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 B-NEWS
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Inside This Issue:
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"On a bitterly cold night in London years
ago, some derelict men were huddled around a coffee stall opposite a
luxury hotel. Watching expensively dressed people going in and out
of the hotel, they began to argue about the unfairness of life, and
whether any man were more deserving than another. When the argument
became fierce, they appealed to the old paper-seller who had his
pitch next to the coffee stall. Taking a handful of coppers from his
greasy cap, he held them up one at a time, pointing out that some
were new, some worn, some underweight, one even cracked. "But,' said
he, 'each one is valid coin of the realm, and every one bears the
image of the King." -June Epstein, from her book, Image of the
King |
Hi Folks,
Many of you know by now that
all subscribers were temporarily erased recently. I believe about ten
percent were permanently removed from the list when
our server erased it during the recent name change from PABIA-NEWS to
B-NEWS.
I'm still doing everything possible to contact persons who might have
been removed. However, I do not know everyone and have no way to
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Perhaps a friend, family member or colleague was subscribed and has
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given to anyone for any reason. I'm firm on this policy.
I do not accept ads for this publication, nor do I endorse any
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Till next time-
John
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|
In our world which is so divided, at times so hard, the person with an
intellectual disability teaches us the way of trust, of simplicity, of love
and of unity.-Jean Vanier |
Part three in a series by Denis Waitley
Welcome back! This week we cover our final rule of "Three
Rules For Turning Stress Into Success". Last week we covered the second rule,
"Change the Changeable". So let's move on to our last rule:
Avoid the Unacceptable - Go out of your way to get out of the way of
potentially dangerous behaviors and environments. When people tailgate you on
the freeway, change lanes. If they follow you at night, drive to a
well-lighted public place.
When there are loud, obnoxious people next to you at a restaurant or club,
change tables or locations. Also, be cautious of personal relationships
developed via the Internet. With the massive number of individuals surfing the
net, the number of predators increases in like proportion. Always be on the
alert for potentially dangerous situations involving your health, personal
safety, financial speculation and emotional relationships.
Action Idea: What is one unacceptable behavior you have or allow others
to do to you that you will avoid starting tomorrow? Example: The way you
drive, being around negative people, walking down dark streets alone late at
night, etc.
That's all for our "Three Rules for Turning Stress Into Success". Keep
applying these rules to everyday situations and take control of your stress
and convert it to your success!
Source: Denis Waitley's Weekly Ezine -
Issue No. 15, January 12, 2005
http://www.deniswaitley.com/ezines/ezineissue15.htm
Back to Table of Contents
|
Many evil men are rich, and good men poor, but we shall not exchange
with them our excellence for riches. -Solon, c.638-c.559 B.C. |
In the 1980s,
wheelchair activists condemned "paratransit" as segregated. But people like a
public taxi service that will pick them up at their homes and take them to
where they want to go, and paratransit has mushroomed. In Louisville, as
across the nation, though, the service is often horrid, MARY JOHNSON
reports. Perhaps it's because the bus company doesn't want people to like it.
MORE.
View this article at
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/focus/tarc3.html
Back to Table of Contents
|
Regarding
"WRONGFUL BIRTH" Lawsuits
"It is an attack on human dignity to regard the simple fact of
living as detrimental. . . This is making a distinction between
lives that merit living and those which don't... that's a slippery
slope." --Didier le Prado, an attorney for a French doctor who is
being sued by a couple because he did not tell them that their son
might be born with a disability. |
Supreme Court Hearing Case Number 03-1388,
Spector et. al. vs. Norwegian
Cruise Line
What: Supreme Court Hearing
Why: Cruise Ship Accessibility
When: February 28, 2005
More Info: Contact Julia Hollenbeck
jhollenbeck@wheelmeon.org
Back to Table of Contents
|
Moses was Disabled
Recorded in the 4th chapter of the book of Exodus, is the narrative of
Moses telling God that he is not the man for the job. He explains that
he has a word finding problem. He explains that this has always been the
case. And besides that, he says that he has a speech impediment. When he
finds the words, they do not slide off his tongue well. (Maybe he bumped
his head as a baby floating down the river in the basket.) God replies
"Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or
blind? Isn't it I? And adds, "Go and I'll be your mouth, I'll teach you
what to speak." Moses resists and tells God to send someone else. God
became angry with Moses and said, "What about Aaron, your brother, the
Levite? I know that he can speak well." and "He will be your spokesman
to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth. . ."
