Central Coast News Mission Gary Ray Rogers

What Is The Number One Reason For Medical Evacuation Of Our Soldiers From Iraq? Bad Back.

2005-11-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

The below article is from the USA TODAY and discusses the number one medical problem that our soldiers have in Iraq. A Bad Back. As a person that has problems with activities of daily living due to a bad back I see this as a big problem. We are creating a large number of people with disabilities that we are not prepared to help.
Gary Ray

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Soldiers in Iraq carry extra load
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
More than half of U.S. soldiers who have been medically evacuated from Iraq and treated at two of the military's large pain treatment centers suffer not from battle wounds but from bad backs, researchers report.
U.S. Army soldiers search for insurgents in Mosul, Iraq.
By Jim MacMillan, AP

Most injured soldiers aren't hurt on the battlefield. In contemporary warfare, injuries are more likely to be the result of a motor-vehicle accident, falls or disease - the same problems a doctor would see in civilians in the same age range, says Maj. Scott Griffith, an author of the study. He is the director of the chronic pain clinic at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Though soldiers are in better shape than the average citizen, they also face high-stress conditions. That, combined with sleeping on cots with little back support, standing on their feet for hours at a time, riding in convoys in crunched positions and wearing heavy body armor, contributes to back troubles, says Capt. Brian Kargus, who served with the 101st Airborne Division in Mosul, Iraq.

Still, the high percentage of soldiers who leave Iraq because of back pain is disturbing, says lead author Steven Cohen, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves and pain specialist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The study, which is published in the October issue of the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia, examined 162 injured soldiers who were medically evacuated from Iraq and treated at the two pain clinics. Fifty-three percent, or 86 soldiers, had lower back pain. They were treated at large interventional pain centers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at Landstuhl Regional Army Medical Center in Germany. Battle injuries accounted for 17% of evacuations.

More than 65 million Americans develop lower back pain every year, according to the American College of Neurological Surgeons. It's the most common cause of job-related disability, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders.

And, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the most common ailments - experienced by 30% of veterans who return from Iraq and Afghanistan - are musculoskeletal problems, primarily joint and back pain.

Not that back pain in the Army is anything new. Doctors used to see something called "rucksack palsy," which is caused by nerve injuries from carrying heavy backpacks for miles, says Lt. Col. Frank Christopher, a medical doctor and chief of deployment health at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

"Inherent in being a soldier is carrying large weights. Historically, the ideal 'carry weight' is a third of your body weight," Christopher says.

The military is responding. Physical therapists are being deployed with some battalions, and chiropractic services also are available.

Today's (November 18, 2005) New York Times Editorial On Supreme Court's Ruling On IDEA

2005-11-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

The below article is today's editorial concerning the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, known as I.D.E.A.. The Supreme Court ruled that the parents of a child with disabilities should "bear the burden of proof in determining whether a school had failed to provide an appropriate education."

Gary Ray

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NYTIMES Editorial

Disability Law, Moving Backward
Published: November 18, 2005

The federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, known as the I.D.E.A., has greatly improved the lives of disabled schoolchildren across the United States. Before the original legislation was passed in 1975, children who were institutionalized with serious emotional problems could sometimes be found strapped to their desks and screaming at the top of their lungs. In the public schools, otherwise bright and capable children with undiagnosed learning disabilities were regularly shunted into corners and ignored.

The worst horror stories are behind us, thanks to I.D.E.A., which requires schools to give disabled children a fair and appropriate public education. There is still much to be done, and the financial burden can strain some school systems, particularly small ones. But the Supreme Court erred this week when it weakened the part of the law that allows parents to challenge the educational plan that the districts are required to make for each child.

The court ruling was the result of a controversy over whether the family or the school district should bear the burden of proof in determining whether a school had failed to provide an appropriate education. Some states argued, sensibly, that the school districts should bear the burden of proof, given their greater resources and public responsibility. But in a case involving a district in Maryland, where state law is silent on the issue, the Supreme Court ruled that the parents, as "the party seeking relief," should have that burden.

The court's ruling ignores the clear advantages that school districts almost always have over parents who challenge their decisions. The districts have the money, and many have lawyers and rosters of experts on their payrolls. But many of the families cannot afford legal representation at all.

With less pressure to justify themselves, the schools can simply stand pat - even when their educational plans have proved disastrous for the disabled children in question. This was clearly not the outcome that Congress intended when it passed this landmark law, and deliberately expanded the rights of disabled children and their parents.

Why Are People In Wheelchairs Dying In The Streets?

2005-11-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

The below article is from Ragged Edge Magazine, a magazine about people with disabilities that speaks the truth even if you don't want to hear it.

You can find the article with all the links intact at
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/closerlook/000619.html

This article lays it all out about why cities and counties must install curb cuts. Without curb cuts people with disabilities who use a wheelchair have to ride in the street. When a person in a wheelchair rides in the street they get run over, they die.

Gary Ray

Dying In the Streets: Wheelchair Users Face Tragic Choices Nationwide

by Mary Johnson

The story of 40-year-old St. Louis resident Elizabeth Bansen, who was was struck and killed by an SUV on Nov. 2 as she drove her wheelchair in the street from a corner store near her home, is, tragically, far from an isolated incident.

On Sunday a Carmel Valley CA woman was hit and dragged by a vehicle as she traveled along the street. At the time of this writing, news reports had not identified the woman.

Two weeks ago, Thomos Lacy of Kountze, Texas died after being thrown several feet from his motorized scooter by a vehicle in what police have called a hit-and-run accident. The driver was intoxicated, say news reports.

In October, a Jacksonville, FL, man was killed while driving his wheelchair in the street -- the vehicle's driver wasn't at fault there either, said police. (Read story.)

Last January, Garden Grove CA resident Anita Plunkett was hit by a car while crossing an intersection, while across the country in The Bronx, Juan Jimenez was mowed down by a late-model black Mitsubishi sport-utility vehicle.

In February, Patricia Hofer was struck by a black pickup truck on West State St. in Rockford IL while wheeling down a dark street. There are no actual sidewalks in the area, and it was raining," police told reporters. The driver was not cited.

Last summer, 76-year-old Addison Whipple of Fullerton CA was killed when he was struck by a minivan while traveling along Almond St. in his motorized wheelchair. The driver was not charged. A year earlier, Hubert McDonald, on his way to the Veteran's Administration in Fayetteville NC, driving down the street in his wheelchair, was hit and killed -- ironically, by a driver who was also a wheelchair user.

From the February 12, 2005 Orange County (CA) Register:
Recent wheelchair-user deaths
CLAUDIA YOUNG, 60
Died: Jan. 20
Details: Young was strong-arming her wheelchair up Broadway Street in Costa Mesa at night when a motorist passing through an intersection at Westminster Avenue struck her, throwing Young about 100 feet.
The motorist, a 27-year-old Newport Beach man, told police he never saw Young. He was not cited.
CHANH NGUYEN, 84
Died: Nov. 6
Details: Nguyen was struck and killed while walking his wheelchair across the middle of a street in Westminster in the predawn hours. Police are still looking for the driver, who they say should have seen Nguyen crossing Hazard Avenue west of Stratir Place.
MIKE GILMORE, 25
Died: Oct. 20
Details: Gilmore, a student at Cal State Fullerton, was hit while piloting his motorized wheelchair under rainy skies through a marked crosswalk on Nutwood Avenue at Titan Drive in Fullerton. The driver, a 22-year-old Placentia woman, was not cited.

Wheelchair users nationwide risk their lives daily by being forced into the street because their communities, despite the Americans with Disabilities Act, have not bothered to install curb cuts or maintain sidewalks.

In St. Louis, Bansen was unable to travel on the sidewalk near her home, so she took to the street.

"Much of the sidewalk along Bansen's three-block route is either broken or choked with weeds," wrote Jeremy Kohler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Curb ramps are absent in key places, blocking access to the few passable stretches." (Read Path of resistance from the Nov. 10, 2005 St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

But that story didn't come for a full week after Bansen's death. Early reports said police did not know why she had been driving in the street on St. Louis's "busy Delmar Boulevard."

Wheelchair user Kerri Morgan was frustrated by early reports of Bansen's death. "It was driving me crazy. In the reports in the radio, TV and newspaper about this woman in the middle of the street, why would she be in the middle of the street?" Morgan told KDSK-TV News that she figured it was the bad sidewalk. But that issue didn't surface until later.

Finally, angry disability rights activists began to speak out about the death.

"If this was something that the public cared about, Lisi Bansen wouldn't have had to wheel in the street," Colleen Starkloff, of the St. Louis-based Starkloff Disability Institute told reporters. "Our policymakers need to be aware of this and they need to get on it right away so we don't have people dying as they try to go about their day-to-day business."

No one had filed a complaint about the lack of curb cuts along Bensen's street, said police. Starkloff called that response 'a poor excuse."

The driver, Arnold Booker, told police he did not see Bansen.

Bansen's death is just the latest in a continuing litany.

No national statistics are compiled on the numbers of wheelchair riders' deaths caused by inaccessible sidewalks. No national group monitors these incidents. And far too many communities ignore legal requirements to install and maintain sidewalks, virtually ensuring that sooner or later some wheelchair rider, forced into the street, will meet with an accident or death.

In March, 2001, Fresno, CA wheelchair user Elias Gutierrez was killed when he was struck by a car as he was traveling in his power wheelchair next to the curb on Palm Avenue near Cornell. There were no curb cuts available to allow him to get onto the sidewalk. For more than a year, the 60-year-old activist had been complaining about the lack of sidewalks with curb ramps in the areas where he had to travel, saying he was being forced into the streets to travel to shopping and to visit friends. "It's our worst nightmare," Fresno disability activist Ed Eames said. Gutierrez had "become the victim of this city's wanton lack of concern with the issue of making sidewalks a safe haven for people in wheelchairs," said Eames.

The evening of Gutierrez's death, Fresno television stations broadcast the image of an overturned wheelchair on the sidewalk of Palm, and a single shoe in the street.

In communities where there are activist disability groups drawing attention to the issue, as in St. Louis and Fresno, some attention is paid to the issue. Perhaps, even, curb cuts become a priority. But in most U.S. communities, the deaths pass with little outcry.

And in what can only be called a bigoted double-whammy, wheelchair users often risk arrest for traveling the streets in their wheelchairs. Local communities' responses to the "problem" of wheelchairs in the street is not to provide curb ramps and safe sidewalks but to cite and ticket them for operating an unlicensed vehicle in the roadway.

in October, 2003, 14-year-old Bryce Wiley ran afoul of the law in Laurens IA when he drove his wheelchair in the street -- local law prohibited "personal transportation vehicles" -- and planned to fine him $15 until publicity got them to drop the charges. (The town, ironically, got its 15 minutes of fame in the movie "The Straight Story," about Laurens resident Alvin Straight, who drove his riding mower across Iowa to visit his dying brother.) Bryce Wiley was in the street, it turned out, because the town had not bothered yet to install curb ramps to its sidewalks.

In Alabama that same month, Betty Ingram ran up against police in Muscle Shoals as she wheeled down the highway; the next month, Denise Gilmore told of similar harassment in California.

Yet a Meadville PA man who sued his city over the lack of curb cuts was reportedly harrassed by fellow citizens, who evidently did not approve of his taking the city to court.

Perhaps the most famous case of someone harrassed for riding a wheelchair in the street because of missing curb cuts and bad sidewalks was Kelly Dillery of Sandusky, Ohio, who was repeatedly cited -- and arrested -- in the late 1990s for driving her wheelchair in the street. Disability rights advocates rallied to her cause. A lawsuit was filed against Sandusky, charging that the city violated Title 2 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city appealed, asserting that Title 2 was "not enforceable as a private cause of action." The Sixth Circuit finally overruled the city's appeal, telling Sandusky that "Title II does not merely prohibit intentional discrimination. It also imposes on public entities the requirement that they provide ... meaningful access to public services. (The case was Ability Center of Greater Toledo, et al., v. City of Sandusky). More on the case from The Ability Center.

