DisabilityWorks,inc.

Jobs...Jobs..Jobs...

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:38:00 +0000

In this economy many of us are looking for jobs. But for people with disabilities this cannot be stated loudly enough. Having a job isn't solely about economic stability and indepence but identity. As for many a job helps define the person we are- it gives us a purpose every morning to get up & contribute to a larger goal. As we leave the month of October behind and National Disability Employment Awareness month is just a distant memory it is critical to understand that having a month to focus on employment in my mind defeats the purpose. We need to see this as both an economic and moral imperative. This is about the renewing of the contract with america & creating a vibrant workforce & develop innovative ideas for the new economy of the 21st Century. People with disabilities want to work! With an aging population & those in this demographic that want to work & have valuable intellectual capital American corporations must see this as a competitive advantage & must consider new approaches to hiring & retaining workers. Aside from that this pool of workers offers new opportunities for new business ventures that have only scratched the surface of what's possible.

As we inch closer to the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act America must look at itself & ask what progress have really made in reigniting the business of America.

Healthcare & Employment

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:51:00 +0000

This is October which means it is National Disability Employment Awareness month. At the sametime throughout the halls of Congress is a major healthcare debate. But no one seems to be making the link between healthcare and employment particularly for those with disabilities.

Healthcare while vital for all Americans is critical for the disability community because it enhances one's quality of life and creates further opportunities for millions of people with disabilities. Corporations have to see the vital role that healthcare plays for the retention of employees but the ability for them to add valuable human capital to there organizations.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:53:00 +0000

We have reached the month of October and again we go through another National Disability Employment Awareness Month. While I think the month is vital for the disability community I often feel it doesn't have as much impact or resonance as one would like. October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month which in my estimation has a lot more media coverage and a resounding impact in terms of funding for further research and awareness. The fundamental question that needs to be asked is why isn't the cross disability community seeing the same type of national exposure that other groups (like cancer organizations who in my mind are related to the larger disability community)One is that disability as a cross sectional community has never truly hit the mainstream - they are relegated to the world of foundations and non profits. One can argue that segments of the disability community have gone "mainstream" like the autism community but this is due in part to Autism Speaks that was founded by the former President of NBC and has tremendous reach in the media world. Also celebrity parents such as Jenny Mcarthy and Hollie Robinson Peete who have gone on talk shows to discuss raising a child with autism have provided more gravitas in the media. More recently films like Adam and television shows like Boston Legal have showcased people on the spectrum as major characters.

I feel that the larger disability community MUST show that people with disabilities are intergal to human capital issues and critical to the future of corporate strategy and ROI. Ostensibly, the disability community have to rebrand themselves & portray themselves in a different light. No longer should they be seen in the context of a hand out but rather be seen as one of the most important coggs in the wheel so that organizations can run effectivley. Without them organizations may fail to have a workforce of the future.

Looking at Disability A New

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Over the past several months there have been both some professional and personal changes that have made me rethink a lot about the nature of disability and the future of my work in the field. I have been neglegent when it comes to writing on my blog. Since my last post I have been discovering a new chapter of my professional life that has been opening up for me. I was a primary consultant on a film called "ADAM" about a young man with Asperger Syndrome. Since the release of the film it has garnered a lot of press in publications like the NY Times and BBC Magazine. During this time I have been recieving a lot of phone calls and emails from both professionals and parents who have children with disabilities (in particular those of the autistic spectrum) asking me a variety of questions about there children from career development, schooling to a host of other areas. All these questions wre not clinically based but focused on lifestyle. It dawned on me pretty quickly that people are craving this information and that my work in the field could be of real value to peoples lives.

At the sametime President Obama spoke to a Joint Session of Congress discussing the need for healthcare not in terms of just dollars and sense but a basic human right and in essence a contributing factor to social justice. It has dawned on me that I need to continue to focus on disability and its impact on socio-cultural issues, lifestyle and a political framework is vital to the future of this community in the 21st Century. Disability as a concept is evolving and continues to do so. It is essential that we provide an accessible manner to do so not mired in academic loqution or political ramblings - BUT BASIC language so that it is truly accessible to all. I will continue to write focusing on these very areas.

