Accessibility Camp Chicago: What I’m Looking Forward To

by Beth Finke

Ever been to an Accessibility Camp? Me, neither. I’d never even heard of such a thing until I got an invite to attend Accessibility Camp Chicago this Saturday. One look at (okay, with the help of my speech synthesizer, one listen to) the descriptions of the presentations – everything from “The Dyslexic Code” to #SUX: Some User Experience to Straws and Straw Men (about the costly argument against accessibility — I was hooked.

And how could I say no? After all, professionals who understand all facets of the digital space will be there Saturday, including:

• Web and Mobile Developers
• Visual and Interaction Designers
• User Experience Designers
• Researchers
• Quality Assurance Testers
• Content Producers
• Project Managers
• Product Owners

Best of all, presenters are coming in from all over North America, and many of them have disabilities and use accessible technology in their daily lives, just like I do. If you’re interested in joining my Seeing Eye dog and me at camp this Saturday, September 8, 2018, there’s still time to register online. Look for me there — I’ll be the one with the headphones on frantically typing notes into my talking laptop computer or using dictation software with my iPhone to link to accessible web sites and tweet to others there about the benefits of accessibility!

Why Teaching Handwriting In Schools Is So Valuable

by Beth Finke

When I lost my sight in the 1980s, authorities set me up at a residential facility to learn how to use a white cane, read Braille, that sort of thing. All the students there were adults, and all of us had lost our sight fairly recently.

Well, almost all of us. Two of the students there were 18-year-olds who had been blind their entire lives. They already knew Braille, they had some experience with computers and assistive technology, and they were well trained in orientation and mobility. One thing they’d never learned in school? How to write with a pen. These two young women wanted to go to college, and in order to live independently, sign their names and dates on forms, write out rent checks and so on, they needed to learn penmanship.

But now, some 30 years later, the value of handwriting has diminished. In most of America, Common Core State Standards for public schools don’t even mention handwriting anymore. Most of us swipe or type on a keyboard rather than write.

A story in the New York Times reports psychologists and neuroscientists who are suggesting the links between handwriting and broader educational development should not be ignored, and that, “Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information.” From the article:

“Two psychologists, Pam A. Mueller of Princeton and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of the University of California, Los Angeles, have reported that in both laboratory settings and real-world classrooms, students learn better when they take notes by hand than when they type on a keyboard. Contrary to earlier studies attributing the difference to the distracting effects of computers, the new research suggests that writing by hand allows the student to process a lecture’s contents and reframe it — a process of reflection and manipulation that can lead to better understanding and memory encoding.”

The article refers to studies that show how cursive writing can train self-control ability in a way that other modes of writing do not, which may help children diagnosed with ADHD or autism. Some researchers quoted in the article say that learning to write print helps students understand the reversal and inversion of letters (the difference between lower case “b” and Lower case “d,” for example) and may be a path to treating dyslexia. Learning cursive may be particularly effective for individuals with developmental dysgraphia (motor-control difficulties in forming letters) as well.

It all makes me wonder. School is back in session now. Are any kids taught to write by hand anymore? Does it matter? Those 18-year-olds I met at the facility for the blind decades ago struggled so much to learn handwriting — today, they are likely using their talking computers or SmartPhones to pay their bills online!

Tips For Preparing Your Child To Ride the School Bus

by Beth Finke

I am pleased to have Dr. Judy Shanley here with a guest post today. Judy is the Assistant Vice President of Education & Youth Transition here at Easterseals.

by Dr. Judy Shanley

Travel via school bus and school transportation involves much more than just being on the bus. It also involves getting to the bus, getting on the bus, getting off the bus and then getting from the bus to the school building. The National Association for Pupil Transportation provides supports regarding school bus safety. Each state has a chapter with its own unique activities, and you can learn about school bus resources in your state and community by contacting your state affiliate. In the meantime, here are some tips to help school bus riders wherever they live in the United States:

• Contact your school district to see if they offer support programs where parents/children can come to the school to tour a bus before the service starts at the beginning of a school year.
• Help your child understand and prepare for social situations on a school bus such as sitting next to classmates and responding to driver directions.
• Encourage your child to travel with a bus buddy, such as a sibling or peer. Consider setting up chairs in the living room to mimic a school bus (have a bus driver, have children sitting in seats imitating behaviors that a child might see, and so on) so the child can learn how to react in these situations.
• Encourage your child to contact you when they arrive safely at school, especially if you have concerns about their independent travel.
• Learn whether your school’s pupil transportation service has a bus tracking service so you can monitor the status of your child’s school bus as it travels to and from the school building.