Disability groups continue to sue communities over a lack of curb cuts -- a suit was filed against Vacaville, CA in the spring of 2004; the previous year, the U.S. Supreme Court had refused to hear an appeal from Sacramento over a lower court decision that required it to make its sidewalks accessible.

And just a few weeks ago, the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans took Detroit to court over the same problem -- missing or poorly constructed curb cuts. (Read more.)

The problem is that these suits are spotty and infrequent. There's no nationally coordinated effort to require cities to install curb cuts and maintain sidewalks. And in many cases, even when a lawsuit is won, it's a long time before a city gets around to putting in the curb cuts, or doing them correctly. Money is always the excuse.

Meanwhile, people continue to die. And most commuities, like St. Louis, have no idea why disabled people drive their wheelchairs in the street, or realize that disabled people are dying nationwide while city councils wring their hands over the requirement for curb cuts.

See also: (Wheelchair "scooter" users nationwide have pressed their communities for sidewalks and safer highways)

Mary Johnson edits Ragged Edge.

Finally A New Post, Web Site About People With Disabilities In Movies

2005-11-17T11:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry abut not posting to the Blog. I have had difficulties with my disability, my arthritis has been flaring up. And my beat up old brain decided it was not going to cope this time. That is a topic I will cover in some future post, the horrible depression that can and does happen to anyone that has a disability.

Anyway, to get back into things I thought I would post something a little light. So for your reading enjoyment I present a really interesting web page out of England that concerns movies and the depiction of people with disabilities in those movies.

Check out http://www.disabilityfilms.co.uk/index.html for a very comprehensive listing and discussion of most of the movies that have people with disabilities in them.

Gary Ray

Call For Help For People With Disabilities in Pakistan Earthquake

2005-10-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

The following request for aid for people with disabilities came from Pakistan. I note the call for help for the thousands of people who are now newly disabled; and the call for rebuilding the buildings that were destroyed so that people with disabilities have full access. I would ask for the same with our re-building of New Orleans. Re-build it so it is accessible.

Gary Ray

Forwarded by Yoshiko Dart: A Request for Help from Pakistan

Note: The following e-mail was written by Muhammad Shafiq ul Rehman, director of the Milestone Society for the Special Persons, the independent living center located in Lahore, Pakistan. It was sent to Masako Okuhira, Manager of the Japanese Society for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities. The JSRPD has a history of supporting the independent living movement in Pakistan, and since the earthquake it has been coordinating assistance from the outside world to the areas devastated by the disaster of October 8. The message was originally written in English by Shafiq himself. It has been slightly and most respectfully edited by Fred Pelka for easier comprehension, but the tone, content, and urgency of the original message remain unaltered.

Dear Masako san

How are you? Today we received the tents and clothes sent by our Japanese friends. Be assured we will send them to where they are needed most.

I was sleeping at the moment that our dreams were shattered, that terrible night of October 8. As my eyes opened I saw that the entire house was swinging. Everything was shifting, moving back and forth from its center. The ceiling fan started working without electricity, swinging around and around, and the voice of the earthquake was like the sound of a helicopter flying directly overhead.

It was a literal doomsday, and it felt like the end of everything. I crossed the threshold of my room and heard everybody crying in a most sorrowful manner. I started calling my friends at the Milestone Society for the Special Persons and learned that Asims roof was completely demolished, and that Akmals mobile was not connecting. But thanks be to God, I learned that Ashar, Hamid (Atif), and our other friends were safe.

The news on our TV was that the earthquake had a high intensity, but it was still too early for accurate news of the extent of the destruction. Still, what we did hear was troubling to us all. Thousands of people had died, and the destruction in Islamabad was visible to the entire world. I immediately called an emergency meeting of the Milestone Society, and at that meeting I learned that every member of the Society was ready to sacrifice even his or her life to do what we could for the earthquake victims.

We were penniless, but where there is a will there is a way. We went door to door in our community, and asked for blankets and eatables from the people we met. By that first evening we had a truck full of blankets, warm clothes and food. One of our sister organizations contacted us from Sesar Village situated near District Bagh in Azad Kashmir. As Milestone is known as a revolutionary organization that is always ahead in welfare works, we placed our wheelchairs on the truck and sat on the luggage, and started our journey that night towards Kashmir.

As we reached Neela Butt we could see that total destruction was the order of the day. We saw a dog in a demolished house tearing a childs corpse. At one side of the road was a destroyed village, and on the other side the rain poured down in a thunder storm. We were thinking that we might never get back home from such a dangerous situation, but we hoped that God had written more life for us, and so we started our mission in the rain. We distributed food and blankets among the neediest people, but we at that time had no tents to offer. The people we met were dejected by the disaster, but they were astonished to find people with disabilities among them, coming to them with assistance. They saw us sitting in our wheelchairs, wanting to help those disabled people buried among the broken houses. People came out running to greet us, but many of our disabled brothers and sisters were buried alive. No one could help them out and neither could they help themselves. Perhaps they did not want to come out, sensing the tragedy all around, and knowing how difficult it is to be a person with a disability in a world with so little access and so few resources. An old woman we met that night said that her disabled son was buried under his demolished house, and he had no such cart (wheelchair) like us.

And now, because of the earthquake, thousands of people have become newly disabled. Some have lost their hands and some their legs, and many have been spinal cord injured. We must not abandon these people. We must do what we can to help them live and thrive with their disability. We must spread the message that to be disabled is not something unnatural, and that people with disabilities are not alien in society but have rights and dreams like everyone else. Feeling overwhelmed by our emotions, and from hearing and witnessing so many heart breaking stories, we drove back to Lahore. Not a word was spoken, everyone was silent. Everyone was thinking how we needed to come back again to help our needy brothers and sisters.

And so the very next day we made plans to go again. Now our target areas were Pattan Kalan and Pattan Khurd. We had heard that as yet no one had reached there. On this trip we brought 500 blankets, medicine for 3500 people, 800 milk packs and numberless sacks of dry food. First we reached Abbottabad, where we shifted these things to trucks. Then we started our journey towards Pattan Kalan, reaching Pattan Khurd from Thundyani.

We then reached the city of Muzaffarabad, where destruction was quite visible, and the smell of dead bodies was in air. There were destroyed homes everywhere. There were children, old people and young ones standing on road sides, waiting for help. But with limited supplies, how is it possible to decide who most needs our help? And so we decided to distribute our supplies among the children and women first, thinking that the young men are perhaps more able to help themselves. A woman we met declined to accept our help, telling us she would eat only if her child was fed first. But we could see that the child she was carrying in her arms was already dead.

The homes here have been turned into graves. The survivors are homeless and dejected. It breaks our hearts to see these homeless people, but we have determined that we will fetch some life for them. Silently, covered in prayers folded in dreams.
And so we are now making a very solid action plan for the counseling of newly disabled persons.

Our first priority is to have an empowering program for the newly disabled persons.

Our second priority is to use our skills to educate the government to make barrier free constructions in the rebuilding process.

I will continue reporting on the behalf of my great team.

Shafiq

Note: to send assistance to the Milestone Society, please mail or wire
contributions to:
Name: Muhammad Shafiq Ur Rehman
Bank Name: Standard Chartered
Branch Name: Mall Road, Lahore
Account Number: 18-4501713-01
Shafiqs address is as follows:
451-D3 Wapda Town
Lahore, Pakistan
Mobile Phone Number is +92-300-948-0665
Go to website:
http://www.jicafriends.net/archives/2005/10/the_situation_o_1.html
for his first report and more information.

Jobs Creation Programs For DisabledHelp Only Fraction: USA Today

2005-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
Below is an article that was in USA Today. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is much much higher that the general population. And the ADA has done very little to change this statistic. We have increased access to buildings but not to jobs. There are jobs that people with disabilities can do but never get the chance.

I have seen discrimination personally, more than once. That is one of the reasons that I have my own business, no one would hire a middle-aged man with a disability who has Masters in Engineering with 25 years of experience.

And we see that people with disabilities are fighting among themselves over these scarce jobs.

- Gary Ray

By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY, October 20, 2005

(Washington) -- Two programs established nearly 70 years ago to create jobs for the disabled have made millions of dollars for a handful of companies but helped only a fraction of those who were supposed to benefit, a Senate investigation has concluded.

Investigators for the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee reported that under one of the programs, companies run by those who are legally blind control $1.2 billion in cafeteria contracts at military facilities. But companies run by blind people don't always hire the blind.

As of 2002, the most recent year for which figures are available, the 2,681 licensed vendors in the program employed 337 legally blind workers, 278 with other disabilities and 6,507 persons with no disabilities, investigators reported. The findings were provided to USA TODAY by committee staff.

Programs Began In 1936

Enacted in 1936, the Randolph-Sheppard Act gives legally blind persons priority on government contracts to operate food services on federal property. Someone who is legally blind has vision no better than 20/200.

The Wagner-O'Day Act of 1938 required the federal government to purchase brooms, mops and other products from organizations that employ blind laborers. It was amended in 1971 by Sen. Jacob Javits, R-N.Y., to include other disabled workers.

Committee investigators discovered that the two programs provide jobs to roughly 48,000 disabled persons. There are 15 million persons with disabilities nationwide who are unemployed.

Major Military Money

Companies run by people declared legally blind control military cafeteria contracts worth $1.2 billion. The largest contracts (in millions):

Base
Contract

Fort Benning, Ga.
$305.9
Fort Jackson, S.C.
$112.5
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
$88.0
Lackland Air Force, Tex.
$86.1
Fort Knox, Ky.
$72.0
Source: Department of Defense

Executives Paid Too Much

The committee investigators also reported that some companies with contracts pay executives "excessive" compensation. "It is unconscionable that private companies and employers exploit federal laws to make millions off people with disabilities," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

Melanie Brunson, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, said "nobody can be expected to hire only blind people." She defended the program created by the Randolph-Sheppard law as one "that provides blind persons with an opportunity to run a business."

Situation Pits Disabled Against Each Other

The two programs have created bitter legal fights between groups representing the blind and those representing people with other disabilities. Brunson acknowledged that lawsuits have been filed when lucrative military cafeteria contracts that had been held by companies controlled by people with any disability were transferred to ones run by those who are blind.

"We've tried to negotiate a compromise," she said, adding that the law gives priority to blind vendors.

The Senate committee is considering the possibility of combining the two programs. "We can and must improve on these laws by creating more and better opportunities for more persons with disabilities," said committee Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.

Enzi plans to air the findings at a hearing today.

Just a Regular Shopping Day

2005-10-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today I finally decided to join Costco and do a little shopping to get acquainted with the new store and see what they have that Santa Maria Costco does not. This is not a story about the politics of shopping at Costco or what a big box store can do to the local economy. That is a different post, lets just say I think Costco employees are paid better than the industry standard and I like their meat department and especially the bakery. Neither of which we should be eating, that would be my wife Angie and me.

I have a strange reactive arthritis, it's in my ankles, back, and a little in my hands. I can walk ok for a short distance and I can stand for maybe 10 to 15 minutes at a time before I need to sit down. But I can't walk inside a regular supermarket like Vons, it is just too far, and I sure as hell can't hike through Costco, so I use my wheelchair. I have been a wheelchair user for at least 7 years.

The parking lot at Costco was full, and I mean all the blue striped accessible parking spaces were taken up. Looks like Costco is frequented by people with mobility impairments so severe that they need to have an accessible parking placard or license plate. All of the cars that I could see that were parked in the accessible spots had the proper placard or plate. (That is one of my hang-ups, I don't like people that don't need the accessible parking places to use them. But this time everyone had the accessible placard or plate.)

