Discover New Pathways to Employment

 

United Spinal Newsletter | September 2020

New Video Series Empowers Job Seekers with Disabilities October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. As part of our ongoing efforts to empower job seekers, we have produced a series of how-to videos that offer solid guidance on getting hired. The videos are specifically tailored for wheelchair users and other people with disabilities that are looking for basic information to get started in their job search. Watch now. Voting For People With Disabilities: Know Your Rights Voters with disabilities have faced numerous challenges in making their vote count, including inaccessible polling places and voting ballots. The good news is there are federal civil rights that protect the right to vote for wheelchair users and other individuals living with disabilities. Know your rights. Two United Spinal Members Awarded Neilsen Foundation Visionary Prize Congrats to Andrea Dalzell and Reveca Torres who have been selected as the inaugural Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Visionary Prize awardees for being influential voices in the world of spinal cord injury (SCI). Each recipient will receive a million dollar, unrestricted prize. Read more. We Grieve the Loss of a Champion: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933-2020 "Justice Ginsburg recognized that all Americans, including people with disabilities, are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. She recognized that community living is beneficial, because people with disabilities, while managing their own lives, educate people without disabilities about the capabilities, citizenship and contributions to society that our community demonstrates every day."--James Weisman, United Spinal president & CEO Read more. Maximize Your Independence With The 'My Wheelchair Guide' Mobile App When it comes to selecting a manual wheelchair, one size does not fit all. 'My Wheelchair Guide'  makes choosing the right wheelchair easier and more efficient. This app is co-developed by the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh and United Spinal Association under the support of the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Try it out. We're #1 Thanks to You United Spinal's mission is driven by our diverse membership community. Read more about some of the talented individuals we serve and support.  Click here to read more!

2020 Assistive Technology Leadership Conference

 2020 Assistive Technology Leadership Conference

Date: November 5, 2020

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Cost: FREE 

REGISTER NOW!

The Assistive Technology Leadership Conference is designed to provide resources, networking and support to SC school district assistive technology leaders and teams as well as other state agencies. Join us for a great opportunity to collaborate, share and expand your knowledge of assistive technology best practices. Stay abreast of assistive technology solutions aimed to successfully navigate our new virtual learning environment and explore information to facilitate leading the way to excellence in Assistive Technology Services.

Conference Facilitators: 

Madalina Tudora is a RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional and experienced educator, currently serving as the Assistive Technology Specialist for the SC Department of Education. She supports school districts, state agencies and stakeholders by providing guidance, resources, and training in the areas of accessibility, assistive technology and instructional technology best practices. 

Carol A. Page, PhD, CCC-SLP, ATP, CBIS is the Program Manager of the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) at the USC School of Medicine, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disability Resources, Department of Pediatrics. She received her PhD degree in speech-language pathology from the University of South Carolina, her assistive technology professional certification from RESNA, and her Brain Injury Specialist certification from the Brain Injury Association of America. Carol provides trainings at a local to international level on assistive technology for persons with disabilities of all ages, their caregivers and professionals who serve them.

Tammy Wallace is a Program Coordinator at the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) at the USC School of Medicine, A University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disability Resources, Department of Pediatrics.  Tammy received her BA Degree from the University of South Carolina.  She has worked with persons with disabilities of all ages for over 15 years.  Her primary role at SCATP is to work with children K-5 through post-secondary to assist them with assistive technology to help them at school, home, work and in everyday life.  She feels strongly that AT can improve lives. 

Virtual School or College Classes? Learn How to Make Documents Accessible for All

Virtual School or College Classes? 

Learn How to Make Documents Accessible for All

Date: September 29th and September 30th, 2020 ET

Time: 10 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. both days

Cost: FREE!