Parents who think their child might need accommodations or specialized supports for school transportation (funded under IDEA) will need to speak with special education professionals to determine whether it is appropriate to have a travel/mobility assessment.  When a range of transportation options are available, I recommend parents consider the option that enables students to travel with their peers (with and without disabilities) in the least restrictive mode. Some school districts even have public transportation service available. For some students, this is an appropriate option.

And guess what? Many parents are considering developing new ride-sharing programs to support travel to after-school and community activities — kind of like Uber for kids. Programs such as Zemcar in the Northeast and HopSkip/Drive in California are programs started by parents that provide an alternative to traditional pupil or public transportation services.

Some of you reading this blog post are starting to think about your child’s transition to post-high school settings. For others, this new school year may mark the first time your child is traveling independently. Take advantage of resources and supports that your school district and others provide and use this opportunity as a teaching moment — you’ll be setting the foundation for future independent travel. By starting your child on a path to independent travel now, they’ll end up in a place where mobility won’t impede their success in any setting.

Watch: This New Program Aims to Increase Disability Inclusion and Awareness In Schools

by Beth Finke

I am delighted to have Patty O’Machel back with us as a guest blogger. Patty is a writer, special needs advocate and mom. Her blog Parenting Outside The Lines collects and shares the stories of parents all over the world who are raising children with special needs, and her guest post today lets you in on another “Outside the Lines” project that launched earlier this month –just in time for the new school year!

by Patty O’Machel

Patty (right) and her daughter (left)

Ability awareness is a passion project of mine. This is where my heart lies, as the mother of a little girl with cerebral palsy and as an advocate for change and acceptance. I want to share Ability Awareness programs in schools all over the country and help to change perceptions in kids of all ages.

And so, earlier this month, I launched a new business called Educating Outside the Lines. This project stems from my core belief that “kids with disabilities are just kids.” I want the world to see what I see. I want them to see ability.

The overall objective of bringing ability awareness programming into the school system is to break down the barriers between children with and without disabilities, and to help erase the fear of differences.

Every kid with a disability is someone’s child, someone’s classmate or someone’s friend, and today’s schools include children with all types of disabilities or challenges. Every child who has a classmate or friend who is physically or developmentally challenged learns a lesson in acceptance and understanding that they will take with them into adulthood.

Schools are instrumental in breaking down barriers, fears and misunderstanding about disabilities. By celebrating and enlightening kids, school becomes the change agent the world needs to include and accept children with disabilities in every aspect of life.

I have been able to develop my Educating Outside the Lines program into several areas of focus, from assembly speeches to grade-level specific programming. With the help of many partners in the disability world, my passion has come to fruition.

A Chicago-based firm called Small Forces creates short documentaries that highlight the work of grass roots organizations and people making their communities better. As part of a grant project, Small Forces worked with Educating Outside the Lines to produce a video that completely encapsulates the impact of the program. The video launched on The Mighty Parents Facebook page on Friday, August 3 and had been viewed over 18,400 times in its first five days online. The beauty of the short video is in the voices of children with disabilities speaking from their own perspective about what this kind of education means to them personally.

I am so proud of this video and of the voices of the kids. The show stopper is one of Easterseals own, Ahalya Lettenberger, who with her brother Charlie served as the Youth Ambassadors for the Easterseals DuPage and Fox Valley Gala in 2017. Ahalya is an amazing example of “abilities” in every aspect of her life. While her disability doesn’t allow her to walk independently for long distances, she is a 16-year-old girl on the move. She competes internationally in paratriathlons, she is an above average student in high school, and is on her schools’ swim team. In the video, Ahalya speaks of her experiences with peers not always understanding her disability, and she shares her message with school-aged kids about how to fight back when life gets hard, and to achieve and strive for your own personal goals. Her message is of strength, acceptance and ability.