Aside - a couple of years ago I did some research about the number of "disabled access" blue placards or licence plates that allow a person with a mobility impairment to park in marked stalls. Using the California DMV records at the time I found that one out of seventeen vehicles (1:17) in California has an accessible placard or tag. Now the law stipulates that one out of every twenty-five (1:25) parking places have to be a blue painted accessible parking space. And one out of every eight accessible (1:8) parking spaces and at least one accessible space must be a larger van accessible parking space

So if the state has 1 out of 17 vehicles that have access to the blue parking spaces and the law says that you are only required to have 1 out of 25 accessible blue parking spaces you can see that many times in busy facilities all the accessible spaces are filled. And I would suppose that this is equal access in a way because these are usually places where everyone has a hard time finding a place to park. But in a parking lot situation where there is plenty of parking available, I recommend to business owners that if they consistently see that all the required blue spaces are full most of the time, that they first count and make sure that they have the required number of blue accessible parking spaces and, if they do, then think of increasing the number of accessible spaces. As a person with a mobility impairment I can say that if I can't park close to the door, I can't get into your business. Now, for me it is not really that bad, because I can haul out my wheelchair and roll to the entrance. But most people with mobility impairments don't use a wheelchair and they just can't walk far. Many businesses realize this and have free wheelchairs and power scooters for use by their patrons that need assistance. And Costco has both.

But I did have to park a long way out in the parking lot. Let me tell you it is dangerous for a person in a wheelchair to roll around behind parked cars in a parking lot. It is hard for drivers backing out to see persons in a wheelchair and people in wheelchairs can't get out of the way very fast. In fact, the law states that accessible parking spaces cannot be installed where a person has to roll behind any other car than their own. And accessible parking spaces should be placed as close as possible to the accessible entrance. But the point in this story is that I almost got run over by a person who was driving and totally not paying attention. But, I am in a wheelchair and hard to see.

The entrance to Costco had the largest accessible entrance sign I have ever seen. It must be at least 2-feet across and proclaims for all to see that Costco considers the store accessible. The lady at the entrance was very polite and asked if I needed any help, when I told her I wanted to join, she pointed me to the membership sign up area where there was a line of people waiting to spend their money on large amounts of goods. As we stood in line I noticed that there was a stack of clipboards with a form to fill out for prospective members. The sign up counter did have one short lowered section of the counter that appeared to be the required 34-inches above the finished floor, but there were no forms or clipboards available to a person in a wheelchair at the required height of 34 inches. When I reached the head of the line I wondered if they would notice that I was a person in a wheelchair and let me use the lowered section of the counter. But, I am in a wheelchair and hard to see. I did not say anything and just used the higher counter and I was able to fill out the forms and pay my $45 a year for our membership.

Having a counter too high or not accessible to me when I am using my wheelchair happens to me every day. That happens to me all the time to me at the credit union. They have a lowered section of a counter for people with disabilities to sit at and do business and do not have it open.

Back to my Costco story, I did get my membership card and they even had the camera for the photo set up so a person in a wheelchair could use it easily. When I got my membership I rolled back to go to the restroom and on the way out a person cut in front of me with a cart full of items, enough that I had to stop and let them pass. But, I am in a wheelchair and hard to see.

As I rolled out to get a cart so I could finally go shopping the lady at the exit asked if I needed any help and I said, no thanks. I got a cart and a different lady at the entrance asked me if I needed any help, I said no thanks. As I rolled around inside of Costco many people were polite when there was not enough room for me in my wheelchair pushing my cart and for them pushing their cart to pass or make a corner. But too many were not.

I was back at the meat aisle, browsing to see what all kinds of cuts and prices of meat they had. Costco does have good meat. One gentleman about my age was also looking at all the different cuts of meat and was standing at one section for a long time kinda staring at the meat, I do that too. I was inching up trying to get to the pork roasts and I pushed my car ahead of me and to the outside of the gentleman who was staring at the roasts. He looked up and said "You are trapping me!" I apologized for being in his way and backed up immediately, he was cussing, not really under his breath, he was really pissed that I had gotten in his way. He glared at me a couple more times.

As I was rolling around I noticed the ubiquitous carts of free food being handed out to the hungry hordes in Costco. Now this is something else that I have noticed, people that are serving the free food in a store will often ignore a person in a wheelchair. Many is the time that I have rolled by a person handing out free samples of some sweet or savory nugget and looked longingly at the food and been ignored. For some reason I like to be asked, "would you like some?" especially if I see the person doing that for every other person that goes by. That same thing happened at every free food sample place I rolled by in Costco. I noticed that they were asking people "Would you like to try a cookie?" or "Would you like to try a little bit of this latest greasy fat filled junk that we are trying to sell?" And, at every single free food sample joint every single person handing out the free samples ignored me. Most would quickly look away as I rolled up. But, I am in a wheelchair and hard to see.

As I was approaching the checkout lanes, I was cut off by at least one other cart that cut in front of me. Now this really kind of chapped me today cause I only had two things in my cart, a nice big bottle of Jack and a package of steaks. But I let the lady go ahead of me. I am in a wheelchair and hard to see.

After I paid for the items the checkout lady was confused as to where I was going to put the sack of booze and meat. I just said, "Put it in the cart I can push it just fine." As I left Costco I was in line to have my receipt checked against what was in my cart and was cut off, yet a fourth time, by someone that just had to get out of the store ahead of that cripple guy in the wheelchair. Sorry, I should not put words in her mouth. And I only get to say crippled because I am.

As I left the building I was asked again if I needed any help getting to my car. I said no thanks.

As I was telling all this to my wife at lunch I realized that this was quite a little morality tale. What the hell is it with people and their attitudes toward people with disabilities that may use a wheelchair? But that is a question I ask every day, every time I go out of the house. But, I am in a wheelchair and hard to see.

Gary Ray

Slightly Off Topic - How To Build Your Own Segway (Self Balancing Two Wheeled Scooter)

2005-10-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Being a Mechanical Engineer and a bit of a nerd, or more than a bit if you ask my lovely wife Angie, I am fascinated by the Segway, the two wheeled self balancing 'scooter'. There is also a wheelchair that is made by the same folks that made the Segway that also can balance on two wheels and climb stairs but that is a different story.

I found a gentleman named Trevor Blackwell that is a modern day Edison and a renaissance man that has built his own version of a Segway. He has a great web page that describes this device and how he built it and how it works.

If you are interested in technology and want to learn more about this I highly recommend that you go to the web site

http://www.tlb.org/scooter.html

Laters Gary Ray

People With Disabilities Face Job Discrimination

2005-10-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

The below article is from the Wall Street Journal and the title says it all; Disabled Face Scarcer Jobs, Data Show.

I know from personal experience that people with disabilities are discriminated against in the job market. I lost a job at Cal Poly when I first had my mobility problems, my office was on a second floor and there was no elevator. When I asked for an office in an accessible location Cal Poly said no. I was angry and bitter for a while after that.

The job picture for people with disabilities has not gotten better as the article below states.

Gary Ray

Disabled Face Scarcer Jobs, Data Show

By KRIS MAHER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 5, 2005; Page D2

Outsourcing and the growth of low-paying service positions are likely to make it tougher for disabled workers in the U.S. to find jobs, despite advances in technology and more favorable attitudes among employers, experts say.

According to a report to be released today by Cornell University, based on Census Bureau data, the employment rate for Americans age 21 to 64 with sensory, physical, mental, or self-care disabilities fell to 38.3% in 2004, from 40.8% in 2001.

Disability researchers say the data offer a clearer picture of the situation than previous statistics from the Labor Department's Current Population Survey, because the new data rely on a larger sample size and a more precise definition of disability. "A lot of people have been hammering the CPS for a long time for not being very accurate," says Andrew Houtenville, senior research associate at Cornell's Employment and Disability Institute. "This really says things are indeed getting worse" for disabled workers.

Doug Kruse, an economist at Rutgers University, says disability benefits keep some disabled workers from accepting jobs, because they can lose several hundred dollars a month in Social Security Disability Income after earning more than $830 a month for nine months. "That's a whale of a disincentive to work," says Mr. Kruse.

Others say that outsourcing abroad has cut jobs often done by the disabled, such as call-center positions. "Unfortunately (moving jobs overseas) means that blind and visually impaired people are not doing those jobs" in the U.S., says Karen Wolffe, director of the professional development department at the American Foundation for the Blind.

In January, Doug Schalk lost his position as a customer representative at Vanguard Car Rental USA Inc.'s Alamo Rent A Car, when the company transferred his call center's work to India and a different location in the U.S. Mr. Schalk, who is blind, was able to land a job with Willow CSN Inc., a Miramar, Fla., company that manages call centers through a network of about 2,000 home-based workers. But he says that six of 10 blind former co-workers remain unemployed.

The employment figures highlighted by the Cornell study are consistent with long-term job trends for disabled workers. "The employment rate for people with disabilities hasn't improved in the last twenty years, even when times were good," said Andrew Imparato, president and chief executive of the American Association of People with Disabilities, an organization with 115,000 members.

Priorities of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

2005-09-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I have been posting about the Katrina victims who are people with disabilities for a while and I thought I would go back to a regular accessibility post.

What are the priorities for access as set forth in the ADA? As a business owner what should you work on first to make sure your business is accessible?

The below priorities should help you make decision on how to spend time and money on access.

The priorities as set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA Title III Regulations (28 CFR Part 36, revised July 1, 1994)

Sec.36.304 Removal of barriers.
(c) Priorities. A public accommodation is urged to take measures to comply with the barrier removal requirements of this section in accordance with the following order of priorities.
(1) First, a public accommodation should take measures to provide access to a place of public accommodation from public sidewalks, parking, or public transportation. These measures include, for example, installing an entrance ramp, widening entrances, and providing accessible parking spaces.
(2) Second, a public accommodation should take measures to provide access to those areas of a place of public accommodation where goods and services are made available to the public. These measures include, for example, adjusting the layout of display racks, rearranging tables, providing Brailled and raised character signage, widening doors, providing visual alarms, and installing ramps.
(3) Third, a public accommodation should take measures to provide access to restroom facilities. These measures include, for example, removal of obstructing furniture or vending machines, widening of doors, installation of ramps, providing accessible signage, widening of toilet stalls, and installation of grab bars.
(4) Fourth, a public accommodation should take any other measures necessary to provide access to the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of a place of public accommodation.

Plainly stated, can people find a space to park with clearly marked accessible parking stalls? Is there a clearly marked accessible path of travel to the entrance of the building? Is the entrance to the building accessible and does it have the proper signs? Once in the building is there a clear path of travel to the goods and services that are being offered? Are the bathroom facilities clearly marked as accessible and are they accessible? And lastly, are all the other accessible features in place?

Laters - Gary Ray

National Council on Disability Recommendations to Department of Homeland Security

2005-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hello All -- Below is a letter from the National Council on Disability to Honorable Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security. It discusses the problems and solutions to the enormous task that disaster recovery will be for people with disabilities, and lists short and long term suggestions for solutions to some of these problems. Take a look at the web page for the NCD. --Gary Ray

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

Just as you are, the National Council on Disability (NCD) is concerned about disaster relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in the Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. A disproportionate number of the Hurricane Katrina evacuees and survivors are people with disabilities whose needs for basic necessities are compounded by chronic health conditions and functional impairments. Katrina has caused tens of thousands people with disabilities to be evacuated or displaced by Katrina. People with disabilities affected by Katrina may not ever be able to return to their communities-of-origin.

People with disabilities have had to leave behind their homes, circles of support, service networks, durable medical equipment, service animals, and assistive technologies. Many have spent years putting their networks of supports services in place.