So here we have an early recorded reference to a person with a
disability being accommodated by using appropriate supports to
accomplish his purpose in life. Just about everyone knows the wondrous
things that he was able to do with Aaron as his mouthpiece. How many
leaders have been silenced by their refusal to do what they were called
to do? How many were held back by lack of support and accommodation??
|
PLOM
by
Zig Ziglar
Just in case you have even a trace of PLOM ("poor little old me")
disease and are saying, "But, Zig, you don't understand about my past,"
I've got a better idea for you. Instead of explaining why it won't work
for you, let me tell you how it has worked for others.
A study of three hundred world-class leaders, including Franklin D.
Roosevelt, Sir Winston Churchill, Clara Barton, Helen Keller, Mahatma
Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and Martin Luther King,
Jr., revealed that 25 percent of them had serious physical disabilities
and an additional 50 percent had been abused as children or were raised
in poverty.
The world-class leaders responded (positive) instead of reacted
(negative) to what happened to them. Remember, it's not what happens to
you; it's how you handle what happens to you that's going to make the
difference in your life.
Neil Rudenstein's father was a prison guard and his mother a part-time
waitress. Today, Dr. Neil Rudenstein is president of Harvard University.
He says he learned very early in life that there is a direct correlation
between performance and reward. Rudenstein and the three hundred
world-class leaders personally learned that it's not where you start -
it's where you finish - that counts.
These ten little
two-letter words -
If it is to be, it is up
to me
- are absolutely
valid. The solution is
to do it now.
Source: You Can Reach the Top by Zig Ziglar
Back to Table of Contents
|
"Alone we can do so little; together
we can do so much." -Helen Keller |
Did you know?
The original Typhoid Mary was a New York City cook in the early 1900s
who loved her job. Unfortunately, she had been exposed to typhoid, and
although she was immune to the disease herself, she was able to pass the
disease to others by way of the food she prepared. Health officials
identified her as Mary Mallon, an Irish-born immigrant, and they
quarantined her to stop the spread of the disease. Three years later,
Mary was released with a warning not to cook professionally again. But
in 1915, she was discovered working as a cook at a maternity hospital
identified as the source of a new typhoid outbreak, and she was forcibly
returned to quarantine, where she remained until her death in 1938.
Source:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Back to Table of Contents
|
"Providing the care that lets people live at home if they want is less
expensive than providing nursing home care. It frees up resources that
can help other people. And obviously, many people are happier living at
home." -Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and
Human Services |
"Medicaid: A Time to Act"
Source
http://www.hhs.gov/news/speech/2005/050201.html
REMARKS BY: Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services
PLACE: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington
DATE: Tuesday, February 1, 3:00 pm
AUDIO Files available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/speech/2005/050201.html
Thank you, Dan. Good afternoon.
There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to
see but small enough to solve. For Medicaid, that window of opportunity
is upon us. The time to act is now.
Medicaid is the spirit of American compassion in action. Through
Medicaid, Americans help 46 million of our fellow citizens. This
includes people with disabilities, the neediest of our elderly, and
low-income families.
Until just over a year ago, I was this nation's longest-serving
Governor. I was responsible for making Medicaid work in my state. And I
know from experience that Medicaid is not meeting its potential. It is
rigidly inflexible and inefficient. And, worst of all, it is not
financially sustainable.
Over the past ten years, Medicaid spending doubled. And this year, for
the first time ever, states spent more on Medicaid than they spent on
education.
To illustrate this point, this morning I did a web search on the word
Medicaid. Let me tell you what I found.
In Tennessee, budget pressures are displacing thousands of people from
Tennessee's health program for the poor, Tenncare.
The deputy director of Ohio's Medicaid program summarized the situation
by asking: "What's a word bigger than catastrophe?"
