The Whole World and Your Place in It

I am continuously frustrated by the absence of disability from discussions of diversity, globalization, and civic/social engagement. I believe part of this is the fears people living without a disability have about becoming ill, having a child who isn’t “healthy”, losing some function like their vision, or becoming frail in their later years. It is generally easier for people to avoid thinking about the things that scare them, so they ignore those living with a disability. I think it is time for people to confront their fears and begin to recognize those living with a disability. If you think disability has nothing to do with you or issues of diversity, globalization, and civic/social engagement, consider these facts: • The largest minority group in the United States and worldwide is people with a disability. • A disabling condition can happen to anyone of any age, race, ethnicity, or wealth. Approximately 650 million people, 10% of the world’s population, live with a disability. • Disability can be the result of an accident/injury, genetic condition, environmental hazard/stress, and/or disease. • People living with a disability are the most at-risk for being abused, a victim of a crime, homeless, unemployed/under employed, socially isolated, and unengaged in civic life. • In the United States alone About 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. • There are about 6.3 million adults in the world living with Parkinsons Disease. • Insufficient research is being conducted with and by people living with a disability; this demographic group is largely ignored. • Access to adequate health care, immunizations, and nutrition, along with attention to public health, education, and workplace safety, can reduce certain forms of disability. • Approximately 80% of people living with a disability reside in a developing country. • In the U.S. and throughout the world, only a small portion of people living with a disability have adequate access to the social support, transportation, life-long learning, technical assistance, care, and assistive technology or supplies they need to be fully included in society. Sources: The Centers for Disease Control Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html The European Parkinsons Disease Association http://www.parkinsonsawareness.eu.com/en/campaign-literature/prevalence-of-parkinsons-disease/ The United Nations http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/disabilities/index.shtml

Hey, You Took My Spot

We all know that local communities are continuing to feel the fiscal crunch caused by the dealings of high rollers on Wall Street and the crash they caused in 2007. Communities have had to cut back on services and raise fees to cover shortfalls, and for a majority of communities, this bight will continue into the next fiscal year. States Continue to Feel Recession’s Impact — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities States Continue to Feel Recession’s Impact — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Groups who have been disproportionately affected by cuts are those living with a serious illness or disability. The majority of families who have a disabled child or adults who have an illness or physical condition limiting daily activity are not wealthy. Budget cuts have reduced community-based services for this group of people and their families. At least one community has decided that people requiring a disabled parking spot on city property, even if just outside their home, should be charged a fee. The argument seems to be that those parking spots have to be maintained and larger than all other parking spots, so those that use them should have to pay for them. No other people parking their cars will be charged. See the Steins’ story from Passaic http://www.northjersey.com/news/Disabled_boys_mom_urges_feds_to_abolish_Passaics_new_ordinance_on_handicapped_parking_fees.html Some people hold the view that this charge is deserved, after all, those parking spots are different from all others and have to be marked and supposedly monitored to prevent misuse by the non-disabled. You may be saying to yourself that this is a good point, but is it? Stop and think about why there are disabled parking spots. There are disabled parking spots because a matter of inches can mean the difference between someone getting where they need to go, and being turned away. Years ago when people determined the size of parking spots, they didn’t think about everyone, and instead put a standard in place that not everyone could use. Federal law requires disabled parking in order to protect those who need them from the indifference of others. From what I have observed, these communities would be better off raising the fines on people who misuse disabled parking, and hold them accountable for this abuse by not allowing them to renew car registration, driver’s license, or other state licenses for their business, professional, or personal needs until they’ve paid the fine for the parking violation.