Many evacuees and displaced individuals with disabilities will need to relocate several times from region-to-region and state-to-state over the coming months. As a consequence, they will not be able to easily recreate the life-sustaining service/support networks they need to survive each day. For these reasons, NCD believes there is a dire need for urgent action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist people with disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina. NCD offers you and your agency the following recommendations:

For the next several months:

Establish a Point Person on Disability who reports directly to the Secretary and who interacts directly with the DHS senior leadership team and vested with the responsibility, authority, and resources for providing overall day-to-day leadership, guidance and coordination for emergency preparedness, disaster relief and recovery operations of the federal government on behalf of Americans with disabilities. The Point Person should be a qualified senior-level person, and should be in regular contact with other members of the DHS senior staff as well as the members of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities, state and local authorities, and citizens, as necessary.

Develop and then implement a coordinated Federal Disability Recovery Plan for Hurricane Katrina that focuses particularly on people with disabilities.

Establish a Hurricane Katrina Disability Access Advisory Group, made up of qualified people with disabilities and others with disability-specific disaster experience, who meet regularly with senior officials to help craft the Katrina-recovery plan, share real time information from the Gulf Coast region, as well as to discuss events and challenges and progress.

Use all available 'on the ground personnel' available to provide funds and target resources that specifically meet the identified and critical needs of Katrina survivors with disabilities, including:

- assisting with the restoration of the organizations that serve them;

- identifying accessible temporary and permanent housing and addressing the specific requests being made by leaders in the devastated areas and those in the areas that people with disabilities are being evacuated to;

- ensuring the effective coordination with social services, health services, education services, and other human service providers and agencies throughout the recovery and restoration process;

- ensuring the use of accessible communications technology for people with disabilities during the region’s recovery from this disaster to help assess damage, collect information, and deploy supplies; and

- ensuring that the response to and the recovery from Hurricane Katrina complies with Federal law requiring nondiscrimination and accessibility, including the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

For the next several years:

Recovery, rebuilding and resettlement operations must have the appropriate resources, medical equipment, supplies, and training to address the needs of people with disabilities. Many individuals with disabilities will require accessible housing, appropriate health services, and assistive technologies. At the very outset and during all its phases, these operations should include in an integral way people with disabilities with experience and expertise on these matters.

Recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement personnel must be educated and trained in the field, on how to support the independence and dignity of persons with disabilities in the months and years following Hurricane Katrina. People with disabilities should be included in the development of the response personnel, and should be supported by the appropriate accommodations.

A universal design approach should be followed to meet the needs of people with disabilities affected by recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Katrina. The Federal Government should mandate universal design and full accessibility for all new construction in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Disability organizations must be joined with all Hurricane Katrina recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement government (and non-government) operations and be relied upon for ongoing advice, guidance, and leadership.

NCD is deeply concerned for all of the citizens who are now homeless as a result of Hurricane Katrina devastation, many of whom have disabilities and who are older Americans who experience a high rate of disabling conditions. NCD continues to offer our support and assistance to all branches of government in their ongoing work to help people rebuild their lives.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your personal commitment to insuring the recovery of all those affected by this catastrophic disaster, including those with disabilities.

Sincerely,
Lex Frieden
Chairperson
National Council on Disability

Central Coast Deaf Pride Club's Better Web Page

2005-09-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Deaf Pride Club is a local organization, in their own words:

Our group is a friendly and supportive social group for Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people on the Central Coast of California who are interested in meeting new friends. If you live anywhere on the Central Coast--Lompoc, Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez, Santa Maria, Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, or anywhere else--you're welcome to join us!

They have a better newer web page that will load faster, with lots of information on club events and the community of people who are deaf or hard of hearing here on the Central Coast.

Remember that this is the second organization that has announced a new web page for people with disabilities here on the Central Coast. The Central Coast Low Vision Council also has re-done their web page.

--Gary Ray

38% Of People Who Did Not Evacuate New Orleans Did So Because They Could Not

2005-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

In a Reuters news article out of Washington; the Harvard School of Public Health, the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Washington Post were quoted on the results of their latest (as of 9/17/05) survey on evacuees who were trapped in their homes, over half for at least three days, from hurricane Katrina. The results confirm that one of the major reasons that people could not evacuate before Katrina hit was that people with disabilities could NOT evacuate.

The survey sample was on based on interviews of 680 randomly selected adults staying at Houston's Astrodome or other area shelters, and consisted mainly of people that were from New Orleans.

The Reuters article stated: "Thirty-eight percent of the people who stayed behind despite orders to evacuate said they were either physically unable to leave or were caring for a disabled person."

This survey with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points also found that 39% of the respondents said they did not receive any help "from government agencies or volunteer organizations during the flooding and evacuation."

More than half -- 55 percent -- said their homes were destroyed.

Let me repeat the major findings of this survey, almost 40% of people that did not evacuate did so because they were a person with a disability or stayed to take care of a person with a disability. And nobody, I repeat nobody helped a large percentage of these people.

I suggest you go to the Kaiser Family Foundation web page and download the pdf of the complete survey, it has a lot of information you might not hear on MSM. http://www.kff.org/newsmedia/7401.cfm

Gary Ray

VA Sets Up Toll - Free Nationwide Number for Veterans, Families Affected by Katrina

2005-09-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I hope that someone is out there who can use some of this information I have put together for people with disabilities who are affected by the Katrina disaster. It often feels like I am throwing words into the wind. No reaction from anybody. Oh well, I still feel the need to help in some way.

The below is an announcement from the VA.

Gary Ray

"The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has set up a toll-free number for veterans who normally receive health care at VA facilities in New Orleans, Gulfport, Miss., and Biloxi, Miss. The number can also be used by family members concerned about the location of veterans who were hospitalized at those facilities. The Gulfport facility has been closed, and the New Orleans medical center has been evacuated. The Biloxi facility is still operational. The number is 1-800-507-4571. It will be staffed continuously for the duration of the emergency. By calling that number, people can find out about: (1) receiving health care for veterans evacuated from the storm area; (2) receiving prescription drugs for veterans in the stricken area; (3) locating evacuated VA patients; and (4) any other health care questions for veterans in the area affected by the storm."

More Information On Helping Kitrina Disaster Victims

2005-09-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I am posting a number of new Katrina disaster help for people with disabilities items.

Helping People with Developmental Disabilities Affected By Katrina
"The Arc of Louisiana advocates with and for all people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families that they shall live to their fullest potential." ArcLink.org has a web page for helping people with developmental disabilities .

National Emergency Resources Network
The National Emergency Resources Network has been activated and if you have items such as commercial aircraft, baby food, housing, transportation, and emergency supplies in large quantities to give go to the SWERN web site.

Independent Living Resource Centers Need Your Help
Important! Financial assistance is a huge and ongoing need. Local Centers for Independent Living and similar agencies may need to hire extra staff or pay overtime to meet the need, and survivors with disabilities may not have immediate access to funding for rental deposits, household goods or medications until FEMA funds and other federal resources are distributed. Contribution checks should be mailed to the CILs or Statewide Independent Living Councils in the disaster zone (check address list at ilru.org), and contributions using credit cards can be made through the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (cfilc.org ). Such donations will reach the people with disabilities who really need them.

Housing and Human Services Announce A People In Crisis Hotline

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the Availability of a toll-free hotline for people in crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By dialing 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), callers will be connected to a network of local crisis centers across the country that are committed to crisis counseling. Callers to the hotline will receive counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network.

Secretary Leavitt Announces Streamlined Access To Benefits For Hurricane Katrina Victims

Housing and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that services to people who need help will be streamlined.

"State enrollment teams are already set up in many shelters, and many have 1-800 numbers people can call. Any evacuee can go to the nearest state or local benefits offices to get information and get enrolled. Evacuees staying in a home or church that has access to the Internet, or who can visit a nearby public library with Internet access, can also enroll by going to www.govbenefits.gov."

Thanks
Gary Ray

Looking For Volunteers With Special Skills To Help Katrina Victims

2005-09-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

The TASH Katrina web site has a call for volunteers with skills working with people with disabilities. If you work with people with disabilities of any kind and want to do something here is your chance.

Call For Volunteers, Disability Experts

If you have a particular expertise and want to be involved in relief efforts, please send a brief explanation of your expertise and contact information to June Isaacson Kailes, jik@pacbell.net, 310-821-7080, 909-290-0122 (cell), or look at her web site: http://www.jik.com laters, --Gary Ray

Housing & Urban Development, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Both Offer Help To Disaster Victims

2005-09-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I have two new pieces of information today concerning people with disabilities and Katrina relief.
HUD Establishes Single Toll-Free Number
(1-888-297-8685) To Help Disaster Victims With All Housing Concerns

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced that HUD has established a single toll-free number, 1-888-297-8685, to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The number operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST, seven days a week.

Previously, HUD had toll free numbers for each of the different services provided by the agency, such as FHA insured-mortgages, Section 8, multi-family housing, lender information and public housing residents.

"This nationwide telephone number will provide callers expanded services and hours and the opportunity to speak with an actual person," said Jackson. "With all that displaced families are going through starting to rebuild their lives, the last thing they need to encounter is an answering machine without answers. We have increased our staffing at the National Servicing Call Center in Oklahoma, and we currently have the capacity to handle 15,000 calls daily."

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Actions To Help Beneficiaries,
Providers In Katrina Stricken Area.

The below is directly from the CMS.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has acted to assure that the Medicare, Medicaid and State Childrens Health Insurance Programs will flex to accommodate the emergency health care needs of beneficiaries and medical providers in the Hurricane Katrina devastated states. Many of the programs normal operating procedures will be relaxed to speed provision of health care services to the elderly, children and persons with disabilities who depend upon them.

The agency will also offer the following relief immediately:

Health care providers that furnish medical services in good faith, but who cannot comply with normal program requirements because of Hurricane Katrina, will be paid for services provided and will be exempt from sanctions for noncompliance, unless it is discovered that fraud or abuse occurred.

Crisis services provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients who have been transferred to facilities not certified to participate in the programs will be paid. Programs will reimburse facilities for providing dialysis to patients with kidney failure in alternative settings.

Medicare contractors may pay the costs of ambulance transfers of patients being evacuated from one health care facility to another.

Normal prior authorization and out-of-network requirements will also be waived for enrollees of Medicare, Medicaid or SCHIP managed care plans.

Normal licensing requirements for doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who cross state lines to provide emergency care in stricken areas will be waived as long as the provider is licensed in their home state.

Certain HIPAA privacy requirements will be waived so that health care providers can talk to family members about a patients condition even if that patient is unable to grant that permission to the provider.

Hospitals and other facilities can be flexible in billing for beds that have been dedicated to other uses, for example, if a psychiatric unit bed is used for an acute care patient admitted during the crisis.

Hospital emergency rooms will not be held liable under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) for transferring patients to other facilities for assessment, if the original facility is in the area where a public health emergency has been declared.

More information about CMS emergency relief activities, including a detailed explanation of billing and payment policy revisions, and phone numbers for the state medical assistance offices can be found can be found at www.cms.hhs.gov. Frequently asked questions and their answers on the site will be updated daily by 2pm.

Comprehensive List Of Sites For Disaster Aid For People With Disabilities

2005-09-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

As I have been finding and receiving information on how and where to go for information about how to help people with disabilities in the disaster I have come across some sites that have a large and comprehensive lists of information. I do not need to reinvent the wheel here, so I am suggesting that you go to these places if you need more information. I will continue to post information that I think can help the victims of Katrina who are people with disabilities, and all the people who need our help but these are the places I suggest you go for more information.

Katrina Disability Web Page

One of the largest and most thorough places for information relating to Katrina and people with disabilities is the Katrina Disability site.

Katrina Special Needs Web Page

Another wide ranging Katrina and people with special needs site has been put together by the Pamela Wilson the BellaOnline Special Needs Children Editor.

TASH Katrina Web Page

TASH has put together a good Katrina and people who are disabled site.

--laters, Gary Ray

Special Needs Shelters Information

2005-09-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hello All -- The below post is from the National Council on Disabilities and concerns the special needs shelters in the disaster zone. --Gary Ray

Special Needs Shelters In The Disaster Zone

Special Needs Shelters are designed for individuals who are homebound, chronically ill or who have disabilities and are in need of medical or nursing care, and have no other place to receive care.

