News about the fellowship got me wondering whether the National Endowment for the Arts has a history of working with people who have disabilities. I checked out their web site, and wow! Do they ever! an entire department of the NEA is dedicated to making the arts accessible.

The National Endowment for the Arts’ Office for Accessibility does a lot of things to accomplish its goals. When I checked out their web site their Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities program really stood out. The program partners the U.S. Department of Education, Health & Human Services, and the Social Security Administration with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to sponsor artists and arts administrators with disabilities, You can contact the Kennedy Center for more information on that program, and while you’re at it, why not check out a series of state-wide forums on Careers in the Arts, organized by UCLA’s National Arts and Disabilities Center, too.

I plan on taking a look at (okay, a listen to) these and other NEA programs for people with disabilities once I get a little more settled in here at my artist retreat in Vermont. What a privilege this is, I am truly grateful.

We’ve already had some pretty creative fundraising ideas this year, including:

• a raffle and ticketed networking event
• an accessible Wrigleyville rooftop night at a Cubs game
• a team of runners who raced from Madison, Wisc. across the Midwest to Chicago.

We only established NAB last summer, and the passion each board member has for Easter Seals grows with every interaction. This is National Volunteer Week, so I asked a couple NAB members what they had to say about volunteerism.

Mike Sandy — Chairman of the Easter Seals National Associate Board
Mike said, “It is an incredible honor to be part of the inaugural group for the NAB and I could not be happier to be involved with Easter Seals as an organization.” Mike met Melissa Hohimer from Easter Seals’ Finance Department when he was in graduate school. “I don’t believe I have ever met someone with more passion around their organization and its mission. She continuously spoke about Easter Seals and the type of work they were doing, which lead me to take a deeper look.” Mike has several friends with children who have autism and says the fact that Easter Seals is a leader in providing direct service to children with autism really resonated with him. ”Several of my friends completed tours in either Iraq or Afghanistan, so counseling and reintegration for returning veterans is also near and dear to my heart.”

After graduation, Mike was interested in putting his new found free time to good use. “So it seemed only natural that Easter Seals would be a perfect fit. The fact that the timing coincided with the establishment of the NAB couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Maria Mazza — Vice Chair of the Easter Seals National Associate Board
Maria said she decided to become involved with Easter Seals because of a long standing desire to give back to the community and her interest in working with an organization making a significant impact in the lives of children. “I’ve reached a point in life where I felt I had the time and resources to put my skills, energies and enthusiasm to use for an important cause,” she said. Maria is particularly interested in Easter Seals’ initiatives in the areas of early intervention and therapeutic services. “With such services facing increased demand, Easter Seals is playing an important role in helping children reach their potential. All children deserve in equal opportunity to succeed and Easter Seals is striving to help children in this regard.”

As a board member, not only has Maria had the opportunity to see how children and adults are benefitting from the extensive services provided by Easter Seals, but she has also had the opportunity to personally contribute to one of Easter Seals’ initiatives. “I recorded a PSA in Spanish about Make the First Five Count and the online screening tool created by Easter Seals for the assessment of potential developmental delays. I was truly honored by the opportunity and am excited about the upcoming events the NAB has planned for this year.”

An online support group called My Autism Team describes itself like this:

A social network to make it easier for parents to connect with each other and exchange insights about providers. Our philosophy is to make it easy for all parents to get to the answers they need.

I’ve found My Autism Team to be a fantastic resource to parents raising a child with autism. Their site features four main sections:

• 1. Find Providers
• 2. Find Parents
• 3. Question & Answer
• 4. Activity

With more than 40,000 parents on the My Autism Team site, there is a wealth of expertise from other parents. Parent-to-parent support is important, and social networking provides another opportunity to build connections and a community of support. Check out My Autism Team and see if it’s a site that works for you.

Awareness is great, but maybe acceptance should be part of the message, too. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is leading a campaign to emphasize the importance of moving from awareness to acceptance, and labeling April Autism Acceptance Month is part of this movement. From the ASAN web site:

Autism Acceptance Month is about challenging ignorance, prejudice, fear and hysteria about autism and autistic people.
Autism Acceptance Month spreads the word that autism is both a neurological disability and a natural part of human diversity, and centers the voices of autistic people in the conversation about us.