An Alabama paper discussed the legislative session that opens Tuesday by
noting that one problem "looms over all the others: the funding crisis
facing the state's Medicaid program."
In Ohio, a state legislator observed: "The question is going to end up
being where do you cut and who is it going to hurt the most."
These state officials are worried. Low-income families are worried. And
advocates are worried. They all want to solve this problem. But rigid
rules are holding them back.
We need to have a serious discussion on Medicaid. And I want to open
this discussion today by defining what success would look like and
offering a general strategy to achieve that success.
Success to me has three components. First, keep faith with the
commitment this nation has made to provide access to acute and long-term
care services to people with low incomes, disabilities, the elderly, and
children.
Second, create enough flexibility in Medicaid that states are able to
continue serving optional groups and expand the number of people they
serve.
Third, assure the financial sustainability of Medicaid by returning
integrity to the funding partnership.
Today I want to offer thoughts in three areas: three myths, three
changes, and three opportunities.
First, the three myths:
For the remainder of this article, please visit
http://www.hhs.gov/news/speech/2005/050201.html
Back to Table of Contents
|
"Ability is of little account without opportunity." -Napoleon Bonaparte |
by Ken Aitken
I have learned in primary way that you have to work with what have got
and not what you have lost. I would say the following things to others:
Be a victor, not a victim:
You can either treat problems as stepping stones or tombstones. When
you can be thankful for the circumstances, you will not camp at the
problem. Otherwise, you will then look inwards and be very problem
focused. When you can be thankful or forgive those involved who may have
treated you unfairly, you can then move in life. I hear and see many
people who have had an accident like mine and fifteen years on, they
still are angry with life and still see themselves as victims.
The Garden of Life:
In seeing life for ourselves and others, there is now the principle of
sowing and reaping: when you plant and sow into people's lives, love and
care, you get back friendship and positive relationships which multiply
far beyond you. Life is like a garden, you only get up what seeds you
plant. It is this aspect of creating friendships, which particularly
many brain injured people have real ongoing trouble with. This principle
of sowing and reaping is true for all aspects of life. As in gardening
or farming, you plant seeds for the harvest you wish gain. If you don't
plant, you don't reap
Effectiveness of a day:
Judge not the day for what you have reaped but what you have sowed.
Changing Circumstances: For things to change, you have to change. Be
personally accountable for your own life .. If you are in a bad
situation, don't blame everyone else. It might not have been fair what
actually happened to you. You can either be in charge of circumstances
or circumstances are in charge of you ... Life may not turned out very
well for you but it is what you do about it. This makes the difference.
Your Perspective on Life
…. Can be one of two alternatives …. like a glass of water:
You can look at the glass as being half empty (what you have lost)
or
As a glass half full (what you do have left)
i.e. work from what you do have left, not from what you have lost.
Another way of saying this is that you can look at life like a donut.
You can look at the hole (what you have lost), or you can look at the
donut itself (the best part which you eat)
Back to Table of Contents
|
"Be faithful in small things because it is in
them that your strength lies." -Mother Teresa |
The Rose
by Jim Rohn
Lifestyle is style over amount. And style is an art - the art of
living. You can't buy style with money. You can't buy good taste with money.
You can only buy more with money. Lifestyle is culture - the appreciation of
good music, dance, art, sculpture, literature, plays and the art of living
well. It's a taste for the fine, the unique, the beautiful.
Lifestyle also means rewarding excellence wherever you find it by not taking
the small things of life for granted. Today as we celebrate Valentine's Day,
I wanted to illustrate this with a personal anecdote:
Many years ago my lady friend and I were on a trip to Carmel, California for
some shopping and exploring. On the way we stopped at a service station. As
soon as we parked our car in front of the pumps, a young man, about eighteen
or nineteen, came bouncing out to the car and with a big smile said, "Can I
help you?"
"Yes," I answered. "A full tank of gas, please." I wasn't prepared for what
followed. In this day and age of self-service and deteriorating customer
treatment, this young man checked every tire, washed every window - even the
sunroof - singing and whistling the whole time. We couldn't believe both the
quality of service and his upbeat attitude about his work.
