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Posted by kavita on August 22, 2011 under Partnership Board Blog | 
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We Think Conference 2011
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Easy read guide to voting – 17th May
Posted by kavita on May 17, 2010 under Blog, Partnership Board Blog | Be the First to Comment
Get my vote
Mencap believes that:
- politicians have a legal duty to make democracy accessible
- all people have a right to take part in democracy
- politicians are not doing enough to engage with people with a learning disability.
Without the opportunity to make informed decisions, people with a learning disability are losing their chance to speak out about things that are important to them.
What we are doing:
- Mencap has succeeded in getting the 3 main parties to produce easy read manifestos.
- These will make it easier to see what the parties would do if they won the election.
- We are holding workshops around the country to teach people about politics and to listen to their views about what politicians should do.
For more
Our campaign to make politics accessible, to ensure people with a learning disability get their voices heard
Students learn about people with disabilities – Walking in another’s shoes
Posted by kavita on March 12, 2010 under Blog, Partnership Board Blog | Be the First to Comment
On Monday, students in Karen Bakalarski’s kindergarten at class at Gill Hall Elementary in the West Jefferson Hills School District set aside their school work in order to learn some life lessons.
Instead of handling flashcards, books and crayons, the pint-sized pupils were trying out crutches, wheelchairs, mechanical voice boxes, examining Braille books and learning sign language.
It was all part of a presentation called Building Disability Awareness sponsored by Easter Seals Western Pennsylvania.
And it wasn’t just a lecture. It was a hands-on experience led by Tracey McDonough, an integration coordinator, and Betsy Smith, an integration specialist for Easter Seals.
“Our goal is to get the students to be accepting of disabilities at a very young age,” Mrs. McDonough said.
The first part of the presentation was to introduce the students to each of the devices and explain how they help individuals overcome their disabilities.
They explained how people who have difficulty walking may wear braces on their legs and some children with leg braces may also have to wear helmets to protect their heads if they fall.
Mrs. McDonough asked the students to close their eyes to simulate blindness. She then instructed them to feel their hair, shirt and shoes.
“So even if someone can’t see, they can feel with their hands,” she pointed out.
She also asked the students to close their eyes while she spoke so they could realize that people who are blind can still hear.
Then, Mrs. Smith showed the children a mobility cane that is used by those with visual impairments, a cane that has a black handle, white body and red tip.
Mrs. Smith then demonstrated how a mobility cane is used. And, she showed how an able-bodied person can help a visually impaired person by offering to let him or her hold onto an elbow and then guiding them to their destination.
The women also showed the students a stuffed animal service dog and pointed out the harness with a handle around its trunk, instructing students to take note of it. The harness, Mrs. Smith said, meant the dog was a service dog and not simply a pet.
“Don’t ask to pet a service dog, because they are doing their work,” Mrs. Smith told the students.
She also explained that while the students can’t take their dogs into a restaurant or school, service dogs are permitted to go with their owners.
The students also learned about a device called a SpringBoard Lite, a mechanical voice box of sorts that can be used by people who can’t speak. The machine “speaks” words and phrases when buttons are pushed.
The students then helped their guests to demonstrate some of the equipment.
Hanna DuJordan, 6, demonstrated walking with wooden crutches and classmate Sami Garbowksy, 5, used a walker with wheels and later paged through Braille storybooks.
Luke Regna, 5, demonstrated a wheelchair, learning to use the seatbelt and footbraces before moving and Sami Garbowsky, 5, learned to use a walker with wheels and a seat.
Afterward the children were able to divide into groups and try out the equipment on their own.
Mrs. McDonough said the Building Disability Awareness Program started last year after Easter Seals was able to garner grant money from the FISA Foundation, the Wallace Hough Charitable Trust and the V. Kelly for Handicapped Children fund though the PNC Charitable Trust.
It has become so popular that its presenters are booked solid with about 300 presentations a year to schools and Scouts. Among the other places presentations were recently given were to Girl Scouts in Mt. Lebanon, Westminster Nursery School in Upper St. Clair and Jewish East Suburban Preschool in Monroeville.
Source of this article: Post-Gazette
New book raises disability awareness
Posted by kavita on under Blog, Partnership Board Blog | Be the First to Comment
Kris Schanilec and Rachel Faldet of Decorah, Iowa, have co-edited “From My Perspective: Essays About Disability,” a book authored by people affiliated with The Spectrum Network, an Iowa-based organization that helps people with disabilities with work and training, daily living tasks, and day activities. The book published last August.
One woman with a disability wrote about her many roadblocks faced when having to negotiate with her support team the possibility of her marrying the man who would become her husband. One man discussed the anxiety and joy felt moving into an apartment on his own for the first time. The book also features several stories from staff members and parents of people with disabilities. Except for one mentioning epilepsy, not one writer mentioned their specific disability. “
And every story has a different angle,” said Schanilec. “One was written by a staff person talking about her experience in the human services field and then having a medical problem putting her in the hospital. She was on the other side of the coin.” A public reading occurred last October at the Decorah Public Library to a packed house. “There was a lot of dignity in that room,” said Schanilec. “About eight authors read out loud. Reading their stories in print makes you think about their experience objectively, but hearing it read aloud in a public setting took it to another level.” Their work has received “overwhelmingly positive” community feedback, she said.
Many people read the book repeatedly before passing it on to friends. Besides working with The Spectrum Network, Schanilec has other connections to disability. Her mother had mobility issues while having a brain tumor and a friend has bipolar disorder.
For more stories of courage in disability, visit Stories about disabilties
Source of this information:Hernando today
About Partnership Board
Posted by kavita on January 8, 2010 under Partnership Board Blog | Be the First to Comment
You can use this space to give us your ideas and opnions about working of The Partnership Board.
About Partnership Board
Posted by kavita on October 7, 2009 under Partnership Board Blog | Be the First to Comment
You can use this space to give us your ideas and opnions about working of The Partnership Board.