Presenters: George Joeckel and Jonathan Whiting, WEBAIM

REGISTER ONCE FOR BOTH DAYS

Quickly get up-to-speed on creating accessible Word, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Participants will practice evaluating and repairing common accessibility issues, as well as creating accessible documents from the start. Topics include:

• Principles of document accessibility
• Guidelines and laws (Section 508, WCAG 2, ADA, etc.)
• Creating accessible documents in: Word and PowerPoint 
• Evaluating document accessibility
• Exporting from Office to PDF
• The structure of an accessible PDF
• Evaluating and repairing a PDF in Acrobat Pro

This is a hands-on training—participants will need access to Microsoft Office and Acrobat Professional.

Speakers:

Jonathan Whiting is the director of training at WebAIM. His main passion is helping others learn to make the web more accessible to people with disabilities. Jonathan is also involved in the GOALS Project, a program to assist institutions of higher education in improving their accessibility system-wide. With a master's degree in instructional technology and over seventeen years of experience in the field of web accessibility, Jonathan has published dozens of articles, tutorials, and other instructional resources. He has traveled extensively to train thousands of web developers and other professionals who develop or maintain web content.

George Joeckel manages the online training program at WebAIM. He has a master’s degree in instructional psychology and technology, and over 20 years of teaching experience. Since 2008, he has developed online courses at Utah State University, and he joined the WebAIM team at the end of 2015. The Accessible Documents video-based course went online in July 2018. Well over 1,000 independent-study participants had successfully completed the training. George also conducts pre-conference workshops and delivers presentations at national conferences.

The Babcock building from the perspective of people with disabilities

 

The burning of the Babcock building 

from the perspective of people with disabilities

 

Not a loss, but an opportunity 

CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses institutionalization, psychiatric hospitals, abuse, and neglect. 

The burning of the Babcock building on Bull Street in Columbia, SC brought up complex emotions for a lot of us. For decades, the Babcock building—one of the primary buildings of the SC State Hospital, which opened in 1828 as the “South Carolina Lunatic Asylum”—has served as a painful reminder of the ways that people with psychiatric, intellectual and developmental disabilities were abused, neglected, and segregated from society. This was also a place where people with disabilities were forced into sterilization and other unnecessary medical procedures that caused death, additional disabilities, or permanent trauma.  

Not only did this institution inflict pain and trauma upon the patients who were supposedly under their “care,” but the institution also created a perception and culture of fear around the types of people who were committed to the hospital—people with psychiatric, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. The hospital became synonymous with Bull Street as a whole, and jokes about “sending you to Bull Street” were common. 

Because of this, we don’t see the burning of the Babcock building as a loss, but an opportunity to truly change perceptions and stereotypes about people with disabilities in South Carolina.

 

Instead of making jokes about “psychos,” “lunatics,” or “insane asylums,” let’s ask ourselves where these stereotypes came from, and what history is packed behind those words. Instead of fostering fear around people who we don’t understand, let’s educate ourselves and have honest conversations. Let true community inclusion rise from the ashes of our history. 

This property is still a symbol of segregation and misconceptions about people with disabilities because it’s story is not fully told. As hard as it is to imagine, people with disabilities continue to be seen as less than a human and are often discriminated against or not accepted by society. The Babcock building history’s contributed to the discrimination that still continues today. 

Photograph of patients at the SC State Hospital on Jan. 24, 1957. 

Photograph by The State photographer Doug Martin, 

courtesy of Richland Library. 

The Babcock building is also a symbol of SC’s disability rights movement, because it demonstrates how we worked to close institutions like the one formerly on Bull Street as we recognized that people with disabilities deserve to live and be treated in the community. While we support the redevelopment of the area, we must tell the history of the property while we do so. Any version of BullStreet that pays no acknowledgment to the BullStreet of the past and only seeks to capitalize on the space does a disservice to the disability community in SC. We need to make the property a symbol of inclusion for all living in our community.

  

We don’t seek to forget or ignore our history. Let’s acknowledge the horrifying history of this institution so that we can do better and be better. Because of this, we want to hold space for you, our community, to share your stories. Do you or a loved one have an experience with Babcock that you feel comfortable sharing? Email us at snichols@able-sc.org. Let’s create a shared history from the perspective of the disability community, and let’s build something meaningful from it, together. 

