Wheelchair Archery Sports - Get Active, Get Fit, Challenge Yourself!

Archery is a sport that is open to athletes even with a physical disability. Even though this sport is very physically demanding, it is one sport that disabled athletes can compete on an equal basis with able-bodied people. In fact wheelchair target archery has been a Paralympic sport for more than 30 years, and still going strong.

There are of course, specific rules relating to wheelchair competitors. However all other rules of competition are the same with able-bodied target archery. The difference is that wheelchair archers are divided into 2 different classes whereas there are other classifications for standing archers. Wheelchair archers compete in either W1 for quadriplegic archers that allow them to use a release mechanism, or W2 which is open to all wheelchair archers. In recent years, wheelchair archery is becoming an increasingly popular sport for the wheelchair bound athletes.

For many disabled individuals, wheelchair archery does not require any special accessories like a sports wheelchair. However, some people prefer to remove the armrest to improve aim. For others, a recurve 48-inch bow is recommended because the bow is lighter and easier to control. For persons with little arm strength, devices to help hold the bow may be allowed. Quadriplegics may have an assistant to help place the arrow in the bow, but verbal advice is against the rules.

Although outsiders may initially think the rules should be more lenient for the disabled, people participating in wheelchair archery appreciate the opportunity to be treated as another other sportsperson. The thrill of competing, participating in sports, and healthy exercise should not be diminished. Wheelchair archery provides an enjoyable diversion from the frustrating challenges of living a disabled life. For a time, wheelchair archery levels the playing field, and the handicapped are vital and alive, like everyone else.

Wheelchair archery is not simply a sport to the wheelchair bound athletes; wheelchair archery is also a chance to be normal, a boost in self-esteem, an opportunity to get some much-needed exercise, and an activity to add adventure to the restrictive life of the disabled. Instead of sitting on the sidelines and always cheering on other athletes, wheelchair target archery allows the physically challenged unique occasions to hear cheers from the benches.

In summary, live life to the fullest, despite physically handicapped. Wheelchair archery is an excellent competitive sport for anyone, regardless of ability, especially if you are up for a challenge.

Moses Wright is the owner of Wheelchair. He provides more useful information on Electric Wheelchairs and Wheelchair Van on his website.

Court hits District for blocking homes for disabled

A federal court criticized the D.C. government yesterday for blocking construction of four group homes for disabled children.

The city sided with community opponents in denying building permits for the homes to be built in the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

Boys Town of Washington dropped its plans for the tax-funded homes in 2004 as opposition grew from local community groups.

However, the federal government took up Boys Towns' cause by suing the D.C. government.

The Justice Department lawsuit accused the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) of violating the Fair Housing Act by denying building permits for the four homes, each of which would house six children and a married couple of supervisors.

The lawsuit sought a court order that would have required rewriting nine of the DCRA's regulations on housing for the disabled.

The DCRA was imposing regulations more stringently on the children's group homes than for the general population in an apparent attempt to keep the Boys Town houses out of the neighborhood, the Justice Department argued.

Boys Town sought the building permits under an exception to the D.C. code that says special authorization is not needed for a group home if it houses six or fewer residents. The nonprofit group already operates a home for boys and girls under 18 at 4801 Sargent Road NE. It obtained permits for the houses on the site with little community or District opposition.

The DCRA issued four permits for the buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue on Sept. 6, 2001, but community activists appealed.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B and a group of residents called Southeast Citizens for Smart Development said the group housing complex would disrupt the community, potentially bringing in more traffic and risking crime against the disabled children.

"It was not the appropriate place for that project," said Ellen Opper-Weiner, co-chairman of Southeast Citizens for Smart Development.

Their attorney, Andrea Ferster, argued in the appeal that although the children would be housed in four buildings, they would be linked in a single complex. As a result, the complex surpassed the occupancy limit to avoid special-exception permits.

"It's a manipulation of the rules," Ms. Ferster said yesterday. "If you allow any large facility to evade the special exception rules, then you've opened the door for any large facility to be built."

She said the fact the Boys Town facility would house disabled children was not the issue.

"Size matters in residential neighborhoods," Ms. Ferster said.

The District's Board of Zoning Adjustments agreed, saying the houses on Pennsylvania Avenue still would need to meet the District's "youth residential care home" special permit standards. The standards cover issues such as licensing, parking and potential disruption to the neighborhood.

