Disabilities Blog

Category: Finances

The Arc Michigan tax guide focuses on deductions for care

It's tax time again and in "celebration" of this uniquely American pastime, The Arc Michigan is once again publishing its annual tax guide.

According to the organization's Web site, the "guide will prove to be invaluable for tax preparers, parents and others concerned with tax deductions stemming from the care and support of a minor child, an adult, or other persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

The 28-page 2010 Income Tax Guide is free. You can view the entire document on The Arc Web site.

Category: Intellectual disabilities

Does outrage over r-word cross party lines?

That ultra conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh is a despicable man is not exactly worthy of debate. Many of us have known this for a long time, and others will no doubt come to the realization when they learn that he referred to people with intellectual disabilities as "retards" at least four times on his Feb. 3 radio show.

The slurs came when Limbaugh attacked the "politically correct" folks who were angered by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel's use of the r-word last August (preceded by an f-word). Incredibly, Limbaugh even referred to a meeting of disability advocates at the White House as "a retard summit."

While the content of Limbaugh's character is no longer in doubt, there are still some outstanding questions about fellow conservative Sarah Palin. Specifically, I'd like to know if she's a hypocrite.

Palin " in a heartfelt reaction as the mother of a child with Down syndrome to Emmanuel's slur " issued a statement on her Facebook page demanding President Obama fire Emmanuel. Indeed, Palin said such an epithet uttered by "any public figure of Rahm's stature" is unacceptable.

Incidentally, if you're wondering whether Limbaugh's stature matches that of Emmanuel, simply ask 10 people around you if they know who each of those people is. You're likely to hear, "Ron who?" somewhere around nine times.

Palin has a wonderful opportunity today to demand Limbaugh's firing, too. Considering Limbaugh has made tremendous gains in popularity and salary in the years since being charged with fraud in obtaining prescription drugs, I'm convinced he's termination proof.

I'm equally certain President Obama won't fire Emmanuel. But I'm awfully curious to see whether Palin speaks out against Limbaugh's articulately expressed hatred toward people with disabilities " people just like her son.

So how about it, Ms. Palin? Does your outrage cross party lines?

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Category: Autism

Journal retracts study linking vaccines and autism

The British medical journal Lancet has formally retracted a 1998 study which said the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine may cause autism.

The doctor in charge of the study has since been charged with unethical behavior in connection to the flawed research.

You can read the full story on Time.com

Category: Transportation

City still needs to improve para-transit system

Advocates and riders with disabilities are planning to file complaints with the Federal Transportation Administration over the city's para-transit system.

According to a Detroit News piece by Leonard N. Fleming, "Armed with complaints ... advocates ... are gearing up for a battle with the Bing administration to pressure it into resolving its problems with Veolia Transportation, which has sued the city in federal court for breach of contract and to recoup $5.4 million."

Because of the lapsed contract with Veolia, the city's own transportation department is handling para-transit services by contracting with local taxis and van services resulting, according to riders, in a dramatic decline in reliability. Drivers are late. Vehicles are unsafe.

Unfortunately, this is not a new story. It was first reported in The News in mid-November. I blogged about it soon after. I'm all for saving money and these are tough economic times. But after several months, it's time for the city to act. Mayor Bing seems like an honest broker. I hope he either resolves the contract issue with Veolia or acts quickly to ensure that Detroit's seniors and people with disabilities have a quality para-transit system.

What do you think? Do you use the para-transit system?

Category: Medication

New MS treatment reason for optimism

A new clinical study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine offers new hope for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.

According to an AFP piece, a new oral treatment, Cladribine, "reduces relapse and deterioration in patients without many of the negative side effects associated with other treatments."

The new treatment appears much more convenient, too. "Patients are often required to undergo regular injections and intravenous infusions, but Cladribine, which works by suppressing the immune system, only needs to be taken for between eight to 10 days a year to work effectively, the study found."

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Category: Spinal cord injury

Ex-Lion Mike Utley to help others recovering from spinal cord injury

Former Detroit Lions offensive lineman Mike Utley is supporting scholarship opportunities for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to maximize their recovery and improve their quality of life.

Through the generous support of the Mike Utley Foundation, Utley will fund three scholarships to the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM). The ccholarships will provide qualifying recipients with one free month of intense therapy and fitness training. The program will include nutrition consultations, physical therapy, personal training and biofeedback therapy.

As a leader in the treatment of spinal cord injury, RIM sees more SCI patients than any other program in Michigan, including the most complex cases. RIM is also home to the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery (CSCIR). The CSCIR is one of the first hospital-based programs of its kind in the United States to provide long-term, high-intensity, activity-based therapy to optimize health and function in persons with spinal cord injury. The program incorporates the latest scientific research and innovative therapeutic techniques in the quest to make recovery from spinal cord injury a reality.

Utley was paralyzed during an NFL game in 1991. In the years since his injury he has inspired others with his drive, determination and incredible motivation to strive for optimal physical performance.

"Dedicating myself 110 percent to physical therapy and strength training is a big part of who I am and how much I have been able to achieve since my injury," Utley said. "That is why I am so excited to be working with the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan to bring this opportunity to other individuals with spinal cord injuries so that they, too, can have the opportunities and tools for success."

To download the Mike Utley Scholarship application, visit www.RIMrehab.org. Under Community Programs, select Mike Utley Scholarship. The deadline for submitting the application is April 1.

