Wheeling with new wheels

Employment, or lack thereof is a crucial issue for Infobility. Since it's hard to have a program with this audience since time is money, I will see how I do with a handout. The conclusion will offer a program in which a 13 minute video will be played and discussed. I hope I generate some interest. I can certainly make it the subject of the program in March at the Manheim Library. This way I can meet with folks 1 on 1 and talk with them about their concerns. Hopefully there will be some, I do not want to meet with those who are already hiring people with challenges. I will reach out to small businesses with a simple question "What have been your experiences hiring people with disabilities or do you have concerns doing so?"

Wheeling with new wheels

I met someone who has te same passion as I do but about starting a dance group like I saw this weekend. She is actually enthusiastic about working together it doesn't matter that my specific goal differs from hers. Even better is that she is a physical therapist so she has a respected job in the disability comumnity and knows medical professionals who can also get involved. I sent her my self-help booklet in which people have physical disabilities later in life and need help assessing their situations. I am pretty confident that she will share it with many people who could benefit. She will speak at my class for kids and be at the conference on "Social ccapital" December 2.

Wheeling with new wheels

Yesterday I went to a program in which people with and without disabilities performed a dance routine. What a wonderful way to decrease stigma and increase social capital- inclusion! The people said that it's becoming more recognized. Agency staff in the audience said it helped people with autism focus better on tasks. There are so many benefits from this and I hope more programs like this are starting. Mostly, I hope funders including insurances see the value in this. Music is a universal language and has been known to really make big strides for people who are largely non verbal and have intellectual challenges. We must help people without disabilities see the value in this type of program.

Wheeling with new wheels

My life is such a dichotomy. I was at a lunch for Lancaster County Community of churches and I spoked to people at my table about Infobility & my philosophy of independence.I come home and my friend is all smiles, she found a cuute guy whse mom is buying her food. WHAT? Last I checked she had more food then I did. She went out for a smoke I looked down, and sure enough there was the food from her last trip to the food back, still in the bag! No wonder the stigma is so strong for my population.

Wheeling with new wheels

I connected with an established non profit for the purpose of getting my name out. Not only is that happening but I am facilitating a very likely funding request for them. In the past the program was turned down but now with my program on board and more disability projects in the works, I think they will be more receptive. I am eager to use this as an example of how helping another really does help oneself. It is not a typical non-profit but adding a disability component to their existing programs seems to be a good way of broadening horizons of the kids they serve and the community they serve. Some of my plans include: Disability Awareness Day, Working on Wheels, Shopping on Wheels, Wheelchair Basketball, Kids Zone, Matching Legs, Cain of Challenges Newsletter, and school disability programs.

Wheeling wih new wheels

All my life I tried; I learned that you don't just give up you just find other ways. So when I learned that my job may lose three locations due to lack of interest I was concerned. Me being me wanted to take the steps to try to keep that from happening. Of course the person with the power to do something about it isn't really effect so when I offered suggestions they were not looked upon too kindly. It's frustrating since this does not have to happen and the solutions aren't rocket science. I'll just lose my job in lieu of wanting to improve things. Why can't people look at help as a good thing? My natural desire to advocate, seek solutions, and problem solve is sometimes a curse rather than a plus.

Wheeling with new wheels

I have an opportunity talk to nursing home directors about meeting the needs of patients. I will take it part by part using my booklet as a guideline. My first message is that everyone's needs are different. My second message is to examine the categories of social, physical, psychological, family, and community. Look at the problems and consider options. My third part will be to discuss the booklet and use that as my "teleprompter." It will all be from a unique perspective- a person with a real physical disability. I'll also get tons of input from consumers before I give the speech.

Wheeling with new wheels

I spent a lot of time thinking about sharing my coping program with other more established agencies. I decided to ask for different sponsorships for my different types of programs. Since AHEDD is interested in my "Tenacity of Hope" booklet I will reframe the introduction, so a vocational audience can use it as a tool. I will then present the altered part to the agency that has already expressed interest in it. This way the program will have a greater audience and my work will be validated. Giving it away is fine for consumers, but not to large agencies because my work is not validated. Programs in which I show the film on communicating with people with disabilities will eventually be sponsored that will be a win-win situation also. Slowly Infobility will grow.