After Boys Town dropped its planned group home, the Justice Department sued on April 15, 2004, in U.S. District Court.

The court agreed this week that the D.C. government violated the Fair Housing Act but refused to grant the sweeping changes to D.C.'s housing regulations sought in the lawsuit.

Instead, the court issued a ruling that prohibits "the District from violating the Fair Housing Act's requirement that the disabled be provided equal access to housing through reasonable accommodations."

The Justice Department argued that nine zoning regulations gave unfair preference to housing for persons without disabilities "without sufficient justification."

The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robertson rejected that argument, saying, "Such facts must be proven on a case-by-case basis rather than assumed across the board."

A condominium now stands on the site where Boys Town planned to build its group homes.

Source: The Washington Times

Disabled woman assists mother in her dementia

Whenever you get so tired and exasperated that you feel you can't look after Mom or Dad a moment longer, you might want to think about Pam Hoye. Then, take a deep breath and march back into the fray.

I met Pam through the online caregivers support group at SanDiegoEldercare.com. She adds so much to the discussion that I didn't realize she has cerebral palsy and works very hard to stay in touch with us.

Then one day, she wrote the group:

“What is very interesting and puzzling is seeing how Mom forgets I am disabled, when so much of her life was devoted to my care. She can still feed me, for example, and sometimes she'll want to.

“But we cannot count on her doing this. Chances are she'll forget about me and start eating or drinking herself, especially if she's holding my glass or plate.”

Intrigued, I asked if I could meet with Pam in her San Diego apartment. She suggested we start with e-mail, as her speech disability is quite severe.

So we chatted on the super highway for a while. It wasn't till I met her in person that I realized what a chore typing was. Sitting in a wheelchair, with little control of her muscles, she hit a single letter at a time with a wooden stick held in her mouth.

Though it also seemed that speaking was torturous for her, Pam assured me it wasn't. And in a few minutes, with the help of her live-in assistant, Alicia, we were all communicating pretty well.

Pam, 59, took in her mom for three months last year, after her younger sister, who works full time, ran out of steam. At 83, Mom has dementia. Pam's sister, a three-time cancer survivor living in Sacramento, had been assisting their mother for seven years, assuming full responsibility the last three.

“Put simply, it was time for me to step up to the plate.”

I asked how her sister expected Pam to help when she herself needs assistance with most tasks. Pam lived with her mother half her life before moving out on her own and hiring a team of assistants.

But there's not much Pam shies away from as long as she has the help of the assistants and friends.

So, Pam and Alicia made room for Mom until they found a board-and-care home close by.

“It was just something I had to do. My sister would be dead if she continued caregiving,” Pam says, adding that their mother was becoming angry and hateful. “I love Mom, but I wanted my sister to be alive and well more. ... My sister didn't want to give Mom to me; I had to talk her into it. I have all kinds of help, and my sister is all by herself.”

Now, Pam, a graduate of Fresno State and former magazine writer, and her assistants take Mom to church Sundays and to the park or restaurants Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pam owns a car, which her assistants drive.

She says she's grateful that her sister hung on as long as she did. Not surprisingly, both women still have moments of guilt for not keeping their mother with them. “But she's safe and healthy and sometimes happy.”

Pam says, “I can't imagine what it's like not being able to think; I'm so mental. I consider dementia to be one of the worst conditions possible, both for the person affected and for family. ...

“Sometimes it's like I have stepped into the world of Alice in Wonderland, where nothing is as one would expect.”

I feel similarly after meeting this inspirational woman. But not for the same reason.

---

Marsha Kay Seff edits the San Diego ElderCare Directory. The 2008 books are available at libraries, senior centers, UT offices and Longs Pharmacies. You can also check out SanDiegoElderCare.com. Contact Seff at marsha.seff@uniontrib.com.

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

Disabled people who want to work can now pay a premium for Medicaid.

Thousands of Ohioans with chronic medical conditions and disabilities will be able to join the work force and climb out of poverty without losing health care insurance.

Beginning next month, Ohio will join 35 other states that allow disabled workers to "buy in" to Medicaid, the state and federally funded health care insurance program for the poor, elderly and disabled.

Currently, Ohioans with disabilities are discouraged from working because increasing their earnings or assets would make them ineligible for Medicaid. Under the new program that received federal approval this week, people with disabilities who work or want to work can pay a premium for Medicaid. The premium would be based on the worker's income.

