2010 Disability Fair: Access Anderson (No Pre-registration)

2010 Disability Fair: Access Anderson (No Pre-registration)

October 14

9am to 2:30pm

Anderson Recreation Center

1107 North Murray Ave, Anderson, SC 29621

Free Continuing Education Sessions

Computers & AT for the Classroom; Computers and Assistive Technology for Work and Everyday; No Tech to Hi Tech: Communication Devices and Strategies-Birth thru Life; Understanding the Medicare/Medicaid Process for DME; Wheelchair 101: Functional Seating & Mobility and Basic Maintenance; SC Access: Overview of Programs & Resources for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities; Benefits Bank: One Stop Assistance to Apply for Critical Supports & Services, and more!

A few vendor spaces are available for $25 and must be received by Monday October 11th.

For more Information on vendor opportunities or on the day’s events e-mail Sandy Hanebrink, Mayor’s Committee on Disability Co-chair or call (864) 221-4011.

Music, vendors, concessions, health screens, benefits help and more!

How Injured Nerves Grow Themselves Back

ScienceDaily (Oct. 3, 2010) — "Unlike nerves of the spinal cord, the peripheral nerves that connect our limbs and organs to the central nervous system have an astonishing ability to regenerate themselves after injury. Now, a new report in the October 1st issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, offers new insight into how that healing process works.
"We know a lot about how various cell types differentiate during development, but after a serious injury like an amputation, nerves must re-grow," said Allison Lloyd of University College London. "They need a new mechanism to do that because the developmental signals aren't there."
That kind of regrowth isn't easy to pull off. Peripheral nerves are long cells; their nucleus is in the spinal cord and the axons that extend from them and relay nerve messages can reach all the way down a leg. "When a nerve gets cut, all the axons downstream degenerate," Lloyd said. Regrowth requires that the two ends somehow find their way back to each other through damaged tissue.
Scientists knew that Schwann cells were important to that process. Those cells are found wrapped around axons, where under normal circumstances they are rather "quiet" cells. All of that changes when an injury occurs; those Schwann cells de-differentiate back to a stem-cell-like state and play an important role in bridging the gap to repair damaged neurons."
NOTE: To read the entire article click on the title above.

'Firefly' Stem Cells May Help Repair Damaged Hearts

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2010) — "Stem cells that glow like fireflies could someday help doctors heal damaged hearts without cutting into patients' chests.In his University of Central Florida lab, Steven Ebert engineered stem cells with the same enzyme that makes fireflies glow. The "firefly" stem cells glow brighter and brighter as they develop into healthy heart muscle, allowing doctors to track whether and where the stem cells are working.

Researchers are keenly interested in stem cells because they typically morph into the organs where they are transplanted. But why and how fast they do it is still a mystery. Now Ebert's cells give researchers the ability to see the cells in action with the use of a special camera lens that picks up the glow under a microscope.

"The question that we answered was, 'How do you follow these cells in the lab and find out where they're going?'" said Ebert, an associate professor in UCF's College of Medicine."
NOTE: To read the entire article click on the title above

Sugary Sports Drinks Mistakenly Associated With Being Healthy, Say Researchers

ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 2010) — Children who practice healthy lifestyle habits such as eating fruits and vegetables and engaging in physical activity may be negatively impacting their health because they tend to consume large amounts of flavored and sports beverages containing sugar, according to research at The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

"Children and parents associate these drinks with a healthy lifestyle despite their increased amount of sugar and lack of nutritional value," said Nalini Ranjit, Ph.D., principal investigator and assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the UTHealth School of Public Health. The study will be published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

Researchers examined the association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, unhealthy and healthy foods and physical activity levels of 8th and 11thgrade Texas students to determine the relationship between beverage consumption and other behaviors. Sugar-sweetened beverages are drinks that contain added caloric sweeteners such as sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, including a large variety of carbonated and noncarbonated drinks but excluding 100 percent fruit juice.

