January 2013 – mamasmunchkin

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and How He Helped the Disabled

January 21, 2013 by caste551, posted in Uncategorized

Today is the day of observance for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. He worked tirelessly for the civil rights of African-Americans in the 1960’s.

What some people may not realize is that he did a lot for disabled people as well. If it weren’t for the barriers he broke down, I don’t think the disabled population, at that time would have even had the courage to fight for the rights we enjoy today.

Yes, as I have said before, I realize that such things as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) could and should be improved but, I also realize that there are a lot of people with a disability who lived before laws like the ADA were in existence and their lives had even more obstacles than what we face today.

In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle to help African-American people get the rights they deserve and be treated as human beings, he also helped disabled people get that much closer to the rights and lives we deserve the opportunity to enjoy. I know in his “I Have a Dream” speech, he spoke of those who not only had a different skin color and religion but, I believe he was also planting the seeds for those who have other barriers, so that they too could live free from discrimination.

Happy Birthday Dr. King and thank you for being such an advocate for the human race as a whole.

Thanks for reading..

Nursing Homes for Kids?

January 18, 2013 by caste551, posted in Uncategorized

Institutionalization of the disabled has always bothered me. It seems even sillier when you talk about placing kids into nursing homes. Where is the thought of quality of life for these people? While I do understand that these people are severely disabled and their quality of life may not be like yours and mine, they are still human beings. Why diminish their quality of life even more by placing them in a nursing home if it isn’t necessary?

In my opinion, it’s always a better option to keep people with their family members and in their homes when at all possible. I also understand that there are times when this may not be an option for someone for various reasons. The problem is that, at times, they aren’t even given any other option.

The article below seems to have some good ideas for steps in the right direction. It talks about “care coordinators” being assigned to patients in the nursing homes. The best part of the whole article is that if the program really works like it says it will, maybe one day people who really can be at home can have a “care coordinator” assigned to them in the comfort of their own home.

Unfortunately, I think that the system currently in place is just the “easier” option. If it weren’t for parents like the one interviewed in the article, most of these kids would probably be forgotten about.

Here is the link to the original article:

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-changes-floridas-care-disabled-chil/nTzNM/

Thanks for reading..

The Many Benefits of a Service Animal

January 15, 2013 by caste551, posted in Uncategorized

As I started writing this post, I did not realize that different organizations sometimes use different names for the assistance their service animals provide to the recipients. In my list below, I tried to find the most common name used by the general public.

When I think of service animals, I usually think about dogs assisting those who are visually impaired. Today there are many different ways that dogs and other kinds of animals help those who live with different disabilities. Here are the 5 most interesting ways I think service animals help their owners live a more independent life. :

1. Seizure Alert Dog– These dogs can be trained to get help for their owner when they are about to have a seizure. They can also be trained to get a person’s medicine or be a comfort to the person while they recover from the seizure.

2. Psychiatric Service Dog– These dogs help Veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as people with other mental health issues. They can provide a calming effect in different situations and be trained to complete other tasks based on the needs of the owner.

3. Mobility Service Dog– These dogs help their owners by opening doors or getting at items their owner cannot reach, in some cases, bringing that item to them. They can also be trained to turn lights on and off.

4. Autism Service Dog– These dogs can help the owner take notice of important sounds like a door bell or smoke alarm. The owner can then focus on the most important situation and take action. They can also help distract the owner from overstimulation.

5. Facility Dogs– These dogs work with a health care professional or teacher in an educational setting. They remind me of therapy dogs that are brought by handlers to visit patients in the hospital. They work with someone who does not live with them in their home. Facility dogs can help with such things as motivating the student or patient to interact in particular situations. The dogs also provide encouragement to the people who come into contact with them.

For more information please visit the following websites:

www.cci.org

http://www.mentalhealthdogs.org/Psychiatric-Service-Dogs.html

http://4pawsforability.org/seizure-assistance-dog/

http://pawsitivesolutions.org/

http://www.vetsfwd.org/site/index.php

Thanks for reading..