A Mom’s blog … with reasons not to “freak out”

by Rachel Talen

Here’s Kelly with another terrific guest post.

Happy to share my birthday month this year

by Kelly Zatlin

March has always been my favorite month … it’s my birthday month! Come to find out, though, that March is also National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. How cool is that?

I became aware of this when I read a blog called To The Max on Parents.com. To The Max is written by a mother, Ellen Seidman, whose son Max has significant disabilities. Her post called If Your Child Has Developmental Delays: 5 Reasons Not to Freak Out was published during this special month to “help increase your awareness about why you shouldn’t let delays get you down.” She gives great reasons for parents not to “freak out” and also cites studies from Easter Seals. In one post, she brings attention to the work we do at Easter Seals AND helps spread awareness about developmental delays. I think we love this woman!

It’s definitely hard for any parent to hear the news that their child has a disability or is developmentally delayed in some way. Ellen has been through it all and she knows just how difficult it can be, but after going through it herself, she also knows that it doesn’t have to be as tough as you may think. Why? I’ll give you the quick version, but I also encourage you to read her post for even more information. Some reasons not to freak out:

• Because children’s brains are impressionable and malleable
• Because you have resources
• Because there is comfort in numbers
• Because there is no rush to the finish line

In the early stages, Ellen was left with no hope from her doctors when she needed it the most, but eventually, she found that hope for her son and for her family through early intervention services. The harsh reality is that more than one million children who are at risk of developmental delays go undiagnosed every year, which keeps them from receiving services that could help tremendously. Ellen, like Easter Seals, wants people to know that doing something early on can make all the difference in the world and will give their child a better chance at the happiness and independence they deserve.

Our Make the First Five Count campaign here at Easter Seals promotes early intervention and, as the name implies, encourages tracking development in the first five years of a child’s life. Ellen brings up a good point that each child develops at their own pace, but one of the ways Easter Seals helps parents track their own child’s development is through our Ages and Stages Questionnaire, which is a free online screening tool. I’m not even close to being a parent, but I can’t stress enough how important it is for parents to utilize the Ages and Stages Questionnaire to track their child’s developmental milestones, whether or not they think their child may have a disability. Ellen knows what she’s talking about when it comes to early identification, and I’m so glad she wrote this post in honor of my birthday month … I mean, in honor of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Reading her post was like eating the birthday cake I never got this year, just without the calories!

Awarding good values!

by Bob Glowacki

We just completed our annual employee awards here at Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin, and this year we gave four of our 200+ staff members the Living Our Values award.

The Living Our Values award recognizes staff members that go above and beyond in living the values of our affiliate: welcoming, humility, respect and integrity. The award is one I created within the first month I became CEO/President here in Milwaukee, and I was especially moved by the way each one of this year’s four award-winning individuals lives our mission.

One therapist in our early intervention services connected two families together because each had twins with special needs. Her goal was to help them learn from each other and feel less isolated. One of our management team has grown and expanded our workforce services so that in 2012, 17 individuals now are employed in community employment. She was also responsible for expanding our Project SEARCH to a new hospital in 2013. The growth of our job placement has been phenomenal over the last two years. We started with just a handful of success stories in 2010, and now 90 individuals are moving toward community employment.

Another staff member dealt with a family who had been evicted from their home and was living in their car. The children could have been taken from their mother, but this staff member found housing and the family remained together. Another individual started a knitting class at our Workforce Training Center, and the hats, mittens and scarves were donated to a local agency to help those in need.

These staff members represent the creativity, dedication and compassion of Easter Seals staff members across the country. Our awards mark a year in the life of Easter Seals, but the impact of caring staff like these last a lifetime.

We’re in business here at Easter Seals Capper Foundation

by Jim Leiker

Our Adult Day Services Business Support program here at Easter Seals Capper Foundation fills up a several page spread in the current Spring 2013 issue of Topeka Business magazine.