The Obama Era

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:44:00 +0000

On January 20th history was made in the United States, our first African American President! But just as important our country has begun a new era of transparency that I think we have seldom seen in modern history. When you look at the Obama agenda, disability issues are a prominent cornerstone of the administrations goals. One can also see that with the use of technology the administration is embracing a real desire to communicate with the American public. I feel that this will be critical for the disability community to take advantage of and see that their agenda takes a prominent role over the course of the next four years. We as Americans with disabilities must be active participants in helping to structure public policy in this country. For the first time in my political consciousness I am more hopeful than ever that we will be given not only a voice but a place at the table to express our opinions. Yes we can!

Welcome 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Welcome to 2009! This is going to be quiet a year; from the Inauguration of a new President to dealing with a global economic crisis we have our plate full. However, the ripple effect of unemployment, trying to deal with a new generation of disabled Veterans to the aging baby boomer community will be critical not just for the future of America but will have a tremendous impact on the dimensions of politics, society and our general economic security.
My goal is the year is to use this blog as a place to formulate and discuss ideas that are vital to the disability and aging communities that look at the intersections of politics, economics, culture and society as a whole. I welcome others thoughts and ideas as the year progresses.
Again...Happy New Year!

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:04:00 +0000

With the passage of the new ADA Ammendments and October being National Disability Employment Awareness month this is an interesting time in American history! ( Not to mention the economic crisis that is breathing down our neck) As we as a nation bthink about how to deal with this overall crisis we must also think about the nature of work and the value of our workers. As the columnist Thomas Freidman so aptly puts it, we are at a crossroads in the sense that we need to rethink the future of our economy and look at "Green Jobs" as a viable future that can help create a major economic rebound. That being said, we must also consider the future of the American workforce and the future of how we work. With a shifting demographic, larger numbers of veterans returning from the middle east dealing with disabilities and a greater number of aging baby boomers who will be dealing with there own disability due to age and needing to work it is vital that we as a nation think about the workplace issues and disability as critical to the health of our future economy.

I am a firm believer in creating public/private partnerships that will focus on educating the 21st Century workforce and developing new ways to work that leverage and retain the valuable talents of the current and future workers with disabilities.

Universal Design: An Ethical Question

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:03:00 +0000

This past week I was fortunate enough to speak and attend The International Federation on Ageing 9th Annual Conference on Ageing and Design in Montreal. I was one of the few people there who were not a designer, architect, engineer or technologist. What astounded me about the event that while everyone there was praising how technology and particularly Universal Design was this great panacea that will solve many of the world’s issue when it came to how older adults and those with disabilities will be equipped by having greater ease of getting around to further participation in society it seemed to me that the focus was so much on the actual object that provided the assistance or bridge rather than focusing on the social repercussions of Universal Design and adaptive technology. These concepts are essentially just tools that provide human beings the ability to participate in a variety of ways giving one greater access to work, social connections to a host of other areas. The one critical issue that needs to be discussed is that Universal Design as a concept needs to expand its definition to inclusive social issues such as healthcare, employment and education. Universal Design as a social concept is vital for the future of both the global aging population and growing disability community. Agencies like the United Nations, The World Health Organization to private industry should expand the conversation to see the ethical question that we need to begin to ask of those who are in the Universal Design field – should we not see this as perfect opportunity as a way to not just solve basic physical and environmental issues but vital to the social contract that we as human beings of this world face- the ability to access basic needs – healthcare, education and the right to work!

The Democratic Convention, the Disability Community & the Future of America

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:35:00 +0000

Over the past few nights I like many Americans have been glued to the television watching the DNC Convention from Denver Colorado. What has really struck me is how prominent disability issues have played in this convention, whether directly or indirectly. Starting with Michelle Obama’s speech Monday night talking about her father who had MS and how his life with a disability gave her the lessons that she draws from to this day to be a better, mother, wife, friend and leader. From there I have heard speeches from the likes of Mark Warren, former governor of Virginia to of course to my Senator, Hillary Clinton. The issues of jobs, the global economy and healthcare resonated with me and the impact on the disability community going forward in this election cycle is crucial. Whether one is Republican or Democrat the fact that these issues are being discussed are vital to the future of our country. For people with disabilities I feel that jobs and healthcare are the touchstones for the future of the disability community in the United States. I am sure one would ask, isn’t that true for all Americans? My answer would simply be yes, but I feel that for the disability community this is lynch pin that will create greater participation into the general populous of American life. Full access to healthcare and competitive employment is vital for the future of this community. So come November I think we as the largest voting bloc in the US have to consider how we see our future and what we can do to steer the ship and give ourselves the best possible outcome.

