Join the JobRaising challenge

by Debbie Smith

I am pleased to introduce David Dreith as a guest blogger today. David is executive vice president at Easter Seals TriState and oversees our Social Enterprise operations here.

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.

What does the fiscal cliff matter to people with disabilities?

by Denise Rozell

The “fiscal cliff” deal on New Year’s Day postponed many of the very hard decisions on stabilizing the nation’s fiscal situation, but there are still two outstanding matters that will come before Congress in the next few weeks.

The first is the across-the-board cut to most disability programs and the other is the federal fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills. Here’s a summary of the debate ahead in March:

• March 1, 2013: Across-the-board cuts (or sequester) to almost all federal programs goes into effect. Nearly all programs — including early intervention and special education — will be cut equally by approximately 5%. Unless Congress and the president reach an agreement within the next three weeks, these cuts will be implemented.
• Mid-March: The president will release a proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 and both the House and Senate have agreed to pass budgets this year. These activities are aligned with the standard federal budget process. The budgets do not have the force of law but do allow the president and Congress to establish their priorities.
• March 27, 2013: The current funding law expires on March 27, 2013 and
  Congress must take action to continue to fund the federal government through September 30, 2013. If Congress does not act by March 27, the federal government must shut down.

At every stage of the debate, Easter Seals is working with other advocates to convince Congress to take a more thoughtful and needs-based approach to reaching long-term financial security that does not disproportionately harm children and adults with disabilities and their families. TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to vote to STOP the across-the-board cuts set for March 1 and preserve critical funding for the life-changing programs that support families with disabilities!

Maurice Snell … rockstar!

by Rachel Talen

Maurice Snell is a charmer. He’s friendly, articulate and quite the comedian! But more importantly, Maurice is a man living with autism who has found his niche in life.

You might remember Maurice from his year as Easter Seals’ national adult representative in 2007. He spent that year telling his story here on the Easter Seals blog and across the U.S.

Maurice is 29 years old now, and he was back in action again yesterday telling his story on Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ-FM).

The interview was live, and my intern Kelly and I were honored to be there to watch — and hear — Maurice talk to the interviewer about what it’s like to live with autism. Maurice was joined by a parent of an adult child with autism and Cassie Walker Burke, who just wrote an article in Chicago Magazine about people with autism transitioning into adulthood. They chatted about some of the hurdles for adults with autism :

• Finding accommodating employers who will pay fair wages
• Transportation to and from work
• Communicating with peers
• The lack of supports when they turn 21
• Opportunities for higher education

Maurice received services at Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago when he was little, and although he faced many struggles because of his autism, he went on to graduate from college and hopes to go back for his Master’s degree. In the interview, Maurice said the hardest part for him was finding a job. He now works as an administrative assistant at Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research and helps with the music therapy program there, too. Maurice plays keyboard and does vocals for His band, The Naturals, and they practice together every week.

It was really fun to be there for the interview, and Maurice was a huge hit! I was so proud of him. He took us to the autism school to give us a tour after the radio show. You’ll have to stay tuned for my next post to find out more about all that, but I can tell you this much right now: Maurice is a rock star wherever he goes!

Three cheers for 3-year-old McKale

by Erin Rogers

An article and video on CentralIllinoisProud.com features 3-year-old McKale Marquis, who has been thriving thanks to services and therapists here at Easter Seals in Bloomington. McKale has Down syndrome and she’s been receiving physical, developmental and speech therapies in her home and child care center since she was 9 months old.

In the article her father says, “It means everything to see her achieve things she doesn’t even understand she’s achieving,” and he expresses his thanks to Easter Seals for making therapy more fun than work for their daughter:

The family says with the help of Easter Seals, they look forward to watching McKale grow and amaze them every step of the way. She provides them with a little “twinkle” in their life.

McKale’s progress truly has been amazing. Her ability to speak and understand language is what we would expect for a typically developing child, and her motor skills are strong as well. She continues to work on her speech so that others can understand her, and she is also working on following simple directions and the self-care activities one would expect of a young 3-year-old.

McKale is a perfect example of the possibilities when parents and caregivers are actively involved in promoting progress through quality early intervention services like those at Easter Seals. We at Easter Seals thank them for their willingness to share their story, and for giving us the privilege of working with their wonderful family!

Following the rules with service animals

by Beth Finke

The annual Westminster Dog Show has come to a close, and according to a blog post at The Bark, travelers flying out of New York City should expect an inordinate number of “service dogs” on board. The author of that post says she’s traveled to many dog shows, and over the years she’s noticed more and more people falsely claiming their show dogs are service dogs so they can fly along with them in the cabin.