Our Business Support Center is a mail production site that provides full and part-time work for people with disabilities. The Business Support Center offers a variety of services to meet the needs of the business community by providing professional, quality products and services, and the article In Topeka Business highlights the work that adults with autism at Capper Foundation do (spending time organizing and assembling toys and kids’ meal components) to support Kid Stuff Marketing for restaurants all over the world. We appreciate all that Tara Dimick (editor of Topeka Business magazine) and Melissa Brunner (author of this article and WIBW TV news anchor) do to create awareness of our Adult Services program and in engaging community members.

Coleen Jennison (Easter Seals Capper Foundation’s Board Vice-Chair and chair of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors) is on the magazine’s cover, and she’s interviewed in the story as well. Coleen Jennison is the consummate volunteer and has woven her way into our hearts reading books to the preschool children we serve. We are truly blessed by the caring, generous members of our community.

Can I bring my white cane through security?

by Beth Finke

I got a helpful comment to the blog post I wrote about the Transportation Security Administration’s Passenger Support Specialists program. The man who commented is blind, and he said I might benefit from using my talking iPhone to go to TSA’s mobile site before I head to the airport later this month.

I gave it a try, and … Eureka! I found an extremely helpful option there right off the bat: the TSA offers a Can I bring my … through the security checkpoint? feature where you can type in names of items to learn what you can and can’t take through security when you fly. The results let you know if the item can be carried-on, put in checked baggage, or if it’s not allowed for plane travel at all.

For me, I might type in stuff like “metal dog food bowl,” and “Braille slate and stylus” to see if I can carry them through the checkpoint or whether I have to check them in a bag. For now, let’s try “folded white cane.”

Okay, here’s what came up:

Some mobility aids may require specialized screening. To expedite your travel, notify the Transportation Security Officer of your need for special assistance at the beginning of the checkpoint screening process. At any time during the screening process, you may ask for a private screening area.

The response went on to say that even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening. In the end it might not be allowed through the checkpoint anyway if it “triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns.” The site said the final decision on whether to allow any items on the plane rests with TSA and suggest you notify the security officer of your medical condition or need for special assistance at the beginning of the checkpoint process.

The TSA Contact Center (TCC) recently extended its hours, and representatives are now available Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, and weekends and federal holidays, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The TSA encourages passengers to contact the TCC with questions about TSA procedures, upcoming travel or to provide feedback or voice concerns. I may have to give them a call. When I typed in “metal dog food bowl” no such items were found. I tried “bowl” and while it didn’t answer my question about metal dog food bowls, I did learn I couldn’t bring a bowling ball along in my carry-on bag if I wanted to. The response said “sports equipment that can be used as a bludgeon are prohibited in the cabin of the plane.”

An affair to remember!

by Rachel Talen

Here’s my intern Kelly Zatlin with another guest post.

The intern and the red seal

by Kelly Zatlin

It wasn’t that long ago that I was a student at Dordt College in Iowa trying to get an internship at a place with a Marketing and Corporate Relations department. I’ve been here at Easter Seals Headquarters two months now, and I’m amazed at what an absolutely incredible organization it is. I had no idea I would become so passionate about people with disabilities in such a short time. These days my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages display the famous red seal mixed in with touristy pictures of me and my friends gallivanting around Chicago. Easter Seals is probably the number one topic of my social media updates and my personal conversations with friends and family, too. I am now a self-proclaimed Easter Seals advocate, and I will be for the rest of my life. Sometimes I joke that I should just run around the streets of Chicago with a red “Easter Seals #1” foam finger.

When I started my internship back in January, my eyes were immediately opened to the great number of people in this world who have disabilities and are in need of services. I was also exposed to all the things so many people with disabilities are capable of. Easter Seals has the tools and the services to help them, and as a big part of my job I get to read about these people and how they are reaching their full potential every day.

Lately I’ve been working on some projects with the Easter Seals Make the First Five Count campaign, which is all about promoting early intervention for children ages zero to five. Many days at my desk I get to read remarkable success stories about these children who are exceeding in ways their parents and even doctors never imagined possible. Thanks to services at Easter Seals, these kids all over the U.S. are walking, talking, eating, playing, and living lives along with their peers. Oh, but it gets better!