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Category: Amputees

Paralympic runners to teach other amputees to walk and run

After running their way to world records, Paralympians Dennis Oehler and Todd Schaffhauser are teaching other amputees how to get back on their feet.

Oehler and Schaffhauser will conduct a one-day clinic to teach amputees how to walk, run and enjoy the rewards of physical fitness. The free clinic, sponsored by Michigan Orthopedic Services, is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. Thursday at DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit.

The clinic is geared to a wide range of people, from the elderly who have lost limbs to diabetes, to younger patients who have lost their limbs to accidents or disease. The goal is to help amputees get comfortable and gain better use of their prostheses.

Oehler and Schaffhauser, both from Long Island, N.Y., have presented hundreds of clinics around the world and helped thousands of amputees to enjoy the rewards of personal achievement, physical fitness and social interaction.

Oehler dreams of becoming a professional soccer player were dashed when he was hit by a car in 1984 and lost his right leg. Determined to become a competitive athlete once again, Oehler competed in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, Korea, where he won a gold medal and set a world record of 11.73 seconds in the 100-meter dash.

In 1984, at the age of 15, Schaffhauser was diagnosed as having bone cancer and had to have his left leg amputated above the knee. After 18 months of chemotherapy, the cancer was in remission, but Todd was barely able to take 10 steps. By 1988, he became the world's fastest above-the-knee amputee by running 100 meters in 15.77 seconds at the Paralympics in Seoul.

The amputee clinic is free and open to the public. To register, please call (734) 513-8205. For future amputee clinic dates visit the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Web site.

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Category: Autism

Students with autism learn business, life skills at Seaholm

Employment rates for adults with autism are low - 6 percent, according to Autism at Work. Yet high-functioning autistic adults can offer employers sought-after skills, such as intense attention to detail, a single-minded focus and a willingness to work on something until perfection.

With that in mind, Seaholm High School in Birmingham developed a program to help its students with autism, who range in age from 14 to 18, with their vocational training for life in the outside world, reports The Detroit News' Jennifer Chambers.

The students' product is "Puppy Love" biscuits and natural treats for canines and business has taken off - as has the students' confidence.

Read more about the program and how it helps teens with autism develop skills for life here.

Category: Health care

It's time for a free enterprise approach to health care reform

It seems that members of both parties are backing down on passing any sort of massive health care reform bill. It's a shame-especially for individuals with disabilities or families with children with disabilities who would have likely benefited from either version (House or Senate) of the proposed legislation.

As jittery elected officials reflect on their responsibilities in 2010, I hope they ask themselves a few questions about the health care industry, like:

1. Why does the health insurance industry receive an anti-trust exemption? Health insurance companies are allowed a virtual monopoly and enjoy protections unlike any other industry in the country-except Major League Baseball. These protections might have been necessary when they were put in place after World War II, but are they now?
2. Why can't Americans buy insurance across state lines? Right now, if you live in Michigan, you MUST buy insurance in Michigan. Ever notice that it's not that way for anything else you buy? Wonder why?
3. Shouldn't Americans be able to get affordable medications? One of the many amendments that was rejected from the health care reform bill, was the option to shop around and get the best price on medications, regardless of where they came from. Members of both parties rejected the idea.

In light of the fact that sweeping health care reform appears unlikely, how about taking a few baby pro-business steps instead? Pass legislation that makes the insurance industry actually compete like all other businesses. Remove these exemptions and special rules. Competition will make health care more efficient and more affordable. In addition, you could provide tax breaks to small businesses, so that insurance costs are, if not controlled, at least contained and more predictable. Finally, the health care system needs to focus more on the concept of wellness. Keeping people well, promoting screenings, and getting treated earlier results in lower medical costs.

I encourage our elected officials to keep on trying. Baby steps are better than nothing.

Category: Public policy

Is Obama making the grade on disability issues?

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the Obama presidency, which is an appropriate time to assess our nation's new leadership on a range of issues. Recently, the president gave himself "a good, solid B+" on his first year in office. But how has president Obama fared specifically on disability issues?

As it's still early in the president's term, he can't be expected to have accomplished everything activists may have hoped, particularly in light of urgent economic and foreign policy problems. But there has been some progress.

The president got off to a rough start with the disability community when he made an offensive remark last spring comparing his bowling skills to those of Special Olympics athletes. Activists rightly recognized this as a relatively minor "public relations malfunction" and remained focused on more important issues.

President Obama has managed several substantive achievements on the disability front, including at least $5 billion in the stimulus bill for so-called "special needs programs" and funding for Head Start/Early Head Start. Considering the intense competition for stimulus funding, this is laudable.

In June, the president declared the "Year of Community Living" aimed at moving more people with disabilities out of institutional settings, certainly among the highest priorities of the advocacy movement. Let's hope that declaration and last summer's signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities proclamation prove to have more than symbolic significance.

I'll give the president a B- on disability issues so far. There's certainly more President Obama can do from his bully pulpit to bring more attention to the rights and needs of people with disabilities. Despite a handful of legislative victories, I doubt many people with disabilities have felt any change in their lives at this point. Perhaps a year from now, some positive results from 2009 will really be felt. In the meantime, I'll echo the red scrawl I occasionally saw on my grade school test papers: "You can do better."

If you'd like to judge for yourself how the Obama White House has so far fulfilled its promises to people with disabilities, visit www.barackobama.com, which details the Obama/Biden campaign pledges on disability issues.