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.

The conundrum of need vs. convenience

by Rachel Talen

I still remember writing my first guest post for the Easter Seals blog as an intern. Well, three years later, I’m here to introduce MY intern as a guest blogger! Kelly Zatlin is a senior and public relations major at Dordt College, and she’ll be interning here at Easter Seals headquarters until late April. I love her fresh perspective on disability news.

Assessing accessibility

by Kelly Zatlin

The mom of a daughter who has Spina Bifida keeps a blog about some of the daily challenges and joys of having a child with a disability. A recent post called The Disability Excuse brings up a struggle I haven’t heard parents of children with disabilities talk about before: the difficulties discerning between the want and need for special treatment. While there may be necessary “exceptions” for her child in school and in society, this blogger mom says she has found herself using the disability as an excuse at times and isn’t quite sure what to think about it.

The post describes sitting in multiple parent meetings where parents will insist their child not be treated any different than other children, only to hear them demanding special treatment minutes later. The post author says she herself struggles with what lessons she is teaching her own children when it comes to taking advantage of using the accessible entrance at Disneyland or getting free special needs screenings.

Here at Easter Seals, we strive to give children with disabilities the best and most independent lives possible through use of play, education, therapy, and many other means. Sometimes, the phrase “special treatment” has a bad connotation, but I don’t think it needs to be thought about negatively. I don’t see any reason for a parent to feel guilty for heading to the front of the line at a theme park with their child who is in a wheelchair, but there’s also nothing that says they must.

Many situations like this may just be up to the parent’s discretion and personal beliefs. I can say this, though: I myself sure would never want anyone to feel it’s wrong to take advantage of special access for people with disabilities or other things like it. Promoting accessibility is part of our mission here at Easter Seals. So much in this world seems to be built for people without disabilities, so I think having these extra tools for those with disabilities is just one way that the world can become more accessible for them and their families.

I know it’s important for parents to be careful about contradicting themselves in how they want their children to be treated, but I think it’s also important for parents to be aware of the services out there that are meant to help, not hinder, them.

A firsthand report from the Super Bowl

by Beth Finke

Combine the Harbaugh brothers, Beyonce, and a blackout and you’ve got a Super Bowl to remember. Thanks to our friends at CENTURY 21, 2013 Easter Seals Adult Representative Richard Mariello and his 16-year-old son Jeremiah are one father-and-son team who will never forget their time at this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.

In addition to their teenagers, Richard Mariello and his wife Lynn have fostered more than 20 children in the last 12 years. None of them have ever been to an NFL game before, and here’s how Richard and Jeremiah ended up at the biggest game of all this year: Century 21 has been a national sponsor of Easter Seals for over 30 years. They were also a major advertiser during this year’s Super Bowl. They were given a thank you package including tickets, flights and hotel accommodations for the game, and they donated them to our adult representative, Army Specialist and Afghanistan War Veteran Richard Mariello.

For a firsthand idea of what the experience was like, I’ll leave you blog readers with an interview with Richard from the Century 21 blog. Thanks, you guys!

C21: What was your favorite part of being there, live for the game?

RM: Everything! Honestly, I’d have to say the best part was getting the full, behind-the-scenes experience. We watched the players warming up. We got to see the kickers making 60-yard field goals during practice.

When you see the players running on TV, they look fast, but in person they are even faster.

Sitting as close as we were, we could hear the tackles, hear the yelling. We were right in the 49ers’ end zone.

We were also amazed with the half time show crew. They set up Beyonce’s entire set in three minutes and took it down in five minutes. That was really incredible. We really got to see the reality of the whole game experience.

C21: Aside from the game, did you explore New Orleans?

RM: We did. We got in the Friday before the game. On Saturday we spent about four hours at the World War II Museum. We also walked the entire length of Bourbon Street and explored the French Quarter. People in New Orleans are so friendly. They really understand hospitality.

C21: New Orleans is known for their food. Did you sample any of the traditional treats?

RM: We did. It’s hard to pick a favorite. We loved the gumbo, the beignets and the pralines. We also had a great time at a chicken shack where we ordered delicious fried chicken.

C21: Did you visit Café du Monde?

RM: We did! We even brought beignet mix to bring back home to the family.

C21: There were quite a few celebrities in town for the game, did you have any sightings?

RM: We did! My son physically ran into Michael Phelps. Michael was on his way to an interview and literally walked into Jeremiah. We also saw Julie Chen, Hines Ward and the cast of “Duck Dynasty.” Everyone wanted to take pictures with the Duck guys!

