Planes, Police, Pages & More

Welcome to today’s edition of Another Normal, my weekly e-newsletter with information and resources to help young people with disabilities bloom and grow. This past week, I learned about a 2018 study by two Yale psychologists which argues that being different is totally normal. Remember this the next time frustration looms.

Please help build community by sharing this email with a friend, colleague, neighbor or someone else who cares. Leave a comment to let me know what you think and what you’d like to know more about. Most of all, celebrate yourself and the work you’re doing to learn to bloom. Not an easy task, especially these days. Onward.

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.

— Anne Frank

Up, up and away.

The advocacy group All Wheel’s Up is fighting for friendlier skies by working with the Federal Aviation Administration and policy makers to reduce the challenges of traveling with a wheelchair. Travelers of all ages with mobility impairments can now access free harnesses and slings for safer transfers and airplane evacuation through the non-profit’s new Fly Safe Today Giveaway. Simply e-mail All Wheels Up, providing your name, age, email address, home address, phone number, and an explanation of why you need the equipment. (That was easy.) Then book your tickets and enjoy the ride!

 

Preparing police.

The tragic deaths of young men with disabilities have garnered headlines lately and shined a spotlight on the need for police reform. Are registries part of the solution? Some municipalities say they provide valuable information to law enforcement and an increased sense of safety to families. Advocates argue that registries can add to the stigma of life with a disability and are not a substitute for better training. What do you think?

Turn the page.

Two books honoring parents and persistence caught my eye during Black History Month. Haben is an autobiography of the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School and examines the importance of advocacy, assumptions and accommodations. The Three Mothers celebrates the untold stories of three mothers of famous American heroes and their important role in U.S. history. Speaking of reading, here’s a new device that uses laser technology to read aloud text from books, newspapers, labels, computers and smartphone screens. It’s being marketed to people with vision impairment, dyslexia and more. Wow.

Continuing the conversation.

Special thanks to sexuality educator Elizabeth Sola and Elevatus Training for leading our Another Normal Webinar discussion last week. Elizabeth reinforced the importance of open, honest communication and encouraged parents to talk early and often with young people about concepts like consent/permission, privacy and boundaries. A recording from the event is available here. To continue learning about this important subject, check out next month’s Savannah Autism Conference Webinar Series.

Upcoming opportunities.

February 24: World-renowned orthopedic expert Dr. Paulo Selber and his team at New York City’s Columbia University Irving Medical Center for a virtual meet-and-greet.  Dr. Selber is an internationally recognized specialist in the treatment of orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions in children and adults. Register here.

February 25: Celebrate kindness and community at this virtual event hosted by Main Street Connect. Features Q&A with award-winning filmmaker of The Antidote, Kahane Cooperman. This documentary on Amazon Prime includes stories about individuals with disabilities at New York’s Center for Discovery. It’s terrific.