______________________ HAPPY NEW YEAR 1999!__________________________ THE BEACON for [dis]ABILITY™ World Association of Persons With Disabilities [WAPD] A Non-Profit, Non-Political-Association The Beacon of Knowledge & Refuge for the World's Largest Minority ___________________________________________________________________ December 28, 1998 BOOKMARK: <http://www.wapd.org> _______________________________________________________________ A FREE newsletter sent to 26,000 subscribers around the world. Feel Free to forward this newsletter to interested associates. _______________________________________________________________ "Let us be among those who renew this world and bring prosperity & solace to creation" _ Zarathushtra.. about 1738 B.C. _ _______________________________________________________________ *INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS* We Increase Mobility for Children Real Bowling for Wheelchair Users Innovations for the (dis)Abled is our Business http://www.iphope.com/ _______________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE: GIVING OPENS THE WAY FOR RECEIVING... (Can you understand this basic fact?) 1. LETTERS TO EDITOR.. 2. The Little Girl who Dared to Wish 3. Resources ========= A. Free Email Lottery B. Daily/Hourly Updates DisAbility News; Views; Alerts C. Daily Chat With Folks from all corners the of world. 4. How Much Are You Worth? 5. The Best That "WE" (WAPD/You) can Do! Subscribe/Unsubscribe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIVING OPENS THE WAY FOR RECEIVING... In giving to others, you will find yourself blessed. It's a universal law, you have to give before you get. You must plant your seeds before you reap any harvest. The more you sow, the more you will ultimately reap. The givers harvest is always full... Be a giver! Everything worthwhile in life will come to you freely, when you learn to give as freely. Nature does not give to those who will not give/spend. It's a very simple law that, for most, is hard to grasp! You can Help! Contribute! It will Return to You..TenFold! Can you understand this very basic fact?....... _________________________________ IF IT'S GONNA BE...IT'S UP TO ME! _________________________________ Dear Editor, I have worked for over thirty years and have found that I am now facing a brick wall with no way up, around or through this wall. I am a 48 year old woman. I was injured on the job in 1994 when a the bottom of a large filing unit fell on my left leg hitting me on my tibia bone. I later developed a noncancerous lipoma and a thrombosed vein was also removed via surgery in July of 1997 and I have not worked since. Before I went to this job I was declared disabled in 1989 because of surgery that I had on both of my legs in 1984. The state vocational rehabilitation office made the determination and assisted me in securing the job that I was injured on. Since the surgery have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Pain Syndrome/Localized Traumatic Pain Syndrome because of possible of possible microfiber nerve damage. Because of this I am in constant pain. My neurologist and the Department of Labor Office of Federal Workers Compensation went round and round about my returning to work. The Office of Workers Compensation made a decision in May of this year to terminate my medical benefits and monetary compensation. I appealed and am now waiting for a hearing date. In the mean time I spent a month in a hospital physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain management. This was paid by my private insurance or at least some of it. Because I have no money and my medical benefits have been cut off I am unable to purchase the pain medicine, the depression medicine, the hand held massager and go for water aquatics therapy three times a week, high blood medicine, hormone medicine, and allergy medicine. I still am in constant pain but have learned to live with it better. Everyone just shifts me over to the other. I received a severance pay check of $2.87 on December 11, 1998. My last day on the job rolls was November 20, 1998. I was informed that there here will not be an offer for retraining since there were not that many people that were let go because of reduction in force. I am so far behind in debt, the creditors call every day all day. I applied for unemployment insurance and was told that I probably would not get it since I have not worked since July of 1997. Being caught up in the bureaucratic system is awful. I need information on how I can retrain, work at home or start a home business with non funds. It is going to be even more depressing to see everything that I have worked so hard for over the last thirty years disappear. Any suggestions or assistance you could render me would be greatly appreciated. Evangeline Johnson 106 Ashwood Drive Summerville, SC 29483-2001 (843) 875-3740 <[log in to unmask]> WAPD NOTE: There are ways through, around or up this seemingly..."Brick-Wall". WAPD has many readers with excellent abilities to help this tragic situation. WAPD telephoned Ms. Johnson and fully verified her, above, letter. Please some of you "activists" and experts in solving these types of situations..Contact her and lend your support and talents to HELP solve the problem. ------------------- Dear Editor, I am writing for Therisa Privett, 2000 Aspen Drive, Apt. #1, Drumright, OK, 74030. She has been on assistance for the last several months due to not being able to work as she has Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Heart problems, seizures, back and neck problems. She was informed today by her social worker that her assistance benefits are being terminated since she isn't working. Excuse me!!.. but how do they expect her to work. She has seizures, and