Advocates for Ohioans with disabilities have been pushing for the program for seven years, said Dave Zwyer, director of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.

State officials project that 5,800 individuals will enroll by June 2009. The initial cost will be about $25 million a year, with $1.8 million coming from premiums.

Susan Koller, 25, of Washington Twp., said she plans to sign up. Koller is publicity director for Checker Book Publishing Group in West Carrollton, a job she landed seven months ago after earning a master's degree from Wright State University. Already on Medicaid, she has cerebral palsy, uses a power wheelchair and gets help from home health care aides.

"I cannot make any more money than I make now (under current Medicaid rules)," she said. And she can't have more than $1,500 in assets, making it tough to save for a place of her own.

Koller said she loves working.

"It makes me feel like a productive member of society," she said. "If this (new Medicaid program) encourages more people to do that, I can only see benefits of getting more people out in the work force."

Source: The Western Stars

Providing disabled persons equal employment and accessibility to the workplace

Accessibility is the key to ensuring that disabled persons enjoy the same quality of life as others and that they can expect equal opportunity in employment and the enjoyment of social life.

One accepted definition of a person with disability is : any person whose mobility is reduced due to a physical incapacity (sensory or locomotor), an intellectual deficiency, age, illness or any other cause of disability and whose situation needs special attention and the adaptation to the person’s needs of the services made available to all.

Disabled persons at work

The right to employment is dependant on accessibility and one of the key areas in which the disabled are disadvantaged is employment. There are many societies in which persons with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed than others.

While there may be many reasons for this, one of the most significant factors is negative attitudes towards employing them. The notion that persons with disabilities do not make good employees remains ever-present.

However, the importance of a nation and the international community does not lie in their achievements but in their compassion and understanding.

In the 21st Century there is an increasing shift of focus from traditional concepts of competition to empathy and understanding, and the realization that a person’s contribution to society cannot be adversely affected by an impairment or disability.

The rights of the disabled have been universally acclaimed and recognised. The mere fact that such rights exist proves that the disabled can be discriminated upon, exploited and can be denied what others might consider their entitlements.

A landmark in this regard - The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol - was adopted on December 13, 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. There were 82 signatories to the Convention. This is the highest number of signatories in history to a UN Convention on its opening day.

It is also the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century and the first human rights convention to be open for signature by regional integration organisations. It marks a paradigm shift in attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities.

The Convention is intended to be a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The United Nations has formally dedicated the 3rd of December of each year for annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. With this dedication, the UN aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

Activities on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2007 which were based on the theme “Decent work for persons with disabilities” included a series of events at United Nations Headquarters that sought to dispel the myth that persons with disabilities are unable to work and contribute to the economy. Speakers effectively demonstrated that persons with disabilities not only make good employees, but that companies benefit from hiring them.

Accessibility

It is encouraging that there is a strong regulatory structure within the United Nations called Enable which has set standards and international accord on accessibility for the disabled.

This is done through the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the focal point within the United Nations system on matters relating to disability.

It is located in the Division for Social Policy and Development which is responsible for activities related to Social Policy and Development, Poverty Eradication and Employment, Generational Issues and Integration, Inclusive Development, NGO Issues, and Indigenous Issues.

The Division is part of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat New York.

The mandate of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities includes the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities adopted in 1994, and the World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons adopted in 1982.

In addition, the Secretariat prepares publications and acts as a clearinghouse for information on disability issues; promotes national, regional and international programmes and activities; provides support to Governments and non-governmental organizations; and gives substantial support to technical co-operation projects and activities.

The major objectives of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are the following: (i) to support the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in social life and development; (ii) to advance the rights and protect the dignity of persons with disabilities and; (iii) to promote equal access to employment, education, information, goods and services.

If the disabled were to be employed along the same lines as others, employers would have to provide information and facilities that would enable the disabled employee to access the premises of his employment both within and without.

The first step would involve State responsibility where States should encourage employers both in the public and private sectors to use common definitions for the different categories of persons with disabilities.

In order to achieve this objective, both States and employers (represented by an employers federation or similar body) should consult with the organizations that represent persons with disabilities when developing services and training programmes or when finding solutions for better serving persons with disabilities.

Consequently, States should publish, or encourage employers and interested organisations to publish, general information or guidance material relating to air travel by persons with disabilities.