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to meet Maurice Snell, one of Easter Seals’ former national adult representatives, and watch him do an interview live on the air on Chicago’s public radio station, WBEZ. When I met him, I knew immediately why I loved my job and why I loved this organization. Maurice has autism, and he’s accomplished so much: graduating from college, working as an administrative assistant at Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research, and he’s an expert at public speaking and doing live radio interviews. Now, he’s contemplating getting his master’s degree. Meeting Maurice and then having the privilege to spend quality time with him after the interview was a major highlight of my internship semester so far.

This week, the Marketing and Corporate Relations department here in Chicago held a Make the First Five Count Spokespersons Network and Affiliate Marketing Partners Meeting (try saying that ten times fast). Easter Seals representatives came out from all over the nation to learn more about Make the First Five Count and how to spread the word. It was pretty darn cool to see so many great people gathered together, coming up with new ideas and initiatives to help children who may have disabilities or developmental problems. It was equally inspiring to witness the passion and excitement in the room for what Easter Seals does now and what we can do in the future.

Overall, having this internship at Easter Seals has been one of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had. Working here may not have been a part of my plan a few months ago … but you know what? Sometimes it’s a great thing when our own plans don’t work out. I’ve learned so much from the smart and dedicated women in my office and I look forward to the rest of my time here at Easter Seals. I think it’s safe to say that I will remain very faithful in this life-long love affair with the red seal.

What a creative bunch!

by Rachel Talen

I just came back from spending an amazing couple days with a group that is very passionate about Easter Seals. The Make the First Five Count Spokespersons Network is a group of experts on early intervention, early detection and child development. They are the go-to people in their markets on these topics.

Representatives from Seattle to Los Angeles came together at Easter Seals headquarters in Chicago to put on their reporter hats, pin on their press passes (name badges) and whip out their reporter notebooks to become brand journalists. We all brainstormed ways to tell the Easter Seals Make the First Five Count story.

The spokespeople discussed and shared ideas about how to raise awareness and funds to help the more than one million kids who have developmental delays that are not identified each year. What a creative bunch! The group is looking forward to April as Autism Awareness month and really getting the word out about this great national effort and the free online screening tool for developmental delays.

Props to these spokespersons who are helping kids with disabilities across the country!

Extra help at security checkpoints

by Beth Finke

I’ve been doing a fair bit of traveling to conferences and other presentations this month. All of the events have been close by, so someone could drive us, or my Seeing Eye dog Whitney and I could get there by train.

Whitney and I will be taking a couple flights later this month, though, and when I did a little research to see if the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had any helpful tips about getting help at airport checkpoints, I got word about a Passenger Support Specialists Program.

Passenger Support Specialists are Transportation Security Officers, Lead TSOs and Supervisors who, in addition to their regular checkpoint duties, have volunteered to take on the extra responsibility of helping passengers like me who may be in need of special assistance. From the Transportation Security Administration web site:

More than 2,600 Passenger Support Specialists at airports across the country assist passengers who require additional assistance with security checkpoint screening.

Passenger Support Specialists receive specialized disability training provided by TSA’s Office of Civil Rights and Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement. Training for Passenger Support Specialists include how to assist with individuals with special needs, how to communicate with passengers by listening and explaining, and disability etiquette and disability civil rights.

The site said that travelers who need special accommodations or are concerned about checkpoint screening can ask a checkpoint officer or supervisor for a Passenger Support Specialist to provide on-the-spot assistance. Travelers can request a Passenger Support specialist ahead of time, too, by calling the TSA Cares hotline at 855.787.2227. TSA recommends you call approximately 72 hours ahead of travel to give TSA Cares a chance to coordinate checkpoint support with a TSA Customer Service Manager at the airport if necessary. I may just give this a try. Experience has shown me that you can never get enough help when it comes to navigating O’Hare Airport!

A woman we admire

by Rachel Talen

I just heard about something very cool happening with a friend of Easter Seals. Eileen Howard Boone, Easter Seals National Board Member and SVP of Corporate Communications and Community Relations for CVS Caremark, has been nominated for the Ad Club’s 100 Women We Admire campaign!

Eileen is a valued spokesperson for Easter Seals and the Make the First Five Count campaign — you may remember her from Audio News Releases over the years.

