Missionary Renegade: Abilities’ Buzz – Tuesday, 31 December 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Abilities’ Buzz – Tuesday, 31 December 2013

We at Abilities Expo hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season and that you are looking forward to our 2014 line-up of events as much as we are! Our Los Angeles show will take place February 28 – March 2 followed closely by our Atlanta event on March 14 – 16, 2014. It's never too early to pre-register at no charge!

In the meantime, enjoy the buzz and the exciting details of Angela Madsen's Pacific Ocean row and a new form of self-defense. You'll also learn about the ADA Legacy Project, how you can help fix our broken system and more!

At each of our shows, it is our goal to provide as many products and services as possible for ALL disabilities. If there is a particular product or company that is not represented at our events and you feel it should be, please let us know!

Angela Madsen vs. the Pacific Ocean

By Angela Madsen, Paralympian and Guinness World Record Holder for Rowing

Meet Angela at the Los Angeles Abilities Expo, February 28 – March 2, 2014.

I am often asked, "Aren't you afraid" and "Do you have fears about whether you will be able to make such a journey?" YOU BET! I have fears and doubts every time I set out to row an ocean. The prospect of rowing for months by myself the more than 2,300 miles from Santa Cruz, California to Hawaii was certainly no different. Paul with President Obama

Fear and doubt is a big part of what motivates me to try, and is normal. It helps drive me to succeed and makes me train and prepare to accomplish what most people consider impossible. I fear failure, but am not afraid to do extremely difficult things. I'll make a 110% effort for a chance at either succeeding or failing while being scared s**tless the entire time.

Angela Madsen leaving port.Most people consider what I do crazy. I get it. The concept of one person experiencing the harsh life at sea for so much time is difficult for people to grasp, let alone when that person is a paraplegic with rods in her back. The voyage to Hawaii would be my first solo row which would make it the most difficult physical and mental challenge since my hospitalization and surgeries.

Though I did not reach my destination this time, I haven't failed. This is just a speed bump and there will be a restart. Here is the story…

On the evening of June 9, 2013, I made my way out of the Santa Cruz Channel on my boat, Spirit of Orlando, at 5:45 pm with only mild onshore NW winds and a relatively flat sea. I was escorted out to the 1 mile buoy by the Harbor Patrol and the Coast Guard.

Angela Madsen at sea. Dolphin in the distance.>

<p>When experts describe the wind, they use the direction it is blowing from, so NW winds flow SE. The NOAA weather channel on my VHF radio described this new low pressure system of Gale-Force 2 wind and issued small craft advisories. As promised the NW winds had reached 25 knots with 33-39 knot gusts. The seas were at about 15 feet with an additional 4-5 foot wind swell so sets topped off about 20-25 feet. I remained on sea anchor all day and another night and continued to experience challenges in the following days </p>

<p>Hoping for a change in the weather, I turned on the VHF and listened to the new forecasts of Gale-Force 4 winds for my location and heavy seas. Twice as big and bad as what I had been battling for the previous five days for the next five days. This meant that I would not be able to row on to Hawaii or to make it safely back to California due to the extreme weather that was coming my way. Staying on the boat would jeopardize me and anyone who may have to be involved in a last minute rescue. I called the Coast Guard to apprise them of my situation and ask for their recommendation, and then we coordinated rescue from that point forward. I was at sea from 5:45 pm on June 9 until 3:45 am on June 17, when <em>Spirit of Orlando</em> was left adrift. I rowed a total of 172 miles. My boat was recovered by a long range fishing boat named Old Glory off of San Diego. I remain on standby to try again in May/June of 2014. </p><p><em>Follow my adventures online and view pictures, video and blogs of past and present projects at </em><a href=The seas and winds remained calm through the night and the sky was clear enough to see many stars. I rowed all through the night making about 26 miles and rowed through the morning. The winds were increasing so I put out my parachute anchor at 1 pm to take a two hour nap. Some playful sea lions had collapsed my para anchor and were playing ball with the buoy. They saw me come out of the cabin and stopped first looking at each other, then at me and then at each other again like mischievous children. I retrieved my para anchor and continued rowing increasing my distance from land and making the most miles west I would see the entire row.

The weather changed to Gale-Force 2 winds and, when it became un-rowable, I reset the parachute anchor. I thought about the day's events and all of the marine life I had seen in just one day of rowing. It began with the sea lions and a killer whale charging toward my boat a short time later, followed by many dolphins. Then as I was rowing, a blue whale and her calf surfaced right beside my boat. Not too long after that, I was charged by more killer whales. My previous encounters with them did not diminish the fear I felt watching them get closer. The interesting-looking jellyfish I saw floating by made me think of Diane Nyad, who swims oceans and has encounters with jellyfish. To top it all off, I was also visited by many sharks.

http://www.Rowoflife.com or on Facebook.

