Shoe designed for people with special needs!

This is a great article on a new shoe designed by Nike for those who have difficulty putting on regular shoes. Could be really helpful to a lot of people!





http://www.kptv.com/story/29582869/nike-creates-shoe-specifically-designed-for-people-with-disabilities?autostart=true

Equal isn't always equal

We in the US can shout EOOE! and ADA! all we want. There will still be those who don't embrace this and those discomfited by it and still those who remain ignorant about people with differences. I encounter this with respect to my children--especially Miracle Man. Although, as time has gone by, and he has had more surgeries, that has lessened. Especially after the last surgery where he had rhinoplasty and lip repair.

In my work life, I have to over come ignorance and prejudice on behalf of the people I serve. Sometimes it is with respect to getting volunteer positions to ready someone for real-world work. Other times it is to enable a client to receive the medical care they need. I have encountered this several times over the last few weeks. The most recent was in getting medical help for a very challenged person. The medical professional providing service thought she knew everything about my client's needs because she had a son with similar needs. This person did not see my client as an individual and would not accommodate my client's needs--going against protocols and potentially against ADA requirements. She also dismissed the diagnoses of other medical professionals with a wave of the hand: she knew everything and no one else was qualified to perform the services she did. Other medical professionals had been able to make these accommodations and follow protocols. They were not unreasonable.

Here is an article from USA Today about one family's fight to get medical care for their daughter:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/05/disabled-transplant-amelia-rivera/2917989/

This week we celebrate Halloween, All Saints Day, and El Dia de los Muertos. There's another current running through this coming Sunday, Orphan Sunday. While we wouldn't be celebrating that 153 million children worldwide are orphans, there has been a movement among some church groups to dwell on support of orphans and orphan care together as a body on a single day. Here's the URL to their website http://orphansunday.org/

Since many liturgical churches celebrate All Saints Day this coming weekend, a friend of mine suggested we do Orphan Sunday on an alternate Sunday, St. Nicholas' feast day in Advent. Among other things, St. Nicholas is patron saint of children so it would be very fitting. What do you think?

A father's love

The decisions the father in this story has to make on behalf of his daughter will touch you to the core. The story is both heart-wrenching and warming.  Many parents around the globe must make these tough decisions. No parent should have to.

http://www.chinasmack.com/2009/stories/impoverished-farmer-father-abandoned-girl-daughter.html

Great article in the Huffington Post!

What's going on with those adoptive parents to be?