Wheelie Catholic – Treating Ablists under the Medical Model using an amazing sense of humor to cover a difficult topic

Parenting Special Needs Children – Inclusion and the Myth of the Magical Mainstream a MUST read for any parent struggling with mainstreaming a special needs child

SpedChange – May Day: Retard Theory the specifics of the example may be more extreme than you’d be willing to go but the provoking nature of this article WELL worth the read

Jenelle’s Journey – Coming to terms with Normal a beautiful and candid description of being the parent of a child other than “normal”

Kate….Uncensored – Blogging against disablism a great rant about prejudice against those with disabilities

Growing up with a disability – Mistaken Identity an amazing article by David who is often mistaken for others….find out why

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

‘High School Musical’ production takes social inclusion to new level

One of the most successful Disney movies ever has been adapted to stage and performed by thousands of high schoolers across the nation but none possibly as inclusively as this one.

Stars shine at special needs talent show

Children at a local Ohio high school put together an amazing talent show ‘featuring’ Trace Adkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Avril Lavigne and Soulja Boy.

Zambians pledge stronger voice in disability advocacy

A learning exchange between officials in Zambia and The ARC of the Twin Cities of St. Paul will increase advocacy for the disabled in Zambia.

Yoga’s appeal broadening to disability community

The ability to adapt this form of exercise to a multitude of disabilities makes its application almost universally beneficial.

Labour leader Gary Parent wins United Way Award

Gary Parent says he is humbled to receive this national award for doing “the right thing”

This prom is an enchanted evening

Everyone from parents to teachers to janitors kick in to make an ‘Enchanted’ evening for these special kids

U-46 holds first prom for special needs kids

Tuxedo rental: $150. Boutonierre: $10 Tickets for two: $50. The chance to attend a very special prom? Priceless.

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

Students with needs discover their talents
Program in Mamaroneck, NY helps teens with a variety of special needs plan for their futures to ensure they have the basic life skills they will need after leaving school

Students raising money to help Gilbert teacher
Students are fundraising to help special education teacher Juan Reyes offset the approximately $600-700 annually he goes out of pocket to provide for his students with special needs.

Synagogue to hold service for special needs children
Syangogue holds service for special needs children and their family. Serving West San Fernando and Conejo valleys

Disability Advocates want name change for Missouri state agency
Advocates lobbied at the Missouri state capital to have the words mental retardation dropped from the state agency name

US Airways helps special needs dogs
US Airways is helping to train service dogs with their puppies in flight program

Family shocked by MD’s speed over 11 year old
Muscular Dystrophy’s impact on an 11 year old boy and his family

Three documentaries put faces on autism
Realistic portrayals of autism hit the big screen with Autism Every Day, Autism: The Musical and Her name is Sabine

Little Horizons Produces Early Childhood Education DVDs for special needs children
Fun with the ABC’s allows special needs children and able bodied children to have fun side by side while learning their ABC’s

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

Trip planned to protest cuts to special needs program
An Alabama woman is planning a trip to the state capital on Wednesday to protest proposed cuts to the state’s Early Intervention Program.

Special needs music box artists share their gifts
Art Access is a place for people with differing abilities to come together and grow creatively by learning about art and each other.

Disability no barrier for Gaither Athlete
High School sophomore Casey Garber says he’s not trying to prove anything by competing in track and field just because he has cerebral palsy.

Program targets kids with special needs
Pennsylvania Parks and Recreation program has started two programs for children with special needs and their parents

Bid to turn Castlehyde Hotel into care centre for special needs kids
Bid to take a hotel closed in 2005 and turn it into a day care center for children with special needs.

Advocate brings disability awareness to students
Kokomo students learn about difficulties people with disabilities face in everyday life in an event that Russ Ragland has brought to the High School for the past eight years.

Prime Time Disability
While its becoming more common to see people with disabilities on primetime television, unfortunately it hasn’t broken it’s habit of using able-bodied actors to fill the roles.