Ahalya Lettenberger

The video also highlights a 16-year-old high school hockey player with dyslexia who speaks about his experience with a hidden disability, and his peers’ misunderstanding of what he really must conquer each day sitting next to them in class. My 13-year-old daughter uses a wheelchair to get around her junior high, and she’s in the video, too. She speaks about her overall feelings of invisibility with her peers, and about the misconceptions about the true accessibility of her school.

Prosthetic legs, wheelchairs, and hidden disabilities can often be scary to kids. Our Educating Outside the Lines program lets kids experience these things hands-on and serves to demystify the differences. It erases isolation. It combats bullying. It stifles the urge to stare and exclude. It bridges the gap between fear and understanding, and there is nothing more powerful than that to teach our children.

I am so excited to get my business launched, and praying that our web site and video get noticed by parents, teachers and administrators across the country to help them understand the importance of ability acceptance programs in schools. Please take a look at our new Educating Outside the Lines web site and by all means feel free to email me at pattyomachel[at]gmail.com for more information on ways to bring ability awareness programming to your schools.

Watch: Easterseals Staff and Clients Sing ‘This Is Me’ From The Greatest Showman

by Sydney Palese

We’re so proud to announce that Easterseals New Hampshire placed first in a video contest hosted by the National Home & Community Based Service Conference. When asked to submit a video, the affiliate jumped at the chance! They went above and beyond to showcase the joy, pride, and talent in New Hampshire.

Check out their version of the song “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman, performed by Dave Jenne.

Jenne, a local singer and Community Based Services client at Easterseals New Hampshire, will travel to Baltimore at the end of August to sing the song in front of 1,500 conference attendees and accept the award.

Three Assistive Technology Podcasts To Listen To Today

by Sydney Palese

by Wade Wingler

In 2011, Easterseals Crossroads in Indianapolis released the first episode of Assistive Technology Update, a weekly news program and podcast focused on assistive technology news and interviews.  Since that time, the affiliate has grown a small podcast network that includes three shows with a total of over 700 episodes and an international audience in over 160 countries.

Interviews and News

Easterseals Crossroads’ flagship podcast, Assistive Technology Update, is a 30-minute news and interview program that features the latest developments in the assistive technology industry and interviews with researchers, developers, and other assistive technology thought leaders.  The program hosted by Wade Wingler, Vice President of Easterseals Crossroads, has been in continuous production since 2011 and has become a weekly mainstay of news and information for individuals with disabilities and assistive technology professionals/service providers. Assistive Technology Update is the #1 podcast in iTunes on the topic and was listed as the #1 podcast for people who are blind at About.com.  Recent interviews have focused on Microsoft’s Translator and Soundscape apps, physical therapy vs. occupational therapy in assistive technology (PT vs OT in AT), video gaming basics for people who are blind or visually impaired, and the Brain Injury Technology Education and Support (BITES) program sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal.

Questions and Answers

Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions (ATFAQ) is a question and answer show hosted by Brian Norton, Director of Assistive Technology, and features a panel of assistive technology experts who respond to questions posed from listeners around the world.  Twice monthly, the show covers questions about which types of technology are appropriate, how to fix adaptive equipment, and basic through advanced features of assistive technology during this hour-long show.  Recent questions answered include the following:

• How can I read my iPhone in braille?
• What is the difference between Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple Home Pod from an accessibility perspective?
• What are some good apps for elementary students with learning disabilities?

Quick and Easy

Accessibility Minute is a weekly show hosted by Laura Medcalf, blogger and social media content specialist, that offers a minute-long glimpse into the world of assistive technology and accessibility.  Whether it’s a new app, a new service, or Laura’s personal insight into the world of assistive technology, Accessibility Minute will address the topic.  Recent topics include:

• Ring Doorbell
• Adaptive toothbrushes
• Adaptive clocks and sleep aids
• Smart phone adaptations

You can find each of these shows in Itunes, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to podcasts as well as at  Eastersealstech.com/podcasts.