Linda’s Story: Involuntary Retirement Part I

Linda was a good friend of mine. I met her shortly after moving to the Boston area in 2004, and we hit it off. It happens sometimes like that… You just meet someone and you can tell there is a friendship waiting to grow. Linda was always quick to help me out, didn’t mind a last minute meal invitation, listened to my complaints, and she was the best cat sitter ever. Once when a family member was critically ill with cancer, she took care of my beloved pet for three weeks out of 5 when I was away. She drove over to my place twice a day to feed her, talked to her, and gave her some attention. I was so secure in my knowledge that Linda had me covered, that I didn’t worry about my 14 year old pet. How often in life do you end up with such a good friend? Fortunately for me, Linda wasn’t the only invaluable friend I had during this period in my life, but she certainly was a blessing and huge help. A few months after Linda’s cat-care kindness, she began telling me about trouble going on where she worked. She was beginning to realize that her job was not secure. She worked as a lab manager, and sure enough within a few months, she found herself forced out. Linda had been with the company long enough to collect a modest pension, but she was in her early 60s, and not in a financial position to retire. Truthfully, she hadn’t even thought of retiring. Like many people, Linda had done very little toward planning for her future. She was a single woman living south of Boston, so the majority of what she made went right back out in living expenses. At this point if I truly known the extent of Linda’s economic situation, I might have advised her differently; however, we don’t often know much about our friend’s finances. Linda looked for a new job, collected unemployment, and began to look at how she was going to survive once her unemployment benefits ran out. For the first time she started to look toward retirement and explore her pension and Social Security benefits. I knew she’d been with her most recent employer for about 12 years, and I knew a couple of the employers she’d had when she was younger. I started asking questions about the length of time she’d worked for former employers and if she recalled participating in a pension plan. Linda thought she may have had a pension at a couple of them, but she didn’t know the type of pension benefit or anything about their value. She did know she’d never cashed out a pension plan, which was good news. Many people cash out their pension benefits from a 401K when they leave a job, so this money doesn’t gain interest over time. As it became clear that she wasn’t going to find another job, Linda truly had to start asking herself if she could get buy on her pension and Social Security benefits as soon as she was eligible. She contacted one former employer and realized she had a pension in a define benefit pension, but she wasn’t getting anywhere with a third employer. I referred Linda to the Pension Action Center. I knew they helped people track down pensions from companies that had gone out of business or changed hands. Linda felt she needed a bit more information about her rights and the questions she should ask. Sure enough, with information she gained through a call to the Pension Action Center, she learned she had a third pension. It was a very small benefit in a 401K, define contribution plan, but in her case, anything would be helpful. She was able to retire with her benefits and with the help of doing odd jobs and cutting back on expenses. I recall marveling at this situation. Here was a woman who did nothing actively to plan for her retirement, but because of the time period when she’d worked and other decisions she’d made without considering retirement savings, she had enough pension coverage to supplement her Social Security income. If she collected her Social Security retirement benefit as soon as she was eligible, her monthly check would be lower than if she waited until she was 66; however, without a job, she couldn’t get by without Social Security. Employers use to offer more defined benefit pension plans, that provided people with better income security in retirement than today’s 401K pension plans. And because Linda had entered a relatively male-dominated field, she had pension coverage. Men are more likely to have pension coverage than women in large part because of the types of work men and women have traditionally done and because men have been less likely to take time away from paid employment to care for children and other relatives. Linda would have likely had more retirement income had she planned, but she said that financial stuff hadn’t ever interested her. Plus, most of her immediate relatives had died young, so she didn’t ever think she’d live long enough to truly retire. She had no way of knowing that she would lose a job at 61 and be unable to find another position. To learn about The Pension Action Center go to http://www.umb.edu/pensionaction/

Occupational Therapists can help older people with low vision

Have you noticed someone you know struggling to keep things as clean as they once did? Maybe you are noticing other adjustments or changes like difficulty reading or less reading; avoidance of paper work; reduced activities requiring driving or limiting driving to certain times of the day or specific areas; and comments such as things just are not painted, printed or as clear as they used to be. Any of these may be signs that there are changes in your eye health and/or vision. Hopefully you are getting regular eye exams, but if you haven't had one in the last year and notice any of these changes, it is time to stop procrastinating making an appointment. There are a lot more options to deal with changes in vision than previously available. Once you and your doctor have addressed your eye health and prescription lenses, there are additional technologies and services that can help. Among those people who can be helpful are occupational therapists. To learn more about how an occupational therapist may assist someone with low vision visit this link. Therapists can help older people with low vision