When he brought the bill I said to the young man, "Hey, you really have
taken good care of us. I appreciate it."
He replied, "I really enjoy working. It's fun for me and I get to meet nice
people like you."
This kid was really something!
I said, "We're on our way to Carmel and we want to get some milkshakes. Can
you tell us where we can find the nearest Baskin-Robbins?"
"Baskin-Robbins is just a few blocks away," he said as he gave us exact
directions. Then he added, "Don't park out front - park around to the side
so your car won't get sideswiped."
What a kid!
As we got to the ice cream store we ordered milkshakes, except that instead
of two, we ordered three. Then we drove back to the station. Our young
friend dashed out to greet us. "Hey, I see you got your milkshakes."
"Yes, and this one is for you!"
His mouth fell open. "For me?"
"Sure. With all the fantastic service you gave us, I couldn't leave you out
of the milkshake deal."
"Wow!" was his astonished reply.
As we drove off I could see him in my rear-view mirror just standing there,
grinning from ear to ear.
Now, what did this little act of generosity cost me? Only about two dollars
- you see, it's not the money, it's the style.
Well, I must have been feeling especially creative that day, so on our
arrival in Carmel I drove directly to a flower shop. As we walked inside I
said to the florist, "I need a long-stemmed rose for my lady to carry while
we go shopping in Carmel."
The florist, a rather unromantic type, replied, "We sell them by the dozen."
"I don't need a dozen," I said, "just one."
"Well," he replied haughtily, "it will cost you two dollars."
"Wonderful," I exclaimed. "There's nothing worse than a cheap rose."
Selecting the rose with some deliberation, I handed it to my friend. She was
so impressed! And the cost? Two dollars. Just two dollars. A bit later she
looked up and said, "Jim, I must be the only woman in Carmel today carrying
a rose." And I believe she probably was.
Can you imagine the opportunity to create magic with those around you, and
all for the cost of a few dollars, some imagination and care. Remember, it
is not the amount that matters but the thought and care that often has the
greatest impact upon those you love.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Source: Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine Issue 276 - February 14, 2005
To read previous articles, quotes, and Q and A from the Jim Rohn Weekly
E-zine Archives, or to get a complete listing of Jim Rohn's books, audios,
videos and seminar schedule, or to place an order; please go to:
http://www.jimrohn.com or call
800-929-0434 M-F 8:00-5:30 CST.
(The above information about Jim Rohn's website and products is required for
permission to reprint.)
Back to Table of Contents
|
"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." -Ralph Waldo
Emerson
(It all begins with you!) |
FOR PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS,
AND MEMBERS OF DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS
Location:
UCP Community Service Center
4638 Center Avenue, Pittsburgh
412-683-7100
Workshop #1 Planning for Success
Date-April
11, 2005
Time-10am
– noon
Understand why effective planning is necessary! Learn how to put a plan
together and think through all of the right steps, including mission
statement, goals/objectives and action plans.
Workshop #2 Deciding Which Advocacy Actions to Take
Date-April
11, 2005
Time-1pm
– 3pm
Understand what you should have decided before you determine which
advocacy approaches to use. Learn what the difference is between direct
and indirect advocacy approaches. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages regarding all types of advocacy approaches.
ENROLL NOW TO ATTEND WORKSHOPS 1 and 2 !!!
*How To Enroll – Call George Taylor toll free at 1-800-684-3695
OR email taylor.taylor@verizon.net
(Deadline for registration is Monday, April 4, 2005)
No charge for Workshops or materials ($6.00 fee to defray lunch costs).
Special Assistance, such as interpreters and attendants, is available
upon request.
Workshop material is available in alternate format such as large print,
disk or Braille if requested.
**Please post and circulate this flyer in your office, as well as send
it to as many individuals and families as possible. Also, please include
the flyer in any newsletters that you may publish. Our workshops are
dependent on your generous and effective outreach. Thank you!
All Workshops are funded by The Pennsylvania Developmental
Disabilities Council.
