Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

For developmentally disabled, a tough job market

Excerpt from: NECN.com (click for full article)

 

Lawrence man Ryan Banning is in every sense of the word an entrepreneur. For more than a decade, Banning, 36, has operated his own business, Ryan's Vending Service, managing a dozen or so vending machines in Lawrence.

He's always looking to expand, he said as he loaded the soda and snack machines at the Lawrence Municipal Airport recently.

And the bottom line for Ryan, who has Down syndrome, is that he enjoys the work and turns a profit.

"He's earning, he's paying taxes," said Martha, his mother, who helped conceive of the business idea when Ryan finished high school. "It's been a really good fit for him."

Down syndrome dolls get mixed reviews

Excerpt from: Media dis&dat (click for full article)

 

A collection of dolls with the facial characteristics of Down Syndrome has sparked debate online.

Connie Feda, the mother of a child with Down Syndrome, hopes to launch Dolls for Downs next month. “We’ve got a lot of pre-orders from Canada,” she told Global News on Wednesday.

Feda claims she has received nearly 500 pre-orders from several countries.

“Considering we don’t have the vinyl version yet, and people are ordering largely by description, we expect that number to double with actual photographs,” she said.

Not everyone believes the dolls are a good idea. Calgary’s Krista Flint, former executive director of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS), fears the dolls perpetuate the notion that people with Down Syndrome all look alike.

“Not every person with Down syndrome has almond shaped eyes, or a single palm crease, or an exaggerated space between thier (sic) toes, or a flattened nose bridge,” she wrote on her blog, InclusiveHumanity.com.

Gym Turns Away Teen With Down Syndrome

Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)

 

Despite paying for a membership, a family claims they were barred from entering a local gym because their teen daughter has Down syndrome.

Kevin and Sherrie Cates said they joined the Family Fitness Center in Ripley, Tenn., but the first time they attempted to visit together with their two daughters, the family was stopped at the door. The reason: the couple’s daughter, Mollie, 13, has Down syndrome.

The Cates say they were told by staff at the city-owned gym who turned them away that no one at the facility was trained to work with individuals who have the chromosomal disorder.

Mollie Cates’ parents say she attends regular classes at school — including physical education — and there’s no reason she shouldn’t be able to go to the local gym like anyone else.

An attorney for the fitness center said that the facility had never had a customer with Down syndrome and is now working to accommodate the family, reports WMC, the Memphis, Tenn. NBC affiliate.

Disability Advocates Call ‘Glee’ Portrayal ‘Poor Choice’

Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)

 

Fox’s “Glee” is generating controversy after depicting a character with Down syndrome bringing a gun to school.

In an episode which aired Thursday night, gunshots are heard during glee club practice, prompting a lockdown at the high school. Ultimately, viewers learn that Becky Jackson, a student with Down syndrome who is played by actress Lauren Potter, brought a gun to school and the shots were fired accidentally.

But not everyone feels the same way. Officials from the National Down Syndrome Society called it a “poor choice” to depict Becky bringing a gun to school.

“Acting like every other teenager in doing things like sports and going to college, those are things great to portray for Becky,” said Julie Cevallos, vice president of marketing for the organization. “Taking a gun to school is something very serious and would likely come with a mental health condition. That’s not appropriate for someone with Down syndrome and not a stigma they need.”

Meanwhile, comments from viewers on Twitter criticized the characterization for being “disgraceful” and “seriously lame.”

Civil Rights, Prejudice and Disabilities

Excerpt from: BellaOnline (click for full article)

 

I have been thinking of Maryland often. That is where Robert Saylor lived, the man with Down syndrome who died in a movie theater after refusing to leave his seat. It has been more difficult to leave my own son alone for five minutes now when we go out, and especially to the movies.

Theater staff, including off-duty policemen working security, obviously had some outdated ideas about people with developmental disabilities that allowed them to over-react and behave just the opposite of how they might have with the proper training, or a little grace. I am sure that everyone involved will live with regret for the rest of their lives, but a family lost a very dear person because someone decided that Robert Saylor could not remain in his seat after the movie ended. I wish everyone involved had practiced a little tenderness and common sense.