Has Satire Really Been Lost: The Great ‘Tropic Thunder’ Debate

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:41:00 +0000

Has Satire Really Been Lost: The Great ‘Tropic Thunder’ Debate

This past week was the release of the much anticipated comedy starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black about three actors who start out to make a war film and get entangled in an actual armed conflict. The film itself is a satire about Hollywood and specifically actors and how serious they take their profession in a job that all about ‘make believe’. It satirizes the whole idea of doing several weeks of basic training to get a ‘feel’ of what’s it like to be in combat for the purpose of the film.
However, during pre-screenings there were several Disability groups who were up in arms about the use of word of the ‘retard’ in the film and the portrayal of a character named ‘Simple Jack’. While I certainly sympathize with these groups that the use of this word can be incredibly harmful and the portrayal of a character like ‘Simple Jack’ plays on traditional stereotypes of those with cognitive disabilities it is important to look at this in a larger context. The film was trying to satire why the Academy pays so much attention to people who play characters with cognitive disabilities and how that impacts Oscar voting. In the course of the film Downey Jr’s character goes down the list of American films of those characters with cognitive disabilities from Chauncey Gardner in ‘Being There’ to Sean Penn’s portrayal in ‘I am Sam’.

What I took away from this is Hollywood’s insatiable appetite for neurotypical’s to play roles of those with cognitive disabilities and seeing that as a great acting feat. Actually if people really take a step back and look at this in a larger context shows Hollywood’s contempt for both actors and the profession itself. As Downey’s character pointed out that you don’t want to go over the deep end and be ‘too moronical’…whatever that quite means!

All I know is at times we need to take a deep breath and look at all works of art in the context they are – it’s time and place. Then, we can move forward and make an informed decision. I feel that organizations have right to voice their opinion but it is critical that we all make sure that we know what the end game is when challenging any form of expression. Hopefully, there will be something positive that comes out of this.

Michael Savage - What was he Saying?

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:29:00 +0000

After hearing Michael Savage comment’s this past week on the radio I was compelled to write about. I actually listened to his statement multiple times on a loop because I couldn’t believe he actually said what he did. Here is a guy that is perpetuating the “frigid mother” concept espoused by Bruno Bettelheim over forty years ago and has been debunked time and time again over the past fifteen. His statement was just crass full of inaccuracies and outright ludicrous. Yet, if you look beyond the vitriol he does bring up a very important point and that is how do we define this diagnosis called autism and why is it on the rise? As the anthropologist Richard Grinker wrote about in his book Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism he is a firm believer that there are cultural and social variables in how autism is defined and more importantly how it is diagnosed. With out of 150 children in this country being diagnosed with autism it harkens back to what I believe what was Savage’s intent & that is why is it in on the rise & how have we not seen this before?

Developing Innovation!

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:50:00 +0000

Developing Innovation!

I have been asked to design a national conference on Disability, Business and Innovation. The hope is that this will be something that is an annual event. While most people who are in “the know” realize the data favors such an event and that a conference like this can only be beneficial for business it still is one of those areas where not everyone has caught onto the realities of the variety of variables that will truly impact the future of the global workforce that will in turn create other opportunities in the development of new products and services.

With innovation comes resistance. We are at a ‘tipping point’ where organizations have to begin to put aside there fears (as hard as that may be to do) and see the possibilities ahead. With disability (and aging) issues it is fundamental that businesses begin to spearhead new innovations beyond the parameters of the government because in my estimation it is the for profit world that can have the vision & the capital to see the social value as well as the long term economic return.

I look forward to the time when disability becomes a cornerstone of not only diversity strategies but general business philosophy!

What is In a Message?