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

School’s Basketball team adds special needs children
Middle School Basketball team in California shows what the true meaning of sportsmanship is with inclusive basketball team

No Dental Care for Special Needs Patients
Adult special needs patients in Cork, Ireland are going without even basic dental care because of the lack of anesthesia services

Profile: Melissa Piotrowski teaches music to special needs students
22 year old Melissa Piotrowski takes a love of music and shares it with special needs children

11th Berkshire Disability Day planned
Event is a day of celebration and education to increase community awareness of the accomplishments of those with diverse abilities. Showcase of available services also planned.

Book transports child with special needs
Photography teacher Joe Baltz has his students create a 16 page book starring a child with special needs.

Alzheimer’s, Down’s link sheds light
Researchers at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute say they have recently learned some important new things about the link between Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s Syndrome

My baby, right or wrong
Woman chooses not to test unborn child for Down’s Syndrome and the reasoning behind her choice

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.
The case for increasing the number of Medicaid waivers
Opinion piece eloquently explaining the need for increasing available medicaid waivers in Virginia which should be reprinted in every state in the union.

Art as an outlet; ‘Living Creatively’ exhibit recognizes ability, not disability
44 artists featured in the 3rd annual ‘Living Creatively’ exhibit all live with disabilites but it it is their artistic ability that unites them.

Hip Hop Baby
Candi Carter develops family friendly ‘hip-hop’ music to teach preschool concepts to help son who was born with chromosome disorder and finds it helps others with special needs as well.

Exercise Group to special needs young people in Hemet
Exceptionally Excited Kids is a nonprofit organization serving individuals with special needs from age 2 through 25.
Rylee’s Rally to help children with special needs
Deborah Davis organizes Resource fair for parents of special needs children with more than 30 vendors who supply a variety of products and services.

Local basketball team headed to Special Olympics championship game
Inspiring story about Naples, FL  basketball team undefeated and heading to Orlando for the state championship

14 percent of U.S. Kids with special needs
Twenty-four percent of families with a special needs child report a parent had to stop working or reduce hours to care for the child. Numerous other findings in a survey by the Health Resources and Services Administration

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

Special Siblings
Photographer pays tribute to special needs sibling with one man exhibit.

Special Needs Dentistry
Clinic dedicated to doing dental care for those with physical and mental disabilities.

Park official to receive award for special needs work
Belief that sports and outdoor activities give those with special needs a new outlook on life drives recreation director to running therapeutic local programs.

Truly special aide is recognized
Elaine Crowley is recognized by the Federation for Children with Special Needs Community Partnership Award for her work as a paraprofessional in Massachusetts schools.

Notre Dame football coach’s wife writes on daughter’s health ordeal
Maura Weis writes on her experiences with daughter Hannah and her complex fight against Tassinaris syndrome

Special needs kids are gym dandy at Us Too
California mom solves need for gym class for a child with autism by starting one for her son and others like him.

The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know
Amanda Baggs a woman who is non-verbal and diagnosed with autism makes You Tube Videos which make both scientists and laymen rethink what they “think” they know about autism and its related disorders.

Despite disability, JHS senior will walk for autistic children
Florida High School senior Gregory Nemiroff  has Dandy Walker syndrome affecting motor skills and speech in various ways but is committed to walking in the local “Autism Speaks” Walk Now for Autism event.

The last great struggle – A pioneer views disability as the final frontier in civil rights
Keith P. Jones who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, is a disability rights consultant and advocate as well as composer, producer and hip-hop performer.

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

Gymnastics Classes Bring Learning, Fun To Those With Special Needs
Gymnastics and Exercise class for children age 3 to high school give children the opportunity to participate in classes the exercise their minds and their muscles.

Disability Awareness Week
Idaho State University organizes a week of events to build awareness and create better understanding of people on campus and within the community.

Families to hold toy swap for special-needs children
A group of parents wanting a setting to hold a toy exchange for families of special needs children may have a larger event than originally planned.

Madison County special needs students to participate in ‘Big Hearts’ Pageant
The Extra Special People organization hosts and pageant spotlighting the abilities of people with disabilities.