The Plastic Straw Ban, Disability, and Accessibility

by Beth Finke

An opinion piece about the banning of plastic straws in different businesses and municipalities published in the Washington Post earlier this month caught my attention. Written by disability advocate Karin Hitselberger, the piece was brilliant at describing what the word “access” means in a pretty short sentence: Access is about the quality of life, and being able to have the same experiences and opportunities as a nondisabled person, with some adaptations.”

Karin Hitselberger lost me, though, when she claimed the efforts of businesses and municipalities to help reduce ocean pollution by discouraging the use of plastic straws is an accessibility issue. “This isn’t about straws,” she wrote. “It’s about access”.

I’d say it’s about both.

You regular Easterseals blog readers know that I’m a huge fan of the word “reasonable” when it comes to reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, but in my view, the “reasonable” part applies to both parties. How about we work together on this one so everybody wins? It doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask people who need plastic straws to bring their own. I have Type 1 diabetes and need insulin to be able to eat, and I bring it along when I eat at restaurants. I am blind and can’t tell if the packets at a coffeeshop are sugar or artificial sweetener. I suppose I could demand that packets be Braiilled for those of us who can’t see, but so few of us read Braille that this would seem an unreasonable request. So I just bring my own packets to make sure I’m getting what I need. People who need straws to eat and drink and bring their own along when they eat out will not only ensure they have what they need, but also know their efforts can help the environment by cutting down the number of people using straws when they don’t absolutely need to.

In her article, Karin Hitselberger points out how complicated life with a disability can be:

Living with a disability means having to worry about things on a daily basis that never cross other people’s minds. It means worrying about whether somebody will come to help you get out of bed in the morning. It means a morning commute completely derailed by an elevator outage. Living with a disability means only being able to travel to cities where accessible transportation is an option. Living with a disability takes a lot of planning and energy and learning how to exist in a world that is not made for you

I agree. Living with a disability takes a lot of planning and energy. Accessible transportation is a necessity. Accessible jobs, technology, education and civil rights are necessities. I also agree that learning how to live in a world that is not always made for people with disabilities can be a challenge. But asking us to bring an insulin pen or a packet of artificial sweetener or a straw along when heading out? That just doesn’t seem so challenging. To me, it doesn’t qualify as an unreasonable request.

What is your take on companies getting rid of plastic straws? Is it an issue of access? Let us know in the comments section.

We Need More Stories From Writers With Disabilities

by Beth Finke

My Seeing Eye dog and I are heading to California this afternoon — I was awarded a grant to attend the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference from August 2 to August 5, 2018.

I was flattered – and surprised – to receive the grant. Flattered, since it means I will be in the midst of so many talented writers there. Surprised, because the grant I received is a “Voices of Diversity” grant, and having a disability is not always regarded as “diverse.”

These days most people determine diversity by a person’s race, religion, gender and/or sexual orientation. But hey — shouldn’t disability be on that list? I think so.

A 2015 report from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that roughly 13% of Americans have a disability. The 2015 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey defined disability status through a number of questions measuring serious difficulty with any of the following:

• Hearing
• Vision
• Cognition
• Walking or climbing stairs
• Self-care
• Independent living

People with disabilities are definitely in the minority. Being around people from different backgrounds exposes us all to new viewpoints and perspectives, and in the case of a conference for writers, being around people with different sorts of identities impacts how you see the world and what stories you are able to tell. It’s important for fiction writers, non-fiction writers, poets, playwrights and script writers to tell everyone’s story.

Disability needs to be a part of this larger fabric of stories, too. I commend the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference for including us in the discussion – their Voices of Diversity grant is awarded once a year to “writers from an underrepresented group on the basis of age, ethnicity, sexual identity, disability, social or cultural background.” Thank you for the honor, Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference. And now…off to the airport!

Travel, Disability, and the ADA: What’s Changed Since 1990

by Beth Finke

Earlier I walked you through a typical visit to see our son Gus at his group home. To complete the celebration of the 28th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act — and to further explain how much the ADA affects our everyday lives — here’s an account of a train ride back to Chicago after one of those visits with Gus.

When the cab picked us up at the hotel, the driver understood immediately that Whitney was a service dog — no extra charge for her. Whitney has gone through a lot of training to become a Seeing Eye dog, and she always sits quietly at my feet in the back seat during cab rides.

