An exercise in exercising

The resolutions many people make are about dieting and exercising; often they are the two parts of a bigger one- living healthier. A few weeks ago I switched wheelchairs and had no choice but to gain strength. Usually it comes naturally with transferring but this time is different. Because I must use my arms to get around I got concerned; I've lost a ton of tone in my arm muscles. For months I've been watching past General Hospital episodes and lifting weights (mostly because I was bored just watching). Now I listen to political news, podcasts, new country music, and General Hospital. I know it helps maybe not a lot but it certainly can't hurt. I actually look forward to my exercises and my transfers. My need to always be occupied and not be focused is a good thing.

Some helpful tips

Those who don't walk should take these steps I know everyone's different but read what's next. Believe you can manage, though you may feel you're at a disadvantage. First your technique is a crucial part, exercise a lot then transfer smart. Notice your upper body, legs, arms, and chair. Once you get this down pat you can go everywhere. If you try and can't move try again till you find your groove. cushion is too far up your arms are too far you're not losing the war. If your mind wants to get into bed but your body shows rejection try starting over and sliding in the exact opposite direction. If you want to shower but don't want it to take an hour Fill the tub with milkcrates so sliding is safe It works great

Disability and politics

That topic is probably not a popular one but it's an important one. There should be more politicians with disabilities and there should be more citizens with disabilities interested. The disability population is so low on the proverbial totem pole that unless a person has disability in their family there's no interest. There's very little teeth in the law. Federal funding is not supposed to be approved for companies unless 7% of the employees have disabilities but that mandate is not followed nor enforced. Nonetheless. Vocational agencies are trying to transfer their people to supported employment. Some sheltered workshops are shutting down because it is too costly to hire so many job coached and transportation is a huge issue. I am involved in a few employment projects but getting them started and accepted is challenging. Once they are I think groups will be receptive. I'd love to create jobs but in this litigious society I can't just go to gas stations and set up car washing sites for people with developmental disabilities like I did 30 years ago.

Trying Plan D

Plan A was to offer presentations to employers at a staff meeting. The booklet "Make Make Work for Everyone" was created and it included Tax Incentives, Benefits of Hiring People with Disabilities, Reasonable Accommodations, Stereotypes, and more. Plan B was to meet employers one on one to establish relationships and learn about their companies. Plan C was to work on behalf of veterans. Plan D will be with churches. This program has been successfully implemented in numerous states and the people in charge are very supportive. It makes complete sense for religious entities to be targeted. Congregants are employees, employers, and have disabilities. Generally they are supportive of each other and want to help each other. This offers an action plan which is good and I can still include my original work. The other successful groups can be used as references. That is a crucial part of generating interest in any "new" program.

LivingWELL Lancaster

I attended a program in which local agencies were represented and the discussion was on how to improve community outreach. A research study that evaluated the existing programs was analyzed and we have made numerous strides. Other counties are learning from us because we are ahead of the curve. Unfortunately there were no samples from veteran and disability populations. Sure I was disappointed to notice that; however, many of the consumers who attended the programs also belonged to those groups. I wrote to the director regarding the implementation of a Community Exchange Program. It would certainly cover identified concerns- transportation, isolation, etc. I hope the idea is given more consideration because it is a worthwhile program for other states and even countries.

PA Cares

The presenter discussed an employment program just for vets. There's a comprehensive and complex website created for veterans and explained how it works. They also discussed how many employers want to hire veterans. I asked what programs there are to educate employers regarding the benefits and challenges of the hiring processes. People were not expecting this kind of question and the presenter said it was an important question. They discussed it a bit and then they went back to describing the features of the website. A bit later I commented that this website is going to look hard to understand so professionals should help the vets go through it. Again nobody thinks about this and it is obvious that vets are not in contact with these people. I could see myself helping just by explaining this website to vets. Later I asked if job coaches were involved to help vets perform the job. I explained what the role of a job coach since they all seemed to be unfamiliar. I am not a veteran but neither was the presenter, both of us are spouses of military people so I have a good chance of working with veterans. I can do this under the radar and just get a lot of good experience speaking with employers and groups. I came home, shared this with Terry, and sure enough he insisted that employers are not that motivated, at least not in Lancaster.

Veteran employment

Employment awareness is ready to go but it needs support to give it credibility. Big businesses don't seem to be interested. It is logical to get Team River Runner involved for the following reasons: 1) The veteran population does not get much vocational support. 2) Approval wouldn't require a lengthy process. 3) The guidelines can be strict but they can also be adjusted. This program is ultimately for individuals even though it starts with education for employers. This would be the perfect match and it would generate interest and bring in money. Eventually other TRR's and then vocational agencies would implement it- why not? The goal of TRR is empowerment and inclusion, what better way for those goals to be reached than by getting a job? If the summer retreat for blind kids can be approved and really admired by the higher ups then this can be just as meaningful and successful. I will try very hard to make this happen.

Helping veterans

I wanted to hold a veterans café in Lancaster similar to the ones in Carlisle but that never materialized. However, there is more than one way to reach that goal. Hospice has a need for someone to visit veterans and just talk to them. I can do that with one alteration, I can encourage them to discuss their lives which included their military experiences. This could lead to my ultimate goal of increasing society's awareness of less glamorous populations- people with disabilities and veterans. Changing people's focus to remember good things and keeping them occupied has been the successful technique of choice in many cases. Just showing up as a person who uses a wheelchair may also be a "useful" tool. Probably I'll find other veteran groups to get involved with; this will result in a win-win for all involved.

Putting Faith to Work

This is a vocational program in which the audience is the religious community. The purpose is to reach out to people who have a desire to find employment for people with disabilities. It makes perfect sense because there are many congregants who own or manage businesses. Furthermore, this is a population of many people each of whom have many connections. I met the director from Vanderbilt University who was introducing this project. Pennsylvania is one of the states that have not implemented this program. It is perfect to combine this program with the one I have developed. I am definitely going to look into this opportunity. This seems to be an interesting way to reach others and to get some credibility in my ongoing vocational quest.