****************************************************************** 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 ****************************************************************** July 6, 1998 BOOKMARK: <http://www.wapd.org> =============================================================== A free newsletter sent to 22,000 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. _ =============================================================== LeTourneau Lifelike Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc. State-of-the-Art Artificial Limbs ######### Amputees have the right to live as full and active a life as possible. <http://www.orthotics-prosthetics.com/> =============================================================== In This Issue: Expect to Win 1. Letters to Editor 2. So... You Always Wanted To Go To Harvard 3. Resources A. Alamo City P.C. 4. ABOUT WAPD A. A Special Hello B. "Leeder O. Men" 5. Very Interesting 6. Theatre Firm Sets disAbility Precedent Subscribe/Unsubscribe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXPECT TO WIN AND YOU WILL. When you believe in your innermost being that you will achieve what you set out to do, it opens the way for miracles. Expecting something to happen energizes your goal and gives it momentum. You'll find that life responds to your outlook. What you expect to happen, happens. Your expectation opens or closes the doors to your supply. If you expect grand things, and work honestly for them,they will come to you, as your supply will correspond with your expectation. There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow. You can't succeed beyond your wildest expectations unless you begin with some wild expectations. The dreams you believe in come to be. *********************************** IF IT'S GONNA BE...IT'S UP TO YOU! *********************************** [-LETTERS TO EDITOR-] Dear Editor, I'm a Chinese journalist working for a newspaper agency in Qingdao, China. Unfortunately I was injured in my spinal cord during a traffic accident on Feb. 13 1998. I was operated within 6 hrs. At that time, I could not move my legs,there was no feeling below my waist and I could not control urinating and bowel movements. After a period of treatment and training I can control my urinating and bowel movement, my two legs can feel touching and heat but still cannot move. It seems very difficult to get a little progress. I am 37 years old. I still young, how could I face to my rest of my life in the future? I deeply love my husband and my son. I deeply love my job. I don't want to sit in a chair all day long. I got to know from the INTERNET that I could get help here. Would you kind enough to help me? I need your help. My family need your help. What should I do to improve my abilities quickly? Thank you very much! Hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely yours, Li Jie, a nearly desperate person <[log in to unmask]> -------------- Dear Editor, I have a sister in Austin Texas who I haven't seen in 24 Years. The reason being that my little brother pulled a knife on my husband one day when we both came to visit, to introduce my husband to the family. I felt really scared and refused to visit my family. I mustered enough couarage to call her on the phone in March and I found out that her husband had divoriced her and then he moved in with another women. A few years later he died. Now she is receiving food stamps and her son is disabled because he lost the use of his left arm. The son is 35 years old and lives with his mom who is my sister. My sister tells me that he just wants to lay around the bed all day and not do anything . I feel that he is depressed and going out of his mind with boredom. I wish you would be so kind to provide me with information on how he might be able to get the Army to pay for a computer so he can learn Accounting, or some other computer skills so he can get a decent job and lead a productive and happy life. I wish I could help but I am still in college and dont have a job either. So, my husband and I are not financially able to help them. My sister and her son live in Austin Texas I hope to hear from someone who cares. I thank you in Advance, God Bless You Mrs Williams <[log in to unmask]> -------------- Dear WAPD, I am writing from Peru, Michael Urtecho Medina, I'm Master in Chemical Sciences, I am 28 years old, I have spinal muscular dystrophy, I haven't been able to walk in my whole life. As you can imagine I've had to overcome many obstacles to arrive to where I have and above all overcome problems in an underdeveloped society such as mine, I am currently working for a government agency in Communications. Cruising the INTERNET I have located you to request the following: I have many goals that I still want to reach, I feel able to accomplish many things, among them to join the faculty at a university, if all goes well I will be applying for a position this year, I want to start my own business and above all begin a family, but for all of that I need a lot of help, an electric chair, I have seen a couple in catalogs but they are unreachable because of their price, there is one that is appropriate for me. I don't know if you are the right agency, I hope so, otherwise I would beg you to indicate the way as to who I should contact to obtain a donation or some support and reach this chair. As of now I promise a monthly contribution of some amount. Anxiously hoping for an answer from you I close. Sincerely, Michael Urtecho Medina [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] [WAPD NOTE}] The above letter was translated from Spanish to English. If you can write Spanish and wish to respond to Mr. Medina we would suggest doing so in Spanish...but if not we imagine he can have your response translated. ------------ Dear Editor, I feel that your readers will enjoy the below. The Dash I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning...to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth... and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own; the cars....the house...the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard... are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left. (You could be at "dash midrange.") If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real, and always try to understand the way other people feel. And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before. If we treat each other with respect, and more often wear a smile... remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy's being read with your life's actions to rehash... would you be proud of the things they say about how you spend your dash? ------- Jennifer Perry <[log in to unmask]> ********************************** IF IT'S GONNA BE...IT'S UP TO ME ********************************** SO... YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO HARVARD... Most of the brain specimens donated to the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (Brain Bank) at McLean Hospital are from individuals suffering from the major neurobiological disorders including Alzheimer, Parkinson and Huntington diseases. The availability of large numbers of these specimens for scientific investigation has helped foster a great interest in these diseases and, thus, has helped encourage young brain researchers into these fields of study. Unfortunately, the severe mental illnesses of schizophrenia, bipolar, and OCD and depression have not received comparable public and scientific attention or adequate federal and private funding. This inequity is due, in part, to a severe long standing shortage of brain tissue donated from individuals diagnosed with these severe mental illnesses. I was horrified when I learned that in the twenty year history of the