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:09:00 +0000

Business often tries to develop a message that will attract customers to the product they are trying to sell. Yet often times it seems to me that what most corporations seem to miss is that messaging goes far beyond just the general conventions of marketing and branding but must see it as an overall philosophy. Business must begin to understand there consumer – there needs, motivations and the patterns by which they live their lives. For the disability community this “niche market” has been an enigma for most businesses to truly get a handle on what the right type of message to send would be. Partly because it is a fairly fractured community with many different types of disability, however, I feel if we begin to really assess the issue we can come to a greater understanding of how to project certain messages that will attract the 56 million Americans with disabilities and be able to adapt it to other communities of those with disabilities globally.
To start off, American business must understand a basic truth that people with disabilities are people first! They want to live lives that are as productive, rewarding and fulfilling as everyone else. They have the same hopes, aspirations as any able bodied person. As I’ve said many times before disability is part of the human experience, it is an element that defines a person but in most cases is NOT the whole person. This is critical for business to understand when developing an overall strategy in developing a message that caters to not only the individual with a disability but family & friends. What is important to understand is that an individual’s disability impacts the people around them. If companies can begin with this premise they will start to understand how to frame the messaging to meet not only the individual with a disability but see the profound impact it can have on the market at large. To be continued…..

Network Affinity Groups: The Disability Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:02:00 +0000

I recently spoke and attended at a conference in New York City devoted to Affinity Groups/Employee Network Groups. The two day conference was truly an eye opening event because it allowed me insight into the inner works of how Affinity groups work within various corporate cultures. Looking at both the strengths and weaknesses I was able to think about how we can leverage this to meet the needs of workers with disabilities.
Affinity Groups were initially developed as small, informal, self started employee groups for people with common interests and issues. Now they are developed to help not only members but the companies they are part of to look strategically of how to utilize them to benefit the organizations.
What I have realized is that disability affinity groups are mostly small in size and comprise of some members with disabilities but also those that are family members. What I came to realize is something that has coincided with my philosophy for a while – disability is much more than a diversity issue – but a human one! In thinking about how to grow a Network Affinity Group around disability there are some challenges, the major one being self identification. How does one do it? Should one do it? There are some obvious answers because many with more profound disabilities can’t hide their disability but others with more “invisible” disabilities can stay away from it. The argument has been it will hide them from the stigma and possible ridicule if people knew. Secondly, it may give them some more job security.
While there is certain logic to that argument my answer is that disability is part of the human experience. For business to avoid this issue it is essential for them to see Network Groups as value added services than can help them with issues of human capital, retention to market innovation. Business must see disability as a cornerstone to their overall business strategy. The role that affinity groups can play are twofold, one create a central resource for employees to a variety of resources about how they can deal with their disability which will in turn increase workplace efficiency but also see themselves as a conduit to building larger coalitions with other groups to how to serve the issue of disability in their communities. It can be a win/win for all!

A Fundamental Question: Disability, Fear & How Far Have we really come?

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:49:00 +0000

I recently watched the little known film “The Music Within” based on the life of Richard Pimentel one of the great champions of the American with Disabilities Act and a pioneer in employment policy. The film looks at the trajectory of his life from young child dealing with a mentally ill mother to his tour in Vietnam where he lost a good part of his hearing to his journey to becoming a disability activist.
Where Pimentel made his mark was developing the first training manual for hiring people with disabilities called “Tilting at Windmills” in the mid 1970s. This was revolutionary for its time because it shed light on a community that had been ostracized for far too long. It provided government agencies the blueprint to hiring persons with disabilities.
In watching the film I kept thinking to myself even though Pimentel really set the groundwork for the enactment of The American with Disabilities Act how far have we really come in hiring, retaining & creating productive environment for workers with disabilities? In continuing to ponder this question I realized there are some real correlations between the time that Pimentel was working on “Tilting at Windmills” and now. During that time Vietnam vets were returning home many newly disabled and trying to adjust into civilian life find work and just live a productive life. Today in the midst’s of a war in Iraq and Afghanistan there are soldier returning dealing with the same issues as their counterparts did close to forty years ago. We have to begin to ask ourselves the questions, how far have we come in hiring, retaining and developing workers with disabilities. In a post Americans with Disabilities Act era are we any better than we were in the Vietnam era? The simple answer is yes, however, it is never really that cut and dry. There have certainly been strides made since Pimentel’s training manual was published and the enactment of the ADA but with a shifting demographic and most business inability to grasp that these types of hiring practices is not just but about good will but rather a valued business decision that will have a tremendous ripple effect far beyond this much continued parochial view point that still persists about the disability community it is only then that we will make strides. A universal design model that shows what is good for people with disabilities in fact impacts society as a whole.
We must continue the work that Pimentel started and create new opportunities that show we are not just limiting this to a disability issue but rather a see it as a human one.