Homeland Security Funds Grant for Special Needs
A federal Homeland Security grant is making emergency planning for people with special needs possible in this county.

For teen star of ‘Breaking Bad’, real-life disability is no obstacle
RJ Mitte provides unique authenticity to the disabled character he plays on AMC’s edgy new series Breaking Bad (Sunday, 10ET/PT)

For some parents, the emotional strain is greater
Dr. Rachel Bryant discusses the stages of mourning in relation to parents of children with special needs.

A first for Noelle; Schools’ behavior specialist honored for her work
District behavior specialist Noelle Neault honored for her outstanding work with youngsters in the Hanover Public School District.

-George Santayana

My newshound Johanna sent me another article that my father and she must have been reading at the same time because their emails on this article arrived almost simultaneously.

As many of you may be aware of by now, insurgents in Iraq have been using the disabled as human bombs. It was originally announced that these women had down syndrome but the article sent to me this morning announces that medical records now say that they suffered from depression and schizophrenia but no record shows them having down syndrome. Seems obvious to me that either is equally horrific and predatory but I digress.

News reports at the beginning of the week (and included in this past Sunday Paper) stated that the acting director of a Baghdad psychiatric hospital was arrested on suspicion of supplying al-Qaeda with the women to blow up the crowded market places. One would think this was a good step in the efforts to protect individuals who are potentially impaired mentally from being used in such a manner.

Overall the article seems as if it’s going to wind up being a clarification on earlier reporting that these women had down syndrome and some discussion of how their mental illness might or might not have made them unwitting victims of terrorists. Then you hit this one little paragraph that almost seems as if it’s an afterthought.

Worries about insurgents using mentally disabled people as bombers prompted the Iraqi government’s decision this week to begin enforcing a Saddam Hussein-era law to round up beggars and the mentally disabled. Iraqi officials said the mentally disabled would be sent to hospitals while beggars would be taken to the police, foster homes, juvenile institutions or their families.

I guess in a country not used to having freedoms this might seem like an acceptable solution.  I must remember however democracy is an evolution. I live in a country who was founded on freedom yet we too have had periods in our history where segregating populations for safety seemed like an acceptable solution to perceived threats. Certainly “Indian Reservations” and even more recently Japanese Internment Camps should be historical lessons that others should make sure not to repeat. I certainly hope that the American officials will work to convince the powers that be in Iraq that this is NOT the solution to their problem.

So often you read stories and think wow…what progress we’re making for the rights of those with disabilities. Unfortunately it only takes one article such as this to remind us how very far we still have to go as a world society in protecting the rights of those who can not necessarily protect themselves.

Every Sunday I hope to offer you my version of the Sunday paper with articles from the past week or two, relevant or uplifitng (or both), on various issues within the special needs community.

Police learn about autism to help prevent tragedy
Education of police officers and first responders with an awareness and understanding of autism and how to teack and live with those affected.

Hospital boss arrested over al-Qaeda attack by human boobytraps
The acting director of a Baghdad psychiatric hospital is arrested on suspicion of supplying al-Qaeda with women with Down Syndrome that it used to blow up two crowded markets in the city.

Balance is key for family of child with special needs
Guam woman writes about her balancing act in caring for her family including 8 year old Deborah with Down Syndrome.

Boy With Learning Disability Teaches Homeless Kids
12 year old Michael started a non-profit group to give laptops to disadvantaged kids and teaches them to use the technology.

Oklahoma’s only special-needs cheerleading squad competes this weekend in Dallas
A really uplifting story about a special needs cheerleading squad that is competing at the National Cheerleading Association Championships in Dallas this weekend.

Al Hammadi creates history riding Sharqi
A 15 year old created history when he became the winner of a long-distance horse race for persons with special needs.

When a Ramp is Not Enough – Addressing needs of disabled in disasters
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) have launched and emergency preparedness initiative designed to help those who plan for disaster understand and meet the needs of the disabled community.

Disability Issues Hit the Big Screen
Eighth annual London International Disability Film Festival features four days of films, documentaries, workshops and seminars from disabled actors and directors from around the world.