Such information should, where practicable, be made available in alternative media such as Braille, cassettes, large print or computer diskettes. Employers should provide persons with disabilities who are recruited for employment with all available information concerning access to air services and airport facilities by disabled persons.

All areas in the building that disabled employees use should include facilities designed in such a way that persons with disabilities can reach them and use them without difficulty, in particular: lavatories; restaurants; shops; and communication equipment.

As far as possible, Facilities reserved or designed for persons with disabilities should be appropriately indicated by signs that are in accordance with internationally agreed standards.

All other signs should take account of the needs of persons with disabilities. In addition, and to the extent possible, employers should be encouraged to provide a means of transport between home and the work pace so that persons with disabilities can be transported without having to depend on a congested public transport system. If the employer is unable to provide this service the State could inquire into the feasibility of providing such transportation at subsidized rates.

The building should provide ramps wherever stairs obstruct the free passage of persons, mainly wheelchair users and people with mobility problems. Ideally, the entrance to a ramp should be immediately adjacent to the stairs.

A coloured textural indication at the top and bottom of the ramp should be placed to alert sightless people as to the location of the ramp.

All elevators should have sufficient space to accommodate at least one wheelchair in addition to a regular load of passengers. The floor of the elevator and the area in front of the elevator on each floor should have a non skid resilient surface or a low-pile fixed carpet.

The door opening interval should be no less than five seconds. Re-opening activators should be provided. The elevator should signal arrival at each floor by means of a bell and a light to alert sightless and hearing-impaired passengers simultaneously.

In the work station environment, signage should be positioned so as to avoid shadow areas and glare. Lighting in the work place, except reading and other lighting under the control of the employee, should be directed and controlled to prevent glare or shadows.

Lighting in the passenger cabin should not result in any sharp contrasts in intensity. Stairs should have a uniform riser height, uniform tread depths and a height for the first step on and the last step off that does not exceed the uniform riser height.

Tread surfaces should be firm and non-slippery and should not create glare. The top outer edge of each step should be marked by a contrasting colour strip, and handrails should be provided on both sides.

In terms of rest rooms within the work place, at least one unisex compartment should be accessible to a wheelchair user. Turning circles of 1.50 m diameter are recommended inside the rest room to allow for full-turn manoeuvring of a wheelchair. Accessible rest rooms should be marked with the international symbol of accessibility. No indication is needed if all rest rooms are accessible.

Also within the building, the employer should ensure that lifting systems or any other appropriate devices are made available in order to facilitate the movement of disabled employees.

Measures should also be taken to ensure that the hearing and vision-impaired are able to obtain information particularly in a building complex that houses the work place.

For disabled persons being set down or picked up at a building, reserved points should be located as close as possible to main entrances. To facilitate movement to the various areas of the building, access routes should be free of obstacles.

Conclusion

Accessibility is about improving access to goods, services and facilities for people with disabilities. This includes visual, physical, cognitive, and hearing disabilities. If the measures discussed above are to be implemented, there should inevitably be a legal structure supporting them through enforceable obligations.

There should consequently be, in any society, an obligation to accommodate the disabled by explicitly requiring employers to develop and effectively communicate a written policy and procedures regarding accessibility.

Contemporary aspirations of people living in the 21st century should ideally be based on human kindness and empathy, which are the pre-eminent values of modern day life.

These form the basis of a new list of overarching human rights which are more compelling than most traditional rights that have been considered to be the birthright and natural endowment of the citizen. In the modern context the individual looks for one fundamental right - which is the right not to be wronged.

The question then is, is the disabled person wronged by not being treated at the same level as others and by not being provided with the basics for equal employment such as accessibility. The answer must be yes.

Human rights should be viewed as something more than a concept which acts as a cultural artefact. They transcend fundamental rights, which are essentially political and civil rights, and expand to more basic rights such as the right to be equal to anyone or at least be considered as such.

The bottom line is that human rights are enjoyed by the citizen through good governance. The first conclusion that one can reach is that good governance is no longer assessed by the provision of services by a government or other governing body but rather by the extent to which improvements were made possible to the quality of life of the individual.

The second is that good governance has an international connotation, in that it should be assessed with the assistance and application of international standards.

Those with disabilities have proved time and again that they could do as well or better than others who are more fortunate. It is time for all to join hands with the United Nations in its efforts to ensure that the disabled are not treated as being different

The writer is Coordinator, Air Transport Programmes, International Civil Aviation Organisation, Canada

www.Abeyratne.com

Source: Daily News Sri Lanka

Parents Defend Hysterectomy, Growth-Stunting of Disabled Girl

Parents of a severely disabled Washington state girl who underwent medical procedures to stunt her growth said the surgeries were the right decision.