People with Down syndrome are as likely to have a difference of opinion with theater workers and authority figures as their mainstream peers, and may be more sensitive about strangers insisting that they change plans, especially if a trusted caregiver has agreed with a course of action. Many years ago individuals with Down syndrome may have been raised in settings where complete strangers can make decisions for them on the spur of the moment, but we raise our sons and daughters with the knowledge that they have the right to speak up and refuse to do what they are told by strangers. Obviously, their mainstream peers and authority figures in our communities need to be aware that individuals with Down syndrome have civil rights as well as a diagnosis.

National Down Syndrome Congress says independent investigation needed in death of Ethan Saylor, Maryland man with Down syndrome who died in custody of sheriff deputies

Excerpt from: Media dis&dat (click for full article)

 

The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) believes that Robert Ethan Saylor’s (pictured) civil rights were violated when he died after being restrained by three off-duty Frederick County, MD, Sheriff’s deputies.  Although the coroner ruled Saylor’s death a homicide, a grand jury declined to indict the deputies.

“We cannot comprehend the series of poor decisions that were made leading to Ethan’s death,” noted David Tolleson, Executive Director of NDSC.  “If you used any other adjective to describe him – such as his race, religion, gender or sexual orientation – the streets would be filled with people seeking justice.  It appears that individuals at the theatre acted as if this was an emergency situation, or that Ethan presented an imminent threat, when in fact more time was both needed and available to assess the situation.”

Tolleson adds, “By all reports, the officers involved are good men who did not intend for Ethan to die.  However, if an otherwise good person with good intentions were to kill someone with their car – perhaps because of neglected maintenance or driving under the influence – they would still be held accountable.”

Look-Alike Dolls for Kids With Down Syndrome

Excerpt from: ABC News (click for full article)

 

A Pennsylvania mother has made it her goal to create dolls with which children of various disabilities can identify.

Connie Feda, 49, of Robinson Township, Pa., started Dolls for Downs in 2010, which has 16 dolls available for kids with Down syndrome.

“This would all be Hannah’s idea,” Feda said of her own daughter, 13. “When she was about 9, she was flipping through a catalog, she saw a doll that looked like her sister.  She said, ‘No doll looks like me.’”

The search for a doll Hannah could enjoy was unsuccessful. “All the dolls were not attractive at all,” Feda said. “They didn’t look like her.”

Dolls for Downs was Feda’s alternative to the only “outdated” dolls available for children with Down syndrome. “I knew I couldn’t be the only mom who felt this way,” Feda said.

Teen Makes Disability History At Mount Everest

Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)

 

A 15-year-old with Down syndrome is said to be the first American with the chromosomal disorder to make it to the base camp of the world’s tallest mountain.

For 10 days, Eli Reimer trekked rugged terrain in below-freezing temperatures to make it to the base of Mt. Everest. Traveling along with his father, Justin, and six others, the Oregon teen ultimately reached an elevation of 17,000 feet.

Reimer was the first of his group to reach base camp, making history with his physical feat.

Despite Outcry, No Charges In Death Of Man With Down Syndrome

Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)

 

In a case that drew national attention, officials say no charges will be filed in the death of a 26-year-old with Down syndrome who was restrained after refusing to leave a movie theater.

A grand jury determined Friday that no crime was committed in the case of Robert Ethan Saylor. He went to see the film “Zero Dark Thirty” at a Frederick, Md. movie theater in January and wanted to watch it again after the showing was over. Three off-duty sheriff’s deputies who were working security at the venue were alerted when Saylor would not exit. They ultimately restrained him and Saylor was dead just a few minutes later.

A medical examiner found that Saylor died of asphyxia and ruled it a homicide, but ultimately the grand jury determined that charges were not warranted and that the deputies acted in accordance with their training.

5 Great Videos from World Down Syndrome Day

Excerpt from: Friendship Circle Blog (click for full article)

 

This past Wednesday, March 21 was World Down Syndrome Day. Down syndrome organizations throughout the world organized and participated in events to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.

This year was the 7th annual World Down Syndrome day and for the first time the U.N participated with a commerative event called “Building our Future.”

Many people took the day to promote awareness and inclusion for children with Down Syndrome. Of course social media was a big part of the day and a number of videos were posted to YouTube as well.