Exhibit celebrates the beauty of the disabled

In a bid to change the way society looks at disabled people and to celebrate their beauty, the City of Cape Town is to launch a photo exhibition featuring French models with various forms of disability.

The dramatic photo exhibition, which will take place from 2 to 29 February 2008, will be officially opened by the Cape Town mayor, Helen Zille on Friday as part of the Suidoosterfees to promote cultural exchange.

"I fully support this initiative to reconcile the notions of disability and beauty and to change the way society looks at disabled people as well as the way people with disabilities look at themselves," said Mayor Zille.

Entitled "Aesthetic and Disability", the exhibition will be held in the Cape Town Civic Centre concourse.

The city said that the powerful gallery of images was conceptualised by Deza Nguembock, and produced by top photographers, Angele Etoundi Essamba of Amsterdam and Cherif Boubrit of Paris.

Mr Nguembock and Ms Essamba both live with the after effects of childhood polio.

"We decided to launch the exhibition in Cape Town because the Executive Mayor, Helen Zille, was the first public figure to respond positively to our invitation," said Mr Nguembock, who was born in Cameroon but now lives in Paris.

He said they wanted to use their talents to rehabilitate the image that society has for disabled people, and to enrich the image of disabled people in different societies.

"I am thrilled that the world premiere is taking place in Africa, where people with disabilities are not set apart, but form an integral part of society.

"The world will be looking to Cape Town to see how people react to this concept," said Mr Nguembock.

The exhibition includes photos of Nicholas Bissardon of Lyon, a 25-year-old upcoming model who has a birth malformation in his limbs and Evelyne Breton of Marseilles, France - the country's wheelchair marathon race champion for 2000, who became a paraplegic following an accident.

The self-funded project took 12 months to complete and most of the photos were shot in a Paris studio.

After its Cape Town showing, the exhibition will return to Paris and possibly tour New York and Tokyo later this year. - BuaNews, Cape Town

Arc aids developmentally disabled

To some, cleaning tables, swiping cards and interacting with customers is just another tedious day at work. However, it is a step toward independence and a sense of accomplishment to the people the Arc of Orange County serves.

The Arc of Orange County works with local developmentally disabled residents to help incorporate their skills into the community.

The nonprofit is increasing the resources available to these residents with the newly formed Employment Support Services.

The main focus will be to assist individuals in finding paid employment, said Christian Keller, director of group programs and specialized services.

"These guys have a lot of viable and useful skills, but they just need that extra support to go through the process," Keller said.

The month-old department is working with eight people currently, and new referrals come in everyday, Keller said.

"We're just starting to expand the program," said Michelle Antonelli, employment specialist for Arc. "Our goal is to serve many more than that."

Arc works to provide disabled residents with the resources they need to locate, secure and maintain a competitive employment position.

Keller said they try to place clients in jobs that complement existing interests and skills.

"If someone really loves music, we'll look into some of the record stores or a place where they can be working with folks that play instruments," Keller said.

Arc has provided this aid before. They've set up summer internships and volunteer opportunities for clients at local businesses for years.

"We have done bits and pieces of employment support services but nothing to this extent," Keller said. "Now we can put all of our energy and time into helping clients find jobs."

One client already works at Café Carolina in Meadowmont Village.

"It allows him to be around and talk to people he wouldn't normally be exposed to," said Sam Rhule, Café Carolina general manager. "He gets to learn … communication skills and how to deal with people."

Rhule said he would encourage other businesses to become involved with Arc's employment services.

The most successful part of the program is the individual's sense of pride and independence in their vocation, Keller said.

"It's a real job. It's not something that's made up for them," Keller said. "They're in a real business with a real job. They are being able to be productive and contributing members of a society."
Source: The Daily Tar Heel

Disabled parking rules should be enforced

(From UK)
I Sympathise with Jane Ogilvie and Paula Caulton over their problems with Blue Badge parking (Letters January 1 and January 7) Unlike them I have never felt discriminated against or asked why I am parking there.