Harvard Brain Bank an average of fewer than 10 brains a year were donated from individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness. As a result, only a handful of laboratories throughout the country could be supplied with the tissue necessary to support their postmortem scientific investigations. In spite of some significant gains in our understanding about the origins of mental illness that are being realized from this kind of research, the pronounced shortage of appropriate human brain specimens has contributed significantly to the overall slow progress in postmortem research. Our families and consumers that struggle with the cyclical nature of mental illness must understand that we bear a unique responsibility for providing the neuroscience community with a very valuable brain tissue resource that is necessary for continued investigation. Please support this crusade for educating families with severe mental illness about the value of brain donation. For more information please call 1-800-BRAIN BANK or visit the Brain Bank web-site at : www.brain bank.mclean.org:8080. I am doing this for my brother who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and for my young nieces who are well. Who will you be doing this for? And oh, by the way, "Don't worry, we're in no hurry!" Always remember, from knowledge will come a cure! Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. <[log in to unmask]> the "SINGIN' SCIENTIST" National Spokesperson for the Mentally Ill Past member of: National NAMI Board of Directors. [WAPD NOTE] Above was posted to our Bulletin Board at: <www.wapd.org> and we received responses that it is in poor taste and other comments. When you have, first hand, experience with mental illness you fully understand the "tongue in cheek" way that Dr. Taylor wrote the above. It is VITAL to have more knowledge...NOW!!!! We cannot hide our heads in the sand when something like "schizophrenia" is taking such a tremendous toll on people each year.... Folks we MUST think of the living! This is a very serious disability....Donors are very much needed!!!! ************************* KEEP ON KEEPING ON! ************************* [-RESOURCES-] Alamo City P.C. ( Wow! )...We Rate ( 10+ ) WAPD is very happy to announce that we have found a SUPER computer manufacturer that will build a custom computer for less than almost all of the "over the counter" units being offered today "On-Sale" or Otherwise....PLUS, a reputation for Superior Service and Quality that is the trademark of the firm that really cares about each and every customer.... ( The Dell's, Packard Bells, Compacts, IBM's and others better look out..Alamo City is here!) Believe It or Not.... after searching half-way around the USA for a good computer manufacturer that will provide top service throughout the USA for our staff that is largely all over the North American continent... Computer TechReps at IBM introduced Alamo City P.C. to WAPD and we are very happy that they did!... We will use them to build and upgrade our PC's. NO!..they don't have a Website yet because they have been focusing on taking care of their rapidly growing customer base..but you can e-mail David Toedt, President, of Alamo City at: <[log in to unmask]> As soon as the Alamo City Website is available we will let our readers know.. **************************************** SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY NOT A DESTINATION **************************************** [-ABOUT WAPD-] A SPECIAL HELLO TO: City of Cambridge (Mass) Commission for Persons with Disabilities. We were happy to hear from one of the members, Bet MacArthur, this past week and salute their continuing work for people with disabilities.. ---------- "Leeder O. Men"... Another adventure depiction of "Leeder" by the famous California cartoonist John Lytle.. shows him underwater in his wheelchair at the inaccessible San Antonio, Texas "RiverWalk". The WAPD Texas State Chapter is hearing from folks all over the world that are helping to keep "Leeder" breathing... Please let them hear from you! <http://www.wapd.org/chapters/texas/sa/river/index.html> ************************************** The Worst Bankrupt In The World Is A Person That's Lost Their Enthusiasm! ************************************** [-VERY INTERESTING-] If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people. With all existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this: There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere (North and South) and 8 Africans. 51 would be female; 49 would be male 70 would be nonwhite; 30 white. 70 would be non-Christian; 30 Christian. 50% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people and all 6 would be citizens of the United States. 80 would live in substandard housing. 70 would be unable to read. 50 would suffer from malnutrition. 1 would be near death, 1 would be near birth. Only 1 would have a college education. No one would own a computer. When one considers our world from such an incredibly compressed perspective, the need for both tolerance and understanding becomes glaringly apparent... [WAPD NOTE] Twenty (20) of the above persons would have a disAbility to add to the above stats...If you want to figure exact areas they woud be in..have at it! ========================================================== Specially Adapted Alternative Manufactured Homes Soon Available Throughout the USA <http://www.samh.com> Take a good look! Mid South Home Center ========================================================== THEATRE FIRM SETS [dis]ABILITY PRECEDENT... The USA's largest movie theater chain has agreed to remove barriers to disabled people from its theaters. Carmike Cinemas Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ga., agreed to resolve a complaint filed with the Justice Department by a movie patron in Des Moines, Iowa, but the company's agreement affects all of more than 510 theaters in 36 states. Carmike's theaters have over 2,700 screens. "We are pleased Carmike's is stepping up and doing the right thing," said Assistant Attorney General Bill Lee, head of the department's civil rights division. "For movie-goers with disabilities, one of the greatest coming attractions is access." A patron complained that Carmike theaters in Des Moines violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by having inaccessible entrances, rest rooms, ticket windows and parking lots plus inadequate wheelchair seating. Carmike also agreed to conduct a nationwide review of all its theaters and developed a 20-page survey that will be completed by the manager of every theater it operates. The results will guide the company's barrier-removal program. ADA law requires public accommodations, such as movie theaters, to remove barriers to access when they can readily do so. "People with disabilities should be able to go to the movies like anyone else," Lee said. Technically the largest North American chain, with 2,700 screens, Carmike is about to drop into second place behind Regal Cinemas, based in Knoxville, Tenn. [WAPD Note] We expect all of the larger firms to quickly follow suit with this great precedent. Negative publicity is NOT good business! ************************************************** You Cannot Discover New Oceans Unless You Have Courage To Lose Sight Of The Shore ************************************************** 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... To subscribe ( in case this issue has been forwarded to you by someone who subscribes already ), send Email to: <[log in to unmask]> and in the body of the Email, type "subscribe news". ****************************** Copyright© 1998 World Association of Persons with Disabilities %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%