Our driver got us to the Amtrak station just in time to board our train, and we sat up front in the disability seats. That way Whitney had more room to stretch out than she’d had in the cab.

A woman sitting across the aisle in the disability section noticed my dog and leaned over to ask whether we might want her space. “I think it might have more room for her,” she reasoned.

It took the woman a few seconds to realize we had the same kind of spacious accommodations as she did. “OH,” she said, a little embarassed. “I didn’t see — you already have room!”

When the train eased out of the station, the lady across the aisle leaned over one more time. “Can I be so bold as to ask how long you’ve had that dog, and how it’s working for you?”

Twenty minutes of conversation told us she’d lost her sight in one eye. The other was in bad shape, all due to diabetic retinopathy (the same thing that took my sight away decades ago). She was a couple years older than us, and she’d been living with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years. A nurse herself, she’d always been praised by her doctors for being a model diabetic. But that’s not always enough.

Her husband had stayed home for this trip, but the way she described their situation seemed to be a lot like Mike and mine had been 33 years ago. She’d had good doctors and bad doctors and doctors who had the bedside manner of Attila the Hun. She could see some out of one eye, and she was in that awkward phase where she is doing just well enough and badly enough by herself to annoy (or frighten) the people around her.

She wasn’t blind yet, but she wanted to get ready in case total blindness was in her future. She didn’t want to drag down her husband with endless needs, nor did she like losing independence and needing his help. For his part, her husband, a “type A” as she put it, seemed to be struggling not to over protect.

Her experience rang so familiar, and as Mike and I related our experiences — and how similar they were to our new acquaintance — it seemed almost revelatory to the woman across the aisle. “Things are so much better since the ADA was passed,” I pointed out, relating my horror story of losing my job when I lost my sight in 1986. I gave her the name of the memoir I wrote back then, assuring her that “Long Time, No See” is available free of charge from the Library of Congress Talking Book program, both in Braille and as an audiobook. “That’s another thing that’s changed,” I marveled. “So many audiobooks now!” Mike wrote down his email address, too, and told her to give it to her husband.

If it weren’t for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we wouldn’t have met this woman. Before 1990, it was more difficult for people with disabilities to travel. To work. To get out and about. To access public transportation. We’re out there now, though.

It made Mike and I both feel good to be able to reassure this stranger on the train that she and her husband back home are not alone — happy anniversary, ADA!

What Life Is Like 28 Years After the Americans With Disabilities Act

by Beth Finke

The 28th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is this Thursday, July 26. My husband Mike and I will be celebrating with a visit to see our son at his group home in Wisconsin. Gus moved away from home when he was 16 years old — he was born with significant physical and developmental disabilities. He can propel his own wheelchair, but when we take him for walks from his group home to the park, his dad supplies the horsepower. I hold Mike’s arm as he pushes Gus’ wheelchair up the ramps to the sidewalks, and once we’re in the park we head to the swing — it’s especially suited for wheelchair use. Our visits are happy and uneventful, and on the drive back to our hotel room, we often talk about how grateful we are that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law when it was, back in 1990.

My Seeing Eye dog Whitney stays in our hotel room while we visit with Gus. She is jealous of (or unnerved by) our son — probably a little of both. When we get back to our room, I buckle on her harness, give her the “Forward!” command and she guides me to the elevator. We’re heading to the lobby, and hearing the bell ding twice tells me the elevator that’s opening will be going down — one ring means up. I command, “Whitney, forward!” My eight-year-old Golden Retriever/Yellow Labrador cross leads me in. “Whitney, sit!” She sits quietly at my feet. Braille labeling tells me which button to press for “lobby” and we’re on our way.

Downstairs, Whitney leads me to the handicapped-accessible door (revolving doors can be difficult) and we’re off to a nearby tree where she can “empty.” Back inside, I listen for music — we’re meeting Mike at the jazz bar for a nightcap and live music before heading to bed. No one there questions my having a guide dog with me, and we enjoy the music and banter. On this weekend’s trip, we’ll raise a glass to The hard work so many disability advocates put into getting this bill passed, and to President George H. Bush for signing it into law in 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act has changed a lot of lives — for the better.