C21: Tell us, how long have you been working with Easter Seals?

RM: Since I was deployed in 2011. My family hooked up with Easter Seals right before I left. When I came home in 2012 I spoke at an Easter Seals event and someone wrote an article about my talk. It kind of snowballed from there and now I am the Easter Seals National Adult Representative and Veteran Representative.

C21: What are your responsibilities in this new role?

RM: I travel all over the country to talk about the Easter Seals Veterans Program. In fact, I will be at the CENTURY 21 Global Conference next month in Las Vegas.

I speak about the importance of helping veterans and their families. When our veterans come home sometimes they need help finding a job, or they have stress or anxiety issues and they need to seek support. Easter Seals helps make that happen.

Richard ends the interview saying he accepted the role as the 2013 Easter Seals Adult Representative “for all the veterans who do not have the chance to take a stage and express how necessary these programs are. I am doing this for all of us. Not everyone gets this chance.”

Comcast is a big winner in more ways than one

by Beth Finke

Comcast is one of Easter Seals newest national corporate partners, and we were thrilled to hear that readers of Careers & the Disabled are as impressed with the company as we are. The magazine just ranked Comcast ninth in the country on their annual “Top 50 Employers List,” and this is the fourth time Comcast has received this important recognition.

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!

A sweet way to help kids with disabilities go to summer camp

by Beth Finke

Last week several Easter Seals clients and their families visited Friendly’s headquarters in Wilbraham, Mass. to officially kick off Friendly’s 32nd annual Cones for Kids campaign. Friendly’s Restaurants, LLC, has been a corporate sponsor of Easter Seals for years, and their Cones for Kids campaign has raised more than $27 million for Easter Seals since 1981.

At the kickoff, campers Sabrina and Ana expressed how much they love spending time at Easter Seals Explorer Camp each summer. “The kids there are like me,” Sabrina said. “They understand me.” Explorer Camp was created for campers like Sabrina and Ana, campers who have autism and other social challenges. The kids get to know other kids with disabilities. Activities provide lots of opportunities to learn, grow and have fun.

Now through Valentine’s Day, you can support Easter Seals Camp Friendly’s programs for kids with autism and other disabilities every time you visit a Friendly’s Restaurant. Not only will you help kids like Sabrina and Ana, but you’ll be rewarded with a sheet of Valentine Cards! The Valentines can be redeemed at Friendly’s for five free Kids Cones and one buy-one-get-one free adult entrée purchase.

Funds raised through Friendly’s Cones for Kids program support Easter Seals Camp Friendly’s in nearly 30 different locations. Camp Friendly’s provides an opportunity for kids with autism and other disabilities to enjoy camp activities like boating, swimming, archery, ropes courses, horseback riding, hiking and fishing. Stopping by a Friendly’s Restaurant before February 14 gives you a chance to enjoy a tasty treat while feeling good about supporting essential disability camp programs in your community. Sweet!

Announcing ten new rockstars!

by Rachel Talen

Last week The Avril Lavigne Foundation (TALF) announced the 2013 expansion of The Avril Lavigne Rockstar Clubs at Easter Seals into 10 markets in the United States and Canada.

I love working on anything with the Rockstar Clubs. It’s inspiring to see Avril’s passion for sharing the message of inclusion — that kids and young people with disabilities want to laugh, have fun with their friends, and just fit in. The Rockstar Clubs will bring much-needed recreational programming for kids and youth with disabilities.

Award-winning singer/songwriter and philanthropist Avril Lavigne selected the ten Easter Seals winners herself, choosing programs she thought embodied her foundation’s R.O.C.K.S. mission to “provide Respect, Opportunity, Choices, Knowledge, and Strength to children and youth living with serious illnesses or disabilities.”

Avril said she had a hard time narrowing it down to ten and thought that the opportunities Easter Seals affiliates presented were very exciting. “I have seen first-hand from my work with Easter Seals how important recreation programs are for kids with disabilities,” she said. “My goal is to help bring more resources to these great programs, which are often the first to experience budget cuts.” The ten winners she chose are located in:

• Los Angeles, California
• Houston, Texas
• Billings, Montana
• Chicago, Illinois
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Seattle, Washington
• Youngstown, Ohio
• Miami, Florida
• Alberta, Canada

The winning programs include everything from dance therapy classes to an adaptive bike program. My favorite thing about the Rockstar Clubs is that they allow kids and teens with disabilities to just be kids. Social events, music, theater, sports, arts, leisure time, hobbies, getting out in the community and camp — it’s about experiencing and enjoying life. Congratulations to all the winners — you really are rockstars!