I actually look disabled as I am an elderly a wheelchair user with one leg.
For me it is a necessity to park in a Blue Badge bay and like Jane and Paula I have problems when these bays are abused by people without a Blue Badge because it prevents me from shopping independently.
Today, thanks to the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act, disabled people are now being treated as equal members of society. We have dropped kerbs, automatic doors, wide shopping aisles, lifts, etc.
The service provider is at last beginning to value the customer with a disability, but not yet realising how important it is to be able to park their car. The spending power of the customers with disabilities is £70bn so why not help us spend it?
Monitor disabled parking bays and fine people using them without a Blue Badge.
John Coxhead.

Pay Toilets Welcome Wheelers

New York City opened its first of 20 wheelchair-accessible, self-cleaning, public pay toilets in Madison Square Park in December. The usage fee is 25 cents for 15 minutes, after which the automatic door swings open and a 60-second self-cleaning cycle begins.

Since the 1800s NYC has had public pay toilet problems. The city outlawed public toilets in 1975 because they discriminated against women — there were no stalls. Subsequently, the city won a class action suit in 1993 that originated because of complaints by a homeless group about the lack of public toilets. Cemusa, the Spanish advertising company that won the bid to install the new toilets, will also add hundreds of news stands and bus shelters. All surfaces of the outdoor furniture, even the toilets, will be sold for advertising.

Source: NewMobility.com

Doctors refuse mother's request to remove disabled daughter's womb 'because of charity backlash'

A mother has lost her battle to have her severely disabled daughter's womb removed.

Alison Thorpe had hoped surgeons would operate on 15-yearold Katie, who has cerebral palsy, to prevent her from the "pain, discomfort and indignity" of menstruation.

But disabled rights groups said the teenager - who cannot walk or talk and is incontinent - would be put through unnecessary pain.

Yesterday it emerged that doctors have told Miss Thorpe, from Billericay, Essex, they would operate only if there was a medical reason to do so.

"This means that if and when Katie does start her periods she could endure months and months of pain and discomfort before anything is done," she said.

Katie's plight echos the controversial case of nine-year-old Ashley X in America who underwent breast bud removal and hormone treatment to keep her in a child like state, small and manageable for her parents who care for her.

But Miss Thorpe believes the Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust has been swayed by the outcry from some quarters, including the cerebral palsy charity Scope.

She said: "I think the Trust has bowed down to what they perceived to be public opinion.

"But I have had overwhelming support from the public, both able-bodied and disabled people.

"The only opposition has been from disabled rights movements but I would say to them, 'Come and spend a week with me, walk in my shoes'. I've spent 15 years with my daughter, as a mother who loves her dearly I am trying to do the best I can for her.

"I think the Trust has bowed down to what they perceived to be public opinion, that is my personal belief. I have had overwhelming support from the public, both able bodied and disabled people.

"I feel the trust misread the so-called lack of support from the minority, groups such as Scope.

"I have not had any contact with any (disability) organisation, they do not know me or Katie. They have not provided any support or help for us as a family.

"I am not surprised by what they said but in in the way they said it. They have not been made aware of any of the facts in his case, they made up their mind before hearing the other side of the story, without referring to us.

"I don't want to take away disable people's rights, I want to give them choice."

Doctors initially suggested contraceptive pills and injections to stop Katie's periods but Miss Thorpe ruled them out because of the risk of thrombosis for her wheelchairbound daughter.

Consultant gynaecologist Phil Robarts, from St John's Hospital in Chelmsford, had discussed the options with Katie's mother.

Miss Thorpe hoped doctors would also remove Katie's appendix as it might not be apparent if she suffered appendicitis.

The Trust now says it cannot justify surgery on the grounds suggested by the mother.

However, Miss Thorpe, who lives with partner Peter Reynolds, 52, and has another daughter, 12-yearold Melissa, has written to the Trust's non-executive directors asking them to put a plan into place to operate as soon as Katie starts her periods.

She added: "It's one of those things, life with a disabled child is one long battle and this is just another step down the ladder."

"It was not unexpected. It means we move to stage two and carrying on fighting."

Sharon Collins, an executive director at Scope, said: "An irreversible procedure of this nature that is not clinically necessary is not the right way forward."

Source: DailyMail-January 17, 2008