Category Archives: Top Five Tips

Gayle King: Top Five Tips

Top Five Tips

Gayle King

Gayle’s Just Say Hi spot for CPF tells the news that starting a conversation with someone who has disabilities is the same as it is for anyone. Her Breaking News is “Just Say Hi.”

In fact, many of the ways we could improve interactions with people who have disabilities might be summarized by some pretty simple headlines

1. Women with Disabilities Get Access to Mammography! Women with disabilities so often get substandard healthcare. Because of reasons ranging from inaccessible exam rooms and table to general physicians who lack appropriate knowledge, women with disabilities have a three-times higher mortality rate from breast cancer.

2.Child Able to Visit Robotics Lab in Home Town! There are many ways to support physical therapy with innovative robotics and similar approaches. However there are not enough of these facilities and it is hard to schedule appointments. Greater awareness of these methods is necessary so we can build scale.

3.School Systems Ready with Assistive Technology on First Day! There are so many ways we know to support students with disabilities but so many school systems don’t have the infrastructure in place to get it in place until later in the fall. Imagine other kids starting school without pencils and readable books.

4.After Eighteen Years, Child Finally Lives Pain Free Life. Odd to imagine this, but because many people with CP are never asked whether or not they have pain, they never discover that, in fact, they could be much more comfortable – that they could get therapies or medication which would allow them to be not only more functional, and to avoid the compromising emotions that often come from constant pain.

5.Timeline for Early Detection of CP Drastically improved. Today, we have breakthroughs in the way we can detect cerebral palsy in infants, such as an observational technique called General Movements. However, the nation’s pediatricians need to have greater awareness of these tools, and greater training in how to use them. Earlier detection of CP can have a significant impact on lessening the severity of the condition and lead to enormous improvements in outcomes and the future lives of these infants.

Oliver Platt: Top Five Tips

Blogs, Top Five Tips

It’s no secret that all of us are affected by physical appearance. Regardless of their features, it affects most people. It shouldn’t; but it does. But we’re at our best when we get past all that. So here are five other things that shouldn’t be secrets about saying hi to people with disabilities.

Don’t you just love Oliver Platt’s video? We love how we’re let into his home to share the secret of conversing with someone who has disabilities – and to have him let us know that, just like in the Wizard of Oz, we’ve had the power all the time.

In fact, most anyone with disabilities will tell you the only thing you need to know is that they are “not their disability.” It seems obvious. But life is often about getting past what’s obvious.

All of us are affected by physical appearance. Whether someone is strikingly beautiful, short, obese, tall and rail thin — regardless of their features, it affects most people. It shouldn’t; but it does.

But we’re at our best when we get past all that.

So here are five other things that shouldn’t be secrets about saying hi to people with disabilities.

1. People are not their disabilities. No more than you are the color of your eyes.

2. Most people with disabilities don’t mind talking about it, just like you don’t mind talking about some of what makes you who you are. But, for heaven sakes, it’s only part of the story.

3. People who use wheelchairs are used to being in wheelchairs. It’s not new to them and they have preferences in conversations. So feel comfortable asking if they prefer that you stand or kneel.

4. People who use speech devices need time to create their sentences. They know that. In fact, some are quite aware that you’ve got to wait for them and feel awkward about it. Some folks hope you’ll stay focused on them while they’re waiting, some are fine if you text or whatever. Again, there’s no secret: just ask.

5. Finally, if you’re in New York City, you probably don’t want to start a conversation with someone who has disabilities by stating how much you love the Red Sox.