Locked Out

We’ve all been there; the moment you realize that you are locked out of your home or car. There is the instant of alarm, and then the fleeting thoughts of the chaos this disruption is creating. Your mind quickly shifts into high gear, and you try to focus on how to solve the problem of getting in and managing the disruption in your day. We all know this is not a pleasant experience to be kept from a destination, yet if we are lucky we manage this situation with a bit of humor and strategy. I often find myself in this situation, though not locked out of physical spaces. Ten years ago, I left my first profession in part because the electronic record keeping systems that were being put in place by organizations were not accessible to me as a person with a visual disability. No one within my organization had any idea about how the system could be made accessible, the company peddling their product had no clue, and no one in the adaptive technology field had ever heard of the system. Just like the person locked out of their home, I panicked at first, but then I decided that my best bet would be to further my education. It was a big financial risk, but one I thought would be worth it. Here I am on the cusp of completing my 4th degree, and I am finding myself locked out again. About three years ago, one of the techno giants acquired a commonly used software package, and while it was pretty accessible at the time, the company has now made changes that make it completely useless to me. Sadly, people in the adaptive technology field know little about this software, so I’m at the mercy of this company or another like it. I’ve seen this company pronounce its commitment to accessibility, now if they would actually do something beyond their public relations division. Maybe one of the other companies with a similar product will step up, and I’ll be able to afford an alternative solution. Books that I need to further my knowledge in my field are not available in alternative formats. Publishers, even though they market their books to educators and libraries, don’t have to make their books accessible. From what I understand, publishers are afraid that people will copy their books illegally if accessible electronic versions are available. Clearly they haven’t heard of scanners and copiers; somehow I don’t think their biggest threat is from those with a visual impairment. Information and technology are moving very quickly, and I’d like to keep up. Sadly people are continuing to insure that I remain locked out, and I am not the only one.

Losses mount from scams targeting older Americans - Boston.com

Losses mount from scams targeting older Americans - Boston.com

David Grary from AP does a wonderful job in this article of describing the growing problem of financial abuse and scams. He provides famous, and not so famous, examples of victims throughout the U.S. He also notes the need for appropriations for the federal Elder Justice Act to help law enforcement prevent financial scams and catch and prosecute perpetrators. If you liked my post "Financial Liberty and Protection," then you will not want to miss this article in the Boston Globe.

The Possibilities of iRobot

Did you see the story in the New York Times about the robot Ava that is being developed? You can find the article by Christopher Drew here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/technology/for-irobot-the-future-is-getting-closer.html. The technology being developed by iRobot Corporation and other robotics companies are really amazing. According to the article, Mr. Colin Angle Of iRobot hopes that robots may one day be more actively used within healthcare for remote forms of care and personal assistance and by businessmen for remote meetings and office functions. Personally, I would love it if iRobot were successful, and not because I own stock in their company. Similar to others who grew up watching The Jetsons, I envision using robots one day. My dream is to have a robotic navigational system powered by solar and rechargeable battery that can help me navigate. I would love to be able to program a robot about where I needed to go, and have it help me by insuring I could find the right train or bus, sidewalk, and entrance. The robot would be able to scan to read signs, bus numbers, product labels, price tags and building directories. The robot would walk along with me insuring that I found my way and devising an alternative route if construction or other obstacles got in my way. Imagine the power of a guide, reader, and GPS for a pedestrian and person using public transportation, all combined into a single robot. The best part is this technology could be used for those with visual impairments, but also for those developing cognitive limitations. It could be used to supplement the work of orientation and mobility specialists, physical and occupational therapists, and by those in the hospitality industry. Of course I would like to use a robot at work to perform office functions and to give remote presentations. I would really be happy if a robot could do my laundry complete with ironing and folding, and who wouldn’t want a robot that could mix a favorite cocktail or get that morning cup of coffee… I sure hope iRobot thinks about people of all ages and abilities using these robots and not just being served by them. I want a woman caring for her husband with Alzheimer’s disease to be able to setup one of these robots, even if her computer knowledge is minimal. I use screen reader assistive technology that reads some of what is on a computer screen to me, and I want to program one of these robots. I would like to work with it, not simply be served by a robot someone else has to control. Perhaps an example would help. Microsoft has always thought of accessibility as a secondary concern, and historically has counted on third parties to make their operating system and software accessible. Sadly, because millions of users are an afterthought, many mainstream products have serious limitations, even today. For example, I can read a Power Point presentation someone else creates with a screen reader, but I can’t create my own using screen reader assistive technology. Adobe is no better with their presentation software, Adobe Connect, used for webinars. Adobe made some of the features for the participant accessible, but I can’t create the presentation. Microsoft and Adobe make the same shortsighted assumption that a person using a screen reader will be in the audience, not the person creating and giving the presentation. And this outdated view of technological development is leaving many people with disabilities and people born before the tech boom behind. I hope iRobot becomes a leader in accessibility and inclusion at all levels of their product design. Millions of potential robot users in business and health care settings have a disability or aren’t extremely comfortable with technology. Plus, iRobot is going to be marketing their products to government agencies and health care providers who are required to comply with the ADA. These public entities and healthcare organizations will have to be thinking about accessibility for those they serve and their employees. If robots are truly going to become our personal and professional helpers in the future, I sure hope everyone will be able to work with them.