The parents, one year after the treatment began, said the procedures -- which included a hysterectomy, breast surgery and drug treatments to keep the girl from growing -- could be used to help other parents care for their severely disabled children, CNN reported Wednesday.

"The 'Ashley treatment' has been successful in every expected way," Ashley's parents said in an e-mail. "It has potential to help many others like it helped our precious daughter."

However, the procedure has been the subject of controversy since it was first revealed to the public. Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle has conceded that state laws were violated and the doctor who treated the girl committed suicide.

"Ashley did not grow in height or weight in the last year, she will always be flat-chested, and she will never suffer any menstrual pain, cramps or bleeding," the parents said.

Source: United Press International

England captain caught parking in disabled space

The Bentley in the disabled space

ENGLAND football captain John Terry came under fire today after he was spotted illegally parking in a disabled parking space.

The £100,000-a-week Chelsea defender got slapped with a £60 parking fine after pulling into the disabled spot on Esher High Street - metres away from a 50p per hour public car park.

An angry onlooker snapped the footballer’s black Bentley parked in front of Café Piccolo while Terry went to enjoy a long lunch with his family at Pizza Express.

An Esher worker, who asked not to be named, said: "He arrived at around 12.30-ish and was up at Pizza Express. I think it is just arrogance, there is a car park behind the Civic Centre.

Terry drives away from the scene

"But you can park there [in the disabled space] for as long as you need to, it is used regularly.

"Anyone with any sense of morals would say it is convenient to park there but someone could clearly use it more than me.

"A guy who is the England captain, OK he is a great sportsman, but he has the added responsibility of showing an example in everything he does. Playing football comes with wider responsibility."

He added: "If you have a lot of money, you can buy your way out of doing the wrong thing."

Terry refused to comment on why he was parking in a disabled space despite being fit and healthy, but he took time to sign autographs for fans before reversing his car away.

Source: Surrey Advertiser

Disabled friendly bus charts new path

It looks like any other school bus but it makes a big difference to certain children.

The hydraulic lift system, which helps people with disabilities do what comes easy to most others, is what differentiates it from other buses.

But what's surprising is that while there are thousands of disabled people in Rajasthan, there were practically no facilities for them till this bus rolled around.

''Every time lifting the wheel chair, lifting the child it's really difficult and so often parents don't send their children for outings,'' said Bina Kak, Director, Center for Special Education.

And to make this bus even more special, artists from Jaipur are giving it a dash of colour.

''I have used bright colours to brighten their mood. When they travel or even look at it they should feel happy,'' said Rohini Mandawa, artist.

Naturally, thrilled with the prospect of more outings and excursions, these special children celebrate with an innocence that is uniquely their own.

''We can go for movies and picnics,'' said Ajay, disabled child.

Something as simple as stepping into a bus and going out for a visit to the zoo is something we take for granted, but it can be a Herculean task for these children.

The bus with a hydraulic life system will not only make that much easier it will also give these children access to a normal life and a normal childhood.

Source: NDTV.com

Paterson's Ascension Inspires Disabled

When David Paterson takes office Monday to become the nation's first legally blind governor to serve more than a few days, among those watching with the greatest interest will be those who cannot see.

Paterson's rise to governor has served as a great source of inspiration to blind Americans, many of whom believe his newfound power will make the country more open-minded about disabilities.

"We don't see a lot of people with disabilities in positions that important," said Suzanne Ressa, marketing and development director at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults on Long Island. "He could be a great role model to all those individuals who are transitioning into the work world, because he's saying, `Yeah I'm making it happen.' You know, `If I can hold this leadership position, so can other people.'"

Although estimates vary, there are approximately 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the United States, and about 1.3 million of them are legally blind, according to the American Foundation for the Blind.

Paterson, who lost sight in his left eye and much of the sight in his right eye after an infection as an infant, joins a minuscule fraternity of blind politicians to attain high office. Thomas Pryor Gore was totally blind and served as a U.S. senator from Oklahoma from 1907 until 1921 and from 1931 until 1937. Minnesota had a blind congressman and senator, Thomas David Schall, who served from 1915 until his death in 1935.