To view the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

Friends, Family Detect Early Alzheimer's Signs Better Than Traditional Tests, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 2010) — Family members and close friends are more sensitive to early signs of Alzheimer's dementia than traditional screening tests, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Doctors often evaluate a person who is having memory problems by testing them with a variety of cognitive tasks, such as recalling a list of words or comparing shapes of objects. Washington University researchers developed a different approach. The two-minute Ascertain Dementia 8 (AD8) questionnaire relies on a friend or family member who knows the person well, known as an informant, to evaluate whether cognitive changes have caused the individual to have difficulties in performing everyday activities.

In the new study, published online in the journal Brain, scientists validated the AD8 by checking to see if it could highlight individuals who had biological indicators, or biomarkers, for Alzheimer's disease, such as abnormal levels of certain factors in the spinal fluid or positive brain scans for Alzheimer's plaques. The AD8's results corresponded with biomarker results more consistently than traditional cognitive tests.

To read the full article, click the link in this post's title.

Conference Participation

Steve Wilson: “This past weekend I exhibited the library’s services at the 13th Annual Conference on Disabilities and Special Needs” at the Citadel in Charleston, SC. The focus of the conference was “Supportive Schools are Safe Schools,” and several excellent speakers addressed such topics as “What is Bullying?”; “What is School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports”; and, “Bold Response.”
NOTE: To view a brochure of the Conference click on the title above.

SC Assistive Technology Exchange

New listings as of September 17 from Janet Jendron

Please visit the AT Exchange web page and find the contact information for these and other items. If you’re not an AT Exchange member, you’ll need to create a new account which is very easy. You have to log in as a user to see the contact information for the items below. If you have already logged in (or at least tried to) and still have questions please email Catherine Leigh Graham of call her at 803-434-3189. If you can’t get Catherine, email Janet Jendron or call her at (803) 446-2566. Please don’t respond to this email, but contact Catherine or Janet directly.

Check this site regularly; items move very quickly!
NEW ITEMS FOR SALE/DONATION

Item 374 - Enteral Feeding Pump - Ross Flexiflo Companion Enteral Feeding Pump in good condition For Free. Located in Columbia.

Item 375 - Pulse Oximeter - Monitor with alarm in very good condition For Free. Has a one finger tip probe and one adhesive probe. Located in Columbia.

Item 376 - Rifton Mobile Chair - Tan and burgundy. Adjustable mobile feeding/activity chair. Has pommel, headrest, hand grip on large tray, sandal footrest in very good condition For Free. Located in Columbia.

Item 377 - Kid Kart TLC - Foldable with many accessories never used For Free. Located in Columbia.

NEW ITEMS NEEDED

Item 378 Electric Bath Chair to lift grandson out of tub and to tub height. Needed in Marietta.

Item 379 Shower Stretcher - adult size with or without adjustable head to use in a shower room. Needed in Marietta.

NOTE: To visit website click on the title above

2010 Columbia Buddy Walk - Karl's Krew

The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Today, the Buddy Walk program is supported nationally by NDSS and organized at the local level by parent support groups, schools and other organizations and individuals.

Over the past fifteen years, the Buddy Walk program has grown from 17 walks to more than 300 expected in 2010 across the country and around the world. Last year alone, 250,000 people participated in a Buddy Walk! They raised more than $9.5 million to benefit local programs and services as well as the national advocacy initiatives that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome.

The Buddy Walk is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training. It is a wonderful, heart-warming event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Whether you have Down syndrome, know someone who does, or just want to show your support, come and join a Buddy Walk in your local community!

Karl, pictured above, will be participating in the Walk. To join Karl's Krew, follow this link: http://www.firstgiving.com/karlhoecke

To learn more about the Buddy Walk, follow the link in this post's title.

2010 NC AT Expo

2010 NC AT Expo by Partnerships in Assistive Technology (PAT) November 17-19, 2010 North Raleigh Hilton

The pre-registration rate deadline for the NC AT Expo is October 1, 2010.