Product Spotlight: ABR Canada Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation

ABR Canada will be exhibiting at all 2014 Abilities Expos.

With ABR Canada Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation, we enter a new dimension in the treatment of mild to severe motor dysfunctions.

To date, most of the accepted treatment methodology has been to address the functional training of an individual with, for example, cerebral palsy. ABR takes a different tack. This rehabilitation program first targets the musculoskeletal system, arguing that this must be normalized before optimal function can hope to be achieved.

Though the brain injury may appear to be the culprit, ABR recognizes that a structurally distorted musculoskeletal system will be incapable of proper motor function regardless of the quality of the signals it is receiving from the brain. The ABR technique provides gradual unit-by-unit recovery through the meticulous analysis of the muscular skeletal structure and biomechanics.

One of the keys is in the fascia, the structure of densely woven connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery, vein, all internal organs, the spinal cord and the brain. The high-density of collagen fibers is what gives the deep fascia its strength and integrity. Recent research shows that what holds our body together is not the skeleton but, rather, this incredibly strong network of collagen fibers. While brain injury weakens this fascia, ABR—using mechanical stimulation—provides a non-invasive way to strengthen it.

Hands-on compression techniques meticulously and consistently administered by parents or caregivers gradually build the child's strength through the absorption of kinetic energy delivered by the parent's compression movement. Therapy techniques incorporate the use of towels, soft balls, etc. and largely characterized by quasi-static—or extremely slow—movement. A casual observer may not be able to discern any movement at all.

ABR Canada Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation

Tijana Foley, mother of Luka who has moderate hemiplegia of the right side, said, "We went to ABR in June 2002 (Luka was 18 months) and after 80 hours of therapy he started crawling (first commando style, then properly) and after 120 hours he started walking! His neck extended visibly, and his body shape changed. When we went to the hospital for a regular yearly check up, the pediatrician could not believe his eyes. He said that from the notes he had, the last thing he expected to see was a child walking, talking, opening the door and saying bye."

"ABR just makes sense for our daughter, Ruby, who has cerebral palsy," commented another mother. "We tried other therapies before we found ABR but we didn't see any positive results. ABR has changed her body so many great ways; we know ABR will continue to normalize her muscle volume and tone, giving her body more strength and function as a result."

The ABR training program is specifically customized to the individual with the disability. The first steps include generating a video of your loved one for pre-evaluation. Parents and caregivers who elect to continue are trained in one of the seven locations in North or South America, and return periodically so that the ABR staff may assess their progress and adjust their treatment.

For more information, visit www.abrcanada.com.

Criptaedo Inspires Confidence and Independence

By Paul Brailer, Criptaedo

Criptaedo will be featured at the Chicago Abilities Expo, June 27-29, 2014.

My name is Paul Brailer. I am a black-belt from the Art of Karate in Barberton, Ohio and the creator of Criptaedo, a new martial art designed to educate the community of people with disabilities on self-defense and fitness.

I haven't always had high self-esteem and confidence. Being born with spina-bifida, growing up was difficult. I had kids picking on me and doctors, teachers and caregivers discouraging me from new experiences or anything that they perceived would hurt me. This led to a low self-esteem and self-image which followed me into adulthood.

Men practicing criptaedo.

As an adult, I looked for the approval of others. When I reached my 30s, I lost a few of my friends from poor health in a short amount of time. Another two of my friends were mugged. This got me thinking…how could I stay active and healthy and be able to defend myself if I had to? Then one day, a chance meeting changed everything.

I was at a local hamburger station and I saw a lady named Heidi wearing an Art of Karate T-shirt. We started talking and she didn't assume that my disability meant I couldn't do karate, which was a BIG self-esteem boost. She invited me to the school to watch a class. I signed up and 4 years later, I am the first person in the school born with a disability that achieved black-belt!

I had to modify what the instructors were teaching the ambulatory students to fit my abilities. For example: for a front kick, I do a palm-heel strike and for a round-house kick, I use an elbow-strike.

Men practicing criptaedo.

My skills have had gone through real-life trials as well. Instead of being a victim of a mugging attack, I was able to defend myself. My assailant, probably realizing I was not the easy target he assumed, fled the scene. But he left me with a desire to teach these skills to others.

In the summer of 2012, two of my friends—Jaret and Tony—and I started talking about self-defense for people with disabilities. I, jokingly, said we should call it Criptaedo. They liked it and so the name stuck. Jaret now runs the technical side of Criptaedo and Tony is one of the instructors.

Since then we have done numerous speaking engagements with demonstrations, have been to subject of multiple articles and have produced instructional You-Tube videos like the following. In October of 2013, Criptaedo became a non-profit 501c3 organization.