Back to Table of Contents
|
"Even in this science-oriented day, many people secretly believe that
disabled individuals, their parents and siblings are somehow evil,
hence avoid contact with them...."
-Bernard Ikeler |
Free Help for
anyone Starting or Running Peer Groups
The Ten Insider Tips manual is ready for release. Anyone interested in
receiving a copy of the manual and tools can visit
http://www.bisga.org/tools.html or write to John Pistorius at
jp@pabia.org or call (412) 481-0443 to receive a free CD with the
support group tools created so far.
Back to Table of Contents
|
As he passed by, Jesus saw a man blind from his birth. And his
disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man
sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made
manifest in him" (John 9:1-3). |
Please visit
http://www.pabia.org for a complete
listing of Pittsburgh Area Peer Support group meetings. Please mark your 2005
calendar for each month in advance as an ongoing reminder.
We do not have any control
over the people who are responsible for directing these meetings.
Therefore, if you are interested in attending any of the meetings,
please contact the person listed for that meeting
to confirm the date, meeting place and time.
For more complete information please visit the directory of meetings at
http://www.pabia.org/Support%20Groups/Support%20Groups.htm
For a list of State Brain
Injury Associations and the groups in those states, please visit:
http://www.biausa.org/Pages/state_contacts.html
We have two email support
groups you can join. One is through Denise Patterson. Contact Denise at
deenomad@aol.com
to be added.
The other is through Yahoo
Groups. You can join at
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Brainstormers101/
Parent Learning Support Group
Please join us at our next meeting:
When: Thursday, February 24, 2005
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Where: St. David’s Church, 905 East McMurray Road, Venetia, PA
Topic: Language and Communication Disorders.
For information call: 724-942-0209
|
"Behind every able man, there are always
other able men." -Chinese Proverb |
These are the people that make it possible.
B-NEWS Contributors-
your insight, articles, poems and comments are vital to the success of
this publication.
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|
"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look
at what they can do when they stick together." -Vesta Kelly |
We aim to inform, inspire and empower people to be their best. We value
every subscriber and respect your privacy. Our subscriber list is NOT
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you if you notify us of your intent to be removed.
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"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with
what you can do." -John Wooden |
Visit:
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"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good
news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How
much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential
is!" -Anne Frank |
Till next time, Seek to be and remain Barrier-Free. You have the power.
|
"Only if you reach the boundary will the
boundary recede before you. And if you don't, if you confine your
efforts, the boundary will shrink to accommodate itself to your
efforts. And you can only expand your capacities by working to the
very limit." -Hugh Nibley |
Thank you for subscribing and
reading this newsletter. It is yours. This newsletter may contain
articles, news releases and other items of interest supplied by or
received from third parties.
Required Disclaimer:
Nothing contained herein is intended to be substituted for medical,
legal, accounting or other professional advice. The information provided
herein should not be taken as a health-care diagnosis, treatment, course
of therapy or as any other approved or prescribed health-care advice or
instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the
publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other
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consult appropriate professionals in such matters. The publisher does
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content of this publication. The limited information and opinions
provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of
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However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace
the advice of health-care, legal, accounting or other professionals, or
who fail to consult with health-care, legal, accounting or other
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The contents of this E-zine may be copied, reproduced,
or freely distributed wholly or in part for all nonprofit purposes
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copyright notice and contact information are included.
Compilation Copyright © 2005 John Pistorius
jp@bisga.org . Permission
granted to freely copy, use and distribute for non-profit purposes only.
Back to Table of Contents
|
A Bit of Wit
The teacher of the earth science class
was lecturing on map reading. After explaining about latitude,
longitude, degrees and minutes the teacher asked, "Suppose I asked
you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude
and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude...?"
After a confused silence, a voice
volunteered, "I guess you'd be eating alone."
|
|
It recently
occurred to me that Love is action that improves another person's life.
Not just words, but action. Doing something, anything, that positively
impacts other people's lives and leaves them even just a little bit
better off physically, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually,
that's love.
-John Pistorius
Do something to leave someone a little better off today.
Top
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