Those seeking shelter will be screened by nurses to determine the level of care needed. Only people who meet admission criteria can be sheltered. If their condition is too critical, they will be referred to a hospital for sheltering, or admission. If their condition is not severe enough for Special Needs Sheltering, they will be referred to a general shelter.

Special triage telephone lines are being established in each region to accept the calls of citizens seeking special needs sheltering. Citizens with special needs seeking shelter must call telephone number in their area BEFORE attempting to access a shelter. These numbers are listed below.

Alexandria: 800-841-5778
Shreveport: 800-841-5776

Baton Rouge: 800-349-1372
Monroe: 866-280-7287

Houma/Thibodaux: 800-228-9409
Slidell/Hammond: 866-280-7724

Lafayette: 800-901-3210

Lake Charles: 866-280-2711

Special Needs Shelters are not designed for the general public or for nursing home patients. Nursing homes in Louisiana are required to have emergency evacuation plans in place that ensure the health and safety of their residents. In most instances, these plans allow for homes in affected areas to transport their patients to nursing homes in areas safe from the storm.

Health officials note that if individuals have health problems that require medical expertise and must evacuate, it is best for them to go with family members or caretakers north and west to areas that are out of harms way. These will provide medical support services only. Because of limited staffing, those going to a Special Needs Shelter must have a caretaker to assist with ongoing support and they should bring all necessary supplies including sheets, blankets and pillows.

Community And Residential Services Association (CARSA), a trade organization for providers of services with developmental disabilities, in cooperation with the ARC of Louisiana, the Developmental Disabilities Council and The Advocacy Center, is available to assist families who may have relatives who were evacuated from community homes and other service programs in the Greater New Orleans area.

Families seeking information may call the following numbers for assistance:

CARSA 225-343-8811

The ARC of Louisiana 1-866-966-6261

Developmental Disabilities Council 1-800-450-8108

The Advocacy Center (Baton Rouge) 1-800-711-1696

The Advocacy Center (Lafayette) 1-800-822-0210

Paralyzed Veterans of America Needs Your Help

2005-09-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

The below is from the PVA, Paralyzed Veterans of America
Gary Ray

Paralyzed Veterans of America - PVA has established a special fund to assists paralyzed veterans and other disabled veterans whose property and lives are severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Due to the special needs of people with disabilities, the fund provides assistance such as transportation, temporary shelter, food, home repairs, medical supplies, prosthetic appliances, or modifications that are needed for wheelchair accessibility.
Online: http://www.supportveterans.org/disaster.htm
Phone: 1-800-424-8200.

Donate Hurricane Katrina Relief For People With Diabetes

2005-09-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you want to help people with diabetes that have been affected by the hurricane the below link will connect you to one group that can help, dLife and the Children With Diabetes Foundation

Gary Ray

Assistance Available for Hurricane Victims, People Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing

2005-09-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
If you have any information that relates to people with disabilities that have been affected by the hurricane disaster please send me an e-mail and I'll post it.

The below post is from the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) Project that has designated
CSD of Oklahoma and Northern Resource Virginia Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) as CEPIN contact centers for Hurricane Katrina victims and their families.

Gary Ray

---

Assistance Available for Hurricane Victims who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing CEPIN Regional Centers Standing by to Assist Displaced Individuals and Families

Emergency assistance plans have been put in place for Hurricane Katrina victims who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) Project has designated CSD of Oklahoma and Northern Resource Virginia Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) as CEPIN contact centers for Hurricane Katrina victims and their families.

Agencies serving deaf or hard of hearing individuals in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are reporting that their phone lines and offices are shut down for the time being. Coverage for pagers may be weak at times due to loss of network capabilities. As a result, people wanting to find information on recovery and rescue efforts in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina are encouraged in Louisiana or displaced westward in Texas to contact CSD of Oklahoma during regular business hours at:

www.c-s-d.org (click on locations, then Oklahoma)
(866) 845-7445 Voice/TTY (Toll Free)
(918) 835-7445 Voice/TTY
(918) 835-6459 FAX
csdoklahoma@c-s-d.org

We have people standing by at the CEPIN regional center, which is being facilitated by CSD of Oklahoma Division Director Glenna Cooper," said Dr. Benjamin J. Soukup, CSD CEO. "We recognize that people who are deaf or hard of hearing are often overlooked in disaster recovery and rescue efforts, and we are working hard to ensure that this does not happen with Hurricane Katrina. CSD of Oklahoma is working closely with the local Red Cross and other appropriate organizations, and they will be able to provide assistance."

"In addition to the victims, our office is also providing support and resources to the responders and volunteers to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing refugees are getting much-needed assistance," added Soukup.

For those wanting information in other states affected by Katrina such as Florida, Alabama or Mississippi, and displaced refugees in the Mid-Atlantic area, contact Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC).

"We are heartbroken seeing all the devastation that Katrina has brought upon people in the Gulf States, especially those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and late-deafened," said Cheryl Heppner, Executive Director of NVRC.

Heppner added, "As part of CEPIN, we are eager to work with organizations and agencies to ensure that people who are deaf or hard of hearing get the services they need, especially hearing aids or other devices vital to effective communication. At a time when their lives are turned upside down, we hope the last thing worry about is how they will be able to communicate with others."

NVRC may be contacted during regular business hours at:
www.nvrc.org
(703) 352-9056 TTY
(703) 352-9055 Voice
(703) 352-9058 FAX
info@nvrc.org

Volunteers who have experience in working with deaf and hard of hearing people and have training in First Aid, CPR, CERT, and other rescue efforts should contact one of the two regional centers to offer their services. The CEPIN website also has a list of statewide resources available at www.tdi-online.org/tdi/emergencypreparedness/cepin.htm for the areas affected by the hurricane.

If you need assistance in recovering from the disaster, contact the nearest Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):
www.fema.gov
1-800-462-7585 TTY
1-800-621-FEMA (3362) Voice

For a list of organizations to donate money to:
www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadonations.shtm

(Please note that FEMA and other organizations are asking for monetary donations, not donations in the form of food, clothes or other goods).

If you need food, clothing, shelter or medicine, contact the American Red Cross:
www.redcross.org

If you need to find your family members, go to the American Red Cross
FamilyLinks website at:
www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina

If you receive social security benefits, Social Security Administration is working to ensure that individuals continue to receive their retirement or disability checks. More information is at: www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency/
1-800-325-0778 TTY
1-800-772-1213 Voice

Its critical that we have this information on hand for victims, and that people are aware of these resources, said Jim House, CEPIN Project National Coordinator. The CEPIN Project will continue to be very supportive, and to monitor the recovery activities and provide assistance as needed. CEPIN will be adding information to its website and sending out information as news develops, and we encourage people to check our website for updates.

About the CEPIN Project: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded TDI nearly $1.5 million for the two-year CEPIN Project, which focuses on developing model community education programs for deaf and hard of hearing consumers about emergency preparedness. For more information about the CEPIN Project, please visit www.tdi-online.org/tdi/emergencypreparedness/cepin.htm.

About TDI: TDI is a non-profit advocacy organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications and media for individuals who are deaf, late deafened, hard-of-hearing or deaf-blind. Since 1968, TDI has successfully advocated for federal legislation such as the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, both of 1990, as well as other legislation and policies
mandating greater access to wireless technology, captioning as well as other telecommunication and media technologies. Since its inception, TDI has been promoting access to 9-1-1 centers and other public safety answering points, and is now working to ensure full access to information during natural or manmade disasters and other types of emergencies. TDI publishes annually, a National Directory & Resource Guide, commonly known as The Blue Book, a popular resource book for people with hearing loss, as well as the GA-SK quarterly news magazine. For more information about TDI, visit www.tdi-online.org.

# # #

Medicare And Medicaid Waiver Between States For Hurricane Victims

2005-09-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

If you have relatives who are receiving Medicare and or Medicaid in the disaster area, you need the following information that I received from the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. --Gary Ray

Medicare, Medicaid Recipient Disaster Info

I have been asked to inform you that Dr. Margaret Giannini, Director of the US HHS Office on Disability has gotten word from Dr. Mark McLellan, Administrator of the US HHS Centers for Medicaid and Medicare that there will be a waiver between all of the states housing hurricane survivors who were already receiving Medicaid to have their Medicaid accepted in their current location.

There will also be an expedited process for Medicaid eligibility for those who may now be eligible due to their hurricane related situation.

Also, we need to provide a clear picture of the actual needs in the affected states and in the receiving states. Please send me the following information ASAP so we can make our case for disability specialists to be put into place to address disability specific issues from an advocacy perspective to address both medical and non-medical needs.

I need as much information as possible in the following categories:

Location (town, state)

Current living situation

Disability

Immediate needs (medicine, foor, water, sterile catheters, DME wheelchairs, airmattresses, seat cushions, for example)

Additional needs (accessible housing, special education services, for example)

Age

Single or family/companions

If you are a CIL or other service provider, what is your current situation?

What staffing and other resources (computers, cell/SAT phones for example) are needed?

Address, phone, email

Anything else that will help decision makers to address the additional disability specific needs of survivors

Please send to mroth@spinalcord.org
You can reach me at 301 990-6559 or 301 717-7447.

If you need to reach Dr. Giannini, you can call her at 202-205-1016.
Thanks!

Marcie Roth
Executive Director/CEO
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
6701 Democracy Blvd Suite 300-9
Bethesda, MD 20817
(301) 717-7447 (Direct)
(301) 214-4006 (VM)
(301) 963-1265 (Fax)
(800) 962-9639 (Helpline)
mroth@spinalcord.org
www.spinalcord.org

How To Collect Social Security Checks In Disaster Area

2005-09-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

If your have relatives who are collecting Social Security and they live in the zone affected by the hurricane see the below post from Justice For All.
Gary Ray

-----
The Social Security Administration is doing everything it can to ensure that monthly payments get to beneficiaries affected by Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency/

For paper checks
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has suspended mail service in some areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina. USPS is establishing temporary mail delivery stations so you can pick up your Social Security check. To find these locations, check the USPS National Mail Service Update page.

http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm?from=bannercommunications&page=katrina

To help prevent identity fraud, USPS will ask you for a photo ID. If you are not able to go to a temporary mail delivery station, you can go to any open Social Security office and request an immediate payment.

For Direct Deposit
If you receive your Social Security payment by direct deposit, your Social Security payment is scheduled to be deposited to your account as usual. However, if you experience any difficulty getting your payment, you can go to any open Social Security office and request an immediate payment.

Closed Social Security Offices
As of 9/1/05 the following Social Security offices are closed:

Louisiana
o New Orleans Downtown
o New Orleans Bywater
o New Orleans East
o New Orleans Westbank
o Kenner
o Hammond
o Covington
o Bogalusa
o New Orleans Teleservice Center
o Office of Hearings and Appeals, Metairie
o Office of Hearings and Appeals, New Orleans
o Disability Determination Services, New Orleans (Metairie)

Mississippi
o Gulfport (Closed indefinitely)
o Moss Point (Closed indefinitely)
o Biloxi (Closed indefinitely)
o Meridian (No Power)
o Hattiesburg (No Power)
o Laurel (No Power)
o Mississippi Disability Determination Services (should be reopened by Tuesday, September 6, 2005.)
o Office of Hearings and Appeals, Hattiesburg (No Power)

For more information on the nearest open Social Security office, you can call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

Go to the website for Other Useful links:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency/
FirstGov: Hurricane Katrina Recovery (en Espaqol)
USPS National Mail Service Update page
American Red Cross:
o Call 1-800-HELPNOW (1-800-435-7669)
o Get disaster information in English and en Espaqol.
CDC: Hurricane Katrina (en Espaqol)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
HHS, Administration on Aging: Disaster Preparedness Manual for the Aging
Network

------

Centers For Independent Living Affected By Katrina Need Your Old Wheelchairs and Money

2005-09-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am forwarding the below request for help from the Centers for Independent Living which assist people with disabilities to be independent and lead a full productive life. The centers in the disaster region of course need help.