In 2014, we are excited to begin physical self-defense classes and are looking forward to demonstrating at the Chicago Abilities Expo. Martial Arts has improved my self-esteem and self-image. It is not yet where I would like it to be, but it's not where it was. Visit us on the web at www.criptaedo.com, on Facebook and Twitter. Criptaedo is available for your events for an honorable honorarium. To find out more, contact us at Paul@criptaedo.com.

ADA Legacy Project Sets the Stage for the ADA's 25th Birthday

by Kristen Vincent, ADA Legacy Project

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will turn twenty-five in 2015. As with any anniversary, this will cause many of us to reflect on our history, consider the present and think ahead to the future. That is what the ADA Legacy Project is all about.

Founded in August 2012 by a group that included disability rights advocates, scholars, historians, museum curators, documentary filmmakers, government agency representatives, and others, The ADA Legacy Project has three goals:

Preserving our past by partnering with those who work to collect, promote and exhibit materials from the disability rights movement.

Celebrating our present by partnering with those who work to honor the milestones and accomplishments of the disability rights movement, including the 25th anniversary of passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2015.

Educating our future by partnering with those who work to raise awareness of the history, contributions, and issues still facing people with disabilities, developing our next generation of advocates.

Civil rights for everyone. Man carries US flag with wheelchair users behind him.

Preservation, celebration and education: this is how we will honor this historic civil rights legislation and create its legacy—a world in which every citizen is accepted for who they are.

The disability community is a thriving network of individuals and organizations who are actively involved in many of these initiatives. As such, the role of The ADA Legacy Project is simply to connect, coordinate and communicate these efforts. In other words, we will serve as a clearinghouse.

As a clearinghouse our focus is on developing partnerships with those individuals and organizations who are working to preserve, celebrate and educate. For example:

For Preservation, we are partners with:

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a 42,000 square foot facility that plans to open May 22, 2014. The Center is dedicated to exploring stories of civil and human rights throughout the world. The ADA Legacy Project has provided content on disability rights, and is working with the Center to develop expanded exhibits on disability rights in 2015 to correspond with the 25th anniversary of passage of the ADA.

For Celebration, we are partners with:

Abilities Expo, which is providing space for a traveling ADA Legacy Tour exhibit that will feature historical materials, workshops and opportunities to get involved at the local level. The Tour will launch during the Expo's July 2014 Houston stop and continue through the Expo's Chicago show in 2015. Between Expo shows, the ADA Legacy Tour will also travel to other cities.

The National Council on Independent Living, who is planning an event to celebrate the ADA25 in 2015 in Washington, DC.

The ADA National Network, which is expanding its online tool kit to offer ways for communities to celebrate ADA25.

Beacon Press and Lennard Davis, who are working to develop a book on the ADA's 25th anniversary.

For Education, we are partners with:

The Society for Disability Studies, which is developing conferences content surrounding the history and future of the ADA.

Disability Studies Quarterly, edited by Richard Scotch, which will develop a special commemorative issue on the past, present, and future of the ADA.

The Smithsonian Institution, which is expanding its online curriculum on the ADA.

The National Disability Leadership Alliance, which is creating a list of policy initiatives for Congress to address by 2015.

Wheelchair users with flag.

To learn more about The ADA Legacy Project, the ADA Legacy Tour, and our partners, we invite you to visit our website: www.adalegacy.com.

The ADA Legacy Project is overseen by a national Coordinating Council. Its work is accomplished by work groups with the assistance of one part-time staff member. If you would like to get involved or become a partner, please contact Coordinator Kristen Vincent at kristen@adalegacy.com.

The ADA Legacy Project also needs your financial support. Let us know if you or your organization would like to be a Sponsor or Champion. You can also make a donation through our 25/25 Legacy Network. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

A Broken System Makes It Hard to Get the Right Wheelchair

by Ann Eubank, UsersFirst

I attend every Abilities Expo because it is the number one expo for people with disabilities and people who love people with disabilities.

They have everything there: accessible vans and cars, the latest styles of wheelchairs, very cool accessories and lots of non-profit organizations offering advice and connection. If you can get there, do it.

What I do: I focus on helping people get the best wheelchair possible to meet medical needs AND lifestyle needs. I fight the system (Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances) to urge them to make policies that allow people to get the equipment that allows them to live the lives they choose.

I work for a disability organization with a strong presence in Washington, D.C. That means our voices have a direct link to the policy makers in D.C.

Paul with President Obama

Of the thousands of people who attend the Abilities Expo each year, I believe 99.9% would want to register with me (UsersFirst) to be counted as someone who believes we should have access to good wheelchairs. With every registration we gain strength.

With a big list we can let insurance companies know there are thousands of people who care that Americans have access to a chair that works in their lives.