I would like to think that everyone already knows about autism, that we are done with awareness, but I know this isn’t true. I would like to think that acceptance is a given, that our society accepts all people with disabilities, but I know this isn’t true, either. Awareness and acceptance are both important.

Going to movies, for example.

Early on I was still able to see Prince’s body in “Purple Rain.” I saw Darryl Hanna’s fin in “Splash.” I remember the round hat on the little Amish boy in “Witness.” My eyesight diminished farily quickly, though. Eventually the screen went totally black. Nothing the doctors could do. I gave up on movies.

But then film critic Roger Ebert started his Overlooked Film Festival in Urbana, Ill., where we were living at the time. The before-and-after lectures helped explain what everyone was seeing, making the overlooked films more accessible to people like me. My guess is Roger didn’t have people with disabilities in mind when he decided to host talks and panels before and after films there, but I’m sure he was pleased to know that those discussions turned out being “universal design.”

Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, affectionately known as “Ebertfest” by locals, helped me realize I can still appreciate movies. Among my favorite Ebertfest overlooked films: Murderball, The Secret of Roan Inish, and American Movie.

I was in the audience at another event that could have just as well been called “Ebertfest,” too: Access Living gave him a “Lead On!” award at their 2011 gala here in Chicago. Access Living is a disability advocacy organization, and the “Lead On!” award recognizes national leaders who have helped reframe the understanding of people with disabilities and who have helped to remove the barriers-physical and attitudinal-that exclude people with disabilities from career pursuits and everyday life.

Roger Ebert represented the very embodiment of what the award stands for. Thyroid cancer left him unable to speak. He had no lower jaw, and friends told me his face could be difficult to look at. Others might have stayed inside, slow down, retired. Not Roger. He kept on doing the work he loved-reviewing movies, blogging, Tweeting, attending film festivals, sending numerous entries into the New Yorker’s Cartoon Contest and continuing to manage his own festival, too.

Roger Ebert used a text-to-speech program called “Alex” to make presentations at film festivals and conferences. “For me, the Internet began as a useful tool and now has become something I rely on for my actual daily existence,” he told an audience at a 2011 Ted Conference, explaining why he considered himself fortunate to be born in this era. “[If this had happened before], I’d be isolated as a hermit; I’d be trapped inside my head. Because of the digital revolution, I have a voice, and I do not have to scream.”

Thank you for your courage and your fortitude, Mr. Ebert. We sure are going to miss you — all of us benefited from hearing your voice.

World Autism Awareness Day has succeeded in calling greater international attention to autism and other developmental disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. The current session of the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a new resolution on this issue, demonstrating a commitment to help affected individuals and families. The resolution encourages Member States and others to strengthen research and expand their delivery of health, education, employment and other essential services.

There continues to be a growing demand for services and supports to ensure individuals with autism experience a high quality life. Having high profile organizations such as the United Nations taking an interest in autism increases visibility to the needs of those living with autism.

April 2nd is an important day for autism, and Easter Seals will continue to send the message every day that individuals with autism deserve to experience life to the fullest.

Easter Seals Tristate needs your help

by David Dreith

Easter Seals TriState is in the top 10 out of 74 nonprofits in a national JobRaising Challenge that features top nonprofits who are determined to put Americans back to work. Help us by donating a minimum of $10 to our JobRaising page. Your support can put us in the top three and help us win a share of $250,000!

This fundraising challenge is sponsored by the Huffington Post, The Skoll Foundation, Crowdrise, and McKinsey & Company, and it gives Easter Seals exposure for our transitional employment efforts. Did you know there are currently more than 700 positions open in the manufacturing industry in the greater Cincinnati region alone? This number is only expected to grow in the coming years. Yet, we have an unemployment rate close to 7%. How does this make sense? This is where we come in.

At Easter Seals TriState, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the thrill of success. When an unemployed or displaced worker gains skills and entry into the workforce, our entire community benefits. Our advanced manufacturing transitional employment program helps find people who don’t have the qualifications but want to work in the advanced manufacturing industry, trains them, and connects them to employers in the region who are looking for a skilled workforce.

Interested? Good, we need your help! Everyone is needed to get us up in the ranks to be eligible for a prize. The top three nonprofits receive cash prizes:

• First place: $150,000
• Second place:- $50,000
• Third place: $30,000

However, if we are in the top 5, we receive a feature story on the FRONT PAGE of The Huffington Post, which would be great exposure for everyone associated with Easter Seals.