There has been one other legally blind governor in U.S. history. Bob Cowley Riley, who lost his left eye in WWII and later lost vision in his right eye, served 11 days as governor of Arkansas in 1975. He had been lieutenant governor and finished the term of Dale Bumpers, who moved on to the U.S. Senate.

Paterson succeeds Eliot Spitzer, who resigned Wednesday after being exposed as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring.

The governor-to-be spent Friday meeting privately with state leaders from both political parties as he gets a jump start on building bipartisan support. Paterson said reviving the state's economy is his top priority, with improvements for inner city schools next on his list.

The 53-year-old Paterson is the state's first disabled governor since Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was stricken with polio several years before he was elected in 1928.

Though his sight is limited, Paterson, who spent 20 years in the state Senate before becoming lieutenant governor, walks the halls of the state Capitol unaided. He recognizes people at conversational distance and can memorize whole speeches. He has played pickup basketball games, once ran the New York City Marathon and can read for short periods of time, though aides usually read to him.

Maricar Marquez hopes Paterson's new job will help change people's opinions about disabilities. Marquez, 36, is deaf and blind and communicates with the aid of two interpreters, but still manages to work as an instructor at the Helen Keller center.

"Maybe with this happening the government will be more sensitive to people with disabilities and provide better services for rehabilitation, education and maybe be more willing to be open-minded and understanding of the needs of people with disabilities," she said.

Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said Paterson's ascension to the governor's mansion can only help shatter misconceptions and stereotypes.

"He will serve as constant proof to the citizens of New York and the nation that blind people can perform any task, from an entry-level position to leading one of the largest states in the nation," Maurer said.

Vincent Norbury, a 19-year-old student from Queens who attends the Helen Keller center, had some suggestions for the incoming governor: "I think he should put Braille on more street signs and make some way that people with no vision can tell if the lights are changing in the street."

Tracey Gilbert-Dallow of Port Washington, a Helen Keller instructor who gets around with her guide dog Marley, predicted Paterson "will have a big influence not just on blind people, but everyone."

"He had all these challenges and look where he is today," she said. "Just because you have sight don't mean you can see. You see within yourself."

Source: Associated Press

Mom who killed disabled daughter gets 20 years

KANE COUNTY - A St. Charles Township woman who stabbed her developmentally disabled daughter to death in 2006 and then tried to drive her car into the Fox River pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Betty C. Whitten, 59, received the term in exchange for her plea of guilty but mentally ill to charges stemming from the stabbing death of her daughter, Nyakiambi Whitten, 34, who had cerebral palsy.

Kane County Judge Philip DiMarzio credited Whitten for almost two years she has spent in the county jail, and she may be paroled in about eight years.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Disabled to be offered alternative to nursing home care

THE federal and state governments will spend $190 million over the next five years to help move young people with disabilities out of nursing homes and into special accommodation.

Around 6500 people aged under 65 are living in residential aged care facilities around the country, 1000 of whom are under the age of 50.

Most of these people have ended up in residential aged care facilities after acquiring disabilities such as brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, Huntingdon's disease and motor neurone disease.

Isolated socially and emotionally, these residents often miss out on a range of care services, making such accommodation less than ideal.

But according to the Rudd Government's parliamentary secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, Bill Shorten, help is on the way.

"Many people aren't even aware young people are in aged care, certainly not in the numbers there are," Mr Shorten told The Sunday Age. "When I started this job, I wasn't really aware of this as an issue. Then I found out that a guy I had been at university with was in a nursing home and had been for over a decade. That really shook me and focused my attention on the program."

The main aim of the program — to be rolled out over the next five years in co-operation with state and territory governments — is to move younger people out of nursing homes and into more suitable share accommodation with people of a similar age and who share similar health-care needs.

It also aims to divert younger people who acquire a disability in the future and are at risk of going into a nursing home into more appropriate accommodation.

If younger people who are already in nursing homes want to stay where they are, then the program aims to ensure that they have better services available to them.

"The states and territories are all at different stages, but Victoria's really doing well," Mr Shorten said.

"These people, who have all had tremendous bad luck in their lives, well, society has really failed them if their only option is a bed in a residential aged care facility.

"They deserve better; they deserve the same choices about their lives as every other Australian does.

"I'm really proud that this program is delivering it."

The Young People in Nursing Homes Alliance has led a concerted campaign to offer young Australians with support needs the choice about where they live and how they are supported.

Source: The Age, Australia