I hope you’ll cast your vote for Eileen because we definitely admire her here at Easter Seals. Here’s how:

1. Please visit the 100 Women We Admire page.
2. Scroll through the entries to find Eileen’s nomination. (Note: please don’t create a new nomination for Eileen. Scroll down to find her name which leads with her role as the SVP of Corporate Communications & Community Relations for CVS Caremark. If by some chance you can’t find it, just hit CTRL-F and insert “Eileen Howard Boone” in the search window, and her entry will appear.
3. Once you find Eileen’s entry, please check the “I also admire her” box. A “thank you” message will appear next to the box — which means your vote has been cast).

Vote today because voting ends tomorrow, March 8th!

Coinciding with The Women’s Leadership Forum this month, The Ad Club is recognizing the top 100 women identified as women admired in their local communities and industries. These women will be recognized in a variety of ways leading up to and during the forum as part of the Ad Club’s “100 Women We Admire” campaign. These are women who are making a positive impact in our world, are leaders across all generations, and they all have stories behind their accomplishments that motivate and inspire.

Let’s help Eileen get the recognition she deserves as a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility committed to Easter Seals!

Assistive technology … good for business!

by Beth Finke

After writing that blog post last week singing praises to Apple for creating products that include assistive technology as standard features, I read a story in the Wall Street Journal about Samsung trying to get an injunction to block Apple from selling devices that come with VoiceOver.

VoiceOver is the function that blind people like me use with iPhones — we get a description of what the iPhone is showing by touching its screen. VoiceOver describes text and icons — including audio descriptions of the battery level and the network signal — and it comes free of charge when you buy an iPhone. Turns out Samsung holds a patent on a feature that allows users to touch a button to make devices read text aloud, and they said VoiceOver infringed on its patent. The judge did not grant the injunction, and I found it so interesting to look (so to speak) at the case from a business point of view in Reporter John Paczkowski’s Wall Street Journal article:

Samsung has now identified itself as a company willing to accept the loss of accessibility for the vision-impaired as collateral damage in its battle with Apple. It has made a big public move to make it more difficult for the blind to use computers. That’s just foolish — more so, now that the judge presiding over the case has stayed the suit.

How refreshing to think that including assistive technology is more than a “do-gooder” thing to do — it can be good for business too. As John Paczkowskiwrites, “Leaving aside the ethics of asserting a patent against a feature designed to help the blind, this is unwise … it’s the PR equivalent of punching yourself in the face.”

What we’re reading at Easter Seals

by Patricia Wright

A few weeks ago I found myself talking with Erik Cook, one of my colleagues here at Easter Seals, about the books we are reading, and book clubs we belong to now or have belonged to in the past.

Erik and I agreed that having shared experiences around text is a wonderful way to connect with people and develop shared background experience. An article in The Guardian suggests book-reading groups could do this at a workplace, too:

For many people the biggest plus of working in an office — salary aside — is the chance to chat, exchange ideas and form friendships with those around you.

But if you’ve grown tired of office discussions revolving around negative equity and who said what on Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend, it might be time to make a dash for the cultural high ground — so why not start a book club?

Erik and I got to thinking. Maybe a book group at work would help us know more about our colleagues. We might even learn things from their life experiences to draw on in future collaborative work.

And so, Erik and I have launched the Easter Seals Book Reading Group. Interested readers will read the same book around the same time. We’ll start by reading My Lobotomy, a memoir by Howard Dully and co-authored by Charles Fleming.

Howard Dully is one of the youngest recipients of the transorbital lobotomy, a procedure performed on him when he was 12 years old. The book is about his experiences as a child, the effect of the procedure on his life, his efforts as an adult to discover why the medically-unnecessary procedure was performed on him, and the effect of a National Public Radio broadcast about all this that aired in 2005 on All Things Considered — that’s where I first heard of him, on NPR.

Depending on the interests of others in the reading group, we’ll have a sit-down discussion of the book, or we can just use the book to help build a background of shared experiences. We’ll be reading this first book in April and May, and if any of you blog readers have tried something similar in the workplace, please do leave a comment here. Erik and I are open to any suggestions or ideas that might help make our new Easter Seals reading group a success. Thanks!