I am proud of the work we do in our local community, and in the work of Easter Seals throughout the country. We need your help to further our cause and gain greater exposure through this fundraising challenge. How can you help? Join us in showing the nation that Easter Seals stands united in all the work we do for people with disabilities and disadvantages! This challenge also highlights Easter Seals as a whole and the great things the people we serve accomplish. Now through March 1, go to our JobRaising page and donate! Every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. We also need you to share our story. With your help, Easter Seals TriState can do more to solve the job crisis facing so many people today.

Donna Smith, director of training for Easter Seals Project Action was interviewed in the current edition of Equip Magazine about Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations for service animals, as well as her personal experience using a guide dog. Donna pointed out in the article that people traveling with service animals can be asked two questions:

• whether the animal is, in fact, a service animal, and
• what tasks the animal is trained to perform.

A demonstration of the task can not be required, and that task does not have to be specially related to transportation or assisting the person while on board. The person using the service animal is not required to disclose the nature of his or her disability, either.

One of the most misunderstood pieces of the regulation about service animals, according to Donna, is that a person using a service animal cannot be required to show any kind of certification or identification associated with the animal — there is currently no national or universal certification process for trained service animals.

I wonder if people who break the rules and lie about a disability to get their dogs on board are more likely to end up with dogs who misbehave and don’t follow rules, either. If so, they might be out of luck keeping the fake service dog on board with them. From the ADA’s Commonly Asked Questions About Service Animals in Places of Business page:

You may exclude any animal, including a service animal, from your facility when that animal’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. For example, any service animal that displays vicious behavior towards other guests or customers may be excluded.

Our new partnership with Comcast Foundation has created a grant fund that makes it possible for Easter Seals to build on our long history of providing expertise and technology support for children and adults with disabilities. A blog post about the award on the Comcast corporate web site explains:

We’re working with Easter Seals to provide funding for their assistive technology efforts to help people with disabilities learn on a computer, have access to the Internet, get jobs through the use of technology and adapt technology to their specific needs in order to have what they need to lead a well-balanced life.

Fred Maahs, the Director of National Partnerships, Community Investment, and VP of Comcast Foundation is quoted in the Comcast blog post saying how rewarding our partnership is for him, both personally and professionally. “We’re literally changing lives and making the future brighter for countless individuals and communities across our footprint,” he said.

Thank you, Comcast, and … congratulations!

Let’s be real: the needs of adults with autism are significant. In an effort to address these needs, AFAA Recently launched AFAA Applauds, a national initiative recognizing innovative, high-quality support programs for adults living with autism. Through a competitive application process, AFAA selected six organizations for their exemplary results in oriented employment, residential support and community life programs (community life includes social skills, transportation, recreational, safety, spirituality or other categories of service that improve life experiences and outcomes for those living with autism).

Each AFAA Applauds winner received a $5,000 grant to develop a video about the program. The videos will be released in April, and AFAA will promote the videos through multiple communication channels. The inaugural winners of AFAA Applauds are:

• Autism Services Inc., New York
  Autism Services Inc. helps individuals with autism become involved in the visual and performing arts and has improved their quality of life.
• Chapel Haven, Connecticut
  Chapel Haven’s supported living program assists individuals with autism as they obtain jobs, gain a network of friends and participate in a vibrant community life. Chapel Haven’s program sets a high standard for excellence.
• Eden Autism Services, New Jersey
  Eden Adult Services’ multifaceted adult employment program promotes the meaningful engagement of adults with autism in their communities through paid employment and active volunteer service. The program has created successful employment opportunities for individuals with autism.
• Family Adult and Child Therapies (FACT), California
  The Generating All Possibilities 4-year program at FACT supports individuals with autism as they make informed decisions about work, college and where to live. The program helps prepare adults with autism for the future.
• Partnerships with Industry (PWI), California PWI provides adults with autism the opportunity to find employment. PWI has helped individuals with autism reach their potential and experience independence.
• The Friendship Circle, California
  The Friendship Circle fosters spiritual, social, and educational experiences for individuals with autism. The program has created activities that bring value to the lives of individuals with autism.

Keep an eye out for the videos. They are in production now, and we will let you know here when you can access the AFAA Applauds videos and learn more about these fantastic programs.