The 2010 NC AT Expo will feature the following Tracks:
Communication, Education, Work, Vision, Staying Independent at Home, AT Expo Exhibitor and Computer Lab.
The Exhibit Hall featuring over 60 Exhibitors is FREE and open to the public and will be open on Friday, November 19 ONLY.
The schedule, session descriptions, and other information are now available.

Hotel reservations can be made online or by calling 919-872-2323.
Use group code ATX to get the conference rate.

Pre-Conference Session, Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Accessible Instructional Media: Using Bookshare® to Meet Your Students’ Needs
An additional charge and pre-registration is required.
Attendance is limited to 50 participants.
NOTE: For more information and schedule click on the title above

"Mozart and the Whale" Screening in Columbia!

MOZART AND THE WHALE

OCTOBER 7, Thursday
One screening only at 6:00pm
Nickelodeon Theatre 937 Main Street Columbia, SC 29201
Jerry Newport - who inspired the character Donald - will be in attendance to answer questions following the film.
Presented in partnership with the South Carolina Autism Society

"The emotional dysfunctions of two people suffering from an autistic disorder known as Asperger's syndrome threaten to derail the pair's emerging romance in director Petter Næss' affectionate tale of love among the mentally afflicted. For friendly taxi-driver Donald (Josh Hartnett), patterns and routines are of the utmost importance. In addition to his love for birds and his uncanny ability to process numbers, Donald does his best to give back to fellow Asperger's sufferers by leading an autism support group. When the lovely but intensely complicated Isabelle (Radha Mitchell) shows up at one of Donald's meetings, the good-natured cabbie finds that love can be as painful as it is elating." 2005. 92 minutes. Rated PG-13.
NOTE: To watch the trailer and buy tickets online click on the title above.

"Monica & David" on Television

"MONICA & DAVID explores the marriage of two adults with Down syndrome and the family who strives to support their needs. Monica and David are blissfully in love and want what other adults have—an independent life. Full of humor, romance and everyday family drama, the film uses intimate fly-on-the wall footage to reveal the complexity of their story. While Monica and David are capable beyond expectations, their parents, aware of mainstream rejection of adults with intellectual disabilities, have trouble letting go.

Throughout the story, Monica and David’s capacity is countered by their need for assistance, establishing a vague gray line between adult and child. But their parents will not always be around, and Monica and David can handle adult responsibility when it’s allowed of them. Maria Elena has an epiphany moment, stating: “as parents, we want people to look upon our children with special needs like anyone else…And yet because we want to protect them so much, we are typically the first ones who treat them poorly by subconsciously denying them their rights to have a normal life.”

Monica & David on Television
U.S. Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, October 14, HBO–8pm ET / 7pm CT

We will air prime-time across the U.S. October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month & National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the U.S.

SCREENING PARTIES AROUND the U.S. on October 14th

Host a party or find one near you: If you are in the U.S. and have HBO, please sign up to host a small screening party in your home. Don’t have HBO? Encourage your work, school, or community center to host a viewing party. We are preparing discussion guides and host packets to help you, and will soon launch a full online sign up. For now, please email us at: info@monicaanddavid.com
NOTE: For more information, and for some pictures and trailer, click on the title above.

Disability RSS World News Feeds - Disabled World

RSS (most commonly expanded as Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works, such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video, in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically.

RSS solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. It allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the web sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually as Feed Reader or News Aggregator software allow you to grab the RSS feeds from various sites and display them for you to read.

To view the article and a list of disability-related RSS feeds, follow the link in this post's title.

Webinar: Planning for a Loved One with Special Needs

SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network

Planning for a Loved One with Special Needs

WEBINAR

presented by:

Sarah Clingman
Clingman Law Firm

Topics:

*SSI and Medicaid

*Estate and Disability Planning

*Special Needs Trust

September 28, 2010
12:00 pm-1:30 pm

To register call 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688 or
email Melanie at burnettiandr@aol.com

Internet access and a telephone will be needed to participate via
the internet.

(You may also access the audio portion only via telephone)

To learn more about the SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network or to
receive a membership application, please call the numbers listed above
or visit our website www.scadultsiblingnetwork.org.