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Contents:
Disabilities Aren’t Barriers to Political Success By
Kathi Wolfe Growing up legally blind, I never dreamed people like me would campaign for – and win political office. But people with disabilities are doing just that. Today, two people who are legally blind, David A. Paterson, a Democrat in New York and Kristen Cox, a Republican in Maryland, are running for positions of lieutenant governor in their respective states. Paterson is the running mate of New York gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer; Cox is the running mate of Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich. “The selection of these individuals by prominent politicians demonstrates a view increasingly shared by society – that individuals who are blind are as qualified as anyone to take on important governmental responsibilities,” said Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind.
Paterson and Cox are not hiding their disabilities. This is a welcome
contrast from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s day. Roosevelt
disguised the fact the he used a wheelchair due to polio. Photographers
weren’t permitted to take photos of him in his wheelchair. And many
Americans were unaware that he couldn’t walk. But Paterson and Cox are
among a growing number entering the political realm erasing the stigma.
Paterson walks with the assistance of a “sighted guide,” who introduces
him to people. Cox uses a cane. And their impairments do not prohibit
them from leading active, independent lives. Paterson, minority leader
of the New York state Senate, runs marathons and Cox who is a parent
heads Maryland’s If elected, Paterson and Cox would join a small but growing group of politicians with disabilities. Americans are more willing to accept and even encourage individuals with disabilities to engage in the political arena. This is partly because many people with disabilities are now more active and visible in American life. And it is partly because one in five Americans has a disability, according to the US Census. Today, there are more than 37 million people with disabilities of voting age in the United States. Individuals like Paterson and Cox are giving millions of folks with disabilities a sense that we can fully participate in the democratic process. We are your classmates, your colleagues and now your candidates. Following the election, David A. Paterson was elected and Kristen Cox was not.
Lekotek Volunteer and Staff Member
Lekotek of Georgia’s Director of Technology Services, Peggy McWilliams, received the highest of all Lekotek honors receiving the 2006 Founder’s Award from the National Lekotek Center. Peggy was chosen for her outstanding commitment of time, expertise and resources to Lekotek, children with disabilities and their families. For over fifteen years, she has played a significant role in the lives of Lekotek families and has contributed greatly not only to Lekotek of Georgia but to the entire affiliate network. Peggy is visionary in her outlook and continuously strives to bring innovative ideas to enhance the magic of play. Peggy’s remarks (below) upon accepting this award, exemplify her passion and standards of excellence in all that she does. “How can I accept
this award without reflecting on what Lekotek has given me? Implementing
our mission of inclusion brings personal satisfaction and pride every
day. We celebrate what children can do. Two children that I have been
privileged to work with exemplify Lekotek’s ability to facilitate
success. Charlotte first came to Lekotek as a beautiful two year old
with blonde pig tails and big blue eyes. She had athetoid cerebral palsy
and uncontrollable movements that were frequently acerbated when
attempting purposeful movement. Although she was nonverbal it didn’t
take long to learn that she had definite likes and dislikes. She
expressed her feelings by smiling, laughing and fussing. After years of
trial and error, I was able to determine that her most A few years ago, I
initiated a program conducting play sessions with premature infants and
their parents in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at several
Atlanta area hospitals. Hanif was referred by a physical therapist. He
was born at 24 weeks gestation and had many health issues. After two
visits, the physical therapist told me that he was very sick and had
“coded” on many occasions but his mom refused “to let him go.” The
therapist was doubtful that my visits would help him or be worth the
effort. So…I turned to mom. She never suggested that we discontinue play
sessions. To the contrary she was and is his biggest cheerleader. She
never gave up; her presence, persistence and love got him through
difficult medical trials. She demonstrated the faith and vision that we
so strongly believe at Lekotek. With her help, I was able to assist in
his development as he reached milestones Lekotek’s niche is indeed a very unique one. We help parents take pride in their children, their successes and their presence in their families. And I thank each and every family I work with for the opportunity to be present in their lives. I thank Lekotek for the chance fifteen years ago to become part of this team and I thank you all for this honor.” Our Little Boy and What Lekotek Means to our Family
On March 11th 2005 the “honeymoon period “of my pregnancy ended and I was put on bed rest for the duration. My delivery date was not until July 2005. Little did we know that our son would meet the world on his time frame. So, on April 2, 2005 Hanif Ali was born. He was born at 24 weeks and 2 days gestation. He weighed 1.46 lbs. Who knew a baby could be born so small! The doctors did a great job of terrifying me. They discussed all of the possible outcomes a child so small could have. Outcomes that may include: blindness, deafness, inability to walk and learning issues. The doctors also mentioned a myriad of medical terms that often apply to micro preemies such as: NICU, BPD, PDA, ADHD, NG, Autism, CP, ROP, IVH, failure to thrive and developmental delay. In the midst of all the potential issues my son had and would face, I had no idea where to start. Fortunately, a nurse at Northside hospital told me about Lekotek. She said that one of their leaders came out and held “play sessions” with the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) families. My husband and I knew we had a long challenging road ahead so we decided to give Lekotek a try. A few days later, I received a visit from our Lekotek leader Peggy McWilliams - a visit that has forever changed our lives. Every month without fail, Peggy met with us in the Northside and Scottish Rite NICU’s bringing not only toys and resources, but a magnificent personality and genuine kindness I will never forget. Peggy helped me understand that through “play” and touch a child could have fun and be taught a great many things. Peggy visited my son for a grueling nine month period while he was hospitalized. She played, trained, supported and encouraged our entire family, not just Hanif. And while our son has experienced developmental delays, he has achieved a number of miraculous milestones. We thank and acknowledge Lekotek and Peggy for many of his accomplishments - reaching, tracking, and manipulating objects. These skills and more were learned through the use of toys and adapted devices. Hanif is now crawling, walking, eating by mouth and talking. Peggy’s facilitation and encouragement using an array of extraordinary Lekotek toys helped to make these successes possible. Lekotek has been a Godsend to Hanif and our family. It is proof that something good can come out of any situation, no matter how daunting. My husband and I will always be grateful to “Aunt Peggy” and Lekotek. Lekotek staff creates age appropriate software with scanning options for children with physical disabilities. Lekotek loans 100th computer with adapted input devices. Bilingual Lekotek leader, Maria Canaba, interprets play sessions for Spanish speaking families. The Cobb satellite implements Computer Club and Happy Tails. Lekotek leader, Peggy McWilliams continues to conduct play sessions at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s NICUs (neonatal intensive care units). A grant of $10,000 from the Billi Marcus Foundation will expand the neonatal project to additional Atlanta area hospitals. The Southside Lekotek opened June 1st in Fayetteville. The annual Holiday Party had a record number of families with 325 children and adults attending. In addition to a sit down lunch donated by the Kiwanis club, Santa and caricature artist, John Brady, were on hand. The 2006 Golf Tournament had a record number of participants with 96 golfers. The 2006 Run raised nearly $45,000 – a record amount.
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Georgia, Inc.
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National
Philanthropy Day is an annual event sponsored by the Greater Atlanta
Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. This event was
held in November with over 1,000 individuals in attendance from Atlanta
area foundations, businesses and nonprofit organizations. The event
recognizes
By
Brenda Ali