Wishing a “Happy 83rd Birthday” to a very special lady in my life, Doris Goins. As you have probably heard me say before, Ms. Goins was my brother, Robert, who was born with special needs, nurse for over 15 years. At age 83-years-young, she is still a full-time nurse. This picture was taken on April 28, 2018, at RCM’s 20th Anniversary Party at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. She is definitely my inspiration. I want to say, happy birthday, and thanks for all that you do. We love you!
We all know a set of siblings who are at each other's throat at any opportunity possible - but maybe things would be different if they had a quick look at this video. Because this young man with Down's syndrome reacted in the most amazing way when he saw his older brother's tattoo for the first time. We think he definitely approves of it, that's for sure. The tattoo was of the LAD's face inside the mouth of a lion and he couldn't believe it as he ran his hand across his brother's arm before giving him a kiss and an affectionate hug. Someone chopping onions in here? Or just me? To read more on this story, click here:Big Brother Gets Tattoo Of Little Brother With Down's Syndrome On Arm, He Absolutely Loves It
Alice Wong to Disability Visibility Project Hello friends! I am excited to share with you the first-ever publication by the Disability Visibility Project, "Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People." It will be available on October 15, 2018 in multiple formats including audio. You can pre-order the anthology now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVZN7Q4?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
For more details the about Resistance and Hope, the contributors, the team that put it together, and advance praise for the anthology: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/resist/ You can read and listen to a sneak preview of the book here: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2018/07/26/preview-resistance-and-hope/ Many thanks to Robin Eames, Editorial Assistant and Micah Bazantt for the beautiful book cover. Thank you to Rosalie Morales Kearns, S. E. Smith, Corbett OToole for their advice and wordsmithing. Appreciation to Cheryl Green for her PDF accessibility wizardy! Image description: On the left side is an illustration by artist Micah Bazant featuring a midnight blue sky with little white stars. Below is a log with mushrooms growing out of it in multiple shapes and colors. “Text reads: Resistance & Hope, Essays by Disabled People, Crip Wisdom for the People, Edited by Alice Wong, Disability Visibility Project.” The ‘o’ in ‘Hope’ looks like a full moon. On the right is white text against a black background that reads: “Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People, Available October 15, 2018 Pre-order now on Amazon.com For more about the anthology: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/resist/ #ResistanceAndHope”
FOLLOW US!
The Blade wrote about Sunshine Communities and others' development of a new resource for DSPs: Getting Ahead In The Workplace! Great job, and great read! After almost three years at Sunshine Communities in Maumee, Toni Hazen-Mansfield, who wears close to a buzz cut, occasionally wants to pull what little hair she has out of her head at the end of a long workday. A support center for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, Sunshine’s staff members occasionally deal with crises when individuals become aggressive or when “things go haywire,” said Mrs. Hazen-Mansfield, 24, of Bowling Green, “Things ... normally can go from zero to 100 real quick,” she said. “[But] I love my job. It doesn't scare me.” It’s a job that Mrs. Hazen-Mansfield arrived at via a circuitous route. When she was 11, she began caring for her ill father while her mother worked full time. Despite the balance of finishing homework, caring for her father, and helping her mother lead the household, she graduated valedictorian from Jackson-Milton High School in North Jackson, Ohio, receiving a full-ride scholarship to Youngstown State University. To read more on this story, click here:Getting Ahead Helps Those in High-Stress Jobs Deal with Struggles
FOLLOW US!
Check out some of the Emerging Leaders at the DDS leadership meeting on July 26, presenting on their collaboration with Georgetown Medical Students! Way to go Barry, TJ and Derrick!
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The commercial lasts less than a minute. Time enough, Ben Young hopes, for viewers to see what he needs and to imagine what he can give. “Come change my life,” Young says in a computer-generated voice. “I promise it will change yours forever. Help me help myself.” The pitch, from a bright and determined young man who can neither feed nor dress himself, or even speak clearly without aid of technology, is part of a statewide campaign to recruit the workers known as “direct support professionals.” The well-being of Young and tens of thousands of other Ohioans with developmental disabilities turns on the availability of competent and reliable support providers. But the pool has gone frighteningly shallow. Companies and nonprofit agencies that offer care and support to people with disabilities say they are struggling more than ever to attract workers, forcing some to terminate services and decline new clients. Parents go without sleep and take leave from their jobs to fill in. Adults and children with disabilities become frustrated, confused or upset at the churn of names and faces and routines. “We have a workforce crisis on our hands that is of mammoth proportions,” said Mark Davis, president of the Ohio Provider Resource Association. To read more on this story, click here:Direct Support Workers In Short Supply As Demand Surges