Gary Ray

-----
As you may know, the Centers for Independent Living in Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans have been gravely affected by the hurricane. In fact the Biloxi, MS center was totally destroyed. Many of you are asking how you can help. Here is what we have learned from colleagues in those states.

Sending money is the first priority. Sending supplies to those centers is helpful too but NOT RIGHT NOW, because they can't get through the water.

Here are the suggested options for right now:

1) Send a check or credit card payment to the Red Cross and designate it for Hurricane Relief, or designate it for people with disabilities in the Biloxi/Hattiesburg or New Orleans areas.

2) If you want to send money for the CILs that are dealing with this disaster directly, here are your options:

For the Biloxi Center, mail the check (payable to LIFE of Central MS and designated for the Biloxi Center) to:

LIFE of Central Mississippi
754 North President Street, Suite 1
Jackson, MS 39202

For the centers in Louisiana (make checks payable to Resources for Independent Living - this is a branch of the N.O. center - and designate for the New Orleans center)and mail to:

Resources for IL
11931 Industriplex Blvd. Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

We have also learned from Mack Marsh of the Shreveport Center that centers in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles are assisting evacuees. Mack says they would also appreciate supplies if there is any way to get those supplies to the centers. His list includes: manual wheelchairs, hospital beds, adult diapers, bed pads, catheters and other supplies. The address for the Baton Rouge center is shown above, addresses for the Shreveport and Lake Charles centers follow.

Southwest LA Independence Center, Inc.
Mitch Granger
1202 Kirkman, Suite C
Lake Charles, LA 70601

New Horizons, Inc.
Jerry Kidwell
9300 Mansfield Road, Suite 204
Shreveport, LA 71118

The above was sent by
Dawn Heinsohn
IL NET: ILRU/NCIL National Training and Technical Assistance Project
ILRU Program
2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019
713.520.0232 ext. 130 (v)
713.520.5136 (TTY) 713.520.5785 (fax)
Worldwide Web Site: http://www.ilru.org

----------

Katrina Information and Disaster Preparedness For People With Special Needs

2005-09-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

I will be posting a much longer and more complete posting on disaster preparedness for people with special needs over the weekend. I taught a course on this subject in conjunction with the SLO Red Cross and the San Luis Obispo County EMS Agency, Inc before Y2K.

If you wish to help with the Katrina disaster please go to the Red Cross link above for local contact information. Here is the national site for the Red Cross. To donate on line you can use that Red Cross site.

If you have the time the local Red Cross needs volunteers with specific skills to go to the disaster area ( at least two days ago they did; from what I know the problem is housing for the volunteers). Before a person can go as a volunteer one will need training. The local Red Cross has an accelerated training program that a friend of mine is taking and hopes to go and help in some way. Call the Local Red Cross at (805) 543-0696 for more information or go to the volunteer section of the SLO Red Cross.

I also have heard on the media an interview about a Salvation Army Unit that has been one of the very first responders to the Katrina disaster. If you wish to donate or help with the Salvation Army go directly to their web page.

Everyone should be prepared for a disaster; you need a disaster kit with supplies for at least a week in my opinion (more about this in the full post on this subject). Even more so, people with disabilities and people with special needs must prepare for disasters. I heard a story about a man in the affected area who had cancer and was on oxygen before the hurricane hit last Monday. He survived the hurricane only to die because he ran out of oxygen. People with special medical needs must prepare for a lengthy power outage and the lack of medical attention in the event of a disaster. But many poor people cannot afford to stock a disaster kit or have standby emergency equipment.

Most all of us put off or don't think about disaster preparedness. Do you have a disaster kit ready to grab and run out the door? Do you have a house kit for long-term survival? And by long term I mean a week or two.

Until I get a longer post done this weekend I want to send you to a couple of places for disaster preparedness for people with special needs and people with disabilities.

The Red Cross has an excellent resource for disaster preparedness for people with disabilities.

The FEMA resource for disaster preparation for people with disabilities is aso a source for information.

Another good resource is the Disability Resources web page.

Hope this can help you think about disaster preparation. Please stop by in a day or two and I will have a much more complete article on this subject.

Laters Gary Ray

Woman Who Is A Quadriplegic Sails Across English Channel Alone!

2005-08-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I thought a little good news should help today.

Hilary Lister, 33, is able to move only her head, eyes and mouth sailed across the English Channel, alone!

Ms. Lister who is a woman who cannot move any part of her body except her head, eyes, and mouth, sailed solo across the English Channel by using Assistive Technology to help her control her sailboat. She sailed across the channel last Tuesday the 23rd of August.

By using two sip and puff straws connected to remote mechanical operators she could control the rudder and sails. These are short plastic straws that are connected to small bellows so by sipping and puffing on them you can control electrical devices. This is a common method for people who have severe disabilities to be able to control their environment or mechanical and electronic items.

The trip took 6 hours. Ms. Lister stated; "It is very emotional for me. I was absolutely certain that once I got in the boat that I could make it to France. I am too stubborn to give up." She was drinking champagne at the French port of Calais after her historic trip

I have helped to set up sip and puff systems for controlling computers and household appliances and have friends that use this method for controlling their computers and writing e-mail. I think the use of this type of system for sailboat control is ingenious and I say to Hillary Lister, "Hell of a good job Hillary, and congratulations on a job well done."

Laters, my friends --Gary Ray

Basics of the Americans with Disabilities Act

2005-08-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Having just finished the first seminar in a series of seminars on accessibility regulations as they apply to businesses in California, and it is fresh in my head, I thought I should start posting about accessibility, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), and Title 24 of the California Building Code.

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination to a class of people by requiring public facilities to be accessible, and regulating the physical attributes of buildings, etc. (and that is a big etcetera)

The basic principle of the ADA is, if you invite the public into your facility, that is, as customers or as employees, or if you sell services of any type to the public, or if you are a non-profit, or a government entity, if you invite the public you have to include everyone. You cannon exclude a class of people, in this case people with disabilities, from having equal access to goods, services, and jobs. If you want to read the Act itself, go to the Department of Justice ADA Webpage
and see the exact language of the ADA.

The ADA is generally divided into five titles. Each title is concerned with a specific area of discrimination. I'll give you the first three today, the most used titles, and save the rest for later.

Title I Employment

SEC. 102. DISCRIMINATION.
(a) General Rule.--No covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability of such individual in regard to job application procedures, the hiring, advancement, or discharge of employees, employee compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

Title I says employers must not discriminate in the hiring or advancement of any individual with a disability if they can perform the essential functions of the job. That means if the employer can reasonably accommodate a person so s/he can perform the essential functions of a job, and the person is otherwise qualified to do the job, you cannot discriminate against them simply because of a disability. Title I is enforceable by the Department of Justice.

This is a major source of litigation, not always favorable to people with disabilities. It can depend on the judge's bias. But that's another blog.

On a personal note, some years back, one of the largest state employers in the county discriminated against me because of my lack of ability to climb stairs. My job required me to be in an office on the second level of a building with no elevator. At the time I could not take any action because of the power that the employer had over me and my educational advancement. But I digress.

Title II Public Entities (Federal, State, Local Government) and Transportation.

SEC. 202. DISCRIMINATION.
Subject to the provisions of this title, no qualified individual with a
disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from
participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or
activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such
entity.

Title II states that no government entity shall discriminate against people with disabilities. That is, participation in all public programs, benefits, and services must be accessible to all people. Not just people who can walk, or see, or hear. You do not have to have a perfect body and mind, which is a damn good thing considering that most of us are not perfect. This portion of Title II is also enforced by the Department of Justice.

Title II also covers transportation issues. Those issues are enforced by the respective federal governing agencies.

Title III Public Accommodation

SEC. 302. PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION BY PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.
(a) General Rule.--No individual shall be discriminated against on the
basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services,
facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public
accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a
place of public accommodation.

If you have a place of public accommodation, that is, anywhere the public is invited in, you must ensure that the entire public has access to your goods and services. Notice the Code says that owners of property, lease holders of property, and owners of businesses on that property all are responsible for ensuring there is no discrimination. Landlords and tenants are equally responsible under the law. This is something that should be worked out in lease agreements and very rarely is.

Here is the list of possible places of public accommodation covered under this Title.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 301 #7 Places of public accommodation.

(A) an inn, hotel, motel, or other place of lodging, except for an establishment located within a building that contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and that is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as the residence of such proprietor;
(B) a restaurant, bar, or other establishment serving food or drink;
(C) a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment;
(D) an auditorium, convention center, lecture hall, or other place of public gathering;
(E) a bakery, grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, shopping center, or other sales or rental establishment;
(F) a laundromat, dry-cleaner, bank, barber shop, beauty shop, travel service, shoe repair service, funeral parlor, gas station, office of an accountant or lawyer, pharmacy, insurance office, professional office of a health care provider, hospital, or other service establishment;
(G) a terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation;
(H) a museum, library, gallery, or other place of public display or collection;
(I) a park, zoo, amusement park, or other place of recreation;
(J) a nursery, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate private school, or other place of education;
(K) a day care center, senior citizen center, homeless shelter, food bank, adoption agency, or other social service center establishment; and
(L) a gymnasium, health spa, bowling alley, golf course, or other place of exercise or recreation.

As you can see, the list covers every type of business directly or indirectly. This includes any new construction, but more importantly, requires businesses to actively take steps to remove existing barriers. The devil is in the details. That's a whole seminar in itself. But the basic bottom line is, if you do business, you can't discriminate.

Let me put this really clearly, places of public accommodation, that is all businesses, new or existing, must do everything reasonable to remove architectural and procedural barriers that would discriminate against people with disabilities.

Title III of the ADA is enforced by the Department of Justice and by private lawsuits. Let me say that again, Title III of the ADA is enforced by DoJ and by private lawsuits. If you discriminate against a person by not taking reasonable measures to remove barriers so they can fully participate in all the goods and services you offer, they can bring a lawsuit against you and your business. And, as we all know here on the Central Coast, that has already happened.

Later we will discuss the rest of the ADA.

Laters my friends.
Gary Ray

Series Of Seminars On The ADA And Title 24 Accessibility

2005-08-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

A series of three seminars on accessibility laws as they relate to small and large businesses is set to begin in Paso Robles this week.

Business managers, potentially subject to public accessibility lawsuits, will find this information covers the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title 24 of the California Building Code (Accessibility).

The Economic Vitality Corporation, the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, and Rogers-Ltd, "A Human Engineering Consultancy," will conduct the series of seminars on accessibility the next three Fridays (Aug 26, Sep 2, Sep 9), from 8:00 AM to noon at the Paso Chamber of Commerce, 1225 Park Street. Note: The location of the seminars on September 2 and Sept 9 in Paso Robles has been changed. Please call Pat MacCasland at the EVC for details. 805-788-2014

These seminars will also be presented in Morro Bay in September.

If You Own A Business You Need This Information

Recent lawsuits have increased the profile of these accessibility laws and how they are enforced. These seminars will discuss all the major aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title 24 of the California Building Code (Accessibility) as they relate to small and large businesses, government facilities, and people with disabilities and their friends and relatives.

The workshops show how your business or facility can become accessible. Remember, one out of five people in America has a disability. Accessibility does not have to be expensive, but like any other requirement for doing business, you need to know the law. Prevent possible costly mistakes, decrease your chance of liability and most of all, increase your potential customer base. Accessibility really is just good business!

Gary Ray Rogers, a local consulting engineer and expert on accessibility will be the principal speaker. Mr. Rogers has extensive experience with accessibility issues and is a person who uses a wheelchair, cane, crutches, and walking shoes (on a good day).