Politics, Disability & The Cult of Personality

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:32:00 +0000

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of Britian and more recently Governor of New York David Patterson are two political figures who are disabled and have been very vocal about saying so. I guess the first question that comes to mind is can this by a viable political tool or is this a product of 'Identity Politics' that is pervasive across western society. The fact is that while the argument can be made concerning both I believe there is a third alternative. That is humanizing disability - showing that through ones inconviences it does not impact ones ability to do the task at hand but just as important is the ability to unite people under a common understanding of a human expierence. After hearing Patterson's speech a few weeks ago based on his own expierence with disability he humanized the concept of reaching out to the disenfranchized and has an innate capacity to see the synergy.

Spasms....

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:30:00 +0000

Spasms have dominated my life for the past several weeks. The winter in the North East with the shifting weather patterns have always made my physical life tough. The physical pain can be grueling and has made my daily life tough to handle over the past few weeks which are the reason I haven’t posted. Thankfully back in the saddle and will be blogging again real soon!

Aging, Disability & A Global Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:05:00 +0000

We are at a critical moment in human history. With an age revolution both developed nations and the developing world need to take a new look at aging and disability like never before. This must become a critical component of the fabric of any nation’s public policy and its impact on everything from employment to education is profound. After the spending several days at the United Nations 46th Session of the Commission on Social Development sitting in on events discussing areas from active aging, employment to emergency preparedness it has become evident that the social understanding of aging and disability must be reassessed based upon not only regional cultural understanding but as a human rights issues that resonates on a global level.
I have spent the last several years looking at certain types of disability issues and its impact on a micro level focusing on the personal issues and the dynamics that go along with that. I do believe that we need truly find the link between the fundamental issues that one faces on a micro level and see how to take these elements to perfect public policy on a macro level. Often times there are a top down approach & we don’t find the middle ground, or the connection between the individual and society.

Going forward one of my goals is to make that connection between the needs of the individual with that of the larger society. Now, we go forward!

A Virtual Universe : Disability , Employment & The Future of The Job Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:57:00 +0000

We are in a virtual age, the internet has redefined how we live , work and play. It is creating a whole new cultural landscape of how we conduct our lives to such a degree that essential part of our dailyt existence. For people with disabilities this new 'virtul universe' has opened up a plethora of opportunities providing access to new possibilities that was not avaliable previously. One of these new access points is the job interview. Companies like TMP Worldwide is using the platform of Second Life, an online social networking community that uses 3D graphics to create a fully integrated virtual community where individuals and businesses can connect with one another. This platform is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds to the point where millions of dollars are being spent on the site on a monthly basis. Companies as diverse as Cisco Systems to Major League Baseball have made there presence known. Even universities like Stamford and John Hopkins are providing seminars on Second Life.

What makes this type of platform valuable for people with disabilities isa virtual access to major corporations which can lead to eventual jobs in the 'real' world. But by being using this accessible enviornment to conduct interviews, connect with business leaders TMP Worldwide is creating a new paradigm by which people with disabilities can gain access to the job market. Now, there are still a lot of hurdles to be overcome but this a huge leap foward in progress.

Politics & People with Disabilities

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:33:00 +0000

We are in the heart of the 2008 Presidential Race. With 2 contests in Iowa and New Hampshire complete the question I have is what are the issues on the table for disabled voters. Questions of healthcare, the economy are certainly at the top of the list. But what other hot button issues do voters with disabilities want to discuss but more importantly- WHAT CANDIDATE IS CATERING TO THE NEEDS OF DISABLED VOTERS.While the disabled community in many ways is still a fragmented community seperated by the type of disability or diagnosis there is still a shared understanding of the challenges & struggles of living with a disability as well as the barriers that are still rampant in this country that have discriminated against people with disabilities in the employment arena, the healthcare system, transportation that are really get to the core of one's own civil rights as a citizen in this country. There are shared expierences that build this community ( or one can see that connection) It is important that we as a community take that shared identity - even with the differences and bring that to the ballot box. So which candidate will truly stand up and stand out for the millions of disabled voters in America...I still this verdict is out on this one!