with the MS, there are days she can barely raise her arms from her sides. She doesn't have transportation, can't drive, has access to no type of assistance where travel arrangements can be made to get her to the proper doctors that are willing to fill out the proper forms for her disability to be okayed. The doctor she is going to won't do the proper forms as he doesn't want to be connected to "disability" people. IF there is anything you can do, please, PLEASE let her know. Her telephone number is 918-352-9132. If there is any other agency that might be of assistance to her, please have them contact me thru email as she has most of her email blocked due to her seizures. Thanking you and praying for help, Beth Hoover 318-856-8509 Lafayette, LA. <[log in to unmask]> WAPD NOTE: WAPD confirmed this case with a call to Beth Hoover in Louisiana. Ms. Privett, a former therapist, has been very supportive to many persons for several years. She NOW needs our help. Please contact Beth, above, and assist all you can... Drumright, Oklahoma is not far from Tulsa and we are awaiting the name of the doctor that will "not have anything to do with disability people" It'll be a nice story for the Tulsa newspapers & One-In-five people that have a disAbility. Another GREEDY Doctor!!!! ------------- Dear Editor, Update on Kelly Dillery and plans for a Walk for Justice in Sandusky to be held at 11:00 a.m. the morning of Dec. 29th at Jackson Street Pier in Sandusky, Ohio. The more people we have,the better it will be. Last Wed. two of us (from two different CILs in Ohio) spent the afternoon with Kelly. She does NOT have a prior record (of receiving citations for jaywalking or other charges). She is a young mother, without a car or van, who is trying to take her daughter to the Library, playground, store, etc. like ANY OTHER mother. Below is my account of our visit and our trip to Sandusky today to map out our route for the walk on Dec. 29th. We met her brother (who is her personal assistant) who was fixing her dinner, and her Mom, who lives closeby Kelly and who stopped in for a few minutes. Her family is very supportive of her. We (my husband, Bob, & I and my support dog, French-fry) were out in Sandusky today writing out the path to be taken and timing it. I will get more specifics to you as soon as they are "for sure". I am working with a lady, Shona (also my friend), from the Sulvania CIL. Shona & Bob & I were at Kelly's home last week and went for a walk with her. (We traveled the original route she took when she was arrested for child endangerment---and she lead the way.) She goes into the road when the sidewalk is in bad condition or there are no curb cuts. Bob guessed that at least 75% of the curb cuts were NOT put in correctly (with anywhere from 1 to 2+ inch dropoffs). We are guessing that the city does NOT enforce sidewalk repairs that are needed. There were sections of sidewalk that had lifted up "inches" (heaving with freezing and thawing, we think). They are persecuting her. One of our consumers who lives in Sandusky, (I will NOT use her name to protect her), has a police scanner and heard the police talk about trying to find Kelly to give her another ticket. They did not know where she had gone. Our consumer called Kelly the next day and asked her if she had gone out the day before. Kelly said that she had gone to the Library. That was the area they said she had been seen in, but they didn't look in the library! (Kelly does not even know this as it was felt she has enough to deal with now--without more. She was just warned that they will be looking for her.) Kelly's speech has been affected by her disability. We think that is part of why she is being persecuted. Kelly makes the person withOUT a disability uncomfortable. She is a really neat lady--"fiesty", as Shona says, but very quiet (not boisterious). There have been people from Sandusky (among them "lawyers") that have been heard saying "Why doesn't she just stay home?" I would like to request everyone who can not be in Sandusky to write another letter or email and send it to the Sandusky Register and/or City Hall. Even to the Police Department! There seems to be two specific policemen who are "hounding" and "harassing" her. One tells her to go on the right side of the road (with traffic) and the other tells her to go on the other side (against traffic). One tells her to go OVER the railroad tracks and the other tells her to go by way of the underpass. She is wrong no matter what she is doing!! (Kelly did not show up at her last hearing date because SHE WAS TOLD SHE DID NOT HAVE TO! Her lawyer was there representing her. As it was, the judge did not show up for hearing her case and it was postponed to another time.) We had a Statewide conference call last Thursday (with ADAPT & CIL people from all over Ohio & PA also). People took responsibility for parts of the walk and/or preparation. I will send more when more plans are firmed-up. If I can give you anymore information, feel free to call me at LEAP/CIL: 1-800-410-5327. Mary Butler, LEAP/CIL <[log in to unmask]> WAPD NOTE: If you cannot attend send an e-mail that says. "LEAVE Kelly Dillery Alone!"...to: The Sandusky Register Publisher, Mr. Jim Hofmann: <[log in to unmask]> or Editorial Director: Don Lee <[log in to unmask]> Telephone: 419.625.5500 Get 50 friends to do the same thing!.. Make them hear it! __________________________________ IF IT'S GONNA BE...IT'S UP TO ME __________________________________ THE LITTLE GIRL WHO DARED TO WISH... As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she collided with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction. "Watch it, Squirt," the boy yelled, as he dodged around the little third grader. Then, with a smirk on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped when she walked. Amy closed her eyes for a moment. Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom. But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy's mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the only one. It seemed that ever since Amy started the third grade, someone teased her every single day. Kids teased her about her speech or her limping. Amy was tired of it. Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the teasing made her feel all alone. Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was quiet. Her mother knew that things were not going well at school. That's why Patti Hagadorn was happy to have some exciting news to share with her daughter. "There's a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio station," Amy's mom announced. "Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize. I think someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter." Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas. A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter. "Dear Santa Claus," she began. While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa. Amy's sister, Jamie, and Amy's mom both thought a 3-foot Barbie Doll would top Amy's wish list. Amy's dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn't ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy's letter to Santa, just as she wrote it that night: Dear Santa Claus, My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me. Love, Amy At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest. The workers had fun reading about all the different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for Christmas. When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn't understand her disability. He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper. The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of The News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable, Christmas gift-- just one day without teasing. Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support. Amy and her family read every single one. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other. She realized that no amount or form of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again. Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high. Lynn, a sixth grader from Texas, sent this message: "I would like to be your friend," she wrote, "and if you want to visit me, we could have fun. No one would make fun of us, cause, if they do, we will not even hear them." Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School. Additionally, everyone at school got an added bonus. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel. That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson. "Everyone," said the mayor, "wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth." _________________________ KEEP ON KEEPING ON! _________________________ [-RESOURCES-] A. FREE EMAIL LOTTERY <http://www.wapd.org/store/> 4 Numbers Correct - $10.00 5 Numbers Correct - $100.00 6 Numbers Correct - $3,000.00 ---------------- B. DAILY/HOURLY UPDATES DISABILITY NEWS; VIEWS; ALERTS <http://www.wapd.org/bbs/index.html> ---------------- C. Daily Chat With Folks from Ireland, UK, Canada, Texas, Florida, California, Iowa, Arkansas, Bosnia, everywhere. Wow..They do have fun!!! <http://www.wapd.org/chat/> _____________________________________ NOT (dis)....BUT...ABILITY! _____________________________________ HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH? The man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?" "Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man. "Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?" "That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy. "If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour." "Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?" The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours. Everyday and don't have time for such childish games." The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money. After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy. "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for." The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, since the boy already had money, started to get angry again... The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at The man. "Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? --------- WAPD NOTE: Several at WAPD have invested considerable time and money to buy some of your time to say: "If It's Gonna Be...It's Up to You/Me!!"...ABILITY!...EMPOWERMENT! __________________________________________________________________ "PART-TIME WEALTH WEBMALL" Let Kathy....from her wheelchair, show you a way to Independence!! She learned how to make a living... <http://www.sysop.com/dajack> __________________________________________________________________ The Best That "WE" (WAPD/You) can Do! WAPD needs your volunteer help and membership donations to continue in 1999. Please do the best that you can, and rest assured that we will do the same........ Happy New Year! _____________________________________ Be Proud Of Who You Are! _____________________________________ SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE... The WAPD BEACON for [dis] ABILITY is a newsletter providing highlights about WAPD's programs & disability issues. More information is available via our Web site. Addresses are NOT sold, traded, or loaned. If you choose to unsubscribe to this electronic update, send Email to: <[log in to unmask]> in the body of the email, type "unsubscribe news". Please include ALL e-mail addresses that you might receive this from... 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