Able South Carolina 

803.779.5121

advocacy@able-sc.org 

News and Updates from Family Connection

Featured upcoming trainings!   In collaboration with Eat Smart Move More SC, we present a two part series on Reimagining program Delivery to students during COVID-19. Join us on Thursday, September 24 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. or Tuesday, September 29 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.     Journey Toolkit: The Power of Organization Our own Tracie Hayward outlines how to use our Your Child's Journey Begins Workbook--an organizational tool to empower you with the knowledge needed to effectively communicate with professionals in your child's life. Tuesday, October 6, 10:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m.     Visit our calendar for all our upcoming trainings and events!     Register Now for Buddy Walk 2020! Buddy Walk 2020 has a virtual format this year! The event style may be changing, but our commitment to the community, and all our Buddy Walk families has not!   Your participation and support is more important than ever so register now to find out all the details! Sponsors: visit our sponsorship page to get your business involved now!   Thank you to our Buddy Walk media sponsors!           School Year 2020! We know it has been a difficult start to this year's school year for many families. We are here to help! Our Education Partner Program is here to empower you with tools, training, and support to collaborate with educators to identify and provide the best special education support and services for your children.   For support and information on working with your child's school, call us at 1-800-578-8750 or make an online referral for yourself!   Reading Readiness for Pre-schoolers! Text2Read--is a free, mobile-based program to help prepare children for Kindergarten and becoming ready to read! Parents, text T2R to 734-526-6552 to receive a text message every Friday!     Congratulations are in order!   Jena Martin, our Director of Special Populations, and her husband Brad were recommended by Senator Tim Scott and have been chosen as a 2020 Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) Angels in Adoption® Honoree!   Learn more about the program. Read more about the Martin family story.   Parents as Teachers Program Achievements Recognized! Our Parent as Teachers (PAT) program recently received the esteemed "Model Fidelity" rating for achieving all goals for this year's program!   Our certified parent educators help parents understand what to expect at each stage of their child’s early development and offer practical tips to encourage learning, manage challenging behaviors, and promote strong parent-child relationships.   Director of Home Visitation, Brittany Grooms says "This programs gives parents--especially those who have a child with a complex health problem--the knowledge, confidence and insight to support their child's development. We are so proud to have met our goals this year, in spite of having extra challenges and adjustments that COVID-19 brought to the program."   Well done Brittany, Ebony Brooks and Jisset McCollum! Find out how to sign up for this program.     FCSC Launches New Partnership with SCDSS We are proud to announce a new collaborative partnership with Department of Social Services. Our trained staff will provide support, technical assistance, and training for the DSS Child Well Being Teams when working with children and youth who have disabilities and special needs. The partnership will enhance prevention practice, support family connections, improve overall well-being and permanency of children and youth, and improve outcomes for one of our state’s most vulnerable populations.     MUSC Research Study Opportunity for adults with Down syndrome and/or their guardians: The Effect of Congenital Heart Disease on Employment, Neuropsychological Outcomes, and Quality of Life in Adults with Down syndrome.   Participants can enroll online, their survey answers remain anonymous, and they are sent a $25 Amazon gift card after they complete the survey.     South Carolina Partners in Policymaking is an innovative evidence-based leadership training program created to teach adults with disabilities and parents of young children with disabilities to:    ·        Become agents of long-term change. ·        Be active partners with policymakers whose decisions affect their future. ·        Dream about a future with possibilities. 2021 Sessions start in January, 2021. Download Application For more program details, contact William Farrior: 803-734-4190, william.farrior@admin.sc.gov     In the News: Article from Disability Scoop: Transition Services Must Continue During Pandemic     Do you know a child with a disability or special healthcare needs who could benefit from Family Connection's resources? Make a Referral Visit our web site and connect with us on social media for the latest updates from Family Connection! ‌ ‌ ‌