Wheeling with new wheels

Thirty years I've been sharing my message on disability awareness. There must be a better way. I had a few thoughts on the issue. #1 Finding a well known person; #2 Finding an established business; #3 Spending more money on a website; #4 Spending more money on myself; #5 Improving my image; #6 Improving my confidence; #7 Getting more involved; #8 learning more. Well, some of that is meaningful but unfortunately I'm just now learning that I took too long to learn. It's never too late but by this time in life I should have figured this out; that ads to all my frustration. No one spends a decade telemarketing and no one spends another decade being afraid. That's all in my past and I realize it now so I'll forge ahead based on what I have done.

Wheeling with new wheels

Now it will be interesting to discover who replies to my first email from the conference. I got more cards than I thought I did. There were some potential partners so hopefully something will come through. I learned a lot and spoke with staff from the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living. Years ago I wish I had been in a better mindset, the director, Carl Ohdner, would have hired me in a second. Now they've become really successful. I may get help from them to start a wheelchair basketball team in Lancaster.

Wheeling with new wheels

"Infobility" can't help anyone if no one knows about it. Therefore I'm going to have a table to show my literature at the PADES Conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to reach the people who I want to help. Hopefully people will not expect a fancy table displaying pretty pictures photos. What Infobility offers is a decdicated person with a disability willing to go the extra miles to find solutions or at least hear other people's issues and then guide them to getting the help they need. I expect it will be a good experience in the end; these events always are.

Wheeling with new wheels

The first disability program went okay. Of course the boys were hyper but they were more attentive then they were in Cub Scouts. The video could not be shown but everyone participated when I asked questions including: What did you learn? Furthermore, they loved the idea of wheelchair basketball. It is really easy to make that a part of every class, a weekly activity to look forward to. It will be much more difficult for them than they expect. There will be a slew of practices in the classroom at the conclusion of program before we move to the indoor basketball court. I'm glad I found a free incentive for them.

Wheeling with new wheels

I'm glad I rarely give up. After discussing my lesson plans for my disability class at Arbor Place I decided to contact Members First good idea!! the man was very interested and I came up with 10 more program ideas. He sounded very excited and I'm very hopeful. The key is to hook up with an established non-profit. Helping another does help oneself. Then I raised $129 for Arbor so I think they'll give my class and programs a chance.

Wheeling with new wheels

"By helping others you help yourself." I'm living that statement. I'm teaching disability lessons for free at Arbor Place but in return I get to use their non-profit status. They are willing to let me do all my projects and I will get Infobility established. Then I met with Member's First who's also interested in Infobility. They seemed to lose interest when I said I had no "price list." Money legitimizes everything but then I tried again and sent an outline on my classes. I told them my plan to do programs at Arbor Place, do some wheelchair basketball, and have a chili cook-off. I expressed an interest in doing these things with other non-profits in order to generate income for them and interest in Infobility and he was on board. I have a good feeling about this- things will finally work.

Wheeling with new wheels

A big health insurance company asked if I wanted to be a resource. I sent my booklet "The Tenacity of Hope." This is a practical guide for coping with physical disability. Should I have offered to meet with the woman first? She'd probably have said there's no time for that. I want people who matter to see that what I have is worthwhile. Thursday I will discuss doing a weekly disability class. That should get the ball rolling. Hopefully I can use their recognized name and get further- regular games of wheelchair basketball will attract attention, I'd love to get a team together like the Freewheeler's in the Lehigh Valley. I will contact them and learn how to do it.

Wheeling with new wheels

I just got my own internet access for my place. I survived going from library, to computer lab, to library day after day. I couldn't wheel all over in winter nor could I do it on Sundays. Now I'll put more thought into Infobility. What I expected to work isn't so I'll make some changes to the plan. I will probably have to work with able-bodied kids first with fun activities and the education part will come on its own. Wheelchair basketball and shopping on wheels will happen first along with some disability programs and projects I want to introduces at Arbor Place.