Three Different Seminars on Accessibility

The first of these seminars on August 26 will cover parking regulations, including a demonstration of the correct accessible parking signs; outside path of travel, ramps and sidewalks.

The second seminar on September 2 will discuss door access and interior path of travel, including counters and range of reach for goods and services.

The last seminar on September 9 will discuss accessible bathroom regulations.

Information Needed for Your Business

Each of these 3 hour seminars will provide the participants with a written set of the pertinent federal and state accessibility guidelines with figures, a CD of the entire set of state and federal guidelines, and the latest CD from the Department of Justice concerning the ADA.

The seminars will be presented using an overhead projector and will have figures and pictures of example problem areas with proposed solutions. There will also be a question and answer period at the end of the seminar.

A second set of these seminars will be held in Morro Bay on September 16, 23 and 30, 2005 and will be sponsored by the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce and the EVC.

These seminars cost $25 for each one or $50 for the entire 3-part set. For more information or to sign up go to the Economic Vitality Corporation web page or you can also call Pat MacCasland at the EVC 805-788-2014.

Laters, my friends, --Gary Ray

Murderball, A Great Rugby Movie.

2005-08-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

I might suggest that for your next movie night you go to the Palm Theater and see Murderball.

If you have seen or played rugby you know that it can be one of the most physically demanding sports that there is. Here is a documentary movie about a group of guys that play rugby, which in itself would make for a good documentary because of the excitement and action. This group just happens to be wheelchair users. That's right, rugby, or as they like to call it, quad rugby. Its rough and tough and a joy to watch. Hell of a movie. And we have a local man who stars in the movie, Brent Poppen from Paso.

The Chronicle had this to say about Murderball.

"Murderball,'' directed by Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, first gained notice at its world premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize. Since then, it has swept through film festivals and successfully launched its national release in New York and Los Angeles

See Murderball at the Palm.

Laters, My Friends
Gary Ray

Local Low Vision Group Has Great New Web Page!

2005-08-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I want to announce that the Central Coast Low Vision Council has a great new web page.

The statistics I have seen point out that people with low vision and people who are blind are the largest single group of people with disabilities in America. (I'll post a complete article of the statistics later) What that means is there are a lot of people who have low vision or are blind, it is a natural part of life.

People With Low Vision And People Who Are Blind Use Computers

It may surprise you to learn that many people with low vision use a computer and the Internet regularly. In fact people with disabilities use the Internet at a higher rate than the general population. (Again I'll post more statistics about this later) The reason is obvious if you think about it. If you are a person who has a problem with an activity of daily living, like walking, eating, seeing, hearing, driving, ect. then being able to go on line and find information, friends, and the ability to buy items from your own house, at your own speed is a life saver.

The biggest problem for people with low vision is the ability to see the screen. There are numerous ways to overcome this problem. The first and easiest is to use a large font when reading a web page. All browser programs have the ability to enlarge the font of the web page, if the web page is designed correctly.

People who are totally blind can use a computer with the help of Assistive Technology. Some people who are blind use a screen reading program like Jaws. This program will read the web page aloud to a person and with a lot of practice and hard work people who are blind can use the Internet just as easily as you can.

"Jaws for Windows is a powerful accessibility solution that reads information on your screen using synthesized speech. JAWS provides many useful commands that make it easier to use programs, edit documents, and read Web pages. With a refreshable braille display, JAWS can also provide braille output in addition to, or instead of, speech. An array of versatile features and customizable options lets you tailor JAWS for your individual needs and preferences"

Central Coast Low Vision Council

The Central Coast Low Vision Council was started a number of years ago by a dedicated group of people that wanted to help others find local sources for services, as well as meet each other and have some fun at the same time. They are a non-profit and have meetings on a regular basis. Check out the CCLV web page for more information on the next meeting.

"Here at the Central Coast Low Vision Council we hope to make great strides in the advancement of services for those with low vision."

Their new web page is a great source of local businesses and non-profits that can be of benefit to people who have low vision. They have a list of resources that is in large font and can be printed out if needed.

If you have a friend or relative that has low vision or is blind this can be a very good resource and a forum for just talking about coping. Check them out.

Laters, my Friends

Gary Ray

People with Disabilities World Wide News Sources

2005-08-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

World News, People With Disabilities

I'm having a bit of a hard time today, arthritis kicked in hard and I lost my Physical Therapy Heated Pool. But that is a different story.

So for a change of pace that hopefully will get you started finding out more information about people with disabilities around the world I will list a few places to look.

I might suggest that you start with Google and search for a specific term that you are interested in.

News from Around the World.

I am a fan of BBC News and they have an interesting news site for issues concerning people with disabilities at Ouch!

Disabled World is another site that lists articles and news stories concerning people with disabilities around the world.

Not to be confused with Disability World which is the web-zine of the International Disability Exchanges and Studies (IDEAS) Project 2000-2004, and is supported by the U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

Disability News and Information Services is an interesting site with news concerning people with disabilities in India.

If you want news and information closer to home try The National Organization on Disability out of Washington.

More information from the United Kingdom is available at YourAble.com

And finally if you are into RSS feeds one source for instant news directly ported to your computer is at e-bility

Laters, my friends
Gary Ray

Mr. Rogers Gets Political! John Roberts vs ADA

2005-08-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

The below discussion is from the "Justice For All" email list-serve and concerns the nomination of John Roberts for Supreme Court. How does Roberts relate to the issues surrounding disabilities? Thanks to the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law for their analysis.

The nomination of John Roberts for the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice O'Connor's retirement poses serious concerns for people with disabilities. As a judge, a private lawyer, a special assistant to the Attorney General, and a deputy Solicitor General, John Roberts has repeatedly argued to narrow the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws, to give very limited scope to the powers that allow Congress to pass civil rights laws, and to limit remedies under civil rights laws. Below is a summary of Roberts record on disability and civil rights laws.

Narrowing the Protections of the ADA

* In Toyota Motor Manufacturing v. Williams, 534 U.S. 184 (2002), Roberts successfully argued to the Supreme Court that a woman who had developed severe bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis from working on the assembly line at an auto manufacturing plant could not prevail in a suit against her employer for failing to accommodate her disability. Roberts argued that she was not a person with a disability because she was not sufficiently limited in major life activities outside of her job. Roberts brief greatly distorted the extent of the womans limitations.

As a result of Roberts advocacy, the Supreme Court held that the test for coverage under the ADA is a narrow one that must be strictly applied, and it articulated a more stringent test than the test set forth in the law itself.

Narrowing the Coverage of Section 504

* In Grove City College v. Bell, 465 U.S. 555 (1984), the Supreme Court ruled that the requirements of Title IX only applied to the admissions office of a college that accepted federal funds, and not to the entire college. This decision applied equally to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Several years later, Congress passed a law overturning this decision and requiring that when an institution accepts federal funds, the entire institution is subject to the requirements of Title IX, Title VI, and Section 504.

While various legislative proposals to correct Grove City were pending, John Roberts, then associate White House counsel, stated in an internal memorandum that the requirements of Title IX should apply only to the specific program receiving federal funds, and that the corrective legislation later passed by Congress would radically expand the civil rights laws to areas of private conduct never
before considered covered.

Had Roberts view prevailed, the antidiscrimination mandates of Section 504, Title VI, and Title IX would apply to far fewer entities.

Limiting Enforcement of Medicaid and Other Rights

* In Gonzaga University v. Doe, 536 U.S. 273 (2002), Roberts successfully argued before the Supreme Court for a restrictive test to determine whether laws may be privately enforced in court by the individuals they protect. In that case, the Supreme Court held that an individual could not go to court to enforce his rights under the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

This case has been used to defeat the ability of Medicaid recipients to enforce their rights under the Medicaid Act in numerous cases.

* In Wilder v. Virginia Hospital Association, 496 U.S. 498 (1990), Roberts filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of the United States, as deputy Solicitor General, arguing that Medicaid rights were not privately enforceable. Fortunately, the Supreme Court rejected this argument, and the Wilder decision has been the basis for most cases in
which courts have permitted Medicaid recipients to enforce their rights.

This victory has been severely eroded by the Supreme Courts subsequent Gonzaga, in which Roberts argued to limit private enforcement of statutes.

* In Suter v. Artist M., 503 U.S. 347 (1992), Roberts successfully argued to the Supreme Court on behalf of the United States, as deputy Solicitor General, that children could not enforce their rights under the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act to require states to make reasonable efforts to preserve and reunite their families.

This decision has been used to defeat individuals ability to enforce their rights under many other important statutes as well.

Limiting Remedies for Violations of Disability
and Other Civil Rights Laws

* In Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools, 503 U.S. 60(1992), Roberts, as deputy Solicitor General, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing for a restrictive view of what remedies were available under Title IX, and under civil rights statutes generally. The Supreme Court rejected Roberts arguments and held that absent a contrary indication from Congress, all appropriate remedies are available.

The Franklin decision has been extremely important in ensuring that civil rights plaintiffs who prevail, including ADA and Section 504 plaintiffs, are able to obtain appropriate relief.

Narrowing Federal Education Law Protections for Students with Disabilities

* In Board of Education v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176 (1982), an eight year old student who was deaf sought to have a sign language interpreter provided to assist her in school. The trial court ruled that federal law required the state to provide an interpreter for her. The appeals court affirmed.

Roberts, while at the Justice Department, wrote a memo to the Attorney General criticizing these court decisions. Roberts stated that the lower courts, in an exercise of judicial activism, used the vague statutory language to overrule the board and substitute their own judgment of appropriate educational policy. Even the conservative Justice Department of that time disagreed with this view and filed a brief supporting the student.

The Supreme Court held that the student was not entitled to an interpreter because she was benefiting from her school instruction and federal law did not require the state to maximize the potential of each student with a disability.

Restricting Congresss Power to Pass Disability
and Civil Rights Laws

* In Rancho Viejo, LLC v. Norton, 334 F.3d 1158 (D.C. Cir. 2003), Roberts, sitting as a federal judge on the D.C. Circuit, dissented from a denial of en banc (full court) review in a case concerning Congress authority to apply the Endangered Species Act to protect an endangered species of toad. A panel of the court had held that this application of the Act was a constitutional exercise of Congress commerce power. The full court denied review. Roberts dissented, criticizing the panels view of the commerce power as too broad.

Roberts would have held that the specific application of the Endangered Species Act to the arroyo toad, which lives only in California, did not implicate interstate commerce, and thus Congress had no power to regulate it.

Roberts vs the Commerce Power

The commerce power is one of the bases for Congresss passage of the ADA, and Roberts interpretation would have dramatic implications for the ability to enforce many important provisions of the ADA. Fortunately, Roberts view of the Commerce Clause was subsequently rejected by the Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Raich, 125 S. Ct. 2195 (2005), in which the Court made clear that Congress commerce authority cannot be defeated by carving out a specific set of activities that are purely local, if these activities are part of a larger scheme regulating activities that substantially affect interstate commerce.

Having Roberts on the Supreme Court could dramatically affect how the Court views Congress commerce authority in the future. --laters my friends, Gary Ray

Got Housing? Can You Get In The Door?

2005-08-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

Housing is a problem if you live in the Central Coast, affordable housing is hard to find. Now, just think, what if you were a person with a disability? How hard do you think it is to find affordable accessible housing, to own or rent? Let me give you the short answer, impossible.

Try to think if you remember anything mentioned about accessible housing when local politicians, developers, and the media discuss housing issues.

I personally know of more than one person that has had to live on the streets because they could not find affordable accessible housing.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) tries to increase the stock of affordable accessible housing through the Community Development Block Grant Program and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. If a city, county, or state receives monies from one of these programs, in fact if any federal dollars are involved, then there are requirements for a minimum number of accessible housing units.

In California, the requirements are even more stringent (which I will discuss later). Why is there such a lack of accessible housing? Where are all these baby boomers going to live when they get old and their bodies fall apart?