Final Post of 2007- What To Expect in 2008!

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:38:00 +0000

This is my final post of 2007, while it has been a relativley good year I am excited about 2008 and writing my continued thoughts and ideas about disability and aging issues on this blog. In '08 my hope is to broach such issues as the ADA Restoration Act and really evaluate what that means for the disability community in the United States. I also want to look at a revolutionry idea originally concieved by Professor Ruth O' Brien stating that the ADA is not just teh most import civil rights law of the 20th Century, but infact, it is piece of legislation that can truly humanize capatalism "by turning employees into care-givers, creating an ethic of care in the workplace". So taking the ADA from a narrow civil rights law to a larger labor law is critical BUT what needs to be further discussed is "the culture" of work and how can we as a society actually find the tipping point to make what O'Brien discusses a re al reality - BUT just as important make areal business case to make this a real reality. Other areas I hope to explore in the blog in the coming year are questions of Genomics and Disability Rights. At the dawn of the 21st Century we are clearly at the starting point of a new age. Even though we have had the human gene sequenced for the past decade there are larger philosophical, cultural and social questions that we need to look at as it relates to personhood. While the argument can be made that wiping out disease is a noble and valuable cause, there are larger questions at hand such as what does this mean for people with disabilities as a valued people in society and will genomics be a precursor to Eugenics. While that may seem drastic these are questions that need to be addressed.

2008 will be an interesting year with many areas to explore...I will see you all next year! Happy Holidays!

A Day on the Set

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:35:00 +0000

This weekend I spent a day on the set of the new film, "Adam", the story of a young man named Adam who is living with Asperger's and his life & relationship with a young woman named Rose. I have been working with the actor Hugh Dancy on playing the character making sure he is as authentic as possible. I must admit working with him has been tremendous fun & watching him on the set going through rehersals & shooting I know I must have done something right! But I also know that Hugh certainly absorbed everything I was able to offer. More importantly, he really understands that he now has a certain responsibility in playing this character that extends to the larger disability community.
I look forward to spending more time on the set but I am even more excited to see the final product!

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly :Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:59:00 +0000

The Diving Bell and Butterfly was a wonderful memoir I read about five years ago. Written by Jean Dominique Bauby, the former editor of French Elle, it is the story of a true bon vivant who had the age of forty three has a massive stroke & must deal with the repercussions to his life. He has really only the use of his one eye by which with the help of his nurses he learns a mode of communication through blinking.

The painter & filmmaker Julian Schnabel has just brought this tremendous story to the screen. As I remember the book, it is a tale about life, death & the unflinching resolve of the human spirit. I have not seen the movie yet (it was released in NY & LA yesterday) I am planning to see it this week & will write Part II of this review so that I can accuratley discuss...till next time!

International Day of the Disabled

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:47:00 +0000

Tommorow is the Internatational Day of the Disabled. For most it is an obscure day that goes unrecognized on the calendar. But, at the United Nations there will be a press conference, a series of panel discussions and concert celebrating the event.The fundamental question for me (as I am sure for many others) is - what does this all mean? Well, simply put it is designed to raise awareness for many of the issues that people with disablilities face on daily basis on a global scale. The theme for this event is "Decent Work for All" - members of the UN and global community want to show that people with disabilities can & want to work and are often times not afforded the opportunities in part due to lack of understanding and an antiquated view of disability perpertuated by cultural sterotypes.

It is interesting to me that there is very little press when it comes to an event like this. However, before I jump to conclusion tommorow morning there will be a press conference held at the UN- so we shall she what outlets plan to cover it. However, all I can say is that an event like this always gives me hope that we are moving in the right direction!

Washington Is Getting It Right!

noreply@blogger.com (Disabilityworks) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 05:23:00 +0000

I was at a conference a few days ago that was attended by a variety of buercrats from several Federal agencies including The IRs, The Department of Interior, The Department of Defense among many others. The conference focused on diversity yet one of the major themes was disability. What I found out both astounded me & pleased me. The Federal government which consists of 2.6 million employees is mandated by law that by 2010 2% aof ALL workers must be those with disabilities. This is a truly bold move & the 2% coincides with the 20th anniversary of the signing of the ADA.

In hearing about this I was quite pleased that it was the government who is making the first move. Now, if only private industry could follow that path we may really be onto something!