissions forced me to search through the blogsphere and find blogs I'd never come across before, so it was still a lot of fun putting this together. I hope you all take some time to visit the "carnival virgins" and welcome them. Maybe they'll submit to future carnivals?

And now for the carnival that will hopefully give you some ideas so that you don't end up like that guy...

Carnival Regulars

Danielle from The River of Jordan submitted a post about adjusting to a life with an absolutely adorable special needs son. Though therapy she learned that many things are therapeutic for her, such as getting involved in disability studies, going to the movies, and spending time with her son.

I found two posts from Kara about the therapeutic benefits of blogging. In A Blog a Day Keeps the Doctor Away Kara talks about a study that found that blogging helps some people decrease anxiety and depression and can promote creativity and critical thinking. In a later post Kara talks about a study that investigated whether blogging increased social support for people with SCIs.

Emma wrote a post that she told me was very much train of thought. She gave so much thought to this topic and came up with so many good ideas that she couldn't choose one. So she didn't. She wrote about counseling, blogging, reading, knitting, and swimming, in her entry, Things That are Therapeutic.

Carnival Virgins

Penny sent me a short post from Lorraine at Keep Bloggering On. She writes about the spinal cord injury sports club that she belongs to and how good it feels to be around people who get her.

Dierdre from Positive Thinking Everyday submitted her first post from December 2007 where she introduces herself and explains her "positives lists." She posts those frequently on her blog.

Marie just started A Day in the Life of a Disabled Mom this past October. I happened to find her 6th post, which I couldn't not include. It's titled very therapeutic.

Leah, from Everyone Needs Therapy, is a social worker from the Chicago area and is a big believer in the healing power of blogging (I seem to have found a lot about that). She reminds us though that there are pros, cons, and limits to the use of blogging as a therapeutic tool.

I found Jenni on Disaboom and then went to her other blog, The Site That Breathes, where I found a post about how she is going to destress over her winter break.

For the life of me I can't remember how I found Cheryl's blog (another Cheryl), Wishing and Discovering. She is also a very new blogger who started her blog this past September. I found 2 great posts from her. The first one is about how great it feels to laugh and the second one is her list of the 10 best moments of 2008, all of which revolved around something that's therapeutic for her.

Off Topic

Ettina, a carnival regular from Abnormaldiversity, submitted a post that was sort of on topic, which is about self-diagnosing ASD. I agree with the viewpoint of most autism advocates that it is impossible to seperate the person from the autism. That autism is as much a part of them as any other trait (blonde hair, athleticism, etc). On that line of thinking, Ettina makes a good point. Everyone who comes out as GLBTQ self-diagnosed themselves. You don't go to a doctor to have them tell you your gay. She poses the question that if they can do it, why can't we?

Penny submitted a random post she read and loved that was written by Laura Hershey. It's about Oral History and Disability Rights.

I received a submission from Rabbi Paul from California at the blog aptly named Or Am I? He writes about a book he heard about that was written by a 15 year old who has an autistic brother. I had a few minutes to look through his blog and I really wish I'd had more then a few. I also had a few minitues to browse through his synagogue's website. As I told Rabbi Paul in an email, I wish all shuls were as inclusive as his. Boy do I have some stories...

Lastly, Tom Styles didn't end up submitting a post to the carnival, but he's a real life friend of mine who I've just convinced to start a Disaboom blog and I want to give him a plug. He's a GREAT writer. Take a look at what he's got so far. This post makes me smile :)

Carnival to be up Late

cherylberyl — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:21:00 GMT

I am 25% done but I have multiple appts to go to tomorrow nd won't be able to get bck to it until after dinner here (US eastern time). Sorry for the wait.