This information comes from Steve Gold at the ADA information site. I am including below a list of questions from Steve concerning HUD, and accessible housing.

HUD requires local jurisdictions that receive federal financial assistance, e.g., funds from the Community Development Block Grant program and/or HOME Investment Partnerships, must complete "Consolidated Plans."

A CP must include citizen participation of low income persons, including persons with disability. Those persons most affected must have access to the information in the CP, as well as the right to review and submit comments. Pubic hearings must be held at least twice a year before the CP can be submitted to HUD.

1. Are housing programs complying with Section 504's "accessibility" mandates with regards both to the percentage of accessible units AND the occupancy by persons who require the accessibility features of the units? Does your CP even mention this?

2. Does your jurisdiction identify disabled persons in nursing homes and other institutions who want to live in the community as recipients of CDBG, HOME, Housing Authority units and/or section 8 vouchers (without which MANY people cannot get out of the nursing home). With the MDS data available by county, you know how many people should be planned for? Are "unnecessarily institutionalized" persons addressed in your CP?

3. Does your local jurisdiction set priorities in its C P to prevent persons from unnecessarily going into nursing homes (i.e., by providing home modification funds so a person can make accessible their home)? Does it identify persons in nursing homes as a priority category for housing assistance, including, e.g., to assure that CDBG and HOME funded housing units accept section 8 vouchers, to enforce the 5% fully accessible requirement, and to provide information regarding where these units are and advance notice re when they will become available?

4. Does your local jurisdiction allocate its HOME funds as transitional vouchers to get folks out of nursing homes? Has your local C P even contacted your State to determine the extent of need for transitional vouchers?

5. On a statewide basis, does your Housing Finance Agency identify the absence of accessible housing as an impediment to Fair Housing? Does it require recipients of Low Income Housing Tax Credits to have a specific percentage of units accessible for persons with disabilities? Does it require recipients of these tax credits to target the lowest income folks (e.g., SSI recipients) and to enforce accessibility?

Call For Members To Join National Council On Disabilities The Youth Advisory Committee

2005-08-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hello all, below is a call for members to the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for the National Council on Disability (NCD) and comes directly from the NCD.

If you know of anybody with a disability, between 16 and 25 years of age, who wants to do something really great for their country, this is it.

--laters my friends, Gary Ray

August 9, 2005 Recruiting Announcement

Youth Advisory Committee for the National Council on Disability

Washington, DC - The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for the National Council on Disability (NCD) is announcing the opening of a nationwide search for new members. The YAC, a 12 member advisory committee with members ranging in age from 16-25, has openings for new members (between 16 and 25 years of age) across disability sectors, diverse cultures and in under-represented areas of the country.

The YAC ensures that NCD's policy recommendations and activities give consideration to the perspectives of young people with disabilities. NCD is an independent federal agency, made up with 15 executive members appointed by the president, and their responsibility is to make recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting Americans with disabilities.

NCD's overall purpose is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and to empower Individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

"We have worked really hard, but there is more to do, and there is a big responsibility placed on anyone who joins us in the task of raising youth voices," says Isaac Huff, YAC Chair. He continues, "But, with the opportunity to recruit new members, I believe we can continue to be trail blazers in the community for youth with disabilities."

The recruiting process begins on August 9, 2005 and will close September 18, 2005 (i.e., e-mails by 12 midnight & postal mail marked by this date). To submit an application, please send three documents (1) a resume, (2) a letter of recommendation, and (3) a cover letter pointing out your leadership experiences and your disability oriented experiences to: YOUTH@NCD.GOV; if using postal mail, please send documents to:

YOUTH-YAC Recruiting

c/o Dr. Gerrie Hawkins

National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004

If you have further questions please feel free to contact Isaac Huff, YAC Chair at: I_Huff@superaleja.org
Or Rebecca Hare, YAC Vice-Chair at harer@iel.org

To read more about the YAC's past work, check the NCD web site at: www.ncd.gov

Off Topic, Look It's a Bird, No It's a Plane, No It's the Perseid Meteor Shower!

2005-08-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yes Mr. Rogers does have other interests. And he will occasionally post about them. The Perseid meteor shower is upon us. The sky is falling, the sky is falling, and it looks cool. The below is from Spaceweather.com.

Space Weather News for August 11, 2005

The Perseid meteor shower is underway. The shower's broad peak extends from August 11th through 13th, with August 12th being best. If you get away from bright city lights and watch the sky between local midnight and dawn on Friday morning, August 12th, you can expect to see dozens to hundreds of meteors.

The planet Mars is out during the Perseid meteor shower, too. It's that bright red "star" high in the eastern sky before dawn. Many Perseid meteors will appear to fly past Mars on Friday morning--a pretty sight.

And speaking of Mars, beware the Mars Hoax. A rumor about the red planet continues to spread via email. The message claims that Mars will come so close to Earth on August 27th that it looks as big as the full Moon. In fact, Mars is approaching Earth for a close encounter in October--not August. October's close approach will indeed be beautiful, but Mars will never rival the Moon.

Get the full story, plus sky maps, pictures of Perseids, and solar activity updates at Spaceweather.com.

Mr Rogers says,"Can you say Crippled?"Answer: "No."

2005-08-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

One of the first things to think about when discussing people with disabilities is the language. The words. Crip, lame, spaz, crazy, dumb, wheelchair bound, are all words that most people shouldn't use, but do.

Words Make A Difference

Language is important in how we think and act toward people with disabilities. Words count, they have meaning; you are reading them right now.

The general rule of etiquette is easy, put the person first. Always put the person first. The gentleman who uses a wheelchair, the lady who uses a walker. If fact unless it is important to the issue why use a disability to describe a person, use a name. Mr. Smith, not the "ALS guy in room 2."

There are many excellent guidelines available for language to use in discussing people with disabilities. One of the best sources of language to use when discussing people with disabilities is from the University of Kansas, "Research and Training Center on Independent Living, Guidelines for Reporting and Writing about People with Disabilities

An interesting article discussing language and how to write about people with disabilities is at the BBC Newswatch By Geoff Adams-Spink, BBC News website disability affairs correspondent.
Pitfalls To Avoid In Disability News

The above article states a few basic guidelines for language usage when discussing people with disabilities. In it Mr. Spink states:

"Aside from the words that we all know have been used to insult people - and it's pointless repeating them here - there are some very basic do's and don'ts.

It's "people with disabilities" or "disabled people" rather than "the disabled."

By the way, the same goes for "the blind," "the deaf," "the mentally ill," "the poor" or "the elderly."

When we speak of people's impairments it's best to say that they "have," rather than "suffer from" cerebral palsy, epilepsy, etc.

People "use" wheelchairs rather than being "confined" or "bound" to them.

Deaf people who don't speak are "deaf-sign language" or "British sign language" users, they're not "deaf-mute" or "deaf and dumb."

My Pet Peeve

And one of my peeves is the use of the word handicapped. Again from Mr. Spink,

"And while disabled people in the UK will take offence at being described as "handicapped", it's a term that's liberally used in the US."

I agree, I don't like the term handicapped, and I have been known to use it myself, I am afraid to say. The term handicapped is mistakenly thought to be derived from people with disabilities begging with "cap in hand," but actually that is not true.

I refer to the definition usage note from Dictionary.reference.com for the word handicapped.

*Usage Note: Although handicapped is widely used in both law and everyday speech to refer to people having physical or mental disabilities, those described by the word tend to prefer the expressions disabled or people with disabilities. Handicapped, a somewhat euphemistic term, may imply a helplessness that is not suggested by the more forthright disabled. It is also felt that some stigma may attach to the word handicapped because of its origin in the phrase hand in cap, actually derived from a game of chance but sometimes mistakenly believed to involve the image of a beggar. The word handicapped is best reserved to describe a disabled person who is unable to function owing to some property of the environment. Thus people with a physical disability requiring a wheelchair may or may not be handicapped, depending on whether wheelchair ramps are made available to them.

* The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

A Better Definition

I don't quite like that definition, I prefer the one used by the World Health Organization:

"Handicap, results when an individual with an impairment or disability is unable to fulfill his or her normal role. A handicap is not a characteristic of a person; it is a description of the relationship between the person and the environment."

So folks, please don't call me handicapped, or wheelchair bound, I am not tied down to my wheelchair; I am just a wheelchair user, and not all the time. (The statistics I have seen state that over 50% of wheelchair users can ambulate, some.) I always surprise people the first time I get up out of my chair and walk across the room.

If you get one thing out of this, it is put the person first. Don't describe a person by their disability. And if you are a writer, download and print out the guidelines.

Please, don't say or call a person handicapped, and don't say wheelchair bound, and don't call me late for dinner.

Later, my friend., --Gary Ray

Introduction to Accessibility and Mr. Rogers

2005-08-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends of the Central Coast! Being my first post, I thought I would tell you about myself and what I hope to do with this blogspace.

My focus is about issues relating to accessibility and people with disabilities here on the Central Coast. I'll also post helpful information concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California Title 24.

Your Accessibility Resource

You'll read information about local and national stories that concern the one out of five people with disabilities in America. I will be posting a lot of educational material about people with disabilities, access, the ADA, Title 24, and my rants about access or lack of.

There will also be announcements of activities by local non-profits and other organizations that deal with people with disabilities.

First-hand Disabled Experience

In 1996 I was diagnosed with a rare type of arthritis that limits me physically. I have seen first hand the barriers for a person with a disability and I know the frustration. I want to use my knowledge of technology to break down those barriers.

I want to use my problem solving skills to help people do what they want and become more independent. And I want to continue to learn about all the technological advances that can help make our homes, businesses and communities, barrier free.

I am also going to write about In Home Supportive Services (IHSS), that is, in home care for people with disabilities, to enable them to stay home and be independent. I am currently the chair of the IHSS Public Authority Governing Board. I do not speak for the board, only as a knowledgeable person with personal experience.

Ask Me Your Questions

If you are a person with a disability or anyone in your family or a friend has a disability, if you are a person who owns any type of business (they all have to be accessible), if you are a government worker who needs to know about access issues, if you are a normal human being with a normal body--someday you will have a disability--you will get some good information out of this blog.

If you have questions about people with disabilities, access, Mr. Molski's law suits, feel free to e-mail me and ask. I may not get to all of them but I'll give it my best effort.

A local e-mail list-serve about this subject was under my management for a number of years so I am not new to posting. I am aiming for at least 3 to 4 posts a week and until I run out of introductory materials I'll be posting more often.

Honored Advocate

I was honored to receive the Paul Wolff Accessibility Advocacy Award for San Luis Obispo County in 2001.

I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world Angie King. She is my rock, my partner, my best friend, and has put up with me for decades. I bless the day I met her.

Engineering and technology spans my whole life, from my days as the Engine Room Supervisor on a nuclear submarine to my recent Masters from Cal Poly. My "human engineering" consulting business is called Rogers-Ltd., and I have been in business for about 5 years now.

This blog is for public education, and for me. I need to write. I am an engineer; I have problems with spelling, grammar and getting my thoughts ahead of my fingers so please excuse. I'll try to have my posts edited by my sweetie as she is the real writer in this family, but time constraints will probably make it such that I will be posting cold sometimes and there will be grammar errors. Tuff.

Later my friends, --Gary Ray

Note: Mr. Rogers received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii in 1983, and his Masters in Materials Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 1996. He received his Assistive Technology Applications Certificate from California State University, Northridge, in 1999. He has recently worked as a Rehabilitation Technologist for a local non-profit Assistive Technology Center. He is a US Navy Nuclear Submarine Veteran, with experience at General Electric as a Field Engineer. He is a strong advocate for people with disabilities and uses a wheelchair, crutches, or a cane.

My business web site is www.rogers-ltd.com.
Hire an expert who is an engineer and knows accessibility. Please feel welcome to send an e-mail to me: grogers at kcbx.net