When I say a good wheelchair I mean one that can be adjusted to your specific measurements and meets your functional needs. It might be a lightweight manual wheelchair that is easier to push and therefore protects your hands and your shoulders. It might be a power wheelchair that has the ability to tilt so you can get the pressure off your behind independently which dramatically decreases the risk of a pressure wound.

Oh, the insurance company might approve a wheelchair, but it may look like a substandard airport transport chair. A chair that leaves you struggling like a turtle on its back.

It would seem logical that insurance companies would want us to be as independent and healthy as possible. Bottom line: when we are healthy and independent we cost less to the insurance company.

Ki Catalyst shown with access denied stamp

But, that's not the way it works.

It's getting more and more difficult to get a wheelchair that meets our medical and functional needs. This results in too many people trapped at home, unable to pursue employment because the wheelchair does not travel well, or sick because the chair doesn't tilt back, or in bed because they got a substandard cushion and now have a wound.

What we are doing: With our strength in numbers we are able to confront insurance companies and ask why their policies limit access to wheelchairs. With our strength in numbers we can send lots of emails to members of congress asking them to change a policy. With our strength in numbers, our voices are loud enough to be heard.

What we know: If we don't unite our voices and speak out, no change happens.

Insurance companies make arbitrary and discriminatory guidelines that deny us independence.

What you can do:

1. Be counted and register with UsersFirst (we DO NOT Spam).

2. Use the Mobility Map to navigate the process of getting a wheelchair.

3. Follow us on Facebook (that's where the fun stuff happens).

4. Tell your network to register with UsersFirst and follow us on FB.

What we will do: We will only email you to keep you informed of policies that affect the lives of wheelchair users. Every now and again you will receive an email from me giving you the opportunity to tell your congressional representatives your opinion.

Let's see what we can change together.

Dancers Wanted!

AXIS Dance Company is auditioning for Apprentices & Company Members with Disabilities

AXIS Dance Company is seeking highly motivated, open-minded, athletic movers with disabilities interested in joining our team as company dancer and/or dance apprentice. Must have:

• Strong Movement, Improvisation, Partnering Skills

• Stage speaking skills

• Passion for physically integrated dance

• Genuine interest in dance education and teaching

About the Company & Position:

AXIS is a dynamic contemporary dance company comprised of dancers with and without physical disabilities that has been active in the Bay Area, nationally, and internationally since 1987. Our award winning repertory includes works by internationally renowned choreographers Bill T Jones, David Dorfman. Ann Carlson, Sonya Delwaide, Joe Goode, Alex Ketley, Victoria Marks, Stephen Petronio, Margaret Jenkins and AXIS company members.

Axis Dance Performance

Our eclectic dance vocabulary results in a repertory spanning risky and dynamic partnering work; quirky and humorous dance theater pieces; and lush, formal ensemble work. AXIS also maintains an extensive dance education program Dance Access and a youth component Dance Access/KIDS! All AXIS dancers participate in youth performances, assembly programs and teaching youth and adults of all abilities. AXIS dancers also serve as ambassadors for AXIS' mission and work at home and on tour.

Axis Dance Performance

Upcoming projects for 2014 include a new work by UK choreographer Marc Brew as well as understudying roles in other repertory work. AXIS creates, performs and teaches year-round locally and throughout the US. Rehearsals are three to five times a week.

Axis Dance Performance

AXIS provides a competitive salary, healthcare, as well as monthly stipends for professional development and transportation. Contract start date TBD and requires a minimum commitment through 2015.

About the Audition:

In order to be invited to attend audition, you must apply at www.axisdance.org/apply or submit your resume with YouTube or Vimeo links by January 5, 2014 to:

Judith Smith, Artistic Director

AXIS Dance Company

1428 Alice St. Suite 200

Oakland, CA 94612

judy@axisdance.org

510-625-0110

The audition will take place:

Saturday, January 11, 2014, 11-5pm*

1428 Alice St., Oakland, CA

It will be 3-5 hours and consist of a warm up, repertory, improvisation, and partnering. Dancers may be asked back for additional audition or time with Company.

Questions? Contact Artistic Director, Judy Smith: judy@axisdance.org

*AXIS is not responsible for arranging or contributing to any cost related to transportation to audition.

Upcoming Expos

Los Angeles

Feb. 28-Mar. 2, 2014

Los Angeles Convention Center

Atlanta

March 14-16, 2014

Georgia World Congress Center

New York Metro

May 2-4, 2014

New Jersey Convention & Expo Center

Chicago

June 27-29, 2014

Schaumburg Convention Center

Houston

July 25-27, 2014

Reliant Center

Boston

September 5-7, 2014

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center

Bay Area

November 21-23, 2014

San Jose Convention Center

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Abilities Expo

2601 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 200

Santa Monica, CA 90405 United States

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Missionary Renegade

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Abilities’ Buzz – Tuesday, 31 December 2013

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